The dirty dozen and clean 15 of produce

             The Environmental Working Group  put together two lists, “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Clean 15,” to help consumers know when they should buy organic and when it is unnecessary. These lists were compiled using data from the United States Department of Agriculture on the amount of pesticide residue found in non-organic fruits and vegetables after they had been washed. The fruits and vegetables on “The Dirty Dozen” list, when conventionally grown, tested positive for at least 47 different chemicals, with some testing positive for as many as 67. For produce on the “dirty” list, you should definitely go organic — unless you relish the idea of consuming a chemical cocktail. “The Dirty Dozen” list includes:

• celery
• peaches
• strawberries
• apples
• domestic blueberries
• nectarines
• sweet bell peppers
• spinach, kale and collard greens
• cherries
• potatoes
• imported grapes
• lettuce

All the produce on “The Clean 15” bore little to no traces of pesticides, and is safe to consume in non-organic form. This list includes:

• 
  
• onions 
• mango
• avocados
• sweet corn
• pineapples
• sweet peas
• asparagus
• kiwi                                                               
• cabbage
• eggplant
• cantaloupe
• watermelon
• grapefruit
• sweet potatoes
• sweet onions                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
 What are some types
of produce more prone to sucking up pesticides than others? Richard Wiles, senior vice president of policy for the Environmental Working Group says, “If you eat something like a pineapple or sweet corn, they have a protection defense because of the outer layer of skin. Not the same for strawberries and berries.”

A Mess-Free Way to Eat POMEGRANATE guaranteed

suzy@suzyeats.com 
pomegranate is a fruit that you should try to eat each week. It may also be a fruit that many have not yet tried. You can find pomegranate at your local grocery store. You may also find the seeds in a container or the juice. But, as I mentioned previously, the seeds are more nutritious than the juice.
The pomegranate seeds are loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C, fiber and potassium. They are great for vomiting or diarrhea to help replenish potassium. You can eat the seeds directly or add them to different meals such as hummus or salads. Another key aspect is that they are low in calories.
One complaint about pomegranate is that it is quite messy to eat. Below I have listed below a four step process to make it mess-free.
Step 1: Cut of the crown of the pomegranate, and cut it into sections where the skin is thick to minimize damage to the seeds.
Step 2: Place pomegranate in a bowl of cold water. Submerge the pomegranate in the water and gently pry it open into sections to pull the seeds out. (the seeds will sink to the bottom and the skin will go to the top of the water).
Step 3: Throw away any extra pieces of skin and skim off anything extra. Leave only the seeds in the water.
Step 4: Take seeds out of the water and place onto a paper towel to dry. You can refrigerate the seeds for 3-5 days in an airtight container and they will remain fresh.
ENJOY you low calorie, highly nutritious snack!!!
Do you have another method to eat a pomegranate??? Let us know.
Is this your first time or are you an experienced pomegranate eater ?? Let us know

Healthy Living

Olive oil versus canola oil

Olive oil versus canola oil

Do not fall into the hype which is put out by traditional medicine regarding the promotion of canola oil (rapeseed) as superior due to its concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids. Olive oil is far superior and has been around for thousands of years. Canola oil is a relatively recent development and the original crops were unfit for human consumption due to their high content of a dangerous fatty acid called euric acid.
If the taste of olive oil is a problem, or if you are frying or sautéing food, then you should consider coconut oil. Many nutritionally misinformed people would consider this unwise due to coconut oil's nearly exclusive content of saturated fat. However, this is just not the case. Because it has mostly saturated fat, it is much less dangerous to heat. The heat will not tend to cause the oil to transition into dangerous trans fatty acids.

Olive oil comes from olives, peanut oil from peanuts, sunflower oil from sunflowers; but what is a canola? 
Canola is not the name of a natural plant but a made-up word, from the words "Canada" and "oil". Canola is a genetically engineered plant developed in Canada from the Rapeseed Plant, which is part of the mustard family of plants. According to AgriAlternatives, The Online Innovation, and Technology Magazine for Farmers, "By nature, these rapeseed oils, which have long been used to produce oils for industrial purposes, are... toxic to humans and other animals". 
Rapeseed oil is poisonous to living things and is an excellent insect repellent. I have been using it (in very diluted form, as per instructions) to kill the aphids on my roses for the last two years. It works very well; it suffocates them. Ask for it at your nursery. Rape is an oil that is used as a lubricant, fuel, soap and synthetic rubber base and as a illuminate for color pages in magazines. It is an industrial oil.
It is not a food.
Rape oil is strongly related to symptoms of emphysema, respiratory distress, anemia, constipation, irritability, and blindness in animals and humans. Rape oil was widely used in animal feeds in England and Europe between 1986 and 1991, when it was discontinued. 
A few relevant facts

