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farmers market-related stories

Celebrity Fitzness Report: Samantha Who? star James Tupper

Celebrity Fitzness Report, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly, our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

James Tupper plays "Owen", the hunky new rich guy getting busy with Christina Applegate's character on Samantha Who? He's a rising star who spent two years working opposite Ann Heche (his girlfriend in real-life) in Men in Trees and has also worked on hit shows like CSI:New York, Gilmore Girls and many others. James greeted me with a super cheery "Hi Fitz!" for this interview and was really sarcastic and fun throughout. He's an easy guy who loves carpentry, outdoor exercise and playing with Anne's 6-year-old son Homer.

Want to know how he prepares to show skin on camera? Read on!

Fitz: I love Samantha Who? It's such a cute show. What's it like working with the lovely Miss Christina Applegate?

James: It's amazing. She is a fantastic comedian. We work 14-hour days, and she is awesome from beginning to end. I really enjoy working with her. She's also really smart; she blows through crossword puzzles on the set.

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Healthy recipes for farmers' market finds

Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements


One of my favorite things about visiting the farmers' market is seeing the changes in the products they offer as the growing season progresses. Where I live, local peaches are starting to show up. I'm so glad, because in addition to enjoying plenty of fresh peaches, I'm going to slice and freeze quite a few. They're just delicious when they're still partially frozen. I also love grilling peaches and then sprinkling them with some cinnamon and serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (I know, I know... the ice cream is bad. But it's oh so good!)

Self Magazine posted some new healthy recipes for products you might find in the farmers' market now. Their recipe for roasted plums and greek yogurt sounds delicious. Perhaps it will be a healthier substitution for my grilled peaches and ice cream.

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In season recipes

Nutrition & Supplements

I love going to the farmers' market once or twice a week. It's always fun to see what's in season and to try out new items. But sometimes, I have to admit, that I'm a bit perplexed. When I saw some cute patty-pan squash I was tempted, but I had no idea what to do with them.

Food Network has a great tool that breaks fruits and vegetables down by their growing season and then links to recipes. Not all of the recipes are exactly healthy, but there are plenty of choices that health-conscious people can choose from. Some of the recipes that some yummy to me include:

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3 ways to eat locally

Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements

You've undoubtedly heard plenty about the benefits of eating locally. It's good for the environment, you support your local community, the food is fresher, and you have more say in how your food is grown because you can talk to the people who grew it.

Fitness Magazine's Eat Green, Be Healthy section offered three ways to buy locally and eat fresh:

  • Take advantage of farmers' markets. If you're not sure whether there's a farmers' market near you, check your local paper, or head over to this website where you can find out which fruits and veggies are in season near you and find a farmers' market in your area.
  • Become a member of a Co-op. You might have to put in a large sum to begin with, but your resources will be pooled with other co-op members and you'll get farm fresh produce at a reduced rate. Find one near you by selecting "Grocery/Co-op" and filling in your zip here.
  • Connect directly with local farmers. This website allows you to see listings of farmers' markets, u-pick farms, and roadside produce stands by state.

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5 steps for a lower carbon diet

Nutrition & Supplements

farmer's market booths
Not too long ago my son and I were grocery shopping. He pointed to a particular treat that he wanted to try, but instead of asking for it he said "That looks really good, but it creates too much container waste." I had to chuckle a bit. His statement either means I'm doing a good job of teaching him environmental responsibility or I'm a little over the top about it all.

Our nutrition habits are one area where we can reduce our impact on the environment. Healthcastle.com recently posted about five changes you can make for a lower carbon diet:
  • Buy local. Visit your local farmer's market, but be sure to ask where the produce is from. (I know at the farmer's market near me there is at least one booth that ships produce in from around the country.)
  • Go seasonal. Buying off-season means your produce was either shipped from a faraway locale or it was grown in a hot house.
  • Avoid high carbon foods. Even if they're produced locally, meat and dairy are high carbon foods. Reduce your intact by minimizing portion sizes and serving vegetarian meals more often.
  • Use fewer packaged foods. Not only are packaged foods big waste creators, they often have additives and artificial ingredients that aren't nutritionally beneficial.
  • Bring home leftovers. If you've got leftovers at a restaurant, don't leave them behind -- it creates unnecessary waste and is a waste of money, too.

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Be a locavore for a meal or two

Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements

Summer is the season for locavores, consumers who consciously commit to eating foods produced closer to home. Beyond lessening their carbon footprint by paying attention to the origin of foods, they also enjoy fresher fare and support local farmers. 'Locavore' was even named the 2007 Word of the Year by the New Oxford American Dictionary!

