February 2012
95 posts
Seattle Building Massive Edible Forest Filled with...
Taking urban garden to the next level, Seattle, Washington has officially broken ground on a dedicated seven acre area of city land set to be converted into an “edible forest” that will produce free food for the city’s residents and visitors, human or otherwise. http://dlvr.it/1Fr4d3
Sa-weet! The Sweet Potato Trend
Sweet potatoes are breaking out from their marshmallow prison. Popping up in gourmet dishes at restaurants across the country, those delectable orange spuds are no longer confined to the casserole dish once a year at Thanksgiving dinner.
Today, sweet potatoes can be found starring in a variety of trendy eats from sweet potato hash to sweet potato soufflé to sweet potato stir-fry. And did...
The TV-Guided Diet
We’ve all had it happen: click on the TV in those witching hours between lunch and dinner—or between dinner and bed—and suddenly we’re craving stuffed-crust pizza, triple-decker hamburgers and crispy, crunchy tacos instead of the carefully and healthfully planned food sitting in the fridge. It’s not the end of the world if we indulge those advert-inspired cravings once in a...
Is There Arsenic in Your Organic Baby Formula?
Could there be poison in your baby’s bottle? New research suggests that organic baby formulas sweetened with brown rice syrup may contain high levels of arsenic.
Read more… http://dlvr.it/1FkVGM
Happy Leap Year! 29 Leaps to Take
Risk takers live happier lives. It’s science. But whether you were born with a will to thrill or not, you can learn to leap and take calculated risks in life. You may fail, you may succeed, but at least you know that you have truly lived!
Comfort and security are quite nice, but if you are in a rut and your life needs a kick in the butt, use the extra day that is February 29th 2012 as an...
Dekopon: The Cream of the Seasonal Citrus Crop
Fans of “Seinfeld” might remember the episode where Kramer goes absolutely bonkers over the arrival of the limited Mackinaw peaches, which are only available for two weeks out of the whole year. “It’s like having a circus in my mouth!” he exclaims with crazed enthusiasm. Well, folks, here in California, there’s just as much hubbub going around for a limited seasonal fruit, but it isn’t the...
Vive La France! A Buttery Brioche Recipe
There is nothing quite like brioche. More than sweet, custard-filled éclairs or even buttery, flaky croissants, brioche is my favorite thing from a French pastry window. In Paris, you can get some so-so versions in grocery stores. And certainly in America, the quality of store-bought brioche is never certain. If that’s not enough of a reason to make your own, there’s nothing quite...
Can A Vaccine Prevent Food Poisoning?
Researchers at the University of California, Davis may have discovered the building blocks of a vaccine that can protect against the effects of Salmonella, one of the most common food borne pathogens. The study is published in the most current issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and would offer safety for millions of at risk individuals each year....
17 Hangover Remedies from Around the World
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_Une bouche de bois. __Futsukayoi. Una Resaca. Ein Kater. Una notte da leoni._ A hangover. No matter how you say it, hangovers hurt, literally and psychologically. Your body is in pain due to dehydration and the toxic affects of alcohol, and your brain is asking: “Aren’t we too old for this?”
Whether you have a mild headache and dry mouth or your whole body is pounding in pain as the room...
Major Food Service Provider Takes Huge Stand...
The Bon Appétit Management Company announced a commitment to stop serving pork products from pigs raised in controversial gestation crates and any eggs from egg-laying hens raised in battery cages all of its 400 locations in 31 states. http://dlvr.it/1FQX8S
What the Herb Is a Garden Cloche?
Whether you’re a newbie or an expert gardener, nothing makes gardeners feel as glum as finding their recently sprouted plants annihilated by a bout of bad weather. What’s a hopeful organic food and flower cultivator to do?
Use a cloche, of course! Used by savvy gardeners to cover and protect their fragile seedlings, a cloche, which comes in various forms, can save you from some early...
Contain Yourself! 5 Tips to Keep Your Drawers...
You don’t always need special tools and gadgets to help contain your drawers! They can help, but so can a few basic steps. Think of organizing your drawers (sort of) the same way you would as hosting guests: plan, clean, and work with the space you have available!
