tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29702972205803907742024-03-05T03:02:28.743-08:00NutrimommyRecipes, food policy and ethics discussed by Anne Zimmerman, certified nutrition coach & lawyerAnnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.comBlogger403125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-23777161913318646062018-07-29T11:12:00.001-07:002018-07-29T11:12:28.046-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-49384925594194025022015-05-08T10:37:00.004-07:002015-05-08T10:37:55.369-07:00Low-Carb Nutritious Farmer's Market Meals<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgferwr3XeI72v9cy3S3zOHkxnW-v354bYqFqmqtbcgNn6qApII65ZmE8BCEpqpKW9HbRaF-lYZvfr4GUwvjq0lmOpjzkMlB4Xsq9G0ukY9qFLAf33jffhd2jZvcEaIITjnQL5vVHBbWq_/s1600/20150422_090411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgferwr3XeI72v9cy3S3zOHkxnW-v354bYqFqmqtbcgNn6qApII65ZmE8BCEpqpKW9HbRaF-lYZvfr4GUwvjq0lmOpjzkMlB4Xsq9G0ukY9qFLAf33jffhd2jZvcEaIITjnQL5vVHBbWq_/s320/20150422_090411.jpg" width="180" /></a>A friend asked how to get in shape for summer. A spin instructor ridiculed the people who rush into juice fasts to get a bikini bod in a hurry. An acquaintance mentioned she is doing a diet with a special drink and packets of all sorts of stuff. But, what about just regular fresh food?<br />
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In our pre-summer rush to be everything from Paleo to Keto to just plain thin, people go to great lengths yet surprisingly few move toward big plates of vegetabes, the easiest and best way to gather big time antioxidants while maintaining a healthy weight. As much as I think the overall macro-nutrient mix (a certain percentage of protein, fat and unprocessed carbs) matters (a lot), getting all of the micro-nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals necessary for strength, energy, fitness, brain health, and a strong immune system should not be overlooked.<br />
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The people on a constant juice fast might lack the healthy fats necessary to think their way through the day and those on a strict paleo diet of grocery store meat will miss the antioxidants of vegetables, a normal well-rounded diet does still work as a reliable way to get in shape for summer. If we all did things right, we would not have gotten out of shape but a small 5 to 10 pound weight gain through winter is very common and really is the norm in the northeast. With an April as cold, windy, and rainy as this one, it can be hard to shed winter weight.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9O3tInGPRNTDW-foOg9pWbFIIWRhPwVbjKePA3DpYzF8JZTXKgzVjxxCqn_T1jMeif_467qK3GXnDB9tPJHRD1Ru4UF4tKxMIVnKUu4m7LoMPYRjqpbYqU0sDG6LE5BsHlqY5eP_Ma3a/s1600/20150422_090421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9O3tInGPRNTDW-foOg9pWbFIIWRhPwVbjKePA3DpYzF8JZTXKgzVjxxCqn_T1jMeif_467qK3GXnDB9tPJHRD1Ru4UF4tKxMIVnKUu4m7LoMPYRjqpbYqU0sDG6LE5BsHlqY5eP_Ma3a/s320/20150422_090421.jpg" width="180" /></a>My advice: steamy stir-fries, hearty salads, nuts and seeds. For fats, use olive coconut oils for basics; sesame or walnut for flavor. Avoid all processed vegetable oils (canola, sunflower, safflower, corn). While the vegetables and nuts and seeds have plenty of protein, those believing (usually wrongly) that they need more protein or need an animal version, might add and egg or unsweetened Greek yogurt. Vegan foods do provide plenty of protein. A fish oil can add omega-3 fats if they are lacking in the choices made. (I would definitely lean more ketogenic than paleo emphasizing brain-boosting fats over protein.)<br />
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Utilizing things that are local and in season is environmentally favorable as well as good for you. Here are a few of my typical recipes for this time of year.<br />
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Ramp vinaigrette: I like to cook with ramps and add them to my steamy stir-fry but I also blend them into salad dressing. They are very pungent but high in important nutrients and very good for a healthy immune system. Alliacious vegetables (onions, leeks, garlic) provide flavonoids (protect blood vessels) and polyphenols (protect body from oxidative damage). Like garlic and onions, ramps work to protect the immune system, prevent inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. While garlic and onions serve the same purpose with a similar antioxidant make-up, ramps are very tasty, strong flavored, and in season for a short time. They are sought after by restaurants big-time and while they are abundant at the Union Square farmer's market right now, you do see chefs with huge bags coming to snatch them up.<br />
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1/2 cup olive oil<br />
1/3 cup very aged balsamic vinegar<br />
1/2 cup washed, chopped ramps.<br />
Blend well in a high speed blender. Use as dressing or dip.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Micro Kale & Other Greens</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMuoEzFwz0H3Go4JkMIYkW2XZ-ll-ve2cpfBP0_enE7wuK-bQZoLpR9-OAtggdsZ6bJgdUjfT9gsDV7Pw5_3O16t98HTDxUeXnP_2ZHvrC1enfOoD-IZ19d1qzjDlxiTST2OhED6CiPyp/s1600/20150422_081901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAL5c__j7HukXwkDmcWn6qINzI2ESvKP-wWo05f_lOEFmxEA1ujEDEztTGPvJ0KvgbBh3DfsOTQv3cmct1LdlofRYS4L_XIJ9ET3nEBx0brU1OFLCeJQeO4r2kh4fcTAqq7OjIt1eAKgD/s1600/20150422_081913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPAL5c__j7HukXwkDmcWn6qINzI2ESvKP-wWo05f_lOEFmxEA1ujEDEztTGPvJ0KvgbBh3DfsOTQv3cmct1LdlofRYS4L_XIJ9ET3nEBx0brU1OFLCeJQeO4r2kh4fcTAqq7OjIt1eAKgD/s320/20150422_081913.jpg" width="320" /></a>Microgreens and very young vegetables have a distinct and delicate flavor and texture making them a great addition to salads and lightly steamed vegetables. I usually put the microgreens on top of of sauteed vegetables and cover for less than a minute to just wilt them. My favorites are micro kale, tot soi, arugula, watercress, mustard greens and sorrel. There are lots of others available from cabbage, radishes to crysanthemum and other traditional flowers. Microgreens differ from sprouts because they are the in between stage when a sprout has developed early leaves but is not a mature plant. Microgreens have been shown to have significantly more antioxidants than mature greens. And, because they are most widely available now in spring, it is a good time to load up on them. The <a href="http://www.sunshinecovefarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2012-Xiao-Assessment-of-Vitamin-and-Carotenoid-Concentrations-of-Emerging-Food-Products-Edible-Microgreens.pdf" target="_blank">Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry</a> has a good article reporting scientific results of a study that compared mature plants to microgreens. <br />
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I usually saute an onion and a ramp, with ginger in olive oil. Then, I add a lot of maitake mushrooms and continue to cook. If I am having asparagus or brussels sprouts, I might add them as well. After that all cooks, I put a bunch of microgreens on top and cover for a minute or less, steaming them very lightly.<br />
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1 onion<br />
3 ramps<br />
1 tablespoon sliced ginger<br />
2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
2 cups maitake mushrooms (shitake or crimini are good substitutes)<br />
1 cup asparagus<br />
2 cups microgreens<br />
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric<br />
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce<br />
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar<br />
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Saute the first three ingredients in the olive oil. When onions are browned, add the mushrooms. A minute or so later add asparagus, soy sauce, vinegar, and turmeric. Then add microgreens and cover for less than a minute. A lightly steamed vegetable plate served over sauteed maitake mushrooms offers a huge anitoxidant boost, lots of fiber, and nutrients. Sprinkle with sea salt, hot sauce or ramp vinaigrette.<br />
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Salad can be a good use of those microgreens too. A lot of people prefer to keep things raw for the most live enzymes. If you want to keep them raw try tossing them with the ramp vinaigrette and serving over a bed of fresh lettuce. I usually add very small chili pepper pieces to salads.<br />
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<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-79539654079085732442015-04-09T08:43:00.002-07:002015-04-09T08:43:49.104-07:00Food Babe vs. Science Babe: War? And Why is it OK to Call Oneself "Babe"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFqFulrY_lno3iZ8PER64LsEmHisLc22U5kLv8zv95fCNFlkU2Yq0FaAziWb8B8wEna3B3CAPcIHJgu4lrqr6vh67wYZXUqP_E-c9tTIIPlJFBeK_WRkpcoX0As5VmK9lQyc1-vA0N8qD/s1600/20150405_091611+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwFqFulrY_lno3iZ8PER64LsEmHisLc22U5kLv8zv95fCNFlkU2Yq0FaAziWb8B8wEna3B3CAPcIHJgu4lrqr6vh67wYZXUqP_E-c9tTIIPlJFBeK_WRkpcoX0As5VmK9lQyc1-vA0N8qD/s1600/20150405_091611+(1).jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
<a href="http://gawker.com/the-food-babe-blogger-is-full-of-shit-1694902226?utm_campaign=socialflow_gawker_facebook&utm_source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow" target="_blank">Science Babe's ridiculous article criticizing Food Babe</a> on Gawker is causing a shake-up in the food blogosphere. At the crux of Science Babe Yvette Guinevere's criticism of Food Babe Vani Hari is her use of scientific terms and so-called "pseudo-science". But, is Yvette undermining actual science while failing to understand the plain English or colloquial use of expressions like toxin? <a href="http://foodbabe.com/an-open-letter-to-food-babe/" target="_blank">Food Babe's calm and factual response</a> addressed some of Science Babe's claims.<br />
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<b><i>Toxin:</i></b> definitions range from a poison produced by plants, animals or bacteria to a poison produced by any organism to poisons including man-made poisons which some refer to as toxicants. This wider broader definition or use of the word probably originated because the word toxic has broader meaning than toxin and people came to call all toxic things toxins. But, semantics aside, in the nutrition world, we regularly use the word toxin to describe things causing long-term damage to the body. This is a long understood meaning and the most famous doctors in the business. Dr. Mercola and Dr. Hyman have been using the word toxin on occasion to mean any additive or natural substance causing long-term or immediate damage. That is to say toxin does not imply one exposed to the substance will drop dead immediately. In fact the natural Bt toxin used to create GMO corn is in a safe form in the short term but most likely causes extreme long-term damage.<br />
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Science Girl (I mean is she really a babe?) seems to be on the wrong track using a semantics hit against Food Babe. Generally, junk food is bad for you. Food additives have long-term toxic effects. Unlike deadly bacteria, food additives, unhealthy ingredients in processed foods and bad eating habits tend to cause cancer, heart disease and obesity in the long run. In a science text book, we might use the word toxicant or avoid the word and just describe the problems. But Science Babe implies that these things are safe because they do not fit her definition (the narrow old-fashioned yet certainly reasonable definition) of toxin. I am quite sure from reading her blog and articles that her strong implication is these things are safe. Oddly, despite her story <a href="http://www.bodyforwife.com/how-science-babe-lost-and-kept-off-90-pounds/" target="_blank">of losing 90 pounds</a>, which included accelerated weight loss under Food Babe's cleaner regimen and a prescribed medication, Science Babe is wishing to lose 10 pounds that she gained back when she decided to return to a everything in moderation approach as opposed to a clean eating approach. In the article she references both her biggest drop in weight and her lowest dip in weight being while following a clean diet. She then gave up on that, went back to everything except gluten (because she has celiac's disease), (harshly ridiculed everyone who gives up gluten but does not have celiac's disease) and went on to belittle organic clean eating.<br />
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And, semantics again, Science Babe accused Food Babe of saying a lethal dose of sugar is in a Pumpkin Spice Latte. OK, it has 49 grams of sugar in grande, 62 grams in a venti. So, Food Babe says "toxic sugar." Does she mean drop dead instantly by toxic? No. But food scientists and public health advocates do want people to have the information that sugar is not merely correlated with sickness, it causes it. And, it is not alarmist to suggest there is a health crisis being caused by the type of calories people are consuming. This is not psuedo-science.<br />
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And, one more semantics issue. When we (in food and nutrition) say chemical we mean added item made in a lab. While this is obvious to our readers, apparently it is not obvious to Science Babe who assumed the dumb dumbs like Food Babe do not know WATER is technically by Science Babe's definition a chemical. OBVIOUSLY, we don't mean water when we say broad statements like chemicals in food are bad for you. It is well accepted in food science that additives are bad for you. In broad epidemiology we see that diets including foods processed with chemicals, containing chemicals added as preservatives or coloring are the worst diets in the developed world. I noticed in Food Babe's response she refers to synthetic additives, cleaning up her vocabulary after being bullied by Science Babe.<br />
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In conclusion, it seems mean-spirited to present no science at all, promote a diet no more scientifically supported and in fact proven by substantial studies to be unhealthy or less healthy than a clean diet. The nutrition blogs and articles that support clean eating, many written by doctors in the field, are a plea to play it safe. Additives that have never been tested lurk in food and drinks, unprecedented numbers of grams of sugar are added as well and there is no science even suggesting that the typical processed American diet is safe.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-43716359395664036212015-04-03T09:42:00.003-07:002015-04-03T09:42:31.652-07:00Eggs & Eggy Stuff: Deciphering the Egg Buzz WordsFYI, for full disclosure, I do not eat eggs. I find them kind of yucky. But I buy them fresh from small farms for my children who have lately been less vegan. Last night, we had great mushroom spinach omelettes that pleased everyone. I was tempted to try a small bite but was just as happy with sauteed spinach and mushrooms. The eggs were from Windfall Farms at the Union Square farmers market. They were a mix of light blue and light brown and had very dark orange yolks.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This egg was celebrating the equinox March 20-21 by standing upright overnight</td></tr>
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The difference between mainstream eggs and eggs raised on a small farm is huge. But mainstream egg producers smaller scale sellers that provide eggs to larger health foods chains and grocery stores have been making claims on their packaging. Some small farms or co-ops have come together to produce more eggs under one label. But, how do those eggs stack up to each other, to mainstream grocery store eggs, and to small farm eggs purchased warm and freshly collected?<br />
<ul>
<li>Free range does not mean much and should mean cageless. Free range eggs are permitted outside part of the day. But the hens could be in cages indoors also.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Cage-free means cage-less but chickens can be confined to very small quarters regardless of cages. And, cage-less is not an indication that the hens are permitted to go outside. (Caged hens can have as little as 67 square inches per bird and often have their beaks removed so they do not peck each other to death.)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Omega 3 eggs result from flax seeds added to chicken feed. I would rather just eat the flax seeds myself. They do not seem to be part of a chicken's natural diet. Chicken's pastured would eat grasses and plants for Omega-3 fats naturally and they </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Grade A is an FDA reference and must meet certain size requirements but does not address any ethical or health aspects of the egg. The eggs do have to weigh a certain amount and have a minimum shell density. Egg producers can achieve these traits without making a healthier or more organic egg.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Pastured means the hens have time outside where they have the chance to eat their natural diet as well as feed. (So plants, shrubs, and insects that create a more natural egg are included in the diet.)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Soy free / GMO free. These eggs should have no GMOs or soy in their feed.</li>
