edoced_46esabedoced_46esab Kardenas Kitchen - Part 7
 
Comments
12
Nov
09

cb-lazymansguideebook-final4Today, another vegan diet update from Craig Ballantyne…

*****************************************************

Vegan Diet Road Trip: Failure or Success?

Oh boy did I screw up.

I only made it 6 days on the vegan diet experiment before I ate something from the banned list.

And to be honest, it’s kind of embarrassing…but there I was Fridaymorning, having just finished breakfast, when I realized…

There’s animal products in hotel restaurant pancakes.images

Like I said, embarrassing.

I’m a total dork, right?

I just, you know, forgot I was stepping it up from vegetarian to vegan…and it wasn’t until I was done that I realized it.

So a tiny mistake along the way…however, the rest of the weekend was a big success.

I stuck to the vegan eating plan through airports, airplanes, seminars, restaurants, and room service (with the exception of those pancakes).

Overall, I ended up eating a lot of nuts, seeds, and fruit at the airport and on my short flights to Atlanta and back to Toronto.images1

At the hotel, I spent a couple of nights chilling in (watching the World Series finale and some more sports on Saturday), and I ordered salad, pasta with tomato sauce, and broccoli.

Plus, on Saturday for lunch I went to the Atlanta Hard Rock Cafe and had their veggie burger and a side of vegetables.
images2
Now I know, I know, that a veggie burger from the Hard Rock is clearly not the highest quality veggie burger in the world, but that was the best I could do. (And it tasted really good, not gonna lie!)

So that was my weekend of vegan eating on the road. And I’m not letting that one little pancake mistake stop me from finishing the month strong.

Oh, and by the way, on the way back from Atlanta I read a powerful raw food nutrition book.

I’ll tell you all about it later this week…

To your health and vegetarian vitality,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, The Lazy Man’s Guide to Vegetarian Eating

PS – Tonight for dinner I had…edamame

– 2 cups of edamame
– 1 portobella mushroom burger
– 1 cup almond milk
– 1 banana
– 1 cup of a big smoothie I made earlier (apple, spinach, walnuts,
almond milk, cacao nibs, maca powder)

Click here for more vegan recipes and meals

Back at you with some tips on eating a raw meal plan later this week.





Leave
a Comment
Nov
03

Vegan Diet Experiment

Posted by Kardena

Here’s Craig Ballantyne’s Vegan Diet experiment so far…

November – World Vegan Month Experiment

By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

So far, so good. Almost three days down and having no problems sticking to a full vegan diet – rather than the regular vegetarian lifestyle.

Tonight I plan to grill some portabella mushroom burgers and cook up some edamame and snack on some pistachios while I watch the Maple Leafs game and read a book. Probably have something else too, but here are some of my favorite meals I’ve had so far…

On Sunday, while watching the Green Bay-Minnesota game, I cooked some wild rice and added a can of Amy’s organic chili (the green label) to the rice. It was a perfect, hearty meal to go with the game. Even though it was a huge volume of food, I think I could have ate more. Didn’t leave too much for Bally the Dog to eat. Sorry bud!

On Monday at lunchtime, just before my workout, I made one of my big boy salads that includes spinach, broccoli, red peppers, mushrooms, onion, avocado, black beans, and salsa.

After my workout I had 3 killer almond butter sandwiches on amazing flax meal bread from Vege Hut. That was some of the best bread I’ve had – ever. Washed it all down with 2 cups of chocolate almond milk.

And I’ve also been making some blender drinks too, with this being my current “go to” recipe:

1 banana, some raspberries, some spinach, 2 cups almond milk, 1 spoon almond butter, sunflower seeds, raw cacao nibs

That blender drink can keep you full for a long time. And the cacao nibs will give you a lot of mental energy. Perfect start to the day if you are looking for something fast. Sometimes I pour it over almonds and oatmeal and raisins.

