The Clean Fifteen and The Dirty Dozen

     Organic fruits and vegetable are becoming more and more popular, but they all tend to be more expensive than the 'regular' ones. There are a few fruits and vegetables that you don't have to buy as organic, but there are also a few that you should buy organic as much as possible! Knowing what to buy organic and what you don't have to buy as organic will be easier on the pocket book, while still keeping you healthy!

 

The Dirty Dozen

     If you have never heard of the Dirty Dozen, then it probaly sounds a little strange to you! But, let me explain, and you'll understand what I'm talking about!
     The term Dirty Dozen is applied to the list of foods that should be bought organic. These are foods that we usually eat the skin of, and that tend to absorb the chemicals that might be used when they are grown. Buy these 12 fruits and vegetables as organic to limit the amount of chemicals in your body!

Apples- Are usually #1 on any Dirty Dozen list. This is mainly because you tend to eat the apple's skin, which is a prim place for chemicals and pestisides to cling to!

Strawberries- Strawberries should be bought organic for the same reasons as the apples. We eat the skin, and the skin is where most of the chemicals are. These berries are also very good at absorbing anything, which includes the chemicals sprayed on them while being grown or handled.

Grapes, Celery, Peaches, Spinach, Sweet Bell Peppers, Imported Nectarines, Cucumbers, Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes and Hot Peppers finish off the Dirty Dozen list. All of the fruits and vegetables are ones that we eat the skin of and are hevaily sprayed with chemicals. Buying these foods organic helps reduce the amount of chemical you ingest on a daily basis. While they might be a little more pricy, these are the foods that you should always buy as organic!

The Clean Fifteen

     To follow up the Dirty Dozen there are the Clean Fifteen! These are the fruits and vegetables that are okay not to buy as organic. They are not as heavily sprayed and/or are fruit and vegetables that we don't tend to eat the skin of. Also, mosts of them don't absorb anything very well, which means that chemicals are as absorbed as much!

Onions- We don't eat the skin of the onion, making it alright not to buy them as organic!

Pineapple- Again, we cut away the skin of the pineapple, so we don't have to worry about eating the chemicals that are on the skin!

Avocados- Once again, we don't eat the skin of the avocados, so they are also okay to buy as not organic.

Cabbage- While cabbage doesn't really have a 'skin', we usually peal away the first few layers of leaves anyways. Also, cabbage tends to absorb the chemicals that might be sprayed on them while growing.

Frozen Peas, Papayas, Mangos, Asparagus, Egg Plant, Kiwi, Grape Fruit, Cantalope, Sweet Potatoes, and Mushrooms are the rest of the Clean Fifteen. These are fruits and vegetables that don't absorb the chemicals that might be used on them, and most of o them we don't eat the skin of. While buying all your fruit and vegetables as organic is great, these fifteen are fine to buy as not organic.

Corn- Corn might be listed on some Clean Fifteen lists, but i have to disagree with it. I belive that corn should always be bought as organic, because otherwise it tends to be GMO( Genetically Modified Organism). GMOs are not healthy for your body, so I suggest always buying organic corn.

I really hope this post as been helpful to you! Buying organic can seem unnecessary and expensive at first, but knowing what should be bought organic and what doesn't have to be, is so helpful! Its easier on your pocket book as well!

If you found this post helpful, please share it with someone else who might enjoy it! Also, please share my blog to spread the love of a healthy lifestyle! :)

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

I post every Friday!

Stay Healthy, Happy and Laughing!

H. Banana

Never Skip a Meal!

     Around the world, people are skipping meals, fasting for hours or even days, and just not eating for a given amount of time. Not because they don't have food to eat, or money to buy it, but simply because they want to lose weight. They've all heard the 'calorie in=calorie out' speech, and they are hoping, that by consuming less calories than they burn, they will lose weight even faster! Maybe they will lose weight, but that weight will almost always come back once they start eating a normal, even healthy, diet. And, if you look at what it does to their health, it doesn't make it look all that worth it. In fact, starving your body is a lot more harmful to your body and future weight loss, than it is helpful!

Skipping a Meal Puts Your Body on a Blood Sugar Rollercoaster!
     When you skip a meal, you are supplying your body with the food it needs to use a fuel for it to run on. Because of this, your blood sugars drop and you feel a loss in energy. Glucose is something that all our organs need to function smoothly and it is super important for optimal brain activity! After four hours of not eating your brain starts getting a fuel shortage, you become tired, sluggish and moody, and your cognitive functions become affected and you will have problems with attention, memory and general mental performance.
     When you constantly put your body in a period of fasting(starving) your blood sugars go up and down a lot. This will seriously effect your dieting efforts! Also, because your insulin is disturbed, you are contributing to the development of diabetes later in life.

