Harvest Moon

photo by p-duke

This weekend, Oct. 4th,  is the Harvest Moon, also know as the Hunter's Moon and the Wolf Moon.

As defines by Wikipedia, Harvest Moon is "..the moon at and about the period of fullness that is nearest to the autumnal equinox."
This moon will only rise for 30 minutes, as opposed to regular 50 minutes; so there will be an "... extra long time between moonrises from one evening to the next." The extra light allows farmers more time to harvest their crops before autumn.

Besides being absolutely breath-taking, make sure you take plenty of photos, it is also great for our health.

Just like full moon effect tides, the Harvest Moon effects our health as our body is 75% water. 

To celebrate and greet the full Harvest moon, prepare a delicious and nutritious Butternut Squash soup, the main symbol and vegetable of autumn Harvest Moon.  Make sure to fuel your body with essential fall produce.

Full moons are the perfect time to start a diet. This is the time for a clean slate, to rid your body and environments of toxins.

School of the Seasons is a great site that teaches about the effects of moon cycles and it can help you in all aspects of your life.

Have a great weekend!

SuperFoods: Avocados

 image by eblaser

Today I'm having a large salad with avocados and veggies for lunch. I love avocados, and adore guacamole. here are some quick facts on this amazing fruit (that's right, it's a fruit and not a vegetable).

Avocados  are fabulous on salads, desserts, pureed. They contain some protein and starch, plenty of potassium, and vitamins A,B,C, and E. Those of you avoiding fats in fear that you will gain weight, please educate yourself on the different types of fat. Avocados have heart-protective mono-saturated fat which is easy to digest, and perfect for children. They also have high content of oleic acid, which makes them a powerful antioxidant.

Avocados are ideal food for anyone recovering from illness or surgery. Women who are planning conception or are having fertility problems benefit from the Vitamin E in avocados. The vitamin B6  relieves PMS pains; women suffering from endometrioisis or heavy periods should consume avocados regularly ten days before their next period.

Produce Exchange

I got a great tip today from Vital Juice.

A relatively new site Veggie Trader lets you turn in your abundant produce, let's say you have too much mint growing – like my bf does, for someone else's produce. It is like a food swap. You can swap your locally grown produce for your neighbor's, that way you don't end up eating the same thing every night.

Don't see anything you like? No problem. You can trade in for cold hard cash. Don't have a garden? No worries. Browse local produce by entering your zip code. It's that easy. Don't take my word for it, check it out yourself.

Also, make sure you visit  Vital Juice for more  great tips on living healthy and happy.

First Day of Fall

Happy First Day of Fall!!! And what a wonderful day it is: the sun is shining, it's warm and pleasant, and the air smells of season changing.

Fall is  the best time for farmer's market produce. Organic and local fruits and vegetables are at their ripest, full of essential nutrients to feed our body and prepare it for the cold winter. Local foods are by far the freshest than at any supermarket you can find. So, instead of hibernating like most of us do as soon as a cool breeze rolls in, plan on taking advantage of your local farmer's market and prepare delicious dinners from best quality ingredients. This is the time to experiment and try food you were hesitant about before.

To find a local farmer's market near you, check out Local Harvest for locations as well as upcoming events, news, and nutrition facts. Support your local farms and your health.

image by DGMiller777