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diet

5 Ways for You and Your Family to Become Locavores

by Jennifer Landis November 11, 2019

As a parent, you put a lot of thought into what to feed your family. Weekly budgeting, meal planning and shopping — it all takes time and effort. Yet you take these steps to keep your family healthy.

Nevertheless, you can do more to make your diet nutritious and enriching. Many choose to become locavores, people who source food from local sources — anything less than 100 miles away. Locavores experience a slew of benefits.

For one, a purchase from a nearby farm travels less distance than grocery store goods. Therefore, the process uses less fuel and less carbon enters the atmosphere.

As a locavore, you’ll also experience added health benefits. Fresh produce loses 30% of its nutrients within three days of harvest. Spinach, for example, loses 90% within the first 24 hours. When you buy local, goods are fresher than those at big box stores.

Now that you’re ready to make the switch, discover how to turn your family into locavores.

Search Online

A straightforward way to find local fare is to search on the internet. Seek out farmers who sell their harvests. You can also look for nearby restaurants that source ingredients from local providers.

Don’t limit yourself to food. You can also find clothes, beauty products, office supplies and other useful items made in your hometown. If you can’t find anything, post a question on a local forum and wait for people to reach out. Many people have home-based businesses they’re dying to talk about.

Hit the Farmer’s Market

You can always find local fare at the farmer’s market. Locavores who shop at markets prove community-based business matters. When you support a local seller, you boost the city’s economy.

With an increase in demand for local food, you’ll begin to see more of it. Restaurants might add new local-inspired options. Boutiques might source items from nearby artists. This change will make it easier to maintain a locavore lifestyle — a win-win for you and the community.

Sign Up for a Co-Op

Once you’re fully on board with the locavore lifestyle, join a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. You pay an upfront subscription fee in exchange for the regular delivery of locally-grown crops. Subscribers gain access to a range of products from a single farm or group. Each shipment is sure to inspire your weekly menu.

Another option is a co-op, a system where farmers pool resources and provide goods to individual members. To join, you pay a membership fee. In exchange, you receive well-sourced groceries. Some co-ops fill shelves with food from nearby farms. Others grow and harvest the food themselves with the help of volunteers. You may be asked to work in the field picking strawberries. You could also help members shopping in the store.

Start a Garden

You can’t get more local than a garden in your backyard. Step out the door into your personal supply of fresh fruits and veggies. Starting a garden might seem daunting, but it’s a simple process. Find a sunny spot and ensure the soil is loamy enough to support growth. A space of 160 square feet — about the size of a shed — is enough to grow food for a family of four.

Start with plants that are easy to grow and great additions to mealtime. Include options like:

Carrots
Zucchini
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Green Beans

A garden is an activity the whole family can participate in. Teach your kids how to dig into the soil and plant seeds. Keep an eye out for symptoms of disease, such as leaf and stem rust, a golden residue that tends to seek out corn. You can even let Fido wander around the jungle as the whole family picks fresh goodies.

Preserve Crops Post-Harvest

Gardens don’t yield much in the cold months, but you can still enjoy your harvest year-round. Some foods stay fresh for months, as long as you know how to store them. For instance, sweet potatoes, squash and apples have long shelf lives. With the right preservation techniques, you can eat like a locavore until spring comes.

Preservation won’t keep fresh fruits and veggies in their original form. The result, however, is more nutritious than the canned variety at the grocers. For example, transform leftover tomatoes into salsa, spaghetti sauce or juice. Blend once-fresh peaches or raspberries into jams. You can also pickle cucumbers into a salty treat. Running out of recipes? Simply can your leftovers, a preservation method that requires a pressure cooker and glass jars.

Love Local and Become a Locavore

Eating local might take a bit of research on your part. However, the work will pale in comparison to the payoff. You and your family will get to eat fresh, tasty and nutritious food year-round. Local businesses will flourish as you buy products. Plus, you can learn the benefits of growing your own garden.

Start your quest to become a locavore today, and see how great you feel tomorrow.

Health Motherhood

11 Healthy Weight Loss Tips After Pregnancy

by Guest Contributor June 27, 2019

written by Guest Contributor

Losing weight after you have a baby is difficult, and it’s often different with each pregnancy. With one pregnancy, the weight might fall off, but next time, it might be a struggle to lose even a few pounds. Weight loss after pregnancy is always troublesome, and moms usually spend most of their time worrying about their baby rather than their own health.

I understand the struggles; I’ve had three kids and had to lose weight after each baby. Most importantly, losing weight had to be in a healthy way. I breastfeed my babies, and dramatically dropping weight while breastfeeding can cause your milk supply to crash. It’s tempting to resort to drastic measures to get back down to your pre-baby weight, but you have to do what’s best for you and your baby.

Here are 11 tips to help you lose weight after pregnancy in the healthiest way possible.

