A lot has changed for 21st-century women, but one thing hasn't: Moms still juggle insanely busy lives and their needs usually fall last on the list, says Columbia University-certified health coach Beth Aldrich.

That includes eating - as in, really loving what you eat. Because you didn't really love that bag of chips you downed while watching "An Affair to Remember" for the 200th time, did you?

"How could you?" asks Aldrich, author of the award-winning new book, Real Moms Love to Eat (www.RealMomsLoveToEat.com). "Who could possibly be aware of chips with Cary Grant on the screen?"

It's wonderful to take pleasure in food, she says. It's even OK to eat the things we shouldn't every once in awhile - just be sure to savor every bite. "Eating in front of the TV is not savoring," Aldrich says..

"There are also plenty of great healthy ingredients that you can turn into new foods to love, even healthier versions of those favorite comfort foods from childhood. You'll finish meals feeling energized, emotionally satisfied and best of all, not guilty. And, oh yeah! You'll look great in your skinny jeans!"

Aldrich offers ways to kick off the romance:

• Make it all about YOU: Get back to the basics, remembering the pleasure inherent in the food experiences of your childhood. Think of the simple joy you had crunching into a sweet apple. How does that compare with the high-fructose corn syrup-drenched, refined wheat-flour products that leave you bloated and craving more? Whole foods - those eaten in their natural, unprocessed state, such as a baked potato versus French fries -- give you a fuller eating experience, increase energy and help you look great!

• Get naked with raw foods: Our earliest ancestors were hunter-gatherers who foraged for and consumed a wide variety of caloric intake, mostly consisting of raw veggies. Your body will thank you not long after you include more raw food into your diet, but you don't have to go the full Monty right away. Add fresh berries to your breakfast yogurt, include fresh nuts with your lunch, or replace coleslaw from the supermarket deli with a fresh recipe made from scratch.

• Tame your cravings dragon: One of the swiftest paths to an unhealthy snacking binge is ready-made, highly-processed sweets and baked goods. The craving-attack occurs when moms are busy and haven't planned their meals for the day and it leads to a spike in blood sugar, a crash and then - another monster-sized craving. Have healthy options ready to go. Nutrient-dense whole grains such as quinoa, whole-grain toast with sesame butter, and oatmeal will turn that dragon of yours into a pussycat in no time.

• Hungry for more lovin'?: Think you could force yourself to eat an ounce of dark chocolate every day? High-quality dark chocolate - the kind that doesn't have all the fillers - actually has lots of benefits, not the least of which is ... it's chocolate! Dark chocolate contains natural chemicals that serve as mood boosters and elevate serotonin levels, which enhance our sense of well-being. Health benefits range from keeping blood vessels elastic to increasing antioxidant levels.

"The wrong way to look at the whole-food diet is as an obligation," Aldrich says. "You are doing your body and your taste buds a favor by excluding unnecessary sugar, salt and processed fats from your diet in favor of a variety of spices, fuller textures and a sexier figure."

About Beth Aldrich

Beth Aldrich is the founder of RealMomsLoveToEat.com and a certified health coach through Columbia University and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Her new book, "Real Moms Love to Eat: How to Conduct a Love Affair with Food, Lose Weight and Feel Fabulous" won a 2012 National Indie Excellence Book Award. Beth is also a lifestyle green-living expert, writer and public speaker. She is the founder of For Her Information Media, LLC, with productions such as the PBS TV series For Her Information, the radio show A Balanced Life with Beth Aldrich, and her blog, RealMomsLovetoEat.com. She lives in Chicago's North Shore with her husband and three sons.

Need some relief from all that food on a stick? Follow up state fair food with week of raw, fresh and healthy.

DES MOINES, IA--Feeling a little sluggish (and guilty) from chowing down on State Fair food?  Recovery is around the corner at Raw Food Week Aug. 20-29, and, don't worry, the word "diet" isn't even on the program.

Raw Food Week covers the basics of living a healthy lifestyle based on the freshest, natural ingredients possible?just in time to reap the benefits of the bounty of the Iowa growing season, farmers' markets and maybe your own backyard garden.

