1. Meat – Organic meat comes from cows, chickens, and other animals that were fed grain free of pesticides and antibiotics. They also had access to the outdoors for some period each day. Organic meat will also be free of growth hormones that may have negative effects in humans.
2. Milk – Conventional milk is made from cows injected with lots of antibiotics and hormones. Studies on one of these hormones, recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), have shown possible links to early puberty and other hormonal abnormalities. On the other hand, studies on organic milk have shown that it contains more vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants than milk made from high-yield cows.
3. Eggs – Similar to conventional milk, the typical eggs you find in the grocery store have been made by chickens who were injected with lots of antibiotics and hormones and had to sit in a metal box for their whole lives. Eating organic eggs will mean fewer abnormal hormones and chemicals in your body,
4. Coffee – Coffee comes from many exotic parts of the world, many of which don’t have regulations about fertilizers and pesticides. Buying organic coffee keeps you from drinking these chemicals, but it will also likely support fair trade practices which ensure that workers earn a fair wage.
5. Potatoes – A pesticide commonly used on potatoes call chlorothalonil can be particularly harmful to children. It has been linked to asthma and other health problems.
6. Fruit – Certain fruits may contain lots of pesticides, both on their skin and absorbed into the inner parts. Peaches, apples, strawberries, cherries, and grapes tend to have the highest levels. While washing and peeling fruit may help, it certainly won’t get rid of all those chemicals. Fruits with tougher skins, like bananas, kiwis, mangoes, and pineapples are safe to buy without going organic.
7. Soft-skinned Veggies – Similar to fruit, soft-skinned vegetables are particularly susceptible to absorb pesticides. Peppers, green beans, and tomatoes are the worst. Tougher vegetables like onions, broccoli, and asparagus are fine to buy normally.
8. Leafy Greens – The tender leaves of leafy greens like spinach and lettuce are a favorite for pests like worms and slugs, and so they are sprayed with lots of pesticides. In fact, spinach was the vegetable with the highest number of pesticides when tested by the Environmental Working Group.
9. Baby Food – Since it’s processed, many of us don’t think about the harmful effects of non-organic baby food. However, it’s made with concentrated fruits and veggies, which only intensifies the pesticides they might contain. Babies are especially susceptible to the harmful effects of such chemicals because they can interfere with natural development.
10. Foods You Eat Frequently – While most of us can put up with some chemicals in our bodies, but too much can have serious effects. Lots of other foods, from corn chips to peanut butter, may contain pesticides or other harmful chemicals. If you or your children eat a lot of a certain food, you may want to research whether it has a risk of containing chemicals and consider buying an organic alternative.

Brenda Lawrence is a physical therapist whose interests include sports rehabilitation and nutrition. She owns the site Physical Therapy Aide for students interested in a career as a physical therapy aide.

This blog post is written by a guest blogger and does not necessarily represent the views of NuVal LLC or Topco.

When students eat out often they can end up spending a large portion of their limited budgets on food. Even eating at fast food restaurants can get expensive. Eating out also takes away a lot of control over which ingredients are used in the foods students eat. Restaurant food is notorious for being full of fat and salt. On the other hand, if students cook for themselves they can save money and keep more control over what’s in their food, allowing them to make healthier versions of the foods they love while controlling the calories. Students may have a hard time finding time to cook for themselves all the time between cramming the library, doing work for college classes online,  and of course enjoying the city, but the extra effort isn’t as demanding as many think, and can help lower the risk of unhealthy weight gain and a number of health conditions later in life.

Colleges’ campus health services usually recommend college students keep a supply of healthy foods in their dorm rooms to use for snacks, and breakfast foods to make sure they always have something healthy to eat in the morning.

Other tips to help college students eat cheaply and easily include:

1) Take advantage of the dining hall if a meal plan is included in tuition. Many schools require students, or sometimes only first-year students, to purchase at least some meals each term. Stay away from the fried options and focus on the salad bar, lean protein sources, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Try to avoid sampling the desserts too liberally, too.

2) Healthy breakfast foods are relatively inexpensive and easy to prepare. Many require no cooking or just heating up in the microwave, which is perfect for busy college students. Stock up on easy options like dry cereal, milk, oatmeal, fresh fruit, peanut butter, and whole grain bread, bagels, or English muffins. In a pinch you can always have breakfast for dinner as well. Many of these foods also make great snacks for anytime.

