Food
Antioxidants and The Greatest Health Discoveries
Super foods and Supplements are like the stock market – you want to invest over the long term and diversify for best results. With all the attention given to the ‘newest’, ‘greatest’ and ‘exotic’ super foods with mega antioxidants like acai, goji berries, pomegranate and blueberries, you may get sucked into the marketing hype and lose sight of the actual benefit. It’s like greenwashing for healthy foods.
At prices double or triple what you would expect to pay for other healthy fruits and vegetables, it makes you wonder- is this really worth it? The answer is, only if you like the way it tastes, because that is going to be the biggest difference you are going to notice.
While these may be high in a few beneficial antioxidants, you aren’t going to turn into superman consuming them, in fact you may lose out in other important vitamins and minerals by ignoring the less flashy fruits and vegetables.
New and Hot:
Açaí – A berry from the Açaí Palm, found mostly in Central America, has been a staple food of many of the Brazilian jungle dwellers for generations. Far from the antioxidant powerhouse it is marketed as- while it contains more than oranges and apples, it has less antioxidants than the more common blueberry, and black cherry, concord grape or even red wine.
It is a great addition to your existing food selection, but at $5.00 a bottle it’s probably just as healthy as a $1.25 bottle of grape juice.
Goji Berries (Wolfberry) – A berry originating from China has been associated with healing powers and high vitamin C content. Also greatly misrepresented, the dried berry loses a great deal of its potency and are comparable to the levels you would find in a citrus fruit such as an orange or lemon. While tasty, these berries don’t deliver on their lofty health benefits.
Is Organic Food Really Better For The Environment?
Flikr User: Dano
I eat a lot of organic food. In fact, about 80% of the food that goes into my body is organic. I cannot tell you how many times I get teased about eating “dirt” from many of my friends, and even my family. A friend recently quizzed me about my reasons for eating organic. I claimed that one of the reasons I opt for organic food is for environmental reasons and my friend gave me the most flabbergasted look on the planet. He flat out refused to believe that organic food is more environmentally sound than “normal” food. This set me on a quest to defend my position that organic food is better for the environment. So here are the top three environmentally based reasons I choose to eat organic food:
1) Organic farming practices can help decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. According to The Rodale Institute, each acre devoted to organic farming can remove and store around 7,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year. That means if we were to convert all 434 million acres of farmland in the U.S. to organic farmlands, it would be the equivalent to getting rid of 217 million cars, which is about 1/3 of the automobiles in the world, according to the Organic Trade Association .
2) Organic farming uses less energy. According to the same study, organic farming practices use 30% less energy, less water, and obviously no pesticides. Think of all the energy that goes into the production and transportation of pesticides and › Continue reading
Neogreen Insulated Lunch Totes and Kozees
I usually tote my lunch to work in a re-used paper bag, but by the end of the week that bag ends up looking pretty haggard. Thankfully the guys over at Neogreene heeded my call and sent me one of their new eco-friendly insulated lunch tote along with a waterbottle cozy.
Many of you may remember my article a little while back about green neoprene technology, where I first mentioned Neogreene and their laptop sleeves. They have since expanded their line to include lunch totes, water bottle cozies and wine bottle carriers in a spread of color combination’s.
Aside from how green they are, they are also very cool looking and well constructed. I have to be honest in saying the shapes are a bit feminine for me (rounded corners and such make them look a bit like womens handbags) but my girlfriend loves them. I’m not giving up the cozy though- it is perma-plastered to my stainless steel kleen kanteen.
As you may have noticed, all the products have animal names. These are endangered species, a reminder that GreenSmart now donates 10% of net profits to the World Wildlife Fund and other environmental organizations.
Healthy Morning Blender Breakfast
Just wanted to share with you my favorite new breakfast treat from the blender. If you are a smoothie fan, give this one a blend, if not, you will be after tasting this!
Roasted Blueberry Banana Breakfast Smoothie
Yeah, sounds a bit funky, but it’s the best way I could explain it. The roasted flax seeds give it a great toasted flavor which mixes really well with the banana. Great way to get your fiber, Omega 3’s and some potassium with a shot of anti-oxidants.
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1 Organic Banana
1 cup Organic frozen blueberries
1/4 cup Roasted Flax Seeds (I usually get them from Trader Joes)
2 cups Organic Soymilk
1/2 cup Organic Vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup of ice
Blend away!
Do you have a favorite smoothie with a bit of a twist? Share it here in the comments section below.
› Continue reading
Eco-Friendly Friday – Sustainable Sushi n Rice + Tshirts
If you are following me on Twitter, you probably already have seen many of these, so start following @chicecologist for up-to-the-minute eco-friendly updates from The Chic Ecologist. Hope you are having a great Friday, and hopefully this will make it even better!
Sustainable Sushi
If you love sushi like I do, then you should check out Seafood Watch’s sustainable seafood initiative. You may already carry around a pocket guide (or the cool iphone app they have), but now you can help your favorite sushi restaurants also be more aware of the seafood they serve.
You can even get a sushi kit by pledging to get sustainable with your sushi. The kit includes chopsticks, sustainable sushi cards and informational brochures to leave with your sushi chef. For those who don’t know, Seafood watch is a part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a very respected marine institution.
Free Rice
Helping to feed the hungry and improving your vocabulary don’t seem like they go together, but freerice.com pairs them like white on rice. For every correct answer you get, you donate (through their sponsors) 10 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program.
