In an environment bombarded with ads about cholesterol – wealthy briskly food fare and cheap junk foods, the good thing is that healthy eating trends care slowly holding their own, and are even changing the minds of more people. As more and more individuals are becoming knowledgeable about nutrition and healthy eating, theyre slowly pushing preference healthy eating ideas into the mainstream of society. A recent European study has indicated that more consumers are jumping-off place to notice that their food choices are making a monster discrepancy not only to their health, but to their environment and the countryside as robust. Here are some of the popular healthy eating lifestyles a that are quickly gaining more adherents.

Organic Food

The organic food market is fast increasing today, and more organic food items are widely available, as compared to what it was ten or fifteen years ago. The range of organic food choices are also increasing, thanks to now its effortless to find items like organic ketchup, organically – grown wheat and rice, and fertilizer or pesticide – free fruits and other food items. The organic food market is expected to grow tenfold in the coming years, and is definitely here to stay.

Vegetarianism

Years back, the path to vegetarianism was a lonely and arduous once. Today however, the market for vegetarian foods is fast becoming more prevalent, and the choices have also tripled, or even quadrupled. Most restaurants have vegetarian options, and theres even a thing called haute vegetarian cuisine. Going vegetarian is being viewed by many as a great way for reducing your carbon footprint, as well as for maintaining a healthy and vibrant lifestyle. And since many frown on the harmful effects of meat production on our land and water finances, becoming a vegetarian is seen as a perfect contribution towards the wise use of our planets resources.

Raw Food Diets

The raw food sector is also growing b y leaps and bounds these days. More food options and recipes are being developed and marketed, and raw food is no more viewed as a bland and flavorless choice. More kitchen gadgets and raw food serving options are available a swell, and raw food culinary experts are also fast becoming popular, and are forging a blazing path towards food creativity.

More food companies and retailers have also jumped on the bandwagon of healthy eating. These companies see promoting healthy foods as a profitable venture, and this could drastically alter the way we eat, and what we eat as robust. More manufacturing firms and food comfort establishments are beginning to understand that a rising number of individuals are more concerned about being obese, or are worried about acceptance diseases compatible high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney oversight, concussion and others.

More people too are putting extra premium on being due and trim, and are slowly shying away from junk foods and high – fat fast food fare.

24 Hour Fitness
http://www.www.24-hr-fitness.com

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Healthy Eating, the Natural Way!
Stephania Munson-Bishop

In the past few weeks, Gram has been weeding through, throwing out, organizing – probably the most hateful task of all, the
chore for which there never seemed to “be enough time.” Well,
the truth is, time is always of the essence. But limited energy
should probably have taken top billing. Admiring the neat
appearance of her closet, Gram wondered, “What gives with me?
Why the sea change?”

Then, with one glance at the gleaming new juicer sitting at the ready on the kitchen counter, it became Obvious. All the claims
about the benefits of juicing must be true!

You might have heard about Juicing, and the trendy juice bars in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and other major cities.
But for some, juicing has become a way of life. And now Gram
understands why. Energy, weight control, restful sleep, no
indigestion (not even one bout of acid reflux) – the overt
bonanza of juicing, even in the early stages. And this, during a
stressful period on the Day Job! “My, my,” thought Gram;
“Like a natural tranquilizer in a glass.”

And is it tasty! Never mind all the health benefits – terms like
natural enzymes and phytochemicals purported to fight disease/
dis-ease in the human body. Well, those, too. Who among us wouldn’t like to be healthier and feel better, less lethargic
and out of sorts?

But having a background in human services, Gram has long known that a client’s mood swings and even a teen’s unruly behavior
can be improved with a sound, nutritious diet. More people have
various food allergies than one might suspect. So it stands to
reason that what we eat or don’t eat can affect the way we feel.
If we think of our bodies as efficient machines, then we are
more likely to think of food as fuel.

