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By Annette Hillis, Resident Every bite we take impacts our health – for better or worse. While nutritional foods fuel our bodies, hidden toxins can do just the opposite. In today's world where a healthy diet is highly advised, and where so many convenient and detrimental food choices abound, it is difficult to make advantageous decisions regarding what we eat. Processed foods and chemical exposure are now the norm, so making healthier choices is more important than ever. Dr. Steve Simpson, a longtime optometrist in Hemet Valley, is also a well-educated and passionate health and nutrition expert. His training includes guidance from renowned specialists in the field. "First of all, if you're going to eat meat, which is a very nutrient-dense food, you need to have clean meat. Clean meat would be grass-fed, and pasture raised. Anything in the ocean, wild caught, has a lot of benefits. e most nutrient-dense food on the planet is probably kale. Baby kale has all the nutritional benefits of other varieties of kale but without the very pungent flavor." Simpson also recommends cruciferous vegetables as top- notch. ese foods, such as cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts, are called cruciferous because they form a crucifix with their flowers. ey are rich in vitamins and minerals, have cancer-fighting properties, support heart health, and aid in digestion. Processed foods or ingredients pose many health risks. Simpson says that one of the specific foods people should avoid is refined white flour, due to a great deal of it being genetically modified, hybridized, and sprayed with a man-made chemical made of petroleum to "enrich" the wheat. He also cites seed oils (canola, sunflower, corn, etc.) as harmful, as well as high fructose corn syrup, which is highly prevalent in our food. Fiy years ago, the average American consumed eight teaspoons of sugar a day. Today, that amount has skyrocketed to 35 teaspoons. "Unless you burn that off," Simpson says, "it can cause metabolic syndrome (a group of risk factors that increase the chance of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes), insulin resistance, and cancer." Toxins in our food are widespread. Yet, there is one very practical, yet slightly more costly, way to reduce exposure to food-based toxins – eat organic fruits and vegetables. ese produce items will have a sticker with a five-digit code that starts with 9. Terms like "natural," "pesticide-free," or "hormone- free" do not necessarily mean organic. Only a certified label guarantees adherence to organic farming standards. e industry is also well-regulated. Organic farmers have twice as many people coming onto their property to make sure they're doing the things they are supposed to do. "Buying organic food is really important since there are numerous dangerous pesticides that are sprayed on foods to protect them and to make them look prettier," Simpson states. While organic foods can sometimes be sprayed with chemicals, they are natural or minimally processed and are approved for organic farming. ese differ significantly from synthetic pesticides used in conventional farming. Ultimately, it pays for you to take the time to research the best and healthiest foods for your diet. 14 SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | APRIL 2025 FOOD, TOXINS, AND HEALTH

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