I got a chance to watch Bethanny Ever After yesterday for the first time and I’m even more intrigued…however I don’t completely understand the connection with cocktail obsession and a healthy lifestyle. I’m not even going to begin by saying you’ve gotta be a teetotaler and take a self righteous stance but double fisting Skinny Girl bottles with baby in tow is a little hard to stomach.

The good news is there’s a Skinny Girl nutritional line so at least you can detox after throwing back too many skinny margs. Protein powder, supplements, yoga, zen. Lots of cocktails. I get it. Life can get hectic balancing family and career and every one deserves a break.

I watched her make a great little dish with brown rice for breakfast and definitely saw her approach to eating as being in check. I just hope that our obsession with being skinny doesn’t override the understanding of how to eat right and stay active. Marketing spin is one thing but as long as we all get the term skinny might not equal healthy, I will continue to watch Bethanny for pure entertainment. I might want to challenge her to a Recipe Rehab.

Bethanny, if you read this, here’s what I mean: YouTube.com/everydayhealth

Get this.  Almost 45% of all the food produced in the U.S. alone ends up in the landfills?  Not only is this a huge waste of natural resources, methane emissions from organic waste is reportedly 21 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide, contributing to ozone depletion.  Before you throw food away, try these earth saving tips and remember, be good to your mother.

The Cleaner Plate Club TOP Ten Tips to Greener Living

Wash your food first. When you bring your produce, seafood and poultry home, wash it with Eat Cleaner All Natural Fruit + Vegetable Wash or Seafood + Poultry Wash before putting it in the fridge.  Helps to extend shelf life up to 200%.

Get a composter.  We love the NatureMill Composter as it’s easy to use, stink free, compact and comes in our favorite color – GREEN!  Just place scraps in and get nitrogen rich fertilizer out.  Feed your garden and watch it grow.

Make what your need.  I don’t know about you, but I grew up in a family that always thought an army was coming to dinner.  By limiting what you make to the right portion sizes, you cut down on waste and waist, if you know what I mean.

Support products that support the earth. Products like Honest Tea are giving back to the environment by planting 50,000 trees in honor of Earth Day! Sambazon Superfoods help to protect millions of acres of Brazilian Rainforest while preserving natural resources for generations to come.

Make a list, shop for it once. Gas has gone through the roof! If you make a list, shop for your ingredients once, and plan your meals for the week, you can maximize your resources and time. Store them in reusable containers and take them to work and have plenty ready for the kids’ lunchboxes. Getting organized will save you time and after all, who has time to waste?

Shop seasonally. The further food has to travel, the longer the carbon footprint behind it. When it comes to fresh fruit and veggies, check to see if they’ve trekked around the globe before you buy them. The NRDC’s Simple Steps website is a good resource to find fresh produce in season depending on where you live and the time of year.

Meat-less. It’s estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef compared to about 200 pounds of tofu. Cutting down on meat consumption just once a week can also reduce your risk of heart disease by almost 20, according to the Meatless Monday campaign. Check out our featured recipe below.

Go wild fish. When it comes to seafood, opt for wild and line caught varieties over farm raised, which can often be confined, medicated and fed dried food pellets made up of fish oil and fish meal (cannibal fish?). Plus, farm raised fish have been found to contain lower omega-3 levels and higher omega-6 fatty acid levels, a pro-inflammatory that you want to try and avoid.

Pay it forward. Supporting companies that use sustainable ingredients, processes and packaging while giving back to the environment and their local economies can continue to pay it forward with your purchase. Look for these practices on their packaging, social media and year end reports. Even if these products and services cost a little more, look at it as an investment into the future.

Green To Go. According to cleanair.org, the US population tosses out paper bags & plastic cups, forks & spoons every year to circle the equator 300 times!  Create your own litter-free lunch by toting your own snacks and meals. It’s safe and earth friendly when you’ve got the help of fun, functional food carriers. Look for stainless steel or plastic varieties that are BPA and toxin-free, like LunchBots. Keep your cold food and drinks cool with these containers that stay chilled for hours. Just pop them into the freezer overnight, fill them and you’re green to-go. Chic, colorful bags from Itzy Ritizy brighten up any lunchbox – and you can throw them in the washing machine. And eco-conscious kits from Lunchopolis give you everything you need for a day of munching wrapped up in an insulated lunch bag.

