Who Knew Chia Pets Could Be So Good For You?

Have you ever owned a Chia pet? Have you ever gifted a Chia pet? Come on admit it. Those warm fuzzy little pets that sprout afros are just too cute to pass up! I personally love my Obama Chia pet, given to me by a close friend with a great sense of humor.

What I never realized is that the seeds that grow the flowering herb are very high in nutritional value. In fact, Chia is grown specifically for its seed and not just for our cute little Chia pets! Its grown to supplement our diets and give back those ever import Omega-3 fatty acids.

Wikipedia: "Salvia hispanica, commonly known as Chia, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala. Folklore attests it was cultivated by the Aztec in pre-Columbian times, and was so valued that it was given as an annual tribute by the people to the rulers. It is still used in Mexico and Guatemala, with the seeds sometimes ground, while whole seed is used for nutritious drinks and as a food source."

The Latin American population has known about this seed for centuries and now we can tap into its health benefits as well. There is a new product that was just introduced to me called Mila. It was given to my husband as a trial and he has been taking a tablespoonful of it religiously every day for the past 6 months with the hopes of reducing his cholesterol levels and getting off his medication.

This is a comparison between Mila and some of the superfoods that are an essential part of our diet:

Mila has:
8X more Omega-3 than Wild Atlantic Salmon
6x more calcium than milk
3x more iron than a serving of spinach
2x more potassium than a banana
15x more magnesium than a stalk of broccoli
2x more fiber than bran flakes
6x more protein than kidney beans
4x more selenium than flax seeds
Higher level of antioxidants than what's found in blueberries

Now I am not asking you to replace any of these amazing foods with Mila, however adding a tablespoonful to your juice will enhance your diet significantly.

Here are some of the health benefits of Mila:
Heart Health - Omega-3's can help to lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, stabilize arrhythmias, increase HDL's and is a natural blood thinner.

Weight Loss - tryptophan can reduce appetite naturally.

Lowering Blood Pressure - vasodilatory effect on arteries.

Menopause - can help reduce symptoms such as hot flashes.

Prostate Health - fiber and Omega-3's.

Gastro-Intestinal Health - its a hydrophillic colloid which aids in digestion by lining the stomach
Bone Health - ladies, this will be the only calcium supplement you need

Mental Health - Omega-3 can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative brain complications (I have been giving my children Cod Liver Oil which is high in Omega-3 since they were 6 months old and I truly believe it has helped with their brain development. My 3 year old has an intelligence level of an 8 year old in some subjects).

Blood sugar - can help to control diabetes.

Prenatal Health - can be taken as a supplement to your pre natal vitamin. As I mentioned above, Omega-3's are essential for baby's brain development and I took fish oil when I was pregnant with them.

Breast Health - Omega-3's contribute to healthy breast tissue.


So all these benefits and nutrients are packed into this little ground up seed and are at your disposal everyday. Mila uses the highest quality Chia seeds which are essentially taken from the farm to your table. They use independent lab analysis to ensure that their product is as pure and high quality as they say it is.

If you are interested in learning more about this wonderful seed, please visit : www.lifemax.net/susanstuart

Who knew a funny little plant could do such great things for your health? You'll never look at a Chia Pet in the same way, I promise.

The Health Benefits of Alkaline Foods

When I was up in NY this past winter I noticed a gallon of alkaline water in my parent's refrigerator. I decided to drink some. It tasted really 'wet' but other than that it was just water. I asked my mother why she had this and her answer was quite simple, "Because its really healthy". Interesting. Apparently the water helps to make your blood more alkaline because many of the processed junk foods we include in our diet are very acidifying and can cause something called acidosis (where the pH of the blood is less than 7). Acidosis, if left untreated can be very serious and can deplete the immune system, leaving us vulnerable to all types of sickness, fatigue and even cancer. Acidic blood also contributes to osteoporosis and for women this is a big deal. I had no idea how the pH balance in our blood could be the root cause of health vs. sickness and I wanted to know more. Exactly how does one's blood really become acidic?

"Acidification in the body comes as a result of three primary things.

