Healthy eating

Have you tried cactus water?

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of speaking with the founder of Lauro, Lauren Robson. It was a great conversation about the origins of the company and the benefits of cactus water.

Lauro is a great drink to add to your backyard life. Whether your day includes gardening, laying by the pool or playing with the kids, you need to stay hydrated. This product is delicious, easy to drink and will keep you hydrated.

I asked Lauren why she started Lauro. She told me about traveling for work and experiencing headaches. After consulting with a doctor, she was simply encouraged to drink more water. I think we all know we need to and should drink more water. I, also, know that, for me, after drinking water all day long, I want something else. Something with flavor, something with electrolytes, something other than water. Lauren felt this way, too. She also wanted to find something that would keep her children hydrated on hot days. Because, as many parents will tell you, children don’t like being told to drink more water either!

Lauren had a background in the health and wellness industry. So she set out to find a beverage that would fulfill this need for her and her family. Through her research, she found that the fruit from the prickly pear cactus would give her the benefits she was looking for.

Most cactus water is made from concentrate, Lauren decided to work with puree. That is why the color is so vibrant and Lauro has a more intense flavor than competitors beverages.

Lauro is made from prickly pear puree, sparkling water, blue agave nectar and lime juice. Prickly pear cactus can be found world-wide. The species is only native to the Americas, but through human intervention, now grow in many parts of the world with an arid climate. The prickly pear, and thus Lauro, is high in magnesium, potassium and electrolytes. Lauro is quite simply plant-based hydration.

Lauren has been able to source the prickly pear puree world-wide. Each batch has a different flavor profile based upon the country of origin for the puree. This concept might sound familiar to those of you wine aficionados. The flavor profile of a beverage or plant based dish is significantly impacted by where the plant grows. The can I am currently enjoying has flavor notes of watermelon and cucumbers. I can’t wait to try the next batch.

If you want to try Lauro for yourself, please go directly to the website, drinkcactus.com. You can purchase directly from the website, on Amazon, or look for information about local retailers. You can also reach out through social channels to let Lauren know you like her product. You can also find inspiring ways to use Lauro as a cocktail mixer and gathering beverage.

I hope you enjoy Lauro as much as I do. The headquarters are based right here in Phoenix, AZ and I love to support local, women owned business. So if you have a company (or know of one) that you would like showcased on BKYDLife.com, please let me know!

We all know that healthy eating includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. But did you know you can do it AND stay on budget? Here are a couple tips to accomplish your health and budget goals.

Plan your meals for the week and then prep them ~ you are more likely to follow your plan when you have reduced the daily preparation time
Shop for seasonal produce ~ the prices are lower when an item is in season
Review the sales section in your local newspaper for grocery store ads and shop the produce on sale
Start a garden ~ you can easily grow some of your produce for your weekly meal plan

Let’s take a closer look at that last idea. Many vegetables for a simple salad are easy to grow in a small amount of land or in pots on a balcony.

Lettuce

Lettuce is not only the base for many salads, it grows quickly and can be harvested easily. You can simply snip the tops of the plants or pick leaves as needed. Lettuce takes up very little space. It can even be grown in containers, perhaps accompanied by flowers or tucked under taller plants. You can even plant the seeds in partly shady areas.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are, possibly, the most popular vegetable for any size garden. You can grow tomatoes in hanging baskets or other containers as long as they get lots of sun and have support for their stalks. Starter plants from a garden center, your local hardware store or a nursery are the easiest to grow. I even saw some on my latest trip to the grocery store. You can get both tomatoes and tomato plants at Whole Foods, who knew?

Pro tip ~ If you plant basil next to the tomato plants, you’ll naturally repel pests and even improve the flavor of the tomatoes—and, luckily enough, like other herbs, basil is simple to grow as well. On top of that, herbs will increase the flavor in your salad. And when your salad is full of flavor you will enjoy it even more. You will then want to eat more salads, so this is a bonus no matter how you chop it!

Cucumbers

I love the crunch of cucumbers in a salad. Cucumbers like sunlight and warm temperatures, as well as support for climbing. Thanks to their vertical growth, cucumbers do well in containers and with a little water they grow almost like weeds. You’ll probably have enough cucumbers to donate to your neighbors.

Radishes

Radishes are a nice addition to a salad. But you can also enjoy them as appetizers, snacks and side dishes. Even though not everyone loves them, once you see how easy they are to grow, you might add them to your garden. They take just 20 days to reach full size!

Other Easily Grown Vegetables

Carrots are pretty easy to grow. The only thing about carrots is they might not grow very large, especially if you have rocky soil. Deep, well-drained soil is preferable—a raised bed is a good idea. Nevertheless, carrots are simple and fun to grow (your kids might even want to help). They tolerate light shade too, although, like most plants, they prefer full sun.

All sorts of green beans, from snap beans (or string beans) to shell or whole beans are ideal for home gardens. There are hundreds of varieties to choose from, and snapping beans to harvest them is kind of entertaining. I’ve had better luck with the vine type compared to the self-support bush types of snap peas, but the bush types require less space. Both types grow easily from seeds. Most beans prefer full sun and well-drained soil.

Like beans and cucumbers, zucchini plants are prolific, whether they are grown in containers or directly in mounded soil. Like beans and radishes, they grow easily from seeds. They need good moisture, though, and prefer warm soil, so it’s best to sow seeds later in the warm season (a good plant for gardening procrastinators!).

Pumpkins are relatively easy to grow and are great to have around during the autumn season. As you probably know from baking and carving, there are different types of pumpkins and some are simpler to grow than others.

Now you have some easy to grow vegetables to assist with your healthy eating on a budget journey. And, remember if you have children they can help in the garden and that can promote healthy eating as well.

Interview: Lauren Robson