Category Archives: Blog Post

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Blueberries 101

Are you eating the #1 fruit that delivers the most antioxidants? Blueberries1

These babies contain SO much nutrients per calorie they are ranked high on the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index. (ANDI) What is the ANDI? This index rates food, from 1-1000, due to their vitamins, mineral, antioxidants and phytochemical composition. The bigger bang for the buck (per say) the higher the rating. Blueberries are among the top 5 of fruits. With the other 4 being berries as well!

Most of us (yes me included) that want to help aid in the aging process should be eating Blueberries on a regular basis. Buy them, or better yet pick them yourself, when they are in season and enjoy them all year long. They are the easiest to freeze. Put them in a freezer bag, unwashed, then wash them off when you pull them out to eat.

Blueberry Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: One cup of blueberries (148 grams)
Amt. Per Serving
Calories 84
Carbohydrates 21 g
Sugar 15 g
Fiber 4 g
Protein 1 g

That sugar is NATURAL sugar my friend! Unless you have been advised not to eat fruit by a healthcare professional, natural sugar is OK to eat (in moderation, like everything else, of course)! The Lord made natural sugar, He does NOT make refined sugar, humans do!

The Carbs are Complex Carbs. The GOOD Carbs! Here again, unless you have been advised otherwise….eat good carbs!

Here are some reasons why Blueberries deserve a Blue Ribbon!

  • High in Vitamin K
  • High in Vitamin C
  • Contains Anthocyanins which are antioxidants and gives the berry its beautiful blue color
  • Vitamin B6
  • Vitamin E
  • Thiamin
  • Riboflavin
  • Copper
  • Magnesium
  • Beta-Carotene
  • Manganese
  • And more….

They are also said to aid in

  • Fighting cancer, due to their antioxidants that help protect cells against free radical damage
  • Improving mental health
  • Helping prevent Heart disease
  • Managing diabetes

Some of my favorite ways to eat blueberries is to add them to Greek Yogurt, Oatmeal, Smoothies, in Salads and just eat right out of the freezer.

Blueberries are full of ALL kinds of goodness. I hope you incorporate them into your diet if you are not already.

Be Happy. Be Healthy. Be You.

Jennie

References: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287710.php

                         http://foodfacts.mercola.com/blueberries.html

                         http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=8

 

 

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Trader Joes…Oh How I Love Thee

Have you been to a Trader Joes? If you have one that is local, or fairly local, I encourage you to go check them out. They have all kinds of goodness and much of it is cheaper than your bigger grocery stores. I mean just look at this picture of my local Trader Joes. Doesn’t it just look inviting and fun? IMG_20160205_105340398

I want to share with you one of my first experiences at this Trader Joes. Not only do they have good prices on a lot of their items but they also have a good selection of gluten free items. You can click HERE to check out their list of gluten free items.

If you have read my story  you know that my husband is gluten intolerant. When he went totally gluten free I was so overwhelmed!!! From reading books, to surfing the web (because everything on the web is TRUTH! Right? Yes I am being sarcastic). I mean, the whole gluten free thing was not on my radar to learn at that time in my life. Well…I didn’t get to choose when Jennie B learned all about gluten, it was kinda thrown at me. So, I set out to get him off gluten. Please remember that just because something is “gluten free” DOES NOT mean it is healthy! There is gluten free CRAP out there just like there is regular CRAP out there. Anyways, I printed off Trader Joes gluten free list and headed out. I walked into to store (feeling very OVERWHELMED). The experience of Trader Joes is not like your typical grocery store. Just the energy in there alone can get your heart racing, but in a good kinda way. They are totally up beat, fun peeps running the show. I had this list, and a long one list at that, didn’t know where over half the items where in the store and when I would find them I would have to make sure they were in fact GF. They have a little, and I mean little, GF sign on the products that are gluten free, which can be tricky to find. I bet I went back and forth from this aisle to that aisle back to that aisle saying, “Excuse me!”, “Where is this?”, “Where is that?”, “Do you know if you have this?”, etc. I mean I was ready to pull my hair out. I was wishing they served wine at the end of every aisle! No joke! (Yes, I would have drank that wine and called the hubs to come pick me up and all HIS GF groceries). It was an experience, let me tell ya!