1. Eating too many acidifying foods, which create an acid ash in your body. This is where proper diet comes in. By eating a diet of 80% alkalizing foods, you'll eliminate the production of excess acid in your body.

2. Microforms like bacteria, yeast and fungi create acidic toxins in your body. Not only do they "show-up" in an acidic body, they also pollute and further acidify your body. For this reason, it is important to cleanse and detoxify your body in order to jumpstart the process of balancing your pH.

3. Being depleted of the necessary alkaline buffers such as minerals that neutralize acids, and ions that help to conduct energy and regulate fluid pH. By increasing your intake of alkaline supplements and alkaline, ionic water you will replenish your body's capacity to neutralize excess acids." - David Whelan, Christopher Vassey, author of The Acid - Aklaline Diet For Optimal Health 

Now, how do you know if your blood is acidic or alkaline? Its pretty simple to find out. There are pH strips that you can get at your local drugstore. Just urinate on them and you'll know if your are acidic or not. Blood tests are even more accurate but you would need your doctor to have one ordered for you.

Other ways of telling if you have acidosis are by the symptoms:

Overweight
It is known that acid gets stored in fat cells. As a defense mechanism, your body may actually produce fat cells to protect you from your overly acidic condition. To protect itself from potentially serious damage, the body creates these fat cells to store the acids and carry them away from vital organs. Those fat cells and cellulite deposits may actually keep acid wastes at a safe distance from your vital organs. Many people have found that a return to a healthy alkaline inner biological terrain helps them losing excess fat.

Joint Pain and Arthritis
All substances left by the metabolizing process are acidic and toxic; therefore these have to be neutralized by alkalizing elements, e.g. calcium ions, sodium ions, and lithium ions, among which calcium is the most important. Calcium ions are positively charged ions which are constantly looking for acid, to form calcium carbonate in our body. Calcium carbonate is harmless and will be moved out of the body, providing our body fluid pH is alkaline. Otherwise, it is being deposited around body joints. If the calcium ion level is low in the blood and body, excess acid will remain in our body and will lead to numerous health problems, like Join Pain or Arthritis.

Osteoporosis
Many people think they can eliminate osteoporosis by increasing their consumption of milk and dairy products. But in fact the instances of osteoporosis are rare in countries where the consumption of dairy products is very low. So osteoporosis is an acidosis problem. As the body becomes more acidic, our body tries to remain healthy to protect us against heart attacks, illness, strokes or even cancer. In doing so, it takes calcium from the teeth, bones and tissues, making them weak and brittle.

Underweight
Yeast and fungus produced in an acidic environment can feed on our nutrients and thus reduce the absorption of everything we eat by as much as 50%. Without protein the body can’t produce enzymes, hormones or other chemical components necessary for cell energy and organ activity. This causes people to become very thin, which is not healthier than being overweight. As alkalizing and oxygenating takes place, the body naturally begins to seek its own ideal weight.

Low Energy and Chronic Fatigue
When having our cells constantly exposed to an overly acidic environment our biological terrain's oxygen level drops, leaving us tired and fatigued. This will allow parasites, fungus, bacteria, mold and viral infections to flourish and gain a hold throughout the body.

Heart attack
If our internal biological terrain is exposed to excessive acidity, bacteria and/or fungi and/or viruses can attach themselves to the inner walls of arteries. This can attract white blood cells, causing proteins and cells to clot. In this way a plaque forms in the artery, thus narrowing the artery and restricting the flow of blood, nutrients and oxygen to the tissues supplied by that artery. Should that happen to the coronary artery, a heart attack can occur.

Allergies
The toxins produced within an acidic, oxygen deprived environment as well as the absorption of undigested proteins is major cause of allergy conditions. When the digestive system is weakened, a wide range of allergic reactions can occur, e.g. food allergies, and the overall susceptibility to allergens is increased.

Acne
There are many different forms of acne, and not few are linked to an unhealthy diet. Especially foods that are highly acidic tend to cause acne.

