by Greg Shuey
Having a long-term plan for emergency food storage can and will save your life. An emergency food storage will sustain you and your family in times of disaster when food stores and groceries dont have food stocked in their shelves. It will also help you in times of financial difficulties. When your budget is short and cant afford to buy food, you can get food from your emergency storage.
The government has recommended emergency preparation. We were advised to stack up on food good for at least 3 months and other emergency kits. These are very essential in ensuring your survival in times of emergency.
A long-term plan for food storage will do you a lot more good. Instead of sustaining you for a merely 3 months, you can have a food supply that will last for at least 12 months.
Here are some helpful tips on having a long-term emergency food storage plan:
- Stick with the staple items. - Wheat, cereals, water, canned goods, and ready-to-eat meals are very good choices. - Assess what each of your family members need and base your food storage on them. If you have a baby at home, better store up a significant amount of milk and baby food. - Dont stack up on perishable items. Since your emergency food storage is intended for future use, they must not be items that easily spoil. - Store enough water supply. - Store oils and other items that will help you prepare tasty meals. - Dont forget to store medication and hygiene products. - Having a generator and gasoline will also help you in times of crisis so better have them ready.
There is no better way to prepare for disaster than being ready with survival items. Having these within reach will up your chances of surviving an emergency. Make sure that your food storage is kept at a cool, dry place where it will not be susceptible to wetness, insects, and rodents. Secure them with a tight lid. Let your family members know where it is kept so that when the need to get arises, someone can easily take it.
As they say, prevention is the best cure for diseases. In times of emergencies, preparation is key to survival. So stack up on your food storage now.
About the Author:
There are no diets whatsoever, which lead to natural weight loss, because every single diet slows down your metabolism, which means that when you go off the diet, you will eventually gain back more weight than you lost. How many people do you know, who actually kept it off? So, dieting is just not an option, if you want to keep the weight off for good. Weight Loss Pills Most weight loss pills or diet pills are nothing more than appetite suppressants, which help to take away food cravings so that you don't eat, or don't eat as much. So in reality, what you've done by taking weight loss pills, is actually putting yourself on a very drastic starvation diet, during which your body is getting progressively more starved for nutrition, and also... Your metabolism will slow down to a crawl, and that's your guarantee that when you go off the weight loss pills, you are going to blow up like a balloon, and eventually gain all the weight back, plus a few extra pounds as a bonus. Food Supplements Taking a safe and healthy food supplement that your body can absorb, can really enhance a good natural weight loss program, because the extra nutrition will help your body to become more nutritionally satisfied. This will help to eliminate food cravings without taking weight loss pills. Cutting back on food cravings by becoming more nutritionally satisfied, means that... You won't slow down your metabolism, and you won't have the same problem with regaining the weight. The problem however... Is that most food supplements are not absorbed very well by your body. When you take a Vitamin and Mineral supplement for example, most people are only able to absorb between 4 to 5%, so it's a total waste of money, plus... If you are not absorbing the supplement, it will definitely not help to eliminate food cravings, so you're no further ahead. In the Slim America Weight-Loss Project, we only recommend natural food supplements which are fully absorbed by the body. As a result, these totally safe food supplements really help to enhance and speed up our natural weight-loss program, and also... Not only are food cravings greatly reduced, but our students are reporting lots of extra energy, more stamina, and are finding it much easier to stay away from junk foods which provide very little nutrition, but really help to put on the pounds. Exercise for Natural Weight Loss Proper exercise is an essential ingredient in any natural weight-loss program, because there is no way that the weight loss will be permanent without exercise, and that's a fact. But here's the problem... Over 95% of all the weight loss exercises, that people do in order to burn off fat, actually burn almost no fat whatsoever. Most of these exercises burn almost exclusively sugar, and that's why it's so hard to get rid of the fat. For most people who are overweight, especially if you're obese, doing all the normal weight loss exercises like running, swimming, playing sports, using all the fancy exercise equipment in gyms, weight lifting etc., are practically useless for getting rid of fat. Most of these exercises are very hard to do, require a lot of work, and a lot of sweating, for very little results. For sure, if you stick to it long enough it will certainly help, however... The results are so minimal for most people that 99% of people will give up long before achieving any realistic results. In the Slim America Weight-Loss Project, we only recommend walking for weight loss, however just normal walking is not very effective either. In the Slim America Project, we actually teach 10 secrets about walking, which not only help to turn walking into a very effective fat burner, but more importantly, also helps to rebuild your metabolism. Walking for weight loss has to be part of any natural weight loss system because it helps to turn your body into an effective fat burning machine, which will cause you to burn more fat during the whole day. Complete Natural Weight Loss Only a complete and natural weight loss system which is totally safe, without the use of weight-loss pills to eliminate food cravings, and which includes a good walking program will result in permanent weight loss... And also... You don't have to become a "health nut", to succeed! Have a Great Life Armand Dupuis is a Personal Trainer, Lecturer, Teacher, & Permanent Weight Loss Specialist, who has been a Serious Researcher into Human Consciousness for 5 Decades.
