Food, Inc.: Changing how we eat

Where does your food come from? What happens in the places where our food is processed? Is it really safe? Is it sustainable? These are the questions that the movie “Food, Inc.” sets out to answer.

It starts right in with the argument that even though there are 47,000 choices in the average supermarket, there is less variety than we think. Besides the big amounts of corn and soy found in everything, these foods are produced by only a few huge companies.

The productivity and mechanization of our food system comes at a cost.

If you are thinking about seeing this film, I highly encourage you to do it. It is not fun to watch, but these are things we should know. If we are informed, we can make better choices. Making better choices means a better life for us, for the animals we eat, for the workers that process them, and for the planet.

After all, as the film reminds us, we vote three meals a day.

If you have read Michael Pollan’s book “Omnivores Dilemma” you will be familiar with much of what is in the movie. But that is a big book and as much as I loved it, it took me a long time to get through it. “Food, Inc.” is a fast way to get the key points.

You can see a 24 minute PBS interview with Robert Kenner, the director of “Food, Inc.” at this link. I hope this tickles your desire to see the movie. You can see the opening few minutes of the movie here. Or visit their website for more information.

A few notes I made:

• McDonalds is the largest purchaser of ground beef (and potatoes) in the US.
• Chickens used to reach full size in 70 days. Now they are double that size in just 48 days. Their bones can’t sustain that weight: they can’t walk more than a few steps.
• Not only do we feed surplus corn to cows and chickens, but we are teaching fish to eat corn, including farmed tilapia and salmon.
• Snack foods are only cheaper than healthy foods because they are subsidized.
• Salt, fat and sugar are rare in nature. We are biologically programmed to prefer them. Food manufacturers exploit this to sell more product.
• 90% of soybeans come from Monsanto seeds (which are genetically modified). GMO seeds can be patented. Monsanto owns soy beans.
• 70% of all processed food is GMO (genetically modified).

One of the final messages was a great one: We can change the world with every bite! Think about what you eat. Choose consciously.

Here is a list of what you can do now.

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .    Eat Sustainably!

Quinoa Vegetable Salad

I went to a fun 4th of July party at my neighbor’s home this year. This is the salad that I took. It is quick, healthy and tastes great.

I started the morning at the farmers market, so that influenced what I put in (plus some veggies like the turnips left from last week). I am always glad to see the cats interested in vegetables.

You can put just about any vegetable into this salad. I think the main secret for a quinoa salad is to slice everything very thinly. That way you get a variety of flavors in one bite, without any one thing overwhelming it.

Quinoa Vegetable Salad
1 cup quinoa (regular or red)
½ tablespoon cocoa powder
½ tablespoon cumin
½ turnip – thin julienne
3-4 leaves lacinato kale (also called dinosaur kale), thinly sliced
 1 ½ red onion, thinly sliced
cup golden beet, grated (can substitute carrots)
1 apple, finely chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup toasted slivered or chopped almonds

Dressing:  3 TBSP olive oil, 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar, 1 heaping teaspoon mustard (I happened to use passion fruit but usually use Dijon), 1/2 tsp agave nectar (or honey), 1 minced garlic.

Steam the 1 cup of quinoa and seasonings (which are optional) in 2 cups of water. I use a rice cooker. It takes about 15 – 20 minutes, until the water is absorbed. When it is done, fluff it with a fork and let it cool.

Mix the cooled quinoa with the vegetables, fruit and nuts. Toss with salad dressing.

I’m  going to see the movie Food Inc this afternoon, so I’ll probably be writing about that soon. I also have been doing some research on probiotics – and will share some of what I learned. So stay tuned for more!

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .    Eat Sustainably!

Banana Bran Flax Muffins

Last weekend I had some overripe bananas that needed to be used, so I thought it would make a good variation for Bran Flax Muffins. Only I didn’t have any eggs.

I googled substituting eggs in recipes, and it turns out that a  banana is a good substitute for eggs, along with the addition of an extra ½ teaspoon of baking soda for every egg substituted. I was in business!

My adjustments means that the muffins are gluten free (if you use gluten free oat flour) and vegan.

The muffins came out great, so I’m sharing the recipe. I also did a quick nutrient analysis (I was in the mood having just analyzed the granola recipe – which I added to the updated version). 

I was surprised that the fiber content wasn’t higher. As it is, most of the fiber comes from the flax seeds – nearly double what the oat bran offers. But if you eat two, which is reasonable given the calories, then you get a good dose of fiber. At least it is better then most muffins, which are more like eating cake.

One last note, I used honey in the recipe, but I don’t think it was needed. This much fruit gives quite a bit of sweetness to the muffins.

