Green Options

A health organization is criticizing celebrity mothers who come out weeks after baby is born looking fabulous. Such dramatic weight loss is unrealistic and even unnecessary, said the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. The German group is warning new moms not to hold themselves to these hot-bod standards.

Very strenuous exercise programmes soon after childbirth did not lead to extra weight loss. This means that women do not need to have a bad conscience if they take it easy in the busy weeks after giving birth.

Of course, he also stresses the point that women should not “eat for two” during pregnancy.

But here’s the problem with the images in the media:

This post was originally posted at Nature’s Child, the site for sassy & sage natural parenting advice. And don’t forget to enter the Summer Essentials Contest while you’re there!

We all know someone who was thrilled when they learned they were pregnant. Yes, because they were bringing life into this world. But also because they could finally “eat for two” and let their diet go.

All of us with sense know that this is a pregnancy myth. You can’t actually eat for two and expect to lose the baby weight anytime in the next decade.

The eating “extra” may not be the best choice for every pregnant woman.

Pregnancy is not a time to eat twice as much, but twice as well.

Women who are already obese when they become pregnant may not need to gain “baby weight” as long as they and their care provider focus on a healthy diet.

Fast food isn’t only a dumb choice environmentally, it can actually harm kids’ test scores, too. Factory-farmed meat? All that packaging? No thanks.

But if living a greener life isn’t a good enough reason for you and your family to avoid the junk, perhaps this is: kids who regularly eat fast food score lower on tests. Some kids had their test scored drop on literacy and mathematical tests by 16 percent compared to the average.

Kerri Tobin, who oversaw the research, said,

It is possible that the types of food served at fast food restaurants cause cognitive difficulties that result in lower test scores.

Wow. Just can’t picture Mickey D’s using that in a marketing campaign anytime soon. But the corporate giant isn’t the only culprit…

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.

In the UK, this is a period in the garden and yard that’s called ‘The Hungry Gap’. The last of the overwintered veggies are coming to an end and the spring sowings are not yet ready to be harvested. If you want healthy food that doesn’t cost the earth either in money or in food miles, it can be difficult to find a way to eat that balances your budget and excites your taste-buds. Enter the sprouting seed!

The system for sprouting seeds couldn’t be easier – you just soak seeds, preferably organic ones, for eight hours in lots of water to get them started. If you’re a big fan of the sprouted seed, you can invest in specialised sprouting equipment, but if you want to try the system out for free, all you need is a jar or tray with a paper or cloth cover, water, and some suitable seeds or grains. Keep the seeds moist and clean by rinsing them well twice a day and maintain a temperature of between 55 and 70°F. Seeds grown in the dark tend to be crisper.

Sprouting seeds are full of valuable nutrients like minerals as well as containing high amounts of protein and fibre. Above all, they taste crisp, fresh and delicious.

We are bombarded everyday with images of what we are supposed to think is beautiful. A young, super skinny, airbrushed model is what many of us compare ourselves to on a regular basis. In a world where youth is idolized and aging is seen as something, well, less favorable, we are all searching for that magical fountain of youth. How about writing off the plastic surgeon for a while and starting from the inside out. According to the Real Age website, maintaining your weight and body mass index at a desirable level can make your Real Age as much as 6 years younger. What you put in your body can not only help to maintain a healthy weight, but can slow down the aging process and even reverse the damage that has already been done. Based on that, I’d say Nutrition is the real fountain of youth.

Open any pregnancy or baby book, and you’ll find that list: the baby essentials, the things you absolutely cannot live without.  While many accessories are easily recognized as frivolous, certain items are truly indispensable: the basic necessities for life with a baby.

Or are they?

In this weekly series, we’ll be looking at several baby essentials that really aren’t.  They may be useful in certain situations, but if money or space is tight, or if you’re just looking to simplify and reduce consumerism and waste, here’s how to get along just fine without these so-called “essentials.“

In Part 1, we questioned the crib.   Part 2 bemoaned the bucket.  Part 3 scrutinized the stroller.  Part 4 ditched the diapers.  Part 5 scrubbed the tub.  Part 6 busted the brain boosters.  This week, we banish the baby food!

Have you noticed that you crave different foods in different seasons? Your body knows best what it needs and when it needs it. Foods that are in season provide us the most flavor, freshness and most nutritional value at the most affordable price. Modern food producing and distribution makes food available on your grocery shelves all year long, however, eating seasonally and locally not only benefits our bodies, but benefits the environment as well.  By purchasing local foods that are in season, you eliminate the environmental damage caused by shipping foods thousands of miles and your family will reap the benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables.

In different parts of the country, seasonal menus will vary, but here are some general guidelines to help you start shopping seasonally.

A recent article published in the Journal of Planning Education and Research measures and maps the racial disparities in neighborhood food environments. Do communities of color have less access to healthful food sources like grocery stores and farmer’s markets?

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!”

I like to watch those shows where the mom has this amazing pot roast ready when everyone comes home for dinner. The mom that can throw it all together perfectly and have the table set with cloth napkins.

I’m laughing a wicked mean laugh right now because I’m not sure who this person is or if they exist in real life.

Everyone I know is trying to make everyone happy, eat healthy and organic and not lose our minds! Take budget concerns into account, snacks and lunchtime food, it can be too much.  Grocery shopping is not my favorite thing to do but I’ve learned that keeping the staples on hand from the local health food store make life much easier.

For me, eating ‘healthy’ used to mean one stick of butter instead of two.  But for the sake of my arteries (and wardrobe!), I decided to ditch fatty foods in favor of an all-natural diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and any other low calorie, high protein substance that typically had a distinct flavor, resembling cardboard.

Needless to say, it wasn’t long before I returned to the comforts of creamy comestibles, luxuriously languishing in lardaceous liquids, where I’ve been happily indulging ever since.  That is, until Behind the Burner nutrition expert and author of The Little Black Apron, Jodi Greebel, came along to open my eyes to a lifestyle of healthy — yet satisfying — morsels that don’t require me to go cold turkey on tempting treats.

So, when I had Jodi captive, I picked her brain about nutrition, dining out, being a vegetarian, and how to eat healthy and delicious.