DIY Detective: Food Label Edition
- by Erin Loechner on Sep 8th 2009 9:00AM
- food, staying green
CERTIFIED VEGAN:
These products contain no animal ingredients or byproducts in its manufacturing, as well as contain no ingredients that have been tested on animals.
AMERICAN HUMANE CERTIFIED:
This label contains ingredients from farm animals that engage in normal behaviors, are not caged and are raised by employed trainers.
FOOD ALLIANCE CERTIFIED:
The Food Alliance certification ensures that food producers involved in the making of the product experienced safe and fair working conditions, reduced pesticide use and conserved energy and water.
FAIR TRADE CERTIFIED:
This label is most often found on coffees and/or teas and signifies that the growers received a fair, above-market price for their goods.
Next time you're in the grocery store, look for these important labels and make a difference --- the DIY way.




Drugstores, supermarkets, and convenience stores have aisles dedicated to products that will attempt to cure all your aches, pains, stained teeth, headaches, diarrhea,
Well, just about everyone across the country is limp and wilted from the excessive heat we've been having, and Halloween marks the beginning of the stressful year end holiday crush. It's no wonder so many people begin to feel truly flattened and wrung out this time of year. This situation is the precursor to the flu season, with colds and sinus infections beginning to raise their ugly heads as well. If you're like me though, you have one of those iron-plated immune systems which seem to rarely let any of the nasty stuff get through. However, if you're like most people, some time within the next 90 days a little unseen bug is going to make a serious mess out of you.
At the grocery store this weekend I noticed how many people were buying lunch box snacks. The boxes of crackers, granola bars and fruit cups were packed in carts as people were trying to get prepared for the start of school and other September busyness. While there are lots of good healthy and often inexpensive options, some people discount what they can make themselves and the goodness of having healthy snacks on hand. I've scouted out these great recipes to share with you.
If you have a weight problem, most likely the problem starts in your own mind. It may seem a bit crude for me to put it in such basic terms but I'm not very good at candy coating the plain truth and the truth is, if you don't suffer from a medical condition which causes you to inexplicably gain weight, your weight problem is largely in your own hands. That means if there is a solution to your weight situation, you're the first person to consult in addressing the problem.
Acid reflux is a nasty health condition which many people suffer from. I personally don't have the affliction but I have friends who do. Acid reflux is the upward passage of digestive acids past the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) and back into the esophagus. The resulting symptoms can range from fairly mild burning to moderately severe pain. Over time, acid reflux will even damage the interior of the esophagus.