As an organic gardener, nutrition educator and supporter and campaigner for the Green Party in New Zealand, I-ve often wondered why people just haven-t got it yet. Commercially grown food, high in spray residues, is unhealthy for the consumer and for the environment. Let-s trust that those in power continue to make intelligent choices and that people continue to support their local farmers markets and organic growers. Cuba has shown that an entire nation can be fed organically. Our forefathers were. They knew nothing but organic. How soon we forget.
Here's something from the NY Times that I find very positive:
Is a Food Revolution Now in Season?
From: The New York Times | March 22, 2009
Advocates of organic and locally grown food have found a receptive ear in the White House, which has vowed to encourage a more nutritious and sustainable food supply. Read more at The New York Times.
John Haines is the author of In Search of Simplicity: A True Story that Changes Lives
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 I haven't been feeling well since the Chocolate Salon on Saturday (perhaps, a bit too much chocolate for my liking?). Anyway, I have been battling a bit of anxiety which has caused for me to feel nauseated with a lot of food. Tonight, for dinner, I decided I would have something warm and soothing; I contemplated going out for dinner to get pho in the neighborhood, but I felt tired of spending money (too much from the past few days) and I figured I would have some food at home that I could whip up together. I heated up a can of low-sodium chicken broth and then added the rest of the small package of soba noodles I had to put together a makeshift noodle soup. Not so bad; I have to say I like the texture of the soba noodles more than the "regular" kind of noodle soup. The only thing that I should have also had on hand was some grilled chicken to make it into chicken noodle soup. Well, the dish was still soothing and calmed my stomach troubles at least for the time being. I'm hoping I will be able to recover from these stomach issues soon, though.
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Browse > Home / World News / EU concerned by œmargin gap between farm-gate and retail prices
EU concerned by margin gap between farm-gate and retail prices
The European Parliament is set to take a closer look at the food supply chain, which will ensure price trends are monitored over time.
Correcting the market inequalities, and improving direct relations between consumers and producers, in order to guarantee reasonable prices for the former and profits for the latter, are at the centre of a report adopted by the European Parliament on the difference in price between production and consumption in the food chain.
High food price volatility, which has caused œsignificant prices rises, had a major impact globally last year. In Europe, consumer prices are now on average up to five times more than the farm gate price, the report noted. MEPs are consequently calling on the Commission to launch a report, as soon as possible, to investigate the œmargin share in the production and distribution chains.
œThis price gap is a major problem which is causing concern for the two extremities of the food chain,†Katerina Batzeli, Member of the European Parliament (MEP), said. œProducers and consumers are suffering from the effects of the drive for profits, which is at the origin of the failing food market. It is time to put in place a long-term plan and to adopt interventions at a European level so as to face the financial crisis, which is weighing heavily on households and farmers.
Market dominance and anti-competitive practices
According to MEPs, the price transmission mechanism and the gap between consumer and producer prices increase in concentration across the food supply chain. They are particularly concerned by the increase in market share of a number of processors and manufacturers, who are abusing their dominant position to force down œprices paid to suppliers to unsustainable levels.
The report notes that a survey by the Commission on Food Prices in Europe œfails to include the abuse of the dominant position observed at the retail stage, and MEPs are particularly concerned by anti-competitive practices which include the selling of goods below cost. In the long-run, pricing below cost benefits neither the consumers nor the food market as a whole and, consequently, MEPs are calling for European-level action to be taken.
European monitoring
The report endorses the Commission™s proposal to establish an œefficient European market monitoring system, which will allow price trends and input costs to be monitored across the whole food supply chain. This should allow a more transparent system and will allow for a cross-border comparison system on similar products.
MEPs believe that this measure should be supported by an investigation and evaluation by competition authorities at national and European level to ensure competition rules are respected and that price drops are passed on to consumers. Similarly, they are calling for any price increases to be passed on to producers much more quickly than is happening at present.
Increasing transparency
MEPs are also calling on the Commission to establish a Europe-wide database, easily accessible to European citizens, which will give greater transparency regarding the cost structure of product prices. This should be carried out in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation who, in turn, can monitor this data at an international level.