Putting Your Body Through Constant Periods of Starvation Will Change Your Metabolism
     If you are looking to lose weight, you want your metabolism to be working well and fast! If you increase your metabolism, it will help you burn calories faster with less effort.  However, when you skip meals, it causes your metabolism to slow down. Not eating gives your metabolism nothing to do, and when you provide it with food again, it finds it harder to kick in. As a result, the food is more readily transformed into fat and stored. 
    When you starve your body it must look for other sources of energy. Your metabolism starts transforming your stored fat into energy. While this might sound like a good idea, it comes with some serious health problems!  It causes nausea, constipation, serious fatigue, kidney stress, and low blood pressure.  And with time, your body gets used to the shortages in food and starts holding on to the food you do give it. It stores it as fat, while reducing your lean muscle tissue.


As you can see, skipping meals is not a healthy choice! It causes so many health problems, and will even harm your weight-loss and dieting efforts! No one wants that, now do we?

     Because of the effect that starvation has on your body, it will hinder you in doing the things that you need to do, both for your health and daily activities! When you don't eat, you don't have any fuel for your body to run properly on, so you won't be able to exercise and be active like you should, especially for weight-loss. Also, you will feel tired all the time and you won't have the energy to do your job, participate in school, run your errands, care for your kids, and all the other task that fill your life.
     Another symptom of starvation is moodiness! The lack of glucose in your system causes you to be extremely moody! Your mood swings, mostly bad-moods, will not only effect you, but the people you are around! There is truth in saying you get moody when your hungry, or even ( to use the popular term) to get hangry!  Do yourself and others a favor by eating a good balanced diet!

     Headaches, nausea, toothaches, loss in hair, blurry vision, low-blood pressure, cold hands and feet, a dry mouth, and stiffness are just a few more of the symptoms of starvation! You can do a quick search on any search-engine and you will find that there are so many more reasons not to skip your meals!

     They are some people who had been skipping meals for years, and there are medical-terms for their condition. Skipping meals can quickly become a mental condition, and can even lead to death, if not taken care of. Anorexia and Bulimia are just two of the types of extreme starvation diseases.


Eating More Food can Be Your Key to Weight loss
     Not eating food might help you lose weight fast, but you will put it on even faster once you start eating normally again! You can bypass that whole yo-yo effect and simply eating more of the right types of foods! Eating more causes your metabolism to become faster, which helps your body burn food faster! The faster you burn food(calories) the easier it will be to lose weight!
     Eating healthier food, and more of it, gives you the energy you need to be active. Being active also aids in speeding up your metabolism, thus helping your weight-loss efforts even more!
When you eat a balanced healthy diet, with at least three meals a day, you are putting your body in a much better stage of health! You have the right amount of glucose in your body which causes your body to function like it should! No more nausea, mood swings, headaches, hair loss, tooth aches, and so on! Your brain works better, allowing you to concentrate and get your work done faster!

    All in all, eating more healthy food puts you in better moods, helps you lose weight, and keeps you feeling great all day every day! Why would you starve yourself when eating more food gives you all these benefits?


     I hope this post is helpful to you! Starvation and skipping meals is a serious problem, so educating yourself of the harmful effects of it will help you take care of yourself an even others! If you found this helpful, please share it with someone else who might find it helpful!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood and Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

I post every Friday!

Stay Healthy, Happy and Laughing!
H. Banana

Veganism 101

    In my New Years post I said that I had made the decision to go vegan. The longer I am vegan the more I learn about it and the better I can share it with others. Veganism is becoming more and more popular, but for those of you who have know idea what veganism means, I wanted to share an overview of it. Whether you are vegan or not, it helps to understand what it means so that you can better understand the reasons other people are vegan. Knowledge of what veganism means is beneficial, vegan or not, in helping you understand the health and wellness world!

What Does Veganism Mean?
According to Wikipedia( I know I know, its the internet, but hang with me!): Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals.^[9] A follower of veganism is known as a vegan.