"There will be a variety of ways to experience a healthier way of eating that doesn't mean dieting, but rather thinking differently about what's at the end of your fork," said Sheree Clark, holistic health and nutrition counselor and certified raw food chef.  "The focus of Raw Food Week is to experience, not lecture, and learn from those who have transformed their lives and the lives of others."

Events throughout the week include tastings, presentations, a film screening, as well as the opportunity to experience raw food offerings at several restaurants in metro Des Moines.  The highlight of the week will be a not-your-typical health and wellness presentation by "Dave the Raw Food Trucker," a formerly sick and obese big-rig driver who reshaped his life through a "raw" experiment, which resulted in weight loss of 230 pounds.

Start off the week by ordering in. On Monday local chef Brandi Leuders will take orders for specially prepared raw dinners that can be picked up on Wednesday--so there's one meal you won't have to worry about preparing this week!  Fresh Café is also preparing take-out items that can be purchased throughout the week. The rest of the week unfolds with these events:

Monday, August 20
Movie Night: Special Screening
Forks Over Knives; raw food concessions available
7:00 p.m. $5/person
Fleur Cinema

Tuesday, August 21
Endless Summer: Capturing Your Garden's Bounty
Sheree Clark, Fork In The Road
11:30 A.M. - 1:30 P.M.  $20/person
Walnut Ridge, Clive, Iowa

Wednesday, August 22
Dave "The Raw Food Trucker" Rolls Through Des Moines
4:00 P.M. - 5:30 P.M. --appearance at West Glen Farmer's Market; free
6:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M. --presentation at Event Center West, West Des Moines; $20/person

Thursday, August 23
Meals That Heal, Jean Lorentzen, D.O.
7:00 P.M. $10/person
All Play, Des Moines, Iowa

Friday, August 24
Healthy Happy Hour
Cheers! Wine is a "Raw" Food!
5:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. $10/person; includes raw food appetizers
Jasper Winery, Des Moines

Saturday, August 26
Farmer's Market?the best raw food around!
Court Avenue, Des Moines: 7:00 A.M. - Noon; free

Sunday, August 26
Raw Sunday Brunch
Seatings At 11:00 A.M. And 12:30 P.M.
$29.95/person for adults; $14.95/person for children under 12
Echo Valley Country Club, Norwalk, Iowa

Restaurants that are including special menu items for Raw Food Week include Alba, Campbell's Nutrition, Fresh Café, Gateway Café, Luna Bistro and Natural Thirst.  Information on all events and how to register can be found at Facebook.com/RawFoodDSM.
Raw Food Week is hosted by the 600+ member Des Moines Raw Food Group.  For more information visit www.meetup.com/RawFoodDSM.-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DES MOINES, IA (08/03/2012)(readMedia)-- "Nothing Compares" to the new Fairlicious foods set to make their debut at the 2012 Iowa State Fair, August 9-19. The menu items join the list of nearly 200 food choices offered throughout the Fairgrounds.

Fairgoers are just days away from tasting these new temptations. The Double Bacon Corn Dog on a stick, a hot dog wrapped in bacon, deep fried, dipped in bacon bit enriched batter and deep fried again to golden perfection, adds a new twist to the traditional favorite. Additional foods on a stick include a chocolate covered chocolate chip cannoli, a chocolate covered chocolate chip cookie dough pop on a stick, and fruit on a stick with yogurt dipping sauce. These treats join more than 50 foods on-a-stick offered at the Fair.

Three new funnel cake flavors, German chocolate cake, carrot cake and sweet chocolate blue sapphire, make for a perfect indulgent snack. The deep-fried goodness doesn't stop there. The Deep-fried Pickle Dawg, a quarter slice kosher dill pickle covered in cream cheese, wrapped in ham or pastrami and deep fried in batter, makes for a quick and tasty snack.

The Nothing Spared Fair Square, the new Fair Square flavor, offers a unique twist on dessert. Made with marshmallows, crisped rice cereal, pretzels, potato chips, Oreos, toffee and M&Ms®, this salty creation was dubbed by a Fair fan in a Facebook naming contest.

