The strange saga of vegetable juices...
Isn't this stuff 'sposed to be GOOD for ya?

I think the concept of vegetable juice is good...I'm no vegetable eater and I really don't like a lot of vegetables all that much. I think vegetables are just plain old DULL. And even though vegetables are high up there on the old 'food pyramid', I guess I'm a real slacker when it comes to veggies. The only time I get 'em is when order a BLT Sandwich, for instance. Oh yeah, they put lettuce in tacos, too. Okay, another source. As a kid, I used to eat celery with peanut butter spread on thick. Hey, I never said I was the "galloping gourmet"! Supposedly, by drinking veggie juices, you can get all of the benefits that vegetables give you. Antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and maybe a little fiber if it's not pulverized to death as the veggies are converted to juice. Okay, let me ask you this...if you peel off a leaf of lettuce and eat it, how much salt are you gonna get? If you snack on a carrot, how much salt is in there? Take a fresh tomato and cut yourself a slice. How much salt do you get there? The answer to all of those questions: NONE. Or if there's any at all, it's barely negligible.

When I was in ye olde grocerial store tonight, I saw a new item that caught my eye; it was in the same cold case where you find pop, orange juice and other cold drinks. "What", I wondered, "A Campbell's product in the cold case?" So I picked up a 12-ounce can and read the listing of ingredients on the label, and I was almost horrified! You drink enough of this stuff, and you could put yourself in the HOSPITAL!

Here 'tis, the 12-ounce size of Campbell's Tomato Juice, made from concentrate. I don't want to buy any of it to find out how slowly the thick tomato goo runs out of the can, and the main reason I won't put my lips anywhere near the stuff is, a 12-ounce can has over 1,000 MILLIGRAMS OF SODIUM! In short, a McDonald's BIG MAC is better for you than this stuff! I think the Big Mac only has about 700 MG of sodium. "Oh", you say, "but weren't you talking about Vegetable Juice?" That's a good point, since the Tomato is actually a fruit...it bears seeds, after all. But yeah, I don't wanna leave you veggie-juice lovers out of the picture...

"WOW, I COULDA HAD A V-8!!!", the commercial screams. So, here's the 12-ounce size of V8 Vegetable juice. I've had some here and there in my life, and it does taste good. ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIKE SALT. This humble little can is another digestive-system hand-grenade; it also contains over 1,000 MILLIGRAMS OF SODIUM! Even if you're not salt-sensitive, it's well-documented that too much sodium causes increased blood pressure and hardening of the arteries. So these two products, which present themselves as a 'healthy alternative', can contribute to putting you in your coffin sooner than you wanna be put in one. I honestly don't know how the people who put out this stuff can sleep nights. A 12-OUNCE CAN of EITHER of these two products will dump HALF the maximum daily recommended amount of Sodium into your system. DO YOU WANT THAT?

Instead of buying these sodium-laden juices, if you have a death wish, you can save yourself some money by getting one of those cardboard cans of Morton's salt; open the spout and just pour SALT into your mouth. Because, that's what you're doing with these two drinks, as well as any tomato-laden product. It's amazing, the things you can buy in a grocery store, that are bad for you. Beanie-Weenie, Spaghetti-O's, Ravioli, Pork and Beans, and my favorite, Chili...ALL OF IT...digestive disasters waiting to happen. True, if Salt hadn't caused me so many problems in my life, I wouldn't be all up-in-arms over this. I have had attacks of pain, resulting directly from eating sodium-laced foods, that have sent me to the EMERGENCY ROOM. While that won't happen to everyone, the fact remains, too much sodium is BAD, BAD, BAD FOR YOU. Do the major food producers care? Prob'ly not, as long as the profits keep rollin' in.

My previous post described some good thirst-quenching beverages. It would be safe to say that "V-8" Juice and "Campbell's" Tomato Juice don't fit that category...AT ALL. I actually do like the concept of vegetable juices, and I may just go searching for some at the health food store. But you couldn't pay me enough to drink tomato-laden, salt-inundated beverages such as the ones described above.
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This is a case of me seizing on a late-night blog idea, and this issue is actually something I really care about. It may be a good idea, when shopping for food, to take a look at sodium levels in what you buy. You'll find the corresponding percentage of maximum daily sodium intake on the label. I've cut sodium virtually OUT of my diet. Now if I could just stop eating things that make me fat...