1. Watch the sugar.

Beware of empty calories. Avoid sugary beverages like soda, sports drinks and flavored coffees. And you can cut a lot of sugar out of recipes - they’ll still taste just as sweet! As Chef Keith Snow tells us, “When traveling in Europe, it always amazes me how most pastries have much less sugar than American varieties do.” His tip: “Avoid store-bought desserts.”

2. Experiment with healthier substitutes.

Speaking of sugar, try replacing it with honey, maple syrup, rice syrup, barley malt extract or molasses. You can replace sour cream with plain, cream-top yogurt in most recipes, as well. Also think fruit crisp for dessert instead of pie crust. It’s just as yummy.

3. Give traditional dishes a Mambolicious twist.

Smarter versions of classic cuisine up the health factor this holiday season. Instead of the typical green bean casserole made with canned green beans, condensed soup, and unhealthy onion crisps, try this recipe for Fresh Green Beans with Onions & Cream! Trade boring mashed potatoes for a nutrient-rich dish of Mashed Butternut Squash, with a splash of honey and kick of lime. Swap out conventional gravy for savory, tangy Simply Organic Cider Gravy.

4. Bring new things to the table.

Who says that Thanksgiving has to include the same eight dishes that it did last year (and the year before that, and the year before that)? Spice up this Thanksgiving with new recipes that you can feel good about! Check out these recipes for Vegan Wild Rice Stuffing, Orange-Kissed Cranberry Crostini, and Rustic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes. Brighten up the banquet (and the nutrients) with tasty, garlicky green dishes: Garlic Spinach Saute and Garlic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts. You can even add some green color to the turkey, naturally - savor some Slow-Roasted Turkey with Sage Butter.

5. Keep it sweet & simple.

When it comes to healthy dessert, the simpler the better. What could be more naturally delicious than Poached Pears - poached in smooth, sweetened red wine with Homemade Caramel Sauce and a sprinkling of walnuts? For even more sweet simplicity, make Old Fashioned Rice Pudding. To treat yourself (and everyone else) to a traditional dessert with a twist, make this Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie. Just keep your eye on the portion sizes.

6. Don’t worry about it!

Instead of stressing yourself out, enjoy the season and focus your attention on quality time with loved ones. Savor the holiday moments along with those holiday morsels! Don’t try to lose weight during this time of the year; cut yourself some slack and simply focus on avoiding weight gain instead.

Special thanks to our experts: Monika Woolsey, MS, RD, President and Founder of After The Diet Network; Amanda Louden, CNE, Eat Your Roots Nutrition Education and Advocacy; Chef Keith Snow, Harvest Eating.

Thanksgiving Giveaway!

To help you with preparing your Thanksgiving feast, we’re giving away FIVE Harvest Eating Cookbooks (with over 200 easy recipes), Organic Spice Blends courtesy of Chef Keith Snow, PLUS a $25 Gift Card to Whole Foods!

How to enter: Share your favorite family tradition or funniest Thanksgiving memory. We dare you to make us laugh or make us cry…the best five stories will win! Leave a comment on this blog post OR on our Facebook page. Winners will be chosen on or about November 18th and notified via email or Facebook. Click here for official rules.

Do you know what dangerous chemicals are lurking in your homes? There is more evidence now than ever that widespread exposure to chemicals can cause serious and adverse impacts on human health, particularly for children. We all want to see healthy families and less children prone to health problems like asthma, allergies and ADHD. That’s why we’re excited to see Seventh Generation’s new campaign – Million Baby Crawl to demand toxic chemical reform.

A scary fact:

According to Seventh Generation, the U.S. EPA has only required 200 of the 80,000 chemicals on the market to be tested since 1976! That’s one scary fact.

What are they doing about this:

Seventh Generation is leading the campaign to make homes safer for kids and lobbying for stronger laws on testing chemicals. They’ve partnered up with Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families to fight health problems caused by toxic products, especially for children. Learn more about the Toxic Chemical Reform Act.

What you can do to help

Fight for safe, healthy homes by joining the Million Baby Crawl. You can create your own little crawler and send him or her to Washington, D.C. to demand change! Or you can find a friend or loved one’s crawler to support as he or she crawls to the White House! And watch this very cute video – Baby on Soap Box.

