FitSugar

The Lowdown on Produce: Dirty Dozen vs. Clean 14

Lizzie Fuhr — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 06:36:42 PDT

With all of the information overload about the state of our current agriculture system, sometimes it's hard to keep the most basic rules straight. Whether you've been buying local produce for some time or you're finally getting serious about avoiding all the crazy pesticides, the Environmental Working Group makes it its job to inform people about which produce is best organic and where you can skip and save some extra dough.

The EWG compiled two lists: Dirty Dozen, which you should always buy organic, and Clean 14, where conventional will do just fine Some of the picks on each list may surprise you! Keep reading to learn the lowdown on pesticides and produce.

26 Beauty Brands Sued Over Use of "Organic"

Jaime Richards — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 11:01:53 PDT

On Thursday, the Oakland, CA-based Center For Environmental Health (CEH) filed a suit against 26 cosmetic companies, claiming the beauty brands have been misleading the public with their misuse of the term "organic."

Even though the California Organic Products Act of 2003 states that any product with an "organic" label on the front must consist of 70 percent organic ingredients (and those with less than 70 percent organic ingredients can only use "organic" on the ingredients list), the CEH discovered that many were in direct violation of the act. (See the full list of claimed offenders here.) Find out what else was discovered when you keep reading.

10 Cozy Organic Baby Blanket Options

Heather Dale — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:02:29 PDT

My first go-to gift for any new mother is always a plush, organic, baby blanket. Regardless of how many blankets she's already been gifted, another baby blanket can never go amiss. When a blanket is organic, the cotton used to make it is free from pesticides, so it is nontoxic and safe for your little one. What's great about all of these luxurious blankets is that they can be used to swaddle your baby, to keep your him warm in his crib, and to cover your lil one while running errands. Here are a few of my favorite organic blankets!

Source: Thinkstock

How to Be an Eco-Conscious, Totally Gorgeous Bride

Noria Morales — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 09:33:46 PDT

Yes, there are ways to add green goodness to your wedding without compromising even a little bit of beauty and sophistication. A crop of sites are dedicated to eco-conscious weddings, supplying sources for everything from the invitations to the flowers. We're focused on your stylish self, of course, and we hunted down gorgeously green options, from conflict-free diamond rings to a romantic hemp and bamboo dress to a recycled veil. Click our slideshow to see just how you can get hitched and help save the world - yes, help save the world - at the the same time.

Wrap Your Baby Bump in Eco-Chic Maternity Finds

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:16:56 PDT

Keep your baby belly under wraps in an eco-chic wardrobe. As Alicia Silverstone has modeled throughout her pregnancy, it's easy to maintain your stylish look while covering your bump in earth-friendly clothes. The mama-to-be, who posed for this gorgeous Vogue photo shoot while expecting, has been touting the green, vegan life through her lifestyle book and site, The Kind Life. Check out our picks for an eco-friendly maternity wardrobe below.

Shop our earth-friendly selections above, clockwise from left: Schone Maternity Justine Top ($65), Childish Organic Elm Maternity Top ($45), Organic B.Low Skinny Maternity Jeans ($60), Butterfly Maternity Wrap ($44), Schone Abigale Maternity Dress ($95), and Pure T Happy About Henley ($57).

Make Chocolate Count: Organic, Fair Trade, and Vegan Picks

Michele Foley — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:40:08 PST

I'm definitely a fan of Valentine's Day, but mostly because I like the excuse to eat chocolate. Besides tasting good, dark chocolate is full of heart-healthy flavonoids (equal to many fruits), can soothe a cough, increase blood flow, and lower blood pressure.

Spread the love even more this holiday by buying my picks for chocolate that's organic, Fair Trade, or health-inspired, and don't forget to throw in a cute card - your sweetie will love you even more for it!

