Cataracts and Preservatives

Healthy Foods without Preservatives

Microalgae is at the bottom of the food chain in the seas of the world. They feed crustaceans who themselves feed and enormous amount of marine life. Think of the huge amount of life in the oceans and seas of the world and give this microalgae, marine phytoplankton, some of the credit for it. It is a real success story.

As the population in the world continues to increase, this is the challenge facing Man. In the developed world, the food processing industry is facing this challenge but has to be mindful of maximising the shelf life of its products. That means adding preservatives which are not necessarily good for the body; why should a preservative be good for you, and when it comes to salt, it is fine in limited amounts. Unfortunately, the amount of salt you will be consuming if you are eating virtually everything that is processed is more than nutritionists and the medical profession would advise.

It is a dilemma for food processors but it should also be a dilemma for you. Do you really want to claim you are too busy to prepare and eat fresh food when your salt intake may be potentially harmful? High blood pressure and cardiac and stroke problems are just some of the potential dangers. A microwave is not dangerous per se, but an unhealthy diet most certainly is.

Marine phytoplankton is an excellent substitute for salt. It is not a preservative but it adds the necessary flavour and also contains a number of nutrients that are good for your body, vitamins and minerals that everyone needs. Just think about this list; iron, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins C and E, magnesium, potassium, omega 3 and several fatty acids.

It brings the taste of the sea which is ideal for a huge variety of seafood dishes. While there are concerns about pollution in the oceans and hence eating things coming from polluted waters, today’s marine phytoplankton is produced in a laboratory yet retains all of its essential properties. Coming in powder form when sold as a healthy supplement, it is just a matter of adding water to activate it. It is an excellent addition to marinades and mayonnaise.

You don’t have to be a Michelin-starred chef to cook with it but one that did is the Spanish master, Angel Leon who famously prepared 21 courses for sampling, each using marine phytoplankton. One of them was squid risotto with marine plankton which came out as a startling green colour but extremely tasty.

If your cooking skills are less developed, you can merely use the powder instead of salt in everything from a fish soup to prawn cocktail, stir fries and casseroles. This supplement is readily available online on such popular websites such as eBay. If you have a family to feed, forget the salt and substitute this supplement. No one will tell the difference.