Thursday, December 31, 2009

How Much Does Food Really Cost

Since 1949, the rise of industrial, processed food meant Americans could spend less on their meals. But those savings come with a high cost: obesity, diabetes, and big health care bills. Here's a look at the numbers behind our changing diet, and what we can do to make it better.  Check ut the video below to see what we really mean


http://www.good.is

Monday, December 28, 2009

2009 Year In Review: ORGANIC FOOD


We are back.  We had a nice little break with our friends and family.  We ate some great food and stayed as healthy as we could.  Check out the slide show from our friends over at treehugger.  It really shows you what took place in the world of organic food this year.

CLICK HERE BEST AND WORST OF FOOD 2009

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Stay Healthy During The Holidays




We are not going to lie.  It has been getting tough to maintain our healthy eating with the holidays quickly approaching.  We have definitely munched down one too many cookies and ice cream bars at recent holiday parties this month.  We decided to put out the word on how not to gain as much weight this year as years past.   Weight gain during the holiday season seems inevitable with food seemingly always present.  It’s easy to pack on as many as 5 to 10 pounds during the season alone.

“With all the excitement over the holidays, we tend to throw away our nutritional good sense, and eat excessively … with exercise taking a low priority,” says Sandra Nissenberg, a registered dietitian. Then, when the New Year rolls around, we wonder how those extra pounds crept on.
Instead of worrying about calories after the fact, start planning in advance for a healthier holiday season. Many holiday menus can be modified to lower the calories and fat content, often without noticing the difference, according to the American Dietetic Association.
Nissenberg recommends using these strategies to keep your meals and your body lighter:
  • Select a plain turkey rather than a self-basting one and remove the skin before serving. (it’s fattening.)
  • Refrigerate gravy or pan juices from the turkey. The fat will rise to the top, which allows you to remove it easily and reduce fat content.
  • Make stuffing with lots of vegetables and fruits (celery, onions, cranberries, raisins, apples) and less breadcrumbs.
  • Bake sweet potatoes instead of serving them candied.
  • Mash potatoes with chicken broth or skim milk instead of whole milk and butter.
  • Serve fruit platters in place of high-calorie, high-fat desserts.
  • Eat lighter during the day, but don’t starve yourself.
  • Enjoy the company of others instead of staying close to the food table.
  • When you eat, choose foods in moderate portions.
  • Be open to healthier recipes, particularly those with less fat and cholesterol.
  • Take up outdoor activities to burn off extra calories. 
  • Use free time to clean your house and decorate for the holidays; the goal is to keep moving.
  • Walk the malls for half an hour before they open. You’ll keep fit and still get your holiday shopping done.
Enjoy the holidays and dont regret your special meals!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Find Out Why Raisin Bran Is Not Great For You



Hey there Revolutionaries.  We want to keep spreading the word on foods that people think are good for them.  Think eating bran with raisins is a healthy alternative to syrupy processed cereals? You're right, but only if you keep the sugar out.

recent study found that commercially marketed raisin brans made with added sugar contributed to cavities in children. Sugar-coated raisins significantly raised the level of acidity in kid's mouths, but regular non-sugar raisins did not. Acid levels matter because acid bonds bacteria to teeth, and help cause plaque.
Unsugared raisins have no negative impact on dental health, though; raisins easily clear off of teeth.
So if you want your flakes with raisins, stick to a cereal with no added sugar.


Sunday, December 20, 2009

Everyday 270,000 Pounds of Food is Tossed in New York



We got turned on to this video from our friends over at treehugger.  Every day, New York City residents waste 270,000 pounds of food. Want to know what that looks like? Here's an unforgettable way to imagine it - fill up a subway train with the equivalent amount of apples, and release it onto the people waiting on the platform.  


New York's City Harvest food bank created this commercial to illustrate the point that as thousands of pounds of food is wasted daily, thousands of residents don't have enough to eat. In other words, our food distribution processes bite - not just in the US, but worldwide. City Harvest works to change that on a local level.




This year alone, the group will "rescue" and deliver more than 25 million pounds of quality food that would otherwise go to waste. Like the Robin Hoods of freeganism. Sort of.