1. Remember to Eat Full Meals

It can be hard to remember to eat when you have a new baby. Everything is centered around diaper changes, feedings, cuddles, and (if you’re lucky) nap times. There were some days after giving birth when I would realize I hadn’t eaten at all. Instead of taking the time to sit down for an actual meal, I would usually reach for something quick, like chips or a sandwich.

I eventually learned that was a mistake.

Cutting back on eating may help you lose weight, but it’s not a healthy way to do it. Also, if you’re breastfeeding, you need to eat so you can create milk to feed your baby. A balanced, healthy diet is the best way to go about losing weight after pregnancy.

2. Eat the Right Foods

So, you remembered to eat, but reaching for that pan of brownies or having pancakes every breakfast doesn’t help either. Your body needs nutrients to help it come back to its healthiest form, and you need fuel to produce enough milk for your baby.

Your goal is to eat healthy foods. You want to eat things such as lean meat, chicken, eggs, fruits, vegetables, yogurt, whole grains, legumes, and beans.

Photo by Dana Tentis from Pexels

3. Healthy Snacks

Snacks are my downfall. I can eat healthy meals, but I give in to temptation and grab some chocolate chips for a snack. Remember this, bad snacks erase the work you put in with healthy meals.

Breastfeeding mothers often feel hungrier, so you tend to find yourself snacking more often. Include healthy snacks in your menus such as nuts, whole grains, strips of veggies and dip, yogurt mixes, and granola. Finding healthy snacks doesn’t mean it can’t be delicious.

4. Don’t Eat Too Late

When you’re up late at night, it’s easy to snack, and that snacking is typically not healthy. You’ll find yourself reaching for bowls of ice cream, chips, or other unhealthy treats. Even if you ate well all day, eating late at night can erase all of that good work you did throughout the day.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels

5. Avoid Fast Food

When you’re busy, fast food seems like the obvious choice. The problem is, t’s not good for your waistline.

Eating at home is the cheapest and healthiest choice when trying to lose weight after pregnancy. Pack your lunches if you’ll be out and about during lunchtime. It’s also a good idea to write meal plans to avoid grabbing a pizza or take-out food.

6. Drink Plenty of Water

Drinking plenty of water is essential. You need to drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Drinking enough water helps flush toxins out of your body, and it helps keep you away from calorie-filled drinks.

Water also has other benefits. For example, it helps prevent dehydration and improves your metabolism, which is a vital part of properly managing your weight.

Fluids are necessary, so don’t limit yourself to water. Try soups, stews, fresh juices, and smoothies. Those are all good selections when you’re trying to lose weight.

7. Get Moving Each Day

Perhaps the hardest thing of all after pregnancy is making time to exercise on a regular basis. You have so much to do when you’re a new mom, but including a form of exercise each day in your daily routine is a good idea.

You don’t need to pick any crazy exercises. Walking, jogging, dancing, swimming, yoga, and more are good picks.

Photo by Daniel Reche from Pexels

8. Sleep As Much As Possible

Getting sleep when you’re a new mom is nearly impossible. A straight eight hours of sleep is like the holy grail for parents—don’t expect to find it.

Try to get as much sleep as possible. Being sleep deprived adversely affects your metabolism and will slow down your weight loss process. Find time to take power naps, take advantage of babysitting offers from family members, and go to bed as soon as your baby falls asleep.

9. Try Yoga

Yoga is one of the best exercises to start when you want to lose weight after pregnancy. You can watch a video on TV and practice yoga moves when your child is taking a nap. If you can get away for an hour, a yoga class is a gentle way to add exercise to your weekly routine.

10. Walk Often

You need to try to incorporate exercise into your daily routine, and walking is a daily routine that you need to check off every day. Try to walk as often as you can, even if that means taking your baby with you. Walk to the library, to the store, or more. All you have to do is put your baby in a carrier or stroller.

11. Give Yourself Time

Most importantly, give yourself time to lose the weight. It took you nine months to gain the weight, so don’t expect it to disappear in a few weeks. You usually can’t exercise for the first six weeks after giving birth, and starting slow is a smart idea.

Try not to lose focus on the goal: healthy living. If you focus on the numbers on the scale, it’s easy to lose motivation. Keep focusing on the small changes that you’re incorporating in your life. Don’t feel stress or depressed.

Losing Weight after Pregnancy

Your goal is to live a healthy life. The dropping numbers on a scale are the side benefit of a healthy lifestyle. By focusing on eating well, sleeping, and getting active each day, you’ll find that the weight drops off slowly. Remember that breastfeeding mothers need to slowly drop the weight to avoid a dramatic drop in your milk supply.

Author Bio

Kate Boynton is just another mama of three constantly striving to do her best. She loves organizing things into lists and helping others find what they are looking for. You can find her sharing Postpartum Health hacks & tips on her blog.

