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!
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