Farmers’ Market Openings

photo source

It is officially the first day of Spring! Also known as the Vernal Equinox, this is the time of year in which the daylight hours become increasingly longer than the dark. Hooray for more after-work sunshine! 



photo source



The arrival of Spring means different things to different people. To me, it means balmy daytime temperatures and cooler nights, with beautiful blooming foliage giving home to cute chirping birds; it’s that time of year to dust off my fishing rod and get outside more often in general. But perhaps one of my most favorite reasons for loving Spring is… (drumroll)… the reopening of local Farmers’ Markets! Hooray for fresh, local produce!

As we've discussed before, there are many great reasons to shop from a Farmers' Market: (1) Buying foods locally helps support local farmers and local economy; (2) They can inspire you to try new foods, as you'll likely see various varieties of produce that you may not find in the conventional supermarket; (3) Purchasing your foods locally increases awareness of where your food comes from (freshly picked from a nearby farm!); and, (4) Buying from farmers eliminates the cost of the middleman and pricey shipping, so you get more value for your dollar! Hooray for extra savings in my pocket!



photo source



So after three great reasons for some extra "Hooray" in our lives, I have listed some of the Farmers’ Markets, CSA’s and local farms open for business now or starting in April, 2012

Follow the link below to see the complete list.



Better than Sugar?

photo source

Good sunny day everyone!

For today’s post, I’d like to shed some light on several “natural” sweeteners that have been brought up frequently during class discussions. I'm so glad I looked into this as the answers I found were quite surprising!

Let’s jump right in...

A GLC Philosophy

photo source

So perhaps you’ve attended some of our classes, perhaps you’ve had a private consultation with me – Chloe, RD – or, perhaps you have only checked in here once in a while to read my blog (Thank you! I appreciate it J). If simply the latter of the three is true, you might find yourself wondering a little about what all we stand for at the Good Life Center. Today, I’d like to take a little time to explain a part of what we advocate, an eating philosophy that supports our efforts in helping you achieve a healthy lifestyle. I’m talking about CLEAN EATING.

  



Front-of-the-Box Misconceptions Revealed



This term has become a bit of a “buzz-word” lately among wellness communities and with good reason! Today, our supermarkets are riddled with products that (to be honest) are not even real food! They are products of science, not nature, and they are injected with dyes and other chemicals not meant for the human body. If you can’t pronounce the words in the ingredient list, do you think your body really knows how to digest it? So this brings us to the concept of clean eating. Clean eating is all about choosing foods that are natural and wholesome – particularly foods that are free of chemicals, additives and preservatives, and devoid of refined, processed ingredients.

This eating style has some distinct benefits which include: advancing your chances of maintaining a healthy weight; gaining better control of blood sugar; and, improving blood pressure and cholesterol levels. There are some additional perks that come along too, like increased energy, clearer skin, improved sleep and enhanced clarity of mind. I’m intrigued – how about you?

It’s National Nutrition Month® !

Welcome to March everyone!

There’s a traditional expression that says, “March comes in like a Lion and out like a Lamb." The reverse seems to be happening here in Virginia. If you remember on Thursday March 1^st, it was 80 degrees and now we have snow?!? Ah, that’s the classic pattern of Virginia weather for ya… classic pattern as in, there is no pattern! (Although, I am very grateful that we did not experience the tornado trauma that occurred in the Midwest - my heart goes out to anyone with family or friends who have lost their homes!)  




In less than a week, we went from this...



...to THIS! I prefer the sandals :(

 

Weather aside, the month of March is known as National Nutrition Month®! 

This year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics named the theme: “Get Your Plate in Shape!” The key message revolves around the importance of balancing your plate. Too often, we load up our plates with refined carbohydrates and high-fat proteins, pushing the nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables to the side. Boost your nutrition and reduce calories by filling at least half of your plate with a variety of vegetables – especially dark, green, leafy ones like kale, chard, and spinach + red and orange vegetables like carrots, tomatoes, squash and peppers! Fill the 2^nd two-thirds of your plate with a lean protein like skinless chicken breast, seafood, beans or lentils + a wholesome, filling grain like brown rice, quinoa, bulgar, barley or wheat-berries. This will ensure adequate intake of inflammation-fighting phytonutrients from healthy food sources, along with increased fiber for satiety and portion-control.Treat yourself afterwards with a ripe and sweetly refreshing fruit for dessert, perhaps drizzled with your favorite yogurt.






Does your plate look more like plate A or plate B?

Plate B demonstates the principles of what it means to "Get your plate in shape!"

 Be sure to check out these other Nutrition Education Resources for information on boosting your daily intake of fruits and vegetables, healthy eating on the run, the 2012 NNM® Fact Sheet, plus 2011-2012 NNM® recipes and more!     

Also, don't forget to RSVP for tomorrow's GLC Grocery Tour at Whole Foods! This month, there will be emphasis on where to find a good value as well as making healthy selections. Weight check-ins are from 5-5:45PM at the Glen Allen office, the tour begins at 6PM sharp in the covered entryway of Whole Foods in Short Pump. See you there!

Happy and Healthy Eating,

Chloe RD and the GLC

p.s. Interested in other weather-related sayings of yore? The Farmers’ Almanac also mentioned these three rhymes and expressions pertaining to the month of March:

            A dry March and a wet May, fill barns and bays with corn and hay.

As it rains in March so it rains in June.

March winds and April showers bring forth bundles of May flowers.