Are you changing your diet because of the levels?
I live in CA and I was at the grocery store tonight trying to decide what type of milk to buy. I felt a bit crazy trying to decide which milk (organic or other) would have less cesium 137 in it. Also, berries, grapes and such are in season, but I'm just not sure if I should eat them right now since their skins are thin and they are more sensitive to the environment. Is anyone feeling this same pressure and are you choosing one over the other? We all have to eat and most foods are produced regionally so we can't really avoid what is getting in our food. I'm curious to find out if I'm the only one thinking this way during grocery shopping.
[Snort!] Thanks, CME...
..."Gold-minted"... Wow. Seriously, nothing could be further from the truth. IF I have ANYTHING worthy to contribute here, it's my dogged (obsessive) pursuit of information and meaning... And you know, I'm not all that successful at that, really. And, I suppose, my transparency, which is every bit as much a curse as it ever could be a blessing.
It's times like these I wish there was such a thing as powdered water... Oh, wait. Just add water? Nevermind. (Sorry -- old submariner's joke.)
But, anyway, thanks. I think this is an excellent topic for a thread, too, btw. I am eager to see everyone's thoughts / suggestions.
Perhaps as we find specific "good" / recommended products, we could post those...? Every little bit helps.
Rick Cromack.
Allen, Texas
RichardFCromackJr@gmail.com
Food freak forum
Yes, any suggestions are great. I cannot find a group of people willing to talk about this, and this forum is the best outlet right now for us food freaks.
If anyone else has ideas, I'd love to find out where and what brands you're purchasing -- it's a lot easier to get recommendations here and make a list than it is to walk around for hours in the grocery store and scrutinize every label for location and package date.
It seems we're all students in a class with no teacher right now. And it's nice to know I'm not the only one thinking about this stuff.
hear hear!
hear hear!
One thing I found out this week...
is that when it says "distributed by XX" on the package, it DOES NOT mean that it was grown/produced in that particular area. For instance, Horizon Organic milk says "distributed by horizon organic, broomfield CO" but if you live in CA it is actually produced by dairy farmers in CA, and that is not stated anywhere on the carton. The only way you can tell where it ACTUALLY comes from is calling/emailing the company with the product code and they can tell you what region it comes from. I wonder if this applies to other similarly labeled products.
I am paranoid too -- I know I looked like I was standing in front of the milk case at Costco tonight. I tried switching my son to soy milk, almond milk and coconut milk and he will have absolutely nothing to do with it, so my milk dilemma persists.
For whatever it's worth...
...We're doing a lot of our fruit shopping at Sam's Club. Many of their products are labelled as being imported from South America.
We also bought a case of canned mushrooms recently.
We're looking at stocking up on meats and non-dairy dairy substitutes.
We're not buying ANY fish right now, including shrimp, crabs, mussels, clams,etc.
We're trying to purchase distilled, vapor distilled, reverse-osmosis, and spring-sourced bottled water.
We're also considering cutting back significantly on our meals "out", though with our schedule, that's going to be really, really hard; we're used to eating out a good fifteen to twenty meals per week.
It will indeed drive one crazy.
Rick Cromack.
Allen, Texas
RichardFCromackJr@gmail.com
Going to restaurants is such
Going to restaurants is such a hassle.
I do this only when necessary socially (it just is; one cannot always entertain at home) and nurse a glass of (usually red) wine as much as possible.
I ordered champagne once and they put a strawberry in it :(
I had something to write
I had something to write here than I cannot.
I hate it when I can't figure out why the spam filter was triggered --- again.
Thanks Rick
I'll check Costco to see if they have more imported items. Thus far everything seems to be grown in CA, especially if you LIVE in CA. I guess they don't like to send stuff over the mountains from farther east. Finding an imported fresh fruit/vegetable item is like finding a needle in a haystack at our Costco.
We're not eating fish either and probably will not for some time to come.
And yes it is driving me crazy - but that's due to my type A personality. I am interested in hearing what other type A's are doing about this issue too. Right now I feel like the only one concerned about this, except for those on this forum. I'm too afraid to talk about the radiation/food subject with friends, because most of them 1)don't know what is going on or 2)just don't care.
