Hydration - Healthy Tip #22

Healthy Tip #22

When you don't drink the right amount of water, you gain weight, experience foggy thinking and your skin becomes dry.

The Solution
1. Drink the proper amount of water for you each day. (Learn how to calculate how much you need below)
2. Be aware of dehydrating activities that will require you to get more water such as: medications, working out, extreme weather, caffeine and alcohol.
3. Eat your water - eating fresh, juicy foods is the best food for you and great to help with hydration.
4. Time of day - drink half of your daily water needs before noon. Drink the other half before 6 pm. It's best to drink on an empty stomach. Never drink with meals or after meals. It is ok to resume drinking 1-2 hours after a meal.

Calculate Your Needs
To calculate your daily water needs, divide how much you weigh (in pounds) by two. The answer will tell you how many oz. of water you need per day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 oz. of water.

What To Expect
As you begin to drink the right amount for you, the cravings for coffee and soda begin to disappear.

Dehydrating Drinks
Anything with caffeine, coffee, black and green tea, soda, drinks with sugar and alcohol.

Which Water?
Avoid - regular tap water and distilled water in plastic bottles
Acceptable - spring water delivered in glass bottles or tap water that has been purified.


Sincerely,
Jon-Michael

Ten Tips to Save Money and Stay Healthy in the New Year

Happy Holidays! With the New Year approaching soon, we at Love Street Living Foods wanted to share with you ten tips to make 2010 a healthier and less-expensive year on an Organic, Vegan, and Raw Diet:

1) Buy food like oils, nuts and seeds (make sure they are fresh) in bulk for maximum savings

2) Buy high-quality, organic supplements online and in bulk

3) Eat fruits and homemade trail mixes and smoothies for sustained energy on-the-go

4) Make meals with others and split the cost of ingredients (especially bulk ingredients) with them to save even more money (and spend time with loved ones!)

5) Grow your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs for an amazing, fresh taste and as a labor of love

6) Save money overall by eating out less (or eating less-expensive meals at restaurants), eating less processed food, and not visiting the doctor or hospital as much

7) Learn how to maintain an Organic, Vegan, and Raw Diet (for all those days when you crave other foods) with our personalized Nutrition Evaluations

8) Supplement your diet (while staying energized throughout the day) with our very own Personal Training/Coaching Services

9) Sign up for our Newsletter for great discounts to restock on your favorite products, try new ones, and get original recipes

10) Shop online at the health food super store that has searched out all of the best products at the best prices: Love Street Living Foods

Gifts Everyone Will Love

With the holidays approaching us, Love Street Living Foods is providing you with lovely gift options to help you plan ahead for any occasion in which to show your appreciation. With healthy and environmentally-friendly gifts ranging from Raw Organic Vegan Chocolate to Holistic Body Care Products, we've got you covered.

Raw Chocolate

-Our Raw, Organic and Vegan Original Chocolate Spreads (available in Plain and Coconut and sweetened with Agave Nectar) are two of our best selling products! Rich, addictive and decadent, our handmade Spreads are made with only the highest-quality ingredients to give you the best products we can! This is why we now offer you the option of sending both of our Spreads to others for special occasions or as corporate gifts through our Raw Chocolate Spreads Gift Box! Wrapped in a beautiful gift box (shown left), this product comes with Free Shipping!


-As mentioned in a previous post, we also offer the exquisitely-wrapped Love Street Originals Gift Basket, which contains a full size jar (6 oz.) of our Original Chocolate Spread and two of our extremely-popular 1 oz. Original Chocolate Bars (Super Fudge and Goji Berry Chocolate) at an affordable price: $24.95! This Gift Basket full of 100% Raw, Vegan, and Organic Chocolate is wonderful to send to Chocolate Lovers, and is an excellent way to introduce loved ones to Love Street!


Nut Butters

What could be better than a nutritious snack of Raw Organic Nut Butter? Our Artisana Nut Butters have essential vitamins, minerals and fatty acids and no Dairy, Gluten, Peanuts or GMOs. If you have tried our Nut Butters before and would like to try other flavors (try mixing more than one in a smoothie!), or if you've never sampled any of our Artisana products, this is the gift for you!

Available with (shown right) or without the gift basket, our Artisana Nut Butter Sampler Basket includes 1 oz. jars of EVERY Nut Butter we carry--all at the great price of $13.95 (basket included)!

The Eight Delicious Flavors:

Almond Butter
Cashew Butter
Coconut Butter
Coconut Oil
Macadamia/Cashew Butter
Pecan Butter
Walnut Butter
Tahini


Holistic Skin Care

What could be better for protecting, revitalizing, and nourishing your skin than pure, healthy and organic products? Here are five affordable sample packs and kits that your face and body will thank you for:

Facial Care

-Our Almond Facial Kit Sample Pack (shown left) has just what is needed to care for sensitive skin--four hypoallergenic products made with Sweet Almond Oil (an excellent moisturizer): Almond Cleansing Lotion, Almond Moisture Cream, Almond Intensive Facial Cream and Almond Facial Oil.

