You Are What I Eat

The Right Foods Can Make all the Difference

2011-10-10T09:22:00.000-04:00

The drought affecting the Horn of Africa has had a devastating impact on the people of Somalia who have already suffered from 20years of war, a lack of infrastructure and development, and the most basic services. Now that international efforts to treat the hundreds of thousands of severely malnourished children is well underway, it is clear that feeding children the right foods can make the difference between life and death.

All the evidence is here:

Doctors Without Borders is one of the many organizations that is treating malnourished children under the age of 5 with "ready-to-use" therapeutic foods such as "Plumpy Nut," which contain animal protein like milk. Experience has shown time and again that the standard food aid package of blended cereal grain flours does not have the proper nutrients to prevent malnutrition in rapidly growing children under five, or to prevent disease and death in already malnourished children.

Based on this evidence, two things seem apparent:

1) It is unacceptable that we provide foods to babies in poor countries that we wouldn't feed our own babies (i.e. we wouldn't give just cereal to children under 1-year without still supplementing with breast milk or formula).
2) It is pretty clear that cereals have little nutritional value. They may fill bellies and provide caloric energy, but children do not grow or develop because they are eating cereal. This begs the question, "why do we even feed babies cereal at all?"

I am convinced that the human body was designed to survive on animal foods. No sentimentality or ideological beliefs can change this.

"More fruits and vegetables" strategy is not preventing Diabetes in New York

2011-09-17T17:25:00.019-04:00

A friend of mine recently sent me this article. He lives in Arizona so probably isn’t familiar with the demographics of New York City, and those new to New York might also be surprised to see how the neighborhoods can sometimes drastically change from one street to the next. This article highlights this very phenomenon, and the author’s observation of people missing limbs because of diabetes in one neighborhood and not the next is an extremely sad example of the health disparities between rich and poor in this country.

Nourishing New York's Low-Income Communities

When Gina Keatley first moved to New York to attend culinary school, she noticed that many of her neighbors were missing limbs.

"I lived on 99th Street across from some projects," she said. "I would walk to the train and think, 'Why are there so many amputees?'"

Keatley found out that many of them had to have amputations because of complications from diabetes. Diabetes can reduce blood flow to extremities and cause nerve damage, and sometimes amputations are necessary if serious infection sets in and there is severe damage to the tissue and bone.

The neighborhood where Keatley lived, East Harlem, has the highest diabetes rate in Manhattan, according to city health officials. It also has the highest obesity rate: One-third of adult residents are obese or overweight.

"It's so shocking to me to see people who are poor and unhealthy and literally dying in the street," said Keatley, an award-winning chef and nutritionist.

Keatley said that when she would visit more affluent neighborhoods near East Harlem, she wouldn't see nearly as many amputees. And she was pretty sure she knew why.

"You go over this invisible line, and there are people with farmers' markets, people with organic food ... healthy sandwich shops," she said.

This “invisible line" that Keatley speaks about between East Harlem (one of the poorest communities in NYC) and the Upper East Side (one of the wealthiest communities in NYC) has always existed. It has just presented itself visibly in many different ways - the recent rise in amputees as a result of the spike in diabetes being one of the most dismal reminders.

I used to work in some of these neighborhoods that are considered "food deserts"- the term that has been assigned by advocacy groups to areas where there is a lack of supermarkets and access to fresh food. Most of the programs designed to improve nutrition in these areas focus on bringing more fruits and vegetables to these families, either through increased vegetable markets and produce stands, food stamp programs that can be used at farmers markets, and education programs (teaching families to eat more fruits and vegetables). Ten years in and it doesn't seem like these food programs are really working since morbidity rates keep going up. This leads me to believe that simply providing more fruits and vegetables may not be the answer.

Obesity, diabetes, and other associated chronic diseases are associated with poverty. In the past, poor Americans suffered from being underweight due to malnutrition and food insecurity. Today, poor Americans suffer from being overweight due to malnutrition and food insecurity. Cheap, processed nutritionally poor foods (or food stuff) are more ubiquitous and abundant in the US then they ever have been in the history of this country. So are poor people eating more junk food? Probably, but bad choices are not the only reason and are only part of the picture. Poverty is associated with many determinants of bad health - it's not just about eating fast food. Other significant factors are stress (social, financial, work), lack of health care, lack of education, depression, disrupted routines because of familial or employment insecurity, cultural norms (i.e. - fear of food insecurity can cause parents to over feed children), lack of outdoor space for physical activity, lack of resources for any activity, and reliance on poor quality food either in “food desert” neighborhoods or in the form of food aid, to name just a few.

So while these programs are well-meaning, and I do think that increasing good supermarkets, farmers markets, and fruit and vegetable stands in food deserts are positive steps in the right direction, I think new approaches to food access and nutrition must address these other problems with multi-pronged strategies at different policy levels for improvement - not just teaching people "how to..."

First, I think it's paternalistic, elitist, and irresponsible for government or non-profit organizations to think they should "teach" people how to eat, and that lesson being: eat like a vegan. This is not to say that we, especially those of us with chronic diseases, shouldn't be provided with nutritional information and guidelines on what we should and shouldn't be eating (obviously no sugar and carbs for diabetics). But most of you already know where I stand on carb and protein intake - so you know where I'm going with this. Of course, convincing people to cut back on processed fast food and getting them to cook fresh food at home would be ideal. But trying to convince people to eat expensive organic fruits and vegetables to fill bellies that have been used to calorie-dense starchy, sugary carbs is not exactly the most satisfying alternative or realistic approach.

Along with plenty of vegetables and some fruits (but not for diabetics), part of these guidelines should also include healthy animal proteins and fats - which are both energy and nutritionally dense foods. They fill you up, give you energy, and won't cause insulin resistance or diabetes. Our present nutritional guidelines that are promoted both by government and non-government agencies are created from junk science, ideological trends, and advertising. They distract us from our traditional diets that have kept our ancestors healthy for generations. Until we start promoting REAL food again and stop believing there is a magic bullet (like non-fat, soy, spelt, gluten-free, whole grain, organic cane juice, agave sweetened, nugget/food/stuff), we will continue to get fat and sick. And until we approach the root causes of poverty and tackle the different problems associated with bad health outcomes, we will continue to see a rise in these chronic diseases and mortalities.

I want to mention one aspect of the obesity/diabetes problem that no one ever seems to address. We have become a culture that is obsessed with eating all day long. I find this to be more significant than the idea that we may be more sedentary than we used to be. Food is everywhere, available all the time, and there is so much of it. Think about all the new restaurants, cafes, bakeries, cupcake shops, food trucks, and vending machines that keep popping up everywhere you look. And what about all the food that we now bring to our offices, schools, and common spaces where we spend our time?

Think back to 20, 30, or 40 years ago (if you are my age) and try to remember how many restaurants were in your neighborhood. How many times a week did you eat out? And how big were the portions? How many times during the day did you eat? Were there vending machines at your office? Was there a never-ending supply of cupcakes, muffins, and brownies at your workplace? Did you celebrate birthdays in school with cake every day? Were ice cream shops even open in the winter? Did you eat your meals at a table with your family, or in front of a TV or computer screen? or on the run? Did food trucks exist? Were so many fruits and vegetables available all year round? Was there such thing as "turducken?" Were there such things as soy burgers or soymilk? These answers may be different for everyone, but then ask yourself this: Were you or your friends obese? Were your parents obese? Were your grandparents obese? And if they weren’t, what and how did they eat? It seems pretty simple, huh? So while we may have been more active as kids back in the day, we never ate as much as people do today either.

Which brings me to my last point: Food in this country should be expensive. I’m sorry. This is the last thing people want to hear… but mass production of cheap, subsidized food is killing us, killing animals in the most inhumane ways, killing our land, killing the livelihood of farmers worldwide, killing competition, creating market fluctuations that make it impossible for poor countries to maintain, and force poor people here to eat cheap non-nutritional food while the majority of us just overeat. Clearly food economics is a completely different topic for research and discussion, but I think it’s something to think about – especially if you’re of the libertarian mindset and believe in the power of supply and demand.

Why I Eat Meat - Part 2

2011-03-27T14:45:00.009-04:00

In the first part of this post, I laid out some of the reasons why I made the personal choice to return to meat eating - mostly for health reasons. Since I wrote this last summer, more and more evidence of the health benefits of an omnivorous diet, rather than a solely plant-based diet has begun to surface. More and more people are beginning to understand the importance of animal based proteins over inferior plant-based proteins - especially those derived from soy and wheat.

Before I move on to some of the environmental and ethical questions that always surround this topic, I want to mention that last week NPR's Fresh Air featured a story about Dr. Kevin Patterson, a young internist who has spent a good portion of his career in the Arctic circle, as well as Afghanistan with the Canadian army. Over the years he noticed that while doing surgeries on Afghani patients, there was a virtual absence of body fat, both externally and internally surrounding their organs - which is a pervasive characteristic of western patients (both fat and thin). The typical Afghani male weighed about 140 pounds and were pastoralists who lived primarily on food they grew and animals they raised. He also saw an absence of any signs of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or any arterial thickening that is also characteristic of even young Americans and Europeans. And while working in the Canadian Arctic, he watched the Inuit's (native people of the Arctic) health degenerate as they transitioned from their traditional diets of caribou, whale blubber, seal meat, and occasional berries (during their short season) to a North American based diet of simple carbohydrates and processed foods. He said that obesity, diabetes, and heart disease began to soar in these places where it was once absent.

This is just another testament to why many believe that traditional foods are the healthiest - and when I say traditional, I mean mostly a hunter/gatherer diet. Animal/plant based diets have sustained civilizations for millions of years, while modern agriculture has only existed for less than 10,000 years - coinciding with the rise of chronic diseases. The human body evolved over millions of years to digest animal foods and assimilate the proper nutrition from these foods. Our bodies have not yet adapted to cereal grains, pulses, and some other agricultural products, which is why so many people suffer from food allergies, digestive disturbances, inflammatory conditions like chrohn's and celiac disease, and chronic diseases like diabetes and cancers. This is also why you will see many semi-traditional cultures ferment these foods - so they can be made more digestible. Sourdough breads, fermented soy, soaked and sprouted grains, and soured dairy products - were all ways in which people made foods that weren't exactly natural for humans, more digestible and less harmful to the body.

But aren't vegetarian/vegan diets traditional? Well, no - except for perhaps the Jainists and some early Buddhists - although few historical texts are available from that time to provide evidence of large movements. There were many cultures that practiced abstinence of animal foods for religious and spiritual purposes, such as the Hindu practice of Ahimsa (nonviolence), and some forms of asceticism. But even today there are few cultures that practice pure vegetarianism. The Jains drink milk and dairy products, the Okinawans (contrary to popular perception) eat a lot of plant-based foods but also a great deal of fish and pork, the Mediterranean diet consists of vegetables, olive oil, fish, and guess what else? Meat! Lamb, pork, beef, chicken… are all dishes you will find on any Italian, Greek, or other Mediterranean country's plate. In poor countries, wealthier people eat meat and are taller, stronger, and live longer. Those in poor countries who live on grains (corn, rice, wheat), beans, and a few vegetables are shorter, have more developmental problems throughout their lives, and have shorter life expectancies due to malnutrition and infectious diseases. Anyone who has lived or traveled anywhere in Central and South America, Africa, and in parts of Asia have witnessed this first-hand.

So while I believe that vegetables and fruits are healthy and an important aspect to a healthy diet, they are not the whole picture. The latest articles which tout vegetarians feeling better, losing weight, and living longer also don't tell the whole story. Many of these people make big lifestyle changes that go hand-in-hand with becoming a vegetarian: more physical activity, a more spiritual outlook on life (less stress), eating more whole foods rather than processed foods, quitting smoking, drugs, alcohol, etc... Many of these factors are not taken into account when these stories are published, therefore implicating meat and animal fats as the culprit of all that is unhealthy has not been proven. In fact, it may be quite the contrary.

So while I, too, love the idea of being vegan/vegetarian, and never having to kill another sentient being for my food, I realize that this may be an unrealistic and over romanticized ideal that is frankly, a western privilege. It's easy for those of us who have had normal body and brain development as a result of our good lifelong nutrition to make a stand against eating animals when we have an overabundance of food in our lives and hundreds of meal choices. But are we really going to tell the native Alaskan who has subsisted on Caribou and whale meat, that their livelihoods are cruel and they should switch to eating tofu and bok choy? How about in south Sudan where a whole family can subsist on a cow, a goat, and growing some yams and cassava? Are you going to convince them that imported rice and beans from the Americas is the right way to go? It isn't very sustainable and sounds a bit evangelical, doesn't it.

Why I Eat Meat – Part 1

2010-07-09T21:19:00.014-04:00

A lot of my friends who have known me for many years may be surprised to learn that I have started eating meat again after being a vegetarian for nearly 20 years (vegan and macrobiotic for about 7 of those). I frequently find myself having to defend this position, which I fully understand, having been a former enthusiast for animal rights and a vegetarian lifestyle. My reasons are varied and complex – but the biggest would have to be for health reasons. I’ve stated many times over the course of this blog that being a vegetarian, vegan, raw foody, etc… never made me a healthier person, and I question to this day if it even contributed to my declining health.

I had a heart attack when I was 39-years-old for reasons that still no one can explain. When I tell people that I was a vegetarian, a marathon runner, a devoted practitioner of Ashtanga yoga, and never had a weight, cholesterol, or blood pressure issue in my life – they are even more perplexed. After my first heart attack, I was put on the Dean Ornish /NO-FAT diet. This diet was basically vegan and meant no meat, dairy, or oils of any kind. I ate nothing but fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and grains. I had another heart attack two years later.

After that, I modified my diet to include “good fats” like olive oil, fish, and avocados. I incorporated non-fat dairy and other low-fat foods into my meals and increased my intake of soy products (which at the time was being touted by the medical community including the American Heart Association as a heart-healthy food). I still didn’t eat any red meat or chicken. I ate egg whites, a lot of whole grains, salmon, tons of vegetables, fruit, tofu, beans, nuts, tempeh, fake meat products made of wheat gluten, and helped myself to desserts that were “vegan,” “raw,” and anything that was made with agave syrup, soy, canola oil, and spelt. This was supposedly the perfect Mediterranean “heart healthy” diet. I had another heart attack five years later and then needed bypass surgery.

So why now have I changed my diet yet again to now include meat, animal fat, full-fat dairy and egg yolks? It sounds like a recipe for another heart attack, doesn't it? Well, actually no. I don’t believe it is. After spending the last 3 years combing through the medical literature that addresses the “lipid hypothesis,” I have come to the conclusion that it is all… inconclusive. It has never been proven that cholesterol causes heart disease. It has never been proven that animal fat raises cholesterol. It has never been proven that red meat causes heart disease and cancers. It has never been proven that vegetable fats are healthier than animal fats. It has never been proven that soy is healthy. It has never been proven that agave syrup is a “health food.” There have been correlations between all these things. But anyone that knows anything about science knows that correlation does not equal causation.

So here is what I do know:

I know that sugar spikes insulin and that insulin spikes cause the body to store fat, cause inflammation, lower the immune system, and tax the body and all of it’s functions. This is the same mechanism that, in time, can also lead to the development of type-2 diabetes. No one is debating whether sugar is bad. We know it is – and that is in all of its forms – synthetic or not: fructose, sucrose, honey, maple syrup, agave, etc… are all high-glycemic foods and raise insulin the same way.

I know that grains and carbohydrate-rich food turn quickly into sugar in your body, which also lead to spikes in blood sugar. I know that whole grains and refined grains both spike blood sugar (fiber or not) at the same rate, in the same way.

Wheat and polyunsaturated vegetables oil also cause inflammation in the system and are linked to auto-immune conditions like celiac disease, chrohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, dermatitis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Inflammation is now being considered the strongest risk factor for heart attacks and heart disease.

Soy is not a health food and causes hormonal imbalances and fertility problems in both men and women (and boys and girls), which is why the American Heart Association has now pulled all their endorsements for soy products.

75% of Americans are vitamin D deficient, and vitamin D deficiencies are also linked to cancer and heart disease. The two major sources of vitamin D are animal fat and the sun.

Carnivores in my family lived long, healthy lives. Vegetarians in my family did not.

Cultures who still subsist on hunter/gatherer diets have the lowest (some non-existent) rates of chronic diseases in the world (Inuits, Kitavan, Masai, etc...)

  Our ancestors lived on animal protein and fats, little sugar, no vegetable fats or other refined foods, and fewer grains than we do today – and exhibited much lower rates of chronic diseases.

Many vegetarians have vitamin D, vitamin B, iron, and amino acid deficiencies. And I suspect that all of these deficiencies may pose a greater risk to one’s health than meat and fat consumption.

Children under 5 who are deprived from animal protein suffer from malnutrition - often resulting in wasting, stunting, and in worse cases - death (see Doctors Without Borders study below).

All this is to say that I now eat meat. I don’t want to have to depend on grains and high-glycemic foods for energy. I don’t want to experiment with processed soy and other fake foods for my protein sources. I no longer want to be deficient in vital nutrients that combat and prevent diseases. I want to feel full and energized after eating a meal, and not sleepy and craving more breads, pasta, and sweets. I no longer want to be the person who asks for everything on the side in restaurants and has an anxiety attack if there is butter involved. I no longer want to feel the debilitating exhaustion of the afternoon crash after eating a high-carb lunch (or brunch). And I no longer want to feel the rapid heart beat, the angina pain, and the fear of having another heart attack – that accompanies my blood sugar spikes.   

So what about animal welfare, and the environment, and all of the hormones and antibiotics that are ever present in most meat and dairy products?   

Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3.

In the meant time, here are some fun resources:

Gary Taubs on PBS - transcript
The Cholesterol Myths
Dr. William Davis' take on cholesterol
The Dirty Little Secret of the Diet-Heart Hypothesis
Debunking the China Study
Soy Alert!
Vitamin D Council
Saturated Fat in non-industrial cultures
Read about the Masai!
Agave syrup is not a health food!
Doctors Without Borders on childhood malnutrition

New Chicks in My Life

2010-04-18T03:06:00.011-04:00

"You should really have your own chickens."

It wasn't a challenge - or if it was I was too dense to recognize it as such at the time - but when Stephanie first suggested I get some egg-laying hens a couple of years ago I didn't think much about it. Frankly, I didn't much care for the idea. It sounded like a lot of work. Picking up eggs at the store is so easy.

The notion, though, hung around like a bum at a plasma donation center. Then about a year ago I visited my neighbors just down the street and toured their little chicken operation. I later wrote about my conversion to local, genuine free-range eggs. I started looking at my big, empty, full acre lot a little differently. But, gee, I was way too busy to do it myself.

And then fate stepped in.

My son recently asked a local girl to a prom. Her response included a little poster with "I'd love to be your 'chick' for the dance." And, to punctuate the pun biologically, three real little chicks. Females.

Hello there!

Suddenly, I was a grandpa. Sort of. And so, the question: Should I drop them off at a local agricultural products vendor? Give them to my neighbor? Should I [hard swallow] keep them?

Steph and I have talked a great deal over the last couple of years about the evolution from local food systems to increasingly complex, networked systems. The powerful economic realities of cheap food production have led to the sad, perverse fact that it can be less expensive for a local rancher to buy commercial meat at the supermarket than it costs him to sell himself one of his animals and have it butchered. This, however, does not consider the quality of the meat.

I decided that it was time to try my hand at egg farming.

Asher and I built them first one, and then a second, larger box. We established feeding and watering systems. The bird box became a fixture in the kitchen. The little birds learned to get excited when their sugar-daddy (me) would come around. Changing their bedding every couple of days kept the place from smelling like an avian toilet.

