Mindful Eats

Where to Shop for Real Food

 NYC Chinatown

Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping.  ~Bo Derek (really)

Congratulations - you've decided to eat healthier so you are cooking more of your own whole foods and creating your Mindful Battle Plan. Yippee! So, where do you shop? There are lots of alternatives. We use a mix of the below options and flirt with the idea of investing in a CSA.

• Grocery stores: shop the outside aisles of your grocery stores for whole foods - the inside aisles are where the packaged, processed stuff lives. If you want organic foods, you can usually find a section. Your local "natural foods" grocery store (the one that smells funny) and Whole Foods have great, thoughtful selections.
• Specialty shops: find your local butcher, seafood shop and gourmet stores for some beautiful food options. The people that work here are generally very informative, so if you develop a relationship with them, they will hook you up with the freshest foods.
• Farmer's Markets: great source for locally grown foods. Nourished Kitchen provides great tips for navigating the market. You can often talk to the growers - but don't ask a yes or no question like "is this organic?" The farmer might farm sustainably but not have bothered to get certification. Politely ask to learn more about his farming practices instead. 
• Community Supported Agriculture shares (CSA's): this fabulous option allows you to buy a share in a farm. In return, you receive a weekly bounty of locally grown, farm fresh food. There are produce, meat, egg and dairy CSAs. If you travel, this might not be a good option for you as you need to pick up regularly. Or you can share a box with a friend (who gets the box when you are out of town) - this might also be a good option if you are single since the boxes can be a lot for one person. Local Nourishment blogs about her experience with a CSA. If you want to find a CSA, ask around in your area or look at the link below.
• Food pantry: more and more food pantries are adding fresh selections. You should ask around and find out if there are any in your area.

Here are additional posts on:

• why your shopping matters  
• finding local CSAs and markets  
• how to grocery shop
• eating healthy on a budget 
• the lowdown on organic food 

Shop mindfully and enjoy! For more blog posts on real food, visit Food Renegade.

What I ate: 14 oz. green juice, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 banana, 1 bite cheddar cheese, 1 oz. macadamia nuts, salmon + broccoli, 6 squares dark chocolate, 2 madelines, 3 minidesserts, coffee, eggplant + couscous, Taiwanese sticky rice, hot chocolate

Exercise: 1 hour yoga

Eggplant, Tomatoes and Israeli Couscous

Eggplant, tomatoes and Israeli couscous

Teachers open the door, but you must walk through yourself. ~Chinese Proverb

I am the first to admit I am a lazy cook. I often prepare my own food to be mindful of what I'm eating, but it has to be fast, easy, and in one pot. When I first saw this Mediterranean Eggplant recipe in Eating is Art, I knew it would meet all my criteria and be delicious (and a great reason to make Israeli couscous - yum). I first made this a couple weeks ago for my friends Suzi and Allison, but I made a few adjustments to the original recipe to make it even easier. I also served it with a frisee and goat cheese salad instead of bread. We all loved it. I had it again tonight, but like most meals, it wasn't as good without friends.

Mediterranean Eggplant, Tomato and Israeli Couscous

1. Mince 6-7 cloves of garlic
2. Chop 2 medium eggplants into bite-sized pieces 
3. Saute the garlic until golden in 3 tablespoons of olive oil 
4. Add the eggplant and saute until soft (add more olive oil if needed) 
5. Add one 28 oz. can of tomatoes (crushed, diced, whatever)
6. Add 1 shake of crushed red pepper, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon rosemary 
7. Simmer for 30-45 minutes
8. In the meantime, make the Israeli couscous by heating 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan. Toast 2 cups of Israeli couscous for a little bit, then slowly add in 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then let simmer until water is absorbed (10-12 minutes).
9. Spoon the eggplant over the couscous and enjoy

What I ate: 1 cup Horizon cottage cheese + strawberries, 1/2 c. Barbara's Multigrain cereal + milk, 6 squares dark chocolate, 2 hardboiled eggs, 6 oz. sauteed salmon + broccoli, 1 apple, 2 cups Good Earth tea, 2 oz. macadamia nuts, 1 sliver cheddar cheese, Mediterranean eggplant + coucous, 1 hot chocolate, 45 oz. water

