The Mindful Eater

Health Visualizer

2009-07-08T02:29:02Z

Check out GE's interactive 'health visualizer", which hits health stats home with visual displays of current epidemics such as smoking, diabetes and hypertension. See who (gender/age) has what. While highly satisfying for the technology geeks (ehem...) - very sobering how ill we are.

Food, Inc.

2009-06-10T15:54:56Z

To say I'm excited about this movie is an understatement. it opens in NYC and LA this weekend. I am thrilled at the promise that a wide-release film may tap into the public's growing curiosity about food, health and environment - and how they all impact each other. More after I've seen it... here's a link to the trailer, and to a fantastic discussion about it on the Brian Lehrer Show (WNYC)

Myra's Mouthful

2009-06-02T19:20:17Z

My friend Myra writes a unique monthly newsletter that's like a breath of fresh air. Her missives take the form of a poem rife with seasonal imagery and a cleverly embedded recipe. She's also one of the most gifted nutritional counselors I know. Enjoy her June "mouthful", below:

The fretted forest offers no order the pattern, though replete, is random, chaotic and stymies our willful wanting
Each tree is different
though all of these are shagbark hickories
Each leaf, stem and twig varied
The roots have a common habit
but exercise it differently

Each flower, each thorn, each whorl of lichen
has its own imprint
its own long short life
it plays its own note
for this is the genesis of music

Here and there the trees move in rhythm to it
the oak quivers in the light
each leaf a shining disk
spanking the light back
again and back
until the entire tree glitters
making a sound like grain
running down a sheet metal trough
or like the rain that fell
in the black night to leave mirrors
in every hollow and cup
until the sun burnt them dry
and the wind swept them up
to build the clouds
in what is the first sky of summer

Celebrate with the young lambs quarters
growing in the yet untilled garden
Wilt them in garlic and oil in a cast iron pan
whip in half a dozen eggs,
dot with hearts of artichoke
and goat cheese coins
When the eggs are just set
slide under a hot broiler for a few moments only
until the frittata puffs and is beautiful
Tip it onto a board and cut into wedges for serving

The encircling forest has not the order of our wanting
yet we know it since the time
we rose on two feet and listened
to the calling birds to guide us
and read the shadows of the leaves
on the grass like books

We can look at the crystalline blue of the sky
and feel the catch of our heart –
that it belongs to the blue
not to us

Don't look away
look deeper – let your heart take you there
Fear not
the wind will hold you up
the trees stand by you shimmering
the birds' simple song show you how

Brought to you by
Myra Klockenbrink
Holistic Health and Wellness Therapy
email: mhopehome[at]yahoo[dot]com

The Fridge Does Not Lie

2009-05-29T19:39:51Z

Open your fridge. Take a snapshot. What does this say about what/how you eat - and about YOU?

Check out these fridge shots: which one is like yours?

Ten Things You Can Do to Fight World Hunger

2009-05-20T14:24:18Z

At the Brooklyn Food Conference, I attended a workshop about how climate change affects the food system. What I got most out of it was learning how our casual, daily behavior here dramatically impacts smaller civilizations around the world and that that, in turn, impacts our own food and sustainability issues. It was enlightening, and inspiring to realize that those daily decisions we make - from conserving energy to voting with our wallets - do make a difference.

In a related light, The Nation has published this list of "Ten Things You Can Do to Fight World Hunger"

Not surprisingly, many items on this list - tailored to address world hunger, a very important issue in its own rite - also would directly impact our own cultural food issues. Suggestions like

"Write letters to the editor and op-ed articles in your local paper calling on the government to cut or end subsidies that encourage large agribusinesses to overproduce grains and dump their surpluses on the developing world at sub-market prices."

"Eat less meat"

are emblematic of the type of change we need to take to clean up epidemics here and policies which bely them.

It's a great list - I only wish it provided more actionable resources.

What the Birds Know

2009-05-19T00:45:54Z

Since having my daughter 14 months ago, I have become so very hyper aware of the shortness of the 24-hour day. Every single day, I create ambitions for my day that must be clipped in half to remain somewhat realistic - and even then, I feel like I ran a marathon trying to accomplish them. Before having a child, I got these lists of things done and still had time to lounge, grab a coffee, call a friend, and take a long shower - and if something unforeseen popped up, I could probably find room for that, too.

