Hello all. So happy you are here and I hope all is well with you and yours.
We have a calm, muggy and cloudy morning to start the day here. Last night about 9PM we had a big old storm blow in! Literally blow in! Dang, it hit hard at first, then just rain and a light show and a lot of noise. At one point the thunder was so loud - it actually scared Bitsy. I don't think he has ever been scared by a storm before. He got up on the bed, and I petted, and that was good enough, so he got under the covers and snuggled under them at the end of the bed for a couple hours! Brave kitty! About 11PM the lights went out, generator started and then regular lights came back on all within a minute.
I had trouble sleeping last night, as RLS took hold. I had a hard time shaking it. May be a nap in my future today!
Kitties are all well - I was worried about them. Lots of sticks down - all picked up already. Garden is fine. Thank goodness no troubles in my area. I hope all are safe.
Today will be one of our hottest in many months. Supposed to hit 90*F and be humid. A couple days of this and then we get a reprieve.
**Many say organic is more nutritious. Weeeeelllll - that can be debatable. It is just without pesticides and fertilizer. The main difference if the farming method, not the actual nutritional value. Yes, the chemicals are bad, but the nutritional value of the actual item is still a good thing.
**Fresh is best! Fresh is appealing but flash frozen is a wonderful exchange. Dried produce and canned (simply canned) are good too. Better than none. When I buy canned it is without added ingredients. Read your labels. I try to get those just in water and maybe salt, or fruit juice (they are out there). Flash freezing is done at the peak of freshness and preserves vitamin C and antioxidants.
**Cosmetic doesn't mean quality. Perfect looking produce can lack flavor. Beauty shouldn't be a judging factor. Never judge a book by its cover!!!!! So don't overlook a an oddly shaped item that may be cheaper.
**Don't avoid juice. Some say juice isn't all that good. Wrong - juice that is 100% juice (fruit) is very nutritious. You still need to eat fresh items, but 100% juice is wonderful to fill in.
** MORE matters! Inadequate consumption is a big concern. We need all the goodness in them to stay healthy. Consume a variety of colors. I find it amazing that things that can be so beautiful can also be so good for you.
Fresh produce supports your overall health, aids in digestion, and helps contribute to a balanced and satisfying diet.
Sometimes looks matter more than we think.
You shouldn't pick a shiny cucumber - that means it is covered in wax (encasing pesticides). You want a duller dark green one (it is natural and prob. fresher).
Picking a watermelon can be tricky.
Why a variety of color? Different colors have different vitamins and minerals and can do very different things to help your body.
Many items are turned into supplements because they do such good things.
I am so happy summer gardens are starting around here. Now is the time to find local vendors selling goods. Farm markets are wonderful - although I do realize they can be spendy! If you spend on them and leave the junk alone - it may work out in the finances.
There are the stores as well - yes, it is not just picked, but it is still good.
Do what you can to help your body. Do what you can to pick the best of the produce - know what to look for.
Take care of that body - you have to admit that an apple or a peach or a carrot is much better for your body than a stack of chips!
Hope this helps someone make a better decision on picking the right things and makes you feel a bit better.
Have a blessed day my friends.
I've heard some people comment that farmers markets are expensive. I have to say ours is not. The Amish/Mennonite local farms use the old methods of gardening and no chemicals and I am amazed at their prices. Yesterday I got a quart of blueberries, a quart of strawberries, three tomatoes, two zucchinis, a large bunch of purple spring onions and a HUGE head of butter lettuce all for $18. I could not have bought that at the store for the price and the freshness and taste can't be beat.
ReplyDeleteI always smell my produce also. I've noticed grocery store produce does not have much of smell like local garden produce does.
Good for you. That was a good deal for that amount of money and FRESH too!
DeleteAlso we have a discount store ot to far away, and not sure where they get their stuff from - but a person can find super deals at those kinds of places too.