3) If you have access to a full kitchen and know how to cook, you can learn how to make a few simple dishes you enjoy and make them go-to recipes when you have time to cook. You can even cook extra and freeze meals in single-serving portions for extra-busy days.

4) Salads and sandwiches are also easy to prepare and potentially healthy options, as long as they’re made with lean meat and salads aren’t doused with dressing. The options are endless, and students can save money by purchasing vegetables in season or save time by purchasing prepared salad greens that are already washed and chopped.

5) Following the US Department of Agriculture guidelines for healthy eating can help students eat foods in the right proportions for good health. This means half of each plate should consist of vegetables and fruits.

While urban college students may enjoy eating out, it’s usually both less expensive and healthier to eat in. It does take more time and effort, but also gives students more control over what they eat. This can help keep students from gaining the so-called freshman fifteen, and save a few bucks to enjoy other aspects of city life.

This blog post is written by a guest blogger and does not necessarily represent the views of NuVal LLC or Topco.

The sugar coma that typically follows my holiday binges is doubtless a common affair, as I flatter myself that few people are successful at combatting the cravings that regularly occur when surrounded by pies, cookies, candies, and rich main dishes.  It should come as no surprise to these folks, then, that food affects our mood. 

Just as a meal full of delicious but empty calories can make us feel morose in the aftermath, so too can a meal full of healthy, targeted brain foods improve our mood after eating.  What’s that you say?  You don’t believe you can feel happier simply by changing your diet?  Well, let’s just see what the science says about it.

Foods Linked to Better Moods

Knowing what to eat to lift your spirits through the long winter months (or maybe just through the long visit with the in-laws) can be a useful tool for combatting the winter blues or even Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  Try filling your diet with these nutritious and delicious mood-boosters, and don’t be surprised when you are happy to do the dishes afterward! 

Salmon.  The healthy fatty acids, known as Omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon and tuna as well as nuts, spinach, and certain vegetable oils, can help your brain function at its optimal capacity.  Preliminary studies indicate that these Omega-3s may boost cognitive function, memory, and focus as well as boost mood when consumed on a regular basis.

Spinach.  This leafy green is about as close to a super-food as a plant can get.  Not only is it full of folic acid, which can help relieve symptoms of fatigue and depression, but its magnesium can help improve sleep and manage stress.  In addition, its antioxidants help protect your brain from damage that can drain energy and negatively affect your mood.  So start chowing down on a spinach and salmon salad while you read the rest of this article.

Bananas.  These fruits aren’t just fun to spell in catchy pop songs, they are also powerhouses of nutrition and make great snacks.  Not only do the natural carbs give your brain a steady supply of energy, but the potassium, magnesium, vitamins and minerals, and amino acids (such as tryptophan, which is also found in turkey) help deliver oxygen to the brain, promote restful sleep, improve the communication among brain cells, and trigger the release of calming, stress-reducing hormones.  Who knew?  Maybe Gwen Stefani?

Eggs.  Don’t cheat yourself of the mood-boosting power of the yolk when you eat an egg.  The vitamins D and B12 and choline help enhance memory and increase the amount of serotonin released, helping you feel contented and relaxed.  Even better, the high levels of protein in an egg keep you well-nourished for several hours, boosting alertness and productivity.  I prefer mine sunny-side up. 

Walnuts.  The wonder-snack.  Not only do these yummy nuts contain magnesium, Omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants, but they help give your mood a boost by preventing mineral depletions that lead to anxiety, irritability, depression, and insomnia. They also help keep your blood sugar levels stable, keeping your mood and energy in check.

Milk.  They whey protein found in milk has been demonstrated to reduce frustration and anxiety.  The vitamins, minerals, and other proteins in milk also help your body use the brain-boosters found in other healthy foods, so try sipping on some milk with that salmon and spinach salad (with walnuts and a hard-boiled egg.  Maybe skip the banana in this dish…). 

Dark chocolate.  As if you needed an excuse for snacking on the delicious, sweet and earthy food of the gods!  The antioxidants in dark chocolate (think 70% cacao or more) help keep your blood vessels open, and your brain benefits from a quick energy boost.  Even better, the amino acid phenylalanine found in dark chocolate is said to boost your brain’s production of dopamine, helping you stay focused and motivated.  No wonder it is the essential mid-afternoon snack for all office employees!