Exercise: 10 min. stationary bike, 15 min. upper body weights

Your Food Deserves a Little Respect

Callan Workhouse pork

"I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues."  ~Dr. Seuss, The Lorax 

I ran into a vegetarian parade the other day (one of many NYC summer parades), where people were dressed as vegetables and a couple people carried a mock "diseased meat eater's colon" above their heads. It was a little amusing and frightening at the same time. MindfulEats appreciates people sharing and promoting their lifestyles, but hating on others tends to smack of fascism. There is rarely a need for extremism - moderation will give you a balanced diet and a healthy attitude. Hating just gives you frown lines and makes you tedious. (though we condone you being extreme about processed food - if you are looking for a cause, feel free to hate on that).

For those fortunate enough to have a diet choice, there are many reasons to be vegetarian, including the extensive environmental resources that go into meat production, a desire to stay away from industrialized meat practices, or health reasons. 

Then there are people that equate meat to murder. I once had a carnivorous boyfriend that turned the statement on me and asked if vegetables liked being murdered. I thought that was a silly question. However, we do cut down plants in their prime so we can eat them. (Or put them in vases or use them as Christmas trees.) They might not have a nervous system and feel pain in the way we understand, but does the fact that they don't communicate with us mean that they don't have a consciousness? Ask the Lorax!

Everything (except plants) lives by eating once-living things. This is fine, and it's reality. We should just respect those things that gave up their consciousness for us. If I had been in the Donner Party and had to be eaten, I might not be thrilled about it, but I would expect some appreciation and respect for my sacrifice.

It's easy for people to forget where food came from since they are so removed from food growers - processed food bears no resemblance to its original form. And most people buy their meat in grocery stores neatly packaged, so they never think about the original animal source. I have friends that love eating duck but are repulsed by the sight of a roasted duck hanging in a restaurant. Hey, that's what your eating! Develop a healthy connection between you and what you eat. Denying food is weird!

What to do - Develop a Healthy Connection with Your Food

1. Eat whole foods. They are the healthiest and most nutritious.
2. Learn about your food. Talk to your food providers - at the market, at the butcher's, wherever. Check out this nifty site, Find the Farmer, to learn more about the individual farmer behind your flour.
3. Appreciate your food. It doesn't matter what flavor eater you are - carnivore, raw, vegetarian, vegan... you don't need to feel guilty about it, just appreciate it. Yup, the broccoli was harvested at its prime, your hamburger used to be a powerful steer and your lox was a mighty salmon. Pretty awesome. Have some respect.

What I ate: 1 handful Mindful Mix, shaved mango ice, sticky rice in bamboo, Chinese food tour in Flushing: cold noodles, bite of lamb sandwich, 5 dumplings, 1/2 cheesecake, iced coffee, 8 oz. coconut water, bamboo shoots, crab noodles, rice + 1 piece fried snapper and broccoli, 40 ounces water, 8 oz. milk

Exercise: 1 mile jog, 1 hour yoga

Move Your Body: Short Periods of Exercise Count

Scenes from the New York Dance Parade, 5/16/09

Every artist was first an amateur.~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I was walking up Broadway with my friend Ham this weekend, and we ran into the New York Dance Parade. Over 20 dance groups were dancing their way through the streets, and most of them were amateurs having a blast. People jumped in and joined them. You know why? Because moving your body is fun! That's why you used to spin around in circles as a kid, feeling your body hurtling through air. Moving won't kill you; it's good for you. You can be sedentary or a pro athlete - moving a few minutes at a time, several times a day, helps your fitness. And it's way more fun than sitting in a chair. 

 

We all know fatties that try to get their movements down to zero (ok, maybe it's us - the former us). They circle the parking lot waiting for the space closest to the entrance, and they never met an escalator they didn't like. Walk a couple flights or squeeze into a packed elevator? Smush in, people.

