Fruit

Fruits and Vegetables Reaching an Alarming State of Nutrient Depletion

~ admin ~ Leave a comment

Marco Torres – What if our food has been getting less and less nutritious? What if modern intensive farming methods — many of which solved malnutrition problems when they were first introduced — have affected the mineral and vitamin content of what we eat? Could having a constant supply of varied produce and introducing genetically modified foods be compromising nature’s goodness?

Whether it be vegan, low carb, paleo, or any other diet, the quest for the healthiest method of eating shows no sign of abating, yet all have considerable controversy. We know more than ever about what food does to the body and the importance of antioxidants, healthy fats and a low glycaemic index.

Things have changed so much since the wisdom of our ancestors was lost or ignored. Wild dandelions, once a springtime treat for Native Americans, have seven times more phytonutrients than spinach, which we consider a “superfood.” A purple potato native to Peru has 28 times more cancer-fighting anthocyanins than common russet potatoes. One species of apple has a staggering 100 times more phytonutrients than the Golden Delicious displayed in our supermarkets.

Were the people who foraged for these wild foods healthier than we are today? They did not live nearly as long as we do, but growing evidence suggests that they were much less likely to die from degenerative diseases, even the minority who lived 70 years and more. The primary cause of death for most adults, according to anthropologists, was injury and infections, not disease.

Some of the most eye-catching work in this area has come from Donald Davis, a now-retired biochemist at the University of Texas. In 2011, he compared the nutrients in US crops from 1950 and 2009, and found notable declines in five nutrients in various fruits, including tomatoes, eggplants and squash. For example, there was a 43 per cent drop in iron and a 12 per cent decline in calcium. This was in line with his 1999 study — mainly of vegetables — which found a 15 per cent drop in vitamin C and a 38 per cent fall in vitamin B2.

food

Continue reading →

Medical Doctor Sells Practice, Opens Up “Farmacy” Using Food as Medicine

~ admin ~ 2 Comments

Justin Gardner – Dr. Robert Weiss believes that a change is coming about in the way we approach health and medicine, or rather a reconnection with knowledge that was shunned with the onset of big pharma.

weissHe sold his practice in New York and built the first farm-based medical practice on a 348-acre farm in Long Valley, New Jersey. It can be called a “farmacy,” a place that explores and utilizes plant-based “food as medicine.”

“Plant-based whole foods are the most powerful disease-modifying tools available to practitioners — more powerful than any drugs or surgeries,” said Weiss, a doctor of 25 years in Hudson County.

Untold billions have been put into the production of synthetic chemicals to treat the symptoms of disease, yet the research of plant-based medicine has taken a back seat, despite its ancient history and already known potential.

The priority is prevention through proper diet, including fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, beans and seeds. It’s “paleo” plus the best parts of human agriculture before they were turned into processed foods. However, this strict diet regimen can also be used to treat those already afflicted with ailments.

“I am not saying if you fall down and break your ankle, I can fix it by putting a salve of mugwort on it. You need someone to fix your fracture,” Weiss said. “I am talking about treating and preventing chronic disease — the heart attacks, the strokes, the cardiovascular disease, the cancers … the illnesses that are taking our economy and our nation down.” Continue reading →

One Astounding Tree Grows 40 Kinds Of Fruit

~ admin ~ 1 Comment

Christina Sarich – It’s the cultivation of years of hard work and patience conducted by Artist and Syracuse University professor, Sam Van Aken. He is responsible for creating an absolute wonder – a tree that bears 40 different kinds of fruit, achieved by harnessing an ancient technique called “chip grafting.”

treeThe blooms of this magnificent tree are breathtaking enough, with hot pink, white, purple, and fuchsia bursting forth every spring and summer season like an Andy Warhol painting on steroids.

What is even more fascinating is that the tree preserves many heirloom varieties of stone fruit, from peaches to nectarines, and even almonds! All on the same tree!

Utilizing what Aken calls “sculpture through grafting,” he says that “I can design and essentially sculpt a tree and how it blooms.”