Making the Eat Well, Feel Well Commitment

Although it may be tempting to reach for the snicker doodles instead of a small handful of walnuts and a glass of milk this holiday season, I am determined to remind myself of the easy and effective way to assure a genuine smile and an even-keeled mood: eat the right foods. 

The saying, “You are what you eat” may be a little counter-intuitive here, but I think it still applies.  Although at first I might think, “Gingerbread men are happy and I want to be happy, too, so I will eat the whole gingerbread clan,” this method of thinking about food is unlikely to actually lead to happiness (especially when stepping on the scale).  In reality, however, I am determined that the saying, “Salmon can make me feel happy, so salmon is a ‘happy food,’ and I am going to eat it,” will sooner or later ingrain itself in my mind.  Once it does, I can be sure that I am what I eat – happy!

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Author Bio: Katie Brind’Amour is a freelance writer and food aficionado eating her way through Columbus, Ohio one delicious dish at a time. When she’s not busy trying to identify the perfect combination of chocolate and wine, she writes on health, nutrition, pregnancy, and friendship for a variety of clients and her personal blog.

This blog post is written by a guest blogger and does not necessarily represent the views of NuVal LLC or Topco.

We are known for the Chicago hot dog, which is an all-beef dog on a poppy seed bun. Ketchup is absolutely forbidden; only yellow mustard is allowed. Cover that baby in some chopped white onions, sweet relish (which often comes in a neon-green shade, like at places like the famous Superdawg), tomato wedges, sport peppers, a crunchy pickle and a touch of celery salt.

Let’s be honest- Chicago is a food town. Yes, we have some of the best chefs and restaurants out there (Alinea’s amazing gourmand Grant Achatz comes to mind), but we are generally known for stellar blue-collar food. We can compete with the best of them when it comes to our Italian beef sandwiches and Italian lemon ices, hot dogs and deep-dish pizza.

The only problem?

This food is not even remotely healthy. I won’t pretend that it is. Your average Chicago sandwich is meant for a 300-lb. man, not a delicate female (although most Chicago women can take down a slice of deep dish with some fries on the side and a full-sugar pop to top it off).  Being the amazing Midwestern hubbub it is, however, Chicago is a place of change and evolution, meaning that we have a selection of amazing healthy restaurant options.

One of my absolute favorites is Karyn’s Raw. Part market, part raw vegan dining experience, Karyn’s has everything you could possibly need in the realm of healthy eating, from detox programs to a full menu and store full of natural raw products. They also prepare cooked items for those dining out who don’t fully subscribe to the raw movement. The Passion Soup is a standout; it includes red bell pepper, ginger, garlic, cherry tomatoes, mint, basil, cilantro, cashews, coconut and a touch of lemon juice.

Over at The Chicago Diner you will find vegan-friendly menus and an assortment of organic beer and wine. The establishment has been famously ‘meat-free’ since 1983. All of their comfort foods are vegetarian, most being vegan. They even have a Vegan Thanksgiving planned that can be enjoyed while dining in but can also be carried out! EARTH’s HEALING Café is an amazing option for those who want to eat organic vegan meals that are soy and gluten free. Their Ascension Cake features a faux cheese layer made with cashew and a chocolate layer made with raw cacao. The top layer is finished off with Maca root powder on an almond, walnut and date crust.

It was only a few weeks ago that First Lady Michelle Obama was in town promoting healthy eating programs geared towards children. She spent time on the South Side of the city promoting healthy eating and living and announced that 37 new fresh-food stores would be popping up in the Chicago area. Chicago is truly a food town, but it is making waves for being more aware of organic options and the people who live ‘green’ lives. Our farmer’s markets can’t be beat, and the general buzz in Chicago is about these restaurants, old and new, and how even meat-eaters can incorporate these ideas and habits into their everyday lives.

The editors at Running with Mascara know that ‘everything in moderation’ is a key life mantra. Living in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs, we all enjoy what the city has to offer. Despite our individual fitness and beauty habits, it’s what on the inside (literally) that counts. Healthy eating isn’t easy for everyone, but if people in a city like Chicago can do it, anyone can!

