Are you looking for ways to celebrate Earth Day every day? Take a look at our list to see how you can get inspired, take action, and go green!

Going Green 101

Where to start? Check out these tips if you're a newbie:

Ecological Footprint Quiz: How big a carbon footprint are you leaving behind? Take this quiz to find out.

How to Green Your Diet: 3 Easy Steps

How to Start Your Urban Garden

Going Green 101: Tips for a Healthy Earth Day

How to Celebrate Earth Day Everyday: 10 Easy Tips

As Americans become more health-conscious and strive to improve their eating habits, droves of well-intentioned people are falling victim to a new and particularly insidious scam: organic junk food.

The Aura Surrounding the “Organic” Label
There’s no doubt about it – organic is better. Free of pesticides, growth regulators, additives, and other harmful chemicals, organic farming methods benefit both your body and the environment. Americans have been quick to jump on board, and earnings from organic foods have exploded over the last decade, making organics one of the most profitable food industries.

Where there’s profit, there are opportunists – and where there are opportunists, there are scams. Though much of the hype surrounding organic foods is true, the healthy aura surrounding the “organic” label can be misleading and sometimes downright fraudulent.

Check out all the fun and IINspiration we had at the amazing Mega Conference in Long Beach, CA!

Music Credit: Caribe Steel Band

The 2012 Mega Conference was a huge success, thanks to the all our amazing speakers, students, grads and staff! With each live event, we continue to be inspired by the energy and excitement our community brings. This time around was special, because we felt the Mega Conference buzz all over the world via our social networks. People who weren’t able to make it to Long Beach could tracking Facebook posts, tweets and blog updates by thousands of attendees, and feel like they were part of the crowd.

17 outstanding live bloggers took their conference participation to the next level, by sharing updates with their fans and followers along the way. From pre-trip jitters to new nutrition concepts they learned, they gave us an inside look at the Mega Conference experience.

As awareness about healthy eating grows and people demand more nutritious and nourishing options, a new marketing scam has become increasingly widespread. We’ve all heard the hype about the health benefits of whole grains, but many of the items being marketed as “whole grain” – and therefore thought of as being “healthy” – are a hoax.

Dr. Mark Hyman, an expert in preventive medicine and IIN visiting teacher, said it best in a recent Huffington Post article: “The biggest scam perpetrated on the unsuspecting public is the inclusion of ‘whole grains’ in many processed foods full of sugar … giving the food a virtuous glow.”

What’s Real and What’s a Rip-Off?

When it comes to whole grains, what’s real and what’s a rip-off?

There’s no healthier way to enjoy a grain than in its whole form. Not only is the germ of a grain a great source of nutrients, but the bran also contains the seed’s fiber; this essential component slows the digestive process and prevents blood sugar spikes while your body breaks down the starch of the endosperm. The health benefits of eating whole grains range from preventing type 2 diabetes to lowering cholesterol to reducing the risk of stroke.

Unfortunately, many items claiming to contain these healthful properties are highly processed and stripped of the grain’s original nutrients. This scam stems from a deceptive marketing campaign that can be traced to January 2005—a time when new dietary guidelines urged Americans to “make at least half of your grains whole.”

The sale of whole-grain items skyrocketed, and food manufacturers – especially those producing items not typically considered healthy – suddenly found new and profitable opportunities to include whole grains in their ingredients lists and smack “healthy” labels on their products.

David Wolfe on stage
at the Mega Conference

The weekend came and went, but we’re still buzzing with all the energy powered by the 2012 Mega Conference at theLong Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California! Thousands of Integrative Nutrition students, graduates, teachers, staff and guests came together to accelerate the movement of transforming the world into one of health and happiness.

We heard from international students, who made the trip from various parts of the world, as well as successful graduates who are turning their dreams into realities. We were inspired and empowered by a list of renowned speakers including David Wolfe, Geneen Roth, Mark Sission, Paul Pitchford, John Robbins, Julia Ross, Gary Taubes, Eric Barron, Seane Corn, Stacy Morgenstern, and Carey Peters.

Is there such thing as nutritious fast food? Or is the notion of healthy drive-thru fare just a hoax?

In an attempt to appeal to health-conscious consumers, many fast food chains have begun to offer alternatives to the traditional burgers, nachos, and pizza. A closer look at the nutrition facts of these so-called “wholesome” items sheds light on a profitable fast-food scam. Many foods that are being marketed as “healthy” are just as laden with sugar, trans fats, preservatives, and empty calories as their deep-fried counterparts.

Since poor nutrition has caused rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic illnesses to skyrocket, this scam has several implications. At best, it’s a missed opportunity for fast food chains to make a real impact on public health. At worst, it’s a deceptive form of fraud that misleads people into making unhealthy food choices despite their best intentions.

Which so-called “healthy” items are the worst offenders?

Salads with More Fat than a Burger

What could be more nourishing than a giant bowl of leafy greens? Salad, beloved for packing a nutritional punch with a minimal number of calories, is typically considered the healthy choice for any meal. If you’re ordering it in a restaurant, however, your salad bowl might be a health food scam in disguise.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) led by IIN visiting teacher Dr. Neal Barnard analyzed the nutritional value of salads from seven different fast food establishments. The report was jarring: most salads were light on the fresh vegetables and heavy on the creamy dressings, bacon strips, sour cream, fried chicken, and tortilla chips. In short, the vast majority of these “healthy” foods were “no more healthful than a burger without the bun, dipped in salad dressing.”

The worst culprit? McDonald’s. Their Crispy Bacon Ranch Salad has more fat and calories than a Big Mac and just as much cholesterol!

We’ve all heard the outlandish claims of the latest “miracle diet” scam:

Lose 10 pounds in 10 days – results guaranteed!

Power-boost your metabolism – no dieting!

I lost 50 pounds with these fat-burning pills!

Rip-off schemes run the gamut from semi-plausible to ludicrous. There’s the abdominal exercise belt scam that claims you can lose all your stomach fat without needing to get off the couch. There’s the infamous hoodia hoax; though this African plant might be an appetite suppressant in its natural form, most pills are fake. And let’s not forget the classic body wrap scam – cover yourself in bandages and sweat off a few pounds, then instantly regain the weight as soon as you drink a glass of water. The bottom line remains: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

We'd like to wish you the happiest of holidays, filled with all the joy and love of the season. Whatever your traditions at this time of year, we just want to say that we appreciate you, and we are so glad you are a part of our community.

Maia Lagerstedt, a 2007 graduate from New Fairfield, CT, has always loved writing, yet she didn’t find her career as a freelance writer completely fulfilling. When she came across the Health Coach Training Program she was able to combine her passions for writing and health, and created a career that she loves. 

Now a Health Coach and published author, Maia helps people eat healthily within a budget, and has several other projects in the works including a cookbook and a wedding guide. Read on to learn more about this successful graduate! 

What were you doing before Integrative Nutrition?