Mark's Daily Apple

Community Supported Agriculture

As reports of tainted food continue to roll in, more Americans are questioning the safety of a now largely imported food supply. Add to these fears the lack of disclosure and labeling laws for foreign and domestic genetically modified foods, and consumers feel as though they’ve been hung out to dry by the food industry and the government agencies they expect will protect their families.

In the face of these concerns and in keeping with the recent trend toward “eating local,” CSA (community supported agriculture) farms present a reasonably priced alternative to grocery store fare. Consumers become “members” of the farms, buying a share of the annual yield, which can include not just vegetables and fruits but meat, poultry, eggs, coffee, and dairy items. Members often pay a fraction of what they would at the grocery store, especially for organic/grass-fed items. Deliveries come every week to two weeks and extend through the region’s growing and harvest season. Some CSAs offer special winter packages or holiday baskets.

Posted By: Worker Bee

14

King Corn – Coming to PBS!

Back in September, we told you about a new independent film called King Corn that, as the title suggested, was poised to blow the roof off the concept of the American food industry by telling us that everything – and I mean everything – we eat contains corn!

Posted By: Worker Bee

10

CrossFit

Ever heard of it?

If you are a regular to MDA and you subscribe to a Primal Health lifestyle I’m guessing it is likely. If not, now you have.

Crossfit is a type of physical training that blends power lifting, gymnastics and sprinting. Why do we like it? Because it fairly closely aligns with our Primal fitness philosophy in which variety, weight-bearing activity and anaerobic exercise is key. Here is a great description of CrossFit:

CrossFit maintains that proficiency is required in each of 10 fitness domains: cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy. CrossFit uses free weights, kettlebells, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars and many calisthenics exercises. CrossFit may call on athletes to skip, run, row, climb ropes, jump up on boxes, flip giant tires, and carry odd objects. They can also squat and explode up to bounce medicine balls against walls.

CrossFit workouts typically call for athletes to work hard and fast, often with no rest. Many CrossFit gyms use scoring and ranking systems, transforming workouts into sport. CrossFit publishes its own journal and certifies its own trainers. Many CrossFit athletes and trainers see themselves as part of a contrarian insurgent movement that questions conventional fitness wisdom.

via Wikipedia

Posted By: Aaron

42

Friday Link Love

Life in the Health Lane covered The Good and The Bad about Beer.

Interactive Health offered up a delicious Warm Roasted Vegetable Salad.

The Flying Trapeze reflects on how the word diet is going the way of the dodo.

FitSugar wonders if it is unhealthy to be sore every day?

SugarShock helps you make your New Year’s resolution last longer than February.

The Tao of Good Health discusses the health benefits of bananas.

Body, Mind and Solar ask you (nicely) to speak nicely about yourself.

Posted By: Aaron

1

The Biggest Loser Sponsors

There are many good things that could be said about NBC’s The Biggest Loser. I can give it accolades for its goal to help people lose weight through exercise and, more importantly, by completely re-thinking their diets. And I can praise it for the inspiration it has instilled in many people around the country to follow in the footsteps of the contestants on their own weight loss journeys.

But nobody’s perfect.

Posted By: Aaron

10