Apples Et-al
Going round urban cities in Nigeria, hardly can you see a fruit hawker or fruit stand without a display of apples in tantalizing green and red color. Apple is a fruit that hardly go out of season, come rain or sunshine. Despite it's 'tokunbo” status, it maintains a star presence. There is a popular phrase that says “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” and so we buy and munch to our hearts delight. Sadly though, the fruit is fighting to maintain her popularity if the present breaking news is anything to go by.
Why, recent reports from the apple experts, Mark Kasel, former executive for agribusiness and co-director of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm Policy group that support organic food say's that if there is a context called the “most doused in pesticides” apple will win. This is because they are individually grafted so that each will maintain it's distinctive flavor. Thus, apples develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. That is why they maintain the permanent “shine- shine look”.
The importers and the industry players maintain that these residues are not harmful, but Kasel believes that it is just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused- like apple. If you cannot do without “an apple a day” buy organic apples (where we go see am for Naija?), or be sure to wash and peel them before eating.
Fish is also a popular part of our diet, there are so many “point and kill” joints in town, don't eat farmed salmon. Recent reports published in major scientific journals especially the David Carpenter study revealed that farmed fish are fed with soy, poultry litter and hydrolyzed chicken feathers, the fish is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens.
Although some nutritionist believe that the omega-3 benefits it has outweighs any risk, there is concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat the fish, more or less like, when you eat farmed fish, you get doused with the same drugs and chemicals. Please ask for the source of that hot steaming fish pepper soup.
There are so many energy drinks in the market today. They may give you a boost of energy upon consumption but the effect soon dwindles leaving you craving for another, you become hooked. If you drink soda or carbonated drinks regularly, do yourself a great favor by eliminating them in your diet. A can of Soda or carbonated drink contains up to 15 teaspoon of sugar, 150 empty calories, 30 to 55mg of caffeine and is loaded with harmful artificial food colors, flavoring and preservatives with zero nutritional value. The sugar content levels in soda are too high and will lead to most health problems
Value your health, know what harmful food to avoid and understand why.
Your health is a condition that you cannot afford to play with especially in these days of global recession, who has the extra cash to waste on healthcare and expensive medication when there is a cheaper way to live longer by watching what you eat and drink.