Reality Upgrade

If you eat like me, a lot of your food says “Organic” on the packaging.

Back in the day, when the world was young and eating natural and organic food had not yet become a popular trend, my parents had to go to specialty health food stores to get organic food. Now that the “green” wave is sweeping the world, I can buy organic lettuce at my local grocery. But what exactly does “Organic” mean?

When the number of people eating organic food was small, there was a large incentive for manufacturers to be very honest about what they called organic, because they knew that their consumers would pay attention to the ingredients. Now, in makes marketing sense to put “organic” on just about anything, and regulation of who can make that claim is a little shaky.

For a great common sense review of how to know what is really organic and what just says it is, take a look at this post by Lifehacker.

By the way, the best way to know what you are eating is to turn the package over and read the ingredients list. If it goes in the food, it’s on the list, no matter what kind of label might be on the front of the package.

If you are having trouble with your memory, or just want to study more efficiently for that big test, check out this list of 9 ways to improve your memory.

Also, check out the video about it from Howcast, here.

1) Play games

Puzzle games like Sudoku or crossword puzzles stimulate the brain and help you develop new neural pathways.

2) Drink grape juice

Drinking 8 oz of purple grape juice (or anything else high in antioxidants) per day, can improve your memory by up to 20%.

Note: Organic fruits and vegetables have up to 40% more antioxidants than conventional produce…spring for organics.

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Why does oatmeal taste so good with orange juice? Why do tomatoes seem the perfect match for olive oil?

It turns out that our bodies know what’s up: by combining different foods, we actually gain more nutritional benefits than by eating each food by itself.

For those of us who played (or still play) role-playing games, you are already familiar with the concept. Mix the red herb with the green herb, and the result heals you more than each by itself. Add the magic stone to the ancient sword and get the super weapon of doom. And so on.

I guess art imitates life after all.

For a great list of foods that go well together, take a look at this article by Men’s Health.

And enjoy!

In the spirit of being prepared for anything, from a flat tire to a Zombie Invasion, this is a great list of wild plants that are edible in a pinch, or even just for some fun (and free) variety. They may not all be available in your area, and I think staying away from mushrooms completely might be a good idea, but things like Yucca flowers and lambs quarter can be a great fun addition to your summer menu.

And you never know when you might need to forage for food while hiding from Zombies.

If the link is down, here is the Google cache of the page.

Also, if you want to get way, way more in depth, check out this site.