I've been watching the stock market in the last month or so run through an amazing array of ups, downs and sideways. Like most folks, I have become increasingly skeptical of the math, science, psychology and technology behind the stock market.
I've always known the market was skewed toward the big guys - but I used to think that if you followed in the tracks of the big guys, you might still fare well. It's clear from the massive typo a couple of weeks back that caused the market to tumble almost 1,000 points, that's just not true anymore. It's left me even more leery of the machinations of the markets of late.
Not that I have piles of money to invest anyway. But the money I do have to invest is staying close to home these days. I've decided that the best way to manage my money is to spend it on important things - like fixing the leaking faucet, getting a few new plants for the front porch, or buying really high quality food to cook and bake with.
When it's all said and done, the old cliched adage really does hold true - the best investment is in yourself. Granted, the notion of what that investment looks like has changed over the past decade. In the height of economic prosperity (aka bubbles), that investment seemed more like buying the latest 52" big screen TV. Now, after a painfully recessionary squeeze, that investment has been boiled down to basics - what you do to invest in your health, wellness and happiness. After all, those are investments that gain in value and as any wise investor will tell you, those are the ones to look for.
Healthy food is a great place to start that investment since good, healthy, organic food forms the foundation of good nutrition that supports health and wellness at every age. Invest in exercise and active leisure activities - from golf lessons to hiking to kayaking or mountain biking. [Not sure where to look? I'm a big fan of REI.] Try something new and exciting and active. What great dividends you'll earn from that investment.
After you've taken care of yourself, you might want to look at how you can invest in your local community. There are millions of small companies across the nation that no longer have access to bank funding or equity (investor) capital. They still need capital to expand and they form the foundation of your community as well as our country's economy. (shopOrganic.com is one of them - click here for details).
Look at the business practices of the companies you do business with - whether locally owned or part of a larger, national company. Do they treat customers, vendors, employees and their community well? Do their employees seem content or even (gasp) happy? Local or not, there are some companies whose business practices are stellar and investing your shopping dollars with those companies is another way of investing intelligently.
Invest in local businesses - start a local investment club or support your local business with your purchases. You'll find you have a lot more control than spinning the wheel on the stock market and you'll benefit directly by supporting a sustainable local economy.
Thoughts? Comments? Love to hear 'em.
Now, go out there and enjoy your day!
Read more!
Showing posts with label healthy eating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy eating. Show all posts
7.20.2009
Part Three : Healthy Adolescence and Adults
Part Three in a continuing series on the health benefits of organic food.
We've discussed the importance of clean, organic food and nutrient dense diets during pregnancy and while a infant is developing just after birth. As a child grows into adolescence, the importance of a healthy diet shifts a bit from building blocks to laying a foundation of lifelong health.
As we age into adolescence and on into adulthood, nutrient rich organic foods high in phytochemicals play an important role in weight management and preventing diabetes. They can also lessen or delay the complications linked to both issues.
Organic and nutrient dense food may play a role by increasing one's sense of satiety. The feeling of being satisfied after a meal comes not from quantity but from quality. Whole, organic foods are more likely to satisfy than a plateful of empty calories. Feeling full is not exactly the same as feeling satisfied with a meal. Satiety leads to fewer cravings for empty energy boosting calories (sugar, fat, salt) between meals.
Organic, nutrient dense foods also lessen or limit the cellular and genetic damage done by "free radicals" (also called reactive oxygen species). This potentially reduces the risk of diabetes and other diseases rooted in inflammation including arthritis and cardiovascular disease as well as rapid cell growth (cancer).
Finally, these foods may help slow or even reverse certain neurological aspects of the aging process, leading to better memory and more retention of cognitive skills as we age.
According to a report released by the Organic Center in March 2009, "In helping manage blood glucose levels and promoting cardiovascular health, organic food and farming delivers benefit in two important ways. It exposes people to fewer of the endocrine disrupting chemicals that can set off the disease process and trigger epigenetic changes, and second it delivers higher daily intakes of health-promoting phytochemicals that reinforce the body’s defense and repair mechanism."
