With summer here, it's easy to be excited about all of the delicious fresh fruits and veggies available to us. While pondering which veggie I was going to add to my snack pack to bring to work alongside my Togarashi hummus, I couldn't help but think about the state of health this country is in. I have just three questions I'd like you to think about today.

1. Do I chose "Diet", "low fat", "sugar free", or "Lite"? The answer is no.

Riddle me this. Why, if we have every "diet friendly" option in the world, are more than 2 out of 3 American adults overweight or obese (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)? The inclusion of "diet this" and "lite that" has been going on for a while now and guess what? We actually keep getting fatter and more unhealthy. So, what if these "diet" items are actually doing more harm than good? What if you actually don't feel satiated after consuming two tablespoons of lite pretend butter (margarine) so you eat more of it and whatever else is on your plate? What if you don't want to consume 100% fruit juice because of the "sugar" and "high calories" associated with it, so you opt for a diet coke instead? Does anyone else know someone who drinks like 4-6 a day? So instead of a couple of servings worth of fruits/veggies, you opt for a chemically concocted "diet friendly" beverage. While everyone and their mom will tell you, fewer calories, less to burn off, I ask you to ask this question... how many processes do you think that XYZ had to go through in order to now become a diet version of the food humans have been eating for centuries? Don't sign me up for that.

2. When was this fruit/vegetable picked?

I personally go to the farmer's market in my community weekly. I realize this is a blessing and not everyone has access to one. But, I was recently made aware that depending on the situation, fruits and veggies can lose about 50% of their nutrients within 24 hours of being picked. That is ONE DAY. So, let's take it a step further and ask this; when was your grocery store-bought fruit picked? Natural apples, for example, will rot within about 2 weeks after being picked if not treated. That's right, rot. But, the apple you picked up from the store may be up to a year, no that is not an error. A YEAR old. They can do this because it is treated and stored in a temperature controlled facility for months. How many nutrients and antioxidants do you think are even left in it before it finally gets consumed by you and/or your family? My guess is, not a hell of a lot. So, I say, leave my food the heck alone. When I pick up my apples from the farmers market in fall, I know (because I ask), they were just picked a day or so ago or they would already be showing signs of aging and rot. Instead, they are the most delicious and nutrient packed version of themselves they can be. My advice, eat seasonally. And, the best way to do this is support your local farmers at your community farmer's market!

3. Do you trust the government when it comes to your food?

Just, no. I used to be an avid supporter of the government's "attempts" at helping the public with making better food choices but the more that you learn about the intense lobbying and money, money, money that goes in to helping make decisions on what is best for you, you start to trust no one but yourself, and for good reason. Conform or be crushed is the way of the United States food industry. Monsanto anyone? I love the argument that through genetic modification and pesticide use, we are increasing food production. Great, and you shall never go hungry agaiiinnn, right? But I ask, how, if you genetically modify a watermelon to be seedless and therefore, a literally sterile plant, are you increasing food production? I can't take the seed that doesn't exist inside that watermelon and grow another watermelon plant from it. And thanks for the help increasing production of that corn. It makes total sense that now that in 2011, we had the highest percentage ever recorded of food insecurity in the United States (World Hunger, 2016).Wait, what? So, we still don't have enough food, we have an ever growing higher rate of cancer (thanks pesticides), and it is estimated that 40% of food that we do have in the United States is, in fact, never eaten (National Resource Defense Council, 2017). Someone. Is. Doing. This. Wrong.

I will get down off my soap box now, but, I just want to leave you with this. It is my humble opinion that you should eat real food, the way God intended it to be eaten (with portion control), eat that food as soon at it is stripped from its life source so you get the freshest, most nutrient-dense version of itself, all while supporting your local farmers and economy, and trust no one. I know that last one sounds a little apocalyptic and dark, but I just mean, use your brain. Do your own research and don't believe the first thing you are told. Food is literally our life source and I think you should start taking it more seriously.

... btw in case anyone was wondering, I chose kohlrabi to go with my hummus. Yum.

This article is based solely on the opinion of its author and should not take the place of actual medical advise.

Sources used for some of the statistics used in this article:

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/healt...

Hunger Notes. http://www.worldhunger.org/hunger-in-america-2016-...

National Resource Defense Council. https://www.nrdc.org/issues/food-waste