To be or not to be...healthy. That is the question.

Being healthy takes a lot more than just eating fruits and vegetables.   But for the sake of this article, the topic is fruits and vegetables! 

It's All Relative

When someone says they eat fruit and vegetables, what exactly do they mean?  Do they mean that they eat canned or cooked, frozen, dehydrated or fresh, organic or conventional, home-grown or store bought?  As you can see, it's not black and white. 

When I talk about eating fruits and vegetables, I mean fresh, organic produce, preferrably home-grown or from a farm.  There are many reasons why I believe that organic produce is best.  Here are some of the reasons I've found to be the most important:

• They are free from synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and sewer sludge (and who knows what else).  Not many people realize the impact that these have on our bodies and that they are cumulative.  Please note:  Pesticides etc... can run (when it rains) and blow over (from the wind) from non-organic farms which just can't be helped.
• They are more flavorful. This is not just my opinion. It's a fact.  And when food tastes good, you want to eat it.  Also, there's no need to add anything when it's flavorful, though adding fresh sqeezed lemon juice or nuts to create a new dish (just a couple of examples) adds more nutrition and taste.
• They have more nutritional value because they are picked, distributed and sold much more quickly than conventional because they are picked when they are ready to be eaten.  They have no processes to go through.  In other words, many conventional fruits and vegetables are picked long before their time and are put through a process to give it the appearance of being ripe when it's really not.  This is why it's not as flavorful as its organic counterpart.  However, it is always important to know where the produce is coming from and the time frame in which it's picked to the time it gets to the store and on your table.  This is why home-grown is best.  The less time in between picking the fruit or vegetable and eating it, the more flavor and nutrition it has.
• Eating fresh organic produce, as opposed to canned or cooked, provides necessary enzymes our bodies need to help us digest our food and absorb the nutrients.  If you eat all or mostly cooked foods your body must produce the enzymes for you.  After time and as you age, this process slows down and your body cannot produce the enzymes needed.  This can result in disease.
• Besides having a positive effect on your physical well being, they also have a physiological effect on you.  Just knowing you're feeding your body truly healthy food elevates your mood.

I know I've said this many times before, but organic produce is not a cure-all and is no guarantee for good health.  Here's another thing to consider:  If your body is not absorbing nutrients, then there's a bigger problem that should be addressed with a Naturopath who can discover the underlying problem(s).  A medical doctor, unless they also practice integrative or natural medicine or unless they are well versed on natural healing, is not equipped to help in this instance.

Here's to opening our eyes to the truth!

Lisa

2nd Unofficial Juicing Class

Had a great time today at my friend's house for my second unofficial juicing class.  She has a Jack Lalanne juicer that worked well.  She wanted to make sure she was using the juicer properly before she started on her new juice venture (by the way, if anyone has a juicer or is going to purchase one and has no clue as to how to use it, I give private juicing classes).  She chose to juice oranges, cranberries and apples. The juice was delicious but then again, how could it not be? We put a plastic bag in the pulp catcher and it made clean up easier.  Cleaning the juicer is important and getting the pulp out of the screen is not always an easy task.  I advised her to use a vegetable brush to clean the screen because the pulp gets stuck in the tiny holes.  The brush works wonders.  

We also discussed detoxing.  Detoxing the body (removing toxins) is a great way to, as my friend stated, start with a clean slate.  But before you start a detox, there are many things you need to know.  Detoxing can be quite dangerous if you don't know what you're doing (yes, I have a personal story about this and learned the hard way). In one of my classes detoxing will be introduced and the prerequisites discussed.

Remember I will be having an OPEN HOUSE as I mentioned previously so that anyone who is interested will have the opportunity to come and find out about my classes (and sample some good food and beverages, too)!  I also plan to incorporate Pampered Chef products in my classes so that anyone interested can purchase them conveniently (you don't have to have a demonstration/show in order to make a purchase).  Pampered Chef specials and discounts will be offered to those who participate in my classes.  I also have some other ideas I'm working on but won't mention them until they are for sure!

Side Note:  Cranberries are only available seasonally in PA (usually in the Fall) so if you want to have them year round, freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag.  This way the cranberries will be individually frozen and won't freeze in clumps.  When ready to use, take out what you need and give them a rinse under water.  Cranberries are  also great in smoothies!

~ Lisa
Email me at LisaSmall@rcn.com