The Fit Foody's Dark Chocolate Gluten and Dairy-Free Cupcakes

Who says you can’t make dessert healthy.  Here’s one that puts veggies in your cupcakes and frosting!

Nutritional value in every bite and they won’t miss a beet or an ear.  (get it?)

Makes: 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcake Batter:

1 C red beets, pureed until smooth (can use canned beets or fresh beets, washed with Eat Cleaner Fruit + Vegetable Wash, peeled, boiled until fork tender, then pureed)

1 cup XyloSweet or Truvia natural sugar substitute

1 C unsweetened almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour

½ C dark chocolate cocoa powder

½ C dark chocolate chips (at least 70% cocoa powder)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. vegan cream cheese, softened

½ C Cauliflower, washed with Eat Cleaner Fruit + Vegetable Wash, steamed then pureed until smooth

½ C XyloSweet or Truvia natural sugar substitute

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

Unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Directions

1)      Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or coat with non-stick cooking spray.

2)      In a large mixing bowl or stand up mixer, combine beet puree, sugar substitute, almond milk and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Add in egg whites and gently fold in.

3)      Add gluten free flour, cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, baking soda and salt and mix until well combined and no visible lumps.

4)      Divide mixture evenly into muffin tin, taking care not to overfill.  Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out of center clean.  Allow to cool on a baking rack.

5)      While cupcakes bake, combine frosting ingredients together and beat until smooth and airy.  Once cupcakes are completely cooled, smooth frosting over the top.  Top with fresh fruit, as desired.

- Mareya

Eat Cleaner Co-founders Dr. Shawki Ibrahim and Mareya Ibrahim

1)      Describe your company. How long have you been in operation?

Grow Green Industries is a company focused on eco-friendly solutions for cleaner, safer, longer lasting fresh food.  My father, Dr. Shawki Ibrahim, and I invented the Eat Cleaner® line of patented formulations to help America’s families protect their plates.  We also recently launched two new commercial products for manufacturers, food service and produce processors.  We launched the company in 2010, although the core concept for our products was born about 35 years ago with my father’s research.

2)      What are your best selling products? Describe how it is made.

Our best seller is our Eat Cleaner All Natural Fruit + Vegetable Wash Spray.  The patented formula is manufactured in an FDA approved facility right here in Southern California.  We are also very proud of our Eat Cleaner Biodegradable Wipes, the only food grade wipe on the market and the winner of the Disney iParenting Award.

3)      Why manufacture in America? Where are you located?

Being a green company, it’s important to us to manage our carbon footprint.  Manufacturing in the US also keeps jobs here and helps the local economy.  It also allows us to keep a close eye on our manufacturing and audit runs as needed.  Our office is located in Lake Forest, CA and our manufacturer is only 40 minutes away!  As immigrants to the US, we want to do everything we can to give back to this country that’s given us so much.

4)      Favorite customer review?

“I’ve used other produce washes before but none got it as clean as Eat Cleaner. How can I tell? It dulls out (and removes) the wax on my produce, my grapes don’t have that powdery gunk on them, and I can actually see the dirt in the water bowl!  My produce lasts up to a week longer (specially my expensive organic berries) and it helps slow down the browning process in our sliced fruit.  Organic or not, everything gets an Eat Cleaner bath right when it gets home from the store.

I also use the Seafood and Poultry wash on all the meat and seafood I bring home from the store.  With the amount of food safety recalls happening weekly, I feel safer knowing that the food I feed my family has been cleaned by me, with a product that actually works.

I such a huge fan of this affordable product line, that I use it on all of our school lunch menus at MOMables™.  I also recommend it to all of our monthly subscribers and gift it out to my family and friends.  Food should be made healthy, fresh and be clean; don’t you think?”

Laura Fuentes, CEO & Chief MOM at MOMables™

5)      Where can readers purchase your product?