And finally, here’s today’s lunch: I made a 3-serving bowl of pasta – using organic Kamut and Buckwheat pasta – and added some tomato sauce. Now most “fitness folks” freak out and scream, “where’s the protein”…

…but only because they don’t know that each serving of that pasta has 11 grams of protein, so my meal was probably closer to 25 grams or more of protein.

Alright, so that’s it.

Time to go get the grill ready for the mushrooms,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, The Lazy Man’s Guide to Vegetarian Eating





Comments
2
Oct
30

Vegetarian Eating on the Road

Posted by Kardena

vegetarian diet

Today, a guest article from Craig Ballantyne on how to stick to vegetarian eating on the road, even when you go to a Japanese Hibachi restaurant and Shula’s steakhouse!

******************************************************

Vegetarian Eating on the Road

Well, I thought, this shouldn’t be too hard. After all, I’ve been to Texas (twice) and Europe without any problems, so how hard could Disney World and Tampa be for the vegetarian lifestyle?

Turns out, a little harder than I expected. Fortunately, I’m only on a vegetarian diet, and not a raw vegan meal plan like Kardena.

So I’ll be honest, I ate a lot more cheese than I wanted, and I had eggs a couple of days, but more importantly, I want to share my “big night out restaurant meals” with you.

The first two nights I was in Orlando, staying at a Disney resort for a seminar, I didn’t eat “real dinners” because everything was so busy. So it was a lot of snacking on fruit and nuts. I started the day with late breakfasts of vegetable omelets, and lunch was a giant spinach salad with cheese and apple slices. It was really good, but I knew I had to eat more so that I wouldn’t lose weight (not my goal). images

Finally, on Saturday I had a big dinner night out at Benihana’s Hibachi restaurant in the Hilton at Disney. They have a few vegetarian options, and I ordered the Garden Delight. I rarely (never) eat tofu, but the meal came with a lot of vegetables and a square of tofu, it was pretty good.

Everyone at my table ate steak or chicken, but not me. Kardena was also there, but she sat at a different table and I didn’t get a chance to see what she ate. Probably the same as me, or maybe she just had a raw salad, not sure.

So Benihana’s gets a thumbs up for being veggie lifestyle friendly.

Then it was on to Tampa. The first night there I had a big dinner at Carrabba’s italian grill. It was fettucini alfredo and I even had dessert. That was my weekly reward meal.

The next night a big group of friends went to a restaurant called Jackson’s in Tampa, and they didn’t have any meatless entrees on the menu. Of course, like any good restaurant, they simply altered one of their pasta dishes and removed the meat. It was great, and so was the salad I had before it. Lots of vegetables.

Then came the real test…the next night a friend treated our group to dinner at Shula’s steakhouse. Not only did they not have a meatless entree on the menu, but they didn’t have pasta anywhere on the menu either. However, all you need to do is ask…

…and Shula’s whipped up a pasta dish with vegetables that even made some of my meat-eating friends jealous. Ask and you shall receive. cr_04

And finally, last night we went to Columbia, an amazing and authentic Spanish restaurant. Amazing atmosphere, and even better food. I orderd the Vegetarian Cubana – a giant plate of rice, beans, plantain, potatoes, and more.

Delicious. I recommend it…totally worth the trip to Ybor City.

And that brings us to today…on my way home, eating bananas, almonds, and an apple at the airport. It’s so easy to eat healthy at airports these days, that you can’t use that as an excuse anymore.

So that was my wild vegetarian eating trip to Florida – and I also had a lot of great workouts. Planning and asking will help you stick to your fat loss workout and meal plan.lazymansguideebook_4

To your success,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, The Lazy Man’s Guide to Vegetarian Eating





Comments
5
Oct
14

How bad do you want it?

Posted by Kardena

excited-boyDo you want to make lasting change and accomplish your weight loss goals easily and with jedi focus?

well, I was listening to my Ipod this morning and thinking about what it takes to accomplish your goals.

I’m not a Rah Rah motivational coach. What I do have is 7 years of experience with my own clients and knowing what it takes for them reach their weight loss goals.