Kicking it up a notch, the Carribean crab fritters with herbs, spices, and crab meat, are a full flavored treat. On a sweeter note, new vendor Beaverdale Confections has transformed a fireside favorite. Their s'mores include a choice of four handmade marshmallow flavors, pure Belgium Chocolate and Italian Pizzelles (wafer cookies).

Don't forget to stop by the new vendor Iowa Orchards to sample their harvest of fresh fruits. Try their indulgent homemade peach, apple or cherry crisp with brown sugar, cinnamon, and oatmeal topping.

In addition to the new foods, nearly 200 returning Fair favorites and 50 foods on a stick will be available. Enjoy usual favorites like pork chop on a stick and corndogs, or check out the more unusual choices like hot beef sundae or healthy options like salad on a stick, peanut butter and jelly on a stick, or mixed fruit cups.

Visit www.iowastatefair.org/fair-attractions/food for a full list of nearly 200 Fair foods, as well as healthy foods, foods on a stick and vendor locations.

"Nothing Compares" to the Iowa State Fair set August 9-19, 2012. Save money on advance admission tickets now through August 8 (while supplies last). For more information, call

800/545-FAIR or visit iowastatefair.org.

* * *

50 farmers' markets in Illinois to receive federal grant funds

CARBONDALE - July 24, 2012. Thanks to a federal grant, the number of farmers' markets in Illinois that accept Link, debit and credit cards could double, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon, a local food advocate and chair of the Governor's Rural Affairs Council, announced today.

Simon said 41 farmers' markets across Illinois each will receive $1,200 grants from the Illinois Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Wireless Project. Due to popular demand, additional applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The program will enable farmers' markets to accept Illinois Link cards, which access federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, wirelessly for the first time.  A total of 49 SNAP-certified farmers' markets and direct-marketing farmers accepted Link cards in 2011, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, up from 15 in 2009. The wireless EBT project could bring the total to 99, or about one-third of farmers' markets statewide, by this year's end.

"We expect sales of local foods across Illinois, from urban gardens in Chicago to farms in Alexander County, to increase because of this program. Health benefits will follow," Simon said. "As a state, we export more than 95 percent of our food dollars. Doubling the number of farmers' markets accepting Link, debit and credit cards will keep more of those dollars in local communities, while improving the health of our citizens and underserved neighborhoods, at no new cost to state taxpayers."

The wireless EBT project, funded by a grant from the USDA, aims to expand access to fresh produce for low-income residents and boost sales of local foods. The program will be administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services and the Illinois Department of Agriculture with support from the Lt. Governor's office.

The funding is part of a $4 million nationwide effort by the USDA to increase SNAP use at farmers' markets. SNAP sales at Illinois farmers' markets totaled nearly $70,000 in 2011, an increase of over 522 percent since 2009.

"We're excited to have this opportunity to improve opportunities for low-income individuals to obtain nutritious foods and to support local farmers," said USDA Food and Nutrition Service Administrator Audrey Rowe. "SNAP participation at farmers' markets helps provide fresh fruit and vegetables to families and expands the customer base for local farmers - a win-win for agriculture and local communities."

Simon and Rowe will host a media call-in at 1 p.m. today with Connie Spreen, the executive director of the Chicago not-for-profit Experimental Station, and vegetable farmers, Cheryl and Josh Dotson, of Dotson Farms in Beecher. The mother-son team, along with Josh's wife, Bonnie, sells produce at several farmers' markets in Chicago.

Dotson Farms began selling at farmers' markets in 1979, when the operation was owned by Josh's grandparents. Today the Dotsons sell a variety of tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, cantaloupe, sweet corn and 30 other kinds of vegetables at three SNAP-certified farmers' markets in Chicago: Lincoln Square Farmers Market, Division Street Farmers Market and Pullman Farmers Market.

Since those markets began accepting Link, Josh Dotson has seen sales of his produce increase five percent at Lincoln Square and Division Street, and nearly 10 percent at Pullman which is in a low-income neighborhood situated in what is known as a food desert, or an area without easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

"Our farm has been selling at farmers' markets for many years, but we gained access to a whole new set of customers when they began accepting Link cards," Dotson said. "As a family farm, every new customer makes a difference."