That was the then and this is now! I LOVE Trader Joes. I mean I truly get excited about going to TJ’s! I really do, and NO I do not need the wine at the end of every aisle. Lol!

I thought you may enjoy some of my favorite items that I purchase on a regular basis. There is definitely more, but here are some of my top ones. I hope maybe this will inspire you to get to a Trader Joes and also to show you that you can get healthy items cheaper if you shop around.

Organic Apples and Pink Ladies at that!!!!

This is probably my #1 Fav and LOOK at that price!

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Organic Liquid Stevia. This is my #2 Fav.

TJ4

Organic Unrefined, Cold Pressed, Coconut Oil

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21 Seasoning Salute (I use this on A LOT)

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Organic Quinoa (Frozen, just heat up and serve…Yes please!)

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Organic Green Beans

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Organic Pears

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Organic Brown Basmati Rice

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Organic Green Tea

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Organic Beets (This one is for the hubs…Jennie cannot stomach beets)

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Trader Joes is also a great place to find processed meats that DO NOT contain sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite, one of the top five ingredients we should really try to eliminate from our diet. They also have decent prices on nuts, nut butters, frozen organic veggies, fresh organic veggies like spinach, kale and broccoli.

You can also find skin care products, Vitamin E oil, cleaning products, etc. Like I said up top, if you have not experienced Trader Joes, go check them out.

I would LOVE to hear some of your favorites finds from TJs.

Much Love,

Jennie B

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Freeze those Strawberries

Strawberries are coming in! Time to get picking AND freezing! 10277049_540553392721196_5674991866858977377_n

When it’s picking time I get so excited! I guess because it means that winter has come to an end here in the south (YIPEE! I loathe Winter, I really do!) and all kinds of goodness is to be harvested over the next several months. My freezer is becoming empty and is ready to be restocked with all that goodness. Do you and yours go berry picking? If you don’t you should. For many reasons.

  1. You will pay less if you pick them yourself.
  2. You get to pick the berries of your choice.
  3. When you pick any fruit or vegetable yourself you know where it came from. Note: Be sure the farmer does not use any pesticides.
  4. You get to support your local farmers. Now that is a win win for everyone!
  5. Make it a family outing. The little ones typically enjoy picking. (Typically…Lol!)
  6. We should eat fruit and vegetables when in season. This is another win win.
  7. You freeze them and therefore throughout the year you are eating strawberries that are “in season”.
  8. Strawberries are loaded with antioxidants. Eat your strawberries!

How to Freeze Strawberries

It is super easy…

-Wash them off and let them dry.

-Cut tops off (or not if you throw in smoothies or shakes) and place on a cookie sheet, without them touching each other, and flash freeze them. You can cut them in smaller pieces if you desire.

-Once they are frozen pop them off the cookie sheet, while they are frozen, and put in freezer bags.

By not having them touch during the flash freezing process is KEY. This prevents them from clumping together. Don’t you hate that? You know, when you buy frozen fruit and it is one big ole’ clump? It is because they all stuck together due to moisture.

As always I would LOVE to hear from you! Share is caring…if you like what you read please share on your social media outlets.

Much Love,

Jennie B

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Food Marketing 101

Marketing! MARKETINGUgh Marketing…Oh how I hate how they trick us consumers. It is sad that we have to be SO proactive when buying “food”. A very good example of this marketing scheme (as I like to call it) is in my blog, My Argument with the Cashier at Kroger. The food industry tricks us into thinking we are purchasing “Healthy Food” when in deed we are not. Well, if you truly think about it, why is there a health food section in the grocery store? AND how big is that section? Pretty small in comparison to the grocery store as a whole.

