Page 73 - Spring2010

NUTRIENT-DENSE EATING

UNREFINED SALT VS. REFINED IODIZED SALT
Unrefined salt is an excellent, traditional source of nearly 80 trace minerals. In fact, this natural bacteria-inhibiting preserva-
tive can be considered a mineral “supplement” that is essential to life. On the other hand, pristine white refined varieties
are heated to excessive temperatures (some up to 1200 degrees F), stripped of all nutrients, and combined with a myriad
of undesirable substances, such as aluminum, sugar and anti-caking agents. Replace these over-refined varieties with
mineral-rich, properly harvested salts, such as Celtic, Himalayan, RealSalt and Lima. They offer an abundance of healing
qualities and their high moisture and trace mineral content are evident by their subtle grey to pink mineral hues. Most
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health food stores stock one or more of these selections.

ORGANIC PRODUCE VS. CHEMICAL DEPENDENT:
Buying organic is in vogue these days, and for good reason. With more nutrients and fewer chemicals, why not buy or-
ganic whenever possible? A study published in 2001 The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found after
1,240 comparisons of 35 vitamins and minerals in organic and conventional produce that the organic versions contained
higher amounts of most vitamins and minerals—27 percent more vitamin C, 29 percent more magnesium, 86 percent
more chromium and 375 percent more selenium. The chemical-free foods were also lower in cancer-causing nitrates and
toxic heavy metals.
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Another powerful study published in 2003 Environmental Health Perspectives evaluated the levels of pesticide me-
tabolites in the urine of two groups of children and found that children eating organic fruits and vegetables, consuming
organic milk and drinking organic juices had levels of pesticide metabolites six to nine times lower than children eating
conventionally grown food. Bear in mind, pesticides are up to ten times more toxic to children than adults, due to their
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smaller body size and developing organ systems, so it is especially important to minimize their exposure whenever possible
during the growing years. 18
Purchasing organic doesn’t have to be all or none; pick and choose, evaluate your budget, the price of items, and
re-organize your meals to include more seasonable organic choices, which will be more reasonably priced. (See the side
bar “Lower Your Pesticide Load,” page 76, to use your organic dollars more wisely.)

RAW DAIRY PRODUCTS VS. CONVENTIONAL PROCESSED DAIRY PRODUCTS: Raw, unpasteurized, unhomogenized
whole milk from pasture-fed cows is what has been and continues to be consumed in healthy traditional cultures through-
out the world. The safety of this milk became a problem only when farmers began to grow too big too fast, with cows
fed rations unnatural to their physiology and kept in overcrowded and dirty conditions. The result is that today we have
created a dangerous pattern of milk production with these modern methods, which require pasteurization for ostensible
protection from pathogens.
Raw milk has the perfect balance of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, K, and E, minerals, and good “bugs,” including Lac-
tobacillus varieties. Also, the fat in dairy products is not only nourishing but is imperative for the absorption of the residing
minerals, including calcium. This means those who drink skim milk for bone health are in fact doing very little to improve
their calcium intake. Furthermore, the taste of raw milk is sensational; it is fresh, flavorful, and smooth. Sometimes people
accustomed to reduced-fat milk milk will find full-fat raw milk too rich—simply water it down, although, more often than
not, after your first sip of this heavenly nourishing food, you won’t want to go back to commercial store-bought in any
form—even a pasteurized organic variety.
The high temperatures of pasteurization denature the milk’s proteins and destroy the inherent enzymes that aid in
its digestion. Often synthetic nutrients are added to replace what was removed. Pasteurization is completely unnecessary
when a dairy farmer raises his animals with integrity and respect for careful practices. Small raw milk dairies are popping
up all over the country and those who consume raw milk are thriving! Even those with lactose intolerance can frequently
consume raw milk because it is a live, enzyme-filled food. Go to www.realmilk.com to learn more about the safety of raw
milk and the availability of raw milk in your state.

GRASS-FED BEEF AND BUFFALO VS. FEEDLOT RAISED:
Meats can offer nutrition only as good as the feed the animals consume. The meat of cows roaming on pasture,
munching away on their natural diet of fresh grass have approximately four times the amounts vitamins A and E as their
commercial grain-fed, feedlot cousins. 19,20 By design, cows are meant to eat fibrous grasses, plants, and shrubs, which give
their meat a nutrient profile similar to healthful wild game, like antelope, deer, and elk. A leisurely life on pasture also keeps
cows disease-free from such bacterial contamination as E. coli and Campylobacter, unlike their feedlot cousins who have
a much higher risk of contamination.
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SPRING 2010 Wise Traditions 73