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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Forage-
gather food from the local
landscape, being
mindful of foraging rules. Naturally-sourced
foods are
known to be nutritionally superior to those
cultivated.
- 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:
- 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.
- Where
was it grown (place-of-origin) and what
growning methods used?
- Is
the food organically or conventionally grown?
- Has
the food been irradiated, i.e. exposed to
radiation?
- 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!
