Harvest Nutrition Blog

3 reasons to eat Cantaloupe

Here's three quick reasons to eat cantaloupe:

1.  Great source of fiber and water - fills you up quickly, but in a small amount of calories

2.  Helps with weight loss - when you're satisfied with a delicious, all natural snack like cantaloupe, it cuts down on your body's cravings for refined sugar and other junk.  It's a great "in-betweener" snack throughout the day.

3.  Lowers the risk of high blood pressure and stroke, and helps fend off colds.

To your health!

By Aaron Hughes

http://www.harvestnutrition.com/

"No Antibiotics" on Food Labels; what does it mean?

When shopping for food, it's important to understand the terms "no antibiotics administered / added" and "raised without antibiotics".

 

These are terms on meat and poultry, allowed by the USDA, for producers to ensure the customer that no antibiotics were administered to the animal during its lifetime.  If an animal gets sick, they’ll treat and remove it from the production herd.  Although food producers must give proof in documentation that their animals don’t receive antibiotics, there is currently no verification process in place to tightly enforce this guideline, as of the time of this writing.

 

The term “no hormones administered” can be used on beef when a food producer provides documentation to the USDA showing that no hormones were given to their animals.  It is not legal to use hormones on poultry or pork.

 

Hopefully, that just made the supermarket circus about 1% less confusing for you :) 

By Aaron Hughes

http://www.harvestnutrition.com/

What does "Free Range" mean on Food Labels?

    The term “free range” on poultry and eggs may bring to mind rolling hills where chickens roam freely and feed on their natural diet, and exist in plenty of space, fresh air and sunshine. The term “pastured” is not defined or regulated by the USDA, and it varies depending on the farmer or producer.  But the term “free range” is also weak because the USDA’s only stipulation is that “the poultry has been allowed access to the outside.”  This access may only be a small pop-open chicken door, and the bird may never see the light of day in its entire life.  Even if they do make it outside, it may be to a pen with a dirt ground, not necessarily grass.  “Cage free” is a similar term, which at least ensures that the chickens weren’t kept in crammed cages all of their lives, unable to even spread their wings.   

    A typical scene at a “free range” chicken farm may be hundreds of birds roaming freely, inside the chicken house.  At least they’re not in cages.  Although, some farmers truly let their chickens roam freely in the field, feasting on their natural diet and enjoying a natural lifestyle, thus producing healthier meat and eggs.

    So, what should you do?  If shopping in the supermarket, it’s still best to choose “free range” or “cage free” over the cheaper conventional poultry and eggs.  Though it may not ensure the food was raised in a perfectly ideal environment, it’s still a better choice.  Any step away from conventional, and into the direction of a more natural, free range or organic food, is a good step.

    Locally raised poultry and eggs from reputable sources where the chickens are truly pasture-raised and can roam free are definitely the best, if available.

By Aaron Hughes

http://www.harvestnutrition.com/

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If you live in or around Hardin County, KY, here's an awesome local source:

Heartland Whole Life Buying Club, Elizabethtown

Contact: Serena Erizer 270-763-9743

heartlandwholelifeorders@yahoo.com

Why Real Milk is sooooo Good

Now that we know why commercial skim milk is soooo bad, let's discover why real, raw milk from grass-fed cows (and goats) is soooo good!

-Cows eat their natural diet of nutrient-dense grasses instead of grains, thus living healthier lives and producing richer, healthier milk

-They have not been given antibiotics, steroids or hormones.

-They live a natural life, raised on pasture, not on a crowded factory farm.

-The milk is WHOLE; it hasn't been pasteurized or homogenized.

-Milk is a Biblically endorsed whole food; it's been consumed for centuries in its real form for thousands of years by virtually every culture.

-Real milk has LACTASE, which is the enzyme that breaks down lactose.  Many lactose-intolerant people do just fine when drinking raw milk.  In fact, over 80% of people in a Michigan study were able to perfectly tolerate raw milk, after being advised by their healthcare professional that they were "lactose intolerant"!

-It's loaded with beneficial enzymes and probiotics, both of which help you digest milk and utilize its full nutrient potential.

-It's full of fat-soluble vitamins A and D, healthy fats, and vital minerals like Calcium.  Your body can properly absorb these nutrients because of the original chemistry of real milk.  (Example: milk fat aids your body in digesting and using vitamins A and D, as well as Calcium.)

-Raw milk is safe.  Modern stainless steel tanks and refrigerated trucks have made any concerns of contamination obsolete.

 

REAL MILK does the body REALLY GOOD.

For an amazing support to your digestive and immune system, as well as your bones and overall health, drink real milk.

How to find it:

It's hard to find in stores.  Only a few states currently allow the sale of raw milk in supermarkets.

For local sources of farms and co-ops, visit http://www.realmilk.com/.

To order online, try http://www.organicpastures.com/

As always, eat real food, and your life will thank you!

By Aaron Hughes

http://www.harvestnutrition.com/