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<ul>
<li>Grassfed eggs should more naturally achieve a healthy omega 3 level, and a dark orange yolk.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Organic eggs are USDA organic, have no chemicals in the areas where they graze, eat organic feed only or fresh un-sprayed plants.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Sun-lit porches are sometimes mentioned o egg cartons. To me this is a sign of no pasture time. </li>
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<ul>
<li>Grocery store mainstream eggs also have traces of arsenic. Arsenic is in chicken feed because it is part of a parasite drug included in the chicken's diet either in feed or as a medicine. (an ingredient sill allowed in chicken feed everywhere in the United States except Maryland where they were recently banned after years of pressure from environmentalists. Europe and Canada banned arsenic-containing ingredients in hen's medicines or feed.) There is no indication of the use of arsenic on the packaging so any and all eggs from 49 states put you at this risk.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Pasteurized: a process deemed to eliminate risk of bacteria. I prefer unpasteurized so I buy from farms.</li>
</ul>
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If I am not buying eggs at a farm where the chickens are in plain sight, I would ask a farmer a few simple questions:</div>
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How much of the chicken's diet is from feed as opposed to things like grass or a worm?</div>
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Is there any soy included in the feed? Any antibiotics? Any fish products or other unsavory additives?</div>
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Do the chickens have constant access to the outdoors?</div>
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Are the grounds sprayed with any herbicides or pesticides?</div>
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Small happy hens produce the most humane and the most healthy eggs. If you have access to a farm, you can skip the tricky language on labels and grab an egg right from under the chicken.</div>
<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-87490207307899020852015-03-31T10:30:00.005-07:002015-03-31T10:30:54.592-07:00Cravings v. Food Addiction & Food Rehab<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2ilQMjDxvVfIdVL65r-l6oqzyY0mD7E3WL1yrY4nqQao6HwSwJoE7PzaJJwupEqDac3go1TFg8YW0YknMHzFvoeVURvGPUhGm3LbJaNH0X_7_oXesiyQXJQhEfjm1L5HWAJeybUHawzh/s1600/20141226_162015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2ilQMjDxvVfIdVL65r-l6oqzyY0mD7E3WL1yrY4nqQao6HwSwJoE7PzaJJwupEqDac3go1TFg8YW0YknMHzFvoeVURvGPUhGm3LbJaNH0X_7_oXesiyQXJQhEfjm1L5HWAJeybUHawzh/s1600/20141226_162015.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgGeuhwVpYLm2ElK2bKQAFUIc_BQy_HR0ngpz2R7-DKIx2kHuv9SH7zhBAQmjWkFmQyKhQhq50BBhS9v9rBXUY87Wcqd1ecKTw67E4bQ0nlgO9TyYxF8vv9dHupb8vz4w1pE_Gk9flThW8/s1600/20150330_120950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgGeuhwVpYLm2ElK2bKQAFUIc_BQy_HR0ngpz2R7-DKIx2kHuv9SH7zhBAQmjWkFmQyKhQhq50BBhS9v9rBXUY87Wcqd1ecKTw67E4bQ0nlgO9TyYxF8vv9dHupb8vz4w1pE_Gk9flThW8/s1600/20150330_120950.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>Women especially bemoan food cravings, those urges to reach
for an unhealthy snack in the middle of the afternoon or, even worse, in the
evening. But these urges can be a beneficial reminder that your body is missing
a nutrient that it should have had earlier in the day. Everyone experiences cravings at one time or another, some every day; others at some point every month. Women tend to experience more noteworthy and severe cravings so they are often written off as some kind of hormonal anomaly. Food addiction is a different animal and creates the rampant obesity we see swarming America. These problems can be
managed and solved. BUT, look out, when food cravings snowball into food
addiction. Food addiction grabs you and takes hold because it is
essentially making you believe you are not just hungry, but you are a bottomless
pit. You begin to disassociate hunger with eating and it is just an activity that you can not stop. Food addiction requires food rehab.</div>
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So, which do you have, a craving or a food addiction?</div>
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Craving: You are satisfied by a reasonable portion despite
being so desperate to have the item that you would go out of your way to buy
it, I mean really, blocks, even miles out of your way. With food readily
available, this tends not to be necessary. But, you know the feeling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Addiction: You came across the food, nibbled, and an hour
later you are still eating, looking for more, scavenging through your cabinets,
or driving out to the store. Like an alcohol addiction, food addiction can be
triggered by the first bite, the initial taste sensation, the opiate sensation
of food reaching your brain and bringing satisfaction.</div>
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What should you do about it?</div>
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Craving: Try a higher fat and higher protein earlier in the
day. Drink lots of hot tea or mineral water. Make a schedule that works for
you.<o:p></o:p>We can manage cravings with these tips:</div>
<ul>
<li>Eat more fat in the morning or at noon (avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts and seeds. Eat these generously. People who fear fat have more cravings.)</li>
<li>If your diet does not provide enough vitamins, take some, especially B vitamins and Vitamin D. Both provide clarity and happiness.</li>
<li>Manage stress (Create a schedule that is reasonable. If you hear yourself saying you are "so busy", that is no one's fault but your own. Do not over-schedule. There is literally no relationship between over-scheduling and human success. Organizing life whether you have four kids, no babysitter, a job, etc. requires time management. Recognize whether you thrive on quiet time (an introvert) or thrive on social engagements (an extrovert) and create a schedule accordingly. I plan my week to have blocks of free time despite technically being as busy as everyone else. I don't over-schedule myself or my children.</li>
<li>Sleep. Sleep a lot. 8 or 9 hours per night.</li>
<li>Exercise. Morning exercise curbs cravings significantly by acting as an appetite suppressant in the immediate aftermath and by helping ease afternoon stress. It is worth scheduling in exercise every day even if for a very short time. I will do ten minutes if that is all the time I have.</li>
<li>Women in particular have different hormone levels throughout the month. A healthy diet of whole foods and no processed carbs will limit mood swings and huge hormone fluctuations. Recirculating estrogen is a cause of disease. Non-estrogenic foods and a cleansing diet will keep estrogen levels fluctuating normally and reasonably. One go around of estrogen is enough. You don't want it seeping through colon walls and going around again. Fiber, healthy gut flora and vegetables will prevent what processed foods, heavy meat, and dairy would encourage.</li>
</ul>
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Addiction: Avoid any
addictive flavors. For many, sugar is the most addictive thing, more addictive
than cocaine. After that, greasy, floury chemical laden food is addictive. So
avoid any chemical flavorings (flavorings in fast food and packaged food are
designed to make you buy more). For many Americans, post-holiday, it is very
difficult to avoid sweets because the holidays having awakened the sweet sensation and
all of its addictive properties. The food was designed to do that. Your body is
designed to become addicted to food and especially sugar because in a time of
little food availability that desire kept people alive. We can treat food addiction with these tips:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<ul>
<li>You have to recognize that you have to change your habits. Eat a lot of calories to avoid feeling a craving that would unravel your food rehab. Try macadamia nuts and pecans around noon or even earlier.</li>
<li>Schedule yourself to be places where you simply can not eat. Schedule anything from meetings to extra time at the gym. At first, avoid places (like a kitchen at your office) that tend to trigger grabbing a cookie.</li>
<li>Avoid everything processed, meat and dairy for three weeks. (Add nuts, seeds, and avocado as well as lots of vegetables so that this will not feel difficult.)</li>
<li>Pick a few foods to keep (Maybe a non-sweet bread or a salty snack that is completely natural in small amounts. If there are non-addictive alternatives like kale chips instead of potato chips, choose them.)</li>
<li>Seek out the support of a group. Mark Hyman's 10 Day Detox would set anyone on a healthy path. Their Facebook group is amusing to say the least and you can count on there being someone of every level of knowledge about food and cooking and every weight range. Note that you need a group that recognizes the problem is not your fault.</li>
<li>If you do not have the support of friends or extended family, avoid them for the first two weeks. There is no need to be surrounded by tempting foods. If you were a heroin addict, they would not bring heroin to a family event. If they must bring sugar or salty processed snacks, take a few weeks to yourself. Go back to those events when you truly have conquered your addiction. (I encourage exceptions for holidays and bringing your own healthy versions of desserts or snacks when necessary)</li>
</ul>
Food addiction, the real problem that does not get enough attention, is a major cause of disease. Food manufacturers want you to be food addicts. They will fight to market addictive foods, especially anything with sugar. We all know it is confirmed science that sugar is more addictive than cocaine. That does not mean everyone is addicted. But many of you are, or if you eat enough of it, will be. If I eat sugar one day, I want it the next day. It always takes me a few days to unravel the addiction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFoNxA7u2XQLRAL-6a6-o94KHS0MYXjOfUj4OB0n4T_PNR26CT6nKFuM_nuZ5zS0rmmsr0u5Fn_VlVYllMFjgcGnAMvApQmcCdaSZFAIutmvv2rGBq_xW-sELSaDAfPpUsdk_G5OSqML-L/s1600/phonejantomarch+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFoNxA7u2XQLRAL-6a6-o94KHS0MYXjOfUj4OB0n4T_PNR26CT6nKFuM_nuZ5zS0rmmsr0u5Fn_VlVYllMFjgcGnAMvApQmcCdaSZFAIutmvv2rGBq_xW-sELSaDAfPpUsdk_G5OSqML-L/s1600/phonejantomarch+054.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>Food is sold everywhere from book stores to car washes, from street corners to coffee places, even at FedEx Office you can buy a high calorie bag of chips or movie theater sized candy while you wait to ship a package. You all know how exhausting standing in line can be. I mean, really worthy of a snack. As if you have burned a single calorie there. Add that availability to the American incorrect mindset that snacking is preferable to not eating between meals, and you will find major food addicts. People eat mindlessly while doing other things and people often simply cannot stop. David Katz of Yale once said in a lecture you will eat raw almonds until you are full but you will eat honey-roasted salty almonds until your arm is too tired to keep reaching into the bag for more. His point is the American food industry sells addictive foods and you need to choose wisely.<br />
<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-68051808514998160112015-03-27T13:57:00.002-07:002015-03-27T13:57:28.547-07:00We liked this recipe better...Vegan Ketogenic BrowniesThis Jony-tested recipe was slightly more flavorful and altogether vegan.<br />
<br />
1 1/2 cups almond flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
4 generous tablespoons cocoa powder<br />
2 teaspoons dried decaffeinated instant coffee (Mount Hagen Organic)<br />
1/2 can coconut milk (use cream on top and some of the liquid)<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk<br />
2 teaspoons raw honey<br />
A sprinkle of crunchy sea salt.<br />
<br />
Mix the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and stir well.<br />
<br />
Heavily grease the brownie pan with coconut oil. Bake on 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. The honey adds approximately 5 grams of sugar per teaspoon and dish should make 6 to 8 servings so with all of the ingredients combined, it still yields only two or three grams of sugar per serving. A whole can of the coconut milk has only 5 grams of sugar and the almond flour naturally contains about a gram per 1/2 cup. No other ingredients should have any at all.<br />
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These are really rich and luxurious. We have been making them as an easy way of keeping away from processed carbs during the day. A note on the freshness of this: raw almond meal is a better less processed alternative but any almond flour will do as long as the only ingredient is almonds. A fresh raw young coconut can be used but my feeling is that once I have worked the young coconut open, I'd rather use it for something else like a summer ice cream treat and it would then not be sugar free or ketogenic. The canned product is from a less sweet coconut and is the pressed flesh (coconut milk) not the coconut water.<br />
<img alt="Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk, 13.66 oz (Pack of 12)" height="200" src="http://i5.walmartimages.com/dfw/dce07b8c-9b6b/k2-_12afbae5-cef2-48b1-8a1e-1af920909d0f.v1.jpg" width="200" /><img height="200" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Q49HVs2ML.jpg" width="141" /><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31frCwqIbSL.jpg" />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-31800078253510871042015-03-25T09:01:00.002-07:002015-03-25T09:01:15.132-07:00Ketogenic Breakfast Brownie Recipe<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-itDQh9e5hbSlj-E4GKPucQmL9KOPtcFZ9LbQVBA058C7uA-GJ7mSWCQ0WKnuo12l5M8VDMSbv3PP2UviqJ78HNT7E98IQgGMdG45eQWj0-taZIUcmEgyQhM4PiJGPhwcKQl_N8y7yX57/s1600/20150325_080242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-itDQh9e5hbSlj-E4GKPucQmL9KOPtcFZ9LbQVBA058C7uA-GJ7mSWCQ0WKnuo12l5M8VDMSbv3PP2UviqJ78HNT7E98IQgGMdG45eQWj0-taZIUcmEgyQhM4PiJGPhwcKQl_N8y7yX57/s1600/20150325_080242.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>For a quick easy breakfast, we had crumbly brownies made with almond flour. While they were maybe just a little too plain, they were filling and healthy.<br />
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2 cups almond flour<br />
3 tablespoons cocoa powder<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
coarse sea salt<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1 teaspoon honey<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 tablespoon coconut cream<br />
2 tablespoons canned coconut milk<br />
<br />
Mix all of the dry ingredients. Add everything else while stirring.<br />
Place in a greased brownie pan. Bake on 350 degrees for 25 minutes.<br />
These did come out kind of dry so I would suggest adding a little almond milk and serving with a little honey.<br />
<br />
These brownies are really just another way of eating nuts. We have been roasting cashews, pecans, macadamia nuts, almonds and walnuts daily while the kids are home on spring break. The nuts are a great substitute for the high starch offerings that schools inflict on vegetarian kids. But we were getting bored with nuts. The kids made an amusing nut-based pancake the other day but it was not their best work.<br />
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The above recipe is probably a little higher in protein than a true ketogenic diet would be but I hate to call them "paleo" since the paleo trend encourages unprecedented amounts of animal products. I did add eggs to this but they are optional and I prefer to keep vegan. I still firmly believe in the China Study and the downsides of an overexposure to animal proteins, especially casein. Factory farming, inhumane animal treatment, and downright disgusting animal feed leads to quite a different product from any animal running around in the wild.<br />
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Quick definitions:<br />
Paleo: a dietary trend purportedly based on how people ate in the paleolithic era (an era lasting from 2.6 million years ago to 10,000 years ago and including the years during which humans evolved). It professes to include high quality fats and protein, non-starchy vegetables and fruit. While it is probably a huge improvement over processed food-based American diets, it is often misinterpreted and its followers eat all sorts of meat with reckless abandon. While times have changed and the quality of meat is questionable, eating like a hunter-gatherer in theory is better than eating like a gatherer of packaged junk food. Ratios recommended by the average paleo diet: Protein: 30%; Low glycemic carbs: 40% Fat: 30% Paleo diets are a new trend and seemed to supplant the Atkins diet popular in the 1990s used for weight loss but sometimes associated with the side effects of digesting large quantities of low quality meat. The paleo trend when done properly does utilize fresh food and especially fresh vegetables overlooked by the Atkins trend.<br />