"Peek-a-boo" through the cardboard windows

Now they're several weeks old, and their real feathers are coming in nicely.

The day before yesterday I put together part of an old dog run I had in the backyard, and turned it into a chicken run.

Mother Earth News published a good article about the superiority of genuine free-range eggs over commercial eggs. Even so-called commercial "free-range" eggs are misleading. It may mean that the eggs come from chickens that can see daylight or have somewhat more spacious cages.

I've had a talk with these maturing chicks. I've committed to providing for them and shown them what I expect. We've set some goals and I have a good feeling. I don't think they'll let me down. And I will be there for them.

Honesty and transparency are the bases of good relationships.

I don't yet have a coop, but I'll put something together during the next several weeks. I can run power from the garage to their run and give them the heat they'll need at night and during next winter. They're still a little young to be outside at night anyway. For now, my girls are enjoying being in the safety of the run during the day, eating seeds, bits of grass, and bugs, and living reasonably decent chicken lives.

Psssst . . . There's sugar in there.

2010-03-10T16:10:00.005-05:00

I thought this article was worth re-posting, since many of us are attempting to cut out sugar from our diets. I had a bit of a scare myself last month when I suffered a terrible episode of hypoglycemia. My energy level dropped so drastically that I literally had to get off my bike and sit down on the side of the road. Since then, I've been working very hard to bring my glucose levels down and energy levels back up.

Incidentally, keeping glucose levels down is also a sure-fire way of taking excess weight off.

This comes from Dr. William Davis' Heart Scan Blog
_____________________________________

You non-diabetics who check your postprandial blood sugars already know: There are hidden sources of sugar in so many foods.

By now, everybody should know that foods like breakfast cereals, breads, bagels, pretzels, and crackers cause blood sugar to skyrocket after you eat them. But sometimes you eat something you thought was safe only to find you're showing blood sugars of 120, 130, 150+ mg/dl.

Where can you find such "stealth" sources of sugars that can screw up your postprandial blood sugars, small LDL, inflammation, blood pressure, and cause you to grow visceral fat? Here's a few:

Balsamic vinaigrette
Many commercially-prepared balsamic vinaigrettes, especially the "light" varieties, have 3 or more grams carbohydrates per tablespoon. Generous use of a sugar-added vinaigrette can therefore provide 12+ grams carbs. (Some, like Emeril's and Wish Bone, also contain high-fructose corn syrup.)

Hamburgers
I learned this lesson the hard way by taking my blood sugar after having a hamburger, turkey burger, or vegetarian burger (without bun): blood sugar would go way up. The effect is due to bread crumbs added to the meat or soy.

Tomato soup
If it were just tomatoes, it would still be somewhat high in sugars. But commercially-prepared tomato soup often contains added high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, and wheat flour, bringing sugar totals to 12 to 20+ grams per half-cup. A typical 2-cup bowl of tomato soup can have upwards of 80 grams of sugar.

Granola
Sure, granola contains a lot of fiber. But most granolas come packed with sugars in various forms. One cup of Kellogg's Low-fat Granola with Raisins contains an incredible 72 grams (net) carbohydrates, of which 25 grams are sugar.

Given modern appetites and serving sizes, you can see that it is very easy to get carried away and, before you know it, get exposed to extraordinary amounts of sugar and carbohydrates eating foods you thought were healthy.

And don't be fooled by claims of "natural" sugar. Sugar is sugar--Just check your blood sugar and you'll see. So raw cane sugar, beet sugar, and brown sugar have the same impact as white table sugar. Honey, maple syrup, and agave? They're worse (due to fructose).

Lenten Season and Primal Eating

2010-02-19T20:03:00.006-05:00

Whether or not one happens to be religiously inclined, religious seasons can be good opportunities to rededicate. Stephanie, who is Jewish, and I, a religiously mediocre Catholic, are taking advantage of the Lenten season - a forty day period of "purification and enlightenment" - to engage in some dietary refocusing.

What's "primal eating?" Steph introduced the subject here, and we went into a little more detail here and here. Basicially it's a practice based on the philosophy that we evolved to eat certain things (such as wild meat, nuts, berries, leafy vegetables), and not others (agricultural grains, processed carbohydrates). I must be truthful and confess that dairy is pooh-poohed by the strictly Primal people, but I won't give it up, and I'm not nearly as rigorous as a great many committed primalists, but I'm going to try for Lent. And I'm looking forward to doing it in solidarity with a partner.

History Under A Harvest Moon

2009-09-24T11:38:00.013-04:00

Posted by guest blogger, L aura

Though only a few days into autumn, already the air has cooled and farms around the country are preparing for the Harvest.

When I lived in the Garden State, harvest season was the highlight of the year. The last tomatoes are brought to the farm stands, the corn finishes ripening, and the bright pumpkins swell in the fields.

The Harvest, Robert Zund (1827 - 1909)

Few people ever consider the historical circumstances that allow us to enjoy these fruits and vegetables around the world today. Most people know that Amerindians cultivated corn (maize) for thousands of years, and introduced it to the Europeans who arrived on America's shores in the 15th century. However, corn wasn't the only "New World" vegetable to impact Europe.

For instance, though tomatoes are today considered an integral part of Italian sauces, the British and North American British colonists refused to eat tomatoes for years because they erroneously believed them to be poisonous (only the leaves are toxic). Anyone who has been hiking or enjoys the outdoors probably has heard that brightly colored berries are typically bad to eat. The vibrant fruit of the tomato made some Europeans nervous, so when Spanish explorers brought back seeds from Tenochtitlan around 1519, the British only cultivated them as decorative plants. Obviously since the Spanish had seen the Amerindians eat the tomato with no ill effects, the fruit caught on quickly in Spain, with Italy following closely behind. The myth of the poisonous tomato persisted among the British and Americans until less than 200 years ago.

Ripening Tomatoes 4, Cindy Revell (Contemporary)

Were you aware that the Irish didn't farm potatoes until recently? Native to Peru, the potato is first mentioned by Spaniard Pedro de Cieza de Leon in 1540, when he writes that the native peoples have, in addition to maize, another "plant that supports a great part of their existence: the potatoes...." After making its way around Europe, Sir Walter Raleigh (1552-1618) first brought the potato to Ireland when he planted them at his estate near Cork. The new crop gained so much in popularity that "cooking any food other than a potato had become a lost art. Women hardly boiled anything but potatoes" [Woodham-Smith, The Great Hunger: Ireland, 1962]. This dependence on the potato directly lead to the starvation of millions when the blight destroyed nearly all the potatoes in Ireland.

Gathering Potatoes, Jules Bastien-Lapage (1848 - 1884)

Perhaps the crop most associated with autumn is the pumpkin. We make pies and soups from it, roast the seeds, and even fry the blossoms. While pumpkins today are grown on every continent save Antarctica, they are believed to have been first cultivated in Mexico thousands of years ago. In addition to using pumpkins as food, Amerindians would pound the tough rind into strips and weave it into mats. Colonists first created the pie when they hollowed out a pumpkin and filled the inside with milk, honey and spices, then set the squash in the fire to cook.

Gathering Pumpkings: An October Scene in New England, ca. 1860

In the spirit of harvest, I'd like to share my very simple pumpkin soup recipe that I enjoy making with fresh pumpkin, then serving in the shell.

3 tbsp. butter
2 cups cubed fresh pumpkin
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free half and half.

I cook the pumpkin in a pan (to soften it), then place all the ingredients in a blender (I'm sure a food processor works as well). I then return it to the pan to continue simmering for about 20 minutes. Some people pour the soup back into the pumpkin and bake for a little while - it keeps the soup warm.

I'd like to thank the lovely Stephanie and "Ninja-hot" Mark for graciously allowing me to sully their otherwise excellent and informative blog. When not annoying my friends or searching for decent beer, I write drivel over at The Angry Historian.

Thistle

2009-09-05T18:56:00.003-04:00

Milk Thistle enjoys wide human use throughout the world as therapy for livers taxed or damaged by disease, such as hepatitis, or chemical/drug exposure. Its cousin, the Musk Thistle, grows in my backyard and enjoys many of the same benefits.

Many thistles end up on "noxious weeds" lists. Such lists largely indicate that the "weeds" are simply contrary to local agricultural interests, and say little about whether or not the plants are actually useful to humans in other ways.

I hope you enjoy my time spent with the "noxious" Musk Thistle in my backyard.

Tomatillos have arrived.

2009-08-05T12:42:00.009-04:00

There is so much good food in season right now that it's hard for me to make choices when I go to the farmers market: lush greens, huge bouquets of broccoli, cauliflower, and romanesco; purple bulbs of kohlrabi, cabbage, beets and other new roots; beautiful varieties of sweet heirloom tomatoes; and then there are all of the berries and stone fruits. The donut peaches and sugar plums barely make it back to my house without being devoured on the way home. But these little green beauties wrapped up in their own natural parchment were just screaming out at me this week - tomatillos!

Tomatillos are like husked tomatoes but they are actually from the gooseberry family. They taste like a cross between a tomato, a plum, and rhubarb - slightly lemony and tart. If you have ever had good salsa verde in a Mexican restaurant, they are the staple ingredient.

I first made this dish about a month ago while I was visiting Mark in Utah. We found these gorgeous tomatillos that were from California and some fresh bay scallops in his local grocery store. We roasted a bunch of vegetables in the oven, blended them up into sauce, and served it over pan-seared scallops with a little sour cream and avocado. It was so light, fresh, and summery that I decided to recreate it once I was home, only this time I substituted fresh calamari (squid). The sauce is just about the most delicious summer salsa on the planet!

PAN FRIED CALAMARI (OR SCALLOPS) WITH ROASTED TOMATILLO SAUCE

1/2 lb. of cleaned squid chopped into 1-inch thick slices or 1/2 lb. of bay scallops

2 Tablespoons of bacon fat or clarified butter (ghee)

Sea salt, freshly ground pepper

2 cups roasted tomatillo sauce (below)

1 Hass avocado

Creme fraiche or sour cream

1. Using a saute pan, render a few slices of bacon into about 3 tbsp. of fat.

2. Once the bacon is crispy and there is enough fat in the pan, remove the strips and save to crumble over a salad. You can also use clarified butter (ghee) for this dish since it also has a high smoking point, which in that case you'll want to season your squid with salt and pepper before frying. If you use bacon fat, it will already be salty so you can just season with black pepper.

3. Once fat is good and hot, drop squid into pan and saute over hi-heat until the white parts begin to brown a bit and the tendrils begin to curl up on the edges (3-4 minutes). You can taste it to be sure it's tender. Don't overcook the squid since it can become too rubbery.

4. Once the squid is cooked, remove from the pan and transfer to some paper towel to drain.

5. In the center of a serving bowl or plate, ladle about 1/4 cup of tomatillo sauce.

6. Arrange a handful of squid on top of sauce.

7. Spoon some creme fraiche over the squid and top with chopped avocado.

TOMATILLO SAUCE

1/2 lb. tomatillos, husks and stems removed, thoroughly rinsed until no longer sticky

1 Anaheim chile pepper, stemmed, quartered, ribs and seeds removed

1 Green or purple (or red) pepper - stemmed, quartered, an seeds removed

5 cloves of garlic

1 onion quartered

3 Italian Roma tomatoes sliced in half

1 bunch of cilantro, leaves only

Juice from 1 lime

Sea salt to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 450

2. Place tomatillos, peppers, tomatoes, onion, and garlic in roasting pan.

3. Roast vegetables until tops are charred (8-12 minutes).

4. Remove from oven and allow to cool

5. Spoon all the vegetables along with the juices that have collected in the pan into a blender

6. Add cilantro and blend slightly until you get a chunky sauce consistency. Add a little lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste. This sauce should be naturally sweet, slightly astringent, a little smoky, a little spicy, and slightly salty.

7. Refrigerate and use as a sauce for fish, meat, or eggs (huevos rancheros).

Hot Dogs and Tolerance

2009-07-31T20:19:00.019-04:00

Mahatma Ghandi once said, "Intolerance is itself a form of violence and an obstacle to the growth of a true democratic spirit." I happen to agree with this sentiment. It feels lately like intolerance is all around us, seeping into every crack of public and private life and slowly rotting the layers of our democratic foundation. Big media stories like the arrest of Henry Louis Gates and Obama's proposed health care plan along with the angry swirling clamor that surrounds these issues begin to dominate our conversations, our emotions, and our behavior toward others. And against the backdrop of this economic crisis, these highly charged issues leave us scared, angry, and vulnerable to the powers of blame and scapegoating.

More and more we begin to believe that our happiness and quality of life is predicated by the demise and unhappiness of others. I see people who have real power, wealth, and privilege complain about the needs of the poor as if they might be taking something away from them, somehow stripping them of their high held position in society. Instead of looking at ourselves and appreciating what we have and what our true potential is, we have become more concerned with what we don't want others to have - like the right to marry, the right to have health care, the right to collect a welfare check, and the right to be treated as an equal regardless of one's color, religion, sexual preference, socioeconomic status, and one's nationality (citizen or not).

I grew up trusting no one. I was indoctrinated at a young age by my synagogue and the Jewish community at large to believe that we, as Jews, were never safe. I was taught that we will always be hated, targeted, and discriminated against because of who we are and what we believe - and was told - for that reason we have Israel as our refuge. Well, I never did suffer any discrimination or persecution for being Jewish. I grew up on Long Island where everyone I knew was either Jewish, Italian, or Irish. We all got along fine (this is not to say that I didn't grow up in a racist society - there was plenty of racism and racial segregation when it came to color).

My parents and grandparents, however, had the real experience. Like many Jews of my generation, I come from a family of survivors and refugees. I grew up with the harrowing tales of violent pogroms, raped and brutalized family members, forced ghettoization and displacement, concentration camps, murdered brothers and sisters, extermination, running, shooting, hiding, losing, grieving, journeying...

I inherited a fear of persecution along with a deep sense of compassion for those who are continually marginalized, discriminated against, and scapegoated. This is where my consciousness for social justice came from. And while it has shaped me and the kind of person I have become including the work I do, I sometimes believe it's a curse, because I see discrimination and injustices everywhere, and this makes me very unhappy.

So what does all of this have to do with hot dogs?

My grandfather used to tell me the story of how he, my grandmother, and my mother arrived on Ellis Island after traveling for almost a year, running from the Nazis in occupied France; rescuing their five-year-old daughter (my mother) who was in hiding for two months after getting lost in a forest where my family took refuge from German planes shooting overhead; and waiting for documents, money, and train tickets so they could get to Spain, to Morocco, and finally, to New York City. Luckily, the anti-semitic immigration restrictions had been lifted by that time. They had been on a boat for nearly a month. They were weary, dirty, and most of all, hungry.

"The first thing I ate when I came to America was a 'frankfurter.' There was a man with a cart on the dock where we landed on Ellis Island. We had a little bit of change and so I bought one for us to share," my grandfather told me.

"Oy, it tasted so good."

He told me this story many times in his lifetime.

My grandparents had a good life here in New York. They became very successful business people eventually owning a string of delicatessens. It was difficult in the beginning. They didn't speak English and they were poor. They shared a two-bedroom apartment in Hells Kitchen with their brothers' and sisters' families who they were completely dependent on for money and language skills the first few years. My grandfather went into business with his brother, gaining the experience he needed, and then he and my grandmother finally moved out on their own. They opened their own business and bought a nice home in Queens. My mother went to good schools and married another Jew from a poor family (my Dad) who became a dentist. They moved into a big house in the suburbs and had me and my two sisters. We grew up affluent and privileged. Unlike what we were told, we never had to run to Israel to escape persecution. New York was our home. It had been good to me and my family.

For my grandfather, that hot dog was the taste of the American dream. But not the dream we usually equate with success in the US (à la Donald Trump). It wasn't the myth of social entrepreneurial Darwinism or brute Capitalistic abuses, or the mass consumption and waste we have come to believe is American democracy.

It was the dream of tolerance.

Disclaimer: I do not endorse hot dogs as a "health food" or part of the primal diet, although I do enjoy occasional sausages that are made from happy, locally raised pigs, and/or wild game. I don't eat the buns either.

Primal Pets

2009-06-28T13:28:00.015-04:00

I've been called the "crazy cat lady" many times in my life, and I'm okay with that. My cats live like little kings in my home. I love my animals in the same way I love children. My love and respect for animals is part of the reason I was a vegetarian for so many years (that, and the belief that it was the healthiest diet) and now that I have returned to an omnivorous lifestyle, I am still a little conflicted about the idea of eating animals. So in addition to sourcing my meat locally from farms where I know these animals lived a happy and healthy life, what also helps me is understanding that eating other species is part of a natural cycle.

Nothing teaches me this more than observing my cats. We all know that felines in the wild are indisputably carnivorous. I have witnessed firsthand both the brutality and the symmetry in which lions prey, attack, and feed on other animals. In this case, it was a zebra - such a glorious animal. The image of its tragic defeat haunted me for many weeks after returning from southern Africa. Many years later, it continued to stay with me and I can honestly say that I have never fully understood the harsh reality of nature. But I accept it and respect it. My little felines are no different. They want meat. They crave it. As soon as they smell it in the house they instinctively begin to behave just like those lions - tails extended, ears twitching, abruptly sprinting from one room to the next, pausing in the shadows with their front bodies crouched down, hind legs high in the air, waiting to pounce on their imaginary kill...

One only has to try feeding their pets a vegetarian diet (which I do not recommend) and will immediately notice not only their disinterest, but the plethora of health problems that will quickly ensue. Cats especially need animal sources of vitamin A, arachidonic acid, and taurine for proper nutrition and survival. A deficiency of these nutrients often leads to some of the most common problems found in cats: blindness, cancers, and heart and kidney failure.

Cats that are able to go outdoors have the advantage of being able to hunt birds, rodents, and other small animals and eat what comes naturally to them: raw meat, bones, cartilage, and organs. But I live in a city and that is not possible. I, like many of my fellow urban pet owners, adopted my cats from a shelter just so they wouldn't end up on the street and like most alley cats - dead at a very young age. So what do we feed our urban pets? Kitty chow and canned fish dinner, right?

Well, yes, if you learned about pet health the way I did - through advertising.

When I first got my two little kittens (Nelson and Reggie), I got their shots, had their ears cleaned of mites, had them neutered, bought all their nice supplies with good quality clumping litter, and a fairly expensive brand of food called IAMS for kittens. I wanted only the best for my cats.

I started them out on the little cans, and then, as suggested by the Vet, switched them to a good quality dry food (IAMS, as well). They ate nothing but those little kibbles for about 4 years, until Nelson developed a urinary tract infection (UTI). Apparently, UTIs are quite common with cats (both male and female) because of poor diet. Ash, found in dry foods and in fish, causes cats to develop crystals in their urinary tracts which build up and become inflamed. Another cause is alkaline urine. Acidic urine will dissolve crystals, but most cats become alkaline for two reasons: Leaving food out all day and allowing cats to smell it stimulates the alkaline in their system. The other cause is cooked food. When protein is cooked, amino acids like taurine and methionine that are vital to acidification cannot be assimilated by cats, and get passed off as waste.

No one told me this. After administering antibiotics, the vet gave me a "prescription food" that basically had the same bad ingredients in it as regular food, with the addition of some amino acids, minerals, and anti-inflammatories. This only worked temporarily. It wasn't long before my cat had another infection. This time it was so bad that I had to take him to the emergency room at the animal medical center and have him catheterized. Then my other cat got a UTI several months later. They were suffering both physical pain and emotional trauma of having to be treated over and over at the hospital (catheters, anesthesia, shots, rehydrations, etc...).

