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Can You Travel This Holiday Season AND Eat Healthy?

December 4, 2017 0

As the holidays approach, more and more families are buying train, plane, and bus tickets to meet up with loved ones and enjoy the season. The problem is, for many, “enjoying the season” means putting diets and other healthy habits on hold. But even if you’ve failed to eat healthy during holidays past, it is possibly to enjoy the season and eat healthy. You just need a plan.

Here are just a few ways to keep yourself on track with your diet while traveling during the hustle and bustle of the busy holiday season.

Consider Your Travel Method
Unfortunately, those traveling by air don’t have as much flexibility when it comes to which snacks and sizes are permitted onboard. But if you pack liquid- or gel-based snacks such as yogurt and applesauce in containers smaller than 3.4 ounces, you should be good to go. Luckily, many brands are already a step ahead of the game and have multiple options for snack-size and spill-proof containers.

Motorcoaches, on the other hand, account for 751 million passenger trips annually, and since they don’t have the rigorous security measures of airlines, they and allow for much more snacktime flexibility. Furthermore, the storage they provide allows easy access to any snacks you’re inclined to pack along in you carry-on. It’s best to avoid exceptionally messy foods, as well as those that may emit a strong odor, just to be considerate of your fellow passengers. But granola bars, raw veggies, trail mix, and sandwiches are all great options.

Depending on the length of your trip, you may enjoy the idea of packing a salad in a ziplock bag along with a plastic fork. You can add whatever you want, as long as it’s eaten within a few hours. For maximum nutritional content, pack a mix of leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, and romaine lettuce. You can also try adding microgreens, a tiny form of edible greens produced from very young vegetable, herb or other plants. They range in size from one to 1.5 inches long, including the stem and leaves. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your healthy travel snacks — as long as it can be stored properly and eaten easily, the possibilities are nearly endless.

The Fresher, The Better
According to a 2016 survey, Americans consume more fresh foods — including fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheeses — than they did three years prior. Whether you’re staying at a hotel or crashing with your family, try to prioritize eating fresh foods over frozen or processed. This may not be an issue for those staying with a family member that always seems to be pulling out another fresh, hot dish from the oven. But for those limited to hotel lobby convenience stores and other small sources, finding a healthy, fresh meal can prove to be a bit more challenging. Instead of taking the easy route by stopping by a fast food restaurant, don’t hesitate to seek out the nearest grocery store and stock up on any available fresh foods, provided that you can store them properly.

“If you stop at a grocery store that offers whole or healthy foods — fruits, bagged carrots, nuts, hummus — or a supermarket that features a salad bar, you quickly expand your choices (and reduce junk-food temptations),” writes Men’s Fitness.

Ultimately, knowing how to stay healthy when traveling during this holiday season can help you continue to make health-conscious choices all the way through the new year. But regardless of the time of year, you should always be on the lookout for more ways to incorporate fresh foods into your diet!

Why Environmental Education is Important for Children

November 30, 2017 0

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The world our children are growing up in is changing in so many ways. Future generations are going to be faced with rising sea levels, an increase in the number of natural disasters, climate change, the loss of agricultural land, and a reduction in biodiversity. Tropical diseases will extend their reach, countries and factions will compete over decreasing fresh water supplies and more and more people will become migrants and refugees as parts of their homelands become uninhabitable. Those are big challenges for society to face. Our children need to be ready – they need to be educated.

Global, national, personal
Although these issues might seem overwhelming, there are things that national governments can do to reduce the rate of climate change and deal effectively with its consequences. Our children are the generation that will need to take charge of this. They will need the know-how to develop effective policies. They’ll also be able to make changes at a personal level, from adopting more eco-friendly diets to driving electric cars, insulating their homes, generating their own eco-friendly energy, and recycling, repairing and repurposing the things they buy.

Introducing environmental issues
Helping children to engage with environmentalism starts with small things. Keeping pets – even small animals – helps them to understand the relationship between the individual and the environment. Going on nature trips helps them see how different factors in the environment interact. Craft projects can help them to become enthusiastic about recycling even when they’re too young to understand why it matters, and as they get older environmental education can become a part of their schooling, enriching their perspective on biology, chemistry, geography, engineering and more. Principles derived from environmentalism also give them the ability to see how all the subjects they learn fit together, building cross-disciplinary skills that give them an advantage in a changing economy.

