The Simplest Way To Get Kids To Eat More Vegetables

By Emi Boscamp



You probably remember, as a kid, pushing anything green to the edges of your plate, hoping no one would notice. You had already eaten the delicious slab of protein that had been in the center of your plate. You weren't hungry anymore. You wanted to go play.
Well, what if you had just been a little hungrier?
That's the question researchers at Brigham Young University set out to answer. They found that kids just aren't hungry enough at lunchtime to eat their vegetables. The solution? Simple. Have recess before lunch, not after.
The researchers found that when recess takes place before kids sit down to eat, fruit and vegetable consumption increases significantly.
The study, published in Preventative Medicine, looked at 2,500 students in seven Utah elementary schools who participated in the National School Lunch Program, which serves lunches that must include a serving of vegetables. Three schools switched their schedules to hold recess before lunch, while the other four schools kept recess after lunch. Researchers stood by the garbage cans and measured how many kids threw away their fruits and vegetables.
They found that the simple schedule swap boosted produce consumption by 54% per kid. Yes, that much. Not only that — 45% more kids ended up eating a serving of fruits and vegetables, which reduced waste by 40%. And as for the schools that didn't switch, produce consumption actually decreased during the same time period.
"Recess is a pretty big deal for most kids. If you have kids choose between playing and eating their veggies, the time spent playing is going to win most of the time," said Joe Price, co-author of the study, in a press release.
When kids don't get a full, balanced meal, they can feel hungry later in the day, which leads to poorer academic performance and excessive snacking when they get home, the authors write. And this behavior can have adverse health effects in the long term.
The researchers' proposed schedule switch is a win-win situation for elementary schools and their students. It won't cost them anything — in fact, they'll save money by reducing waste — and the kids will be healthier.
It seems like a no-brainer. A minor, rather inconsequential change to the schedule that could drastically change children's lives. Hopefully news will travel quickly and school districts will take action. We'll just have to wait and see.
Photo Credit: Stocksy
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-17057/the-simplest-way-to-get-kids-to-eat-more-vegetables.html

Indian City Becomes First Vegetarian City in the World

Indian City Becomes First Vegetarian City in the World



By Sarah Von Alt

Worldcrunch reports a historic change in Palitana, an Indian city, which has become the first all-vegetarian city in the world.

Behind this revolutionary change are the Jain monks who went on a hunger strike to pressure the state of Gujarat to outlaw animal slaughter in their city. The hunger strike was successful and the Gujarat government imposed a ban on animal slaughter and outlawed the sale of meat and eggs.

About 5 million people in India practice Jainism and agree with the ban.

Virat Sagar Maharaj, a Jain monk, says, "Everyone in this world - whether animal or human being or a very small creature - has all been given the right to live by God."

As individuals, the best thing you can do to protect animals is to adopt a kind vegan lifestyle. For more information and tips for transitioning to a vegan diet, check out ChooseVeg.com.

 http://www.mfablog.org/indian-city-becomes-first-vegetarian-city

10 Shocking Facts About Meat That Could Turn You vegetarian - Video

10 Shocking Facts About Meat That Could Turn You vegetarian - Video

This 78-Year-Old Vegan Bodybuilder Might Make You Reconsider Your Diet

Jim Morris was a competitive bodybuilder for 30 years, and became vegan within the past twelve. At 50 he was a vegetarian, and at 65 he was a vegan.

Jim talks about health problems he endured when he ate meat and dairy products. He explains that if he continued to eat unhealthy animal based products he wouldn't be alive today. “The protein in animal products is filled with fats and chemicals and all sorts of stuff that's harmful to you. When I was competing and stuffing down all that stuff, I had lots of digestive problems, I was constipated and bloated, just miserable all the time. I don't concern myself with protein anymore, because there is enough in what I eat. I am not only healthy, but I feel better about myself and how I relate to other creatures in the world.” –Jim If you are curious about vegetarian and vegan diets, hopefully this post will inspire you to look into it further. Studies show that vegetarians and vegans live, on average, 6 to 10 years longer than meat-eaters and they're less likely to suffer from chronic illnesses. It's always important to do your research if you are considering a major dietary change, don't just take my word for it, look, search, and you will see for yourself.
http://www.whydontyoutrythis.com/2014/01/this-78-year-old-vegan-bodybuilder-make-you-reconsider-your-diet.html

Relax, it's no longer weird to be a vegan

Harriet Walker


Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi held a vegan wedding. Photograph: Getty Images

Vegan used to be one of those insults thrown around with the same mainstream anti-beard incomprehension as "socks and sandals" or "Guardian reader". Unfortunately, since the latter two became cool – and beards did too – the former's prospects are also looking up. So it's time to revise our ideas of who's a weirdo and who isn't.

You can't swing a nut roast right now without hitting something to do with veganism – whether it's the arrival from Germany of the first all-vegan supermarket chain, Veganz, or the 22-day no meat, no dairy diet that Beyoncé and Jay-Z have just celebrated the end of (well you would, wouldn't you?).

Then there's the vegan couple in their 60s who have just completed a year of running marathons every day, eating only bananas; the trendy vegan blogger and chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz, who has a new book out and 30,000 Twitter followers, not to mention Tal Ronnen, the guru behind Oprah's vegan cleanse, Ellen DeGeneres' vegan wedding, and the first vegan dinner at the US Senate.

