Fruits and Veggies, Anyone?

There has been a lot of push recently regarding the importance of incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our daily diets in an effort to encourage healthier decisions. The rise of cancers and other diseases are increasingly being linked to what we eat. The tide is turning, however, against super-sizing the amount of food we eat to looking at being more responsible for our health and the health of our families.

Adults and children alike, though, struggle with a number of issues related to making healthy choices. One is convenience. In our often busy lifestyles, adding the required amount of fruits and vegetables is often difficult. We find it much easier to make a quick stop at a fast-food joint than pack a healthier alternative. Effort is another factor, as some fruits and veggies require a little preparation to make them more bite-sized. Probably, one of the biggest factors, though, is flavor. Much of the off-season produce we get in the stores is tasteless, at best. This is caused by produce being picked in their green state so it ships better and with less damage. However, because it has not had the chance to either ripen on the vine or tree, it has much less of its intended flavor.

One of the best ways to get around that is to purchase produce during their peak season. Granted, you can’t do that with all fruits and vegetables, but a large majority you can. For instance, this is a great time to take advantage of the citrus crops. Oranges are hitting their peak around this time. Many Farmers Markets are also open longer throughout the year, which gives you the opportunity to purchase locally grown produce while helping to support the farmers in your area.

If you have made or are thinking of making the move to organic foods, your local organic food store is an excellent place to purchase from. Because organic foods have no preservatives added, the have a shorter shelf life, however the flavor is superior to what you purchase in your local chain store. Often, much of what they supply is from local farmers who have developed greenhouses to enable them to grow a lot of crops year round.

If you are wondering how to better incorporate more fruits and veggies into your daily meals, but have some finicky appetites, here are a couple of very useful websites to help you. The first is My Pyramid www.mypyramid.gov , which will give you recommendations for quantities, as well as some other great resources. Another fantastic site is the Fruit and Veggie More Matters www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org , which also has some fun ideas to help kids enjoy eating more of what is good for them as well as adults. Both have good recipes and links to other helpful sites, all focused on healthy eating being fun and flavorful.

Good health to you all.

Rain

I love the rain. It gives me a reasonable excuse to write and read without concern about what needs to be done outside. The sound of it coming down on our solarium windows is soothing in its rhythmic tapping. It creates a special ambience which nurtures my muse while I work on the numerous projects that need my attention. My husband feels it helps the fish grow, though I think that’s because more of the fisherman stay home – at least the fair weather ones.

The trees have started to put on new growth, their lime green freshness sprouting forth in heightened anticipation of warmer weather and longer days. The elk herd that enjoys the field behind our house have lost all their antlers, making it difficult to tell them apart. Soon, the babies will appear and a new generation will learn their ways.

I am in no hurry for the weather to change, though to most that may seem almost sacrilegious. I enjoy sitting near the fireplace as it burns quietly, giving off its warmth and allowing the sound of the rain to transport me to those other places that come from just relaxing in the presence of winter days.

What do you do to make the most of your winter days?

Happiness

It is amazing how many people think happiness is something they buy or will happen TO them. They fail to see how happiness is a state of being, a choice. In spite of life’s bumps, those who make a choice to be happy are able to handle these bumps with a better viewpoint and make choices based on building stability and happiness. That’s right, happiness is a CHOICE. It is an action, a decision to be happy.

Unless you live in a bubble, you will have ups and downs in life. Choosing to be happy enables you to enjoy life in spite of the downturns that come along. It is not a case of walking around in an oblivious state, but a decision that no matter what comes along, you take a deep breath and look for the good. Once you find it, leverage off of it to turn the rest into something positive.

Make a decision to choose happiness today. In spite of whatever you are facing, whatever you are feeling, look for the good. You will likely be surprised by how much good there is in your life.

Organic Foods

I was recently doing some research regarding an investigation by USA Today about the USDA and the meats they make available for school commodities. It made me quite disgusted with the USDA’s practices or lack thereof of testing meat. This investigation, along with a number of other articles over the last few weeks have sent my personal food scale shifting mightily to the side of home grown or organic foods which my husband and I should eat. I have been increasingly discouraged by the levels of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides being sprayed on our foods, but also of the hormones and feeds being given to the beef and chicken we eat and to the cows that supply the milk, cheese, yogurts and other dairy products we consume.

It is no wonder that cancer and other diseases are increasing. It is also no wonder there is an increase in many antibiotic resistant strains of disease emerging. One article discussed how potatoes are one of the 7 foods many researchers will not eat due to the level of toxins. Growers spray herbicides to kill weeds off the fields before planting, then as the plants grow, they spray fungicides and pesticides to keep the plants healthy and discourage any disease. Then, when the farmers are ready to harvest, they will spray the fields once more with an herbicide to kill off the plant so they can easily dig up the potatoes.

Dairy farmers feed their milk cows feed that contains large levels of rBST, a type of hormone, so the cows will produce higher quantities of milk. This rBST is in the dairy products we consume. Research is also finding considerable adverse effects using hormone additives for both the animals and for humans.

Bottom line, the foods we eat significantly contribute to the health of our bodies. When we give our bodies foods rich in nutrients and free from harmful additives, we give our bodies what it needs to be healthy. A healthy body is able fight against disease and enables us to live a long life.

The Honor Of Listening

We have all heard or read about the importance of listening. But, how many of us make a concerted effort to actually not just listen to the person talking to us, but actually HEAR what they are saying? We have to realize that our own personal points of view, history, and life lessons filter what is said before it reaches our understanding. Therefore, what the person says may not necessarily be what they mean.

When we stop and really listen, we also learn. It gives us the opportunity to understand perspectives. It gives us time to actually get a better picture of what our part may be or whether we even have a part. Sometimes our part is simply to allow the person an opportunity to talk.

Listening honors the person talking. It says to that person ‘you are important.’ One good way to make sure what you heard is really what they said is by paraphrasing it back them. Remember, it is not always necessary to give your point of view, offer advice, or solve the problem. Sometimes, it may be the best way to process through a problem in order to reach the solution themselves.

Who have you honored today?