Friday, July 26, 2013

The Dirty Dozen and Cleanest 12

           
We all hear about eating whole foods and organic ones. Is there a difference between organic and conventional? Well since most people can't buy everything organic, or necessarily don't have to get everything organic, what are the most important things to purchase organically? What are the things that are not a big deal to buy organic? 


Buying organic means that the food is not laced with harmful chemicals, pesticides, usually non-GMO, and it's pretty much left in it's natural state. There are some foods to watch out for because they have the highest amount of chemicals and pesticides found on them, which seems to be a result of not being very resistant to disease...so they load chemicals on them to get a good crop. The scale ranges from 1 to 100 with 100 having the highest pesticide load found (the food is tested and that's how they determined the scale). Some researchers and studies say that if you avoid the "Dirty Dozen" of highest pesticide foods then you can avoid 90% of your pesticide exposure (Environmental Working Group).

Why are pesticides harmful? They are harmful because they cause disease and kill good cells in your body. Think about it, they spray them on plants to KILL insects. If you were to touch the chemicals then you would have to call poison control and probably go to the hospital. So we spray them on our food, transport to the store, buy, then take home and eat. Hmm. Sure it is in smaller amounts but it adds up. Anyways, there's much more I could say but how about we just get to the lists? Hopefully this will help you with grocery shopping and really knowing what you should or shouldn't buy organically. 


“THE DIRTY DOZEN (HIGHEST PESTICIDE LOAD)"
• Peaches 100
• Apples 96
• Celery 94
• Sweet Bell Peppers 86
• Nectarines 84
• Strawberries 83
• Potatoes 81
• Cherries 75
• Lettuce 69
• Grapes (Imported) 68
• Pears 65
• Spinach 60



THE CLEANEST TWELVE
• Avocado 1
• Onions 1
• Sweet Corn (Frozen) 2
• Pineapple 7
• Mango 9
• Asparagus 11
• Sweet Peas (Frozen) 11
• Kiwi Fruit 14
• Bananas 16
• Cabbage 17
• Broccoli 18
• Eggplant 19


Now you know that you could buy the cheaper avocados and the bag of onions from a store like Aldi, but get that more expensive bag of organic apples from your local organic store or Whole Foods, you'll be a wiser shopper. You're lightening the financial load on your budget and yourself but knowing that you are making the best eating choices for you and your family. Happy Shopping!

Excerpt From: John Calbom MA & Cherie Calbom MS. “Juicing, Fasting, and Detoxing for Life.” Wellness Central, 2008-07-30. iBooks. 
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Sunday, July 14, 2013

Garden Makeover

This year we decided to make the garden official to our house. My husband has done so much work on it...he is amazing. 







That's how it transformed. Beautiful. Then weeds took over...



We couldn't stand it. I saw a cool pallet idea on Pinterest but then his old boss (Kyle landscaped every year of our marriage until this year) gave us a bunch of blocks/bricks! So my awesome man took off his nice dress clothes and went to work on transforming this lovely area. It's amazing how easy and fast he makes it look. He definitely has many talents :) 


He scraped the weeds, planned out the design, leveled the dirt, put weed barrier down, and put the bricks down. 




While we were at it, we decided to extend things out. 


We just need some more weed barrier and mulch for in between those light colored stones. 






The bricks are awesome to walk on and hopefully the majority of weeds will be gone! 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Can You be a Fit Mom?

Are you a mom who stays home with your kids all day? Do you want to be fit and a mom but don't know how to fit it in or feel like you don't have the time to exercise? Well I am a mom of 2 young girls and completely understand how you feel. It can be a battle to clean the house, make meals, do laundry, run errands, and of course be with your kids 24/7. It can be hard. I would like to share some things that help me be fit for my family that hopefully can give you ideas. 

I stay home all day and maybe you're a mom who works outside the home...I am not an expert on mom's who work full time because I haven't been there and if I decide to work then it deals with fitness so it's not difficult for me to get in a workout. But maybe this can give the working moms some ideas as well. 


#1 Prioritize
Make a decision to make fitness and eating healthy a lifestyle for not just you but your whole family. If you have a relationship with Jesus then give Him this area of your life and ask Him to help you make it a priority for you and your family. He will help you find opportunities to fit exercise and the will to choose healthy foods. 


#2 Have Fun
Exercise can be FUN. I know some of you think I'm crazy but working out is not confined to a gym or track. Most people I talk to are either going to get a gym membership or start "couch to 5k." That's great if it works for you but guess what? NEITHER of those work for me. I ran once this year for the first time in about 3 years and hated it after 10 minutes. If exercise was just running for me then I probably wouldn't do it. If you're the same then find what works for you. Experiment. You have your whole life to figure things out and try new stuff!! 


Get a pedometer or a calorie tracker that you wear (if it motivates you) and just go outside and play with your kids for goodness sake! What do most of our kids want us to do? Play with them. So chase them around the house and run up and down the stairs. With summer here I have been putting on my swim suit and running through the yard with the sprinkler on, jumping in the kiddie swimming pool, chasing Abby, swinging on the swing set, going down the slide, etc. Playing with your kids can burn calories if you decide to get off your booty and play with them instead of sitting in your chair watching them. Plus those are the memories they will keep forever...and I imagine you will too. 


#3 Eat Smart
We all know what we should be eating. Can we just agree that we all know?? Vegetables, fruits, meats, and staying away from processed food and sodas. Get a Pinterest account and pin away healthy recipes...but actually try them. Don't make it too complicated though. If you shop somewhere like Super Target, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or a local organic store then it's pretty easy to pick out fresh snacks. Raw vegetables with hummus dip, fresh salsa, or guacamole are great snacks. The more simple you make it then the better. I find that my most healthy meals are quick and easy. Grilled chicken marinated something flavorful with steamed broccoli and sweet potato fries....umm we are talking 3 ingredients (besides the simple marinade) full of vitamins, minerals, and energy. 






#4 Your Time
If you are like me and enjoy exercising alone or with friends then make time. Have a friend come over with her kids and watch all the kids while you do a workout and then return the favor. Maybe get up earlier than your kids in the morning, or after they go to bed at night. Or maybe after dinner have your husband spend "daddy time" with them while you hit the gym, run with a friend, try a new class, or put in a workout dvd in another room...with the door locked! Maybe you have the money to pay someone to come watch your kids regularly to workout and shower. Whatever you decide, get your time in. 






#5 Family 
Make a healthy lifestyle fun for your family. You don't have to declare that you want the family to be healthy (I do sometimes but that's me. ha). For some families that will bring negative attitudes on. Find activities that require movement and not just sitting in front of the tv. Bike ride together, go on walks, hike, swim, play volleyball at a park, kayak, ski, etc. All of those will create fun memories and you don't even have to think about the potential workout you're getting. We were made to move, so enjoy doing it! 






These are things I incorporate into my life. If you feel just worn out and like you're too tired then it's time to make the commitment because the more active you get, the more energy you will have...and that's a fact. You can DO THIS :)