Body:
- Salads are wonderful when you keep an eye on the toppers and use a simple dressing. Take out salads can be higher in calories than their meatier counterparts. Check out this list of bad salad choices by "Eat This Not That".
- Are you experiencing extreme chapped lips? It is reported in Men's Health that Hydrocortisone reduces inflammation. Use 3-4 times a day, after application cover an unflavored lip balm with moisture control.
- Four years in a row Vermont is ranked the healthiest state in the union. Qualifiers are access to medical care, prenatal care, insurance and 22 other areas.
Soil:
- I just read an article about how making casual observations that you believe can change how things are done even when you are bucking common trends can be wonderful. Please read "Bring the outliers inside" from Ode magazine and see how people are making positive changes.
- A local writer takes on a CSA for a year to see how she does eating local farmer products. This will be an interesting venture to follow. See Farm Fed by Sally Pollak
- Living in Vermont proves to be, yet again, easier to be green as our state comes in first place for being Greenest State in America.
Body
- Think twice about the high protein trend! Recent reports indicate that high protein diets rob your body of calcium and weaken bones, this is a concern especially for women. (Livestrong has more) To lose weight and keep it off eat a well balance diet gleaned from whole foods.
- Beans, beans the magical fruit: Yes I changed the popular tune and you should too! Beans help reduce LDL cholesterol and are loaded with fiber; they help you maintain a healthy weight which helps ward off many health concerns. See Eating Well or WebMD for more information.
- Garlic is a superfood; not just a remedy for vampires: You can wear it around for neck for for a bigger benefit try eating garlic often. Garlic has a powerful anti-oxidant effect plus it helps your cardiovascular health! See Garlic Central for more on Garlic or from the World's Healthiest Foods.
Soil
- Growing your own garlic: I grow my own garlic, it is one of the easier plants to manage in the garden. Depending on the variety you choose you can plant in the spring or fall. Not only is it good for you but it looks great while growing; with an added benefit of having your own scapes. For more see: about.com for extensive info: Boundary Garlic Farm
- Nature is dropping fertilizer from above: Carting leaf debris into the ditch or sending them to the landfill in the fall then purchasing fertilizer is crazy. Nature is placing fertilizer right at your feet all you need to do is learn how to harvest it for yourself. We mow ours into bits then work into the soil, use some to prevent weeds and compost the rest, it is a bountiful harvest after all. Here is more information on the subject: The Compost Gardener
- Everyone loves the aroma of fresh cut herbs: Why limit yourself to the pleasure of fresh herbs during the warm months or have to run to the market. Grow you own herbs indoors, it is easier than you think plus makes you house seem more like home. How to grow your own herbs at home see: Oregon Live's report
Body
- Dietary fiber is important to your daily nutrition, it contains few calories and helps to make you feel fuller faster which can reduce overall calorie consumption. It helps to slow digestion which allows vital nutrients to absorb into the blood stream and helps control insulin spikes. Fiber also helps to move foods through the intestine, keeps the colon clean and improves regularity. Most american diets don't have enough fiber as processed foods removes it to make food more palatable and for ease of processing. For a nice article on Fiber written by Kelly Gonzalez please read "Fill up on Fiber."
- Dairy products are an excellent source of protein, calcium, glutamine and casein. Adding organic milk to your daily nutrition can not only help your health but a recent study by American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that milk helped weight trainers to maintain more muscle mass than a with soy protein drinks or carbohydrate drink. To read more about the benefits of milk go to this article from SimplyShredded.com "The Muscle Builders Report"
- How many calories should you consume in a day, this is a very interesting question that gets asked a lot but how do you determine the answer. What if, for example, you want to lose weight or perhaps gain muscle and are unsure how to calculate the calorie number that is appropriate for you. For answers to these questions and others go to: How Many Calories Should You Eat In A Day.
Soil
- Is your garden overflowing right now, do you have more herbs than you can conceivably use in a day or week. If you are like me and don't like to see your garden herbs go to waste then you need to find a way to preserve them for those lean winter months when the garden is sleeping. The Massachusetts Audobon Society has a nice article detailing the "Top 5 ways to preserve garden herbs."
- Squash bugs are a unwelcomed visitor to many gardens and arrive just as things are just starting to bloom and go into production. These bugs suck the beneficial juices out of the leaves and causes the leaf to wilt and die. Here is a quick slide show detailing the best approach to remove squash bugs from Organic Gardening.
- Are you noticing a whitish grey coating on your vine plants starting in the later part of summer? Powdery Mildew is the culprit and arrives with warm days and cool nights, it doesn't kill plants but reduces yield, is unsightly and impacts flavor. To read more on this plant disease read: Powdery Mildew by Organic Gardening.
Fitness
- Just finished reading about a recent study relating to men who start life obese. This study indicated that the risk of dying early doubles if you were obese by the age of twenty. Very important information that you should read and think about. click here for the story.
- Eating healthy isn't just about looking good on the outside. Did you know that by early 1900 the cases of Diverticulosis started to appear in the US due to the introduction of processed foods. Eat foods higher in fiber to try to avoid this condition along with its partner Diverticulitis. Need further proof, click here for information.
- Yahoo has a fun 3-D Body Map for you to use as a tool to visualize the human body. Click here to check this out. (Thanks to Milda at ultranatomy for sending me the link..)
Body
- Sitting all day at work elevates your risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers which can cause an early death. You don't break down fats in your blood when you don't keep this large muscle group( legs) active. (Via: NYTimes)
- Soaking in an Epsom salt bath is more than relaxing, it helps reduce muscle soreness, increases magnesium in your body (most people are deficient), relieves stress, helps with nerve function and helps with a multitude off health issues.. Now go soak in the tub as it is good for your health (Via: Epsom Salt Council)
- Get your cup of green tea in every day, studies still show that it helps to reduce your risk of certain cancers, helps lower cholesterol and reduces free radicals. (Via: University of Maryland)
Soil
- Cleaning up your home and reducing chemical wastes in our waterways has never been easier now that we have ActiveIon to the rescue. Cleaning without chemicals also helps reduce toxins indoors and leaves no chemical residues on surfaces also; cleans, disinfects and has an H1N1 kill factor (Via: BodynSoil)
Body:
- Compared to cereals marketed to adults, those marketed to children have 85% more sugar, 65% less fiber, and 60% more sodium. (Via: Cereal Facts )
- YoYo dieting and sugar binging studies have shown in animal models that cycling between periods of eating sweet and regular-tasting food can activate the brain's stress system and generate overeating, anxiety, and withdrawal-like symptoms. (The Scripps Research Institute Via: The Medical News )
- Shocking calorie report: 1,440 = number of calories in Olive Garden's Chicken Alfredo. It would take a 185 lb male 2 hours of circuit training to burn off that one meal.
Soil:
- Concerned about the safety of your family and pets playing on your lawn after spreading fertilizers. Worry no more and still get a beautiful lawn with corn gluten. An accident in 1986 led researchers at Iowa State University to discover that corn gluten meal possesses the ability to prevent seed germination then acts as a fertilizer as it breaks down greening up your yard. (Via: NCAP)
- Compost is the building block of the organic garden and can be made right in your back yard with materials you might be paying your garbage hauler to take away. Start making yours today by following these simple steps. (Via: Organic Gardening )
- Interesting in organic but you are afraid you don't have the time or space available. Patio planters are the perfect way to introduce yourself to the process in a smaller controlled environment. (Via: EasyOrganicGardening )
