Has your food changed over the past 100 years?
This is an interesting question. Even in the 1950’s a peach still had the value of the soil nutrients that was passed to us and good health would come of eating it, although chemicals had already become part of the growing process. Now you would have to eat 56 peaches to get the same nutrition today. We have depleted our earth, and chemicals have not truly replaced what we have taken. We as a people have destroyed our planet, and only small farming with conscious awareness of our gardening habits, is the foods we eat even close to real food.
83% of the necessary minerals are missing from our foods today, according to a 1993 study. This causes a variety of diseases and health issues. These deficiencies cause havic in every part of our bodies. Lack of calcium causes brittle bones, lack of iodine causes thyroid problems and goiter, lack of iron in the blood causes anemia. Minerals are essential to the functioning of organ systems and our entire body. Some of these minerals exist in large amounts in our body such as calcium. Others such as manganese exist in trace amounts but are, nonetheless, critical to our health and well- being.
Minerals are inorganic substances (unnatural and man made) and they regulate processes within the body. Minerals are in different structures within the body to create enzymes, hormones, skeletal bones, skeletal tissues, teeth and fluids. Calcium and phosphorus are the two most common minerals found in the body. Some of the other prevalent minerals found in the body are; iron, zinc, sodium, potassium, magnesium, fluoride, sulfur, copper, and chloride.
If mineral levels are overabundant in the body, such as sodium, they may facilitate negative effects in the body. High sodium levels may elevate blood pressure. If mineral levels are inadequate in the body, such as iron, they may facilitate negative effects in the body. Low iron levels in women can produce anemia (a deficiency in blood iron levels). Anemia can restrict oxygen and carbon dioxide removal from the cells. Low calcium levels can facilitate irregular muscle contractions, bone density loss, blood clotting and improper brain functioning.
Here is a run-through of the main minerals your body needs and the effects of their deficiency:
http://www.vitamins-nutrition.org/vitamins/mineral-deficiencies.html
Here is part of an article you will want to read:
http://www.reallywell.com/minerals.htm
Minerals Are Crucial For Health And Life
Dr. Linus Pauling, two-time Nobel Prize winner, stated, "You can trace every sickness, every disease and every ailment to a mineral deficiency."
Every cell in your body must have minerals to live and function. Every beat of your heart requires minerals to happen. Your brain cells and nervous system utilize minerals to deliver electrical signals to every part of your body. Vitamins, enzymes, hormones, the immune system and almost all biological activities need a wide variety and amount of minerals to work right. And the skeletal structure, the skull, bones and teeth, depend on an adequate mineral supply to stay strong.
As an example, magnesium is the activator for over 300 enzymes. Also it is integral in the production of ATP, the energy compound of the body. Magnesium is seriously deficient in the average diet, yet mainstream medicine gives little attention to the body’s critical need for it.
Similarly, zinc is a component of all cells. It is a cofactor in nearly 70 different enzymes, and provides significant benefits for the immune system, growth and development of muscular and skeletal structures, and tissue repair. Today’s foods contain too little for our needs, especially those of children.
Many scientists realize that mineral deficiency is a major cause of much of the sickness, disease, aging and premature death that so dramatically effects the health of our population. (see web site for more info.)
This is why we hear so often to buy local and grow what you can. Real food rots quickly as it does not have frog genes or other genetically modified ingredience to help it from rotting. Any Dr. will tell you that if your Grandmother would not eat it you should not also. For many of us this means our Great Grandparents as food has been modified and depleted for as long as our grandparents have been living.
My own grandparents were born 1883 and 1894. They raised me after the death of my family, and the food on my table was very different than the foods of my grandchildren. Opening a cupboard of their homes shows boxes of prepackaged foods, no whole foods or grains except what has been added to their sugar cereals. All snacks are about taste and not about nutrition. Their little bodies being genetically modified through their foods.
Not even whole foods are the same today but the value is better than the cardboard boxes of highly salted, processed foods.
Locally we bought tomatoes from a farmer who had the most delicious variety. He said this was his late year as the seeds were no longer available. These heirloom varieties are sad to see disappear. Anyone who can should save the seeds and plant the heirloom varieties even if just for retaining history.
Plymouth plantation in Massachusetts is a fine example of historically saving seed and growing period correct plants. The foods from their plantation taste like real food as I remember as a child. When biting into a tomato of this quality the taste buds and body have an experience beyond words. You can feel the nutrients as the flavor feels like it is enriching you with each bite.
Children today do not know real food so they do not know what to expect when they eat it. They often turn up little noses to whole foods as they do not know it as food. We need to educate them before it is too late. We do not want the next generation to be the pill generation, simply not eating food at all but getting their dinner from a contraption much like a gum ball machine.
We must remember one thing about foods prepared 100 years ago. Although foods were overall more nutritious when grown once they hit the kitchen they soon became dead with over cooked mushy contributions to the family table. Stewing and roasting beyond value was most often the norm. Salads were new to the plate and most vegetables were only eaten raw if pickled for winter preservation. Meat although was not on the table daily but still broth and other things were especially given to the ill. Country folk had more of an advantage to good health than their smartly dressed city neighbors. Eating with the seasons gave much of an advantage to health as we learned this week about vitamin D diminished in winter due to lack of sun shine and vitamin A increased due to the orange, yellow and green vegetables of the fall months.
We do well to eat with the seasons such as our grandparents did, preserve what we can in the most nutritional manner, and not cook beyond value. Lessons from 100 years bringing good things to today’s plate from being educated today. The following site is a great account of Victorian food preparation and facts. A must read.
http://open.salon.com/blog/jodi_kasten/2010/01/05/foodie_tuesday_not-so-charming_victoriana
Here is some information I found:
http://drscottstoll.com/blog/the-latest-research/50-has-your-food-changed-over-the-past-100-years
An informative article, see below:
According to a recent study at the University of Colorado the nutrient density of food has declined significantly over the past 100 years. In fact nutrient density has declined approximately 40-60% over the past 100 years. That means that our food today typically has 50% fewer nutrients compared to the food that our grandparents ate. Nutrients such as the vitally important vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and phytochemicals are the foundation of healthy cells and a strong body. Today if you ate the same amount of vegetables that your grandparents ate you would only receive half the nutrients. Also your grandparent consumed on average 131 pounds of homegrown vegetables every year compared to 11 pounds today. And a recent study showed that only 11% of Americans eat 2 fruits and 3 vegetables every day. This unhealthy combination of nutrient poor foods and reduced intake is an open door for disease especially if it is applied over a lifetime. You can begin to reverse this trend today by simply making a conscious effort to include fresh, organic if possible, vegetables and fruit to every meal.
Below is a web site that has a very good article on food of 100 years ago and how it has changed.
http://www.foodrenegade.com/lessons-on-real-food-from-100-years-ago/
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