Organic Green Mommy is a little off-putting at first (for some reason I hate the whole “Mommy” title) but it’s actually a super useful site for green parents. Organic Green Mommy was started by Lauren Davison in 2008. Davison, is a mama, an organic lifestyle coach, yoga teacher, holistic nutritionist, and documentary filmmaker. Organic Green Mommy is an interactive site that provides tools and tips for eco-conscious parenting and green living.

The site is pretty darn cool, my favorite two features being the customized registry section which features a green baby registry and a green kid’s birthday (and other gear) registry. I also really like the parent swap feature - a sort of online classifieds for pre-owned children’s items, local events, eco-businesses, and child care that can be swapped, donated or sold at a used price. It’s free to use and it’s a great way to stay green by exchanging goods rather than buying new.

Other website features include:

• An organic shop with natural baby gear, family apparel, toys, furniture, and more…
• Lauren’s Blog - although in my opinion it’s not so much a blog as an article site, but still there are useful topics covered and it’s a fun read.
• Awesome FREE yoga downloads for pregnancy and other stages of life.
• There’s a parenting information section that covers various topics for eco-smart parenting; Nutrition, Toy Safety, Attachment Parenting, Green living, Child Birth, Fitness, Holistic Medicine, Breastfeeding, Conscious Parenting and more.
• Organic Mommy TV which features some various videos both of products you might like and interviews with guest speakers.
• Organic Green Daddy section which features a blog which FYI is not updated hardly so don’t look there for green news, BUT it does cross post with the article section and I think the articles are useful and interesting for both mamas and dads. There’s also a good organic daddy shop.
• And more - the site has lots of little features and tips to check out.

Overall, the site was easy to navigate, pretty on the eyes, there were no major site glitches, and if you’re an organic, green parent, it’s worth a visit.

Check out Organic Green Mommy.

[image via stock.xchng]

Are you addicted to YouTube videos?  Well if so, you might as well at least make them healthy ones!  Kelly Sonora, of Masters of Healthcare, has compiled a round-up of 100 YouTube Videos for a Healthier Kitchen.  She covers everything from breakfast treats to food safety and menu planning.

Image: Public Domain

We all know that almonds taste good and many studies show that they have heart-healthy benefits. A new study now shows that almonds may combat obesity as well. Just by chewing them, a study presented this week at the European Congress of Obesity in Amsterdam shows, almonds make one feel full and less likely to overeat.

In addition, the study revealed that those who chewed two ounces of almonds longer, around 25 or 40 times before swallowing, absorbed significantly more good, unsaturated fat, than those who chewed the almonds only 10 times before swallowing.

Almonds are also a good source of vitamin E and fiber. They are high is “good” fat. One serving of almonds (28g) has 13g of unsaturated fat and only 1g of saturated fat.

(photo © N Majik/cc license)

Sarah and I tried Pete’s Soyganic Smoked Tofu today.

I found it in the refrigerated part of the vegetable section at the grocery store - next to the regular tofu. This was the first prepared smoked tofu product that I’ve tried, so I don’t have anything to compare it to. Usually I think, hhmm, no, too pricey, but Pete’s was on sale so I grabbed it.

Pete’s smoked tofu has a firm texture and a good flavor. I liked it, but Sarah did not. She kept trying to get me to eat hers. She said, “I’m not sure, but I don’t think that I like the flavor.”

We ate it warmed up with Edamame, brown rice, and steamed spinach - a quick lunch.

Here’s a bit about the nutrition information per serving:
Calories - 170
Fat - 4g total, 0.5 saturated
Sodium - 580 mg
Fiber - 3 g
Protein - 25 g
Iron - 25% of daily required amount
 

I might buy it again. It tasted fine, but it is a little pricey when not on sale.

Image credit: All Posters.com

According to the American Optometric Association, better nutrition could prevent millions of aging Americans from developing vision loss due to macular degeneration or cataracts. They maintain that by eating foods rich in six nutrients–antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, essential fatty acids, vitamins C and E, and the mineral zinc–you can help protect your vision.

Where to find these nutrients. Here are a few clues:

Lutein and zeaxanthin - Colorful fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale, corn, green beans, peas, oranges and tangerines

essential fatty acids - fish like tuna, salmon, or herring as well as whole grain foods, chicken, and eggs

vitamin C - oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, papaya, green peppers, and tomatoes

vitamin E - safflower or corn oil, almonds, pecans, sweet potatoes, and sunflower seeds

zinc - extra-lean red meat, poultry, liver, shellfish, milk, baked beans, and whole grains

(photo credit: Newscom)

My son has been drinking coffee since he was a toddler. When he turned 3, we finally made him have his own cup. I most enjoy giving him a double-dose and then dropping him off at preschool.