-For reawakened, revitalized skin, try our Wild Rose Facial Care Sample Pack. Containing Wild Rose Cleansing Lotion, Wild Rose Facial Toner, Wild Rose Moisture Cream, Wild Rose Night Cream, and a Facial Care Brochure, this gift is packed with antioxidants to give you the soft, youthful, and glowing skin you've always wanted!

Body Care

-Body Oils can come in many different scents and may also serve various purposes--which is why you should try as many as you can! The Body Oils Sampler Pack by Weleda (shown right) helps you do just that: containing Birch Cellulite Oil, Arnica Massage Oil, Lavender Relaxing Body Oil, Wild Rose Body Oil, Citrus Refreshing Body Oil, and Sea Buckthorn Body Oil, this luxurious kit is a treat for many skin types and needs!

-For aging skin, our Pomegranate Regenerating Body Care Sample Pack is a great investment. Filled with the potent antioxidants of Organic Pomegranate Seed Oil, this lovely kit contains a Body Oil, Hand Cream, and Creamy Body Wash to promote skin renewal any time of the day!

-If you or a loved one enjoy eco-friendly reusable totes with your pure gifts, then this next product is a great two-in-one find! Our Pomegranate Regenerating Body Care Gift Kit (shown left) turns your bath and shower time into heaven for your skin with a Creamy Body Wash, Regenerating Body Oil, Naturally Exfoliating Loofah--and all of these products come packed in a beautiful Reusable Tote Bag, for anti-aging on-the-go!

Please note: We also offer full-size versions of any of the smaller sizes of the Holistic Skin Care Products mentioned above--just visit our website!

Gift Certificates

Also mentioned in a previous post, our Online Gift Certificates are a great way to give others the option of choosing the exact Love Street Living Foods products and services that they desire.

Features:

-Available in any denomination

-Can be sent through e-mail or print

-Send as many as you would like!

A New Raw Transformation

We here at Love Street Living Foods love it when you take charge of your life. We especially love it when you achieve the results that you were looking for:

Colleen, who has been training with our CEO, Jon-Michael Kerestes (an Olympic-caliber coach), for the past 5 months, has lost 42 pounds through weekly sessions and a change in diet. For the full story (and to see some before-and-after photos), take a look at the video testimonial below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mA3XBPKGm4

If you would like to have a success story similar to the one shown here, then please contact us for a FREE fitness and nutrition assessment!

Need a Date?

Well Love Street Living Foods has got you covered! We have just added the third variety of date to our inventory: the Deglet Noor date. Deglet Noors (Arabic: 'translucent' or 'date of light') - are so named because the center appears light or golden when held up to the sun.

Dates are a sweet, fleshy fruit with a long history. Dates have been a staple food in the Middle East for thousands of years--there is even archaeological evidence of date cultivation in eastern Arabia as early as 6000 B.C.

Much like the palm trees we are used to seeing in southern areas of the United States, the Date Palm is a tall tree that produces large bunches of these berry-like fruits. This type of tree is thought to have been migrated from the desert oases of northern Africa to various areas with similar climates around the world. Date Palms are believed to have been brought to America by Spanish Conquistadors in 1765. Our Deglet Noor dates are a product of California, a primary date producing state in the USA. Dates are actually much like berries, in that the fruit is formed above the flower of the plant. They contain a single seed (stone or pit) and are separated into categories by level of sweetness;

"soft" (or sweetest) which includes: 'Barhee', 'Halawy', 'Khadrawy', 'Medjool'
"semi-dry" (or medium sweet) which includes: 'Dayri', 'Deglet Noor', 'Zahidi'
and "dry" (or least sweet) which includes: 'Thoory'

There are many uses for dates--though most often used in desserts, they can be pitted and stuffed with nuts, tahini, other fruits or just eaten plain. Chopping or pureeing dates creates a sweet filling for cookies, pies, puddings or other desserts. The possibilities are endless, try something new and create your own date dish! If you send us the recipe, we will publish it on our website!

Dates have a high tannin and fiber content and are often used to relieve gastrointestinal discomfort, and to promote regularity. They have also been known to be administered as a mild fever reducer, and made into a tonic for the relief of pain associated with sore throats, and bronchitis. While dates are mostly made up of carbohydrates and fiber - they do boast a reasonable protein, calcium and iron content and are very low in fat.

So, why not spice up your diet with a date? Try a new recipe, add them to your favorite dish or just eat them as a snack. Your digestive system will thank you.

Breathe in the Best Possible Air

At Love Street Living Foods, we care about providing you with the best selection of eco-friendly products available--which is why we offer a great range of Air Filters, Purifiers, Fresheners, and Humidifiers that come with a variety of features, and in sizes and colors to fit your specific needs. These Air Products will not only provide relief from Spring- and Summertime allergies, but will keep both you and places such as your home, car, office, and refrigerator contaminant-free. Thus, asthma sufferers will benefit, as well.

Many of these products, in general, remove contaminants, allergens (pet dander, mold spores, dust, pollen, dust mite feces, etc.), secondhand smoke, and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) from the air you breathe. Volatile Organic Compounds--for those who are not aware--are gases and vapors emitted from solids and liquids (such as paints, cleaning supplies, and pesticides) that pose both short-and long-term health risks.