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Ketogenic: Ketogenic diets suggest that fat is superior to protein and that excess protein should be limited. Protein: 20%; Low glycemic carbs: 10%; high quality fats: 70%. Ketogenic diets have been around a while, named in 1924 and used for disease prevention. Ketogenic diets are strongly encouraged for those with a variety of illnesses including cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, alzheimer's and other neurological problems. Ketogenics are based on the theory of reaching ketosis where fat rather than glucose is used for fuel.<br />
<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-87616802363336918342015-03-12T15:56:00.003-07:002015-03-14T05:16:05.454-07:00To Snack or Not to Snack.<img src="http://www.fritolay.com/images/default-source/blue-bag-image/fritos-original.png?sfvrsn=2" height="200" width="138" /><img src="http://www.fritolay.com/images/default-source/blue-bag-image/doritos-nacho-cheese.png?sfvrsn=2" height="200" width="138" /><img src="http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/var/plain_site/storage/images/publications/food-beverage-nutrition/foodnavigator-usa.com/regulation/goldfish-crackers-targeted-in-natural-lawsuit-over-genetically-engineered-soy-as-prop-37-supporters-launch-gmo-inside-initiative/7695956-1-eng-GB/Goldfish-Crackers-targeted-in-natural-lawsuit-over-genetically-engineered-soy-as-Prop-37-supporters-launch-GMO-inside-initiative_medium_vga.jpg" height="174" width="200" /><img src="http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/1017-chips_vg.jpg" height="200" width="143" /><br />
Snacking somehow became status quo. But why? Do we need snacks? Should we recommend snacks to children? Should mothers push strollers around with snacks stuffed in the pouches? Should bookstores and libraries allow snacks and sell them? Should we keep bags of chips or cookies by our desks at work?<br />
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Hell, no. The answer is clear cut. The mainstream medical establishment encourages snacking or small meals merely because that method can lead to more stable blood sugar. We have all heard that five small meals a day are better than fewer larger meals. Yet, this is not supported by data. It is true only if A) meals are high in quickly absorbed starches or sugars which raise blood sugar levels and B) meals are simply too big. That is, it is true for Americans already in the pre-diabetes lifestyle. For most people, solving the actual problem of what causes a spike in blood sugar and what should comprise the meal is better than snacking throughout the day. If those on the verge of a blood sugar issue continue with small meals and snacks, they might not address the underlying problem and the result will eventually be more blood sugar highs and lows in each day.<br />
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Fact: Reasonable meals that do not contain anything that causes blood sugar to rise rapidly will not result in the low that needs to be negated by a snack or small meal.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGzqh9rblCudF8bgUgTwGTLOBEbhIfFyyvr8amzw3S8US6ecyfZydf3dgvHdNZzq5ph-5v6ld80qMAEtorB4AAEgPDjzd6Bl2aQJOXzJVjZ7vfKCpitruS8ZuYMaG-bNPczp5d3BchmE6/s1600/20141226_162015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGzqh9rblCudF8bgUgTwGTLOBEbhIfFyyvr8amzw3S8US6ecyfZydf3dgvHdNZzq5ph-5v6ld80qMAEtorB4AAEgPDjzd6Bl2aQJOXzJVjZ7vfKCpitruS8ZuYMaG-bNPczp5d3BchmE6/s1600/20141226_162015.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite snack but it works as a lunch or with my lunch.</td></tr>
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Warning: A very important alert for over-eaters: If you eat five meals a day, that is five times a day your brain has to tell you to stop eating. Lots of snackers or those eating frequent little meals end up essentially eating all day long. I am not good at stopping once I start. Are you? Some people are. Most are not. My very best defense is spacing my meals as far apart as I can and eating the right foods at those meals. Also, let your mouth to stop tasting food in between meals. Having a constant reminder of food because of tastes and smells can be detrimental to someone fighting an urge to overeat.<br />
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If you are stuck in the american cycle of blood sugar spikes and drops you probably see some shifts in mood during the day. Whether you are all up and all down or you have a little more consistency (a wavy line like the Catskills rather than a mountain range like the Rockies), you still could benefit from two or three meals a day. A completely even blood sugar level throughout the day is ideal and lends itself to better temperament and lots of energy. So, how do we achieve this?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIK7Bn48hB2IBv5bY-m8AouKtD2KI9FEr73r_lGO6KqY6D1O48VDe1WFWUYznlqyVm1m8wlyJd8NMckTD6yc9FIWvMM6jXkxaKEqDMLsyRnyFSKRQPzTLdIpTx5urq3rksQ-qdRSKMnYr/s1600/20150204_103806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIK7Bn48hB2IBv5bY-m8AouKtD2KI9FEr73r_lGO6KqY6D1O48VDe1WFWUYznlqyVm1m8wlyJd8NMckTD6yc9FIWvMM6jXkxaKEqDMLsyRnyFSKRQPzTLdIpTx5urq3rksQ-qdRSKMnYr/s1600/20150204_103806.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetables & apples from Union Square Greenmarket.</td></tr>
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Anyone can do it. Simply, eat less. And, eat nothing that spikes blood sugar. If you are a carb craver, try brown rice, quinoa, lentils and beans with your meal but you will see some blood sugar rise from those compared to a meal where vegetables, nuts and seeds are the only source of carbs. If you can make due without grains, aim for meals of vegetables, nuts, seeds, and avocado with healthy oil. If you eat processed carbs, bread at lunch or packaged food, then you have room to improve. If you already eat healthy organic foods, but would like to see either weight loss or more energy, try spacing your meals and eliminating snacks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimE2Pd3e_vaXDMyqrrJf5CxutFQtmo14JWbzkY5PFNRFE_VZ7Y1pf7W9X0qUTNvv5Oy0Dzaqr6WKWIyakonxmxsxn6hiqR_ORIoS2vr0wYRuvtif5cq7kJwl5DEa4fE4pC62QYmjahs_yX/s1600/20150123_120840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimE2Pd3e_vaXDMyqrrJf5CxutFQtmo14JWbzkY5PFNRFE_VZ7Y1pf7W9X0qUTNvv5Oy0Dzaqr6WKWIyakonxmxsxn6hiqR_ORIoS2vr0wYRuvtif5cq7kJwl5DEa4fE4pC62QYmjahs_yX/s1600/20150123_120840.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cappuccino with unsweetened almond milk. </td></tr>
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While eating is an American past time, the human body isn't meant to endure that. Studies repeatedly conclude that for overeaters and for almost all americans (with the exception of those with anorexia) cutting calories in half or more improves every aspect of health. Eating less and fasting longer at night also allows the body to spend time replenishing itself. If the body spends all day and night digesting food, other jobs do not get done. I rarely eat a bite of anything after 6 p.m. or before 7 a.m. to make sure I have 13 hours off. During the day, I feel best if I can manage with a big early meal that is mostly liquid and a big steamy stir fry or even salad, with lots of nuts, seeds, nut butters and healthy oil as a late lunch or early dinner.<br />
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Lots of food traditions focus on one large meal. Referring to dinner as supper has the implication of a larger lunch. Ayurvedic teachings that digestion is best midday are backed by 3000 years of tradition. Macrobiotics follow similar guidelines suggesting eating two or three times a day, certainly not snacking in between. Some ketogenic diet followers also encourage meal timing limits and limited carbs only early in the day. Whether it is a health and medicinal tradition or just a cultural tradition, larger meals with filling vegetables and fats in the middle of the day are an established way of many healthy societies that are not suffering from overeating the way Americans are.<br />
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I think Carol Brady was right to nudge Mike when he was snacking while on his diet. Snacking in the 1970s was considered bad. And now look at us.<br />
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<b>5 Quick Tips for Snack -Free Living & Early Eating</b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>If something you love to eat is considered a snack food, add it to your meal. For example, I love peanuts. But I don't want to nibble on them all day. So I have some nuts or nut butters with meals. </li>
<li>Limit processed carbs so there is no blood sugar low to fight off with a snack.</li>
<li>Hang out places where snacks are not offered or permitted. Do not carry snack food with you.</li>
<li>Bring lunch to work. Have shredded or sliced vegetables prepared in advance so cooking is easier.</li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvuXabl2QMTZmoq9qrrAWuMo9oqlyxpFU729ceNveLxfropIQYc_zMGDiRdxyB8x2XNxO0jBXRIJaqWrS9ZezOqWSFgyljAKRKZQOhDyJplPaCy0knMKQrjOd3auejf-I7FjrtlPbwwWy/s1600/20150109_200738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvuXabl2QMTZmoq9qrrAWuMo9oqlyxpFU729ceNveLxfropIQYc_zMGDiRdxyB8x2XNxO0jBXRIJaqWrS9ZezOqWSFgyljAKRKZQOhDyJplPaCy0knMKQrjOd3auejf-I7FjrtlPbwwWy/s1600/20150109_200738.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> I will rethink my loyalty when supply runs out.<br />
The new recipe is pretty awful. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>Exercise after meals to stabilize potential blood sugar rises (even a quick walk up a flight of stairs or a few push-ups can) You might find you don't want a snack at your usual time.</li>
</ol>
<b>5 Quick Tips for Timing Meals for Weight Loss </b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Don't eat before 7 a.m. (Extra tip: Make your breakfast a drink with little or no sugar (no fruit) (I have a quirky drink of Vega with organic matcha powder, spirulina crunchies, and decaf dried organic coffee and sometimes a few spoons of a nut butter)</li>
<li>Make late lunch or early dinner your biggest meal. (Aim for 6 hours between breakfast and lunch)</li>
<li>Avoid snacking triggers. (Places, smells, going home during the day for many people)</li>
<li>Don't eat after 6 unless you can not avoid it for social occasions.</li>
<li>Start slowly, pick a few days to have the snacks you were having. Eat heavier foods at meals so you feel satisfied.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-91455638383135752682015-02-03T17:01:00.004-08:002015-02-03T17:01:52.914-08:00Happy 2015: Winter Weather & Clean Eating<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OdJj03Fgwl4LeNshb_7g2QFssBgamiBqbU3ndVF_LmUnfWroEIHLTdb4qDOOnyvW3mGYlYw2Q_6c3-Lezd7uTXdR6MsqYNtrNPKR9Mtlz0H6vc34xHUi2rzOSTGnLeoGCFyY-3qGhbw3/s1600/20140905_130850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OdJj03Fgwl4LeNshb_7g2QFssBgamiBqbU3ndVF_LmUnfWroEIHLTdb4qDOOnyvW3mGYlYw2Q_6c3-Lezd7uTXdR6MsqYNtrNPKR9Mtlz0H6vc34xHUi2rzOSTGnLeoGCFyY-3qGhbw3/s1600/20140905_130850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OdJj03Fgwl4LeNshb_7g2QFssBgamiBqbU3ndVF_LmUnfWroEIHLTdb4qDOOnyvW3mGYlYw2Q_6c3-Lezd7uTXdR6MsqYNtrNPKR9Mtlz0H6vc34xHUi2rzOSTGnLeoGCFyY-3qGhbw3/s1600/20140905_130850.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">steamy stir-fry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OdJj03Fgwl4LeNshb_7g2QFssBgamiBqbU3ndVF_LmUnfWroEIHLTdb4qDOOnyvW3mGYlYw2Q_6c3-Lezd7uTXdR6MsqYNtrNPKR9Mtlz0H6vc34xHUi2rzOSTGnLeoGCFyY-3qGhbw3/s1600/20140905_130850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OdJj03Fgwl4LeNshb_7g2QFssBgamiBqbU3ndVF_LmUnfWroEIHLTdb4qDOOnyvW3mGYlYw2Q_6c3-Lezd7uTXdR6MsqYNtrNPKR9Mtlz0H6vc34xHUi2rzOSTGnLeoGCFyY-3qGhbw3/s1600/20140905_130850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OdJj03Fgwl4LeNshb_7g2QFssBgamiBqbU3ndVF_LmUnfWroEIHLTdb4qDOOnyvW3mGYlYw2Q_6c3-Lezd7uTXdR6MsqYNtrNPKR9Mtlz0H6vc34xHUi2rzOSTGnLeoGCFyY-3qGhbw3/s1600/20140905_130850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a><br />
<br />
Winter eating can keep you slim and trim if you use all the tools at your disposal to stock your kitchen and plan your meals. And, if you have had some excessive holiday eating, getting back to healthy foods is not a lost cause.<br />
<br />
I like to make steamy and stir-fried vegetables a daily habit in winter and soups an easy back-up. I have been making vegetable broth on weekends to drink throughout the week, continuing my green tea habit and keeping myself relatively cleansed.<br />
<br />
And yet, I still find social activities and dinner obligations get in the way more in winter. Or maybe when I am within reach of really great Belgian fries, I start to think "What the heck?" and go for it. I think the urge to go for those heavier winter foods (I like an occasional pizza without cheese) should be met, just don't let them snowball into daily events. Providing occasional heavy dishes at home, more nuts and seeds, an avocado, sea weed snacks and kale chips helps keep me in line. And, I always admit to diving into the nut butters with reckless abandon.<br />
<br />
Clean eating sometimes is associated with summer salads and freshly picked spring greens, but in winter there is ample supply of fresh food too. Some local farmers use tunnels and greenhouses for winter food production and the tougher rugged greens like kale and collards are still available. Potatoes, winter squash, turnips, parsnips, and other root vegetables are around in full force but feel starchy and heavy. And, well, these days a grocery store has year round greens making it easy to go for leafy greens like kale, lettuce, spinach and Swiss chard, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, carrots, mushrooms and many more obscure vegetables like mustard greens, watercress, and all sorts of sprouts.<br />
<br />
So, I still make winter salad bars for the kids but I include some warm dishes like cooked kale and mushrooms, warm lentils, chick peas and beans. Tonight, they had chili, but Lizzie staged a protest, eating it with a fork because she was outraged that I made it too thick. I also made a big sautéed vegetable dish from bean sprouts, onions, cabbage, zucchini, and lots of fresh strips of ginger to ward off winter sicknesses. I added turmeric for good measure and then I put a little too much Dave's Insanity Sauce on mine.<br />
<br />
Other ways to keep off that winter weight:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWRBTSq82q8IasloTuqop7kSsBrJPyYs2Eb-Pzapx5bz5CtVxN2H6yQb1LxAT9Gg3qKY0E2f2XoieF_t9YlIYCdgR8CyeK4qYM5t662nHyB4m1BRL7WetcuchVOVqVduEqauZU_2OHWUI/s1600/20141013_142210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWRBTSq82q8IasloTuqop7kSsBrJPyYs2Eb-Pzapx5bz5CtVxN2H6yQb1LxAT9Gg3qKY0E2f2XoieF_t9YlIYCdgR8CyeK4qYM5t662nHyB4m1BRL7WetcuchVOVqVduEqauZU_2OHWUI/s1600/20141013_142210.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">watercress salad with earthy carrots from Union Square greenmarket</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Drink hot broth (either with or instead of a meal)</li>
<li>Drop the carbs (a few days without grains is very energizing)</li>
<li>Eat within a shorter time span (either eat a big lunch and a light snack instead of dinner; finish eating all of your meals by 5 or 6; or even skip lunch and eat a big early dinner). Sometimes just changing the timing of food leads to weight loss. Many cultures eat their biggest meal at lunch. If all of your eating is pressed into the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., that is better than spreading eating out from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.</li>
<li>Eliminate snacking and have tea or hot water with ginger, mint, lemon or cinnamon. </li>
<li>Drink your breakfast. A liquid can be a better start to the day. Vega is a great nutritional boost. Tea, vegetable juice, and even (gasp) coffee can be beneficial.</li>
<li>Have a good drenching sweat. While exercise is preferable, a sauna can help too.</li>
<li>To start, pick any of the above suggestions and do them just every other day or every third day. Finding even three nights to have dinner really early can set you on a good path.</li>
</ul>
My favorite quick vegetable broth:<br />
<ul>
<li>mushrooms (about a half a pound of crimini, two portabellas, a couple shitakes, maitake (if available)</li>
<li>celery (one whole bunch of celery with leaves)</li>
<li>cilantro (very cleansing; very tasty)</li>
<li>about 1/2 a pound of swiss chard, kale, spinach (anything goes)</li>
<li>watercress (I am an addict)</li>
<li>mustard greens</li>
<li>half a yellow onion</li>
<li>small handful of some kind of microgreen or sprouted green if available</li>
<li>the VERY BEST WATER you can find.</li>
<li>Boil everything for twenty to thirty minutes and then let it sit for an hour more. The vegetables will lose their green look but all those nutrients will remain in the broth.</li>