After hundreds of dollars of treatments, medication, and prescription food, I finally decided to seek some alternative advice. I bought a book at my local pet store called, Dr. Pitcairne's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. This book talks about the importance of proper diet for our pets and the dangers of commercially produced pet food. It contains recipes for homemade food so I decided to try making their food for a while. It was complicated, costly, and labor intensive, plus they never really liked it. It contained a lot of grains which I later found out is not natural to a feline diet. Cats cannot metabolize carbohydrates very well (I'm beginning to believe that humans can't either). The other problem was that they were addicted to the taste and the crunch of their kibbles. Sound familiar? It's sort of like if you fed your kids breakfast cereal or Doritos all day - forever. It would be addictive, fattening, nutritionally deficient, and a very hard habit to break.

So I decided a good compromise was to look for the best quality canned food I could find. I found one called "Wellness." It was expensive but they liked it. It had good ingredients like human grade chicken, brown rice, flax, fish oil, blueberries, carrots, etc... Sounds healthy, right? They ate this for about 4 more years. Then one day I noticed that Nelson had diarrhea. I waited a day to see if it would clear up on his own but it didn't. I brought him to the vet and, again, they put him on an antibiotic and prescription food. He threw up the medication and his diarrhea got worse. He was losing weight. He ended up having chronic diarrhea for two months. He had every blood test, ultrasound, x-ray known to kittykind. It was determined that he had irritable bowel syndrome but no one could tell me why. No treatments worked. No prescription food worked. He was dying and I was distraught.

One day while walking home from work, I came across this "holistic" pet shop called "Whiskers." There was a whole section of herbal remedies and supplements that I had never seen before. The man who was working in this section asked me if I needed help. I told him that my cat was dying of diarrhea and wondered if he had any remedy for it. He said "yes." He told me not to buy anything in the store (I immediately trusted him!) and to go to the supermarket, buy some chicken breast and sweet potato, cook them well, and blend them in equal parts into a mushy food. He told me to give this and nothing else to my cat for three days (my other cat could eat it too). He said that this would bind his stool and give him his appetite back. I had nothing to lose so I did it. At first, the cats sniffed this mysterious orange stuff and walked away. But they came back later, hungry and curious. They ate it. They ate it for three days. And lo and behold, my cat's diarrhea disappeared. I ran back to that store and hugged that man. "What should I do now?" I asked him.

He then instructed me to start changing them over to a raw diet and to simply stay away from canned food. That's right. Raw meat. No grains, no fillers, no salt, no by-products or parts, no broth, no gelatin, no fish, no flaxseed... just meat - as they were meant to eat (a few veggies too, but they aren't necessary). There were some commercial brands of raw food that were quite good or I could give them my own. I decided to try the frozen stuff first to see if they could tolerate it. (Tolerate it? They're felines! This is what their bodies have evolved to digest!).

Okay, okay... so there is a happy ending. My cats have been eating raw meat ever since. That was about 5 years ago. Since then my cats have both gained weight. Their coats are shiny and silky. They are more energetic today than they were 10 years ago. Neither of them has had a UTI or diarrhea or anything. They go to the vet once a year for check-ups and my Vet marvels at how Nelson has recovered and how beautiful they both look.

The best part is that they behave like hunters - little lions that they are.

PRIMAL PET TIPS:

1) Do not feed your cats dry food. Just don't. Think "breakfast cereal, forever."

2) Only feed your cats once or twice a day. After they eat, take their dishes away and wash them. Cats are hunters. Their digestive systems are designed to fast and then gorge. Do not leave food out all day. Constant "grazing" will lead to lethargy, obesity, diabetes, UTIs that can result in bladder infections, kidney failure, and heart failure.

3) Do not feed your cat fish. This is not natural to a feline diet. When was the last time you saw a cat jump into the water for its food?

4) Try to get your animals off of commercial canned food. Remember the recent pet food recall because of all the melamine? Hundreds of cats died of kidney failure. This is just one reason. The other reasons are discussed above.

You will have to transition your cats slowly. If they are still eating dry food, remember, they are probably addicted to the taste of their crunchies. Try just a half teaspoon of wet food a day mixed with some dry food. Then slowly add more wet food and just sprinkle some crumbled dry food on top until you slowly phase it out for good. Do the same mixing with canned food if you're transitioning from canned to raw.

5) Making your own homemade food for your pets is easy and doesn't have to be expensive. I get ground scraps and bones from the farmer from whom I get my own meat. His animals are raised on a pasture and eat grass. If it's good enough for me, it's good enough for my cats. Here's a basic cat or dog food recipe:

- 2 lbs. of raw ground chuck or ground chicken or ground turkey and/or scraps (you must try to find a good source of quality meat - either a local butcher, farmer, or somewhere the meat turns over quickly. You do not want to poison your animal with salmonella. Most dogs and cats have better antibodies against bacteria than we do, but care should still be taken).
- Two or three of tablespoons of raw ground carrots, broccoli, sweet potato, or whatever fresh vegetables you have bought for yourself.

That's it. Mix it all up and put into 3 or 4 pint sized containers or glass jars. Use one right away and freeze the rest. Defrost as necessary.

I also give my cats bones, skin, and any other leftovers from my chickens, beef fat, pork skin, etc... Cats don't have a hard time with bones. Their teeth are designed to tear, shred, and crush them. Sometimes I'll even throw them a raw chicken leg and watch them go to town on it. Very primal!

6) You can also find primal recipes in the following books:
- The New Natural Cat by Anita Frazier
- Give Your Dog a Bone by Dr. Ian Billinghurst
- The Ultimate Diet: Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats by Kymythy R. Schultze, AHI

Or check out these websites:
- Dr. Pitcairn.com
- barfaustralia.com
- Whiskers Holistic Pet Products
- Dr. Lisa Pierson

7) If you can't make your own food, try one of the frozen raw foods like: Abady, Primal, Stella and Chewy's, and Raw Advantage. Many pet stores now have a frozen section and carry these. If they don't, ask them. I'm sure they will special order it for you.

Do you have primal pets?

If anyone feeds their dogs raw food, I would love to know what you feed them.

Eating on the Road

2009-06-04T15:58:00.004-04:00

Because I travel a lot for work, it is always a continuous challenge to try to stay healthy while on the road. Since I normally do most of my own cooking at home with fresh ingredients I purchase directly from farmers, it always feels like a bit of an assault on my body when I am forced to eat in restaurants for a week at a time. I find it more and more difficult to find reasonably priced restaurants that serve anything remotely healthy. The choices are always the same in every American city - Chili's, Fridays, Applebees, Chipotle, Ruby Tuesday, Mimi's, etc... And those are the healthier ones. Even when I find the nearest Whole Foods, I find that most of the salad bar and prepared foods are brought in pre-cooked, are not seasonal, not organic, and contain all kinds of sweeteners and terrible oils that I normally would not eat. When did we become a nation of nothing but chains that serve industrial prefabricated foodstuff, and when did we become so accustomed to it that we treat these restaurants as if they are part of a normal diet?

Well, I still refuse to see them as "normal," even if they are ubiquitous and convenient. If I look hard enough and do a little research before traveling, I can still find local, family owned eateries that take pride in their cooking and serve up their food with love. Here are some other strategies I have devised which help me remain in balance and keep me from getting sick while traveling across this great country.

1) I always stay at Bed and Breakfasts instead of hotels.

B&Bs are affordable, cozy, comfortable, cleaner than most hotels, have tons of character, and you can almost be certain that you will be served a home-cooked, healthy, and generous breakfast that is included with the price of your room.

Now the social aspect of B&Bs is not for everyone. I myself prefer to dine with people, especially when I am traveling alone for business. It's a nice relaxed way to start my work day and a much better option for me than sitting in a lonely diner and gobbling down a greasy spoon breakfast, or stopping at a Starbucks for a grande cappuccino and a sugary muffin.

The last B&B I stayed at in Asheville, North Carolina, was the Blake House Inn. It was supremely comfortable and breakfast consisted of fresh berries, a mushroom quiche (I didn't eat the crust), and fresh brewed coffee with cream. I skipped the home fries and scones and doubled up on the crustless quiche. That filled me up until late afternoon.

2) If I have time, I always look for a farmer's market.

This is always the best bet for me. There I can buy local fruit, maybe some cheese, some yogurt, a little organic cream for my daily coffee, and perhaps some salad veggies. Most B&Bs will allow you to store food in their fridge so it usually works out pretty well.

3) The next best thing - Whole Foods or a local health food store.

I'm not one to believe that everything you find in a Whole Foods is "healthy," in fact the same rules that I employ in a regular supermarket apply to Whole Foods: "Stick to the perimeter!" One can find just as many sugary breakfast cereals and unhealthy fried snacks in a "health food" store as in a Walmart (Note to self: "Dehydrated organic cane juice" is still SUGAR!).

But what you can find in health food stores that is great to have while traveling is healthy food that is portable like apples, berries, raw nuts and seeds, and of course there is the salad bar that once must judiciously navigate. Watch out for those pre-prepared salads that contain tons of soybean oil. Try to stick to the raw ingredients and add your own olive oil and vinegar or lemon.

A cheaper route can be to buy one of those rotisserie chickens, a few tomatoes, and a nice head of romaine lettuce. This could be dinner for two to three nights if you stretch it. You can usually purchase a small container of olive oil and vinegar from the salad bar that can dress a few salads.

4) I either do a little research or ask a local and try to find some local specialties.

While I was in North Carolina, one of my colleagues, a Durham native, brought me to one of the best barbecue joints. It was definitely food that I cannot get back in New York and well worth the diversion. The nice thing about North Carolina barbecue is that it isn't as sugary as Texas barbecue. It has more of a savory, vinegar flavor that really compliments the tender meat very well. I had the brisket and it was deeelicious. It came with 2 sides so I ordered the collard greens and okra. I skipped the bread and sweet sauce and just used a little of "his sauce" which seemed to have little to no sugar at all. Fabulous.

5) If I can't find any food to eat, I would rather skip a meal.

I have no problem skipping meals and doing a little intermittent fasting if I can't find anything worth eating. I usually have fruit and nuts on hand so I may just snack on those until I find some decent food.

6) If I see a farm stand on the side of the road, I stop!

I never pass up the chance to sample fresh, seasonal, and locally grown food - whether it's organic or not. Of course, I prefer organic, but small farmers rarely use the same chemicals in their soil that commercial farmers use so I know it's still going to be relatively healthy and delicious.

7) If I'm being taken out to dinner to a restaurant that I don't really like, I try to make the smartest choices when I order.

I don't have to tell you that I stay away from the bread, pasta, potatoes, and all grain dishes. I try to always order an entree salad with a healthy protein like salmon, chicken, or lean meat.

Asian restaurants can be particularly difficult since almost everything comes in a sweet syrupy sauce. If I'm in a Japanese restaurant I may order sashimi, some steamed spinach (oshitashi) and skip the rice, which is always infused with sugar and vinegar. Many Japanese restaurants also have grilled meats like teriyaki (very often sweet though), sukiyaki, and shabu-shabu. Chinese restaurants will usually offer some kind of steamed fish without sauce and sometimes steamed vegetables like chinese broccoli and bok choy, also without sauce. Thai and Indonesian food will almost certainly have sugar in all of it, especially those peanut sauces. Indian food is pretty much a safe bet for me - minus the rice. Italian is fine too. Most good Italian menus have wonderful caprese salads, a good selection of antipasti vegetables, and some delicious fish, chicken and meat. I just skip the pasta course. French restaurants - my favorite.

8) When dining at someone's home - I try to be polite, but I don't have to eat everything on my plate.

I think it's perfectly acceptable to leave a little food over. If it's food I really don't want to eat (lasagna and bread, for example), I'll take very little to begin with, push it around on my plate a bit, and eat a small amount. I don't mind if people say, "she eats like a bird." No one is ever unhappy that they have more leftovers. Later on, however, I may go out for a burger (without bun, of course).

It's good to be back home.

Testicle Festival

2009-06-01T12:22:00.002-04:00

For the last six or seven years in Woodruff, Utah, we have enjoyed an annual celebration of the mighty Rocky Mountain Oyster, the bovine testicle. I had my first experience with the "oyster" last year, and went back again this year to share the experience with my neighbors and folks from outside the area drawn by our new tradition.

This meal, with a few deviations from my ordinary diet of meats, healthy fats, nuts & berries, lower-carbohydrate vegetables and fruits, and no processed sugars/carbs, was all about "community." That is a good enough reason for it to show up today in our blog as a bit of a guilty pleasure.

An Eggselent Meal

2009-05-24T11:34:00.008-04:00

I love eggs. I eat them most days. I've recently become aware that my love for them is the sort of love that sometimes steps over some of the marvelous qualities of familiar things.

Not too long ago I visited my neighbors' personal chicken ranch for this blog. At the time, the hens were still largely feeding on winter mash. Now, the spring grasses with their nutritious seeds have arisen and the bugs that chickens love to hunt are in full, late spring industry.

The chickens are ranging.

My neighbors have no roosters, so all of us on our short rural street are spared the noise and attitude that come with those obnoxious males. Since I live only two houses away, I am occasionally blessed with the light music of hens communicating with each other as they go about their daily foraging.

Stephanie is visiting and had hoped to try some of the eggs produced by my neighbors' chickens. She'd planned a meal surrounding those eggs which included chorizo sausages from the Tamarack Hollow Farm in Vermont and Utah-raised tomatoes purchased after her arrival. She also brought asparagus, fiddlehead ferns, Romaine lettuce, and wild morel mushrooms from the New York area, which she plans on using for a wild mushroom sauce that will smother some of my local sirloin steaks we will be having for dinner tomorrow. [Long pause] Where am I?

I called my neighbor, Tracy, to ask her if I might score four or so eggs.

"Only four?" she asked.

"Well, six would be perfect."

The next morning she dropped by with a full dozen, and told me that she had plenty if I needed more. The eggs represented the colors of the chicken rainbow, light chocolate, tan, light green/turquoise. In addition to their beauty, it has been well-documented that these genuine free-range eggs contain much more of vitamins D, E, A, beta-carotene, and Omega 3 fatty acids than commercially raised eggs. (What the USDA means by "free-range" and what ordinary people think are two different things.)

Steph prepared the tomato for roasting by quartering it and seasoning it with salt, fresh ground pepper, oregano, and freshly chopped parsley.

The eggs were beautiful with rich, orange yolks begging to be left soft. We complied.

The smell of the roasting spicy chorizo and sweet tomatoes quickly filled the kitchen and eventually drew Asher from The Computer Dungeon (basement), his nostrils twitching. The sausage would later confirm my growing suspicion that former vegetarians - such as the pig farmers at Tamarack - have a unique and sensitive way of producing meat.

It's quite a thing when you're able to leave foods with opposing natures together in a roasting pan and have them get along so nicely. We plated the meal and Stephanie, inspired, topped the eggs with some of the fats and juices from the chorizo-tomato together time.

I'm a simple guy who ordinarily throws a couple of eggs into my dedicated egg pan, turns them after 90 seconds or so, tops them with salt and pepper, and calls it finished. The egg solo is a standard during my solitary times. The genius in Stephanie's meal was in demonstrating the power of the mighty, work-a-day egg to serve as a mediator between the fiery, combative chorizo sausage and the sweet, tender tomato. All were honored in this excellent, nutritious, and tasty meal.

And thus the egg stood between, and with, both.

Culinary Alchemy

2009-05-05T18:03:00.012-04:00

When I was a little boy my grandmother taught me about alchemy although she might have gently whapped me with her ever-present handtowel for using such an uppity way of talking about what she did. Grandma simply took two wonderful things, her husband's honey and fresh butter, and made something new: Honeybutter. This new synthesis of the old theses of cow and bee became the morning spread used around her place. A small, bright bowl of it generally sat on her sunstruck kitchen table, parked in the middle as a centerpiece on the red and white checkered table cloth, a jolly sentinel.

I was recently exposed to another alchemical experience while travelling in the U.K. with Stephanie. She wanted to visit the Borough Market in London off Borough High St., and so we went.

The market was a festival of visual and olfactory stimuli. The aromas of cooking sausages, fish, and cheeses were like persistent, skilled barkers, drawing wanderers-by into nearby home stands and booths. I could write a separate post about the market itself. Toward the southwest area of the Stoney St. perimeter near Park St. we smelled the glorious fusion of onion and cheese, cooking.

I've never processed anything quite like the aroma that eventually helped sell us the sandwich. The owner of Kappacasein Toasted Cheese Sandwiches & Raclette, Bill Oglethorpe, was happy to share his recipe: Gorgeous dark French sourdough made especially for their sandwiches, a local hardish cheddar made by the Montomerys of Somerset, a chopped combination of onions, leeks, mustard greens, garlic, all of this finished off with a good pressing.

Bill went into some of the nuances of his particular components, the particular acidity of the bread, the extra maturing of the cheese he purchased, the local acquisition of the vegetables, etc. He directed us the hundred or so yards down Park St. to the manufacturer of his cheese. Taking one of his sandwiches, off we went.

The informed and friendly man selling the cheese we were eating in the sandwich told us that his cheddar is aged for two years. He gave us samples and ended up making a sale as Stephanie picked up a substantial wedge. We picked up some nice apples to go with at least a portion of the cheese later.

Stephanie and I finished our sandwiches and talked about the experience off and on for the next several days as we nibbled at the Montgomery cheese, polishing off the apples in Freefolk, Hampshire. It was simply, at the risk of sounding trite and too romantic, the best cheese sandwich I've ever had. The combination of the cheese, bread, and vegetables was fused by the pressing process into a New Thing, and it was glorious. We later learned that Ruth Reichl had crowned Oglethorpe's product the "Platonic ideal" of a cheese sandwich.

Was this a complex interaction of acids, bases, savory cheese, and vegetable sugars, or was it something more simple? Maybe the miracle in this new thesis, the epitome of "cheese sandwich," was in its simplicity. Stephanie and I talked about trying to duplicate the sandwich someday. By the time we finished our trip we still had a little cheese and decided to see if we could get home with it.

A long plane trip, short bus ride, and minor subway adventure later, we were back in Lower Manhattan. As I completed my final packing at Stephanie's house, she did something quite marvelous. She was very tired, but went out, purchased some ingredients, took the last of our Montgomery cheddar, chopped up some aromatic and appropriate vegetables, added a dose or two of love, and made us a meal of sausages and pressed cheese sandwiches. I don't have any photos to share here. I did take some with my mind.

That was twenty-four hours ago. I've since wandered back to Utah from where I am typing this. But the effects of the last ingredient persist. This is particularly interesting, because my first experience with culinary alchemy took that ingredient for granted. I shall try not to make that mistake again.

My Healthy Approach to Weight Loss - Part 2

2009-04-26T12:07:00.010-04:00

The second part of this post on weight loss has to do with other strategies that can make eating less, taking in fewer calories, and dropping the pounds a little easier.

EXERCISE

Exercise is certainly important to good health and a sense of well being, but it is not everything, and one shouldn't depend on exercise alone if you are trying to lose weight or lose body fat. One thing I learned from Mark Sisson is that 80% of your results come from what you eat, therefore a healthy, low-carb diet is imperative. If you were to continue your normal diet and decided to ramp up your exercise, you would have to be a marathon runner or one of those chronic cardio people that spends an hour or more a day on a machine to make a big enough difference where you would actually be shedding pounds and fat. I don't really recommend this (being a former marathon runner) since long stretches of cardio demand a high carbohydrate diet for stamina, which sort of defeats the whole purpose. These long stretches of cardio also release free radicals in your body, lowering your immune system and creating an environment that is ripe for disease.