A sampling of the Air Products we offer:

Filters/Air Purifiers:
-Our Ozone-Free HEPA Filtration Air Purifier removes at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 micrometers in diameter (the most difficult size of particles to filter). Particles that are larger or smaller than this size are filtered with even higher efficiency. HEPA filters, in general, are designed to target and trap very small particles through 3 mechanisms: interception, impaction, and diffusion. This portable unit uses UV, ionization, and photo-oxidation to not only kill mold and germs, but to eliminate smoke, odors, and pollutants in the air you breathe.

Air Purifiers:
-Our 1500 square foot UV/Ozone Air Purifier (shown above in the color Pearl; also available in the color Graphite) is the "World's Best Lightweight Air Purifier"--using a technique found in nature that combines UV light and activated Oxygen to remove smoke, odors, and germs. Aside from being lightweight, it also comes with adjustable fan speeds (to control the amount of cleansing ions and oxidizers used) and a 2-hour Away mode to give you the most activated Oxygen for the best possible cleansing in a remote area. If you are looking to cover a greater amount of space, we also provide 3000 square foot UV/Ozone and Ozone-Free Air Purifiers.

-To reduce germs in your car, hotel, or office, try our Portable Air Purifier. Lightweight and with parts that are all replaceable, this unit has 6 customizable settings for each type of space and uses a UV bulb and Purifier Plate to cleanse the air you breathe--anywhere you go!

-For your own breathing zone, our stylish Personal Air Purifiers use the technology of Advanced Ionic Air Purification to have a constant supply of fresh ion-charged air in places such as airplanes, elevators, and places with pool-quality air. Ultra-lightweight and available in the variety of colors shown (Pink, Graphite, Clear, and Pearl), these purifiers comes with a neck strap, clip, two lithium rechargeable batteries and battery recharger--making them easy-to-wear for hours on end! Affordable and a great investment--make sure to get one for each member of your family!


Fresheners:
-We also offer a multi-tasking Plug-In Room Freshener (in the colors Pearl and Graphite) that comes with a built-in Night Light, for well-lit areas and up to 50 square feet of space with sprays of activated Oxygen. Featuring an adjustable power switch and 3 modes of operation (Away, Normal, and Night Light), its plug-in design lets you move it from room to room, without anything to trip over! This handy Freshener sprays away odors in places such as your bathroom, closet, office space, hallway, and near trash cans, hampers, diaper pails, litter boxes, and anywhere else you may need a large burst of freshness and/or an extra light.

Humidifiers/Air Purifiers:
-To reduce static and avoid dry skin and irritated sinuses, our very stylish Room Humidifier with Air Purification is not just for staying warm during Winter (and, thus--saving energy). Using activated Oxygen to clean and tiny water particles to moisturize the air, this Humidifier also prevents mold, mildew, and bacteria in its tank--and ultimately, in your air.

Other features of this high-efficiency Humidifier include: low maintenance, LCD display, a large capacity and washable tank, low power use (plugs into a standard outlet), and adjustable user controls (comes with a remote control). Lastly, all of the parts of this Humidifier can be replaced--thereby increasing the amount of times it can be used over the years, and saving you from having to purchase an entirely new Humidifier!

All About Agave

Agave syrup (also called agave nectar) is a sweetener produced in Mexico from the leaves of the blue agave plant (Agave tequilana). The blue agave plant is native to Mexico, favoring the land's sandy soil and high altitudes of 1,500 m above sea level. Agave is a large succulent (a plant that retains water), with spiky, fleshy leaves that can grow to over two meters in length. There are over 136 species of agave in Mexico and experts consider this blue agave to be the finest in the world.

Agave is a favorite sweetener of raw foodists and health conscious eaters because it has a delicious, mild and sweet flavor -- like honey without the aftertaste--with a syrup consistency. These qualities make it easy to use in most recipes--replacing processed sugars or honey that can cause spikes in blood sugar and are produced from animal byproducts.

Premium blue agave is a natural sweetener and has a lab-certified low glycemic index, due to its very high (85-90%) fructose content. Possible benefits of using Premium Blue Agave Syrup could include: balanced blood sugar, longer-lasting and more stable energy, steadier moods, weight reduction and more. Blue agave syrup contains iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium—all of which are crucial minerals for health. Its nutrient profile is similar to molasses or dark maple syrup, but with a lower glycemic index.

Love Street Living Foods' Raw Organic Blue Agave Syrup is produced at temperatures below 118 degrees Fahrenheit so that all of the nutritional elements of the nectar are preserved in their natural form. It is also 100% certified organic and kosher and obtained from producers with fair trade growing and harvesting procedures. We now offer it in two convienent sizes: 8 ounce squeeze bottles for your countertop or table, and a 64 ounce size that is great for recipes and refilling your squeeze bottle. Try some in your tea, desserts or favorite recipe today.