<li>Add turmeric, black pepper, cayenne pepper, hot sauce (stay away from the Dave's Insanity unless you are hardcore) or don't add anything. All vegetables have some natural sodium, so there is no need to add salt.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBA0uH-A1IvexPKzd5reDtBrwGzYIIdTvkCTX1MEeeiZBzdI9mnq_4EPBj6pYN7hmZwXdUJxTg7xrA37H1PGJZcFmCu8v7ZwflhHXY2MMITlHjrA9dDwux4U8gUyjsUpYPH-2N5WaK_zQ2/s1600/20141025_115014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBA0uH-A1IvexPKzd5reDtBrwGzYIIdTvkCTX1MEeeiZBzdI9mnq_4EPBj6pYN7hmZwXdUJxTg7xrA37H1PGJZcFmCu8v7ZwflhHXY2MMITlHjrA9dDwux4U8gUyjsUpYPH-2N5WaK_zQ2/s1600/20141025_115014.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">winter salad bar<br />
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For work lunches, I sometimes add either mushrooms or bean sprouts to my hot broth and bring it in a thermos (with my so-called "miracle thermos" I burn my tongue at 3 p.m. even if I heated the soup at 7 a.m....it is Thermos brand), or I bring vegetables or salad. But I have had to fall back on either kale and Brussels sprouts from Dig Inn or a Pain Quotidien soup or salad in a pinch.<br />
<br />
<br />
My grand conclusion: winter tends to be a more challenging time for overeaters and, well, for everyone. So, making a plan that is attainable and allowing some wiggle room for those fries on a weekend might be the best we can do.<br />
Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-33211697763352749992014-09-26T17:42:00.002-07:002015-02-18T12:34:55.487-08:00An Argument in Favor of a Federal GMO Labeling Law<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i>A Federal GMO Labeling Law<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>GMO Definition<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A genetically modified organism (GMO) results when a gene
from one species in inserted into another. Technology such as gene blasting and
the use of viruses and bacteria is used to insert DNA from one species into the
other in a lab. GMO for our purposes refers to the resulting crop, animal or ingredient
in the case of processed food products. GMOs are not a result of breeding to
create different characteristics within a species. Examples of GMOs are fish
genes being used to create tomatoes and strawberries that are tolerant to
frost. Immediately, we can see allergy concerns among many other health
consequences. The GMOs of most concern now are Bt corn (designed to have built
in pesticide), Roundup Ready soy (designed to tolerate herbicide), rbGH milk
(milk from cows injected with a growth hormone) cotton, canola and sugar beets.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Have GMOs Been Proven
Safe?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bulk of the studies have been on animals rather than
humans although the predominant human study did show that the GMOs survive in
the human stomach. Animal studies have indicated strong correlations with
cellular anomalies, pre-cancerous growths, shorter lifespan, liver damage. The
rbGH hormone in milk causes an increase in the human hormone IGF-1 a primary
cause of breast cancer. Examining the timing of GMOs sweeping the markets, huge
increases in allergies, obesity, autism, celiac disease and a variety of other
illnesses correlate. Animals grazing on GMO crops have had increased death
rates, and various GMOs like the original FlavrSavr tomato were pulled from the
market. <a href="http://www.responsibletechnology.org/health-risks">See a list
of possible health risks with footnotes / links to studies.</a> And see an <a href="http://responsibletechnology.org/media/multimedia/state_science_gmo.pdf">overview
of the science</a>. While the research suggesting danger clearly trumps the
research (primarily industry-funded) suggesting safety, the real issue is that
the onus was never on the government or the manufacturer to prove safety. We
dove in headfirst and by 1996 GMOs were the predominant sweeping ingredients in
our processed food supply relied on by many. Most processed foods either
because of a corn ingredient (corn syrup or modified corn starch) or a soy
ingredient (isolated soy protein, soy lecithin) included at least one GMO
ingredient.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Introduction<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Presently, there is no uniform federal guide to labeling
GMOs. Many companies, large and small, organic natural and not so organic and
natural do voluntarily frequently confirm products are non-GMO much to the
chagrin of the companies producing and selling GMOs. Also, to be deemed USDA
organic, a product must be free of GMOs. The FDA could easily set forth a simple
law mandating labeling so that produce, animal products, and processed foods
list GMO ingredients as such. As we have seen in states that have tried to pass
GMO labeling laws, the industries profiting the most from the sales of GMO
ingredients oppose the legislation vehemently. And, they have a considerable
amount of money and clout to throw into the fight. Nonetheless, Vermont adopted
a GMO labeling law last year. <a href="http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/2014/Acts/ACT120.pdf">(See the full text
of the Vermont Law)</a> But as we saw in Washington State last year, large food
producers and Monsanto teamed up to defeat a similar bill and are expected to
finance large campaigns bashing labeling requirements on the ballot in
California and Oregon this fall. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act (HR 1699)
introduced by Sen. Barbara Boxer (Democrat, California) and Rep. Peter Defazio
(Democrat, Oregon) in 2013 seeks to universally label GMOs with a few limited
exceptions. The bill would catapult the US to the rest of the developed world
as far as labeling requirements and would allow consumers to have the
information necessary to make an educated purchasing decision. The bill,
introduced last year is still under consideration. On September 16, 2014 Sen.
Jack Reed (Democrat, Rhode Island) joined to co-sponsor the bill.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the federal government has yet to act, a bill
proposing the exact opposite, a bill that would almost create a federal
prohibition on labeling GMOs by preempting all state laws passed on GMO
labeling is being introduced and supported by the very makers of Round-up, the
junk food industry and those food companies that stand to profit the most from
the sale of GMOs. While they universally (and contrary to significant peer-reviewed
scientific research) attest that GMOs are safe, it is certainly suspicious that
they fear labeling laws so much. Rep. Mike Pompeo (Republican, Kansas)
introduced the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2014, an act designed to
undermine labeling requirements. See <a href="http://pompeo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=376238">Rep.
Mike Pompeo’s website</a> in which he wrongly assumes the established safety of
GMOs and elicits a cursory statement of presumed safety and states incorrectly
that they create higher yields with fewer pesticides. The act would allow the
FDA to require labeling only if they can show a material difference from the
food they derive from. While obviously there is a material difference, the fact
that the GMO resembles the original in looks, taste, and texture has always
been enough. Thus, for the most part, the FDA would be precluded from requiring
labeling unless it proves the substantial difference and then it can act only
in the interest of public health and safety, i.e., only if the item is proven
harmful. Thus, as now, the standard of proof of harm will always be hanging out
of reach and the concept of proof of safety will be completely ignored. The bill also uses language that the FDA can
act to prevent confusion, the implication being consumers are too stupid to
know what is good for them and should thus be protected from the GMO labeling
because (in the eyes of the congressman) GMOs are not dangerous. The
implication that saying corn is GMO corn on a Fritos label will make someone suspicious
of that corn is not an excuse to sell ignorance and hide information. See the
bill f<a href="https://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/4432/text">ull
text of HR 4432</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sixty four countries require labeling of GMOs. Ninety per
cent of Americans polled are in favor of labeling GMOs. Many consumer organizations
as well as food producers supported the Barbara Boxer (HR1699) <a href="http://www.boxer.senate.gov/en/press/releases/042413.cfm">See a list on
Sen. Boxer's 2013 press release</a>. The US failure to act is backwards and inappropriate
and driven by the political power of the companies that bioengineered the
crops, seeds and the pesticides and herbicides to which they are immune. As of
now, they have successfully impeded the adoption of state and federal laws
requiring labeling.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Two Environmental Law Principles
of a Strong Environmentally Sound Democracy<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Precautionary
Principle</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Precautionary Principle is merely the idea that in
certain situations of scientific uncertainty, playing it safe is the best
approach. Countries relying on a precautionary principle require proof of
safety before allowing marketing. The US does not play it safe even in the
field of FDA law where many ingredients in food, including GMOs, are generally
recognized as safe (“GRAS”). GRAS is in essence, the very opposite of the
precautionary principle. Because in the case of GMOs the FDA deemed the final
product to be substantially similar to the natural original, any GMO can be
marketed and sold without significant proof of its safety. The FDA is free to
disregard the gene blasting and the bacteria used to insert the foreign gene
into the DNA because the end product, for example, a soybean, or an ear of
corn, alfalfa sprouts, etc., looks the same as its non-GMO counterpart. But,
the very process is the problem. And the end result is damaging, unhealthy and
harmful to consumers, organic growers, those working in the fields exposed to
record amounts of Round-up and to new types of harmful pollen creating toxins
in the air. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the US Patent office protects
Monsanto’s technology and seeds, a protection afforded only to those who can
show what is different about their technology and product. If these were substantially
similar plants they would not be protected by patents at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To further muddy the waters, the FDA has accepted industry
research funded completely by Monsanto as the basis for continuing the GRAS
treatment of GMOs. There is ample evidence that people at the FDA have
documented ill health effects of GMOs but have not been able to have their
voices heard against the loud voice of Monsanto. Under a precautionary
principle, one would hope that any scientific research would be independent.
However, Monsanto has a track record of quieting those that come up with
independent research. Nonetheless, there is significant peer-reviewed
scientific literature finding causal connections between GMOs and a variety of
health issues. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In some countries, GMOs are not approved for use or are very
limited in scope. The European Union used the precautionary principle to have
an outright ban on GMOs and then, as increased scientific data became
available, the EU, under significant political pressure, moved toward allowing
certain GMOs, requiring labels from the beginning. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Recognizing it is too late to invoke the precautionary
principle as not only are GMOs rampant in our food supply but many extraneous
fields, even those of organic farms have been polluted by GMO infiltration
through pollen, we can still at the very least provide information. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Right to Know</b>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Introducing a federal clear law requiring GMO labeling would
further the public’s “right to know”, a long-standing tradition shaping laws
surrounding disclosure especially in the area of the environment. In US law,
the right to know is often the statutory basis protecting consumers’ rights to
make educated purchasing decisions. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Every existing labeling law is based on this concept. The
new laws requiring calorie counts on the menus of chain restaurants in New York
and the Affordable Care Act is another more recent example. Continual evolution
of labeling laws demonstrates that in a consumer-driven democracy this right to
know is crucial. The right to know was more traditionally used in general
environmental law so that people could find out what polluters were putting
into their air and water. ( <a href="http://www2.epa.gov/epcra">See EPCRA
background and information.</a>)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The right to know is a part of the very essence of our environmental protections; it is the limitation of corporate control over political decisions,
it is anti-graft and as applied to food, it ensures that corporations cannot
slip things in or hide ingredients. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Background of States’
Progress<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last year, Vermont adopted a bill that requires the labeling
of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and did so including a fund to ward
off and to finance law suits. The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), an organization of large junk food
manufacturers, Monsanto and other large pesticide and herbicide producers and
biosciences companies, is suing Vermont now.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This year, Oregon and Colorado have labeling laws on their
ballot. Another success like the one in Vermont is a crucial step in
demonstrating support for a federal measure. In fact, polls show that the
general public strongly supports labeling GMOs.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In California, various localities voted to ban GMOs in the early 2000s. Mendocino
County, Ca. was the first in the US to ban their cultivation, followed by
Trinity, Marin, and Monterey counties. Then, a state law passed outlawing those
ordinances. In 2012, California voters had the opportunity to vote on a
statewide GMO labeling bill (Prop 37) but a $44 million campaign against prop
37 financed by Monsanto and large food corporations including Hershey’s
resulted in a narrow victory for those opposing labeling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Outside of California, in 2008 Montville, Maine passed a
binding ordinance banning the cultivation of GMO crops. The states with
referendums and ballot measures tend to be those where small grassroots
movements started in GMO free communities that wanted to protect themselves
from cross-pollination.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most states have at the very least a grassroots organization
aiming to ban or label GMOs. See a quick list here provided by <a href="file:///C:/Users/Owner/Documents/ustlabelit.org/press-item/gmo-labeling-isnt-dead-see-which-states-are-leading-the-fight/">just
label it</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
A lot of states have farmers and growers rather than
consumers leading the way. The risk to organic growers is significant because
the cross pollination can not only endanger their USDA organic status but for a
while those farmers felt vulnerable to Monsanto’s patent infringement law
suits. The Supreme Court recently acted in Monsanto’s favor denying to review
the DC Circuit’s finding that the plaintiffs (a group of farmers) cannot
prohibit Monsanto from suing them for patent infringement based solely on the
inadvertent cross pollination. Monsanto did offer assurances that it would not
sue for infringement in the inadvertent cases. <i>See Organic Seed Growers and Traders Association v. Monsanto</i> 718 F.
3rd 1350 (Federal Circuit); 134 S. Ct. 901 (2014) (cert. denied).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Any movement to stop Monsanto or to have GMO-free areas or
labeling laws seems to be easily squashed by the industry. Grassroots movements
have led to Vermont’s victory but a federal law would give every consumer his
right to know.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Why Not Label? <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Profits seem to be the only motivation to be against
labeling laws. Monsanto, the primary developer of both seeds and of Round-up
Weed Killer (a glyphosate based product to be used with Monsanto’s “Round-up
Ready” crops), is part of the Grocery Manufacturer’s Association (GMA), the corn
syrup lobby and a few others vehemently oppose labeling laws because they
believe sales will suffer. We do not tend to see outrage by any consumer group
or by the public in general, unassociated with these profiteering companies.