I find this to be a great definition of what veganism means and what a vegan is! To go into more  depth, a Vegan is someone who does not consume anything that comes from an animal or is the by-product of an animal. A few of the basic and most known food items that vegans do not take part in are- Dairy Products( Butter, Milk, Yogurt, Whey, Cheese...), Meats( Beef, Chicken, Pork, Duck...), Eggs, and animal by-products( Animal Lard/Fat, Gelatin, Honey...). Vegans also avoid products that are processed using animal products. Some sugars are processed using charcoal that sometimes come from animal bones. Alcohol also is not always vegan. Some brands use eggs, egg whites, gelatin, and other animal products to process their alcohol.  There are a few more chemicals, additives, and ingredients that are not vegan, and they have more scientific names. Most vegans soon memorize the non-vegan ingredients and can pick them out in a flash!
Vegans also do not buy or wear products that contain or use animals in anyway. This means leather, down feathers, wool, angora, and fur. There are also a few cleaning, cosmetic, and personal-hygiene products that contain or use animals. Vegans love to use products that are not animal tested and do not contain animal products. Thankfully, these options are becoming more and more available! As to the fur, leather, feathers, and wool, some vegans chose to do without all together. Others wear fake fur and faux leather. Now, you might be thinking, "Isn't that a big waste, to through out all those things when you go vegan?". I had the same question! Most people who go vegan solve this problems by either donating their non-vegan items, selling them, or simply wearing them( with respect) until you no longer can. And when you go to replace the item, choosing a vegan friendly option.
You might be thinking that vegans 'miss out' on a lot of things, but really we don't. When you understand the reasons behind veganism, then it really is a joy to do without these things!

Why Go Vegan?
People go vegan for a variety of reasons. And every reasons is wonderful and personal to the individual. The overall message of veganism is to not contribute to the harm of animals, but not all vegans are vegan for the animals.
Environment- A lot of people go vegan for the environment! It is crazy how much the animal industry effects the environment! 1 hamburger requires 660 gallons of water to produce! 1 pound of butter takes around 2,044 gallons! 1 pound of pork requires 1,630 gallons of water and the production of cheese takes 896 gallons of water per pound! These are just a few examples of the effect that animal production has on our environment! If you would like some more info, check out these links!
Vegan.org   , VeganOutReach.Org, Vegetarian Times.

Animals- Most people are vegan for the animals. It is heart-retching to learn about the harm and cruelty used in the animals industry. I won't go into the details( its pretty graphic!), but here are just a few facts: For every 1 pound of Shrimp sold in the store, and average of 26 pounds of unwanted fish are killed and tossed back in the ocean. Dairy cows have their babies taken away from them after only a few hours so that the milk can be sold in stores. Pigs in the Pork industry are kept in tiny crates, and the sows with babies usually don't even have rom to stand up. Like I said, this part of veganism is pretty graphic and hard to take in. If you would like to know more about this, here are a few links-
Vegan.org, Choose Veggie, and I suggest searching YouTube for information!

Health- Some people are vegan simply for their health. So many studies have been done showing the positive effect veganism has on your health! I mean, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and legumes, how is that not healthy? One study showed that eating meat increases your risk of dying from heart disease by 50%! People with severe acne and skin problems can find relief in a vegan diet, mostly lower in fat. By not eating animal products, your body has fewer chemical to process and get rid of. Also, most people who go vegan lose weight and body fat, and even gain muscle. Everyone who goes vegan will experience more energy, clearer skin, more alert mind, and better overall health! Check out the links below for more information on this!
Vegan.org, VeganHealth.org, NursingDegree.net

How Do People Go Vegan?
Its really very simple, in theory. It seem simple and easy to just stop eating and consuming animal products, and for some, it is that simple, but for others it isn't. Some people find it very hard to rid their diet of the non-vegan items, while others 'go-vegan' overnight. Whether people go vegan overnight, or take a few days, weeks, or months to transition, it is rewarding in the long run!

Some people( mostly non-vegans) like to say that vegans don't get enough protein, calcium, iron, B12, and so on. This is not true. If a vegan is eating a diet rich in plant foods( maybe with vegan-junk-food every once in a while) they will be getting every nutrient that the human body requires.

Most vegans chose to take a B12 vitamin because getting it in your diet is hard! Even most meat-eaters are low in B12! One way a vegan can get B12 is trough Nutritional Yeast, which is amazing!

Protein isn't a problem either! A vegan gets plenty of protein from dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, legumes, and grains. Actually, one should be more worried about a protein over dose instead of being low in it!

