Healthy Eating Roadmap

Damn!!  I’ve got a cold.

My nose is running and starting to get pretty raw from blowing it.   My head is foggy and eyes are running.  I can’t function all that well. You know how it is….

Colds viruses are extremely contagious.  No one is immune to getting the cold no matter how much you exercise or how healthy you eat.

Cold medicine may give you temporary relief against the symptoms, but it won’t shorten the duration of your cold. And I don’t know about you, but I’m not big on taking medicines in general.   Fortunately, certain foods HAVE been scientifically proven to shorten the duration of colds.

Eat foods that have been clinically proven to benefit people with colds.  Foods that promote draining, shorten your cold’s duration, and relieve pain.  These foods include:

• Hot Peppers – Capsaicin, the chemical that gives them their spicyness, is the key to their cold-fighting effectiveness.   It acts as an expectorant, pain reliever, and decongestant all at the same time.  They are also loaded with vitamin C.
• Orange Juice – Fresh-squeezed orange juice has around 120 mg of vitamin C, which has been shown to reduce the duration of cold.
• Ginger – Studies have shown that it may fight certain types of viruses and have mild pain relieving properties.
• Chicken Stock – According to the University of Nebraska Medical Center – yeah, your mom’s chicken soup really did help you get over your cold quicker.
• Garlic – The chemical allicin in garlic kills viruses left and right.
• Water – Milk/Dairy thickens your mucus and makes it harder to drain.  Water will keep it thin and draining properly.  I won’t include this on the meal plan, but make sure and drink around 10 glasses a day during your cold.  I drink one glass an hour starting at 7am and slow way down after I get my 10.  That way I don’t ruin my sleep by having to get up to pee.

Here is your sample meal plan to get over your cold and moving on with your life.

Breakfast – (garlic, orange juice, hot peppers)

You need a good, hearty breakfast to give you energy for the day.  Try this:

• glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice (or two oranges)
• 2 eggs scrambled with tomato, fresh spinach, raw minced garlic, and generous dash of cayene pepper.
• 1 slice whole-wheat toast

Lunch – (chicken stock, ginger)

No one feels like cooking when their sick, so go to the store and buy the most delicious can of chicken soup you can find.  Make sure you get one that has chicken stock (not vegetable stock).  Drink a glass of fresh ginger tea.  Here is a good ginger tea explanation video for you. http://vimeo.com/2199301

Dinner – (garlic, hot peppers, chicken stock, ginger)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Sauté or bake chicken and cube.  Cook brown rice in chicken stock.  Saute garlic and jalapeños for just a little bit and then add diced tomatoes and a grating of fresh ginger, the cooked rice, and diced chicken.  Remove from heat.

Cut a hole in the top of red, green, yellow, orange, or (preferably) poblano peppers (cut a slit in side if using poblano, they don’t stand up well).  Remove the white pulp and rinse them out.    Stuff them with the rice mixture.   Bake them for 20 to 30 minutes.

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I’m going to follow this plan and we’ll see how it works.

If you want to prevent colds from ever occurring, make sure your lifestyle is good for your immune system.   Get moderate outdoor exercise (gyms contain tons of bacteria) and eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.   Reduce stress through meditation or yoga and smile away your worries.

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Smoothies are a great way to get some extra nutrition into your diet.  They can be used as meal replacements, a quick afternoon snack, or post-workout fuel.

Here are three powerful smoothie combinations sure to please your tastebuds and ease your stressed cells.

My All-Time Favorite

• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 cup milk (cow, soy, almond, hemp, or rice)
• 1/2 cup non or low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 – 2 Tbsp’s almond or peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed

This one is great for breakfast.  I usually add 1 scoop Amazing Grass Chocolate Green Superfood Powder (available at health food stores or Amazon) for a added shot of nutrition.   Sometimes when I don’t feel like cooking dinner, I’ll make one of these and serve it with a simple salad or chopped veggies with hummus.

Easy Post-Workout Whole Fuel

• 1 cup chocolate soymilk
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries (or other berries)
• 1 scoop of protein powder

Chocolate soy-milk by itself is a great recovery drink.  But adding a little extra protein and some super antioxidant fruits never hurt anyone.  Get your workout in, then refuel that hungry body of yours.

