GREEN EATS: Wanna be more green? Eat your greens!

Greens and other vegetables are filled with nutrients which our bodies just cannot live without. It's amazing how when we are stressed and busy, shuffling from job to home, to class , to job, to pick up kids, etc., some of us actually eat less fresh vegetables and less of a balanced meal period. Well if you are a busy professional, busy mom, busy student...you need more of the good stuff: greens, fresh, whole foods to carry you through your day. So this is the basics of what we were taught as kids. Just to take this advice a "green step" further, how about mixing several kinds of greens in with a salad? How about juicing your greens? How about taking your greens in the form of a "superfood" supplement in tablet form (hey some people would rather take a green pill than cook a pot of greens or make a large raw salad)?

The green issue with veggies and fruits: buy your produce locally, from a farmers market or buy organic produce. Many proponents or natural and organic foods believe organic is better for you and better for the environment. Organic produce is grown without hormones and pesticides and it is not genetically engineered "cloned" food. Others believe as long as the produce is locally grown it is healthier than what you might buy in your grocery store. If you buy organic produce, just know that it is organic because its' been certified as such by the government in regards to how a farmer grows their product. Most of us were not raised on organic produce, but we know that the quality of our food has changed from 10, 20 and 30 years ago. This includes produce. And if you are a parent, you may be more concerned about the produce you buy because you want your children to ingest only the purest, highest grade of food there is. And that is understandable.

More greens, more fruits and other veggies means decreased chance of disease, less stress and more nutrients and energy for your mind and body. Now that's eating green!

Favorite greens: kale, collard, mustard, bok choy, arugula, spinach, broccoli and dandelion. I like to steam my greens and mix them with other ingredients or soak them in a homemade marinade over night with seasonings! You gotta make eating fresh veggies fun for yourself.

Favorite green juice smoothie: Odwalla Superfood! Yum! It has several fruits in it and barley, wheatgrass and spirulina. Don't just take my word for it, try it for yourself!

Yours in a sea of green,

DuEwa Frazier

REUSE: Grocery 'Bag Lady' Save Some $$$

Singer and hip hop artist Erykah Badu was not lying when she sang about women carrying alot of bags and baggage in the song "Bag Lady." Well ladies, carrying the right bag can be both positive and purposeful. How many of us go grocery shopping only to bring home tons of plastic bags we really don't even need? Not to mention that we're barely helping the environment by using all of these bags. In the past I brought home so many bags, now I have two cabinets that house them and I've started using them in the trash cans in my home. So I never need to buy trash bags in the store. If I know ahead of time that I am going to the store, and I am not getting too many things (I do still take public transportation, so I have to "pack light"), I will fold my reusable bag in my purse and take it. Reusable bags are an eco-conscious way to help the environment and save money over time!

If you carry your own reusable (even recyclable) grocery bag or bags to shop at Whole Foods Markets, well when you arrive at the cashier they will take off .10 cents for your entire purchase! It may not sound like alot, but I'm sure that .10 cents adds up over time. Whole Foods is certainly giving us incentive to carry a reusable bag. So several months ago, before Whole Foods started using 100% recyclable paper bags, I purchased one of their reusable grocery bags for .99 cents. My bag is cute, it's light and easy to carry and it's big enough to carry a load of groceries (as long as I don't buy water jugs, juice or soymilk cartons). Since then, I have purchased another reusable bag at a different retailer that is recyclable and has the words "Save the Planet" all over it. Love it!

So ladies, you can take one of your tote bags from home or purchase a chic and inexpensive reusable bag to help our environment and yourself, when you go to the grocery store.

Yours in a sea of green,

DuEwa Frazier