In Southern California – Stater Bros, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Jimbo’s and soon, Albertsons, in addition to about 30 independent stores.

Nationally – Online at amazon.com, eatcleaner.com, qvc.com, soap.com and iherb.com.

Get Carolyn Scott Hamilton's amazing cookbook by posting a comment on our FB page.

It’s cold outside, you have a busy schedule and you have to get a meal on the table for you and your family. How do you stretch 1 grocery store trip per week along with what’s in your wallet and on the clock to get healthy, nutritious meals made every day? It’s time to make the most of all of those things we don’t have much of (time and money) by incorporating some of these easy tricks and tips!:

Plan & Stick to it

Basic menu planning is useful in every season. Especially when money is tight and everyone is home, it’s smart to organize your cooking schedule. Remember, it doesn’t have to be gourmet-a-day. A great way to make the most of your money and time is to plan your meals around events, what ingredients you have in the house and your supermarket’s weekly specials. Use the week’s specials, match simple entrees with busy days, and save more elaborate meals with special occassion evenings.

Note your weekly schedule and post it somewhere you, and your house mates, can be sure to keep on track ; )

Give your oven some time off

Take a break from baking as well as from foods that need to be watched on the stove. Take advantage of your crock pot and get creative with salads and meals that can be served at room temperature or cold.

Also, think about some indoor grilling with an electric grill pan and bring summer to winter!

Pump up the produce

Choosing ingredients from vegetable gardens or farmer’s markets can be a fun family activity. A colorful table filled with fruits and veggies, either raw or grilled, makes for a fabulous, quick meal.

Cook once, eat thrice (at least)

If you are going to spend time in the kitchen, make it count. Create meals that can be turned into several different dishes throughout the week or at the very least, make double portions so that foods can be quickly re-heated. Ex. Pasta, rice, quinoa, etc can all be made warm the for the first meal and served cold as salads or sides later on! This bodes well for big batches of lasagna and other casseroles that can be frozen and re-heated later.

Cold Stock

When making soups, sauces or stocks, make enough for your meal as well as to freeze a few servings, Be sure to store each serving in a separate container so all you have to do is thaw and use as opposed to thawing the whole batch and re-freezing. Also, stocks work great stored in ice cube trays as each cube equals 1 tablespoon and perfect for recipes!

Involve the household

Since time is tight what with school, soccer and work, why not get some kitchen assistants to share the load? Bringing kids in the kitchen is great as a time saver but also teaches them to appreciate what goes in to preparing a meal. Delegating tasks, even up through the dish washing, will not only help cut down cooking time but also build a team like feel at every meal ; )

No matter which tips you use, healthy meals can be whipped up in a flash with just a few simple tricks.  Enjoy your food and your family!

For more information, visit www.HealthyVoyager.com

ORANGE COUNTY, CA, February 10th, 2012 — Grow Green Industries, Inc. (GGI, INC.), an Orange County-based company focused on innovative solutions to encourage safe, healthful eating has been awarded a consulting contract in response to a competitive bid from the Network for a Healthy California, sponsored by the California Department of Public Health and the USDA.  GGI, INC. was selected from five other submissions for the contract.

The project involves the evaluation of current event activities by the Network for a Healthy California and recommendations on how to further boost awareness and consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables and healthy beverages among low income consumers.  GGI, INC. is led by Mareya Ibrahim, an award-winning food expert with focused experience in retail marketing, multicultural event activation and public relations. In addition, she is the co-inventor of Eat Cleaner® all natural food wash and wipes – a patented formulation that helps people enjoy cleaner, safer, longer lasting fresh produce – and a frequent media contributor known as “The Fit Foody.”

“I couldn’t be more thrilled about this opportunity with the Network for a Healthy California,” commented Ibrahim. As a company, our primary goal is to help create consistent, sustainable habits centered around a healthy lifestyle, and so we share a mutual mission with the Network.  As an individual and a mom, I’m extremely committed to ending Amerca’s childhood obesity epidemic and helping families enhance their quality of life by making sound nutrition and exercise choices,” added Ibrahim.

For more information, contact Grow Green Industries at info@eatcleaner.com or 888-284-2435 xt. 702.

