Tag Archives: Organic

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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:

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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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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’s Kinda like Chili Soup

One thing I always look forward to, when coaching a group of peeps, are the shared recipes.IMG_20160122_184106872

In my 21 Day Full Body Detox one of my Detox Warriors shared a recipe for a Kale and bean soup. While it was good (to me) my boys would not eat it, so I put Jennie B’s twist on it. They Loved it. My husband even said it is his new favorite. Whoa! I must of done good!

Kinda Like Chili Soup

-1 small onion

-1 tsp EVO

-2 can diced tomatoes

-1 can great northern beans

-1 can chili hot beans

-2 cooked chicken breast (I boiled mine)

-2 cups chopped Kale

-2 Tbs chilli powder

-1/2 tsp cumin

-1/2 tsp black pepper

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

Few shots of Frank’s Hot Sauce (optional)

I your pot sauté your onion with EVO, cook until transparent. In a blender, blend the 2 cans of tomatoes. Add tomatoes to the onions. Then add remaining ingredients, minus the Kale. Add the Kale towards the end and it is ready when the Kale has wilted.

Enjoy! And as always I would Love feedback if you fix it.

Much Love,

Jennie

 

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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

 

 

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My Argument with the Cashier at Kroger

Oh YES I did…Simple Truth

While checking out one day at Kroger I got into a little heated discussion with the cashier. While I know it is very hard to know about ALL products in the store. Heck…as soon as they bring something new in, they take something old out. It is constantly changing and I would never expect anyone to know EVERYTHING. I certainly get stumped ALL THE TIME. The nutrition industry is always changing yet one thing does remain the same. What the Lord provided us with is what we should eat. If it does not have a label on it…eat it! Anyways, sorry, I got a little side tracked. Back to the cashier…

As he was checking me out he made a comment on my Simple Truth items.                                                                           Saying, “All these Simple Truth products are so good!”                                                                                                               I replied, “Yes, the ORGANIC ones are great but it makes me mad the way they market the brand.”                               His reply, “Organic? It is ALL organic!” (which he said very matter of fact)                                                                             Me, “Ummm…NO…it is not!” (Which I said Very Matter Of Fact).                                                                                           Cashier, “YES IT IS!”                                                                                                                                                                         Me, (picture me scavenging through my groceries that the bagger is bagging to find one item that WAS organic and one that was NOT in the Simple Truth brand) “Do you see the difference in these two products? With the Simple Truth logo?”                                                                                                                                                                               Cashier, well they are both Simple Truth and all Simple Truth products are organic.” As he is saying this to me he is pointing to a display that is promoting the Simple Truth brand.                                                                                                 Me, “Then why does this one (as I am point to the one that does not say organic) not say ORGANIC? Why does this one not only say organic but has the USDA Organic stamp on it?” (Notice the stamp on the eggs in the lower right of the picture. One is USDA stamped and the other is 100% natural).  He could not answer me. I then preceded to tell him that if he goes on Kroger’s website they actually explain the Simple Truth brand.  I did not go into the whole spill that their are actually three variations of the Simply Truth brand.

-Natural

-101

-Organic

It gets better…

I then look at his name tag to call him by his name and notice he is a District Manager…YEAH! So I say, “Oh my gosh, I see you are a manager and I am teaching you about your companies brand.” Of course I tell him that this is part of what I teach people. I teach them about nutrition AND how the food industry tricks the consumer!

I do believe that the Simple Truth brand is good and probably a better choice over some others brands. I applaud them for offering us consumers better products at cheaper prices than some of their competitors. The point of my story is that he thought all their products were organic.

As we left my son was giggling, he is ten. He thought it was great that I just gave a District Manager a lesson on his products. The topic at the dinner table that night was how Mama set the cashier straight at Kroger earlier that day.

This my friends is just another reason why we must inform ourselves, and others, on our food. What the food industry is doing and getting away with is very disappointing. It truly makes my blood boil.

Be Happy. Be Healthy. Be You.

Much Love,

Jennie