Mindful Eats

No Short Cuts to Getting Healthy

 View from Duryea's, Montauk, July 2009

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. ~Aristotle

Hi gorgeous! You're fabulous, and the fact that you're reading this means that you're interested in getting healthier and even MORE fabulous. Stick with it - be consistent about eating and exercising more mindfully, and you will definitely see and feel results. You don't need to be perfect, you just need to get a bit better. And you can definitely do that. All you have to do is improve your batting average.

The one thing that doesn't work is a short cut. But you knew that, didn't you smartie? No diet pill, supplement, steroid, surgery or weird advertisement in the back of a magazine will get you there. Short cuts might give you a short term boost in results, but that's pretty different from the radiant health that you're looking for and deserve. Let's be honest - it took months, if not years, of your habits to get to your current state. We know you want fast results, but you can't expect to get healthy instantly. Give yourself a break! It's a gradual process.

Short cuts are appealing because they promise quick results. Who doesn't love that? I mean, how do you know it's working if you can't see results? This is where what you see is misleading. Short cuts to getting skinny or looking fitter actually hurt your health in the long run. The popular diet drug, Hydroxycut, is linked to death and health damage. Steroids cause 'roid range and long term health issues. Liposuction gets rid of bumps but doesn't give you permanent energy or joy. Short cuts also make you crazy in the head so that no one wants to hang around you anyway. What's the fun in looking skinny by yourself? So if you're using a short cut, stop! If you're thinking about it, don't. It's a waste of time, energy and money.

The only thing that really works is being mindful about eating clean, whole foods and getting enough exercise and sleep. Promise. It's hard work, but you're worth it. You'll get even more gorgeous, be happier and have more energy. And you'll be richer! (Obese Americans spend 42% more on health care). It's never too late to get healthier. I just caught up with a friend who lost 25 pounds in the past year, and he's also running faster than he ever has in his life. And he's over 40. We can all get better. If you're already perfect - awesome - find someone to mentor.

What to do

1. You want to be healthier. Yay. If you are currently using a short cut, stop! It's causing long term harm and it isn't sustainable. It's a waste of time and money. As soon as you stop, you'll bounce back to where you were, and you'll be even worse off. If you're not using a short cut, don't even think about it. Ignore the internet ads with before and after pictures. They're stupid.
2. Keep your eyes on the prize. Sure, you'll get even more attractive as you get healthier, but you'll also be more energetic, happy and radiant. You'll have more peace. No short cut can provide that.
3. Get back to basics. Review the Mindful Eats Map. It's not complicated, and it's all there.

Don't forget to have fun!

What I ate: 12 oz. vegetable juice, Whole Foods Plain low fat yogurt + strawberries + blueberries, 1 banana, 16 oz. Good Earth tea, 1/2 c. quinoa, sauteed zucchini + yellow squash + shitaake mushrooms, 3 oz. turkey jerkey, 5 pieces Pirate's Booty, 4 dried figs, 2 handfuls cherries, 1 oz. raw cheese, 12 oz. cafe au lait, 1 small madeleine, vegan nori roll, 1 handful Mindful Mix, 4 squares dark chocolate, 50 oz. water

Exercise: 30 min. weights

Raw Kale Salad with Cheese, Lemon Juice and Garlic

Lacinto kale, lemon juice, garlic, parmesan, olive oil, crushed red pepper

Our Garrick's a salad; for in him we see, Oil, vinegar, sugar and saltiness agree. ~Oliver Goldsmith

I saw a recipe for kale salad in the New York Times two years ago that looked so delicious and easy, I never forgot about it. For two years. I never made it, but I never forgot about it. Then my friend Gillian had a lovely dinner party, and she served the same raw kale salad! Her husband refuses to eat vegetables, but he finished more than one serving of the salad. That's how good it is.

One big bonus is that this tasty salad features the "superfood" kale, which is rich in phytochemicals and supposedly helps prevent cancer. The lemon juice in this recipe makes the kale sparkle. If you are trying to avoid pesticides, you will want to buy organic kale since it is high on the "Dirty Dozen" list.

Recipes generally call for lacinto ("dinosaur") kale, but Gillian makes it with any kind of kale. She used green kale when I had it, and it was delicious!

