What's wrong with your veggies and fruits?

If we only listened to the mainstream media, we would think the 

most nutritious foods are fruits and veggies.

 

I used to believe the same thing... until I had a talk with my

older brother Jonathan.

 

(You could call him "The Farmer Nerd" because he's obsessed about

the science around soils, plants and that kind of stuff.)

 

Here's what he told me:

 

"Because agriculture has selected certain genetics to maximize

sugar content and resistance to certain pests - all while

decreasing the soils' quality with abusive farming practices - 

most veggies and fruits grown today now contain WAY less 

nutrients than 50 years ago."

 

Shocking, I know.

 

I did my own research, and it's 110% accurate that fruits and

veggies we buy today contain way less nutrients than back in the

"good ol' days"...

 

- One study shows a reduction of 19% calcium, 22% iron, and 14%

potassium

- Another study shows a reduction of 38% vitamin B2, and important

declines in the amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and

vitamin C

- Another study shows a reduction of 27% calcium, 37% iron, 21%

vitamin A and 30% vitamin C

 

But wait, it gets worse.

 

These concerning numbers don't even account the fact that most of

your food has to travel thousands of miles around the world before

reaching your plate, which decreases the nutrient content further.

 

And don't get me started on the "fresh" apples at the grocery

store...

 

According to Martin Lindstrom, author of the book "Brandwashed",

the average supermarket apple is 14 months old. (That's not a typo,

by the way)

 

Now, the question is... do you get enough nutrients in your diet?

 

The facts say otherwise...

 

- 80 to 90% adults in the US don't get enough vitamin D (mainly

because of poor sun exposure)

- 34% of men and 27% of women don't get enough vitamin C

- Around 74% of adults don't consume enough iodine -- a problem that

has increased by more than fourfold over the past 40 years

- One study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health shows

that 68% of Americans are magnesium deficient

- 40% of all adults are deficient in vitamin B12

 

All these nutrient deficiencies can take a major toll on your

health, let me tell you.

 

I know this sounds pretty depressing, but that's the world we live

in.

 

I personally do these two things to make sure my body gets all the

nutrients it needs:

 

1) I still need to make it a lasting habit, but my wife has recently

bought me a brand new juicer for my birthday.

 

I want to start juicing several servings of veggies (with a SMALL piece

of fruit usually, to limit sugar) every single morning and get my drink on!

 

2) I also never miss a single day of my nutritional insurance,

Athletics Greens.

 

This is hands down way better than any multivitamin I've ever come

across, and it tastes amazing.

 

The owner, Chris "The Kiwi", is really passionate about nutrition

and it shows off.

 

That's why his product contains NONE of the usual suspects: GMOs,

preservatives, synthetic vitamins, gluten, etc. -- and up to 12

servings of fruits and veggies in a single scoop.

nvest what you can afford in farm fresh organic foods instead. That's a

great start.  Try to buy local if you can, as that way you know the produce
hasn't been shipped all over the world, which means fresher produce and
higher nutrition value.

 

But just make sure to NEVER settle for the cheap multivitamins

you'll find in most drugstores. They will do you more harm than

good with their artificial forms of most vitamins.

Nick Pineault - aka, The Nutrition Nerd
--------

Thanks Nick.  Fantastic article and advice!

Make sure to check out Nick's controversial article below:

=> Beware of these eggs, yogurt, and beef (what you didn't know about your food)