Becoming an Urban Gardener

Just because you live in a big city (or somewhere else without a backyard) doesn’t mean you can’t get the benefits of freshly-picked produce every day. I’m not talking about the farmer’s market produce (although that’s another way to get fresh veggies). I’m talking about planting your own garden.

It’s actually a lot easier to plant an urban garden than you might think – especially if you have a terrace or patio. Here are a few ideas to get your thought process flowing. Once you’re convinced, all you need is one trip to the home improvement store for some gardening supplies, and you’re good to go. Everyone is always asking "What can you do with a nutrition degree?" Now you can answer: "Make a wholesome and balanced meal from the food in your own garden." That and train people how to live longer and healthier lives.

1. Choose a location for your garden. If you have a terrace or patio, that’s it. If you have a window in an area that gets direct sunlight, consider adding a window garden box. It’ll be easy to maintain and it won’t take up any space in your home. If the first two suggestions won’t work, you can set up a table in front of your best window for your garden.

2. Start small. If you’ve never planted before, you shouldn’t go crazy with a bunch of things. It’s much better to plant one or two plants and watch them grow than to plant a gazillion and watch them slowly die each day (depressing, right?). Keep it small and you’ll be able to give each plant more TLC.

3. Consider planting herbs as your first plants. It’s really great to have fresh herbs around when you’re cooking, and they’re easy to maintain. Parsley, basil, cilantro, sage; plant whatever you use most. Not only will you prove that you have a green thumb, but you’ll also look like a superstar in the kitchen.

Control Your Health with Home Cooked Meals

You’re not alone. We all love to have someone else cook for us. That’s why there are so many restaurants thriving in your neighborhood. From fast food joints to ethnic eateries, you can’t get enough of the easy meal. As long as you didn’t have to chop that onion, it’s all good, right? Well, not so fast. It isn’t just the ease of having the food prepared that’s got you addicted to restaurant food. Restaurant food nearly always has more sodium and fat than food prepared at home. And some restaurants (gasp) make it a habit to use unhealthy ingredients like MSG. Good for taste; bad for your waist.

Occasionally, a little indulgence is okay..

Eating at restaurants isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You certainly can learn how to order healthier meals and make it a little less harmful to your health. Also, restaurants are usually locally owned and operated businesses, so you’re supporting the local economy. And you get to feel a little pampered, so it’s definitely not all bad. Eating out has its place. Just don’t make too much of a habit of it. Instead, learn how to prepare delicious and nutritious meals at home – it’ll save you money and pounds of fat. It’s a win-win situation.

How to get started...

Even if you are a complete stranger to the kitchen, there are quick and easy meals you can prepare. In fact, there are entire cookbooks dedicated to novice chefs who don’t intend on spending hours slaving over a stove to get a good meal. Visit your local library and browse the culinary section. Maybe you can try a Cooking for Dummies type book to get you acquainted with the kitchen. Or, maybe a 30 Minute Meals type book would spark your interest. Just commit to choosing a recipe – and trying it out. Don’t choose anything too difficult or you might become frustrated with cooking before you even start.

Begin easy by making pancakes, muffins, or oatmeal. All three are relatively easy and can be made to be healthy. Just watch the sugar content of each. Try to cook with real foods as often as possible. By real food I mean just about anything that comes from the outer aisles of your grocery store. That includes fresh produce, meat and fish. While you’re in those aisles, look for foods labeled as organic. By doing so, you’ll avoid toxic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and other nasty things you definitely don’t want to ingest. By the way, unless a restaurant touts that they use organic ingredients, all of these toxins are likely included in your restaurant meal.

Taking it to the next level...

After you ease yourself into cooking, you might even like it. At this point, you can start trying more complicated (yet healthy) recipes like a vegetable lasagna or herbed spaghetti squash. Once you get the knack for it, you might even want to learn how to become a chef – but, for now, let’s take things slow and make some toast.