Dig Deeper

Download a free copy of Seventh Generation’s Label Reading Guide to learn more about safe products. Get educated about how to read labels so you can understand the potential risks in many cleaning products. Be sure to learn more about Seventh Generation’s products, which are safe for you and the environment.

Check out the 2010 Whole Planet Foundation Calendar, now available at Whole Foods Markets. This project is close to our hearts here at Mambo, since we are actively involved in producing the calendar. We want you to know how easy it is to get involved in a cause that is truly making a difference around the world.

This annual calendar is a small but effective way to take real action against world poverty and hunger. Yes, just from buying these calendars! It sounds easy, but it makes hard work pay off. See, 100% of the sale of every Whole Planet Foundation Calendar, which only costs $2, goes right to the Whole Planet Foundation. The pages feature glossy, colorful photos of folks whose lives and communities are benefiting from the sales of these calendars. Their stories are summed up on each page. Each calendar also comes with over $30 worth of coupons for use at Whole Foods! You will find product coupons for some of your favorite brands: $3 off New Chapter and Seventh Generation products and $1 off Whole Trade Guarantee Vegan Cane Sugar, Muir Glen Pasta Sauce and Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt.

More about the Whole Planet Foundation:

The Whole Planet Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization established by Whole Foods Market. It provides small loans (usually $200 or less) to hard-working people, mostly women, who want to launch their very own businesses. This allows people in worse-off parts of the world, to provide for their families long-term and make a living in an honest and dignified way.

WPF focuses efforts on the villages and rural communities that supply their stores with products such as tropical fruit, vegetables, tea, and coffee. Empowering the the poor in these communities will enable them to escape the vicious cycle of poverty by allowing them to use their own energy and creativity to help themselves.

The 2010 Calendar features inspiring entrepreneurs from Peru, Bolivia, India, Haiti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Guatemala, Thailand, Nepal, Indonesia, the United States and East Timor. Get inspired even more with these borrower-inspired recipes and see for yourself! Coconut Bread and authentic Rice and Beans are just some of the delicious dishes to try.

So the next time you are at Whole Foods, remember to pick up your copy of this calendar – it will be a daily reminder of the ways that your lifestyle choices are sprouting prosperity all over the world.

We chose the Easy Brew Pre-Prohibition Lager ingredients kit. The kit had step-by-step instructions and everything we needed to get started, including organic hops from Germany, Belgium and New Zealand. For even more information, we checked out Seven Bridges online brewing class for extra knowledge on home brewing.

We had so much fun with this project that we decided to design our own beer labels. Some of us even decided to order a few brewing kits in order spread our own “organic” holiday cheer.

If we haven’t convinced you yet, here are five straightforward, eco-conscious reasons to BYOB. Not only will you be saving money, but you might just pick up a fun new green hobby!

1. No Harmful Chemicals- If your beer isn’t organic, you are taking a risk at ingesting the chemicals used to grow the hops, apples, barley or grapes in your alcohol.
2. Saving Money- Once you have all the equipment, the ingredients makes approximately 5 gallons of beer. No more wasting gas and time driving to store.
3. Recycle, Reuse- You can ensure your bottles are recycled by collecting, washing and reusing them for your own home-brewed organic beer.
4. New Green Hobby- A few local breweries got their start by turning their hobby of home-brewing into their own business. You just might be the next.
5. Homemade Gift (that people actually want)- You made it, you love it and so will all your friends and family.

Cheers to you and happy brewing!

Hold off on those sleeping pills! Here are 10 all-natural remedies to help you fall asleep naturally:

1. Avoid alcohol & caffeine

Avoid using caffeine to stay awake during the day if you’re sleeping poorly. It can provoke insulin resistance and still be in your system at a time when your body should slowly be gearing down for sleep. Also avoid using alcohol to promote sleep. It disrupts REM sleep and even though it might make you fall asleep, the quality of sleep you achieve will not be good.

2. Set up for tranquility

Dim the lights as much as possible, lower the temperature in your bedroom, and draw a warm bath scented with essential lavender oil. Lavender has aroma-therapeutic properties to encourage relaxation. Try to do all of this before 10 PM.

3. Try Rescue Sleep

If sleep eludes you and your mind is rehashing the worries and problems of the day, try two sprays of Rescue Sleep on your tongue or a few drops of this tincture into your mouth or in a beverage. (If you have sensitivity to alcohol put your drops in a hot beverage to allow the small amount of alcohol in the tincture to dissipate.) Click here for a $2.00-off E-Coupon.