Often, my reality is 1-2 things can be accomplished each day (grocery shopping & playground; work & making dinner; work, ordering in, & catching up on email). It's been really hard for me to grasp that when that one little thing I'd love to do pops up, I simply cannot 'rearrange this' or 'not do that' to make room for it. Part of me rebels. ("there must be time here somewhere... maybe - oh. maybe! - oh. hrm...") there simply isn't any more time to be squeezed out of my day. I sometimes find myself eyeing people on the subway who look young enough to be childless and thinking "if she wanted to go to yoga, she could just CHOOSE to go - she has no idea how free she is!"

And now for my little secret - between me and the birds: rising early. I have reclaimed a couple hours of me-time and it's happening when no one else is awake. Often, for me, I wake early to exercise (- I NEED exercise). But sometimes I just go for a quick walk and come back and get organized about something, or write email, or journal. It feels so good to get something quietly accomplished.

I started this in the winter, and I will say: it was a huge challenge. it was dark and cold and not very welcoming to the early riser. But now spring is upon us, and the birds know nature's loveliest secret - that the wee hours of the early morning can provide you with an amazing, fulfilling jump start to your day, and the gorgeous spring morning is like your own little private gift of sunny newness. Ok, yes, that is a little rosey for 5:30am, but after you've gotten over the initial pain, you really do realize how amazing it feels. And the weird truth is that you really can steal the time: funny enough, I go to bed at pretty much the same time, and I have more energy than when I slept in later.

So, here's to a couple of delicious early-morning reclaimed hours. If you'd like to give it a shot at waking earlier, I recommend this fantastic post: How to become an Early Riser.

How to Make a Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit

2009-05-01T13:12:42Z

On my neighborhood listserv, there was a vigorous discussion about the best 'green' cleaning products and brands - there are many out there. But among them was this link, full of common-sense and wallet-friendly advice about how to make your own non-toxic household cleaners, including window cleaner, soft scrub, oven cleaner and mold killer. They look so simple and sensible... check it out:
How to Make a Non-Toxic Cleaning Kit

This Weekend! Brooklyn Food Conference

2009-04-27T22:11:24Z

I've been volunteering for an event I am very excited about: the Brooklyn Food Conference. If you live in or near Brooklyn, make room in your schedule this friday night/saturday and come join in the fun. I can tell you first hand that it is well-organized and will be a great event.

Some highlights:
Food issues hit home for all of Brooklyn–from school lunches, the rise in diabetes, and escalating food costs to immigration, farmers markets and local food challenges and delights, food touches us all. Come join us for a day of workshops, food demos, and a kids’ food fair. Lunch and dinner will be available for purchase. Dance following dinner. The conference will be FREE to all participants.

• See a roundtable of NYC chefs, moderated by WNYC’s Leonard Lopate, with Dan Barber, Peter Hoffman, Bill Telepan, and Brooklyn’s own David Shea of Applewood and John Tucker of Rosewater.

• Hear LaDonna Redmond on what people in Chicago have done to change their food system, learn about worldwide food rebellions from author Raj Patel, and find out how climate change can affect the world’s food supply from activist Anna Lappé, and discuss milk health risks and benefits with author Nina Planck–plus workshops with many other dedicated activists and professionals.

• Screen films about food issues, including Fresh, Life and Debt, Unnatural Selection, and Flow.

• Meet your local farmers!

• Learn how to start your own victory garden in Brooklyn, compost, and start a food coop.

• Join your children at a kids’ food fair with cooking demonstrations and other fun activities.

• Workshops by and for teens plus Teen Iron Chef!

• Enjoy lunch and dinner created by Brooklyn chefs using sustainable foods.

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Kicks off on Friday night with a screening of FRESH by Ana Joanes, followed by a day's full of activities, workshops, and more films on Saturday May 2.

Learn more, here: brooklynfoodconference.org

Go Girlfriend

2009-03-11T15:05:03Z

I like the way Michelle Obama has been thinking lately...

