Food Rules

I am on my soapbox again! I just got done watching Michael Pollan (Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food and Food Rules) on Oprah and there is no one home to talk to about it! So, I am going to talk to you.

I find the philosophy of food and whole food so intriguing. When did we starting eating chemicals and sugar and calling it nutrition? When did we start sprinkling butter flavored "salt" on our food to avoid butter?

Pollan talks about how food was raised and sold in our great-grandmother's generation versus how it is done today. You can't argue with the facts. I guess you could argue that we are healthier, but I beg to differ! We have to take pills and supplements to get the same nutrition we obtained through food 70 years ago. I won't go into a lot of detail, but here are some of the facts that I think are interesting.

1. What we spend on food versus what we spend on healthcare (per household) has flip flopped over the last 50 years. We now spend 9% on food and 17% on healthcare. I'd rather spend more on food personally.

2. Because we grow chickens at such a fast rate (1/3 the time it should take), the chickens in the farms cannot even hold themselves up. Their bones have not developed enough to carry the weight. EWE!!! (PS - I'm not buying bulk boneless chicken from Costco after seeing that. Gross!)


3. You can buy almost 400% the amount of calories if you buy chemically processed foods (junk food) rather than produce or "whole food". Example: If you take a dollar into the supermarket, you can buy approx 125o calories on the junk food aisle, while you can only buy 250 in the produce section. Again - EWE!!!


I can't help but think...When farmers were allowed to raise actual food instead of being subsidized to raise corn and wheat, people ate more balanced healthy meals. They did not struggle with their weight and they were not plagued by heart disease and diabetes. Convenience comes at a high price if you ask me.

I think our problem as a culture is two fold. First, we have become entirely too consumer oriented. We want to rush through shopping and prepping meals so that we have more time to watch tv, play video games and consume more stuff. Wouldn't it be better (emotionally, physically and spiritually) if we took some extra time to shop for REAL food? If we allowed our children to take part in the preparation (peel potatoes, wash veggies, stir the pot, clean the dishes, etc...) and had time at the dinner table eat REAL food, wouldn't we all be better off? Parents who don't let their children help are only handicapping their children. I remember vividly standing on a stool helping my mom cook almost every meal. Guess what - that is how kids LEARN to cook! Does it take more time and energy? Yes, but that is called "parenting".

Secondly, we are so obsessed with our physique and appearance we have become an ugly ugly people. There are few normal looking people. Women are either extremely thin or at least 30 pounds overweight. When was the last time you saw a woman that had breasts and hips (that weren't purchased) that looked healthy? Not under fed or over exercised or altered by surgery? It is rare!

I always used to think it was strange that "elderly" people commented on my body/beauty more than people my own age. I can remember in high school and my young twenties feeling very strange in my own skin - because I wasn't fat, I wasn't thin...I had boobs and hips. I more than once commented that I was born in the wrong decade. I think the older people saw a "frame" that was ideal in their time that is "rare" in our time. It's called - a girl who eats! :)

If you watch old movies like I do, all you have to do is see Elizabeth Taylor or Marylin Monroe or Jane Russell in a bathing suit to see how obsessed we have become. I have never seen bones sticking out of one of those ladies. You can see their collar bone or ribs protruding from their flesh. What can you see? Real breasts, hips and what I affectionately call the "pooch". You know that part of your tummy where your uterus is that you can't ever seem to get flat (unless you starve yourself)? Yea - anatomically, you should have a pooch (if you are a girl). Where else are your reproductive organs supposed to go???

These women probably had regular periods. And while many starlets were addicted to sleeping pills in 1955- they weren't dying in their showers from NOT EATING! So then, why is it that compared to women in 1960, the average 30 year old weighs 30lbs more today? I think it is WHAT we are eating! Diet food does not make you thin, nor does it make you healthy.

Here is my personal testimonial about food in other cultures. When I was 2o I moved to Vienna. I can tell you one of my first experiences with the market was that it was small - perhaps 5-7 aisles that were half the length of the average Safeway aisle. Most people still shop at open markets. Food had rich aroma. The smell I can still so clearly smell is apricots in the summer. When I came home a year later, I remember so distinctly thinking our food had no taste. Everything tasted like dirt. The produce section doesn't have an aroma of fresh fruits and veggies. Do you even know what mushrooms, onions, cabbage, and apples are supposed to smell like? What is the difference? There are strict regulations on food production in Europe. From sesame seeds all the way to cattle, things must be grown in a healthful, sustainable and clean manner. I can honestly say, I miss the markets, I miss the taste of food, I miss the smell of food! I ate FULL fat cream, whole milk, real butter, meat, veggies, sugar and anything I wanted. I dropped 20 pounds without even trying. I did not restrict my diet. I did not change my habits. I just ate well and enjoyed every moment!

