E-Newsletter

Summer 2009 (July 1, 2009)

Healthy Tips

How can I make it easier to eat salads and herbs more regularly?
How about growing your own? Salad greens are full of vitamins and nutrients and are an excellent way to "health up" lunches and dinners. Herbs are a great way to add flavor (without calories) to a variety of dishes, and can aid in digestion and longevity. Requirements are as simple as a bright window ledge, a window box or individual pots, packets of seeds, and potting soil. There are many books and websites with detailed information on how to go about doing this, so be creative and choose greens and herbs you truly enjoy.

What fruits and vegetables are in season for the summer?
As farmer's markets continue to grow and pop up around the area, now is the perfect time to explore the idea of shopping locally and eating seasonally. Fruits: Apples, apricots, black currants, blueberries, cherries, grapes, loganberries, plums, red currants, strawberries, white currants. Vegetables: Artichokes, asparagus, basil, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflowers, chard, cucumbers, fennel, garlic, green beans, lettuce, new potatoes, peas, radishes, rocket, spinach, sweet corn, tomatoes, watercress, zucchini.

Why is buying seasonally, locally, and "Fair Trade" important?
Buying seasonally means that you'll be eating the freshest, best-tasting produce available. Going out to the farmer's markets helps support our own local farmers and community and reduces "food miles" (distance food travels to get to you). Without our farmers and small independent stores, we won't have a choice in how we shop or what we eat. Fairly traded goods ensure that growers get a fair price for their produce, enabling them to gain economic self-sufficiency and security.

How can I motivate myself to exercise?
It's important to realize that even the smallest amount of exercise is better for us than none. If you're intimidated by the formal gym atmosphere, or don't know where to start, start with very small goals (baby steps). Try to take the stairs everywhere, park further away from the door, get up and walk around throughout the day if you're at a desk job, do jumping jacks and pushups during commercial breaks watching your favorite tv show, etc. Find your motivation (prepaying for classes/trainers, meeting up with someone, etc) and make it work for you with exercise. Find small ways to increase your activity level daily, and as you start to feel better, increase the activity and time as your body can tolerate it (you should be able to have a conversation while exercising- otherwise, you're overdoing it). An ideal goal would be a program of cardiovascular and weight training for 30-60 minutes 3-4 times per week.

Featured Recipe

Upcoming IFHA Events

• Saturday 7/18/09 (9am-noon) - "Women's Morning of Renewal" at IFHA
• Tuesday 8/4/09 (6:30-8:30pm) - "Melt Away Stress with Guided Imagery", at IFHA
• Tuesday 9/22/09 (1-8pm): at IFHA (details to follow)
  "Open House", 1-5pm
  "Grand Opening / Business After Hours", 5-8pm

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