Some locavores stick within a narrow 100-mile radius -- inspired by a Vancouver couple who wrote a book on their year-long 100-mile diet -- while others widen the net and eat regional foods or keep it simple and choose a handful of available foods to consistently purchase locally. I guess you could say there are no strict rules when it comes to being a locavore.

If that's the case, how about wearing a locavore hat for a meal or two this month? Head to your local farmer's market and buy ingredients for a locally-grown meal. Maybe a spring mix salad with veggies, sweet potatoes and slices of melon? You can also patronize a restaurant featuring locally-sourced meals, a new trend as chefs head to farmer's markets to purchase local foods to feature on the menu. Finally, don't miss the many tips and articles from writers nationwide over at the Eat Local Challenge blog -- it's a terrific, educational site.

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Green your barbeque

Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements

grilled foodThere's just something about summertime that begs for food to be prepared on a grill. This summer, while grilling out, keep the environment in mind and make your barbeque a little greener:
  • Often barbeques focus on the meat. But, when it comes to thinking green, meat production has a big impact on the environment. So, reduce the overall amount of meat you serve and make sure whatever meat you do grill was local, organic, and humanely-raised.
  • Visit your farmer's market and buy some locally-grown organic veggies. Peppers, onions, zucchini, and summer squash are delicious when grilled. You can cut thick wedges, lightly brush them with olive oil, and grill. Or, skewer chunks of veggies and grill them like that. Corn is also great on the grill, but avoid the butter because it can really crank up the calories.
  • Dice potatoes and grill them in a foil packet. You can also grill potatoes whole -- try a Yukon Gold sliced open and sprinkled with olive oil and rosemary. Thick wedges of sweet potato are also delicious on the grill.
  • Serve a mixed greens salad topped with strawberries (all purchased from the farmer's market, of course).
  • You can even grill fruit for dessert.
Your healthy -- and green -- feast is sure to be a hit with friends and family. Enjoy!

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Daily Fit Tip: Hit up the Farmer's Markets

Daily Fit Tip

With all the recent food recalls, it's good to know where your food comes from. The best way? Buy direct at a Farmer's market. But can you navigate one successfully?

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We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs Weekly Roundup: April 25, 2008

We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs Weekly Roundup, Celebs & Entertainment

Ashlee Simpson gives an interview to Shape magazine and talks about engaged life (it's fantastic), the tabloid gossip (it doesn't bother her anymore), and her workout, which generally takes place at her home and consists of using some weights and machines. However, her trainer added that much of her workout doesn't use equipment -- it uses her environment. She runs down her stairs, does lunges around her pool, runs back up, and does squats. Now if only we all had flights of stairs and fabulous pools to exercise around ...

Sex and the City hottie Jason Lewis tells I'm Not Obsessed his trick for keeping fit -- he grills all his food. Tasty! Grilling, I mean. Not him. Well, maybe him. I'm flustered!

Jennifer Garner is featured in the May issue of Self and talks about her love of the farmers' markets during the summer as well as how much sunscreen she wears on a daily basis. Not only is she fit and beautiful -- she a smart and healthy role model, too!

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Yummy recipe: Spicy tofu with eggplant

While I'm not a vegetarian, I don't eat much meat either so I'm always on the hunt for yummy veggie recipes that use healthy protein alternatives like tofu and Quinoa. I suspect there are other people like me out there, so I decided I had to share this yummy recipe that I found through SELF Magazine: Spicy Asian Eggplant with Tofu and Red Pepper. Check it out! I had it for dinner tonight.

I'm a habitual recipe-modifier, so of course I made some changes, name adding more vegetables -- including zucchini and green onions. And all the produce I used was picked up this past weekend at my local farmers market, so it was all really fresh. And I served it with a side of Quinoa.

What's your favourite veggie recipe?

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Proximity to farms is a problem in cities

Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements

Living in the big city, it's sometimes hard to get really fresh fruit and veggies. However, you can't throw a stone without hitting a McDonald's or Burger King. They're everywhere, and in most cases, it's cheaper to get a greasy cheeseburger than it is to get a fresh salad made of local produce. There are always farmer's markets, but I find them to be quite expensive. It's one of the unfortunate realities of our industrialized world.

A farm just outside of Boston is trying to change that though by offering freshly-picked fruits and veggies that are competitively priced and in a convenient location. What's more, the farm employs about 60 inner-city youth, which helps the teenagers of Boston learn about healthy eating and sustainable community.

I think this is a great idea and one that I hope catches on throughout North America. What do you think?

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