Healthy body or Healthy Wallet?

My husband and I were having conversation about organic foods and our lifestyle. He made the most intriguing statement. He said, “I’d rather have an unhealthy wallet than an unhealthy body.” What led to this statement was the fact that we both get questions from people all the time like, “How can your family afford to eat all these healthy, organic foods?” He is correct in his statement. In fact, how can we afford not to eat the way we do? The food industry has made it more intriguing for families to eat junk. They put a lot of additives, preservatives and God knows what else to make it more appealing to the taste buds, and then they top it off by making it extremely cheap. Consider the infamous dollar menu. How cheap can a family of five eat on that? But, is that really worth your health? People need to have self respect. You are worth way more than that dollar menu. You are worth putting healthy and wholesome food into your body. You are worth the best. Love yourself, eat well. You may need to cut back on other things in life like social outings, entertainment, etc. But you can make it work. My family…we are not millionaires, but being healthy is our highest priority. You can love your family by extending your life and their lives as well. Unhealthy habits WILL catch up with you. It may not be tomorrow, next week or even next year, but eventually you will get out of your body, what you put in it. Women, you have the power to change the way your family eats. All it takes is the desire, the will and just a little research. Find your farmer’s market. Get to know the farmers. They will work with you. Look for deals, sales and coupons. Grow your own food. Make it work. You have the power. We hear about the health care debate every day. Health care reform is what you put on your plate on a daily basis. There are circumstances beyond our control, I know. But if you are healthy when those circumstances arise, you will be better prepared to combat whatever comes your way. The real cost of cheap food is not pretty. Is it worth your health? Health is a gift…your body is a temple. Honor it.

Go Green!

Go green! I’m not talking about the environment (although you should go green in that way too). I’m talking about eating your greens. In the summer, I was drinking a green smoothie every morning but I have found this a challenge as the weather has turned colder. Well, I am back on my green drink kick. Smoothies are an excellent way to stuff healthy foods into your diet. They are easy to make and cost efficient.

Today’s smoothie:
· 1 banana
· 1 tangerine
· 1 cup packed baby spinach
· 1 cup packed romaine lettuce
· 2 tbsp ground flax seed (not pictured, sorry)
· 1 handful of ice

I just threw all of it in a blender. I really wish I had a better blender. Mine is just a cheap $15 blender. However, this goes to show that you don't need anything fancy to make a smoothie.

This smoothie has approximately 240 nutrient packed calories and about 6 grams of healthy fats from the flax seed. Flax seed is another super food. Here is some information on it:

Although flaxseed contains all sorts of healthy components, it owes its healthy reputation primarily to three ingredients:

· Omega-3 essential fatty acids. These are "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects.
· Lignans. They have both plant estrogen and antioxidant qualities.
· Fiber. Flaxseed contains both the soluble and insoluble type of fiber.


Dark green leafy vegetables are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats. Perhaps the star of these nutrients is Vitamin K. Vitamin K regulates blood clotting, helps protect bones from osteoporosis, may help prevent and possibly even reduce atherosclerosis by reducing calcium in arterial plaques, may be a key regulator of inflammation, and may help protect us from inflammatory diseases including arthritis and may help prevent diabetes.

What will be in your smoothie today?

For some good information on green smoothies and healthy eating, visit http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/

Happy juicing!

You Are What You Eat

Here is food for thought: “You are what you eat.” We’ve all heard this comment, but have you really considered what it means? During the summertime, I read “Skinny Bitch” and it wasn’t until I read this book that I had ever really thought deeply about this comment. If you eat foods high in fat, the ugly and painful truth is that you will be fat. What do you want to put in your body? As the Skinny Bitch ladies boldly put it, “Every time you put crap in your body, you are crap.” Okay, I am not a freak that goes around shoving vegetarianism down peoples’ throats, but I am proud to say I am a vegetarian. This well known phrase was the convincing phrase for me: “You are what you eat.” Do you eat meat? Here is what you are eating: hormones which are given to plump up those animals in a hurry so the corporate factory farms can make more money, the pesticides that they essentially are eating because their food is treated with them, steroids: more plumping action, antibiotics to safeguard the animals from getting sick because they live in unsanitary conditions. You are eating the fear, grief and rage that they experience when being processed as your food source. In many cases, you are eating the illnesses that many of these animals endured during their lifespan. Fruits, veggies and grains are raised in fertile soil with sunshine and water. I buy 90% local organic produce. This is a better picture in my mind.

Are there options? YES. Can you get enough of the proper nutrition you need from a plant based diet? Of course you can. I have been a vegetarian for only a few short months- only four months to be exact. I have found the benefits to be well worth the change. I have experienced changes in my skin, digestion and energy level. My immunity to illness is higher than it’s ever been. For me, this is a decision I have made for my health. My husband and children are not vegetarians but as a result of my choice to become one, my husband, who ate red meat very regularly, only eats red meat maybe once a week. The meat I prepare for my family is natural. The animals are raised without the use of any of the above said antibiotics or hormones, etc. The beef my husband and older daughter (my two youngest daughters do not eat beef) eats are from cows that are grass fed and the chickens are free range chickens. I pay a little extra but I think the real cost of buying cheap food will catch up with one later in life so I feel this is an investment in their health.