Banana Bran Flax Muffins
1 cup oat flour
½ cup cornmeal or polenta
(you could substitute other whole grain flours)
¾ cup freshly ground flax seed
¾ cup oat bran
¼ cup honey (or agave nectar) – see note below
3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon (or 1 TBSP!)
½ tsp ginger
1 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts)
¾ cup soy milk or milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 apple, finely chopped
½ cup dried cranberries

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in a second bowl. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until moistened (do not over mix). Bake in muffin tins at 350 degree oven for 15 – 20 minutes. Alternatively, bake in a 9 x 13 in pan for a little longer.

I think of two muffins as a serving as a meal, or one muffin when eaten with something else.

Note: I find that if I use a pastry brush to lightly coat the muffin tins with olive oil, they are easy to remove without using paper liners and the pans still clean easily if soaked. I’ve never tried freezing the muffins, but the friend who gave me this recipe told me that she freezes the uncooked batter.

Makes 24 muffins:
Each muffin contains: 124 calories, 3.4 grams protein, 5.5 gm fat (from the flax and walnuts), 18 grams total carbohydrate, 7 grams of sugar and 3.2 grams of fiber

Note: The fruit makes them pretty sweet. If you leave out the honey/agave you drop the calories to 114 each, and the carbohydrate to 15.26 and sugar to 4.21.

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .    Eat Sustainably!

Healthy Eating: Why it matters

I’m giving a talk tomorrow morning to a group of high school students.  It is a PE class, and these are mostly seniors who need to meet their requirements to graduate. I’d love to get them excited about health and their nutrition.

My two goals, for them or anyone, is to help them make conscious choices and to tune in to how their choices make them feel.

A good teen example might be an energy drink. If they drink it because it is there, all their friends are drinking them or because they always have one in the morning, then it is not a conscious choice. It’s an automatic response.

If they have the energy drink because they are feeling tired that morning, then it is a conscious choice. In my mind it is still not a very good choice, and that is why it is important to tune in to how it makes them feel.

I’ve never had one myself, but I imagine that it would give them a rush of edgy energy.  Lots of jittery energy, and then a crash. (Studies show that the high levels of caffeine in energy drinks can be both addictive and toxic.)

An even better way to get energy is to have a good breakfast.  Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein foods provide ongoing energy that feels good inside of us and keeps us going.

And ultimately, that seems like the reason that eating well matters. It is true that eating well keeps us healthy for longer and reduces our risk for most diseases. Still, it is easier to stay motivated when you can see benefits now.

Which is the beauty of eating well – we do get benefits now. Pay attention, and you’ll notice that when you don’t make healthy food choices that you don’t feel as good, especially over time.

I’ve worked with teens that skip breakfast, and possibly lunch, do sports, and then are exhausted by evening. There is a good reason – they are running on low fuel! Regular meals and healthy choices will up their energy considerably.

Healthy eating matters because it gives us energy now. It keeps us feeling alert, energetic and like we can fully enjoy the day. Life is more fun when we feel good.

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .    Eat Sustainably!

At War with Ourselves

It makes me sad that so many women are at war with their body, and recently as I sat in a week-long meditation retreat, I realized how hard it is for many of us to be with ourselves.

 In a retreat, life gets very simple – we lose all the activities that usually distract us from uncomfortable thoughts.

 I don’t hate my body, but I can find plenty there and in my life to be critical of. At one point during the retreat, I got the idea that I should love myself more.

As I sat with this idea, it didn’t take long to realize that no way could I make myself love myself. It might happen on its own, but it I couldn’t force it.

Actually, just the idea of loving myself is a tough one. I can hear my Mom telling me to stop being so self centered. We have a lot of baggage tied up with self love. And yet, clearly, we are responsible for taking care of our own selves. No one else will (or should) do it for us.

So then, how to work with this if we can’t force love and it’s a little edgy anyway? What I found worked for me was to become kinder with myself. I could have compassion for all my ideas about what I and my life should or shouldn’t look like.

We can stop wounding ourselves – life does plenty of that without our help. We can put down our weapons and declare the war is over.

More, we can turn our attention to the things that we already appreciate. If we look for bad, we’ll find it. If we look for good, we’ll find it. So why not focus on what is good about us and our lives?

Even that doesn’t have to happen all at once. Maybe the most important thing any of us will do is to just decide to stop inflicting hurt: hurtful thoughts as well as actions.

Just that tiny shift can add up over time to a completely different experience in life. I’ve seen it in my clients. And I got a good reminder in my own experience.

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .    Eat Sustainably!

Barbeque Chicken with Ancho Chili Marinade

My June 2009 newsletter gives tips for safe barbequing – so it seemed like a good idea to post a good barbeque recipe. My favorite marinade can be found in an earlier post, but this one could be a new favorite.