His vision is unparalleled and the patience it had to take to graft each type of tree onto one – unthinkable. Normally grafting just two kinds of fruit is difficult, since they must both grow well in a particular climate and also be very closely related. Stone fruits are so named because they all contain a seed that is very large and hard. Continue reading →

Where To Store Some Produce May Surprise You

~ admin ~ Leave a comment

Ready Nutrition  May 29 2014

fruit+veggies

There are some foods that absolutely need refrigeration, and some that are better off stored outside of your fridge.

Do not refrigerate (unless cut):

Potatoes: Refrigeration makes the starches in potatoes turn to sugar – which is not a good thing, as it changes the flavor and makes the skin darken.

Onions: Separate them from the potatoes (they don’t play well together – potatoes can make onions rot) and store them where there is plenty of air circulation (no sealed bags or containers)

Garlic: Like onions, they prefer air circulation.

Tomatoes: Store them on the counter – they will turn mealy and dull in the refrigerator.

Avocado: Store on the counter until they are ripe.

Melon: Leave them on your counter to ripen and sweeten  properly. The antioxidants in watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew prefer room temperature.

Stone fruits: Place peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums, cherries, and similar fruits on the counter, stem side down, to ripen. Once they start to get soft, move them to the refrigerator.

Papaya: These will not ripen in the refrigerator – keep them on the counter, and turn them occasionally so they ripen evenly. Once the skin turns yellow-orange and the fruit starts to soften, move them to the fridge.

Peppers: Store on the counter.

Store these fruits at room temperature until ripe: Guava, kiwi, apricots, mangoes, nectarines, passion fruit, pears, persimmons, and starfruit

Always refrigerate these foods:

Berries: All fresh berries are highly perishable and should be stored in the refrigerator in a container that allows air to circulate. Don’t wash berries until you are ready to use them – moisture will decrease their shelf life.

Grapes: Store in the refrigerator in a perforated bag, and don’t wash them until you are ready to use or eat them.

Pineapple: Despite its tough exterior, pineapples are quite delicate and bruise easily. If left on the counter more than a day or two, they will begin to ferment, and the acidity will increase. Refrigerate the whole pineapple in a perforated plastic bag until you are ready to cut it. After cutting, store in the fridge in an air-tight container.

Figs: Refrigerate in a plastic bag.

These items can go be stored either in the refrigerator or at room temperature – it is a matter of your preference: 

  • Apples
  • Clementines
  • Grapefruit
  • Kumquats
  • Lemons
  • Limes
  • Oranges
  • Pomegranates
  • and Tangerines

Sources:

Quick And Clean: 40 Non-Processed Snacks That Meet Your Need For Speed

~ admin ~ 1 Comment

The Organic Prepper April 27 2013

Black Bean SaladIn a society that is geared towards instant gratification, the problem with non-processed food is that it isn’t “quick”.  One of the major reasons that people give for eating processed foods over whole foods is that “I needed something quick.”  Don’t let your need for speed sidetrack your healthy eating habits.

If you are a prepper, it’s especially important in a disaster situation to have food that you can turn to for quick nutrition.  In a grid-down situation, foods that don’t require cooking can be especially vital.  Some people make the mistake of relying on long-term storage foods that require lengthy cooking times, forgetting that cooking fuel might need to be rationed in order to last throughout the event.  Alternatively, relying on highly processed foods will not provide you with the extra energy you need for the demands that may be placed on you physically in such a situation.

One strategy that you can employ for some instant food gratification is to make a habit of a weekly food-prep session. Spend some time each weekend washing, cutting, and cooking food for the week ahead.  This will give you cut-up veggies, prepared protein sources and washed fruit that you can eat right from the refrigerator.  This session can also include some home-baked goodies for lunch boxes and some complete meals that just need to be reheated at serving time.

Next, be sure to have some foods on hand that can be prepared quickly.  Some of the suggestions below are just snacks but when combined with another selection can take Continue reading →