The GMA cites a bunch of editorials as if they were science and makes a big
effort to ensure the public that GMOs are safe. Do we really want the
information to come from those making billions of dollars from the GMO
production, use, sales etc.? Some of the weak editorials to which they refer
are not science-based but are arguments for taking corporate profits into
consideration when deciding whether or not to label. See <a href="http://factsaboutgmos.org/">GMAs link to fact sheet which lists various
editorials.</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Should profits and sales be part of the discussion? Labeling
laws on all other items from cigarette warnings to lists of ingredients are
issues appropriate for the government. The undue influence wielded by
corporations over the FDA, USDA and other governmental agencies makes conflict
of interest more common than independent science-based research and
conclusions. Considering health risks and environmental impact are appropriate
where corporations’ profits are not an appropriate factor to be weighed in the
discussion. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Feed the World
argument<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The evidence that GMOs produce more food is weak at best.
More food of a less quality in our country where obesity dwarfs starvation is
no argument for GMOs at all. But, in other parts of the world is biotechnology
an important component of increasing the food supply? It appears not to be. The
leading committee paper on global
agriculture (The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science
and Technology for Development report) sponsored by a global initiative including
UNESCO, WHO, the World Bank and the FAO did not include GMOs as a significant
resource in its long term strategy to secure a global food supply. After
evaluating fifty years of agriculture the consensus among the world’s
independent experts is that biotechnology is not the answer. See <a href="http://www.unep.org/dewa/assessments/ecosystems/iaastd/tabid/105853/default.aspx">United
Nations Environment</a> Program. And for background research see the discussion
of GMOs in <a href="http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic667366.files/The%20Challenge%20of%20Feeding%209%20Billion%20People.pdf">Food
Security, The Challenge of Feeding 9 Billion People</a> by H.Charles J Godray,
et al., <i>Science</i> (2010) which takes a
neutral position but addresses both positives and negatives describing GMOs as “potentially
valuable” if health and environmental safety are demonstrated.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Conclusion<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In conclusion, while the onus should have been on the producers,
sellers or the government itself to provide independent peer-reviewed large
scale evidence of the safety of GMOs prior to marketing them, the labeling effort is a mere consolation
prize that must be had. In keeping with the principles of a right to know and
in accordance with our other food labeling laws, it is appropriate and
necessary to have federally mandated labeling of GMOs. Corporate economic
factors should not be considered in the labeling controversy. Consumers deserve
to codify their right to know.<o:p></o:p></div>
Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-24545086574029659212014-09-10T17:52:00.003-07:002014-09-10T17:52:18.347-07:00Will Rosa DeLauro make the National Soda Tax a Reality? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnqR71mUHatu0RB95DVrkF6njiFQgqXGiWDV_7ZzRsexq47HROt6uVI-tQgMCeRljXdBpKColW1cgE_gC726cfD7WN3lP8vH99jHquWp4mjG_FH0-Z5cOwFl5BqyYN11zzUZBJm7RR3LM/s1600/DSC00002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnqR71mUHatu0RB95DVrkF6njiFQgqXGiWDV_7ZzRsexq47HROt6uVI-tQgMCeRljXdBpKColW1cgE_gC726cfD7WN3lP8vH99jHquWp4mjG_FH0-Z5cOwFl5BqyYN11zzUZBJm7RR3LM/s1600/DSC00002.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
We tax other public bads, tabacco products, alcohol and we do so punitively without guilt or pity for even the most highly addicted. Well, I can tell you, I know some soda addicts. And I would not feel too bad if a tax interfered with their addiction. Heck, it might even cure them. And, if they do remain overweight, addicted, sick, and tired and have to pay an increased price for their fix, I will still not pity them. The revenue brought into the government would make a huge impact on public health presumably through alleviating the crippling costs to society of diabetes and obesity-related health problems. Soda drinkers or not, most Americans need to improve their health. The Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Tax Act (SWEET), which was introduced in August 2014 by Rosa DeLauro, (Democrat- CT, <a href="http://delauro.house.gov/">http://delauro.house.gov/</a>), calls for a tax of one cent per teaspoon of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or caloric sweetener.<br />
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When Bloomberg proposed the New York City ban on sodas in certain over-sized, let's face it, HUGE portions, I was unsupportive because there is some element of freedom on the side of both the seller and the consumer. (See <a href="http://www.nutrimommy.com/2012/06/new-york-city-soda-debate.html?view=timeslide">The New York City Soda Debate June 2012</a> ). The ban on large serving sizes seemed like an afftront to our sense of freedom and pushed the limits of just how much government regulation of business can become interference. A tax is across the board whether borne by the manufacturer or the consumer is fair and accomplishes significantly more.<br />
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Right now, we are seeing a lot of criticism of the calorie count that Obamacare is imposing on chain restaurants similar to the New York law that has been in effect since 2008. I rely on those calorie counts. I really like and appreciate them because I find the more information the better. Some of the current findings seem to indicate the healthy become healthier but many of those who do not care what they eat do not care about calories regardless of the bold list of calories on boards and menus right in front of their faces when they order. I still remain in favor and firmly believe quite a few people are in fact discouraged from the highest calorie foods despite also and importantly believing the quality of the calorie (i.e. what comprises it) is a much more important issue. But the naysayers are out in full force and movie theatres and pizzerias are haggling for exemptions. But, if the same naysayers argue that the tax will not reduce consumption, the issues are different. We have very effectively taxed alcohol and cigarettes and regardless of the actual consumption data (which indicate huge drops in tobacco use) the revenues to the government justify the burden.<br />
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The biggest distinguishing factor is the proposed tax which some (sometimes including me) would argue targets low-income soda drinkers really is fair to all consumers. And, bringing in money for education trumps the Bloomberg proposal which merely aimed to discourage sales of "big gulps" while anyone can just buy two or three of the permissible size and there is no extra benefit to government. And it differs from the provision of information like the calorie count in New York law or in the provision sec 4205 of the PPACA ("Obamacare") by actually making it more costly to the consumer.<br />
<br />
Economically, supply and demand should dictate some decrease in consumption when the price is increased. However, addiction can trump supply and demand. Either way, to me, the benefit of government revenue and the possibility that even a single person ditch soda because of the tax, the tax is a step in the right direction. Let's do candy next.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-20867368304087619492014-08-13T05:52:00.004-07:002014-08-13T05:52:58.337-07:00Summer Foods but it Feels Like Fall: overview of quick dishesThese quick summer recipes got us through our Maryland summer:<br />
We had lots of kale, pretty rugged from the farmer's market...mostly kale w scallions marinated in Bragg's Liquid Aminos, apple cider vinegar and water.<br />
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Cucumbers every way you can imagine, pictured here with very hot peppers, dressing of apple cider vinegar, water and raw buckwheat honey.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcQGTCXh-_MSvaZzS1eJOMIl_KJHBp4M5cG2vaAnP8wc_LyaO_Eoe_JiG3piMWp8aUxdG3x6aAYPB2HoXRfxoTSrRCl810H7hJHzU_zhAGb9GxHbZTgP9vHPG5ywv07FEEI1GGTX03Esd/s1600/20140723_173221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcQGTCXh-_MSvaZzS1eJOMIl_KJHBp4M5cG2vaAnP8wc_LyaO_Eoe_JiG3piMWp8aUxdG3x6aAYPB2HoXRfxoTSrRCl810H7hJHzU_zhAGb9GxHbZTgP9vHPG5ywv07FEEI1GGTX03Esd/s1600/20140723_173221.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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Zucchini noodles made with our spiralizer (and with the diligence of four kids obsessed with the spiralizer) in tomato sauce, sometimes my own and occasionally from a jar of Cucina Antica.<br />
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Brussels sprouts with our traditional mustard sauce. I have been cheating and buying pre-halved Brussels sprouts from Whole Foods.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jdoOverbg2B6BUJqhVPrFbCDpVv62I7qKZKOWatOev7n78XKSBgXZrWqgLRrKjtb4dMMAZMnQdq-Qe6cZN6jEvszucKjhKLLC_MJOrpA_xy7Wyg4gz1wJoFRXLRd1Dzp9X8xDKo0Zpxr/s1600/20140728_112953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3jdoOverbg2B6BUJqhVPrFbCDpVv62I7qKZKOWatOev7n78XKSBgXZrWqgLRrKjtb4dMMAZMnQdq-Qe6cZN6jEvszucKjhKLLC_MJOrpA_xy7Wyg4gz1wJoFRXLRd1Dzp9X8xDKo0Zpxr/s1600/20140728_112953.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>Salads of fresh lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, and anything fresh from the farmer's market, sometimes wrapped in rice paper and served with peanut ginger sauce.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0niwfD-jj8PJTAX19d_OU8ZxPINyUIhnC6kn0mUAzKZZ-Cr_FM6G0nzpBO3GI0uP-sqVVQ-eyqxlLZOV13t91YWb0xDcfM40i9jwXVbR4wSaRQ2e7PiiOEi56ticwbRsdpnZKbosfNvhV/s1600/20140723_173159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0niwfD-jj8PJTAX19d_OU8ZxPINyUIhnC6kn0mUAzKZZ-Cr_FM6G0nzpBO3GI0uP-sqVVQ-eyqxlLZOV13t91YWb0xDcfM40i9jwXVbR4wSaRQ2e7PiiOEi56ticwbRsdpnZKbosfNvhV/s1600/20140723_173159.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ready to go into rice paper or collard green salad wraps</td></tr>
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Corn, Perry sauteed it with salt and pepper or with fresh peppers. She would make it for guests and for lunches with black beans or served on a tortilla with refried beans.<br />
There is a local brand of hummus with Old Bay that I think will see a noticeable drop in sales when we leave. Baked onto a brown rice tortilla, that was a staple lunch, easy to throw together and served with cut up carrots, peppers and cucumber.<br />
We made homemade popsicles with fresh raspberries and coconut milk.<br />
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Lots of our typical baked peaches or blueberries with corn flakes and ground pecans and today an apple one with sliced apples that started out very crunchy and fresh, lots of cinnamon and pecans...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhh_B4PWLMmu9kAMfYyD0Qp3_1Cm4zEZER4ZYQCHhE3KIB2GDMpRvK_74F-C6lCXv3OAm8AfrXQfrRs3qVSNKPpuGZmRVlqfbSj7TqOpz7JZ62UCDwvBVQw20IH9hpp_Ubifsw9S3g3JtX/s1600/20140623_175134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhh_B4PWLMmu9kAMfYyD0Qp3_1Cm4zEZER4ZYQCHhE3KIB2GDMpRvK_74F-C6lCXv3OAm8AfrXQfrRs3qVSNKPpuGZmRVlqfbSj7TqOpz7JZ62UCDwvBVQw20IH9hpp_Ubifsw9S3g3JtX/s1600/20140623_175134.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fresh basil and tomatoes with nutritional yeast baked on tortillas</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fresh berries</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stir fry of local shishito peppers, local cabbage, shitake mushrooms and bean sprouts (my daily staple)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiXKMD6Ucts7HPijORjV_4-P025pUd9QADh0fr2_HuLLJh-6q7bkqSrUjsVZb8vTzvbNkuqYS3NkBajDwMbSjLW-ptOKP-Dyxaz2PlvzcWxTpmFYUioZrm41RF4H9FsLotWTWHWF4vcR9/s1600/20140805_142222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiXKMD6Ucts7HPijORjV_4-P025pUd9QADh0fr2_HuLLJh-6q7bkqSrUjsVZb8vTzvbNkuqYS3NkBajDwMbSjLW-ptOKP-Dyxaz2PlvzcWxTpmFYUioZrm41RF4H9FsLotWTWHWF4vcR9/s1600/20140805_142222.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">camp snack for Susannah's group</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QCFjFgLAuyDcYqo2TuH-Z_ZcRT820GrXHXH3UfYrosamgc-XdgTlAfXDOaxUXizvhDlfv3-yVVM95HvXULqFeDNDiOWCXdylo5bc-ik5Vv2nSOC8rMqfCBZz-nn24wrq-TRG1BXKp6id/s1600/20140802_184354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QCFjFgLAuyDcYqo2TuH-Z_ZcRT820GrXHXH3UfYrosamgc-XdgTlAfXDOaxUXizvhDlfv3-yVVM95HvXULqFeDNDiOWCXdylo5bc-ik5Vv2nSOC8rMqfCBZz-nn24wrq-TRG1BXKp6id/s1600/20140802_184354.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">70s party</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9AsyNVE7C2ieB79G39zPc9CJjpxS6gu0ed5uoC8Tk4_sTce3I33DA7lvSxc61lEtj8gwZUYTjvSC-mwrbTGFMXpXHwrxSTJPAzURO44rrIOuGbUpNA-dUx-4OMb0Ib7o-hqI2I-cwX6W/s1600/20140803_191723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9AsyNVE7C2ieB79G39zPc9CJjpxS6gu0ed5uoC8Tk4_sTce3I33DA7lvSxc61lEtj8gwZUYTjvSC-mwrbTGFMXpXHwrxSTJPAzURO44rrIOuGbUpNA-dUx-4OMb0Ib7o-hqI2I-cwX6W/s1600/20140803_191723.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perry's nature project with local recipes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVSQIUm9AHvE4dN6X-otDOclk5Fxxolp-eO5-Jrb5tbLdch-4w92KEZaP_Thfo7I9DWrmEVbWo5WxOACWz20JnQYGYCV59wTC1wmA1-mtz6yijMWyVGYm3DjY0SKHwEVWmCy47I66tTDV/s1600/20140803_103333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcVSQIUm9AHvE4dN6X-otDOclk5Fxxolp-eO5-Jrb5tbLdch-4w92KEZaP_Thfo7I9DWrmEVbWo5WxOACWz20JnQYGYCV59wTC1wmA1-mtz6yijMWyVGYm3DjY0SKHwEVWmCy47I66tTDV/s1600/20140803_103333.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susannah's first duathlon</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2q4-8EJHlhw0_j30DTaC6T3tX82h8YSJx8VGjtiyL2szW1r46t5sds-EkW8WqlT-OuYnPzAW1h2e1h3fkrm7pzqP2uMv7aSWd3cR7TTQCPJ2XOL_n8IFM__epi5PVo5iz5FBfguIOXlOB/s1600/20140806_091733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2q4-8EJHlhw0_j30DTaC6T3tX82h8YSJx8VGjtiyL2szW1r46t5sds-EkW8WqlT-OuYnPzAW1h2e1h3fkrm7pzqP2uMv7aSWd3cR7TTQCPJ2XOL_n8IFM__epi5PVo5iz5FBfguIOXlOB/s1600/20140806_091733.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIl12x8Orny4SdC8b0p6hqzIkjnBWrm4cDnikpaoQ5AgxrBYS6pSakBVPpjypdmAab1bttGApmhEcyXCT7aZLW_vH87xmn3PmAM0p5aHAEnsGWomh78mPRpFcfqt0h3MigIEPin8xmuMU/s1600/20140806_092353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIl12x8Orny4SdC8b0p6hqzIkjnBWrm4cDnikpaoQ5AgxrBYS6pSakBVPpjypdmAab1bttGApmhEcyXCT7aZLW_vH87xmn3PmAM0p5aHAEnsGWomh78mPRpFcfqt0h3MigIEPin8xmuMU/s1600/20140806_092353.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipb_Sd9NX5g7KcBP_2sQlZqUV2yIjkXYM6E5-HDbz0LhpoMvh7c8_xTw2QBLsvccFYcGfCOw8hC2ba4DQ3UH_pEeGbCqSRVEAfx2c40RNa7caYfw0MKh8Tyy25nUwgiTdZqY3vvVixeW9a/s1600/20140806_201848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipb_Sd9NX5g7KcBP_2sQlZqUV2yIjkXYM6E5-HDbz0LhpoMvh7c8_xTw2QBLsvccFYcGfCOw8hC2ba4DQ3UH_pEeGbCqSRVEAfx2c40RNa7caYfw0MKh8Tyy25nUwgiTdZqY3vvVixeW9a/s1600/20140806_201848.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3-2Qx1hXGmzv4AeYiVsSWPmJDZPRIwABZck_9nZXlwHTr7rrmXLTdb8U-ljgn-a29HlqmBIOHTWB7lNeEgTbWogug83iwJpJ1zL9SkQ7XwOC2tqCwh-IawNUwEFbs_MGbUyFBrI_fOnN/s1600/20140724_154353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3-2Qx1hXGmzv4AeYiVsSWPmJDZPRIwABZck_9nZXlwHTr7rrmXLTdb8U-ljgn-a29HlqmBIOHTWB7lNeEgTbWogug83iwJpJ1zL9SkQ7XwOC2tqCwh-IawNUwEFbs_MGbUyFBrI_fOnN/s1600/20140724_154353.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-47285194619883506952014-07-24T16:41:00.001-07:002014-07-24T16:41:37.629-07:00Partridgeberries, Bakeapple and Local Flavors in Canada<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIvWss6h0GEtcYEj3Wt2ReQYybr_E1aWdAj6Epclpe1l15RWq_oXjm6MPb7WTDnYEsugoSh52t_oXXhiUh_L1BazuRdXPGYvjY2nYgtemDY5FJ5MSJI2Vytag0TDtlcxHD0iUfurRlV9O/s1600/20140715_101309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIvWss6h0GEtcYEj3Wt2ReQYybr_E1aWdAj6Epclpe1l15RWq_oXjm6MPb7WTDnYEsugoSh52t_oXXhiUh_L1BazuRdXPGYvjY2nYgtemDY5FJ5MSJI2Vytag0TDtlcxHD0iUfurRlV9O/s1600/20140715_101309.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a>So, we had a really fabulous trip with so many ice berg sightings, cities of ice out on the horizon and lots of local favorite foods in the restaurants.<br />
