The basic ethos of the movement is about getting back to basics when it comes to food. It’s buying in season and local. It’s about supporting our local economy and eating food that’s simple, clean, basic and good for you. It seems we truly have gone full circle and many of us are ready to give up the fast food movement that has dominated our society for decades now and move onto slower, more nourishing nutrition.

If you feel the slow food movement may be something you’d like to join or contribute to, here are a few basic ideas to help get you started:

#1 – Buy local. This is a big emphasis of the slow food movement. By buying foods locally, we support local farming and agriculture. Local foods are also better for the environment as they don’t have to be transported for miles to reach supermarket shelves. Another bonus of buying local foods is that they’re more nutritious. After vegetables and fruits are picked, they slowly start to lose their nutrition content. By eating foods earlier after the picking process you take in more nutrients and vitamins.

#2 – Eat in season. Buying local will mean that you naturally eat what is in season. Many experts believe that we are meant to eat what is in our local environment so that we can survive those conditions. For example, in hot climates the emphasis is on watery fruits and vegetables like strawberries, cucumbers, melons, peppers. These foods contribute to our overall need for more fluid and vitamins needed during hot weather. In colder climates our bodies need filling, stocky foods such as potatoes and other root vegetables.

Eating in season is not only good for your health but also for your pocket book. Eating seasonally allows you to get the best produce without having to pay a fortune for it. Foods that need to be imported cost more because there is a higher cost in acquiring and transporting them. By eating in season you support your body, the environment and local farmers.

#3 – Cook from scratch. This doesn’t mean you have to make difficult, time-consuming meals. In fact, the slow food movement emphasises the opposite. You can cook delicious, wholesome meals from scratch with very few ingredients. The key is to cook a variety of fresh, seasonal foods without resorting to pre-prepared foods or junk food.

Cooking from scratch is good for your overall health as you avoid many additives and preservatives. It also saves you money. Pre-packaged foods cost on average more than fresh foods. And with only three or four ingredients you can cook a really delicious meal the whole family is sure to enjoy.

#4 – Make food a priority. A big part of the slow food movement is that we can once again make food a priority in our lives. This movement is about connecting with and enjoying our food. It’s also about families taking a little time to spend more time together, around the family table.

While this isn’t always possible in modern times, the idea is that if parents start putting more emphasis on the importance of family meals, children will follow suit. By showing our children that food is meant to be pleasurable and enjoyed rather than gulped down or rushed, we start to show them the basics of good nutrition.

The slow food movement is a sign of progress for many. It shows that as communities we feel the need to connect to our food and each other. Eating fresh foods, supporting our communities and the environment, and coming together around the family table, are positive steps into the future.

People often think that when they’re trying to drop extra pounds they’re limited to what they can eat, and that’s true to a degree. But, there’s no need to starve yourself or eat nothing but rice cakes. You can have snacks which are healthy and taste great so you won’t have to suffer while you’re slimming down.

Advertisements on television and in magazines state each person needs a certain number of dairy servings a day. The ads claim you can actually lose weight by consuming dairy products. Well, why not eat low-fat yogurt as a snack. Add fresh fruit to the yogurt and you’ve taken care of one serving of dairy and one serving of fruit for the day. You’ll also have the benefit of the vitamins and minerals from both foods which are necessary for health.

What do you do if you don’t like yogurt that much? You can get dairy servings in other ways, too; try a low-fat milkshake or smoothie. Using skim or low-fat milk, ice, and either fresh or frozen fruit, you can make a great milkshake to enjoy for breakfast or at any other time of the day.

If you’d like to try something different, why not simply try a green smoothie? You use water, 100% fruit juice, water, fruit, and then add raw spinach or another green leafy vegetable. It may take a bit to get used to, but once you’ve had this type of drink you’ll soon learn to love them. This will be very low fat, as you’re not adding anything to the fruit, vegetables and water, and will be full of health-giving vitamins and minerals.

Make muffins using applesauce in place of the fat (margarine or butter). This will make the muffins lower fat than traditional recipes and you may not even recognize the difference as far as taste. Add shredded carrots to the muffins to give you more nutrients. Use other fruits or vegetables such as bananas and zucchini to make the muffins moist and delicious.

Popcorn is a great healthy snack idea as long as you don’t smother it in butter. Air-popped popcorn has no fat, is healthy, and can be filling. Instead of using salt and melted butter to flavor the popcorn, try adding onion powder, garlic powder, or nutritional yeast instead. Be adventurous and try to find a combination that you’ll enjoy. If you feel you must use fat to help flavor the popcorn, use a spray of olive oil which is a good fat.

When choosing healthy snacks that help you lose weight, remember to choose foods which are low-fat. You also want to limit the amount you eat at one sitting. Even snacks which are healthy can cause you to gain weight rather than lose it if you eat too much.

#1 – Eat little and often. When we eat overly large meals we slow our system down. This is because our digestive system is working overtime to digest all the extra food. Once your system is finished doing all that hard work, it simply wants to slow down and rest.

It makes perfect sense then, that by eating small meals regularly throughout the day, you keep your system running at its optimum. Your body is better able to quickly and easily digest the smaller amount of food and will be ready to get to work once you eat again.

By serving smaller portion sizes and adding a few regular snacks to your day, you can really boost your metabolism. Ensuring the meals and snacks are healthy and balanced will go a long way as well.

#2 – Drink green tea. Studies have shown that drinking green tea can boost the metabolism. Green tea is also full of antioxidants that are important to good health. So why not give it a try? It’s good for you and you can boost your metabolism on a regular basis.

#3 – Eat spicy foods. Spicy foods, similarly to green tea, can boost your metabolism. And you don’t need too much spice to put a kick in your system. By adding hot mustard and/or peppers to your sandwich at lunchtime and a little spice to your dinner, you can keep your metabolism at its best.

#4 – Start resistance training. Nothing boosts the metabolism faster than adding a few resistance exercises to your routine. By strength training, you burn more fat and boost your metabolism. This means that even twelve hours after your workout you will still be burning calories. Resistance training can make a huge impact on your metabolism.

Start slowly and increase as you feel comfortable. Even just a few simple overall body routines performed three times a week can do the trick.