Raw Kale Salad with Parmesan, Lemon and Olive Oil

Adapted from NYT recipe and Gillian

Serves 4

1 bunch of kale (lacinto, green, whatever)
Handful of currants or craisins (optional)
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (NYT calls for pecorino)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper

1. Trim bottom 2 inches off kale and save for your vegetable juice (or compost).
2. Slice the remaining kale into strips about 3/4 inch wide and place in a salad bowl. Add currants or craisins.
3. Smash the garlic with your knife and place in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl as well. Combine it with the olive oil, cheese, crushed red pepper. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Toss kale with dressing and make sure all the leaves are wet.

Enjoy!

What I ate: Whole Foods plain yogurt + strawberries + blueberries, 16 oz. cafe au lait, Mindful Mix, spinach + roasted beets + radish sprouts + chopped egg + tomato salad, soy nuts, bread, seaweed salad, California roll, rainbow roll, fried rice, wasabi mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, 60 oz. water

Exercise: 1 hour yoga

Hydrate Naturally with Coconut Water and its Benefits

Coconut water lineup: Zico, Vita Coco, ONE, and a real nut

There is sweet water inside a tender coconut. Who poured the water inside the coconut? Was it the work of any man? No. Only the Divine can do such a thing. ~Sri Sathya Sai Baba 

Coconuts are fun. We can't see one without thinking of the tropics, and it's odd to think that it's just a huge seed. Everything about a coconut is useful, but one of our favorite parts is coconut water (which occurs naturally in young coconuts). It looks slightly cloudy, and it doesn't really have a coconut flavor. It's mild, slightly sweet, and best drunk chilled. It's delicious and thirst-quenching.

Coconut water is touted as a natural sports drink full of benefits. It's certainly natural - all you have to do is smack a baby coconut. Proponents say that it is chock-full of electrolytes and potassium, and hydrates you quickly after exercise and excessive partying. We've been drinking it for over a year now, and it's our preferred post-run sports drink when marathon training. Does it work better than other drinks? We don't know, but we like the fact that there's no artificial chemicals or sweeteners in it. So let's compare it to Gatorade, shall we?

One serving of Zico Coconut Water vs. one serving of Gatorade Fierce (since it sounds hardcore):

• Calories: 60 to coconut, 50 to Fierce
• Sodium: 60mg to coconut, 110mg to Fierce
• Potassium: 670mg to coconut, 30mg to Fierce (more in coconut water than a banana)
• Total Carbohydrate: 15mg to coconut, 14mg to Fierce
• Sugars: 14mg to coconut, 14mg to Fierce

They both work post-exercise, but since you are now anti-processed food (a fluorescent sports drink counts as processed), you should give the nod to the coconut water.

You don't actually have to crack open a coconut to get to the water. You can just open an increasingly prevalent Tetrapak. Happily, there are an increasing number of brands on the shelf - Zico, Vita Coco, and ONE are some of them, and they are all good. If you don't like taste of coconut water, there are additional flavors like mango and passionfruit. We like it straight-up best. Our absolute favorite is water from a fresh young coconut. Sip it through a straw, and scoop up the coconut jelly after you're done.

3/17/11 Update: While Dr. Weil agrees that coconut water is natural, he doesn't buy into all the claims. He recommends lots of pure, filtered water for the same health benefits.

What to do

1. Try coconut water - there are several brands and "flavors". Find one that you like. Or go to a natural food store that sells whole young coconuts, and have them open one up for you.
2. Hydrate. It's not processed like fruit juice, and comes loaded with potassium. It's not a water replacement (for those counting calories, there are 60 calories), but it's a good hydrator, particularly post-exercise or during hangover.
3. Recycle the Tetrapak - some communities like NYC recycle (check to see if yours does here), otherwise you can mail them back.