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The kids, some of whom have announced they are decidedly "pescatarian" not that any animals are served or eaten at our house, enjoyed lots of local seafood, especially cod, the mainstay of Newfoundlanders. Freshly caught the day it was served, the cod did seem like a very natural unpolluted fresh option. I still feel immensely sorry for the dead fish and do not want any involvement in it except to say it offers valuable omega-3 fats (I'd rather get them from seaweed like the fish do), and some protein. <br />
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More exciting to me were the local greens and berries. On a really good foraging hike we learned a lot about local greens, mushrooms and fruit. The partridge berries (also known as lingonberries) were delicious, tart and used mostly in muffins and pancakes. A distant relation to the cranberry, partridge berries are good for high blood pressure and provide a significant source of polyphenols. They have lots of trace minerals and are also a good source of vegetarian omega-3 fatty acids. But mostly, they were so tasty and the muffins at Java Jacks in Rocky Harbor were really the best I have ever had. I am not big on flour and baked goods but the proportion of berries to batter made these special.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3HkX37Ftml4P-TQecOUyV1TKMdI7GF4YZxPwvBarxbrmIxzDashsADUa1uX2q3VrUshQzWBIvu4FOItb5D2pDTtigfN-FeIeK10VmjIw1kn7P3-HfZNldhacVLUEeqAmwdJW2Wf09zUr/s1600/20140714_092614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3HkX37Ftml4P-TQecOUyV1TKMdI7GF4YZxPwvBarxbrmIxzDashsADUa1uX2q3VrUshQzWBIvu4FOItb5D2pDTtigfN-FeIeK10VmjIw1kn7P3-HfZNldhacVLUEeqAmwdJW2Wf09zUr/s1600/20140714_092614.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perry's very non-vegan snow crab breakfast dish with Newfoundland snow crab, a poached egg and beautiful breakfast salad was great. On several dishes, the Fogo Island Inn used a lot of pickled vegetables (including rhubarb) as an accompaniment that was especially savory, salty and tasty. They also had interesting local greens in every vegan dish that I ordered. And, we especially enjoyed the rhubarb sorbet and the very freshly baked bread there. And Chef Murray's tour of the kitchen was a nice bonus!</td></tr>
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The other new food for us was bakeapple. Bakeapple is really a berry (from the cloudberry plant) and it grows along the ground. We found a bunch on various hikes and then noticed it was in desserts in all of the local restaurants. It has absolutely no relationship to an apple. We tried bakeapple sorbet and ice cream among other items. Bakeapple is one of those few foods that contain vitamin D for a nutritional boost.<br />
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Sea buckthorn ice cream at the Black Spruce was delicious, homemade from the plant growing right outside the restaurant. Sea buckthorn is rich in antioxidants, useful in cancer prevention and management, regulation of blood pressure and is used on burns and skin infections. Many tout it as a weight loss supplement but I think putting it in ice cream probably negates that one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUpwzo3Yc7Z3KLdLIriM134drLVhGoPc7LBQ-NzVCTw0w7EQjCMXJTFDOB9IMePiN6mA0NJZkjbg81DS5OL-23cUBGRka5LyhdAmOMiNEKe6AFzrJNV922b35X_ppv86iGAXa5UZZK7C9/s1600/20140719_194529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUpwzo3Yc7Z3KLdLIriM134drLVhGoPc7LBQ-NzVCTw0w7EQjCMXJTFDOB9IMePiN6mA0NJZkjbg81DS5OL-23cUBGRka5LyhdAmOMiNEKe6AFzrJNV922b35X_ppv86iGAXa5UZZK7C9/s1600/20140719_194529.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These vegetables from Acqua in St. John's, Newfoundland were fabulous, plentiful and fresh. We also had an Asian vegetable salad (well, duck salad without the duck) that was tasty.</td></tr>
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Labrador tea grows so plentifully there, we picked endless amounts. It makes sort of a weak tea and tastes slightly citrus oriented, maybe even a little like cleaning fluid. The chef used it in my vegetable dish one of the nights and in a salad another. It was delicious in dishes and we made only one day's worth of the tea. I did bring some home so I can dry it out and use it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEyrz2rvgUAvK32OOjvEviDXWOhOL2QYifeia04HKM2LS2fQ8yhODhng6av4ZdckewBoMN_v2L_TIvWDGHniOMG4tm8R5JuXfTJRO9PSQCMU3FS-ip0nXY9HMp64cnlS4VGUAy8voEoOq/s1600/20140713_171425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEyrz2rvgUAvK32OOjvEviDXWOhOL2QYifeia04HKM2LS2fQ8yhODhng6av4ZdckewBoMN_v2L_TIvWDGHniOMG4tm8R5JuXfTJRO9PSQCMU3FS-ip0nXY9HMp64cnlS4VGUAy8voEoOq/s1600/20140713_171425.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAI1-uJdTuB5f3cJ7Q62FJDC3nejLETjgoPi7q70p3R2jHmXqXpRId_5UNuI5QOd6k7TSN5OsI1buiURfpQGFGVFGIBe0W3TMfkoaUfuMKtyQowH4uM7x4tmKZUjsztyqlZzc1XglNqTsq/s1600/20140717_184113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAI1-uJdTuB5f3cJ7Q62FJDC3nejLETjgoPi7q70p3R2jHmXqXpRId_5UNuI5QOd6k7TSN5OsI1buiURfpQGFGVFGIBe0W3TMfkoaUfuMKtyQowH4uM7x4tmKZUjsztyqlZzc1XglNqTsq/s1600/20140717_184113.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susannah enjoying a salad at Justin Thyme Bean & Bistro in Norris Point, Newfoundland. Really great offerings and the Justincredible Mussels dish with a mystery ingredient that I think I guessed without tasting a mussel. Justin made me a personal off-menu vegan Thai red curry with abundant vegetables that made my day.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgws51kICpYYSpnLNr1FHzz5qIdt-p-OGRhq2zZ9gkz9T79mmuFryvEtQcVhJpk6dryvtWK1X8DmLj2sDNwEIhSRxOdiSq9Dma7qIaGsilheXRY6ZRi3KjsSEJWpGwrg2DrDJ6b8BjXHkZR/s1600/20140714_113546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgws51kICpYYSpnLNr1FHzz5qIdt-p-OGRhq2zZ9gkz9T79mmuFryvEtQcVhJpk6dryvtWK1X8DmLj2sDNwEIhSRxOdiSq9Dma7qIaGsilheXRY6ZRi3KjsSEJWpGwrg2DrDJ6b8BjXHkZR/s1600/20140714_113546.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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So, in all, I have never eaten so much on a vacation but I hope the boost of antioxidants and the very freshness of everything, the air, the streams, the freshly foraged foods, the freshly cultivated foods will negate the reckless abandon with which we ate our way through Newfoundland.<br />
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For food in Newfoundland, I would whole heartedly recommend:<br />
<strong><em>St. John's</em></strong><br />
Fixed Coffee and Baking <br />
The Club (they made a fabulous cauliflower dish and sautéed mushrooms)<br />
Acqua<br />
<strong><em>Gros Morne Park Area</em></strong><br />
Justin Thyme Bean and Bistro<br />
Java Jacks (muffins by Heather; great salads and soups)<br />
The Black Spruce (at Neddie's Harbor Inn)<br />
<strong><em>Fogo Island</em></strong><br />
Fogo Island Inn <br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-32973626931182102002014-07-01T10:51:00.002-07:002014-07-01T10:51:43.661-07:00Quick Local RecipesMock <strong>"</strong>R<strong>atatouille":</strong><br />
I hate eggplant so I am saying mock because I was criticized for the lack of what is deemed a primary main ingredient. Easy simple local:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIW3PRveg_L7yB6f5jiqET3278GNv78R5UvLklV51rHlvgQzbCAXeOYeo-a5nkCSwETAbngkL08YqnqA2erng5e8qlc_Rzhasp4q6ZZl5HM025v31XoBWaibdmPBW9WDk_9QmiWryG2Akd/s1600/20140629_121738%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIW3PRveg_L7yB6f5jiqET3278GNv78R5UvLklV51rHlvgQzbCAXeOYeo-a5nkCSwETAbngkL08YqnqA2erng5e8qlc_Rzhasp4q6ZZl5HM025v31XoBWaibdmPBW9WDk_9QmiWryG2Akd/s1600/20140629_121738%5B1%5D.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>12 to 15 small tomatoes, <br />
1 onion, <br />
6 mushrooms (variety)<br />
3 to 5 stalks and some leaves of celery<br />
1 pepper and <br />
4 medium yellow squash and / or zucchini, <br />
all cubed and cooked together. I added a hot pepper and a can of Muir Glen diced tomatoes. Simmered a while, simple. (Additional note: if I blended this I would call it spaghetti sauce. Clearly, I am not Italian.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMv1utgWojX7cogaHgfsqkJ1a2Un2T1RyaNHvIMKi9B026RNbAdwf7IadY0CMpi115Bh5YnQU_Yo3BfzTv0liFao3OkDgjRwu_MZBPxebIH1y7j_PRMnsQJ69gHOQXTXOQcynOsa6sdjl/s1600/20140628_125936%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMv1utgWojX7cogaHgfsqkJ1a2Un2T1RyaNHvIMKi9B026RNbAdwf7IadY0CMpi115Bh5YnQU_Yo3BfzTv0liFao3OkDgjRwu_MZBPxebIH1y7j_PRMnsQJ69gHOQXTXOQcynOsa6sdjl/s1600/20140628_125936%5B1%5D.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><strong>Potato Corn Chowder:</strong><br />
Small or diced potatoes (steamed or boiled)<br />
3 ears of corn cut off the cob (save cob)<br />
3 poblano peppers, chopped (without seeds)<br />
5 stalks of celery (ours was very skinny and leafy from the farmer's market)<br />
one onion<br />
Saute onion, celery, peppers a few minutes to soften. Add water and corn cobs.<br />
Add partially cooked potatoes<br />
Add corn last (it barely needs to cook)<br />
Add salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper) I added turmeric for health too.<br />
Serve with a dollop of coconut cream (if canned, and separated use the white thick top)<br />
Top with chives & parsley.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAKF9tcGtS1XfHS6nDOZYCKPQV8IN7iaTEEJm8dqWQeURe7g6VLAx8bJdaxa0kdjbL2rIBk04tSrm6FtFQBH2JcffranoTjG6G57dEMEgkTptce2bU42w_XOnRIUJhQ4ZHuwHbpvkFc1U/s1600/20140629_121756%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkAKF9tcGtS1XfHS6nDOZYCKPQV8IN7iaTEEJm8dqWQeURe7g6VLAx8bJdaxa0kdjbL2rIBk04tSrm6FtFQBH2JcffranoTjG6G57dEMEgkTptce2bU42w_XOnRIUJhQ4ZHuwHbpvkFc1U/s1600/20140629_121756%5B1%5D.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><strong></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Perry's Sautéed Corn and Peppers:</strong><br />
Cut corn off the cob, sauté in butter with green peppers (we have a big variety of purple ones, light green banana shaped ones, etc.) Add salt and pepper.<br />
I would make this dish with olive oil not butter.<br />
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We have also had really amazing plums, blackberries, raspberries and black raspberries, all from the Anne Arundel farmer's market (on Truman and Riva Tuesdays and Saturdays). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susannah and Ashley picked a bunch of berries</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chowder with a dollop of coconut cream</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lizzie stirring the corn cobs and broth</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The creamless chowder</td></tr>
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-17756087316308617212014-06-24T18:21:00.001-07:002014-06-24T18:21:18.272-07:00A Locavore Summer...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These days of a small day camp where kids come home for lunch, we are definitely cooking three meals a day, and wait, I am only two days into it, and I am feeling like I've been doing this forever. I am finding a lot of locally grown foods and some local pre-made foods (hummus and tortillas, etc.) but a few of our regular standby brands did slip in as my children are such big bean and lentil consumers.<br />
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Here is just a quick overview of our lunches and dinners so far:<br />
Lunch: Refried beans on a rice tortilla with guacamole and stir fried vegetables*. Also, cilantro, parsley and olive oil on rice tortillas. Luke did all of the tortilla frying, quesadilla style and we cut them all into eighths (wedges) for easy eating.Cherries, blackberries* and grapes on the side. <br />
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Dinner: Pizza on a tortilla. Thinly sliced mushrooms*, caramelized onions*, regular onions*, grape tomatoes, basil, green peppers*, olives and capers. I added olive oil, balsamic vinegar and nutritional yeast to Luke's and then he eventually showed up at 8 o'clock to eat it. All kids had Muir Glen tomato sauce on it as well. Some were designer masterpieces; some were not.<br />
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Lunch: (On a farmer's market day) black beans (they had been soaking a while) with taco seasoning, avocado, corn* (raw, cut off the cob), romaine lettuce* (a good deal from the farmer), cucumbers*, light green banana peppers*, raw peas* (which no one liked), red onions*, tomatoes*. The beans were hot but everything else was cold and made a good sort of taco salad (no grains / taco shells). Kids had freshly picked black raspberries* (really tasty!!), raspberries* (which had spilled in my purse and caused a problem earlier, uggh, I am very unwilling to accept plastic bags yet I do see how they would come in handy. Maybe I can tie dye my phone cover) and more cherries.<br />
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Dinner: I turned some lunch leftovers and some farmer's market finds into an Indian curry. We used chick peas, kale*, peas* (which still no one liked!!!), peppers*, half a red onion*, two ears of corn* (cut off the cob), Indian sauce (from the store) plus added coconut milk. We served it with plain simple brown rice. Luke stopped home for thirty seconds to eat it.<br />
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In the meantime, I have been cooking separate vegetables for myself, mostly watercress*, mushrooms* and a variety of sprouts*. And I made a batch of broth to drink out of a bunch of local mushrooms* and vegetables (swiss chard*, kale*, celery, cilantro, etc.) but I can tell it will only last a couple of days.<br />
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Tomorrow's lunch: Old Bay hummus* and Asian Fire hummus* by the Wild Pea (local Baltimore brand) baked on rice tortillas and served as dip with cucumbers* and peppers.* To be prepared by our babysitter!!!!<br />
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*indicates locally grown sourced from either the farmer directly or Whole Foods.<br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-52465247991664755772014-06-20T14:21:00.002-07:002014-07-02T06:51:51.622-07:00Exercising and Eating...there may be synergy but one is not an excuse to do the other poorlyI have through the years had friends, family and nutrition clients hint or outright say the reason they exercise is that it allows them to eat more unhealthy "junk" foods. I remember a friend who runs the marathon slowly saying, albeit jokingly, "I do this so I can eat." I understand the sentiment. But, here is the thing.<br />
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Healthy people eat healthy foods. Exercise is just one part of that healthy lifestyle. I find with myself, no matter how much I exercise (which is often a considerable amount) the foods I eat make or break my figure. If I want to feel, strong, healthy, awake in the morning, happy, optimistic, relaxed and energetic and I want to fit into my clothes comfortably, I need to eat properly. I do fall back on the gym and my very long bike rides when I have gone astray and the exercise makes me feel good, works as an appetite suppressant, and can be incentive because my bike sure goes faster with less weight on it and so do my legs when I run. <br />