Let me tell you, it gets very addicting, and before you know it you have a bowl-full of rice on the screen. You can even change the subject to different languages, geography, math, chemistry, even art! If you are a teacher, or know a teacher, pass it on to the students- they will love the game-like play and visual rewards. All for a great cause.
T shirt recycling
Andy over at hideyourarms.com put together a great blog article on how to customize and recycle your old t-shirts. From scarfs to dog clothes, pillow cases, underwear and more. Tons of great ideas, videos and how-to’s to reuse those favorite old T’s.
Artisana Organic Raw Cacao Bliss Coconut Butter – CocoNutella
Recommended to me from a friend as a more natural Nutella alternative, but with a coconut instead of hazelnuts, Artisana’s Organic Raw Cacao Bliss Coconut Butter was everything it was hyped up to be, a raw and organic chocolate coconut confection spread that will delight your tastebuds.
If you love chocolate and coconut, then you have to try it. It has the consistency of Nutella, but instead it’s made from raw organic ingredients. It works just well for everything you would use a delicious chocolaty spread for, my favorite is in a crepe with some sliced bananas.
The only ingredients are a blend of organic Coconut Butter, Coconut Oil, Agave, Raw Cacao Powder and Raw Cacao Butter and taste amazing. I bought mine from Amazon, but they are also available from several online stores listed on Premier Organics website.
Organic Vodka and Scotch Whiskey
Organic liquors are the next step in greening your alcoholic beverages. With so few choices in the hard alcohol department, it is refreshing to see these new offerings from Maison Jomere. I was lucky to receive a bottle of each to sample and review before their debut.
While I think their bottle presentation is a bit lacking (as is their website), it is apparent where their true focus is – what’s inside the bottle. While I am not a huge drinker, I do enjoy a quality beverage. I decided to take the bottles to a small gathering of scotch and vodka loving friends to get a variety of opinions.
Make Black Friday a Little Greener – Green Holiday Gifts
Black friday as we all know, is a time to get some great deals for the holidays- well what if you want to make it a bit greener? Shopping for sustainable products can be daunting, which is why we’ve collected a few of the best right here! Eco chic holidays, here we come!
Clothes and Fashion-
Loomstate 'Bering" Crew Sweater from The Green Loop
The Green Loop carries green, organic and sustainable clothing and accessories to dress up your wardrobe. Stylish chic designs that you may not even know about, and some from your favorite designers like Loomstate and Spun. Pivot Boutique carries many of the up and coming designers in the green fashion industry, so if you are looking for something ultra chic (and very sustainable) for that holiday party.
Hobo Tote by City Kitty Design
If accessories are more your style, eco-friendly handbags from City Kitty Design have been a huge hit with those in the fashion ‘know’. Made using vintage and reclaimed materials with impeccable style, it redefines eco chic.
Simply Wood Rings
Jewelry is a popular gift around this time, but why go with the same old- surprise her with something truly unique and beautiful (you don’t have to tell her how green it is). Simply Wood Rings are timeless and meaningful and don’t destroy the earth to produce them.
Chocolate and Nectar-
Everybody needs an indulgence from time to time, so why not make it an experience to remember? Intrigue Chocolates make truffles in flavors you never knew you missed. Each one will leave you wondering why you ever wasted the calories eating anything else. Pair it with a nice organic or biodynamic wine from Napa Valleys Grgich Hills Winery to release the full flavor. Sometimes just a nice beer to enjoy while watching the football games on turkey day is just what the pilgrim ordered. New Belgium Brewery has just the lineup for you, whether its a nice dark stout to warm up those bones, or something light after a big meal- all made by one of the most sustainable brewery’s around.
And to top it all off, maybe a gym membership is in order- to work off all of that holiday food.
Consumption is by its very nature not very green or sustainable, but making that extra effort to find an eco-conscious product goes a long way. This can take many forms including looking for items with little packaging resulting in less waste, taking public transportation to the mall, and of course picking eco-friendly products and gifts.
Exotic Flavor Natural French Truffles – Intrigue Chocolates
Just in time for the holidays, a selection of delicious chocolate truffles for holiday deserts and gifts. I have had just about every flavor offered, and all i can say is WOW. I can guarantee you have never had truffles like these before. They are created in the old French tradition with a light bittersweet cocoa dusting and melt in your mouth immediately forming the complex flavors transporting you to exotic locations.
Intrigue Chocolates emphasize the freshness of ingredients without added preservatives and are always natural and organic whenever possible. Some of the most intriguing truffles are only available seasonally, when produce can be found at local farmers’ markets.
French chocolate truffles – the original – are free of the distraction of the hard shell. Lightly dusted with a premium cocoa powder, the whole morsel fits perfectly into your mouth. The rich flavors unfold as the truffle melts, revealing the natural complexities of the chocolate
Aaron produces alluring exotic flavors such as Chipotle, Peppercorn, Saint Basil and Awesome Assam along with the more traditional Orchid (Vanilla), Sweet Raspberry, and Fresh Mint. My favorites happen to be the Jamaican HOT chocolate (made with habañero peppers and nutmeg with hits of rum), Lady Lavender, Tuaca (Italian brandy flavored with vanilla and citrus), and Vrai Chai (with true chai spices), although i have yet to sample one i haven’t enjoyed. These truffles should be kept cool and eaten fresh, while the flavors and textures are at their peaks.
They make great gifts and party favors for weddings and baby showers, and pair extremely well with different wines. Bring an assortment to your family get together this holiday and you will be sure to be a favorite. I myself like to keep a few in the fridge for myself or as quick thank you gifts. Check out all the different flavors they have to offer, and order some for the holidays before its too late!
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