Ad executive turned health advocate Sid Lerner founded the Meatless Monday nonprofit initiative as a part of the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. The goal? To reduce meat consumption by 15% and  improve personal and planet health – simply by eliminating meat each Monday.  Restaurants have taken this initiative to heart, some even offering special Meatless Monday menus every week.  However, this is no fad; NYC celebrity chefs aren’t the only ones promoting this campaign.  Baltimore school cafeterias are in their second year of Meatless Mondays, and universities from Kentucky to California have also endorsed the program. A surprising fact: Lerner isn’t a vegetarian; he just figures that better health for all can be had by eating a bit less meat. Find out more at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129025298&ps=cprs What do you think about Meatless Mondays?

It seems that a lot of people are taking mom’s advice to “eat your veggies” to heart. From celebrity chefs to the worldwide “Meatless Monday” initiative, it seems that eating only veggies is no longer a fringe thing. According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, vegetarianism is up among U.S. adults—many cite environmental and personal health as their reasons. Not yet ready to take the full plunge? Start small with resources like Mario Batali’s new “Molto Gusto” cookbook or a mobile app from the iPhone store. Read more here.

That’s right– thanks to Martha Stewart that is. Pretty soon, Niman Ranch meats won’t be just available in raw form at your local Whole Foods. As a result of a new partnership with Martha Stewart, cooked products like braised short ribs and marinated pork chops will be available in major grocery stores along the East Coast. Niman Ranch meats are naturally raised as well as hormone and antibiotic free. From small farm to supermarket chain, is this a step in the right direction for humanely raised meat? Or a profitable way to capitalize on health-conscious consumers? Read more and tell us your thoughts.

Want some antioxidants with your sushi? Researchers have discovered that black rice is full of antioxidants known as anthocyanins, the same ones found in blueberries, grapes, and acai.  Anthocyanins have been responsible for the popularity boom of the acai berry, and for good reason! They have been linked to decreased risks of heart disease and cancer and improved memory along with many other health benefits.  Just one spoonful of the black-rice bran contains the same amount of these antioxidants as a spoonful of fresh blueberries – and without the sugar.  To read more about black rice and where you can find some, click here.

Wouldn’t you like some dimethylpolysiloxane in your food?  It’s commonly found in McNuggets and silicone caulk.  Who knew that “bacon” could include “over 18 ingredients”?  While the extreme caloric content of fast food is generally understood to be unhealthy, take a look at this great graphic that details some of the other effects the fast food industry has had on our society, economy and health: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-1275/Everything-You-Need-to-Know-About-Fast-Food-Image.html

Want to be a part of an exciting food competition?  You could join as a competitor or a taster (although taster tickets are currently sold out, we would inquire about a waiting list!) in this amateur vegan chef competition. With basil as this year’s secret ingredient, this is not an invitation to be ignored.  Only one spot remains, so act quickly! Read below for the details (as provided by Health Coach Revital Aranbaev):

My Fellow Foodies:

You are invited to be a competitor at an amateur vegan chef competition. Local chefs will compete with creative and delicious dishes designed to please your palate; what more could a foodie ask for? Veggie Conquest, a local vegan cooking competition is having their 5^th go around on Sunday August 22^nd at 5pm in Chinatown, NYC.

The founder, Jessica Mahady, originally planned for a small vegan potluck with friends but added a bit of competition for fun. The event was such a success that it quickly evolved into a local contest with six innovative chefs, three judges and eighty enthusiastic tasters.

Using a secret ingredient revealed a week in advance, chefs prepare a dish and bring it to the event.  Last year they chose potatoes for their versatile nature and accessibility. Chef Jessica Gunter prepared delicious sweet potato cigars with a chili plum sauce, but first place went to Chef Michelle Barton for her unique Tiny Tator Nori Rolls.

The participating chefs must be amateurs and must adhere to strict vegan standards- no animal ingredients whatsoever, no honey, no bone char sugar, no non-vegan wine or liquors. Every recipe must also be an original creation.

The three appointed judges must have exceptionally gifted taste buds. They are fellow foodies with varied experience in the vegan world as Health Counselors, Writers, and/or Chefs etc.

Judges and tasters at the event choose the top dish and prizes are awarded. After the tasting, a second course is served, so come hungry!

If you are interested in participating as a taster or feel inspired to compete as a chef, check out VeggieConquest.com for more info.

Everyone can benefit from adding more vegetables to their diet. As summer comes to a close, fire up the grill a few more times but opt for a veggie burger. Just make sure you pick one that is hexane-free. Hexane is often found in gasoline and can cause skin and nervous disorders. Your best bet: choose 100% organic veggie burgers. For a complete of which brands to try and which to stay away from, click here:http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/04/which-veggie-burgers-contain-neurotoxin

Craving a sweet treat? A recent study shows that cancer cells thrive on fructose which officially puts all food products with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) on the blacklist. But it’s not as easy as simply avoiding HFCS. Honey, agave, sugar and even fruit all contain fructose. So it’s worth considering that healthy eating is about more than eliminating one or even a series of “evil” food items; it’s about creating a whole lifestyle of organic, sustainable living. Read more at http://www.salon.com/food/nutrition/?story=/food/francis_lam/2010/08/04/fructose_cancer_high_fructose_corn_syrup

Buying sustainable and organic food isn’t exactly cheap.  And given that not everyone has the time or space to grow a garden or even shop at the farmers market, how do you buy organic on a budget? Here are 10 ways to stretch your “organic” dollar.  Do you have any great tips to share?

Turns out that eating healthy organic fruits and veggies maybe isn’t the only way to get the vitamins you need. Recent reports show most Americans aren’t getting enough Vitamin D and this can lead to cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. But eating foods rich in Vitamin D like fish or milk isn’t going to do the trick. So what’s the general recommendation? Two or three times a week take a summer-time walk outside sans sunscreen (be sure to use face sunscreen) between 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Be sure to show some skin for 5-10 minutes. Your body can make enough Vitamin D in the summer to last you the rest of the year. Find out more at: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0CE5DF1E38F934A15754C0A9669D8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2