Eating Healthily and Frugally

by Sam Bakhtiar

Eating healthy is definitely a priority. It's important for your health that you do eat a healthy diet. However, with the current economic times, many people don't have a lot of money to spend on food. The great thing is that eating healthily doesn't have to be as expensive as you may think it is. You can eat a healthy diet while still being frugal on the money that you spend. If you are buying on a budget and you want to ensure that you and your family eats a healthy diet, the following are some important tips and ideas that may help you out.

Look for Sales on Produce
As you probably know, eating plenty of fruits and veggies is important for a healthy diet. However, sometimes produce can be very expensive to purchase. If you want to save money and still eat the healthy produce, then you'll definitely want to start looking for sales. Often stores will run sales on their produce and this is the time to purchase. In fact, you may want to purchase a bit more than you need so you can freeze it for later consumption.

Consider Having a Garden of Your Own
Another way to ensure you eat health foods on a budget is to consider having a garden of your own. It is definitely frugal to create a simple garden in your backyard that you can use for food. Seeds for vegetables and fruits won't cost you much at all and you don't even have to have a huge amount of room. You can plant in a small plot in the yard or you can even use small pots and grow various fruits, veggies, and even herbs on the porch or in a window sill. This will really help you save on healthy foods.

Purchase from Local Farmers
Purchasing from local farmers is not only a great way to get health foods for a great deal, but it helps to support those local farmers as well. Farmer's markets carry many wonderful foods, such as vegetables and fruits, and you usually can get a great deal on them as well. To really get a cheap deal, shop near the end of the day when they want to get rid of the leftover produce. You can really get some excellent deals.

Switch to Low or No Sodium Products
Switching to low sodium foods is another great idea if you want to eat healthy foods. You may not be aware of how much sodium is located in various foods. Your body doesn't need to have too much sodium, so it can be a great idea to look for products that are labeled as "low sodium" or "no sodium." Usually you can find generic versions that are very cost effective.

Go with Frozen Products
Going with frozen products can help you eat healthily as well as frugally. Usually frozen items are much fresher than going with canned foods. They are easy to find and they are very affordable. You can find fruits as well as vegetables in the frozen food section, and usually they are much cheaper than purchasing fresh produce.
Each of these ideas can be helpful if you want to eat a healthy diet while being frugal with your money. It is possible to save money while eating meals that are very healthy. So, keep these ideas in mind and get your family eating a healthy diet.

As a professional personal trainer Sam Bakhtiar and his team help local residents get into incredible shape with his Boot Camp Pomona program. Sam owns Fitness Concepts INC where he offers clients his Personal Training Chino program guaranteed results or their money back.

Nutrient Stripped Vegetables - The Downside of Modern Agriculture

by Brenda Skidmore

The average modern day vegetable producer has done a wonderful job of feeding massive amounts of people on a large scale. The trade off, however, seems to be at the expense of optimal taste and nutrition. During tough economic times, it can be a rather daunting task to find the best nutritional value for your family's budget, when it comes to fresh vegetables, in super-sized grocery stores.

According to Donald R. Davis, a former research associate with the Biochemical Institute at the University of Texas, Austin claims, "there is definitely a correlation between the high and low yield varieties, and in the varying amount of nutrients they contain."

What is commonly known, today, as the 'genetic dilution effect', was first discovered and published in a 1981 study conducted by W.M. Jarrell and R.B. Beverly in the "Advances In Agronomy". What has been less studied, are the nutritional effects of selective genetic breeding of plant foods chosen specifically for higher yields.

** Grow your own herbs and vegetables using kits from True Leaf Market

In 1996 and '97', a study was performed in South Carolina using a variety of broccoli chosen for its high yields. It was shown that selective genetic breeding lead to a loss of protein, amino acids, and as many as six different minerals. Davis says, "jumbo sizing the end product is no assurance of increased nutrition and is, in effect, winding up with more dry matter that dilutes mineral concentrations, making for a nutritionally emptier food source."

Loss of important nutrients can also be attributed to the industrialization of agriculture that relies, heavily, on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and rushed harvesting techniques. When plant foods are harvested earlier, the plant has had less time to take up minerals from the soil it needs to go through its natural synthesis process.

Farming practices such as those mentioned above, along with lack of crop rotations, has led to over using soils to the point of mineral depletion. Not only do plants need a wide variety of nutrients to grow healthy, we need them to be in the plant food source, in abundance, so they are naturally healthy for us to eat.

