I went and saw the movie Food, Inc. tonight and I highly recommend it. It is an eye opener to see where our food comes from. I thought the movie was fantastic and well put together!

It is about 90 minutes long and really worth the watch! When the movie was over people were clapping.

Trailer

Where it is playing

What I learned: Food shopping is more complicated then we think. When you buy certain products you support those companies. Best to by local and organic …

Now Go see the movie

I found a healthy soda that actually taste GREAT! I am super excited. I rarely ever drink any soda, but when I saw Honey Rootbeer I HAD to try it!

SO what is Honey Roobeer? You might have guessed, it is rootbeer made with honey. It taste like old fashion rootbeer! I still think water should be your first choice, but when you have an itch for a soda reach for a rootbeer made with honey. Unfortunately, I cant find any information online except it is put out my Dr. Tima and they are a privately owned company based in Los Angeles, CA and I have only found this product at People’s. If I seem to locate it somewhere else I will be sure to let you all know.

As for now, if you live in San Diego you better get to People’s and pick up some Honey Rootbeer!

Ingredients: purified sparkling water, honey,  oils of wintergreen, vanilla and sweet birch, anise, cloves, yucca plant extract and fruit juices. (all sugars are naturally occurring from honey.)

Almost too good to be true, but believe it, it is real, healthy and a great substitute for soda!

(please note: as anything you should drink it in moderation, it may be healthy alternative to soda, but too much can be unhealthy.)

I was watching TV the other night and saw a preview for the TV show EXTRA and it was featuring The China Study book. I immediately found what channel it was going to be on so I could watch it. Anyway, I have read The China Study book and think it is fantastic. I recommend it to everyone! I was able to find this video on EXTRA’s website and wanted to share it with all of you! Your health is so important and it is important to know we can overcome/prevent so many diseases with the foods we eat!

Here is the video link. If the video doesn’t pop up search for the video: Is Your Diet Toxic?

http://extratv.warnerbros.com/videos/?autoplay=true&mediaKey=d190ce4c-ced1-44f2-8205-0dd925adfee9

My sister in law let me borrow this book called “Skinny Bitch“. It is geared toward women, but I recommend it for men too if they want to stop eating “crap” because we are what we eat.

It is a no nonsense book about food and health. It explains in a very blunt matter that you won’t ever be skinny with the “crap” you are eating. If you want to stop eating all that “crap”, be healthy and look good I recommend this book. It is an easy read. I was hooked after the first chapter! It is also a vegetarian/vegan based book, but only states what is true about animal products and animal processing. This book is all about giving you information so you can make an educated decision on what to eat. It is not a diet book, as diet don’t work, but instead it is a way of life.

I highly recommend this book and give it a two thumbs up! Get your copy here.

**please note the language in this book is a bit crude**

Someone told me about this market a while back and I finally made a trip to check it out! I have to say I was impressed and I will be going back!

The name of the market is People’s. Everything they sell is vegetarian and organic. All their produce is organic and their prices are very reasonable (which is a plus)!! Of course you do not need to be a vegetarian to shop here. I believe majority of their stuff is healthy… I would say all, but I didn’t look at every single item I walked away with a lot of produce, spelt flour (sold in bulk), splet pasta and much much more.

I encourage you to check out their site and if you live in the area GO check them out. It cost about $15 a year (but you get 10% every purchase) to be a member, HOWEVER, your first time is free (no membership required)…so go check it out and if you don’t like it then you don’t have to go back and you have lost nothing, but hopefully you walked away with some good stuff and will want to go back!

I saw a commercial about Fruitables Fruit Juice and decided to check out the website: http://www.appleandeve.com/fruitables.php 

I have to say I am impressed. It is one of the better juice box options out there. There is no added sugar and it is made from all fruits and vegetables.

I checked out some of there other products, like their Cranberry Light: http://www.appleandeve.com/fruitables.php

This I would stay away from and anything that says “light” as it is sweetened with splenda. Splenda is an artificial sweetener and anything artificial isn’t good for you!

