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2. Fruits and Vegetables
I bet that you are saying, “Fruits and vegetables are healthy, what are you talking about?”
It’s true, fruits and vegetables can be very healthy for you. They are among the best foods you can eat —however not all fruits and vegetables are equal in quality. While organic, local, fresh produce is extremely healthy, most supermarket fruits and vegetables leave something to be desired. Some of the healthiest foods, such as berries and grapes, are among the foods most heavily tainted with pesticides and chemical fertilizers.
Further, many fruits and vegetables are genetically modified. Genetically modified foods are not as healthy for you as non-genetically modifies varieties, and they are certainly not good for the planet. In the USA, actions by large corporations have succeeded in passing legislation that forbids regulations that require genetically modified foods to be identified as such. You do not know if you are eating a genetically modified food or not unless a label specifically says so —and now the labels don’t have to say so. Most commercially grown foods, such as corn are genetically modified.
Be sure to wash your fruits and vegetables carefully and purchase organic produce whenever possible. This is especially important when you are consuming foods like berries, leafy greens, and grapes which are heavily treated with chemicals.
Buy fresh, local, in season produce whenever possible. It retains more of the healthy enzymes, vitamins and minerals your body needs and tastes far better than fruits and vegetables that were picked before they were fully ripe and then shipped for thousands of miles.
Beware of frozen vegetables, too. Some are good substitutes for fresh produce at times, but check the label to see where they came from. Imported frozen vegetables are not held to the same standards as domestically-grown vegetables. This means that you may be eating foods that have been treated with chemicals that are outlawed in your country but acceptable in the country where they were grown.
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