Phase them in slowly,
Phase them in slowly, gently.
Do not press. Drop the topic well before they sick of it.
This has been very successful for me. They end up raising the topic again themselves. Just give them time, and only gentle, occasional prodding. Always cheer them on to look details up themselves, do not tell them to just trust you on it.
Understand that it's hard for us to even recall where we were, cognitively, when we began this journey, and remember as well that we were probably more intrinsically motivated than they are. Patience will win them over to wanting to learn for themselves.
Oh! And do not scare the
Oh! And do not scare the crap out of them :) I underplay the dangers with them, actually. Just cause I really don't think scaring the crap out of them will help. I just want to encourage them to make a few smarter health decisions.
For those of you in
For those of you in California, Safeway has bananas from Ecuador @ 79 cents a pound, and red seedless grapes from Chile on sale for 99 cents a pound (through Tuesday 04-19.
I'm not buying any fish, farmed or otherwise; and am concerned about all dairy products. The dogs are still getting Sonoma County Goat Milk yogurt. Haven't decided if more will be bought when what is on hand is gone.
Many people are concerned about food, not just those of us monitoring this list.
You're Welcome.
...And, you know, I'm a Type A, too.
Rick Cromack.
Allen, Texas
RichardFCromackJr@gmail.com
Go Online and TJs
Hello,
I live in Southern California and I have been able to find fruit from Puerto Rico (ie., pineapples) and mangoes and papayas from Peru at my local Trader Joes. You might also try markets that sell foods from other countries - they may have more of a variety of fruits there. Costco has packaged fruits and vegetables (organics and conventional) from Bybee Foods (www.bybeefoods.com). I think they package their items two years prior to the sell by date, but check with them to make sure.
For fish, go online. Most should have been packaged last season. The same goes for poultry and meat. I called one vendor in Northern California, and their stock consists of meat and poultry packaged prior to March. Your local store may be carrying ham and turkey that has been packaged prior to March. Most vendors readied their items for Passover and Easter meals.
It's costing alot to stock up, and we are doing it a little bit at a time, as we can afford it, but it is lowering my anxiety level. I know my family can survive if I-131 was the only ubiquitous radioactive isotope in our environment, but I don't know what to do about the Cesium. After researching other websites, it's not clear to me if just peeling the outside of an orange, apple, avocado, or any other fruit or vegetable for that matter will keep one from ingesting cesium. If anyone has information on this, I'd appreciate a post. Thank you.
Each of the fruit you
Each of the fruit you mentioned can be found at costco from S America and S Africa.
Fruit takes up what it thinks are nutrients from the soil. Fruits with thin membranes, like berries, absorb directly from rain as well.
Can you tell us the
Can you tell us the brands/companies/vendors please?
Check my Milk and Yogurt Post
Hello,
I've posted brand names under the Milk and Yogurt posts, subject: Specifics. Forgot to put my name on it, so I'm listed as Anonymous.
Have been drinking bottled
Have been drinking bottled water from just a few days after the event. Will continue to drink reverse osmosis water when our stash runs out.
We stopped eating leafy greens and milk and yogurt. We continue to buy cheese since some of them are aged over a year.
I will not buy any fruit or veggies from the US, but i'm paranoid.
strange diet now
my diet used to consist of greens and other vegs, usually in salads or juices, and soups and stews from foot vegs. i did use milk in coffee and tea, and raw honey in tea and sometimes in salad dressings. i had given up fish, and do not eat meat, but eat eggs.
now, i am using non dairy creamer, which looks like all chemicals with no actual food in it. the opposite of healthful.
i added cheese, as its pre-radiation for now.
i eat canned soups, which have bisphenol-A and phthalates in the can liners, made worse if there is acid, like tomato in the food.i used to insist on glass containers, but there is no soup in glass containers.
i still use honey, but will have to stop that too when the crop is new, i suppose.
i have well water, which i think is fine for now.
i use a powdered drink called blender culture, and its good for counteracting radioactivity, i think, due to its ingredients, and those were harvested pre fukushima.
i should stop eggs now, i imagine.
when i consider how unhealthy my diet is now, especially with the added chemicals, i wonder if continuing blender culture, plus supplements, and going back to fresh vegs that are well washed will be a better idea than canned food, or even frozen, as the properties in vegs do help to fight radiation, i read.
but the milk vs non dairy creamer? i would just have to drink plain coffee and tea.
for now, i am busy showering, including after collecting the mail, as it rains here so much. A
typo
root vegetables
Thanks for the reply
Do you filter your own water to get reverse osmosis water? I'm not familiar with it. Also, are the cheeses labeled if they are aged?