Super Healthy Anytime Snack

• 2.5 cups organic spinach
• 1 cup cantalope
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed (optional)
• 1/4  cup non or low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 cup milk choice

This is a Vitamin A & C bomb!!   Also, lots of Omega 3 fatty acids, probiotics, folic acid, antioxidants, potassium, and protein.  This one’s got it all and it’s oh so delicious.  Don’t let the spinach or green color turn you off, you really can’t taste it.

Now get out your blender and sip some nutrition.

Whats your favorite smoothie combination?

There’s more to life than food.   I mean gosh, we spend a hell of a lot of time in the kitchen and thinking about what we’ll eat.  We all have those day’s were we wish we could just inject ourselves with a liquidy goo of calories.

Well, I think adopting the minimalist approach to eating could save you some serious time.

You don’t have to own less than 50 items or live in a mini-house to adopt aspects of the minimalist way of life.   We’re just talking about keeping it simple.   Pair down your routine and you will be released from the constant struggle of decision.

And it’s healthy!

Freaking healthy as can be!   Yeah, that’s right – healthy AND easy.  It’s probably the last bit of diet advice you’ll ever need.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’d love it if you subscribed to this blog and kept hanging out and talking healthy with me- but it’s probably not necessary.  This is a philosophy you could adopt and use for the rest of your life.   You’d probably live longer and feel better.

I wouldn’t consider myself a hardcore minimalist, but I do have tendencies.  I’m fine living in a little apartment and keeping few possessions.  Nate and I have moved twice in the last two years so we’ve kind of been forced into this lifestyle.  After selling some of the larger things (couch, bed, etc), we have been able to fit all of our possessions in a subaru forester!!

We appreciate the sense of freedom from living a minimalist lifestyle and have begun to look for other ways to simplify our lives.   We paired down our meal-plans and grocery lists and are really enjoying it.   We still give ourselves a couple meals per week where we make fun recipes, but more often our meals are really basic.  Today, I’m excited as heck to share our ideas with you!  Here they are:

1)  Buy Less Ingredients

Go to the grocery store or farmer’s market with a simple plan.  Stick to fresh veggies, fruit, milk, yogurt, eggs, nuts, grains, legumes, and maybe one or two others.   Buy essentials such as tamari,  hot sauce, spices, herbs, and oil in large quantities when its on sale so you don’t typically run out (maybe check on prices if getting low).   Bake your bread and get your meat locally.  Vegetarians and vegans can simplify further.

2)  Prepare Simply

Cook your foods only a few ways.   No elaborate sauces or extensive preparations.  A sprinkle of fresh herbs, dash of salt and pepper, or spritz of lemon can go a long way.  Here are some examples:

• Slice hearty veggies and roast in the oven with fresh herbs for around 45 minutes,  putting a meat in halfway or so
• Steam fish, rice, and veggies all at once
• Sauté tofu and tender veggies in butter and olive oil and serve with brown rice
• Cut up tons of raw veggies and fruit for a large salad and maybe throw in a protein (chicken, tofu, beans, quinoa, hard-boiled egg, etc).  Toss with olive oil and balsamic or red-wine vinegar.
• Throw leftovers between two pieces of bread with cheese.

You can try using a 5 or less ingredient rule (besides seasoning & oil) – which  shouldn’t be too hard.   Examples:  breakfast – oatmeal, nuts, fruit.   Lunch – (sandwich) bread, goat cheese, lettuce, tomato, sprouts.  Dinner – black beans, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, corn tortillas.

3)  Eat Less

Down a large glass of water as you begin to prepare a meal.  Use the smaller 8-inch diameter salad plates for all your meals  and try to fill them halfway with veggies.  This just leaves room enough for a small amount of protein and whole grain or vegetable starch.

Do like one of the oldest living populations on the planet – the Okinawans, and only eat until your %80 full.  Don’t clean your plate completely and never go back for seconds.   Leftovers become new meals or a quick snack for later saving you even more time.

Simplify your diet and you’ll simplify your life.  Feel the weight lift and the stress melt.

Anyone have any ideas for simplifying further?

