Monday, March 15, 2010

Salad & Poo! Vinegar.

Contamination In Bagged Salad


Targeting: Food and Drug Administration
Sponsored by: Consumers Union of United States
“Consumer Reports recently found that nearly 40 percent of bagged salad tested had unacceptable levels of bacteria, including indicators for fecal matter!


Yes, fecal matter means exactly what you think it means - and signals that not enough is being done to keep salad free of bacteria that can cause vomiting, diarrhea and worse.
Shockingly, the Food and Drug Administration doesn't have a limit on fecal coliforms or other indicator organisms in bagged salad or fresh leafy greens - even though they have such standards for drinking water, dairy products and beef. And this despite horrible illnesses and deaths linked in recent years to contaminated bagged spinach and other fresh produce.”
More at: http://food.change.org/actions/view/tell_the_fda_to_act_on_fecal_contamination_in_bagged_salad
__________________

So even if it says it is ‘washed’ on the bag, you still need to wash it in vinegar and water. Thus:
“Fruit and vegetable wash:
Add 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar to 1 pint water and use to wash fresh fruits and vegetables, then rinse thoroughly.  Research has shown that vinegar helps kill bacteria on fruits and vegetables.”
From:   http://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html#3
________________________

This ties in with another thing.  I was wondering why the British don’t seem to suffer from high cholesterol, or as much morbid obesity as here in the USA, and then I remembered that the norm in Britain is to put malt vinegar on their fish and chips.  So apart from walking to the shops, they are also doing another healthy thing:   This: http://www.realage.com/tips/choose-this-fat-burning-condiment
“It's perfect on potatoes, very good on veggies, and divine in salad dressings. And the best news yet? It may help with fat burning. The magic condiment in question: vinegar.
Obese people who took in 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar daily in a study melted significantly more body fat and belly fat than a group taking a placebo -- despite being on the same diet and exercise plan.”
___________________

But like anything, it is recommended  that you ask your doctor or study up on it yourself before thinking it is a miracle: http://www.webmd.com/diet/apple-cider-vinegar
___________________

This morning Jay and I set off for the big city south of us, Conroe,TX.    He went in for his doctor’s appointment, and as it was a lovely day, I just sat in the van drinking my coffee, and reading one of the several Reader’s Digests that I keep in there for that very purpose.

I have a favorite set of sheets, and yesterday I was going to wash them, and put them back on the bed. as usual. But I just didn’t feel up to doing laundry.  So I looked in the linen cupboard for another set.  I found out that I had many fitted sheets, but no top sheets that looked like they went with them.   Gee, for someone who has everything, this was a disaster.

So, one of today’s missions, while in Conroe was to go thrift shopping for top sheets to go with my fitted ones.   I found a nice plain beige top sheet ($1) that would go with my fitted one with lots of anchors and boats, that I had bought for that Coachmen Class B that I sold.   I don’t need sheets for my RV as I have two sets, all the same and matching the decor, for the two beds in there.

 I also found a like new mouse pad with a nice soft wrist support, as I have to have that for my bad right wrist.  Jay bought a twin top sheet for his mother’s daybed, a wooden wall platter, and a couple of shirts.
Jay wanted to eat lunch at Burger King, not my kind of place at all.

Then we went to Lowes, and Jay bought some track light parts for his kitchen, and I bought 15 more fence boards.  A stop at Walmart to get a few more things and home.  All that took until 4.00PM.

A full day.

1 comment:

Gypsy said...

I've heard bad things about salad bars, as well as any packaged salad mixes. My one daring inclusion into my food supply is packaged broccoli slaw. I absolutely love it with slaw dressing, even though I don't like raw broccoli. It is much better shredded for slaw.