‘Anything fresh…?’

I told you so. I told you this one before, that all this ultra-processed food we eat is bad for us. That, coupled with the level of preservatives in what we eat, is literally killing us.

Now, researchers at Montreal University confirm that up to a third of heart disease cases may be linked to foods such as shelf-ready meals, fizzy drinks and fast food. Recent findings indicate that reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods could become a key part of preventing cardiovascular disease in… wait for it… high income countries.

The solution could not be simpler. We need to eat more locally produced, seasonal food. On that point, I heard a guy on radio recently explain that simply and beautifully. ‘From the moment a carrot, potato, a head of lettuce is taken from the ground, or an apple is plucked from the tree, decay starts from that point, so the sooner you get to eat it, the better it is for you and the better it tastes,’ the man said. So it is not imagination to say that the bit from your own garden tastes better than anything from the shop.

Transporting food halfway across the world to where there is already an abundance and absolute potential to supply our own needs is nothing short of crazy – and that is leaving aside the health and environmental considerations. The very idea that this country, long associated with the potato, might import baby potatoes from, of all places, Israel, is more sickening than suggesting a rotten poached egg on toast.

It is worth noting that Ireland produces 20 times more food than what we can eat.

Fruits and vegetables start losing vitamins and antioxidants soon after being pulled. That is why local and seasonal items naturally deliver a higher concentration of essential nutrients and goodness.

I cannot give you any examples of cost comparisons, because shopping isn’t in my department, but surely an abundance of local in-season crops, eliminating heavy transportation, cold storage and import tax, must be cheaper.

Another big plus to eating local, fresher, healthier food is the benefit for the local economy, looking after our own. The money is circulated at home and everyone is a winner. We are not as good at supporting farmers markets and small local growers in Ireland as are consumers in other countries. The shorter the distance from farm to fork, the less spoilage along the supply chain. Waste is no good for anyone.

Worst of all has to be the increasing level of preservatives added to fruit and veg in order to extend their shelf life. The stuff on the shelf may now look more attractive to the eye, but your gut is entitled to a different opinion. There is something not right if I buy a white sliced pan in Spain and despite the heat, there is no blue-mould on whatever remains after a week.

Not all preservatives are bad though. It is the artificial synthetic chemicals designed to extend the shelf life of food that does the harm. Food can be preserved naturally with salt, sugar, citric acid, vinegar or vitamin C. We used kill a pig at home when I was a kid. The sides of bacon were ‘salted’ and preserved that way for as long as it took to eat.

There is undeniable evidence that synthetic or artificial additives added to food show a connection to cancer. Why don’t we have a government heath warning on such products?

Another pie to ponder is that a study claims that there are links between certain artificial additives and benzoates to hyperactive behaviour in children. There is also loads of evidence with regard to allergies and asthma caused by what is added to foods.

The German philosopher, the one with the long name, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, wrote as far back as 1825, ‘Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are’. The idiom ‘you are what you eat’ means that your physical health, energy levels and overall wellbeing depend directly on the quality of food you consume.

So don’t fault the carrot for being crooked or having two legs. Don’t leave the potatoes behind just because there are a few dry scabs on the skin. The red apple doesn’t really need that glossy shine and the lettuce doesn’t have to have a picture-book shape. As long as you know where it came from and how it was treated, you are winning. Your trusted greengrocer can have the answer.

People around where I come from would often ask the ceist ‘anything fresh?’, by way of looking for news. This is the first question we should all ask our greengrocer or shopkeeper, and it’s not about looking for news!

Don’t Forget

For every woman who makes a fool out of a man, there’s another woman who makes a man out of a fool.