Mindful Eats

Planning: The Key to Being Healthier and Happier

"You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them." ~Michael Jordan

We at MindfulEats talk about planning all the time. That's because planning is the key to health. Sadly, healthy eating, exercise and sleep don't just randomly happen! If you're anything like me, then planning doesn't come naturally. If you're the other type of person (born organized), then you can skip this post!

I resisted planning for a long time because I thought of myself as spontaneous. Isn't planning the opposite of of spontaneous? Then all kinds of things would happen like I'd be on my way to a party but wouldn't be able to find my keys in my messy house so it would take 30 minutes of searching, then the car wouldn't have gas so I'd take the extra time to go get it, and by the time I ended up at the party I was so frazzled and hungry I would eat all the fatty food in sight. The results? Weight gain, lethargy, guilt, and a total lack in spontaneity. If I'd planned ahead, I would have eaten a healthy snack before I left as part of my food strategy, grabbed my keys from the designated key bowl, walked out of the house into car with gas, enjoyed a few of the hors d'oeuvres, and had spontaneous fun at the party.

As for my house, it would be in a state of total anarchy, and then I'd make a huge weekend-long effort to straighten it out. Not fun. Then one day I read an article about FlyLady, who insisted shining my sink would get my house organized. Similar to the principles of feng shui, she insisted that a cluttered mess drained a lot of mental energy and even more time. I signed up for the FlyLady program (lots of free e-mails). It was life-changing! Like she said, setting up routines to cover the everyday basics freed me up to do a lot more. My place became neater, I had more time and ability to start planning ahead, my meals became healthier and cheaper, that gave me more time and energy, I started blogging and here we are. FlyLady is amazing, and it's free. If things feel a little chaotic, or you need some help getting organized, go to FlyLady! As Flylady always says, it's all about babysteps and getting routines. Once you have the basics taken care of, you're free to enjoy all the fun opportunities that come up without spending all this time taking care of blowups!

What to Do: Plan Your Way to a Healthier and Happier Life

1. Organize your house and life with routines that take care of your basics. Sign up for FlyLady.net for help! A principle of feng shui (this is very poorly paraphrased on my part) is that a neat, uncluttered house will let you relax. Conversely, a messy house will subconsciously bother you so you will never be able to focus on the task at hand.
2. Plan your meals for the week and schedule your exercise with the Mindful Battle Plan.
3. Create your goals mindfully and go for them!  

Resources:

• FlyLady - FlyLady steps you through setting up routines and getting more organized
• Mindful Battle Plan - Want to eat healthy? You need a food strategy!
• Mindful Goals - Achieving your goals is fun. Dream them up and go for it!

 

What I ate: 2 lattes, 2 hardboiled nyeggs, quinoa, Tasty Bite Kashmir Spinach, brown rice + ground flaxseeds, steamed broccoli, baked tofu, macadamia nuts, Mariebelle hot chocolate, 2 Almond Rocas, 40 oz. water

Exercise: Ran 4 miles (still getting in shape after taking 2 weeks off)

Commuting by Bike

Meet my bike Smarty Jones

When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. ~HG Wells

I never planned on making a bicycle my main mode of transportation. I never even planned on buying a bike - but I saw a picture of my (now) bike at the beginning of the summer and fell in love. I had to have it. At the same time I noticed that NYC had explosively grown the number of bike lanes they have. Now my bike has replaced the subway for me - I use it to get to work, dinner, parties, stores. Biking in NYC (and lots of other cities) is tres easy. I'm just coasting on greatness though - I'm grateful to Critical Mass for forcing all the bike lanes to happen. The last time I stopped at a traffic light during my morning commute, I counted 11 other bikes waiting with me.  

Biking has all the virtuous qualities of not emitting carbon, getting around uberquickly and being outside,  but my Pashley is strictly for transportation - I didn't count it as exercise. I have a pretty slow pace, so I figured there would be no health benefits. Oddly enough, I lost a few pounds after I started biking (even though I usually only do 5 slow miles a day), and my stomach is the flattest it's even been. Coincidence? I think not. I think it's actually exercise. A new study from the Archives of Internal Medicine also states that biking is as effective as brisk walking in helping premenopausal women avoid weight gain.

