Continuing my series on "About Nutrition," What I am learning in school: 

An apple, is an apple, is an apple, right?  At least that's what I thought in the not too distant past.  But oh, not so!  Read on to find out what makes one apple, or any garden crop for that matter, more nutritious than others.

Soil – The more nutrients in the soil, the more nutrients in the plant, and thus the more nutrients in us.   Conventional farming adds three fertilizers (nutrients) to the soil, nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium.  These three are chosen because they make foods grow strong, have hearty stalks, appear very green and healthy, but they are devoid of all the rest of the nutrients.  We have over 60 different vitamins and minerals that the body needs.  When only three are added back into the soil, what about the rest of the body’s needs for the nutrients?  Organic farmed food is usually grown in soil that is very rich with a full spectrum of nutrients from organic matter.
(Hawthorn University NC-1 Lecture – Chemical Free and Organic)

Maturity at Time of Harvest – Some vegetables and fruits are shipped long distances so they must be picked prematurely, in order to get the produce to the consumer before over ripening.  Phytochemicals are substances in plants that prevent cancers and other diseases.  These beneficial substances are formed as the fruits and vegetables ripen on the vine.  When produce is picked before it is ripe, it may be deficient in these important phytochemicals.  
(Hawthorn University NC-1 Lecture – Seasonal Foods)

Length of Time After Harvest– Once harvested, foods begin to lose nutrient value.  That’s why having a personal garden is best, so food can be picked at the perfect time, and eaten with optimum nutrition.  Here is a scenario that happens most times.  The food is picked prematurely, it is sprayed with chemicals to keep it fresh, it travels many, many miles, it is purchased and taken home, placed in the refrigerator, and then many days later, we will eat it.  Many days have past since harvest and many nutrients have been lost.  
(Hawthorn University NC – 1 Lecture – Fresh Foods)

Irradiation - Irradiation is a process in which food is passed under gamma rays that come from radioactive cobalt.  The energy kills a number of harmful bacteria, fungi, and parasites on the food and it preserves the food, giving it a longer shelf life and potentially sterilizes that food.  Is that a good thing?  One of the side effects of this is nutrient depletion.  A number of both water and fat-soluble nutrients, particularly the B vitamins and vitamins A, C, and E, as well as some unsaturated fats, are depleted by irradiation.  
Hawthorn University NC -1 Lecture – Irradiation and Pesticides

Food Preparation Method – Overcooking of certain vegetables can deplete water-soluble vitamins.  Processed foods often have nutrient losses in the 50-80% range.  When it comes to cooking methods, steaming is  the best method for retaining flavor and nutrients in foods.
Mateljan, George. 2007. The World’s Healthiest Foods. (1st Edition)

For other posts in this series see About Nutrition

Thank you also to my students:  LuAnn Tudela, Emma Galarraga, Richard Farmer, Susan Ledbetter, Jan Garrett, Valeria Zegarelli, David Hall, Jr.,  and Rob Meadows.

One of the books that I am required to have in my studies at Hawthorn University, is "The World's Healthiest Foods."  I love this book because the author takes a deep look at the top 100 most nutritious foods.  He breaks down each food and lists its nutritional analysis.  Certain foods contain certain nutrients in quantities unique to each food.

 I am amazed at God's creation and how He has supplied the many nutrients into each food.  He knew that our bodies would require these nutrients and so He gave us what we needed.  

Unfortunately, we have traded His food for man's "so called" foods that are nothing more than a long list of chemicals that we cannot pronounce, nor can our bodies digest.  These chemicals get stored in our soft tissues because they cannot be metabolized or eliminated, and in doing so, this storing of toxins requires that certain nutrients be pulled from our bodies just to be able to handle them.  In essence, it robs and depletes us of our nutrients.  Have you ever cleaned house and had some items that you just didn't have a spot for, so you walk around trying to find where to store them, using your energy to do so.  This is what happens in the body.  The body doesn't know what to do with them.  These toxins require something from the body just to store them in the tissues, and eventually these toxins will cause disease and degeneration on top of depletion of nutrition.  

