Oh, there are too many reasons to go into them all here. The one I want to explore today, though, isn't about health or wellness or tradition. It's about life. It's about the undeniable truth that all life comes from death. Many turn to veganism in an attempt to "do no harm." A lovely, poetic, beautiful idea. Those who embrace it through veganism want their life to be from that which is freely given; they don't want to know, deep down, that their own place in this world came at the cost of another sacred life. Yet it does. All life does. Let's begin by looking at the root of all life -- the soil.

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Welcome back yet again to another Fight Back Friday! Today we are bringing together another collection of recipes, tips, anecdotes, and testimonies from members of the Real Food Revolution. Who are they? Why, they're the Food Renegades. You know who you are -- lovers of SOLE (Sustainable, Organic, Local, and Ethical) food, traditional food, primal food, REAL food, the list goes on. I believe that by joining together, our influence can grow, and we can change the way America (and the industrialized world) eats! So, let's have some fun.

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The first time my imagination ever wandered to Joel Salatin's Polyface Farm, I immediately fell in love with the lush grasses, the intricate relationships between the cows, the chickens, the pigs, the rabbits, the wildlife, and the various miniature ecosystems Joel cultivated. Here was true sustainable agriculture -- something more efficient and ecologically sound than randomly grazing wild ruminants. Polyface was a far cry from a return to the glorified past. It was a farm of the future -- a place where, rather than being depleted, the earth was actually being improved by agriculture while simultaneously providing huge quantities of food for us. So it always struck me as odd when people...

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As a homeschooling mother, I rarely have to pack a lunch for my kids, but I do have to pack a lunch for my husband. Packing tasty, husband-pleasing lunches seems just as difficult as packing kid-pleasing lunches. We finally hit upon a system that seems to work, so I thought I'd share it with all of you. Whether you're packing your own lunch for the office, a lunch for your kids, or a lunch for your spouse, the same principles can be used to make sure you serve a filling, nutrient-dense meal.

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Popular misconceptions can damage your fitness plans. Yahoo Shine and CNN have collected some of the most pervasive and damaging fitness-related rumors. Here are some of them:

Myth -- Strength training will bulk you up

In fact, researchers have found that working out with heavy weights increased exercisers' sleeping metabolic rate (the number of calories burned overnight) by nearly 8 percent. That's enough to lose about 5 pounds in a year right there.

Myth -- All calories are equal, so it doesn't matter what you eat

Some foods take more work to eat, and therefore burn more calories while you're digesting them. Eating vegetables and lean cuts of meat can increase your calorie burn by up to 30 percent.

Myth -- Eating fat will make you fat

Getting enough of the right kinds of fat in your diet is actually essential for good health.

Myth -- Diet soda will help you lose weight

Diet soda can increase your risk of metabolic syndrome, a group of symptoms that includes high levels of belly fat, blood sugar, and cholesterol.

Myth – Your cardio machine is counting the calories you're burning

Your elliptical trainer or treadmill cannot accurately gauge how many calories you're burning without knowing your weight, sex and body composition.

Myth -- Low-intensity exercise burns more fat

The more intensely your exercise, the more carbs you burn, and when your body has burned up all the carbs, it starts burning fat.

To see the rest of the tips, you can click on the link below.

Welcome back yet again to another Fight Back Friday! Today we are bringing together another collection of recipes, tips, anecdotes, and testimonies from members of the Real Food Revolution. Who are they? Why, they're the Food Renegades. You know who you are -- lovers of SOLE (Sustainable, Organic, Local, and Ethical) food, traditional food, primal food, REAL food, the list goes on. I believe that by joining together, our influence can grow, and we can change the way America (and the industrialized world) eats! So, let's have some fun.

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It's no secret that I am a fan of coconut oil. Not only is it full of the best kinds of saturated fat and metabolism-boosting medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), but it holds up well under the heat of cooking. It's a versatile, ancient oil that goes well in everything from smoothies to homemade french fries. But how do you pick the best, most healthy coconut oil? How do you know whether to get a refined or unrefined oil? What do all those labels like "virgin," "extra-virgin," and "expeller-pressed" mean? What's the difference between the cheap coconut oil I see on my grocery store shelf and the high-quality oil I can buy online? Consider this your definitive guide to how to choose a good...

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Tomato Basil Soup is a weekly feature on our summer menu. Creamy, savory, and brimming with the rich flavor of freshly ripened tomatoes, we just can't get enough! This year, practically every farmer in the area had a bumper crop of tomatoes, so these glorious summer fruits could be had for as little as 50% of their normal price. I'm tempted to buy a bushel or two to put up for the winter, just so that I can keep having tomato basil soup all year long.

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These days, our farmers face a growing threat. It's not drought or colony collapse disorder, either. It's our government. The very government created to protect their liberty is instead launching lengthy undercover investigations into their practices, raiding family homes at gunpoint in the early morning hours, and passing financially impossible legislation that doesn't scale down to small, artisanal producers. Who will defend our farmers? Who will fight their legal battles in court? Make persuasive arguments for their constitutional rights? Give counsel when overly zealous government enforcers want to take liberties with warrants and court orders? The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund,...

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Did you enter to win last week's giveaway of 25 packets of organic, GMO-free, open-pollinated seeds? Well, for one of you, it'll be like Christmas in June when you open your mailbox to find these seeds waiting for you! So, now for the winner!

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Welcome back yet again to another Fight Back Friday! Today we are bringing together another collection of recipes, tips, anecdotes, and testimonies from members of the Real Food Revolution. Who are they? Why, they're the Food Renegades. You know who you are -- lovers of SOLE (Sustainable, Organic, Local, and Ethical) food, traditional food, primal food, REAL food, the list goes on. I believe that by joining together, our influence can grow, and we can change the way America (and the industrialized world) eats! So, let's have some fun.

[[This is a summary only. Keep reading by clicking on the Title above.]]