The 41 farmers' markets that have been selected are located in 22 different counties across Illinois and range from large operations with nearly 100 vendors and artisans to tiny ventures with less than five farmers selling produce. These markets must obtain certification to accept SNAP benefits through the USDA Food and Nutrition service and sign a contract with the Illinois Department of Agriculture that requires disclosure of sales data, use of the wireless machine on all market days, and participation in required trainings, before seeking reimbursement from the program.

Participating markets will be able to keep the wireless EBT machines, but must absorb the wireless service costs after the project is complete in September 2013 or when their $1,200 grant is expended. Minimal customer service and transaction fees will not be reimbursed by the grant. Markets that are already certified and own an EBT machine can seek reimbursement as long as their certification and EBT purchase happened after November 18, 2011.

"With 1 in 7 Illinoisans currently receiving SNAP benefits, increasing the availability of EBT machines at farmers' markets makes so much sense: SNAP customers will gain access to the healthiest foods, and potentially millions of SNAP dollars will be redirected toward local agricultural producers, enabling them to invest in and grow their businesses," Spreen said.

Grant recipients will be provided community kits developed by the Lt. Governor's office and the Illinois Department of Agriculture that will include training and promotional materials including an EBT implementation guide that explains SNAP regulations, how to use an EBT machine and ways to partner with community organizations to increase the sustainability of a wireless EBT program.

Markets will be required to attend one of three regional trainings that will be held in late August and led by Experimental Station and the Illinois Farmers Market Association. These trainings will be open to any farmers' market in Illinois that would like to attend. An online presentation will be provided for markets unable to attend one of the trainings in person.

Upon completion of the program, Southern Illinois University Carbondale will use monthly sales data and market surveys to study and measure the impact wireless EBT machines and SNAP accessibility have on overall sales at farmers' markets and will release findings at the end of 2013 or early 2014.

Additional applications for the Illinois EBT Wireless Project will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, or to apply, visit www.agr.state.il.us or call 217-524-9129.

Illinois EBT Wireless Project Participants

Abundant Market - Tuscola Downtown Farmers Market (Tuscola)

Alton Farmers' and Artisans' Market (Alton)

Aurora Farmers Market East (Aurora)

Bartlett Farmers Market (Bartlett)

Bureau County Farmers Market (Princeton)

Carbondale Community Friday Night Fairs (Carbondale)

Central Park Farmers Market (Decatur)

City of Mendota Farmer's Market (Mendota)

Clark County Farmers Market (Martinsville)

Clinton Area Farmers and Artisans Market (Clinton)

Deerfield Farmers Market (Deerfield)

DeKalb Farmers' Market (DeKalb)

Discover Sycamore's Farmers Market (Sycamore)

Elmwood Park Farmers Market (Elmwood Park)

F.R.E.S.H. Farmers Market (East St. Louis)

French Market (Villa Park)

George Washington Carver Farmers Market (Chicago)

Haymarket Square Park Farmers Market (Dixon)

Hinsdale Farmers Market (Hinsdale)

Hopkins Park/Pembroke Farmers' Market (Pembroke Township)

Huntley Farmers Market (Huntley)

La Grange Farmers Market (La Grange)

Lincoln Square Thursday Evening Farmers Market (Chicago)

Lockport Farmer's Market (Lockport)

Loyola Farmers Market (Chicago)

Main Street Farmers Market of Olney (Olney)

Morton Grove Farmers' Market (Morton Grove)

Northbrook Farmers Market (Northbrook)

Old Capitol Farmers Market (Springfield)

Oswego Country Market (Oswego)

Palos Heights Farmers Market (Palos Heights)

Portage Park Farmers Market (Chicago)

Ravinia's Farmers Market (Chicago)

Ridgeville Farmers' Market (Evanston)

Seaway Bank Farmers Market (Chicago)

Shelbyville Farmers Market (Shelbyville)

Skokie's Farmers Market (Skokie)

The Land of Goshen Community Market (Edwardsville)

Trinity United Church of Christ Farmers Market (Chicago)

Twin City Market (Sterling)

Uptown Farmers Market at Weiss Memorial Hospital (Chicago)