Every God created food (whole foods) has its own set of nutrients and our bodies require a diverse range of nutrients, so it just makes sense to branch out and eat a wide variety of foods.  Don't just eat the same thing every day because same food = same nutrition.  If your habit is to eat the same thing all the time, consider branching out and trying new foods. 

For other posts in this series see About Nutrition 

In the world of additive and preservative free eaters, there are few ready made snacks available.  We are left to make our own if we intend to avoid ingredients that were not intended to be eaten.  For this post, I share my homemade crackers.  The recipe comes from my friend, Peggy, owner of To Your Health Sprouted Flour Company.  For a variety of cracker flavors, check out her post of recipes.

Here's the basic recipe; I hope that you will give it a try.  I changed it a bit, adding more fat.  This makes a lot of crackers, and if this is your first time to try, maybe you want to cut the recipe in half.

5 cups organic sprouted flour (I have used spelt, red and white wheat - they all work well)
1 16 oz. container of Erivan Yogurt (any plain yogurt, buttermilk, or milk kefir will do)
2 sticks butter, melted (grass-fed is best)
1/2 cup Expeller pressed (without coconut flavor) coconut oil or good quality lard, melted with the butter
1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
2 teaspoon sea salt  (I added much more.  I like salty crackers - just taste the dough and you'll know how much to add)

Put everything in a bowl.  A machine can be used, but I just mixed by spoon until too stiff then I mixed by hand. 
Mix well and take about 1/4 of the dough and roll out onto a baking stone (I wish I had more than one stone. a flat stone is best with no lip, so as to not interfere with cutting).  Roll thin - about 1/8 inch or less.  Use a pizza wheel cutter to score before baking.  Bake at most any degree in the oven.  Set on convection if you have it.  The hotter the oven the shorter the baking time.  I baked at 350 for about 20 minutes and I have also baked at 200 for about 5 hours or more.  You want to bake til crisp, but not brown.  Take a cracker out of the oven and let cool.  If crisp, then take out the whole batch.  If not, keep baking.  A dehydrator can be used lined with parchment paper.  

Enjoy!  We did tonight - topped with pieces of cheese.  These crackers are really good!  They tend to mellow out the next day and are even better.

You do not want to overbake (brown), because if we didn't have enough to be concerned about with all the additives added to our foods, there's another evil called acrylamide, which is produced naturally with high heat, especially in the presence of starchy foods.  For more on acrylamide see the Dr. Oz article or the FDA article.

Want to know something interesting about Earth Fare and BPA?

The following was taken from the Environmental Working Group's Website.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is an industrial chemical used to make two common synthetics:

• Polycarbonate, a clear, rigid, shatter-resistant plastic found in a wide variety of consumer products, including food and drink containers.
• Epoxy resins, used in industrial adhesives and high-performance coatings. Epoxy coating lines most of the 131 billion food and beverage cans made in the U.S. annually.

BPA is a synthetic estrogen that can disrupt the endocrine system, even in small amounts. It has been linked to a wide variety of ills, including infertility, breast and reproductive system cancer, obesity, diabetes, early puberty, behavioral changes in children and resistance to chemotherapy treatments.

EWG's test of major retailers' store receipts conducted in 2010, found that 40 percent were coated with BPA. The chemical can rub off on hands or food items. Some may be absorbed through the skin.

BPA can be found in canned foods, plastics, and store receipts.  See EWG for more information

How to limit exposure to BPA in receipts

• Say no to receipts when possible
• Keep receipts in an envelope.
• Never give a child a receipt to hold or play with.
• Wash your hands before preparing and eating food after handling receipts.
• Do not recycle receipts and other thermal paper. BPA residues will contaminate recycled paper.

Since I shop at Earth Fare regularly, I was curious to know if their store receipts contained BPA, so I sent them an email asking about this.  Here is their reply:
Hi Debbie,
Thank you for your email and interest in Earth Fare! I am pleased to let you know, the receipt paper we use is BPA free. Please let me know if there is anything else I can help you with. Hope you have a great week.

Kind regards,
Jamie Farabollini
Front End Specialist
Earth Fare the healthy supermarket