YES...YOU...CAN

Yes, you, and can.

Maybe the 3 best words in the English language.  Well, aside from Wine, Nordstrom, and Botox (or maybe those are just mine!!)  

Are there three more positive words that can be used in most situations?   

What are your goals in life?  What do you want to accomplish during your time on this earth?  How do you want to be remembered by your friends, family, and especially your children?

I never thought that running a half marathon would be something I wanted to accomplish in my life, but it has turned out to be more than just finishing 13.1 miles.  I set my goal to complete this race, but I have accomplished more, in the mean time, than I ever thought I could.

Last week I went for a morning run on my day off work.  After working several long days in a row you would think that on a day off I would sit down and catch up on my Netflix.  No Way!! I couldn't wait to get out there and run.  It is time for me to decompress and put my thoughts in order.  I set a goal to run 3 miles and I did 6.  I started training for this half marathon just hoping to finish, but that day I ran 6 miles with 10 min and 37 second splits.  6 weeks ago I was worried I wouldn't even do under 12 minute miles.

I have gained 2 pounds and I eat 25% more than I did before I started training, but I am eating better because it gives me fuel.  I can tell the difference in my body when I hydrate well and when I eat a handful of chips versus a handful of carrots.  It's like a domino effect.  You start one part of doing something for yourself and the rest follows.  My clothes fit so much better, and I never have to worry that my clothes are not going to fit right (well, except my jeans...quads and jeans-you can't have both).  OH, and my resting heart rate is under 60 beats per minute (that's good).

Is there something you want to do for yourself?  Do you want to eat healthier or be stronger? Why wait any longer? 

The best thing about all this is that the other night my 8 year old daughter asked me if we could go for a walk before it got dark.  She said she wanted to get some exercise so she can be strong like Mommy....MISSION ACCOMPLISHED (and I am just getting started)!!!

YES...YOU....CAN

In good health,

Kris

Are you a Locavore?

Farmer's Market

I am a Locavore and it doesn't mean I am crazy (don't ask my husband for comment)!

Locavore is a term to describe consumers who buy local produce that supports the local farmers.  It's a movement, and the USDA predicts it is slowly replacing the Organic industry.

Hometown Harvest is leading Frederick County in this Locavore movement by bringing the farmer's market delivered straight to your front door.  

Why is buying local surpassing buying organic?

To find out why, Kris spent some time with Abby, one of the owners from Hometown Harvest a few weeks ago, and these are some of the things we learned:

Hometown Harvest offers all types of fruits and vegetables.  Not all their produce is organic, but mostly local.  Abby talked about how you may go to the grocery store and buy organic strawberries from California.  Those California growers can call their crops organic because they use more natural pesticides, but they don't rotate their crops as often as some of the local farmers might. Local farmers will rotate their crops so that by the time the bugs find the strawberry plants, the farmers are moving them to a new location; pesticides are not needed.  

Abby also talked about the products being very seasonal.  You can get a wide variety of options that you may not normally eat or cook with. You get what is fresh and natural to the time and season. There are downsides to trying to eat peaches in January in Maryland; they are probably not as fresh, free of preservatives, and certainly not local.

Buying local offers several health benefits including becoming acclimated with the local and regional pollen and flowers.  Ask any bee keeper how beneficial that is.  Eating local honey has shown to help reduce allergies in patients and offer some immunity.

Hometown Harvest is a locally owned delivery service that allows you to get the farmer's market delivered to your door.  That was their intention from the beginning.  They have expanded the products and services they offer, but the produce is the heart of their business.  You can choose how often your deliveries occur.  For example, I choose to have a small produce bag delivered once a week.  That bag is customized by me with 7 items.  My delivery comes on Tuesdays, so I need to log in and choose my options by Sunday night.  I also get local chicken and beef delivered from local farms.  The delivery fee is the same every week no matter how much I order.  I love it because I plan my meals each week and order exactly what I need.

