Watch "Fresh" - Free Till March 3rd

There is an incredible documentary that delves into the current world of industrial farming and the 'polyculture VS monoculture' issue. It shares innovative ideas and is just one more reason to change the way the world sees food. I definitely recommend taking the time to watch it.

The video can be found HERE.

One of the most important points in this video is this; "We are voting with our dollar." Meaning we're choosing what methods of food production stay, and which fade into history. Every time we buy food we are either saying "I care what I eat; I support local, organic grown produce and meat" or "I don't care, I just want cheap food - and it doesn't matter to me if the animals sit in their own shit or the grain is covered in harmful chemicals". And if you don't care, all you're going to get is cheap food. Food that is a blight on the planet, a sin towards nature and is condemning the future of our great planet earth.

You can support the farms that produce healthy animals and the people who actually care whether or not they are making quality food, or you can support the industry that only cares about 'more more more'. Whether you are doing it consciously or not, you're still voting with every dollar you spend.

So get educated. Learn. Share the information... and vote.  

(It is only free till Saturday, March 3rd, so watch it now!!)

Photo via Martin Pettitt

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Juicing Adventures Vol. 4 - Ginger and Pears

I've made a few new juicing friends over the last week; the first being ginger and the second pears.



I was hesitant to try pears as I'm not a fan of their gritty texture. I was afraid that would translate through into the juice. No such thing happened though, they juiced super well and my juice wasn't at all like chewing sand! HUZZAH! (It might have been a liiiittle bit thicker; it was hard to tell.)

Sears Canada - Organic Cotton

Did you know that Sears Canada has organic cotton clothes?? I had no idea! Not only do they have it, but their prices are extremely decent. See below for some of their great selection. 




(Left) Organic Pointelle Tank Top. This organic cotton tank top is form fitted and comes in four fabulous colors. $12.97
(Right) Organic Cotton T-Shirt. This shirt has spandex added in for a little stretch-ability. Comes in seven colors. $12.97 

The Secret Life of Bees - Part 1

I've been spending a little bit of time obsessing over bees, beehives, honey and all the goodness that comes from those fuzzy little buzzers. Not only are they very interesting creatures but they also produce some incredible (and tasty) products.

It would be very interesting to have a beehive of my own. I think as long as my protective suit was verrry protective, I wouldn't have any problems with it.

This following video deals with starting your own hive:

One of the many things I was curious about was how you can guarantee that your honey is organic; obviously it's possible or you wouldn't be able to purchase certified organic honey, right?

I found out that a 5 km radius of pesticide-free land was required around the hive. Even then the honey is still tested to ensure that no pesticides or environmental pollutants have snuck in. Therefor if I want to have a truly organic hive, I need to buy a rather large chunk of property or have amazing neighbors that are organically-inclined as well.

Did you know that an average hive contains 50,000 or more bees?! The good news is that honey bees aren't generally aggressive unless provoked.

Tune in to 'The Secret Life of Bees - Part 2' as we look into the various materials that bees produce and why humans harvest them.

Photo via Danny Chapman

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Supplements While Pregnant

I've been spending a fair amount of time watching "Raw Food World TV" -- in the beginning it was because they live in Ecuador and I'm a little bit obsessed with the place; and then because I find them quite interesting, I have begun watching their other videos.

The show is about the owners of the company, the Monarchs. They are both very happy, healthy people who live on a completely raw food diet. Their lives are very natural which is something I deeply respect. They have opinions about the way life is supposed to be that while it isn't the norm, these opinions and ideas are becoming more widely accepted.

The video I have included in this post is them talking about the supplements and vitamins Angela took while pregnant with her beautiful daughter. They are some great alternatives to the drug-store variety that most people use. (Which tend to make you nauseous and you don't actually get all the benefits you want out of.)

I hope you enjoy the video, please feel free to leave any comments below!

All the products they talk about on their show can be found on their website; Raw Food World

 

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Juicing Adventures Vol. 3

I tried something new today - for some reason I normally juice my orange first then move on to the apple, carrots and greens. In an effort to be a little more adventurous I juiced my greens first. 

To juice them properly in my Jack Lalanne Power juicer, I roll them up (The lettuce, chard, purple kale, mint and beet tops) and I squish them between two celery sticks. The celery sticks hold them together as I push them into the chute, and the greens juice better than they would otherwise. As I've mentioned before, this juicer isn't the greatest for greens, but there are ways to make it work better.




I ended up with about a cup of green juice. And then I tasted it. I suppose I could have choked it down, but greens aren't really my favorite part of the whole 'vegetable'- ness, hense one of the reasons I am juicing. Next I added the lime, and tried it again. It was a little better, but still not easy to drink.

(At some point in the future I'm going to try juicing herbs with the greens and find out if any of them make them palatable.)

Next I added in one orange and a whole ton of carrots. The result was about four cups of juice that was MMMMMMmmmmm good. For some reason the carrots make anything easy to drink. Today was also the first day that I didn't have any apple. The only fruits were a lime and an orange.



I have started peeling the oranges, you don't have to do it nicely or remove all the skin, but it improves the flavour if you get rid of some. Limes and lemons that are mild don't need to be peeled. I find the orange skin just a little bit too overpowering in the juice.

I've been juicing for over a week and a half now, every morning, and I've definitely noticed a marked increase in my energy. I'm waking up a little easier, have more energy longer, and when I get home from work I'm not drop dead tired like I normally am. There is no way I'm going to stop juicing any time soon!

** As always, all fruits and vegetables being juiced are organic.

Pictures via Muffet and Rand_G

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A Cosmetic Tip!