Michael Pollan wants your food rules

2009-03-10T17:00:00Z

Michael Pollan, who has made a career of studying food politics and culture (author of the brilliant Ominvore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food), has made a call for your food rules. He's penned his own: Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants. - but now it's your turn!

A Prelude to Spring...

2009-03-10T01:15:50Z

I love living in the northeast, where we have an entirely new season every ~ 4 months or so. By early March, winter has seemed like eons, however - but right when we're about to completely lose it, spring begins to taunt us with the electricity of longer lovely twilight evenings, and sun-warmed days between cold gusts of winter wind. Every living creature is enlivened by the promise of warmer weather, colorful landscapes, and longer days. Trees produce miniscule buds. Early flowers rise. Birds tweet. I absolutely love these dramatic changes.

As a creature of these environs, I begin to prepare for the seasonal shift, and part of that is shifting my thoughts and feelings on diet: gone are the days of all-day cooked stews and hearty meaty dishes. I long for crisp, bright, colorful, less-cooked fare, and I can hardly wait for the bounty of fresh foods spring will bring.

Though some of them are starting to appear (hello, beautiful bitter greens of every kind!) - but it's not all here yet - and I am scraping the bottom of the creativity barrel with the same winter veggies. Lately, I've been deeply satisfied with the recipe below - a perfect wintery prelude to spring, in all its raw crispness, fashioned from a favorite winter veggie - kale - served raw with a spicy/tangy dressing. Enjoy...

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Tuscan Kale Salad

1 bunch Tuscan kale (also known as black or lacinato kale)
1 thin slice country bread (part whole-wheat or rye is nice), or 1/4 cup bread crumbs (coarse)
1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely grated pecorino cheese (or parmesan in a pinch), more for garnish
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for garnish
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

1. Trim bottom 2 inches off kale stems and discard. Slice kale, including ribs, into 3/4-inch-wide ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place kale in a large bowl.

2. If using bread, toast it until golden on both sides. Tear it into small pieces and grind in a food processor until mixture forms coarse crumbs.

3. Using a mortar and pestle, or with the back of a knife, pound garlic into a paste. Transfer garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper flakes and black pepper, and whisk to combine. Pour dressing over kale and toss very well to thoroughly combine (dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat leaves).

4. Let salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with bread crumbs, additional cheese and a drizzle of oil.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings.

Obama Picks Sustainable Food Advocate for USDA #2 Slot

2009-02-25T14:35:18Z

Yay - there truly is a ray of hope for sustainable and organic food advocates in the world of food politics after all. There was a bit of discouragement when Obama sent Iowa a thank you by nominating Tom Vilsak USDA Secretary - a big vote for agro-business-as-usual (some might even call him "Mr. Monsanto"), which is not what we need to turn things around. But he is [almost] making up for it today with his nomination for USDA Deputy, Kathleen Merrigan - a knowledgeable and staunch advocate for the sustainable and organic food movement. There might just be the 'change we need' in food, after all.

PS - I still get a little perk in my step every time I hear the phrase "President Obama" - it never grows old.

More Supplement Confusion: Nutritionism isn't helping

2009-02-17T19:45:45Z

The topic of supplements is a highly battled one - and last week's news from the Women's Health Initiative Study, reported on today by the NY Times, here - doesn't help much. But - in reading the play by play on the history of supplements and the clinical studies, one thought kept pounding in my head - summarized by Dr. Gann, here:

Scientists suspect that the benefits of a healthful diet come from eating the whole fruit or vegetable, not just the individual vitamins found in it. “There may not be a single component of broccoli or green leafy vegetables that is responsible for the health benefits,” Dr. Gann said. “Why are we taking a reductionist approach and plucking out one or two chemicals given in isolation?”

Why ARE we taking a reductionist approach and plucking out one or two chemicals in isolation? To use Michael Pollan's term, 'nutritionism' is only complicating things, and ignores the systemic nature of our bodies, our lives, and the food we eat. To think we are anywhere close to understanding the delicate dance between our bodies and the nourishment provided by the earth's fruits - or that we can come close through the reductive scientific method, is infuriating to me. Yes - we can learn a lot - but why not just eat a bountiful, varied, whole foods diet based on seasonal eating?