The Theraputic Power of Far Infrared Heat

Who wouldn't like to come home after work and relax in their personal home far infrared sauna? I know I would! Love Street now offers these luxurious, hardwood, far infrared saunas at great prices! They come in 1, 2, 3 or 4 person models--sized for any home.

Infrared (IR) radiation is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength longer than that of visible light, but shorter than that of radio waves. The radiation hits the surface of the body and heats through a process called conversion, instead of heating the air around you. This is very much like the way the sun heats you--(when you bathe in its light) only without the harmful UVA and UVB rays which can damage your skin.

Far infrared heat is a very natural way to heat the body and stimulate sweat glands, which in turn triggers the body's built-in detoxification system. By regular sweating, we encourage our bodies to rid themselves of toxins and other substances that build up in our systems from everyday pollution, artificial or modified substances in the foods we eat, and daily living. The toxins leave our bodies through our sweat glands, and then can be washed away by showering, or bathing. *Note: when sweating to detoxify, always make sure you drink plenty of spring water both before and after you sweat --an abundance of water in your system allows you to maximize the effectiveness of your sweat, replenishes vital organs after they have detoxed, and ensures toxins have available fluids on which to leave the body through sweat glands.

Detoxification however, is only one of the many benefits of far infrared sauna therapy. By heating your body and activating your sweat glands, your body's metabolism naturally increases. Each minute you are in your sauna, calories are being burned as your body works hard to pump blood, stimulating your cardiovascular system. This stimulation is similar to that of a cardiovascular workout - and with regular use, a far infrared sauna can be an effective weight loss tool! Check out this interview with actor Jeremy Davies on how he used a far infrared sauna to lose weight for a role by clicking HERE. There is also research to support cellulite reduction through far infrared sauna therapy's deep warming capability.

The deep penetrating heat of a far infrared sauna also helps to alleviate muscle pain by dilating blood vessels and increasing blood circulation--giving achy, overworked muscles the nutrients they need to heal. It also serves to lubricate joints, tendons and tissues for a greater range of motion and flexibility--causing an overall decrease in stiffness and joint pain.

Many people cannot endure a traditional sauna's "steam room" heat for very long (traditional saunas can reach an air temperature of 169-190 degrees Fahrenheit!)--as this can cause sensations of light-headedness, low blood sugar or fainting. The air temperature in Love Street's far infrared saunas remains between 100-140 degrees Fahrenheit, and is adjustable by the user. All of the energy used by the sauna goes into heating your body directly, and not the air around you--making them more comfortable to use, efficient and energy-saving.

These far infrared saunas are also quite luxurious! Each model includes lighting inside and out, windows for ventilation, all hardwood cedar construction (for that classic sauna aroma), digital controls, and a Pioneer Stereo system with built-in speakers! This is all in the comfort of your own home. Thus, the benefits are amazing and the price is right for any budget--so why wouldn't you want one of these waiting for you at home?

Memorial Day Sale

Memorial Day Sale!

All this weekend we are having a sale on our Original Ground Madagascar Vanilla Powder! Enjoy over 15% discounts on all quantities of this precious kitchen resource, and stock up for those summertime smoothies, ice creams and iced maca type drinks!

This sale also features special pricing on our blenders! We are offering specials on shipping, and prices so low - we can't advertise them! Please call us at (412) 381-1867 for pricing, or email us at info@lovestreetlivingfoods.com.

Extra! Extra! Read All About it! Love Street in Veg News!

Since beginning publication in 2000, VegNews has become the most talked about vegetarian magazine. The premier magazine to focus on a vegetarian lifestyle, VegNews offers its more than 195,000 readers up-to-date information on living a compassionate and healthy lifestyle with sections and tips on everything you could ever need, do, use or want Vegetarian and Vegan style!

Thanks to VegNews, we can add another raving review for our Original Chocolate Spreads to our press archive! This month's issue of VegNews features a section called "Veg picks" where VegNews staffers test and review vegetarian and vegan products for everyday use. They include everything from food, body and beauty products, toys and more - all vegan or vegetarian friendly. They make sure to only share the products that they themselves would use. Grab a copy at your local bookstore or newsstand or get a subscription/order one here.

VegNews also has started an online blog specificly for the purpose of reviewing veg-friendly products and services. Check it out here.

Give The Gift of Love... Street!

Spring is in full swing, which means that this is the perfect time to share the gift of Love Street Living Foods with your friends and loved ones through a Love Street Originals Gift Basket. These gift baskets are a great way to introduce someone to Love Street, congratulate a graduate, thank a co-worker or client, or to give as a gift - and they come at a great price - $24.95!
Included in every basket are two of our 1 oz original Chocolate bars;
Superfudge (Sweetened with Agave Nectar)
and our Goji Berry Chocolate Bar (Sweetened with Maple Sugar)
also included is a 6oz jar of our Original Chocolate Spread (sweetened with Agave Nectar).

And if you want to make sure the person you care about gets exactly what they want, try one of our on-line gift certificates. They are available in denominations of $25, $50, $100, & $200 to fit any budget. An on-line gift certificate lets the receiver choose from our extensive catalog of Raw, Organic, Holistic and Nutritional products, and allows them to order on our website from anywhere in the world, and have their favorite Love Street Products shipped directly to them. Perfect for health conscious corporate gifts, employee incentives, and college students away from home.