Read more… http://dlvr.it/1FFjF6
NRDC Seeing Red Over Agent Orange, Sues EPA
On February 23rd, the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council) filed a lawsuit against the EPA seeking to force the government agency to consider a petition aimed at banning a common toxic pesticide ingredient that is best known for its use in Agent Orange. http://dlvr.it/1FFDmB
Homemade Fast Food: We're Lovin' It
Eating organic food doesn’t mean you have to relinquish the pleasures of your favorite fast food choices… in fact, you can make them at home using local produce. By controlling the ingredients that go into your home-cooked versions of fast food classics, you can feel good about serving burgers and fries for dinner!
Read more… http://dlvr.it/1F2hM8
Nut-Free, Flourless Beet Brownie Cake Recipe
This flourless cake recipe is also nut-free, gluten-free and full of beets—yes, beets. Taking a nod from Mexican pastries, it’s spiked with ample cinnamon and a touch of spice. The texture is moist and spongy, not unlike a souffle cake. It’s irresistable for lovers of beets, cakes and chocolate. Indulge.
Read more… http://dlvr.it/1F2hM3
Prisoner Run Restaurant Serves up Great Food (and...
The Welsh town of Cardiff is about to open a fine-dining restaurant, but not just any ol’ elite eatery. This one’s run by inmates of the local prison, according to an article in the Wales Today, and that is truly unique. http://dlvr.it/1F2GH4
Does Your Apple Have an Aura? Photographing Food...
Since its development in 1939, Kirlian photography has awed doctors, artists, plant-lovers, mystics and more recently, foodies. A favorite of raw food fanatics, this method uses no light, but captures an intriguing glow around objects and people. Some compare these emanations to energy fields or auras, and point to visible differences between the Kirlian images of organic and conventional,...
Apartment Dwellers, You Can Compost Too!
Once I moved into my one-bedroom apartment, all thoughts of composting escaped my mind. All the rules and tips I learned in my youth from my dad poofed out of existence: I forgot to remove the stickers from fruit skins, and didn’t routinely remove the tags, strings and staples from tea bags.
After a few years of slacking, I’m making a pact with myself – no more waste! I’ve vowed to start...
5 Foods That Make You Smell Not So Hot
Whew. Cue hand wave in front of nose. If we are what we eat, then it makes sense that we also smell like what we eat. Anybody who has ever caught a whiff of stanky garlic breath or smelled the spicy stench of cumin wafting from another person’s perspiration knows the truth of this statement.
What comes out of your body reflects what goes in. And if you’re eating these five foods in...
4 Great Uses for Coconut Oil
Three things are sure to result from a trip to the Hawaiian islands: A strong urge to never leave, a fierce tan, and an obsession with all things coconut. This quintessentially tropical fruit fits well in Hawaii, not just because of the matching climate, but because it parallels the islands’ penchant for natural cures and cares. And with coconut being so multifaceted, its oil’s legacy is no...
The King (Size) Is Dead: Candy Bar Calorie Max...
In a move to support the efforts of First Lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America campaign, launched out of concern over the rising number of diet-related health issues affecting millions of Americans, particularly the nation’s children, the Mars company has announced a plan to reduce the sizes and calories of its top-selling candy bars by the end of 2013....
What Is Homeopathy, Exactly?
In health food stores and on the signage of alternative medical practices, you may have seen an unusual word: Homeopathy. Homeopathy (home-ee-AHP-uh-thee) is a fast growing area of alternative medicine first developed by German physician Samuel Hahnemann in 1796. Based on the Law of Similars, homeopathy holds to the idea that what makes you ill can also cure you; that “like cures like.” A...
2012: The Year of the First Test Tube Hamburger...
Laboratory grown meat has been in the works for several years inciting both harsh criticism and applause for its sci-fi futuresque strangeness. And now, the first actual edible in-vitro burger is going to be eaten, and fetching an impressive selling price of $330,000. http://dlvr.it/1DhykR
What You Need to Know About Eating Meat and...
Did you know that the consumption of meat has been linked to osteoporosis? It seems animal proteins are digested in our bodies in a way that is not copacetic for bone health. But, what is the scientific evidence out there: Does eating meat directly cause osteoporosis? And what can meat-eaters do to reduce these risks? One in two women and one in eight men will have an osteoporosis-related...
Get the Dish: 3 Best Options for Organic Pasta
Growing up, our table may not have been as “red-sauce-Italian” as my father’s when he was a child, but we definitely ate pasta at least three or four times a week, sometimes with the ubiquitous red sauce, often tossed with store-bought pesto or butter. However we were eating it, we noticed when the pasta brand my mother bought changed, and when whole wheat started becoming...
