Popcorn - A healthier way

My kids and I love popcorn.  It can be a healthy cheap snack.  We all know movie popcorn is super bad for you with all the salt and oils they put on the popcorn, but what lot's of people don't know is that microwave popcorn isn't a good alternative.

Popcorn bags have lots of chemicals in them, one being perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). When the bag is heated up in the microwave PFOA can leach into your popcorn.  PFOA's are "part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA," says Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy group. 


As for the butter flavor, that is typically from a chemical called diacetyl.  This chemical is thought to cause lung cancer in factory workers.



So what do you do instead?  The stovetop is one option, another is an air popper.  Mine is almost 10 years old now, and it recently died.  With no budget, I looked to my microwave for answers.  I'm green on a budget, remember?  Whole Foods has these little paper bags right next to their check out.  I grab a few on my way out just for popcorn.


I put about a half a cup of organic popcorn kernels in the bag and set it for 3 minutes and thirty seconds.  I have enough popcorn for the kiddos and I to have a yummy afternoon snack.

Melt some pure organic butter, and some sea salt and you have a divine snack.  Get creative, add some herbs like dill, or oregano to the mix.  Sugar and cinnamon make a good mix too.  The possibilities are endless.  All with the healthful twist of knowing what your eating.

What's your favorite flavor?

Growing Herbs: Jaime Oliver

I have been a long time fan of Jaime Oliver. He has huge dreams that I hope come to fruition. Have a fantastic weekend!!

Dropping Sugar?

While in Florida over the weekend, I had a brief conversation with my sister in law about sugar and purging it from your body for health reasons.  She said one thing that stuck with me, sugar has a horrible impact on the environment.  Why didn't I know this??

According to the World Wildlife Fund, over 145 million tons of sugar is produced in over 120 countries each year.  It does take it's toll on the environment, especially the delicate ecosystems near the equator. The clearing of land for plantations has lead to a lack of biodiversity, and the use of pesticides has contributed to the destruction of coral reefs.

It didn't surprise me after reading some of this that my sister in law learned of this, due to the huge environmental impact of sugar in the Florida Everglades.  Pesticide runoff has caused a diverse subtropical forest to become a lifeless marshland.  I encourage you to read the WWF's report here.

So, what changes can we make as consumers to encourage more responsible sugar farming?  The first is to simply use less sugar.  It is in everything, so limiting processed foods, and cooking everything ourselves is a great start.  My biggest weakness is coffee, and my new goal will be to have it BLACK.  I currently add my organic half and half, and organic sugar to my coffee.  I'm thinking taking both of those out alone may add to weight loss, and other health benefits.  I will slowly add less and less sugar to my coffee until there is none.

You can also switch to organic sugar.  Organic sugar will have been grown without the use of pesticides, limiting water pollution.  It also is less processed, meaning there will be trace amounts of vitamins and minerals in your sugar.  There are even other sources of less processed sugar, such as Sucanat and Rapadura.  On a side note, I have yet to find an artificial sweetener that I am comfortable with.  The options in my house are organic sugar, or honey.

What do you know about the environmental impact of sugar?  What changes have you made for your health, and for the health of the environment?

High Fructose Corn Syrup -- the debate

This morning I ran across an article that talked about how the makers of High Fructose Corn want to change their name to Corn Sugar in hopes to shed their negative reputation.  I listen to their ads on the T.V. with disgust, it all just sounds like propaganda to me.  So, what is the truth?  Do you avoid it, or is it really fine in moderation like they say?

High Fructose Corn Syrup is a mixture of glucose and fructose which play two different roles in your body.  Glucose is a simple sugar that is transported in the blood and is used by your body for energy.  This is what diabetics test for when they test their blood sugar.

Fructose is a "fruit sugar" and is the primary carb in fruit, and honey.  It does not stimulate insulin secretion and it does not require insulin to be transported into cells like other carbs do.  This causes a problem in the body because insulin controls the hormone Leptin, which tells your body when to stop eating.  With out your body telling you to stop eating, this could lead to weight gain.

