In an age of global warming and diseased meat product scares how do you know if what you are putting into your body is healthy? There are a lot of buzzwords tossed around like "All Natural" and " eating for life" but how do you decide what's right for you? When you head to the local organic grocery store, it can be tricky shopping for food. There's a new "Superfood" discovered every week — but what’s the difference, really? Learning what specific names mean can help you make shopping an informed choice when it comes to creating healthy meals.
How Natural is "All Natural"?
Natural is a term usually associated with a number of fruit and vegetable products. An emerging trend is adding the term to processed foods and energy drinks. Is a lot of the hype warranted? After all, all fruits and vegetables are natural, right? Unless it’s a new kind of food that has been developed and processed, the product is natural.
So what are your other choices? What you really probably want is organic. Organic foods are grown without chemical pesticides and fertilizers. There are two main benefits to organic foods. First, you are helping the environment because those chemicals are not being introduced into nature. Secondly, you are avoiding ingesting chemicals and are therefore healthier.
The potential drawback, organic products are usually more expensive. If you’re on a budget, plan healthy snacks using organic fruits and vegetables that you can peel, like oranges and bananas. After all, once you’ve discarded the peel, you’ve also discarded the chemicals. take extra steps when you opt for organic items like apples and grapes, where you eat the peel. No matter what you buy, however, make sure that you rinse off the food or use one of the spray-on rinses found in your produce department when you get home.
Another tricky label you will see is “no hormones.” This is usually in regards to milk or meat products and is generally false, since all animals naturally produce hormones. Hormones are needed and are what helps an animal (even a human) regulate body organs, have young, and otherwise function in total wellness. All meat products have hormones.
What the labels really mean is that no hormones were unnaturally given to the animal, which is sometimes done to increase milk production. Regardless of hormones, however, the milk and meat is safer for a person and not a violation of an animal’s rights.
As a final health note, a label on eggs and meat can indicate if the animal was caged or penned. While this may not make a difference in the quality or nutritional value of the meat, it is simply a matter of animal rights. These products may be a bit more expensive, but if you want to make human decisions, that is the way to go.
Reading the label and making healthy choices can sometimes be difficult, but learning how to do so can help you make informed choices for your diet and your total wellness plan.
