CSA – now, if you know what that means, then those three letters will likely get you very excited! If you don’t know what those three letters stand for, allow me to explain.

CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture is the newest craze to hit the organic food world, allowing green thumbs and gardening novices to enjoy a farm-to-table lifestyle. Community Supported Agriculture is a commitment between a farm and a community of supporters which provides a direct link between the production and consumption of food.

A CSA is a mutual relationship in which a farm supports the community’s needs for fresh, nutritious, wholesome and organic food, and the community support further allows a farmer to devote his/her energies to gentle, conscientious and sustainable farming practices.

So here is the breakdown of how the system works. A farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public, where a typically share consisting of a box of vegetables, and, depending on which type of CSA you join, other farm products.

Interested consumers purchase a share or shares (aka a “membership” or a “subscription”), and in return receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.

The benefits of CSA

•  Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the nutritious benefits
• Get exposed to new types of produce
• Education in farming and vegetable rearing
• Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown – invaluable, in my opinion!

In my experience, there are various types of CSA membership opportunities. Some require only the upfront payment, which varies depending on region, size of box (whether it serves 3,6, 8 or more, for example); but, others, such as mine, require a minimum of six hours of work during the growing season in addition to the upfront payment.

The variations on the contracts are endless when it comes to CSA commitments, and, generally speaking, farmers are willing to accommodate.

So what’s the downside, you ask? Well, like farmers, our CSA haul is at the mercy of the weather. If there is a bad growing season, it will be reflected in your weekly CSA.

For instance, last year the rain in Edmonton wreaked havoc on my CSA crops and the only thing that managed to thrive was zucchini, so I ate A LOT of it. But it’s all part of the CSA game. This season, however, is prepping to be a good one, which means that the odds are slim of me having to visit a grocery store for any produce.

The CSA season is almost here, but it isn’t too late to get in on the action. To find a CSA near you, simply Google the term “CSA” or “community supported agriculture group”. If your location setting are enabled on Google (they are by default), listing for local groups should pop up.

Good luck!

Artificial colors are being added to a mind-blowing amount of food and other products to help create an aesthetically-pleasing color. While some of the coloring is created from beets or flowers, others are created chemically in a lab.

What are Artificial Colors?

Exempt Color Additives (aka “natural artificial colors”) are derived from plant, animal or mineral sources which have been processed in some way.

Examples of some Exempt Color Additives include vegetable juice and spices like paprika, turmeric and saffron. When these colors are in your products, they are not required to be specifically labeled and can be simply called, Artificial Coloring, Artificial Color Added, or Color Added.

Certifiable Color Additives (aka “artificial colors”) are derived from petroleum distillates or coal tars and are essentially synthetic chemicals created in laboratories. These 7 artificial colors are required to be specifically labeled on products and will read as Blue # 1, Blue #2, Green #3, Red #3, Red #40, Yellow #5, and Yellow #6. (Other acceptable ways for the label to read is simply “Red 40”)

It’s important to understand the “FD&C” on a label.  In FD&C Red Dye #40, the “F” stands for food, the “D” stands for drugs and the “C” stands for cosmetics. If you see D&C Red Dye #3, that means it’s not approved for our food. So why would you ingest it with medicine?

Artificial colors are added in almost all our foods from dairy and cereal products to dressings, cakes, cookies, chips and beverages. It’s also added into our medicines and even vitamins. So make sure to read your labels!

The hidden dangers of Certifiable Color Additives

Blue #2 may cause asthma.

Green #3 has caused growth inhibition in rats. It’s prohibited in the European Union and other countries in food.

Those who have asthma and are allergic to aspirin have a high chance of being intolerant to Yellow #5. The side effects of this blend can include itching, hives, anxiety, headache, depression, blurred vision, rash, weakness, heat waves, runny nose, and sleep disturbances.

In children, it could cause obsessive compulsive disorder. It’s use is restricted in Austria and Germany and it’s banned in Norway.

Red  #40, Red  #3, Yellow #5, Yellow #6, and Blue #1 are linked to impulse control issues, attentiveness issues and hyperactivity (ADD & ADHD) in our children.

Red  #40 can lower your child’s IQ and has been linked to sleep disorders.

Red #40 in adults can trigger migraines, give you an upset tummy and make you feel jittery.

Those who are allergic to aspirin can have an adverse reaction to Red #40 and Yellow #6, including rash, diarrhea and nausea.