The ways they trick us…

  • Packaging – The packaging says “Whole Wheat”. Like whole wheat ritz crackers. Look at the ingredients. What is the first ingredient? Enriched! Not Whole Wheat. Then it gets worse. Notice the Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil AND the High Fructose Corn Syrup. Sorry to bust your bubble, but these crackers are nothing but CRAP! Ritz photo
  • Where they place items on the shelf – Brand Name food products are right at eye level, as well as whatever the latest trend or fad diet may be at the time. Like low fat, low carb and the like. This makes it more tempting to buy that product. Pay attention to food placement the next time you are at the grocery. (If you haven’t already.)
  • It’s Organic – Then it must be good for us? WRONG! WRONG! and WRONG again! There is organic crap out there just like there is regular crap out there. Sugar is bad for us whether it is organic or not. So, organic cookies, sugary cereals, ice cream, etc. are all still BAD. Get It? Good!
  • Green Washing – If you are not familiar with this, next time you are at the grocery store notice all the green, or earth friendly images on packaging. This lures us in (subliminally) thinking the product must be “good” for us. Don’t fall victim! Please!

I know, I know, it gets so confusing. If you do not already look at the ingredients you HAVE to start. The ingredient list, in my opinion and the opinion of many other health folks, is more important than reading the nutrition label. They both can be confusing, I know this, but you have to start somewhere. So start with the ingredient list. Please!

Now think of this, if you only bought food that did not carry a label what would you be buying?

Real. Food.

Now that is one crazy idea! Right? Well, while I know it is not realistic, for most, in today’s world it is something that we can strive to get better at. I know I can.

Where to start in this read labels thing?

-First off you would like to be able to pronounce all the ingredients. If you can do that, you are on the right track.

-Second here are six ingredients that you should stay clear of…

  1. High Fructose Corn Syrup
  2. Partially Hydrogenated Oils (Trans Fat)
  3. Artificial Sweeteners and Artificial Colors
  4. MSG (Monosodium glutamate)
  5. Sodium Nitrate and Sodium Nitrite
  6. Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)

Of course we could go much, much deeper into this whole marketing topic and what to stay clear of when it comes to those ingredients. A great example of marketing and why it is important to read labels is in my blog on Peanut Butter. If you haven’t read it I encourage you to.

Reading the ingredient list is one of the TOP things I teach my clients. I say all the time that knowledge is power. Knowledge IS power. This is HUGE when it comes to nutrition and being healthy. You need to know what you are putting in that body of yours. Then you get to make an informed decision as to what you are going to feed your temple. Don’t let the food industry make that decision for you. No one else is going to do this for you…well, unless you have a family member like me. Haha! (Disclaimer: I can lead my people to water, but when they are away from me they don’t always drink it). True Story! Oh and one more disclaimer: I am not perfect…I do not feed my temple 100% goodness all the time. If you follow me, you know my vices.

Be Happy. Be Healthy. Be YOU.

Much Love,

Jennie B

 

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Fair Trade

Are you starting to notice this seal more and more? The Fair Trade Certified Seal?Fair-Trade-Certified-Logo-Pantone-375-U-216x300

In reading their website Fair Trade Certified is very similar to a host of non profit organizations around the world who help those in poverty not only to make a living but a future for their families and communities. One that we hold near and dear to our hearts, personally, is Miracle Power in Kenya. They house orphans and widows all while providing the children with an education and teaching the widows a skill, which provides them with income. Not only are their goods sold in Kenya, but they are brought back to the states and sold locally in our home town. I could go on and on how the Lord continues to work between our home town and Kenya. What continues to happen is amazing!

Back to this seal…What is this seal all about? Per fairtradeusa.org it is stated that:

Fair Trade Certified™ products were made with respect to people and planet. Our rigorous social, environmental and economic standards work to promote safe, healthy working conditions, protect the environment, enable transparency, and empower communities to build strong, thriving businesses. When you choose products with the Fair Trade label, your day-to-day purchases can improve an entire community’s day-to-day lives.