Dinner Delivered: 5 Companies Shipping Organic...
Your CSA closed up shop months ago, and spring is looking further away than ever (stupid groundhog!), but you can still get fresh, organic produce delivered straight to your door. Shop online with one of these companies and let the organic goodies come to you.
Read more… http://dlvr.it/1Dc9g4
More ‘Natural’ Claims Land GMO-filled Frito Lay...
Top-selling snack manufacturer, Frito Lay—a division of PepsiCo—is facing a new lawsuit over “all-natural” claims made on its Tostitos and SunChips snack brands. http://dlvr.it/1DVqHY
Save the Forest! Ticking Clock May Expire on Vital...
A vital southern Oregon bio-diverse ecosystem is in danger of permanent destruction if $1.5 million to purchase the property is not raised before the clear-cutting, which is scheduled to begin as early as March 1, 2012. http://dlvr.it/1DVSLn
GoodGuide: How Ethical Are Your Favorite Products?
Who hasn’t struggled with trying to discern the products claiming to be green, ethical or good for you that actually kind of aren’t from those that actually make this world a better place? If it often feels like some brands have just hired the marketing teams responsible for getting you hooked on cigarettes, sodas and fast food, you’re not far off. While there certainly are...
Why Is Junk Food Irresistible After Midnight?
It’s dark outside and the house is quiet but your stomach is rumbling. Your hunger has trumped your fatigue, and you stand barefoot in pajamas in front of your refrigerator, perusing its offerings and trying to decide what to eat. Do you: A) Choose some fresh vegetables to chop and whip up a green salad, complete with whole grains like quinoa, as well as some lean protein? Or B) Indulge in some...
1 Tiny House Among a Movement: The Kiwi Home
If home owners aren’t careful, drafty, relic-like houses can drain energy like a sieve. But most granny-home owners are happy to have aging abodes. Owners’ know how to make old dwellings into sustainable homes, and are apt at reusing discarded furniture and harnessing natural elements to save energy (and money).
Now, for a moment, imagine you are building a new home. What would...
From Claim to Claim: Cracking the Coffee Code
Terms like “Fair Trade Certified” and “Shade Grown” have started showing up on bags of your favorite coffee beans. But what does it all mean? In short, the importance of each of those claims depends on what’s important to your green coffee routine. We’ll break it down and decode those labels so you know exactly what to look for on your quest for the perfect...
Everything You Absolutely Need to Know About GMOs
The rapid spread of genetically modified organisms throughout the American food system is confounding. Just a hundred years ago junk foods were barely in circulation. Now, they’re not only prolific but also filled with toxic chemicals and those divisive GMOs. In fact, the addition of GMOs to our supply chain has happened so rapidly (essentially just over the last two decades) that most...
5 Criteria to Be The Best Whole Foodie You Can Be
Do you consider yourself to be a whole foodie? Years ago, on my personal journey to become a professional whole foodie, I found myself in culinary school, studying holistic and plant-based cuisine at NYC’s Natural Gourmet Institute. My most valuable lesson from the training: Criteria for natural food selection.
Read more… http://dlvr.it/1DBtPY
Don’t Forget to Eat Your Bottle! Edible Food...
As virtually every nation around the world struggles to combat waste management—particularly edible food waste—a Harvard Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering professor may have tackled both problems at once. http://dlvr.it/1DBKR0
EU and U.S. Create Historic Trade Partnership for...
An historic partnership connecting organic producers in the European Union and the United States will become effective June 1, 2012, according to an agreement reached between the world’s two largest organic producers earlier this week at the BioFach World Organic Fair—the world’s largest organic trade show and conference. http://dlvr.it/1D1pVP
Sleep Better: 4 Tips for a Clutter-Free Nightstand
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Waking up sluggish and aching for the quick perk up of a cup of coffee instead of feeling refreshed could have more to do with the aesthetic in your bedroom than you might realize.
And it all starts with that nightstand beside your bed. The nightstand can all too easily turn into the bedroom equivalent of the kitchen junk drawer. Water glasses, books, mail, keys and all manner of odds and...