Frequent Colds, Bronchitis, Infections, Headaches
Only when our pH level is fairly balanced, the binding of oxygen to the hemoglobin protein of our red blood cells in the lungs operates. If the pH is too acidic, microbes in our respiratory systems can grow much more easily, and in that way cause bronchitis, pneumonia and sinusitis, and invade our cell system. This can result in cough, bronchial spasms (asthma), colds, infections and headaches.

We can help our bodies overcome this state of acidification by changing our diets. Here is a list of foods that are alkaline and help to balance out the pH of the blood. Make note of this list and try to incorporate these foods into your diet.

Vegetables:
Asparagus
Beets
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrot
Celery
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Dulce
Eggplant
Garlic
Green Olives
Kale
Kelp
Lettuce
Spinach

All types of grasses that can be juiced - Wheatgrass is especially great

Most fruits. Although if you are acidic already, stay away from fruits until you can get your body back to an alkaline pH. This is due to the excess sugar that is contained in fruits.

Grains:
Quinoa
Brown Rice
Buckwheat

Dairy:
All RAW dairy is alkalizing, once its pasteurized it becomes acidifying

Sweetners:
Agave
Raw sugarcane
Molasses
Raw Honey
Stevia

Beverages:
Alkaline Water
Fresh Juices (just squeezed not pasteurized)
Green, Herbal Tea

Acidic Foods - foods to stay away from or eat in moderation:
Black Olives
Corn
Mushrooms
Squash
Pickles

Oat
Wheat
Pasta
Barley
White Rice
All processed cookies and crackers

All Meat
All cakes and muffins
All artificial sweetners
Coffee
Soda
Black Tea
Alcohol
Everything Pasteurized

So keep an eye on your blood pH. If you are acidic and can return your body to a natural alkaline state, you may just see many of your ailments go away. I had no idea about any of this and am thankful to my mother for uncovering such important knowledge!

More "Junk" Food Going Natural

Frito Lay. I've got to give it to them. They know when there's a hot button in the market place and they aren't too big to press it. According to this WSJ article, many processed snacks made by the PepsiCo. subsidiary are getting stripped down to only natural ingredients that can be found in anyones kitchen. Some of the brands getting the makeover are Lay's flavored potato chips, Tostitos tortilla chips, multigrain SunChips and Rold Gold pretzels. So instead of Red dye #40, we will start to see beet juice on the ingredient list. No more MSG either. Apparently their target is looking for healthier processed foods, which is an oxymoron to me but what the hell. If it 'feels' better than it must be better, right?

I actually commend the company for making this move. Synthetic chemicals have no place in our foods and really should be avoided at all costs. So if natural juices are replacing these nasty chemicals then great. However, the snacks are still loaded with fats and oils and should not be considered to replace healthy options in ones diet.  I am sure they will not replace any soy based oils that they use to cook these chips in. Please read some of my older posts on soy and how when its processed it can act like an estrogen in our bodies. This is very unhealthy for growing children, the ones who unfortunately, will be eating the snacks.

So, what does all this boil down to? I see it as a baby step towards our ultimate goal - truly healthy food. Americans are not about to give up their salty processed goodness just yet so steps like this are good ones. Ones to be promoted and applauded. However, we should not be fooled. These snacks are really no healthier than they were before. They just won't be contributing to the development of cancer in our bodies anymore.

Plastic Domination

If you are like me, you have an entire cabinet in your kitchen dedicated to plastic food containers. Most without lids and some starting to cloud from overuse. I had every size and shape according to the types of things I was going to store in them. And on occasion (well, more than I'd like to admit) I would heat the leftovers in the microwave while still in these containers. That was until I had kids. For some reason we don't care what poisons we put into our bodies until we have our beautiful children and then all bets are off. We suddenly become very aware of all the dangers around us and want to protect our offspring from any remote chance of cancer or disease that could possibly plague them 40 years down the road. The problem is that we don't really know how long it will take for plastics to cause disease in our bodies. Not enough studies have been done. But one thing is for sure: some of these plastics ARE toxic.