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I did have a winter weight gain this year and it is more than gone. Just being back to better weather allows me to be outside away from snacks and to surround myself with people who eat like I do. In the fall and winter, we had endless family obligations and the spring did not feel much freer. While I do my very best to avoid "holiday eating", I would say a freezing January to February lapse sometimes happens and then next thing you know spring is birthday season in our family. While I am pretty free of sugar and flour, my two worst figure destroyers, I had a peanut butter addiction that saw me through the long cold winter. But, guess what? I am over it.<br />
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I decided to cook big hot vegetables at lunch and to drink hot vegetable broth in April and May which were basically cold and rainy. And, I changed my ratio of nuts and seeds. I had slipped into maybe 80 per cent peanuts and peanut butter and 20 per cent other nuts and seeds. Flipping that ratio on its head worked completely. Having raw sprouted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, Brad's Nasty Hot or Alive and Radiant Quite Cheezy kale chips, raw walnuts, almonds, and cashews as well as roasted pistachios, and sometimes roasted mixed nuts, my winter weight lifted. I am not sure I had any days of fewer calories. And, I felt much more satisfied than on days where I had been overeating snack foods like peanut butter, or my beloved sesame rice cracker coated peanuts or my ridiculous Bhuja or Hadiram's spicy peanuts. Learning to moderate those and enjoying bigger, more exciting meals helped me out of my winter slump.<br />
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I am sure riding 60 miles today helped but food is the key to good health. Even studies of those who can not exercise, are chair-bound or otherwise impaired, blood sugar and ratios of good fats are achieved through diet without exercise. I always go with the 80 / 20 rule that says health is dictated 80 percent by food and 20 percent by exercise. You simply can not overeat or eat poor food choices and expect stellar health, good blood fats and blood sugar levels merely because you are an avid work-out-aholic. An American diet will wreak havoc even in strong fit people.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goraw.com/p/77/spicy-seed-mix">http://www.goraw.com/p/77/spicy-seed-mix</a><img alt="Picture of Spicy Seed Mix" src="http://www.goraw.com/content/images/thumbs/0000329_spicy-seed-mix_250.png" id="DefaultImage" title="Show details for Spicy Seed Mix" /><br />
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<a href="http://www.bradsrawchips.com/our-products/products/kale/">http://www.bradsrawchips.com/our-products/products/kale/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bradsrawchips.com/product-category/brads-raw-leafy-kale/"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-669" src="http://www.bradsrawchips.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/brads-raw-leafy-kale-landing.png" height="756" style="margin-right: 49px;" width="415" /></a>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-89038904003787170642014-06-16T19:02:00.002-07:002014-06-16T19:02:21.173-07:00The Sandwich Trap & Camp Lunch in the Florida Heat<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvCpMSx8gRsBi8PUkEJTFLt6GyBV5NT32rkI3Jz9Ok4FuVS6eygC_rIjPCaOkUuw_meYsHJgsevtHmHiotqbSy_vXvlWRZqpbqMq9Fpbw81BhE8FrO40garmVGYXMsHODHOfCt7-Aqdyi/s1600/20130815_175218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvCpMSx8gRsBi8PUkEJTFLt6GyBV5NT32rkI3Jz9Ok4FuVS6eygC_rIjPCaOkUuw_meYsHJgsevtHmHiotqbSy_vXvlWRZqpbqMq9Fpbw81BhE8FrO40garmVGYXMsHODHOfCt7-Aqdyi/s1600/20130815_175218.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>I have suddenly found myself out of practice after being a lunch-making machine for a few years, This year, we gave up on bringing school lunch hoping the kids would navigate the salad bar and make do with the vegetarian pickin's. But, for this week, they are bringing lunch, and, then for the next eight weeks I will make a big lunch at home. And, I am first to admit I like the control. <br />
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For breakfast, we made omelettes with unpasteurized local eggs, cilantro, and parsley. (While we are primarily vegan, we once in a while get an egg at a farm that has a few chickens. The dark orange yolks and the fresh un-tampered with product offers valuable nutrition and helps keep sweet breakfasts at bay.) I count the cilantro, parsley combo as a breakfast vegetable knowing I could not slip too many more vegetables into their lunch bags. They also had fruit at home (peaches) because they do not stay good all day despite our awesome brand-new insulated lunch coolers. So, I am just mentioning breakfast as it is my grand excuse for a less than stellar lunch.<br />
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Everyone did pick a cold " vegetable" (in quotes because these kids often lecture me that some of what I call a vegetable is actually a fruit & I lecture them back that they know perfectly well what I mean). So Luke had a cucumber, Perry had two small peppers and celery sticks and Lizzie and Susannah had peppers only. The peppers are hydroponic, crunchy and deep orange or red so a good source of vitamin A. And these are all easy to keep cool during the day.<br />
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Then, there was a snack situation. I bought individual serving sizes of two kinds of macadamia nuts, roasted pistachios, granola bars, and apple sauce. I am usually very opposed to individually wrapped stuff, both because it tends to harbor worse ingredients and because the trash is overwhelmingly bad for the environment. Everyone added two snacks to their bags. If I had to predict it right now, I am going to be stuck with some macadamia nuts, high in B vitamins, selenium and mono-unsaturated fat they are a great source of energy but being so rich, heavy, and filling, my kids are going to steer away from them. I expect a war to break out over the two apple sauce containers left. I think I should just hide everything unless we have four. I usually individually serve snacks in wax paper bags that are completely biodegradable and I plan to replenish my supply tomorrow. Then, we can go with raw almonds, cashews and walnuts as a choice.<br />
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As a main dish, we went with the very low-end, it is almost embarrassing to admit this, peanut butter and jam sandwich. I bought an organic rosemary sourdough bread, and each child cut two slices and spread Field Day organic peanut butter (Lizzie is very partial to this brand because it is so smooth. This makes me suspicious.) and an all fruit black raspberry jam and / or a local, very interesting Honeybell marmalade made with honey and no added sugar and lots of Honeybell peel. When I was young and went to my grandparents' day camp, my grandmother made me a sandwich every day. And I threw it out every day. I simply hate sandwiches. My husband has a friend who describes people using my sandwich hatred. He wouldn't say the word hate; he merely says he feels about so-and-so the way Anne feels about sandwiches, and everyone gasps and knows he means business.<br />
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For tomorrow, we have a really great watermelon, half of which we served tonight for Luke's birthday. I think if I cut it into chunks and put it in glass containers or thermoses, I will be able to keep it cold and fresh. I will also give them leftover black beans (cooked with cilantro, cumin, and sea salt) and brown rice (cooked with saffron) so there will be no resorting to sandwiches.<br />
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For the rest of the week, I am planning nuts and seeds as snacks, more crunchy, raw vegetables, leftover-dinner-style lunch entrees (rice, lentils, stir fried vegetables) and maybe, just maybe, one more sandwich.<br />
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<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-1541661667857215282014-06-01T19:24:00.001-07:002014-06-02T16:15:37.878-07:00What To Drink at a College Reunion? Heck if I know (but it was a lot of fun)So, beer is not exactly a health food. I totally get that. But there is antioxidant value and since I am always gathering nutrients, why not choose a more nutritious beer?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IsMXldVZPKGzU0GWV-1fYDdhcVknRqxF1ukxRg4JM7t8UdPBxUM8kYs_LoPZNBWXE_us2uR1BEDzwiZZPBhnwHLX-9sYFrlnmf1v9F34MF_5Wda4hPa0VOePbZamfV335ukxKV2JGLGF/s1600/IMG_1404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9IsMXldVZPKGzU0GWV-1fYDdhcVknRqxF1ukxRg4JM7t8UdPBxUM8kYs_LoPZNBWXE_us2uR1BEDzwiZZPBhnwHLX-9sYFrlnmf1v9F34MF_5Wda4hPa0VOePbZamfV335ukxKV2JGLGF/s1600/IMG_1404.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>The two important issues in selecting a beer are avoiding unhealthy additives and choosing high antioxidant all-natural beers. Lots of American brands use a terrible collection of genetically modified corn and corn syrup and / or propylene glycol and even MSG. Here is a quick hit list of brands to avoid and why:<br />
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<a href="http://themindunleashed.org/2014/05/8-beers-stop-drinking-immediately.html">http://themindunleashed.org/2014/05/8-beers-stop-drinking-immediately.html</a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOq9FDGcHM4KAV0t91Zo-MZgSc3R7mn9QUf9zz6oiOALV8Nw5OhyphenhypheneW4Pr7hBH9NG58IlW_cB5XC9S_-qIcUqWBVgmEXTCPKwOmKtW5RWputfZKS14UIbnFZ-q7_-IP_JgubT7kgzEEFVYO/s1600/IMG_1403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOq9FDGcHM4KAV0t91Zo-MZgSc3R7mn9QUf9zz6oiOALV8Nw5OhyphenhypheneW4Pr7hBH9NG58IlW_cB5XC9S_-qIcUqWBVgmEXTCPKwOmKtW5RWputfZKS14UIbnFZ-q7_-IP_JgubT7kgzEEFVYO/s1600/IMG_1403.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>There are a lot of all natural beers from other countries where beer is more appropriately regulated. Most of Europe is a pretty trustworthy beer haven, so a wonderful high end Belgian beer tends to be pristine. (Some of the mass marketed European brands might not be so perfect, so better to go with something created in smaller batches.) I also have a few Canadian brands I trust including Fin du Monde, Blanche de Chambly, Flacatoune...in the US, you really need to be careful with choices. Microbreweries might disclose the ingredients if you ask them so if you have a favorite brand you may want to check. (There is an absence of labeling laws in this area). I am reasonably confident that Sierra Nevada is preservative-free and that is the very best I could find in Canton, New York so I was pretty pleased and it was all I could do to not ruthlessly hoard the few bottles left at the store. More detailed information on beer preservatives can be found here: <a href="http://themindunleashed.org/2014/05/8-beers-stop-drinking-immediately.html">http://themindunleashed.org/2014/05/8-beers-stop-drinking-immediately.html</a><br />
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The second issue, finding high nutrient beer. The newly researched potent nutrients in beer stem from the grains used to create the beer. Hops are high in xanthohumol a type of flavonoid that fight free radicals as well as polyphenols which are cancer and virus fighting. Xanthohumol stays in the body longer to do its job BUT beer doesn't quite have therapeutic values. While I don't recommend drinking so much beer as to maximize the preventive effect, (one scientific paper says that number would be 450 liters per day (YIKES), collecting just some of this powerful nutrient is certainly beneficial in small doses. And to maximize the antioxidants, choose a hoppy beer. See how I rationalize my having a whopping three beers in one day? I still drink alcohol sparingly and would not add it to a daily routine, just save it for a special occasion. And, it was one heck of a special occasion...<br />
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<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-34875333925696545102014-05-22T14:01:00.001-07:002014-05-22T14:01:31.775-07:00Delicious Lunch Time Vegetables<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7BpSsDRkLiJNPDDxma3XxNWCKNNFlkODvke7EuT3W8Sr3444JY9Iy0VFrw2f3RO1WUA_2FIYML8yC0Y8Is7JWsPuKOourAs00ti6eTh1NFfDoCY9Iw5Qi6KOYPHazd83BJgbXxo8-7iL/s1600/get-attachment%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7BpSsDRkLiJNPDDxma3XxNWCKNNFlkODvke7EuT3W8Sr3444JY9Iy0VFrw2f3RO1WUA_2FIYML8yC0Y8Is7JWsPuKOourAs00ti6eTh1NFfDoCY9Iw5Qi6KOYPHazd83BJgbXxo8-7iL/s1600/get-attachment%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>I have had two days of these vegetables and felt so filled up and happy with the warm cozy lunches. Maybe it had something to do with the weather going downhill AGAIN. These are very quick and easy and can be made in the morning to bring to work.<br />
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I had a really great farmer's market experience and had a lot of greens to choose from. Both days, I used red Russian kale, lamb's quarters, spinach and three kinds of mushrooms, shitake, white and crimini to cover a broad vitamin portfolio. I am a little bit morally opposed to paying for lamb's quarters since they are free in Central Park but when they are right in front of me, it seems so easy. The really dark pimply regular spinach was a great find too. I usually avoid the nouveau grocery store "baby" spinach which seems either light or to lack all those bumps and grooves somehow.<br />
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I did slice about three of each kind of the mushrooms but the other vegetables I just washed well and ripped apart. This was a low maintenance endeavor. I put a touch of olive oil in the pan, added the mushrooms first, then the vegetables not perfectly dry to create some steam. Then, I topped it all with turmeric, black pepper and cayenne pepper. It cooked for between one and two minutes. I somehow think I am making this sound complex when really it is a 6 minute lunch including chopping.<br />
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Nutritional Properties of This Easy Lunch:<br />
Shitake mushrooms support the immune and cardiovascular systems, provide B vitamins and vitamin D<br />
Crimini mushrooms fight inflammation and contain CLA a fatty acid that fights breast cancer by blocking estrogen. Also high in B vitamins.<br />
Lamb's quarters are very high in vitamin A (beta-carotene) and look like a weed.<br />
Spinach is very high in vitamin K, Iron and B viatmins as well as minerals.<br />
Kale is an overhyped super-food and as super as it is, I don't need to discuss the benefits.<br />
Turmeric is heightened by black pepper and olive oil so the added spice matters. (I recommended a 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric with a dash of black pepper in olive oil to my gym friend who is dead set on stopping for Advil on her way home...)<br />
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It was all so good that I had it for dinner too.<br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-88719533878788704812014-05-20T17:33:00.001-07:002014-05-20T17:39:30.488-07:00Five Steps to Slow Climate ChangeWe all know industry does a great deal to spur climate change, but, how can we as individuals, and, as voters stop the pollution causing the atmospheric changes? If we look at just a few of the man-made contributions to the greenhouse effect which is the impetus of climate change, increased CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide, there is a lot that individuals and legislators can do. The overall problem is extensive and global and needs to be addressed from all angles. But one of those angles is individual responsibility and another is public policy. These two can combine forces to protect our atmosphere from the blanket of warmth caused by greenhouse gases that don't allow adequate heat to escape.<br />
