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As Elidermuller said, some of the rural water facilities do not add chlorine or flouride to the water supply even though it has been mandated by the government. Cost seems to be the major issue. So far, water purity has not been a problem, but, as demand rises in rural areas, it could be. Contaminants from cow manure and pesticides will eventually get into the water supply and cause problems. Chlorination will be the solution.
to my knowledge they do NOT fluoridate the water here. for which we should all be eternally grateful. as for protecting our water sources from cow poop, Nectandra Institute bought our cuenca and made it a private reserve so nobody could graze their cows there.
Chlorination removes bacterial contamination (see “poop, cow). It has no effect on organophosphates (see “pesticide”).
it’s a wonder there is any water table here that isn’t contaminated considering the love affair they have with round-up.
[quote=”maravilla”]to my knowledge they do NOT fluoridate the water here. for which we should all be eternally grateful. [/quote]
maravilla, I’ve been using fluoridated Crest toothpaste since it was introduced in the late 1950s. And since the late 1970s, I’ve also been using Gel-Kam fluoride gel after brushing. In all that time, I’ve suffered no adverse effect whatsoever.
This anecdotal evidence should convince you, beyond any point of discussion, that fluoridation is your friend. After all, anecdotal evidence is definitive, right?
FOOD EFFICIENCY: For over half a century global experts have stated that meat production is a very inefficient converter of protein. Humans directly eating vegetable matter is much more efficient, thus cost effective. Yes, cattle eat grass which we cannot, but a large part of the weight of cattle, even in grass rich Costa Rica, is put on with grain laden with antibiotics (I know this from knowing people in the cattle business in Costa Rica – Their profits are directly proportional to the additional grain).
VEGETARIANISM: In this regard learning how to be a healthy vegetarian can cut food cost AND improve your health. There is a TON of misinformation about vegetarianism including those who say you cannot get sufficient nutrition without meat or dairy. This is not true. But vegetarians can have a bad diet just as do many non-vergetarians. You need variety, beans, barley and nuts as well as lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. AND certain supplements (vitamins) are good in either case as well (no diet is perfect).
Yes, people evolved as omnivores but the meat part of the human diet was very small except in a few cases. Those that point out these extreme cases should be made aware of the short life span of the last very high meat diet populations on the planet (Eskimos and their counterparts in Siberia). The high level of meat in the North American diet (and elsewhere) is directly proportional to health problems (heart disease, diabetes, cancer).
Learning to cook vegetables so they are tasty and not boring is an important aspect to being a successful vegetarian. Meat, animal fats in particular, are the lazy (or uneducated) cooks’ choice of flavoring, followed by salt. Properly prepared beans with onions, garlic and chilli peppers can be just as good as meat filled chilli. The same goes for a well made spaghetti sauce (which we often make with beans and call chillietti).
DRIED BEANS and GRAINS keep well for a long time without refrigeration. Thus they can be stockpiled (along with the spices to cook them) for bad times. Many people add RICE to this list but rice is one of those high glycemic foods that should be avoided if you are trying to reduce the effects of diabetes as well as lose/maintain weight.
Costa Rica has really great fresh food markets, particularly in many rural areas. The prices are much lower than in the US so far. . . The tying of corn and sugar prices to global energy costs has been one of the most evil things to happen in the past century and is effecting food prices everywhere.
—————————————————ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE: Can be worthless in many cases BUT it can also be better than supposed “fact” in other cases. The source and logic must be carefully scrutinized.
MILK: In my case the ONE time I drank unpasteurized milk I had the worst case of food poisoning in my life. Luckily I was young (mid 20’s) and resilient. Today it would probably kill me. . .
Today we use Almond Milk when necessary for cooking. It works for cooking including making pudding. Since it does not quite act like an animal based protien the amount must be adjusted (lowered) and results not expected to be identical in all cases. A big advantage is that it keeps a long time. Since we do not use a lot of milk we were often tossing soured cows milk. We have never had to do so with almond milk (Silk is the best commercial brand).
A product that does not spoil (without a lot of added preservatives) costs much less in the long run.
[quote=”VictoriaLST”]As Elidermuller said, some of the rural water facilities do not add chlorine or flouride to the water supply even though it has been mandated by the government. Cost seems to be the major issue. So far, water purity has not been a problem, but, as demand rises in rural areas, it could be. Contaminants from cow manure and pesticides will eventually get into the water supply and cause problems. Chlorination will be the solution.[/quote]
Chlorination will not remove pesticides and other chemicals. It only kills bacteria (E.coli etc.). Cost is not always the reason for lack of chlorination. In our case, it is “the voice of the people”, they ask us continuously NOT to put Chlorine in the water. And so far our water quality is excellent. We have bought the equipment for chlorination, and Chlorine Tablets a while ago, but have not installed and used it yet.
Marvelous, Miravilla! Totally concur with your 1st statement- stop buying all packaged foods. Waste of money and resources.
Fresh, field and vine ripened foods are available, at low prices, from local growers. At the farmers’ market, ask around to find out who is not using agrochemicals on their crops.
Most tico farmers cannot afford to have their crops certified “organic”, and you can find perfectly organic food, sans labeling, if you just ask around.
