pic
The last post in my series about eating healthy and finding deals on health food addresses a question many of us have had at one time or another: What does it mean to "go organic," and, "why buy organic?" Once again, Victoria has an awesome and informative post that addresses these questions, then finishes with mouth-watering recipe chock full of organic food.  Thank you for sharing your passion with us Victoria! Making the choice to purchase and consume organic food is a personal one. However, it is a choice that you should feel very good about making. By purchasing organic foods, you are ch......
pic
In part 3 of our series, Healthy Eating on the Cheap, financial blogger Victoria, happens to also be a health food nut who is passionate about organic eating. She has some great tips for buying organic foods if you are buying on a budget.  Thank you for blogging for me today Victoria! Buying Organics on a Budget Perhaps you have decided that purchasing organic foods is going to be a priority for your family. Although your budget may not have much wiggle room, there are ways to make this lifestyle work. Fortunately with more and more interest in organically grown food, there are many options a......
pic
We stump, stoop, slouch…so much so that the quality of our everyday lives can be directly affected from these posture problems.  I thought of this while sitting at the computer working, and had to stretch to relieve that nagging tightness between my shoulder blades. At the same time, I noticed a whole slew of other bad habits I was committing, and quickly set about practicing what I preach. Why good posture is important: Practicing good posture can improve your breathing, decrease your risk of injury, help you move more easily through the tasks of daily living, and also improve your sports ......
pic
Not long ago, if your neighbor had told you she was training for a triathlon, you might have looked at her crossed-eyed and with one eyebrow raised. Once thought of as an endurance sport for athletes who had both an unnatural pain threshold, and oodles of time on their hands, triathlon has in recent years become a sport for anyone who likes variety, has a few hours each week to dedicate toward training, and enjoys challenges small and large. No longer a sport just for the guys, the proliferation of female participants in triathlon events proves its growing popularity: in the late 1990s, women ......
pic
Did you give yoga a shot once upon a time, only to walk out mid-class, scratching your head and wondering, what was I thinking? It is possible the style you tried didn't match your personality, athletic ability, or just moved at a pace geared more toward advanced yogis than beginners. It isn't uncommon to feel lost during your first several classes, but there is a way to ensure you don't feel too out of place: pick the right style of yoga first. Before you write off yoga for good, try a class that is a better match for your personal style. I've compiled a short list of the most common yoga sty......
Sep

05

We’re all well versed in what to look for on food labels:

Calories per serving
Fat percentages
Carbohydrate
Sodium
Vitamins/minerals

At a glance, we’re able to determine whether a food is good choice or not, and whether it will help us meet the daily quota for a particular food group.

Look further down the label to the “ingredients” list, however, and you see a very long list of ingredients – some of which are difficult to pronounce. “What is this stuff?” you may, and should, wonder. That is a very good question. The answer? Lots of stuff: chemicals, additives, flavoring, sweeteners, preservatives, moisture controls, nutritional supplements – some natural, some synthetic, herbicides (yes, I said herbicides), and pesticides. These “additives” do serve a purpose – they help food stay fresh longer, they are emulsifiers, texturizers, neutralizers, buffers, bleaching agents, clarifying agents…the list goes on. My point — there are many additives in food we regularly consume that our bodies don’t want, or need.

So how do you avoid consuming these food additives? Eat fresh. Buy and eat foods that are wholesome and natural (fresh fruits and vegetables) and organic, and try to avoid pre-packaged foods containing high levels of hydrogenated oils, nitrates and nitrites, and MSG.

If you see an ingredient listed on a food label and want to know what it is, find out on www.nutritiondata.com. This site lists most food ingredients in their database, and also has tools for analyzing recipes, so plug in your favorite dish and find out what you’re really eating. Another super site is www.foodadditivesworld.com — here you’ll be able to look up the ingredient in questions and find out other names for that ingredient, as well as what it is made of. This site also has information about the glycemic index and the effects of processing on food.

May

30

Spring is well under way, which means more fresh produce will be “in season.” For something different this season, why not try buying from local farmer’s markets?

Here are 5 good reasons why you should give it a try:

1. Fruits and Veggies that are grown locally and picked when they are perfectly ripened taste better than the store-sold varieties.

2. Buying from local farmer’s markets helps the local farmer who is forced to compete with the Super Walmarts and Kroger Marketplaces of the world.

3. Many times, market prices are better than those at commercial grocery stores.

4. When produce is picked at the peak of its season, nutrients will be more abundant.

5. It requires a lot of resources (gas, packaging, transportation, marketing, etc.) to put grocery-store products on the shelves. On average, food travels 1300 miles to get from its origin to your kitchen! Seems rather inefficient, doesn’t it?

Where to buy the best fresh produce:

  • Join a food co-op

Co-op members pool their resources together to purchase fruits and vegetables at a lower cost. Go to
Co-op directory to find one near you.

  • Join CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), and buy a “share” of a local farm’s harvest. You pay a fee for the season, and in return receive a weekly or biweekly supply of fresh produce. To find one near you, visit biodynamics
  • Shop at local farmer’s markets.

Two great resources for finding a local market:

Fruit and Vegetable Markets

Organic Markets

Related articles and resources:

Local vs. Organic
True cost of food

Archives

© Copyright 2010 - Diane Raymond's Blue Sky Blog | Made by AppChain.com