All in Nutrition
A trip down the “health food” aisle can be unwittingly unhealthy, if not equipped with a bit of knowledge.
All health food is not created equal! Just because the label says so doesn't mean it is.
In 2016 the health food industry was $707.12 Billion dollars and it is predicted to be $811.82 Billion by 2021! That’s a lot of kale chips!!
But not all of the foods sold as health is good for you.
I truly enjoy a well constructed salad that I didn’t have to make, the reason being is it takes some work and is usually chalked up to “its just a salad.”
But, if you are just a little bit organized you can build a fantastic salad. It can be an entire meal thats satisfying and not boring!!
I see a salad as having two components: Taste and Texture
I know we are all busy and we can’t be on top of everything all the time. That’s the very business model “health food” companies use to get away with selling crap in the name of health food, a huge pet peeve of mine.
Don’t fear that’s why I am here!
I apologize to those who don’t consume dairy, but this is important to know and its not the most exciting topic but impacts your health.
So the USMCA deal was put into effect July 1, 2020. It’s a trade deal between US, Mexico and US. Why is this important to nutrition?
Well, part of the deal allows US dairy farmers greater access to the Canadian market, about 3.5% off Canada’s domestic dairy market.
Carrots are probably the greatest sources in beta-carotene, which does help with eye health but eating copious amounts will unfortunately not be the way to 20/20 vision.
Preformed A (retinol): found in liver, fish oils, egg yolks and milk products
Provitamin A (mainly in the form of beta-carotene) found in yellow and orange fruits/vegetables as well as leafy greens.
It is fat soluble, which means you have to watch your intake because any excess is stored in your body and not excreted like water soluble vitamins
Vitamin A is reduced by the consumption of alcohol, Vitamin E deficiency, with the use of cortisone medication, and with excess iron intake (all your high intake of red meat people),
As a vegetarian I take my vegetables very seriously so when the summer hits you can imagine how happy I am to be eating super fresh and LOCAL fruits and vegetables!
Not much is better than going to your local framers market for fresh produce but, growing your own food is pretty awesome!
For those of us with no access to the ground and are limited to container gardening there is still lots you can do. I bought a package of mixed lettuce seeds from one of those temporary stands at Canadian Tire just for fun and I got quite the haul of all kinds of leafs that ranged from kale to arugula, to romaine.
A Few Advantages to Growing Your Own Food:
It has taken me a long time to figure out what works for me in terms of how to eat, what to eat and when. It’s only because it has been a struggle for me all my life!
I have been graced with not only a small frame but also the metabolism of a sloth! UGH, I can gain weight just by looking at food, I swear to God!
So, you can imagine I have followed “rules” on how to eat for some time and most of them are not helpful. I want to save you time and energy on debunking a few rules that are out there. Maybe you are following these rules for no other reason than someone hasn’t told you its ok to stop.
I have only 2 rules:
Only do things that work for you.
Practice good eating hygiene