Before I started commuting by bike, I had a lot of questions that I wanted answers to. Bill and George spent a lot of time trying to answer them (thanks!), but after living on my bike for a while, I got some firm answers:

Is it scary biking in the streets? I was terrified for the first 3 weeks on the road. Then all of a sudden, a switch turned in my brain and traffic patterns made sense. Now I buzz in and out without any fear. You do have to be on the lookout though, because cars don't see bikes.

Is it safe to bike at night? Another thing that scared me. Make sure you have a bright rear light and a headlight. Use the bike lanes and common sense. I've been biking for 4 months at night and haven't had an issue yet.

Do you have to wear a helmet? Will it give you hathead? Oh, helmets. I refused to wear them at first but then I started because of peer pressure. Now I don't even notice them. Over 90% of bike fatalities happen to those without a helmet. Yes you get some hat head - but sometimes it makes my hair look better and not wearing it blows my hair out too flat. Wear your helmet!

Do you get to work all sweaty, especially during the summer? This was a huge concern. Short answer is, I get to work much less sweaty than I do on the subway. But I also bike really slowly.

Will I get hit by a car? All the real bikers say yes. Hasn't happened to me yet (knock on wood).

What are the traffic rules? Don't bike on sidewalks, get lights for night biking and bike with traffic.

Will I still exercise? Yes.

Will my bike get stolen? Maybe. Lock it up all the time and be smart about where you lock it. I have an Abus chain lock. It's heavy but probably worth it.

What kind of bike do you have? Smarty Jones is a 20" Pashley Sovereign Princess in British Racing Green. I can't believe I have a bike that's associated with the word Princess, but I love her because she's gorgeous. She's heavy though - I definitely need the 5 gears. Though she's beautiful and a great ride, I wish she had higher handlebars so she was more upright. If I could have gotten the orange Batavus with gears, I would have because that bike is more comfortable. However, Smarty Jones is better looking. I switched her black rubber grips for Brooks leather ones - the only issue with them is that they shrink and need to be adjusted after the first time it rains. As for size, I'm 5'4" and I could have gotten either the 17" or the 20" frame. My last bike was a tad bit too small and it drove me nuts. This time I went for the bigger frame and I'm glad I did. Smarty Jones came from Adeline Adeline in Tribeca.

What to do - Commute by Bike

1. Get a bike. Try lots of bikes at lots of different bike stores. Go with the store you like best since you will be back regularly.
2. Get a bike map. There are great bike paths and trails that you will want to take advantage of. It's safer to use them, so a map will help you figure out how to navigate.
3. Protect your head. Wear a bike helmet. See the question above. If you can't stand the thought of it, get a Yakkay helmet - they look like cute hats.
4. Maintain your bike. Make sure you like the bike shop you bought your bike from. They will make adjustments, and you can take your bike in for a tune up once a year.

Resources:

• NYC Bike Map: map your route
• Yakkay Helmets: cute hats that don't look like helmets (but are!)
• Bike Snob: fun rants and reviews
• Lovely Bike: informative blog that helped me choose a bike and accessories

What I ate: 12 oz latte, 16 oz cafe au lait, coffee, large tea, nymilk, nycheese, 2 hardboiled eggs, Mindful Mix, brown rice + ground flaxseeds + seaweed, steamed tempeh + yellow squash + broccoli, crudite, grilled cheese + watercress, 1/2 Doughnut Plant doughnut, black forest cupcake, dark chocolate + almonds, 50 oz. water

Exercise: jogged 4 miles

How to Grill Grass-Fed Steak

Grass-fed angus at Grazin Angus 

Happy 4th darlings! Summer is about firing up the grill. Especially on Independence Day, one of the biggest BBQs of all. There's a happy food confab these days of more people seeking non-industrialized meat and more available grass-fed beef. If you are one of those lucky people grilling up grass-fed steaks, check out Ulla's awesome tips on how to get the most out of your investment. She grew up on a farm in upstate New York, and is an all-around sustainable food hero.

ULLA'S TIPS ON HOW TO GRILL THE PERFECT GRASS-FED STEAK

From Ulla's blog: Goldilocks finds Manhattan 

• Treat it gently; you will want to cook it at a lower heat, for a shorter time, to a rarer doneness.
• If the steaks are frozen you will need to defrost them. I like to put them in a bowl in the fridge one day before I grill them. You can also defrost them by placing them in a plastic bag in a large bowl of cold water for about an hour. I do not recommend defrosting steaks in the microwave.
• Season with salt and pepper and drizzle some olive oil over the steak.
• You will want to bring the steak up to room temperature. So let them rest for about ½ hour before you put them on the grill.
• Remember, grass-fed steak is best when it is medium-rare to rare. You will have to be more vigilant on the grill for this reason.
• Preheat the grill. Do not use forks to flip your meat. Juices are precious, use tongs instead. Flip the steak at least once.
• The best way to measure doneness is by pressing gently down on the steak to see how firm it feels. This takes some finesse but is easily learned. You want the steak to be beautifully browned, and it will become firmer as it cooks.
• Let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes under foil after you have cooked it. Please note that the meat will continue to cook; do not slice the meat until you have let it rest.
• With these simple rules you will be grilling your local beef to perfection this summer!

