Farmer's Market Week Green

August 1-7, 2010 is declared the National Farmer's Market Week by the Secretary of Agriculture. Our Daily Green did not personally need a national observance to celebrate the joys of farmer's markets, but the recognition is exciting. It's a fabulous way to support local business and enjoy a new (old) way to shop.

Shopping a farmer's market is like a trip back in time. The proprietors are also the people who raise the produce and flowers, tend the chickens, or bake the pastries. They possess a true pride in their merchandise and are happy to answer any questions, volunteer information, and offer samples before buying. Try to find assistance at a superstore or ask the clerk what time the corn was picked, or how to prepare a certain item. At a farmer's market, they encourage and educate their customers.

peppers, lettuce, beans, cucumbers
and tomatoes from both my garden
and our local market

One of the most exciting ways to get children to try new fruits or vegetables  is to take them to a farmer's market. The West Side Market in Cleveland was a local favorite when my children were small.  We'd wander up and down the aisles while the vendors offered samples of whatever produce they were selling that day. My children first tasted mango, pineapple, and apricots at the market. I learned how to make fiddlehead ferns. I tried purple potatoes and bought cases of fruit for freezer jam. The plethora of fresh food and enthusiasm of the proprietors is contagious.

Farmer's markets offer locally grown, in season, fresh vegetables and fruits. My personal experience is that the prices are competitive and often lower. This week, I bought a pint of fresh picked that morning raspberries for $2.00. Half a pint at the store was $4.00. While it's true that organic food can sometimes cost more, I view it as a built in "portion control". I'd rather eat less of something delicious and fresh than too much of something that costs less. Consider the "super sized" portions of anything when dining out. Sure the dollars paid is less, but the calories consumed is more.

If you've never patronized a farmer's market, take a few minutes this weekend and stock up. Treat yourself to some fresh food, bustling atmosphere and excellent service.

To FIND A FARMER'S MARKET near you, click the highlighted text.
LOCAL HARVEST also has a fabulous search engine.

Happy Eating!

National Breastfeeding Month Green

One of the greenest things a mother can do is breastfeed her baby. No bottles or plastic liners, no cans of formula, no washing bottles, etc. Mother's milk is the first "zero-waste" food.  To testify personally, I breastfed both my children for 18 months.

That was nearly 15 and 13 years ago. Neither of my children ever had an ear infection, strep throat, or have missed more than a day or two of school in a year. My first child had perfect attendance through 2nd grade. We thought we had the "Cal Ripken" of elementary school, but a sick stomach kept that from happening. The point is, while unscientific on my end and highly subjective, studies by the "American Journal of Public Health",  the "American Journal of Epidemiology", the "Journal of Pediatrics", and the "Journal of Infectious Diseases" support that breastfed children have stronger immune systems.

Formula frequently is cow milk based. A calf is supposed to grow 1000 pounds during its first year of life. Cow's milk is designed for cattle, not humans. Studies link autism to the protein casein, found in cow's milk. Soy based formula also poses health risks. The majority of soy grown in the United States originates with Monsanto from genetically modified seeds.

In honor of August as National Breastfeeding Month, Our Daily Green would like to encourage all new mothers to try breastfeeding. If you're able to do it, the benefits last your baby's life.

How Sweet is this Green?

One of the biggest concerns Our Daily Green has about processed foods is that our nation now consumes food stuff that didn't even exist 100 years ago. Our foods have been manipulated and fortified and turned into something that may not even resemble the original food. One of the biggest culprits in our diet is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).

The corn industry will try to counter that HFCS is natural and contains just the same amount of calories as sugar. Calories, sure, but natural, no. Sugars are naturally a balance between glucose and fructose. HFCS is lab modified to contain 55-85% fructose (hence the name HIGH fructose), which tastes sweeter and can be used more sparingly. The body processes glucose and fructose completely differently. Glucose is processed via the brain but fructose will go straight through the liver, bypassing the brain entirely. In the documentary SuperSize Me, after 30 days of consuming soda with HFCS, Morgan Spurlock's liver was functiong as if he were an alcoholic.

One of the more disappointing stories Our Daily Green read lately is how the "healthy" fast food chain, Subway, uses HFCS in their fresh baked bread. I've included a link to a petition to request removal of this ingredient from their bread.  According to The Truth About Your Food,

... you're probably not in the habit of ordering a la carte bread loaves at Subway, but there’s a good chance you've eaten at least a few sandwiches built on this bread. The good news is that Subway actually delivers on the nine-grain promise. The bad news: Eight of those nine grains appear in miniscule amounts. If you look at a Subway ingredient statement, you'll find every grain except wheat listed at the bottom of the list, just beneath the qualifier "contains 2% or less." In fact, the primary ingredient in this bread is plain old white flour, and high-fructose corn syrup plays a more prominent role than any single whole grain. Essentially this is a white-wheat hybrid with trace amounts of other whole grains like oats, barley, and rye.

Diet sweetener substitutes are not a better alternative and present their own slew of medical issues. The best advice for healthy eating is to limit sugar to no more than 150 calories, daily. Read labels and make wise choices. Honey is also an excellent substitute and locally produced honey may help fight seasonal allergies.

Lastly, practice the art of saying sweet things. If you have to eat your words, they will taste all that much better & be healthy for you! 

A PETITION TO STOP HFCS from being labeled CORN SUGAR