Isn’t this wonderful! Fair Trade is improving the lives of thousands all over the world. While changing lives it is helping farmers implement environmentally sustainable practices. Which in return the world as a whole benefits from.

Here is what Fair Trade does…

-Coops are created and farmers are able to deal directly with the market buyers and get paid a living wage. Part of their earnings are reinvested and therefore makes a difference in their community.

-Fair Trade empowers women. Women that are hired through Fair Trade market farmers are guaranteed health care, certain job rights and freedom from harassment. This provides for a much better future for the women and their families.

-Fair Trade revenues are helping keep the farmers children out of the fields and in school. It helps provide funds for their schooling. Fair Trade revenue generated by the US market have helped to build schools in some of the most remote areas of the world.

-One of the standards the Fair Trade coop provides is access to health care and proper nutrition in order to keep the farmers and their families healthy.

Not only does Fair Trade Market do all the above but their values speak loudly! Pulled from their website, here are their values…

Empowerment: We believe in empowerment and freedom of choice as means to a better world.

Integrity: We strive to always act ethically and we value relationships built on honesty, mutual respect and trust.

Sustainability: We engage in sustainable solutions to global problems that affect the earth and its people.

Innovation: We transform the world through entrepreneurial creativity and lead by example.

Excellence: We believe that quality of life, work and performance are critical to achieve our mission.

Personal Development: Strong organizations rely on strong individuals. We encourage and support each other to realize our fullest potential, and will thereby strengthen our internal community.

Community: We value our global and internal communities’ diversity of perspectives, and know that each may hold a piece of the solution. We collaborate and partner for mutual success.

Fairness: We work to create opportunities and extend the benefits of globalization to all people, everywhere.

Impact: We build positive solutions that achieve meaningful social and environmental change in the world.

Fairtrade Market Certified products can range from coffee to wine.

Fairtrade Market Certified partners are growing as well. From Trader Joe’s (just another reason to Love TJ’s) to Dr. Mercola’s products (just another reason to Love him as well…oh and if you do not follow him on social media or get his emails. You should. Check him out!

I am truly excited about this seal and I believe we will be seeing more and more of it. Especially if we spread the word. Share this post on your social media outlets to make more peeps aware. (If you want to of course)

Much Love,

Jennie

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What does That Seal Mean?

Do you know what the USDA Organic seal REALLY means? Do you get confused as to what you should buy organic and if it is worth spending the extra money. I hope to make this as plain and simple as I can and help you understand what the organic seal really means. 2000px-USDA_organic_seal.svg

Okay, so you go to the store and you see a product that says it is organic. First off it has to have the USDA seal on it to be certified organic. Now, there are three different components to this.

  1. 100% Certified Organic – This means that EVERYTHING in that product is organic. You will not see the 100% Certified Organic very often. You will usually see just Certified Organic.
  2. Certified Organic – This means that at least 95% of the ingredients in a processed food is organic.
  3. Made with Organic ingredients – This does not contain the seal but can say “Contains organic ingredients” or “Made with organic ingredients” and either of these can be stated on the packaging. This means that 70% of the ingredients must be organic and those ingredients will be found in the ingredients list.

An added bonus to buying organic is that you are also buying nonGMO. In order for anything to be certified as organic is also cannot contain any genetically modified organisms. You can read more on GMOs by clicking HERE.

I know, it can get SO confusing. One thing I want you to remember is that just because a product is “Organic” DOES NOT mean it is good for us. There is “organic” crap out there just like there is non organic crap. Yes, there is organic sugar, but guess what? It is still sugar! There are organic cookies, but they are still cookies made with organic crap! Get the point?

