FitSugar

How Money Are You? An Organic Thanksgiving

SavvySugar — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:42:36 PST

Cooking for a crowd doesn't have to cost a fortune, especially if your guests are supplementing your dishes with their own contributions. Thanksgiving is one holiday that many people celebrate by going all-out, from the rich food to the number of courses, and some are indulging in an organic feast even when they might have cut back on organic groceries in their daily lives. Do you know how much organic Thanksgiving food costs compared to its nonorganic counterparts? Take the quiz!

Source: Flickr User land_camera_land_camera

Take the Quiz

Shop For Healthy and Organic Foods Without Breaking the Bank

Michele Foley — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 18:48:05 PDT

Buying healthy, organic food can be expensive, but there are ways to save money when grocery shopping. From joining a CSA to choosing the right cut of beef, find out how to keep your kitchen stocked with healthy, local, and organic foods while staying well within your food budget!

Join a CSA

Becoming a member of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is an easy way to save money on organic produce. If you're unfamiliar with CSAs, think of them as a farmers market in a box. For a monthly (or, in some cases, seasonal) fee paid directly to a local farm, you'll receive a weekly box of fresh organic produce. Besides fruit and vegetables, many CSAs offer grass-fed meats, organic poultry and dairy products, as well as a host of other organic, local, and Fair Trade items like coffee, olive oil, and homemade jams. I pay much less for my CSA-box subscription, than I would if I bought the same (nonorganic!) fruits and veggies from the grocery store. Visit the Local Harvest website to find a CSA near you. (If you don't want to commit to a CSA, shop for organic fruits and veggies at a farmers market. Prices on organic produce are generally lower at a farmers market than the grocery store.)

Picky Shopping

While you may not be able to shop organic 100 percent of the time, there are tools that can help you decide when it's best. Use the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch pocket guide to know what seafood is the most sustainable in your area. For fruits and veggies, The Environmental Working Group has two handy lists to use while shopping. The "clean 15" list is conventional produce that tested low in pesticides and contamination, and the "dirty dozen" is a list of fruits and vegetables that you should always buy organic. When it comes to meat, look for less popular cuts of beef since they are usually much cheaper. I love using both grass-fed organic flank and skirt steak in my cooking; both of these cuts are much more affordable than even what a nonorganic rib-eye steak will run me.

See even more grocery shopping tips for saving money after the break

Find Organic, Sustainable, and Local Fare With the Eat Well Guide

Heather Dale — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:51:53 PDT

One of the ways you can celebrate Earth Day is by making a conscious effort to eat local and organic foods. I recently found an online directory called the Eat Well Guide that allows you to enter your zip code and a keyword, category, or product, and you are given access to family farms, grocery stores, restaurants, farmers markets, u-pick orchards, co-ops, and more - making it that much easier to eat locally grown food.

With this useful website you can also download handy customized guides, find delicious recipes, upload an Eat Well Guide widget to your website or iGoogle page, learn about ways to advance the green movement, plan a healthy road trip, and find local food and farming events in your area.

Why go local? Food grown close to home is healthier, tastes better, helps reduce your carbon footprint, and often has less pesticide exposure. You will also be supporting your local farms and community, which are more likely to use sustainable farming practices. Cheers to yummy, nutrient-rich food!

An Organic Cheat Sheet That's Cute to Boot

FitSugar — Mon, 03 May 2010 08:00:51 PDT

I'm all about having a little help when I go shopping. I use my Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch pocket guide to know what fish at my market is sustainable. And since I can't afford to buy everything organic, I try to stay away from conventional produce that is high in pesticide contamination and choose their organic counterparts instead.

The Environmental Working Group came up with two lists to help shoppers know what to look for when buying produce. The "clean 15" is made up of conventional produce that's low in pesticides, and the "dirty dozen" are foods that you should always buy organic. Heidi Kennedy, who is behind the cute crafts blog My Paper Crane, turned these lists into the handy pocket guide seen here. I've already printed one out and laminated it so that I always have this guide on me whenever I might be shopping.

Kirstie Alley Lost 20 Pounds With Organic Elixir?

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 04:30:38 PST

Is it me or does it seem like Kirstie Alley's weight is always in the news? She's losing weight, then gaining it, and now she's lost some again. According to People magazine, Kirstie has dropped 20 pounds off her frame. She has narrowed down her issues and knows her "two biggest hurdles in weight loss and maintenance are cravings and too big of an appetite." To get back on the road to a healthy figure, she's developed a weight-loss program that specifically deals with those two issues. It's called Organic Liaison, and it's the first ever USDA-approved certified organic weight loss program. The plan is designed to be healthy, easy, convenient, tasty, affordable, and something you can stick with for the rest of your life.

I was excited to hear all this, until I found out that the "program" is really just a bunch of supplements. The Rescue Me elixir is a formula "packed with essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients, [which] helps to reduce cravings while giving you an energy boost." Kirstie basically says it works because it's organic, and when you drink it, you won't be hungry so you end up losing weight. I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it. I am not a fan of weight loss supplements, organic or not.

Apparently the program is working for Kirstie, and her progress will be chronicled on her new reality TV show, Kirstie Alley's Big Life, which debuts March 21. Tell me, do you think these weight loss products will get her healthy once and for all, or do you think it's just another turn on her roller coaster weight loss ride?