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Do you garden?   No…. ooh man, bummer.  Well, I’d say this year you take the plunge.  This article will tell you why and how.  (reading time: ~2 minutes)

Time to get yourself a taste of the immense joy you’ll receive from growin’ your own.  There is no better feeling than planting seeds in the ground and watching them sprout into little happy plants (or massive, depending on the plant I guess).   You’ll also benefit from:

• eating the freshest food on the planet earth
• enjoying the healthiest foods in the world
• saving significant amounts of cash money $$$
• getting outside to breathe in fresh air and get some light exercise
• the stylish look of dirt under your fingernails (you hipster you)

And guess what?  You can live anywhere, in any type of housing situation, and grow at least a few plants.  If your an absolute newbie to vegetable gardening, be sure to start small.  The last thing you want is to get overwhelmed your first year and get a bad taste in your mouth for gardening.

Grow some vegetables you know you like and maybe one your less familiar with.  You never know, you could end up with a new favorite food.

Here are some ideas and resources to get you started:

Conventional Style -Bury your yard in a thick layer of compost and till it into the soil.  Test and tweak until you get the soil the way you like it.   Maybe build a couple raised beds while your at it.

The conventional gardener has some amazing resources available at their fingertips.  There’s really no need to even purchase a book, there are so many great resources available online.  Here are a couple awesome websites to check out :

• http://www.backyardgardener.com/
• http://www.garden.org/howtos/
• http://www.organicgardening.com/
• http://www.organicgardeningguru.com/

Containers -If you have a sunny porch that will fit some pots, we highly recommend the book Bountiful Container by Maggie Stuckey (weird side note: same exact name as my good friend).  For info on the web, check out here, here, and here.  If your porch isn’t sunny but some of your windows are, consider getting a window box.  You could probably build one easily, but here’s what Target’s got just in case.

Go Indoors  -If you don’t have a sunny porch, plant a few pots indoors by a window.   Most herbs grow really well indoors.  Or, you can ask your landlord if you can either place some pots on the stoop or plant a little garden in the yard or landscaping.   Don’t give up, find a way to do it.  At least one tomato plant, I beg you!

Community Style -Nate and I have always wanted to join a community garden but we’ve been moving too often (Bloomington, then Portland, now Michigan).   This looks like a great way to get into gardening on the cheap and with easy access to hands-on expert advice.  Community gardeners share tools, resources, and even crops.

And BONUS:  Get to know your neighbors!!  I can imagine it now, a potluck supper with unique amazing dishes from the garden everyone shares.   I honestly believe getting involved and connecting to your community is one of the most important things you can do to be happy.

Note:  Portland, OR’s got a website called yardsharing.org that connects people who have extra land with those that want to farm.  Search for or start a similar site in your area.

Sharecropping -This is coming back folks.   While living in Portland, I remember reading a newspaper article about two guys that will plant out your backyard and you get a share of the crops.  (maybe it was these guys?)  If you are an extremely busy person (with bare lawn space), you would at least get to watch a garden grow and enjoy the fruits of someones labor.  It might be hard to find out if someone in your city does it, but check around and see what you come up with.  Let me know what you find, try searching for:  urban farming, backyard farming, etc.

Here is a woman in NYC that’s doing it.   (side note:  visit this link!  Foodcurated.com is awesome!)

Going Rogue  -Take some seeds and plant them in that ugly empty lot you always walk by or in the back corner of your local park and let mother nature do the work.   Scatter seeds in nooks and crannies around your neighborhood, and go for “harvest walks” at sunrise when most people are still sleeping.  Get creative, the sky is the limit.  If you go rogue, please be careful about trespassing and other laws, etc.

Well, there you are folks- lots of good stuff to get you thinking and hopefully doing!  Growing vegetables is the best way to start eating and living healthy.

Remember, spring is quickly approaching.  If your planting outdoors, now is the time to be coming up with a little plan for your garden.

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Have you guys been hearing a lot more about rabbits lately?    For dinner that is….

It seems they are slowing gaining popularity (or revival) as a great urban farm animal.   Easy to raise in a small backyard and apparently not to hard to butcher at home.   The meat is lean and flavorful.

I am a HUGE proponent of the backyard urban farmer movement, so I think its great anytime it gets mentioned in a major publication.  This morning as I was reading one of my favorite blogs about Ghost Town Farm, I was notified of an (rather controversial) article she contributed to for the New York Times.   Read the article and participate in the Q&A if you get some time:

• Article – http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/dining/03rabbit.html?pagewanted=1&adxnnlx=1267790998-AuLh7ol16scE/7IjmWwq9w
• Q&A - http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/q-a-on-rabbits-and-backyard-farming/?ref=dining

If your already raising chickens, I think this is a great next step for urban farming omnivores.  What do you think?