What should you buy organic? This is where you will have to decide for yourself what is most beneficial for you and your family. I know most of us cannot afford to buy everything organic or have access to everything organic. For myself and my family I try to purchase organic foods that we eat the most. For instance, my son drinks cows milk everyday, therefore I have had him on organic milk since a baby. I eat spinach everyday, therefore I buy organic spinach. We all three eat an apple everyday, so I buy organic apples. A great way to purchase organic foods is to join a local CSA and to shop at your local farmers market. An added plus to this is you are supporting your local farmers. Be sure to ask if any pesticides or chemicals are used when buying local. Also it is great to stock on fruits and veggies when they are in season and then freeze or can them to have all year round.

You may be thinking, what is recommended that you should buy organic? Produce wise a good rule of thumb is if you eat the entire fruit or vegetable, try to purchase organic. Example, you don’t eat the peeling of a banana but you do an apple. The dirty dozen (plus two) and clean fifteen break it down:

dirty-dozen-ewg

Now, meats, poultry and dairy. In order for livestock to be considered organic they must eat organic feed, have access to the outdoors and not be given antibiotics, hormones and any animal by products.  Let’s think about this, non organic livestock is shot up with steroids (so they can grow faster and bigger) to produce more, they are given antibiotics, fed GMO feed, etc. We then eat them. We eat what they eat. This also holds true for their milk supply. Everything they are given gets into their milk supply, so we end up drinking all that mess too. The same goes for poultry and eggs too. Hmmm…don’t you think meats, eggs and dairy should be purchased as organic?

When looking at what you should be purchasing organic I would encourage you to sit down and evaluate what you and your family eat the most of that you should try to purchase organic. I do want to make one thing clear. If you cannot afford organic that is OK! A non organic apple is much better than a bag of chips. I also encourage you to shop around and pay attention to prices when shopping. You may be very surprised! For instance, organic Kale at our local Kroger is $0.99 and non organic Kale is $0.99. Why would you NOT buy the organic? Organic apples at Trader Joes are $0.79 an apple which is cheaper than a non organic apple. You may have to do a little homework but in the long run it is very much worth it knowing you are feeding your temple and your families temples better.

Much Love,

Jennie B

 

References: helpguide.org and greener choices.org

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Oh NO GMOs

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GMO’s are genetically modified (or engineered) organisms that have been altered in a way that does not occur naturally in our environment. Simply put, humans are producing the crops, not nature, the way they were intended to be produced. This is the kind of food I want to eat. NOT! The bad part is, GMO’s are in so much and we don’t even realize it! If it is not stated as nonGMO on the label, or organic, then you are eating food, or crap as I like to call it, that is either totally genetically modified or an ingredient has been genetically modified. If you want assurance that you are not eating GMOs the best bet is to buy foods that are certified organic. If it is organic it can not be a GMO or contain any GMOs in the product.

The top five genetically modified foods are…

  1. Soy
  2. Corn
  3. Cotton
  4. Canola
  5. Sugar Beets

While the order of the top five shift from time to time, an average of 85-95% of these crops produced have been genetically modified. Now you may be thinking, well I don’t eat ANY soy. I eat corn on the cob in the summer, occasionally. I don’t bake with Canola oil. Sugar Beets? Who uses sugar beets? Okay, so lets think about this. Corn…corn is in like everything, corn is one big ole by product in a lot of crap. What is HFCS (High Fructose CORN Syrup) made from? CORN! What is corn starch made from? CORN! What is Dextrose made from? CORN! What do all these have in common? If you eat anything that comes out of a plant, not a growing plant in nature, a plant like a distribution plant, you are more than likely eating a product that contains some GMOs. The only way to know that you are not eating GMOs is if it has the nonGMO or Organic stamp on it. I know, it can get very confusing.

So, what about the Sugar Beet. If you follow me you know I HATE sugar and anything that has to do with sugar. Sugar is hidden under so many different names and guess what, most of them are A.) Derived from Corn or B.) They are just straight up genetically modified. Here again this just adds another layer of “badness” that the food industry is “feeding” us. Did you get the pun there? Haha! Sugar is bad, it is hidden under SO many different names and now you find out you are eating genetically modified sugar! Shew, just another reason to eat real food! Right?