Enforcing the power of producer organisations and the idea of local produce
The report believes that in order to shift the balance of power within the food chain, producers™ organisations should be encouraged, as this would help to increase farmers™ negotiating powers. In turn, this would help to shorten the marketing channels to consumers and would offer greater added value to their products.
The concept of local foods was also emphasised, with local retail shops to help bridge the gap between producers and consumers.
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 There must be something in the Ethicurean (tap) waters. As much as we love to eat and write about SOLE food, more and more of us are finding ways to put not just our money, but our time and energy, where our mouths are.
From our die-hard community gardeners Peter and Elanor to our CSA-pork-packinmama Bonnie, from Alis serving at a local soup kitchen to Stephanies immersion in agricultural education, our Ethicurean team is getting beyond research and writing and actually doing something to change our food system.
And darn it, I might be slow, but Im finally finding a way that I can contribute to my own community: participating in the creation of a local foods market that will supplement and support the weekly downtown farmers market in Wooster, Ohio. If all goes well, we should be opening at the end of this year. Back in the fall, hints of a year-round farmers market in Wooster bubbled their way to my ears. In my heart of hearts, Ive wanted to find a way to parlay my food preservation skills into teaching others, but Im also a starry-eyed fan of my local farmers and knew that this market could be a way to encourage local food production and consumption to the benefit of our whole local economy. I attended the Northeast Ohio Food Congress and connected with other local foods advocates, including two of the four people I later discovered to be the ringleaders of this agricultural plot.
Around the same time, I joined the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) and started attending meetings of the local chapter (which turned out to be a great way to meet other local farmers and to learn more about agriculture from their perspective). The farmers themselves were excited about the potential for a year-round market, but they had no idea who might be involved in the plans. Still, by asking around and dropping hints about how much Id love to work on such an effort, I eventually found my way to the first organizational meeting.
 Over the past two months, our group has met almost every week, gathering a core steering committee of a dozen enthusiastic and multi-talented persons. The team includes local farmers, teachers, researchers at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, a bank president, a former store manager, an architect, a graphic designer, cooks and bakers, members of the local sustainable energy group, and a writer. (We probably couldnt have chosen a better mix of talents if we tried!)
Two couples, John and Betsy Anderson and Bill and Marlene Boyer, laid the groundwork for our plans. Cousins and friends, they confessed to talking about the idea of a year-round market for years before finally taking the first steps last fall. They set their sights on using a vacant brick building just off the main street in town. Despite the buildings need for retrofitting (for energy efficiency) and renovation, it struck the Andersons and the Boyers as a good choice due to its proximity to the farmers market location on the town square and its open, flexible interior space that could be used for cold storage, produce deliveries, bakery and cafe conversion, and meeting space as well as a retail floor.
They began a round of meetings with city and county officials, members of the Wayne Economic Development Council, builders, and an attorney to gather information as to what the possibility would be of renting the building from the county (the current owner) and what would need to be done to start the market. They also researched other markets and businesses in the state to get more ideas. By the time they called the first organizational meeting at the beginning of February, they had drawn up a rough draft of a business proposal and pulled together so much information that those of us who were new to the project became even more excited about the potential market.
 The defined mission of the market is simple: Connect consumers and producers of locally grown foods and other agricultural products. Though we have yet to define our guidelines of what is local (recognizing that the definition may vary according to type of product), we all agree that the products to be sold should be grown or made locally, made with local ingredients, or given locally-added value. And dont think that just because were in northeastern Ohio our shelves will be bare in the winter: our region produces meat and poultry, dairy products, eggs, lots of produce that will keep in cold storage, grains, honey, maple syrup, mushrooms, wine, and many more products beyond perishable produce.
So far our steering committee has accomplished a great deal. To begin with, weve decided to set up the market as a cooperative for both producers and consumers. Our banker member, Marlene Barkheimer, has a gift for crunching the numbers, and she and her equally creative daughter Jessica keep coming up with ideas for drawing in co-op members and for developing an online ordering system that would help farmers know how much produce they can count on selling in a given week. Our local architect, Keith Speirs, has worked with students from the local career center to draw up floor plans for the building and has investigated potential retrofit needs. He and local electrician John Drouhard have coordinated efforts with the Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network (WCSEN) to propose an energy audit, weatherization, and the addition of a solar array to bring the building as close to carbon neutral as possible.
