The Modern Food. Understanding what you are eating is important.

Last week I enjoyed talking about the importance of what we eat. It is a topic that is very much related to who I am today. Mainly when you eat good quality food, you can physically and even mentally feel better.

We are what we eat, let’s dig into it.

I love to build awareness around the modern systems of eating which have profoundly changed over the years especially when there is much information out there. When we think to eat nourishing foods, we may have some confusion in our minds especially today. Just thinking about all the commercials can drive us crazy. It can be tricky to understand what’s right to have and what’s not. I have learned my self one basic thing that is to me now a rule, and I strictly follow it. Never buy products that are advertised on commercial TV and everywhere around. You want to look deeper than that.

Learn little by little what is safe for you and your body.

Most of the products we find at the supermarket are full of chemical elements that will make us sick eventually.
It is essential considering to buy less manufactured food, and the fewer preservatives you read on the label the better is.
The chemical substances we find in many foods or the combination of those have become dangerous over time.
The 90% of what we buy is delivered to us in containers, or it is inside a can, and because they have to last longer in the shelves, they are full of chemical preservatives to kill bacterias.

What we think it may be “fresh” is not.

The fresh cut meat you see out there, the fish, the dairy products, even the veggies, and fruit have been through some chemical process.

To understand this better I will make an example out of apples. How many bad looking apples do you see on the shelves? Not even one right? I started to get curious about it. You find these lovely shiny perfect apples. The process they have been going through to make those apples looking polished is called Wax Coating.

While doing my researches I found this:
“Most fruits and vegetables produce a natural wax coating as a protective barrier between them and their environment, mostly to repel water and prevent moisture from escaping. But these days, because produce is shipped around the world every day, it needs additional protection to survive long-distance travel.
That’s where produce waxing comes into play. Produce waxing is the process of covering fruits and vegetables with artificial waxing material to keep produce from going bad, to seal in moisture and make it look more attractive on the grocery store shelf.” (source_ https://auntfannies.com/wax-coating-produce-safe/)

Are you disappointed? I was when I found out.
While natural waxing is safe to eat, the most conventional products are covered in petroleum-based wax which contains solvent residues or wood rosins. It is always a useful thing to wash our fruit and veggies before we eat it.

Here some simple way to clean your apples form the wax:

1- “Dipping the apple in hot water for a few seconds to remove the wax. Once you take out the apple from the hot water, rewash it under running tap water.
2- Mix one tablespoon of lemon juice and one tablespoon of baking soda in water. Dip each apple in this mixture and scrub it using a vegetable brush. Rinse them under tap water once you are done.
3- Use vinegar instead of lemon juice mixed with water. Scrub the apples and rinse with water before consuming.
4- Apple cider vinegar is also a good option. Use a paper towel or clean cloth to wipe the apple with the solution. Wash the fruit with water later.” (source_ https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/never-eat-wax-coated-apples-4-easy-ways-to-get-rid-of-it-1723338)

The apple was an example to bring awareness to you. The fact is that nowadays everything is available to us no matter the seasons. Products are shipped around the world and to maintain the beauty and the freshness looking, they are spray with pesticides, fertilizers, insecticides.
Meat, poultry, and fish are raised with hormones and antibiotics to grow faster. Today our products go over and over through chemical processes to the point that they become very dangerous to us.

While I was watching Food.Inc I was shocked finding out that back in 1972 the FDA conducted approximately 50,000 food safety inspections, and in 2006 just 9,164.

One important thing you can do as I always recommend is to inform yourself. Get as much information as you can.
If you have the chance, buy local food, organic products at the fresh markets, and spend a little more time to look around and choose wisely.

Consider watching Food.Inc it will open your eyes. Here is the trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHJiNC_7wuw

In Good Health!

Annalisa