To read the full report and learn more about how organic food provides the building blocks for lifelong health, click here to visit the Organic Center. To purchase authentic organic food online from a trusted source, visit shopOrganic.com today. Be well.
Read more!
We've discussed the importance of clean, organic food and nutrient dense diets during pregnancy and while a infant is developing just after birth. As a child grows into adolescence, the importance of a healthy diet shifts a bit from building blocks to laying a foundation of lifelong health.
As we age into adolescence and on into adulthood, nutrient rich organic foods high in phytochemicals play an important role in weight management and preventing diabetes. They can also lessen or delay the complications linked to both issues.
Organic and nutrient dense food may play a role by increasing one's sense of satiety. The feeling of being satisfied after a meal comes not from quantity but from quality. Whole, organic foods are more likely to satisfy than a plateful of empty calories. Feeling full is not exactly the same as feeling satisfied with a meal. Satiety leads to fewer cravings for empty energy boosting calories (sugar, fat, salt) between meals.
Organic, nutrient dense foods also lessen or limit the cellular and genetic damage done by "free radicals" (also called reactive oxygen species). This potentially reduces the risk of diabetes and other diseases rooted in inflammation including arthritis and cardiovascular disease as well as rapid cell growth (cancer).
Finally, these foods may help slow or even reverse certain neurological aspects of the aging process, leading to better memory and more retention of cognitive skills as we age.
According to a report released by the Organic Center in March 2009, "In helping manage blood glucose levels and promoting cardiovascular health, organic food and farming delivers benefit in two important ways. It exposes people to fewer of the endocrine disrupting chemicals that can set off the disease process and trigger epigenetic changes, and second it delivers higher daily intakes of health-promoting phytochemicals that reinforce the body’s defense and repair mechanism."
To read the full report and learn more about how organic food provides the building blocks for lifelong health, click here to visit the Organic Center. To purchase authentic organic food online from a trusted source, visit shopOrganic.com today. Be well.
Read more!
1.12.2009
Sprouting for Beginners
This time of year, so many of us are looking for ways to get healthier. One easy way to freshen up your diet is to add sprouts to the mix.
Why Sprout?
The main benefit of sprouting is that it takes a seed or nut in a dormant state and brings it to life. During the sprouting process new and higher quality proteins and other nutrients are produced. Tests have shown that the nutrients in seeds and nuts are anywhere from 50% to 400% greater after sprouting or soaking.
In addition to the higher nutritional value, sprouts are highly digestible. Because sprouts are living, growing food sources, they have a rich supply of enzymes. This quality makes sprouts easily assimilated and metabolized by the body. Sprouts are packed full of nutrition in a form that your body can easily utilize.
Sprouts continue to grow slowly even after refrigeration and their vitamin content will actually increase. Compare this with store-bought vegetables and fruits, which start losing their vitamin content as soon as they’re picked and often have to be shipped a thousand miles or more in the winter.
Sprouting is so easy and fun…don’t let it intimidate you. The rewards are well worth the effort.
How to sprout
You'll need a couple of things:
A wide mouthed jar, (e.g. a mason jar used for canning), some cheesecloth and a rubber band. Oh, and some sprouting seeds, of course. Find some popular sprouting seeds here.
Instructions:
Sprouting times:
Why Sprout?
The main benefit of sprouting is that it takes a seed or nut in a dormant state and brings it to life. During the sprouting process new and higher quality proteins and other nutrients are produced. Tests have shown that the nutrients in seeds and nuts are anywhere from 50% to 400% greater after sprouting or soaking.
In addition to the higher nutritional value, sprouts are highly digestible. Because sprouts are living, growing food sources, they have a rich supply of enzymes. This quality makes sprouts easily assimilated and metabolized by the body. Sprouts are packed full of nutrition in a form that your body can easily utilize.
