Obesity, The National Epidemic

Sometimes being #1, is nothing to brag about.

The United States is at the top for the highest percentage of obese women and men.  36% of women and 32% of men.  Take a minute to digest that, no pun intended.  We are setting the example for our children, and their children.  By feeding our children burgers & fries from fast food chains and replacing water with sugary soda and juices we are truly setting our loved ones for failure.  

Why is an artichoke $3 and Burger King stacker $1 (whatever a stacker is, that does not sound appetizing)?  Why do we not ask why?

For those of you who do not know, I have quite the commute to work each day.  A twenty minute bus ride, a half hour ride on the Staten Island ferry, followed by two trains totaling another half hour (or more).  This is NYC so I see a lot of crazy things, but the most daunting of all is the poor diet and lifestyle habits I view just on my commute to or from work.

I understand that not everyone has the same mentality as I do right now. I thought for the past 6 years that I have been a vegetarian that I was really healthy.  Little did I know that I was not getting half the amount of vegetables and whole grains I should be.  I will show you some photos I took on the way to work in the morning over the past two weeks.  Keep in mind these are taken at 6am.

 So this child was eating a bag of sun-chips (at 6am) which I thought to myself how horrifying - chips for breakfast?  My mom used to give us oatmeal or toast and fruit.  Over her dead body would we be eating chips that's for sure.

After the little boy finished that he ate two giant chocolate donuts.  Halfway into the second one you can see he was leaning on his father (my assumption).  He was moaning like he didn't feel well, probably from the massive amounts of sugar and garbage he just consumed before 7am.  His mom followed up with "you don't feel well because you

 didn't finish your breakfast".  WHATTTTTT?!?!?!? (I had a slight nervous breakdown)!  She hands him a chocolate milk and says "here drink this, you're probably just thirsty".  Needless to say the kid was lethargic the last 20 minutes of the boat ride and I can imagine he was in a sugar coma in school for most of the day.  How can his parents expect him to put his best foot forward, to be actively participating, attentive and succeed?

  

The next gentleman I see almost every morning and each day he pulls something out of his backpack equally atrocious.  One morning a whole package of Oreos, another day a Big Mac (at 6am).  This day, he had a family sized bag of chips and a 2 liter of Coca Cola.  He sat there flipping through his comic book eating chips in a trance.  I don't even think he tasted them.  This saddened me.  Here he was this guy who was always really thoughtful, picking up a wallet one day and chasing down the woman who dropped it, giving his seat to elderly women.  I couldn't help but wonder, why can't he treat himself that great?  Doesn't he deserve to feel fantastic and treat himself in a similar manner? 

I would like to stress the fact that I am far from perfect, very far but I am trying each and every day - that is what counts.  What bothers me most is when I see children eating pure garbage.  They don't have a choice.  I would let my child whine for weeks for candy, processed foods and snacks.  Eventually they would eat the nice meal I prepared for them.  More children each day are developing type 2 diabetes (typically an adult disease now becoming more prominent in children), sleep apnea, high cholesterol and shortness of breath.  What was once a worry for our parents is now for our children.  Between 16-33% of children and adolescents are obese.  The annual cost to society is $100 billion a year for obesity.  In the past three decades adolescents (12-19 years old) has more than tripled!  One thing is certain, we are doing something wrong. 

"For example, one study found that approximately 80% of children who were overweight at age 10-15 were obese adults at age 25. Another study found that 25% of obese adults were overweight as children. The latter study also found that if overweight begins before age 8, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe". (check out more statistics here)

We as parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nephews, have the chance to influence our minors before it is too late.  Let's not pass our bad habits onto these innocent children.  

That is my rant for the evening.

Please remember though, we can make a difference.  Every single time we choose healthy food at the register, we are voting for a change.  If we do not buy it, eventually they will stop making it.  Simple supply and demand.  Let's demand a change, if not for us, then for our kids.

Escaping the Western Diet

I hope everyone is enjoying this fantastically beautiful afternoon we have all been graced with today!  It is a little windy, so throw on a coat and get outside.  I woke up feeling wonderful, had my delicious steel cut oats with flax seeds and cinnamon! YUM!  This will definitely keep my tummy full for quite a while.  

Last night I was watching the "Food Inc" documentary (one of my favorites) and one of my top fave authors Michael Pollan spoke in the film.  His insight made me go back into his book "In Defense of Food" this morning.  This book is really enlightening and I highly suggest you check it out.  

Most people are so incredibly confused through all the non-fat, low-fat, vegan, gluten free & heart healthy labels that we as Americans have no idea what TO eat anymore.  The short answer is put plain and simple by Michael Pollan:  "Eat Food.  Not too much.  Mostly Plants".  These three sentences and seven words have much more meaning than meets the eye.  First off, "Eat Food".  Yes FOOD, not the "food-like substances" we see in the grocery store that has been genetically modified, had nutrients sucked out then scientifically put back in again.  For all you "low-fat" and "no fat" obsessed people out there, let me tell you - you are eating worse than if you had the full fat food in the first place!  

                    "To make dairy products low fat, it's not enough to remove the fat.  You then have  to go to great   length to preserve the body or creamy texture by working in all kinds of food additives.  In the case of low-fat or skim milk, that usually means adding powdered milk.  But powdered milk contains oxidized cholesterol, which scientists believe is much worse for your arteries than ordinary cholesterol, so food makers sometimes compensate by adding antioxidants, further complicating what had been a simple one-ingredient whole food.  Also, removing the fat makes it that much harder for your body to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins that are one of the reasons to drink milk in the first place"  - Michael Pollan

If you are feeling lost making choices in the grocery store here are some really helpful ideas adapted from myself, as well as Michael Pollan.

1) Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle 

Many supermarkets are laid out in the same way where processed foods dominate the middle of the store and fresh and whole foods line the walls.  (Careful though, those scary processed yogurts with high fructose corn syrup are hiding nicely in the same area as our friends Mr. Broccoli and Mrs. Zucchini)! 

2) Get out of the supermarket whenever possible

You will never find high fructose corn syrup or elaborately processed foods at a farmers market, this takes the question mark out of the equation.  Also, no lists of unpronounceable ingredients, health claims, microwaveable and best of all no old food from far away!

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)  (check it out) its a great option which my fellow vegan girl Leah and I will be taking part in.  Becoming increasingly popular, CSA involves subscribing to a farm where you receive a weekly box of produce.  Always fresh, organic, and in season this veggies will be different depending on the month which means you can be creative with your "veggie gift" each week.  Looking at new recipes, or creating your own.  Remember, local produce is typically picked ripe and is much more fresh than supermarket produce.  

3) Mostly Plants (What to eat)

As long as you manage to eat "food" most of the time, whatever it is, you will most likely be okay.  We can truly nourish ourselves from a wide variety of food (so long as they are food).  There are many ways to combine foods, so eat mostly plants, especially leaves.  It is arguable whether it is the omega-3's, antioxidants or fiber that make them truly wonder foods, irregardless nutrition experts unanimously agree they serve an irreplaceable health benefit.

4) You are what what you eat eats too

That is, the diet of the animals people eat bearing on the nutritional quality and healthfulness of food in and of itself.  The animals Americans eat no longer eat the grass they were initially intended to.  The rule about eating more leaves and fewer seeds applies not only to us, but the animals in our food chain.  Or you can eliminate meat and dairy all together.

5) Eat more traditional food based upon your culture

Even though French and Italians have a higher fat, carbohydrate and alcohol intake than you would think, people who eat according to the rules of a traditional food culture are generally healthier people.  Unlike most Americans who are adhering to the Western Diet.   

There are many more ideas that you can make your own, such as trying to eat the foods that your great great grandmother may have eaten.  Not to say all the same, but chances are if she were still with me today, I doubt she would know what a go-gurt yogurt in a tube was (high fructose corn syrup + other garbage).  

That is all I will touch on for now.  I hope you all are having a truly amazing day.

Eat well & be happy everyone! 

Learn to Love your Omega 3's!

It has been awhile since I have posted on here, although I have steadfastly been continuing my vegan journey along with ensuring I am obtaining all the proper nutrients along the way.  Anyone else following this same path should know, you are doing an amazing thing for our planet, our furry (and non-furry) friends, not to mention, YOURSELF.  Did you ever stop to wonder why it is okay to eat a pig or cow but not a dog or cat?  That is another topic, for another day.

As you venture into your new delicious and exciting life of fresh organic fruits, veggies and whole grains I am sure you are already feeling (and looking) fantastic!  Do you have that "glow" yet?  Don't worry, you will.  Let's talk fun - let's talk Omega 3's.  Most meat eating people get omega 3's from seafood (especially salmon).  As a vegan or vegetarian you need to ensure that you are eating lots of flaxseeds, hemp oil as well as walnuts.  People often supplement themselves silly which is only peddling themselves backwards.  If you are not cutting out processed foods then you are truly doing yourself a disservice.  Why you ask?  Processed foods have many Omega 6's and most American's in correlation with their heavily processed diets have a 10:1 ratio (some individuals as high as 30:1) of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids! 

To break it down in layman's terms, Omega 3's are UNsaturated fatty acids, Omega 6's are saturated fatty acids.  Omega 3's when consumed in fairly high quantities have been known to reduce the risk for coronary heart disease, reduce triglycerides, heart rate and blood pressure.  While on the flipside, Omega 6's are linked to strokes, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, mood disorders, obesity and cancer.  Long story short, let's hang our with our Omega 3s more and try to create some distance with Mr. Omega 6!

One of my favorite breakfasts (which is high in our buddy Omega 3) is as follows:

- Steel cut oats (NOT the quick cooking oats)

- Cinnamon

- Agave Nectar (Natural Sweetner)

- Flaxseeds

Cook the oats on the stovetop or microwave (use caution with the microwave as the oats expand with water).  Keep opening the microwave every 20 seconds (to avoid an oatmeal covered microwave) to stir until they are at the consistency you like.  They are a little chewy and so delicious.  Add cinnamon, a handful of flaxseeds, and agave to taste.  Delicious, healthy and full of delicious Omega 3's - Enjoy!

No matter where you are in your food journey I hope you at least are beginning to question "where" the food you are eating comes from.  We have a right to know!  Do not just eat without care, pose questions, read labels, do your research.  If you are going to eat meat, find the best quality organic type you can afford.  Try to eliminate or at least decrease processed foods and sugars.  Oftentimes if we don't feel our best we pop pills, take a nap, go to the doctor... did you ever think that something you do 3+ times a day, 365 days a year plays the lead role in the movie called "our life".  Well it does.  There are many aspects we cannot control such as hereditary disease, genetics etc, the one thing we can control is the foods we consume on a daily basis.

Please eat well everyone, and if you have some extra time on your hands check out my current read from one of my favorite authors (its amazing)!