If you tend to experience break-outs along your hair line or in your hair; stop using hairspray for a few weeks and see what happens! That supper sticky substance clogs your pores and then BAM - nasty things start to erupt.

Cut out the crap and you might suddenly find that things start to clear up. Once they do, introduce chemical-free products back into your life one at a time; that way you'll know if your skin reacts to anything! 

Picture via mary_thompson and Only Green

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Juicing Adventures Vol. 2

Never before have I had so many different kinds of vegetables in my fridge; it is packed from top to bottom with carrots, zuchini, lemons, limes, oranges, celery, apples, chard, lettuce, kale and beets. (All organic of course!) Chard and Kale have never even made it into my house before!

My daily juicings are all a little bit different. I don't measure or anything I just choose a quantity of fruit and vegetables and go with it! I have carrots in it every day and usually an apple or two but the rest is all interchangeable.



Yesterday I tried chard for the first time; unfortunately I made the mistake of tasting more or less straight chard juice; DISGUSTING!! I thought for sure that I had ruined my juice mixture; thankfully I only put one big chard stalk in and it completely blended in with the other juices. I don't think I will try more than one stalk at a time. But one stalk is more than I have ever eaten before!



Today I have a brilliant purple mixture of carrot, apple, orange, lettuce, lemon, zuchini, kale, chard, celery and beet. I put a rather large beet in, and I think it was a little too much. From now on I'll cut the beets in half. The earthy flavour, while amazing cooked and slathered in butter, doesn't taste as great with fresh fruit and veg. Though it sure looks pretty!

Have I noticed any changes so far? Well it has only been a week but I do think that I am a little more energetic; I was up 1.5 hours earlier than normal today and it felt like I woke up at my normal time. I didn't start to get really tired until after supper; so that's a plus!

See you next time!

Photos via John-Morgan and julie gibbons 

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Let the Juicing Begin!

Well it's official; I've done it! I picked up my very own juicer yesterday and it is my plan to add freshly made juice to my morning routine. I picked up the Jack Lalanne Power Juicer Ultimate from my local Costco. It cost $119.99 before tax.

Now it is far from the best juicer out there, but the price was something I could manage right now and does a good job for the price. Cleaning; as long as you do it right away before the pulp dries is actually a relatively easy process. Taking it apart and putting it together is also pretty simple.

(I'm drinking my freshly made juice as I'm typing this!)

My reasoning was also quite simple. I don't eat much in the way of fruit and vegetables, and certainly not as much as I should. I also eat a very small variety; It's not that I'm super picky, but I can't be bothered with a lot of them. I'm hoping that adding juice to my diet will ensure I get the nutrients that I need and as a by product give me more energy and (I'm crossing my fingers) help me lose a little weight as well.

Juice, for me, is much easier to consume than smoothies, because it isn't as thick, I can get down a lot more than I would otherwise. (This juicer produces quite a small amount of foam, which is a nice bonus.) It doesn't work very well on baby spinach, I think the leaves are too small so they just get whipped through. However I've found that if I mix the leaves in with the pulp and run in through in a ball, it does alright. Larger greens should work better; I plan on trying them soon.

So what I have juiced so far?

My current drink consists of:
Lots of Carrots (love them)
Apple (didn't peel or core it, but I found that even though they fit in the chute whole, they juice better when cut in half.)
Melon (I removed the seeds and cut the melon into slices; didn't peel. It juiced well.)
Baby Spinach

Yesterday included all the above except the melon, but there was also lemon, lime, beet and zucchini. I really liked it with the citrus, it really made it more refreshing. (Didn't need to peel as they were quite mild.) 

I look forward to trying mint, baby bok choy, cucumber, tomatoes, etc...

Mmmmm - Juice!

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The Pomelo

Also known as the Pummelo, Bali lemon, Limau besar, Buoi, shaddock, etc...




The pomelo is a citrus fruit, originating in Asia, and just a liiiiiiiiittle bit larger than your typical oranges. The pomelos that I have seen are about double the size of a regular grapefruit. They have ridiculously thick skin and an incredibly juicy and tasty interior.

Like a grapefuit, the color of the fruit inside varies; some are more greeny/yellow and some are more pink/red. I've heard that the pink ones are sweeter, but I haven't tried them myself yet so I can't really compare!




This fruit is great to test if you have a couple hours to waste or just want to spend a little quality time with the kids. You need to be prepared, especially the first time, for how long peeling this citrus will take.

I would suggest watching a few instructional videos to figure out a plan of attack. Merely clawing at it will take you hours. Obviously I should have done a little research BEFORE I undertook this particular adventure.

Peeling Method 1: (Note the music can be a little loud, you may want to turn it down.)

Peeling Method 2:

Note: The rind is bitter. Do not give into any temptations involving peeling the pomelo with your teeth. Please....

If you've peeled your first Pomelo and you're feeling rather confidant, why not take it to the next level and turn this unsuspecting fruit into a work of art!

Now, even though they remove it in the videos before eating it, the inner skin of the pomelo is what is supposed to contain the most nutrition; so if you really want to get the most out of it - eat the inner skin. The pomello is used in a variety of recipies for adding flavor to the food. If you are loath to toss the rind once it is peeled, then don't! Do a little research and you'll find a way to use up the whole thing. I've even heard of people cooking cornish hens inside a pomelo...

If you're interested in something sweet, check out this recipe for candied pomelo rind.

Thanks for stopping by -- see you soon!

Photos courtesy of John Loo. 

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