The group collects food from the food industry, including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers, and farms, and delivers it for free to nearly 600 community food programs throughout New York City using a fleet of trucks and - YAY! - bikes as well as volunteers on foot.
With their work, we can avoid subway trains full of apples being unleashed onto commuters.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Change The World One Pen At A Time



Today Lindsay Bloom VP/Founder of Global Learning Outreach(GLO) contacted us looking for the Revolution Greens Army support.  GLO is an eco-organization that is providing sustainable solutions and donating 100% of their proceeds to education.  It Launched this year in NYC, the mission at GLO is to inspire others to take a stand and make a simple and better choice by writing with eco-friendly GLO Pens made out of 100% recycled paper and cornplastic.  They donate all of the proceeds to educational charities and non-profit organizations that can apply for funding directly on their website.  GLO pens are currently for sale on their website and at various cafes, bookstores, and boutiques in Manhattan and Brooklyn. We are going to outfit the entire Revolution Greens Headquarters with these pens.  Are you in?

VISIT WWW.PROJECTGLO.COM


Thursday, December 17, 2009

The Buzz On Organic Honey

Good Day to you Revolutionaries.  Everyday this month we have been using our newly received locally grown organic honey in our tea.  It got us thinking, what does this do to our body . We spent some time at the Revolution Greens Headquarters today and did some research.  Here are the amazing benefits of just adding  Honey to your diet.


The health benefits of honey include the following:
  • Sweetener: Sugar can be substituted with honey in many food and drinks. Honey contains about 69% glucose and fructose enabling it to be used as a sweetener.
  • Energy Source: Honey is also used by many as a source of energy as it provides about 64 calories per tablespoon. One tablespoon of sugar will give you about 50 calories. Further the sugars in honey can be easily converted into glucose by even the most sensitive stomachs. Hence it is very easy to digest honey.
  • Weight Loss: Though honey has more calories than sugar, honey when consumed with warm water helps in digesting the fat stored in your body. Similarly honey and lemon juice and honey and cinnamon help in reducing weight.
  • Improving Athletic Performance: Recent research has shown that honey is an excellent ergogenic aid and helps in boosting the performance of athletes. Honey facilitates in maintaining blood sugar levHoney Beesels, muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout.
  • Source of Vitamins and Minerals: Honey contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. The vitamin and mineral content of honey depends on the type of flowers used for apiculture.
  • Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties: Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and hence it can be used as a natural antiseptic.
  • Antioxidants: Honey contains nutraceuticals, which are effective in removing free radicals from our body. As a result, our body immunity is improved.
  • Skin Care with Milk and Honey: Milk and honey are often served together as both these ingredients help in getting a smooth soothing skin. Hence consuming milk and honey daily in the morning is a common practice in many countries.
Head to your local store and pick some up today!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Wheat Grass Kit


wheatgrass_pre_grown_and_easy_health_hand_juicer.jpg

A couple of months ago we posted information on Wheat Grass and its benefits.  We get asked a bunch of questions about wheat grass so here is some quick info. 
 Wheat grass is one of the most powerful super foods out there. Yet for some reason it is still not mainstream.  Here is a quick rundown on the benefits:

-Wheatgrass contains over 90 minerals, including high concentrations of the most alkaline minerals: potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium

-It contains the essential enzymes: Protease (assists in protein digestion), Cytochrome Oxidase (a powerful anti oxidant), Amylase (facilitates digestion), Lipase (a fat splitting enzyme), Transhydrogenase (strengthens the heart muscle) & Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) (found in all body cells and is known for its ability to lessen the effect of radiation and slow cellular aging)

-Just one teaspoon of Wheat Grass powder, weighing a mere 3.5 grams, is nutritionally equal to an entire spinach salad weighing a full 50 grams - it packs a punch!

-Wheatgrass has more vitamin C than oranges and twice the vitamin A as carrots!

-Wheat grass juice helps your body to build red blood cells which carry oxygen to every cell. By increasing the oxygenation the body you can help offset smog and carbon monoxide and increase your endurance during physical exercise
It also contains 19 amino acids, the building blocks of protein.


BUY YOUR OWN KIT AT

Monday, December 14, 2009

Revolution Greens Visits Paradise Farms


Revolution Greens Visits Paradise Farms from Steve Turk on Vimeo.
The Revolution Greens team heads to Paradise Farms for Dinner in Paradise. Top Chefs from Miami put on a great dinner using organic items right from the farm on to your plate. All while sitting in the middle of the field.