THIS IS NOT A JOKE

The goal that comes to my mind for you is weight loss, but of course we all have goals in many areas of life and this same system can be used to accomplish goals in any area of life. How exciting!

You may want to lose weight, tone up, have more energy, transition to a vegetarian diet, etc.  You are probably investing your time and money to reach your health and fitness goals right now.

If I was you, I would want to get the most out of this very opportunity!

There are things you know you should do to reach your goals and you may not be doing them.  No ones perfect including me, so don’t fret, you are not the only one.

I’m going to back up a little to talk about our belief system and our action plan.  Once these steps are put in place, the action part will come much easier.

BE, DO, HAVE


You see, tons of people WANT to lose weight, tone up, and feel better, but do they have a burning desire?  Wanting something isn’t enough to warrant the accomplishment of it.

You have to have a burning desire for it, almost an obsession.


You have to feel it, want it, get fed up with not having your dreams, get angry, what ever you have to do to REALLY desire it.

A Pro basketball player thinks about basketball all day, in his sleep, when he’s going to the bathroom, all the time.  His desire to be the best drives him to think about his skills and techniques and therefore continue to improve on them and reach his goals.

Be open minded and try something new if you’ve never tried this before. Remember, your mind is like a parachute, better when open.  Close minds do not make dramatic changes in life.

Once you have a burning desire, there are 6 steps to achieving your goals.

1. Think about the exact goals you have a burning desire to attain. (more energy, fit into your skinny jeans, be able to hike without being exhausted, go out and feel confident about yourself, tighten and tone my body)

2. Determine what you intend to give, in return for your desire or what you will give up. (I will give up eating the candy from the jar at work, I will give up my self doubting thoughts, I will give up my excuses I use to eat food I know is unhealthy for me, I will give up eating cake every day, I will eat half the amount of food I normally eat cuz I know I over eat)

3. Create a definite date by when you will accomplish these goals

4. Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire. And begin at once, no matter what, to put this plan in action

5. Write out a clear and concise statement of all your goals, the timeline by which you will accomplish them, what you intend to give in return and the plan in which you intend to accomplish it.

6. Read your written statement in the morning when you wake up and at night before you go to bed. Starting your day with your goal in mind makes you 100 times more likely to accomplish it. I didn’t make this up!

As you read your statement, see and feel yourself already having accomplished your goals.

GET EXCITED!

It’s really important that you do all these steps.

Do you have trouble seeing yourself accomplishing your goals? That’s o.k. a lot of people do. If you truly desire your goals so much that it is an obsession, than you will accomplish your goals. Put your self doubt aside and keep envisioning you reaching your goal.  So keep taking baby steps.

If you really want it, then you must be determined that you will have it. And you will!

To accomplish exactly what you desire doesn’t take a special person, just action. Anybody can do it, and that means you.

If your goals are not written down and put into action then your goals are left up to chance and luck. Successful people are driven by their purpose and desire in life not luck.

Believe in what you desire and there are no stupid desires. Everyone respects a person with desires and goals.

Repetition is the key to having desires become reality. Have faith and take consistent action.

Whatever thoughts dominate your mind are the thoughts that will shape your exterior reality.

Focus on what you desire, do not focus on what you do not desire or self defeating thoughts because you get what you focus on.

**5 times throughout the day focus on and declare your goals in your mind or out loud. You are training yourself to have more dominate thoughts about what you desire and about reaching your goals rather than self defeating thoughts that come up in all of our minds.

Think about your goals with emotion and keep a copy of your goals wcb20theeasyvegetarianlifestyleebook-final4ith you all the time.

If you have never tried this before, here’s your chance!

Kardena Pauza

Author, Easy Veggie Meal Plans

P.S.- I want you to succeed just as much as you do.





Comments
18
Oct
11

The Best Superfoods

Posted by Kardena

A week ago I wrote an article about supporting local farmers by shopping at your local farmers market. Shopping locally helps reduce our carbon footprint on the Earth and is a great way to get fresh, ripe, organic (if possible) fruits and veggies.