Red #40 is so awful for us that it’s not recommended for our children in most countries in Europe. It’s 100% banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, and Norway. It’s even banned now in hummingbird food.

Did you know that if Red #3 and #40 were sprayed on weeds it could act as a pesticide? The FDA is currently considering banning Red  #3 because in large quantities, it has proven to cause cancer in lab rats, photosensitivity and birth defects.

…Algae

Maybe you don’t like the idea of wearing a banana, but because the fruit is rich in vitamins and antioxidants like potassium and lutein, they have positive effect it has on our skin. After all, skin absorbs a certain amount of what you place on it (depending on skin thickness and how concentrated the substance is, of course).

According to Ara DerMarderosian, Ph.D., who conducts research on various folk remedies, “A banana is going to be soothing because it contains slippery components that are starch-like materials [polysaccharides].”

And the sugar in bananas is slightly anti-microbial, which means it can help fight various infections.

Itch Relief

Bitten by mosquitoes during the barbecue? Stumbled into a nasty patch of poison ivy while hiking? Quickly, peel a banana and apply the cooling skin to your itch. Banana peels can help to stop the inflammation and sooth the itching, giving you sweet relief (or at least a buffer period before you can get your hands on some calamine lotion).

Soothing Facial

Banana facials are praised for their ability to fight dry skin and ward off wrinkles. All the vitamins in the fruit (B6, C, manganese, potassium) are great for your skin, too. Just wash your face, mash up a banana, and smear it on! Add a tablespoon of honey for extra moisturizing powers.

Acne Fighter

Since banana peels have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, try adding them to your arsenal of acne products. After cleansing your face, rub the inside of a banana peel all over your skin. You can even lie down and spread one or two peels across your face like a mask if you’re feeling super motivated. Try this folk remedy at night, unless you want to smell like bananas all day.

Dry Hair Saver

The amino acids in bananas help protect your hair from environmental damage, and their citric acid makes your locks shiny. Blend a banana with a few chunks of cantaloupe and avocado, and a few tablespoons of plain yogurt, and massage through your hair. Leave on for 30 minutes and shampoo out.

It sounds weird, but we promise that your hair will be shiny and conditioned when you emerge from the shower.

No More Warts

Home remedy aficionados swear by the wart-fighting power of the humble banana peel, and if you’ve got a nasty wart, you’re probably willing to try anything to get rid of it. Just tape a small piece of banana peel to the affected area with the inside of the peel pressed against your wart. Leave on overnight, or if you’re doing this during the day, leave on until the peel turns black. We know. Ew. You’ll need to keep this up for several weeks to see results.

Photo attribute: mocoloco.com

This morning I had an epiphany. After slowly coming to consciousness from what appears to be a chocolate-induced full-body coma (I don’t remember much of what happened last night, but there’s evidence – a few dozen individually-wrapped candy bars wrappers littering the perimeter of my living-room couch like plastic Sloppy Joe’s rum cups line the gutters of Duval Street the morning following the last day of Fantasy Fest in Key West), I realize I need a shower. I also need some water. And some fresh juice.

And then it hit me! It was a shockingly joyous and exhilarating revelation, like the first time a four-year old discovers he can burp! One, Two, Three…they ran through my cranium so fast, I could barely keep up with the incredible wave of inspiration. I scrambled to jot down what was suddenly flooding my thoughts.

I grabbed a pen and paper, and wrote furiously. When I was finished, I sat back and took a deep breath. I raised the paper eye-level, and adjusted my focus, so that I could decipher the meaning of it all. And that’s when I realized I had become the humble recipient of a powerful, unexplain-able force - divine intervention, indeed – I’ve been called on to release the Ten Commandments of Juicing.

Having the blessing of the juice and fruit Gods reining through my chosen blood, I now bestow this incredible fountain of righteousness and wisdom on the meaning of juicing; to codify the path of the harvest believers to live a life of happiness, health, and of course, juice.

