Day 18: Herbs

Without herbs, where would we be? We would be eating bland, tasteless food and we wouldn't know any better. Just the other day I planted my yearly herb garden. This year I planted mint, chives, lavender, basil, oregano, chili peppers, lemonbalm, and cilantro. I use these herbs throughout the year for soups, stews, and pickling.

The most common complaints I hear from people are about bad, infertile soil and no room to plant herbs. This year instead of planting my herb garden in the ground, I went to my local nursery and bought a window box to hang on my back porch. Here is a great website to check out if you're interested: http://thefamilytreeinc.com/.

*Tip of the day* Research different types of herbs that can be grown in your area and consider investing in some plants.

*Recipe of the day* http://www.recipe.com/cheese-tortellini-with-roasted-garlic-and-herb-sauce/

Day 17: Simply Soy

Soy burgers, soy milk, soy bars, soy beans, etc. These days the move towards soy products is becoming increasingly inevitable. Not only is soy a better alternative to animal products, it also offers many health benefits that animal products do not offer. Most soy milk actually contains MORE protein than animal-based 2% milk. Soy beans are simply amazing. If you boil them and throw a little bit of salt on them, they are the best thing ever and they are great for your heart. So hop on board the soy train and enjoy the benefits of these tasty little beans.

*Tip of the day* Try some soy! It is extremely good for you and tastes amazing!

*Recipe of the day* http://www.recipe.com/nutty-cucumber-sandwiches/

- One word: AMAZING!

Day 17: "All Natural" vs "Organic"

                                                                                 VS

When you stroll down the aisle at your supermarket you may see a lot of items labeled "all natural." The technical definition of "all natural" is: "Any item directly derived from nature." Sounds great, right? Wrong! All natural products can still have pesticides, fertilizers, and other poisonous chemicals in them. These chemicals are harmful to everyone, especially children, elderly, pregnant women, and those with medical conditions. However, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) does not require "all natural" products to be grown organically. In my opinion, organic products are the way to go. Organic products are grown without ANY type of chemical additive. This is not only good for the environment, it is good for you.

If you have any questions about organic or "all natural" products, feel free to comment in the comment tab underneath this post.

*Tip of the day* Try some organic cereal or yogurt today. You won't want to switch back to regular "all natural" brands.

*Recipe of the day* http://www.recipe.com/apple-and-cheddar-bagel-melt-sandwiches/

- This recipe makes a great, quick, and easy breakfast!

Day 16: The simple joy of tea

Sweet tea, green tea, black tea, red tea, hot tea, cold tea, etc., I am a person who loves to drink tea! Not only does tea taste good, it is also good for you. Tea leaves contain antioxidants and a lot of vitamins, especially Vitamin C. Tea, especially green tea, is a natural appetite suppressant, which means that it gives you the feeling of being full when in reality you are not. This is ideal for people who want to loose weight. Tea comes in many different flavors, shapes, and sizes. If you want a hot cup of tea, I would suggest trying tea blooms. Tea blooms are pods of flowers (usually jasmine and green tea) that bloom in hot water and seep to create tea. For those who want cold tea, I would suggest Apricot sweet tea or Chai tea. Both of these teas are very good. Good luck with your tea hunting!!

Don't believe me? Here is a video on blooming tea. It is about a minute long and is definitely worth the time!

Here are some helpful tea-related websites:

-http://www.teavana.com/

-This website is really cool and worth checking out for ideas!

-http://www.honesttea.com/

https://www.adagio.com/

*Tip of the day* If you are looking for a tea diffuser to buy, Sam's Club on Scenic Highway in Lilburn
 has one for $20

*Recipe of the day* http://www.recipe.com/apricot-iced-tea/
-This tea is really yummy and great for backyard cookouts. Don't forget the Bocca Burgers!

Day 15: The Fast Food Epidemic

These days if it's not "quick and easy," Americans don't want anything to do with it. With advancing technology, our lives get faster and easier every day. However, with all these new innovations, people are beginning to forget the importance of healthy eating. For example, I witnessed a little girl go up to her mother the other day, she must of only been about 5 or 6. She told her mother "I don't wanna go to McDonald's! I want to go get some vegetables!" The mothers' response? "We don't have time for that right now honey. You can get extra lettuce on your burger and ketchup instead." With examples like this, what are we teaching the next generation? Apparently time is more important than what you put into your body?

Here is my challenge for anyone out there reading this. I want you to go a week without eating fast food (i.e. McDonald's, Chik fil a, Wendy's, Taco Bell, etc.). If you can accomplish this demanding feat that the majority of the American population cannot, because of their addiction to unhealthy food, you have my utmost respect.  