About Grow Green Industries, INC.

Grow Green Industries, INC. (GGI, INC.) is an Orange County based company focused on innovative solutions to encourage safe, healthful living.  The company is led by food expert Mareya Ibrahim with the goal of educating consumers on food safety and wellness through thoughtful programs and products.  Core company activities include corporate health coaching, marketing, social media, pr and event activations with a health focus.

About the Network for a Healthy California

The Network for a Healthy California helps low-income individuals and communities overcome barriers to eating healthy and being active through improved access to nutritious food and safe environments. Through innovative partnerships with a variety of key stakeholders, the Network empowers low-income individuals to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity and food security. Funding is from the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly the Food Stamp Program).

Leave us a comment on our FACEBOOK page and be automatically entered to win a FREE Samson Juicer ($250 value).

We’ll pick a winner on Dec. 21st.

Why do we love juicing so much? Growing up in a warm country, a prerequisite for a blistering hot day – about 10 months out of the year –was to pay a visit to the juice bar around the corner from our flat.  The proprietor would stack the counters up with colorful pyramids of oranges, beets, mangoes, guavas and pomegranates, depending on what was in season.  Vases filled with rods of sugar cane and long carrots anchored the artful arrangements to create an edible landscape.  Once the juicers started to whir, the sweet scent of freshness would dance through the steamy streets, luring customers in like a pied piper.   He’d create his own signature fruit and veggie ‘cocktails’, mixing beet with orange, carrot and mango, a soulful blend of sweet and savory.  At a time when soda made it to our side of the globe, juicing was just pure refreshment.

Now we know that fresh juice provides us with invaluable nutrition in a glass.  Yet, most of the juice you purchase at the store has been heat pasteurized, which destroys bacteria along with many of the beneficial nutrients. Packed with live enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants, fruit and veggies make the best juice ‘mocktails’ when mixed together, also helping to cut the sugar. They can also help boost metabolism, fight infection, build tissue and strong bones…and help everything move along the way it’s supposed to.  So when you eat cleaner, you’re doing it from the outside-in.  There, I said it!

If you make it at home, you’ll not only preserve a bevy of vitamins and minerals, essential fatty acids and good carbohydrates, you’ll also ensure its safety of the fruit and vegetables when you buy and wash them yourself.  Added bonus…you get the best of the fruit, including fiber and concentrated nutrients, while reaping the benefits of quick-release energy in a flash – a great pick-me-up before and after your workout. Strive for two 8-oz glasses each day and let your inner gourmet shine with countless combinations.

• Follow our chef’s tip and drink seasonal fruit and vegetable combinations to take advantage of the freshest produce at your local farmer’s market.  Apple, beet and celery with a dash of ginger are the perfect cool weather warmer while watermelon and carrot with a splash of mint makes a sweet, refreshing chiller on a hot day.
• You’ll get your money’s worth out of a good quality juicer, like the Samson-GB9001 or you can put your blender to work on easy-to-mix matchups, including fresh berries, citrus fruit, melons, tomatoes, cucumber, spinach and
  herbs.  Vitamix is a good, powerful option that lasts a lifetime.
• Make sure to wash your fruit and vegetables with Eat Cleaner All Natural Fruit and Vegetable Wash or Wipes to remove harmful residue, wax, bacteria and pesticides.  If you’re diabetic or watching your sugar intake, increasing the vegetable content is a great option.  You can also add ice or water to dilute it further.  The bottom line…getting your daily servings of fruit and vegetables a day is a cinch when you sip it.

Your waistline will thank you, too.

________________________________________

Get Loose with the Juice and you won’t need the calories or headache of serving alcohol at your holiday event.  You’ll also appreciate the brilliant red color of our CAB Mocktail.  Juice a bunch of carrots, two apples and a beet with a healthy tablespoon of fresh ginger. You can’t beat beets for their blood boosting properties and you won’t miss the alcohol.

Important Tip: Make sure to clean all fruit and vegetables with Eat Cleaner Fruit + Vegetable Wash and Wipes before you juice to enhance safety and flavor.