Sprouts continue to grow slowly even after refrigeration and their vitamin content will actually increase. Compare this with store-bought vegetables and fruits, which start losing their vitamin content as soon as they’re picked and often have to be shipped a thousand miles or more in the winter.
Sprouting is so easy and fun…don’t let it intimidate you. The rewards are well worth the effort.
How to sprout
You'll need a couple of things:
A wide mouthed jar, (e.g. a mason jar used for canning), some cheesecloth and a rubber band. Oh, and some sprouting seeds, of course. Find some popular sprouting seeds here.
Instructions:
- Measure an appropriate amount of seed, visually inspect and remove foreign matter and broken seeds.
- Place seeds in jar
- Add water to jar for soaking
- Cover mouth of jar with cheesecloth
- Soak for recommended time (see below)
- Turn jar upside down drain at a 45 degree angle
- Let the seeds sprout for appropriate time (see below)
- Rinse seeds in jar as needed (2-4 times/day), returning jar to its upside down 45 degree angle position
- When sprouts are ready, rinse and store in refrigerator, in jar or in another suitable container, until ready to use. If not used within 12 hours, seeds should be rinsed every 24 hours in refrigerator.
Sprouting times:
- Radish: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.0+ days.
- Sunflower: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 18 hours.
- Barley: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.25-1.5 days. Use only unhulled barley; "whole" hulled barley and pearled barley won't sprout.
- Quinoa: Soak 2-4 hours, sprout 12 hours. Very fast sprouter. Rinse seeds multiple times to get off soapy tasting saponin in seed coat.
- Wheat, including Kamut and Spelt: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1-1.5 days. Hard Winter wheat is better than soft Spring wheat.
- Alfalfa, Clover: For greens: soak 4-6 hours, sprout 6-8 days.
- Garbanzo: Soak 12-18 hours, sprout 1.5+ days.
- Lentils, brown/green and red: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.0 day.
- Mung beans: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 18 hrs - 1 day.
- Adzuki beans: Soak 8-14 hours, sprout 1.0 day.
10.24.2008
The Affordable Organic Life
I've been talking with a lot of people recently about this economic meltdown and how it's likely to impact people committed to organic food and green lifestyles. It's interesting because without exception, I've heard people say things like "I can cut back in a lot of places if I need to, but I'm not willing to compromise on the food I eat."
I think that's a fairly universal sentiment among organic consumers. Certainly, economic considerations factor in - but most folks I've talked to have said they'd rather eat fewer meals out or buy fewer new clothes than buy conventional (non-organic) food.
The good news in all of this is that many organic products have come down in price and are often comparable to conventional items. I found organic bananas in my grocery store the other day that were actually less expensive than the non-organic variety. So, there are some bargains are available if you keep your eye out for them.
At shopOrganic.com, we've expanded our line of value-priced organic foods so that a wide cross-section of consumers can purchase affordable organic foods. We have a line called "Our Pantry" that is one of the least expensive and most delicious organic food we've ever tasted.
We also offer a wide variety of bulk foods so that we reduce packaging AND reduce costs. Bulk foods are a great way to buy organic on a budget and we've increased our bulk line, called "Greater Goods" over the past several months.
The flip side is that food is one of the least expensive ways you can treat yourself and your family to a special night. Make an exotic recipe at home, get the whole family to pitch in. Rent video on demand or a DVD and create affordable at-home events. Splurge on interesting ingredients for a special meal and share quality time with your friends, family and loved ones.
The bottom line is there are a lot of ways to continue to buy organic and green products on a tight budget and to splurge and indulge your taste buds on a budget. We're doing our part to help our customers find products they need at fair prices. As a small business, we're living through the same trials and tribulations you are, so we're committed to continue finding ways to work together through this turbulent time knowing that when we work together, better days are ahead.
Thoughts? Comments? We've love to hear from you. Read more!