So if you want to be sure that you are not harming your body or your family's, throw out all your plastic containers and start using glass or ceramic. Its great because they are indefinitely reusable which is good for your pocketbook and good for the environment too. Also, never put any plastic in the microwave, EVER. The heat can cause leaching into the food that you are heating and will contaminate it. I don't know the ultimate affects on the body, but it just sounds so unnatural to me that common sense tells me to avoid it. Last, plastic is notorious for getting microscopic scratches and nicks during use and washing. These crevices are the perfect place for bacteria to hide and grow. Over time, even if you think your plastic cups are clean, they are most likely harboring nasty bacteria that could make you sick. Throw them all out and buy new (if you must use plastic) or buy glass.

Now, to make sense of all those numbers on the bottom of your plastic containers. I took the following from a friend and I think it defines each type of plastic nicely as well as gives 12 tips on safer plastic use. Its a little long, but worth the read. Throw out all the numbers they deem as toxic. The companies that produce this stuff won't tell you and apparently neither will our government. No one is looking out for us so we need to be our own health advocates.

"Although the apron-wearing, martini-bearing, housewife-in-heels with her rainbow of Tupperware may be a thing of the past, the quest for a well-organized kitchen persists. To see tidy stacks of food-filled plastic containers in the fridge and freezer is comforting in a primal kind of way. But then comes the procession of warnings about storing and cooking food in plastic, and leaching chemicals, and hormone disruption, and ACK!"

"So here it is: The lowdown on plastic food containers. Flip over your favorite plastic food storage container and check the recycling code number. If you spy a number 3 or 7, well, those containers should probably go to the craft room or garage to store buttons or screws rather than food. If there is no number listed, contact the manufacturer. (And to be fair to Tupperware, they do manufacture products that are not made of these plastic types.) Number 3 is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), also known as vinyl. PVC has garnered the moniker "the toxic plastic" for the presence of DEHA -- one of several plasticizers (softeners) used in its production. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, long-term DEHA exposure has the potential to cause: Reduced body weight and bone mass, damage to liver and testes, and cancer. The manufacture and incineration of PVC also releases carcinogenic dioxins into the environment and food chain. Although PVC is not the most common plastic used for food storage containers, some are made from it and it is often used in plastic wrap to improve performance. Recycling code number 7 includes several plastic types (it's the catchall "other" category -- see tips below) but it is predominantly polycarbonate. The problem with polycarbonate is that it harbors bisphenol A (BPA). Studies have shown that BPA damages the reproductive systems of lab animals by interfering with the effects of reproductive hormones and has other serious health effects. BPA's capacity to cause these stems from its ability to mimic the human hormone estrogen -- it has been linked to prostate and mammary gland cancers, early onset of puberty and reproductive-organ defects."

"As might be expected, given the strength of the plastic industry, there is controversy. Although there have been more than 100 studies showing BPA to be a concern, the plastics industry says it is harmless. The FDA admits that "substances used to make plastics can leach into food," but they maintain that the levels are safe. Safe? Yes, leaching petroleum by-products and toxic chemicals in your food are safe -- don't worry! Now why doesn't that sound right? If, like me, you find the FDA a rather lackadaisical regulator, why not follow these tips for safer plastic use? (Don't forget, there is also that little environmental issue with plastic to keep in mind.) And while some may want to skip the plastic-food relationship altogether, it is a hard habit to break. Many of these tips don't exclude the use of plastic, but rather offer the safest options."

12 tips for safer plastic use:
1. Know your plastics. Plastic items are marked with a resin identification coding system (the number surrounded by arrows), which stand for: 1 polyethyelene terephthalate (PETE) 2 high-density polyethylene (HDPE) 3 vinyl, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) 4 low-density polyethylene (LDPE) 5 polypropylene (PP) 6 polystyrene (PS) 7 other (includes polycarbonate, acrylic, polylactic acid, fiberglass)

2. When you need to use plastic, these are the safer choices to use with food: 1, 2, 4, and 5.

3. Learn to recognize, and then avoid, polycarbonate (number 7) for food usage. Polycarbonate plastics are hard and clear. Common items made from this BPA-containing plastic are food storage containers, baby bottles, water bottles, bowls, and tableware (and the lining inside food and drink cans, by the way).