That said, I will admit that I DO take vitamins - just a multi and cod liver oil. And that is merely an insurance plan - I believe that our food system doesn't make it easy to eat the balanced diet we need to get the goods, so why not back it up with vitamins. But just as I believe in quality of food, I believe in quality of product, and I am very careful to get well-sourced, whole-food based vitamins, as well as Internationally Certified Fish Oil. But supplements are my plan B for health - not may main game. Eating (and enjoying) quality food is.

New Controversy over HFCS - Mercury Contamination

2009-01-31T16:18:07Z

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS for short) is a beleaguered topic these days. So much so, that they launched a laughable ad campaign (actually, I personally feel it's insulting to all viewers - there is valid debate over the topic, regardless of where you net out on it.) I personally am not sure if I think HFCS is THE culprit - instead, I believe that a dismal standard on food quality in this country is really our problem (can you shop without buying food in wrappers? I didn't think so.) Processed food is killing us - and HFCS is simply a processed sugar. I found the NutritionDiva's take on the topic pretty interesting.

Regardless of that debate, there was a new study released this week that found that almost half of all HFCS samples tested contained mercury, a toxic heavy metal that can wreak havoc on the body. Just one more reason to read your labels, eat high-quality whole foods, and steer clear of HFCS.

Sweet, Sweet Potatoes

2009-01-17T15:21:09Z

Surprisingly, Sweet Potatoes are not at all related to either potatoes or Yams. They are native to South America (Yams are native to Africa, a completely different plant) - and are actually related to the Morning Glory family.

Health Properties
Though they are high in sugar, sweet potatoes are an excellent source of carotenoid antioxidants (if you recall, 'carotenoids' are the pigments in food, which are powerful antioxidants - thus the 'eat a rainbow' creed). They are also high in vitamins A, B6 and C. Sweet potatoes contain unique root storage proteins, which have been shown to exert significant antioxidant effects. This in combination with their abundance in vitamin C make sweet potatoes antioxidant powerhouses. Also, unlike other starchy veggies, sweet potatoes are classified as an "antidiabetic" food: animal studies have shown that sweet potatoes actually help stabilize blood sugar levels and improve the response to the hormone insulin.

Buying
Select smooth-skinned sweet potatoes with tapered ends and no bruises or harvesting scars. Finally - size doesn't matter! Store them in a cool, dry area. There are many different varieties - have fun experimenting with different kinds. My favorite lately are the Garnet or Jewel variety, which have a deep red color.

Sweet Tooth
If you have an insatiable hankering for something sweet, try including more sweet veggies - such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash - to your meals. The sweetness from veggies is a smart, balanced way to take the edge off your cravings (perhaps even eliminating them). Try one of these recipes below.

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Sweet Sensation

1 C Onion
1 C carrot
1 C squash
1 C sweet potato
1 C water
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon

1. Cut veggies into bite-sized chunks, add to a big pot and sprinkle with cinnamon.

2. Add water and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until veggies are soft. Stir and serve.

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Sil's Sweet Potato, Chipotle and Black Bean Stew
(adapted from Scott Ohlgren)

This super easy stew has become a staple at our house - it's delicious, filling, and nutritious. You could add some greens during the last five minutes too. We serve this over brown rice.

1.5 C water (or stock)
1 medium onion, diced
1 large clove garlic
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1.5 lbs sweet potato, peeled + chopped into large chunks (or yams - any type)
2 C black beans (canned are fine)
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 TB olive oil
1 TB chili powder
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp celtic sea salt (or any salt)
1 chipotle pepper, chopped (or 1/4 tsp cayenne)

1. Use a large skillet or dutch oven that everything can fit into. Heat oil over medium heat; add onion, bell pepper, and garlic. cook til softened.

2. Stir in all spices and cook for 30 seconds. Add sweet potatoes and stir to coat with spices.

3. Add tomatoes, beans, chipotle (this will make it spicy - if you're unsure, only add a little bit, or omit it) and water or stock. Season with salt. Cover and cook 45 minutes over medium heat.

4. Adjust the flavors and serve!