1. Thou Shall Put NO Task Before Juicing - get your juice in the morning. Not only will it give you the energy and nutrients to tackle your full day, but it will help you get into a consistent routine and give you something to look forward to each day.
2. Thou Shall Not Imitate Juice - many find supplement and vitamins to be a quick and easy alternative to juicing. The problem is that a growing body of researchers have found dietary and nutritional issues with vitamins and supplements, so I can’t suggest taking them. Besides, can anything really replace the taste of fresh juice?
3. Thou Shall Not Take The Name of Juice In Vain – when your juicer clogs, don’t curse it. It’s little motor can’t take that kind of harsh criticism. Unclog it, and try chopping your fruits and veggies into smaller chunks.
4. Remember To Juice on Holidays – I love holidays as much as the next guy, but it’s easy to get caught up in the whole “eat, drink and be merry” thing! Remember to juice on the holidays to keep up your regiment. Try some seasonal spices, fruits or veggies to keep it fun!
5. Honor Thy Juicer – keep it clean and use it properly. Your juicer should last quite a while, as long as you treat it with care!
6. You Shall Waste No Pulp – check out all the cool things you can do with juice and veggie pulp!
7. You Shall Not Commit Fruit-dultry – we know those Ring Dings look pretty awesome right there on the corner of the supermarket isle (damn those clever marketing reps!). We must avoid temptation to turn away from our juice to junk food!
8. You Shall Share Thy Juice – juice for your kids, neighbors, friends, and for get-togethers. This post was written last winter, but it’s still pretty cool. It’s my 4 favorite holiday drink recipes using fresh juice to entertain with!
9. Thou Shall Read Thy 877MyJuicer Blog – keep in touch with us! Post to our Facebook wall, join our mailing list, and Tweet at us!
10. Thou Shall Share Us – tell your friends about the blog, so they too can get a massive 15% off coupon on any product from the store!

Now go, and spread the mighty word of Juice!

Plato said it best, “Nothing more excellent or valuable than wine was ever granted by the gods to man”.

Recently red wine has been getting mass amounts of press for its health-promoting qualities and is even being credited with the French paradox. What’s the French paradox, you ask? Well, it’s the term used to describe the well known fact that the French have far less occurrences of heart disease than us North Americans, despite the fact that they consume far more high fat foods.

However, if you subscribe to the belief that fat alone is responsible for heart disease, then yes, it would appear very much like a paradox; but the “fat causes heart disease” debate is woefully out of date.

For years people have believed that the French could get away with such unhealthy fare due in large part to the liberal amounts of heart healthy red wine they consume, which is scientifically-proven to contain many compounds that support and protect our heart health.

This, however, is not the forum to go into depth about the French paradox, but it IS the place to go into the heart healthy, life extending compounds that are in nice glass of red grapes!

What makes red wine healthy?

Resveratrol in red wine is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevents heart disease, and rather recently, physicians and researchers have debated whether it should be formed into a supplement. But personally I much prefer to drink my red wine antioxidants – I know most of you will agree.

Resveratrol may be one of the best anti-aging substances around. Research has shown that a wide spectrum of test subjects, from yeast cells to fruit flies, to mice and worms have seen their life span dramatically increased by minute amounts of resveratrol. And although a supplement could potentially be on the horizon, red wine is still the best way to get resveratrol into your diet.

But there is a caveat to all of this, so before you go guzzling, listen up. The relationship between alcohol and breast cancer risk is murky, yet still troubling. Some studies have found an increased risk of breast cancer in women who drink, even moderately.

At least 10 studies have shown the relationship between alcohol and breast cancer, and the consensus is that alcohol does in fact increase the risk of breast cancer in women. So stick to a 5 oz. glass a night.

With moderation in mind, I say bottoms up!

This winter came and left in a blink of an eye. For most of the nation, our winter was especially warm. And now it’s getting warmer!

At our house, we’re playing outside almost daily, and my kiddos have started with their nonstop request of popsicles!

As a mother, I want to be able to give my children whatever their little hearts desire, but I don’t want to put junk into their bodies that doesn’t belong there. This includes most popsicles (bogus) ingredients: high fructose corn syrup, sugar, and artificial colors.

The amount of sugar we’re eating is alarming. The fructose in sugar and in high fructose corn syrup goes directly to our liver and is converted into fat, which can cause health issues like heart disease and diabetes.

Red Dye #40, Yellow Dye’s #5 & #6 have been linked to migraines and hyperactivity. Red Dye #40 has also shown to lower IQ levels and is banned in most countries in Europe.  We notice an immediate positive difference in our home when we eliminate these foods.

How to make your own healthy juice pops!

Even though it’s sometimes tough for me to get my kiddos to drink my juicing creations, I can ALWAYS get them to enjoy it in a frozen juice pop! You can find the frozen juice pop molds just about anywhere, even super markets. They are relatively inexpensive at about $5 for your basic set of 6 pops.

Simply juice or blend your favorite concoction and pour into the molds. Place the molds into the freezer for about 4 hours so they can set, and enjoy!

If you want to make a super fancy juice pop, try adding berries into the mold.