As far as meat, I avoided eating beef here for two reasons: 1) wanton and reckless habitat destruction, and 2)simply inedible. OK, I’m spoiled. I know good beef, and had not had an edible steak in many years – until just last week. So, now I know where to get a GREAT steak.
There’s a new outfit called Golden Ranch or something like that. World class, marbled, aged beef, finally! The pork here in Costa Rica is what you want to be eating.
It’s raised on small farms, fed fruit, not grains, and is usually prepared for market with the last couple weeks on a diet of papaya. This predigests and tenderizes the meat before slaughter, and the resulting pork is sweet, tender and juicy beyond compare. Again, ask around.
It’s easy to find, and simply excellent! Regarding unpasteurized milk, only raw milk from the Nederlands and (western)Belgium MAY contain the the virus that causes intestinal tuberculosis. It is not a problem with the milk here in Costa Rica (or most anywhere else in the world).
Fresh, whole, raw milk is THE WAY to make kefir, which, unlike yogurt, is still raw, not heated like yogurt, and is an important health enhancing food, especially for vegetarians.
For the strictest dietary practices, vegans can make great, fresh raw kefir from pipa juice (in just 3 days). It will do everything dairy kefir will, and is still 100% vegan.
There are so many delicious, health enhancing foods, readily available here, by all means, yes, give up the yearning for comfort foods from back home. Experiment- you’ll find new foods you really like.
Even foods you never cared for before – like mangoes and pineapples – are so incredibly sweet and flavorful, you’ll be eating a treat that’s good for you, too.
Retirees, if you have a yard, you can spend a little of your day poking around in a garden, growing a wide variety of veggies, as well as culinary and medicinal herbs (which are often the same), adding flavor to your meals, saving you money, and giving you a rewarding hobby.
A few fruit trees, a juicer, and WOW!, you’ll wonder why you ever bought orange juice. Life’s good here. Enjoy!
Finally, one other person who sees the food culture as i do! jajaja as for the beef, which i ate for the first time in nearly two years on Xmas Day, was actually very delicious, but it was lomito which cost C11,000 a kilo. well worth the price.
as for anecdotal evidence: how do you think they acquire that long list of side effects for the drugs? there is no scientific way to measure headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and the other litany of things that happen to you in Stage IV clinical trials. all those side effects are reported to the trials manager.
i guess the researchers could observe some of the side effects as in the case of Tracy Johnson, who was a non-depressed lab rat in a clinical trial for a new antidepressant who hanged herself in Eli Lily’s lab facilities. that would be scientific evidence!!
and with all the skewed clinical trials, jerry-rigged results, corruption in the NEJM, the AMA, Big Pharma and the FDA, and the ghost-written articles bought and paid for by Big Pharma, i have very little faith in the stuff you think i should rely on. it’s anything BUT scientific.
Saw a bread machine in Cemaco, Alajuela last time I was there. About $150
[quote=”Scott”][quote=”maravilla”]Money-saving tips from the Food Fascist:
Give up meat. Switch to a veggie-based, whole grain and legume diet. It will save you money and save your life.
[/quote]Do you eat fish Maravilla?
Scott
PS. I don’t have time to make my own bread by hand but used to have a terrific Zojirushi bread machine which I used for about 15 years until it just died on me …. Don’t supposed there’s a good bread machine store you know of …. ??
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Yes, Lotus123, making nut milk is just that easy, but I caution you to pour off the soak water, and blend the nuts with fresh water. The soak water from nuts, especially almonds, as well as beans and seeds for sprouting, contain, along with all those nutrients, high levels of oxalic acids, which interfere with the digestion of proteins. Better to use the soak water for your plants, and get all the nutrition you can from that good, fresh food. Salud!
This excellent chart in [url=http://www.nacion.com/2013-01-01/Economia/Precio-del-dolar-tendio-a-bajar-en-la-mayor-parte-del-2012.aspx]La Nacion today[/url] clearly shows the decline since early 2009 of the US$ against the currencies of Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia and Chile
[img]https://www.welovecostarica.com/public/images/Dollar_Versus_Colon.jpg[/img]
[quote=”its.cabs”]Yes, Lotus123, making nut milk is just that easy, but I caution you to pour off the soak water, and blend the nuts with fresh water. The soak water from nuts, especially almonds, as well as beans and seeds for sprouting, contain, along with all those nutrients, high levels of oxalic acids, which interfere with the digestion of proteins. Better to use the soak water for your plants, and get all the nutrition you can from that good, fresh food. Salud![/quote]
Thanks cabs for that info and it goes along
With what I once believed. The recipe that came with my new macerating juicer said to use the water the almonds were soaked in (Huron slow juicer).[quote=”elindermuller”][quote=”DavidCMurray”]My understanding is that the Costa Rican government has been mandating chlorination of community water supplies for the past two or three years. How recent is your information, maravilla?
[/quote]This is true, I am member of the local water board and we have also been ignoring this law for years. We test our water on a regular basis and it is the best water you can imagine. But still, chlorination is required by law and we will have to start soon.[/quote]
LOL. Can’t break any of those unenforceable CR laws that the dolts with badges don’t even know exist.
You’ll be so old by the time they get around to that chlorine won’t even exist any more.
I’m still waiting to quit receiving the silver coinage that was done away with 3 years ago. It’ll be a sad day. They’re far cheaper than arendelas and come in more sizes than the hardwarez carry !
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