*Tip of the day* Try to eat at least one home-cooked meal a week. When I say home-cooked, I do not mean frozen dinners you heat up in the microwave. Get out that old cookbook and start cooking. You never know what recipes you might find in there.

*Recipe of the day* http://www.recipe.com/garden-vegetable-soup-1/

Day 14: Spring! (Gardening 101)

It's finally that time of year again, spring! Spring means warm weather, pretty flowers, and a lot of time outdoors. Spring also means planting time. Now is the time to start planting most of your crops for the year. If you have never planted a garden before and are considering it, make sure to weigh the benefits and the disadvantages. Some of the benefits of growing your own food include: easier access to healthy food, being able to eat food that you have just picked, and saving money. Some disadvantages include time consumtion and costing a little bit extra to get started, but in the long run it actually save you money.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/garden-planner/vegetable-garden-planner.aspx This planner is a good guide for when to plant crops and how to arrange them. When you get to the website, click "launch" and then sign up for an account. After you do this, you will have complete access for 25 days. It is a very useful and helpful tool.

The first thing you need to think about when considering starting a garden is whether or not you receive enough sunlight throughout the day to support the plants you will be planting. Most plants need around 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. If your home does not receive 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight a day, you might want to consider crops that do not require a lot of sunlight. You also need to test your soil. To test your soil, you can buy a test kit at your local hardware store or you can send your test sample to UGA to be tested. You can find out about UGA's testing at: http://aesl.ces.uga.edu/.

Herbs and vegetables are some of the easiest plants to start off with. If you have never grown anything before try going to your local hardware store and looking for window boxes. Window boxes attach to your window and allow enough room for herbs and small vegetables to grow in. These are ideal for the elderly, people living in apartments, and first time gardeners.

*Tip of the day* Don't go overboard with your garden this year, and make sure to check which plants grow in your area and which plants will work in your yard.

*Recipe of the day* http://www.recipe.com/savory-vegetables-1/
- This is a very easy recipe for yummy fresh vegetables. Make sure to buy organic or at your local farmers market.

Day 13: Breakfast

These days it seems like everyone is telling you to eat your breakfast, but is it  really that important? Yes it is. Breakfast is "the most important meal of the day," because of the benefits it brings. Eating a balanced breakfast can not only improve your performance in school, work, etc., it can also help you to stay focused and even loose weight. A "bad breakfast" consists of too many carbs, fatty foods, processed foods (ie. doughnuts), etc. A good breakfast consists of dairy, protein, grain, and fruit.

Fruits salads, bagels, muffins, cereal, oatmeal, orange juice, coffee, etc. are all good breakfast ideas. People who eat a good, balanced breakfast are usually more focused and are able to better succeed in school, work, and other activities. Studies have shown that those who eat a balanced breakfast also tend to weigh less than those who do not eat breakfast at all.

*Tip of the day* Start thinking about your Earth Day plans. Plant a tree, plant flowers, clean up your yard, or any other activity that loves "Mother Earth."

*Recipe of the day* http://www.recipe.com/peach-breakfast-parfaits/

- And because I can't resist: http://www.recipe.com/chai/

Day 12: The Secret Life of Honey

If you are one of those people that suffer from seasonal allergies Honey is one of the best super foods for you. Why? Because recent studies have shown that people who eat honey from bee's in their area develop an immunity to seasonal allergies. Pretty great, right? Not only does honey taste really good on a piece of multi-grain toast in the morning, it also helps prevent runny noses, itchy eyes, and other symptoms of seasonal allergies. Obviously it's a little hard to believe that honey could do these great things and no one has heard about them. Trust me though, a little honey everyday will help you to get build up an immunity to some seasonal allergen's. Besides, isn't it worth it to try? Good luck and happy honey eating!

Here are the websites of a bunch of places you can go to buy honey from in Georgia. If you live in another area check out the local newspaper for farmers markets and local organic grocery stores.
- http://www.mtnhoney.com/
- http://www.blueridgehoneycompany.com/faq.htm#4
- http://www.jamsjellies.com/products_results.php?Search=1&ProductCategoryID[]=40
Happy eating!

*Tip of the day* If you live in Georgia, stop by http://whippoorwillhollowfarm.com/ it is definitely worth the drive up there. Though it may not look like much, their food is delicious and all naturally certified organic. Ask them for a tour of their farm while you're up there and don't forget to buy some of their yummy fruits, vegetables, and eggs!

*Recipe of the day* http://www.recipe.com/honey-raisin-bran-muffins/ Don't forget to use local honey! To top the muffins off try some yummy honey butter http://www.recipe.com/honey-butter/.