There are several true and fast ways to preserve your fruits and vegetables. One of the easiest methods is water-bath canning, which anyone can do at home.

Having an enormous bounty this year, I needed to preserve my excess. You can also use local produce or a pick-your-own if you do not have a garden. After looking through my favorite and family recipes for the garden items I had, I decided to water-bath can my abundance.

Since I haven’t done this process in about ten years, I called experts and reread several ancient cookbooks that have been passed down for generations. I also went to the library to research any time-savers or updated tips, and to my surprise, there was hardly any information on water bath canning! So, I decided to write this series for anyone interested. …read more of Water-Bath Canning Simplified: Methods, Recipes and Tools for the Newbie or Pro here

You might ask why you would spend a weekend preserving food, it seems so time consuming and difficult. Well, the perks are unbeatable; Save money, eat healthier, impress your guests when entertaining while being less stressed to do so because you have pre-made gourmet items at hand, have great gifts to give, create memories and extend traditions to your children and grandchildren, shorten your preparation time for holiday meals and what’s best is that you made it yourself. You can even have a get together or canning party to make or swap items. The choices we make can change the world.

This article will give you an overall understanding of both methods; pressure cooker canning and water-bath canning.

For people with memories of Grandma’s pantry it is heartwarming seeing rows of homemade piccalilli, tomato sauce, soups and spreads in your cupboard. …read more of Canning Preservation Methods Expanded: Two Ways To Use At Home here

Let’s face it: We’re addicted to sugar – and it’s wreaking havoc on our health.

Check the back of your favorite snack and you’ll probably see some form of sugar on the ingredient list. Whether they call it sugar, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, sorbitol, maltodextrin, mannitol, or malitol, consuming too much of it can pose serious health risks.

Long known to cause weight gain and high cholesterol, diets high in sugar have been strongly linked to diabetes, heart disease, hyperactivity, and tooth decay. Some studies even suggest that excess sugar intake can cause depression and mood swings. …read more of 5-Step Guide to Kicking Your Sugar Habit (without sacrificing your sweet tooth) here

Our diets are loaded with sugar. We may think we are only consuming the slightest bit, even on our best days, but our coffee, breads, fast foods, snacks, and even certain fruits are laden with sugars.

The worst of it is most of the synthetic sugars are difficult for the body to process and eliminate, so they often get stored as fat.

There are also some serious side effects related to high sugar intake including: obesity, blood sugar imbalances, heart disease, arthritis, immuno-suppression, and vitamin and mineral depletion. The best thing to do if you aren’t ready to curb your sugar intake is to at least choose the best quality sweeteners to enhance your diet. …read more of Natural Sweeteners: Healthy Sugar Alternatives here

A new government study revealed widespread mercury contamination of fish tested in streams across the U.S.¹ In the most comprehensive study of its kind to date, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey tested more than 1,000 fish from nearly 300 streams across the nation from 1998 to 2005.

Every fish tested showed traces of mercury and a quarter of the fish tested had higher amounts of mercury than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deems safe to eat. Fetuses, infants, and young children are at greatest risk for harm from mercury, which can damage developing brains and nervous systems.

“This study shows just how widespread mercury pollution has become in our air, watersheds and many of our fish in freshwater streams,” Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a statement. “This science sends a clear message that our country must continue to confront pollution, restore our nation’s waterways and protect the public from potential health dangers.” …read more of New Studies Find Mercury Levels Increasing in U.S. here