New Year, New Me: Part II

I started January with a post about my 2010 wellness plan. There have been some ups and downs, but overall I’ve made a few small changes that seem to be sticking – I haven’t had a drop of coffee since December! And I’ve also decreased my pop and sugar consumption by a lot – which is a huge step for me. I’m going the route of eating for wellness, not just “dieting”.

courtesy of gmagazine.com

Green tea is my new treat – sometimes I even splurge and add a few squirts of agave nectar. It definitely speeds up your metabolism, but it makes you have to pee constantly!

I’ve lost a total of 5 pounds in January without adding any physical activity. Woot! My goal for February is to continue eating “well” while adding in physical activity several times per week. I’m going to make a pledge to stretch daily, and to do some strength training at least 3 times per week, as well as some cardio 3 times per week. This sounds like a lot, so I’m going to start slowly by doing the stretching for a week, then I’ll add in the strength training, and finally, I’ll reach full-steam by incorporating the cardio workouts.

I’ve learned a lot since starting my wellness plan in January. Here are a few things you should definitely check out:

The Slow Food Movement

What is Slow Food? Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. (SlowFoodUSA.org)

courtesy of slowfoodusa.org

Check out the Slow Food Chicago Chapter. Learn all about the movement by downloading this pdf.

Here’s the Slow Food Mission:

To defend food biodiversity

To safeguard the environment and the land

To endorse sustainable agriculture

To protect small producers and their communities

To promote the gastronomic traditions of the whole world

Farmers Markets

My favorite is the Green City Market. My boyfriend and I have pledged to each other that we will awaken at an early hour (perhaps 8am?) on Saturdays, and we will walk down to the market. It’s approximately 2 miles from our apartment. That makes quite a haul back when you’re carrying produce! We’ll have to plan on a bus ride if we want watermelon!

courtesy of chicagogreencitymarket.org

The Green City Market is fantastic in the warmer months (I haven’t been to the winter version, which is held near the Nature Museum). There are a wide variety of seasonal offerings, including meats, cheeses, flowers, veggies, fruits, etc. There are also a few great vendors, making it a great place to grab lunch and park your butt on a blanket for a few hours of people watching. Beware! The strollers and dogs show up in droves around 10am, so get there early!

The Local Beet – Chicago Edition

The Local Beet is a great resource for Chicagoans looking to “eat local”. Become a locavore and head over to this site. It houses my next highlighted item, the CSA Guide.

visit TheLocalBeet.com

2009 CSA Guide

What’s a CSA? A community-supported agriculture program. Some people call them food coops. Check out the link above for a list of CSAs available in the Chicagoland area. This looks like a fantastic alternative to walking to the farmers market each week. Alas, I need the exercise!

The Green Guide

Definitely check this out – there are some great tips and buying guides to be found here.

The Daily Green

This is a great resource. If you want to learn how to live green, but you don’t know where to start, this is the place.

The Good Guide

I stumbled upon the Good Guide after hearing about the iPhone app. The app allows you to scan barcodes on products while you’re shopping, and it gives you information to help your decision making – including a rating for the environmental friendliness of the product and its manufacturer. There are also some great slideshows you can check out.