What I ate: vegetable juice, cottage cheese + blueberries + 3 strawberries, shell peas, whole wheat spaghetti + tomatoes + garlic + basil, 8 squares dark chocolate, 1 cup coffee, 1 pretzel, 1 cup Rainier cherries, strawberries, blueberries, raw kale salad, roasted turkey, 60 oz. water, Mindful Mix

Exercise: 65 min. vinyassa yoga

 

Probiotics: Friendly Immunity Allies

Redwood Hills Goat Milk Kefir, Nancy's plan kefir

When the bad guys take someone out in the movies, they wipe out everyone that's in the way. They don't care about collateral damage. That's what an antibiotic does - it kills all the bad bacteria (and the good bacteria) that it comes across. Your body is a living organism - and it's full of other other living organisms. Some people think that sounds gross, but we think it's fun! You're always carrying friends with you. Probiotics are the opposite of antibiotocs - they are friendly bacteria that are living in your digestive system. When you eat probiotic food, it adds more of the good bacteria. It's the opposite approach of the bad guys - you're adding more good guys to win the day.

What do probiotics do? They are believed to benefit your digestive tract, and since that is a major part of your immune system, it is supposed to benefit your immune system as well. The strongest evidence is that it helps with diarrhea, but it is credited with helping to prevent disease and improve overall health, including skin infections, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcers, tooth decay and periodontal disease. It may also help with lactose intolerance.

Where are they? They naturally live in your body, but you can also find probiotics in fermented food. We eat them a lot less than we used to. You can find them in yogurt, kimchi, natural pickled foods, kombucha, unprocessed miso, cheese, and kefir. Kefir is a cultured milk drink that tastes like creamy drinkable yogurt - it also comes in flavors if that is what you prefer.

Can you eat too many probiotics? Dr. Weil says no. At MindfulEats, we believe in moderation so we don't recommend going nuts on the probiotics. You've got lots of other things you need to eat like fresh fruits and vegetables.

Can you get probiotics in a supplement? Yes. But we prefer getting nutrients in whole foods rather than supplements, so just eat it.

Bottom Line - You need bacteria in your system, and it's good to have friendly bacteria crowding out the bad bacteria. Think of it as a party. MindfulEats thinks you should add more probiotics to your diet.

What to do - Eat More Probiotic Food

1. Figure out what kind of fermented foods and cultured dairy products you prefer since they are rich in probiotics. Many foods list the strain of bacteria - a common one is Lactobacillus acidophilus in yogurt. You can find probiotic foods in the dairy section of your store (yogurt, kefir, cheese) or in fermented foods like tempeh, kombucha, miso and pickles. Homemade pickles are delicious!
2. Eat a variety of different bacteria strains - add some bifidus to your acidophilus.  You can find varieties on packaged foods. The happy microorganisms have different qualities but they're all friendly, so eat up and let them mingle and have a party. 
3. Stock up on them and indulge daily. If you haven't been eating probiotic foods, you may want to start small - a couple tablespoons a day and build up.
4. If you have taken an antibiotic, it cleared out bad and good bacteria, so you may want to eat more probiotics to re-seed your digestive system with friendly microorganisms.

Want to learn more? National Institutes of Health - National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's Introduction to Probiotics, a very readable blog post from Whole Foods, Dr. Weil

What I ate: vegetable juice, goat milk kefir, coffee, sauteed salmon + bok choy + spinach, brown rice, macadamia nuts, cafe au lait, 10 nachos + cheese, brown rice + bonito flakes rice ball, whole wheat spaghetti + soy sauce + sesame oil + tatsoy, 60 oz. water

Exercise: none

Omnivorous: Eating Meat Again

Ecofarms pork from Gramercy Tavern 

I'm an omnivore. I started eating meat a couple months ago after 20 years as a pescetarian (a diet that excludes red meat or poultry - though I did cheat with chicken soup when I was sick)

People have all kind of rationale for their personal diets. I stopped eating meat after a trip to Tibet for two reasons:

1. After wandering the markets, I couldn't help but notice the connection the Tibetans had with their food. Meat was recognizably from animals, and all parts were used. Animals weren't industrially raised - they lived in normal environments where they ate grass and wandered. There was a respect for animals that was missing from the way I got meat at home, and since I didn't know any farmers, it seemed easier to abstain.

2. Industrial animal raising takes a toll on the environment (and the animals). Land is devastated from having thousands of animals crammed onto it, and they are fed unnatural diets of corn, soy, and ground meat. As a teenager, I didn't know that much about buying my own meat so I just opted out. The seas weren't as overfished then, so I thought I'd get most of protein from seafood.