Or you can make a layered frozen pop by pouring one juice into the mold, filling it 1/2 of the way. Freeze for 2 hours. Pour another juice on top of the 1^st, filling the mold the rest of the way and freeze for 2 more hours. The variations on the layered pop are endless!

Try one of our favorite Juice Pop recipes!

Blended Strawberry Juice Pops (pictured)

• 2 cups Fresh Whole Strawberries
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Torini’s Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup
• 1 cup cold Water
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

Cut strawberries into thin slices. Sprinkle over with 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp vanilla syrup. Leave in the fridge for two hours until the juice starts to come out. Process the strawberries with cold water and lemon juice in a blender. Strain the juice if desired and serve chilled.

Rise and Shine Pop

• 4 Carrots
• 2 Oranges

Cut the tops off of the carrots. Peel the oranges. Juice them up, pour into the molds and freeze!

Pina Colada Frozen Juice Pops

• 1 (5 oz) can pineapple chunks (with juice)
• 1 (10.5 oz) can coconut milk
• 2 bananas, peeled
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients and pour into molds. Place in freezer for 2-4 hours.

Don’t have a blender or juicer?

No problem-o! Simply mix these ingredients together, pour into the molds and freeze!

Cinnamon Pops

• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

What is your favorite DIY Frozen Juice Pop recipe?

Juicing is quickly becoming all the rage, with juice bars popping up all over the place. Not to mention the juice cleanse craze that seems to be sweeping the nation. I bet small appliance stores are having a hard time keeping juicers on the shelves, with everyone wanting to get in on the action.

But before you up and buy a juicer of your own, there are few housekeeping rules to know.

The organic versus non organic war rages on, and I don’t intend to weigh in here; however, there are a few things you should be concerned with when juicing.

There is a term called the “Dirty Dozen”, and it refers the fruits and vegetables with high levels of pesticide residue. Sometimes eating organic can get pricey, especially in winter climates. But with this list we can be sure that we at least know what we’re getting into, and therefore can make educated decisions about what we should be consuming organically.

Whether you eat organically or not is especially important if you’ll be juicing your fruits and veggies.

The Dirty Dozen, in terms of the highest to the lowest pesticide residue measured on average:

• Apples
• Celery
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Spinach
• Imported Nectarines
• Grapes
• Sweet Bell Peppers
• Potatoes
• Domestic Blueberries
• Lettuce
• Kale/Collard Greens

When I first came across this list, I was surprised and a little bit saddened as some of my favorite fruits and vegetables have the dishonor of being named dirty. But I also felt empowered that at least now I knew.

Immediately I began buying the aforementioned produce organic or local, via the farmer’s market, because I believe buying local and knowing my produce purveyor provides me the luxury of asking key questions, such as “is this sprayed?”

I also set out to find what fruits and vegetables were more safe, containing less pesticide residue. Luckily I also found “The Clean Fifteen”- such cute names they give these lists! Happily, this list contained some of my favorites as well!

• Onions
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapples
• Avocados
• Asparagus
• Sweet Peas
• Mangoes
• Eggplant
• Domestic Cantaloupe
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Watermelon
• Sweet Potatoes
• Grapefruit
• Mushrooms

So many options, no?!

How to juggle between buying organic and non-organic

Now when I am feeling the budgetary pinch, for whatever reason, I tend to stick with the clean fifteen for my juice and smoothie contents. Also I have found that frozen organic varieties tend to be cheaper and last longer, due to the nature of them being frozen.

So the next time you juice, ask yourself, am I being “clean” or am I being “dirty”?

One of the biggest myths out there is that in order to lose weight and sleep tight, you need to stop eating after 7pm. This simply isn’t true. What is true is that you have to make healthy choices, count your calories, and watch your portion sizes. And if you select the right foods, you actually improve your sleep quality.

If you’re following the eating schedule of 6 mini-meals a day (to boost metabolism, a schedule most used by those on a weight training program) then a bedtime snack is a necessity. Same might be said for those who are a diabetic monitoring their blood sugar levels overnight.

What are some healthy bedtime snacks?

First let’s talk about the foods to avoid. Here’s what you don’t want to have happen: You don’t want to have heartburn and/or indigestion and you don’t want to send your sugar levels through the roof. So it’s wise to avoid trigger foods such as spicy foods, sugary foods, citrus foods, tomato sauce, etc. 