Educating the public
Children attending good schools get to learn about environmental issues and what they can do to make the world better, but it’s still important to find ways of reaching out to people more widely, so part of what schools need to teach is how to do effective outreach work. Students from Stamford American international school in Singapore contributed to a video promoting Global Earth Hour in 2016, helping people around the world to understand why protecting the environment matters. It was a year in which over 400,000 people engaged with Earth Day educational events in the US alone, but there are billions of people who still need to be persuaded to change the way they live, so every effort matters.

Inheriting the Earth
Educating young people not only prepares them for what they will inherit – it helps to give them a voice in the present. That means adults who are careless about the environment have to deal here and now with the people who will live with their mistakes, which is in itself a way of bringing about change. Properly educated well-informed children can speak up for themselves and defend their future.

 

 

6 Ways to Get the Most Out of Organic Stone Fruit While It’s in Season

November 11, 2017 0

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It’s stone fruit season! Wondering what stone fruit is? Stone fruit is any type of fruit that has a single seed or pit – for example; apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, and cherries. Any time a particular type of fruit is in season, it’s a great idea to buy in bulk and stock up. There are several great ways that you can get the most out of the stone fruit that you purchase. It just takes a little creativity and a few different ways to preserve the stone fruit and you can enjoy it all year long. Read on for my 6 favorites ways to get the most out of these sweet fruits.

#1: Bag It!
We recently purchased a large quantity of organic stone fruit – however, there were several pieces that were not ripe. To ripen them up quickly so that we could use them, we put them in a paper bag for a couple of days. Works like a charm.

#2: Grill It!
It’s grilling season too and a fantastic way to enjoy stone fruit is fresh off the grill. Peaches grilled quickly on each side and then topped with organic vanilla ice cream is an amazing fall treat. You won’t be disappointed and it is a super fun dessert for those get-togethers.

#3: Add It!
Stone fruit isn’t only good on it’s own, or as a dessert – it tastes amazing when added to the main course. I like to add cut up stone fruit to salads, salsas, and side dishes during the summertime. It’s adds a ton of flavor and a pop of color to our meals. The possibilities are endless!

#4: Can It!
While purchasing stone fruit in a large quantity while it is in season is a great idea, what if you can’t use it all before it spoils? Can it! Stone fruits can be used in jams, syrups and salsas, so why not get to cooking and preserve some of that sweetness for later in the year. Can you image a yummy stone fruit syrup, salsa or jam during fall, winter and spring?

#5: Dry It!
Who doesn’t love dried fruit? What could be better than dried peaches or apricots. You can either dry the fruit in the oven at 200° F for three hours or use a food dehydrator to get the job done. Dried fruit lasts a long time and will be perfect as a lunch box snack during the school year.

#6: Freeze It!
Whatever stone fruit you have leftover should be frozen before it spoils. Frozen stone fruit is amazing in smoothies and desserts, just remove the amount that you need from the freezer and enjoy!

2 Healthy Magnesium-Rich Recipes, Including Cinnamon Plantain Bites!

November 9, 2017 0

Magnesium is one of those minerals that people are generally aware of but don’t really know what it is or what it can do for your body. Magnesium is a nutrient that the body requires in order to stay healthy. It plays a critical role in regulating muscle and nerve functions, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and making protein, bone, and DNA.

Oftentimes, people don’t get enough magnesium in their diets. While it takes a while to start noticing the effects of a magnesium deficiency, symptoms can include loss of appetite, nausea, weakness, muscle cramps, and an abnormal heartbeat. Since magnesium is critical for over 300 enzyme processes in the human body, it’s important to get a good dose of the mineral every day. Below are a few healthy recipes rich in magnesium for you to try!

Salmon Salad Bowl

This power veggie bowl features fresh salmon and a raspberry balsamic glaze. It’s rich in flavor and antioxidants, and organic too!