I have no idea how these products taste, but over all most of their products are pretty good (ingredients wise), just remember to read the labels before purchasing so you know what you are getting! If I find this product on sale anytime soon I will purchase it and follow up with a “taste test”

I did a post a while back on Amy’s foods. I recently tried her California Veggie Burgers and thought they were very tasty and wanted to recommend them. They are similar to the Boca Burgers out there, but the California Veggie Burgers are much healthier (made with whole ingredients, nothing processed).

All you need is a whole wheat english muffin (which I got at Trader Joes), an Amy’s California Veggie Burger and fixings of your choice (spinach, mustard and onions are my top three) and you got yourself a healthy meal in a matter of minutes!

Where to get them:

Target: selected locations/$3.99 which is going to be your cheapest bet!

Henry’s: around $4-5

WholeFoods: around $5

Vons/Safeway (selected locations)

Check with your local super market!

Enjoy!

I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t always have time to cook a healthy meal every single night! About a year ago I discovered frozen meals made by Amy’s Kitchen. Get this… they are frozen meals that are organic, healthy, have natural ingredients, are not processed and most cook in 5 minutes or less.  What more could you ask for right?

Amy’s Kitchen has a variety of meals to choose from such as pizza, soups, brown rice bowls, pastas and apple pie. One thing I like about Amy’s Kitchen meals is that they tailor some of their foods for people who are lactose intolerant (such as myself) and offer pizzas, burritos and enchiladas that don’t have cheese. I might also mention all the products are vegetarian, but don’t let that scare you.   There are plenty of meals I haven’t had such as the baked ziti, the toaster pops, the lasagna or the veggie burgers, but I can honestly say that I haven’t had a bad meal yet.

I think for those who are living the busy life and don’t have the time to necessarily cook every night and are looking for something healthy and easy I think an Amy’s Kitchen meal might just be what you are looking for.

Where to buy? I have found them at WholeFoods, Henry’s, Vons (aka Safeway) and believe it or not Target (although Target has a very limited selection).  Amy’s Kitchen meals also typically cost more than your average frozen meal, but hey… wouldn’t you rather spend an extra buck or two on something that isn’t processed and that is healthy rather than a medical bill down the line because you ate too many processed foods and your arteries were clogged?

On a side note I saw Amy’s Kitchen burritos featured on How it’s Made and I was so fascinated and so excited to see a product created with real ingredients!

Ever had an Izze? I love Izze’s. They are so tasty. My favorite is the Sparkling Clementine. I had one the other night and happened to be reading the bottle….I mean I had read the ingredients before, however, never really READ the bottle. I found that their bottle said:

“Each bottle delivers almost three servings of fruit based on the USDA’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines. The guidelines say you should get the majority of your daily fruit from whole fruit. So, love IZZE but eat fruit too.”

What I liked about this is that they are promoting you to eat whole fruit and not to supplement fruit by drinking an Izze. Over all I think these drink products are healthy. They have no refined or added sugars, no caffeine and are 70% fruit juice with a “splash” of sparkling water. Izze’s would also be a better nutritious choice over a soda when you feel like drinking something bubbly, but of course …drink in moderation!

Today I discovered this new grocery market called Fresh and Easy. I decided first to check them out on their website and came across a coupon where I could save $6 if I spent $30 or more. I figured it couldn’t hurt to check them out and what a great way to get me in there… give me a coupon!! Well their food was fresh all right, however there was hardly any produce! I was disappointed. Not to mention it was well over priced! Most of their items were freshly prepared and packaged as heat and ready to eat meals. They looked good, but they were not all that healthy (lot of white flour, creamy sauces, high in fat)  so again I was disappointed. As I walked up and down every isle I noticed they carried a lot of name brand products and a lot of junk food. As I picked up a can of kidney beans I saw they had sugar in them…. why do you need sugar in kidney beans?!

My over all experience was OK and I saved $6 as I checked out, but in the future I don’t think I will be shopping there. My interpretation of Fresh and Easy is a lot of fresh produce …not a small little corner with apples and avocados and half their shelves filled with processed foods on it. It does full-fill its name of Easy because they do have a lot of  premade foods … but just because they are fresh and easy doesn’t mean they are healthy. Lesson for the day: don’t be fooled by the name of something!

P.S. The one cool thing about Fresh and Easy is that all their check out stands are self check out. I do give them props for that!

Here are the stores in San Diego.