Organic Strawberries
June 19, 2008
It’s strawberry season! We all love strawberries in my house which is why we recently set out to a local farm to pick our own. They were good — much better than the “woody” store bought ones. Then we ran out. The grocery store had organic strawberries on sale, so I grabbed them. (Strawberries are one of
the dirty dozen, you know.) Oh my! The flavor was better than the hand picked ones from our local farm. Wow! They were gone in a day. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… Buying organic isn’t just to avoid pesticides and save the environment. Organic produce often tastes better. Well-balanced organic soil grows stronger, healthier plants that taste better and contain more nutrients. At any rate, this isn’t the first time organic has tasted better than conventional produce, but I was quite frankly shocked that the organic ones were better than our local farm’s strawberries, which were eaten right from the plant, rather than a few days later. So, if organic strawberries are on sale at your local supermarket, give ‘em a try. Or maybe you shouldn’t — you’ll be hooked for life!
Plastics & BPA
May 9, 2008
Plastic polycarbonate bottles such as Nalgene bottles are still popular as drinking water bottles. I should know. I just bought 3 more – one of which is a pretty cool sippy bottle for my son. (Note: now Nalgene is phasing out those bottles & replacing them.) I recently learned that polycarbonates in those and other bottles release a chemical known as bisphenol A (BPA). Then, I learned that 90% of all baby bottles are polycarbonates, which includes the brand we own — Avent. So, what’s the big deal? They’re still selling them, so they can’t be that bad, right? Not exactly…
Even though the plastic industry safety studies find no significant health effects from typical daily doses of BPA, 90% of government studies found harmful health effects to children and expecting moms as well as male sexuality and reproduction, according to Dr. Colleen Huber. She goes on to state that BPA acts as a “xenoestrogen,” which mimics the female hormone estrogen with the exception of the following: 1) it’s foreign to the body (which is what “xeno” means) and 2) it is much more harmful than our natural estrogen for both males and females. Breast cancers are much more of a risk in women who carry a high amount of xenoestrogens and both sexes are subject to a huge range of other harmful health effects. The most far-reaching effects are birth defects and miscarriages. Another effect is a disruption of beta cell function in the pancreas, which creates a pre-diabetes type condition of high blood insulin and insulin resistance. So it seems that none of us are safe from the affects of BPA.
A recent Canadian news source had the following to say:
“Bisphenol A manufacturers have said the trace amount leaching into food and beverages isn’t dangerous to people because it’s quickly metabolized into a form that loses its ability to act like a female sex hormone.
While the authors of the new assessment agreed that people break down some of the bisphenol A they absorb, they said since so many plastics and other products containing it are in use that “virtually everybody” in developed countries has chronic, low-level exposure to the chemical and measurable amounts of its biologically active version.
Typical readings are about two parts per billion in blood. Although this is an extremely small amount, hormones are active at this level, and at even lower concentrations.
Based on the amounts being found in people and what is known about the metabolism of bisphenol A from animal experiments, it also appears that human exposures are above the current U.S. safety limit, according to the assessment.
Now I should note that not all plastics contain BPA. We should mainly be concerned with plastics that come in contact with our food and water. You can learn more about plastics by reviewing the Smart Plastics Guide and matching the triangled number to what you currently own or are considering purchasing.
Here are a few items to consider for your baby. Oh, and be sure to read the San Francisco Chronicle’s article on the comeback of glass baby bottles.
1. Glass bottles. Evenflo makes them in two sizes — 4oz and 8oz. Siliskin is another brand that is totally hip. They come in 4 and 8 oz sizes as well and they have a silicone sheath that helps to prevent the bottle from breaking. WeeGo glass bottles are nice too. I believe they only come in 9oz sizes, but they are covered with a modern sleeve that will help protect the bottle from breaking.
2. Bio-plastic bottles. Born Free makes them in two sizes — 5oz and 9oz. Whole Foods and Amazon carry them as well as the company itself. Amazon even has their gift set with bottles and a sippy cup. Another option is the Green to Grow brand, which has a 5oz bottle and they’re so cute.
3. Snappies - Polypropylene breast milk storage bottles that enables moms to collect, store and feed from the same convenient container.
4. Medela breast pump storage containers and baby bottles are all made of Polypropylene, which is free of BPA.
5. Adiri Natural Nurser is made from 100% polycarbonate-free and bisphenol-a free materials that is warm to a child’s cheek, like a breast, when filled with warm milk. The nipple design helps alleviate nipple confusion for breastfeeding babies. Shaped like a breast, they encourage the same type of open-mouthed latching that is required for breastfeeding, making bottle feeding and breastfeeding more easily interchangeable. They come in three stages for three different flow rates. Each stage holds 8 oz. of fluid and is dishwasher safe.
Here are a few brands to consider for sippy cups:
1. Avent Naturally sippy cup (We currently use these and are happy with them)
2. Born Free sippy cup
3. Klean Kanteen water bottle with sippy adapter & spout
4. SIGG baby water bottles
If anyone has a suggestion on any of the above mentioned brands or any other brands not mentioned that you love, please leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you!
The Best Breast Milk
March 24, 2008
I came across an interesting article in a current women’s magazine. According to a study in the British Journal of Nutrition, moms who ate more organic meat and dairy had higher levels of a fatty acid called CLA. CLA has been shown to boost immune systems in newborns and decrease the risk for eczema. You can read more about it here.
Odwalla & Naked Juice
March 9, 2008
I love a good summer drink year round, don’t you? As kids, my sister and I used to beg our dad to make us smoothies. It seemed like a Friday night thing. He’d pop popcorn in his air popper and then make smoothies and we would all sit down and watch a movie. Ahhh!