The Red CAB Mocktail

4 large carrots

2 green apples

1 beet

1T grated ginger

Pass the ingredients through a juicer.  Serve chilled with a slice of lemon.

Did you watch this segment on Channel 6 San Diego on 11/21? Leave us a comment! Click HERE to check it out!

I absolutely love this time of year.  All the amazing flavors, spices and festive celebrations make it so magical.  But what I have found is with all the feasting, it’s easy to pack on the pounds.  That’s where a little planning and savvy upcomes into play.  Here are a few of the great products I’ve picked up that help to keep it real and light.  You won’t miss the fat!

- The Savory Spice Shop :  High quality spices that make the meal and help aid circulation and digestion.  Pick up their ‘Holiday Feast’ kit with a comination of sweet and savory spices that’ll carry you through every meal – including the Tiny Town Turkey Rub, Sage & Savory Stuffing Seasoning (Salt-free), Pumpkin Pie Spice, Mulling Spices and Citrus & Savory Brining Spices.  www.savoryspiceshop.com

- Garden Lites Vegetable Souffles : Individual, tasy souffles that act as the perfect, single serving side dish .  These low cal (about 140 calories), low fat (2 g), tasy treats are packed with nutrients and protein from egg whites with a light, fluffy texture.  Gluten free, vegetarian and all natural, they come in flavors like Roasted Vegetable, Spinach and Butternut Squash.  I’m addicted.  www.garden-lites.com/

 - Tofurky Vegan Feast :  PETA recently asked the town of Turkey, Texas to change their name to Tofurky, Texas in an effort to change their meat-named ways.  While they weren’t very successful with that effort, Tofurky is a great way to make every non-meat eater at your Thanksgiving dinner feel welcome, made with with organic non-genetically engineered soybeans and includes Savory Giblet Gravy and Wild Rice, Whole Wheat Bread Crumb Stuffing.   www.tofurky.com

- Gimme Lean Sausage and Smart Bacon : Lowering your intake of saturated fat is a cinch when you have these tasty, vegetarian alternatives.  I added Gimme Lean sausage to my bulgur stuffing and Smart Bacon to my famous braised brussel sprouts and didn’t miss a thing – and neither did my family.  At only around 60 calories a serving and no fat, this is a smart way to add flavor without the bulge.  www.lightlife.com

I also love getting place settings and festive table decor from Cost Plus World Market.  They have so many cute little accents that take you through the holidays, I make a pilgrimage there every November! The adorable turkey server I had on my segment is from there, perfect for side dishes.   www.worldmarket.com

http://www.sandiego6.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=1009197@xetv.web.entriq.net&navCatId=69&articleID=1009197

The Fit Foody’s Good-For-You Pumpkin Pie

About 18 years ago, I picked up this recipe for a dairy free pumpkin pie made with tofu. This year, I added half a cup of fresh pomegranate arils, officially making it good for you – packed with beta carotene and antioxidants. It’s so insanely delicious and guilt free – and that’s about as savvy as a fit foody gets.  San Diego 6 anchor Mark Bailey commented after he tried it – “There’s no way this tastes so good and is guilt free.  And I’m getting my vegetables?  Why would you ever have regular pumpkin pie?”  There you have it.

You won't believe how easy, delicious and nutrient-packed this pumpkin pie is! Sugar, dairy and (practically) fat free

 

Dairy, Sugar and practically Fat-Free

- 12 oz lite extra-firm organic tofu, water drained
- 1 1/2 C canned pumpkin
- 1/2 C Pom Wonderful pomegranate arils                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     - 2/3 cup XyloSweet all natural sugar replacement                                                                                                                                                    – 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 T pumpkin pie spice from the Savory Spice Shop                                                                                                                                                    – 1 9″ reduced-fat prepared graham cracker crust

Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until silky smooth. Pour into pie crust and bake for about an hour or until well done. Remove from oven and chill for about one hour before serving. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon for color and fresh pomegranate arils for a fresh crunch.

Thanksgiving 411 from the Fit Foody. Watch this segment on YOUTUBE.

Turkey? Check. Fixin’s? Check. Centerpiece? Check. Salmonella? Let’s keep that one off the menu.

