Seasonal Cooking: Just Do it!

Did you ever wonder why you crave cabbage soup in the fall; sweet potatoes in the winter, and why strawberries and peaches are on your mind in the summer? This is because until recently humans ate in accordance with the seasons.

Before the 1980s and the rapid expansion of air transport, people simply had no other choice but to eat foods that were in season if they wanted something fresh, and not frozen or canned. This meant, for example, lots of salad, beans and corn in summer; apples and pears in the fall; potatoes and turnip in the winter; and asparagus, carrots and cherry tomatoes in the spring. Our bodies have gotten used to these wonderful recipes that give us a taste of winter or a blast of summer, not to mention the other perks that go along with it.

Below are just a few of the reasons why you should opt for local foods instead of imported ones.

Advantages:

  • It’s tastier. Foods in season taste the best. They are freshly picked so they will have more flavor than, say, fruits that come up from Chile and are already starting to deteriorate from the long distance transport. Food that has been grown out of its season in glasshouses will often be bland and tasteless as well.
  • It’s healthier. Food that hasn’t been stored or transported long distances will have more vitamin C. Not to mention that local foods are more likely to be organically grown or at least to have fewer pesticides and other growth hormones in them.
  • It’s better for the planet. Taking a trip down to your local farmer’s market is more environmentally friendly than the average 1500 mile truck or plane ride that it takes for fresh food to reach the consumer. Plus buying local produce also reduces the unnecessary packaging that is seen in wide scale commercial goods.
  • It encourages local business. Encourage economic growth in your area by supporting local farmers.

What You Can Do

While a diet of strictly local foods is difficult to adhere to, you can definitely eat a lot more of them. Opt for foods that are locally grown and in season whenever you can. They are not only tastier, but more nutritious and better for the environment. Consider freezing, or pickling freshly picked fruits and vegetables to enjoy them in the off season too.

Read More

Homemade Skin Cleansers

The Trouble with Packaged Skin Cleansers A regular cleansing ritual is important to maintaining great looking skin. Yet most commercial facial cleansers probably leave you with more skin problems than what you started with. What is going on here? Well, most of these cleansers in their attempt to leave the skin squeaky clean actually strip the oil out of your skin. This unfortunately means our skin has to repair itself and does so by generating more oil and essentially over-compensating for this severe lack of moisture. This leads to trapped debris, acne and blackheads. And to make matters worse, these products are usually scented to smell like what we think of as a ‘clean smell. Well these fragrances irritate the skin causing it to become red, itchy and inflamed. Sound like a recipe for disaster? You bet it is. All Natural Skin Cleansers- The Way to Go To get [...]


Read More




Proper Gym Etiquette

Are you committing gym no-no’s that have others around you silently cringing? What if you are and you don’t even know it? Most gyms and health clubs have a list of rules that their patrons need to follow when using the facilities. These policies are put in place to insure that the work out area stays comfortable, organized and sanitary for all users. The rules tend to be the same for most gyms and it is important that you abide by them to make the workout experience pleasant for all. Below is a list of these rules and other important gym etiquette that shows consideration of others around you. Practice Good Hygiene- There is nothing worse than working out and right next to you is someone emitting a foul body odor. This is disruptive and bothersome to the people trying to get a work out done, but instead are [...]


Read More




The Sun and Your Skin

What you don’t know will hurt you. Protecting your skin from the sun is now more important than ever. You’ve heard that sun exposure can cause skin cancer and premature aging, and are probably well aware that you should be applying sunscreen and wearing hats when outdoors. This is a good start for sun safety, but there is still much more that you need to know. Below are a few sun safety facts that will give you the knowledge you need to protect yourself. Not all sunscreens are created equal. Even if a sunscreen has an SPF of 30, if it doesn’t say broad-spectrum, it doesn’t have all the protection that you need. Regular sunscreens only provide protection against UVB rays, which affect the top layers of the skin and are responsible for burning. Broad-spectrum sunscreen has UVB protection and also protects against UVA rays that have longer lasting effects, [...]


