Have you been refused dental treatment lately? Maybe it’s not your fault either. If you are suffering gum disease as a result of a diabetes one periodontist at least is refusing to treat his patients as he knows that it is only band aid treatment.
Recent research again confirms that the very common increase in diabetes and other health related diseases could be due to eating empty foods. Conventional produce is shown to contain fewer nutrients than in our grandparent’s days.
“In fact the average vegetable found in supermarkets is anywhere between 5% to 70% lower in minerals such as magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc than those harvested 50 years ago. Also selective breeding to increase crop yields has led to declines in protein, amino acids, and minerals. And finally, as a results of the growing rise of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, many modern crops are being harvested immaturely, meaning that produce has less time to absorb nutrients either from synthesis or the soil.” *
Paul Hepperly talks of „hay belly‟ where the cow gets a big fat belly because they have to eat more just to get the right amount of nutrition yet still do poorly. Recently we were talking with Mark Nakata of Beyond Organix who says that the US Health department now recommends eating 10 pieces of fruit and vegetables – up from 5 – in order to get the right amount of daily nutrition. Will it soon be 20 he asks?
Nowadays we are told that processed food is better for you as manufacturers add just the right amount of vitamins and minerals that are needed for our daily diet, in fact even extra amounts are added to boost our daily requirements. Whilst this sounds great these added vitamins and minerals just aren‟t able to be absorbed by the body as they are usually synthetic. In simple terms food production is actually making food less nourishing as the original vitamins and minerals are actually either removed or denatured through the manufacturing process. Heat, including pasteurization, is particularly damaging to food.
In addition to food being depleted of many essential nutrients, conventionally grown food is being shown to be tainted with the chemical residues from the use of fertilisers, insecticides and herbicides. The presence of these has led to a wide variety of health problems such as allergies, poor immune system functioning, lowered fertility rates and many cancers.
Why are we telling you all this? Because it is important for you as a grower to be aware of what the industry that you are in is doing. Many consumers are becoming aware of these facts and are starting to demand better food choices. They are seeking fresh food and wanting to know how and where it was grown. As our government allows the big chains to continually drive food prices down many are realising that there is far better value in local, smaller markets. Though small, this is the future of a growing world trend.
* Ref: Dr Mercola www.mercola.com