What I've noticed over the years is that it's simple to drink a can of soda.  It's gone before you know it, and you reach for another, right?  I cut out soda a couple of years ago to avoid these empty calories, however recently I've allowed myself to have one soda now and then as long as it does not have high fructose corn syrup.  What I saw is that I end up nursing it all day.  Anyone try those throw back sodas when they came out last year or so?  Too sweet for you?  How about that big piece of wedding cake?  Can you finish it with out feeling sick?  That's the signal that's missing from high fructose corn syrup, and I avoid it like the plague.

So they want to change their name to Corn Sugar?  I think that's just deceitful.  It's time for High Fructose Corn Syrup to go away.  Read your labels, it's in everything.

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Organic Strawberries

Long long ago, way back when I was in college (ok, not that long ago) I had a sweet little lovebird. Researching what her diet should be, I was surprised to learn that strawberries were a no-no because of the pesticides put on them. This was the very beginning for me some ten years ago to question what we eat.

Strawberries this year are ranked number three on the Daily Green's Dirty Dozen. Having grown these luscious yummies, I can see why. When on the ground, strawberries are a yummy treat for everything. They'll get slugs burying holes through them, squirrels take off with them, everything loves strawberries. Can you blame them?

For a home grower, simple precautions can keep your berries all for you. First, try them in a container. Sometimes as the plant ages, containers can get too constricted, so if you must put them on the ground keep a close eye on them. They should have some kind of fence around them, and for any berries getting ready to turn red like this one here from my daughter's strawberry bush, put a plastic card or something underneath it. This will keep the slugs and bugs away.

Last fall, hubs and I took the kids to Florida to visit some family. My like-minded brother took us to one of his favorite places The Girl's Strawberry Patch. I had never been to an organic strawberry patch before, and seeing how they stack the strawberries up like that in rows, I can see why they don't need pesticides. You don't even need to bend over and pick them. A very neat place.

In the end, I would strongly suggest you do you're own research. My children either eat organic strawberries, or they don't eat strawberries. It's really that simple.

Quinoa -- easy healthy eating

This week we adventured a bit with food and tried some Quinoa based off my best friend's suggestion. I am a believer now, and it will definitely become a staple in this house.

So why is this a health food? First, it's a great source of vegetable protein; it contains iron, magnesium, copper and phosphorous. It is a whole protein, as an in and out vegetarian, I know this is key, making this a fantastic alternative to beans and rice, or soy (which I avoid like the plague!). It contains omega fatty acids, which the typical American doesn't get enough of.

Here is another link to the recipe we tried this week. If anyone else has any quinoa recipes that are yummy, please share. If you haven't tried this yummy grain, I can't recommend it enough.


Sources:
1. The world's healthiest foods
2. Quinoa.net

Home-made Jello -- Part One

Recently I had been feeling guilty, thinking my obsession with whole foods was taking something from my children. That they weren't able to enjoy the things I did as a kid. So, I've been brainstorming ideas that were better alternatives. The first one I came up with was home made jello.

This first option for jello is made with plain store bought Gelatine. The alternative is to use Agar Agar, which I'm still trying to find. The issues I have with gelatin is what it's made from. If you don't know, you should have a look.

You will need one packet per cup of juice, and 3/4ths of all your juice needs to be brought to a boil. I tried for a small amount of jello, so I used two cups of juice. I stuck 1 and a half cups in the microwave, and nuked it for 4 minutes to bring it to a boil. While I was waiting on that, I put the two packets of gelatin in the remaining half cup of juice and stirred.



Then I poured the piping hot juice in a bowl, and combined it with the cold juice and mixed. Then stuck it in the fridge to cool for about two hours. I used a mix of lemonade and white grape juice for the flavoring. It could have used a little more sugar, but we didn't add any extra. If your kids are used to sweet desserts, you may want to add a few tablespoons of sugar, or other sweeteners. You can use any kind of juice, and if you want to experiment with adding fruit, you can definately do that too.