The problem with Thanksgiving sweet potato recipes are that they are usually laden with so much fat and sugar that the health benefits are nearly cancelled out.  Chicago Healers Practitioner Dr. Martha Howard offers some simple recipes that won’t weigh you down on Thanksgiving.

“Candied” Sweet Potatoes

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Scrub 4 large sweet potatoes, pat dry and oil lightly with olive oil.
• Prick with a fork and cook on a rack in a pan lined with foil or parchment paper to catch drippings. 
• Cook for 1 to 1 ¼ hours, until tender when pierced with a fork.
•  Let potatoes cool slightly and cut in half lengthwise. 
• Drizzle on a small amount (about a quarter teaspoon per potato) of agave nectar and sprinkle with a small amount of cinnamon.  (You can also use a little fresh grated ginger and/or shredded coconut for a wonderful tropical taste.) 
• Slide under the broiler and watch carefully, remove when light brown and bubbly, and serve.

“Mom’s”  Sweet Potato, Pineapple, Marshmallow Casserole, 2011 Style

• Cook sweet potatoes as in the “Candied” Sweet Potato recipe. 
• Let cool, peel, and mash. 
• Lightly oil a casserole dish and alternate layers of sweet potato with layers of pineapple chunks (the organic ones, canned in their own juice, of course) and about a teaspoon of melted butter drizzled over each layer, and sprinkle ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt evenly over each layer. 
• Arrange pineapple chunks on the top of the casserole, and arrange a half cup of mini marshmallows around the top between the pineapple chunks.
• Combine a teaspoon and a half of agave nectar and a teaspoon and a half of melted butter and drizzle over the top. 
• Cook at 375 for about 30 minutes, until the marshmallows are melted and the top is golden brown. 
• Using agave nectar and pineapple canned in its own juice instead of pineapple in heavy syrup, and taking it easy with the marshmallows, makes this a much healthier, equally yummy Thanksgiving dish.

For more information on Dr. Martha Howard and the benefits of sweet potatoes visit: www.chicagohealers.com.

This blog post is written by a guest blogger and does not necessarily represent the views of NuVal LLC or Topco.

If you’re ready to jump on board with me and avoid the trend of ditching healthy eating in lieu of both eating more and eating richer foods for these upcoming months, here are 5 easy tips to stick with.

Need to Munch?  Munch on Water

Okay, so you maybe can’t munch on it literally, but you can munch on water-laden foods.  When you’re out for evening social gatherings and the food starts piling up around you, head straight for the produce that’s loaded  water.  You can eat it slowly and it’ll keep you feeling fuller without pouring in a bunch of extra calories.  Good veggie options: celery sticks, cucumber slices, lettuce, tomatoes.  Lettuce is actually your best bet, at 95% water.  Broccoli comes in a close second at 91%, carrots are 87%.  If there’s a fruit tray anywhere near, look for watermelon (92% water) or oranges and grapefruit (90%). 

Take Your Tea

Fortunately, the fall and winter months are well suited to drinking tea.  Filling up on tea before you head to a party can greatly help to reduce your appetite.  Studies also suggest that drinking green tea can even help boost your metabolism and cause you to burn more calories.  So while you’re getting all dressed up, keep a cup of tea handy and make sure it’s gone before you leave.  And, while at the party?  Yep!  Grab a cup of hot water and tea and skip the high calorie loaded beverage options.  You’ll feel warm, cozy and full.  It’s a win-win.

Eat Normally – Before the Party

Never “save up” calories to go all out on a party.  You’ll arrive starving and eat much more than you would have ever planned on eating or have wanted to eat.  Eat your regular, well-filling meals and snacks throughout the day as normal.  In fact, if it’s an evening party, you should aim to eat almost a full meal before heading out to the party.  This will give you a little wiggle room to have bites of various appetizers/desserts but not feel the need to make a meal out of them.  If it’s a dinner party, eat normally all day but fill up on high-fiber, water loaded foods (like those mentioned above) and a cup of tea before you go.