4. Steep to sleep!

A steaming cup of chamomile tea opens your sinuses for long, deep breaths. Chamomile is famous for its ability to calm and soothe the nerves. Besides, the tasty tea will warm your belly, preparing you for cozy comfort in bed.

5. Some sound science

You can also try taking some kava kava, valerian root, magnesium, inositol, L-tryptophan or a dose of melatonin. These are all completely natural ways to encourage your body to embrace sleep.

6. Eat foods high in melatonin

Try a bowlful of yummy oatmeal topped with crunchy walnuts and chewy cherries, all naturally high in melatonin. If you aren’t in the mood for something sweet, have a small salad of dark green leafy vegetables. All of these are great sources of melatonin! Save the protein and healthy fats for breakfast and lunch or early supper; they’ll prevent sleepiness.

7. Did you exercise today?

Without having exercised earlier in the day, our bodies’ excess energy gets in the way of our sleep.

8. Try homeopathic remedies

Here’s an all-natural, safe and healthy way to fall asleep that isn’t dangerous like some conventional sleeping pills, but is effective when other natural methods aren’t working. Try Hyalnd’s Soothe and Sleep Kit – containing just simple, natural Nerve Tonic and gentle, safe Calms Forte.

Want to win a Savvy Rest Organic Mattress? Be sure to enter the Hyland’s Sleep Sweepstakes for a chance to win a Savvy Rest Organic Mattress. Who wouldn’t sleep more soundly knowing that they aren’t breathing in mysterious substances from their mattress?

9. A chemistry lesson

Are you getting enough Omega 3 fatty acids in your diet? Our expert says that boosting these and limiting Omega 6 fatty acids can improve your sleep quality overall.

10. Soak up that sun!

Getting plenty of natural sunlight during the daytime will bring your system up to speed so that you’ll be ready to rest at night. Also read more about Bright Light Therapy. It is a treatment used for people who suffer from circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Your body has an internal clock that tells it when it is time to be asleep and when it is time to be awake.

Thanks to Monika Woolsley and Dr. Denise Lamothe, our knowledgeable experts, for sharing these great tips!

So, where did your passion for cooking begin?

Like many of us who love cooking, I started by cooking with my mother then helped a friend who worked at a restaurant and washed dishes for him while he was on vacation. I never left; I worked for 3 years in high school at an Italian restaurant in NJ. That is how I got my start at age 14.

How would you describe the role of local, seasonal, organic foods in your lifestyle?

Freshness, economic benefits, environmental benefits. To think about eating asparagus in December that has been flown in from South America, causing so much greenhouse gas to be emitted, really frustrates me. Instead of that asparagus, why not eat locally grown broccoli or winter greens, or eat asparagus that you preserved in late spring?  Seasonal cooking has so many built-in benefits, which is why I promote it and take part in its production by gardening at home. Organic food production helps protect the precious soils of our farmland. It also lets us enjoy food free of pesticides and other harmful chemicals.

Can you help us understand the Slow Food Movement?

People are looking for a more traditional lifestyle where food is concerned, especially the pleasures of the table that are missing when people are hitting buttons on the microwave or eating fast food in the car. Sitting down and enjoying each other’s company while eating fresh food that we grew or purchased locally is what slow food is all about.

Any tips for those interested in cooking more organic and healthy foods?

Grow something yourself like herbs and tomatoes. Find your local farm market and buy seasonal foods. Come to our website, Harvest Eating, and learn how to cook with these foods.

There is a barn photo contest on your website. What is that about?

Being a huge lover of farms and living on a small farm, I am all about barns. The barn is the symbol of the American farmer, whom I view as a hero. I think that if we promote bucolic barn photos, we will not be so quick to let our farmland be turned into condo developments.

So what are your favorite recipes?

My favorite recipes are: Chopped oriental salad, grilled asparagus with sesame chive vinaigrette, slow-cooked collard greens, and macaroni and cheese.

Yum! Where can we find these recipes?

These recipes and more are on the Harvest Eating website. Also, check out my new cookbook. It is available for pre-order now. You can visit Harvest Eating to order. It will be on store shelves in late September, nationally.

So, you’ve got these organic spice blends available. Can you tell us about them?

We work with a California company which has two buyers who scour the earth for organically grown herbs as spices. We blend them into the best spice mixes anywhere. These spices help even novice cooks have incredible grilling experiences. Some olive oil and our spices on a grilled item like fish, chicken or steak can be a gourmet experience that anybody can create.