Hmmm…Real Food, well if you go to the store and get some corn for that cookout this weekend and it is not organic, guess what…you are probably buying genetically modified corn. I know, you are like, well geez, what can I eat? I know everyone cannot afford EVERYTHING organic. I can’t! Therefore what my family eats the most of I try to purchase organic. I do want to point out a lot of times organic is not much more expensive and actually sometimes cheaper. You have to shop and compare. Also a great thing to do is purchase fresh fruits and vegetables when in season, from a local farmer that you trust or join a CSA and put things up so you have them all year round. You know, like they did in the good ole days.

Now…lets touch on dairy and meat just a bit. A cow eats feed that is genetically modified. Then gets shot up with hormones to make it grow bigger, faster. A cow gets sick. The cow gets antibiotics. Where does all this stuff go? Muscles, bloodstream, in their milk. Uuummm, do you know where I am going with this? Who eats the meat and drinks their milk? What are you eating and drinking? Yep, all that crap! I love this saying, “You are what I eat.” (If animals could talk).

I hope you have a better understanding of GMOs. This post could go on and on. From Monsanto (the world’s largest genetically modified producer) to the pesticides used on GMO’s. A REALLY good documentary to watch on GMOs is GMO/OMG. I learned a lot from just watching it.

Much Love,

Jennie

References nongmoproject.org, naturalnews.com, consumer reports.org

 

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Juicing vs Blending

Juicing IS NOT the same as blending and vice versa!Juicing-v-Blending1

If you are using a BLENDER and think you are juicing you are NOT! You would be making a smoothie or a shake if it is made in a blender. Juicing is JUST the juice and you use a juicer, which extracts the juice and leaves you with the pulp. When you make a smoothie or shake, you are blending the WHOLE fruit and vegetable. Both juicing and blending are wonderful ways to get in a variety of fruits and veggies and both provide you with all kinds of health benefits. The picture over  ☞ is a great visual.

The Low Down on Juicing…

In the picture below you can see how much whole food it takes to get one decent size glass of juice. This yields about 1 1/2 cups of juice.Jucing Ingr When juicing, for the health benefits, you should try to stay with just one piece of fruit. Why? Because fruit does have sugar (fructose). Yes is naturally occurring and you are probably saying to yourself, “But you tell me that fruit is good for us and it is okay to eat?” Yes, fruit is good for us and the naturally occurring sugar is okay for us to consume as well but you want to eat your fruit more than you drink it. Think of it this way. To get one cup of apple juice you would have to juice approximately five apples, depending on the size. That is a lot of apples and a lot of sugar. Now, do you think you could sit down and eat five apples at one time? Probably not! The whole apple fills you up because of it’s fiber. This is why you want to stay with one piece of fruit when juicing. Make sense?

Juicing = Micronutrients

When you juice, you get micronutrients from the fruits and vegetables. What is micronutrients? It is the vitamin and minerals from those fruits and vegetables. If  you remember from 🔝 the juice is extracted and you are left with the pulp (the fiber). Why is this beneficial? The benefits of micronutrients are that you get immediate absorption of all that goodness from the fruits and vegetables due to your body not having to break anything down (the fiber and such). It also gives your digestive tract a rest which is a good thing from time to time.

The Low Down on Blending…

When you use a blender you are making either a smoothie or shake. A smoothie being your fruits and vegetables and a shake being a protein shake. When using your blender you do still want to watch those fruits, but think about it this way again. Would you blend 5 apples? Probably not! That would be one gigantic smoothie! Blending is a great way to get in greens. If you are not a greens eater try putting a handful of spinach in your next smoothie/shake. Spinach has such a mild flavor you won’t even taste it. Another advantage of blending all kinds of goodness is that you can have a complete meal in no time! You can add protein like a protein powder or plain yogurt. You can add healthy fats like a nut butter, almonds, ground flax seed, avocado, etc. The sky is the limit. Making smoothies/shakes is such a great, easy, fast and healthy way to whip up some goodness, especially for breakfast.

