by Shannon LeMintier

Finding yourself fueled on everything except what your body needs to function in a healthy way? Did that last cup of java and sweet scone leave you frazzled for something fresh and wholesome for breakfast? And who really has time for a proper lunch? It is tough to balance good nutrition while working, raising a family and trying to fit in your daily cardio fix. However, with a food game plan to start each week, your energy will soar as you manage your nutrition as well as everything else around you.

Scout out local grocery stores and restaurants en route to work, meetings and home. Consider bringing your own reusable containers to fill up on healthy fixings at the salad bar or deli counter. Focus on choosing a variety of fresh, colorful fruits and veggies, lean proteins and whole grains as the building blocks to healthy meals and snacks. (more…)

by Greg Hardwick

It’s easy to find fast food. Take a drive, or turn on the TV and the advertisements can become overwhelming. Promoting convenience, fast food has become a symbol of western culture. But there is a growing force in another direction. A direction that is less instant, based on nature and allows more time to appreciate and understand a basic necessity – food.

Bob Cameron has been interested in nature and its processes for some time. He is the Managing Director of the successful Australian Business, Rockcote Enterprises. Having once described his business as being modeled on nature, it comes as no surprise to find he also has an interest in the Slow Food movement.

First created in Italy in the late 1980s as a reaction to the fast food giants, Slow Food has now spread throughout many countries including the U.S. It is also linked with the push for slower cities and better urban design, a concept that many people agree with. (more…)

provided by Camille Macres

Serves 4

Ingredients:

(choose as much organic as possible) 

4- 4 oz. portions Wild Alaskan Salmon
1 T. grape seed oil (or other high-heat oil)

1 large yam, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 T. grape seed oil (or other high-heat oil)

Salad:
1 c. black beans, washed and drained
1 c. brown rice, cooked
2 c. baby spinach, chopped
1 avocado, cubed and tossed with 1 tsp. lemon or lime juice to prevent browning
10 grape or baby tomatoes, sliced in half
1 cup bell pepper, chopped (I prefer yellow or orange for color)
1/4 cup green onion, sliced

Dressing:
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
2 T. honey
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped or pressed
4 t. chopped cilantro
2 t. cumin
2 t. chili sauce
Freshly ground pepper

(more…)

by Camille Macres

Everywhere I turn right now, there are health food and supplement companies claiming that they have found the secret to the “fountain of youth” through their product’s antioxidant effects. There is bountiful evidence that supports that antioxidants are linked with slowing the aging process by repairing oxidative stress, a process that damages cells within the body. Antioxidants reduce inflammation, which is associated with cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. The question I have posed in light of all of this is: What are the best natural sources of antioxidants and how we get them into our diet?

A team of USDA nutritionists published a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, “Lipophilic and hydrophilic antioxidant capacities of common foods in the United States.” The USDA nutritionists examined more than 100 different kinds of fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices, cereals and other foods. (more…)

by Aparna Khanolkar

The holidays are upon us again. Everyone is busy planning trips, meals and celebrations. Food, of course is a big feature of the holidays. Besides gaining weight, over-taxing the digestive system should be a concern. A tried digestive system will create stagnation and accumulate toxins in the body. Sure, we all crave hearty food during winter months, but choose warm, nourishing foods over heavy, fattening foods.

If you have the fortune of living in climates where you enjoy year-round farmers market, shop for fresh organic, seasonal produce. Bring home a good balance of colors and textures for your holiday meals. I have included a recipe below for a rich and deeply aromatic saffron risotto. (more…)

by William Cates

These days wine, particularly red wine, gets a lot of good press for being healthful and beneficial for us when consumed in moderation. Wine’s high level of antioxidants such as resveratrol are chiefly responsible for this. So the question often arises: Would a wine from organically grown grapes be even healthier for us? Here’s one way to answer that question.

Organic grapes are grown by feeding the soil while grapes grown by conventional methods feed the vine. Thanks to drip irrigation, grape vines can be grown anywhere there is a source of water. It is a marvelously simple method that doesn’t even require the many gallons of water needed by an overhead irrigation system. Thin irrigation drip hoses are placed along the bottom wire holding the vines. The vines thus can receive water and nutrients, basic fertilizers if you will, through this system. It’s a viticulture system that has allowed arid regions of the world to produce very good fruity wines.

The problem with this system is that it encourages the vine to feed and drink from the topsoil rather than encouraging the vine to send its roots deep where valuable micronutrients are available. Thus grape vines that rely on surface feeding mainly get the synthetic nutrients supplied through the drip system. (more…)