Your Experience with Love Street

We want to hear from YOU! How have our Organic, Raw and Vegan products changed you or those that you know? Have you influenced others to try what we have to offer? In what ways do you use Love Street Living Foods in your daily life? Do you:

-Plan out your meals with our Raw Organic Pecans, Sun-Dried Black Botija Olives and/or Artisana Macadamia-Cashew Butter™?

-Experience good, clean bliss with our Body Brush or Agave Washcloth?

-Bathe in or eat meals with our Tibetan Crystal and Hawaiian Red Clay Salts?

-Take a bite of our Super Fudge Bar as a midnight snack?

-Provide Superfood nutrition to your pets with Health Force Green Mush™?

-Purify your home with our environmentally-friendly Eco-Showerhead, Ozone-free HEPA filtration Air Purifier™, or Biokleen Automatic Dish Gel™?

-Create your own recipes with our new BlendTec™ and Vita-Mix™ Blenders and/or Good4U™ Dehydrator?

Let us know what you or others use and how!

Please e-mail: blueforest12@gmail.com with your name (first name is fine), experience with our food and any questions. We would love to feature your story on our blog!

As always, you can review individual products at the bottom of their product page on our website, http://www.lovestreetlivingfoods.com/!

"Raw Food Fabulous!" at Home

Raw food diets are potentially one of the healthiest ways to eat, so one might ask "Why isn't everyone doing this?!". For a lot of people the "3 C's" play a big role in their everyday food choices. Those "3 C's" are:

• Cost
• Consistency
• Convenience

In this economy it is no surprise to hear that people are increasingly concerned with getting more "bang for their buck" in their household grocery bill. Although raw foods are the most nutrient dense types of foods, they are often a bit more expensive than their processed, cooked and preservative laden competition in the supermarket. Dried fruits, Nuts, Trail Mixes and Raw crackers can not only be hard to find (if you don't know where to look), but are considered "health food" or "specialty items" and are priced as such. There is an alternative however; these foods are easy and cost effective to make at home in a home dehydrator.
Home Dehydrators are moderately priced appliances that are easy to use, and hold a myriad of possibilities for the creative low-temperature drying of foods. They often come with recipe books filled with tasty options and ideas for your favorite foods as well as things you may have never tried. Books can also be found at your local library or used bookstore on creative dehyrating. Since there is no hot stove or cooking involved, creating dehydrated snacks can be a fun family activity. Children can learn the importance of healthy foods in a hands-on manner and get to eat the finished products! Here is a recipe that is healthy, and easy to make in a dehydrator - published by Alissa Cohen from "Living on Live Food":

1 cup raisins
1 cup walnuts
1 cup macadamia nuts (chopped into big pieces)
1 cup bananas ( chopped Up)

In food processor blend raisins and walnuts until smooth. Add in macadamia nuts and bananas. Dehydrate for 8 to 10 hours. (We topped this with our Original Chocolate Spread! YUM!)

Blending can also be a very effective way to gain the most nutritional benefits from your fresh foods, and to add new flavors into your daily diet. Soups, baby foods, purees, smoothies and shakes are all easy to make if you have the right machine. Vita-Mix and BlendTec are two major manufacturers of home, and commercial grade blenders that can serve your every blending need, while helping you better utilize your food, gain more nutrition and save money. Many people find it very convienent to make smoothies in the morning, because they can get all their vitamins and eye opening powders in one tasty, smooth beverage that can be consumed on-the-go! Try this recipe for eye-opening morning nutrition:

Vanilla Nut
A Raw Smoothie Recipe from Jennifer

Jennifer’s Note: I usually use a nut mylk base without straining it in through a nut bag (I’m sometimes lazy) but you can strain it if you like.

-Nut Mylk
-1/2 cup Brazil nuts
-1/2 cup walnuts
-3-5 dates
-1/2 tsp Vanilla Powder
-3-5 cups water

(OPTIONAL)

-Maca powder
-Cacao
-Coconut oil
-Frozen (or fresh) Strawberries
-Frozen (or fresh) blueberries
-Goji berries
-Spinach.

The Key to the smoothie is the AMAZING nut mylk which tastes great on its own and the Vanilla powder. The nut mylk seriously tastes like a soft serve vanilla ice cream and adding the other stuff without straining it makes for a great smoothie with a creamy sort of base.

Check out this link for more great smoothie recipes!
With a small up-front investment in these quality at-home kitchen appliances, you can save yourself;

• Cost - save money making your own dried snacks, baby foods, juices and smoothies and gain every bit of nutrition your fresh foods have to offer!
• Consistency - a great blender will crush ice to snow, and give you the smoothest purees for soups, baby food and shakes!
• Convienence - have food at home that you can grab and go, knowing exactly what's in it, and what isn't! (preservatives, additives and processed sugars and fats!)

and reap the benefits that a Raw Food diet has to offer. For additional information on Raw Food Diets, contact us at info@lovestreetlivingfoods.com, or check out the DVD "Simply Raw".