Limit Your Options

Almost nothing works as well as simply limiting your options.  Give yourself a specific set of types of foods to eat for a week (enough variation so you can get all your needed nutrients and minerals: turkey, salad, whole wheat bread, etc.) and then that’s it.  When it isn’t an option to try everything everywhere you go at every single holiday party, you won’t even have to fight the temptation.  You might even find yourself losing weight watching your intake like this.  We tend to get sick of foods, so even though we have free reign to eat as much of something as we like, we won’t, because we’re “over it.”

Re-Think Comfort

While cooler weather seems to call for comfort food and comfort food seems to call out for butter, you don’t necessarily have to “give up” those foods.  Think of what characterizes comfort food in your mind.  It’s likely warm, it’s probably creamy and it’s probably carbohydrate focused.  You can find those characteristics in foods that are not necessarily unhealthy.  Make smart swaps when you can, like plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  Trade the oil in your pumpkin bread for applesauce.  Make a fruit cobbler instead of a pumpkin pie.  Use whole wheat pasta instead of white.  Make stews and creamy soups that use vegetable purees to thicken them up.  Do online searches for “healthy comfort foods” and you’ll find all kinds of recipes that have taken traditional comfort foods and lightened them up.

In the End

Holidays don’t have to mean the demise of your healthy eating.  Stick to the plan you’ve been working on and remind yourself that staying strong will help you feel better, both mentally and physically and give your body the fuel it needs to keep up with the demands of the jam-packed holiday season.  You can also help your body keep its immune system built up with healthy foods, especially plant based options like dark leafy green and brightly colored vegetables. 

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Jocelyn Anne takes great pride and joy in maintaining a healthy eating plan throughout the holiday months and loves to share her tips with others.  When not writing foodie or health-related pieces, you’ll find her at work writing about conserving energy during winter months with a ceramic heater.

This blog post is written by a guest blogger and does not necessarily represent the views of NuVal LLC or Topco.

Over the year after watching that documentary, my husband and I began to make changes to our lives. It’s nothing drastic, however, changing our diet to organic, growing our own food, etc. We expected our cost of living to increase, but we were glad to pay it for the environment.

So imagine our surprise when we looked through our annual accounts and discovered that our cost of living decreased. And here I thought attaching our lives to Walmart is best for our finances. Guess I was wrong.

Upon a deeper look at the accounts, I found out why living an eco-friendly lifestyle can save you money.

1. Reduce Your Grocery Expense

The biggest savings we had is for our groceries – despite the fact that we switched over to organic. The reason is simple. Even though we switched to organic, we also bought less food.

My husband converted our previously unproductive lawn and backyard into a food garden. We grew most of our vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes and the likes) and we traded them with some of our friends we met at a farmer’s market for those that we need but didn’t have (like apples, watermelon, etc).

Talking about farmer’s market, we also met and built relationship with a couple of local farmers and people of the same mind. A handful gathered together and did a group buy from a local farmer, saving us hundreds over the months.

2. Making My Own Cleaning Products

Most people wrongly assumed cleaning products are complex to make. That’s what the ads are there for – to convince us that the product it’s selling are developed in some lab by a scientist and that there’s no other way if you want to be safe from bacteria.

But that is simple not the case. Often you can make cleaning products that are just as effective with household ingredients like vinegar, lemon, baking soda, etc. I even go so far as to make my own shampoo and soap, although that’s not quite as easy to make as a toilet spray, for example. Soaps and shampoos took me 3 tries over 3 days to get right.

These products again saved us hundreds over the year, considering we no longer need to buy costly moisturizer, cleanser, body lotion and heck, we didn’t even need professional help cleaning our carpet! We used merely used our own formula!

To get started, simply do a simple Google search on “how to make my own cleaning products”. There is a multitude of advice out there.

3. Reduce Your Medical Bill

At first, living an eco-friendly life didn’t seem to matter much health-wise, but if you record everytime you fall sick, you’ll soon notice a pattern. Living an environmentally friendly life equals living a healthier life, I have no doubt about it.

For example, by switching to organic, you’re avoiding the pesticides and herbicides that conventional farmers use to kill insects. Organic farmers, on the other hand, use traditional methods to keep those pests away. Some people mistakenly think that the pesticide levels found in conventional food is below the acceptable level but multiple studies have shown otherwise.

Not only that, conventionally-raised animals are often confined to small cages and are unable to move for their whole lives. They are then fed grains, or animal feed (which sometimes contain their own species’ meat thus making them cannibalistic) and injected with hormones to make them grow fat faster.

