Healthy TV | Episode 005

In this episode of Healthy TV I will share:

• Our two most important criteria for choosing food.
• The surprising truth about ‘food miles’.
• What happens when produce is picked unripe.
• How I decide when to buy organic and when to save my $$.

You’re in the produce department of your local grocery store, silently screaming at the cost of organic spinach… You want to make the best choices for your family, but… I mean, Is it really worth it?

It turns out, that’s quite a challenging question to answer. While its true that organic spinach will likely have less toxicity compared to conventionally grown spinach, that’s just 1 side of the story. The other, equally important consideration is what’s called the ‘nutrient density’ of the food in question – in other words the quality of the food.

Side-note: At our Eat By Design workshop these are 2 of the core criteria we teach people to use when choosing foods to feed you and your family: Generally you want to choose foods with the lowest degree of toxicity and the highest amount of nutrient density.

While the primary argument FOR organic foods has largely been about eating foods without the pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides typically found in conventional produce, more recently the nutrient density argument has become a larger part of the conversation and has more scientific support than ever.

So back to our spinach example, if you were comparing locally grown organic spinach to locally grown conventional spinach, then it’s likely the organic option would win in both categories.

Local Vs. Organic

But what happens when the food is picked days or weeks in advance? After all, the majority of organic produce in our winter months is imported from California, Africa and Europe, requiring significant time for transportation and importation.

In fact ‘food miles’ – the distance your food is transported from farm to plate – is a big problem when it comes to the nutrient density side of the equation.

Find out just how much impact food miles has on the quality of your food and learn my current process for choosing when to buy organic and when to seek out local sources.

Dr. John MacPhee is a Chiropractor, speaker and passionate health and wellness expert. He has inspired thousands of people to take control of their own health using the Life By Design method. Dr. John is co-owner of The Wellness Group, the largest Life By Design Certified Chiropractic office in Canada. Apart from full-time practice, John maintains a busy speaking schedule, with a particular emphasis on improving productivity and focus at work. Otherwise, you can find John training hard at CrossFit 613, exploring Gatineau Park, or holed away studying the latest research at various cafes across the west end.