Food Health

Why the Mediterranean Diet Is Perfect for Summer Time

by Guest Post June 20, 2017

written by Guest Post

Everyone looks forward to summer because it’s a time to relax. The warm weather makes it the perfect season for vacations to some of the most popular tourist spots. Eating lots of great food comes along with relaxation — but that often means the foods aren’t healthy. When you picture staying at the beach, do you see a hotel mini-fridge full of vegetables, or a blanket on the beach with a margarita after eating at a local restaurant?

Traveling means fast food and large portion sizes at restaurants that will offer endless breadsticks or fries. On the weekends, you’ll have barbecues and neighborhood cookouts to go to. Grocery stores put foods on sale that are meant for these events — think potato chips, sodas and desserts. While you should take some time to enjoy your summer activities, don’t forget to feed your body healthy foods to keep it happy.

The problem, though, not only comes with sticking to healthy eating choices, but also knowing how much to eat. After all, a barbecue might provide a fruit bowl for you to pick from, but how do you balance that fruit with much-needed proteins and carbs?

A quick answer is to start up a diet, and to do that, you need to know what diet is going to work with you to help you enjoy your summer as much as possible. The solution? Think about trying the Mediterranean diet!

What Is It?

The Mediterranean diet is one that works best as a lifestyle change, and it encourages participants to do just that. The main feature of this diet is that it incorporates Mediterranean cuisine, so make sure you can eat a majority of what it recommends before going to the grocery store:

Olive oil
Rice, potatoes and pasta
Poultry and fish
Dairy products
Lots of plant-based foods (think nuts, vegetables, fruits and beans)
Rarely red meat and wine

One of the best parts about this diet is that you’ll have a variety of foods to choose from, and you won’t have to sacrifice too much of what you’re probably already eating. This is because the diet originated back in the Middle Ages, so people ate whatever they could get at the time.

It’s still around today because the basis of the diet is that it has extremely low levels of saturated fats. A study done by Ancel Keys in the 1970s connected this with why people in Italy and Greece were healthier than in most other countries he reviewed. The trick is to learn about the correct portion sizes needed to eat right, and then combine that diet with a steady exercise routine.

Where to Start

Picture your kitchen pantry full of potatoes and nuts, and your freezer full of fish. Those foods are going to be the foundation of all your meals and snacks.

Sometimes you’ll be able to switch out the fish with chicken, but most of the time you’ll stick with seafood since it’ll be lower in saturated fats. You can keep carbs in your eating routine, too — just be sure to buy whole wheat versions of what you usually get.

Need Some Inspiration?

It’s one thing to see a list of foods and put them in your kitchen, but it can be a struggle to try to piece them together into delicious meals. Here are some meal ideas to get you started:

Mediterranean Scrambled Eggs

Who ever said diet foods have to be complex? Eggs are completely fine to eat on this diet, so grab a couple from the fridge. Sauté some tomatoes and spinach, and mix them in with the eggs, along with some feta cheese.

Season however you like, and enjoy your breakfast! Don’t be afraid to throw some fruit in as a side dish, either.

Chicken Piccata With Pasta and Mushrooms

Just the name of this recipe sounds good enough to eat, and wait until you hear how easy it is to make! Boil your chosen whole wheat pasta, season and cook your chicken breasts on the stove, then add mushrooms and let it simmer.

This recipe is a great way to throw some protein into your day, and it also works as a make-ahead meal. Keep the chicken and pasta in one container and the sauce in another — it’ll stay good for the whole week.

Tuscan Tuna Salad Wrap

This delicious, hearty wrap will be just what you need at the end of your work day. You can make it by getting fresh tuna at your local store or by stocking up on your favorite brand of canned tuna — just get the kind that’s in water, not oil.

Mix your tuna with lemon juice and as many vegetables as you want, and wrap it in a whole wheat tortilla. You’ll have a low-carb and low-fat feast that hits the spot. This meal can also be made ahead of time, but keep the mix separate from the wrap, so it doesn’t get soggy.

Homemade Hummus

No matter what diet you try, you’ll always find you get the need to snack. While it’s not a good idea to eat too late or overeat at snack time, the Mediterranean diet means plenty of options for your snacking pleasure.

For example, grab a box of your favorite low-carb crackers and then make your own hummus. There are many ways to make your hummus creamy and healthy, too, so you won’t feel guilty next time you get hungry at your desk before lunch.

The Mediterranean diet is ideal to try if you’re wanting to lose some weight or learn how to eat healthier this summer — without the constant threat of your diet plans getting derailed.

The foods this diet includes are easy to eat at summer socials or on vacation, and you don’t have to give up carbs — or wine. All it takes is a little planning ahead, and you’ll be inspiring your friends and family to join you.

Author Bio

Jennifer Landis is a 27-year-old healthy living blogger who loves yoga, running, and dancing it out with her toddler! You can find more from Jennifer at her blog, Mindfulness Mama, or by following her on Twitter: @jenniferelandis.