Whole Foods Living: April 2014

9 Healthy Living Tip, Trick and Trend Articles

Each day I try to make healthy choices.

From the food on my plate, to makeup on my face and cleansers in my home, I choose to go with simple, natural options. For me Whole Foods Living truly is a lifestyle.

Spring Salad. Photo by Angela Tague

Each morning I wake up and tackle writing assignments (yep, that's my day job) for several health and environmentally friendly focused clients. And, I love it.

So, this week I thought I'd share nine articles (not just one!) that I've written with my Whole Foods Living frame of mind at the forefront. Enjoy!

Have you read any great healthy living articles lately? Please share the links with me in the comments below. I'd love to check them out too!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Soft, Gluten-free, Moist Bread Does Exist!

It finally happened.

Canyon Bakehouse 7-Grain Bread. Image Credit: Canyon Bakehouse

I bit into a piece of gluten-free bread that didn't crumble like a stale cookie, taste like tire tread or nearly chip a tooth. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

A few months ago a gal I follow on Google+ was raving about a new gluten-free bread she found at the grocery store. I've kept the name in the back of my head in case it ever showed up in my neck of the woods, and it finally did.

Ready? It's Canyon Bakehouse 7-Grain Gluten-free Bread.

I actually enjoyed a sandwich without toasting the bread first! For those of you who are slaves to gluten-free carbs, you know what I mean. Most gluten-free breads are simply more palatable when toasted.

Here's the ingredient list, courtesy of the Canyon Bakehouse website:

INGREDIENTS: Water, Brown Rice Flour, Tapioca Flour, Organic Agave Syrup, Whole Grain Sorghum Flour, Xanthan Gum, Whole Grain Millet, Cultured Brown Rice Flour, Whole Grain Quinoa, Eggs, Whole Grain Teff, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Whole Grain Amaranth, Sugarcane Molasses, Sea Salt, Yeast, Whole Grain Buckwheat Flour, Natural Enzymes
Note: Buckwheat does NOT contain wheat, it is a naturally gluten-free grain.
CONTAINS: EGG

I'm not sure what else to say about this bread except that you must try it. It's THE best gluten-free bread I've tried to date, and I try a lot! Now I'm hoping my local Hy-Vee store will start carrying this company's other gluten-free products, like muffins and focaccia!!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

PS: Wonder what else I'm writing about? Follow me on Facebook for daily updates!

3 New Uses for Old Oranges (Beyond Juicing!)

Don't toss old, shriveled oranges in the trash! Image Credit: morgueFile

As I type this, I'm busily preparing for a quick getaway weekend to visit my family. One of the tasks on my To Do list is to use up the fresh produce around here so nothing goes bad during my time away.

The last thing I want to waste is food!

Last night I roasted asparagus, potatoes and carrots to go with dinner. Tonight I might make a pasta salad filled with veggies to pack for a quick road lunch.

Then I noticed the bowl of oranges looking at me with sad eyes. Well, not really, but you know what I mean. They're starting to get a little shriveled since I brought home a big bag of easy-to-eat clementines which always get grabbed over oranges.

So, by my side is a big glass of water filled with orange slices. When you're tired of lemon in your water, try this companion citrus fruit. Limes also work well!

I'll also be chopping an orange or two to tuck inside a jar of white vinegar. Later I can whip up my homemade disinfectant spray by mixing half citrus-vinegar mixture with water in a spray bottle.

I'll also use some fresh squeezed orange juice to make a sweet vinaigrette dressing to have on hand for spring salads. Yum!

How do you like to use up an abundance of citrus fruit?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Making a Date with Dried Dates

I love dried fruits for snacking.

Dried dates. Image Credit: Freeimages

One that I never quite reach for often enough is dates. The oversize raisin-looking fruit hails from palm trees, so it's not exactly fresh and plentiful in land-locked Iowa. I've only eaten dried, wrinkly dates.

I keep hearing about fresh dates stuffed with mixtures of nuts and candied fruits. They sound delicious!

Have you ever eaten dates? How do you enjoy them?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Note: Today's post will be my last submission for the 2014 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. I've had multiple blog subscribers comment that I'm posting too often (daily) and have chosen to unsubscribe from my blog. I'm also learning that when I reciprocate comments on blogs integrated with Google+, the multiple "comment posts" on my G+ page appear spammy. I write for my readers, and am choosing to respect their feedback. I will resume publishing on my regular Monday schedule on April 14th. Thanks for visiting!

Crazy for Cuties!

Call 'em Cuties. Call 'em clementines. Whatever you call them, those little balls of orange citrus goodness are addictive!

Image Credit: SXC

For the past several weeks, I've been stocking the kitchen with clementines for quick, easy snacking. They peel easier than an orange. They're approximately 45 calories a piece. And they're easy to take in a lunchbox.

What more can you ask for from a simple, healthy snack?

Do you enjoy clementines? It seems like people either love them or hate them. Please weigh in below in the comments section!

Note: Today's post is part of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. Each day during the month of April I'll highlight a letter of the alphabet with a healthy snack idea. Today is "C" day. Stop back tomorrow for another delicious tip!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

It's Almost Ice Cream...

I'm a sucker for a big bowl of ice cream. I love the cool, creamy dessert so much so, it decided to start hanging out around my midsection daily! Well, I've had to put a stop to that.

Image Credit: SXC

I've started snacking on a treat that's close enough to ice cream for me: frozen bananas!

If you've ever made a fruit smoothie, you know frozen bananas blend into a creamy delicious texture. Here's a simple recipe from cooking guru Rachael Ray for banana ice cream using nothing but frozen bananas and milk.

Have you ever made banana ice cream? Tell me about it in the comments below!

Note: Today's post is part of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. Each day during the month of April I'll highlight a letter of the alphabet with a healthy snack idea. Today is day "B". Stop back tomorrow for another delicious tip!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

My Favorite Crunchy, Sweet and Salty Snack!

In the afternoon, I almost always reach for the same snack: whole almonds.

Image Credit: SXC

Since I have low blood pressure, I opt for nuts sprinkled with a little sea salt. Almonds are slightly sweet which satisfy my sweet tooth and crunchy to keep me away from the potato chips.

Almonds are the perfect healthy snack.

Sometimes I make a trail mix of whole almonds, dried cranberries and a few chocolate chips. Delicious!

How do you like to snack on almonds?

Note: Today's post is part of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. Each day during the month of April I'll highlight a letter of the alphabet with a healthy snack idea. Today is letter "A". Stop back tomorrow for another delicious tip!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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