Stop the madness! Grab the opportunity to add more movement to your life. Your body is built to move - use it or lose it. A study in Preventive Medicine in 2006 found that multiple workout sessions as short as 6 minutes apiece could help sedentary adults reach fitness goals similar to those achieved by working out for 30 minutes at a time.

What to do - Move Your Body

There are a myriad of opportunities to move every day. Be mindful of how much you move, and grab your opportunities. It'll become a habit. Here are a few:

• Park further away from the entrance and walk. It won't kill you, and you'll get some air.
• Take the stairs.  
• Walk over to your friend's house instead of driving.
• Help the older person carry their bags.
• Give your seat to the handicapped, elderly or pregnant. Or someone you think is attractive.
• Make multiple trips carrying stuff from the car.
• Bike or rollerblade to work.
• Race your kids. 
• Do some leg squats while carrying your kid, or airplane her around. 
• Pull a judo move on your partner and see if you can knock him down.
• Do your house chores superfast. 
• Walk the golf course instead of carting it. 

Do 5 of these a day. These are just a few to get you thinking. Have fun finding more!

What I ate: 2 cups coffee, 1/4 bagel + cream cheese, 1 cucumber slice and 1 grape tomato + cream cheese, cheddar cheese, halibut + spinach, 6 squares dark chocolate, 1 banana, 1 apple, 1 hard boiled egg, 1 scoop Mindful Mix, macadamia nuts, whole wheat spaghetti + sauteed broccoli + asparagus + shiitake mushrooms + green pepper, 1 hot chocolate, 1 cup milk, 55 ounces water, 6 oz. coconut water

Exercise: 3 mile jog, 5 800's

Pasteurization: What's the Big Deal?

Fortune favors the prepared mind. ~Louis Pasteur

Watching Rachel Alexander win the Preakness was inspirational. No doubt horse racing has its animal abuse issues, but thoroughbreds are still breathtaking athletes. 

I was fortunate to spend a little time traveling in Mongolia, where horses are still the major mode of transportation on the steppe. Horses are revered there, and I shared some airaq (fermented mare's milk) with my hosts. (Fermentation adds good microbes to food, but today's topic is about eliminating microbes with pasteurization). Dairy is a major part of the nomadic summer diet, and I would help the family milk some of the animals. Then we would haul the milk back in buckets and heat it on the stove for tea. I never noticed anyone drinking raw milk. I didn't think about it then, but I think we were home-pasteurizing the milk.

Milk is weird - humans are the only animals that drink milk from other animals. However, it is a good source of calcium, so there are a lot of milk drinkers. The vast majority of milk in the U.S. is pasteurized, which has become a subject of debate. In addition to milk, many other beverages and foods are pasteurized - orange juice, beer, wine, almonds, etc.

So what is pasteurization and why is it an issue? 

Pasteurization kills dangerous microorganisms to sterilize food and drink. To pasteurize, you heat the substance below boiling for several minutes. This now seemingly simple science was discovered by Louis Pasteur, the father of microbiology, in the 1800's.

Pasteurizing allows food to be shipped further distances, and increases its shelf life. Not many of us live next to a farm, and shipping and handling allows microorganisms to enter and grow in unpasteurized food. Pasteurization has saved millions of lives - that is why raw milk is illegal in many states.

So why is there an anti-pasteurization movement? Pasteurization doesn't discriminate in its microbe killing - it kills good microbes in addition to pathogens. People argue that if food is fresh and handled well, the risk of contamination, illness and death is insignificant. Pasteurizing food is processing food, and killing off beneficial microbes and enzymes significantly reduces the nutritional value.

This may be true, but not all of us have the physical or financial access to clean unpasteurized foods. So we just need to know what we're buying. There are many different levels of pasteurization. Using milk as an example:

• Vat/batch pasteurization (low and slow) requires 145F/63C for 30 minutes
• High temperature short term pasteurization (HTST) requires 161F/72C for 15 seconds
• Ultra pasteurization (UP) requires 191F/89C for 1 seconds 
• Ultra high temperature sterilization (UHT) requires 280F/138C for 2 seconds   

The higher up the scale you go, the more microbes are killed. That's why UHT can sit on the shelf for months. Most milk in the U.S. is HTST, and many foods are UP. Check the labels. There is an argument that the low and slow method is more nutritionally beneficial since it kills pathogens without altering milk protein as much as higher temperature pasteurization.