What I ate: 1 large latte, quinoa + 1 scrambled egg + tempeh + lettuce + sesame oil + Dr. Bronner's liquid aminos, 1 pint blueberries, 2 handfuls cherries, 1 mango, dried sliced mangos, 1 Amy's Bread cheese biscuit, 1 scoop straciatella gelato, tzatsiki, taramosolata, melitzanosolata, fava dip, pita bread, shrimp + scallop pasta, chocolate mousse

Exercise: ran 5 miles, 1 hour yoga

Don't have the exercise gene? No problem!

Mile 25 at the 2008 NYC marathon

Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential. ~Winston Churchill

Have you seen the study that suggests your genes can influence your desire to exercise? Grrr. I promise your genes are not the determiner of whether or not you exercise. You are! The reason I know this is because I was born without a hint of an exercise gene or athleticism, and now I've been active for over 15 years. I also hate the morning, but I can't imagine life without getting up early to exercise - it's as natural as brushing my teeth (and I didn't inherit that gene either, but I still do it). Oddly enough, some people even consider me athletic. Not bad for a kid that hated gym class and was always one of the last picked for kickball teams. If I could get myself to exercise, so can you.

If you want to become an exerciser, you can. I naturally hate exercise. Well, I started out hating it years ago, and now I only hate it sometimes. Most of the time I tolerate exercise, and every once in a while I even like it. I now work out 5-6 days a week without thinking about it, and I feel out of sorts without it. No one else in my extended family exercises (except Stella), so I know it's not in our gene pool. As a kid, I was the scrawniest, least athletic person around. If it was my turn at bat, all the fielders moved in. 

The only reason I started exercising was because a trainer once told me that old women break their hips because they have such poor upper body strength they slip when they try to lift themselves out of the bathtub. This vision scared me into lifting weights and swimming. I tried to exercise after work, but I was so hungry by then I never made it to the gym. This made me try the impossible - getting up early to exercise. At first I couldn't do it regularly, but I still did it more than the evening. And I found that working out in the morning actually woke me up. I was haunted by the vision of myself as an old lady unable to lift myself out of a chair, so I kept trying to work out, and it got easier and easier. After a (long) while, it became a habit without my even noticing. And the more I exercised, the more active I became.

Anyway, the point of this is don't be scared off by any report that says there is a reason you can't exercise. All you have to do to become a regular exerciser is to want to. If you want to, you will.

What to do - Start Exercising Regularly

1. Find your motivation to exercise. Maybe it's to have more energy, sleep better, play with your kids, look great in a swim suit or not be pathetic. There are so many reasons - exercise makes you smarter, more attractive and more fun. Whatever your motivation is, hold tight to it and make a commitment to yourself.
2. Plan your exercise. Figure out the three times a week you can do it, and the right time - morning, afternoon, evening. It can be a mix of all three, depending on the day.
3. Read this post on mindful exercise on how to get started.
4. Play mind games with yourself. Your brain might hate exercising, but your body is thanking you for it (you just can't hear it because your brain is screaming so loudly). It's like taking the dog out for a walk - take your body out because it needs it.  Silence your brain - listening to music often helps you forget the pain.
5. Take time to feel awesome after every workout. You're getting closer to your goal and you should be proud of yourself. Figure out what you like about it. One of my favorite things about working out is getting to stop at the end - and that feeling only came after a workout. So of course I have to work out to get it.

Want to read more? Here's an article about how genetics can influence your desire to work out. Look through the Exercise section for more tips. If you want to lose weight, you need to watch what you eat too.