I like supporting the small family owned farms that have been around for decades.  These people are passionate about providing great quality produce to their community. Gotta Love’em..

So what did I find when I went on my local farmers market excursion? Keep in mind I’m kind of a veggie nerd. And I am completely nerd’in out here when it comes to veggies.

I found a bunch of leafy green veggies I have never seen, heard of, or tried before.  Score!

What’s the big deal with greens? Eating greens will revolutionize your weight loss diet.

You see, greens are the source of life in so many ways. They are the ultimate superfoods.

I’m talking about greens like spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, chard, parsley, cilantro and more.  And NO, iceburg lettuce is not considered a superfood, sorry. It’s a non nutritive mostly water rich lettuce.  You’re not getting a lot for your money.

I have found a whole new world of greens at my farmers market. Variety is important because different greens have a different vitamin and mineral content.

Why are greens important?

  • they provide minerals you need for strong bones
  • greens can provide a majority of your RDA (recommended Daily Allowance) of vitamins and minerals.
  • stabilize blood sugar, increase your iron, detoxify your body.
  • you won’t have to take tons of artificial and man made vitamins compressed in a tablet that’s harmful to your liver and organs.
  • provides the essential amino acids your body needs to build strong lean muscles, hair, skin, and hormones.
  • low in calories and high in fiber
  • greens give you energy from the high mineral content

I could go on and on about the amazing power of greens. Try them for yourself for 2 weeks and notice how you feel, your energy level, your mental clarity.

Don’t be afraid of greens. Most have a mild flavor but if you don’t know how it tastes then pinch off a small piece and taste it before you buy it. I do this all the time.

IDEAS ON HOW TO EAT THEM:

  1. Make a salad with a base of greens you like then add some of the new unfamiliar greens to the salad. You will acquire a taste for it. Over time your taste buds will get used to it and you can add more new darker greens to your salad and you will enjoy them.
  2. Put greens in your smoothie. Start with a small amount of greens and gradually start adding more.
  3. Make fresh fruit and veggie juice with greens in it. I like cilantro, parsley, and spinach in mine. Check out my video to see me try my new greens.
  4. You can make a stir fry with veggies and greens.
  5. You can make soups with added greens.

I can’t believe I’m telling you this. My clients at the gym see me doing this. I eat a whole kale leaf and an apple together first thing in the morning. What a great pick me up!

Who needs coffee!

cb20easyveggiemealsebook20final4

I have a kale leaf in one hand and an apple in the other and I take a bite of one then a bite of the other and eat them together.

Adding greens to your diet is one of the best ways to be healthy, thrive, and lose excess weight.

My challenge to you, eat up to 1 pound of greens a day.

Kardena Pauza

Author, Easy Veggie Meal Plans

I would like to hear your results and experiences by taking on this challenge.





Comments
4
Oct
07

Be Vegetarian, Live Longer

Posted by Kardena

vegetarian-leaf1Do Vegetarians Live Longer? Some Things to Consider…

Talk about the $25,000 question! As you may well know, excess consumption of red meat has been linked to increase risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and other disorders.

Health-conscious people (like you!) are eating more fruit, vegetables and are staying away from beef, red meat and other animal products.

But the real question is this: does being a vegetarian extend your life? This is a huge topic in today’s health industry, so before you weigh in (literally!) with your thoughts and opinions, consider these findings about vegetarianism and longevity:

A team of researchers from Cornell,  Harvard, and Oxford University along with China completed the most extensive study on vegetarian diets and health ever conducted.

Their study reflects the growing body of research that suggests that Americans will not reduce their rate of cancers, cardiovascular disease and other chronic, degenerative diseases until they shift their diets away from animal-based foods to plant-based foods,” said T. Colin Campbell, Cornell professor of nutritional biochemistry.

If we reduce our chances of acquiring disease then we will inevitably live longer. I don’t know about you but my goal is to live to be over 100 years old and enjoy my life and my body with no aches and pains.

