Valentine’s Day and Sustainable Chocolate Ideas

Posted on February 11, 2025 by autocreate740

Hello Everyone,
As you know, for 2025 the basic theme for all of my blogs will include ideas to support taking action to participate in helping alleviate Climate Change challenges.

Having said that, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and guess what? You can participate by choosing Sustainable Chocolate to give to your loved ones and friends. This is a “win, win” for you and for the Planet by taking part in Climate Action !

So what is Sustainable Chocolate and why choose it to help with Climate Change?
Use the links below to learn more about it and where you can buy it.

SOURCE: https://www.sustainably-chic.com/blog/fair-trade-chocolate-brands
A great first step when figuring out if your chocolate was ethically produced is to see if it’s fair-trade. Fair trade chocolate is produced in a way that adheres to certain ethical standards. Fair trade is a safeguard against exploitation and child labor. It guarantees that farmers are paid a fair and living wage, regardless of the market price of cocoa. Farmers are also given higher wages if they produce organic chocolate and an additional premium wage to reinvest in their business.

What Is Sustainable Chocolate?

Benefits of Chocolate Tea 🙂
https://pangbenta.com/drinks/health-benefits-chocolate-tea/

Sustainable Chocolate Brands
https://greenwithless.com/organic-fair-trade-chocolate-brands/
https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/fair-trade-chocolate/

All the best in Wellness!

Mayo Clinic Tips for Nutrition Fitness and Reducing Food Waste

Posted on November 1, 2024 by autocreate740

As many of you are aware, I dedicate time to browsing the web and frequently come across news that I believe will be of use to you 🙂

This is why I’m presenting ideas from the Mayo Clinic by sharing the following link:

https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/nutrition-fitness/#full-list

Certainly, in line with the current theme of my podcast, consider exploring the advantages of minimizing food waste by thinking about using these strategies:
https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/nutrition-fitness/7-tips-to-reduce-food-waste/

When you have a moment, I encourage you to listen to my podcast:
Judith Guerra Wellness Connections Episode 70. It explores the importance of reducing food waste and provides resources for contributing to this cause. Additionally, you will find links in the details of the podcast for help with nutrition for older adults and individuals.

New FYI – Climate Change Glossary
Fair Trade = https://www.fairtradecertified.org/why-fair-trade/issues/environment/
Contrail = https://www.space.com/modern-airplane-contrails-impact-global-warming

Wishing you and our planet the very best in Wellness! Let’s stay connected !

A Change of Pace for the Holidays

Posted on December 12, 2023 by autocreate740

A personal note from me to you for December, 2023.

Some of my fondest and favorite memories are the ones where I shared a cup of tea in the evening with my Mother after coming home from work. I worked the late shift. Getting home from riding the subway around 11pm at night. My mother always was waiting up for me. As a young woman, I had no idea that she was making sure that I was in safely from my job as a telephone operator at the then A T & T Phone company on Canal Street in New York City. Imagine! That was 57 years ago.

And then, in the morning when my Mother fixed breakfast for her 5 children; we always had a pot of tea with our breakfast. My Dad was a coffee drinker.

My Mother passed away, suddenly almost 39 years ago. And to this day, each and every one of my siblings still finds comfort in having a cup of tea. It warms our spirits, makes us feel better, and connects us to a special time in our lives when things were not so complicated – yet.

Now, many years and many job and interests later, I find it comforting that as I evolved – now as a certified aromatherapist – Tea is still in my life. It’s intriguing how much it can make a difference in our well-being.

So, even though I usually tell you about the latest exercise class for senior citizens, best healthwise way to keep our minds intact, or at least active, for December – and just in time for the holidays, I am eager and happy to share this link to some very beneficial information about Tea – just for a change of pace. Tea is Home.

The Mountain Rose Herbs Blog is a wonderful way to learn about tea and guess what, you will have a choice of receiving free pdf tasting cards!
https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/topic/tea-herbal-drinks

In addition, here’s something about immune support – just in time for the colder winter months:

https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/elderberry-mulled-cider-recipe-for-immune-support

I hope your holiday season will be happy and healthy, and filled with time making new memories that will warm your heart and mind. I will take time the rest of this month to savor the gift of family and friends and be happy I am still here to appreciate something good, like a cup of tea 🙂

Thanks for reading my blog. It gives me joy to bring a tip or two that just might help your well-being journey better.

Sincerely,
Judith

Look for me in January 2024
All the best in Wellness & Happy Holidays!

Translating Fresh Food Labels

Posted on December 2, 2020 by autocreate740

How do you know if the food in your refrigerator, which has an expiration date on it, can still be used by you for a safe meal?

It is often confusing about how long it is safe to eat an item after the “sell by date”. I understand that it is defined for the store retailer. I know to purchase the freshest item. What should I do if I purchased the item long before the “sell by date” – but I did not use it – Now what?

Lindsay Backer, a registered dietitian and food safety expert advises that if it is meat, it is not recommended to go much beyond the sell by date. The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises to use or freeze beef, veal, pork, and lamb products with a “Sell-By” date within 3 to 5 days of purchase. Fresh chicken, turkey, ground meat, and ground poultry should be cooked or frozen within 1 to 2 days of purchase.

Web MD has other recommendations that we can use to help us decipher how to manage getting the best freshness from our food purchases and making sure not to waste the food we buy.

* “Best if used by (or before)” date:
Refers to quality not safety.
* “Use by” date: Last date at peak quality (by manufacturer).
* Milk is ok up to one week after “Sell By” date.
* Eggs purchased before “Sell By” date are ok 3-5 weeks after.

Continue reading →

Probiotic Food Choices for You :)

Posted on March 14, 2019 by autocreate740

This post covers more news about sources from which we can acquire the health benefits of probiotics (live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your digestive system), along with the suggestion that we try to gain some of the

benefits through our groceries, rather than consuming supplements, which you may remember, are not regulated by the FDA.

Continue reading →

Farm to Table, GMO’s, Organic: What’s the difference?

Posted on January 13, 2019 by autocreate740

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to focus more attention on what type of groceries I am purchasing. In addition, I want the recipes I make to be creative, tasty and healthful. My grandmother cooked what could be called ‘soul food’, which was always delicious and she was healthy all her life. She lived to be 94 years old. My grandmother was not the only person I know of who lived a long life and ate things like collard greens, macaroni & cheese, biscuits. I also remember her having a garden, where she grew all kinds of vegetables and from which she used to cook her dinner. I actually don’t recall her using a lot of fertilizer on the vegetables she grew.

Recently, I treated myself and bought the TV Chef Carla Hall’s Soul Food cookbook. I trusted that when I have seen her on TV she is always doing the right thing by food. It’s tasty and the ingredients are the best she can find for the occasion. She is creative. Often, when she’s cooking a version of ‘soul food’, Carla makes it a point to prepare her food lighter – by cutting calories – and cutting out fat. This is how she was trained to cook by her grandmother; and, her grandmother was a dietitian at a hospital. What better way to learn how to cook ‘good-for-you-soul food’? Exciting! Continue reading →