Farmers Markets, a Growing Business

By Fredrica Syren

We try to shop at local farmers markets for as much of our food as possible. We’re lucky to have a farmers market relatively close to our home seven days a week. Some of our friends and family feel it’s hard to find everything they need there. I disagree, but maybe it depends on what you eat. Our family has “learned” to eat according to the seasons, but we never feel deprived of anything or think we’re eating the same thing over and over again. Seriously, besides local and seasonal fruits, veggies and nuts, you can find eggs, milk, cheese, fish and sea foods, bread, other baked goods, chocolate, mushrooms, meat, poultry, and honey. I guess what they feel they can’t find, depending on the season, is the variety of fruits or vegetables they normally would buy at the store. But the items not in season have traveled from another country.

On Saturdays, one of the larger farmers markets is in Little Italy. We go as a family and everyone enjoys it. There is something special about smelling and tasting all these wonderful goodies. I also love talking to and getting to know the person who grows my food.

Spending money at the farmers’ markets is making a big impact. A report published by USDA found that the number of farmers’ markets has grown. In 2011, 1,000 more markets opened.

When we spend our money there, not only will the demand for more markets increase, but also there will be more demand for more organic and humane farms. As a result, this could create tens of thousands of jobs.

I encourage and challenge everyone to visit a farmers market today, and to change the way we shop and eat.

Increased amount of plastic found in Pacific Ocean

I found this article on MSN. It’s quit disturbing and makes me so mad. After all the information that is out there about the damage that plastic causes to marine wild life and despite all options we have, we’re still throwing garbage bags into the ocean. The largest trash land fill is on not on land at all but rather it’s in the Ocean. Shame on us!

A Mother’s Thoughts

By Fredrica Syren—Green mom

On Sunday I got to celebrate being a mom. Mother’s Day, of course, is a very special day and for sure my kids did make me feel special. It made me reflect about being a mom and what it means to me.

Being a mom is one of the most important jobs I have ever had, and I have to admit my biggest surprise about becoming a mom is that I never expected it to fulfill me and define me as much as it has. If anyone asks me what I do for a living, being a mom is for sure the first thing that comes to mind. All the other stuff — wife, yoga teacher, cookbook author, founder of Green-Mom.com, etc. — is secondary.

Since the birth of Noah 16 months ago, I really have been questioning the need for daycare. Everyone kept telling me that he needs to be socialized, but I realized that I feel my kids are best with me until they are a bit older. Now, I’m lucky that I’m not forced to go outside the home for a job, but rather work at home. This does make it busier for me and I rarely get too much time to myself. I keep joking that my nap time and rest time are at my acupuncturist’s office

Seriously, my children are mine for such short while, and I believe they need me to be here for them and to teach them to become strong and kind individuals. In return, they teach me about passion and compassion. I know there will be a time in my life when I will look back at this period and be so grateful that I could do this. Every morning when the day starts and Bella and Noah wake up, one by one their smiling faces melt my heart and I’m filled with such love.

Obesity – An American Epidemic

I remember going into a Food 4 Less last year for the first time. I wanted to pick up some snacks on my way to work, but as a picky, vegetarian, health-conscious shopper, this was no easy task. It seemed as if every food product in the store was packaged, processed and loaded with junk ingredients. The cereal aisle was filled with sugar, the drink aisle with high fructose corn syrup, the frozen food aisle with fat and salt, and the snack aisle with all of the above. I probably ended up buying a banana, but I remember being amazed by the family in front of me, who loaded the checkout belt with frozen TV dinners, chips, soda, cup a noodles, cupcakes, and the like. I found the experience unsettling but, unfortunately, this is the norm of American grocery shopping.

Poor quality foods found in typical grocery stores, the ubiquity of fast food restaurants, physical inactivity, as well as genetic factors all contribute to the alarming rates of obesity in America. Over one-third (35.7%) of adults and approximately 1 in 6  (17% or 12.5 million) children under age 19 are obese. A person is determined to be obese if his/her body mass index (BMI), which correlates to the amount of body fat, is 30 or higher. Calculate your BMI here:http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/index.html

Seven of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States are chronic diseases. This includes diabetes and stroke, along with heart disease and cancer at the top of the list. Obesity is a major contributor to all of these. Dramatic increases in obesity rates over the past 50 years can be attributed to changes in our environment, culture, and behavior.

Americans are bombarded with junk and fast food that are often more available, convenient and affordable than healthier options. Portions have become larger, and the sugar, fat, salt, and overall calorie content of most foods are far more than we should consume. So much of the food that Americans eat is high in calories but very low in nutrient content. The USDA calls these foods with calories from solid fats and added sugars “empty calories.” They taste good and make us feel full, but our bodies remain deprived of important nutrients, so really we are starving. Thus, we keep eating to satisfy cravings and to fill the void of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need, but typical processed food and fast food do nothing but make us fatter.

The way our neighborhoods are designed impacts our susceptibility to obesity as well. Living in suburbs or far away from city hubs often forces us to constantly drive to destinations rather than walk or bike. Being busy, tired, or lazy often results in poor choices such as ordering unhealthy take-out food or indulging in quick snacks full of salt, sugar, and fat. This, as well as other factors like watching too much TV or sitting at the computer, reduces…

Got (Raw) Milk?

The benefits of living foods are undeniable. They supply a surplus of energy and vitality, cell renewal, balancing of hormones, and an overall feeling of health and well being. The phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables protect the cells from damage and help prevent cancer. They also provide enzymes which are essential for proper digestion and regulate the metabolism.  I could go on and on. I love eating fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, flowers. I love juicing, making fermented foods, drinks, and raw dairy … yes dairy.

I believe the living foods movement is not restricted to a vegan diet. In fact, after many years as a vegan I discovered raw milk, and my digestive tract loved it.  Since then raw dairy has been a staple in my diet. I make yogurt and look forward to having a couple of goats soon. Raw milk from pastured cows or goats is a complete, balanced food and a medicine. Easy to digest, raw dairy contains enzyme inhibitors, bio-activity, antibodies (providing resistance to virus), iron binding protein, and beneficial bacteria. All these disease fighting properties are significantly lost when dairy is heated. We kill all the beneficial bacteria when dairy foods are pasteurized and homogenized. Yogurt and kefir are fermented foods made with bacteria and yeast, providing many health benefits. These micro-organisms transform the stomach’s acid environment and reach the intestines. The enzymes break apart the proteins, which really helps strengthen a weakened digestive system, which many people suffer from today, whether it be from illness or pharmaceutical side effects.

With all the amazing benefits of these clean living dairy foods, you would wonder why they are not available everywhere, right?  Well, there is the question of liability since these products contain bacterial life and we live in a germaphobic culture. From antibacterial soaps and chemical hand sanitizers to processed industrial foods, we have been taught that all microbial life is unwanted. It seems the more we sterilize our environment, the sicker we get, for disease is not eradicated by eliminating bacteria; in fact, our immune systems are weakened by the lack of microbial activity in our bodies. Our digestive flora require a balance of good and bad bacteria. Neurological studies show that chronic health conditions such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, and autism, to name a few, are directly connected to amino acid, vitamin and mineral deficiencies; and these can be improved by foods that heal the digestive system in order to enable proper nutrient absorption.

Since we can’t trust an FDA that has declared war on raw dairy yet approves of toxic additives, preservatives, chemicals and genetically engineered foods, we now must connect as a “do-it-yourself community ” to exercise our freedom and reclaim our health. You won’t find fermented, live foods or raw dairy at Whole Foods, so look for them at…