Weve begun to explore start-up funding options, including grant proposals and a fundraising edible landscape dinner to be held at Muddy Fork Farm, hosted by farmer Monica Bongue. Another local farmer, Dave Benchoff, keeps us informed about licensing considerations and other details well have to work out as we go along. (Both Monica and Dave connect us back to OEFFA and other local farmers through their roles as current and past presidents of the local chapter.) Betsy, Marlene Boyer, and I have begun to sort through details of the bakery and café wed like to set up within the market as a way to showcase local produce (as well as to use and preserve some of what doesnt get sold to the public), and wed all like to see the development of a demonstration kitchen where we could hold cooking classes. (Maybe Ill get to teach more people about food preservation after all!)
 Weve tossed around names for the market, finally to settle on Local Roots as a way to evoke our grassroots effort to connect the community back to its agricultural roots. (Who doesnt love to root for the home team?) Jennifer Hugon has put her graphic design skills to work on our behalf and has come up with initial logos and designs (as shown here) to illustrate our ideal of connecting people to the land and to good local food. As co-founder Marlene Boyer describes it, were trying to create an amazing place in downtown Wooster where people can come to get wonderful foods that nourish both body and soul.
The goals weve set to meet our markets mission include encouraging healthy eating through the availability of fresh local foods, the creation of wholesome dishes in the cafe, and the education of consumers; expanding local economic development by creating jobs and increasing the market for producers; promoting community development by networking with other organizations and businesses; and promoting sustainable living by featuring small farms using sustainable agricultural practices, emphasizing the environmental benefits of supporting local agriculture, demonstrating the feasibility of alternative energy technologies, and creating a community lending library (partnered with WCSEN) to educate our neighbors.
Weve recently met with the county commissioners to review our proposed business plan and model and to obtain their permission and support to use the building weve chosen. Though the commissioners need a week or two to review and discuss the details of our proposal, we know we need to move ahead with other aspects of the project: formalizing our business structure, defining our producer guidelines, writing grant proposals and press releases, arranging a more detailed building review in order to pin down renovation costs, exploring additional funding streams, and getting ready to sign up farmers and other members.
Are you exhausted by all that? So are we!
But the more we meet, the more we realize we have to do to pull this market together. Our dream is to open, at least partially, by the beginning of November, in time to provide an indoor space where local farmers market vendors can extend the market season. We will likely have to phase the development of the market, depending on the fundraising and the length of time needed for renovations, but we want to draw in farmers and customers as soon as possible in order to establish ourselves in conjunction with the farmers market.
The response weve had so far to our plans has been gratifyingly enthusiastic. More people in the area are interested in eating local food and supporting local farmers but have stumbled across the same obstacle that brought Marlene and Jessica Barkheimer to the table: with no central place to find a wide variety of local foods, they ended up driving all over northeastern Ohio to source their food, some of which turned out to be grown in their own neighborhood. We know the market is there, and we know that people are hungry not only for good local food but for ways to invest in Main Street when Wall Street has lost its appeal. No wonder were constantly being met with the question, How soon will this market open?
C.) But just as our local farmers are starting this years crops, so, too, do we begin to set some roots of our own in our local area. Were ready to go and to grow!
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FoodTV Network and Iron Chef Cat Cora was on Oprah a couple weeks ago to help out a family save on groceries by actually cooking at home. Instead of relying on boxed or frozen food all the time, youd be surprised how delicious food are if you buy them fresh, and cook them at home. The amount of money wed save in the end is also good. Quite frankly, I was smirking the whole time. I love dining out as much as the next person but our Family rule is twice a week. I happen to love cooking and well, we cant afford to go to restaurants all the time. Dont get me started with frozen foods. That would be an entire different post of it own, heh.
At the end the show Cat Cora, along with Tyler Florence and Curtis Stone, shared their most loved and easy home cooked meal. Chef Cat Cora shared her Grandmothers Cinnamon Chicken. I was so intrigued by it that the day after that show, I made it.
Cat Cora's Cinnamon Chicken (Image, Dexie Wharton)
Heres Cat Coras Cinnamon Chicken recipe that I followed from Oprahs website.
INGREDIENTS:
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. A wet chicken will cause the oil to splatter while the chicken is sauting. Mix the cinnamon, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the chicken pieces on all sides with the seasoning.
Heat the olive oil in a large, nonreactive, deep skillet over high heat. A 12-inch skillet with sides about 2 1/2 to 3 inches high will allow you to brown all the chicken at once. If you dont have a skillet large enough, brown them in two batches using 1/2 the oil for each batch. Whats important is that the chicken isnt overcrowded, which would cause them to steam rather than brown.
