By Cielestia Calbay
Today marks the 41st anniversary of Earth Day. And though only 36 percent of Americans are concerned about the planet’s well-being, as surveyed by The A Harris Interactive Poll, there are many ways to eat smart and responsibly for those looking to eat green today.
When shopping for sustainable foods, you’ll likely be bombarded with labels like “grass-fed,” “cage-free” and other foreign-language-sounding terms. With the help of EarthDay.Nature.org, we’ve decoded these less-than-intuitive labels to help you make an informed decision:
Shade-Grown
Found on: Coffee
Definition: Instead of clearing land to grow coffee, producers grow coffee underneath the tree canopy, which helps keep our air clean, our soil healthy and provides habitat for animals and birds.
Dolphin-Safe
Found on: Tuna
Definition: Fishers didn’t use a certain kind of net on or around dolphins, and no dolphins were killed or seriously injured during tuna harvesting.
Grass-Fed
Found on: Meat
Definition: The animals were fed a diet of “100% forage,” were raised on a pasture and were never given hormones or antibiotics.
Free-Range/Cage-Free
Found on: Poultry
Definition: American producers must prove that the birds have “access to the outside,” although the frequency or duration of this access is not defined
Local
Found on: Almost everything
Definition: The product adheres to USDA guidelines and was transported less than 400 miles from its origin, or hasn’t come from another state
Animal Welfare Approved
Found on: Meat, poultry, pork, dairy, eggs
Definition: AWA is a free and independent third-party auditing and certification program for family farms raising their animals humanely — outdoors on a pasture or a range.
Certified Naturally Grown
Found on: Produce, honey, meat, poultry
Definition: It’s similar to USDA certification, but relies on peer-review rather than third-party inspection.
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Cielestia Calbay is the associate editor of Competitor Magazine. If she’s not the office, you’ll probably find her outdoors or scouring the area for the nearest juice bar. She may be reached at ccalbay@competitorgroup.com or @ccalbay
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By Cielestia Calbay
Those observing this day will want to have a meat-free meal come dinnertime. But cutting out meat doesn’t necessarily mean skipping out on your daily protein intake. Here is a roundup of hearty protein sources to incorporate your meatless meal:
Beans (including soy) (approximately 20g per 1/2 cup)
Eggs (6g per one large sized egg)
Quinoa (9g per 1 cup)
Nuts and Seeds (as much as 5g in almonds and 33g per 100g per serving in squash seeds)
Cheese (6-10g per ounce depending on sharpness)
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Cielestia Calbay is the associate editor of Competitor Magazine. If she’s not at the office, you’ll probably find her outdoors or scouring the area for the nearest juice bar. She may be reached at ccalbay@competitorgroup.com or @ccalbay
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By Cielestia Calbay
The fall holiday season has a reputation for being indulgent, but Easter is just as bad.
As the Lenten season ends this Sunday, many of us will surely be rewarding ourselves with chocolate, cake and other junk food we may have abstained from during the 40-day fast.
But before you stuff yourself with the more than 90 million chocolate bunnies and jelly beans reported to be nestled into our Easter baskets this weekend, read up on how they stack up in our Easter candy nutritional value count:
4 Marshmallow Peeps
Calories: 130
Fat (g): 0
Sugar (g) 29
1 Cadbury Crème Egg
Calories: 150
Fat (g): 6
Sugar (g) 20
1 Dove Solid Chocolate Bunny
Calories: 230
Fat (g): 0
Sugar (g) 29
35 Jelly Belly Assorted Jellybeans
Calories: 140
Fat (g): 0
Sugar (g) 32
9 Brachs Malted Easter Eggs
Calories: 200
Fat (g): 8
Sugar (g) 23
1 Egg of Easter M&Ms
Calories: 280
Fat (g): 12
Sugar (g): 36
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Cielestia Calbay is the associate editor of Competitor Magazine. If she’s not at the office, you’ll probably find her outdoors or scouring the area for the nearest juice bar. She may be reached at ccalbay@competitorgroup.com or @ccalbay.
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By Cielestia Calbay
As featured in the April issue of Competitor Magazine out now:
There might be some truth to the Fountain of Youth myth, as researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, found that regular exercise could delay premature aging.
Published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,” the study used a group of mice that were genetically programmed to age faster than normal mice. Some of the mice ran on treadmills for 45 minutes, three times a week, while the other mice were inactive.
Five months later, the mice that exercised were still young and that their organs and brains also seemed to have improved. However, the sedentary mice had begun to age and bald, were less active and had weakened organs.
Researchers examined their mitochondria–power centers within cells that generate energy–and found that the mice that exercised had fewer signs of damage to their mitochondria.
Several studies have found similar results; however none has shown such a prominent effect.
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Cielestia Calbay is the associate editor of Competitor Magazine. If she’s not at the office, you’ll probably find her outdoors or scouring the area for the nearest juice bar. She may be reached at ccalbay@competitorgroup.com or @ccalbay.
