At UMass we are engrossed in the culture of the Happy Valley. We are constantly being told to buy organic, eat local and support small-town businesses within our communities. Take notice, this is not just some earthy-crunchy, hippy craze. Rather, there is some legitimacy in eating local and organic — it could be improving our health!
I am as guilty as any other college student — I shop at the grocery store to save money, save time and to save myself a headache. I have been to a farmer’s market here and there, but it is not where I do my primary produce shopping.
Could this be harmful? Cutting corners by buying from the grocery store could mean that we are sacrificing quality and depriving our bodies of important nutrients. Over the short term these vitamin and mineral deficiencies manifest themselves as mood swings, lack of energy, joint pain, failing eyesight, hearing loss and other common ailments. Over the long term these deficiencies contribute to major illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and mental illness. By ensuring that we are not nutrient deficient, we could be preventing a number of ailments and major illnesses.
The diet you are accustomed to might not be as great as your thought — diagnose your problems and find solutions below.
Problems at the grocery store:
1. Produce is grown in nutrient deficient soil. There are 52 minerals needed for optimum soil health. Most fertilizers only have three primary nutrients–Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. Poor soil health leads to poor plant health. This means that plants harvested on commercial farms are nutrient deficient, leading to our nutrient deficiencies.
2. Produce is picked before it is ripe. This harvesting technique ensures that the bananas aren’t browned by the time they get to your grocery store, but also gives them less time to develop a full spectrum of vitamins
and minerals. Outward signs of ripening may still occur, but they will never have the same nutritive value as if they had been allowed to fully ripen on the vine.
3. Fruits and veggies are already a few days old when you purchase them. With each day produce spends off the vine, it loses nutrients. Buying fruits and vegetables with expiration dates farthest from the date of purchase could save you some nutrients. Also, look for packaging dates and pick produce based on package dates closest to the date of purchase.
4. Some produce is genetically enhanced. Many of the fruits and vegetables on your grocer’s shelves have been genetically modified to be brighter in color, bigger in size and harvested more quickly. Consuming fruits and veggies that have been modified can be harmful to our bodies in the long run. Do you really want to eat a tomato that has been harvested or packaged with the uses of harmful chemicals, such as fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, growth hormones or antibiotics?
Problems once you get home:
1. You are cooking your produce. Well… cooking your fruits and vegetables is not all bad. There is actually a lot of debate about which is better for you — raw or cooked. Studies show that cooking produce can enhance some nutrients while depleting others. Mix raw and cooked produce into your diet and learn more about the pros and cons in this Scientific American article.
2. You are cooking those frozen veggies wrong. First, eat frozen produce soon after purchase because over many months, nutrients in frozen vegetables do inevitably degrade. When cooking from a frozen package, steam or microwave your produce to minimize the loss of water-soluble vitamins.
3. You’re not eating enough. When serving up fruits and veggies, make sure you are aware of how much is in a serving size and how much of your daily vitamins you are getting in that serving size. Some serving sizes don’t pack all the nutrient punch that you need, so you might want to go bigger — no harm there because we are talking about low-cal produce here!
Solutions:
1. Buy local. The best thing to do would be to grow and harvest your own produce. Creating a robust garden is not possible for most of us, especially those in dorms and small apartments; therefore buying local is the next
best thing. There are dozens of farms surrounding UMass, most of which contribute to local farmer’s markets. Your neighbor down the road might even have a farm stand that you could grab your weekly groceries from.
2. Buy organic. I know, I know. Organics are expensive and we are struggling college students, but buy organic when you can. Check your grocer’s weekly circular to check for sales and specials in the organic sections. Your older self will thank you.
3. Take a multi-vitamin. Make sure that you are really getting all of your nutrients in daily! Take a multi-vitamin, take a fish oil substitute, take a B-complex; take as many vitamins as you want. There is no harm in over-dosing on minerals and nutrients.
Live longer, get healthier and be happier.
Sources:
http://www.eatingwell.com/