These animals are no longer healthy when they are slaughtered and their toxins-ridden, excess-hormone-filled meat sold to unsuspecting customers. Is it any wonder people fall sick when they consumer these meat?

Recently, there are even reports of “fake beef” – a practice widely practiced but kept tightly secret in the butchering industry. A butcher may sell you a steak, when in fact it’s meat from other less desirable parts glued together so even a trained eye couldn’t tell it apart. These butchers use something called a “meat glue”, a chemical banned in many countries yet still practiced in some parts of the developed world, like Australia. Meat glue, of course, is banned if you like to display the organic logo, but it’s perfectly legal for conventional meat.

4. Reduce Your Transport Bill

I used to drive my children to school everyday. Not sure when the tradition started but that’s just the way it is in our house.

After converting our lifestyle, however, we’ve bought the kids bicycles and they ride them to school instead. The school is about 20 minutes away from our house so over the year, you can imagine how much we saved in gas alone.

And not only that, it’s seeing how much they enjoyed their new bikes inspired us to get one for our own! Instead of driving to town to pick up small items like ketchup or the dry cleaning, my husband and I simply rode the bike together to get these things. Of course, we also got our much needed daily exercise!

These “negligible” trips amount to more than you would expect in a year. I highly suggest anyone who is skeptical to start keeping track of how many times these trips happen over a month then multiply that number by the distance of that trip. 

So there you are, 4 ways living an eco-friendly life saved us money. These are just the beginning, of course, so please share your story in the comments!

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When not out building relationships with other bloggers, Krisca Te can be found reading blogs that tackle how to save money. She is also a personal finance freak who is currently working with CCF, a personal finance blog that writes about financial literacy and provides tips using tools like a budget spreadsheet.

This blog post is written by a guest blogger and does not necessarily represent the views of NuVal LLC or Topco.

When students eat out often they can end up spending a large portion of their limited budgets on food. Even eating at fast food restaurants can get expensive. Eating out also takes away a lot of control over which ingredients are used in the foods students eat. Restaurant food is notorious for being full of fat and salt. On the other hand, if students cook for themselves they can save money and keep more control over what’s in their food, allowing them to make healthier versions of the foods they love while controlling the calories. Students may have a hard time finding time to cook for themselves all the time between cramming the library, doing work for college classes online,  and of course enjoying the city, but the extra effort isn’t as demanding as many think, and can help lower the risk of unhealthy weight gain and a number of health conditions later in life.

Colleges’ campus health services usually recommend college students keep a supply of healthy foods in their dorm rooms to use for snacks, and breakfast foods to make sure they always have something healthy to eat in the morning.

Other tips to help college students eat cheaply and easily include:

1) Take advantage of the dining hall if a meal plan is included in tuition. Many schools require students, or sometimes only first-year students, to purchase at least some meals each term. Stay away from the fried options and focus on the salad bar, lean protein sources, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Try to avoid sampling the desserts too liberally, too.

2) Healthy breakfast foods are relatively inexpensive and easy to prepare. Many require no cooking or just heating up in the microwave, which is perfect for busy college students. Stock up on easy options like dry cereal, milk, oatmeal, fresh fruit, peanut butter, and whole grain bread, bagels, or English muffins. In a pinch you can always have breakfast for dinner as well. Many of these foods also make great snacks for anytime.

3) If you have access to a full kitchen and know how to cook, you can learn how to make a few simple dishes you enjoy and make them go-to recipes when you have time to cook. You can even cook extra and freeze meals in single-serving portions for extra-busy days.

4) Salads and sandwiches are also easy to prepare and potentially healthy options, as long as they’re made with lean meat and salads aren’t doused with dressing. The options are endless, and students can save money by purchasing vegetables in season or save time by purchasing prepared salad greens that are already washed and chopped.

5) Following the US Department of Agriculture guidelines for healthy eating can help students eat foods in the right proportions for good health. This means half of each plate should consist of vegetables and fruits.

While urban college students may enjoy eating out, it’s usually both less expensive and healthier to eat in. It does take more time and effort, but also gives students more control over what they eat. This can help keep students from gaining the so-called freshman fifteen, and save a few bucks to enjoy other aspects of city life.

