Thursday, January 1, 2009

Get Your Veggies!

Kathy Kaehler
Trainer • Spokesperson • Author

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One of the ingredients in my gummies is Hydrilla Verticillata. It is a rooted fresh water plant that grows abundantly in lakes and streams of Florida.
It possesses astonishingly high values of calcium, iron and vitamin B-12. A heavy weight when it comes to greens.

An interesting fact: The fruits and vegetables our parents ate when they were growing up were more nutritious than the ones we'll serve our children tonight.

On average, the produce we grow in the U.S. has lower levels of several vitamins and minerals today than it did 50-60 years ago.
Growing your own or buying organic can make up much of the difference but not all.

New research from Rodale News on 2-20-09 shows that fruits and veggies are losing 40% nutrient content in some varieties. The analysis was published in Hort Science.
What this means is growers are breeding plants to produce higher yields that dilute the nutritional quality.
This doesn't mean to quit eating fruits and veggies, it simply means we need to eat more of them, which is a challenge for parents. Most kids will not sit down to a plate of broccoli or spinach.
Ultimately it would be great to have your own garden, but in our changing climates, geographic locations, reality of our lifestyle, this may not be possible for the majority.

Buying organic is the next best thing, but in these troubled economic times the cost may keep you at the regular markets. You can make better choices buying smaller sizes of produce as they are more nutrient dense and have better flavor. You can also buy heirloom varieties as they will not be over bred and will be more nutrient dense.

Ultimately we are challenged daily by finding a way to consistently provide the nutritional benefits of fruits and veggies. As a mother of three and working full time, I had to do something. I created the Gummies, a power house of greens that have the benefits of 12 fruits and vegetables in each yummy gummy.