The Adventist Health Study is an ongoing study of life expectancy in vegetarians. The researchers found that a combination of different lifestyle choices could influence life expectancy by as much as 10 years.

The researchers concluded that “the life expectancies of California Adventist men and women are higher than those of any other well-described natural population” at 78.5 years for men and 82.3 years for women.robbiehazeley-pictureage53

This is something to think about when you are making food choices.

In a recent review of studies relating to low-meat diet patterns to all-cause mortality, a researcher noted that

“5 out of 5 studies indicated that adults who followed a low meat, high plant-food diet pattern experienced significant or marginally significant decreases in mortality risk relative to other patterns of intake.”

The most impressive data arises from a study of 1904 vegetarians over 21 years by the German Cancer Research Center .

The study’s shocking results: vegetarian men reduced their risk of early death by 50%! Women vegetarians benefit from a 30% reduction in mortality. The health of these study participants was compared with the average German population.

Pretty Amazing…

Based on my personal experience and the true stories of many of my clients, I know that reducing (or eliminating) meat and certain animal products from their diet has made a huge positive impact on their health. Likewise the increase in vegetables and non-meat food options has helped them feel better and lose weight!

I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with vegetarian food plans and choices.cb20easyveggiemealsebook20final42

Wishing you a long, healthy, life.

Kardena Pauza

Author of, Easy Veggie Meal Plans





Comments
2
Oct
02

Welcome To Vegetarian Month

Posted by Kardena

vegmonthOctober 1st is the kick off to Vegetarian Awareness Month.

So many people are realizing the benefits of a vegetarian based diet and non vegetarians are reducing their total meat consumption. According to the vegetarian times 46 percent of Americans are reducing their meat consumption.

This is excellent news for our environment and your health.

I hope you take this opportunity to strengthen your vegetarian program and to continue to educate yourself on the amazing benefits of a plant based diet.

I will be supporting you all month, look for more articles and videos to bring you more great info and check out previous videos to launch you into vegetarian month.

You can also pick up your copy of the easy veggie meal plan 90 day challenge to kick off your weight loss program.

Tip: Make a new vegetarian dish a week to add to your arsenal. This simple action will build up your library of healthy, easy to make, tasty recipes.cb20easyveggiemealsebook20final4

Wishing You Wellness,

Kardena Pauza

author, Easy Veggie Meal Plans





Comment
1
Oct
01

Camping in the Desert

Posted by Kardena

Hi Everyone,

We survived our desert camp out and the coyotes! Just kidding…

My husband and I enjoy many different activities and one of them is camping.  It could be camping in the mountains, or over looking the beach or camping in the desert.  This time we chose the Mojave desert where I was born.

For us, camping is relaxing and I’ll talk about why that’s an important part of losing weight and being healthy.

Take a look at the video of the amazing landscape, where I was born, and me making a quick, easy, vegetarian breakfast.  Showing you that when you prepare, you can make a healthy, easy meal so you can get back to having fun!

When I’m camping or traveling, I don’t want to have to get in my car, drive to a restaurant, sit for an hour to wait for my food, then eat, pay too much for something that tastes mediocre, and drive back.

To me that’s a lot of wasted time when I could be relaxing outdoors and enjoying a simple healthy breakfast and listening to the birds singing.

Did you know that relaxation and de-stressing are important to losing belly fat?  You see, when your body is stressed it produces a hormone in excess called cortisol which can cause a person store fat in the belly area!  Cortisol can also cause a person to feel hungry prematurely which means you’ll be raiding the frig more.
Let’s not forget that in high stress situations people, I’m not saying you do this, but other people tend to eat more than normal and eat foods that are not on the healthy list when they are stressed as a coping, calming mechanism.  I’ve been known to do this myself.  I especially liked fatty foods. I never said I was perfect!  🙂

For these reasons, take time to do something you enjoy that’s relaxing.  It’s soo good for your body.  I myself just experienced this again when we got out in nature and it was a good reminder for me of how important it is to take time out for yourself from your busy life.