That’s why we’re providing 10 easy tips on how to save money on groceries without sacrificing quality. We believe you can have your carrot cake and eat it, too—just maybe with the help of a few coupons.

Write your grocery list at home.

We all know we’re supposed to write grocery lists, but on a busy day, it can seem like just another chore. However, writing a grocery list and sticking to it can help you save time at the grocery store while avoiding impulse buys.

Temple University’s “Wise Choices” grocery guide even recommends writing your list to conform to the grocery store’s layout, sorting the items by aisle.

Remember to bring your grocery rewards credit card.

Did you know a grocery credit card could earn you up to 5% cash back on groceries? Also, some rewards credit cards offer points for grocery purchases which you can trade in for lots of useful stuff.

So, if you have a grocery rewards credit card, make sure you remember to bring it for grocery runs. It might be helpful to write a reminder for yourself at the top of your grocery list.

Leave the kids at home, but bring another adult.

If you can, find a babysitter for younger kids so you don’t have to bring them grocery shopping. Responsible teens in the neighborhood can provide low-cost babysitting services.

Many kids like shopping, but they will often slow you down and talk you into buying less healthy, more costly items.

On the other hand, it can be good to bring another adult, like your partner or roommate. If you both go over the shopping list together, you can hold each other accountable for sticking to it.

Eat before you go.

Have you ever heard you should dress up to go clothes shopping so you don’t buy something pricey out of embarrassment? The same concept holds true for grocery shopping.

If you go grocery shopping while hungry, your stomach will tempt you to buy things your brain knows you can’t afford.

Find coupons in the Sunday paper and online.

As in the old days, grocery coupons can still be found in the Sunday paper. Now, they are also online, on sites like coupons.com.

Be smart when it comes to coupons, however. If you’re getting $2 off on an item you don’t need and weren’t planning to buy, are you really saving money? Use coupons for the items already on your grocery list instead.

When in season, buy fresh fruits and veggies.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy and tasty. When making dinner, serving fresh vegetables on the side and fruits for desert can help you slim down your grocery budget, not to mention your figure.

Buy larger packages of food, but avoid “warehouse bulk.”

We found this tip in “Common Sense Ways You Could Save $5,000 – $10,000 (or More) Over the Next Year,” an article published by the U.S. Department of Justice. The article points out that most families can’t go through large amounts of food before they spoil.

So, if you want to save money by buying bulk, focus on the largest amount of food your family can reasonably finish before the expiration date, not just on the price tag.

Limit purchases of prepared and prepackaged foods.

This tip is also from the Department of Justice’s “Common Sense” list. Prepackaged foods are usually more expensive and less healthy.

Now, we know it’s hard to avoid them in this day and age, but you could try setting a budget to limit how many prepared foods you buy per trip. Stocking up on Ziploc baggies also helps—just prepare food at home and bag it up to take to work or school.

Before hitting the checkout aisle, look over your cart again.

This is where it helps to have another trustworthy adult. After filling up your cart, go through it one last time to assess whether you really need the items you grabbed, or whether a few impulse buys snuck in. If you know you have to show your partner or roommate what you bought, you’ll be less tempted to cheat.

Again, we realize you’re not perfect. If you know you’re going to end up with one or two impulse items, at least budget for them. For example, you and your partner could limit yourselves to 50 cents each for impulse buys. At least that way, you guys will leave with a pack of gum and small bag of licorice instead of a big box of junk food.

After you cash out, check your receipt for errors.

After you’re done shopping, Temple University’s “Wise Choices” guide recommends scanning your receipt to look for price errors and ensure you received the right change.

As an added bonus, you could find coupons in your receipt you wouldn’t have noticed if you had just shoved it in your pocket.

Of course, it’s polite to wheel your shopping cart out of the way first!

Daniela Baker with CreditDonkey says, “Isn’t it funny how our parents’ advice always finds its way back to us as grown-ups?” The fact is, these age-old strategies have survived for a reason—they really work. If you apply them each time you go shopping, not only will you save money on groceries without sacrificing quality, you will actually be able to afford better quality food!