It is genetically engineered rapeseed. Canada paid the FDA the sum of $50 million to have rape registered and recognized as "safe". (Source: Young Again and others)
Rapeseed is a lubricating oil used by small industry. It has never been meant for human consumption.
It is derived from the mustard family and is considered a toxic and poisonous weed, which when processed, becomes rancid very quickly.
It has been shown to cause lung cancer (Wall Street Journal: 6/7/95)
It is very inexpensive to grow and harvest. Insects won't eat it.
Some typical and possible side effects include loss of vision, disruption of the central nervous system, respiratory illness, anemia, constipation, increased incidence of heart disease and cancer, low birth weights in infants and irritability.
Generally rapeseed has a cumulative effect, taking almost 10 years before symptoms begin to manifest. It has a tendency to inhibit proper metabolism of foods and prohibits normal enzyme function. Canola  contains  Trans Fatty Acids. Trans fatty acids have been shown to have a direct link to cancer. shown to have a direct link to cancer.
Foods (including oils) are often labeled as containing trans fatty acids. However any  food which says it contains hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils contains trans fatty acids: Hydrogenation is just the process in which
trans fats are formed (literally hydrogenation means adding hydrogen). These Trans Fatty acids are labeled as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Avoid all of them!

Mediterranean diet introduction

Mediterranean diet means the cuisines and culinary traditions of the peoples that have lived by the Mediterranean Sea for milennia. Unconsciously, the Mediterranean peoples created a diet that today stands for both healthy and delicious eating.



Eating healthy, enjoying food is in

Indeed, the authentic Mediterranean diet benefits have been proven by many generations of Mediterranean peoples. And numerous modern research studies have validated their traditional cooking and eating practices.

Also, it's worth pointing out that there isn't a single uniform Mediterranean diet. In this respect, the name that Dr Ancel Keys coined is a little bit misleading. It makes you think of a totally homogeneous diet. Mediterranean cuisines would've been more accurate, but now it's too late to change it.

Anyway, every Mediterranean region and country has a differentiated cuisine with its own individual characteristics. However, they share fundamental elements. These patterns seem to be responsible for the general good health, absence of obesity, and longer life expectancy of the Mediterranean peoples that cook and eat the traditional way.

The beauty of it is that anyone, anywhere that follows a Mediterranean-style diet can enjoy those benefits just the same.

Why would you want to adopt the traditional Mediterranean diet?

Because it's a sensible and delicious diet with health-enhancing benefits naturally integrated into it.

What are the distinctive traits of the Mediterranean diet?

There are three general aspects that are essential and that will make it well-balanced in a natural way.

1. Variety is very important. You should regularly try to eat foods of different groups: vegetables, poultry, fruits, etc. as I disscuss in the Home Cook Food Pyramid.

2. Eating seasonal foods as much as possible.

3. The amounts of food you put in your plate should be moderate, especially meats. But remember that it's not about sacrifice, but a way of life.


Guidelines regarding Mediterranean food and eating habits

* Eating plenty of local, seasonal, and fresh fruits and vegetables daily

* Consuming fish regularly

* Consuming rice, pasta, bulgur and other grains regularly and in combination with proteins.

* Preferably eating poultry and lean meat as opposed to red meat

* Eating legumes a few times a week

* Eating some bread with meals

* Consuming olive oil in raw form: drizzled on bread, white cheese, in salads, and sauces among others

* Integrating nuts in the cooking recipes. At the same time, consuming small amounts of raw nuts a few times a week

* Drinking water with meals as opposed to sodas or similar

* In the Northern Mediterranean, drinking a moderate amount of wine over meals


Guidelines regarding the cooking practices

* Using olive oil as the main fat for cooking

* Frying food bathed in olive oil

* Cooking every day and eating most meals warm

* In some Eastern Mediterranean regions, using clarified butter for cooking instead of olive oil

* Using ingredients that didn't undergo a deep (industrial) transformation, that is, they are generally minimally processed.