No the grocery store has a
No the grocery store has a water station where you can fill up on this filtered water. Some cheeses advertise how long they have been aged, I don't think it is required. Some of the expensive cheese says its aged over 2 years. It's a bit strong though,.
We have been drinking lots
We have been drinking lots of wine. It was made before the disaster and it helps us not to worry so much about the radiation.
Reverse Osmosis
Try Everpure. You can go online and research their products. They are NSF approved and a high quality vendor, in my experience. We have a whole house filter and reverse osmosis for the sink.
T.O., Would You Mind Telling Me...
[1] What that whole house filter cost you?
[2] What brand it is?
[3] How often the filter requires replacing?
Thanks SO much, partner, in advance...
Rick Cromack.
Allen, Texas
RichardFCromackJr@gmail.com
Reply to Rick C. re: Water Filter
Sorry it took so long to respond to your questions re: water filters. I had to search my past emails for this info. We purchased our water filter system back in 2005, so I don't know if the prices will still hold. Also, I live out in Southern California, so I don't know if that affects price.
In total, our whole house filter and reverse osmosis (Everpure, ROM III) costed $3,800. The cost of the house filter depends on the size of the house. We have a 4,400 sq. ft. house. Smaller houses can cost around $2,500. Annual filter changes are $500. We could have paid a couple hundred dollars less had we purchased our reverse osmosis system from our local warehouse discounter instead of going through a water company, but time was of the essence, so we ended up choosing to pay more. Hope this helps, Rick, and sorry for the lateness.
RO system
Mine is a Radiant Life and I think it cost about $1500. Filter needs to be changed about every other year. It's very expensive but does give me a lot of piece of mind (15stages of filtration I think).
Oooh... Ouch. That's more than I can do...
...For the moment, anyway. Was looking at $750 - $1000, max.
What can you tell me about Everpure? (If anything...)
Thanks for the info...
Rick Cromack.
Allen, Texas
RichardFCromackJr@gmail.com
Sorry, Meant to Say, "Model", not "Brand"...
...I'm looking at the Everpure ROM III. Any thoughts?
Thanks again,
Rick Cromack.
Allen, Texas
RichardFCromackJr@gmail.com
That's what we have. We had
That's what we have. We had it installed a few years back for the chlorine, fluoride and what not. It does come in handy, but it is very overpriced and the refills are super expensive, so that's a major consideration, not just the first installation. So call any dealers that sell RO filters and talk to them about different systems, and then decide for yourself what will suit you better in terms of cost. RO filter does remove radiation, whoever produces it.
Keep this active...
Keep this active...
bump
bump
SUBSTANTIALLY...
I LOVED spinach and green, tomatoes, etc. and miss them, but trust don't trust 'em anymore, along with cheese (which is bad for you in so many other ways that I stopped eating it anyway). I'm still able to buy all veggies frozen or canned before March 18th, I stocked up on Katie's (powdered) greens; and will only eat all other fruits and vegs that have thick skins for the next ten months...
.. but then...???
fruits from the southern
fruits from the southern hemisphere,
hard cheeses are older and safe.
still searching for a good source of veggies myself. So far the most southern veggies I've found is Guatamala, which is a start.
P.S. If you dislike the
P.S. If you dislike the sharpness of many old cheeses (Say it ain't so!!) I found a nice ball of Edam cheese in the grocery store the other day, about a year old. Bit bland by my standards, but certainly something I think milk cheese lovers would like. It's a softer textured cheese too. Think mozzarella, but with slightly more flavor.
not "milk cheese", but mild
not "milk cheese", but mild cheese.
who let the dog out
yes i have changed my diet. no more leafy greens, organic salad greens, strawberries and apples for me. what a nightmare.
pick a bale of cotton, pick a bale of hay.