What you do want to do is select foods that are easy to digest. You also want to choose foods that are high in fiber, protein, calcium and healthy fats, that way you can burn fat faster while you sleep.

Also, a new study out of the University of Wisconsin shows that foods high in potassium will help you maintain normal slow wave sleep (which is most refreshing wave of sleep to be in).

• Berries: All berries are low in sugar, and high in fiber. They help calm my sweet tooth. I love to pair my berries with a Deep Chocolate Vitalicious Vitatop (muffin tops that are low calorie, low fat, high fiber, good protein and nutritionally packed with vitamins and minerals).

• Almonds: A large handful is about 24 almonds. They are high in protein, fiber and omega 3’s! A perfect metabolism boosting, fat burning combo.

• Light/Nonfat Yogurt (I prefer Kroger’s CarbMaster Yogurt): The more calcium you consume, the less fat your body stores. Yogurt is also a great source of potassium.

If you really want to up the ante with consuming a food that will work for you, select one that is high in tryptophan. Tryptophan is an amino acid that promotes feelings of calm and relaxation. It also contains serotonin to help you sleep! These snacks include:

• A handful of sunflower seeds
• Turkey slices wrapped around mozzarella cheese.
• Apple slices dipped in a spoonful of peanut butter
• A cup of warm milk sprinkled with nutmeg
• Scrambled eggs
• A cup of plain oatmeal sprinkled with cinnamon

Try this bedtime smoothie!

Tofu not only contains a large amount of tryptophan, but it’s soy content provides an ample source of potassium for a double sleep whammy! 

Tofu Strawberry Banana Smoothie 

• 3/4 cup silken tofu
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 frozen banana, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup soymilk, or low fat milk
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (optional, for more flavor, protein & potassium)
• 2-3 ice cubes

Blend and enjoy!

Share your other favorite bedtime snacks by leaving me a comment below!

 I first discovered tofu when I was learning how to calorie count, which had me paying attention to other food options available at restaurants. I realized that tofu vs. meat had less calories, less fat, less sodium, and almost the same amount of protein.

I fell in LOVE with tofu, though when my baby was diagnosed as anemic and was put on a high iron diet.

Tofu is an excellent source of iron, providing 33.7% of our daily requirement (in a 4oz serving). While tofu is low in fat, it does provide 15% of our daily requirement of Omega 3’s! It’s also high in calcium at nearly 40%.

100g of tofu contains an average of 17g of protein!

What are other health benefits of Tofu?

While some adults and children should be aware that they might have a food allergy with tofu due to soy (just like some people can’t handle gluten), the health benefits of tofu can’t be ignored. Tofu contains isoflavones, which are plant hormones that does our body good, including fighting breast and colon cancer.

The FDA just approved packing of tofu (with quantities of 6.25g of soy per serving) to be labeled as a HEART HEALTHY FOOD with the ability to help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease thanks to its ability to lower your bad/lousy LDL cholesterol.

Isoflavones can directly scavenge free radicals, which prevents premature aging. It also may help prevent bone loss, which lowers your risk of osteoporosis. And ladies take note: it’s believed that isoflavones may play a role in the reducing menopausal symptoms. Yahooooo!

Isoflavones are so fantastic that they were the primary ingredient in University of Minnesota’s scientist “smart bomb” drug which has the potential to cure childhood leukemia.

Blending with Tofu!

The thing that I love the most about tofu is that it takes on the flavor of whatever you’re mixing (or cooking) it with. This makes tofu extremely versatile in the kitchen. We add tofu to our smoothies to up our nutritional content and add great texture!

Orange Breakfast Dream (pictured)

• 1 1/2 cups orange juice, chilled
• 1 cup milk, or light vanilla-flavored soy milk, chilled
• 1/3 cup silken tofu or soft tofu
• 1 tablespoon dark honey
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 ice cubes
• 4 peeled orange sections

This tastes just like an old-fashioned Creamsicle! Remember that the orange sections at the end are going to add pulp, so it you’d prefer a chunk-less smoothie, than simply omit the orange sections.

Tofu Energy Smoothie

• 1/2 cup of soft silken tofu
• 1 cup of fresh strawberries (sliced or quartered)
• 1/2 cup of low fat milk, or light vanilla soy milk
• 1 large banana (peeled, sliced, frozen)
• 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice concentrate (frozen)

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth!

Tofu can be saved up to a week in your refrigerator by submerging the tofu in water inside an airtight container with a lid. Make sure you change your water daily.

I’m always looking for new tofu recipes. Leave me a comment below with yours!