Blending = Macronutrients 

When you use a blender you are consuming the whole fruit and vegetable therefore you are getting the macronutrients, which means you are getting the benefits of the whole fruit and vegetable. When we consume the whole food our body has to work to break those nutrients down therefore the nutrients are released into the body much slower over time as opposed to juicing when it is immediate.

Which do I prefer? BOTH! You cannot go wrong with either! They both provide us with wonderful health benefits. I mean, anytime you are consuming fruit and vegetables it is a good thing. Right? Disclaimer: as long as your fruit is not being consumed in a “dessert” way or your veggies are smothered in butter or cheese. 😉

Some information for ya…a good documentary to watch on juicing is Fat Sick and Nearly Dead.

Much Love,

Jennie B

 

 

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Oh Those Nuts (Nut Butters)

Oh How I Love those Nut Butters…

My closest friends and family can tell you that I LOVE peanut butter. We have a very close relationship. I think if I was told I could never have peanut or almond butter EVER again I might just loss it!

Peanut butter has a special place in my heart. Not only do I love it but I tend to help random people while in the nut butter isle. I tend to spark up conversations while in the nut butter section. It makes for the perfect time to educate people on what true peanut (nut) butter really is (or should be). Sometimes while I am talking to them I can tell they are really soaking it all in and other times, well not so much. I get a look like…really lady? (I can only imagine what is being said in their head), “You are gonna stand here and tell ME what I need to be buying? I am Jif’s #1 fan. I grew up on Jif and so in my house it is Jif all the way everyday.”

Well if you are not up on what peanut (nut) butter should be, read on. Oh, quick side note, nut butter is butter that is made from a nut. In case you are wondering.

When you are buying a nut butter you must turn it over and read the ingredient list. It should read the nut and salt, or just the nut. Example, for peanut butter the ingredients should be just peanuts or peanuts and salt. Most nut butters have all kinds of added crap. From hydrogenated oils to sugar. That is not a true nut butter. That is processed crap. If you are reading this and you have any kind of nut butter around go read that ingredients list. See what cha got.

It can be tricky. You go shopping and find one that says All Natural. You think, that is good! NOPE! Just because it says Natural or even Organic that does not mean it is good. You have to be proactive and read those labels.

Now, you may be thinking, how do they get away with this? The food industry that is. Well there are so many loop holes in the food industry it just crazy. I don’t even understand it. I just know they do get away with it and they trick us as consumers into thinking we are doing good. Why? Because they are in the marketing business not the health and wellness business. That is why you have to take the time (and it really is not that much extra time) to read those labels and find the better options. No one is going to do that for you.

Here are a couple of examples. Notice the Jif Natural says contains 90% peanuts. Really? So what is the other 10%? Look at those ingredients and then also the label. It should have zero grams of sugar. Peanuts do not have natural sugar in them. Notice the Kroger Natural. Much better don’t you think?

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It can get even more confusing. The Kroger Natural, it is a good one (and Kroger actually has an organic one that is even better for you due to it being organic) but they also have a Natural No Stir. You would think that would be okay. Right? Wrong! The no stirs have added crap in them that keeps the oil from separating and is why it is no stir. Here again, you must turn that nut butter over and read the ingredients. Plain and simple.