MMmmm Coleslaw!

Take a moment to check out this great recipe for Kalamata olive and garlic aioli coleslaw published by Marc on his "Feel Good Eating" blog. I'm sure you will feel good after eating this!

Happy Earth Day! - The children are our future (and the planet's)!

Anyone who has ever lived with a child (or just been around one for a few minutes!) knows that children learn very fast! Their minds are like sponges, drawing in information at an incredible rate. They are always asking questions and learning as they play in and around their world. When a new person or experience comes their way, it sparks their curiosity, and opens up a whole new level of interest, and a whole new world to them.
Earth Day can be a fantastic opportunity to spread the message of environmental awareness and caring to the people who will be affected by the actions we take today - our children. This Earth Day take some time to talk with your child about the environment, plants, animals and the weather. See what they know, and what questions they might have - chances are you will be surprised at how knowledgeable they are on this topic already!
Hands-on experience is a great way to help cement ideas into young minds, so we have compiled a list of websites that can help you get ideas that you can enjoy with your family while learning about our environment. The Nature Conservancy has put together a list of ways to celebrate Earth Day with your family, entitled "Spring Outside! Get outside to celebrate Earth Day" that offers links to sites that will help you find out where to go, and what to do when looking for outdoor activities for all ages. Family friendly Earth Day activities can also be found at the Federal Government's list "For Kids". Another great site is Kaboose, they have a whole host of crafts you can do at home like making an Egg Carton Bug Mobile, activites you can do anywhere, foods you can make, and things for your home.
The best way to teach our children about taking care of our planet and its' environment is by setting good examples ourselves, and reinforcing responsible behaviors at home. Earth Day is a great chance to bring awareness to young minds about a problem that they will have to work on every day of their lives if we are going to make a difference. After all - the children are the future, ours and our planet's!

The Traveling Vegetarian

"Just a bite after lunch is perfect. Totally takes care of my sweet craving and I don’t have to feel any guilt about it. It’s a win-win!"

This is part of what Yvonne Smith of the Traveling Vegetarian had to say about our Love Street Original Chocolate Coconut Spread in her online review entitled "Raw Vegan Chocolate". Smith had been a vegetarian for over 15 years, when she realized a change in her diet (cutting out dairy completely) could help with her acne and weight problem. She went vegan in 2006, began exercising and within a few months her face had cleared up and she had lost two dress sizes, as well as no longer experiencing headaches and painful menstrual cramps. These results led her to audition as a host for a television show, and pitch an idea for a show about great tasting healthy food all around the world. Smith and her husband are currently in talks with networks about getting their show off the ground.
But for right now, we are lucky to have The Traveling Vegetarian, where we can find Smith's blog, her videos, and reviews of healthy vegetarian food from all around the world. (She just got back from Australia!) Check it out!

Earth 911: A Link to Reuse (and Revisit!)

With Earth Day right around the corner, we at Love Street Living Foods wanted to introduce you to Earth 911, one of our "Links You'll Love", and a fantastic website dedicated to recycling, finding recycling centers near you (they have over 100,000 listed), and making a positive impact on the environment. We, here, at Love Street Living Foods believe in making the world a cleaner and safer place to live in --which is why ALL of our packaging is 100% biodegradable and we offer products on our website, such as air filters and water filters, to help YOU purify your world. One of the best things about Earth 911 is their slogan, "Making Every Day Earth Day"--which is a priority that everyone should make. The company was founded in 1991 and started off as a recycling hotline (which still exists and is now bilingual). Since then, they have grown to provide you with detailed information on how to recycle over 100 products--under categories such as "Hazardous", "Garden", "Metal", "Electronic" and "Automotive"! With articles added every week, the latest news on recycling, top searches on their website (to inform you of what the world likes to recycle), discussion boards, and polls, Earth 911's website (http://www.earth911.com/) is a haven for "Reduce-Reuse-Recycle"!

Brain Function - Something we all should be thinking about!

Ever wonder where the term "fat head" came from?! Follow the link below to find some great info on how fat affects our brains - published by Bronwyn Schweigerdt on April 14, 2009.

BeanDiet: brain fat

Some "good for you" fats like monounsaturated fat, and Omega 3's can be found in Artisana Nut Butters and Raw Olives, all of which are available on our site.

A review - Healthy Options For Any Diet

Check out a review by a staff writer Jaime Burklund at The Eastern Echo. The Eastern Echo has served the Eastern Michigan University and Ypsilanti communities as an independent newspaper for more than 125 years. The Eastern Echo is paid for solely through its own advertising revenue. This means the university cannot dictate management or content. All Echo employees are required to be at least part-time students at the university. We were recently reviewed by Jaime, and she had some great things to say about the raw-foodist lifestyle, and our company's founder - Jon-Michael Kerestes. Take a look for yourself at: www.easternecho.com/content/love-street-living-foods-healthy-options-any-diet-0

Our Newest Link - VegBlogs.com, the Vegan Blog Tracker

We want to hear from you! Let us know what you want to see, if there are any new blogs you've found interesting, or if there are any new products that you would want us to carry and why! We keep working to expand our "Links You'll Love!" section, trying to provide you with connections that can enhance your everyday life.
Our newest "Link You'll Love" is for VegBlogs.com a great resource for all things Vegan/Vegetarian in blog format! This site fetches the latest vegan blog posts from around the web to help you find blog posts and stories that interest you. Also, if you have a vegan or vegetarian blog, you can have it reviewed by them, and they will potentially list it on their site, in exchange for you listing VegBlogs.com on yours. Find anything and everything you've ever wanted to know about veganism, or vegetarianism and recipes to go with it! VegBlogs.com is definately a valuable resource for anyone who wants to know about what they put in their mouth.

