You Are What You Eat - Part One

Our modern diets consist of over-processed foods and lifeless foods which produce little enzyme activity and contain little or no fibrous material. We are eating devitalized foods that are not fresh, with fewer nutrients.

All the natural fiber, such as grain peels, have been removed in the refining stages. Because of this the diet is poor in fiber, digestion is slow and the waste materials stay in the body longer. This sets up the perfect condition for toxic materials to form. Also, processed foods can contain huge amounts of chemicals and toxins which were added in the processing.


We are eating lots of chemicals like coloring agents, artificial flavors and preservatives that can make the food appear more attractive and taste fresher.

Even non-processed foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, whole grains and meats often contain chemical residues from pesticides, herbicides, hormones and other products used to make them grow. All of these substances reduce the amount of Vitamin E available for biochemical and physiological processes.


Even non-processed foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, whole grains and meats often contain chemical residues from pesticides, herbicides, hormones and other products used to make them grow. All of these substances reduce the amount of Vitamin E available for biochemical and physiological processes.

Why is the food processed?
Preservatives are used to increase the life of foods by controlling the growth of undesirable molds, yeast, and bacteria in food which might otherwise cause spoilage and subsequently illnesses. Most food is processed and packed to stop it going bad. Most food contains microbes which are harmless little creatures in small amounts. But, they can multiply rapidly if environmental conditions are right. They eat the food by breaking it down, which causes it to taste and smell bad. The microbes are dangerous in large quantities because their waste products are poisonous. Preserving either kills or slows the growth of these microbes
 
Here are some methods of food preservation:
Drying
Drying is an ancient way of preserving foods. Dried food is hard on the outside so microbes find it hard to penetrate. Drying does destroy most of the vitamins, but can lead to a higher taste concentration.


Salting, Pickling & Smoking
These are also the traditional ways used all over the world to preserve food. Meat is covered in salt then hung to dry. This is called curing. The salt draws a lot of the moisture out of the meat and also protects against microbes. Sugar is used to preserve fruits. Thus, we have jam and sweet pickles. The sugar stops the microbes left after the preserve is boiled from growing. Vinegar is used to pickle vegetables. The vinegar retards microbe growth because it is so acidic and stops exposure to oxygen, which the microbes need to survive. Smoking involves hanging meat over wood fires and allowing the hot smoke to cure the meat. This also gives it a distinctive flavor. Most of the "smoked" products on the market today, however, have actually just had the "smokey" flavors added to them.

Modern Methods
Various methods of food preservation, such as drying, smoking, pickling, curing and sugaring have been used over the years to preserve food and prevent wastage. More recently, these procedures have been replaced by other methods of preservation such as pasteurization, sterilization, irradiation, freezing, canning and the use of other chemical preservatives.


Freezing:
Microbes multiply in warm environments. Freezing renders most of the microbes inactive. Refrigeration slows the growth of some microbes. Before food is frozen, it is plunged into boiling water to kill off as many microbes as possible so the food can keep longer.

Canning
Canning is a common way to preserve food. First it is heated through to destroy any microbes. Then it is sealed in air tight cans usually lined with tin. Although some foods loose their nutrients, heating activates some (especially tinned tomatoes).

Never leave unused foods in cans as they can become contaminated with metals as food/metal oxides combine. This is not a problem when you put the remaining contents into an air tight, non-metal container.

You should never buy dented cans because bacteria might be able to get in. And don't buy bulging cans because microbes have already gotten in.

Irradation

This is a highly controversial method of preserving foods. Food irradiation is done on a constant basis, food growers and sellers say that food irradiation is safe and is a great means of extending the shelf life of fresh foods. The benefits are high according to food sellers; irradiation kills disease-causing organisms. It also increases the safety of foods for people with a low immunity system. In promotes longer life of vegetables in stores, it also prevents the vegetables from sprouting. It is also beneficial for grains; it kills or sterilizes insects that can be found in grains. It also allows fruits to be picked early and delays the ripening of the fruit until it gets to the grocery stores.

Irradiation is the process of exposing fresh foods to low amounts of x-rays to sterilize and prolong its life. Food suppliers say that it is safe and does not make foods radioactive. But the general public has problems with this observation, the general public believes that any radiation exposure holds a threat of a health hazard. They also believe that consuming these x-rayed foods on a daily basis will pose a threat of developing mutant organisms within the body.

Pasteurization

This is the process of heating a liquid, particularly milk, in order to destroy harmful bacteria without changing the composition, flavor, or nutritive value of the liquid.

French chemist Louis Pasteur devised the process in 1865. Milk is pasteurized by heating at a temperature of 63° C (145° F) for 30 minutes, rapidly cooling it, and then storing it at a temperature below 10° C (50° F).

Sterilization
The time and temperature required for the sterilization of foods are influenced by several factors, including the type of microorganisms found on the food, the size of the container, the acidity or pH of the food, and the method of heating.

Visit us tomorrow for: You Are What You Eat - Part Two