As a pescetarian, at one time or other I fell into two bad habits that can trap lazy vegetarians. 1) I ended up on a processed junk food diet (pizza, potato chips and Cheetos) since it's easy and "vegetarian", and 2) I would forget to eat protein and become exhausted. Good vegetarians don't fall into these habits, but if you're lazy, that's what happens! (I like to think I've come a little further since then).

During the years that I stopped eating meat, new trends emerged:

• Seafood became very popular - to the point where it is now unsustainably overfished. Many seafood populations are near collapse, and large mighty fish like swordfish and cod are significantly smaller then they were since they are being caught younger. The sustainability issue is so confusing that I'm now avoiding most seafood. When eating it, I now refer to sustainable seafood resources.
• Traditional, locally grown meat has become more widely available. There are now several meat growers at my farmer's market who raise their animals without chemicals in stress-free environments. This happy trend seems to be fairly widespread, and is becoming even more so.
• I've become more physically active. I ran my first marathon last year, and noticed that training made me more tired than other people. It could be because I'm a wimp, but I prefer my hypothesis is that I wasn't eating enough protein.

So after several months of thinking, I took the plunge and started eating meat. For those of you that are thinking about it, my best advice is to start with small quantities to acclimate your system. The immediate effects for me were a stomach ache for a few days and (squeamish people don't read the rest of this sentence) mild diarrea. These didn't last more than a couple weeks.

As I try to be mindful about incorporating meat into my diet, I have these guiding principles:

• Only clean meat from conscientious farmers. I want my meat to be from ethical farms, where the animals eat their natural foods and roam outside at will. Eating animals that are flooded with stress hormones and chemicals does not appeal to me. Clean meat is more expensive, but I'm worth it (and so are the animals). It also means that I can continue to quiz the waiters at restaurants.
• Reasonable portions. Meat was traditionally used as a side or a flavoring. We don't need as much meat as is available - 4 oz. is enough - and I plan on following a "Mediterranean" type diet. I don't eat meat every day, but I will make an effort for daily protein.
• Locally sourced food. One of the great things about being an omnivore is that I can source more of my diet locally and support the family farmers and restaurants in the area. My diet is more local but wide open, which is exciting. I've found several restaurants that support local, artisan farmers. haven't started cooking meat yet, but I look forward to establishing more of a relationship with local farmers.

Does adding meat provide more energy? I'll report back after a few months of training.

What I ate: 12 oz. vegetable juice, Oikos yogurt + strawberries + blueberries, 1 cafe au lait, 3 oz. sauteed salmon + spinach + bok choy + shitaake mushrooms, 1 hardboiled egg, 1 plum, 1 coffee, Mindful Mix, 1 ear of corn, red lettuce + goat cheese + Schoolhouse Kitchen Balsamico Vinaigrette, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, 12 oz. pomegranate goatmilk kefir, Gruyere cheese, 66 oz. water

Exercise: 3 miles easy warm up/cool down, 3x1600 m intervals + 400m recovery

Recovering from a Celebration

Summer bounty - load up on strawberries, blueberries, cherries, pluots and nectarines

Our greatest glory consist not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. ~Oliver Goldsmith

This weekend I fell off the path of mindful eating into a frenzy of gluttony. I blame July 4th since it's a happy summer celebration of sun, barbecues, and fireworks. I was fortunate to celebrate it at a mini-family reunion, but I consumed far, far more calories than I expended. It happens. (ok, it was my fault). Beat yourself up a little bit, learn some lessons, then swiftly move on to celebration recovery.

But first, let's answer the question that some of you are asking: is it possible to truly celebrate without overdoing it? YES -it is possible to have fun and enjoy yourself without gorging yourself and feeling terrible later. Now that we got that out of the way -

People like to celebrate with an abundance of the richest food and drink they can find. Historically, this made sense - food used to be limited in both variety and quantity so most meals consisted of the same old thing - like cabbage soup. A celebration was a chance to eat different foods (like meat) that provided a caloric and nutritional boost. However, we now live in a time where we get more than enough calories, so celebrating the traditional way just makes us fat.