Pet People!

At Love Street Living Foods we make choosing the most nutritious, healthy foods a priority in our every day lives. Nearly 39% of all households own at least one dog, and almost 34% own at least one cat. So chances are good that choosing a healthy dog or cat food is a priority for your family as well. Finding premium pet food can be difficult in today’s market with more than 80% of the pet food giants controlling the market and selling food with cheap ingredients. There are so many choices of pet foods out there; the variety in the supermarket can be overwhelming. Every label indicates why it is "nutritionally balanced" and "loaded with essential nutrients" for your pet. But what the big pet food companies don’t want us to know is that most pet foods contain ingredients that you wouldn’t ever consider edible – animal by products such as chicken feet, intestines, beaks, and heads. What’s more, these products usually contain chemical preservatives, artificial food coloring and flavors, and sometimes even corn and wheat gluten which are known allergens. All of these ingredients can be harmful to your pets. Which is why holistic pet foods are the better choice when it comes to feeding your animal companions.

Healthy pet food is made from only the finest and most natural ingredients that are processed in human grade conditions. When you’ve got fresh, wholesome ingredients in your pet food, you can be sure that what you’re feeding your pet is safe and is packed with all the nutrients and minerals essential to her/him. Healthy pet food should also go through a process of fast cooking, which allows it to retain more of the nutrients that can be lost through standard methods of slow cooking (ie; boiling, simmering etc.). This type of pet food contains chicken meal, fish meal, turkey meal, whole vegetables, and eggs which are abundant sources for your cat’s or dog’s much needed nutrition and are also easy to digest. These contain necessary nutrients and vitamins: chicken meal is high in protein; egg contains vitamins A, B, E, and K plus biotin, sulfur, and amino acids which are good for cell growth; fish meal contains the essential Omega-3 and fatty acids for healthy skin and coat; and vegetables such as garlic, celery, spinach, apples, and alfalfa for antioxidants.

According to Dr. Richard Pitcairn in his book, Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, there is no mandatory federal inspection of ingredients used in standard pet food manufacturing. In all but two or three states, the law allows pet food makers to use “4-D sources”, which includes tissues from animals that are dead, dying, disabled or diseased when they arrive at a slaughterhouse. Another shocking fact is that before meat even arrives at the rendering plant it has already been saturated with chemicals.

To comply with government regulations all meat rejected by slaughterhouses must be “denatured”; a procedure designed to make it unpalatable to humans, thus ensuring it cannot be resold as human grade meat. There are a variety of methods used. Dr. Wendell Belfied, DVM (former USDA vet) wrote in “Let’s Live” magazine:“In my time as a veterinary meat inspector, we denatured with carbolic acid (phenol, a potentially corrosive disinfectant) and/or creosote (used to preserve wood, also a disinfectant).”

According to federal meat inspection regulations fuel oil, kerosene, carbolic acid and citronella are all approved denaturing materials. Other foods rejected by the USDA that ends up in pet foods include moldy grains and rancid animal fats. According to an article in “Environmental News” (March ’99) a large percentage of commercial pet food is made up of meat by-products: a toxic brew containing diseased and contaminated meat from slaughterhouses, animal heads, toenails, chicken feathers, feet and beaks. Even more shocking, this also includes dead animals picked up from our nation’s roads, rancid restaurant grease, and thousands of animals that have been euthanized in animal hospitals and shelters (flea collars and all). Along with the meat comes any drugs that have been introduced into the animals such as hormones, antibiotics and barbiturates used to put pets to sleep. And let's not forget the unsold supermarket meats that arrive in their original Styrofoam and plastic packaging, and are tossed into the pot.

If you haven’t already made some changes in your pet’s diet, this information will certainly make you want to seek some alternatives. One good resource for dietary information is Dr. Pitcairn’s book, which contains recipes to make your pet’s food as well as natural alternatives to commercial foods.

Currently at Love Street Living Foods, the only pet product we carry is our Green Mush by Health Force Nutritionals. Green Mush™ is a whole food, green plant based combination. It is completely unlike traditional multi-vitamin/mineral products in that it is truly effective, totally non-toxic and exceptionally absorbable with no toxicity (not excreted as expensive yellow urine or settled out in the tissues as toxic deposits). There are absolutely no synthetics or isolated nutrients whatsoever, the nutrients are exactly as they occur naturally in whole plant foods. This is a pet supplement/food that is ideal for both pet and human consumption, which provides essential nutrients often not available in commercial grade pet foods.