Please visit www.paradisefarms.net to make reservations.  

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Organic Store Finder and Info






Good Day Revolutionaries!  Here is a great site.  WWW.ORGANIC.ORG It helps you find stores anywhere in the country that carry organic foods.  Also this site gives you great tips on how to work these amazing organic foods into your budget.  One of the cooler tool on the site is user reviews on organic products.  That way you can see what others are saying before you spend your hard earned cash on a new product.  Use the site and eat up!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Eat These Foods To Stay Warm This Winter



We are lucky.  The Revolution Greens Headquarters is located in warm Miami, FL.  However, most of the country is battling some frigidly cold temperatures.  We set out to see what foods actually keep you warmer just by eating them.

Before we start here is a a quick science tid-bit for you:    "During winter the cold weather lowers blood pH therefore making it more acidic, and in order to compensate for this acidic blood pH we need to eat foods that will help to raise, or alkaline, blood pH levels.  By doing this your body’s chemistry will be balanced and as a result you will feel warmer and more comfortable this winter."   


Here are the foods you need to stay warm:


Soup: Not only is homemade soup easy to cook, it is cheap and nutritious too, and if you make a big batch, you’ll always have something hot to eat for those times when cooking feels like a chore!   To get extra protein, try adding beans and meat to any soup. 
Meat:  Try eating more free range or organic meat during winter.  Protein raises the blood pH to make us warmer.  Eating meat can also help keep you warm.  They are high in iron, which the body needs to make the thyroid hormone, which stimulates heat production.  
Soy:  For those non-meat eaters out there, eating plenty of soy products like tofu. Soybeans, soy nuts and tempeh, will also contribute to keeping you warm this winter.  Try some stir-fry meals with tofu and vegetables, or munch on some soy nuts as a snack. 
Spice:  Spicy seasoning keeps cold temperatures away by boosting blood circulation.  So when cooking, try adding some spicy sauce or pepper powder.  
Fruit and Vegetables: Fruit and vegetables are a good course of vitamin C, which as we all know, helps keep people healthy.  However during the winter months, fruit and vegetables can also play a role in keeping the winter chills away.  Leeks and carrots are good vegetables to eat, while fruits like peaches, apricots and papaya can keep you warm.  Green leafy vegetables such as spinach are also good to eat because like red meats, these are abundant in iron, which helps to stimulate heat production.
Good Fat:  When cooking, cook your dishes using olive oil it is a healthy fat that will help to balance your blood pH levels and thus warm you up.
Warm drinks:  This winter, try drinking some herbal tea, it is a great antioxidant and will help relax you, improve immunity, and flush your system out if you have a cold.  Green tea too is great at fighting infection, and warm unsweetened soy milk is also soothing on a warm day.  Stay away from coffee though because it will only lower your blood pH more.
Stay Warm Revolutionaries.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

The 100 Mile Diet




Good Day Revolutionaries!  We found another interesting video.  Home Is Where the Food Is tells the simple tale of Tina Biello making dinner for her family. In particular, this dinner comes from all locally grown ingredients in or near Vancouver, and highlights that there is something deeply important about not just knowing your food is as fresh as possible, but about knowing the people that care for and provide your food.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Dumpster Dive? Dive! The Movie

Would You Do It?



WWW.DIVETHEFILM.COM
Follow Jeremy Seifert and his circle of friends as they dumpster dive in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of L.A.'s supermarkets. In the process they uncover thousands of dollars worth of good food and an ugly truth about waste in America: grocery stores know they are wasting and most refuse to do anything about it. Get the film on the website (www.divethefilm.com) for 10 bucks.

Monday, December 7, 2009

8 Super Foods You Should Switch To Today




Hello Revolutionaries!   We love doing our research on Super Foods.  We get pumped up when we find foods that turbo charge our bodies.  Dr. Maoshing Ni is a Health Expert for Alternative Medicines.  He truly has great information on foods that have a positive impact on our body's vitality.  Below he shares with us 8 Super Foods we can place into our diet without much difficulty.  Make the change like we did and be on your way to feeling great!


Trying to change your habits and routines can be daunting, even when you know the changes are for the better. Try these 8 simple switches below to slim down and live a long and healthy life.