What do you have planned for the future?

We’ve got a lot to do here at Harvest Eating – I am promoting my book with many media appearances, demos and book signings. Also, launching my first television series starts to air in late October nationally and internationally. I will be promoting that as well. We have also just launched a new, improved website.

Thanks to Chef Keith Snow for the great introduction. We’re thrilled to have him around. Be sure to check out HarvestEating.com for great videos, recipes and information!

Mambo Sprouts is always on the lookout for products that help us live a green and eco-friendly lifestyle. The month of October is special for many of us, so we decided to look for organic and natural products that also help benefit breast cancer awareness. It’s not too late to get involved! Check out our top five:

1. Tarte Cosmetics Think Pink Natural Collection

Why it’s pink: A whopping 20% of proceeds from purchases of the Think Pink Natural Collection during the month of October will be donated to the Young Survival Coalition for breast cancer awareness.

Why it’s green: Tarte Cosmetics are all-natural -100% free of parabens, petro-chemicals, phthalates, sulfates and synthetic fragrances. They’re also getting more sustainable by packaging many with materialsthat are recyclable or post-consumer recycled.

2. Sweet Grass Farm Fragrance Sticks in Carnation & Pink Peppercorn

Why it’s pink: Sweet Grass Farm will donate 10% of each purchase to the National Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Why it’s green: Just four years old, Sweet Grass Farm is an all-natural company that was started in the kitchen. Their simple, healthy ingredients are listed right on the website for anyone to see. Bath and body, home fragrance and even baby care are created in all-natural ways at Sweet Grass Farm.

3. Dandelion Organic Baby Toys Pink Collection

Why it’s pink: Dandelion will donate a portion of proceeds from the sale of these items to support breast cancer research.

Why it’s green: Dandelion products are made with all-natural and organic materials. This family-owned, family-focused company is dedicated to Earth-friendly goods for babies. Making safe, natural products for little ones is not all; they also actively seek sustainability in their office–with reusable drink containers and recycled paper products.

4. Think Pink Fleece Blanket from Giggle

Why it’s pink: 10% of the proceeds from this product will be donated to the Young Survival Coalition. The Young Survival Coalition is dedicated to the critical issues unique to women under 40 and breast cancer.

Why it’s green: It’s made from recycled soda pop bottles –the 100% fleece blanket is Oeko-Tex compliant and formaldehyde-free. Giggle is a company devoted to helping parents make wise choices, labeling different products with categories such as Healthy (formaldehyde-free, washable, BPA-free, low or no-VOC paints, nontoxic) and Responsible (nontoxic, recycled, Earth and baby friendly, and support charities).

5. Organic Bouquet’s Organic Flowers, Gourmet Organic Gift Baskets, Wreaths and more

Why it’s pink: A total of 10% of the purchase price from any item on the website will be donated to the Breast Cancer Fund and Breastcancer.org for all orders placed this month.

Why it’s green: Organic Bouquet sells organically grown flowers, plants, and wreaths, as well as organic goodies like fruit, chocolates, and other goodies. It goes beyond typical organic standards by earning certification not only from the USDA, but also Veriflora, Demeter, Fair Trade, Smart Certified, and Green-e. And, whenever possible, they keep things Earth-friendly in the office –using materials that are recycled, biodegradable and all-natural among other green criteria.

TerraCycle is one of the most exciting, innovative companies of our generation. So we sent our Recycling Guru and our Label Junkie over to see what the gang at TerraCycle is all about. And what this Recycling Guru found made her so happy that she might just change her title to UpCycling Guru. “Up-cycling” means reusing the trash that cannot be recycled in other ways. Looking for a new shower curtain or maybe a new pot for your plants? TerraCycle’s got it… and it’s all made from your own trash! Needless to say, we’re impressed!

When we first pulled up the car to TerraCycle - located in Trenton, NJ – we had our doubts. The building decorated with graffiti couldn’t have been the main office! Once we got inside and met with the two PR guys, however, we found a totally different scene. Office areas were tastefully decorated with upcycled trash and the walls were covered in graffiti. We thought it was really great that TerraCycle actually allows local graffiti artists to come in and decorate the place with their art (you can check it out at http://www.jerseygraf.com/?p=584).