On Thanksgiving, being the perfect host or hostess is not just about a beautiful table or delicious food.  Above all, it’s about keeping your family and friends food safe, because you don’t want to be remembered as the one who sent their guests to the hospital during the holidays – or even worse.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there are up to 78 million reported cases of food borne illness and 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths related to these illnesses annually. Statistics show over 90% could have been avoided with proper food handling and leftovers improperly stored can create a breeding ground of bacteria.

Enjoy the holiday season healthy, happy and worry free with four important tips.

• Pick and clean smart: Select produce that isn’t bruised or cut and avoid cans that are dented. Once you’re ready to get started, wash your hands, contact surfaces and food thoroughly. Also, wash fresh foods thoroughly. Eat Cleaner® Food Wash and Wipes are lab proven to remove residue from fresh fruit, vegetables and poultry that water can’t.
• Don’t let fowl go foul: Poultry is the number one cause of Salmonella. Make sure to allow for 24 hours for each 4-5 pounds of turkey and defrost it in the refrigerator in a self contained tray to avoid cross contamination. Continue to clean hands and contact surfaces regularly every time you handle raw food. Use separate cutting boards for produce and meats. Not a meat eater? Tofurkey is a vegan feast that won’t make you feel left out on Thanksgiving.
• Cook it done: You can’t judge a bird by its color. Cook turkey to an internal temperature of at least 165 °F, measuring with a meat thermometer at the thickest point of the breast, without touching the bone. The CDN digital probe thermometer allows you to leave cook to the right temperature and be alerted with a remote when your turkey is ready. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
• Chill out: Before the tryptophan kicks in, clear the table and store leftovers in air tight, BPA-free containers. Check your refrigerator temperature and make sure it’s under 40 °F to avoid bacteria growth. Then, it’s time to relax. Enjoy the fruits of your labor with your loved ones.

Download this handy Thanksgiving_Helper with planning and carving tips plus great recipes from our friends at Cutco Knives.

Retrain your brain and tastebuds to love fresh food

I just got back from a 2-day conference called Opportunity Green here in Los Angeles, and had some pretty deep discussions about food with my new buddy, Roberta, who writes for Treehugger.com.  It really got my juices flowing.

Never has there been so much emotion and controversary conjured up by a topic that should be so simple and straightforward to understand. We are humans that require several things to survive, food and water being two of them.  Being human, we feel a variety of things…and pleasure is a big driver of our decisions.  Food can make you feel a range of emotions, from delight to deviance, fear to foodgasm (yes, I heard this mentioned on the Food Network so that means it’s a real word). 

When you boil it down, it’s all pretty simple.  To stay balanced, we need to feed our bodies, not our faces.

Let me explain.  When we make food decisions, often times we indulge our senses (the ID if you studies psychology) – but our well-oiled machine of a body (the Superego) needs us to assess and choose food as high quality fuel. It’s WANT vs. NEED.  Meaning, you may really WANT that chocolate cake but your body really NEEDS that spinach. But spinach isn’t as gratifying as cake, right? Well, I think it can be, it you retrain your brain.  Just like working out to get fit, you have to train your thoughts that rewarding yourself with a plate full of veggies is just as gratifying as that cake. 

We are influenced to prefer food based on so many things – our DNA, how you were brought up, where we were born and how foods were prepared.  Maybe you never had fresh asparagus where you grew up and you ate the  canned variety and thought, this is the most vile thing I’ve ever eaten.  Then you moved to a place where it grows plenfifully, is fresh, and someone showed you how to brush it with olive oil and grill it perfection - and you fell in love.  Or you grew up with families who never cooked so fast food burgers shaped your palate. 

In order to adopt a healthy perspective on food, we have to engage our brains to pick foods that feed our bodies first.  Once you pick based on knowledge, you’ll find that you’ve retrained your tongue and those tens of thousands of tastebuds to enjoy different flavors and the rest will just fall into place. 

STEP 1:  DOWNLOAD THIS FREE GUIDE TO HELP YOU MAKE BETTER CHOICES.  Every Bite Counts – How to Eat Cleaner Everyday Part I