Guidelines regarding the lifestyle

* Taking the time to eat without haste

* Eating in company, whenever possible, and enjoying it

* Eating at least three or four meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner, and possibly tea time

* Sitting at a table to eat your meals


What you don't do when you follow the Mediterranean diet

* Using butter or margarine for frying

* Eating large amounts of red meat regularly

* Eating meat by itself

* Eating processed foods, fast food or any kind of junk food

* Snacking at all times

* Drinking sodas, colas or other processed soft drinks

* Feeling guilty about food

* Counting calories endlessly


The Mediterranean diet and you

The question is: How do you apply it to your particular situation in life?

Maybe at first you think: "Oh, I can never do that". I'm positive you can. You only have to think of the benefits and the peace of mind you'll have once it becomes natural.

If you look at the guidelines and characteristics of the Mediterranean diet closer, you'll realize that everything is very sensible and down-to-earth. Perhaps a little bit unusual for some, but there are no weird ingredients or

Healthy eating tips

The best way to be healthier is to start making healthy choices every day. You can start small by following healthy eating tips and good habits one at a time instead of starting with big changes.

You will feel better both physically and mentally if you follow the following tips for eating healthy that fit perfectly in the Mediterranean diet lifestyle.

* Keep a food journal - You can do this easily by buying a compact notebook that will fit in your purse or pocket and taking it wherever you go. Whenever you eat anything at all, you should write it down in your food journal. You have to be diligent and write even the smallest amounts of food like a few bites of a chocolate bar down.

Everything goes in the food journal. You can review your food journal to see how well you are doing at following healthy eating tips and good habits. You can review what you have eaten and decide what you need to eat more and less of the next week to be healthy and happy.


* You should eat the foods you love - You cannot avoid your favorite foods forever because the cravings will not go away so it is all right to have a little of these foods from time to time, even if they are unhealthy. Eating should be fun, not stressful. The key with eating your favorite foods is to eat them in moderation and to watch your portion sizing.


* Take your time eating at every meal - Do not rush through meals. If you are running late, you are likely to hurry up and eat your meal so you can get going. You should relax and have fun at your meal and taste and enjoy every bite of your food instead of rushing through the meal. Also, always eat a healthy breakfast. Breakfast is a very important meal and skipping it will hurt, not help when it comes to being healthy and even losing weight.


* Do not eat too much at one sitting - You should only put small portions of your foods on your plate so you are not tempted to overeat. You can even eat off a smaller plate to feel like you are getting more. With a small plate, there is only so much room on your plate for food. The food will appear to be in bigger portions than it is with smaller plates. If you eat off a big plate, you may feel like you are eating tiny portions and want to eat more. You will be less hungry and eat better if you eat off a smaller plate.


* Eat a variety of different foods every day - It is important to eat the things you want to eat but also to try new foods. There are so many different kinds of fruits and vegetables you can try. You should eat the recommended amount of each food group including grains, meats and vegetables every day in order to get the nutrition you need. If your plate has a lot of different colored foods, you are probably getting a good amount of nutrition from that meal.



These healthy eating tips and good habits can improve your health and have you feeling better than ever in no time. These are simple, small changes you can make to your eating habits that you will be able to follow easily and still enjoy eating.

What are Whole Foods?

Fruits and vegetables are great examples of whole foods. They are unprocessed, unrefined, and can be eaten without any additives or modifications. For example, a serving of baked fish would be a whole food, while a fish stick wouldn't be.
Whole foods can include:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Legumes (beans, soybeans, peas, lentils) 
• Nuts and seeds
• Milk
• Whole grains
• Meats, chicken, and fish
• Eggs

Whole Foods Diet

Is a whole foods diet right for your kids?
Many parents may initially think that it isn't, but that is probably because of common misconceptions about a whole foods diet that have lead them to quickly dismiss the idea.
You should now know what a whole foods diet is -- eating more unprocessed foods. But what isn't it? It isn't about being a vegitarian or eating organic (unless you want it to be), and it doesn't have to be a diet in the sense of that is all you eat.
Instead, when feeding your kids, think about offering more whole foods instead of processed foods.