Add the chicken to the oil and brown for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn the pieces using a metal spatula, as they have a tendency to stick to the pan. Remove the pieces when they are well browned on all sides.
Mince three of the garlic cloves. Lower the heat to medium-high, and add the onions and minced garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the onions have softened and are a rich golden brown. Add about 1/2 cup of the water and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula or spoon to deglaze the pan, loosening any particles stuck on the bottom.
When the water has evaporated, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and remaining 2 garlic cloves, minced.
Return the chicken to the pan. The liquid should cover about 3/4 of the chicken pieces. Cover the pot and simmer over medium-high heat for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked. If the sauce becomes too thick, it can be thinned with a little more water. Season the finished sauce with kosher salt and pepper to taste.
Cat Coras recipe mentioned serving it with orzo or rice. I served it with steamed veggies and pasta sides instead. The cinnamon chicken were surprisingly good. I thought the cinnamon would render the chicken sweet but not at all. It only gave the skin a slightly sandy texture.
I apologize for the quality of my picture. The DSLRs battery was charging so I had to use my Nikon L18 camera instead. And I was rushing that day too because the people around me were hungry. But I hope you get the idea  .
(Source : Oprah) (Image : FeistyCook/Blisstree)
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 From the LazyBoy of PapaBear Here are the baby items you will absolutely need: 1) Car Seat. The hospital wont let you take your baby home without one properly installed. We got ours for free from the Rich Mothers Club. Soon your baby will grow out of the infant car seat and have to sit in a bigger car seat. Find another free car seat through the Motherâs Club. Evidently, kids need to sit in car seats until they are 5 or 6 years old and there are different car seats all along the way. Keep finding free car seats otherwise your car seat investment will be in the thousands of dollars. 2) Diapers, lots of them! Steal as many as you can from the hospital. Unfortunately, you will eventually have
to buy these yourself. Babies go through about 6-8 diapers a day. Have fun with the changing! Buy in bulk. Diapers.com will save you time, hassle and money. 3) Food: The good news. For the first few months, Baby food is free because it comes out of your wifes boobs. The bad news. Your wifes boobs have never been bigger, but not sure when you will ever look at your wifes boobs the same again. After a few months, baby will start needing solid foods, again, buy in bulk. 4) Clothes: Get as much as you can from the Mothers Club, hand me downs, use your own old clothes if you still have them. It is amazing how fast a baby will outgrow clothes. Avoid spending money on clothes at all costs! Baby clothes from 0-9 months are the dumbest expense! The baby has no memory and no ability to understand what she is wearing. Putting pretty clothes on a baby is purely for the indulgence of the parent at this stage of life. I've seen parents and babies wearing matching outfits. Some
people think thats adorable, I think thats idiotic. Its actually more expensive to buy the same outfit for a baby than it is for an adult if you can believe it. My baby is cute if shes wearing a pretty dress or if shes wearing a potato sack, you know why? Shes a baby! Babies are cute! Babies grow up to become people, and if you are a good looking person, you will spend more money on your clothes and appearance because the world loves good looking people. And if you are an ugly looking person, you will continue to wear nondescript clothing and question why the world is so shallow while secretly wishing that you were better looking. Thats just the way the world works. Babies and good looking people always win no matter what! 5) Furniture: Find it for free from someone giving it away from the Mothers Club or family. You need a crib, a stroller and eventually a high chair for baby to eat solid food. Get these for as little money as possible. Neither you nor
baby will remember how pretty babys furniture was. Nobody cares. 6) Toys: Babies play with anything. They think that their own feet are foreign objects. There is absolutely no need to buy expensive baby toys. If you can find free toys, give them to your baby. But do not clutter your house! Keep 2 or 3 favorite toys around for baby to play with and thats it. When a toy gets old, get rid of it and find a new toy. Use an old ball, a small box or an old cell phone. Let the baby use her imagination. And thatâs it. You see, raising a baby can be cheap. Dont think that you need to spend a fortune on stuff. With a little legwork, all of your money can be saved for her education and that shotgun for when she starts dating.
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Bottled water: popular beverage losing its appeal?
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5 food safety tips for kids who pack their own lunches
Teach your kids these important food safety tips.
This story was originally titled "5 Food Safety Tips for Kids Who Pack Their Own Lunches" in May 2007 issue. Subscribe to Canadian Living today and never miss an issue!
1. Wash your hands before you prepare or eat food. 2. Carry hot foods, such as chili, soup and stew, in insulated containers and keep them away from cold foods so they stay hot. 3. Toss a small ice pack or frozen juice box in with cold foods to keep them cold.
