Good news! You can eat healthier, save money, and lose weight, all at the same time!

Transitioning to a healthy, nearly all-organic, whole foods diet is a major factor in how I lost my last hard to lose 10 pounds 10 years ago. In fact, green living is the way I've been able to keep the weight off ever since!

Follow these food shopping tips to a less expensive, healthier lifestyle. The only thing that will fatten up is your wallet!

Hey Everyone,

There's a lot happening in the consumer product world these days. There's the tomato salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds of consumers and, U.S. marshals seized pet-food products stored in unsanitary conditions at the PETCO Animal Supplies Distribution Center in Joliet, Illinois. These pet foods were susceptible to rodent, bird and pest contamination, a violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

I don't know about you, but with all these food scares, I am even more inspired to stick to my strict organic diet (I just recently lost another 5 pounds without even trying). With food and oil prices on the rise I know this can be a tough decision economically, but what most people don't understand is that certified organic farmers have to abide by stricter rules and regulations then conventional farmers imposed on them by our government.

In a world that worships the new, sometimes older is better. For me, that's true with tomatoes. While modern hybrid tomatoes look great and are very productive, the old heirloom varieties have the taste and look of "real" tomatoes.

What's an Heirloom?

Heirloom tomatoes are those varieties grown prior to World War II. They often are regional varieties from around the world that have been passed down within families.

As campaign director for Farm Aid, the Somerville, Massachusetts-based organization that represents the interests of family farms, Mark Smith is well aware of what Americans read in newspapers and see on TV each day: mad cow disease, high levels of toxins in farmed salmon, genetically engineered growth hormones in milk, rising obesity levels in children, and pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables.

Each highly publicized concern is "driving people to search out more healthful and safe food," Smith tells OrganicAuthority.com.

Dr. Jillian Finker is definitely biased when it comes to eating organic foods.

"I have always been an advocate for organic foods, including baby foods," the naturopath from Plainview, New York, tells OrganicAuthority.com. "I was brought up on organic baby food, I always purchase organic products, and I recommend that my patients eat organic whenever possible."

Dr. Finker's professional experience has reaffirmed her commitment to the organic lifestyle.

"I have personally seen patients whose lives have been ruined by their exposure to pesticides," she says. "Their bodies were loaded with pesticides from either spray exposure or from ingesting heavily sprayed fruits and vegetables. These patients have a variety of symptoms, ranging from paresthesia (a sensation of burning, prickling, itching, or tingling, with no apparent physical cause) to skin rashes. It saddens me that we still use pesticides on our foods, even though there are organic farming options available to us."

It's hard to argue with Dr. Finker's logic-unless you work for a nonorganic food manufacturer whose products are laced with pesticides. But ask average consumers about eating organically, and one issue seems to emerge universally: "It's too expensive."

Wrong.

Eating organically needn't be a wallet buster, says Debra Stark, owner of Debra's Natural Gourmet, a retail store in Concord, Massachusetts. Buying organic beans, grains, pasta, herbs, spices, leafy greens and other produce is not only economical, but far healthier than plunking down a few bucks for a prepackaged meal that contains only one nutritionally questionable serving.

If you have children, then you know they’re a magnet for hovering hounds and mooching mousers. Living in a busy home that includes kids, pets, and adults, the line between who eats what can sometimes become blurry! Picking up dog or cat treats at the store can seem pointless if your furry family member is gobbling up whatever the kids are eating. And it can be frustrating to constantly guard the toddler from eating the pet’s treats!

When you read the descriptions of where to plant your new tree, shrub or perennial flower, invariably you see words such as “fertile, well-drained soil” and “full sun.”

In an ideal plant world, all soils would be rich in organic matter and well drained, and the locations would be sunny and protected from wind. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t describe my yard. I do have some full sun locations, but those sites are exposed and windy.

These days, families are always on the go, whether it’s off to daycare everyday or to visit friends and family once in a while. Here are some strategies to help you prepare for your baby’s meals on the go. Start with six golden rules for serving Fresh Baby food away from home:

1. Frozen food cubes take 3-4 hours to thaw in the refrigerator and 1-2 hours to thaw at room temperature.

2. Frozen food cubes stay cold in an insulated bag with a freezer pack for about 8-12 hours.

3. To thaw frozen food cubes, microwave for 30-40 seconds.