Much Love,

Jennie B

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Jennie B Got, GOT

Yep…I got, GOT! Me being me, you would think I would know better and that I would have done my research before purchasing something new to me, Teavana teas, especially when  you pay such a high price. Well, Teavana sucked me in and after spending a pretty penny and not doing my research first, I was just about sick at my stomach once I realized what I had just bought for my family and I to drink! UGH!!!Teavana

Here’s how it all went down…

I have started drinking more tea. Especially green tea and a night time tea. The ones I had been drinking, Traditional Medicinals and Yogi, are a third of the price and they are organic and nonGMO teas. I wanted to get some different teas for my husband to try that might help with his Rheumatoid Arthritis and thought I could get a “fun one” that our son might enjoy drinking as well (Hence the berries you will read about further down). I have never purchased anything from Teavana, because of their price tag. BUT I had a little extra Christmas money and thought I would treat us all with some of their wonderful teas. Well, guess what, their teas are not so wonderful. Oh and a side note, you are also advised to buy tins to store the tea in and you need something to steep the loss leaf teas.

Have you ever been into a Teavana store? They always have samples for you to taste. They are really yummy if I do say so myself. They start telling you all about their teas while handing you more samples to drink. They will pull out different teas from behind the counter and wave the lids back and forth above the teas for you to smell how scrumptious they are. Oh they smell SO good, some of them you almost want to eat they smell so darn good! Some even have dehydrated berries, coconut, pineapple, etc. which just adds to the whole yummy experience. Very impressive! Right? Well, Jennie B got GOT. I came home all excited about my tea purchases. I fixed my husband and I a cup tea. The teas were very good and he actually liked his. We sat on the couch together enjoying our tea (I know, doesn’t this just sound lovely). Then it hit me! I said to my husband (while drinking my tea), “Surely this is an organic and nonGMO tea? I didn’t even ask that question? With the price I just paid for all of this they better be organic and nonGMO” All the while I am opening the Mac to do my research, which I should have done before hand. What did I find? Well, it is NOT organic or nonGMO! Damn It! (Excuse my French, but that is what I said!) I say to the hubs, “What I have been drinking is a third of the price, comes in a bag, (that’s a whole nother blog about the chemicals in the bag) is organic and nonGMO!”  One of the sources I used is Food Babe who has done some great research on teas. If you would like to read a more in depth blog on teas check hers out.

Next step…

I could not get to the phone fast enough to call the store and ask them if my findings were true? I told the employee that answered the phone my concerns AND I told her that it was partly my fault for not doing my homework before purchasing their products, as well as, not asking questions while I was in the store. (But remember I was in heaven while sampling and smelling those tasty teas all while I was being told about what each teas health benefit can be). Her response to my question of, “Are your teas organic and/or nonGMO?” was,  “I’m sorry but we, as employees, are not allowed to comment on your concerns. You will have to call customer service.” WHAT? Oh yeah, you know what I did, I called customer service. Their mailbox was full so I emailed them.

This is my email I copied and pasted. I sent this on January 16, 2016 and have not heard back as of Jan. 20th.

Hello there! I bought four different types of your teas the other day. It was my fault for not doing my homework before I purchased your teas, but when I got home and my family and I each had a cup of tea I got to thinking. I didn’t even ask if their teas are certified organic, NonGMO and Fair Trade certified. As I started researching via the internet I became very disappointed in my findings. I called the store and the lady said she could not comment and to contact customer service. So that is what I am doing. I have called with no success in speaking with someone nor am I able to leave a message as it says the voicemail box is full. My stomach sunk when I began reading some of the findings about Teavana teas. I hope to hear from someone soon to answer my question, “Are your teas organic, nonGMO and/or Fair Market certified?” Thank you so much and look forward to your response.

I did call again on the 20th of January and spoke with someone. She answered my question. No their teas are NOT organic, nonGMO and/or fair market certified. Only one of their teas, Matcha, is organic and you will pay about a third more for it than other organic Matcha tea on the market.

The take away…Never Ever assume anything! I know not to assume, as I’m sure you do too. For whatever reason I did assume. I hope that my mistake helps someone else and if by some chance it makes you more aware of what you are drinking when you are drinking your teas then it was worth my assumption.

Much Love,

Jennie