Shopping Healthy
by Mary Louise;Town Jaqua, Health Minister
10/8/2022

 

 

Food shopping is a basic part of life; after all, the body needs
to eat. It needs food to survive. Searching for food, however,
can present certain challenges, especially if food is scarce
and quality is a not only a consideration but a priority.

SHOPPING HEALTHY: What does it mean?
While the definition of 'healthy' varies with the individual, most
people agree that they want to eat food that is good, i.e. it
tastes good and fills their belly. What is commonly left out of
this definition is the all-important fact that food should nourish
the body! Food is the fuel that keeps the body performing well.
Not all food, however, falls into this category. Therefore if we
want to enjoy vibrant health, we must be discriminating in
our food choices.

SHOPPING HEALTHY: Where to start
Choosing foods that support wellness is simple but
controversial in that many choices and opinions exist about
what we should eat. Thus the debate over diet has yet to
be put to rest. However, in recent years the case for
consuming natural foods has been gradually winning over
conventional foods that are processed, animal-based,
genetically-altered, lab-grown, and more. Thrown into the
food mix is the introduction of bugs, worms, caterpillars,
and aborted fetal tissue, etc. which are being promoted as
the 'new, healthy, 'sustainable' foods of the future. Food
choices are thus evolving into new, unknown territory that
may prove to be more harmful than healthy for the human
body.

This being said, making healthy food choices can thus
present a dilemma for the health-conscious shopper.
Nevertheless, the dilemma is easily solved when we
discover what foods were created and recommended by
our Creator Almighty YHVH to eat that would make our
bodies strong and healthy.

And YHVH said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.- Genesis 1:29

Thus the controversy over diet is over. The Almighty wins.
Living well amounts to eating well. Consuming foods that were
custom-made for our well being are the foods of choice: fruit,
vegetables, greens, seeds, nuts, and sprouted grains in their
natural, fresh, raw state. Wisdom is contained in this eating
pattern for living foods alone can nourish a living body.

SHOPPING HEALTHY: Finding living food
Finding food that is fit to eat in a world of adulterated, dead
food can be a challenge; however, it is possible. Though the
search may require a measure of creativity, personal wellness
is worth the effort. This being said, consider the following
options for finding food that is healthy to eat.

  1. Supermarket- shopping the outer perimeter of a food store
    is popular advice for finding healthier foods. Customarily,
    however, the perimeter is
    home for meat, dairy, seafood,
    deli, and pharmacy departments - all products of which do
    not promote wellness. The produce section of the store is
    the only place to find living food, though limited in
    selections.
  2. Health food stores- most offer fresh, locally-grown
    produce in season. Otherwise, bulk grains, seeds, nuts,
    and a limited selection of raw dry goods are offered.
    Apart from these selections, most food items in health
    food stores are compromised (processed) and are thus
    not healthy choices.
  3. Buying clubs- local and national food distributers offer
    the option of group buying that allows members to
    purchase fresh produce and sometimes a limited
    number of raw, low-processed items at wholesale prices.
  4. Farmers' Markets- buying direct from local farmers
    is an excellent venue for finding healthy food. Most towns
    and large cities hold weekly markets, some of which
    continue through the winter. Many farmers, in cooperation
    with government agencies, offer special produce purchase
    programs for lower income individuals and families.
  5. U-Pick- many growers open their orchards and farms
    seasonably for consumers to come and pick their own
    fruit and vegetables. Many states also have Gleaning
    programs that allow locals to glean remnants of the
    harvest from participating farms. These programs are
    cost effective ways for accessing healthy food.
  6. Garden- shop a backyard garden for a safe, reliable,
    healthy food source. If possible, grow berry bushes,
    small fruit trees, grape vines, herbs, etc. that support
    healthy eating. Winter garden by utilizing cold frame
    methods and/or by growing sprouts indoors.
  7. Forage- gather food from the local landscape, being
    mindful of foraging rules. Naturally-sourced foods are
    known to be nutritionally superior to those cultivated.
  8. On-Line shopping- fresh produce can be purchased
    on-line and delivered to your door. While this option
    offers consumer convenience and quality, it can be
    pricey.