4. Ice packs won't stay cold all day, so throw out any perishable leftovers after lunch. 5. Buy reusable lunch bags and wash them regularly to prevent bacteria from growing on food residue. Avoid disposable plastic and paper bags if you can. If you can't, don't reuse them – they can harbour bacteria.
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 This photo will enlarge This is Food Storage Lesson #3 in my step-by-step instructions on organizing and gathering food storage. I will be listing these lessons on the sidebar of my blog. Step 3: Next you will need to take your first inventory. This is something new to many people, but imagine you are the manager of your own grocery store. You want to know what is selling (or in other words what is being eaten by your family), right? But first you have to take an initial inventory count to know what to later add or subtract from. This process may take you several days. Don't feel rushed. Here is how you do it.
1. Print out about 13 FS Inventory Sheets. They were created to be kept in a small 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" binder. If you don't have one yet, that's okay. I don't want to overwhelm you, but after you get through your initial lessons, you will want to read my post about making a Food Storage Shopper planner. Let's move forward. You will need to Download the inventory sheets, then print.
2. Each page has two inventory records on it that you will later cut in half and store in your binder. But you don't have to do that now because you are going to start taking inventory.
3. Get a clip board. If you don't have one use a large paper clip to attach your first page to a hard book. Kid's books work great. Attach your first page.
4. On each inventory page, list with pencil the following categories. Of course if you don't have a baby or a pet, don't list that category. And if you have a better name use yours:
5. Alphabetize the inventory sheets for quick reference.
6. Start listing items you have in your home on each sheet. You may want to use your Food Storage Calculator printout as a guide to know what to list.
7. List item description and size on each Description line.
8. Next write the GOAL of how much you want to store of that item. Look at your Food Storage printout. I suggest you list the 3-month goal for your family with each item. I show many long-term items stored in #10-sized cans. However, you may want to store items in another sized container. You will notice that your printout shows the Total lbs. your family needs in the right column of each item. You will have to do the math here. Sorry. Divide the Total lbs. by the weight of your bucket size or other size. It's okay to list one item in several sizes on your inventory sheet. Let's pretend that you need to store 700 lbs. of wheat. You want to store red wheat and white wheat. Some of it in buckets and some of it in #10 cans. List each item on a separate line, and figure out how many of each container you want to store. So I would write - Description: Red Wheat #10. Goal: 70. Description Red Wheat 6 gal (meaning bucket or pail). Goal: 5. And so forth. Hope that makes sense.
9. Now you will need to go around your house to find the items you listed. Perhaps you want to change something. That's why I suggested you use a pencil so you can erase. Write the date you are taking the inventory in the space on your inventory sheet. Then count how many of an item you have, and write that under the HAVE column.
10. Next subtract (if possible) your HAVE amount from your GOAL amount and write the total in the NEED column. In some cases you will HAVE more than you need to reach your 3-month goal. That's okay. Just write 0 in the NEED column because you have already reached your goal. You don't have to buy that item for awhile. You will focus on stocking up on the items you need, not already have.
11. Each week after you go grocery shopping, add the items you purchase on your Inventory sheet. Just erase the old HAVE and re-total. After you reach your 3-month goals, put 6–month goals in the GOAL column, and so forth.
12. Take a formal inventory count every 2, 3 or 4 months to see what items you are low on. Meaning what your family has used. If you are using items quickly, take an inventory count sooner.
Whew! I think I need to give you a break. You have now completed Step #2. Hang in there!
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 When baseball player Mark McGwire hit a record 70 home runs, he gave partial credit to a popular diet supplement called “andro,†used in the products of several manufacturers and distributors that market to body builders, among others. McGwire says he’s stopped taking it, but many body builders still do.
Since products with andro are available over-the-counter and can have a noticeable effect on hormones, health researchers want to know whether such “muscle-boosting†supplementation products work and whether they’re safe. “Andro†refers to androstenediol and androstenedione, which are bio-chemically related to testosterone.
NO PROOF, SAYS DOCTOR Two newly published studies indicate such ingredients–and, therefore, products containing them for muscle boosting purposes–, are ineffective over the long term. The studies and interpretations of the studies go a step further in concluding that the substances found in such a products could promote undesirable results and could be harmful for some.
One study, from East Tennessee University, indicates andro ingredients are ineffective in maintaining elevated androgen levels of male-type hormones for men over age 30 for more than an initial few weeks. Data shows that, after a short period of hormonal boost, levels return to normal.
