Speed, At What Cost?
Convenience. Here in America, we are familiar with the word. I don’t think we give it much thought, though. We always want things to be faster, easier, and right where we want them when we want them…but at what cost? If things become too diluted because of convenience, is it really worth it?
An Unhealthy Convenience
This is especially true for our food supply. We strip food of most of it nutritive properties and add toxins to make sure it is ready to eat when we want it, where we want it. Fiber, vitamins and minerals are removed from flour. Oils are heavily heat-processed, which lowers their nutrient content and raises the amount of toxins. We strip sugar of its minerals and then add it to everything. Once those natural benefits are removed, we have to compensate for the loss of natural flavor by adding salt and artificial flavoring.
A Tasty Alternative
Utilize whole grains, extra virgin or low heat processed oils, honey and molasses, and natural herbs and spices. Add a wide variety of foods such as the colorful beans, flavorful nuts and seeds, and countless selection of fruits and vegetables. Just remember, the wider the variety of natural foods you eat, the wider the benefits. Food doesn’t have to taste boring to be nutritious.
The Bright Side: It’s a New Adventure
Our “high-tech” diet of convenient foods isn’t doing much to improve health. Eventually, people are going to have to reassess the importance of convenience. If our health suffers because we can’t wait the extra 10 minutes, maybe the convenience factor is becoming dangerous. Besides, living naturally can be fun and interesting. I think that learning how to prepare foods from scratch and even growing food can be an exciting adventure for those that undertake it.