Sol Simple Solar Dried Organic Bananas – A Fantastic Product and An Amazing Story

Written by Max Goldberg on January 30, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

I can’t tell you how gratifying it is to share with you great tasting organic products that are also making a big difference in the world.

One such product that I recently discovered at Whole Foods Tribeca is Sol Simple Solar Dried Bananas.

Produced in Nicaragua, the organic bananas come in thin spears and are dried indoors using a solar drying technology, which enables Sol Simple to reduce carbon emissions.

According to the company, traditional outdoor drying techniques take 2-3 days, expose the fruit to mold and bacteria, and allow the fruit to oxidize.

Sol Simple’s end product is a sweet-tasting and slightly chewy banana spear.

The benefit of sun-dried bananas, as opposed to the bananas that we get at the stores, is that the fruit is not picked off of the tree as early. This means that it has more time to mature and contains higher level of minerals and vitamins. Read More »

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Beet Kvass – What is it and Why am I Drinking it?

Written by Max Goldberg on January 24, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

Organic beet kvass isn’t exactly a household name, similar to a coconut water or even kombucha.

And I don’t believe that it will ever come close to having the same name recognition as these other two drinks.

Yet, its health benefits and utility may surpass them both.

A lacto-fermented beverage of Russian origin, beet kvass provides the body with beneficial bacteria and aids in digestion.

It is also touted as a blood purifier and an excellent way to cleanse the liver.

Unlike kombucha, which uses sugar in the fermentation process, the beet kvass from Hawthorne Valley uses no sugar at all. And because it is a raw drink, all of the vitamins and minerals remain intact.

While I tend to drink it straight, the other great thing about beet kvass is that it can be used as a base for soups, salad dressings or marinades. Read More »

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Organic Black Sesame Seeds – Something You’ll Always See in My Kitchen

Written by Max Goldberg on January 17, 2012. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

When it comes to eating, I like clean and light food.

My body seems to reject heavy sauces, fried foods, and sautées, even if they are 100% organic.

I like simplicity in a meal and as a result, I tend to cook a decent amount for myself. Why?

Not only is cooking at home the most inexpensive way to eat organic but I can have exactly what I want.

Whenever I make quinoa, millet or a big salad, one of my favorite things to put on these dishes are black sesame seeds.

A rarity at organic restaurants, black sesame seeds can always be found in my kitchen for a few different reasons.

First, they are very rich in minerals such as magnesium, calcium, copper, and zinc. Getting these minerals into my diet is extremely important. Read More »

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Organic Tatsoi – This is a New One for Me

Written by Max Goldberg on December 30, 2011. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

When I was in my local organic market the other day browsing in the produce section, I came across a green that I had never seen before – tatsoi.

It had the most beautiful green color, rich and deep, and its leaves were full-bodied and spoon-shaped. Trying to get a good picture of tatsoi was not that easy because the vegetable was a little unruly.

While it is in the mustard family, this Chinese green was not bitter or sharp at all. In fact, it was very, very different than I thought it would taste. Read More »

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Rawtella – A Great Organic Chocolate Spread

Written by Max Goldberg on December 16, 2011. Follow Max on Twitter: @livingmaxwell.

Bottles of Rawtella have been staring me in the face for months already. I see them all of over NYC but never took the plunge to try it until the other day.

Normally, I am incredibly curious about any new organic product, especially one that has chocolate in it and is raw. However, it must have been the product’s association with Nutella that gave me real pause.

Yes, I may be one of the few people in the country who hasn’t tried Nutella. Aside from the fact that it is not organic, Nutella doesn’t appeal to me in the least.

If I want chocolate, I am going to eat an organic chocolate bar, buy organic chocolate ice cream or put raw cacao into a smoothie in the morning.

Clearly, I am in the minority here with never having tasted Nutella. Read More »

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