According to the study authors, “Testosterone precursors do not enhance adaptations to resistance training when consumed in dosages recommended by manufacturers.â€
Endocrinologist Joseph J. Pinzone, MD, of George Washington University Hospital in Washington, DC. says men reaching their thirties can start to feel less potent, and can be vulnerable to thinking they need products with substances such as andro. “[Early thirties] is about the time when men think about taking things for potency and libido issues, or even taking things for body building,†says Pinzone. “There’s no proof at all that andro builds muscles–in fact, there’s proof to the contrary,†he says.
In an Iowa State University study, also randomly assigned and double-blind, androstenedione supplementation did not increase testosterone nor help build muscle during an 8-week strength training period of thirty men, ages 19 to 29 years.
Both studies were sponsored in-part by supplement or drug manufacturers.
BULK, BUT AT WHAT COST? Personal trainer Scott Shelton has been around enough to know that many men trying to slim down and bulk up swallow the promises and pills of andro supplements. “A few are interested in the strength gains, but the vast majority are just trying to get bigger,†says Shelton. “If we were to believe everything that supplement manufacturers tell us as far as the advertising and the hype, we would be a society of very thin, muscular people. In fact, we are going completely the opposite way.â€
Shelton coaches muscle training the old-fashioned way among his clients: sweat, hard work, and a healthy diet.
“As far as supplements themselves: I don’t believe in them,†he says. “Supplements are just that: they are supplements. If you eat a well-rounded diet, you shouldn’t need supplements. I know people that have and have not seen much gain, if any at all.â€
The Alexandria, Virginia trainer explains that a primary andro ingredient is purported to be a molecular precursor for testosterone. “The thinking is that your body will process the androstenedione and turn it into testosterone,†he says. “But there are so many different factors involved in that, it’s really impossible to say.â€
Shelton says one of the main ingredients of testosterone is cholesterol. “There are plenty of overweight people out there eating tons of cholesterol who aren’t big and muscular.â€
NO PRESCRIPTION NEEDED Pinzone, a hormone specialist, believes body builders started taking andro products because it was a legal way to–possibly–increase the hormones that turns boys into men, increasing muscle size along with sexual development.
“What you realize–if you are in the know–is that you also are increasing the amount of estrogen in your body,†says Pinzone. “The end products, testosterone and estrogen, were categorized as FDA-regulated compounds which need a prescription and should only be administered by a medical professional; yet some of the steps just preceding the creation of testosterone and estrogen were categorized as dietary supplements.â€
Estrogen is the dominant hormone affecting reproductive function in women. In men, it can cause unwanted effects.
“Estrogen levels clearly increase in a sustained way at least over 3 months with taking andro,†explains Pinzone. “In order to determine how it would [effect men], we often can look to other medical conditions where estrogen is increasing. So a few things can result: breasts can grow in men, milk production can start in breasts, breast cancer risk can actually go up in men.â€
OTHER CONCERNS Pinzone says andro is used by people other than body builders, those with a “medicinal concern where they would want to enhance a failing body as might occur with age, or illness, chronic illness, of even an acute illness.â€
The doctor says hormone enhancement carries the risk of enlarging the prostate, since one associated ingredient found in products with andro, dihydrotestosterone, seems to mediate many of the testosterone-like activities associated with testosterone.
“Nobody knows that it probably would increase the risk of the prostate growing, enlarging to an abnormal degree,†says Pinzone. “If there were mutations in the prostate cells that were cancerous mutations, andro or other androgen-containing compounds like testosterone might act as growth factor to actually stimulate the growth of those cells to an even faster rate.â€
Heart effect questions have also been raised. According the East Tennessee study authors, “Testosterone precursor supplementation [resulted in] unfavorable alterations in blood lipid and coronary heart disease risk profiles of men aged 35 to 65 years.â€
Dr. Pinzone says further studies are needed to more fully determine the effects of hormones found in products like andro, their efficacy, and safety. Says Pinzone, “Nobody knows for sure whether that would result in adverse outcomes for heart attacks or more strokes, but that does raise that concern.â€
It may be that such warnings are false alarms for the masses. Untold thousands of body builders and Charles Atlas-wannabes spend millions on products to enhance their muscle training and building, suggesting support and confidence for many products.
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Why We Drink Organic Milk
photo by lush.i.ous
Organic food is a fast growing industry, with organic milk leading the way. In the $10.2 billion dollar organic market, organic milk is seeing a healthy 23% annual growth rate. Ever since we started Andrew on milk, it has always been organic.
I was drawn to organic milk after reading that the cows are not fed synthetic hormones, antibiotics or pesticides. I am always weary about my son ingesting all of those extra hormones and chemicals, it doesn’t seem natural to me. Although there is no consistent research that says they are harmful, I prefer to avoid them anyway.