When I was a long distance runner, I was constantly dealing with back, knee, hip, and ankle injuries. I lived on rice, pasta, bagels, and hot chocolate for my training and recovery foods. Yes I was thin, but my glucose levels were through the roof and I can only imagine how much oxidative stress and inflammation I had in my body. Well, it must have been a lot because then I had a heart attack. I've witnessed 3 sudden deaths from heart attacks during my racing days and I've read about many more, so I consider myself extremely lucky. I'm not saying that long distance running = heart disease. But I am saying that great care in diet, supplementation, and proper recovery have to be taken when making that commitment.

There are easier ways to stay fit. Running, biking, walking, hiking, dancing, etc... are all great, but don't have to be taken to extremes to get positive results. Studies show that short sprints or bursts of anaerobic exercise burn more fat than monotonous hours on the treadmill. Exercise should be fun! A round of tennis or a game of softball is a great way of getting the body moving and exhibiting short bursts of anaerobic activity. Grab your ipod and go for a long walk. Add 4 or 5 sprints to your walk and you'll be getting a great workout.

STRENGTH TRAINING

In addition to some light cardio, strength training should be part of any weight loss or fitness plan. Strength training through weightlifting, yoga, pilates, or just simple calisthenics you do at home keep the body supple, burn fat, prevent bone loss, and keep the body strong, thus preventing injuries. 3 days a week is plenty. This combined with a healthy, low-carb diet and you are on your way to a healthy, strong, and happy body.

INTERMITTENT FASTING

There's a lot on the internet about fasting and it can also be confusing. Again, I can only tell you what has worked for me.

Fasting is practiced by different cultures all around the world - some for spiritual purposes and some for health purposes. Let's face it, there are times where we all feel like we need a re-charge, a cleansing of a sort. I think it's a good thing, as long as it's not abused. I used to fast obsessively (yes, that can also be called anorexia), but I was convinced that since it was an established practice, albeit alternative, it was healthy. I was wrong. I was juice fasting on what is called the "lemonade diet" or the "master cleanse." This is nothing more than fresh squeezed lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. SUGAR WATER! And I would do it for weeks at a time (as recommended by the author of the book, The Master Cleanse).* Again, my glucose levels had skyrocketed. My electrolytes were completely out of whack. My cardiologist advised against it but I did it anyway thinking that it would cleanse my liver of all the horrible medications I was on (which is what it claims to do).* I had my second heart attack shortly after a 14-day master cleanse.

Fasting, if done properly, actually has the opposite effect. It lowers insulin levels, thus releasing fat cells into the bloodstream and allowing your muscles to burn them off as energy. One 24-hour fast can reduce insulin levels by 70%! You can undo a lot of damage during the week with one fast on the weekend. I can't think of a better way to help those who have trouble dieting than to encourage one 24 hour fast a week to lower insulin, reduce the appetite, and put one back in touch with the way the body feels without food - giving a better and more conscious sense of what it feels like to nurture the body with food.

A few guidelines:

- Drink water! Don't let yourself get dehydrated.

- Don't drink juice. It's liquid food, and has calories that prevent your insulin levels from dropping adequately.

- You can drink coffee, tea, mineral water or any non-caloric drink. I don't advise drinking diet beverages since part of the reason you are fasting is to cleanse the body of toxins. It's also probably a good opportunity to cut back on caffeinated beverages so try different herbal teas for a more cleansing effect. But if you're a coffee or diet soda junkie and really need it to avoid the misery of a caffeine withdrawal headache, I would say it's okay since it won't undo the other benefits of the fast. Try to wean yourself off slowly so perhaps after a few fasts, you can get through it caffeine free.

You can start your fast after dinner (around 6pm) and then go until dinner then next evening. It's easy if you start at night because your first 8-12 hours are spent sleeping. If I start my fast on a Saturday night after dinner, sleep in on Sunday, by the time I wake up, enjoy a cup of tea, do my Sunday yoga, and shop at the farmers market, I'm ready to come home, do a few chores, and prepare dinner (for 6pm). It's not as difficult as it sounds.

Fasting once in a while will help you achieve quick but safe weight loss (don't do more than 24 hours consecutively!). I have come to understand this through my many years of having to fast before having diagnostic procedures, such as angiographies, colonoscopies, and endoscopies. There are so many times that I have been put on "NPO" or "nothing by mouth" in the hospital for 8-12, sometimes even 24 hours. Once I am allowed to eat normally again, I find that I have lost weight and that it stays off for quite some time (unless I go off and binge on sugary foods again).

You can learn more about Intermittent Fasting or "IM" here:

Intermittent Fasting 101

Is Intermittent Fasting Healthy?

Brad Pilon's Blog

Let's just recap here and remember some safe and healthy ways to lose weight:

- Give up sugar. It's good for nothing at all.

- Give up processed and refined carbs - they're just like sugar.

- Eat real food - forget processed and packaged foods and opt for organic, seasonal vegetables and fruits; pastured chickens and eggs; grass fed beef; wild fish; organic nuts and seeds; and organic dairy products from grass-fed animals (preferably raw).

- Exercise moderately and have fun! - walk, run, bike, swim, play tennis, softball

- Do some strength training 3 times a week. - weightlifting, yoga, pilates, calisthenics.

- Fast once in a while. - lower your insulin and decrease your appetite.

Good luck and be kind to yourself.

* There is no scientific evidence behind any of the claims made by Stanley Burroughs - author of the Master Cleanse.

My Healthy Approach to Weight Loss - Part 1

2009-04-25T15:36:00.009-04:00

I was listening to this NPR podcast the other day called "Are all Calories Created Equal" and the gist of the study was that the only true way of losing weight is to reduce the amount of calories you take in, regardless of what kind of diet you go on. Although the study that was conducted had its limitations; in the end, the conclusion is really non-debatable. Yes, it is true. The only real way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories, or burn more calories than you are taking in.

I don't think this is anything new or illuminating. The real question is, "How?" How do we get to the place where we can eat less, exercise more, take in the proper nutrition for good health, stop craving food, and feel satisfied and energized?

There is a myriad of diets, strategies, plans, tips, and methods to choose from, and of course it all gets very confusing. I can only share what has worked for me and what has brought me to a place of conscious and joyful eating, balance, and self-forgiveness and love. I went through a lifetime of unhealthy behaviors like yo-yo dieting, obsessive exercising, bingeing and purging, and other anorexic tendencies. The day I was diagnosed with heart disease is the day all of that came to an end. My life depended on it.

I'll save the aspects of my psychological journey for another post, but I do want to share some very practical tips that have helped me get to where I need to be.

The word "moderation" is a loaded term for many. It means something different to everyone, and for myself and many others, this concept just doesn't exist. So I will refrain from using the old cliche, "everything in moderation." I prefer to think about balance and a sense of well-being. We know that deprivation doesn't work either and just makes us feel sad, depressed, unloved, perhaps angry, and most of all, ravenous! And at the same time we can't "have our cake and eat it too." All that said, let me get to my first and most important tip of all on our journey to losing some pounds.

1) Stop eating sugar. NOW! That means everything with sugar in it: breakfast cereal, muffins, breads, protein bars, soy milk, fruit juice, soft drinks, ketchup, salad dressings, mayonnaise, peanut butter, jam, and most processed foods. Sugar is addictive. It makes you want more sugar. It makes you want to eat more in general. It spikes your insulin levels and can cause insulin resistance (this makes you fat) and metabolic syndrome (this causes diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases).

To get rid of sugar cravings, just stop eating all sweet food for 1-2 weeks - this means maple syrup, honey, and artificial sweeteners as well. You can feel the difference even after 3 days. The craving for sweet food disappears. I promise you.

2) Stop eating processed carbs for two weeks. Processed carbs turn to sugar and do the same thing. They are addictive and leave you feeling hungry for more. This means bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, grains (yes, brown rice too!!). We have been taught that they are filling and since they are low in fat - good for us. Not really true. Brown rice, spelt pasta, and whole grain bread turn to sugar and convert to fat the same way white bread does. Give it up for a few weeks and see how you feel.

(I would also add potatoes and corn to this list - they are plants, yes, but problematic ones for several reasons. For the purpose of this post, let's just say that they also behave like sugar in the system).

So what to eat...

Once you have discovered that most processed and packaged foods have loads of sugar and unsavory ingredients that are designed to keep you wanting more, it's time to discover nature's gifts.

EGGS

Try to get organic, free range, or preferably pastured eggs (meaning that the chickens not only run free but eat a natural diet of insects, plants, and grasses). Vegetarian feed usually means corn and soy. Corn and soy are used to fatten the chicken up, and guess what? They'll fatten you up too. Don't be afraid of the yolk either. Egg yolks from pasture eggs are one of the richest sources of heart healthy omega 3's. I like my eggs boiled because their transportable, but I also love making beautiful omelettes with wild mushrooms and fresh herbs, eggs benedict with smoked salmon (minus the english muffin), goat cheese and tomato frittatas, crustless quiches, and other eggy, yummy foods.

VEGETABLES

Eat what's in season and what looks beautiful. Make yourself beautiful salads, stirfries, and soups. There are fabulous greens in season right now - spinach, kale, collards, mustard, and an array of wild greens like dandelion, chickweed, shallot greens, and onion and garlic sprouts. Asparagus are on their way. Steam, grill, or roast them. Drizzle olive oil or butter on them. Steam or roast spring root vegetables and mash them or bake them au gratin.

GRASS FED MEATS, PASTURED CHICKENS, AND WILD FISH

Try to find meats from animals that have been raised naturally. Most of us are deficient in vitamin D and one of the healthiest sources is animal fat from animals that have been raised outside in sunlight. This is certainly different from feed-lot animals that have been artificially fattened with hormones, corn, soy, and other grains that cows and pasture animals are not meant to digest. These are the meats that are making us sick. Same goes with commercially raised chickens and with farmed fish.

Spring is a wonderful time for slow-cooked lamb stews with sweet root vegetables like carrots and parsnips. A good roast chick is good for any occasion. And meatballs slow cooked in home-made tomato sauce (canned from last summer's tomatoes) is so satisfying with fresh oregano and some shaved parmegiano cheese.

For a snack, my friend Emily taught me how to make salmon jerky. If you have a dehydrator, it's as simple as marinating strips of salmon in your favorite marinade (no sugar), and dehydrating overnight.

FRUITS

I'm a big fruit eater, but try to stick to the lower glycemic fruits like berries, apples, pears, and stone fruits. If you're trying to lose your sweet tooth, I would hold off on fruits for a week or two. I indulge in tropical fruits like bananas, mangoes, and papayas once in a while, but mostly when I'm in places where they grow. I also have to be careful with the high sugar content because of my heart disease. Dried fruits are out of the question for me and should also not be eaten the first few weeks of coming off sugar.

NUTS AND SEEDS

If you feel the urge to satisfy a snack craving, eat nuts. Raw nuts are preferable but I would encourage eating any nuts over something sweet. Be careful with packaged nuts, however. They can be filled with all kinds of sweeteners, MSG, and other weird chemicals. Try to find raw, organic almonds, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, walnuts, and pecans. These are all high in healthy fats and protein. Cashews and pistachios are a little higher in carbs so easy does it with them. Pumpkin seeds are also a great snack. I roast them with italian herbs and sea salt. Yum.

DAIRY

There seems to be a lot of debate as to whether dairy products should be consumed by humans or not. The fact is that there are many traditional cultures around the world that have always consumed dairy products and have very high life expectancies. So while it may not be the most natural thing in the world for humans to consume the milk of a different species, it's not the most particularly harmful food either - that is, if you're consuming dairy products that come from naturally raised animals.

Cheese is one of the most satisfying foods for me to eat when I'm trying to get off sugar. It helps me satisfy my snacking urge, and again, once I'm past the sugar cravings, it's home free. I like raw-milk, hard - cow, goat, and sheep cheeses the best like swiss, cheddar, reggiano, manchego, raclette, feta, and gouda. The soft or fresh cheeses are a little higher in carbs and should probably be avoided in the beginning of your sugar busting journey. Sometimes if I'm at a work function or party and the only thing that's being served is pizza, I will just eat the topping off and toss the crust. The cheese and sauce are the best parts anyway.

I'm also a big fan of full-fat milk, cream, sour cream, and yogurt. Non-fat dairy has been chemically processed and tastes terrible. It's also higher in carbs and lactose (milk sugar) than the full fat versions. I've been eating full fat dairy for years now and it doesn't put weight on me, nor has it raised my cholesterol levels. Try to find organic or milk from grass-fed cows. A lot of commercial cream and sour cream also have weird chemicals in them so read your labels. The best choice is if you have access to a dairy farm, see if you can buy raw milk that hasn't been pasteurized or homogenized. Raw milk contains all of the enzymes (lactase) that are necessary to digest lactose, so is especially good for those who may be intolerant. Goat milk is also a good choice for those who have trouble digesting dairy.

FATS

I've written plenty about fats in the past so I won't go into great detail here. Basically, I believe that fats from animals (and fish) that have been raised naturally are healthy. Our bodies were built to digest and synthesize animal fats. I cook with chicken fat, lard, coconut oil, palm oil, and butter (and my cholesterol is low). Most vegetable oils have been highly processed and are not meant for human consumption - these are the trans fats and polyunsaturated fats like corn, safflower, soybean, and all margarines - even Smart Balance!! They increase inflammation in the body and I am convinced that they are one of the biggest culprits of the increasing rates of heart disease in this country. The exceptions are olive oil, canola, and most nut and seed oils. Those oils should only be used for dressings, however, and should not be used for frying or sauteeing. They are not stable enough to stand up to high temperatures. For that, stick to coconut oil, palm oil, and animal fats.

So there you have it -a jump start into losing weight. Remember, the eventual goal here is to eat less. Once you have eliminated a lot of the sweet and carby foods, you will notice that your appetite will naturally decrease. It's a beautiful thing, really.

The truth is that we don't need that much food to live. A few balanced meals during the day should suffice. We are a culture that is encouraged to be obsessed with consumption. And I myself know that it is not easy to get out of this overeating cycle. But after a few weeks of nourishing the body with healthy and tasty foods, you become more in tuned to how your body feels and what it really wants. You learn how to eat only when your hungry and not out of boredom or emotional triggers and cravings. Once you find that equilibrium, you can start to reincorporate a lot of the foods you initially gave up - like occasional grains, bread, pasta, maybe even sweets. Chances are, you probably won't really want to go back to that kind of eating since you will be feeling so much better.

In my next post, I'll talk about the significance of exercise and fasting when it comes to weight loss. For now, just know that most of your weight loss will come from diet.

I'll leave you with this wonderful article from Dr. Mercola's blog:

Words of Wisdom From a 97-Year-Old Physician

Questions? suggestions? criticisms?

Tell me.

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T15:17:00.005-04:00

Earth Day is almost over but it's not to late to join the No GMO Challenge.

Let's not give Monsanto any more of our hard-earned cash!

(The True Food Network has also published a guide to non-GMO shopping).

The Sunshine State

2009-04-06T07:19:00.011-04:00

On a recent business trip to Florida, I noticed that the service stations on the interstates offer some of Florida's best treasures: oranges, grapefruits, tomatoes, strawberries, and pecans. I'm sure they are all grown by large commercial farms that do not employ the best standards, but I was happy to see people lining up to buy fresh squeezed juice and big bags of grapefruits while choosing to forgo the usual fast food options that were being offered inside.

My trip took me from Palm Beach, to Orlando, to Gainesville, and then ending in Sarasota.

I can always find a Farmers Market.

What surprised me about the Sarasota Farmers Market was the amount of vendors that were not farmers at all. In fact, a large amount of the produce there was shipped in from elsewhere. I guess the requirements don’t include having to have locally grown food. That is really a shame since that’s what farmers markets are for. It was also conveniently located across the street from the Whole Foods. I didn’t see much difference in shopping at one over the other.

I did, however, manage to find some local food.

Although commercially grown, Florida strawberries were a popular choice.

There was a nice selection of fresh seafood from the Gulf and some interesting sandwich choices.

Every farmers market has to have some local entertainment,

along with some local activism

(this woman was trying to get a petition against gerrymandering signed).

Some native flora

And finally some locally and organically grown produce.

It's out there if you look hard enough.

Backyard Chicken Ranching

2009-03-31T01:29:00.005-04:00

I live in rural northeastern Utah where people love to live and let live. Many of my neighbors are involved in some aspect of raising their own food. Chad and Tracy, two houses away, keep chickens and other animals.

I thought you might like to see what their family egg operation looks like.

Chad, for the observant viewer of my other videos, showed up serving burgers in the Woodruff "Testicle Festival." In a small community, everyone shows up everywhere, all the time.

Making a Case for Women and Dietary Fat

2009-03-15T16:56:00.022-04:00

I’ve been an advocate and spokesperson for the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign for nearly seven years now, and most recently spoke at their annual fund-raising luncheon at the Waldorf Astoria.

(Above) Dr. Nieca Goldberg, me, and Jane Chesnutt from Woman's Day Magazine
(Right) Me and Joy Behar

My overall message was that there are still troubling gender differences in the way that heart disease is researched, diagnosed, and treated; and that although more women today have a better awareness that they are candidates for heart disease and must be vigilant in recognizing the risk factors and symptoms, they are still not being taken seriously by doctors and practitioners in the same way that men are. My message was received well. I only hope it will resonate throughout the New York medical community and that fewer women will be sent home from emergency rooms like I was when I nearly died from a heart attack in 2006.

The general messaging from the AHA, however, still largely focuses on the individual.

For many reasons, I have a hard time with this, mainly because it places the sole responsibility of heart health care, and even blame, on the individual woman - a layperson. In fact, if you listen to Andie McDowell’s speech on the home page of the Go Red for Women website, you will hear her say that this campaign “helps women make smart choices,” as if to imply the reason they have heart disease and go undiagnosed is because they make foolish choices.

We rely on doctors - experts in the field - to guide us, give us medical advice, and be able to accurately diagnose and treat our diseases to their best capacity. What kind of message does it send to the public, to tell women that they cannot rely on doctors to do this, that they must do it for them? Where is the responsibility for medical professionals? And the problem is that even when patients arm themselves with information, doctors rarely take them seriously, in fact, they are usually annoyed by the “overly controlling” patient.

The other part of this campaign I have a hard time with its insistence that dietary fat and cholesterol are the major causes of heart disease.

I’ve been re-reading Gary Taubes’ Good Calories, Bad Calories, and revisiting the research-based evidence he provides to challenge the fat-cholesterol hypothesis of heart disease (which is still, by the way, nothing more than a hypothesis and has never been proven). The fact is that while high cholesterol may be associated with atherosclerosis, there is still no explanation as to why so many people have heart attacks despite having low cholesterol (including myself), and why a tremendous amount of people with high cholesterol never get heart disease.

Even though there is ample evidence (see studies below) which suggests that populations who follow a hunter/gatherer diet have longer life expectancies than those who follow a western, grain-based diet; and that high protein, yes- high fat, and low carbohydrate diets are much more effective for weight loss, reducing insulin levels, triglycerides, and raising good cholesterol; pop nutritionists and journalist are still trying to tout the low fat, high carb diet as being the healthy one, even though Americans are getting fatter on this diet every day.

Many researchers will readily admit that the evidence on the cholesterol/heart disease correlation is dubious at best. Taubes points out that one reason the medical community holds on to the cholesterol hypothesis is simply because cholesterol is measurable. Even though there are numerous other factors that are correlated with heart disease, such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and inflammation, there is no other measurable indicator that can be so easily remedied with a drug. And although statins have proven to lower cholesterol and lessen mortality in patients with heart disease, it has yet to be determined if it is statins’ cholesterol lowering properties that save lives. Statins also reduce inflammation. I am not suggesting that people with heart disease go off of their medication. I am on statins and plan on remaining on them for life. But do all people with high cholesterol (who are otherwise healthy) need to be put on statins (which have terrible side effects, by the way)? Couldn’t inflammation be controlled, let’s say, through a healthy diet? But what causes inflammation?

