Whole Foods and You
Until recently I lived under the rather embarrassing assumption that Whole Foods was simply the name of a fabulous grocery store. While I generally try to incorporate healthy and natural foods into by diet (as a former vegan and current vegetarian it’s fairly easy) I didn’t realize I was missing out on a large part of eating healthy. At Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Chef Rachel Matesz instructs a variety of whole foods cooking classes that begin at the basic introductory level for those with limited or no real cooking experience (I most definitely fit into this category) or those who are just looking to expand their culinary knowledge as part of the holistic nutrition program. While the class used to be taught in a...
Read MoreAn education that prepares you for success…not a lifetime of paying off loans
If you recently graduated from a state college or a private university, chances are student loan debt is forefront in your mind. I know from experience. Having graduated nearly 3 years ago, the debt I accumulated while taking my time to get through college is something I struggle with and with today’s economy…it can be a bit discouraging out there. I can’t help but think maybe I could have earned a degree and still ended up at the great place I am now in my life…but without such a large chunk of debt looming over my head every day. I won’t lie, I think it’s somewhat discouraging to see so many articles online, like this one from the Wall Street Journal, advising that perhaps a degree isn’t worth the inflated cost these days, because when I was the...
Read MoreWellness Vs. Sickness: Who wants an industry designed to keep us sick?
A recent health scare with my mother left me searching for different alternative healthcare treatments to consider if the doctors suspicion of cancer came true. While words cannot even begin to describe how thankful I am that it turned out to be a false alarm, I learned a bit about alternative medicine…and a lot more about our current hospital system too…and while you hear different amazing stories about the marvels of modern medicine on a daily basis, in my opinion, the industry as a whole is living up to the label of ‘the sickness industry,’ more and more each day, practicing medicine with patients they see as emotionless and faceless dollar signs day in and day out. When one of them happens to be your mother, you begin to see things a bit...
Read MoreA New Beginning
Nearly 4 months ago, my life was completely different. I lived in constant fear of being fired from my job as editor for a local magazine. Not because I was slacking by any means, but because I had a boss who thrived from motivating people by fear. As my first “real job” in my career field, I kept thinking ”is this really what I spent all that time in college for?” I graduated from Arizona State University as a Journalism major and felt that as an editor, I should be enjoying ‘living the dream,’ unfortunately it was more like a nightmare. I knew I loved writing and editing but I hated being yelled at every day. Life in the cubicle was not what I had hoped for and I quickly found out that being an editor isn’t always as glamorous as it...
Read MoreStevia – Whole Foods Can Be ‘Oh So Sweet’
As an avid coffee drinker, when I came across an article this morning about the all-natural, zero calorie sweetener stevia, my interest was peaked. I recently was first introduced to it at a local vegan restaurant. The waitress brought a little packet of stevia derived sweetener to the table with my coffee like it was gold or something. It made me really curious. In the morning, I have it down to a science, the largest cup of coffee within my reach and three packets of saccharin-based sweetener must be in my grasp before I can start my day. In the company of many of my friends, they look at me like I am crazy when I reach for those little pink packets of artificial goodness. After reading about the possible side effects of saccharin I guess I sort of have to...
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