As we began the tour, we were surprised to find that TerraCycle upcycles both used and unused trash. We’ll explain that better – so, when we buy a product, we don’t usually think much about the package that your product comes in, right? But mistakes happen in the manufacturing of packages that can make them unusable. Often, the manufacturer throws out thousands of rolls of unused packaging. (We think that’s just crazy!) Well, that’s where TerraCycle steps in. Companies from all over the country send them their unused packaging. By the looks of it, there is a lot - and they are upcycling it all!

TerraCycle is the kind of company that you wish you’d thought of yourself. It’s creative, imaginative and a really enjoyable place to work. It reminded us of a fun school project that happens to be helping to save the world - one upcycled juice pouch at a time. The next time we’re in the market for a unique gift, we’ll be checking out the TerraCycle inventory! We hope you’ll check it out, too. Think Upcycling…

Think TerraCycle!

What They Found:

Most importantly, they found that 94-100% of organics are pesticide-free. In a world where pesticides have dominated the landscape for a long time, that’s quite an accomplishment!

What It Means For You:

Keeping pesticides out of your body will keep you clear of toxic chemicals which can make you sick! It’s as simple as that.

What They Found:

Organic fruits, veggies, and herbs contain many more antioxidants than conventional ones do.

What It Means For You:

More antioxidants mean less risk of developing cancers and other diseases. Organically grown is the way that plants were meant to be!

What They Found:

Organic fruits, veggies and herbs have a higher nutritional density.

What It Means For You:

Taking vitamins just to keep up? You may not have to take them as often if you’re getting more vitamins from your food.

What They Found:

Organics have higher doses of minerals.

What It Means For You:

You may need to supplement less with Iron, Folic Acid, and other mineral supplements by eating organic.

What They Found:

Organic meat, dairy and eggs have more polyunsaturated fats (the good kind!) than conventional.

What It Means For You:

Do you love your heart? So do polyunsaturated fats! Enjoying the rich flavor of organic meats, dairy and eggs without the worry - that’s what it means.

What They Found:

Organic produce has a lot fewer nitrates than conventional.

What It Means For You:

Nitrates can contribute to diseases like diabetes. Steer clear of the damage by going organic.

You can find the FAFS study here http://swroc.cfans.umn.edu/organic/ASD_Lairon_2009.pdf

Source: http://www.foodmag.com.au/Article/Organic-is-more-nutritious-according-to-the-French/496876.aspx

Milk, cheese, yogurt, kefir… these are all products that come from cows, right? Well, while that’s true, it’s important to branch out and discover new things! Goats provide the same products with their dairy, and with a distinct taste and texture. Some may say that goat dairy is an acquired taste - if that’s the case, the acquiring doesn’t take very long! Try sprinkling goat cheese on a fresh, homemade pizza - delicious! Or drizzle goat yogurt over fresh berries with sweet honey and be amazed. We really like Liberte – their goat yogurt is smooth, silky and full of sharp flavor. You may find that the creamy tartness of goat dairy is a better choice for many dishes.

And did you know that goats have just one stomach, unlike cows with their four? This means that the way goat milk is produced may result in easier digestion for us! If the lactose in pasteurized cow’s milk gives you an upset stomach, try drinking goat’s milk. You may like it better than lactose-free cow’s milk. Goat’s milk does contain lactose, like cow’s milk. But it contains more vitamin A, Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium. And it is a great source of minerals and protein and it is low in fat.

You can find goat’s milk, cheese, yogurt and kefir in most grocery stores, but you might have to look around. For milk, yogurt and kefir, just look on the label for the word “goat”! For cheese, it may be a bit more difficult. Look for the words “goat”, “chevre” (French), or “capra” (Spanish). You can try it plain, with herbs, or in feta form. Just check the label to make sure that it is from a goat, not a cow. Some cheeses can have tricky labels. When in doubt, ask a fromager at the market when you are shopping. Look for unpasteurized for more complex, rich flavor.

You can also try goat ice cream, goat butter, and goat buttermilk.

Did you know that goat’s milk is also cherished for its skin-improving benefits? We love Zum and Canus products. Zum goat-milk-based soaps are naturally pH-balanced with your skin, so you won’t feel greasy or dry. And the healing properties of goat’s milk are harnessed in pure lotion, soap and bubble bath products from Canus. Pampering your skin and nourishing your body is completely natural with valuable goat’s milk.