• Sugar
• Polyunsaturated vegetable oils like safflower, sunflower, corn, peanut and soy.
• Refined carbohydrates including flours made from wheat, corn, and soy.
• High glutinous foods like wheat, rice (even brown), and other grains.

It’s disturbing to see so many of my health conscious friends and associates follow this unsubstantiated advice that includes eating processed carbohydrates, high sugar, and soy-based vegetarian diets which have proven to raise insulin levels and cause inflammation. And people like Oprah keep wondering why they can’t take the weight off. Surely if someone like Oprah who can afford the most expensive nutrition and fitness gurus in the world can’t keep the weight off, something is wrong with the guidelines we are being told to follow.

Studies mentioned above:
A Palaeolithic diet improves glucose tolerance more than a Mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischaemic heart disease.

Cardiovascular risk factors in a Melanesian population apparently free from stroke and ischaemic heart disease: the Kitava study.

Weight Loss with a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet

Dietary fats, carbohydrate, and progression of coronary atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women.

And coincidentally, my friend, Emily, just sent me this article from the Montreal Gazette:

In Praise of Fat

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Making Goat Cheese

2009-03-09T08:28:00.009-04:00

Last week, I received an extra large shipment of raw goat's milk in my weekly order from the raw dairy club I belong to. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to drink it all on my own so I thought I might make yogurt out of it, and then I remembered that I've been meaning to try to make chèvre/goat cheese. I found a simple cheating recipe on eHow.com. It came out really well, in fact delicious, so I'm wondering how much different it might taste if I used the more complex recipe.

Deb, from Food is Love, posted a proper recipe on her site a while back and hers looks much more fancy and I'm guessing, flavorful, but here's mine nonetheless.

I started with 1/2 gallon of raw goat's milk. The more fresh and untreated your milk is, the healthier and more flavorful your cheese will be. Heat it to about 180 degrees F (you can use a candy thermometer or your finger - just don't boil the milk!).

Once it's hot enough, set it aside to cool for a few minutes. Then add about 1 Tbsp of raw, untreated apple cider vinegar. As you pour the vinegar into the hot milk you should immediately see the milk curdle and separate.

Once it has completely separated into curds and whey, ladle the curds into a colander that is lined with a few layers of cheesecloth. I put the colander over a bowl to catch the whey.

The whey, which is packed with protein, can be used later for smoothies.

Allow the curds to drain for several hours in the refrigerator. I then removed the cheese from the cheese cloth, mixed them with some salt and pepper, rolled it into a log, and wrapped it with parchment paper. You should then allow the cheese to age in the refrigerator for at least 2 days before tasting.

After two days, I tasted mine - and wouldn't you know, it tasted just like the chèvre I buy in specialty cheese shops. Who knew it would be this easy? and considerably cheaper then buying from any market.

Today for lunch I had locally grown mache (or sometimes called lamb's lettuce) with homemade goat cheese, local pears, and toasted hazelnuts. I dressed it in just a tiny bit of walnut oil and red wine vinegar. You must try this!!

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Beef Tale

2009-02-28T10:21:00.012-05:00

I now have a small freezer chest with a bunch of locally grown beef in my basement. It didn't just happen. The story may interest you.

The primary influence in my new assortment of frozen bovine protein is my partner Stephanie. Regular readers know why. If you don't, read the sidebar and some of the older posts. I was also influenced by a class I took last fall about Environmental History. Some of the weekly readings included material authored by Michael Pollan, and I started listening to a number of his podcasts including an older one in which he participated in the commercial beef process as an animal owner and consumer.^*

I don't subscribe to the notion that commercial beef is "poison,"^† but I do recognize that we have yet to fully understand the effects of hormon^‡ and antibiotic-laden meat which has been hyperfattened for commercial purposes. I also believe that the CAFO system of finishing commercially lucrative beef is an exercise in poor animal stewardship.

I live in cattle country. I'm surrounded by ranchers, some sheep, but mostly cattle. The ranchers in my part of the country are those who raise calves for part of a year then sell them to the commercial lots in the Plains States where they're fattened and sold commercially. The cattle in my part of the country have good lives, but many people here buy commercial meat because it's less expensive than local. This is the perverse and interesting part of modern, efficient, cheap meat production.

Nearly all locally sold meat comes from somewhere else.

In any event because of my conversations with Stephanie and my exposure to Pollan and other eco-thinkers including my professor (Dr. Bret Weber), last December I finally and seriously set about attempting to find a source of local, less risky, ethically handled beef. I contacted one ranch not too far away that advertized "organic" beef, but they never returned my call or email. I didn't know the people anyway and went looking elsewhere.

Over the years, I've written about my friend Sim. He's a local rancher, a fellow volunteer EMT, and the Mormon version of the Marlboro man; a real live, good-looking, non-smoking cowboy. I called him last month and told him that I was looking for a local source of beef in an effort to avoid CAFO/Factory Farm-finished commercial meat. I was just hoping for a lead. His response, however, was, "boy, do I have a deal for you!"

He told me that he was just getting ready to have an animal butchered. Local ranchers sometimes select first year cows that fail the "mommy test" through calf rejection or failure to nurture, and harvest them as beef. These animals are not part of the commercial beef outflow of young animals injected with growth hormones and sold to the large lots for commercial corn-soy finishing. Sim's personal cattle are fattened^** for a shorter period on alfalfa (grass), rolled barley, and limited corn. I told him that I was interested in 1/4 beef (25% of the processed animal). Sim said that his animal was going to be slaughtered shortly, would cure for a couple of weeks, and then would be butchered and frozen.

Where my beef cow lived. From one freezer to another. The moral? Be a good mommy.

A couple of weeks later I received a phone call from the butcher asking me how I wanted my animal processed. Did I want single or double wrapping? (Meat eaten within the year can be single wrapped, but they recommend double-wrapping for long-term storage.) Did I want a large prime rib or should they convert that cut into steaks? (Steaks, please.) How thick would I like my steaks? (One inch sounds nice, but the 3/4" standard cut yields more steaks.) Hamburger in one or two pound bags? (One, please.) Would I like any of the organs? (Yes, heart please.) Soup bones? (Again, yes.) And so on.

I didn't have a place to put the meat, so I priced small (5 or so cubic feet) chest freezers from a couple of local appliance dealerships. I found one that looked decent, and Asher and I picked it up in Evanston, Wyoming.

American Minivan Gothic, or Two Dudes and a Freezer

Late last week Sim called and told me it was time to pick up the meat. We scheduled a day to make the four or five hour round trip. I took part of a day off, changed my shirt in the parking lot, Sim came by to get me, and we and hit the road. Boys' day out.

The drive from our home in Rich County, Utah to beautiful Thayne, Wyoming isn't very far, and the strip of western Wyoming through which we were able to pass is alpine and not like the sagebrushy landscape that most people envision when they hear "Wyoming."

Near Afton, Wyoming

Dana Cold Storage in Thayne Wyoming combines butchering and frozen products storage. During the weeks prior to our arrival the animal was killed, initially prepped (skinned and gutted), weighed, and hung for curing. My expense included the weight of my 1/4 beef and the butchering costs based on my specifications.

The guy in the background in left photo was Facebooking.

Some of the beef was for Sim, some for family members, and one bag for me. Since it was cold outside, we were in no rush to get home, so stopped in Afton for a leisurely early dinner at a (surprise!) cowboy themed family restaurant. I enjoy that man's company.

By the time I got home, Asher was chomping at the bit to help me get the meat inside and into our pristine freezer. We now have a beautiful collection of steaks, roasts, stew meats, hamburger, soup bones, and so on. I know where it came from, and I'm on Sim's short list the next time I need beef.

The next day, seared steak strips and eggs for breakfast, with excellent Hawaiian coffee.

Thanks, Steph. We're saving some of the best stuff for you.

----------------------------------------------------------

Notes

^* The podcast is gone, but the transcript remains.
^† Overstatement of ills is a problem the conscientious consumer of information runs into among the well-intentioned as well as the evil. Persons promoting an agenda as a social problem tend, either consciously or not, to simplify and exaggerate the "villain." Caveat lector!
^‡ The European Union doesn't ban growth hormones because they're poisonous. Their conservative and sensible approach is based on the thinking that we just don't know enough about the ramifications of the biotechnology.
^** Agriculturalists have fattened animals prior to slaughter for millenia. The problem with modern agribusiness fattening comes in the overreliance upon foods such as corn and soy that ruminants like cattle have a hard time digesting. Their stomachs ulcerate, they get sick, and in a twisted practice the cattle have to have medications included in their feed to combat the effects of that very same feed. Agribusiness defends itself by saying that space prohibits the storage of the vast amounts of grasses needed to sufficiently fatten the animals, and corn is cheap.

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The Ongoing Fight for International Food Aid

2009-02-20T16:27:00.018-05:00

© Laurent Chamussy / Sipa Press

Jocelyn Zuckerman recently wrote a great article in Gourmet magazine about the inadequate quality of international food aid, entitled, "Into the Mouths of Babes." She reports on the highly underreported crisis of global nutrition and the efforts of humanitarian action to address it. And you thought Gourmet magazine was just good for recipes?

Currently, 178 million children worldwide are malnourished and this inadequate nutrition contributes to the deaths of as many as 5 million children younger than 5 years annually.

For the last 20 years or so, international food aid for children under 5 has largely consisted of cereal-based meals made of a corn-soy blend containing no animal-source food. When the price of milk sharply rose in the 80s it was removed from the list of ingredients, and the US subsidies of corn and soy became the primary sources of food aid.

But this response has been failing young children and we have seen a sharp incline of malnutrition related deaths, wasting, and severe stunting, developmental delays and lasting cognitive deficiencies, and vulnerability to infectious illnesses.

The organization I work for, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), has been lobbying hard for the last few years for international aid groups to adopt an approach we have had great success with in the field - that is, the use of ready-to-use foods like Plumpy Nut and Plumpy Doz. They consist of simple pastes of milk powder, sugar, peanut paste, oil, and different vitamin and mineral contents depending on the level of malnutrition (moderate to severe). They contain the kind of protein, calories, and nutrients necessary for the development and survival of children under 5. These findings based on our pilot program in Niger were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

As a result of some of our advocacy efforts, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently agreed that animal source foods such as dairy products are the first and most effective choice to treat moderately malnourished children; however, new initiatives and the funding of these programs have yet to be implemented.

We are hoping that our presence at the recent UN Madrid Food Summit will coalesce into some more aggressive action on the part of the international food aid community, particularly in the US (USAID and the WFP), now that we have a change of hands, attitudes, and policies in Washington.

How Sweet It Is

2009-02-08T15:24:00.007-05:00

"It's crawling up my leg, Grandpa."

"Then you'd better slap it."

I was twelve or thirteen, helping my grandpa collect beehives in northern Wyoming for extraction. Bees were swarming us, and one had gotten past my taped pant cuffs and the protective clothing I was wearing.

"But it'll sting me!"

"Yup. [Short pause while he continued working] Which way is it going?"

"Up! Toward my... you know!"

"Then you'd better slap it."

He was right, of course. His second question about the bee's direction wasn't because he didn't know. He was trying to help me to help myself get ready for something difficult. If I just waited for the bee to get to The Promised Land, I'd be in a whole new level of trouble. So I slapped it just above the knee. It stung me, and I survived.

Grandpa got stung all the time. It didn't even bother him. Bees knew this and so most left him alone, and just swarmed me. I was wearing full head screening. Grandpa wore nothing.

Sterling Johnson

My mother's father was one of the best men I've ever known. He was a tireless worker, and moral to the core. He took over his father's honey business and built his own extraction and processing building on the back of his lot in Lovell, Wyoming. Like many men of his generation, there was practically nothing within his world that he could not fix, and he planned on reaping no more than he sowed.

Grandpa cutting a buddy's hair

Grandpa loved honey, and believed it had medicinal properties. Honey country was filled with tales of honey as a cure-all for illnesses and injuries. Arm chopped off? No problem. Slather a little honey on the stump and grow yourself a new one!

Interestingly, there are folks who even today are researching some longstanding claims that honey, particularly untreated honey, has antimicrobial and healing properties as a topical dressing. While we at YAWIE don't recommend it as an alternative to a hospital visit in the event of an amputation, it might be worth checking out some of the 'net chatter about honey as a topical in certain situations, such as some burns.

I have a lifelong love affair with honey, particularly untreated (unheated and unfiltered) "bee milk" from the clover fields of northern Wyoming. It is unparalleled as a sweetener with medicinal teas, and I feel good just having it around. Untreated honey with a low moisture content stores for many years in cool, dry places.

And if you ever find a bee working its busy little way up your pant leg, slap it sooner rather than later.

Another Reason to Love Coffee

2009-01-27T13:43:00.002-05:00

Mark, this should make you happy. Maybe we won't be changing each other's diapers after all...

Coffee Linked to Lower Dementia Risk

By NICHOLAS BAKALAR - New York Times

January 23, 2009

Drinking coffee may do more than just keep you awake. A new study suggests an intriguing potential link to mental health later in life, as well.

A team of Swedish and Danish researchers tracked coffee consumption in a group of 1,409 middle-age men and women for an average of 21 years. During that time, 61 participants developed dementia, 48 with Alzheimer’s disease.

After controlling for numerous socioeconomic and health factors, including high cholesterol and high blood pressure, the scientists found that the subjects who had reported drinking three to five cups of coffee daily were 65 percent less likely to have developed dementia, compared with those who drank two cups or less. People who drank more than five cups a day also were at reduced risk of dementia, the researchers said, but there were not enough people in this group to draw statistically significant conclusions.

Dr. Miia Kivipelto, an associate professor of neurology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and lead author of the study, does not as yet advocate drinking coffee as a preventive health measure. “This is an observational study,” she said. “We have no evidence that for people who are not drinking coffee, taking up drinking will have a protective effect.”

Dr. Kivipelto and her colleagues suggest several possibilities for why coffee might reduce the risk of dementia later in life. First, earlier studies have linked coffee consumption with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, which in turn has been associated with a greater risk of dementia. In animal studies, caffeine has been shown to reduce the formation of amyloid plaques in the brain, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Finally, coffee may have an antioxidant effect in the bloodstream, reducing vascular risk factors for dementia.

Dr. Kivipelto noted that previous studies have shown that coffee drinking may also be linked to a reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease.

The new study, published this month in The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, is unusual in that more than 70 percent of the original group of 2,000 people randomly selected for tracking were available for re-examination 21 years later. The dietary information had been collected at the beginning of the study, which reduced the possibility of errors introduced by people inaccurately recalling their consumption. Still, the authors acknowledge that any self-reported data is subject to inaccuracies.

Eating Locally in Winter

2009-01-10T09:12:00.022-05:00

I live in the Northeast US, so as you can imagine, eating seasonally in the winter can definitely pose a challenge. For those in the south and the west coast, I am extremely envious that you can purchase fresh local fruits and vegetables year round. We have to be a little more conscious here of the seasons and plan them accordingly. For example, this summer I froze bags and bags of fresh berries, peaches, apricots, and tomatoes until my freezer was stuffed – knowing that I would be grateful to be able to enjoy them in the winter months. I also recently stocked up on root vegetables that store well in the fridge like carrots, turnips, onions, shallots, and garlic, since they too may be scarce in the coming months.

So what if you didn’t have room in your freezer or you simply did not plan ahead? What’s to eat?

Well, fortunately many farmers’ markets stay open year round and some CSAs offer “winter shares.” They may dwindle in size and offer much less on the produce end, but they still offer grass fed meats, wild game, chicken, eggs, fish, cheeses, as well as winter squash, root vegetables, apples and pears, and from some of the farmers that have greenhouses – green vegetables, hydroponic tomatoes (which aren’t always so great), and cultivated mushrooms. According to traditional Chinese medicine, winter is the time when the body needs to store up energy, rest, and meditation and therefore needs strengthening, warming foods like soups and stews. It’s a perfect time to experiment with heartier meats like lamb, bison, or venison; hearty heirloom beans; exotic roots like burdock, celery root, and sunchokes; and baked eggy things like quiche, Spanish tortilla, or frittatas.

This was the tortilla de patatas I made for Rosh Hashana dinner.

Many farmers also pickle and preserve their own vegetables and fruits. So in addition to all the fresh stuff, it may be a fun time to taste those pickled French beans, some raw sauerkraut, pesto sauce, canned tomatoes with herbs, or delicious fruit preserves sweetened with local honey.

There are still local offerings in some supermarkets too. I have found wild greens and onions from Massachusetts at my nearest Whole Foods (well… that’s kind of local). And at my neighborhood health food store, they sell grass fed beef from New Jersey, local raw cheeses from upstate New York, as well as winter squashes from local farms.

A sample winter's dinner:

Grass-fed lamb short ribs braised in hard cider
Parsnip and celery root mash
Steamed brussel sprouts
Christmas lima beans

________________________________

Any resolutions to eat healthier this year and more sustainably?

Mark Bittman, whose column I love, wrote this article published in last Tuesday's NY Times. It’s full of terrific ideas (and it’s not too late to start).

Happy New Year, everyone!

Fresh Start for a New Year? Let’s Begin in the Kitchen
Mark Bittman

PERHAPS, like me, you have this romantic notion of shopping daily — maybe even a mental vision of yourself making the rounds, wicker basket in hand, of your little Shropshire or Provençal or Tuscan village. The reality, of course, is that few of us provision our kitchens or cook exclusively with ultra-fresh ingredients, especially in winter, when there simply are no ultra-fresh ingredients.

But if your goal is to cook and cook quickly, to get a satisfying and enjoyable variety of real food on the table as often as possible, a well-stocked pantry and fridge can sustain you. Replenished weekly or even less frequently, with an occasional stop for fresh vegetables, meat, fish and dairy, they are the core supply houses for the home cook.

While you’re stocking up, you might clear out a bit of the detritus that’s cluttering your shelves. Some of these things take up more space than they’re worth, while others are so much better in their real forms that the difference is laughable. Sadly, some remain in common usage even among good cooks. My point here is not to criminalize their use, but to point out how easily and successfully we can substitute for them, in every case with better results.

Here, then, is my little list of items you might spurn, along with some essential pantry and long-keeping refrigerator items you might consider. Note that I’m not including the ultra-obvious, things that are more or less ubiquitous in the contemporary American pantry, like potatoes, eggs and honey.

Read the rest of this article...

Chicken at 400 MPH (into a Headwind)

2009-01-02T16:39:00.005-05:00

The rhythm of life in Manhattan with Stephanie involves regular trips to the farmers' markets near her home. I've commented before in previous posts that it is a pleasure for me to watch her and many other shoppers involved in the full-sense selection of food items. They're a savvy bunch, those regulars. And the people-watching is first-rate.

The polished red skins of commercial apples, bred for durability and showiness, are forsaken for the irregular, blemished, and much better-tasting fruits of the so-called "heirloom" variety. Carnivores study the fish, poultry, and meat vendor offerings, poking with expert fingers at not just chicken and beef, but pheasant, duck, and goat as well.

Steph bought a nice-sized organic chicken during one such visit. She had previously purchased leeks, a variety of carrots (orange, red, purple), Jerusalem artichokes (also known as "sunchokes"), black salsify, and a bunch of rosemary. We went home and she brined the bird overnight (3/4 cup salt, in our case kosher, per gallon of water).