At first I didn’t even consider running because I was too busy enjoying the other activities in my life, then I started to work full-time and hiking and tennis were harder to fit in to a busy work-week schedule and running started looking pretty tempting. Tempting but intimidating. Everyone on the treadmills and running outside always looked like marathon runners and I didn’t want look slow or out of shape so I went with my second choice, the elliptical. Even though I had this weird desire to run I believed it wasn’t “for me”. So, I kept coming up with excuses why I shouldn’t/couldn’t run: my legs were too short, I was too out of shape, I didn’t have a normal “runner’s body”, I hadn’t grown up running, in fact I didn’t really even know how to run.

Now, I didn’t have a life altering moment where the skies opened up and the running gods blessed me with the confidence or speed of a gazelle. Honestly, I got bored with the elliptical and decided I didn’t care if I couldn’t run as fast as anyone else, because I just wanted to run. Over a year later the feeling hasn’t gone away and I am so grateful that I finally shook all of my worries, concerns and fears and just went for it. Running provides me a unique freedom from all of life’s responsibilities, worries, drama and lets me just be present with my breath and movement. I’m so hooked that I even completed my first Sprint Triathlon on September 11th and I’m currently training for the Boston Tufts 10K (6.2 miles).

So, I’m no expert but I’ve learned a lot over the last year and for all you newbie’s out there here are some great running tips so the vast open road seems much more manageable than you ever thought.

Before your first run

1. Start off slow. Couch to 5K (http://www.c25k.com/) is a great plan to get you going. If you just want to wing it, be sure to plan on gradually increasing mileage and intensity over a long period of time. 

2. Find an event and sign up right away, don’t dawdle. Having a date looming far in the distance (give yourself time) helped me put my goals and plans into perspective. Once I signed up for my triathlon I knew I couldn’t slack and it gave me this awesome motivation to stay focused. When I say sign up for an event though I don’t mean a marathon. Maybe sign up for a local 5K or a sprint triathlon – something that you can work towards but that isn’t going to push you over the edge. 

3. Now that you’re all ready to go, don’t go out and spend a lot of money on new stuff. Running isn’t about buying new stuff; it’s about moving your body. All you really need is a good pair of running sneakers and some semi-decent workout clothing, oh and don’t forget sun block if you run outside.

4. Find blogs and groups to support your new hobby. Seriously the blogging community is amazing and will provide you with an unlimited amount of advice, support and motivation.

5. Set reasonable expectations. Trust me, you don’t want to plan on a 5 mile run your first time out! Killing yourself the first few times isn’t going to be fun and you’re going to hate running and give it up. Take it slow and easy – you’re not in a race, don’t worry.

Starting off on your first run

1. Stretch and hydrate. Simple and straightforward but super important.  

2. Don’t scrunch up! Be sure to keep your neck, jaw, shoulders and hands relaxed not all bunched up and tense.

3. Listen to fun, upbeat music. Music motivates, empowers and pushes me through every single run – there is nothing like the Jackson 5 or Brittany Spears to put a little kick in my step.

4. Embrace walk breaks. I take them all the time and now that I’m out there on the road I notice a lot of people do. They give your muscles a break, make you feel better and help you run better and longer.

5. Try mantras. When I run I love to repeat, “I am strong, I am capable, I am courageous” to keep me going and honestly it always helps power me through that last ½ mile.

After your first run

1. Stretch and even practice some yoga. I tend to stretch out for 20 minutes after a 40+ minute run, sometimes I even throw some downward dogs in there and my hamstrings are truly grateful.

2. Foam roll the tension out of your body. I promise your body will thank you later.

3. Keep track of your runs. Workout logs are a great way to stay focused and motivate yourself because you can see your progress along the way.

4. Give yourself a break. Seriously, it’s good to give your body time to rest in between runs, which leads me to…

5. Mix it up with cross training! Practice yoga, weight train or try a spinning class, whatever sounds good to you. Just be sure you aren’t trying to run 7 days a week – it’s boring and your body won’t like you very much.

Finally, and probably most importantly, try to stop comparing yourself to everyone else out there on the road. Find joy in simply moving your body and doing something you love that makes you feel good. So be proud of your body, your speed, your ability and embrace the wonderful feeling of freedom after a great run.

Author Bio: Erin is a healthy living blogger over at Creative Soul in Motion. Her blog is meant to inspire and motivate others to take every day as a wonderful chance to try new things and embrace the positive changes within themselves. Come on over and say hello!