Mike Lieberman is the creator of UrbanOrganicGardener.com where he shows people with little to no land how to start growing their own food so they can avoid toxic pesticides, eat healthier and not feel limited by their lack of experience and space. Mike is a pro at making the most of small spaces – read on to learn his advice on getting started!

Getting Your Urban Garden Started

You know that you can grow your own food if you have lots of space, but what if you don’t have any land? Most of us are apartment dwellers that live in urban areas – not the most garden-friendly locations. Our apartments barely have enough room for furniture, nonetheless a garden. Growing your own food isn’t even an option. Or is it?

You don’t need lots of land or space to have your own urban garden, you just have to be smart with the limited space you have in your apartment garden and maximize it.

Urban Gardening 101: I got my start on a 2×3 fire escape in New York City and now grow on a 13×4 balcony in Los Angeles. I write using my experience and use easy to follow instructions. No gardening mumbo-jumbo from me.

Here are some articles to help get your urban garden started:

7 Locations Where to Start Your Apartment Garden
Learn 7 locations that you can use to get your apartment garden started.

Determine How Much Sunlight Your Space Gets
What can you grow? Figuring out how much sunlight will help to narrow down your consideration set of crops. Watch a quick video on how to figure this out.

Essential Questions to Ask Yourself When Deciding What to Grow
You’ll need to answer these questions to figure out what’s best for you to grow in your space.

At The Lunchbox Fund, we have a goal of supporting students nutritionally, so they may succeed academically. A fed child has higher concentration levels and a greater desire to learn. In South Africa over 13 million children live in poverty. In schools, scores for literacy, reading, and numeracy tests are continuously low among students. The link between adequate nutrition and academic success is difficult to ignore.

Sustainability in our programs is of paramount importance to us. We’re really excited about the organic food gardens we’ve begun to implement. One of the objectives of these gardens is to educate the children in food security, and whilst doing so, give them access to nutrient rich, sustainable food that they can produce themselves. As many students suffer from the crippling effects of HIV/AIDS, supplying them with a constant, healthy food supply is vital to maintaining health and boosting immune systems.

At our pilot school we’ve planted a variety of winter crops including spinach/chard, cabbage, lettuce, beetroot, carrots and leeks. Intercropped are herbs such as rosemary, parsley, lavender, comfrey and citronella. Community volunteers are responsible for garden maintenance, and are assisted by learners and one educator from the school. The social aspects of community gardens have far reaching positive impact. They help create a sense of community by offering a place where participants can gather, network and identify with one another. Since the gardens are organized by the community, they form a social network that is necessary for management, which results in socialization, an increased sense of community, and often increased self-confidence among the participants.

By offering this resource to the students, we are giving them a safe and healthy place to be, keeping them off the streets, away from violence and drugs, and giving them something that they can be proud of.

We thank Pure Bar for their commitment to our mission, and to the students. To help us build on the progress we are making, and to further extend our efforts in helping these impoverished and at-risk children, we encourage you to LIKE our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/thelunchboxfund and FOLLOW us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/#!/thelunchboxfund

Warmly,

Topaz Page-Green
Founder, The Lunchbox Fund

Photographs copyright © 2010 Jonx Pillemer

This is a guest blog from our friend Ashley Koff, a registered dietitian (R.D.) who strives to make better nutrition a way of life for all.

Wondering which yogurt to grab? Many people are turning towards Greek yogurt these days and as the following LA Times article points out – there are some compelling nutrition reasons.

With a lower carbohydrate and higher protein content, Greek yogurt (note: this is not the same as Greek-style yogurt helps to provide a balanced eating occasion base. I agree with the article’s experts who advise starting with plain, nonfat Greek yogurt and then accessorizing to match your mood – want sweet? Add some berries and even cacao nibs…want savory for a delicious dip? Add fresh or dried spices. And so many things to do with Greek yogurt as I recently learned at a dinner event hosted by Oikos / Stonyfield Greek yogurt – my favorites are their tomato bisque and creamy mashed cauliflower …oh, and if I could make frozen yogurt like chef Akasha Richmond, that would definitely be on the list! But one piece of info that didn’t make it into the article – as my friend, dietitian Kate Geagan MS RD (author, Go Green, Get Lean) pointed out, “the higher up the food chain you go, the more important it is to eat organic.” I couldn’t agree more – who needs added hormones, or antibiotics by way of their yogurt – and recommend adding organic to the list of things to look for when you choose your Greek yogurt.