What to do - Thinking about Pasteurization

1. Buy whole foods! If you are choosing pasteurized foods (e.g. milk, juice, almonds), think about the tradeoff between safety, nutrition and value.
2. Safety first. It's the most important thing. If you don't have the time and funds to research nonpasteurized options, don't even think about it and buy pasteurized. If you have the inclination to seek out raw, then do your research.
3. Read the labels. More pasteurized foods may have less nutritional value (they are more processed, after all), but they are also likely to be cheaper and have a longer shelf life before spoiling. Consider your wallet. If you are buying these foods, you are doing a great job anyway, no matter how pasteurized the food is. Food is heated and cooked anyway.

What I ate: 1/4 lb. papaya, 14 oz. green juice, 1 cup Good Earth tea, mixed greens + roasted beets + blue cheese + snow peas + kamut salad, 1 banana, 1 apple, 8 squares dark chocolate, 1 coffee, 1.5 oz. macadamia nuts, 3 oz. cheddar cheese, 1/2 lb. sauteed halibut + spinach, 1 hot chocolate, 40 ounces water.

Exercise: 1 hour yoga

The Blood Type Diet

MindfulEats is dedicated to sharing different diets with you. And by diets, we mean styles of eating (not weight loss). We don't espouse any particular diet since different things work for different people, but if one of these appeals to you, then try it!

Naturopath Peter D'Adamo is behind The Blood Type Diet. His father was also a naturopath, and while he worked at a spa, he noticed that many people did well on the healthy spa diet, while some did not. Peter developed this observation into the theory that the healthiest diet for people was their ancestors'. This diet could be identified by blood type. His theory is that food contains proteins (lectins) that are similar to blood type antigens - so for example, some foods act like Blood Type A. If someone with Blood Type B ate a Type A food, their body would create antibodies to attack the proteins in that food and the food would end up agglutinizing, thus creating issues for the body. Get that? The short explanation is that some foods are not compatible with some blood types, and eating an uncompatible food will make you feel bad.

This diet has a lot of detractors in the medical field, and it also has some supporters. Detractors find there is no medical evidence for the diet since no studies have been done, and pathologists don't find agglutinization showers at time of death. The main premise behind D'Adamo's diet is agglutinization, and while that may happen to blood in a test tube, the human body is a much more complicated mechanism in its ability to deal with things. Also, while the diet is whole foods, it restricts a lot of healthy foods for different types.

MindfulEats likes medical studies, but we don't think they're the end-all and be-all. When I looked at the Blood Type Diet on a personal level, the first thing I noticed about it was that I was eating the wrong type of food. According to D'Adamo, my type is nomadic, so my favorite food (corn) is tops on the avoid list, and I am supposed to eat a lot more meat. As a longtime non-meat eater, this is not good news. According to the diet, I am not only supposed to eat meat, I am supposed to eat tougher meats to find like rabbit, goat and mutton.

Though I eat a primarily whole foods diet, I do often get more tired than I think I should. I suspect it has something to do with nutrition (not enough protein) or sleep (not enough).  We will have someone (maybe me) test the diet for a couple weeks and write up the review.

If this diet appeals to you, or you have followed it, let us know!

What to Do - The Blood Type Diet

1. If this appeals to you, read up on it! Read D'Adamo's website Eat Right for Your Type, and buy the book.
2. Read the detractors as well. WebMD, the Skeptic's Dictionary, Dr. Weil, AOLHealth review.
3. Phase in the recommendations gradually, and be mindful of how you feel. Keep a food log. If it does not work for you, discontinue!

For more on SOLE foods (sustainable, organic, local and ethical), check out Food Renegade's blog carnival.

