We Have Options

We Have Options
We as consumers have a duty to our fellow conscious brothers and sisters to use our mind and think about the “who, what, where, why and hows” about the products we are consuming.  At every moment in time we have infinite options, an inconceivable amount of different choices.  Leave your habits at home and use your mind to break it down into 6 questions.

Who made this product?
What is this product? and its true cost?
Where did this product come from?
Why do I need this product?
How good is it for you?
How long will it last?

Ok lets compare a can of beans and 1 lb of dried organic beans.
Who made this product? a factory farm grew the beans and a factory cleaned, cooked, packaged and trucked the product to your local supermarket.
What is this product? precooked, non organic black beans, non filtered water, salt, and preservative.  .99 cents and factory farming’s extreme use of water and pesticides along with fuel for harvesting, the energy at the factory to clean, can & label, plus the gas and energy to bring it to your local supermarket.
Where did this product come from?  Caribbean, Mexico, Spain, Central and South America,
Why do I need this product? protein, ease of cooking
How good is it for you? How long will it last? not especially good for you all of the nutrients and living properties have been cooked out long ago.  One can is spent in one meal. and your left with aluminum waste.

Who made this product? Farmer
What is this product?  and its true cost?     100% dried black beans  $1.99-2.99/LB organic farmers use less resources and no pesticides,  no packaging, no label, still trucked in to your local health food store.
Where did this product come from? Oregon
Why do I need this product? life giving properties of sprouted beans,  Vitamins A, B, C and E,  Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, Phosphorus, Potassium, All Essential Amino Acids, Protein: 20-30%
How good is this for you? How long will it last? excellent and reusing the soak water add even more nutrients to the meal or your plants. 1lb of dried beans will last you a month or longer cooking them once a week.

Take for example, our shopping habits. When you go to the store, are you buying a product that is made in a factory out of state, packaged by a multi-national corporation and driven across the country to you local supermarket? Or are you buying a product that has been grown locally with little or no packaging and added ingredients at the local farmers market?

When we buy products think about who and what you are supporting, every penny you spend is profits for someone.  Spend it wisely, support your local businesses, they need it to survive.  Support companies that are using sustainable “green” practices.  Buy bulk, less packaging is better.  Buy organic, if given the choice why buy food produced with hormones and pesticides?  You have a choice do not support genetically modified organisms in our food, if it is not labeled “non GMO” it is GMO.

Joshua Michael Poll is a glass artist and small business owner, he also designs and maintains the websites www.zenglass.com and www.higherselfgifts.com

Think About it – Food

Where does your food come from? Is it locally grown and organic, from markets and locally owned businesses? If so you are not only consuming the best fuel for your body (space suit). You are also taking good care that our planet (space ship) is sustainable by reducing the petrol carbons and chemicals used to a minimal, local distribution only. Many food products are transported in 18 wheel semi trailers, across the country, to your local supermarkets. Grown in factory farms with GMOs‘ (genetically modified organisms), pesticides and growth hormones, these manufactured foods are not fulfilling, they only fill the pockets of large multi national corporations. Check the labels on boxed and packaged goods and support local economies. 10 out of 10 times, you can produce better flavors and add fresher organic ingredients than manufactured foods. Save time, packaging, transportation, pollution and your insides by not buying manufactured foods. Canned foods are ok in case of emergency, but bulk organic grains and beans are best. No other ingredients have been added. Just soak and sprout for life. We use our soak water for sauces and to water the plants.

Is your food fresh or living? If not how long since it has been living? Dried seeds, nuts and beans can be sprouted to unlock the dormant nutrients and enzymes. Bulk organic seeds, nuts and beans can be bought by the pound for a surprisingly low price. Live, raw food has the highest possible levels of nutrients. Once you cut a plant or fruit you have a finite amount of time before all of the life giving nutrients dissipate and die off. Cooking further reduces digestible enzymes and nutrients in your foods.

Where does your food go when you are finished with it? Do you just throw it away and buy more to repeat the non cycle? Complete the cycle, compost your food scraps and leftovers with THIS NON TOXIC RECYCLED NEWSPAPER! Grow your own food with the fuel of your scraps. Bring your own bags with you to the store and encourage others in line to do the same. Bringing your own bags is one of the hardest habits to get into and a great way to begin the cycle.

Joshua Poll is a glass artist, small business owner in St. Petersburg, Florida, maintains the Web site www.zenglass.com and designed and built www.higherselfgifts.com