1. Swap green tea for coffee
For many people, the first thing they reach for in the morning is coffee. Caffeine acts as a CNS (central nervous system) stimulant, causing you to experience stress, anxiety, a racing mind, and even insomnia. For a calmer energy boost, cut the coffee and go for green tea. On average, a cup of green tea contains about 
one sixth of the amount of caffeine you would get from the same cup of coffee. Even better, green tea is full of powerful antioxidants that ward off cancer, and tea is a proven preventive and treatment for atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).  Also, when combined with exercise, green tea can help you lose weight.

2. Try trailmix in place of fatty snacks 
Carry dried fruits and nuts with you as healthy snacks to replace any unhealthy ones you usually eat. Just a handful every day can help improve circulation and muscle tone. Research shows that many of these nuts and seeds are rich sources of vitamin E, lignans, and omega-3 fatty acids, which help 
prevent heart disease and protect you from the ravages of aging

3. Switch brown rice for white rice 
Modern staples around the world often include refined bread, pasta, rice, and corn. These carbohydrates that have been found to be the culprits in serious conditions like 
diabetes, stroke, and heart diseasearthritis, and allergies. And there is no question that refined carbohydrates contribute directly to weight gain. So change to whole grains to get complex carbohydrates; said another way, swap "white" for "brown". Substitute white rice, bread, and pasta with brown rice, whole wheat bread, and whole wheat pasta. Other "browns" will bring you anti-aging benefits also. Quinoa and amaranth are two tasty grains rich in protein and easy to cook. Millet, sorghum, and buckwheat are packed with B vitamins.

4. Swap fish for red meat

Red meat does have some health benefits-when eaten in moderation. However, studies have shown that men and women who eat meat every day are 
three times as likely to develop breast cancer and prostate cancer as those who almost never eat high-fat animal foods. Of all animal products, fish is the healthiest because of its high protein and low-fat content. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish, along with other nutrients, protect blood vessels from plaque, reduce inflammation, and prevent high blood pressure. If you just can't leave the red meat behind, choose only free-range, grass-fed, and hormone- and antibiotic-free lean meat, and eat it no more than three times a week. 

5. Use olive oil instead of butter
Butter is the bad kind of fat. Also included in this saturated fat category: peanut oil, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and lard. All of these elevate 
cholesterol and triglyceride levels, leading to an increased chance of heart attack and stroke. Switch for olive oil or one of the other monounsaturated fats, which increase good cholesterol and protect you from heart disease and premature skin aging. Others include canola oil, rice bran oil, walnut oil, flaxseed oil, peanut oil, and sesame oil. Like butter on your bread? Try hummus instead.

6. Swap sweet potatoes for potatoes
While filling, potatoes just do not contain the nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes. Yams and sweet potatoes are powerhouse foods that contain higher amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin C than carrots, more protein than wheat and rice, and more fiber than oat bran. They are also rich in plant DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone)-a precursor hormone that is essential for the body's anti-aging defenses to work.

7. Swap berries for refined sweets
The average American consumes nearly 240 pounds of sugar per year. Most of the excess sugar from candies, pastries, sodas, and other refined sweets end up being stored as fat in your body, resulting in weight gain and elevating heart disease and cancer risk. Instead, satisfy your sweet tooth with a berry tasty treat: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, and cherries. Berries are rich in antioxidants that fight free radicals and can also help remove toxic residue from the system, which is often the cause of chronic fatigue and low energy.

8. Switch to water in place of soda
Soda pop is very high in phosphorus, which in excess actually causes 
calcium loss from your bones, possibly leading you to osteoporosis. Diet soda is filled with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame or saccharin, which have shown dangerous results in tests with laboratory animals. Your best beverage is filtered water, which flushes your system of the chemicals and toxins that you encounter every day. If water by itself doesn't appeal, turn to juice and tea. One caution about fruit juice is that it tends to be filled with sugar. Cut back on sugar content by watering down your juice: one part juice to three parts filtered water. Unsweetened herbal tea, brimming with health benefits, is another way to go. For a selection of healthy teas that promote total body wellness, click here.

Make these switches and you are on your way to a healthier you!

