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When it comes to a healthy diet, you absolutely must have some variety. Eating the same thing day in and day out is like torture for most, and it also works against the principles of a healthy diet as well.

The good news is that there is a lot of variety you can sample when it comes to healthy foods. About all the supermarkets sustain a great deal of fruits and veggies and wide array of fish, meat, dairy products, nuts, beans, poultry, and lentils. If you’re trying to eat healthier and have a healthier lifestyle, you shouldn’t need to be bored while doing so!

One important part of enjoying this wide variety of foods when trying to eat healthy is to plan your meals so that you know you’re using as many different options as possible. If you combine those items of meats, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains then you know you can have different and interesting meals every time and every day.

As advised by doctors, having a lot of choices for foods is essential for good health and to avoid boredom. Remember that different foods contain different nutrients, so consuming those different foods is imperative for good healthy. One tends to go against their diet when one feels bored or deprived of their favorite foods.

Consuming foods you like is not bad, it’s just that you should eat them in moderation and use balance. You might call good nutrition a trade off, like so many other things in life!

And of course you should get foods from the five major food groups each and every day as well. The groups, as identified by the USDA, are as follows meat and beans, dairy products, fruit, veggies, and grains. Each item in these groups contains different nutrients, so if you have a combination of foods you can make sure you’re getting the right nutrition for your body.

Just choosing food items from the five food groups isn’t going to ensure good health on its own. You can’t have bacon, ice cream, avocados, sweet potatoes, and a big slice of cake and expect to be healthy even though each item is from those food groups! Obviously no one would say that those are healthy food choices even though all five food groups are represented. When you are opting from these five groups be sure to choose the healthy choices from each of the groups.

As an example of this, think of choosing lean meats to get the protein you want without the extra fat and calories of fattier portions of meat. Trimming fat from roast beef or even removing the skin from chicken can aid you with this issue.

As for grains, meaning breads and cereals, you typically want to choose whole grain options rather than refined products. Refined products tend to have their nutrients taken from them when they are refined.

Many bread and cereal products have also been fortified with vitamins and minerals as well. Having fortified products can help your nutritional needs but of course they should never be used in place of a proper diet overall. These products provide great source of calcium to help you bones, teeth, and folic acid that helps women when they are pregnant.

One of the main ways to have a progressing diet is to opt for healthier foods. It is advised that you choose leaner cuts of meat because that is the healthier option. Doing this you will gain the most nutrients and yet still have great tasting foods.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to be healthy and to have a healthy diet, and whatever your goals are as far as fitness is concerned, make sure you understand the basic principles of nutrition. When you completely understand the food groups you will have no problem with staying with your diet. If you want to train for a marathon or boxing match, lose a few pounds or just have more energy, remember that you can use what you know about nutrition to help you for the rest of your life.

If you are looking for workouts to lose weight author and personal trainer Anu Morgan has excellent information for you. Get a copy of her free report, “The Seven Personal Trainer Secrets to Weight Loss” by visiting AnuMorgan.com.

Organic farming has been with us since farming began but it has taken on new meaning. The demand for organic farms has increased over the years so much that almost part of the country has them. Organic farms were the way farmers planted and looked after tier crops till fertilizer were discovered. Up to a point, these chemicals which were originally created to help in the control of soil fertility had rather become man’s enemies. The poisonous substances were the cause of many diseases. Food from these farms therefore became unwholesome. Compounding the problem was the discovery that chemicals used to control weeds were equally poisonous. It could be said that these developments created the need for a new kind of farm – one which the farmer had taken steps to ensure that no chemical has been used in either tending the crops or soil.

Organic farms have therefore become a much needed property for many. As this need grows, real estate investors began to look at that area for profits. They can buy organic farms or possibly create one from scratch and make money from them.

If you intend to buy an organic farm, you will as a matter of importance of soil test to determine the extent to which chemicals have been applied o the farm. This is needed because the whole idea of an organic farm is to avoid chemicals. The presence of chemicals, especially in high levels, will not make your products attractive. So you will require an expert to carry out an assessment of the place to determine the status of the soil.

Again, you will have to know the fertility of the soil and its ability to support the type of crops you will be growing on the farm. You will have to be very careful here because each area has its type of soil. As an organic farm, you will not be applying fertilizers to improve the soil so you need to get and that basically supports the crop you want to grow without.

One thing you may want practice on your organic farm is biodiversity. This is an option that organic farmers would want to practise. It is just the system of ensuing that both plants and animals on your far are able to coexist. The animals will not destroy the crops and the crops would not prevent the animals from producing their optimum. This type of agricultural practice provides the owner with big returns. He is able to protect both animal and crop resources.

Many farms are going green. Going green means they are able to able to apply methods that will ensure that they provide minimal destruction to the environment. In rural settings, this involves using various means to minimize the use of water, conserving the environment and sometimes even apportioning some part of the land for afforestation. You will not develop this part nor put up any residential structures. The government is rewarding this type of development with tax incentives. You can have a much as 30% in tax rebates if you practice a green farm.

You can be able to enjoy your past time of an organic farm management and earn income as well with your organic farm. You would only have to pay attention to soil erosion that tends to take way much of land’s beauty and quality. Once you are able to contain that, you can always count on a beautiful organic farm that will produce quality produce for higher prices. In the event of a resale you will derive high gains and be positioned to invest in other properties. Like with all businesses, you need to consider all aspects of the organic farm to make it work for you.

Ian Burmistroff writes for http://www.RuralListings.com, classifieds of rural real estate such as land for sale, Farms for sale, ranches for sale , etc.

