Don't buy Strawberries in the Market?

I read a post today on Facebook  about all the Pesticides in Strawberries and that you should only buy ORGANIC.  So I replied to the post and asked if they were recommending that you NOT buy regular strawberries if you couldn't find ORGANIC.  Their reply was a BIG - NEVER BUY STORE BOUGHT NON- ORGANIC Strawberries.    

I'm still struggling with Organic vs non organic. Primarily due to the cost. The fact that I've gone 99.9% Plant Based in the last year is a VERY GOOD thing, but obviously the more I read, I find out more and more (good and bad) about that BAD that is in our food.

 I am so sad to learn that I should NEVER eat Store bought (like Market Basket type stores or big food stores) strawberries that are not ORGANC - why am I sad?  Basically the cost. On the other hand, I'm saving a considerable amount of money by not buying meat, dairy or processed foods so buying ORGANIC is becoming less and less of an issue (but it still is) . I'm working on it. And I'm happy the Farmers Markets are spreading and I can buy more locally grown foods while at the same time supporting local farmers. 

Here is an interesting list of the 10 WORST NON-ORGANIC fruits

Strawberries / Peaches / Apples / Blueberries /Nectarines / Cherries / Grapes / Raspberries / Pears and Tomatoes - Why because of their thin Skin  - Read more at fruits.http://www.livestrong.com/article/457959-10-worst-nonorganic-fruit/

I couldn't have said it better Paul!

I had to share this from my friend Paul, I couldn't have said it better - From my friend Paul! 
21 hours ago near Portland, ME

Some days it’s hard not beam with pride at the humble courage of Maine’s state legislature. Faced with the certainty that Maine will be sued by the likes of Monsanto and their industry friends and supporters (read, lobbyists and self-funded advocacy groups), Maine’s legislature has joined 18 other state legislatures, including neighboring Vermont’s, in getting ever closer to requiring the producers of GMO food products to label their products as GMO food products. It’s interesting to note that Monsanto and their cronies object to any labeling regime at all, on the grounds that their free speech rights will be somehow violated because (you can’t make this up) 1) there is no credible scientific evidence that genetically modified organisms pose health risks to human consumers (the environment generally and naturally occurring animal and plant species don’t count/aren’t factored into the argument), and (this one is incredible) 2) the likely outcome of a mandated labeling regime would unfairly hit GMO food product producers’ bottom lines from two sides -- lost sales from an unfairly ignorant consumer base that is irrationally afraid of genetically modified food products, and the cost of implementing any labeling regimen at all. In the first instance, if your argument against informing consumers about the origins of your product is that they will be less likely to buy it, it’s hard to imagine a better reason to hit the pause button on the entire industry until we understand the implications of these products on, say, our progeny and their environment some 15-20 generations hence. Maybe even longer. And in the second instance, the cost of labeling…really?! Suck it. Monsanto (and now by extension, most of the GMO players) just successfully defended their patented GMO seed and, by extension, their seed licensing business model, which allows them to advance their monopolies by being able to sue any farmer whose crops are even unintentionally contaminated by their patented GMO seeds. Given the far-reaching economic implications of this awful SCOTUS decision (the awfulness is not in the actual decision, but in that the SCOTUS decided to take this case in particular, as opposed to a number of alternatives unrelated to food) that skew to the advantage of the Monsantos of the world, it’s a safe bet that they can afford the increased printing costs of new labels.

If the above doesn’t frost your shorts, maybe this will: It’s worth noting that the last time these same arguments were SUCCESSFULLY made, Phillip Morris and its peers were making straight-faced claims, under oath, as to the health benefits and overall safety of their products.

Check this out Click Here:

What's In A Label?

Have you ever picked up a product and looked on the label to see how many calories there are.  For example look at the label on the left.  It says 250 calories. That's PER SERVING - this product has 2 servings (at 1 cup each) so it's really 500 calories - Why don't they break it down that way.   Probably because people wouldn't buy it if they REALLY looked at it. Or maybe just me.

Take Trail Mix for Example - (the kind with almonds, raisins, cranberries) seems harmless enough.  But I buy the big bags at the store and keep them at my desk or in my car for a snack in case I get hungry.  Well, honestly, it's so easy to grab a handful and munch on it, then grab another handful and before you know it you've eaten the entire bag!
Now I realize that has nothing to do with the label itself. It's me not having any self control.  But it was after I had been doing this for about a month with the trail mix, that I realized even good food can be bad if you treat it with total abandon.   That's what made me look for the Label information.  This is interesting reading if you are curious.  But how do you interpret this Nutritional Label?

For a FULL explanation of the Label you will find it  Here  Check this out .

 OK, so, I know that the body extracts three fuels from food: FATS(containing 9 calories per gram) PROTEINS and CARBOHYDRATES (4 calories per gram).

Calories Defined: 

Notice it only talks about Fats (9 calories per gram) and Proteins & Carbs (4 calories per gram)  - What is fiber in that mix?

My feeling on Juicing after doing it now for just over a year, is a that its a way for "ME" to get my fruits and vegetables easily and I LOVE how it tastes!  I can consume vegetables that I would otherwise not eat -( like beets for example, I love them juiced, but I'm hard pressed to eat them raw or cooked).

When I began juicing a year ago - I did it for a couple of reasons which are still valid reasons today.  I wanted to change my eating habits and loose weight. And a Juice "Reboot" was the best way to jump start that change.

What I learned from this "Reboot" a year ago was that by doing it, it helped me (and continues) to begin the process of change. It is an ongoing process, one which I enjoy and one that is very easy to get off track on.   Reading Labels is definitely one of the things I do on a regular basis now - and I'm so surprised (why should I be) when I see a product that says it's one thing, and you look at the label and are blown away by all the other ingredients.

But more and more it is very seldom that I even need to read the labels, as most of what I buy is Fruits, Vegetables, Beans, Nuts, Seeds.  I should think about changing my header from Fresh Beginnings With Juicing to something else... Any ideas?

Blackbean Mozzarella Flatbread Pizza

Ok I know this has Mozzarella in it, but I came home from work, and wasn't sure what to make. I know Bruce was not in the mood for 100% plant food.  So I opened the fridge.  He had bought some Mozzarella cheese, and I had some whole wheat flat bread wraps.
 " Hmmm what can I do with this?"

My refrigerator is full of vegetables, but these two items were the only NON Fruit NON Veggy items.
So looking further I realized I had made some Bob's Red Mill Black Bean soup previously and froze it, so I pulled out a container and defrosted it.  Then I chopped up a Tomato, and Vo-Wal-La (ha  ha) I had Black Bean Mozzarella  Flat Bread Pizza!    Bruce Loved it!    And he's a very good cook, so for me that was a sincere complement.  Hence the Bruce Approved! 

I served this with my Cox Salad, and had a real winner!