Speak Up: What Foods Do You Insist on Being Organic?

FitSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:47:00 PDT

Buying mostly organic foods was top on my priority list, that is until the economy took a nosedive. It's way too pricey now so for some foods, I buy the less-expensive, conventional variety. There are still a handful of foods I only buy organic though such leafy greens, root veggies (carrots), and fruits I don't peel (tomatoes, blueberries, and apples). Since these foods are often eaten raw, I'd rather they be exposed to the least amount of pesticides.

I'm OK with buying conventional cheeses, yogurt, and eggs, but as soon as the economy gets better, I'll be sure to place more organic foods in my cart. What about you? What foods do you insist on being organic?

How Often Do You Buy Organic Produce?

FitSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:30:00 PDT

Going grocery shopping feels like it can break your bank these days. Food costs have been rising steadily in the wake of rising fuel costs and many of us are experiencing sticker shock in the organic aisles.

As it happens, when you are trying to live on a budget or save some money, organic food can feel like, I hesitate to say this, a luxury.

What I want to know is . . .

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Who Owns Organic Food Brands?

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:45:00 PDT

When buying organic and natural-food brands, such as Kashi and Naked Juice, you may think you're supporting small, independent companies. But often these brands are actually owned by major conglomerates: Kellogg, in the case of Kashi, and Pepsi for Naked Juice.

I was excited to find this very cool chart in the latest issue of Good magazine, which breaks down most of the major natural brands by their corporate owners. For the details,

Some of these definitely did not surprise me: I figured that Morningstar Farms had a corporate owner, and I've read before that Muir Glen is owned by General Mills. However, I had no idea that the Heinz subsidiary Hain Celestial owned so many small companies! Westsoy, Casbah, Shariann's, and more. Check out the entire chart here.

I'm not suggesting you should avoid these brands just because they have corporate owners. But it might help you decide where to put your money if there are certain companies whose policies you disagree with. I'm curious, does corporate ownership affect your buying habits?

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Living and Raw Foods Diet

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 03:30:00 PDT

I've been hearing a lot about people on a Raw Foods Diet. It's also called a Living Foods Diet, and many celebrities such as Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson, Bryan Adams, Alicia Silverstone and Robin Williams have reportedly been seen at raw food restaurants and have tried it. Designer Donna Karan and actor Jeremy Piven shed pounds eating raw foods. It was even featured on Oprah.

People following this diet (or you could also say "lifestyle", since there are a lot of folks that eat RAW not to lose weight but for the philosophy) eat only uncooked, unheated, unprocessed, and organic plant based foods. Well...food that has not been heated above a certain temperature. It varies within the different raw food philosophies, but the end range temperature is in between 92ºF to 118ºF (33°C to 48°C). Meals consist mainly of organic and raw fruits, vegetables, sprouted seeds and grains, sea vegetables, nuts, and seeds since they believe cooking destroys precious vitamins and minerals. For instance to eat grains, instead of cooking them, they are soaked. Raw foodies believe their uncooked foods contain essential enzymes, which the body needs to digest foods completely.

They drink only purified water (never tap water), freshly made juices (made with a juicer), and coconut milk. They avoid meat, dairy, sugar, alcohol, coffee (because you make it with boiling water), and all junk food. They only eat foods that are good for you, you know, the ones that are full of vitamins and nutrients.

Why eat just raw and living foods? It is said that you'll have more energy, think more clearly, have improved overall health, and lose excess body weight. Many people have also found relief from migraines, acne, asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, heartburn, anxiety, and Type 2 diabetes.

Fit's Tips: If you want to learn more about it, check out Alissa Cohen's website all about The Raw Food Diet. She even includes recipes for burgers, pizza, cannolis, and chocolate cake - all made with raw foods and no animal products.

Want to see a video showing how to make a pasta dish with raw foods? Then

Source

Do You Avoid Eating Late at Night to Prevent Weight Gain?

Leta Shy — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:18:46 PDT

On one hand, knowing how to eat right can be simple - eat when you're hungry, and stick to nutritious foods that fill you up and keep you satisfied. But another component of playing the weight loss game is when you eat, and that's when things can get complicated.

While studies have proven that eating late at night doesn't automatically lead to your body storing more fat, a new study in mice has found a link between when you eat and weight gain. Researchers looked at two groups of mice, both of which were fed the same amount of a high-fat diet, and found that the mice who were only allowed to eat during an eight-hour period during the day ended up gaining less weight than the mice that were allowed to eat the same amount of food any time during the day and night.

Researchers believe that the difference in weight gain is due to the fact that the body's organs operate at peak efficiency at different times, so everything from your liver to your muscles may be burning more calories and working harder depending on the time of day or night. Frequent eating throughout the day and night, they say, may throw off your body's metabolic cycles, so you may be more successful with weight loss if you stop eating at a certain point during your day (even if you are eating the same amount of food).

This newest study is just one more piece of information in the late-night eating debate, but the theory hasn't been tested on humans yet. And it's important to note that this study doesn't prove the myth that you shouldn't eat past a certain time to avoid your food turning into fat - the study is just saying that restricting when you eat to a certain time period may help regulate your metabolic cycles. In any case, what's your take on the issue: do you avoid eating late at night to prevent gaining weight?