Fit Fare

I’m not certain of anyone who doesn’t have some sort of continuing stress in their lives. Whether it be work-related, family-related, or health-related, it is hard to believe that anyone does not experience some level of stress in their daily lives.

With economic times as they are, ever-increasing reports of layoffs ensue. Those sort of circumstances can cause stress in those for the workers left behind. Every day, you hear of people lost in accidents well before their time is due, which can cause stress for their families.

Recently both of these circumstances happened upon my household. I felt the only way I could cope is to eat whatever came to mind, which often was food beyond my prescribed restricted carbohydrate diet. Add to that reduced sleep and reduced exercise, and I was quickly a mess.

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I’ll admit it, I’m a yogurt snob. I’m picky about my yogurt. There I said it. Not just any yogurt will do. When I made a decision to live a more healthful life, yogurt started playing a big part in my new nutrition plan. I tried many kinds of yogurts to make sure I got just the right taste and consistency. I finally found my favorite and it’s by Dannon. So when the opportunity came to review a new yogurt product from Dannon, I said “Ooo-oooo Sign me up!”

Dannon’s new product has the tag line of “Light. But Not Light on Nutrients.” They could have also added “But not light on taste.” This stuff is so good. It’s creamy, dreamy good and full of fruit. It doesn’t have a tangy, strong “yogurty” taste like some brands. This tasty yogurt could be enjoyed by most anyone. Even those who might not be big yogurt fans.

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How fabulous is spring? The warm weather, budding trees and longer days all make me happy, but I think that of all the great things about spring, asparagus is my absolute favorite.After months of gooey winter squash and carb-loaded dishes, I love the fresh crunch of lightly sauteed asparagus. It’s a tasty way to ease your body into spring.

Asparagus is high in folate, which helps prevent heart problems. Just one serving of asparagus has almost 66% of our daily value. And have you ever noticed what happens when you go to the bathroom after eating asparagus? Let’s just say you can tell you’ve eaten it! That’s because it’s high in potassium, low in sodium and high in an amino acid that combine to make it a natural diuretic.

Asparagus also helps our guts stay healthy. It contains inulin, which according to WHFoods.com, “we don’t digest, but the health-promoting friendly bacteria in our large intestine, such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, do.” The more we eat, the more the healthy bacteria thrive, insuring that the damaging bacteria can’t survive in our bodies.

It doesn’t take much to cook asparagus. I love to saute it in a little olive oil with some fresh garlic. And if you want a crunchy treat, try roasting it with olive oil on a baking sheet at 400 for about 10-15 minutes. When you take it out of the oven, top with a little fresh parmesan cheese.

Photo courtesy of MorgueFile.com

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While the saying it’s not easy being “green” still holds true in some areas, it is becoming easier to be green than ever before. That’s because of an increasing education of the general public regarding the environment and the growing willingness of local governments to take on greater ecological responsibility.

Whether you live in one of America’s greenest cities such as Eugene, Oregon, or, in a place where the infrastructure isn’t so environmentally friendly, you can still have a positive impact on the environment at the grocery store. Here are a few ways to make more environmentally friendly choices.

Bring Your Own Grocery Bags

One of the worst things for our environment is plastic. Most plastics take hundreds of years to decompose. An easy way to limit the amount of plastic bags that you use, and ultimately, throw away, is to purchase reusable grocery bags.

Purchase Less Packaging

Try to buy products with as little packaging as possible. Instead of multi-packs, purchase large jugs of juice and use your own containers. Look for a block of cheese instead of individually wrapped slices.

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Have you ever looked at an artichoke in the market and thought, “What the heck am I supposed to do with that?” If so, you’re not alone.

Artichokes are odd looking–like a cross between a hand grenade and a cactus. Plus those tiny thorns on the tops of the leaves can give you a nasty prick when you handle one.

Since it’s peak artichoke season, however, I don’t want you to miss out. Eating an artichoke is actually easier than it looks, but it’s helpful to know a few things first:

• An artichoke is actually the edible flower of a thistle plant in the sunflower family. If left to develop, the artichoke will blossom into a spiky, vibrant purple flower.
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