Archive for the ‘This vs. That’ Category
This vs. That: Sweetners
Sweet vs. Better Sweet?
This time let’s look at sugar, white refined sugar, and all the “healthier” alternatives to this.
This: White Refined Sugar
I have recently learned that the 5 lb. bag of sugar I have always purchased at the store has a much less refined version of it out there that actually contains some forms of nutrients…yeah! How’s that for contrary to everything you hear about sugar these days on the main-stream market/news. Nutrients?…in sugar?? There are also a slew of other choices out there to satisfy your sweet cravings.
Want to know a little bit about everything to do with this kind of sugar? Check out this link. BUT if you are not in the mood to read a bunch just go with the flow that you know what I’m talking about and read on! 
And by the way for some of those crazy recipes that propose that “brown sugar” is healthier, don’t be fooled, it is simply white refined sugar and molasses and caramel color. It is not a more “natural” state of sugar—READ the LABEL!
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This vs. That: Flavored Drinks
This is something I have been trying and experimenting with in the past couple months. I will be completely honest and say I am a McDonald’s Coke drinker. Yes, only McDonald’s…and for those of you who are a groupie to that, only you can understand that their Coke just taste’s better than any other Coke you can get on the market. …I have no idea what they do to it…but it’s different. However, I do not like all the problems that come with drinking soda. Caffeine highs, sugar highs—then lows, $$$, headaches, itchy skin, loss of appetite, and my kids want to copy me…eeek!! So let’s contrast these soda and sugary drinks with some health promoting drinks.
This vs. That: Baby Food
Feeding our children sure made me take a second look at labels and what I was putting into their mouths as well as our own. How about you? This month I’m listing some differences between buying your own fresh food to make/create baby food at home vs. purchasing the packaged food you find at the stores. One principal to remember when eating any food is the order of nutritional value: Fresh food has the highest nutrient content, frozen is next best, and canned/jarred food has the lowest value of nutrients. Yours and your children’s health will reflect the choices you make in the nutrient content of the food you eat/prepare.
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This vs. That: Eggs
We are what we eat…and so are chickens
Eggs, which ones to buy? There are myriads of choices: farm fresh all natural, brown, cage-free, cage-free organic, etc. What about your local farmer? That’s what we are going to look at briefly…
Some definitions for this comparison: Cage-free: chickens are not confined to a small cage, but instead allowed to walk around and forage for their food. Most ideal is in grassy pasture full of different plants and bugs for food. Sometimes this simply means they are grain-fed in a pen outside of a “hen house;” Organic: meaning the chickens laying the eggs are fed on grass that has not been grown with the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers and/or fed some supplemental grain grown in the same fashion;
This vs. That: Diapers
Disposable vs. Cloth
This: Disposables
- Convenient!
- Easy to fit many babies
- Not green—most do not biodegrade, are full of chemicals as they are petroleum based
- Nursery and day-care friendly
- Poo disasters!…you know what I’m talking about, up the back, into the car seat, out the side of their pants etc. Ick!
- Common side effects include diaper rash
- COST–$2500 from newborn to potty-trained, check out this link
That: Cloth
- Inconvenient? Matter of opinion and lifestyle I think.
- SO many choices, now just find the right diaper for the right fit on your baby (See the links below).
- “Green” as they are reusable.
- Most nursery and day-cares are not-so friendly…but I would love to be proven wrong here.
- Poo disasters no more! With a good cover (which most are) this is not a problem. They hold the poo in on the back and the legs. BUT what about cleaning the poo off the diapers? — enter modern technology! The toilet spray tool or biodegradable liners that make flushing the icky stuff…very simple.
- Not near the problem with diaper rash, especially with natural fiber diapers and covers
- COST WAY LESS! See for yourself.
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This vs. That: Perennials and Annuals
Perennials and Annuals are one of the age old debates between gardeners. Some love annuals and use them almost exclusively in their small beds around their homes and businesses. They are also a favorite of commercial landscapers and lawn specialists because they give a quick and easy burst of color and they fill up a bed very nicely and quickly for an entire growing season. Perennials take a little more patience and commitment to the long term development of a landscape design. Perennials can also be a little less time consuming because once they are in they are in for good, and they tend to be a more hardy when the odd cold snap happens late in the year or early in the fall. When used together perennials and annuals can create a beautiful collage of color and bring a wonderful level of intricacy and texture to your landscaping. So without further ado, I’ll give you the ‘This vs. That: Perennials and Annuals’.
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This Vs. That: Milk
Meet Mackenzie,
Since we are not parents yet we thought we’d bring in the “expert” mom to teach us a little bit more about raising a healthy family. From cloth diapers to making her own baby food Mackenzie has the 411 when it comes to organic decisions. A good friend and one of the most down to earth people you will ever meet, she’ll be showing up from time to time to help us sort through all this “healthy” mumbo jumbo and get to the facts.
Milk—Who’s Your Source?
Ok, so its seems the question at the store is more “Which brand do I buy?” then “Which version?” Whole, 2%, 1%, skim? The truth is that all of the above are just different watered down versions of the same stuff, packaged with various labels on it, most of the time. I beg to say that the question should be “Where did this milk come from?” i.e.: source and “What type of milk is this?” yes, there is more than cow’s milk out there!
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