However, we are looking to expand our pet foods product line and we want to hear from you!! Please use the comments section of this posting, or email us and tell us which holistic pet foods or supplies you would like to see carried by Love Street, and why. To most pet people our pets are important members of our families, and we only want them to have the best - so help us provide the best foods, toys, supplies and supplements available for both you and your pet all in one place!

Here are some links that offer great info on health issues related to pet foods for our animal companions:

http://healthypetsnw.com/articles/commercial_foods.php
http://www.askvetadvice.com/recommended-healthy-pet-foods/
http://www.healthypetslife.com/blog/
http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/pet_overpopulation_and_ownership_statistics/us_pet_ownership_statistics.html

*This article contains excerpts from the above websites.

Chlorine and its Effects on Your Health

Wikipedia states, Chlorine is usually used (in the form of hypochlorous acid) to kill bacteria and other microbes in drinking water supplies and public swimming pools. In most private swimming pools chlorine itself is not used, but rather sodium hypochlorite, formed from chlorine and sodium hydroxide, or solid tablets of chlorinated isocyanurates. Chlorine is used to disinfect most public water supplies in the United States; even small water supplies are now routinely chlorinated.[1] According to Jacqueline Brazin in her report on Chlorine & Its Consequences, the U.S. Department of Treasury called for all water to be disinfected with chlorine by 1918.[2]

Chlorine does play an important role in keeping our water free from harmful bacteria and germs- in turn, preventing the widespread of disease, and a clean water supply for most homes. However, once our water has been made “safe”, how does the residual chlorine affect our bodies? The EPA has stated that every household in the United States has elevated levels of chloroform in the air due to chlorine released from showering water, and that tap water often contains at least as much -if not more- chlorine than is recommended for use in swimming pools!

It has been found that more chlorine enters the body through dermal (skin) absorption and inhalation while showering than through drinking tap water, partly because our pores widen when exposed to heat or warmth- such as the warm water in a shower. This, unfortunately, leaves us open to absorbing the chlorine through our pores, in addition to breathing it in through the steam that fills the bathroom. In fact, chemicals in shower water vaporize at a much faster rate than the actual water, increasing the concentration of chemicals in the steam. Inhaled chemicals make their way into our bloodstream much more quickly than if they were ingested, completely bypassing our “natural filtration system” – our digestive tract!

All that aside, it is the chlorine in the shower water that causes your hair and skin to dry out, which causes you to spend more money on body lotions and hair conditioners. It can also cause irritations and rashes on sensitive skin. Chlorine has even been suspected as a contributing cause of breast cancer. In fact, women suffering from breast cancer are all found to have 50-60% more chlorine in their breast tissue than healthy women![3] Now, I know what you’re thinking, ”I’m never showering again!”, but let’s not go that far yet. There are things you can do to protect yourself and your family from overexposure to chlorine through showering.

Install a Shower Filter

Using a shower filter is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce harmful exposure to chlorine and other chemicals. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to install, cheap to maintain and remove up to 99% of chlorine in the shower water. There is very little effect on the water pressure; in some cases it may even help your water flow.

Monitor the Chlorine levels in your Water

Using a Digital Chlorine Meter allows you to monitor the amounts of chlorine in your shower water, and lets you know when it’s time to change the cartridge in your shower filter. Most meters are small, compact, low cost and easy to use. They measure chlorine in ppm (parts per million), which will help you keep your shower water in a safe range (under 1 ppm).

Showering in filtered water results in greater respiratory health by reducing the risk of asthma and bronchitis from chlorine inhalation - children benefit most from this small change. It also results in better air quality throughout the house, making for an all-around healthier home environment.

Without the drying effects of chlorine, skin becomes softer, healthier, and younger-looking - and because your hair and skin area able to preserve their natural moisturizing oils, you will, ultimately, need less body lotion and hair conditioner. All in all, making these changes will have you saving your money and your health, just by changing your household showerhead!

More information is available on shower filters, digital chlorine meters, and chlorine and its effect on your health at our website: www.lovestreetlivingfoods.com.

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine

[2] CHLORINE & ITS CONSEQUENCES Report By: Jacqueline Brazin 12.091 Medical Geology/GeochemistryDr. P. Ila IAP 2006, 01/30/2006

[3] http://www.allaboutwater.org/shower-filter.html

Welcome to the Love Street Living Foods Blog!

Welcome to our new blog! Hopefully you will find this blog to be a great resource for up-to-date information on topics that affect your everyday quest for a healthy lifestyle. We want everyone to be able to make the most informed decisions possible when it comes to their health, and choosing the best Raw, Organic, Vegan superfoods, supplements, and products available today. Please feel free to email us, or comment on this blog to suggest topics you'd like to see covered in future posts. We will try to gather and publish as much information and as many resources as we can about the things that are most important to you. As always, there is plenty of information about our products on our website at: www.lovestreetlivingfoods.com
Thank you for your interest, and sign up to follow our blog, which will allow you to receive updates and alerts about new posts. Tell your friends and family, and help our healthful community grow!