Ingredients:

  • 4-oz organic grilled or baked salmon
  • 3-4 cup organic seasonal greens
  • 1/2 cup organic slices zucchini and squash
  • 1/2 cup organic raspberries
  • 1 tbsp organic balsamic glaze
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon avocado or olive oil
  • dash of organic sea salt
  • dash of organic pepper
  • 2 organic thyme sprigs
  • organic parmesan crumbles
  • organic lemon juice

Luckily, salads are super easy to throw together. After slicing the veggies, sautee in a skillet with oil, salt, and pepper. Once the vegetables and salmon are cooked, begin to build your bowl. Greens first, then veggies, then salmon. Top off with the balsamic glaze, thyme, and the remaining oil. After tossing, throw in some raspberries with a touch of lemon juice and parmesan.

Cinnamon Spice Plantain Bites

These heavy-packed protein bites are full of spices, are grain-free, and require no baking!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup coconut or almond flour
  • 1/2 cup plantain flour or ground plantain chips
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup nut butter of choice
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cloves (ground)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground anise
  • 1/2 tsp butter or vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 tbsp molasses

Begin by grinding up the plantain chips. Then, after mixing up the dry ingredients, add in nut butter extract, molasses, and honey. After mixing, roll into bite-sized balls. Freeze right away and use coconut or almond flour to roll the bites in after they’re frozen. To maintain freshness, store in fridge or freezer.

How Drones, Coffee Beans, And The Queen of England Might Change The Way We Drive

November 7, 2017 0

Americans rely heavily on their vehicles, as the average American drives 29.2 miles every day. But many drivers are reluctant to substitute their conventional gasoline-powered vehicle for one that’s more eco-friendly. That might soon change, albeit in a more sluggish way than some other nations, due to environmental regulations, increased reliability, and some creative uses for caffeine.

In a recent report published in Consumer Reports, it was revealed that incorporating new technology and fuel efficiency efforts into traditional cars is actually making them a lot less reliable. In the magazine’s survey of 640,000 vehicles, the all-new vehicles or models with newly updated tech were more likely than older models to have a “wonky engine, jerky transmission, or high-tech features that fail outright.” Electric cars, on the other hand, fared quite a bit better, largely because many of these electric models don’t use the same mechanical systems conventional cars do.

So if they’re more reliable, why are Americans so resistant to buy them? Comparatively, the U.S. is behind the curve (or curb, as the case may be) in terms of exploring alternative fuels. Parisian officials recently announced the city will be phasing out the use of all fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2030, with the entire country promising to do away with non-electric cars by 2040. And her Majesty, the Queen of England, just added more electric-powered vehicles to her already established eco-friendly fleet. But according to a study from April 2017, 70% of Millennials (presumably, American Millennials) don’t want an electric vehicle. Even though they’re actually less expensive to run and wouldn’t pollute the planet, it looks like the U.S. has some catching up to do.

That could be because amenities have yet to catch up with the electric vehicle industry. Charging stations are few and far between and charging takes much longer than filling up a gas tank, making it less convenient to go electric. The ever-innovative Amazon may have just come up with a solution, as the company recently patented a drone that would charge an electric vehicle as you’re driving it. The plans seem like something out of a sci-fi movie, but so do self-driving cars.

Maybe Millennials would be more likely to embrace alternative fuels if their car required something they often use for their own energy supply: namely, coffee. Statistics show that Americans consume an average of 1.64 cups of coffee per day, but soon, our cars might need a java boost, too. Researchers at Lancaster University in the U.K. have managed to simplify the process of extracting oil from coffee grounds so that it takes only 10 minutes. The new process is also much more eco-friendly than extracting oils from corn or soybeans because it doesn’t require the use of harmful chemicals. Experts say that with this new all-in-one method, they could produce 720,000 metric tons per year. In the near future, coffee and cars could be even more of a match made in heaven than they already are (no comedians necessary).

Maybe one day, fueling up your car will be as easy as contacting a drone or emptying the remnants of your morning cup of coffee into your vehicle. For now though, the onus is on the individual to make eco-conscious decisions when it comes to their transportation, even when it isn’t always easy.

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