Also eat foods that don’t cause stress on your body like eating healthy vegetarian meals that are easy to digest and eat meals that are made with simple and few ingredients.  This is one key tip to healthy vegetarian weight loss.

Don’t forget to excercise!  Do something you like, such as hiking or biking outdoors. I like my workouts in the gym but the best is getting out in nature and hitting the trails.

Until next time, I hope you enjoy my video, and remember to do your best!

Wishing you wellness,

Kardena Pauza

author, Easy Veggie Meal Plans





Comments
8
Sep
24

Sprouting for Energy

Posted by Kardena

Hello Everyone!

For those of you who’ve purchased my Easy Veggie Meal Plan, thank you so much for your awesome feedback! It’s been so great to hear your experiences with the plan, so keep them coming!

I wrote an article previously called Sprouting for Beginners showing you the variety of nuts and seeds that you can sprout. I’m doing one more article about sprouting since I received some more questions so I want to make sure I answer them for everyone.

In the video, I am showing you how to sprout mung beans but this method can be used to sprout any other seeds you want to sprout.

The Power of Sprouts. Soaking and sprouting seeds in water releases the seeds dormant energy and begins to predigest the amino acids, fats, and carbohydrates in the seeds making it easier for you to digest and utilize the nutrients, giving you lots of energy The nutrients in sprouts is the total nutrients needed to sustain life and develop a living plant. Amazing… This gives you an idea of the full spectrum of macro and micro nutrients seeds have available.

Sprouts are known to posses vital nutrients you won’t find in processed foods. They have been known to slow down the aging process. For example, look at me, I look pretty good for 50 years old! Sprouts have done well for me. Just kidding! But you get the idea.

For those who have flipped through all the recipes in the easy veggie meal plans, you may have noticed several recipes that call for mung beans or other soaked or sprouted seeds. This blog will be helpful to you if you are not familiar with this process.

First thing’s first when buying seeds—get organic. There’s a lot less chemicals in organic seeds, so buy organic whenever you can.

SPROUTING: Once you have your seeds, get yourself a glass jar like a big Mason jar or some type of glass bowl. Pour enough seeds to cover the bottom of the jar or bowl and then pour water about 1-2 inches above the seeds. It may seem strange to only pour a small amount of seeds into such a big jar, but the seeds will grow to fill up most of the jar.

If you have a sprout lid (aerated/ holes), put the sprout lid on the jar. If you don’t have a sprout lid, pick a lid to gently lay on top. Pick a lid that will still let air in or lay a cloth on top of the jar—otherwise you’ll kill the beans! They need oxygen.

Let the container of seeds sit for 8-12 hours. If you start the seeds in the evening, you’ll be ready to change the water in the morning before you start your day. This is a great way to rinse and make the sprouts on your schedule!

Keep container of seeds out of the sun if and when you are ready to infuse chlorophyll into the sprout leaves. You may not sprout some seeds this long. Actually most seeds you won’t sprout this far.

After the first 8-12 hour soak, drain the water, then re-fill jar with fresh water  and re-seal. Then let the seeds sit again for another 8-12 hours. Check the beans in the evening to see if they need a third soaking. If so, just rinse and re-fill the water for another 8-12 hours. Usually you’ll need 2 days minimum then you’ll have enough sprouts for 1-2 weeks.Anytime you are sprouting seeds into full sprouts, the process will take 2-4 days. So be a little more patient and keep rinsing morning and night.

You’ll have superfoods for days.

Once mung beans are sprouted, you’ll see little tails on the beans. This means they’re ready to be eaten! Once sprouted, they have a lot more Vitamin C, and they’re a great source of protein, amino acids, calcium, iron and potassium.

Storing Sprouts: You can easily store your sprouts in the refrigerator. Just keep it drained (no water) and sealed. They should last one to two weeks. But I always recommend the “smell test” before you use them. You know, bad odor=bad sprouts! Rinsing them about every 4 days will help keep them fresh.

To Store Sprouts in Water or Not: Here’s how I determine if I store the sprouts in water in the frig or not.