Vosges chocolatier Katrina Markoff fuses her premium chocolates with things like curry, wasabi, and ginger, but we especially like Vosges because of its yoga and chocolate weekend workshops. Make vegan and gluten-free friends happy with the Vosges vegan truffle collection ($25) - with ingredients like agave nectar, organic coconut milk, pomegranate, and acai, this collection is sure to be a hit with health conscious friends.
The handmade Drunken Figs ($35) from Cocoavino are made with red wine and dark chocolate - talk about antioxidant overload! Chocolate from Cocoavino is organic and Fair Trade certified, made with wind power, and sold in eco-friendly packaging.
Forget Nestlé Crunch; Dark Quinoa Chocolate bars ($5) from Alter Eco give you that same crunch except with a tiny burst of protein. Alter Eco sources all of its ingredients from Fair Trade farms and also helps fund community development programs.

To see what other chocolate made the cut,

Sheryl Crow Has an Organic Cookbook, Due Out in March

Susannah Chen — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:20:49 PST

Add rock-country musician Sheryl Crow to the growing list of celebrities-turned-cookbook-authors. Her first compendium of recipes is due out this March.

The tome, cheekily titled If It Makes You Healthy: More Than 100 Delicious Recipes Inspired by the Seasons, is cowritten by Chuck White, her personal chef who's been cooking for her ever since she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It will contain about 125 recipes, designed for Sheryl's hectic schedule, that are grouped by the seasons. Although it won't drop until March 29, it's already available for preorder on Amazon at the price of $29.99.

"I've wanted to do this for a long time," she explained in a video about the book. "I'm not that comfortable in the kitchen . . . so it's great to have recipes that even I can cook." She adds that, in addition to taste, the recipes are about "wellness, and fortifying my immune system."

The recipes - which will include the likes of mojito-braised pork and basil and apple marinated chicken - don't sound run-of-the-mill, and I'm glad that they're being cowritten by an actual chef. Will you buy this book?

Source

How Organic's Really Hitting the Mainstream in 2011

Susannah Chen — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 11:59:01 PST

How will America's food landscape change in the coming year? If two recent articles from MSNBC are any indicator, organic will really hit the mainstream in 2011.

The first details results of an adult consumer survey, which illustrate that while the percentage of people who buy organic over the past two years hasn't budged, what has changed is where they're buying it. Fewer sales are coming from Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and natural foods stores, with more generated at Target and conventional grocers such as Safeway.

Government changes in food policy and the passing of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act will also impact the number of organic vending machines; vending franchises expect "exponential" growth in organics this year, as schools, offices, and gyms trade in Twinkies and Oreos for the likes of gluten-free granola, organic yogurt, and fresh fruit.

Do you anticipate buying more organic in the coming year?

My 2011 Gardening Journey Has Begun!

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 10:52:48 PST

Here's a post from OnSugar blog A Beginner's Journey . . . Gardening:

Last year, I planted my very first vegetable garden too late in the season and was partially impressed. I planted carrots, peas, string beans, okra, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and herbs.

What did manage to grow was quite impressive. However, I was afraid to eat it because I wasn't sure if it was safe (me = beginner). I have since learned that I live in Zone 5 and that I planted an "organic garden." I'd love to do it again so I'm on top of it early this year.

I've already found an awesome website. I'll be sure to share any future good ideas, advice, sources, etc. that I collect along my journey. Thanks for stopping by!

Want to see more? Start following A Beginner's Journey . . . Gardening or start your own OnSugar blog. Maybe your posts will be featured on CasaSugar too!

Navigate Your Way to Healthy Supermarket Shopping

Michele Foley — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:36:19 PST

Eating healthy isn't always as easy as it seems - especially when navigating your way down the grocery aisle. Our tip is to shop the perimeter because it's usually where whole, unprocessed foods are kept like produce and meat. This chart from the healthy eating blog Summer Tomato will make things even easier to decipher. Darya Pino, a food scientist, put together this "supermarket GPS" chart as a way to steer consumers toward the good stuff and away from the crap.

My favorite tips on the chart are to avoid foods that contain more than five ingredients and those with ingredients that you cannot pronounce. It all sort of goes back to Michael Pollan's mantra, which I love: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Source: Summer Tomato