The next day we patted the carcass down and I took my spot in the corner of the kitchen. As the oven warmed up to 450 degrees, Steph cut the leeks into 6"-8" sections and stuffed them into the carcass along with a few cloves of garlic and a nice bunch of rosemary. She seasoned the bird with fresh ground pepper and paprika. Since the chicken was brined, it didn't need salt. The other vegetables went into the pan under the chicken which was placed on a cradle type rack. She salted and peppered those veggies and added a bit of schmaltz as an initial coating. The chicken would rain a little more fat upon them during the cooking process.

Carrot: What was that?

Sunchoke: What was what?

Carrot: That! Something just fell on my root tip!

Sunchoke: It's a light schmaltzing. Didn't you read the weather report? There's a bird up there!

Carrot: Oh.

Sunchoke: Just sit back and enjoy the warmth.

Cook the chicken at 450 for 20 minutes, then reduce to 375 for another 20 to 40+ minutes, depending upon the size of the bird. The skin will crisp up nicely and form a great barrier to escaping moisture. When the thick part of the thigh reads 170 degrees, your bird should be done. If you don't have a thermometer, piercing the same area should yield a flow of clear fluid. If it's bloody, the bird isn't quite ready yet.

I had to leave shortly after the bird was done. Stephanie prepared me a marvelous meal to go of light and dark meats, veggies, and less than three ounces of drippings/sauce. I carried the bag with the precious meal carefully to the airport. The TSA allowed me to take it through security.

The only problem came when, midflight, I actually opened my little bit of heaven and started eating it. The cabin of the Airbus A320 filled with the aroma of chicken, rosemary, and roast vegetables. There were a few murmers. Someone a couple of seats behind me asked the flight attendant about it. I didn't hear the response. I was prepared to run to the back of the aircraft and barricade myself if necessary and finish my meal.

As it turned out, the food provided later material for conversation with a rowmate about this very blog, my lovely partner, and the importance of food in general.

McManifest Destiny

2008-12-17T15:59:00.015-05:00

I recently left a comment on one of my favorite food blogs, The Jew and the Carrot. The post is called Primae Noctis Burgeris and the (Burger) King and it is a critique of the "docu-commercial" on the making of the new Burger King advertising campaign, "Whopper Virgins," in which people from isolated ethnic communities who supposedly never tasted hamburgers before are used to demonstrate the ultimate taste test. The author, Daniel Bloom, does a good job of articulating his discomfort with the entire premise of the campaign. In my comment I agree with him wholeheartedly and am perhaps a little more scathing in my remarks.

Anyway, Mark thought it was good enough to re-post on our blog. I should warn you about the video though. It is disturbing and may not be suitable for a general audience. It features marginalized people in remote areas of the world in desperate need for humanitarian fast food aid. These people have not been able to experience the joys of corporate industrialized processed food like we privileged westerners have been doing for so long (just look at how thin they are, oy!). Therefore it is Burger King's g-d given duty to deliver the gospel and the greasy goods. And get a free focus group while they're at it!

But there is a happy ending. Once these people are deflowered they can now feel fulfilled, satiated, confident, and most of all, liberated. I know I felt that way after my first whopper. Didn't you?

Obesity Tax?

2008-12-16T07:06:00.009-05:00

Mark and I were just having this discussion the other day about government regulation v. individual responsibility. I asked, "Why can't the government tax 'luxury foods' like sweets and soft drinks - the culprits of unhealthy diets that are leading to so many of our children's health problems, just like we tax cigarettes and alcohol? Isn't the main problem that healthy foods are just more expensive than unhealthy foods?"

Well now it seems that Governor Paterson of New York has just proposed an "obesity tax" on soft drinks, NON-DIET soft drinks, that is. That basically means that a can of coke will cost about $1.15 where a diet coke will still cost $1.

Even though I think this is a step in the right direction, it's not exactly the kind of regulation I had in mind. Should diet sodas be encouraged? They are clearly not healthier and I don't think there is any evidence out there associating diet soda consumption with less caloric intake or weight reduction. In fact, I remember reading this study not too long ago that linked artificial sweeteners to weight gain. Besides, we still know very little about the long-term effects of aspartame and it's hidden dangers.

The results remain to be seen. Perhaps if this campaign is successful in reducing soft drink consumption and we see a significant weight reduction in kids, this will lead to additional taxing of unhealthy foods and will encourage more "real" real food consumption.

I would love to know people's thoughts on this.

Honoring the Food

2008-12-06T13:42:00.004-05:00

I'm a simple man, and haven't had much fanciness in my life. In fact, I have at times been Mr. Antifancy, a lone, crusading, misunderstood knight templar in a nearly lifelong battle against what I have believed to be superficiality and empty form.* My uniform has been t-shirt and jeans. But that's another story.

"Simple" for me was "authentic," the antithesis of the useless fakery and (worse) vain complexity. Paper plates and boxed wine for me please, thank you very much. If it was good enough for the pioneers, it is good enough for me.**

Then Stephanie came along.

My collection of coffee mugs consisted of exactly three: My favorite stained, generic white mug and two Folgers mugs that came with some corporate gift a few years ago. Basically, the sorts of mugs one might find on the unclaimed dishes shelf in any office. It pained me to watch Steph, a beautiful woman, gingerly sip her drink, the gaudy Folders logo peeking out from between her fingers. Although I winced, I knew it was good for her. The simple life! Ah. The wind sang in the sagebrush outside. I was happy. She made herself at home right away.

"Don't you have any dishes?" she asked while poking around my man-kitchen. I stuttered something about some maybe being up in the recesses of a cupboard. She reached over my stack of paper plates, excavated a bit, and pulled out some plates I had ended up getting from some family member some time ago. I think they were my mom's.

"These are nice," she commented, satisfied.

I've been eating on them ever since, even when Steph's not around.

Of course it wasn't just the dishes that changed. If you're a regular reader, you know what we eat here. And I understand that good food isn't diminished by sitting on a paper plate. But it does deserve a decent place to be, if it's available, as the diner enjoys it.

It wasn't long before a set of new coffee mugs showed up at my house, courtesy of you know who. It was a thoughtful, beautiful gift. This was incidentally (or not) about the same time I was developing more of an interest in my coffee, rejecting the pre-ground stuff I had been drinking and enjoying beans that Stephanie introduced me to or new ones I had discovered in my wanderings.

I am beginning to understand why some people might feel strongly that good food and drink are honored in their consumption by a thoughtful presentation. I remain a simple man. But now I'm a regular guy who eats good food on nice plates and drinks his home-ground, more expensive, lovingly prepared coffee in mugs that are worthy of the drink. In fact, I'm using one right now. And I love it.

But I still like my old jeans and t-shirts.

* One must be wary of those who define themselves by solely or principally being against something. I should know. I was caught up in the intoxication of it for decades.

** Don't try arguing that the pioneers had neither paper plates nor boxed wine. You don't know that.

Apple of Your Eyes

2008-12-06T09:21:00.010-05:00

Apples are my favorite food. Yes, they are most indeed natures perfect gift. Nothing satisfies my urge for something sweet, crunchy, and filling, like a ripe, juicy apple.

Most of us grew up eating one or two varieties like the Macintosh, Delicious, or the Granny Smith, but there were once over two thousand varieties of apples being grown in North America. Apple seeds were brought over from England by the pilgrims (the only apple that is indigenous to the Americas is the Crabapple), but because apples seeds possess unique genes, thousands of varieties thrived and the apple soon became an ubiquitous part of the American diet. Unfortunately, over the last century, the mass marketing of apples has resulted in growers limiting their varieties and breeding apples to have a longer shelf life and remain unblemished after having withstood long distances of shipping and packing.

Today however, we are starting to see a resurgence of these "antique" or heirloom varieties being sold at orchards and farmers markets. They may not look as shiny and symmetrical as the ones you find in the grocery store, but they are unbelievably delicious - each possessing their own unique flavors and textures.

Look for names like Kandil Sinap, Jonathan, Asmead's Kernal, Newtown Pippin, Smokehouse, Cox Orange Pippin, Golden Russet, York Imperial, and Maiden Blush. Most of these varieties are only available in the fall but the season can extend well into December and January depending on your climate.

These Honey Crisp are so crunchy and dense, they are like a portable meal.

This was the first time I ever tried Keepsake apples. They are both incredibly sweet and tart and taste like raspberries. They are my new favorites.

Some Thanksgiving Thoughts:

2008-11-24T13:30:00.009-05:00

In today's issue of the New Yorker, James Surowiecki writes about the highly unstable global food market and agricultural system in his article, The Perils of Efficiency. While food commodity prices have come down in the past few months due to the global recession, food insecurity is still a major threat in developing countries. Our global dependency on a mono-crop agriculture that is market driven and deregulated by government agencies has left populations vulnerable to these changes in the market, as well as in the weather. One bad drought or a spike in the market can send entire regions into a food crisis. Food shortages in many of these places translate into acute malnutrition - affecting children under 5 the most. We see the effects of these crises every year in vulnerable places like Niger, Somalia, Ethiopia, and in Haiti.

The good news is that the UN World Food Program recently issued an article stating that they are adopting a strategy to treat malnutrition with "ready-to -use foods" like Plumpy Nut in place of the commidified soy/corn blends that used to be standard food aid. This strategy is similar to one that Doctors Without Borders has been advocating for and spoke to members of the food aid community at their recent nutrition symposium at Columbia University.

Back here at home, the New York Times published a story today on the cost of eating an organic Thanksgiving dinner. Tara Parker Pope estimates that eating an organic meal could cost families $100 more than if they eat non-organic. She uses this list of sample foods and compares the two prices of foods bought at a regular grocery store and at a Whole Foods:

Turkey (20 pounds) $99.80 vs. $23.80
Vanilla ice cream (3 quarts) $21.87 vs. $15.98
Yams (5 lbs.) $9.95 vs. $3.95
Broccoli (2 lbs.) $5.98 vs. $3.98
Heavy whipping cream (2 pints) $5.58 vs. $4.00
2 cans of pumpkin filling $5.00 vs. $3.19
1 bag cranberries $4.99 vs. $2.49

Pope offers some strategies on prioritizing which foods should be organic and which don't have to be. I have a better idea. Why not try to bypass the supermarkets altogether and go directly to the farmers? A 20 lb. pasture-raised Turkey at a game farm in upstate New York goes for about $60. Make sure you make some gravy with the pan drippings, and save the organs and the carcass for soup. You will never have to buy canned chicken broth again if you boil your bird leftovers and freeze the broth. I also like to skim the fat off the top and use that as a cooking fat. It's a grandma thing and of course isn't for everyone (although Grandma and Grandpa lived to their mid-90s so I'm convinced that schmaltz was the key to their good health).

Skip the ice cream and just go for the heavy cream that comes from local grass-fed cows (about $3.00 a pint) and sweeten it with some local honey (unless you keep kosher, skip the cream altogether). Grass-fed dairy is high in vitamins A, D, and especially the essential fatty acid, CLA, a powerful anti-oxidant. You can use that freshly whipped cream to top your home baked pumpkin pie that you made with real pumpkin filling. Forget the "organic" cans. A large pumpkin will cost you about $2.00 and is enough for 2 pies. Cranberries bought loose are cheaper than those in the bag and most other vegetables are cheaper at the farmers market than they are at Whole Foods.

And if they aren't, is the extra cost worth it? Yes!!! You can save money in other ways, but why cut costs with your health? Seth Pollins at Foodvibe makes a case for it here. I would also add that buying local is probably the single most productive way we as individuals can support a more sustainable agricultural system.

Here are some better ways to save your cash this Thanksgiving:

Cut back on paper products and use cloth napkins and real plates and glasses instead.
Skip the soda this year and buy flavoured seltzer instead (a real tradition in my family). You can usually find liter bottles at 3 for a $1.00. They taste great, are more hydrating than soda, and who needs all that sugar and aspartame anyway??
Make homemade egg nog. Mark has a great recipe. I hope he'll be posting it soon (nudge, nudge)!
Cut back on a dish or two. There's always too much food anyway and you don't want it to be wasted. Stick to 3 or 4 really good wholesome, home-made side dishes that knock everyone's socks off (my favorite: roasted brussel sprouts and chestnuts)!

Does anyone have other healthy, money-saving ideas they would like to share?

Wishing everyone a joyous, healthy, and sustainable Thanksgiving!!

What does an Obama win mean for the U.S. food supply?

2008-11-06T16:12:00.005-05:00

Hey, in the spirit of this momentous election, I thought it might be nice to consider what this will mean for our diets, the food crisis, and food policy in general. This came from Ali over at The Ethicurean:

What does an Obama win mean for the U.S. food supply?

We heard plenty of talk about Wall Street and Main Street. We heard about $150,000 wardrobes, Joe the Plumber, Bill Ayers, socialism, and cynicism. But one thing we didn’t hear much about in this election season was food and farms.

According to Speech Wars, between April and October, John McCain uttered the word “agriculture” only twice, and “nutrition” just once. Barack Obama did slightly better, referring to “agriculture” twelve times and “nutrition” four times. He gave farms a passing mention in his speech at the Democratic National Convention in August. But let’s face it: for the most part, food was a quiet issue, sacrificed to our discussions about race and religion, gender and sexism, oil and bailouts.

Meanwhile, food prices continued to rise. Our nation continued to lose farms daily. We continued to spend billions of dollars treating lifestyle diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Rural towns continued to wither. Fertilizer runoff continued to damage our drinking water.

There’s no way around it: the Obama administration will need to address food issues head-on.
Last month, Michael Pollan published a sweeping letter to the next president, Farmer in Chief, in the New York Times. After Pollan’s article was published, the American Farmland Trust noted that “there is no topic of greater importance than the issues [Pollan] raises…it is time to elevate these issues to their rightful place on our national agenda.”

Turns out Obama might agree; Obama read Pollan’s article and even worked it into discussions of energy policy.

So what might we expect from an Obama administration when it comes to food policy? Maybe quite a bit. In his plan for rural America, he lays out a number of policy positions that are a departure from the status quo. Obama:

Supports subsidies as a safety net, but calls for a $250,000 payment limitation and closing of loopholes, so that the program supports family farmers, not corporate agribusiness.

Supports regulation of CAFOs (factory livestock operations).

Wants to enforce anti-trust laws that so that smaller farmers can compete against large-scale meatpackers.

Wants to cap the size of agricultural businesses that can receive government funds for environmental cleanup so that taxpayers don’t subsidize cleanup for large, polluting corporations.

Supports Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for meat, a critical issue as we learn how widespread melamine contamination of animal feed is in countries like China.

Wants to increase support for organic agriculture and local food systems by helping farmers with organic certification/compliance costs.

Wants to provide incentives to encourage and support new farmers, land conservation, renewable energy on the farm, and microenterprise for farmers and other rural Americans.

Calls for greater food safety surveillance and communications.

Plans to encourage local foods in schools.

Supports providing farmers with incentives that will prevent agricultural runoff.

What about pesky ethanol, the energy source that is great for the Corn Belt, but that many say leads to higher food prices and ultimately uses more energy than it creates? (Note: Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman called ethanol “a terrible mistake”, and Jeff Goodell, writing in Rolling Stone, called ethanol “dangerous, delusional bullshit”). To the disappointment of many environmentalists (like, say, me), Obama has supported ethanol from the start. In recent days, he has referred to corn ethanol as a necessary path to more eco-friendly cellulose ethanol. Some folks, however, have said the corn-to-cellulose dialogue is not realistic, and is merely intended to prop up corn companies like ADM that have a lot invested in the system.

Given his Farm Belt connections and the importance of his win in the Iowa caucus to his legitimacy as a presidential contender, it’s unlikely he could have taken any other position on ethanol. Still, we should call upon him to fulfill his election-night promise to always be honest about the challenges we face. In the coming months, let’s talk, openly, about the challenges of ethanol.

It’s worth reading the plan of our next president. You can find it in PDF here.

Obama’s plan calls for profound changes to our food and farm policy. These changes could lead to a healthier, safer food supply, stronger local economies, and the return to common-sense agricultural systems that are good for our children, our bodies, our planet, our national future, and our world.

Yet Obama will take the helm of an imperfect nation, one where stunningly powerful forces conspire to resist change. To transform his vision into reality — to defeat these forces — he will need our help: our voices, our commitment, our passion, and our strength. If we want better policy, we must recognize that change didn’t come on November 4, that the real work lies ahead, for all of us — not only those of us who supported Obama, but also those who did not. We must get involved not merely by meeting online, but also by getting out in our own communities to reshape this country, as he said, block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

On the night of his historic victory, President-Elect Obama reminded us that the true genius of America is simply this: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

It won’t be easy. But more important, it won’t be done without us.

Weyu Le and Herbed Cashew Spreads

2008-10-31T16:54:00.007-04:00

Earlier this week when I was in the Los Angeles area with Steph we dropped by the Erewhon Market for some goodies. We sampled some cashew dip on a display table near the refrigerated products. The "herbed cashew spreads" included Garlic, Sun-Dried Tomato (yum!), and Habañero. The man stocking the shelves with the product was charming, very well informed about the product, and pleased that we enjoyed it. We learned as we continued talking that he was Nelson Chipman, owner of the company, Weyu Le, that made the spreads.

We ended up purchasing the habañero version and enjoyed it very much. Next time I think I'll try the Sun-Dried Tomato. Although there is not yet a way to purchase these products online, Nelson told me during a phone conversation that they're working on that for 2009. As soon as we hear about that here at YAWIE, we'll pass it along to our readers.

Those of you in the L.A. area ought to check out the Weyu Le products. If you don't know where Erewhon is just click on this map link, and enter your address as the starting location. Enjoy and report!

If you're into conventional directions, here's where you can find the Weyu Le spreads, including two other stores in the Los Angeles area:

Erewhon Natural Food Market
7600-B Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-937-0777

Pacific Coast Greens
22601 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, California 90265
310-456-0353

Nature Mart
2080 Hillhurst Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90027
323-660-0052

MSF Exhibit and Crisis Nutrition

2008-10-29T17:00:00.006-04:00

I love a good book. In the past, I've gotten most of my education from them. But there's nothing like being able to see and touch for a sear-it-in-the-brain sort of didactic experience. And so what was primarily a visit to California to hang out with Stephanie turned also into a great learning experience for me.

MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders) is wrapping up their California "A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City" tour. There's still time, if you're in the L.A. area or San Diego to see the camp.

The exhibit incorporates aspects of a refugee/IDP (internally displaced persons) camp, and the experience starts at the entry point at which time you're reminded that you may be ill prepared to be where you are, having perhaps gotten away with the clothing on your back and little else.

There are many parts to the exhibit, but I want to focus on food issues. Most of us take for granted easily available, clean water and plenty of food. These sobering posters within the exhibit remind us that subsistence foods available at camps may be suitable for adults, but children particularly may suffer. Click on the photos for larger, readable versions.

The tour guides include doctors, nurses, logisticians, epidemiologists; field staff of MSF each with his or her own stories with which to flesh out the basic, already informative exhibit narrative. The doctor below shared quite a few stories from his service in eastern Asia and various African stations. He's currently working on a pediatric epidemiology study.

Below is an example of what a refugee/IDP might be expected to live on while in camp.

Here's another subsistence food for adults, BP-5. While it's not a particularly friendly name, it can be a life-saver for those in need. It has a sort of barely sweet crackery taste to it. Yes, you can sample the BP-5 during the tour. The tour host notes that it might not be too bad for a meal or two, but might get a little boring after a few weeks. Or months. Or more.

The real life-saver, a food with true therapeutic value for very young kids, is Plumpy Nut, an eat-from-the-pouch food consisting of peanuts, powdered milk, and vitamins. The animal proteins available through the milk are practically essential for very young children.

