Guest Post by Glenn Macnamara | Is Fresh Really ‘Fresh”?

Feb 27, 2011 by Capoeirasa    1 Comment     Posted under: Guest Posts

I love fresh food! So much so that most of my vegetables are eaten raw! I love the crispness of broccoli and carrots and even spinach leaves. No,I’m not asking you to do the same if that conjures up a sqirmish moment for you! but if you are open …give it a try! There is a perception that fresh vegetables are the best choice for us.

Is fresh really “fresh”

From harvesting time to shopfloor time, there is a definite loss of essential nutrients in fresh fruit and veg. Moreover fresh is often picked BEFORE optimum ripeness to ensure it arrives at your gorcer still edible. Picking before ripeness does not allow the fruit or veg to offer maximum nutritionl value to us.

Secondly much of the fresh produce is treated with gases which further impacts on their value.

Thirdly, be careful when washing your veg as some of the vitamins are water-soluble so they dissolve in the washing process(an example is vitamin C) So, You are thinking: How Much am I actually absorbing? And yes, you would be right….certainly not as much as you think.

This observation further strengthens my argument that mineral and vitamin supplementation needs to form an essential part of an athletes daily routine.

So, what about Frozen foods then? Some interesting research shows that frozen veg often has similar nutritional quality as fresh veg. Frozen veg retains its nutritional value (because its frozen) where fresh continues to lose value…so in triathlon terms, Frozen enters Transition first!

Frozen is also a better choice than Canned. Nutrient losses occur quicker when temperatures of above 0 degrees.According to dietician Tracy Karele when temperatures are reduced to 0 degress(celcius for my US readers),”pathogenic bacteria cease to grow”… Path O what..you say….yes, this is the disease causing bacteria. As far as vegetables go, I am certainly an advocate of eating frozen. I would recommend though that when you eat them, you avoid the microwave option. Steaming is a better choice.

I trust this little bit of information has helped you enrich your sporting life just a little bit!

About Glenn Macnamara

Glenn is a professional triathlete. To date he has represented SA in 29 international events including 10 World champs and competed on 4 continents. His top results internationally include a 4th place at a World Cup event in Japan, 5th in Malaysia and Ohio(USA),6th in France and Colorado(USA) amongst others. Glenn is also a freelance as a writer and works as a coach and speaker,  having done talks at corporatres such as Eskom,Audi, Nedbank,FNB amongst others as well as overseas in Alabama,Ohio, Kuala Lumpur, Belgium and the UK.

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