WHY ARE WE GETTING SICKER?

Why are we as a nation getting sicker while living in one of the most prosperous countries, in a time of advanced education and technology?  We are seeing huge spikes in Heart Disease, Diabetes and Cancer from what we saw prior to the 1950’s.  Part of the problem is that we are exposed to far more chemicals and stressors, and tend to work and travel with less physical energy.  However, there is one thing these diseases have in common.  They all involve inflammation and a lack of immune defense.  Guess what one of the best sources is for decreasing inflammation and increasing our immune response?  Fresh Produce!  Wow, how seemingly simple, but true.  A diet rich in fresh organically grown produce is one of the best ways we have to combat disease.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH OUR PRODUCE?

In the early 50’s, studies found that spinach was rich in iron.  By the late 80’s, the same studies found that spinach had much less iron than had previously been found.  What happened in just 30 short years?

Following the end of World War 2, we began to see the decline of the family farm and the beginning of commercial farming.  Commercial farming focused more on profits than the quality of the food.  Whereas, the family farm was more interested in the quality of the food they were raising for their neighbors.  Crop rotation, which was once a standard practice that helped keep the nutrients in our produce, decreased.  The use of chemical soil additives and pesticide rose significantly in conjunction with the use of genetically modified plants.

We can be thankful for many of the benefits we have seen form commercial farming, however we must still be mindful of where our veggies come from.

WHERE DOES OUR PRODUCE COME FROM?

Here in Central Florida about 80% of our produce comes from California and Central America.  It takes about 7 to 10 days from the time it’s picked until the time we get it.  After only 5 days, produce loses up to 80% of its nutrients.  This means that by the time we get it, the produce we get in the store, has lost much of what little nutrients it had in the first place.

Make no mistake.  Eating produce over processed food is still a much better choice, but there is an even better one.

CHOOSE LOCALLY GROWN FRESH PICKED PRODUCE

When we eat produce grown close to us, and picked fresh, we are getting much more of the very nutrients that keep us healthy and alive.  Produce grown in soil, hydroponically in water, or aquaponically with fish and water, are all better when eaten fresh.

AQUAPONICS PRODUCE HIGH QUALITY PRODUCE

The better the supply of organic nutrients and water to a plant, the healthier the plant is and the better its leaves and fruit are.  We have chosen to grow aquaponically because we have found that it is the best way to grow produce with the highest nutrient levels.  Since these nutrients are the very building blocks of our physical health, we should seek to eat foods with the highest levels of nutrients.  This, along with exercise, is the biggest improvement we can make to increasing our health.

LOCALS ARE BEATING CANCER – WITH FOOD!

There is a growing number of locals who are taking their health into their own hands and beating disease by the food they eat.  There is a growing source of information that shins light on this.

Though traditional western medicine is incredible, and we wouldn’t want to see our world without it, but by itself, it is not enough.  When we are injured or need surgery, we are thankful for western medicine.  But what about how to get healthy?  This is where nutrition comes in, and at the heart of nutrition, is the food we eat.  There are those who believe in eating meat and those who eat no meat.  There are those who say low carbs and high fat and those who say low fat and plenty of healthy carbs.  The one thing that they all agree on is plenty of green and dark colored vegetables.  This is at the heart of our health.

Karen Tarwick – Is a local resident that beat cancer with the food she ate and ultimately opened a restaurant that serves the food that helped save her life.  You can read more about her here…