There was a great deal of good information in the mockup of the "camp clinic" that dealt with saving children. Note below the child eating Plumpy Nut.

I don't know how small that hole is. It's tiny. Two of my fingers found it pretty snug. But there are some children out there whose arms fit in that.

Logistician Amy demonstrates the use of a quick-triage guide for processing lots of young children quickly for an arm-size based nutritional evaluation. You can hear her talk about some her thoughts about her job here.

Here are some happy stories, before and after shots, of children saved by MSF with tools like Plumpy Nut.

So although my main goal in making the L.A. visit was to spend time with Stephanie (and Shash and George), I ended up making a few new friends along the way and also had a chance to get to see examples of the great work performed by MSF in the field of human nutrition in general, and that of children in particular.

Think you have a "sweet tooth?" Maybe you really do.

2008-10-18T10:23:00.009-04:00

We all love to indulge in the occasional chocolate, ice cream, and sticky dessert, but for some of us, "occasional" is unacceptable. "Why is that," you ask? "Isn't 'moderation' best?"

My usual knee-jerk answer would be "no!" For anyone who has suffered any type of eating disorder, I would say that believing you could eat addictive foods like sweets 'once in a while' is like telling the alcoholic that he/she could have an occasional drink. It's really not a good idea.

But what about those who are just trying to cut back on sugar, calories, and carbs for weight loss and health reasons, and don't have any real addictive tendencies (or so they don't believe they do anyway)? Couldn't they just cut back on sugar and have it once in a while as a "treat?"

A new study that was published in the October 18 issue of Science magazine says that some people have less dopamine response to chocolate and sweets than others. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that assists in brain function but can also act as a kind of pleasure hormone, similarly to endorphines. Substances found in chocolate, such as phenylethylamine, theobromine, anandamide and tryptophan trigger dopamine and other mood enhancing neurotransmitters to be released in the brain. For some individuals, however, the dopamine response and feeling of pleasure has become diminished over time, which is why it is suggested that many people may overeat - trying to fulfill the pleasure they once had in what was once an occasional indulgence.

The authors of this study admimisted a chocolate milkshake to a group of obese and thin women. It was found that the obese women had less of a response in the striatum - the part of the brain where the 'reward system' lies. This diminished response leaves individuals wanting more - not because they are already enjoying it, but because they haven't yet enjoyed it. In other words, these researchers are beginning to see the direct physiological parallels between overeating and other addictions, such as smoking, alcoholism, and other drug use.

The answer?

Like any other addiction, quit cold turkey.
Don't allow your body to get used to eating really high sugar foods because once you make it a habit, it is difficult to stop.
Cutting down on sweets will not get rid of the cravings, but after quitting altogether you will see your cravings diminish once and for all.
Once you have eliminated your cravings, enjoy a REAL treat like something that is a treat for your body - fresh seasonal fruit. Apples are at their peak in flavor and variety right now. Indulge in a honey crisp, or a winesap, or one of the other rare varieties of local apples in your region.

Don't fall for the "moderation" argument. And don't fall for the "treat yourself" argument either. Those are marketing schemes. If something is bad for you, it's not treating yourself to put it into your body. That's punishment.

Here's another interesting article on this subject:
Carbohydrates are Addicitve

Erev Yom Kippur

2008-10-08T16:33:00.009-04:00

Tonight is the eve of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement for Jewish people around the world. It is the one day that I find even the most secular of Jews pay some kind of attention to. Those of us who don't do a very good job of practicing Judaism during the rest of the year, try to (at the very least) make a point of going to synagogue during the High Holy Days, pray for forgiveness, perhaps fast for 24 hours, mourn our dear ones who have passed, and most important of all to me, forgive others. It's the one day of the year that we force ourselves to reflect, medidate, and rededicate ourselves to what we find important, holy, and moral.

Tonight Mark and I will be attending Kol Nidre services at the Congregation Beth Simchat Torah at the Jacob Javitz Center in New York City (Yes, Mark is Catholic, but he likes the music and appreciates all religious rituals. So do I. I often go to Catholic mass with him on Sundays). To me, Kol Nidre is the most beautiful, mournful melody of the entire jewish prayer repertoire. It brings me back to some of the happiest days of my childhood - the days where I would walk to shul with my father, just the two of us, and stand with him in line with the other men who quietly and devoutly prayed. I would mimick them as I bowed, rocked back and forth, and chanted to the sacred melodies in hope that I too would get to talk to G-d. It was the one time I preferred being with my father, rather than joining my mother and the other women in the back of the sanctuary, who quietly gossiped and scolded their children. I felt as though I was part of something important then, and my father made me feel extra special by allowing me to stand with him and the men.

Yom Kippur is always emotional for me, as it forces me to look inward, come to terms with my faults, my flaws, mistakes, humble myself and hope that I will be forgiven by those I have hurt. It's also a time where I deeply connect with my family members who have passed - my father, my mother, my grandparents, my uncles and aunts, and the many friends I have lost over the years. I 'fast' so I am not distracted and so I can find a deeper spiritual understanding of these things - loss, life, death, and gratitude (okay, I also fast so I can take off a few pounds. I'll ask for forgiveness about that too).

This morning I stopped at Russ and Daughters to pick up the food items I will need for tomorrow evening's "break fast," as all of the jewish shops will be closed tomorrow. Russ and Daughters is one of the last remaining kosher food establishments from the old jewish quarter of the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It's a 4-generation family owned business that has been around since the turn of the 20th century. And it has some of the best smoked fish, lox, herring, and other delicious kosher foods in the city.

I think every Jew from the Lower East Side and Upper West Side was there. What I thought was going to take 10 minutes, ended up taking 2 hours (!). But I needed my smoked white fish! So I called in late to work, took my ticket, grabbed some coffee from the cafe next door, and parked myself on a bench with the morning paper and waited like everyone else.

People were simultaneously pushing, fighting, hugging, kibitzing, exchanging recipes, arguing about last night's debate, finagling, catching up, and then dancing. Dancing??? Yes. Mr. Russ, in all of his proud and happy fashion, organized a Klezmer band performance in order to entertain his loyal holiday patrons. I swear it was like living on the shtet l.

One of the Russ daughters wished everyone a Happy New Year and thanked them for their years of patronage.

Here comes the Klezmer band.

This woman sang a beautiful old yiddish folk song. I admit at that point I had a little lump in my throat.

The band was in full swing and attracting onlookers on Houston Street.

Preparations the next day for "break fast"

Coffee

2008-10-06T09:07:00.001-04:00

It's not too late to join the Eat Local Challenge!

2008-10-01T17:37:00.004-04:00

Hey, how about committing to one month of eating locally?

Today kicks off the annual Eat Local Challenge. October is the best month for this since it is officially the harvest, and the most wonderful and delectable foods are now available at the farmers markets. If you don't know where there is a farmers market near you, you can check on LocalHarvest.org.

Give it a try and do the best you can. Even if you eat local meats purchased from your butcher, or perhaps you live near a chicken farm where you can get pastured chickens and omega 3-rich eggs. You may even be able to find some local produce that is available at your supermarket, or local honey (great for getting rid of allergies!) from a nearby beekeeper. Have fun with it!

You can sign up here.

And thanks to Debs at Food is Love for posting it!

Urbanism, Farming Culture, and Progress

2008-09-28T22:11:00.005-04:00

I was cruising through a text for my Environmental History class when I ran across something interesting. The discussion was about the forces that grew with society during the Holocene Age which started about 10,000 years ago. The class deals specifically with humans and their historical impact, even anciently, on the environment (death of the "green" early man myth). This bit was somewhat tangential to the direction of the coursework, but perfect for what we talk about here.

Early Holocene Man

The author, Charles Redman, addresses pre-historic community nutrition as an aspect of early community forces. He observes that - surprisingly to many people - there's a great deal of mixed and negative evidence regarding the benefit to human being when agriculture and sedentary living enter the scene.

Overall, the various studies suggest a decline in the quality of life and possibly even a shortened life expectancy associated with the adoption of agriculture, despite a decline in the physical demands placed on the body (Cohen and Armelagos 1984). This conclusion requires us to reevaluate several generally held propositions about the advantages of agriculture over hunting and gathering. The simplistic notion of unimpeded human progress is ill founded. There was not a progressive increase in life expectancy; the picture was actually more complicated, with individuals in many hunting and gathering groups outliving those in agricultural groups. We have also found that hunter-gatherer groups were often better buffered against episodic food stress and sometimes had a more balanced diet than their farming counterparts. Nevertheless, since the advent of farming, regional and global population has grown dramatically. Moreover, much of this growth has included the repeated adoption of farming by former gathering people to the point where societies that rely on gathering are virtually extinct. This global population growth was accomplished in spite of a general dimunition of both child and adult life expectancies, a questionable advance in human diet, and a quantum increase in contagious diseases. This suggests that the forces, social and otherwise, that encouraged the adoption of agricuture and eventually of urbanism were extremely powerful, being able to override the negative impacts of early farming on those who attempted it. (Charles L. Redman, Human Impact on Ancient Environments (Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1999), 179.)

In a nutshell: Keep on eating berries, leaves, bugs, and critters you can catch either by yourself or with friends waving sharp sticks.

Late Holocene Man

Dining out and preparing for the New Year

2008-09-25T10:06:00.020-04:00

My friends can always tell if I've stayed quiet for a while, that I'm probably hiding away somewhere with a box of cookies or scarfing down pizza (my most favorite vice in the world) while home watching every episode of Project Runway. Luckily I have amazing friends that drag me out of my hiding and force me to go out and be social. Hey, if you're going to binge, you might as well do it in the company of friends!

So last weekend I got together with one of my closest friends in the world, Ben, his partner, John, and our mutual friend, Leone, for a dinner. Leone is fashion producer extraordinaire and you can see her work in the pages of Vogue, W, Vanity Fair, and the New York Times Style section.

(little plug for Leone).

We decided to meet at this new restaurant called Delicatessen that Ben and I had passed while walking home through Soho one night. There were tables that extended onto the sidewalk, and cocktailers who patiently waited for their tables spilled out onto the street. I said, "Oooh, that looks trendy and pretentious. Let's eat there soon!" And so we did.

These trendy and pretentious, fly-by-night restaurants don't usually last very long, especially in today's economic environment, but this one actually had really good food. And although the decor and staff all looked like they were trying way too hard, our server was actually delightful and courteous. That's always a nice surprise.

I started with an order of mussels steamed in a rich broth of chorizo and jalapenos - spicy, savory yummyness. I followed it up with a ceasar salad which had chicken and those gorgeous little white anchovies that you get in Spanish tapas bars. I skipped the bread but did wash it all down with 1/2 glass (just 1/2!) of crisp Australian chardonnay. It was all very delicious and really not much of a binge. Okay, the binge came the next day when I decided to eat muffins and pizza at a Board meeting. I'm not perfect.

I did, however, resist the fried treats we passed on our way home at the San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy. John didn't.

You can get anything deep fried these days.

(Remember these lovelies, Mark???)

Well, I'm glad that's over.

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, is upon us and I am shopping right now in preparation for a New Year's feast. Let's see what's at the Farmer's Market this week:

Grapes!!

Squash in every variety

Kohlrabi!

Cranberry Beans

Husk Tomatoes (These are like candy!!!)

Look at this cauliflower!

Plenty of heirloom tomatoes still...

The last of the plums - get 'em while you can!

First crop apples and pears

Gorgeous and sweet purple eggplants

Peppers in every hue!! Still not too late for that ratatouille...

Sweetest cucumbers, ever.

So what are you cooking for the holidays?
L'Shana Tova!
(Menu coming soon...)

Food Art

2008-09-24T11:45:00.003-04:00

My sister sent this to me this morning and I thought it was so great! I don't know which one I like better - the Edvard Munch watermelon, the Charles Atlas orange, the lecturing tomato, the orange behind bars, the Italian bread pedicure... I just wish I could credit the artists and photographer. It was sent to her by a friend of hers in Denmark and was part of one of those chain/forwarded emails. If anyone knows where it came from, please feel free to send me the url or credit.

(Did anyone else see Jesus in that flour?)

Enjoy!!

They Eat What You Give

2008-09-20T00:43:00.004-04:00

Hi there. Most food banks get by on a combination of government purchased or subsidized foods, food purchased with cash donations, and direct food donations from citizens (e.g. "food drives" and weekly drop offs) and businesses.

Every once in awhile, we'll get a special large donation of something wonderful, such as beef, wild game meat, or a freezer full of frozen chickens. The ones in the photo below were distributed within two hours.

Until recently at the Lord's Storehouse, the main Evanston, Wyoming food bank where I volunteer, we've been inundated with desserts; cakes, pies, donuts, etc. that would normally be thrown away. It has been our policy to accept these business donations of items that would otherwise be thrown away in spite of the fact that these are not the best foods to pass on to our clients.

Recently, we've started receiving more vegetables and fruits. Happily our food bank accepts these donations too. Not all food distribution projects do.

If you're inclined to contribute to your local food bank, find out if they will accept fresh vegetables and fruit and, if so, donate some as close to the distribution date as possible. Sadly, we end up having to dispose of a great deal of produce due to antiquity and mishandling, but much of it does make it to the tables of the client store and into the homes of individuals and families in need.

Lobsters and David Foster Wallace

2008-09-16T13:51:00.004-04:00

I was so saddened by the news of David Foster Wallace's apparent suicide last week. I thought he was one of the most brilliant literary journalists of our time. I don't think I ever laughed out loud so hard when I read his 1996 memoir of his first luxury cruise experience, "Shipping Out" that was published in Harper's. It's gut wrenching funny. Harper’s magazine has posted a complete archive of all the writing it published by Wallace. “The Depressed Person,” should also not be missed, as it is bitingly sardonic, but perhaps sadly autobiographical.

While reviewing his body of work today, I also came across this article he wrote in 2004 for Gourmet magazine on the Maine Lobster Festival. I thought it would be appropriate to post here since it is one man's moral dilemma on the tradition of boiling lobsters alive, and the journey on discovering his relationship to his food.

Consider the Lobster

Company

2008-08-24T21:10:00.024-04:00

The Latin words cum, "with", and panis, "bread", combine to form the source of the word company. Initially, the word was relational, corresponding with the word companion.

I’ve never been able to watch people eat alone without becoming profoundly sad. It’s one of these weird idiosyncrasies that I have possessed since I was a young girl. I remember one day in particular when I was about 15 and was cutting class from high school with my best mates. We went to McDonalds for french fries. That was the cutting class routine. As the group of us chattering, french fry and coca cola toting young delinquents converged at our favorite table, I noticed my neighborhood bus driver, an older gentleman with a full head of bushy grey hair and little coke-bottle glasses, sitting alone a few tables away. He was having a McDonalds breakfast – you know the scrambled eggs, the round disc of “Canadian bacon,” the packet o’ hash browns, and pancakes with that fake butter and “maple flavored” syrup. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him, and I suppose I began to cry because my friends started asking me what was wrong. I’m not sure if it was the un-nutritious meal he was mindlessly consuming (my mother was a “health food nut” so I had already developed a food consciousness at a fairly young age) or if it was that deadened look he had in his eyes as he mechanically drew the fork of loveless food into his mouth. I couldn’t eat my rebellious french fries that morning. I was consumed with the image of my lonely bus driver the rest of the day.

I remember seeing that same deadened look in the eyes of my father when he ate. Even as a young child, when we still ate meals together as a family, he always preferred to be quiet and remain alone in his thoughts. He never commented on the food, never even seemed to taste it. He just consumed one unconscious bite after the next, as if he were just fulfilling the very basic tasks of feeding the stomach and clearing the contents of his plate. Years later, after my parents divorced, I would feel the tears welling up in my eyes as I felt the weight of my father’s loneliness, visiting him in his dentist office on his lunch hour and seeing him eat a sandwich alone at his desk, or imagining him going to his favorite deli in the morning for his bagel and coffee that he would probably eat alone in his car.

When I was a bartender at a fancy oyster bar/restaurant, I once served a single, older gentleman an entire 5-course dinner along with a champagne toast at the bar on New Years Eve. We spoke very little. He was quiet and shy and not particularly attractive and didn’t talk to anyone at the bar except to clink champagne glasses and say, “Happy New Year.” I was so busy shucking oysters and pouring champagne that I had little time to tend to him. He mostly sat quietly, ate each course, drank his champagne, and then left. I cried my eyes out later that night.

To this day, I really cannot pass by a lone eater with out busting up into tears. Now I’m not talking about the student who’s flipping through a copy of Foreign Affairs while sipping her mocha frappuccino and munching on a scone, or the Wall Street exec that is talking on his iphone and checking stock prices while eating his steak frites. I’m talking about the lone eater that doesn’t occupy him/herself with anything else but his/her food, and the surroundings. This just breaks my heart.

I know that all of this is a mere projection of my own inner sadness and sad experiences with loneliness. For all I know, all of these people could have had the most enjoyable times dining alone. Still, I can’t help feeling that all the loneliness in the world is expressed through the faraway gaze of that one lone diner.

This past weekend, Mark and I went to visit our friends, Stephanie and Bea, who live upstate in a small cottage in the woods. Along the way we saw beautiful sunflowers growing along the road.

Mark and I made ourselves at home in their kitchen and immediately cooked up a beautiful dinner.
I cooked some white beans for a summer Tuscan salad and assembled a Caprese salad with fresh heirloom tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, and fragrant olive oil.

Stephanie made this beautiful ruby red beet dip.
The weekend was filled with beautiful meals comprising of fresh food grown in their garden or from local farms, good wine, wonderful conversation, and good company.

Can children under 5 survive on a vegan diet? Not that we have seen.

2008-08-18T17:12:00.009-04:00

Please check out this beautiful slide show that illustrates Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)'s current nutrition project in Burkina Faso. The text is in French, but I offer an English translation below.

The levels of chronic malnutrition and mortality that we see in the field say a lot about the types of nutrients that are essential for early growth and make a strong case for the need for animal proteins in children of the age of 0-5, the years when children go through the most rapid growth and are most vulnerable to malnutrition.

Rapidly growing children have specific nutritional needs and small stomachs. They require food dense in energy and diverse in nutrients, which is best achieved by providing them animal-source foods such as dairy, eggs, meat or fish. Soaring food prices have exacerbated malnutrition, with families not able to afford food nutritious enough for young children to grow and both avoid and overcome disease.

For regions with long-standing malnutrition problems, conventional food aid does not include specific foods for young children. Milk powder was removed from relief food targeted at children in the late 1980s when milk surpluses subsided. Since then, children have been receiving fortified blended flours based on wheat, corn, and soy, that contain no animal-source food – a diet which pediatricians do not recommend for children under two. It contains poor quality protein and far too many anti-nutrient factors that inhibit absorption of essential minerals such as zinc. What we are seeing with these standardized food distributions is a rise in severe malnutrition and child mortalities.

The World Health Organization estimates there are 178 million children that are malnourished across the globe, and at any given moment, 20 million suffering from the most severe form of malnutrition. Malnutrition contributes to between 3.5 and 5 million annual deaths of children under 5 years of age. We estimate that only 3 percent of the 20 million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition receive the UN-recommended treatment they need.

Here are some articles and epidemiological surveys that we have compiled through our work in the field:

Management of Moderate Acute Malnutrition with RUTF in Niger - Field Article

Starved for Attention - MSF Report

Crisis in Niger - New England Journal of Medicine

Instant Nutrition - NY Times

Burkina Faso: Traitement de la malnutrition dans la region du Nord

Slide Show translation:

In September 2007, MSF launched a program to treat children suffering from acute malnutrition in Titao and Yako in the Northern region of Burkina Faso, where the level of malnutrition is chronically high. By the end of June 2008, a total of 13,600 children under five years of age had been seen, with a 90% cure rate.