Calcium can be found very simply in just about all store-bought non-dairy milks like almond milk! Also plants like artichokes, bean sprouts, bok choy and spinach are high in calcium! No need to take a baby cow's milk away from him to get in our calcium!

Iron comes from dark leafy greens! Also, it can be found in soybeans, sesame seeds, lentils, chickpeas, lima beans, Quinoa, and pumpkin seeds!


I hope this post gives you a better idea on what it means to be vegan and they different ways and reasons people choose to go vegan. I understand veganism isn't for everyone, but learning about veganism can help you better understand those who are vegan.
If you have questions, please leave a comment for me!

Please share this post and my blog with your friends and family!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @SpinachisGood, Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett, and on Tumblr @ justrunningforfood!

I post every Friday!

Keep Healthy and Safe!
H. Banana

Zesty Greek Salad Dressing

     I love salad dressings! But unfortunately most salad dressings are very high in fat and calories! You can make a very low calorie salad into a high calorie meal with a single pour of salad dressing! Yes, they are delicious and, for those who don't like vegetables, it can help them get their greens in, but they aren't a healthy choice. Thankfully, there are many healthier choices that can keep your salad healthy!

One healthier option is this Zesty Greek Dressing! I made this to dress a quinoa salad a few days ago, but let me tell you! I could have drank this dressing from the jar( no kidding!). It was delicious on the quinoa salad, but it would also be great on a lettuce salad, as a veggie dip, heated and used as a pasta sauce, or over rice or other grains! So its versatile, vegan, oil and fat free, low calorie, and packed full of zesty and amazing flavor!

Ingredients:
1 can Diced Tomatoes( try for a low sodium brand)

2 TBS Greek Seasoning ( go for one that doesn't contain salt)

4 TBS Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 cup Water ( more or less depending on what consistency you want. Thicker for dips and sauces and thinner for dressings)

Salt and Pepper to taste

The reason I suggest using no or low salt ingredients is because it allows you to control the amount of salt in the dressing better. You would be surprised how much salt goes into store bought dressings! Making your own is a sure way to make sure what you are eating is truly good for you!

Simple ingredients right? The method is just as simple, so lets get started!

Add everything into a blender or food processor.

Blend well until everything is puréed and combined well. Taste and adjust seasoning to your preferred flavor. I made my dressing fairly thin for my quinoa salad, but I would love to make some thicker and use as pasta sauce!

Store any leftover dressing in the fridge in an high-tight container.

 

I used this dressing on a quinoa salad, so here is an overview of how I made it!

 

2 cups dry Quinoa cooked( I used 3 cups water and 1 cup lemon juice to cook my quinoa)

1 large Cucumber- peeled and diced

1-2 cups Cherry Tomatoes- cut in half

1 can Navy Beans- rinsed

 

I added everything to a large bowl( make sure the quinoa is cold!), and poured about a half a cup of the dressing on it. It was super delicious and fresh! A perfect recipe to start the New Year on the right(healthy) foot!

 

 

This recipe was really simple and yummy! I love how fresh  it taste, and with no added oil, its a great low calorie meal for any day! Another great thing is that this recipe makes a lot! Its great to store in the fridge for quick meals during the week!

 

 

I really hope you try this dressing recipe and see how you like to use it! It really is so simple that you can make it in no time and have it in your fridge for you to use on everything! Much better than those store bought dressings, though delicious, full of fat, oils, additives, chemicals and added sugars! Also, probably much cheaper! What more is there to love?

Both of these recipes are great low-fat vegan recipes, but that doesn't mean everyone can't make and enjoy them! They are perfect recipes to jump start your healthy resolutions for 2016!



I hope you enjoy this recipe post! Please share it with your friends and family to give them a great recipe to start their new year off right! Sharing is caring, so please share my blog as well! :)

You can follow the blog to stay up-to-date on the post! Follow via email, Google, Twitter @SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett. If you come and follow me on social media, please say high! :)

I post every Friday, so check back then for another post!

Keep Healthy and Safe!
H. Banana

Happy 2016!- New Year Resolutions+ Life Update!

     2015 has come and gone, making room for a brand new year! It seems like this past year just flew by so fast! So much happened, a lot has changed, I learned a lot, and had a lot of amazing experiences in 2015! I just can't believe the year is already over!

