Friday, July 20, 2012

'Tis the Season!

I'm not talking about the holidays, although we are approaching holiday season fairly quickly.  I want to talk about the seasons, most importantly... The FRUITS and VEGETABLES from every season!  Part of our modern society has no season limitation on the grocery store shelves.  Fruits and vegetables are grown year round now a days.  There has to be something wrong with that!

Now, eating fruits and vegetables is a great thing, and we should all do it daily!! But we should also ask ourselves if the fruits and vegetables we are eating are in season.  Not only will we save money on fruits or veggies that are in season, but they will taste a whole lot better!  The flavor of a fruit or vegetable that is in season will never compare to one that is not!


The reason for that is because fruits and vegetables that are harvested year-round are often genetically modified, sprayed with numerous pesticides and waxes to display a "in season" appearance.  But these modifications disrupt the fruit's or vegetable's natural cycle.  We need to understand that there are reasons why these fruits and vegetables do not grow year-round.  According to an article by Natural News "By eating freshly harvested produce, you will be rotating your foods, thereby keeping your body from developing intolerances to certain foods and reaping the health benefits of a diet that is diverse and naturally detoxifying. Seasonal foods also have a much higher antioxidant content than non-seasonal foods."

Not only do these fruits and vegetables help us detox our bodies, but we are also not eating chemicals or other additives on year-round fruits and vegetables, which is a HUGE bonus!!  So the next time you want to get fruits and vegetables, go to a farmer's market, shop organic and local! And most importantly, eat what is in season!! You will notice a difference in your health, the delicious taste of your food and you will also save money in the process!

Thank you for reading, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!



Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Eating Fresh?

Sure, most of us have heard about the unhealthy foods at fast food restaurants like McDonald's or Jack in the Box, but we don't really hear a lot of bad stuff about Subway, do we?


Most people are under the impression that Subway is a healthier alternative than eating a burger from these burger joints.  But in fact Subway isn't that much healthier.

Let's begin with the fact that their deli meats are processed and are full of artificial fillers, and of course they are certainly not organic, which means that Subway meats are just like fast food meats, in fact, Subway meats are also distributed by the same meat factories the big fast food joints get their meats from, I urge you to research how these places raise their cattle and how the meat is treated with chemicals to comply with health regulations, not to mention how the poor animals are treated in the process.  Now this is something you wouldn't really think about when eating at Subway.  Most people expect their food to be wholesome, fresh, free of artificial ingredients or chemicals but in reality this food is not in any way healthier!


A fine example of this is the "Oven Roasted Chicken Breasts".  The oven roasted chicken Subway uses is made with separated chicken meat chunks, fillers, water, corn syrup and MSG!! Instead of a wholesome chicken breast, which can just be a chicken breast, why does it have to have so many other ingredients?!


The bread is also not made the old fashioned way, rather the breads at subway have delicious chemicals as ingredients!  According to an article by CBS, "the 9-grain wheat, white and sourdough varieties are made with sodium stearoyl lactylate and ammonium sulfate, which are used as a dough conditioners, and azodicarbonamide, a bleaching chemical most commonly employed in the production of foamed plastics." This ensures a bread like no other!  Now why would this be necessary in a place that promotes eating fresh and wholesome food?



Now, I don't know about you, but I was in shock when I read up on Subway! I honestly thought that Subway was trying to help us change our American diet by offering healthier options, free from artificial ingredients, fillers, and chemicals, but I see that it does not!  This is very discouraging since often times Subway is marketed as the healthier choice.  Sure you get to choose your veggies, but what about your breads and meats, shouldn't TRUE healthier options be offered instead?  I urge you to research your food extensively before eating it, you might be surprised (as I was) to find that the food you think is healthy, is actually not as healthy as you think!

Thank you all for reading, and remember shop smart, because only you have the power to make a change with the items you choose to purchase!

More Delicious Summer Eats!!

With this incredible summer heat, there's nothing better than having a fresh yet deliciously satisfying meal!  Because we don't always crave a large heavy meal, specially during summer, sometimes a light meal seems just right! Check out these awesome summer eats!!! And click on them to see the recipes!!

Lettuce Wraps with Hoisin-Peanut Sauce


Tempeh Greek Salad Wraps



Arugula, Mozzarella, Tomato on Focaccia

Avocado Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes

 

Perfect meals, for a perfect summer afternoon!! Hope you enjoy!