Smell - yes that is important. I always smell a cantaloupe before I buy. ENJOY
Happy to learn that the storm did not do damage to you and yours. Miss Ally cat is nervous about thunder and loud noises - and she absolutely freaks out if someone knocks on the door. She is a "one person" cat... she's already met all the people she wants to meet. :D
ReplyDeleteYour watermelon chart is good. I've always failed with watermelon, and other melons are tricky too, but I do love them.
MaryB
Your kitty sounds like Bitsy. He hides is anyone comes in or knocks or rings the bell. Yep, 'one person' cat.
DeleteThanks - it sure was a noisy storm.
It works for me, I have always had trouble too. Just keep a little card in your wallet or purse with the GOOD on it, and hopefully you will have success.
Our farmers market is expensive. I don't buy there.
ReplyDeleteI read an article once that pointed out that the studies that are looking at the nutritional value & impact of various nutrients of food on people are done with regular, non-organic foods. So I buy what's affordable. That said there are some things I do try to get organic because they are heavily sprayed. Once when I was checking out the cashier informed me my organic item was no better than regular because regular has the same nutritional value according to her biology teacher! I must say having a cashier critique my purchase was off-putting! I just said there was another reason I was buying it.
After I told my daughter to look for a big yellow spot on a watermelon she said the ones she brought home were a lot better. I'll keep that chart handy on my phone. Sometimes the melons don't have yellow spots.
Some places can be spendy here as well - I find places like Fresh Thyme more expensive than our smaller farm markets. The big farm market is spendy.
DeleteWhen we can't afford the pricey stuff - nutrition is what we need to look for. Maybe she shouldn't critique customer options, but she was right.
If I don't see that nice spot, I don't buy. Something screams not field grown to me.
We all need to buy what we can afford.
Selecting a watermelon can be iffy. Your poster gives us everything we need to know. When I was a kid, my dad used to "plug" the watermelon in the store to see if it was good. Today they probably would throw a fit if you took out your pocketknife and cut a small piece out. Color is very important in our food. We raise our veg and fruit with no chemicals. Some things that we buy we are sure to buy organic, some conventional. There is a listing of the "dirty dozen".
ReplyDeleteWe got half an inch of rain last night. Poor Bits! Riley used to be terrified of storms and he could tell when one was coming. It is definitely muggy out this morning. I pulled and cleaned the rest of the radishes, and it was sticky. Need to cut the cauliflowers and freeze them. Surprisingly the corn didn't fall down last night.
Today will be an indoor work day. Enjoy your day!
I can't imagine getting by with that today! Oh my. I like seeing a variety of colors - I somehow 'feel' healthier. I don't use any chemicals on the garden either - and love my rain water.
DeleteYes, the dirty dozen are more the ones to look out for - as they can't be peeled or washed 'enough'.
Oh the muggy meter is up there. I think I just saw humidity is like 77%. That was Bits first time being scared. A couple actual felt like the house was shaking. He must have thought someone was trying to get in!
Stay cool and indoors.
There is a lot of confusion out there about what truly matters, but the steady truth is that variety and consistency tend to do far more good than chasing perfection in any one category. Fresh, frozen, canned, or juice each has its place depending on circumstance, and thoughtful choices at the market go a long way.
ReplyDeleteYou betcha!! As long as we eat the color and the variety - however the form, we are doing good! I have had all of them at my house.
DeleteIt is stormy and cold here. I would like a few hot days!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could send the heat and humidity your way. The muggy meter is up today. Good day for you to be inside, and not wrangling snakes!!!
DeleteI’m glad that your storm did no damage, Cheryl. It is hot here (normal) and was already 84 F. at 10 a.m. when I came inside after working in the yard for an hour. I love produce, especially fruit. I’m not sure I believe the specific benefits on the poster, however. I grew up eating many, many oranges (we had a tree in the yard) and still eat them all the time and they haven’t protected my eyesight. I still love them. Barbara M.
ReplyDeleteThanks. We are getting some of what you endure all the time. Not a big fan!
DeleteI am a huge fruit lover - all kinds, and I do like most all veggies in some form. Well, the nutrients and vitamins can't hurt - and who knows, your eyes may have had worse problems! (just a thought). Me being the Polly Anna G used to say I was!!!! LOL