Can You Pass This Health Test?

1. If I cut a cantaloupe in two and eat one half and the other half I put it back in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days, when I go back to eat it will it have the same amount of Vitamin C as the first half I ate? (a) Yes or (b) No.

2. Is cooking in aluminum pots healthy? (a) Yes or (b) No.

3. Should I avoid the sun at all costs? (a) Yes or (b) No.

4. Which of these types of milk is healthier? (a) raw milk, (b) hot milk, (c) pasteurized whole milk, (d) fat free milk

5. If I'm going to use sugar, which one of these should I use? (a) powdered sugar, (b) white sugar, (c) raw sugar, (d) refined brown sugar.

Answers:

1. NO!!! The Vitamin C content of fruits and vegetables is lost at an extremely fast rate once the vegetable fibers have been cut or bruised. It is destroyed by the oxygen it comes in contact with as well as with the heat if it is cooked, the cold if it is frozen for more than 2 months and even the water depletes the Vitamin C from fruits and vegetables because it is a water soluble vitamin.

In order to preserve the Vitamin C content of your fruits and vegetables you should eat them as soon as you cut them. If the weather is too hot store them in the refrigerator until ready to eat. If you are preparing a dish try to do it right before serving and cut the fruits into larger pieces, which will preserve more of the vitamin. If you are cooking vegetables high in Vitamin C, like broccoli or green peppers, the best way to preserve the Vitamin C is to steam them or cook them in as little water as possible and for the shortest time. Also, cast iron pans destroy Vitamin C.

2. No. Aluminum has by products that are extremely dangerous. One of these is alum which acts as an irritant, particularly on the stomach. This in turn causes disturbances of the digestion and eliminative functions of the body. Aluminum acetate, another by product, is a standard embalming fluid, and yet, aluminum acetate is precisely what is manufactured when vinegar is placed in an aluminum pot. The combination of aluminum acetate and aluminum chloride, which is easily formed by adding salt to the vinegar in an aluminum utensil, is a deadly disinfectant.

When we cook in aluminum pots, a considerable amount of this metal enters directly into our blood stream and is carried to all the organs of our body. The poisonous effects pile up day after day as we eat more and more food prepared this way. While each day's amount may be small, the total can be extremely dangerous to our health, progressively affecting our reproductive system, nervous system, blood stream and heart. So, do not cook in aluminum pots!

3. No. The sun is a wonderful source of energy and health, although could be a dangerous and harmful force when not dealt with intelligently. Over exposure to the sun can lead to painful, even fatal burns, skin cracks, bleeding, headaches, dizziness, and nervous disorders.

Here are some tips to help you gain all the positive benefits the sun has to offer: (1) Man was not meant to lie directly under the rays of the sun. Not merely because such direct exposure can be harmful, but also because the healing qualities of the sun can best be found when combined with the plant life around us. Try to take your sunlight through the trees or cover yourself with moistened leaves. (2) Don't bath immediately before sunning or you wont be able to absorb adequately the Vitamin D, since the skin oils are what helps you derive this vitamin from the sun. (3) No more than half an hour of sunlight at any one time is capable of being absorbed and used by the body. (4) A suntan is actually nature’s safety device, which filters the harmful rays of too much sun. This does not mean to avoid the sun entirely. To gain the power of the sun, you must feel its warmth.

4. Raw milk. The process of pasteurizing milk not only kills disease germs, but it also destroys the bacteria which sour milk, just as Pasteur originally destroyed the microbes which turned wine to vinegar. Thus, pasteurizing milk helps maintain it fresh for more days, that is actually its main benefit. Pasteurization would not confuse most people as to its value if it had a more obvious name like "boiling." Most people know what boiling does to food values. Vitamins are devitalized or totally destroyed by boiling. In particular, vitami
C is sensitive to heat and much of this vitamin is lost through pasteurization. In addition to its lower vitamin content, cooked milk is far less easy to digest than raw milk. For this reason many doctors prescribe raw milk for sensitive young stomachs.

5. Raw sugar. Natural or raw sugar, as opposed to the common white stuff used everywhere, is a good food. Sucked directly from the cane, it is a delightful food and you are missing something if you have never tasted sugar cane. The raw sugar extracted from the cane is a brown, pebbly substance that contains many natural minerals of value to the body. White sugar, granulated, powdered or even the refined brown sugar, which is not to be confused with the raw product, has no value to the human body other than the calories with which it supplies us. Since all foods that are high in caloric content and low in other nutrients, minerals and vitamins, are almost useless to us, it would be best to eliminate processed sugar from the diet altogether. Also, honey and molasses are also fine substitutes for refined sugar.