What I ate: 1 c. Good Earth tea, 1 hard boiled egg, 4 slices of pizza (no crust), 5 squares dark chocolate, 1/2 c. cottage cheese, 2 cups coffee, (Delicious Dinner chez James): salad, 2 pieces veg sushi, rice crackers, goat cheese, potato chips, seafood risotto, grapes, strawberries, 40 oz. water

Exercise: none

Soda Pop is Bad for You

Hopefully this aisle of the store will become just a hazy memory...

"Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right." ~Henry Ford

Soda, pop, sodapop - you know it's bad for you, right? It's so bad that Congress is talking about taxing it to raise money for healthcare. No joke. That's right - sin tax, alongside cigarettes and alcohol. It won't happen because the beverage companies are too strong - they are arguing that it unfairly taxes poor people. Yup, people with less money don't have enough to contend with already so they have companies foisting unnatural fat drinks on them.

In case you were living under a rock and didn't know that pop is bad, here's a quick rundown of why it is on the MindfulEats Things to Avoid list:

• It's not a whole food. Pop is totally processed - there is nothing natural or nutritious about it. These calories have no redeeming qualities. Even the zero calorie stuff is still unnatural junk.
• It is loaded with sweeteners. In the U.S., most pop is made with high-fructose corn syrup. Even the higher quality pops that are made with sugar are still... made...of...sugar. It'll give you an energy crash, and cavities to boot.
• It can make you fat. Sweeteners make you crave calories. So even if you are drinking the unnatural diet soda that has fewer calories, it will leave you craving food.

Perhaps because of these bad things, pop can be incredible addictive. If you LOVE soda and drinking it makes you ineffably happy, just be moderate. I love junk food, but I've learned to limit it. You can moderate pop. Once you cut back, the intense craving will go away. 

What to do - Drink Less Sodapop

Keep Exercising When You Travel + Top 5 Running Areas

 Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. ~Henry Miller

 

Traveling throws everything in turmoil. Usually a positive turmoil - there are new experiences and events, and routines get shaken up. In the shakeup, some things fall to the wayside. So while we were in San Francisco for Kristina & Jon's gorgeous wedding, we didn't get a chance to blog. Sorry - we missed you (but it was a great time)!

 

One routine we always stick to while traveling is exercise. Everything else is changing, so it's important to stay consistent with your workout. You probably aren't eating as healthily as you usually do when you travel (though you are still being mindful, of course), so stay on top of your exercise! Continue your regular exercise - runing, walking, yoga, gym... It takes a little planning, but it's worth it. Your body will benefit from its routine exercise in a different environment. It's like walking your dog in a new place. The dog's still walking, but it goes nuts for the new sights and smells!

 

Exercise provides some of our most treasured travel memories. As morning runners, we get to see locals doing their thing before work, and we get a lay of the land that impresses people (even with a bad sense of direction). Running in San Francisco was an amazing treat - Golden Gate Park is beautiful, with delicious smells and different foliage then we're used to, and then it empties into the ocean. You see things that you would never see in a car, at a slower pace. If you don't run, then walk or go to the gym. One of our Utah highlights this year (besides snowboarding) was a local yoga class. Even "bad" exercise provides great memories - like being the lone runner in the heat of Bangalore, India while locals gawked.

What to do - Exercise while Traveling

1. Plan ahead for facilities. Do a little research before hand - are there some scenic hikes, runs or races that you want to fit in? Is there a gym or pool at your hotel? Does your gym have a location at your destination? Any cool exercise classes in the area? Get online and do some research. If you are looking for running or walking trails, check out the Runner's World training log and search running routes in your location. Active can also be a good resource for local events.
2. Schedule it in. Take a look at your itinerary and figure out when you can workout. Things can get hectic so plan beforehand. It's easier to stick to exercise when you have a plan.
3. Leverage local resources. Ask the front desk/concierge at your hotel about routes and facilities, or your friends.

