I recently started really trying to lose weight. I’ve done diet after diet, and I either get bored, burnt out, or just don’t keep it up. I have been battling my weight for most of my life – even in my teen and adolescent years. I started working for Aerobodies in October 2007 and working for this company has really helped me to think more about my well-being and health. I have learned that to lose weight and be healthy is more than just about working out – it’s about a life and mindset change in what you put into your body.  I’ve started examining everything I eat. I want to stop eating processed & refined foods, and get more whole foods into my body. It’s working, but something I have noticed is:

It is expensive to eat food that is good for you. 

We wonder why the US is so overweight! The recent IHRSA/ASD Obesity/Weight Control Report reveals a dangerously overweight U.S. population: 3.8 million people are over 300 pounds, over 400,000 people (mostly males) carry over 400 pounds! Obesity is not anything to take lightly. Journal of the American Medical Association states, “Most studies show an increase in mortality rates associated with obesity. Individuals who are obese have a 10- to 50-percent increased risk of death from all causes, compared with healthy weight individuals (BMI 18.5 to 24.9). Most of the increased risk is due to cardiovascular causes. Obesity is associated with about 112,000 excess deaths per year in the U.S. population relative to healthy weight individuals.”

For me, the price of food has always been a factor. It is cheaper to buy bad food. When eating out, you can buy a hamburger, fries and a drink (all  too large portion size to begin with, not to mention all that fat and all those calories!!)  for less than $5, but to eat something filling and good for you, you could easily spend double that.  Food that is bad for you just costs less. Even at the grocery store, it costs more to buy organic fruits, vegetables and whole grains than to buy processed, boxed, wrapped-in-cellophane foods. I think that this is one of the problems causing the obesity epidemic in the United States. Not only is it easier to eat foods that harm your body and keep you unhealthy, it also takes less of a toll on your wallet!

Fortunately, I have done a little research and have come up with several ways to save when eating healthy.

Plan Your Meals - Decide on recipes for the week, 2 weeks, and write out a grocery    list based on those recipes.     - Look for sales on produce and organic foods - The longer you spend in a grocery store, the more money you will    spend. - Plan some meals around meat alternatives like dried beans, peas   and lentils and also tofu

Buy Produce from Farmer’s Markets - DC is full of farmer’s markets - You can get varied quantities at excellent prices

Drink More Water - Water is free - Get a re-useable pitcher to fill and re-fill - Water is so much better for you than soda or even juice

Grow Your Own Herb Garden - Requires little space - Freeze or dry at the end of the season to use all winter!

Make your own convenience foods - Prepare a large batch of whole grain waffles or pancakes and freeze them between sheets of wax paper to pop in the toaster for a quick breakfast - Check out this site for recipes for making your own convienience foods: http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/homemadeconveniencefoods.htm

Stock Up - Stock up on non-perishable foods when they are on sale, but don't over-buy on things that do not last long.

So, there are ways to save and also eat healthy. I didn’t say it was easy, but it will pay off in the long run. Healthy eating means healthy body and that means less visits to the doctor, less sick days, and that all equates to more money in your pocket.

Here is a list of Farmer’s Markets in DC (per the Washington Post)
Adams Morgan Farmers Market
Columbia Road and 18th Street NW
Washington, D.C.,
8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, May 6-Dec. 23
Anacostia Farmers Market
14th Street between U and V streets SE
Washington, D.C.,
3-7 p.m. Wednesdays, June 7-Nov. 15
Chevy Chase Farmers Market
5701 Broad Branch Rd. (Lafayette School parking lot)
Washington, D.C.,
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, April 29-Nov. 25
Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market
20th and Q streets NW
Washington, D.C.,
Web site: www.freshfarmmarket.org
Sundays, year-round: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. April 2-Dec. 31; 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 7-March 25
Eastern Market Outdoor Farmers Market
225 Seventh St. SE
Washington, D.C.,
Web site: www.easternmarketdc.com
7 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays year-round
Foggy Bottom FreshFarm Market
I Street between New Hampshire Avenue and 24th Street NW
Washington, D.C.,
Web site: www.freshfarmmarkets.org
3-7 p.m. Wednesdays, April 19-Nov. 15
H Street FreshFarm Market
600 block of H Street NE
Washington, D.C.,
Web site: www.freshfarmmarket.org
9 a.m.-noon Saturdays, May 6-Oct. 28
Historic Brookland Farmers Market
12th and Newton streets NE; 10th and Otis streets NE
Washington, D.C.,
12th Street: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays, May 7-Oct. 29; 10th Street: 4-7 p.m. Tuesdays, May 9-Oct. 24
Mount Pleasant Farmers Market
17th and Lamont streets NW (Lamont Plaza)
Washington, D.C.,
9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, May 6-Nov. 18
New Morning Farmers Market
36th Street and Alton Place NW (Sheridan School parking lot)
Washington, D.C.,
8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturdays, June 3-mid-March 2007; 4-8 p.m. Tuesdays, June 6- Sept. 26
Penn Quarter FreshFarm Market
Eighth and D streets NW
Washington, D.C.,
Web site: www.freshfarmmarket.org
3-7 p.m. Thursdays, April 6-Nov. 16
USDA Farmers Market
400 Seventh St. SW (Department of Transportation plaza level)
Washington, D.C.,
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays, May 16-Nov. 21
USDA Farmers Market, Department of Agriculture
12th Street and Independence Avenue SW
Washington, D.C.,
Web site: www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Fridays, June 2-Oct. 27
Ward 8 Farmers Market
Martin Luther King Jr. and Alabama avenues SE
Washington, D.C.,
9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, June 3-Nov. 18
All Souls Farmers Market
2300 Cathedral Ave. NW (in parking lot behind All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church, entrance on Woodley Place)
Washington, DC, 20008
Web site: www.twinspringsfruitfarm.com
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturdays, May 6-Dec. 16
Rose Park Farmers Market
26th and O streets NW
Washington, DC
Email: roseparkmarket@yahoo.com
4-7 p.m. Wednesdays, April 5-Oct. 25
Also:
The Arlington Farmer’s Market
at the intersection of N. Courthouse Rd. and N. 14th St.
every Saturday from 8am-noon
http://www.arlingtonfarmersmarket.com/
Columbia Pike Farmers Market
Sundays 9 am - 1 pm
corner of  S. Walter Reed Dr. and Columbia Pike
College Park Farmers' Market
5211 Paint Branch Parkway
(On parking lot of Herbert Wells Ice Rink/Ellen Linson Swimming Pool)
Saturday: 7:00 a.m. to Noon May 5 - November 17
Hyattsville Farmers' Market at Queens Chapel Town Center
Corner of Queens Chapel Road and Hamilton St. (behind shopping center)
Tuesday: 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. June 19 - October 30
Bethesda Farmers' Market (New Time and Day)
Veterans Park: Norfolk Ave. and Woodmont Ave.
Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. May 1 - October 30
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. May 5 - October 27
Rockville Farmers' Market
Corner of Route 28 and Monroe Street in the Parking Lot
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. May 12- October 27
Wednesday Location: E. Montgomery At Maryland Ave. (in front of Regal Theatre)
Wednesday: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. June 6 - October 31
Silver Spring Farmers' Market
Ellsworth Drive between Fenton & Cedar
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. May 5 - October 27