It is estimated that there is somewhere between 5 to 40 percent less protein and minerals in commercially grown vegetables, when compared to organic or locally grown produce. Fifty years ago, this was less of a problem than it has become today, and it is uncertain how much fruits are effected when compared to vegetables.

As intimidating as this information like this may sound to you, don't let it shake you up so much. This may be one reason why nutritional health experts have recently started recommending 7 to 9 servings a day (or more) of this important food group. The old recommended 5 a day guideline has suddenly become outdated.

Realistically, what can we do to increase our benefits of adding more fruit and vegetable nutrition to our daily diets? Well, you can try growing a small vegetable garden. If you don't have the green thumb know how, then the simplest alternative is to shop as organically and locally as you possibly can.

Focus on getting more whole foods that are grown and raised as nature intended with sustainable growing practices. Most people will agree food raised this way not only tastes better, it is often of better quality and is much fresher.

When it comes to buying organic, buyer beware of the shady business tactics of big agri that has tainted the organic food label. Just because the label says it is organic, does not mean it actually is. Many smaller, local farmers raise organic quality food, but are unable to afford the expensive certification process required to legally label them as such.

If you frequently shop local farmers markets, and organic is important to you, just talk with the people who raise the food you are buying. Striking up a conversation is the easiest way to find out what you are wanting to know. Organically grown produce definitely bumps up your nutritional intake of this food group, so much so, that eating 5 a day may be a sufficient amount to keep you relatively healthy.

Depending on your regional climate and soil conditions, a lack of locally grown fruits and vegetables may leave you very few options other than to eat commercially grown produce. If this is the case, don't worry so much about it. Certainly, it is far better to eat them, no matter how they are grown, than not at all.

It is possible to take advantage of what few nutrients may be available in them, making them work more effectively for you, by drinking more water. I am not kidding you on this, nothing more than pure water will do a better job of carrying nutrients to cell membranes, aids in nutrient absorption by keeping cells well hydrated, plus it washes away oxidative waste residues and toxins.

Water does not count as pure water if it is in the form of sodas, teas, and coffee, or juices. Water needs to be the dominate beverage that gets you through each and every day, saving those other drinks for occasional use, and in mindful moderation.

Brenda Skidmore has spent over the last six years actively researching natural health care alternatives. She can attest to the many positive results natural practical cures and preventive strategies bring to human health. Along with the many medical professionals whose public works she has studied, it is her sincere desire to empower others by sharing this important information. To improve your health today visit: mywater4life

Three Spices For Spring

by Janet Gomez 


With Spring come sinus problems, usually sinus infections. Everyday spices used in food can be used to boost your immune system so your body  can deal with sinus infections and stop them from getting worse.
In Ayurveda, spices are not only used for their flavour but also for the health-supporting properties.

Here are three of my favourite spices for Spring, particularly useful if you have Vata or Kapha imbalances.

Cinnamon is a good sweetening agent that is heating. It is a mouth and throat purifier and has strong antiseptic and anti-microbial properties. It provides relief for flatulence and indigestion and colds and flu. Use it in cooking and to sweeten your hot and cold drinks.

Action Tip: Keep a piece of cinnamon in your pocket to chew on.

Black Pepper is a heating spice which dries up mucous  which present in great quantities in the spring. This spice also builds your digestive capacity so your body  can access its natural force to handle the infection.

Action Tip Remember to add black pepper to your meal next time you go out to eat. There is always some on the table.

Ginger is another heating spice but not as heating as black pepper. It stimulates the appetite. I also aids digestion by promoting the secretion of gastric juices, which contain digestive enzymes. It's a great cure for travel sickness and nausea, jet lag and general weakness. Ginger powder is more heating than fresh ginger root and it's a good standby to have in the store cupboard, especially to make ginger tea when you have a cold.

Action Tip: Cut fresh ginger into thin strips and use at the table as a condiment.

In addition to helping with sinus problems, in an Ayurveda diet spices are important for good digestive health.

When you are working to improve your health and wellbeing, a simple, effective diet is the key to preventing disease and promoting health. The first thing you need for your diet are appropriate nutritional strategies. Without these strategies, you will spend a lot of time and effort to achieve your goals. With them, you will easily attract the health wealth you desire.

I invite you to discover what you need to know about nutritional strategies now. Visit http://keystovitality.nutrijyoti.com to get your free e-course that will help you understand how simple holistic strategies can boost your energy levels and leave you feeling free to enjoy life and be with the people important for you.

Janet Gomez is a nutritional consultant specializing in teaching busy professionals a holistic approach to food so they experience fuller health with improved energy levels now.