Getting the Best from Fruits and Vegetables How to Maximize your Nutrients in Four Super Easy Steps 1. Choose organic fruits and vegetables When we consume organic foods we avoid many harmful toxins. By choosing food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, we can decrease our exposure to the harmful effects of these chemicals. In its report “Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk, What We Can Do Now” (2008-2009), the President's Cancer Panel urges the public to eat foods grown without chemical pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, and antibiotics.

The report also suggests practical advice, such as not heating plastic in the microwave, and not using water bottles that may contain BPA, or bisphenol A, a chemical linked to cancer, reproductive problems, and heart disease.

Did you know that organic vegetables can be higher in minerals than those grown conventionally? The human body doesn’t make minerals; they have to come from the foods we eat. Being mineral-rich, organic fruits and vegetables are a wise choice.

2. Go for vibrant colors and foods that are nutrient-rich

What does color have to do with it? In a word . . . phytonutrients. Richly colored fruits and vegetables are high in phytonutrients.

Research is ongoing, but some studies show that consuming a diet high in phytonutrients provides some protection against macular degeneration, cancer, and heart disease.  

A few examples of phytonutrients are:

• Carotenoids in deep green and dark yellow vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and sweet potatoes
• Lycopene, which provides the red color in tomatoes, as well as other fruits and vegetables
• Lutein in leafy greens, such as kale and spinach
• Betacyanin, a health-promoting phytonutrient found in red beets, but not in yellow beets
• Anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants found in red cabbage.

 Phytonutrients aside, vegetables that by nature are light-colored can provide many health benefits:

• Daikon contains active enzymes that aid digestion, in particular with starchy foods.
• Black radish has been used traditionally for liver and gallbladder support.
• Ever hear of Vitamin U? Named by Dr. Garrett Cheney, he found that cabbage juice worked wonders with treating peptic ulcers.
• Sauerkraut juice is included in the Budwig preventative and curative anti-cancer diet.
• Fermented cabbage was already known in China some six thousand years ago, and served as a staple food for those who built the Great Wall of China.
• Captain Cook's sailors were fed fermented cabbage on their voyages, since it was well known at that time as an effective way to prevent scurvy. We now know that this is due to the action of live lactic bacteria, which facilitate the synthesis of vitamin C.

3. Eat fruits and vegetables in season

Ah, the very essence of freshness.  Ever buy a vegetable out of season? Many fruits and vegetables are harvested before their peak and treated with ethylene gas to hasten ripening before being shipped to market. Ethylene occurs naturally in produce as part of the ripening process. But when fruit and vegetables are picked early and forced to ripen before their time, they can lose some of their important nutrients.

Cabbages, carrots, beets, radishes and other vegetables continue to absorb minerals from the soil as long as they remain in the ground. In one study, blackberries showed an increase in antioxidants when left to develop until fully ripe. 

4. Get it all in fermented vegetables

Organically-grown and harvested at the peak of ripeness, high in phytonutrient antioxidants and enzymes that support digestion, raw cultured vegetables are crisp, colorful, and ready-to-eat.

They can be tossed into salads, served as a side dish, used in sandwiches, or in one of our delicious recipes. 

No need to wait, or spend time preparing - no chopping, slicing, grating. Just open the BPA-free vacuum pack - straight out of your fridge or freezer - and enjoy!

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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