4. If you don't get rid of all of your plastic, at least retire old plastic containers, especially those that are heavily worn or scratched. Older plastics tend to leach increasing amounts of toxins as they age. Use them to organize and store non-food items.

5. Be careful of serving and storing hot foods or foods made with fats or oils in plastic containers. These foods more readily facilitate the transfer of plastic toxins.

6. Never microwave foods in plastic containers. "Microwave safe" means the container won't melt or warp, but doesn't mean it won't leach. Heating plastics increases the potential for leaching of chemicals into your food.

7. Never microwave food in yogurt tubs, take-out bowls, or other one-time use containers. These containers can warp or melt, possibly causing harmful chemicals to migrate into the food.

8. Avoid using plastic sandwich bags or plastic wrap products.

9. If you must use plastic wrap, make sure it is a brand free of both BPA and PVC. Ziploc, Glad, and Saran are promoted as being free of BPA and PVC -- but remember that these plastics live for 1,000 years in our landfills.

10. Avoid deli-wrap and similar generic packaging since you can't ascertain the plastic type used. When sliced cheese and meats are sold in plastic bags and/or plastic deli-wrap, transfer them as soon as possible to unbleached wax paper or a safe container.

11. Remember that if you are pregnant or nursing, BPA chemicals are passed through your bloodstream directly to your baby.

12. Instead of mixing petroleum (i.e., plastic) with your food, use inert alternatives such as glass and ceramic rather than plastic food storage containers. Reusing jars is a win-win; and you can often find glass storage containers at flea markets and thrift shops. Or simply store food in bowls covered with a plate. Try alternatives like these: Pyrex Food Storage containers Crate and Barrel's Refrigerator Dish Related

I hope this was helpful, if you need any more info, feel free to shoot me an email.

The Diet of a Picky Kid

I have come to the conclusion that my picky toddlers will eventually eat healthy.....eventually. I try my best to get nutrient dense food inside of their bodies but they really make it hard for me. I am going to go out on a limb and disclose their full diets right here - right now - on my Blog. Some of the food that I am going to list may not seem healthy. I battle this with myself constantly. When they were little and without opinions, I could try to sneak in the healthiest foods I could find. Organic baby food, homemade organic baby food - those were easy. But once we moved on, options were exhausted and food limits were set - by my kids. One of my twins won't TOUCH a fruit or veggie. I am not making this up, he freaks if its even on his plate. I continue to offer them but also puree them and pass it off as "apple sauce". He buys it most of the time. I have come to realize that my past militant ways about food were not going to fly with my picky eaters. I was going to have to make concessions and get rid of the guilt. I write this disclosure so that you understand I am not some amazing supermom that manages to get her kids to eat grass fed beef stew with organic veggies picked straight from my garden. Although I have tried this! But in reality, I am a mom who knows what a healthy diet looks like and strives to get there but in the end moderation is key. No one is perfect and frankly its expensive to eat the way we should. So we do our very best. That is all anyone can ask for.

Breakfast at picky eater central: (one of my kids has a mild egg allergy so no eggs here)
Sweet potato pancakes with farm butter and maple syrup
Eggo mini waffles with farm butter and maple syrup
Toast with farm butter and farm jam
Oatmeal with banana/strawberry puree and wheat germ
Maple and brown sugar Oatmeal (organic)
Yo-baby yogurts
Orange Juice
Cheeriosb
Fruit - bananas, apples, strawberries

Lunch in starvation nation:
Veggie burgers with raw milk cheese
Amy's margarita or spinach pizza's (or homemade pizza)
Amy's organic Mac n cheese
Organic no additive hot dogs
Almond butter and farm strawberry jam on whole wheat
Grilled raw milk cheese on whole wheat (if I can sneak tomatoes in there I will)
Grass finished hamburgers
Apple sauce - all kinds
Bolthouse farms organic juice OR
V-8 Splash juice/veggie blends (yes I have decided that they need to get veggies some way)

Dinner at the "No Way!" Diner:
Applegate farm chicken nuggets
Free range chicken parm
Alexia mozzarella sticks (organic)
Pasta and grass finished meatballs
Steamed carrots
Steamed Broccoli
Re fried beans and rice
Ian's letter potatoes
Mashed potatoes
Raw milk

