Winner and Green Living!

Hi-
Here's the results. You need to have your numbers to me by 12 noon Monday in order to place.

1. Mike and Midge 98%
2. Annette 99.2%
3. John 99.534%
4. Megan and Bill 100%
5. Dan 100.8%
6. Mary 101%
7. Aileen ?????

All right people, we have to ramp it up! Our numbers should be WAY lower than these. We all need to lose weight--not gaining is not enough. Here's the challenge so you can plan for it. Stock up on your healthy foods, plan your workout schedules, so that by next Monday we are all at 97%. We can do it-- make it happen.

Here's some food for thought:


Green Living

Go Organic!

Everyone has heard about the pesticides that are on fruits and vegetables, and why we should avoid them, but how about in your dairy and meat? What do you think the animals are eating before they’re milked or they reach their untimely deaths? Not organic grains, unless you buy certified organic dairy or meat. Pesticides are especially concentrated in meats. Here are some numbers from meats that were tested in a lab for pesticide residues: bacon 48 pesticide residues (PR), lunch meat 102 (PR), hamburger meat 113 (PR), hot dogs 123 (PR). The only way to protect you and your kids from ingesting pesticides is to buy organically grown products.

“Organically grown products are so expensive!” You say. Well, they aren’t like they used to be, and the prices keep coming down. The more people who buy them, the lower the prices will get. There is no excuse not to buy organic these days. Every store you go to sells organically grown products, even Wal-mart for goodness sakes. It is also important to support organic farmers, so that they can continue to practice sustainability to keep the Earth a healthier place for our kids and their kids, too.

My local fruit market has great prices on organically grown produce and meats. You can buy bagged apples, pears and oranges for cheaper than conventionally grown at the regular grocery store. The Marketplace on Oakton near Skokie Blvd. also has a very nice section of organically grown produce at good prices.

Don’t forget packaged products, like juices, juice boxes, milk, cheeses, wines, beers, etc. All of these products can be bought organic from you local grocer. You don’t have to rely on Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck). Jewel sells their own organic label, Wild Harvest. Dominick’s has O Organics, and Target sells Archer Farms which has great organic coffee, fruit strips, and frozen pizza. But, don’t forget Trader Joe’s. If you’ve never been to Trader Joe’s—you have to check it out. It is a treat to shop there. They have tons of organically grown products at affordable prices. There is one in Park Ridge, which is really quick to get to, and there is another in Glenview. I’m not sure about what Happy Foods has—haven’t checked it out…..
Here’s a list of foods you should absolutely buy organic because of pesticide residues:
1. meat, dairy and eggs
2. coffee
3. peaches and nectarines
4. apples
5. bell peppers
6. celery
7. berries
8. lettuce
9. grapes
10. any foods you eat very frequently