Part two will be the comparison of regular gelatin and Agar Agar. Hopefully the kids won't know the difference.

Issues with Food Coloring

Different colors in foods are made from many different things. Some of these things, are gross, others are potentially hazardous. I have done my best to avoid food coloring in my children's lives for as long as I could remember. Here's a few of some common food coloring found in food in the USA.

Red No. 4, also known as Carmine is produced from the cochineal insect. The insects are crushed to collect their dyes, which were originally used to dye clothes, but have made it's way to food too. Other then knowing your eating bug guts, this particular dye is not acceptable by vegetarians.

Red No. 3 is made of erythrosine, is a coal tar compound. (Nasty!) There is concern that it may be carcinogenic, and has been associated with thyroid tumors in lab rats.

Red No. 40 (Allura Red) is made of petroleum (yikes!!), and has been associated with increases in hyperactivity, and ADHD in children. This food coloring is outlawed in some European Nations.

Yellow No. 5 is made of tartrazine, which is also a coal tar compound. People with asthma, or aspirin sensitivity should avoid this dye, which pretty much lends to it not being very good for any of us.

Yellow No. 6 (Sunset Yellow) is also made of a coal tar compound. It is a sulfinated version of Sudan I which is a carcinogen. It has been outlawed in many countries in Europe.

Blue No. 1 (Brilliant Blue) like the others, is made of a coal tar compound. It is poorly absorbed in the gastro-intestinal tract, and can react with certain bile pigments to form green feces. (poo!)

Green No. 3 is a Triarylmethane dye, which mean it's derived from Triphenyl methane. This dye has been found to create tumors and has a Mutagenic effect. (Holy steaming potatoes batman!!) The European Union has outlawed this dye for food.

Our family has been doing our best to be food coloring free for about 7 years. I am by no means an expert, so I've provided a bunch of links I used to read up on it. We aren't perfect (who is???) and of course now and then we slip and have something with food coloring. We jump right back on that wagon though, it's definitely a lifestyle change.


Sources:
1. Wise Geek
2. Wikipedia

CSA -- Community Supported Agriculture

I know it's been a while since I've posted, life has kept me busy and enjoying the beautiful spring weather. My garden is growing and hopefully I can convince my children that sugar snap peas are delicious right off the vine before they're gone!!

In recent weeks my husband has come more on board with some of the things that I've been talking to him about with food for years. He heard an interview with a local radio host on his way to school about a movie called Hungry for Change. When I started my natural food diet about 6 years ago, it was met with critism from my family. My husband lovingly humored me, and my parents thought oddly enough I was doing a disservice to my children. My mom last year told me she saw an article about food coloring and the unknown effects on the brain, causing hyperactivity in children and more. Even more scarier is the information found here about MSG.

My simple approach to all of this information is to purchase organic products that are as local as possible, and to do any processing at home. I was lucky enough to stumble across a local organic farm, and gladly purchased a share in their CSA. Yesterday was my first pick up and I had a huge brown bag full of vegetables. I had to work yesterday, so I didn't get to eat any of them until last night. I found a swiss chard recipe and cooked up about half of the beautiful rainbow chard she sent. My children thought the chard was special because of the pinks and yellows from the stems. I nibbled on the bag of sugar snap peas while I cooked, and my husband was a trouper. He tried everything, and didn't really like it. He tasted the sugar snaps, and wasn't a fan, and even tried the chard recipe...(which I'm making again btw...it was AMAZING!)

This summer will be excited foodwise I think because of this. I'll be trying vegetables I think I never would have otherwise. Today I'll be cooking some escorole in some soup with some lentils and a botched batch of bread. The snap peas I'm sure will be gone, good thing I have a vine of my own still producing like crazy. More soon, hopefully I won't be a stranger!