Shortly after my son turned 4 we went to Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans and my son ordered a cup of the chicory coffee. Perhaps it was the elegant Frenchman who served the coffee from a silver pot, but my son just couldn’t get enough of the stuff. We had to cut him off after five cups.

Truman’s coffee habit has raised eyebrows, no doubt because of the caffeine. I have no problem with it. Coffee is plant-based, so it contains beneficial plant-derived chemical compounds with potential health-promoting benefits, according to the American Diabetic Association (ADA). A 2005 study by The Journal of the American Medical Association showed that drinking coffee actually has far-reaching benefits, such as reducing one’s risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, alcohol-related cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Plus, there are plenty of cultures where children drink coffee on a regular basis. For example, children in the coffee-growing, southern Mexican state of Chipas drink coffee daily. It is so much a part of their culture that a Mexican coffee producer started fortifying its coffee with folic acid and other nutrients to help improve the nutrition of the impoverished kids who lived there.

The one concern that keeps bubbling to the top for both children and adults, though, is the caffeine.

Seriously, I don’t see it affecting my son, just like I don’t necessarily see it affecting me. Truman is overly energetic whether he drinks his morning cup o’ joe or a glass of O.J. (And far too often three cups of coffee fails to really wake me in the morning.)

So, focus on the benefits of coffee (as opposed to say, SODA) and go ahead and let your kids have a cup. After all, all things are good in moderation….right?

Sources:
The Daily Telegraph
Commercial Appeal
Journal of the American Medical Association
American Diabetic Association

JWJourney

Vitamin D deficiency in the United States is being called a national epidemic, according to registered dietitian and Food Network host Ellie Krieger.

Even though we have the ability to make our own vitamin D when the ultraviolet rays of the sun hit our skin, many Americans fail to get enough vitamin D. In fact, vitamin D deficiency in this country is being called a silent epidemic. The prudent use of sunscreen, sun-blocking pollution and long, cold winters indoors are partially to blame.

Says Krieger, “It’s alarming to see so many people fail to get enough vitamin D, especially when milk is such an easy and convenient source of this essential nutrient. Now more than ever we’re learning about the health risks linked to vitamin D deficiency.”

During March is even easier–and cheaper–to get your vitamin D. One of the CVS Extra Care specials for March is on a bottle of 100, 400IU vitamin D tablets. The bottle is $2.99, but you get a coupon for $2.99 off your next purchase when you check out with your Extra Care Card.

(photo credit: muffet/cc license)

My entire life when I’ve heard “5 servings of fruits and veggies every day,” I have always thought 5 servings of fruits and/or veggies in any combination.

No problem.

But, when I was taking the Real Age test I started noticing the grammar read more like 5 servings of fruits and 5 servings of vegetables every day.

Could I have been doing it wrong the whole time?

And what exactly is a serving? See that salad up there? How many servings of vegetables are in it?

• 6 large cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 avocado
• 2 small cucumbers
• 2 handfuls of different lettuce
• 3 baby carrots

Does that salad count as my 5 servings I should have in one day?

Isn’t McDonald’s something else? The word insidious comes to mind.

Their brilliant solution to our ever-widening youngsters in this country is to put fancy work-out areas in some of their outlets. To my way of thinking this is very disturbing.

What’s next, Cardiac Stress Testing at Pizza Hut?

I can understand offering salads…maybe…but fitness and fries?

I’m hoping nutritionists, dietitians, heart doctors, and fitness gurus will be all over this one.

Shouldn’t we be communicating that exercise is part of a balanced lifestyle — not a way to mitigate poor dietary choices?

In the McDonald’s scenario it seems as if the message is: burn off the crap you just ate. (And then go back for more, since you’re already there) — doesn’t this seem like it’s putting the bun before the cart?

The dangers I see is that this logic seems reminiscent of patterns found in patients who suffer from eating disorders.

And of course, shouldn’t we be the ones who are setting the example for our kids, not a fast-food chain?

May I just ask, whatever happened to a good old fashioned game of outdoor stickball — why do we not see kids outside running around as much as we did back in the day?

For the future of our children and for a more slender America, I think it’s time for us to re-claim our kids’ diets and re-vamp their health patterns.