Eating fresh, locally grown fruit as opposed to imported fruits shipped from far-off places keeps you eating in season and more in harmony with your environment and climate. We all know a healthy lifestyle is key to optimum weight, longevity and abundant energy. Fruit, used as part of your healthy lifestyle, has many nutritional qualities for your body.
As the temperature rises, eating raw fruit in the summer months is cooling for the body and is great for those who are overstressed or overheated from hot climates or excessive mental strain. Using fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth can help you begin to leave behind chemically processed and refined sugars. Although fruit juice is very cleansing, the fiber content is lower then that in the whole fruit. Since fruit contains lots of natural sugar without the extra fiber, you should be cautious of energy or moods swings. In it’s whole form, fruit offers you more fiber which helps to balance the natural sugars that can cause dips in your blood sugar levels for some people.
Whether you have fresh fruit for a light breakfast, a midday snack or evening treat, enjoy nature’s sweetness instead of refined sugars and buy seasonal organic whenever possible.
Here are a few summer fruits and their health benefits.
By Mei Li •
April 13, 2009
Grocery shopping can be complicated when you’re trying to make ethical choices. You’re faced with a lot of difficult questions: Is it better to buy the organically grown blueberries trucked across the country from California or the conventionally grown apples from a local farm in Western Massachusetts? In my case, the more vexing question is ‘Why did you freaking move away from the organic AND local food paradise of San Francisco in the first place? But I digress.
Organic, Conventional, or Local? Knowing Your Options
I’m visiting my parents in Boston and decided to make a fruit tart dessert for a family brunch. I headed to Whole Foods, the closest grocery store with both organic and local produce options. No matter how you feel about the chain, it’s pretty cool that all their produce is helpfully labeled as ‘organic,’ ‘conventional,’ or ‘local,’ sometimes even with a profile on the farm of origin. It makes it easier to know what you’re buying, but it can still leave you standing dazed amid the Chilean grapes and California clementines, paralyzed by the complexity of options in front of you.
By Rhonda Winter •
March 3, 2009
Hammy the hamster repeatedly demonstrates her preference for organic fruits and vegetables. For five out of the six food types, Hammy preferred organic; she did, however, seem to have a preference for conventional walnuts over organic. Please visit http://www.cooksden.com/hamster/ for more information.
By Kay Sexton •
February 28, 2009
75% of cases of cancer of the oesophagus would disappear if people ate better and took regular exercise …
By John Chappell •
February 25, 2009
Despite recent rains throughout the state, California has recently instituted water restrictions to many farms in the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural epicenter of the nation. In fact drought conditions are already so severe that they have forced authorities to eliminate all water for agriculture in California’s San Joaquin Valley for three weeks beginning March 1st. This might not be troubling if it wasn’t happening so early in the year.
The impact on the people and economy of the state could also be severe. The Department of Water Resources has stated in relation to the water crisis in California.
“The drought could cause an estimated $1.15 billion dollar loss in agriculture-related wages and eliminate as many as 40,000 jobs in farm-related industries in the San Joaquin Valley alone, where most of the nation’s produce and nuts are grown.”
Read here for the full Associated Press article on the anticipated drought and its effects.
By Tiffany Washko •
February 19, 2009
My kids and I are crazy about green smoothies. We make them a couple times daily usually. Never before has it been so easy to get my kids to eat plenty of those all important leafy greens! Just check out my daughter’s green smoothie moustache (left).
You may be wondering what a green smoothie is exactly. Or maybe not, they seem to be getting really popular in healthier living circles everywhere lately. A green smoothie does not refer to being “green” in the eco sense of the word. Although they can be that too. The green in a green smoothie refers to what is in the smoothie and usually the color as well. Quite simply, green smoothies are blended beverages that combine fresh or frozen fruit and leafy greens like Kale, collard, spinach, or wild edibles. Veggies like carrots may make a cameo appearance in green smoothies as well. The genius of a green smoothie is that they are jam packed with nutritional goodness, usually in its raw life living form, and they taste absolutely fantastic! When was the last time your kids begged you for fresh spinach? Well, mine ask me daily for some. 
By Liz Thompson •
February 14, 2009
Lately, in an attempt to conjure any notion of warmer days, I have tried several fruit scented body lotions and butters and all smell good enough to eat. And with all of their fruity goodness ingredients you practically could, but it’s probably not recommended.
Let’s start off with the new Bubble & Bee Body Butta - that’s right, it has ‘tude. The subtle Raspberry and Vanilla scent is warm and fruity, evocative of a chocolate raspberry torte. And the luscious creamy texture (think buttercream frosting) goes on smooth and keeps skin soft all day. Comes in 4 or 8 oz jars and is made with shea butter and lots of oils, like coconut, sweet almond and macadamia.
By Jennifer Lance •
February 13, 2009
Editor’s note: The following post was originally published on Green and Clean Mom. “Green & Clean Mom can inspire you to try a little harder, be a catalyst for change and to offer you some new tips and news on how to be the green, sexy and sassy mom…I know you are!”
Children get home from school and they are hungry. The day was packed full of learning energy zapping activities and they need to refuel. When I got off the bus after school I remember eating chips, cookies, drinking soda and complaining if these items weren’t around.
Sorry mom and dad, I just made you look really bad.
I would eat these junk food snacks and then at dinner not be hungry. I filled up on sugar, carbohydrates and fat. Nothing that helped to refuel me and tide me over until I could have a well balanced nutritious meal. Just as it is important for our children to be fed healthy meals they need healthy snacks. It is known that what we eat plays a role in our brain function, our weight and overall how we feel. Health Guidance has a great article describing nutrition and brain function that all parents might want to consider reading. The article isn’t focused on children but the article still applies, especially the behavior part! Many children have behavior issues in the evening from fatigue, stress and probably nutrition issues. I’m finding this to be true in my own household.
There’s something odd about kids- they like the wierdest things and think the ones you think are interesting - are wierd. Purple carrots seems like something that would engender giggles in my house and now they’re available from First Juice.
By Cate Nelson •
February 2, 2009
Kids who eat bacon and other meats containing nitrites more than once a week have a 74 percent increased risk of leukemia than children who did not eat these foods.
Conversely, children whose ate veggies and soy regularly have more protection against cancer.
Eating fresh, locally grown fruit as opposed to imported fruits shipped from far-off places keeps you eating in season and more in harmony with your environment and climate. We all know a healthy lifestyle is key to optimum weight, longevity and abundant energy. Fruit, used as part of your healthy lifestyle, has many nutritional qualities for your body.