We have 7 Outpatient Feeding Centers. We also have a Therapeutic Feeding Center, which is basically an intensive care hospital. Any child who develops a serious medical complication, like respiratory infections, tetanus, conjunctivitis, malaria, or even diarrhea, must be hospitalized. After three months of activity we treated 4,000 children for severe malnutrition, and this year we have seen another 6,000 children.

The bracelets you see are called MUACs and stand for “middle upper arm circumference.” This is a simple tool and fast method that allows us to measure the degree of malnutrition in a child under 5. We have also implemented a higher cut-off point so that moderately malnourished children can be treated before they reach the level of severity. Among all the children who show up today, we admit about 50% of them and the number seems to be increasing.

After we weigh and measure the children, and determine if they need to be hospitalized or not, we distribute a ready to use therapeutic food called Plumpy’nut. Plumpy’nut is made from powdered milk, peanut paste, vegetable oil, sugar, vitamins and minerals. It does not need to be refrigerated, mixed with water or cooked. Children eat it directly from the sachet. Depending on the child’s weight, they take it two or three times a day. And they come back to the outpatient feeding center once a week for a medical check-up.

MSF treated more than 150,000 children in 2006 and 2007 in 22 countries with nutrient-rich therapeutic and supplemental food.

Raspberry Harvest

2008-08-17T02:54:00.004-04:00

I'm so looking forward to the next part of Steph's two part blog. While she prepares that, I thought we might visit a tiny red fruit that many of us love so much.

Not long ago, Steph wrote an excellent blog post about berries. In our conversations, she's encouraged me to share a little about one of our local small farm crops; the raspberry. The other day, Craig and Jane Floyd of Laketown, Utah generously allowed me to visit, photograph, videotape and assist as they went about their raspberry harvest. Craig and Jane are educators by training, and their business, Chad's Raspberry Kitchen, named after a son, is a part of the next phase of their life together.

Two reasons why I am winning the fight.

2008-08-11T16:33:00.008-04:00

Last week, I wrote about the miraculous results of my recent blood work. My cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose numbers have never been better. I feel better. I'm taking less medication and am becoming much more active again. I probably haven't been able to do a decent run or workout since my bypass surgery last November. But slowly, I'm bouncing back. Can I actually reverse my heart disease? Some think so. If it's at all possible, here are the reasons:

1) Diet
2) Love

Let's talk about diet first:

About 2 months ago (since the inception of this blog), Mark and I decided to embark on a new way of eating for life. I was inspired by a book I had read by Jordan Rubin entitled, "The Maker's Diet." That's right. What would Jesus eat? I gave the book to Mark to read and it spoke to his sensibilities as well. Rubin endorses a diet of organic and seasonal vegetables and fruits along with grass fed meats, pastured chickens, and wild caught fish. There are very few carbs in his diet, aside from the fruit, although he encourages you to begin to incorporate some dairy, grains, and legumes into the later stages of the diet, after one has already controlled their insulin levels. Then Mark and I discovered other similar philosophies in eating that also discouraged carbs such as Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint, and the Paleo Diet. These two philosophies grew from anthropological studies which suggest that the human body has evolved to eat certain foods, which include meat, vegetables, nuts, berries, and some fruits. You guessed it - these are hunter/gatherer diets. These studies also suggest that the human body has not (yet) evolved to be able to adequately digest and assimilate sugars and grains (there is much debate about beans and dairy as well, but I'll save that for another time). According to these sources, this is why so many modern diseases that seem to be on the rise include celiac disease (gluten intolerance), Chrohn's and other types of inflammatory bowel syndromes, cancers, heart disease, as well as the alarming rates of auto-immune diseases. Now I am not saying that this is gospel; however, there is some very compelling evidence out there that I encourage you all to read.

One of the wonderful side effects of this new diet is that my sugar and starchy food cravings have disappeared. What does this mean to a woman with an eating disorder? FREEDOM!!! This may be the first time in my adult life that I am not turning to food for comfort, out of boredom, out of procrastination, or for whatever reason we sometimes feel the urge to binge. The urge is just not there. Now at first I thought it must be psychological since I am feeling so supported by my partner, by my friends, and by this blog. The love is definitely carrying me through. BUT, I just came across some scientific evidence that shows that refined grains, sugar, and industrially processed vegetable oil actually promote a larger appetite, thus the propensity to overeat. Could this be why, as a nation, we are becoming larger, sicker, and our appetites keep increasing?

Check out this study and the article which follows:

British Journal of Nutrition
Whole Health Source

About the power of love?

Stay tuned.

The Incredible, Edible Dandelion

2008-08-09T04:01:00.000-04:00

The Cholesterol Dilemma and What to Do with all these Lovely Summer Tomatoes

2008-08-04T10:22:00.016-04:00

On the food front, it's been a busy few weeks of shopping, harvesting, cooking, freezing, canning, and storing. On the health front, I saw my cardiologist last week and my blood work came back phenomenal!! My total cholesterol level is the lowest it has ever been, and my HDL/LDL ration is also the best it's ever been. My triglycerides and glucose are also at an all time low. The interesting part about all of this is that I have been eating more animal fat and dairy than I have in years. What I have cut out completely in my diet however, is sugar and all grains.

Now I'm still not convinced that cholesterol is the big evil culprit for heart disease. I sent a short letter to the New York Times a few years back stating my skepticism and I guess they felt it was relevant enough to publish it (read it here). It was based on an article about "C-reactive Protein," an indicator of inflammation in the system, that can be detected in a blood test. According to this article and two New England Journal of Medicine studies, nearly half of all people who suffer heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels. Inflammation seemed to be a stronger risk factor than cholesterol. Since then, there have been numerous studies, reports, and articles on the "myth" of cholesterol. I became skeptical about cholesterol when Pfizer really started pushing their prized statin drug, "Lipitor," and following this huge marketing push, the national standards for acceptable cholesterol levels suddenly went down - meaning everyone who used to have an acceptable level of LDL at 130, was now at risk (level went down to 100) , and was subsequently put on statin drugs for prevention. Here are some links to some more about this subject:

What I’m Reading: The Great Cholesterol Con

The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics

The Cholesterol Myths

Surprise, Cholesterol May Actually Pose Benefits, Study Shows
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Last week I had my good friend, Maria, over for dinner. We were both in the mood for something light and fresh and decided to whip up some gazpacho and have it on my roof to watch the sunset. Maria has her own garden and brought over some beautiful Italian arugula that she grew from seeds she smuggled over from Italy. This arugula was much stronger and spicier than the kind we get here in the US. We tossed the Arugula in a simple dressing of olive oil, a little lemon, and salt and pepper. Than we both grabbed a bowl of gazpacho, a hunk of manchego cheese, and some olives, and head for the roof.

When I lived in Spain, I had a hard time with the food. The majority of Spanish cuisine consists of meat - mostly ham and sausage. Everything else is heavily fried and served with some sort of mayonnaise concoction. I was never a big meat eater and back then I was convinced that the high fat diet of Spaniards was going to kill them (that and their chain smoking)! However, I've come to learn that the Spanish have a much higher life expectancy than we do and have lower rates of cancer and heart disease. Go figure.

Anyway, the one food I enjoyed on a daily basis was gazpacho. There is nothing better on a hot summer day than a cool bowl of this glorious soup. It doesn't resemble that chunky stuff they call gazpacho in most American restaurants (I think somewhere along the line, someone confused Spanish gazpacho with Mexican salsa or Pico de Gallo). It's smooth and creamy and slightly sweet. Here is the way the old woman I lived with in Spain made it. Note that there is no garlic in this recipe. She always said that it was "not nice for women to smell like raw garlic" and that "you would never find a boyfriend that way." Ha ha!! I believed her.

Anna's Gazpacho:

3 large beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes
1 italian or green pepper
3 small cucumbers (mideastern are the sweetest)
1/2 small onion
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil (preferably Spanish or California - one with a green color and grassy flavor
some stale bread soaked in tomatoes (optional)
2 tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Put everything in a blender except the olive oil. While blender is on, slowly pour the olive oil in last to achieve a nice thickness to the soup.

Pour into bowls and drizzle a little extra olive oil on top. Top with chopped vegetables. I like to use avocados and sometimes chopped eggs.
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Mark's sister, Sharon, also recently sent me this recipe for Tomato Sauce. She is the second person who told me to roast my tomatoes before canning them. I'm going to use this recipe (with some added fresh basil) for my next canning venture. It looks like you can also freeze this as well:

Roasted tomato sauce

(from Kitchen Comforts)

Begin with garden-fresh, sun-ripened tomatoes of any and every variety. I usually plant some plum tomatoes for this, but by the end of the summer, I'm throwing all varieties into the pan. Clean the tomatoes and core them and put them in an 11X17 inch pan. Peel an entire BULB of garlic and scatter the cloves throughout the tomatoes. Douse with extra-virgin olive oil. Roast at 450 degrees for about a half an hour, until the whole house smells like summertime and the tomatoes are blistered. Pull the pan from the oven and sprinkle with fresh, whole basil leaves. Cover with foil and allow to cool until you can handle it comfortably. Carefully transfer everything (including the juices) to the blender. You'll have to bend in two batches. Whirl it all together and pour it over hot pasta. This makes enough for 4 pounds of hearty pasta.

I usually cook two pounds to feed my family. So, the other half gets poured into a gallon size zippered freezer bag and then frozen flat on the freezer shelf. In the middle of winter, thaw, heat, pour and remember the summer!

More about Soy

2008-07-29T11:31:00.004-04:00

New studies published by ESHRE and Human Production on soy and male fertility. Thanks to Modern Forager for posting it.

There were some questions brought up in an earlier post about soy consumption. Until a few months ago, I never gave it much thought, but the more I've been reading lately, the more I wonder if my soymilk chai latte is really a thing of the past. Men who are trying to start a family might particularly give this one some thought.

Public release date: 23-Jul-2008

European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology

Soy foods are associated with lower sperm concentrations

Men who eat an average of half a serving of soy food a day have lower concentrations of sperm than men who do not eat soy foods, according to research published online in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal, Human Reproduction, today (Thursday 24 July). The association was particularly marked in men who were overweight or obese, the study found.

In the largest study in humans to examine the relationship between semen quality and phytoestrogens (plant compounds that can behave like the hormone, oestrogen), Dr Jorge Chavarro, a research fellow in the department of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, USA, and his colleagues found that men who ate the most soy food had 41 million sperm per millilitre less than men who did not consume soy products. (The "normal" sperm concentration for men ranges between 80-120 million/ml).

Isoflavones (daidzein, genistein and glycitein) are plant-derived compounds with oestrogenic effects that are found mainly in soy beans and soy-derived products. Animal studies have linked the high consumption of isoflavones with infertility in animals, but so far there has been little evidence of their effect in humans.

Dr Chavarro and his colleagues analysed the intake of 15 soy-based foods in 99 men who had attended a fertility clinic with their partners to be evaluated for sub-fertility between 2000 and 2006. They asked them how often and how much they had eaten in the previous three months; the foods included tofu, tempeh, tofu or soy sausages, bacon, burgers and mince, soy milk, cheese, yoghurt and ice cream, and other soy products such as roasted nuts, drinks, powders and energy bars.

Different foods have different levels of isoflavones in them, and so the researchers related the size of the serving to the particular food. For instance, a standard serving of tofu was 115g and for soy milk it was one cup (240 millilitres).

The men were divided into four groups according to their intake of soy foods and isoflavones. After adjusting for factors such as age, abstinence time, body mass index (BMI), alcohol and caffeine intake and smoking, Dr Chavarro found that men in the highest intake category had, on average, 41 million sperm/ml less than men who did not eat soy foods. "Men in the highest intake group had a mean soy food intake of half a serving per day: in terms of their isoflavone content that is comparable to having one cup of soy milk or one serving of tofu, tempeh or soy burgers every other day," he said.

"It is important to highlight that the figure of half a serving a day is the average intake for men in the highest intake group. Some men in this group had intakes of soy foods as high as nearly four servings per day."

The researchers found evidence that the association between soy food intake and sperm concentrations were stronger in men who were overweight or obese (and 72% of them were). They also found the relationship between soy foods and sperm concentration was strongest in men with the higher sperm concentrations. "The implication is that men who have normal or high sperm counts may be more susceptible to soy foods than men with low sperm counts, but this remains to be evaluated," explained Dr Chavarro.

The study does not reveal why soy foods have this effect on sperm, but Dr Chavarro speculates that increased oestrogenic activity may have an adverse effect on the production of sperm by interfering with other hormonal signals. This effect could be strengthened further in overweight and obese men because men with high levels of body fat produce more oestrogen than slimmer men, leading to high overall levels of oestrogen in the body and reproductive organs.

Soy foods are the most important source of phytoestrogens in people in the Western world, and the researchers say they were able to comprehensively assess the men's soy intake. They did not assess intake of isoflavones from other sources, such as bakery products made with soy flour. "However, the most likely effect of not assessing intake of these foods is that the associations reported in this study are attenuated," said Dr Chavarro.

The researchers say that the clinical significance of their research remains to be determined, and further randomised trials are needed.

[1] Soy food and isoflavone intake in relation to semen quality parameters among men from an infertility clinic. Human Reproduction. Published online under advance access. doi:10.1093/humrep/den243.

The Balancing Act

2008-07-25T11:16:00.005-04:00

Posted by guest blogger, Chameleon:

So, while I was in Lesvos I made a few notes to myself about some things that I planned to try integrate into my life. Amongst other things, I realised what would maybe be good for me is to see how and that I can create rest for myself. These days I am trying not to pressure myself to "produce" something each day, or to be active all day in a "useful" way, I try to simply balance things out a little better between my hobbies, social life, time spend on the computer, answering mails and time just for myself doing just what I feel like doing in the moment.

With my struggles in the past the one time of the day that has always been tricky for me are the evenings, including the evening meals. I would either eat nothing at all or too much and then feel lousy by the time I went to bed. I did not cook in the past years, only on rare occasion and then usually when I had someone over for diner, although I do like cooking. So while I was in Lesvos I planned that when I am back in Amsterdam I will go to the market regularly to buy fresh vegetables and fish, or fruit and salad and such, and then see to it that I also make space and time to cook for myself.

To be honest, I did not really think I would mange to keep it up for as long as I have by now, which is a few weeks, and what is even more surprising I am not bored or tired of it yet either! Actually it is nice also to just get out of the house for a while, to stroll over the market when the weather is nice, check out all kinds of different stands and to think of different "recipes" along the way. I am not a fan for cooking books but enjoy to experiment. I do like to keep it simply though. That means it should not take too much time to prepare and basically I also do not use any spices, once again only on rare occasion. I don't even use salt or pepper. I guess one reason why I don't use salt often is that I like to add things like soya or oyster sauce with rice dishes and pesto with past dishes – there is plenty of salt in those. However, the one thing I am kind of addicted to and that I do not want to miss in my meal is: garlic! Truly a must! I recall a time when I used to prepare whole garlic clove and enjoy it just on its own. It is nice to re-discover a few things I actually enjoy(ed) but that got lost somehow over time, even if it is just something like garlic.

Meanwhile I tried a few different sorts of fish – Red snapper, Sea Bream, Mullets, Trout, Mackerel, English Whiting, European Plaice … and others that I do not know the name of anymore. The first time I went to the market I had no idea yet what I was going to buy and when I looked at the sea bream they sold my mind was set instantly. That fish looked so good – I had to buy it! Unfortunately, later standing in the kitchen preparing the fish I encountered a little problem: my fish pan is too small. The idea was to prepare the fish as a whole though and I so didn't want to have to cut it into pieces … I have never prepared a whole fish ever so I wasn't quite sure how and what but I figured that it cant be that difficult and if I would screw it up well then I could still eat the meat. The first two times I forgot to turn the fish around on time and it did fall into pieces, which I ate nonetheless as it of course was till okay to eat. But really, it is not so much fun anymore to eat a whole fish when suddenly you have to fish for fish bones in your meal. Regardless those first small obstacles I kept experimenting and after a few days only I learned the "trick" and can now I enjoy a whole fish, except for the fish head.

Meanwhile I feel that the internal (dis)stress has increased again since I returned but of course that was/is likely to happen once you are back in the familiar setting and faced with old problems that a vacation will not magically let disappear. However, all those little changes I tried to implement and to maintain also during the day really do seem to make a difference what concerns living a bit healthier and being able to relax a little more. I notice(d) that especially on days when I am struggling a little harder due to deeper emotional issues. Recently, on such days the balance I try to maintain during the day as well as trying to create a good atmosphere for me by listening to what it is I need can make all the difference. Once again, it is "simply" about being more conscious of yourself, your emotional needs but surely also of what external aspects have a positive or negative influence in how you feel and therefore eat and eventually sleep. I never thought I would one day post a pic of my dinner and write about food but then again there are a few other things I do these days that I never thought I would be doing. Must be the age?

Anyway ... looks like I am off for dinner now:

For those who might wonder what all that is on my plate: trout with garlic of course, tomatoes, a mix of Rucola and Corn salad and rice.

Eruca sativa (syn. E. vesicaria subsp. sativa (Miller) Thell., Brassica eruca L.), also known as arugula or rocket. It is used as a leaf vegetable, which looks like a longer leaved and open lettuce. It is rich in vitamin C and potassium.

Corn salad (Valerianella locusta) is a small dicot annual plant of the family Valerianaceae. It is also called Lewiston cornsalad, fetticus, mache, mâche, doucette, rampon, rampien, lamb's lettuce, field salad. Like other formerly foraged greens, corn salad has many nutrients, including three times as much Vitamin C as lettuce, beta-carotene, B6, B9, Vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Little Trees - The Mighty Broccoli

2008-07-24T14:13:00.006-04:00

That's how grandma got me to eat broccoli when I was young, by calling them "little trees." I'm not sure what about that notion touched a special weirdness in me, but being able to be a giant demolishing a forest of little trees appealed to me.

For many years in adulthood, I sort of stepped over this wonderful vegetable, but have recently become reacquainted with the little trees and now enjoy them several times a week, roasted, raw and - most often - steamed.

Jonny Bowden calls broccoli "vegetable royalty," and it appears more often than any other food on his experts' "top ten" lists (in contrast, say, with soy which rarely does). Broccoli is related to bok choy, kale and cabbage, among other great all-star plants and is loaded with protein and fiber, also has potassium and many other vitamins and minerals, and is great for maintaining healthy eyes. I whack mine up into big bite sized bits.

There are all sorts of fancy steamers out there. In fact I've got one in my kitchen that I use occasionally, usually at Church functions when the stovetop real estate is consumed with other megaprojects. But at home I use the low-tech steamer-basket-in-the-pot techique, the same one used by my mother and her mother - the same woman who taught me to love broccoli in the first place. They may not have known that broccoli and other cruciferous veggies would be credited with reducing breast and cervical cancer thanks to indole-3-carbinol.

I throw a bit of salt in the water and use some nice sea salt on the steaming broccoli since I'm a salt nut. Cover. Roughly fifteen minutes later, I'll be happy with the softness and texture of my vegetable.

While it's steaming, today I fine-grate some raw milk Rockhill Creamery Edam Steph left me as a gift. She picked it up last weekend when we were at the Farmers' Market in Salt Lake City. This is a wonderfully mild cheese. I want to top my freshly steamed broccoli with it and allow it to melt a bit into the vegetable.

After the heat and the cheese conspire to join the two flavors, I drizzle a bit of extra-virgin olive oil and add a bit more fresh ground sea salt and pepper.

Now, it's time for the giant to do his thing to the forest.