What do we eat now?

Tough economic times have made it necessary for many of us to re-think our food spending habits. Not only is this good for our wallets, but for our health. We have become one of the most unhealthy nations on the planet.

As many of us know, junk food is cheap. It's tempting to opt for quick fixes when there's little time for healthy cooking. It's not necessary to give in to temptation, however. For the past few months, my boyfriend and I have managed to eat organic, local, vegan meals for about $16.00/day. That may not sound like a bargain, but considering the cost of organic foods these days, we wanted to prove that people could eat well and remain within a reasonable budget.

How did we do it? It was simple, really - we do most of our cooking, and only eat out one night/week at the local Chinese restaurant, where steamed tofu or eggplant with brown rice can be had for $8.00. Our diet consists of a healthy variety of foods - beans, brown rice, wheat pasta, breads, nuts, tofu, fruits and vegetables, seitan, and soybean products. Although many of these products are not "cheap", with careful menu planning we are able to make our food budget stretch, with leftovers being stored in the freezer.

In the long run, we feel that the payoffs - healthy weight, lots of energy, and a strong immune system - are well worth the time and effort we put into our diet. Only time will tell which diet turns out to be a "bargain."

Video - Sustainable Agriculture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqNBeSp1MRw

Thoughts on the empty nest

Well, it finally happened; my youngest daughter graduated from High School this year, and last week she headed out to college. Although I had prepared them (and myself) for this moment, it still felt strange. Turning 50 did not feel half as strange as this. They're great kids, all three of them, and I'm very proud of them, but it doesn't make this venture into adulthood any easier for their parents.

Strangely enough, they feel proud of me as well - it was quite an accomplishment for a technophobe like myself to be creating websites, writing songs, and the like. Have I actually been an inspiration to them? Wouldn't that be cool?

Shucks, even their food choices have improved. Their favorite meals are baked salmon, asparagus, roasted lamb chops, couscous, homemade squash soup, and similar delights. Or maybe they just enjoyed my cooking. At any rate, some of our fondest memories have revolved around food and family. I suspect that it's the same for many of you.

Well, I'm so glad that I unloaded. I feel better already...

Important questions that can supercharge your life

With summer vacations drawing to a close, it's sometimes difficult to find the motivation when you return to work. Sometimes we need to re-align priorities and focus on what's most important. If you do, there's a great list that I discovered recently that helps you ask all the right questions. Sometimes finding the right answers is all about asking the right questions. You can go to the post by clicking here.

I like this website, and recommend it for its many insightful articles covering various practical topics. Sometimes all we need is a little inspiration.

Nuturing your inner activist

No doubt many of you, like me, can easily spend hours on the internet, searching for information and getting updates on all the events that concern us today. There's a nice website which utilizes the power of Web 2.0 to bring user-generated content about the environment, health and wellness, organics and food safety, politics, etc. Here, I've met like-minded individuals who care about alot of the same things that I care about. And unlike other such sites, users have many opportunities to take action by clicking a mouse or signing a petition. What could be simpler? Click on the link below to check it out:

www.care2.com

It's a growing community of over 7 million people the world over. Chances are you'll find information that is of interest to you, and you can catch up on some much-needed reading. There's nothing like a little armchair activism.

Big Pharma makes me sick

I'm sick to death of all the TV drug advertisements that I see on cable. I really don't want to be paying for cable TV so I can listen to people talking about erectile dysfunction, restless leg syndrome, bone density medication, hair regrowers, etc. Just listening to all these commercials, which come on every 5 minutes or so, is enough to make me sick.

Recently, a bill was passed which further illustrates how Big Pharma and the FDA are in bed together, allowing them to charge the highest possible prices for pharmaceuticals. If you want to read the article, you can click on the link below:

FDA drug safety bill passes in the U.S. Senate; health freedom advocates outraged at betrayal of American consumers

This is one of the primary reasons why the "healthcare economy" has taken on a life of its own in the U.S., with the highest expenditure per person in the world. Unfortunately, that price tag does not provide us with the best care in the world. And it's certainly not producing healthier citizens. This escalation will have to crash somewhere. I certainly behooves us to live as healthy as possible, lest we be held captive by "Big Pharma."

Why I've become a vegetarian

Just recently, I made the conscious choice to become vegetarian. As a die-hard consumer of seafood and dairy, it's a decisiono that didn't come easy. However, it was hard not to make switch, in light of all the information I've gathered while writing about organics. The older I get, the more committed I become to being a better steward of our resources.

Much has been written about the negative impact of beef processing on the environment. But I'm not much of a beef eater anyway. But factory farming is a concern with regard to chicken and pork, as well. Animal cruelty is not something I endorse.

Just as important is the impact on my waistline. High cholesterol, diabetes,and heart disease run rampant in my family. Our diet of steaks, bacon, and pork chops no doubt contributes. That and the fact that, as I grow older, my digestive system slows down, making these heavy meals harder to digest. I feel that lighter, high fiber fare would improve myhealth on many fronts.

So what to do? The good thing is that vegetarians have a myriad of optionsfor cooking and dining. I myself have cooked many vegetarian dishes (some of which I might share here), and have found them most satisfying. More and more restaurants carry vegetarian options, and there are even ready-made entrees available. So I don't feel that I'm missing anything. Being vegetarian is about more than tofu.