I think that's a fairly universal sentiment among organic consumers. Certainly, economic considerations factor in - but most folks I've talked to have said they'd rather eat fewer meals out or buy fewer new clothes than buy conventional (non-organic) food.
The good news in all of this is that many organic products have come down in price and are often comparable to conventional items. I found organic bananas in my grocery store the other day that were actually less expensive than the non-organic variety. So, there are some bargains are available if you keep your eye out for them.
At shopOrganic.com, we've expanded our line of value-priced organic foods so that a wide cross-section of consumers can purchase affordable organic foods. We have a line called "Our Pantry" that is one of the least expensive and most delicious organic food we've ever tasted.
We also offer a wide variety of bulk foods so that we reduce packaging AND reduce costs. Bulk foods are a great way to buy organic on a budget and we've increased our bulk line, called "Greater Goods" over the past several months.
The flip side is that food is one of the least expensive ways you can treat yourself and your family to a special night. Make an exotic recipe at home, get the whole family to pitch in. Rent video on demand or a DVD and create affordable at-home events. Splurge on interesting ingredients for a special meal and share quality time with your friends, family and loved ones.
The bottom line is there are a lot of ways to continue to buy organic and green products on a tight budget and to splurge and indulge your taste buds on a budget. We're doing our part to help our customers find products they need at fair prices. As a small business, we're living through the same trials and tribulations you are, so we're committed to continue finding ways to work together through this turbulent time knowing that when we work together, better days are ahead.
Thoughts? Comments? We've love to hear from you. Read more!
9.22.2008
It's Not About Less, It's About More....
After years of failed dieting, Americans are turning toward eating more of the foods that are good for them and less of the foods that cause health and weight problems. The number of people dieting is on the decline and while this could point to a growing weight problem, experts see more and more people choosing to add healthy food, including organic food, to their diets.
Many Americans have found that consuming so-called "diet" foods have not helped their waistline or their health. Full of chemical additives, many of the artificially flavored foods tend to spur the appetite without leaving you feeling satisfied.
According to an article in the NY Times on 9/18/08 (see link, below): "Last year, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported on a study of 97 obese women, all of whom were avoiding high-fat foods. Half the women were instructed to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables. By the end of a year, the women who were focused on adding vegetables lost an average of 17 pounds, 20 percent more than the women who were just paying attention to fat consumption."
While I'm not privy to the scientific assumptions they made, I do know that part of the solution seems psychological. Telling someone to ADD food to their diet is much more motivating than telling them to REMOVE food from their diet. Maybe that simple mindset of adding more good food is what it takes to tip the balance for some folks.
Regardless, there's a trend away from dieting and toward healthy eating and that's a good thing.
Tell me what you think. Click the Comments link and join in the discussion.
NY Times article by Tara Parker-Pope "Instead of Eating to Diet, They're Eating To Enjoy" Read more!
Many Americans have found that consuming so-called "diet" foods have not helped their waistline or their health. Full of chemical additives, many of the artificially flavored foods tend to spur the appetite without leaving you feeling satisfied.
According to an article in the NY Times on 9/18/08 (see link, below): "Last year, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported on a study of 97 obese women, all of whom were avoiding high-fat foods. Half the women were instructed to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables. By the end of a year, the women who were focused on adding vegetables lost an average of 17 pounds, 20 percent more than the women who were just paying attention to fat consumption."
While I'm not privy to the scientific assumptions they made, I do know that part of the solution seems psychological. Telling someone to ADD food to their diet is much more motivating than telling them to REMOVE food from their diet. Maybe that simple mindset of adding more good food is what it takes to tip the balance for some folks.
Regardless, there's a trend away from dieting and toward healthy eating and that's a good thing.
Tell me what you think. Click the Comments link and join in the discussion.
NY Times article by Tara Parker-Pope "Instead of Eating to Diet, They're Eating To Enjoy" Read more!
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