Quality nutrition

Unfortunately, the awareness of the nutritional quality of our food in general is still very low which leads to people thinking they are doing what they should, when in fact they are still deficient in their nutrition.

Let me go through my favourite Top 5 on what is impacting the quality of our fruits and vegetables (meats, poultry, etc. is a whole other story):

1. Soil quality and ripeness at harvest
The nutritional value of our fruit and vegetables today, is simply not comparable with the nutritional content of the fruit and vegetables our parents ate when they were children. The main reason for this is that we don't replenish the soil in which our food grows with all the nutrients it needs, nor do we allow the soil to recover. I don't even want to go down the path of the use of herbicides, pesticides, etc. as this doesn't necessarily apply to organic food.

What does however, but isn’t directly related to the quality of the soil is the fact that it is all about production. The faster we can complete the cycle the better (economically anyway) so more often than not, we don’t give it the time to ripen on the tree/plant. The problem with this is that the nutrients really don’t enter into the fruit until it is ripe. You see, if we let the fruit ripen on the tree it has gone bad by the time it ends up in the store and that is bad for business. So, we harvest early, and treat the harvest with all kinds of stuff. Bananas and apples for example are gassed to avoid it from going bad, and gassed again when it is transported to the store so it looks good.

What I am not 100% clear on yet, is how much of this process also applies to organically grown fruits and vegetables but it wouldn’t surprise me if at least some of this post-harvest processing also applies. I find it curious that often it reads “organically grown”. Does this mean that while the growth was done organically, the post-processing wasn’t any different?

2. Air quality has a big impact
I think we all know how "pure" our air is. It is important to think about that because, while the plants may not be sprayed with all the nasty stuff, what happens to what is in the atmosphere when it rains? Especially in highly industrialized areas there are a lot of toxins in the air. All of this will go into the soil and on the plants - even if they are grown organically.

Therefore, in my opinion if you do eat organic it would be best if what you eat grows in area with as little industry nearby as possible. The downside to this is that many people who like organic food also like to eat locally grown and unfortunately most of us live in highly industrialized areas. Tough call...

3. Crunchy or squishy?
Here's another thought for you. Did you know that cooking your food, actually reduces the amount of nutrients you get from it? Growing up, I remember that my dad always wanted his veggies "soft". To give you an example, the cauliflower would fall into small piece when it was served, and the same thing happened to Brussels sprouts. My wife and I like our veggies crunchy, which many times has caused a debate with my mother in law, who also likes her veggies overcooked.

It might amaze you that five minutes make an enormous difference in the nutritional quality of a meal...which also has the benefit that you get to eat sooner! ;-) The bottom line is that the longer food is exposed to heat, the greater its nutrient loss. However, one might argue that overcooking makes it easier for the body to digest the food and digestion is needed for absorption of the nutrients.

4. Solids and liquids
Did you know that a liquid can be absorbed by the body much quicker and more efficiently? The reason for this is, that as soon as a fluid/juice enters the mouth the body already starts absorbing the nutrients, whereas a solid needs to go through our digestive system. So ideally, what you'd like to do for maximum nutrition absorption is to liquefy organically, ideally wild, grown fruits and vegetables from an area with no (or very little) pollution.

5. Spoiled fruits and veggies?
I think we all know one – remember the kid who always got what he/she wanted just by asking? They were pampered...with the best of intentions, but pampered nonetheless. Most of these kids had a tough time when they came in touch with the reality of life – not a lot of things come easy. They weren’t prepared because they had always been protected.
I would argue that a lot of our food is pampered as well. Fruits and vegetables are cultivated in ideal situations so that they grow fast and good-looking. But what does this do to the character (i.e. nutritional quality)? As it turns out that a lot of the nutrients actually are enhanced if the plant/fruit is under “stress”. So it doesn’t mean that if something is grown organically, that it has by definition also a higher nutritional quality.
An example of this, are phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are the immune system of a plant - they protect plants from disease. So, if a plant feels that it needs to protect itself from disease, it will increase the amount of phytonutrients. What is really cool is that they can protect you too! There are as many as 2,000 known phytonutrients. Just one serving of vegetable or fruit may possess more than 100 different types.
So, if you can get something that has grown wild chances are that it will have a higher phytonutrient content than something that was cultivated in a protected environment. Eat wild!!!

It is a fact though that it is amazing what good nutrition does for your body. So do everything you possibly can to improve your nutrition. My family we’ve made some changes, and we’ve already seen the benefits. One being that this winter there have been so many people with colds and flu’s and I’ve not had one!

I am a realist, however, and I know that for many (including me) it is not realistic or sustainable to make a dramatic change from one day to the next and sometimes our hectic lifestyle comes in the way of taking good care of ourselves.

If we can do it, YOU can too and I’d gladly share the little things that we’ve done so you can consider to implement them for you.

Till next time – stay healthy!

Leon

Are we REALLY health conscious?

Not too long ago, I have become more conscious about nutrition. Not that I have become a health nut or anything like it, or that I was sick all the time but I've started to pay more attention to food and nutrition in general. It kinda made sense to me.