I got this from the Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook. It is surprisingly tender and tasty, and is still very fast to put together. If you enjoy Southwestern cuisine, check out this cookbook (but watch or adjust recipes – many have a lot of fat).

Ancho Chicken Breasts

2 teaspoons minced shallot
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons ground ancho chili
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

Combine all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a small bowl. If the mixture seems too dry, add more lime juice or a little water. Place the chicken breasts in a glass casserole dish and cover with the marinade. Let the chicken stand for 2 to 3 hours, covered, in the refrigerator.

Cook the breasts over a medium grill, turning frequently to avoid overcooking.

Note: the original recipe calls for 2 tsp salt and ¼ cup of olive oil. When I tried it I halved the oil the recipe originally called for. I think next time I’ll try cutting it to just one tablespoon.  Let me know if you try other variations that work!

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .    Eat Sustainably!

Kale Salad

The first time I made a salad using kale as the only green, Bill wouldn’t eat much. It was good, but a little tough. So I was thrilled to find this technique that uses the dressing to soften the kale.  

I got this recipe from the caterer at a meditation retreat I recently attended in New Mexico. It comes from Denise Ladwig, Chef and Owner of Feast! Organic Catering (831 776-1033, FeastOrganicCatering@live.com)

Here is the recipe. I made it with Red Russian kale, a nice variety of kale. Denise’s recipe called for two tablespoons of the shoyu (or tamari, etc) – I cut it back because prefer less salt.

I think you could use this basic technique as a base and add just about anything you wish! The kale is softened by letting it marinate in the dressing.

Kale Salad

1 bunch of kale, any kind (green, red, dinosaur/lacinato)

Dressing:
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon Shoyu, Tamari, Braggs Amino Acids (or soy sauce)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds,  toasted
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted

Optional:
sprouts, any kind, about a cup
thinly sliced red onion (marinated in dressing)
thinly cut scallions, shallots or chives
avocado
fresh or sun-dried tomato

Strip the kale from the tough part of the stock, and slice kale into thin ribbons (about ¼ inch thick).

Massage the dressing into the kale – you want it well distributed. Let it sit for 30+ minutes, this will soften the kale. If you are adding onions, scallions, shallots or chives add them at this time.

Toast the seeds in a dry frying pan on medium heat until they are lightly browned. You can make extra and store them in a jar for later use).

Toss in the seeds and other optional ingredients before serving.
While I don’t usually promote one vegetable over another (they are all good!), greens are really, really good. Besides being loaded with vitamins and phytonutrients, kale is part of the brassica family which are thought to help the liver process toxins.

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .    Eat Sustainably!

Mindful Eating is a Practice

I’m just back from a week long meditation retreat, and one of the things I noticed was how challenging I find it to eat mindfully! Luckily, even some attention makes a difference.

In retreat, one of the things we do is to just pay attention. Life gets slowed down and very simple, so it becomes much easier than normal to notice our habitual patterns. Here are a couple of the things I noticed about my eating – and I’ll bet some of you can relate to them.

The biggest surprise was the automatic response to want more of something I like. It is like a knee-jerk reaction. I taste something – it’s good – and I immediately think I want more.

I first noticed this with a sweet, juicy piece of watermelon. It was so good that I wanted more. I found that so interesting. What was that about? How does more make it better? It seems like less would make it better and that more would just dilute it.

When I stayed with the feeling of wanting it a little longer,  I found that it was actually just right. I didn’t need more: more would have been too much.

I think a lot of us have an automatic “more” response. This is good to recognize, because then we can pause and let it pass. We don’t have to act on every impulse we get. It helps to see that it is only that, an impulse that passes.

I also noticed how fast I eat. As soon as I put a forkful of food in my mouth, I’m scooping up the next forkful. Once the fork is ready for action, I tend to swallow what is already in my mouth – whether it is fully chewed or not.

As an experiment, I waited to load my fork until I had chewed and swallowed the previous bite. That actually worked really well – when I remembered to do it. It was a lot like meditation; my mind would drift and I’d forget. Then I’d remember and come back to the practice.

I found it curious how challenging it was to stay mindful even under ideal conditions: a silent retreat where the big focus is on paying attention! Luckily we don’t have to do this well to get value – whatever we are able to do is enough.

Mindful eating is a process. I don’t think I’ll ever be perfect at it, but that doesn’t matter. Every time I am able to tune in and fully participate in the experience of eating, it is a good thing.

With mindful eating, like meditation, as my mind drifts away, I just keep bringing it back. No judgment or angst is needed. When I can do this, I find I enjoy the food more and eat less.