Snacks:
Fruits
Pirates Booty
Veggie straws
Whole grain goldfish (does it even matter?)
Cashews
Watermelon
Earth's Best Letter Cookies - Vanilla (their favorite)
Cut up Muenster cheese
Amy's fruit bunnies

Candy:
We do not keep candy in the house. Only during potty training did I use M&Ms as a reward. Other than that, we make homemade cookies, muffins and cake. My kids take 2 bites and are done. Even ice cream is an occasional treat. They usually reject it. I rarely offer it at home so they never really got the taste for it. However, I don't forbid them from trying it. I believe that if its off limits, it will become a delicacy for them when they can freely obtain it. By forbidding something, you are guaranteeing that it will become a coveted item. Instead, I let them try as a treat but I dont' keep it in the house. This way they are not deprived of the sugary goodness but its kept to a bare minimum.

I think that's it, at least its all I can recall for the moment. Its not a perfect diet and I do give them vitamins. They also get Cod Liver Oil and a pro biotic as I have mentioned in prior posts. From time to time I sneak in some NingXia Red to their juice. Its an amazing supplement and detox.

My plan for the future is to get my non fruit and veggie eater to drink more smoothies. This way I can add all the fruit and veggies I want and he won't even know what hit him.

I feel better getting this all out there. If I were better in the kitchen, I could eliminate ALL the processed foods on this list. Unfortunately, its hard work. Like I said before, I do my best. I try to make it as balanced as possible and as nutritious as possible for the entire family. At least my husband will eat some of the other healthy options I put before him. I hope that one day my picky eaters will decide to do so as well.....

Antibiotic Resistant Superbug - Truth or Fallacy?

I was watching HD Net last night with Dan Rather. I don't know how many of you have watched his mini documentaries but he has made his way back into journalism and I must say that I'm interested in almost everything he reports on. He travels the world to give us an international perspective on some issues that plague us here in the US. Last night it was about antibiotics and their prolific use here in the US.

I remember back in the day when I worked for a large CPG manufacturer that made hand sanitizer containing antibacterial chemicals and people became fearful that products as such could create a "superbug". And ofcourse, the powers that be, shrugged off such none sense and tried to debunk all the theories. Americans went on to happily purchase antibacterial soaps, band-aids, kitchen cleaners and even mattresses that contained chemicals like Triclosan touted to rid them of any and all microbes. God forbid we get infected by these germs!! But in reality, we have been creating antibiotic resistant super bugs all along. Its not very frightening until you find yourself inside a hospital sick from MRSA and there is nothing anyone can do about it!

Who is at fault here? Well, we can't completely blame the doctors because they are at least aware of what is going on. We must take responsibility for ourselves because a lot of the doctors are just trying to make us happy. You bring a kid in with fever, sore throat and a runny nose and you pray that you leave with a prescription because you don't want to have to deal with a sick little child. But what you don't know is that you may be contributing to a larger ecological problem for society.

Traditional antibiotics like penicillin rarely work anymore. There are a few in this family that can work but are very targeted such as amoxicillan and if its necessary, they are the best 1st line of attack for such illnesses like strep throat. However, if given enough time infections like strep can and will clear up on their own. Your child will not die from strep. Especially if they are monitored consistently by their pediatrician.

We as a society have taken more to the broad spectrum antibiotics like Z-pack and Cipro. What was once a drug used only for Anthrax infections is now given out like candy. These broad spectrum antibiotics are what create the resistant bacteria and put our entire society at risk. Z-paks aren't even considered effective anymore due to their widespread overuse. Just ask your doctor and see what answer you get!

More people are dying of MRSA in the US than AIDS/HIV. See Web MD article citing the CDC This is a very scary fact and one we need to take action on. In Norway, 95% of doctors refer to a "redbook" which directs their use of antibiotics in almost every case of illness they see. Antibiotics are highly regulated even at the pharmacy level. Abuse is considered to be an international problem. Because of this militant, protectionist view on antibiotics they have seen only 2 cases of MRSA and both were in people who had traveled abroad. Interesting right? The pediatricians also give "wait and see" prescriptions that don't activate for 3 days. In many cases the infections begin to clear on their own and most of these prescriptions go unfilled. Maybe if we gave some of our illnesses a chance, the same thing would happen to us!