I don't order huge quantities that I don't use and end up being thrown away, and I support the local farmers and businesses.  The produce tastes amazing, and I love that I get orange, purple, and yellow carrots; it makes my vegetable soup look like Barefoot Contessa cooked it!

Check out this video and see what we are talking about!!

In our upcoming blogs, Amy is looking forward to discussing even more additional health benefits of buying local and even providing great healthy recipes using all your local fruits and vegetables.

In Good Health,

Kris

Organic: A Billion Dollar Industry

What is Organic?  We hear that buzz word all the time, and when we see it we instantly know that the price tag will be higher, but what are we avoiding or really gaining?  How does a company get to use that label, and how is it regulated?

Organic is not just on food either.  If you are the mom of an asthmatic, allergenic, or an eczema child, you might look for that label to mean less additives or chemicals.  Can we trust it?

In order to make an informed decision on whether you want to integrate organic into your life, it's important to understand it. Let's chat.

What is Organic?
I'll start off by saying that I wrote a blog on this in 2011, and I am surprised to see that not much has changed from a labeling standpoint. I can't believe that everything I'm about to tell you has been in place since 2002. Foodies think we're so progressive.....

In order for a product to display the USDA Organic Seal of approval pictured above, at least 95% of the agricultural ingredients need to be organic.  Only producers who sell less than five thousand dollars of product a year are exempt from certification and are not expected to follow USDA standards. There's always a loophole isn't there?

There are many other labels you may see on your food, so be aware. This is where it pays to do your research, or read our blogs.

Organic - 95-99% of everything, plus ingredients (by weight), is organic. The remaining ingredients are not available as organic but have been approved by the NOP (National Organic Program-run by the USDA).

Made with Organic Ingredients- 70-94% of ingredients are organic. They will not have the USDA Organic seal but can list up to 3 organic ingredients on the package.

Other- contains less than 70% of organic ingredients. The product may list organic ingredients on the information panel of the packaging, but not on the principal display panel.

How is it regulated?

The Gorgeous Fairfield Farm, Eastern NC

I interviewed George Jenkins, my friend, and owner of Fairfield Farms in Eastern Carolina who explained the rigorous regulations of becoming an Organic farm.  First off, you must operate on "raw organic properties" for 3 years until you can get certified to be organic. You then apply for certification and follow strict guidelines outlined by the USDA.  After applying, you will work with certified entities throughout the United States.  The certified entities will certify products such as crops, livestock, processed products, or wild crops.  Once certified, you must have a third party auditor come in for yearly inspections to ensure you are using 100% organic products and appropriately cleaning any machinery you are using on your non organic products prior to working with the organic products. Don't forget you will need money, money, money.

Food for Thought....

While talking to George we had a very interesting discussion:

1) You can still be purchasing food labelled Organic that is coming from Mexico, China, or more than 500 miles away.  Is this really fresh? Who knows what the Organic regulations are outside of the United States?

2) Even though a food is labelled Organic, the producer is still using pesticides and fertilizers, they are just organic. There's little research to tell us if these pesticides and fertilizers are really safer just because they sport the Organic seal. Also, it's important to understand  that the USDA organic regulations do not require certification of inputs, such as fertilizers, soil amendments, and pest control materials.

3) A consumer needs to know what they are trying to avoid. Is it the hormones in the chicken? There's plenty of farmers who produce hormone free chicken. If that's the case, do you really need to buy organic? What's more important a label or ingredients?

4) Organic products are more expensive because the operations to produce the product are significantly more expensive. Just because it's more expensive, doesn't mean it's the healthier option!

5) Skin care, hair products, baby care products, etc...are NOT regulated in the same way.  Cosmetic companies using ORGANIC as an advertised label do not have to undergo strict regulations.  USDA only regulates agricultural products. 

Bottom Line: Be a smart consumer. Is organic worth your $$?

Next week we will offer an alternative solution and debate: Local vs Organic! 

In good health,

Amy & Kris