Better Handling Is The Solution

I like raw foods but the studies I think are conclusive! I'll still eat them but better handling is the solution for minimizing problems. In a post below there are some suggestions on how to clean your foods.

I did read somewhere that one doctor suggested that no one should eat raw foods because of the parasite problem. His suggestion was to cook everything because he felt that they burrowed beyond the skins. My grandmothers also cooked their vegs "to death"! Cooking vegs is a good idea but, I think, they shouldn't be cooked that much because the nutrients become depleted. It's best to have a little bit of the crunch in cooked vegs.

Many years ago, I watched a woman from Africa wash the hard peels of bananas, pineapple and oranges with soap before cutting into them. I remember thinking at the time that she was being excessive but never said anything. The thought, at the time, of washing those kinds of fruits was just as foreign to me as she was -- not anymore! I've always washed soft fruits (i.e., an apple) or vegetables because of pesticide residue, but I never thought about other possible reasons especially for hard peelings. If I hadn't watched the woman wash her fruits, it may not still occur to me to do the same.

We're taught to peel bananas or oranges, and eat them because it's "safe". But are they really? Pesticides don't necessarily do the job of killing parasites or their eggs. Even worse, over the years the agricultural industries have incorporated using genetically engineered nematodes as pesticide agents on crops. A worm is a worm, and as far as I know, they still lay thousands of eggs! (On the Parasite Forum I made a large post about "bioworms" that may be of interests.) A grocery person told me that they usually find large "banana spiders". There is also a possibility of bird or other animal excrement on fruits that we can't see; droppings usually carry parasites.

Those fruits would have microscopic eggs when handled -- after peeled and eaten, we wind up infecting ourselves or whomever. How many times have I done it or seen others do the same without ever knowing there was a danger? Unfortunately, since childhood! From this alone, is there any wonder why we might be infected with parasites? The thought that "parasites don't exists here" is based upon unfounded truth!

Additionally, we don't know where those fruits have been nor do we know how many hands they've exchanged before buying it. In the fruit fields, pickers don't have a place to wash their hands after going to the bathroom. This could present an e-coli problem. Grzbear made an interesting post earlier this year; he observed someone handling foods at a health food store who was covered with boils or warts.

This isn't something to be paranoid about -- it's about being smart with health safety and eliminating the risks of being infected by something. Therefore, washing ALL fruits/vegetables with a solution makes perfect sense!! The next time you're tempted to eat a beautiful fruit salad, think again, or just pray and take your chances.