Meaghan Caskey
“An apple a day
keeps the doctor away.” This phrase can basically be found in any doctor’s office if you look hard enough.
But exactly how healthy are apples, or any fruits and veggies now a day, when most of the foods people purchase at the grocery store have been manipulated by hormones, or have added chemicals to them?
Which provokes the thought that even if you have the willpower and strength to eat healthy, I’m sad to say you still might not be eating as well as you thought you were.
For example, last Saturday, I was sipping a Naked Juice, minding my own business, when a complete stranger leaned over and notified me that the ‘all natural’ Naked Juice I was enjoying was in fact not all natural.
It was full of the synthetic chemical, formaldehyde, which other uses include preserving dead bodies, thus proving that the ‘super good-for-you’ snacks and drinks you consume might be hiding a dirty little secret.
One common practice in supermarkets is waxing fruits and veggies, or in other words, making them look more appealing to the general public.
To be fair, I can kind of see the direction these people are going in, because much like the survival of the fittest, the prettiest looking foods always seem to sell first.
But on the other hand, you have to consider that the wax coating may be concealing the actual quality of the food, much like the phrase- beauty is only skin deep.
In fact, many farmers are allowed to spray their produce with multiple chemical sprays, which made me question, how healthy are you really eating, when all the pesticides you consume can potentially have the ability to give you cancer?
But the problem is, organically grown produce tends to be higher in price than normal grocery store sold foods, and how far do people want to go to stay as healthy as possible?
Recent trips to my local farmers market inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and try organic milk, milk that hasn’t been jazzed up with artificial hormones and other nasty ingredients.
The con? It’s expensive. And that’s the problem. Americans would rather buy a burger for a buck and risk disease than pay up for freshly grown fruits and veggies.
And what’s more, people who take the high road and eat as healthy as possible could be foiled by the grocery stores who disguise healthy options with destructive chemicals. So the question is, if healthy food isn’t healthy anymore, what is?