Introduction from Veronica Bosgraaf:

I want to express a heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in and “shared” our “Like for a Lunch” promotion. We were able to donate 9,385 additional lunches to school children, which brings the total to almost 50,000 lunches. We believe in the importance of giving back and are grateful for our customers that get involved, and help us give. We will be continuing to create ways for everyone to help throughout the entire year and will announce them on our Facebook page, so keep checking back. The following is a blog written by The Lunchbox Fund founder Topaz Page-Green, that describes the origin of this awesome organization and shows why we are so excited to be a sponsor. Enjoy!

In 2004, three years after I moved to New York City, I returned to South Africa for a visit. Touring a local township high school in impoverished Soweto, I witnessed a group of children huddled together under a tree during recess. The literal and figurative distance between themselves and their peers was palpable, and upon further inquiry of the school’s staff, I learned that the division was a result of children who had food for lunch versus those that didn’t.

Many of the impoverished children were AIDS orphans or were caring for parents and siblings affected by the disease. Physically and emotionally exhausted, their ability to attend school, and their performance while there, was often compromised. By providing a meal, however, school attendance increased, while the risk of HIV infection, abuse, and/or unwanted pregnancy was reduced. By combating poverty and malnutrition, the overall quality of each child’s life was improved.

Moved by the experience, I founded the Lunchbox Fund in 2005. A grassroots non-profit, we began providing a daily meal to students in South Africa’s township high schools. To date, we work with six schools to ensure each child is given two protein-rich peanut butter sandwiches and a piece of fruit; and our initiatives are continuing to expand. With the recent launch of our New Growth Partnership, we are proud to announce that 2,200 additional children will be added to our feeding programs and that sustainable gardens will be integrated into our schools.

Six years later, The Lunchbox Fund is as committed as ever to the nutrition of children and we are excited to have Pure, as a corporate sponsor, assist in our efforts. A socially minded company “dedicated to helping everyone live a pure, healthy life,” we couldn’t imagine a more ideal partner for fostering change. Nelson Mandela, who himself, had lived in Soweto, said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” By providing lunch, we support education. And by providing education, we can provide possibility. Won’t you join us?

Warmly,

Topaz Page-Green

This is a guest blog from our friend Ashley Koff, a registered dietitian (R.D.) who strives to make better nutrition a way of life for all.

Buzz Tips to Help You Deflate

1. Mind Your Manners
   Talking while you’re eating, chewing gum, smoking and drinking through a straw can all cause you to swallow excess air, leaving you bloated and uncomfortable.
2. Great Things DO Come in Small Packages
   Allow yourself to enjoy occasional treats, but limit yourself to just a taste or bite. The smaller portion will be better for your digestive system and prevent excess bloating.
3. Find Your Inner Balance
   Of bacteria, that is. It’s important to have a good balance of beneficial bacteria (“probiotics”) in our digestive systems. When used daily as directed, a daily probiotic supplement like Align with Bifantis, can help restore a natural balance with ongoing probiotic protection.
4. Spice Things Up
   Spices don’t just make your food taste good, they’re important for your overall health too. Ginger and tumeric have anti-inflammatory properties, while caraway, cumin and cinnamon play a role in digestion and can help with weight management. Adding different spices to your meals and snacks can help spice things up … the right way.
5. Don’t Feel Weighed Down by Bloating
   Hop on the treadmill, hit the dance floor or just run around with your nieces and nephews – anything. Working up a sweat releases fluids your body might be holding, and just 20 to 30 minutes of exercise each day can help to move food along your digestive tract so bloating won’t weigh you down.

Ashley Koff went to Australia to find out and discusses on GMA Health

There has been such a buzz about chia seeds lately. Personally I love how they have evolved from the renowned Chia Pet of the 80’s to a nutritional superstar. Much better positioning if you ask me! We liked them so much that we put chia seeds into our new Pure Naturals line for an extra boost of nourishment. Learn all about this celebrity seed from registered dietitian Ashley Koff in her informative blog below. — Veronica.

A tiny seed, an ancient grain, the next wonder supplement – inquiring minds are wondering what is this seed and why is everyone from athletes to doctors to food manufacturers saying “add some chia to your diet” for optimal health?