But we still show our love for each other with fat food and sugar, and my family is no exception. I usually try to celebrate mindfully, but this time I only partially succeeded. Three days of gluttony left me lying on the floor Sunday morning lamenting how much I'd eaten. It's best to avoid excessive indulgence, but if you overdo it, it's not the end of the world. You can recover! Here's how:

What to do - Celebration Recovery

1. Have a game plan going into the celebration of what you're going to eat and drink. The best defense is a good offense. But if you didn't do that, read the next few steps carefully.
2. Plan exercise time. You'll never do it otherwise. Round people up for activities before the celebration even starts - schedule flag football games, runs, bike rides, hikes, etc. I found a July 4th race, and for those of us that participated, it was a great bonding experience and a funny future memory.
3. Hydrate. Drink a lot of water. It will keep you feeling fuller so you won't be able to eat as much as you normally could.
4. Indulge in fruit and salad first. Go nuts. It'll do the same thing as hydrating. 
5. Chew sugarless gum. You can't eat and chew at the same time.
6. Slow your roll. After the first couple days of gluttony, take a good look at yourself in the mirror in your swim suit. It might prompt you to slow down the caloric intake.
7. Dive back into your routine after the celebration. It's tempting to ease back into being mindful tomorrow, but jump right back in as soon as the party's over. Make sure you exercise, and lighten up on the food more than usual to compensate for the overindulgence. 
8. Figure out what you would do differently next time. Go ahead and feel guilty, but then move on.   

You're human - you'll overindulge at times. Just be mindful and aim to make the time between overindulgences longer, and the actual celebrations increasingly less indulgent. You'll find you can have just as much fun, and you won't have to feel quite as slovenly and remorseful.

And don't forget what you're celebrating! Independence Day is earmarked to remember those that gave birth to the U.S., and those that keep it free. You can celebrate every day though! Click and remember our www.iraqwarheroes.com today.

What I ate (Fourth of July - two gross days in a row, yuk!): 1/2 Krispy Kreme, 1 banana, blueberries, cherries, strawberries, scrambled eggs, 1 smallish bag Cheetos, 1 chocolate chip granola bar, small Baskin-Robbins Cookies & Cream ice cream, coffee, fruit salad (picture up top), mango + avocado salad, grilled salmon, rice noodles, broccoli salad, 2 ears corn, 1/4 strawberry cake, 1 smore, 1 Sweettart, 1 Tootsie Roll

Exercise: Ran 8K

Salad Days: Egg Over Greens, Sugar Snaps, Tomatoes and Cheese

Red leaf lettuce, sugar snaps, grape tomatoes, goat cheese and egg

A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked. ~Bernard Meltzer

This salad may look weird but it's delicious. The egg coats the greens and adds a layer of richness (and protein!). Summer is the perfect time for salad since the markets are popping with seasonal, ripe produce. This salad capitalizes on two trends:

1. Not cooking during the summer - my oven goes off at the end of spring, and stays off until September. 'Cause it's hot! The most cooking I ever want to do in the summer is a few minutes of boiling or frying.
2. Eggs - a few years ago it seemed like restaurants were topping everything with eggs. I thought this was very fancy, but then I learned to fry an egg earlier this year (that's why we only deliver easy and fast recipes on MindfulEats), and it's easy! So now I top all sorts of things with eggs, and it's glorious - it's tasty and it adds protein.

Salad Topped with a Fried Egg

Red leaf lettuce (use any lettuce type except for Iceberg - it has no nutrition)
Sugar snap peas
Grape tomatoes
Goat cheese
Schoolhouse Kitchen Balsamico vinaigrette (use any type of vinaigrette - it adds a nice zing)
Any other produce that looks appealing - broccoli, arugula, radishes, etc.

1. Wash and dry the produce and chop into bite size pieces.
2. Mix ingredients in a large bowl with vinaigrette.
3. Fry an egg sunny-side up and place on top of the salad.
4. Dig in. Break the egg and let it coat your salad.

Enjoy!

What I ate: 2 cups coffee, Whole Foods plain yogurt + blueberries + strawberries, 1/2 cup kefir, quinoa + cauliflower + tempeh + sugar snap peas, 8 squares dark chocolate, whole wheat spagehetti + sauteed summer squash + grape tomoates +  zucchini + garlic + broccoli rabe, cherries, Dale & Thomas cheese popcorn, Mindful Mix, 2 cups milk, Oikos yogurt + blueberries + strawberries

Exercise: Ran 4.3 miles