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Save The World One Search At A Time With Ecosia

We found something pretty amazing today.  It is an eco-friendly search engine!  It literally saves the planet every time you search for something as you would do on google.  Ecosia has teamed up with Bing, Yahoo and the WWF to create a search engine that saves the rainforest habitats of our planet.  Each search you do on the Ecosia saves 2.4 square yards of rainforest.  They have already saved 322, 564 square yards.  We just changed our search engine and you should try it out too.  Take a look at the video below to show you exactly how it works.  It an impressive idea!  ecosia.org

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Vida Organica Wine


It has been a long and crazy day.  Now we are unwinding with a nice bottle of wine here at the Revolution Greens Headquarters.  We were sent a bottle of Vida Organica Malbec from Argentina. It is currently only sold at Whole Foods.  Its taste pretty good and it is doing a great job of helping us chill out.  Even though the name conjures up thoughts of organic goodness there are some technicalities.


Vida Organica are lines of wines from Familia Zuccardi produced from organically grown grapes.  It is not an organic product though.  The wine would qualify as organic if they didn't use the minimum level of sulfites to make the product shelf stable.  A piece of dried fruit has more sulfites than a bottle of wine.  However, the FDA won't certify anything organic unless it has absolutely minimal traces of sulfites.  Sulfites also occur naturally in some foods.   Either way we are enjoying this bottle as we type up this post  Pick one up at your nearest Whole Foods and just relax!

Friday, December 4, 2009

Slim Fast Issues 10 Million Can Recall: Another Reason To Eat Real Food



This drives us nuts!  There are so many people out there who think they are doing their body good by consuming "health food".  In reality they are putting themselves at a huge risk by consuming man made diet foods.  Here is the most recent story.  Today the maker of Slim-Fast announced a recall of its canned, ready-to-drink products due to possible bacterial contamination.  Unilever, the company which also makes products like Skippy peanut butter and Ragu pasta sauce, said the weight-loss drink may be tainted by Bacillus cereus, which can cause diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.  The recall is for 10 million cans in the USA.  Be Revolutionary, stick to real food that doesn't come out of a wrapper and isn't produced in a lab.  Spread the word!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

The Non Genetically Modified Shopping Guide




If your like us you want to know what your eating and where it comes from.  Well we have also added Genetic Modification to that list.  We want to make sure we are eating food the has not been modified by people working in labs.  So you might ask, Haven't growers been grafting trees, breeding animals, and hybridizing seeds for years? Here is the difference.  Genetic engineering is completely different from traditional breeding and carries unique risks. In traditional breeding it is possible to mate a pig with another pig to get a new variety, but is not possible to mate a pig with a potato or a mouse. Even when species that may seem to be closely related do succeed in breeding, the offspring are usually infertile—a horse, for example, can mate with a donkey, but the offspring (a mule) is sterile.


With genetic engineering, scientists can breach species barriers set up by nature. For example, they have spliced fish genes into tomatoes. The results are plants (or animals) with traits that would be virtually impossible to obtain with natural processes, such as crossbreeding or grafting. Several studies show "GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health."  



Use this guide to buy NON GMO Foods

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Fast Food Art?

With this being the week of Art Basel here in Miami we found an art project that got us thinking.  Check out the images below.  You Recognize any of them?


"In the short time since fast food chains have become part of our national (and global) culture, a number of burger shops have begotten some truly iconic–and insalubrious—food items, the mass production and marketing of which is utterly astounding. However, when removed from their brightly colored wrappers and shot against a stark, clinical background, as in the case of Jon Feinstein's photographic series, "Fast Food," the archetypal snacks and sandwiches take on a decidedly unsettling quality.

"There's this weird relationship that we as Americans have with fast food," says Feinstein, who titled each image with the given item's fat content, in grams. "I made a project where the food mostly looks disgusting, yet some of it is still strangely enticing—probably because the branding is so embedded in our psyches." He adds, "I may eat it on a lower frequency now."

What follows is a selection from Jon Feinstein's "Fast Food."



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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Waste Not, Want Not: Watch What You Toss Out

Happy December!  Another month is upon us and we are feeling great!  Here is something we want to share with you to start the month off right.  We are a fan of GOOD Magazine and their info-videos.  This Video is quick and to the point.  It shows how much food Americans waste each year and what would happen if we changed our eating habits just a little bit.  It is pretty astonishing.  Remember, each one of us can have a huge impact in our communities if we just give it a go.  Check out the cool video and plan your next meal!