Read More




Should Your Children Be Eating Organic Foods?

Making sure that your children get the nutrients they need is a top priority for parents of young children. But what if supposedly healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grain products actually expose your little ones to all sorts of toxins and potentially deadly pesticides? Unfortunately, this is the reality of most non-organic foods being sold in today’s market. Pesticides and chemicals have been linked to the growing cancer rates and disease. Your children can’t protect themselves from these risks and need you to do it for them. Here is what you need to know. Differences between Organic and Non-Organic Foods There is absolutely no difference between the nutritional value in organic and non-organic items. What does differ is the way they are grown and processed, along with the additional ingredients that these non-organic products often contain. In order to have the organic label, farmers must adhere [...]


Read More




Featured Articles

Seasonal Cooking: Just Do it!

Did you ever wonder why you crave cabbage soup in the fall; sweet potatoes in the winter, and why strawberries and peaches are on your mind in the summer? This is because until recently humans ate in accordance with the seasons. Before the 1980s and the rapid expansion of air transport, people simply had no [...]

Homemade Skin Cleansers

The Trouble with Packaged Skin Cleansers A regular cleansing ritual is important to maintaining great looking skin. Yet most commercial facial cleansers probably leave you with more skin problems than what you started with. What is going on here? Well, most of these cleansers in their attempt to leave the skin squeaky clean actually [...]

Proper Gym Etiquette

Are you committing gym no-no’s that have others around you silently cringing? What if you are and you don’t even know it? Most gyms and health clubs have a list of rules that their patrons need to follow when using the facilities. These policies are put in place to insure that the work out [...]

The Sun and Your Skin

What you don’t know will hurt you. Protecting your skin from the sun is now more important than ever. You’ve heard that sun exposure can cause skin cancer and premature aging, and are probably well aware that you should be applying sunscreen and wearing hats when outdoors. This is a good start for sun safety, but [...]

 

Reviews

True Facts: Ultimate Maqui Berry Review

The Maqui berry, also known as the Chilean wine berry, has overtaken the Acai berry for Top Health Berry. It contains more antioxidants than the Acai berry, and the Maqui berry is impressing health-conscious people all over the world. Our tester took Ultimate Maqui Berry for 60 days to test the effectiveness of the “new Acai [...]

Read More

Pure Colon Detox Reviews

A Revealing Peek into Pure Colon Detox People are finding it tougher and tougher to find a product that will help them to lose weight and keep them motivated to stay on a health path. Pure Colon Detox has quickly become the fastest way to achieve great health. People all over the world are drawn to [...]

Read More

Pure Berry Detox Review

A Stunning Peek into the Effects of Pure Berry Detox Pure Berry Detox has quickly become the hottest health supplement on the market right now. People, all over the world, flock to it because of the incredible benefits to their health. For anyone looking to become healthier, remove harmful toxins from their bodies, and lose unwanted, [...]

Read More

Popular

Acai Pure Detox Facts

Acai Pure Detox is an internal cleansing product that promises to help you lose weight, purify and clear your system by using only the highest grade Acai powder available. If you are like many others, you have attempted countless weight loss [...]

Read More

Colon Cleanse XR Side Effects

Colon cleansing is a relatively new concept taking the health world by storm. Colon cleansing has grown in popularity in recent years but it has been around for thousands of years. Colon Cleanse XR is meant to remove the waste particles and toxins [...]

Read More

Colon Cleanse XR Truth

If you tend to be skeptical of any method of weight loss that does not follow traditional guidelines, then there is no question that you may be doubtful about colon cleansing products conquering the health world. The truth behind Colon Cleanse XR is [...]

Read More

Colon Cleanse XR Facts

Colon Cleanse XR seeks to reverse years upon years of an unhealthy diet full of processed foods and unhealthy decisions. Colon Cleanse XR is capable of doing this by flushing out the digestive system and strengthening the colon in the process. Due [...]

Read More