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By: Cielestia Calbay
Some have called it the “wonder drug.”
Agility and athleticism may have taken the form of a pill with the Huperzine-A supplements, a powerful over-the-counter supplement rumored to enhance mental focus.
Researchers likely had students, athletes and the eldery in mind when they discovered the effects of the overachieving pill, as the drug is noted to improve cognitive efficiencies most affected in studying, sports and memory loss. Since it emerged on the market, Huperzine-A has been touted for its ability to treat and prevent brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.
As it gained popularity, the Chinese-derived herb established a presence at college campuses and became an alternative to similar drugs like Adderall to help sharpen memory. And then among athletes as it improved performance by balancing key neurotransmitters: norepinephrine, dopamine and acteylcholine. Neurologists stress the importance of balancing these neurotransmitters, especially among athletes, as too much or not enough of one neurtransmitters can skew performance as a whole.
Too much norepinephrine can make you jittery; too much dopamine and you can’t focus; not enough acetylcholine can slow down your memory drive.
Huperzine-A works by increasing the production of acetylcholine so that our nerves can better communicate with our brain, muscles and other areas. Though most sources have praised the supplement, others have noted its side effects, which includes breathing problems, tightness in the throat, chest pains, rashes, diarrhea, vomiting and insomnia.
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Cielestia Calbay is the associate editor of Competitor Magazine. If she’s not at the office, you’ll probably find her outdoors or scouring the area for the nearest juice bar. She can be reached at ccalbay@competitorgroup.com or @ccalbay
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By Cielestia Calbay
Quinoa fans, rejoice.
Salba is the newest nutritional “superseed” to join the ranks of the popular grain as it makes its way into foods and breads. Rumored to be higher in protein, iron, calcium, fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids than chia, flax and any other seed, Salba is native to Mexico but is currently grown in other geographic regions with similar climates like Spain, Peru and Bolivia.
Like quinoa, its microscopic size makes it ideal to be added to foods very easily. But unlike its counterpart, the light brown seed is a member of the mint family, are about the same size as the sesame seed and has a nutty flavor. It can also be used as a digestive aid due to its ability to absorb water and slow down the digestion process, resulting in an increase in blood sugar levels after a meal. Vegans will particularly find many uses for Salba as it’s gluten-free.
Nutritional Breakdown:
- Five times the calcium compared to milk
- 3.5 ounces = 28-ounce piece of salmon
- 4 ounces = 5 cups of uncooked spinach
- 12 grams = 1 ¼ cups of bran cereal
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Cielestia Calbay is the Associate Editor of Competitor Magazine. If she’s not at the office, you’ll probably find her outdoors or scouring the area for the nearest juice bar. She may be reached at ccalbay@competitorgroup.com
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World-class runner Tegla Loroupe’s Peace Race was a huge success.
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A tough course with sand and hills made the race even more challenging.
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A reporter’s unique perspective training in artifically thinned air.
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The race was supposed to be entirely a Kenyan affair.
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South Africa’s top marathoner is getting world-class help for his country.
Former ING New York City Marathon champion Hendrick Ramaala has recruited the likes of former marathon world-record holder Paul Tergat and the current world-record holder, Haile Gebrselassie to help him with improving the state of running in South Africa. Ramaala is a self-described ambassador for South African running and has mentioned in previous interviews that he wants to take part in reforming Athletics South Africa, the country’s governing body for track and field.
“I was in the United States last weekend for the New York Marathon, where I also had the opportunity to meet Haile and Paul,” Ramaala said. ”We discussed various issues in terms of taking athletics in Africa to another level. We want to see Africans continuing to dominate athletics in the world.”
Ramaala’s comments come on the heels of Gebrselassie’s recent retirement from running last Sunday when he dropped out of the ING New York City Marathon near the 16-mile mark.
For More: Sowetan
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Mara Yamauchi thinks her best days are still ahead of her. Photo: Photorun.net
The British marathoner thinks her best days are still ahead of her.
Mara Yamauchi was one of the top contenders for the win at the ING New York City Marathon last weekend. She ended up placing 13th there, running 2:31:38–far short of expectations. Still, Yamauchi is unfazed and optimistic about her career.
“My best isn’t behind me, my career isn’t over and I can improve. I’ll produce better performances leading up to 2012,” she said.
Yamauchi, who lives in Japan with her husband, admitted her showing in New York wasn’t what she’d expected.
“It hasn’t been a good year for me and it wasn’t a great day in New York. But you pick yourself up and carry on,” she admitted. One of Britain’s best marathoners is now looking forward to the spring marathoning season where she’ll try to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in her home country.
“I’ll produce better performances leading up to 2012,” she said.
For More: BBC
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Some argue it’s time to make changes to the world’s largest marathon.
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One of Canada’s best distance runners hit “the wall” at mile 22 on Sunday.
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A London council is taking legal action regarding the course.
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