Share in the craze of cherry season with Live Lighter’s Local Food Guru, Denise Lambert! This is the fourth addition to our “Local, Seasonal and Organic Food” section. Please see our previous articles on strawberries , rhubarb and asparagus .

Nothing is better than fresh cherries. I was raised in the Niagara Region, and one of the greatest pleasures of summer was taking a drive on the back roads to the fruit stands and eating fresh cherries until we burst!

Years later, I still do this! Let’s start with where to pick your own in the Toronto Region…

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Here is another excellent `Local, Seasonal and Organic Food’ article from our Local Food Guru, Denise Lambert. Enjoy!

Rumour has it that if you share a double strawberry with someone, you are destined to fall in love. Strawberries are the symbol of Venus, goddess of love.

Strawberries an excellent source of Vitamin C, a good source of folate and potassium and provides 3 g of fiber per one cup (250 ml) ­ all for only 50 calories.

Interesting strawberry facts: Read the rest of this entry »

“Eating locally isn’t just a fad - it may be one of the most important ways we save ourselves and the planet.” David Suzuki.

Local eating is a favourite subject for Denise Lambert , our regular guest writer here on Live Lighter, so far contributing, “For the Love of Asparagus ” and “Rhubarb – A Local Delight ”. Her source of inspiration lies in the recently published, national bestseller by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating .

This fascinating book recounts the year in which the married couple consumed only food (including the packaging) grown and sourced within a 100 mile radius of their Vancouver , BC apartment. This lifestyle experiment was motivated by the disturbing statistic that each ingredient in an average North American’s meal has typically travelled at least 1,500 miles .

The book raises interesting topics such as un-renewable energy sources, environmental damage and loss of nutrition due to food transportation, and the ever increasing untrustworthiness of mass food production and the organics industry. It even subtly considers the soundness of apocalyptic mentality and questions our current relationship with food, the fact that we are disconnected from our primary source for life.

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The most rewarding aspect of being healthy is the abundant energy that it gives you to lead a full and exciting life. If you feel well in body, you’ll feel it in your mind and soul, too. With total wellness comes the ability to look into your soul and recognize what truly makes you happy, search your mind for what you want out of life and have the physical energy, courage and motivation to go get it.

My good and healthy blogger friend, Emmanuel Lopez (a.k.a. Motivatorman ), was recently compelled by his passion for chocolate . He created a phenomenal piece of video art that affected me to my core – it was so inspirational that it created a craving so deep that I just HAD to go buy chocolate within a half an hour of viewing it!

Check it out for yourself:

Emmanuel’s video art is so moving that it’s compelled me to write a blog post about the health benefits of chocolate! So stay tuned for it in the upcoming week.

So, what has your passion compelled you to do lately? Share it in the comment section!

This article is the second installment of “Local, Seasonal and Organic Food” column, submitted by friend, health nut and reader, Denise.

A sure sign of spring, stalks of rhubarb are a terrific source of Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and fiber.

These days, rhubarb is often regarded as a healthy & delicious dessert. But centuries ago, the Chinese would prescribe it as a natural remedy for digestive problems. It wasn¹t until Ben Franklin introduced the seeds to North America years later, that it became as common as it is today.

Pick your own at http://www.brooksfarms.com/

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This article was submitted by friend, health nut and reader, Denise. It is the first installment of her “Local, Seasonal and Organic Food” column, exclusive to Live Lighter! Enjoy.

The sun is shining, our moods are better, we are spring cleaning and it’s time to discuss getting out there and exploring our local universe of food! Middle of May through June is my favorite time of year! First of all, the first crops are up, and I’m done with the preserves from last year… Second of all, it’s asparagus and rhubarb season. (yummy tummy!)

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Did you know that 6 to 8 months from now, depending on your activity level, your body will have regenerated almost all of its tissue at the cellular level? It uses the nutrients from your food to do this so when they say you are what you eat, they aren’t exaggerating!

Here are 8 nutrient-dense foods for you to put on your grocery list (source: Vega ):

1. Dark Green Veggies. Mom knew where it was at. Canada’s Food Guide suggests one dark green veggie a day! Try broccoli, spinach, swiss chard, kale, collards and romaine lettuce. Read the rest of this entry »