Another advantage of organic milk is that it is proven to have up to 50% higher levels of Vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids and anti-oxidants over regular milk.
While there is no concrete evidence that all of the hormones, antibiotics and pesticides really cause health problems, I am going with my gut and sticking to organic milk. I like having the peace of mind knowing he is not consuming all of those extra chemicals. This is important especially with toddlers and young children because milk is such a huge part of their diet, and is the key factor for them to grow up big and strong.
Note: The only other organic food we give him is apple juice and apple sauce. Most fruits are sprayed with pesticides, but apples in particular can be sprayed up to 20 times during their time on the farm. I can’t find the article, but I remember reading in Parade magazine that if you can only go organic on certain foods, apples and milk should be the first choices.
Here are some great resources with more detailed information about organic milk:
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People complain when smog lies thick over a city. They complain when a factory or plant pumps curling, black smoke into our air. It is ironic then that the air quality of our homes often gets overlooked. The majority of our breathing is done inside. And our inside air can be just as polluted. How can you tell if your air is quality air? According to the EPA, there are three basic methods.
Hopefully, your home has very few indoor air quality problems. An ounce of prevention is all it takes to keep it that way.
More on Green Air Quality How Indoor Air Quality Affects Your Health What You Need to Know About Caulking and Health How to Use a Radon Test Kit
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By Yannai Kranzler
Michael Pollan’s call to turn the White House Lawn into an organic vegetable garden has yet to be heeded by the Obama family. The American Army has still not declared war on Corn, whom Pollan claims is plotting to take over the world. But despite not convincing the president to forgo his frontlawn or the military to attack a vegetable, there is little doubt that Pollan has had a remarkable influence on the way people think about food.
Michael Pollan
In Pollan’s newest book, In Defense of Food, he suggests, among other things, reclaiming time-tested traditional menus of the past. Much of modern man’s eating disorder, says Pollan, stems from ditching mom for food science, cultural wisdom for the back of a cereal box, in order to determine the day’s menu.
Although Pollan, despite his Jewish roots does not mention it, this approach is a classically Jewish one: The Hebrew word for progress is Hitkadmut. Oddly enough, the root of the word Hitkadmut is Kedem, which means, “Before.†Moving forward well, our language is telling us, is contingent upon consulting our past. As we charge speedily ahead, we need, every once in a while, to backtrack and pick up the pieces we’ve left behind.
The following are Pollan’s rules for better eating, as written in In Defense of Food, based on the well-known Pollan mantra, “Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.†(Click Here to buy the book from Amazon.com) I’ve stuck these rules onto our fridge at home (Right next to the magnet with the number of the pizza delivery guy). Feel free to do the same. Beteavon! (Hebrew for Bon Apatit).
1. Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
2. Avoid food products containing ingredients that are, A) unfamiliar, B) unpronounceable, C) more than five in number, or that include D) High Fructose Corn Syrup.
3. Avoid food products that make health claims.
4. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle.
5. Get out of the supermarket whenever possible.
6. Eat mostly plants, especially leaves.
7. You are what you eat eats, too.
8. If you have space, buy a freezer.
9. Eat like an omnivore.
10. Eat well-grown food from healthy soils.
11. Eat wild foods when you can.
12. Be the kind of person who takes supplements. (Although don’t necessarily take supplements).
13. Eat more like the French. Or the Italians. Or the Japanese. Or the Indians. Or the Greeks.
14. Regard non-traditional foods with skepticism.
15. Don’t look for the magic bullet in the traditional diet.
16. Have a glass of wine with dinner.
17. Pay more, eat less.
18. Eat Meals.
19. Do all your eating a a table. No, a desk is not a table.
20. Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does.
21. Try not to eat alone.
22. Consult your gut.
23. Eat slowly.
24. Cook and, if you can, plant a garden.
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 "Heather Mills " align="right" border="0" />Paul McCartney's ex-wife Heather Mills has reportedly signed a
$4.3 million deal to promote vegetarian food for fast food chain Burger King.
The former model - who last week invested in a seaside cafe which she plans to turn into a vegetarian eatery - has agreed to
launch a new meat-free burger at the company's 11,350 outlets throughout the world, according to U.K. newspaper The People.
A source tells the publication, "Heather is ecstatic. She believes she can change the eating habits of millions. She's also
being paid a lot of money and the deal will help boost her standing."
Mills was reportedly chosen for the role after she gave $1 million worth of free veggie burgers to poor kids in New York last
year.
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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)
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