Antibiotics aren't just found at our doctor's office or in products we use, they are also in our food supply. Antibiotics are given REGULARLY to cattle, swine and poultry. They are needed to fight infections that can arise due to the unsanitary living conditions these animals must endure. Antibiotics are also given to farmed fish as well. Its almost impossible to avoid antibiotics unless you make a vigilant effort to find food that does not use them.

The first place to start would be your local sustainable farm. Other sources would be food delivery services like Blue Ribbon Foods Go to Website  . They sell meat with no hormones, no antibiotics, free range and no artificial chemicals. Its a start.

We really do not want to find ourselves in a place where we can't fight deadly infections. Germs in small doses are good for us and help build up our immunity. Get rid of all your antibacterial products. You don't need them. They are just adding to the bigger problem. The WHO (World Health Organization) has prioritized the top 3 health concerns for our globe. They are as follows: AIDS, Tuberculosis and Antibiotic resistant bacteria. Think about this the next time you beg your doctor for a broad spectrum/big guns antibiotic and he gives in.

Farm to Table

Its been a while and I'm sorry for that but the holidays were extra busy and extra frantic this year. There was travel, parties, cooking, hosting and attending all within a mere 31 days. That did not leave me much time for blogging. However, throughout all the madness I was fervently thinking of my next topic. 

Since its the new year, I bet many of you have renewed interest in your health and well being. Maybe some resolutions to remove processed food from your diet? What about fake sugars? Or refined sugars? Its easier said than done especially when these types of foods are an integral part of your diet. But now is the time to make the changes. If not now, when?

When making food choices at home, its easier to control what goes on your table. You know where you get your meat from (at least I do), your eggs and produce. But what about when you eat out? Are you making conscious choices in your restaurants? Do you ask the chef where they procured their meat? I would bet no. And that is because I never did either. I always put eating out in a separate category from my "green" lifestyle. I felt that it was a treat and who really cares where the food comes from or how its cooked. As long as it tastes good, right? Well, not really.....

All the E.coli and salmonella outbreaks of 2010 have me pretty weary of any large scale operation, even restaurants. I have never been one for fast food so we are not even talking Micky D's or Taco Bell. I'm speaking more about sit down restaurants from the cheap eats to the upscale reservations only type. Many of these establishments use less than acceptable quality meat, poultry and produce. Its pretty rare that you would even think to ask where this food came from. I once asked the waiter at Chops if they served grass fed beef and he looked at me like I just landed here from Pluto. Why bother, I thought and just ordered the lobster.

Well there are solutions to this diet dilemma and if you really care about what you eat and want to keep your cheating to a minimum then start looking into farm to table restaurants. They are gaining in popularity as the desire for locally grown has increased. What's even better is that these restaurants are keeping the small local farmer in business. I know this first hand as I wait in line at my farmers market to buy my milk and eggs. Chad sells dozens and dozens of eggs to these small entrepreneurs who value his commitment to organic sustainable farming. Its great to see and makes me want to eat at these restaurants.

For those who are interested in such places, I have put together a small list of some farm to table restaurants here in the Atlanta area (ITP). I will add more as I find them. Its worth checking one out the next time you decide to make reservations. You will be doing your body good as well as the environment and we all know how fabulous that is!

ATLANTA
Dynamic Dish - Edgewood
Radial Cafe - Candler Park
The Shed at Glenwood
Miller Union
Farmburger - Decatur (grass fed burgers)
Cakes and Ale - Decatur
Parish - Inman Park


NYC AREA
The Farm on Adderley - Flatbush Brooklyn
Blue Hill - Greenwich Village
The Green Table - Meatpacking/Chelsea
Back Forty - East Village
ABC Kitchen - Flatiron
MAS Farmhouse - West Village

Happy Eating for the New Year!