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1. Avoid buying meat products. The methane from CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) is excessive due to the many animals raised in very small areas. Policy sought: Legislative actions such as eliminating all Farm Bill subsidies (including the new insurance oriented subsidies) to those operating such facilities. They are not a charity and are not worthy of federal corporate welfare. Enforce and strengthen animal cruelty regulations, impose safe food requirements including banning antibiotic and hormone use, require further distances from people and towns. Policies should encourage old-fashioned outdoor grazing on small farms. And laws should require polluters to pay all damages ranging from pollution to nuisance for smells etc. such that running CAFOs is not profitable.<br />
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2. Demand safe drinking water. We have all heard that hydraulic fracturing ("fracking" or unconventional natural gas extraction) has poisoned drinking water with methane and chemicals. But this is the least of its environmental problems. Because of the large amount of water and other fluids, sand and chemicals trucked in, the diesel fuel used daily at fracking sites its unconscionable. For natural gas which is supposed to eventually be piped to markets, millions of gallons of water (in trucks that hold only 3000 gallons each), and huge amounts of piping, sand and chemicals are all delivered to the sites by trucks causing significant emissions and CO2. Then, there is the methane and chemical escape from the overflow and evaporation of impoundment ponds and the several million cubic feet of gas that are released into the atmosphere before the line is hooked up upon retrieving the methane. Fracking is high volume. Often one well is fracked ten times and eight wells are on a single pad covering a huge underground area. Between the CO2 from the process and trucks and the methane itself, this is not a solution to our energy problems. Legislative policy sought: Don't let your state allow it! Enforce environmental laws and remove the oil and gas industry exceptions currently in place. Push for serious caps on emissions from trucks and on non-renewable energy.<br />
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3. Avoid items grown with synthetic fertilizer. These fertilizers are high in nitrogen and release nitrous oxide into the atmosphere. They encourage plants to grow faster but with fewer minerals and a more watery composition, they change the very nature of the plant. They are chemicals being sprayed all over your food and there are obvious documented health reasons to avoid them. Their run-off creates dead-zones in oceans and is hazardous to drinking water. Legislative policy: Those producing, selling, and using synthetic fertilizers should be held responsible for any environmental damages. Those using synthetic fertilizers contributing documented amounts of environmental damage must be fined. Then, a phase-out while differently balanced fertilizers or natural ones are substituted. Synthetic fertilizer use is already banned in organic foods.<br />
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4. Avoid plastic grocery bags and water bottles. Millions of barrels of oil are used to make plastic bags each year contributing to CO2 in the atmosphere. The trash itself created by the bags being disposed of leads to square miles of plastics in our oceans, 42 times as much plastic as plankton. San Francisco banned the sale of plastic water bottles on city owned property in a landmark decision by its Board of Supervisors sparking some ridicule ("that is so San Francisco") but marking a great leap toward protecting the environment. Legislative policy sought: more similar bans.<br />
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5. Choose your food, drinks and containers wisely. Protect our forests. Deforestation due to food products like palm fruit oil is becoming problematic. Generally, your CO2 footprint overall from the food you buy includes packaging materials (whether paper or plastic), bags, shipping materials (to you or to the store),and trucking and other transportation fuel. Eating as many locally grown foods that are grown without synthetic fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides is clearly best for the environment. Carrying a glass water bottle and reusable coffee cup helps to avoid the environmentally hazardous heaping trash problem but also protects your health by limiting exposure to plastics. Support laws that encourage natural farming and organics. Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-46954848968543011252014-05-17T16:25:00.000-07:002014-05-17T16:25:33.202-07:00Quick and Easy Minty Kale Salad with Chick Peas<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mothers Day</td></tr>
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We had this as a quick lunch stuck in between a trip to Brooklyn and three basketball games. It feels good to have a nice healthy lunch at home on our very hectic crazy Saturdays. I cut the kale in thin strips just how I like it so it does not feel like a big unwieldy mouthful. And I cut a bunch of spearmint leaves into small pieces. Then, I added cut up artichoke hearts, chick peas, olive oil, balsamic vinegar (20 year aged) and salt and pepper. I let it all sit and marinate a little bit (about 1/2 an hour) to soften the kale. It was very tasty and I was lucky the scavengers did save a little bit for me this time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kale Salad with Mint and Chick Peas</td></tr>
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-83707470739540917502014-05-17T16:15:00.001-07:002014-05-17T16:15:52.272-07:00Vegan Lasagna With Lots of VegetablesI made this last week although it is probably is one of my more time-consuming items. I used "real" (the terminology for non-gluten-free) pasta, but I personally think it is just as good with a brown rice lasagna noodle. I put the dish together in a few steps.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cashew basil cream</td></tr>
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First thing in the morning, I sautéed onions until they were sweet and caramelized and prepared the cashew cream layer to use instead of cheese. The cashew layer was simply about 1 to 2 cups of fresh basil, 1 cup of cashews, 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast and a little water. I blended it all in the Vitamix for great smooth texture. Then, I stuck in it the refrigerator. <br />
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In the afternoon, I boiled the noodles and made the sauce quickly (I added olives and capers to 1/2 the sauce and half was only plain crushed tomatoes straight from the glass jar with a little fresh basil). I put olive oil on the very bottom of my lasagna pan, then a layer of noodles, then onions, spinach and artichoke hearts (the artichoke hearts were Seggiano roasted in live oil and very flavorful). Then, more noodles and the cashew cream all in one thick layer. I continued alternating layers of just sauce (carefully placed so the olives and capers would stay on one side so no one averse to them would get one unexpectedly and have a fit) with thick layers of onions, artichoke hearts and spinach. I used a lot of sauce to keep the whole thing moist. Then topped it with noodles (because I made too many) and olive oil because I was out of sauce and we don't use cheese. I baked it for a while (maybe 45 minutes) on 300 and then turned it up to 400 degrees to finish it off and serve it nice and hot. <br />
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Some of my pickier children said this was the best thing I had made in a while. Since compliments are pretty hard to come by here, I will settle for that one which came from the same child who has been very happy with my vegetable tacos the last few weeks.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh spinach and roasted artichoke hearts</td></tr>
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-77757035173612326752014-05-06T08:54:00.001-07:002014-05-06T08:54:27.854-07:00Vermont's GMO Labeling LawIt is so exciting that Vermont's labeling law passed its legislature with flying colors and genetically modified organisms will be labeled beginning in July. It will be interesting to see not just how the sales come in but whether law suits come to fruition and how much time and money is spent by the large corporate agribusinesses who protested this law.<br />
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First, the big thing. Will people buy them anyway? I think there will be a big dip in sales because really no one wants any GMO foods. If Vermonters are anything like the people in the European Union, the labeling law will be the end of people eating GMOs in Vermont. The expected reaction by producers will be to actually alter recipes to create non-GMO versions of the same products rather than admit products they had been touting as natural (or even merely implying natural through imagery and earthy packaging) contained GMOs all along. This legislation will save Vermonters from the GMO soybean oil and the GMO corn syrup that flood the processed food market. Not to say that every brand will find an alternative, but the state smart enough to pass the law is one of the nation's healthiest states where a lot of consumers do know better than to eat dangerous foods. It will be interesting to see the market share and to see whether in fact those with lower income brackets still purchase GMOs in similar quantities. Food manufacturers are starting to warn that foods may become more expensive. This is actually doubtful because large manufacturers have the purchasing power to get cheap ingredients and many of these companies have created GMO-free foods for their European markets already.<br />
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A small state is a good start and hopefully the encouragement and enthusiasm will spread leading to more laws passing in some of the 23 states where GMO labeling bills are on the table. Some laws are sitting ready to be triggered by other states passing labeling laws. Those states can learn a lesson about grass-roots support and legislators working on behalf of constituents to accomplish what consumers want. The information never should have been a secret and certainly wonderful brands have been touting their non-GMO ingredients loud and clear with good reason for years.Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-87228186512350905052014-04-24T08:13:00.003-07:002014-04-24T08:13:25.808-07:00Pennsylvania Dutch Red Beet Eggs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20cw6RpA2nV0jlQQnhz2ObwrQdI5ClH46f1cnnD1d1wUjPMtJJDSNRnRXdulXjkI4-djx2u08h5Fc5BF5ysp0ZTcsbpDJAQztfqVvY4oAXPpr5S36hKIUtg9_asgdrZj_a2j7PBMxJHQB/s1600/get-attachment%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20cw6RpA2nV0jlQQnhz2ObwrQdI5ClH46f1cnnD1d1wUjPMtJJDSNRnRXdulXjkI4-djx2u08h5Fc5BF5ysp0ZTcsbpDJAQztfqVvY4oAXPpr5S36hKIUtg9_asgdrZj_a2j7PBMxJHQB/s1600/get-attachment%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a>So, I grew up with some odd delicacies but Easter brings on the eggs (not that I eat them; I find eggs pretty icky) but the kids have been liking an occasional unpasteurized egg straight from the farm egg. (We are by far mostly vegan but when the egg is straight from a small farm and the chickens who can be seen free and happy eat a soy-free healthy diet, I don't mind buying a few unpasteurized, unprocessed eggs.) So I bought about ten and we dyed them by cooking them in the shell in beets and water. Because the eggs started out brown, the beets created a marbled old-fashioned finish. And the ones I hid for our Easter egg hunt remained this way, which helped camouflage them.<br />
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When we found and peeled them, we made red beet eggs out of some of them. These are very simple. Just boil sugar, beets, white vinegar and water. When the beets are soft and the mixture is very red, soak the peeled eggs for a few hours or in the refrigerator overnight. The white will become bright pink.<br />
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Then, Perry deviled some of them by scooping out the yolk and mixing it with the beet solution. I had some of the beet broth without the eggs. Tangy vinegary flavors are a big part of that Pennsylvania Dutch style. While I can vouch for the health of the beets and even the benefits of the completely natural egg (a very rare find and not from a grocery store), I also think the eggs look beautiful and decorative and that alone is a reason to make them.<br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2970297220580390774.post-69296381389069083112014-04-09T11:00:00.002-07:002014-04-09T11:00:10.699-07:00Two Quick and Easy Soups<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVtqiSXCPh5_jnuV_TcXQS_5nNY5PKrEWBY0brnY02zdlIbBF1AJ9P6yA_oE9Z-j2XqITqH4YSgjTW_HUxgbCCONNxIdzQnQWmaDkxsmVzlpU1YGjUQvk4RFepzcDLu4VaeXz5pe35nl3/s1600/get-attachment%5B1%5D+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVtqiSXCPh5_jnuV_TcXQS_5nNY5PKrEWBY0brnY02zdlIbBF1AJ9P6yA_oE9Z-j2XqITqH4YSgjTW_HUxgbCCONNxIdzQnQWmaDkxsmVzlpU1YGjUQvk4RFepzcDLu4VaeXz5pe35nl3/s1600/get-attachment%5B1%5D+(3).jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
People who eat soup tend to be healthier. According to studies, most recently noted in the British Journal of Nutrition citing weight loss as one of the great benefits. This might be because a lot of vegetables (fiber and antioxidants) are involved in good soups and a liquidy meal can be more filling and satisfying with fewer calories.<br />
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Anyway, last week I made these two soups at the same time because some of the ingredients go into both. Both can be frozen in individual glass containers for a quick lunch or dinner.<br />
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<strong>Butternut Squash / Parsnip Soup</strong><br />
About 4 cups of butternut squash chunks<br />
2 small to medium parsnips (cut into chunks)<br />
2 medium onions<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
4 bay leaves (fresh not dried)<br />
1 small clove of garlic<br />
splash of white wine<br />
cilantro and parsley<br />
sea salt<br />
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Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil until soft and lightly browned. Add wine and reduce. Add squash, parsnips, bay leaves and four cups of water. Cover and boil for 15 minutes until squash is soft. Let sit covered for 15 more minutes. Blend in high speed blender until smooth. Garnish with cilantro and parsley and chunky sea salt. Optional: add a habanero pepper to the recipe or serve with a habanero hot sauce).<br />
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<strong>Mushroom Soup</strong><br />
2 medium onions<br />
1 small clove of garlic<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
3 bay leaves (fresh)<br />
2 cups of white mushrooms, diced<br />
2 cups of shitake mushrooms (diced)<br />
1 cup of maitake mushrooms (pulled into pieces, not chopped)<br />
cilantro and parsley<br />
2 1/2 cups of white wine <br />
sea salt<br />
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Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil on low browned and soft. Add 1/2 cup of white wine. Simmer until wine dissipates. Add more wine and reduce again. Add all of the mushrooms, the bay leaves and the rest of the wine. Cover until soup boils. Uncover and simmer for 5 to ten minutes. Add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil again. Turn off and let soup sit covered.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVgIafdxgK6ABFOTWHly76HHAtrqNSLtQf7wBrArqSq9MsOsgg69Ad-SaN8antfOxa0GeDYi2hRWc05yz7-Jx8vQScLXzfw_FAbIOwdrBYBG7BJMIDKmj4XADIM5XNV5RJmkfBREX4CB2/s1600/get-attachment%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVgIafdxgK6ABFOTWHly76HHAtrqNSLtQf7wBrArqSq9MsOsgg69Ad-SaN8antfOxa0GeDYi2hRWc05yz7-Jx8vQScLXzfw_FAbIOwdrBYBG7BJMIDKmj4XADIM5XNV5RJmkfBREX4CB2/s1600/get-attachment%5B1%5D.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I added a touch of kale to the mushrooms in this one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08470844946224586696noreply@blogger.com1