Tips & More

Spring has sprung, and there are a lot of things to do. So, let's get started!

One way to celebrate spring is by planting spring flowers. Having a vegetable garden or starting a community garden can be a rewarding experience as well. We highly recommend it!

It's also an excellent time to start your spring cleaning. Click here for a list of safe and natural products that can help to clean your home. Clean out those closets and drawers, and donate all of those unwanted items. Having less clutter around is a great way to clear the mind, as well as helping someone else!

Farmer's Markets are popping up everywhere. Now is a great time to take advantage of the fresh produce of local growers. Some great foods you can look forward to this season are artichokes, asparagus, and strawberries. To see what's in season in your area, just put in your zip code at Eat Well Guide dot org.

It's well known that calcium is beneficial for bone health, but did you know it's also a vital nutrient for overall health? Calcium plays a crucial role in proper metabolic function, cellular permeability, electrical conductance in the nerves, muscle contractions, properly functioning glands, blood vessels, and blood clotting as well.

The idea that dairy products are the primary source of calcium for humans is simply not true. There are several sources of calcium that have absolutely nothing to do with the dairy industry.

Here are 10 dairy-free sources of calcium:

It's a scientific fact that the foods you eat will have either a positive or a negative impact on your body.

How could they not?

When you feed your body whole foods with their nutrients intact, your body reacts positively. Strong, healthy, beautiful hair is just one of the many benefits.

Here are the top vegan foods for healthy hair and the reasons behind each.

Juicing is an excellent way to get plant based nutrients, especially if you tend to shy away from fruits and veggies. It can also be a great way to incorporate a wider variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet because let’s face it, when is the last time you enjoyed kale? Or fresh ginger? Or chomped down on a handful of fresh parsley for that matter?

Juicing those not-so-popular veggies and herbs along with apples, carrots, and celery make it an easy, delicious, and tremendously healthy way to get the nutrients your body needs.

People often ask “what can I do with all the pulp left over from juicing?”

Read more for our suggestions:

For years chronic inflammation has been linked to diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, and Asthma, but researchers now realize chronic inflammation may be at the very root of such diseases as Heart Attack, Stroke, Diabetes, Cancer, and even Alzheimer’s.

Inflammation is the body's first-aid response in healing itself from damage, which is a good thing. With a cut or a sprain it is our body's way of coming to the rescue by sending lots of white blood cells to start the healing process. Chronic inflammation in the body is different. It's a condition that occurs when the body's inflammatory process fails to shut down once the healing process is complete.

Read more to learn which foods that can help fight inflammation in your body.

Nutrient density measures the benefits you get from food compared to the number of calories it contains. Nutrient-dense foods give you the most nutrients possible for the least amount of calories. For example, some energy bars provide you with 15 % of your daily folate requirement for about 200 calories. But a cup of raw spinach will give you the same amount of folate for only seven calories.

The Aggregate Nutrient Density Index, otherwise known as the ANDI scale was developed by Joel Fuhrman, MD. It measures the number of key nutrients in food, relative to its calories.

The nutrients included in the ANDI scale are...

Certain foods seem to go together like milk and cookies naturally. And then there are foods - power foods that are better when consumed together.

"Pairing certain foods can help the body absorb, store, and utilize nutrients," says Michelle Davenport, a nutritionist, and researcher at NYU School of Medicine.

You're most likely eating some of these combinations already. Here, we show five pairings that add up to more than just good food.

It seems like no matter where you live, avocados are readily available, which is fantastic news for all of us avocado lovers.

But, if you've ever brought an avocado home from the grocer and found it to be less than perfectly ripe, then listen up, because if there's one thing you don't want to do, it's cut into an avocado before it's ready.

If you find yourself in this predicament, don't worry. Simply. . .

Tomato lovers everywhere are asking the question, "Why do tomatoes, especially those at the grocery store, have so little flavor?"

Many can remember the days when tomatoes were bursting with flavor.

So what happened?

Before you tackle an offensive odor, try opening a door or window. Fresh air can often eradicate the smell and eliminate the need for further action.

If the problem persists, or weather keeps you from opening doors and windows, try finding the source of the odor, and eliminate it.

Finding the cause and removing it is better than masking the covering it up with commercial air fresheners, which often contain toxic chemicals.

Most household odors can be separated into two groups, based on their pH level: acidic and alkaline. Acidic odors such as smoke can often be reduced with ...