5 Reasons We Need To Be Careful About What We Eat

The food that you consume on a regular basis can help you by increasing your personal levels of health and wellness or hurt you. After learning about Paraquat and what the harmful herbicide has done to people’s bodies, it’s imperative to know a thing or two about the produce you’re buying and eating daily. Having an idea of how the food is grown and treated allows you to avoid toxic chemicals known to be detrimental to your health. The following five reasons provide insight into why you can never be too careful about the foods you eat. It isn’t just processed foods that are to be avoided. Some types of produce coming from particular regions of the globe need to stay out of your shopping cart and refrigerator, too. Food is our first line of defense to having good health. Without the right vitamins, nutrients, and minerals, our bodies become deficient. Nutritional imbalances cause a myriad of health problems that could be to the detriment of our health. Considering most people don’t grow their own food, they’re dependent on a system that has consistently failed them by presenting mistruths about the food being produced and sold. Eating can help or harm you. Federal regulations are often loosely interpreted. Occasionally, there are loopholes that make food regulations difficult to define. They are left to interpretation which means that the companies producing the food have complete control over the product they present to the public but aren’t necessarily transparent in their practices. You don’t know if what you’re eating is healthy for you or not. You’re not even aware what RDA (https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/a-note-on-the-recommended-daily-allowance-rda) stands for and how it relates to your diet. The Dirty Dozen appear harmless but are heavily treated with noxious chemicals. There are twelve fruits and vegetables that are sprayed with pesticides that make the list known as ‘The Dirty Dozen’. When given a choice, you’ll want to avoid strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes (https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/10-most-unhealthy-foods-for-your-heart), and sweet peppers. If you’re able to grow some of these items yourself or buy them from local farms that don’t use chemicals on their plants and trees, by all means, do so. Farmer’s Markets don’t get the credit they deserve often enough. Organic and sustainable practices are used to grow many of the foods that you see at today’s farmer’s markets. Getting to know the farmers who are responsible for producing the fruits and vegetables that you eat is imperative. It invites discussion about farming practices and the use of herbicides, pesticides, and other harmful substances (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/04/10/dirty-dozen-list-fruits-vegetables-most-pesticides/502096002/) so alternatives can be explored. Fruits and vegetables don’t come with labeling. At best, they have stickers with their origins on them. Most fruit and vegetables, however, provide few details about where they were produced, how they were treated, and even how long they’re good for before spoiling. Without doing research or asking hard questions of a grocer, you’re likely taking a gamble on the foods being marketed as ‘healthy’. When Farmers and the Food Industry Do Wrong By the Consumer The Paraquat lawsuit has taught you a lot about mindfulness and consumption. It helps you discern fact from fiction and to make better food choices going forward. If you don’t want to consume foods laden in chemicals (https://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/food-and-pesticides) or are genetically-modified, it’s time to take your power back as a consumer and do what you can to make sound choices concerning nutrition, your health, and overall well-being.