Yesterday we covered some of the major benefits of gardening both for adults and kids. To sum up yesterday, kids who garden gain plenty of perks such as  community involvement, connections to educational topics like math and science, and even reduced symptoms of attention-deficit disorder, obesity and ADHD. However kids who garden are also exposed to vegetables early on which may inspire them to eat their veggies without a fuss.  In my experience kids can’t wait to eat food they’ve planted and cared for all on their own.

If you want to get your child involved in gardening early on, try …read more

Would you like to dine like a celebrity in your own home? This month Self Magazine features healthful recipes from some of L.A.’s trendiest restaurants. They’re sharing recipes to help you eat healthy this summer without sacrificing flavor.

The recipes all sound delicious! I have a recipe from the feature to share with you from the Loteria Grill.  Jessica Alba, Lauren Conrad, Jeanne Tripplehorn all frequent this LA hot spot.

Zucchini and Corn Tacos
Serves 4
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 cups fresh white or yellow corn kernels
1 cup chopped white onion
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
3 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup …read more

I have a delicious, healthy recipe for you today from Atkins. I used to think Adkins was a “steak and eggs” diet, but then I took a good look at their recipes. It’s actually a whole-foods diet loaded with plenty of “good” carbohydrates including leafy greens, berries, nuts and other delicious whole and natural foods.
I like meals that I can make in a hurry for busy weeknights. This stir fry shrimp recipe is a quick and easy weekday supper. If you’re not a shrimp fan, you can substitute sliced chicken breast for the shrimp .

Stir Fry Shrimp with Ginger …read more

I’ve talked about this cookbook before, by Nina Simonds. It’s another favorite, not so much for authenticity as for the health information and ideas one can find in it. Ms. Simonds talks about her personal experiences with Chinese food — specifically those used for healing. It’s an exceptional introduction to Chinese chefs’/herbalists’ practices, the concept of cooling/heating foods, etc. (although Eileen Yin Fei-Lo’s also offers much in this area). I haven’t yet asked my hubby’s Filipino-Chinese doctor what she thinks of this cookbook — she is one of a growing number of physicians in …read more