SHOPPING HEALTHY: Quality counts
No matter how or where you shop, food quality should be
a priority, for what you eat is an investment in your health.
Therefore investigate potential food purchases by finding
out:

  1. Is it locally-sourced or from 'afar,' since locally-grown
    is more nutritious than food that has been trucked
    across country or shipped from abroad.
  2. Where was it grown (place-of-origin) and what
    growning methods used?
  3. Is the food organically or conventionally grown?
  4. Has the food been irradiated, i.e. exposed to radiation?
  5. Has the food been treated (waxed, etc.), and if so,
    with what?

Knowing the answers to these questions can make or
break personal health. Therefore, customer demand has
propelled food vendors to be more forthright in providing
information about the products which they sell. This effort
has led to initiating guidelines such as identifying individual
produce items with Price Look-Up stickers. These PLU
numbers/codes represent a quality control measure that
help customers and cashiers. To shop healthy, consider
these codes:

  • A five-digit number starting with a 9 is organic, i.e.
    grown without herbicides and pesticides.
  • A four-digit number beginning with 3 or 4 is
    conventionally grown. For example, regular small
    lemons sold in the U.S. are labeled 4033, large are 4053.
    Conventionally-grown food is grown with chemical
    fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.
  • A five-digit number starting with 8 is genetically
    modified
    (has genes from other organisms), i.e. the
    DNA has been altered with DNA of insects, worms,
    caterpillars, and in some cases animals and vaccines.

Shopping the healthiest means choosing organically-grown
foods since chemical-based herbicides, and pesticides that are
commonly used in conventional growing methods are known
to be carcenogenic and neurotoxic. It stands to reason that if
these chemicals paralyze/kill pests, they can also harm the
body. Research proves that the use of such chemicals for the
sake of productivity/profit pose a danger to human health.
Likewise, genetically-altered foods represent yet another step
in divorcing if not forcing the general public to consume food
that harms the body.

Adding to the challenge of shopping healthy is the fact that
not all food as presented and/or labeled is accurate. Thus
the element of deception (cheating) can exist. For example,
organic foods may in fact not be organic and coventionally-
grown items may include some genetic modification. This
practice is largely the result of food merchant battles as
they vie to gain wider markets and greater profits. It is no
secret that many commodity brokers are profit-driven and
therefore are willing to compromise/over-look quality in
exchange for monetary gain. Thus consumers should
consider the quality of their food choices carefully. While
shoppers may consider unethical practices to be limited
to large supermarkets, it is sad true that local farmers
sometimes utilize less than healthy growing methods.
Food does not come with warning labels. Thus buyers
beware.

SHOPPING HEALTHY: The bottom line
When all is said and done, the quality of our lives is
determined by our lifestyle choices, namely what we eat
and how well we exercise. While understanding how to
best care for our bodies is an education, learning the basic
principles of optimum health and applying them brings
great dividends. Science, medical research, and scripture
all attest to the efficacy of eating natural, living foods for
the care and healing of the human body. Given living
foods, the body heals itself, correcting all manner of pain,
sickness, disease, weight problems, and more. Sadly,
most Americans are malnourished and thus suffer the
consequences in the form of ill health that not only
compromises their quality of life but also leads them into
an early grave. This ought not to be. There is a better way
to live!

In order to activate the body's natural ability to thrive in the
truest sense without compromising its physical, emotional,
and mental acuity, we must take charge of our health by
elevating our living standard. This is done by making
healthier food choices, engaging in daily exercise, and
cultivating a spiritually-centered, active life- all of which
support our wellness or health. Therefore, when you shop,
be sure to
shop healthy!

Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.- 3 John 2

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Recommended resources

Why My Family Only Eats Organic or Better

The Effect of Organic Food

25 Surprising Facts About Organic Food That You Might Want To Know here

EWG’s Dirty Dozen list of pesticide-contaminated produce.

FoodBabe

Food Labels Explained

What is in our childrens' vitamins: buyer beware

 

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