And that's just the famous ones. There was a recent vegan festival where I live – north London, sure, but quite a grotty part of it – and it was well attended despite the lashing rain. How those participants in socks and sandals stayed dry, I'll never know.

So has veganism stopped being a joke? In the old days, it was mentioned in the same breath as "fruitarianism", which shares a common root of ugly footwear but was what the really joyless people did in the 70s, and what landed Ashton Kutcher in hospital this time last year. (No, I didn't have him down as a fruitarian either.)

But it's easy enough to see, in these days of horse lasagne and milk more full of hormones than a teenager, why people are restricting their diets to things they can trust. Veganism tallies with the zeitgeist of opting out of consumer society, of eating locally, of growing a beard and becoming very earnest. And the middle classes refine their diets with every generation – in the meat-happy post-CJD late 90s, even vegetarianism was presented as an alternative lifestyle choice. Once upon a time, buying organic practically made you Edward Carpenter.

I have a friend who went non-dairy five years ago. At the time it seemed like she did it just to be rude to the waiters in mid-priced Italian restaurants. But in the past year, three more friends have followed suit, one for allergies, one for depression – and one just because she feels better without dairy products.

That's what it's about, after all. While the near-religious vegan zealot paradigm might endure at the front of our brains, there's a cheese-ravaged lower cortex that knows that eating great quantities of some things simply isn't very good for you.

No doubt the rise in veganism has plenty to do with eating fashionably – there are any number of raw food, sugar water, saline drip extreme diets shipped over from LA at this time of year to lure the would-be January convert. There's every chance many people will try out veganism for three days because they ate too many mince pies last week. And there's the ample tranche for whom faddy eating is a handy disguise for whatever issues they might have with food itself.

But for many, it presents a viable way to navigate health concerns and the ethics of what the hell we're even eating anymore. And there's an irony more delicious than the spiciest beanfeast: where once vegans were accorded a contempt reserved for the worst sort of loser, they are now likely to be some of the most popular people on Instagram, showing off plates of butternut squash the way Rihanna does her bottom, their socks and sandals just out of shot.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/04/vegan-fad-meat-dairy-health-option

This 4 Ingredient Juice Will Relax Every Muscle In Your Entire Body




Anyone who's gone on a long run or hike knows what muscle cramps feel like. They're caused due to lack of necessary hydration. If you find yourself cramping up before, during, or after your work out, try making this four-ingredient juice to relax them away!

You should try your best to avoid refined foods such as white sugar and white flour to ensure adequate intake of water.

Ingredients:
2 carrots
1 celery stem
½  of  cucumber
1 cup of broccoli
Place in juicer, mix well, and enjoy!
http://higherperspective.com/2014/09/4-ingredient-juice.html#JTWScZIki7PLpvkE.99

11 Super Health Benefits in Just One Celery Stalk

• Shubhra Krishan

Apples walk away with most health accolades, and spinach leads the healthy veggie brigade. Compared to them, celery is somewhat unsung, but once you read its incredible–and nearly endless–list of health benefits, you will quickly join its growing list of lovers.

• Celery is a great choice if you are watching your weight. One large stalk contains only 10 calories! So, add celery to your shopping list and enjoy it in your salads, soups and stir-fries.
• Celery reduces inflammation. If you are suffering from joint pains, lung infections, asthma, or acne, eating more celery will bring much-needed relief.
• It helps you calm down: Celery for stress-relief? Oh yes! The minerals in celery, especially magnesium, and the essential oil in it, soothe the nervous system. If you enjoy a celery-based snack in the evening, you will sleep better.
• It regulates the body’s alkaline balance, thus protecting you from problems such as acidity.
• Celery aids digestion: some say celery tastes like “crunchy water,” and that is the reason it is so good for your digestive system.  The high water content of celery, combined with the insoluble fiber in it, makes it a great tool for easy passage of stool. Note: because celery has diuretic and cleansing properties, those with diarrhea should avoid eating it.
• It contains “good” salts. Yes, celery does contain sodium, but it is not the same thing as table salt. The salt in celery is organic, natural and essential for your health.

• It cares for your eyes. One large stalk of celery can deliver up to 10 percent of your daily need for Vitamin A, a group of nutrients that protects the eyes and prevents age-related degeneration of vision.
• Celery reduces “bad” cholesterol: There is a component in celery called butylphthalide. It gives the vegetable its flavor and scent. Guess what: this component also reduces bad cholesterol! A Chicago University research shows that just two stalks of celery a day can reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) by up to 7 points!
• It lowers blood pressure: An active compound called phthalides in celery has been proven to boost circulatory health. Raw, whole celery reduces high blood pressure.
• It can amp up your sex life: and this is not just hearsay. Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, Director of the Smeel and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, says two pheromones in celery–androstenone and androstenol–boost your arousal levels. They are released when you chew on a celery stalk.
• Celery can combat cancer: Two studies at the University of Illinois show that a powerful flavonoid in celery, called luteolin, inhibits the growth of cancer cells, especially in the pancreas. Another study suggests that the regular intake of celery could significantly delay the formation of breast cancer cells.

Useful Tips:

Choose celery with upright stalks that snap when bent. The leaves should be fresh and crisp.  When selecting celery, remember this rule of thumb:  The darker the color, the stronger the flavor.

Freshly chopped celery retains its nutrients much better than if you chop and store it even for a few hours.

Steamed celery not only retains its flavor, but also most of its nutrients–up to 99 percent of them, in fact!

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/11-super-health-benefits-in-just-1-celery-stalk.html