Gardeners:
A message from the USDA

During the holidays, people buy and send more citrus plants than any other time of the year. Whether someone is buying citrus plants online or giving a citrus plant as a gift, they could be spreading citrus greening disease. This deadly bacterial plant disease is spread by a disease-infected insect, the Asian citrus psyllid, and has destroyed millions of acres of citrus plants around the world. Since there is no cure, the best way to protect our citrus is to not move citrus plants or plant materials.

Inform others about the dangers of moving citrus.
As a gardener, people respect your expertise on plants. Help spread the word about citrus greening disease. Let people know:

• Many areas of the Southeast are under quarantine for citrus greening disease and Asian citrus psyllids. It is illegal to move live citrus plants, plant parts, budwood, or cuttings from these areas.
• Many other areas are under quarantine for Asian citrus psyllids. Get a complete list of quarantined areas for both the disease and the psyllid.
• Citrus greening is only one of many diseases threatening our citrus. By not moving citrus, you help stop the spread of all these deadly disease.
• Citrus plants and plant materials include curry leaves, jasmine flowers, and the citrus leaves on wreaths and in potpourri.

Spread the word — don’t move citrus.

The safest approach is to simply not move citrus plants, ship citrus plants, or buy citrus plants of an unknown origin. If you or someone you know owns citrus plants, make sure they are inspected regularly for signs and symptoms of the disease and psyllids.

For more information from the USDA on citrus greening disease, visit www.saveourcitrus.org.

Rooftop gardens is a method of gardening we are starting to hear more and more about. And not only in your typical high rise city, like Chicago’s City Hall who’s gardens on the roof are open to the public by appointment. The gardens were built as part of an EPA study and initiative to combat the urban heat island effect and to improve urban air quality.

There is also, London’s secret treasure, Kensington Gardens,  a protected historic preservation site. These rooftop gardens were created on top of what was a department store in 1932 to give shoppers a scenic resting spot.

Whether it is a green quiet getaway or a garden for raising your own food you can grow if your structure can support the garden’s weight. The sky is the limit, get it? The sky… roof top… growing toward the light… ooooooh okay, but just LOOK at what some are doing!!

See More…

Rooftop Gardens

Vertically Vegetated Buildings

Chic City Gardens

To follow up on my previous article on keeping chickens in your backyard it’s probably likely that some of you will want to go one step further and hatch and raise your own chicks from your existing stock. Breeding chickens couldn’t be easier and it’s a worthwhile and rewarding project to get your kids involved in too.

If your far enough from your nearest neighbours or lucky enough to have very understanding ones that don’t mind being woken at the crack of down by an over zealous cockerel announcing the dawn of a new day then you are already half way towards getting your hens to breed.

Firstly, you need make sure you have happy healthy hens in good breeding condition by following the guidelines in my earlier article. A plentiful supply of good food and the appropriate nesting facilities in the form of a well-constructed chicken coop.

Firstly, hens kept on their own without a cockerel present will not produce viable, fertile eggs. I know this is stating the obvious but you would be surprised how many people completely miss this critical point!
The introduction of the cockerel to your flock will ensure the eggs are fertile and likely to produce chicks after incubation. It will take no time at all for the cock and hen to do what comes naturally! Bear in mind that when a cockerel is present in the coop you can still collect the eggs and use them for consumption as long as they are collected fresh and haven’t been allowed to remain under the brooding hen for any length of time.
Don’t make the mistake of boiling an egg that has been half incubated! There is nothing more off putting than cracking one open to find a half formed chick inside, in fact you will probably never eat an egg again!

You should ideally remove the cockerel after a few days with the hens as he can become aggressive if he’s had enough of their company. Let him roam the yard or the garden but keep him out of the coop where your hens are going to brood.
Having said that, I have on many occasions left the cock with the hens without any problems but there is a risk attached.

When you decide to let the hen brood just stop collecting the eggs and allow her to start the incubation. It will take 21 days from the time the last egg is laid for the chicks to appear during which time you will have to do nothing other than feed your hens as normal and try to disturb the brooding hen as little as possible. The more peace and quiet she gets the more comfortable and secure she will feel and will be less likely to rise from the nest.

When you do see the chicks appear you can feed them with specially prepared chick crumb. This is small enough in size for the chicks to eat and has all the necessary nutrients for the early stages of development.
Keep a close eye on your chicks in the first few days and protect them from the usual hazards such as predators and watch for signs of the other hens pecking at them.
You may need to separate them if this becomes a problem but never separate them from the mother hen, as this would require artificial heating etc.

Other than that you need do nothing besides enjoy the whole experience but keep these few tips in mind:

· Feed your brooding hens good quality food and make sure they have a plentiful supply of it.
· Keep disturbance to a minimum when your hens are brooding
· Watch for signs that the cockerel is troubling any brooding hens if he has been allowed to remain in the coop
· Dispose of any unhatched eggs carefully at the end of the incubation period, rotten eggs are extremely unpleasant!
· If you plan to keep the chicks and breed from them at a later stage, do make sure to use a different cockerel to prevent problems with inbreeding.

Keeping and breeding you own hens is a rewarding experience and the perfect way to complement the organic garden.

The author has been successfully keeping farm and exotic fowl for almost twenty years and is also an enthusiastic keeper and breeder of aviary finches. For more information on keeping chickens and building your own chicken coop just follow these links http://tinyurl.com/raisingchickens and http://tinyurl.com/buildachickencoop. Related reading on growing your own organic food can be found here http://tinyurl.com/growingorganicfood