What I've found to be interesting is that, on the one hand, people say that they like to take better care of themselves. Watch what they eat, buy organic when possible, work out etc. On the other hand, it is interesting to see how quickly the priorities change when you drill into it a bit more. Buying that 52" flat-screen TV, that new car, the iPhone, or the latest video game, just to name a few examples, actually turn out to be more important than their health.

Like with many other things, people are not inclined to think about the consequences of their actions so why would that be any different when it comes to their health... "I'm feeling great. I'm not sick. I don't have any aches or pains, so why should I be worried about nutrition?" It is an interesting way of thinking, especially since the same people who say this, DO take their car for oil- and filter changes and other preventative maintenance to the shop. Does their car have any problem when they take it? No. It does not. When I ask them why they still do this, the answer is "Well...it's better for the car. A regular oil change makes the engine run better and longer. It saves me money on the long run.". Huh?!

So for some reason it makes total sense to PREVENT your car from breaking down (i.e. getting sick), but to do the same thing to your body doesn't?... Hmmm...interesting. Now, I know, I know...a car costs a lot of money, it was a major investment and we depend on it every day, so it is important to make sure it works. Replacing the car would be very expensive. Fair enough...or is it? Question - How much would a new body cost you? Oh, hang on...that's right...you CAN'T GET ONE!!! You only have 1 body for your entire life - you HAVE to take care of it!

You might say, that you have to pay for your car repair, but that your health care is (partially) paid for especially when it is prescribed medication or treatment. Who pays your health care though? Over time the cost of our health care system has gone up, and believe me...it is NOT free. You ARE paying for it!

The other thing to note as well, is that pharmaceuticals, while in some cases absolutely needed, are NOT the solution. Feeling good because you are popping a couple of pills everyday, does NOT make you a healthy person. You may feel good, but that's not the solution because you are not fixing the underlying problem, merely suppressing the symptoms. Have you ever read the fine print that comes with the pills you're taking? How can something that is supposed to be good for you cause bad things to happen? It makes no sense in my mind.

I am not a physician, nutritionist or anything like that. I'm just sharing my logic with you as to why I believe that it is critical for us to take care of our health...our WELLNESS. If you haven't yet watched it, I highly recommend you take a look at www.FoodMatters.tv. I'd be curious to know what you think.

Be Smart. Get Good Nutrition. You are the example for your kids. Teach them right!

Leon
Life and Business Coach

Time = Money. Money = Time

Like many others I have money invested in the market. Fortunately, my financial planner knows what he is doing. When the market collapsed a couple of years ago, the portfolio of many people I know were 30-40% down whereas I was down around 10%. With the more recent issues in the market, again my losses are limited...he saw something coming and made sure my portfolio was protected as much as possible.

I don't know a lot (if anything) about investing, but what I do know is that it is important to diversify. Pretty much everyone knows that a smart investor diversifies, hedges his/her bets, spreads the risk, whatever you want to call it.

When my father, and his before him, started working the plan was to find a solid, respectable employer and to work there until retirement. It probably made sense at the time, but does it still? In those times, there was mutual loyalty...the employer was grateful to have people work for them for many years. I remember my dad getting a golden watch after working for the same company for 25 years, so did his dad after his 50 years with the company he worked for. Times have changed though... very few people stay with the same employer for more than 5 years on average. Gone are the days of employer-employee loyalty.

Earlier this week, yet another large corporation announced over 13,000 layoffs because of the economic environment. I'm still in awe over the 52,000 people layoffs at a large financial services firm late last year and these represent just the tip of the iceberg. Fact is, that nowadays the bottom-line, the margin, the EPS of a company is what it is about. So if a company can improve any of these measures by eliminating a few more employees, it will. It simply is how the market works... oh, and did I mention that the compensation a lot of these corporate executives is actually tied to these measures?

It is not my intention to suggest that none of these layoffs weren't necessary for the company's survival, nor that the leaders of these companies only look after their own interests....but, are we sure that they didn't take advantage of the situation and took this as an opportunity to let a few (thousand) extra employees go?
My point is, that for as long as I have been in the corporate world, I've not seen such a thing as a secure job. So...

Earlier on, we've agreed that when investing money that makes sense to diversify. To set up returns from multiple sources. We've all heard the phrase "Time = money". So, if we do that we'd have

"...when investing time, it makes sense to diversify and set up returns from multiple sources."

It makes sense to spread the risk when we invest our money AND it also makes sense to have multiple streams of income. Do you have an alternative source of income?

However, it is not realistic to have multiple jobs AND to have a family-first lifestyle. I would suggest you seriously consider starting a home-based business alongside of your current job that allows you to start building up an alternative stream of income. You can do this from home, after the kids have gone to bed so you don't have to miss out of quality time with them. You CAN do both...

Every business takes time to built so take action today! Take control of your financial future and your life. Living with the fear of losing a job has a significant impact on you, your relationships, your family and your happiness.


Leon

"If you want the same results, keep doing the same things. If you want different results, do something different."

Welcome

This will be the place that I'm going to use to jot down a number of thoughts. It was the best place I could think of for now, so we'll see what happens. I hope you enjoy it.

Leon