Since the juicer arrived, Gram has assembled a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables at least once a day. Scrubbing produce
with a stiff vegetable brush, lining up the items to go into the
juicer, we’ve aimed for a quart of juice at each session.
Some super vegetable combinations:
cucumber, celery, spinach, green pepper, a small apple (nothing peeled, mind you – just core the apple and seed the pepper);
carrots, apples, yellow squash, celery, lemon (again, nothing peeled except for removing the lemon rind);
tomato, carrot, celery, kale. Fruit juices that are very good:
cantaloupe, apple, carrot; watermelon, lemon, celery;
blueberry, honeydew; pineapple, orange, lemon. Each juicing
experiment has resulted in another “favorite.” In the vegetable
combinations, we’ve added a tablespoon or two of wheat germ or brewer’s yeast, to add protein. Also, an assortment of sprouts – but keep reading for more about sprouting.

In the meantime, we’ll be juicing. Is there really a Fountain of
Youth? Our juicer just may be the closest thing.

All you need for a kitchen powerhouse of fresh foods and unparalleled nutrition during the winter months: a few Mason or mayonnaise jars, several 4″ x 4″ squares from old pantyhose (the top part is best), and some rubber bands. You also need a safe source of seeds and dried beans, most likely your local health or natural foods store — because whatever you use must be organic, e.g., not treated with chemicals.

It’s all about enzymes — and how freshly sprouted foods are loaded with them. It’s about vitamins and fiber, too. Here are some choices: adzuki beans, alfalfa, barley, beans of almost any kind, buckwheat, broccoli, clover, kale, chive, chickpeas (or garbanzos), chia, cress, mung beans, fenugreek, lentil (must be whole to sprout, not halves), radish, soybean, triticale, wheat.

Then you place a 1 to 2″ layer of seed or bean in a Mason jar, cover the jar with the nylon square, and secure the square over the mouth of the jar with a rubber band. Fill with water a few inches above your layer, and let soak for 2 to 8 hours or overnight (the larger beans need a lot longer than small seed such as alfalfa or clover). Drain the jar and invert at a 45 degree angle in your dish drainer (or in a large plastic margarine tub in your kitchen sink). Rinse with water and drain several times a day. When sprouted in the next few days (again, depending on the size of the bean or seed), rinse and drain, put a lid on the jar, and refrigerate. Use within 3 to 5 days.

What can you do with these dietary nuggets? Use mung beans in eggs foo yung, and certainly in stir-fries. You can toss into soup during the last few minutes, put alfalfa sprouts into an omlet, even make bread. Incorporate in meatloaf or burgers. Throw the sprouts into your juicer with either fruit or veggie blends, for a beverage so loaded with nutrients it might even add spring to your step! But the quickest, easiest way is to include them in a big green salad.

With fast food and packaged frozen dinners which comprise so much of the American diet, people simply aren’t getting enough fiber. Our foods are mostly processed. When was the last time, other than salad or an apple, you enjoyed anything raw?

There are many websites on raw food diets. Researchers say that the best course is a combination of foods, both raw and cooked. There are even some who advocate a completely raw diet, including raw fish and meat. http://www.rawpaleodiet.org/
“Say It with Sprouts” is an article devoted to mung bean sprouts:
http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa092101a.htm
“Types of Raw Food Diets” discusses the variety of diets, at
http://www.living-foods.com/articles ypesofraw.html
The Raw Food Directory has a wealth of resources to guide you:
http://www.buildfreedom.com/rawmain.htm And don’t miss a colorful, whimsical site with over 400 pages of sprout information: http://www.sproutpeople.com

The other detail we’d like to include: sprouts are probably the all-time best nutritional value you can obtain for the negligible price. True, you can forage for wild foods, but you have to be able to identify what you’re bringing home to eat. I priced alfalfa sprouts at my local grocery: $1.99 for 4 ounces. You can sprout your own at home for a few cents, and know they are fresh and wholesome.

Dr. Ann Wigmore was one of the first raw foods proponents. She recommended Energy Soup, the base of which is sprouts. Even your children can develop a taste for sprouts. Mix a half cup of alfalfa sprouts with peanut butter for sandwiches. “Mmm! What’s this crunchy stuff?” they’ll say, as the natural vitamins are helping their bodies to grow strong. Toss sprouted garbanzo beans (chickpeas) into your next taco filling. Sprinkle clover sprouts into breakfast cereal, omlet, or pancake batter.

Up for a new/nutritious eating adventure? Try sprouts!

About the Author

Stephania is a human services professional with nearly 40 years in the field. She publishes a monthly, content-rich ezine, “Tidbits from the Pantry,” to over 10,000 subscribers.

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