Chia comes from a plant (salvia hispanica) in the mint family which grows around the world at latitudes 15 degrees north or south of the equator. Despite having an attractive blue flower which makes chia plants seem appealing, the plant naturally fends off predators and humans alike as its stems are bitter tasting so we harvest the seed instead. The seed, either black or white, contains a good source of fiber, and vegetarian omega 3 fatty acids.

I recently went to Australia where farmer John Foss started The Chia Co. to see how chia grows. Foss picked chia after traveling the world to pick an “it” food to bring back to Australia because he wanted to grow something that could help with Australia’s health issues – obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. And today, five to ten years later, his chia is doing just that. Whether added to already nutritious foods like a spinach egg white scramble, and antioxidant rich berry and Greek yogurt parfait, or notably more nutrient poor – white bread – chia is providing a nutritional upgrade (their white bread now has 4-5 grams of fiber vs the 1-2 of many white breads).

When it comes to cooking with chia, what’s interesting is not only does chia not detract from the flavor of baked goods, but because the fiber attracts moisture and swells as well as the oil – the addition of chia creates desirable texture to baked goods – all while lowering the GI (glycemic index) of these foods too. I even had chia gnocchi there that was amazing, and the company HappyBaby uses chia (Salba) in their baby food to help get critical omega 3 fatty acids to growing babies.

So with all this good news, one asks where does chia fit into the diet or is it best as a dietary supplement? In my opinion, because its so easy to add it into the diet, we don’t need to take it in a pill supplement form that only provides the oil (not the fiber) but rather add it to the diet by eating or drinking it in foods – so think of it as a dietary “booster”. That said, for those downing fiber supplements daily, I enjoy adding chia to water (and I add my electrolyte powder Ultima Replenisher or swop the water for coconut water) and have this instead of a synthetic fiber supplement. Also, there’s great opportunity, as many food manufacturers like Marys Gone Crackers and Vega show us, to add chia to quality convenience foods like pretzels and bars to increase fiber and essential fatty acid content from a whole food source. Especially for those following a gluten-free diet, chia can help them meet the daily need for fiber that they share with all but often struggle to get from grains and grain products.

Chia does not provide the same omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA as a serving of wild salmon or sardines, it provides ALA which individuals convert differently which means there’s room in the diet for all these great choices. So following recommendations like those of the Australian and European Heart Foundations – to have daily intake of vegetarian omega 3 fatty acids and wild,sustainable fish sources twice weekly – makes great sense for us too (the US currently does not have a daily recommendation for essential fatty acids)

This is a guest blog from our friend Ashley Koff, a registered dietitian (R.D.) who strives to make better nutrition a way of life for all.

Introduction by Veronica Bosgraaf, Pure Bar Founder: My cousin and I used to joke about selling an “ab workout” video where the workout is simply people laughing for 30 minutes. It’s true that laughter is the best medicine! And that’s why I love people with a sense of humor, you get joy, increased health, PLUS an ab workout! What could be better?

I love the blog post below from celebrity dietitian, Ashley Koff RD, because good for you doesn’t always have to mean pain and sacrifice. I would add Vitamin D to the list because sitting in the sun for 15 minutes is so therapeutic on many levels. What would you add to this list?

Exercise carries negative connotations for many people – it’s a have to, another item on the list, and it may feel uncomfortable or painful.

Conversely, if we aim to include my favorite vitamins (read more in Recipes for IBS or my blog) in the day we will get the benefits of exercise without having to use the “e” word

Vitamin L – laughter – Jimmy Buffet says it best and it’s true – if we couldn’t laugh we’d all go insane! Laughter works our belly muscles, and brings in oxygen, it lowers our stress levels…and it’s pretty hard to eat or drink while laughing so it keeps our caloric intake lower. So catch some laughs

Vitamin M – massage – having one of those days and you don’t want to exercise – let someone do it for you…massage provides healing through touch but also the benefits of exercise like moving the lymphatic system and stretching, it even helps with digestion

Vitamin N – nature – sunlight provides powerful activity for our insides by making vitamin D. Nature also provides us tons of different routes and alleviates the potential boredom that a gym machine may induce

And so on…make your way to Z (which by the way stands for Zzzzs as in get some sleep as its one of the best things we can do for our body)