MindfulEats Top 5 Running Locations

As we said earlier, running provides some of our best, most tangible memories of our travels. Here are our Top 5:

1. Sydney, Australia - Botanical Gardens with sweeping view of the harbour. Wow.
2. Norwich, VT - beautiful trails with constant mountain views and changing terrain.
3. Vancouver, CA - Stanley Park. Trails and water.
4. San Francisco - Golden Gate Park, Embarcadero, Presidio, City... this city's built for running (though the hills can be a challenge)
5. Hanoi, Vietnam - the early morning bustle is quieter, but it's still a bustle. Locals are out doing exercise and preparing for the day. The Lake is a reprieve.

What I ate: 1/2 mango, 4 strawberries, 10 veggie dumplings, handpulled noodles, greens, 1 banana, 1 latte, 45 oz. water

Exercise: Ran 45 minutes (Golden Gate!)

Natural Facial Beauty Products

Clarisonic Skin Brush, Balms Away, Dr. Hauschka Day Oil, Juice Beauty Organic Facial Wash

  

Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile. ~Franklin P. Jones

Searching for a present for the woman in your life (or yourself)? You look at her (and your) gorgeous face every day - what about something that makes her skin look amazing while swathing her in luxury? Sadly, most "beauty" products are full of artificial products. You absorb more through your skin than through your stomach, and products contain chemicals and preservatives that you wouldn't eat. Don't put them on your skin!

Here are some products that MindfulEats loves. They make you look fabulous (and contain all-natural ingredients). One, a few, or all of them make a great gift.

• Clarisonic Skin Brush: this brush is pricey, and I was really skeptical, but nothing else has made my skin look better. After I started using it, I had a couple facials. Both facialists told me my skin looked great and I didn't need facials. That's never happened before! 
• Juice Beauty Organic Facial Wash: I just found this facial cleanser, and it's heaven. It smells divine and feels luxurious. It's also certified USDA organic (95% organic ingredients), so you can accidentally eat it. It smells so good, I might try to. Honestly, I look forward to washing my face since it smells like a spa.
• Dr. Hauschka Day Oil: the idea of putting oil on your face might be strange, but it does wonders. Oil is actually a better carrier than cream (cream is mostly water), and your skin naturally has oil. This stuff feels light and my skin drinks it up. And Dr. Hauschka is the standard for natural, organic products. 
• Balms Away by the Balm: eye makeup can be tough to remove, and you don't want to use harsh chemicals to dissolve stuff around your eyes. After searching, I found the Balm. It has gentle ingredients and leaves your skin feeling refreshed. It works differently than other removers - it's really a balm - but it's more effective and natural!  

That's the MindfulEats line-up of facial products. Let us know about your favorites!

Resources: Environmental Working Group (EWG) Cosmetics Database, Mindful Eats post on EWG

What I ate: 12 oz. green juice, 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 latte, 1 c. brown rice, tempeh, .5 oz. salmon, watercress, 6 squares dark chocolate, 1 cup coffee, 1 slice pizza, 1 pear, 3 oz. cheese kettlecorn, 5 macadamia nuts, 1 handful Mindful Mix, 1.5 cups spaghetti + Rao's Siciliana sauce + spaghetti, 1 cup hot chocolate, 50 oz. water

Exercise: yoga

Benefits of (Vegetable) Juicing

Breville Juice Fountain and its output: Green Juice

"Socialize with compassion, kindness and grace." - Yogi Tea

Vegetable juice has always been an important tenet for alternative health types. It's integral to the Raw Foods diet, and alternative health gurus like Dr. Mercola insist that it is important for "radiant health". Now it's breaking out of the hippie granola store and into the mainstream with the spread of Jamba Juice and trendy juice bars. There's even a juice bar at my company cafeteria. Why is juicing so hip?

• It's a fast, easy and super-efficient way to get in many servings of fruits and vegetables. The Recommended Daily Allowance for fruits and vegetables is 5-9 servings a day. There's another a ratio floating around that recommends 1 pound of vegetables a day for every 50 pounds of body weight, but we're not sure where that came from.
• Raw foods still have "live enzymes" and phytochemicals in them. This is what alternative health practitioners believe is the key to "radiant health."
• It's easier for your body to assimilate the nutrients from juice since it doesn't contain fiber.
• Vegetable juice doesn't raise insulin levels the way that fruit juice does.