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Quick Side Note:  I’ve got a piece coming early next week proposing one simple solution (a movement really) that could really help the nutrition problem amongst the homeless.  Its still got lots of kinks and I will really need your feedback on that piece, so please subscribe by e-mail or RSS so you don’t miss out.

Here it is folks, I’ve come up with a simple rule to help you choose foods that will keep you on the path of health.

As a Dietitian, I am constantly asked ” What should I do to lose weight?”.   I’d always relay to them the simple message from author Michael Pollen “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”  Its a practical statement ringing with truth and clarity and shifts the focus on health instead of the guilt that arises from weight issues.  If only I’d thought of it myself.

I figured it’s about time for a Dietitian to come up with a statement of simplicity for our community.  We can’t let the journalists take over all our authority.   I’m here today to reveal my food mantra and explain the meaning behind it.  Here it is:

If you think about where your food comes from, there are two general paths.  Either it comes from loving situations or non-loving situations.  And there are two ways in which food is consumed – loving and non-loving.

Non-Loving Situations

Non-loving situations lack care for the environment and care for the consumer.  These are the factory farms, the dirty feed lots, the crowded dark hen house, the fast food restaurants , and the chemically showered fields.   These are the animals injected with growth hormones and antibiotics to the point they can no longer stand on two feet.  The plants and animals that don’t receive the love and respect that human interactions demand.

And the consumer loses.

Our health declines and disease becomes more common even in the midst of scientific breakthroughs.   We might save a couple bucks at the grocery store, but we end up spending it on material items that clog our life and mask happiness.   The burden on our health and the health of the environment is  shifted from producer to the consumer or government.

It’s also possible that we are not consuming our food in a loving manner.   To me, love is about pleasure and acting with care.  It’s a feeling thats hard to describe and easy to debate.   One thing I do know:  Scarfing down a plate of food in less than five minutes is not love.   Making no attempt at tasting the individual ingredients is not love.   And stuffing yourself until you feel sick is not a loving situation.

Loving Situations

Many of us choose to nourish our bodies with  food that is born of love.   Vegetables fertilized with healthy compost and handled with care come from love.   Animals given room to run and fresh air to breath are loved.   Cows and pigs raised primarily on grass and allowed to naturally come to maturity are living a life of love.   Chefs who prepare our food with pride and attention are dishing out the love – and the really great ones always use the freshest local foods when possible.

Wild antelopes running through the prairie breeze feel the love.  Farmers that return waste to the very soil the animals graze on instead of  letting it pool and leach into our precious water supplies are showing love for the environment.   And growing our own food is the ultimate gift of love – its like getting to raise quiet, happy children year after year.

And the consumer wins.

Eating food from our garden is a magical, appreciative experience.  Meat from pastured or wild animals  is lower in total fats (especially the saturated kind),  lower in calories, and two to four times higher in omega-3 fatty acids.  It’s higher in vitamins and minerals, and bigger on flavor.

Pastured meats are more expensive, and its a good thing.  Farmer’s undertake preventative measures for the health of the environment and our government’s liability is reduced.  They understand that we want to pay more for our meat because we know it’s healthier and that our investment will pay dividends down the road in the form of reduced medical expenses.

When we choose to only eat meats raised with love, we afford less and will gradually shift our dietary reliance to heart healthy fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains.  These fruits and vegetables should be free of the chemicals that can negatively affect our reproductive systems and brain function.  This will probably result in less calories consumed and a gradual return to a healthy, maintainable weight.

We should be consuming our food with more love.

Take some time to consider where it came from as you sit at the dinner table.  Taste the different flavor sensations – the bitter, sour, and sweet.  Try to decode the individual ingredients and  notice how they play off each other.  Notice how the acid from our wine perfectly cuts through the sweetness of our roasted carrots.   Put down the fork for a minute and engage in conversation with your friends and family.  Appreciate how it nourishes our bodies.  Smell your food!  Chew your food!  Love your food!

Find food born of love by visiting your local farmer’s market or joining a CSA.   Find a local farmer to supply your meat, and get to know her.  Best of all, start a garden and raise some chickens.

It’s our choice what and how we eat.  I choose LOVE.