Seeds that are sprouted with long plant tails or leaves: store sprouts without water, just slightly damp.

Seeds/legumes soaked but not fully sprouted like sunflower seeds, almonds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, lentils: store in the frig IN water. Rinse about every 4 days to keep them fresh.

Be inventive and share your creative food experiments with me! I love cb20easyveggiemealsebook20final42hearing about your fun and fabulous meals!

Have fun and be healthy,

Kardena Pauza

Author, Easy Veggie Meal Plans

I tried to keep the article short, which didn’t happen. I needed to give you this foundational information so you can make amazing foods that are going to give you so much energy and help you lose weight.





Leave
a Comment
Sep
19

farmers-market1This time of the year is an exciting time for local farmers markets. Much of the produce planted in the spring is being harvested and brought to local markets in your area. Fall is in the air, pumpkins, apples, peaches, hayrides, and Starbucks Pumpkin spice latte-don’t fall prey to this one….:-)

Shopping at local farmers markets has so many benefits and is great for the environment! Where I live, in Orange County, California, we have organic farms dispersed throughout the region. All farmers must grow strictly organic because of the close proximity to people. The chemicals used on conventional farms is very harmful to people. I love Orange County for being conscious of our health!

Have you ever gone to the grocery store to buy peaches and they are hard as a rock? It takes 5 days for them to ripen and you’re starving by then. And when you do eat it, the flavor is between bland and flavorless?

Making the choice to shop locally reduces the carbon footprint on the environment, isn’t that important?

Here’s the problem: produce is now grown in distant locations half-way around the world like Chile, New Zealand, and China. In order to ship produce long distances, the produce is picked early while it is still hard as a rock so it will transport without being destroyed. Produce in the supermarkets are typically 14 days old by the time you purchase it and has traveled an average of 1,500 miles.

What’s wrong with that, you might ask? Produce needs to stay on the vine or the tree until ripe or close to it to obtain it’s full nutrient value so the fruits and veggies can nourish your body.

Remember: high nutrient foods in your body = high energy, less cravings, beautiful skin and lean body.

farmers_market2

At a local farmers market, local farmers usually get up at the crack of dawn, pick the freshest produce and bring it to market the same day. If not picked that day usually in the last couple of days. I can actually taste the freshness and richness of the just-picked produce. It’s amazing!

Support your local farmers! I always cheer for the underdog and those who are out to do good deeds. Small farmers are more conscious of taking care of the land and the environment.

Large agricultural farms strip the soil of vital nutrients, use harsh chemicals, large machinery which is polluting the air, and they don’t replace the minerals needed to produce nutrient rich fruits and veggies.

Small farms take better care of the soil by using friendly farming techniques and replenishing the soils with vital minerals. We’ll save the discussion on organic vs. conventional farming for a later post.

But, just so you know, I recommend buying organic when ever possible. I know it’s not always possible, so do your best.

Buying locally means saving thousands of pounds of CO2 from being emitted into the air, eating healthier nutritionally dense foods, supporting the local economy, and enjoying the foods that are in season.

A couple things to remember when shopping at farmers markets:

  • Ask if their produce is organic, not all farmers’ adhere to this standard.
  • Some produce stands are resellers just like the large grocery store chains, so ask the market coordinator to clarify for you which ones are family-owned and which ones are conventional resellers. Get to know your community it’s fun!
  • Bring recyclable bags, it’s also en vogue. Cloth bags hold more produce. I have a stash in my car at all times.

Below are some links to help you find a farmers market near you. Or do a Google search for your local area. There could be one right around the corner from you!

http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/

http://www.farmersmarketscanada.ca/

http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/

Pssssst BARGAIN TIP: If you go to the farmers market towards closing time, some farmers will sell you more produce for cheap because they need to get rid of it. So don’t be afraid to bargain!

Have an adventure,easyveggiemealsebook

Kardena Pauza

author, Easy Veggie Meal Plans





« Older Entries
Newer Entries »