Pollan made a good point. We vote with our forks about food in this country. Every time you eat - you vote. If at least one meal a day, you decide that you will not include processed food and will eat whole food, you can help change the way we eat. Wouldn't it be great if we could feed our children more cheaply in the produce section than at McDonald's? Wouldn't it be great if we spent 9% of our income on healthcare instead of 17%? Wouldn't it be great if government subsidized small, organic, family owned and locally operated farms and ranchers rather than HUGE corporations (or China) to produce our food?

So, here are some "whole food" meal ideas. They will take more time and probably cost more. Just add one per week to your menu and as you do, you will find that you learn how to do things more cheaply.

1. Homemade pasta (ravioli are easy or German Spaetzle) with fresh mushroom cream sauce (cream, onions, garlic, white wine* and mushrooms) - Serve with backed butternut squash and a green salad.

2. Spaghetti squash with grass fed ground beef (or bison), homemade spaghetti sauce. I love fresh green beans with spaghetti and homemade french bread with olive oil and balsamic dipping sauce.

3. Lentil Soup (see blog for recipe), free range Cornish game hens stuffed with rosemary and lavender. Served with salad and brussel sprouts.

4. Homemade chili (pinto beans, black beans, navy beans) (spices: Ceyenne, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper). Add free range meat*. Homemade Mexican Cornbread (green chills and jalepenos added.

Good luck! :) My wish is that everyone find his passion for food and cooking again!

Week 5 - Feeling Groovy

Well, practice does make perfect and 30 days of doing something does make a habit! :) Not that you needed my testimonial to approve what researchers have known for years.

Last week, I though about reincorporating starches (potatoes, and GF products) into my diet. After two days, I could feel my cravings increase and had an insatiable appetite. I decided I would just permanently remove those things to avoid the cravings.

Here are the things that I feel I have successfully either incorporated or removed from my diet/lifestyle:

Supplements:

• Raw Greens (a shake a day keeps the colon cancer away)
• Flax Seed
• Daily Multi-Vitamin
• Fish Oil

Removals:

• Gluten
• Starch (potatoes, sweet potatoes, chips, bread, crackers, corn, etc...)
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Beef
• Drastically reduced caffeine intake (from 1 pot to 1 cup of coffee per day)
• Any prepackaged or pre-prepped foods (except for salad dressing)

So, now what? Well, I've lost close to 10 pounds in 5 weeks. Researchers do say that 2lbs/week is an appropriate amount if your goal is long term weight loss. At this rate, I should be back to my "goal weight" in 15 more weeks. HA! I hate long term goals! If I didn't feel the difference, I would have given up by now. I feel great!!

This week, I have scheduled 5 days at the gym. I've been pretty lazy about this so far. First I was very sick and then, let's be honest - I didn't want to. It will be a challenge to get there that many days, but I am bound and determined to make it happen!!

Here is what a typical day's diet looks like for me.

Breakfast

• 1 slice flax seed bread
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 1 c. coffee with non-fat organic creamer (20 calories)

Mid-Morning Snack

• 1 c. non-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 c. frozen organic blueberries (Costco)
• 2 Tbsp. Flax Seed

Lunch

• 2 slices of Turkey Breast
• 1 wedge of laughing cow reduced fat cheese
• 2 stalks of celery (I put the cheese in the celery)
• 1 apple

Mid-Afternoon Snack

• Spoonful of Almond Butter

Dinner

• Meat (Typically, fish or chicken)
• Two different veggies
• Salad w/balsamic vinaigrette
• For my husband, I add pasta or french bread...some form of carb to help him get full.

Dessert

• Sugar-free jello/pudding

Breadless Meatballs

Came up with this one tonight - off the cuff! :)

1lb Ground chicken/turkey
1 Egg
1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
1 c. Grated reduced fat mozzarella
2 tbsp finely diced onion
4 Garlic cloves
2 tbsp Olive Oil

Start by warming 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook in oil until onions are translucent. Stir often to avoid over cooking. Also, keep heat on medium - cooking garlic on high heat can cause it to turn bitter.

Once onion/garlic mixture is done, mix all ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl (it works best to use your hands). Add remaining tbsp of oil to your pan and spoon golf-ball sized balls into pan. Cook until firm, but not hard. Mushy balls are not cooked through! :)

These are good in soup, with spaghetti, on a salad, or even a meatball sandwich! :)

Enjoy! :)

Week 2 - Ready to Rip Someone's Head Off!

