This Week's CSA - Week 2!

The day before our harvest box pick-up I received another amazing email from the farmer at Crisp Organics. This time, instead of welcoming his baby boy to the world, he was talking about beets. Or more specifically, how disappointed he was in his beets. Apparently, “they didn’t do a good job of managing the quality” of the beets. News to me! As the beets were beautiful! Members were also told that all the fall mainstays (broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage) were just emerging from their planting as the final fields are getting prepped for their incoming. What a great example of why CSA’s are a win-win for everyone! The prepaid arrangement allowed the farmer to invest in seeds and plant crops when expenses are high.

fruits & vegetables, organic food, Personal JourneyJessica PirnakJuly 5, 2017Sustainable, Local, CSA, Farm

This Week's CSA!

Week 1: I feel like a part of the Crisp Organic family already! One of the founders had their own delivery last week – a baby boy! All members received this lovely email from dad about the steep learning curve of starting a farm from scratch and how much he is looking forward to the new adventure of raising a family on the farm. I love knowing where my food comes from – it’s literally farm to table!

fruits & vegetables, organic food, Personal JourneyJessica PirnakJune 28, 2017Sustainable, Local, CSA, Farm, Eggs, Potato Salad

3 Barriers this Dietitian Overcame to Finally Join a CSA

As a self proclaimed sustainabilist and locavore I’m embarrassed to admit that I’m a newbie to the CSA box program. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a paid subscription to a farm’s produce for the season (June - October). Each week subscribers will receive a plentiful box of seasonal and local produce. The prepaid arrangement also makes it a source of financial security for the farmer. Helping them invest in seeds and plant crops at a time when there are many expenses and few sources of revenue for a farmer. Truly a win-win for everyone, so why was I so late to join the game?

fruits & vegetables, organic food, Personal Journey, tipsJessica PirnakJune 20, 2017Sustainable, Local

Do Your Dirty Work! Tips on Sustainable Shopping

As we turn the corner into June, Vancouverites can start enjoying the beautiful local produce grown right here in Southwest BC. It’s been officially 10 years since two locals launched a simple experiment to reconnect with the people and places that produced what they ate. For one year, they would only consume food that came from within a 100-mile radius of their Vancouver apartment. The 100-mile Diet was born!

fruits & vegetables, organic food, tipsJessica PirnakMay 31, 2017Local, Sustainable, Pesticides

Italian Take-Away

The Mediterranean diet is a way of eating rather than a formal diet plan. It features foods eaten in Greece, Spain, southern Italy and France, and other countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. More and more research is showing that by following this way of eating we can lower our risk of certain diseases, improve our mood, boost our energy levels and keep our heart and brain healthy. It’s not a coincidence that these guys are living until they are over 100! As a dietitian and food lover I needed to do some research into this so-called Mediterranean diet, so I packed my bags and went to southern Italy for 3+ weeks (hard work – right?)

Making Egg-celent Choices

When you walk into a grocery store and head to the egg section, there are always multiple options to select. When you’re in a hurry, you might not have the time to contemplate what option is the most sustainable, humane or the right choice, health wise, for you. So, let’s break down these common claims in order for you to make an egg-celent choice the next time your in a grocery store.

organic food, proteinJessica PirnakMarch 31, 2017Claims, Omega, Eggs, Vitamin D, EPA & DHA

That Gut Feeling

If you’re anything like me then you’re still haunted by those images of tiny bacteria crawling on your pillow despite how often you’ve cleaned your sheets. Unfortunately, I have more bad news for you – bacteria are everywhere, including your gut! There are over 1,000 different species of bacteria in our gut making up our gut flora. With more and more research coming out regarding the benefits of a healthy gut flora, there is one area of research in particular that is most intriguing, and that’s the role our gut plays in brain health.

Jessica PirnakFebruary 28, 2017probiotics, Gut Health, Probiotics, Celiac Disease, IBS

Winter Wellness

Another 6 more weeks of winter...Cold and flu viruses love this time of year as the dry weather allows them to float in the air and hit unsuspecting victims. Making matters worse - we’re finding ourselves in doors more and in close proximity to each other allowing these nasty colds and flus to hit everyone in our family and in the office. But good news! There are ways to boost your immune system to fend off attacking viruses and some tricks to getting-well faster if you are unlucky enough to be hit by one of these viruses.

The Facts on Fasting

We’ve all heard it a thousand times: breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that our skipping meals will wreak havoc on a person’s metabolism and cause weight gain. But does the science support these age-old beliefs?

tips, weight controlJessica PirnakDecember 30, 2016Intermittent Fasting, Time Restricted Eating, Health Trend