What do you notice when you pay attention to how you eat? How does paying attention help you?

Planning: part of healthy eating

Do you find yourself thinking that healthy eating should be easy and natural, without any effort or having to think about it? Well, it can be easy and natural – but it does require some thought. When you have a plan, you can be prepared and then it really is easy.

Having a plan can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish. Set it up in a way that suits you. Here I’ll share how I plan, but do it your own way.

I start each morning with a cup of tea and my list (lately I’ve really been enjoying green chai tea with a little soy milk). Actually, I meditate first – then I start the list.

This is when I make a list of what is most important to accomplish for the day – both work related and personal. This sets the tone for my day.

I think about dinner, and if I need to do pre-preparation, it goes on the list. Today we are having baked polenta, which cooks for a long time, so I have a note on my calendar for when I need to put it in the oven. I don’t write down anything about lunch, but I usually think about what I’ll have.

Clients tell me that when they start the morning with exercise, meditation or some sort of reflection that they feel more in control. I always have far more that I’d like to do than I can possibly do – so it is important for me to take the time to prioritize. It is my plan for the day.

I do dinner menu planning on Friday nights or Saturday mornings – mostly because I do my main grocery shopping on Saturday. It is just a simple small spiral notebook where I list the days of the week. You can see my earlier post on menu planning for more details. 

When you have a general idea of what you’ll be eating, you can have those foods on hand. I have typed grocery lists for the main stores where I shop; listing the foods I buy most frequently in the order of the store aisles. It may sound excessive – but it sure makes it easy to make the grocery list and shop.

When you know what you are going to eat and have the foods on hand, then it becomes easy to make good food choices. You don’t have to think about it. It is all right there.

Even cooking and meal prep is easier when you’ve done the planning. Here are two scenarios to give you an idea of the difference it makes.

Scenario #1:
It has been a busy day. You are tired, exhausted really. And hungry! So you go into your kitchen. This is the part of the day you dread – what’s for dinner? While you are thinking about what to make, you grab a bag of chips or nuts to munch on.

You decide you really don’t have the time or energy to fix the “good dinner” like you’d intended (but not planned). So you check the freezer for something quick or head to your car to go get something. As you are looking, you notice the bag of cookies, so you have a couple of those.

The dinner you end up with was fast and either too many calories or not very satisfying. And anyway, you were hardly hungry by time you ate it – the grazing already filled you. You don’t feel very good about what you ate but you just feel too tired to do it differently. You drag yourself to the TV with a little snack.

Scenario #2:
It has been a busy day, you are glad that you already have a plan for dinner. You are tired, but not too bad – you remembered to stop and have an apple for a mid-afternoon snack. You are glad, because now you are hungry and ready for dinner, but not starving.

As you get the foods out of the refrigerator and pantry that you need for your dinner, you put on some music that makes you feel good. As you slice onions and peppers, you feel the weight of them in your hand, enjoy their aroma and color. Cooking is sensuous and you enjoy the sensations.

Cooking with fresh, healthy foods makes you feel good. You know that you are taking good care of yourself and that it makes you feel better. And it is pretty fast because you already knew what you were making and had the ingredients. Eating well has re-energized you and you look forward to your evening.

 

I hear both of these scenarios: my clients who have made a habit of planning are far happier with their meals and eating than the ones who wait until it is time to eat to decide. It takes some thought, but as you make it a habit, it just becomes a normal part of your week.

Try it out, and let me know what works for you!

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .    Eat Sustainably!

Watermelon Salsa

Last night we had fish for dinner and watermelon in the refrigerator, so it seemed like a good time to make a refreshing topping for the fish. I love watermelon in just about anything. 

You can make salsas with any fruit. Here is what I did, feel free to improvise.

Watermelon Salsa

1 ½ – 2 cups cubed and seeded watermelon (I like a small dice)
¼ red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped finely
2-4 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
The juice of one lime
About ¼ – ½ cup total of white wine and/or rice or white vinegar

That is it – easy!

We had the watermelon salsa with a white fish (halibut I think – I got it frozen from my son-in-law who went fishing in Alaska!) Bill basted the fish in lime juice and garlic for about 30 minutes before grilling it on the barbeque.

With the dinner we had baked sweet potatoes and a green salad. The salsa has a lot of liquid, so it seeped into the sweet potatoes – and that was enough topping for them. I cooked the sweet potatoes part way in the microwave and finished them off in the barbeque.

Fresh fruit is so good this time of year. I added strawberries to the green salad, and earlier in the week I’d added some to a brown rice salad. Experiment! Don’t be afraid to try mixing in whatever you have on hand – it can make meals more fun.

What is your favorite way to add fresh fruit to your dinners?

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .    Eat Sustainably!