So, I had an "Aha Moment" as Oprah calls it. I always refer back to my single days as my "skinny" days. Let's face it, we were all thinner when we were single, right? HA! I realized the reason I was skinny is not because I was single, but I was single because I skinny. Yes, folks, I am going to admit it here and now. I am a raging bitch when I don't eat. I don't know what it is - the German heritage, the blonde hair, the love affair I have with butter and pork - but, regardless of the reason the bottom line is - I MUST EAT. I am pretty confident that had I been eating more (when I was single), I would have been more welcoming and friendly towards others and perhaps had a more long-term relationships. I have Rhett to thank for my new physique and disposition - all because he introduced me to DESSERT! :) Not that I regret at all how things turned out. Just an observation.

This is week two of the "cleanse from all things impure and yummy". I've been pretty good. I picked a french-fry up off of Rhett's plate yesterday and ate it, only to realize - I CAN'T EAT FRENCH FRIES!!! Damn it!! The ranch I dipped it in - also not allowed.

I am finding the hardest part is not being able to have a cocktail before my meal or a glass of wine with dinner. I don't consider myself a heavy drinker - probably only 3-4 times a week. Nonetheless, if I am going to take the time to go to a restaurant for dinner - I want a drink. Can't we all agree that time with friends is only made more special with a yummy cocktail? So, I cheated. I had three cocktails last week. LOL! I don't know why, but that made me giggle! :) I will tell you, they were well worth the cheat. (Thank you Luke for the World's Best Margarita! I have dreamt about it two nights in a row!!) This whole revelation regarding my relationship with "the drink" has me happy I am addressing this now - rather than when I am pregnant (no I am not trying - just thinking ahead) and it would be a bad thing to cheat. Although, having said that - I'm not doing a very good job of addressing it. Perhaps I should aim to cut back rather than eliminate. 2 drinks? Yes, that sounds good. Only 2 drinks per week. Noted! :)

Other than that and the fact that I almost killed my husband twice because I forgot to eat my afternoon snack, things are going fairly well. I am really looking forward to adding fruit back into the mix. I am craving an apple like you would not believe. The other craving that has not subsided is ice cream. I might add that if you are thinking about following in my steps, you may want to plan so you aren't starting on the same day your period starts!

The meals have been good and have been approved by the hubby. I will post some recipes when I have more patience and am not so irritable (i.e., when I can have an apple).

Wish me luck and pray for Rhett. He's amazingly patient with me! :-)

Week 3

Yesterday began the most difficult part of this process - FOOD!

I am cutting out the following completely (some for only a two week cleansing period):

• Refined white sugar
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Starch (potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, GF breads/bread mixes, cereals, etc...)
• Corn (breads, corn/rice cakes, grits, etc...)
• Fruit (I will add this back in) - The only exception is tomatoes
• Soda
• Caffeine (1 cup of Joe per day)
• Red meat
• Pork (Again, I will add this back in)

Needless to say, this would be difficult enough if I hadn't already had a cold. The first day SUCKED! Things I can eat are vegetables, fish, water, peanut/almond butter, and cheese (THANK GOD!).

What is the point? It really isn't a weight loss goal - it is about cleansing my system. Sugars increase your insulin levels and make you more hungry and increase your cravings. If I can get rid of them for a few weeks, I will not have the same cravings (supposedly)! :) I would be lying if I said there wasn't a part of me hoping that weight loss will accompany the healthier lifestyle. I do! But, I also don't want that to be my focus.

One note about dietary substitutions. Things like "fat free buttered flavored..." or " Sugar free sweetener". I have one word - YUCK! Those things aren't food. If your great-grandmother would not have recognized it, you probably shouldn't put it in your body. If you can't pronounce it, you probably shouldn't eat it! I probably have a more European approach toward fat and sweets. I realized something when I lived in Austria. You can't find "no fat milk". The idea is an anathema to them. They put heavy cream in their coffee (not non-dairy no fat creamer). They eat freshly baked goodies topped with cream. The difference is the amount. They don't add 4 cups of sugar to their freshly whipped heavy cream. They don't drink a gallon of sweetened/creamed coffee a day. The truth be told, most people are a healthy weight. You don't see the huge chasm between the ultra thin and the obese. Most people fit into one of those categories in the US. There are very few average/healthy looking people. This is the whole premise of the "French Woman's Diet" and "Why French Woman Are Skinny". They eat well. They eat whole fat, drink wine and enjoy their meals. However, they exercise and they don't eat three helpings worth of food at each sitting! So - throw away your chemicals and reduce your intake of real FOOD! :)

Stepping off of the soapbox for today and returning to my original purpose. In two weeks, I will add fruit and pork back into my diet. I can't wait - I miss my blueberries in my yogurt! I am still going strong with my greens, which must be mixed with water instead of juice.

Christmas weight came off in 6 days, once I was back home, moving and not tempted by all of the Christmas GOODIES! :)

Still hoping that 30 will be the year I am stronger, healthier and more satisfied with my physique!