2 Natural Shoe Shines for DIY Fashionistas
Giving your shoes a good buff and polish doesn’t mean you have to baste your beloved boots, heels or dress shoes in toxic chemicals. Conventional shoe polishes may spiff up your tired footwear, but they also contain ingredients, such as petroleum-derived compounds, methylene chloride and dyes, that are hazardous to the environment and to your health. Many waste facilities list shoe polishes as...
Darkness for Health? 3 Reasons to Turn the Lights...
By the mid-1800s, artificial light was part of just about everyone’s life. The advent of the light bulb and the burgeoning city nightlife sped up the exchange of ideas and money, but it also affected our bodies and minds in ways that few historians thought to record at the time. Here’s a look at three ways lighting can affect your physiology and why your body might enjoy a break from the bulbs....
Lethal Kisses: Major Lipstick Brands Found to...
The FDA has named 400 popular lipstick shades as containing trace amounts of lead in a recent report issued in December 2011, with five of the top worst offenders being L’Oreal products. http://dlvr.it/1CsRYv
When Cheap Is Good: 5 Ways to Healthy Eating on A...
“Buying healthy is just too expensive!” Stop. Just stop. Never repeat those words again! The world of healthy food is vast and rich, and not that expensive. Really! Sure, those pre-packaged organic brownies may be more expensive than their non-organic shelf-mates, but what pre-packaged item is cheap?
Read more… http://dlvr.it/1CgJ7t
Sick of Sick? Boost Your Immune System with Your...
Poor old man winter. He’s the most neglected and hated of the seasons. His uber-iciness causes our fallible human bodies to crumble when colds and the flu try to bust through and break our immune balance. But, it’s actually pretty easy to keep winter ailments at bay when you’ve a kitchen pantry full of various immune strengthening teas and herbal supplements, but that constant...
6 Tips to Quench Gluten Free Wanderlust
Just because you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease or another form of gluten sensitivity doesn’t mean that travel has to be avoided or has to be a huge pain. In fact, traveling will undoubtedly open your eyes to new gluten-free foods from different cultures that you might not know about. With a little planning and research, those with gluten sensitivities can travel the world while...
Have We Hit Peak Plastic Bottle? College Bans...
In a growing trend sweeping across college campuses, more than 20 universities have implemented bans on plastic water bottles, and in some cases, banned all beverages sold in plastic bottles. http://dlvr.it/1Cg386
Happier Meals Heading Towards McDonald’s Pregnant...
Less than a year after announcing a commitment to purchase one million cage free eggs every month for use in its U.S. restaurant locations, the McDonald’s Corporation announced earlier this week that it will also begin working on a plan with its pork suppliers to eliminate the controversial gestation crates used to confine pregnant sows. http://dlvr.it/1CYLdh
5 Reasons To Ditch Those Energy-Sucking Energy...
They’ve infiltrated virtually every supermarket, convenience store, gym, yoga studio and even sporting goods stores. Energy bars are synonymous with healthy, quick and energizing food for these modern times, relied upon by millions for a fast, waxy-cardboard-esque-quasi-tasty boost of calories, protein and carbs. But before you power through your next Power Bar, have you considered these...
Guilty As Charged! French Court Finds Monsanto...
On February 13th, a French court ruled in favor of farmer Paul Francois who reportedly developed three separate neurological disorders as a result of inhaling Monsanto’s alachlor-based weed killer called Lasso. http://dlvr.it/1CMQy9
7 Kitchen Tools (You Likely Have) for Making...
You’ve made the decision to try making your own organic baby foods, but do you really need a special appliance or kit to do it? Definitely not! Gather just a few pieces of kitchen equipment—most of which you probably already have—and you’ll be ready to start creating your own healthy baby foods in no time.
Read more… http://dlvr.it/1CDy8F
Ah Yes, The Orgasm & 6 More Unusual Methods to...
For whatever reason The Universe decided that women must experience bleeding and cramping for one week a month during her most active years has surely been debated since the first woman turned 13. But if progress has given us any tools over the last several thousand years, perfecting the methods that soothe our monthly woes is nothing short of a victory. While millions of women turn to pain...
8 Reasons the Recession Isn't All Bad
Lately the news has been all doom-and-gloom. You can’t open a newspaper or click to a webpage without hearing about how these “tough economic times” have made life so horribly hard and how we’re all destined for poverty. Those who have been hit hard in the last few years by layoffs or skyrocketing healthcare costs may feel that life is as low as it can get.
Newsflash: the majority of...