Well, I have had plenty of time on my own to experiment with my own smoothie blends. I must say though, that sometimes I just don’t feel like making the mess, so I splurge and pick up a pre-made one – either Odwalla or Naked. (And that’s Naked Juice, not naked me picking up a drink.) When I first discovered them, I wasn’t sure which was better, both in taste and ingredients, so I grabbed whichever one was on sale as long as it didn’t have added sugar. Now that I’ve had a few, done my nutritional research, and contacted both companies, here’s my take on the two companies…
Odwalla 
Odwalla does not use any artificial sweeteners or processed sugars. They do however use organic evaporated cane juice and honey in some of their drinks. According to Verna from Odwalla, their organic evaporated cane juice is a natural sugar and is treated like a food from the time it is harvested until the time is goes into their bottles. The cane juice is pressed from sun-ripened sugarcane, washed, filtered and crystallized-all right on the farm. Verna told me that “yes, it is still cane, but we want to make sure that our consumers know it is not ordinary, as we feel it is very different from highly processed sugar.”
Odwalla Juices that do not have cane juice or honey are: Apple; Blueberry B; Berries Go Mega; Blackberry Fruit Shake; Carrot; Grapefruit; Mango Tango; Orange; Pomegranate Juice; Pomegranate Berry; Pomegranate Mango; Strawberry Banana; Super protein Original; Superfood Micronutrient; and Tangerine.
Naked Juice
I asked Dan, of Naked Juice, the same question I asked Verna – “Do you add any sweeteners to your drinks?” Dan’s response follows: “We don’t do that. Ever. There are absolutely no exceptions, and really, we don’t understand why someone would add sweeteners to juice. Juice is made from fruits. Fruits are sweet because they already have sugars in them. It’s our opinion that the amount of sugar Mother Nature put in the fruits is the exact right amount of sugar to be in Naked Juice.
Some specific comparisons:
Mango drinks
I enjoy fresh mangoes when they are in season, so finding a good mango drink is a treat. Odwalla makes “Mango Tango.” Naked makes “Mighty Mango.” Neither of these drinks have added sweeteners so I have had both. Naked’s drink has more of a typical smoothie taste with an apple juice base. There are in fact, more apples in the drink than mangoes. Odwalla’s Mango Tango, on the other hand, tastes like they have just squeezed the Mango right into the bottle. Mango Tango is thick and refreshing and I prefer it. Okay, I love it!
Vitamin C drinks @ 1000% daily value Vit. C
Odwalla makes Citrus C Monster fruit smoothie and Strawberry C Monster. Naked makes the following three: Power C, Strawberry-Banana C, and Tropical C. Both Odwalla drinks have cane juice, which I was afraid would result in a better taste than the Naked Juices, but I actually prefer the Naked Juices. Both companies drinks leave you wondering if they crushed up a million vitamin C chewables, but the Power C blend is much more pleasant. So, my favorite Vitamin C drink is the Naked Power C drink containing a blend of peach, guava, and mango.
I have tried a few other drinks from both companies, but I love the Mango Tango so much, that it’s hard to branch out and try other ones. Plus, I try to only grab one when it’s a treat. What a nice, healthy alternative to a visit to the Starbucks kiosk in Safeway. Cheaper too!
Smoothie Surprise!
February 23, 2008
I love to make this snack for my 14 month old son in the afternoons! It is full of fiber and veggies, not just fruit. Now that he has figured out how to drink from a straw, he is more eager than ever to have one of mommy’s smoothies! Enjoy…
Smoothie Surprise
5-6 frozen, unsweetened organic strawberries
½ c. frozen, unsweetened blueberries
¾ c. 100% apple juice, chilled
½ c. water
½ medium zucchini, chopped
5-6 baby carrots
fistful of cabbage
1 small banana
¼ c. plain yogurt
1 T. wheat germ
1 T. oat bran
1 T. flaxseed meal
Pour the apple juice and water into the blender. Add the strawberries and blueberries and pulse until combined. Add the zucchini, carrots and cabbage, and pulse again adding more water if needed. Then toss in the banana, yogurt, wheat germ, oat bran, and flaxseed meal. Mix until you reach the desired consistency, adding more water or juice as needed. Serve immediately. Serves 4-6.
A few suggestions:
• Buy frozen strawberries and blueberries as well as bananas & baby carrots at your local warehouse club (Sam’s, Costco, BJ’s). If our bananas ripen before we can eat them, I peel and freeze them, which works out perfectly for smoothies. I puree my baby carrots and freeze them in ice cube trays if we can’t eat them fast enough.
• Instead of plain water, try seltzer water or club soda for a little extra zing!
• If the smoothie is for adults, consider using Dannon’s All Natural Plain yogurt which has 2 ingredients – milk and active yogurt cultures. If the smoothie is for children consider using Stonyfield Farm’s Organic Whole Milk Plain yogurt, which has a few more ingredients – milk, inulin, pectin, and 6 active cultures.
• Keep your flaxseed meal in the freezer and your wheat germ in the fridge.
• If you have some leftover, pour it into a pitcher and save it for dessert after dinner. It will keep for about a day in the fridge.
• Have fun experimenting with your own creations. I love to add pureed mango from our freezer if I have it on hand. Sometimes I don’t have a few of my favorite ingredients as listed above, but the smoothie still turns out great. (The photo above is minus blueberries. Normally, the drink is a lot darker.)
Oh, and why do I call it such a generic name — smoothie surprise? Well, because everyone I serve it to is shocked that’s there’s cabbage and zucchini in it!
