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Living Maxwell

Better Choices

How to Get Kids to Eat Organic Greens

Now that many of my friends have young children, one thing that I hear from all of them is that “My kids won’t eat any green vegetables.”

This doesn’t surprise me in the least because (a) most kids would rather have french fries than spinach or broccoli; and (b) they have to be taught to like greens at a very, very early age. The good news is that there is an easy solution.

Juicing.

By juicing many of the greens that you want them to eat, they will be receiving a lot more nutrients and minerals than they are presently getting. And, you will probably encounter a lot less resistance from the kids.

Two Key Points to Remember

1) Make the juicing a fun activity. Have them watch as the green vegetables go into the juicer as solid pieces and come out as liquid. This will intrigue and fascinate kids.

2) Make sure that you, the parents, are drinking the green juice. If they see you drinking green juice, they will want some as well.

You could even use some reverse psychology and tell them that they can’t get any green juice unless their behavior is really good. They’ll start to see it as a reward, which it really is.

I love green juice and drink it almost every day. When my body gets very alkaline, I start to absolutely crave green juice in the same way that people crave chocolate or coffee in the morning. It may sound strange but it is absolutely true. My body just wants it.

Believe me, the same could happen to kids as well.

A Few Tips

– Always mix up the greens and don’t use the same combination every single day. To sweeten the juice up, you can also add lemon or apple.

– Try celery juice. Just because celery is not a dark leafy green does not mean it has no value. Celery has tremendous anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.

– There are a few juicers that I recommend. One is the Breville and one is the Green Star.

While it is still important for a child to eat organic greens (for the fiber), juicing is a fantastic way to get them to put green vegetables into their bodies. And at a young age when their bodies are starting to develop, this is critical.

A message from Tradin Organic

How Tradin Organic is Helping Coconut Farmers in The Philippines

For more than a decade, Tradin Organic has been working with local partners in The Philippines to bring a diversified range of organic products to the market, such as coconut oil, tropical fruits and even cocoa.

The company is helping to support local farmers by assisting them with technical support and organic certification, in addition to paying Fairtrade premium on top of the organic premium.

Learn more.

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Living Maxwell

Better Choices

The Dirty Dozen – 12 Different Fish to Avoid

While many of us are familiar with the Dirty Dozen, the toxic fruits and vegetables to avoid as compiled by the Environmental Working Group, there is a lot of uncertainty and confusion as to what fish are healthy to eat.

One of my favorite non-profits, Food & Water Watch, has addressed this problem and come out with their own Dirty Dozen but for fish. These are the 12fish that they give a big thumbs down to.

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A message from Tradin Organic

Why Tradin Organic is Prioritizing Regenerative Organic Farming

At Tradin Organic, we believe that regenerative organic farming is key to growing healthy and nutritious food ingredients — for now and for future generations.

And in Sierra Leone, we have grown the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified cacao.

Learn more.

Organic Insider

Better Choices

USDA Approves Genetically-Engineered Apples that Don’t Turn Brown

It seems like every day that passes, the USDA approves another very risky GMO crop, all to the benefit of biotech/chemical companies and to ZERO benefit for consumers.

This time, the USDA has approved a first-of-its-kind genetically-engineered (GE) apple that doesn’t turn brown after bruising or slicing.

The apple, developed by the company Okanagan Specialty Fruits, uses a relatively new form of genetic engineering called RNA interference, or gene silencing, which has raised numerous concerns from consumer groups, environmentalists, and the apple industry.

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Living Maxwell

Better Choices

Another Reason to Eat Organic — Organic Apples Contain More Diverse, Healthier Bacteria than Conventional

An apple a day will keep the doctor away.

Thanks to a new study, that saying has taken on even more meaning, particularly for organic apples.

In a recently published paper in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology, it was found that organic apples contain a more diverse population of beneficial bacteria than conventional apples.

Researchers analyzed the peel, flesh, seeds, and stem of both organically and conventionally grown apples, looking to find how much and what kinds of bacteria were present. While organic and conventional apples contained the same amount of bacteria, there was a big discrepancy in the types of bacteria found.

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