What, orange juice has scary stuff in it, too? Ugh

I've been hearing about all the uproar about arsenic in apple juice, and I hadn't really given it much thought since we are not big juice drinkers. Apple juice seems to upset my youngest's tummy to the point that we must remain near a restroom if a well-meaning grandparent gives him a juice box that contains apple juice. Sneaky apple juice is in nearly all juice boxes, so Daniel brings a special bottle of water each day in his lunch box.

This morning, my kids had a delicious breakfast including orange juice. According to the packaging, this OJ is made about 20 minutes away from my house. I was thinking it couldn't be too terribly bad. And then I read this article a physician friend of mine linked to Facebook. And of course, if it's on the internet, it must be true! While ordinarily, I take things I read online with a grain of salt, this business of OJ not really being as healthy as it proclaims itself, is something that I've been thinking about since viewing Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on Netflix last week.

I've asked for either a juicer or a Vita Mix for Christmas, but I know Santa's budget is pretty tight, so I don't know if it will work out. It's in my quest to try to get more raw fruits/veggies in my diet.

This morning, I made a yummy smoothie in my cheap-o Oster blender that was a wedding gift 13 years ago.

1 cup of ice

1 cup of Almond Milk

2 TBSP greek yogurt

1/2 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup frozen blackberries

1 cup frozen spinach

1 scoop chocolate flavored protein powder

1 TBSP chia seeds

Documentary watching fool

I haven't had time to sit to post, and I have a dozen or so recipes to post. However, I have been spending some quality time with my treadmill and have managed to find a way to get my netbook to stay on the top of the treadmill so that I can watch movies while I walk/trot. I just watched the documentary Forks Over Knives. I had already heard much about it from my father-in-law, and it did not disappoint. My problem is (well, one of many!) that I know which foods are good for me foods, and which foods are bad for me foods. I just don't seem to have the time to make the good for me foods.

Then, a couple of days ago, while on the treadmill watching Food Matters, something really sunk in. I had been trying to hard to make meals based on what a "meal" was when I was growing up - meat, potatoes, veggie, rolls, and a drink. And meals my husband grew up with were vegetarian and moderately healthy, but full of sodium, preservatives and butter-soaked veggies.

So anyway, I'm watching this documentary and a light bulb goes off over my head when the documentary starts talking about raw foods. Duh, when my kids were little toddlers, our whole diet was pretty much raw or lightly steamed fruits/veggies. I would say our diet is about 25 percent fresh, raw fruits/veggies right now. I'm working hard to increase that to at least 50% of each meal.

I'm also working hard to not beat myself up when I don't have time to cook.

Dinner last night...

- Grilled Cheese (real cheese)

- Sliced honey crisp apples

- Carrot chips (found in the organic section of our grocery story - just sliced crisp cold carrots)

- Rice cakes (by request from the youngest)

- Ice water with lemon

Not impressive by any means, but also not a Happy Meal.