 

Looking Back

 

     In 2015, so much happened and changed, more so than the years before! For one, we moved from our 30 acre farm in Memphis to a neighborhood outside of Nashville. That was a huge change for all of us! It did take a while to get used to, but we are enjoying our new house and area, and I don't think any of us are regretting the move! We get to spend more time as a family, and that is really all that matters!
     I started babysitting a ton after we moved in to our neighborhood! It has not only kept me busy, but is a great way for me to make money, for shopping or saving for college! :)
     My sisters and I started taking music lessons again after we moved. Our music teacher comes to our house, which is so nice! We all take piano and I also take the violin! It is such a wonderful privilege to learn to play an instrument, and we are all very thankful for it!
     Of course there has been lots of little and big things, that all add together, to make up the year! My little brother has grown so much, my older brother starting college, my Dad went to school(which really is a big deal!), and  we took some great trips, some little and some bigger! Of course our recent trip to Washington D.C was a big highlight!
      My little brother had a trip to the ER room, which was the first trip we've ever had to take there as a family!
     We took an amazing trip to Canada, which is another huge highlight for this year!
      Even further back, last New Years we were in Colorado spending some time with friends and skiing!
Looking  back has really brought back great memories, and made me so thankful for a lot of things! I can't wait to see what this next year holds for me!:)

New Year Resolutions

     Around this time of year, most people make their New Year Resolutions, promises, and set goals, all in the hope that the next year will be better than the previous one. Most of the time, these resolutions have to do with losing weight, health, family, jobs, traveling...... depending on the person, they can be about anything! :)
While I don't have many(if any) regrets, looking back over 2015, I have made a few New Year Resolutions. They aren't really because last year was bad( because it wasn't) but because I have goals I want to accomplish!
No matter what your resolutions are, or why you make them, I do believe they can be a great motivator to accomplish goals in the year to come!

My New Year Resolutions

1. Read More Books- I tend to spend so much time watching cooking videos on YouTube, working on the computer, and Pinterest! I want to read more this next year!
2. Drink More Water! I am terrible about drinking enough water! I want to change that this year!
3. Do More Yoga and Stretching- I love cardio and running, but I don't do enough yoga and stretching! Hopefully that will be different this year!
4. Continue to Eat Healthy- Just keep going with what I am doing, as well as improving as I go!
5. Cook More from my Cook Books- Pinterest recipes are great, but we have so many cook books at home! I want to cook more from them this year!
6. Spend More Time Outside- I am terrible about staying cooped up inside all day, even if it is a pretty day, reading, on the computer, etc.. I want to change that!
7. Put More into my School and Music- Not that I didn't this past year, but there is always room for improvement! :)
8.  Grow my Knowledge of Health and Nutrition- I want to make a career out of it in the future, so the more I learn now, the easy it will be later!
9. Continue to Write Post and Make Recipes for the Blog- because, if anything, I really enjoy it!
10. Do More of What Makes Me Happy- After all, happiness is contagious!

Goals for the New Year

1. Run a Marathon
2. Learn to Drive
3. Read every book on my list
4. Do a Color Run
5. Become a better version of myself, everyday! :)
6. Have as much fun as I did in 2015

     I know that New Year Resolutions can get a bad rap, and people don't tend to stick to them long term! If you have a true passion behind your resolutions, you will go far with it! I hope that, in this next year, I can do a better job of sticking to my resolutions and continue to improve everyday! After all, we are always changing and there is always room for improvements( for myself anyways!)

Life Update

 

 

I Have Gone Vegan!

You might have noticed lately that my recipe posts have all been vegan or vegan friendly. This is because I have decided to change my diet and become a vegan. It is a big change from my diet before, but I haven't regretted the change one bit!

There are several reasons I went vegan! The biggest one is health! I have never felt healthier, better, or fitter before! I don't have anymore annoying stomach aches, and I have more energy!

Obviously there is a lot more to the story, and I hope to share more about Veganism and me going vegan in a later post!

 

You can expect a post about Veganism in the future! Also, most(if not all) of my recipes from here on out will be vegan or vegan friendly!

 

If you are not vegan, don't worry! You can still enjoy my blog! I hope my decision to change my diet won't turn you away from my blog! :)

 

 



I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and a great New Years Day! I can't wait to get started on great things to come in this new year!

Happy 2016!

Please share this post with your friend and family to help them accomplish their health-related New Year Resolutions, and over all become healthier!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett. Its a great way to stay up to date on the blog!

I post every Friday!

Happy New Year!

Hannah Banana