From the Editor
As the mom of a 12-year-old, I find nature deficit disorder—the disconnect between children and nature—alive and well. Video games, structured schedules and shopping malls conspire to keep our kids out of the woods, literally. Here’s one way to fight back—grow something, anything.
Now’s the time. Plant tomatoes in a pot or herbs on the windowsill or try something more adventurous. For a great beginner’s gardening how-to, read on. —Jill Melton
The Best Things You Can Eat
Like you, we love lists. That’s why we love this new book by registered dietitian Dave Grotto. It contains a
list for everything from the top 8 foods to fight cancer to the best ones for lowering cholesterol (almonds and apples are the top 2). Our favorite list:
7 Memory- Boosting Foods
• blueberries
• coffee
• eggs
• grape juice or wine
• olive oil
• soybeans
• turmeric
Source: The Best Things You Can Eat, by Dave Grotto, RD, Lifelong Books, 2013.
Seed Savers
We salute the Basalt Public Library, in Basalt, Colo., where you can check out packets of seeds. You plant, grow and harvest the crop, then save some seeds to return to the library to be loaned again. Talk about a food chain.
Tiny Bubbles
Love fizzy water? Try SodaStream, a home soda maker that infuses carbonation into plain tap water with a simple three- second press. You’ll save money and use far fewer cans and bottles. And kids will love making the fizzy water. When it’s mixed with juice, it’s far healthier than soda. In addition, the carbon footprint is 80 percent less than bottled water. Available at home stores everywhere.
(To see the story of bottled water, go to storyofstuff.org.)