The Smoothie Vegetarians

OK, OK, so bean's are not a fruit; it's technically a seed...but boy, oh boy, are they magical! Seriously! I'm not kidding! Here let me prove it to you. Today we will be focusing on beans, and particularly how they stack up against beef. Take notes, so the next time you are asked, "but how do you get your protein," you will have a whole arsenal in your back pocket.  Let's start with all the amazing things beans in general have, and can do. Beans are complex carbohydrates, like sweet potatoes, which means they will make you feel full for longer - a bonus if you are trying to lose weight. This is credited to them being high in fiber, which will not only prevent constipation, but reduce your risk of colon cancer and digestive health disorders. Many American's do not get enough fiber, yet 1 cup of beans gives you half of your daily recommended dose; which is 21 - 25 grams in case you were wondering. Because it is a complex carbohydrate with h...

This is going to be an extension of a video I posted on our Youtube page earlier this week. Today, I wanted to talk about tips for zero waste grocery shopping. Lately, I have been obsessed with reducing my waste. After quick analyses of where my household's waste was coming from, I discovered that most of it was from grocery shopping and food waste. I made a few changes and noticed a HUGE difference! Reusable Grocery Bags This is the first step most people take. It may take time, to figure out how many you need for your family. No worries, most stores sell these near the checkout are. If you find that you don't have enough bags just purchase one at the store or use a paper bag. For my husband and I, we use about 4 reusable bags for our grocery haul every two weeks. TIP!! Keep your reusable bags in the car or next to the door so you will not forget them. Reusable Produce Bags If you eat a lot of fresh produce, like we do, then you will get so much u...

The last few months I have really been focusing my efforts on losing the waste coming from my home. One of the responses I have gotten from people when this topic comes up in conversation is "Do you really think you would be able to save the planet?" To me, this question basically means do you think your efforts mean anything? Because I don't. So, do I think I am making a difference? The average American throws away 4.4 pounds of trash a day, or 29 pounds per week, or 1,600 pounds per year. The average American lives to be 77 years old. This is 123,000 pounds of trash over the lifespan of one person. By taking a few steps I have reduced my household's trash by half. Going by the statics above, my husband and I should produce 58 pounds of trash a week, but at this point, we fill up one tall trash bag a week. It weighs between 6-8 pounds every week. We feel that this is still quite a bit of trash and want to reduce it even more. This is the change we have ...