What I ate: vegetable juice, strawberries, 2 cappucinos, semolina gnocci + mushrooms, arugula salad, green tea, 1/2 chocolate mousse cake, NYCheese raw milk cheddar, brown rice + ground flaxseeds, steamed tofu + sugar snap peas, Mindful Mix, dried mangos, 12 oz hemp milk, 22 oz apple cider, 40 oz. water

Exercise: ran 7.5 miles

Vegetable Gardening: Grow Your Own Food

Visitors check out the chickens at Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Brooklyn, NY
 
To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves. ~Mahandas Gandhi

One of the best and most delicious ways to add whole foods to your diet is to grow it yourself. It's as organic and cheap as you want it to be! You get to supplement your diet with homegrown fare and you know exactly what goes into it. True, it takes a lot of work (especially in the upfront planting and prepping stage) but it's remarkably satisfying to watch your plants grow and therapeutic to spend time outside gardening. And, you get to throw in some exercise benefits to boot.

With the downturn in the economy, more and more people are growing some of their own food. I often fantasize about having a garden, but I alway scoffed when people told me to grow my own food. I live in the urban jungle! Don't people get it? Well, it turns out that there are LOTS of urban gardens. Even resourceful city people do it (and have been doing it for ages). 

I volunteered at inspirational Eagle Street Rooftop Farm in Brooklyn, NY. This 6,000 sf farm is on the roof of a warehouse, and it grows primarily vegetables, though this year it added a chicken coop and bees. To be honest, I got there late and didn't actually do any work. But I DID take some great pictures, pet a chicken, and sample some delicious bread. The farm was an experiment to see if it would work, and it has! So now there will be a 25,000 sf roof farm in Queens.

Intern Ray kindly shares a chicken
 
If you don't have access to your own plot of land, you can grow plants on the roof, in a community garden, on your fire escape, in a window box or on your windowsill. Guerilla gardening is all the rage!

What to do - Grow Your Own Food

Gardening is funing. Be prepared to invest upfront and then reap the benefits. You'll need to think about location, soil material, plants, maintenance, then finally, harvesting! Read up on it, talk to friends and neighbors that garden, and ask questions at your garden store.

1. Get inspired! Even the White House has planted a vegetable garden on the lawn. Save money by gardening. A gorgeous roof garden that yields salad via Mark Bittman.
2. Are you lucky enough to have a yard or access to some land? This basic About.com primer on starting a garden is easy to understand, and this one is on how to start a vegetable garden. A simple primer from GardenGuides.com. More complex information on WeekendGardner.net.
3. Urban gardeners are limited only by their imaginations. This article has great ideas - everything from community gardens to container gardens.
4. More gardening resources? BackyardGardener.com

Evidence that people were working - there are 15 double rows of crops

Urban bee-keeping
 

What I ate: cafe au lait, Fage yogurt + strawberries + flaxseeds, 1 slice banana bread (bad but I made it) macadamia nuts, Mindful Mix, brown rice, microwaved asparagus + spinach + soy sauce, 3 squares dark chocolate, strawberries, NYCheese raw milk cheddar, 5 Dumpling Man vegetable dumplings, Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip cookie dough, 60 oz. water

Exercise: 60 min yoga

Green Household Cleaners

Biokleen Automatic Dish Powder, Mrs. Meyer's Lavender All-Purpose Cleaner refill, white vinegar

Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely. ~PJ O'Rourke

My parents visit me every year during tax season, and their visit throws me into a spring cleaning tizzy. Last year when they were here, I woke up and found my mother cleaning my already-spotless bathroom floor. So this week I spent a few days deep cleaning for their visit -- floor scrubbing, sweater folding, window washing type cleaning. 

Household cleaning is a gazillion dollar industry. Just go to a store and look at the tremendous amount of real estate allotted to cleaning products - they promise to bomb germs and grime to kingdom come. You probably have an extensive selection of cleaners. Do we really need that many? We probably need fewer than we think.

My philosophy of avoiding chemicals in my food and personal products whenever possible is pretty much the same with cleaners. This stuff can be toxic - take one whiff and let your eyes water. Cleaners work their way into your body through multiple channels - you inhale them as you are scrubbing, you absorb them through touch (even if its just walking into your recently Tilexed bathtub), and you eat them when you put food on your recently sprayed counter or just on your plates. You also drink them as cleaners get absorbed into the ground and contaminate our water sources.

Have cleaners been proven to be toxic? Some of them have, but I don't really care. There is a strong dose of unpronounceable chemicals in those bottles, and I'm not going to wait around for a medical study to tell me that a specific cleaner is linked to a chronic condition. This stuff is clearly not good for my health or the environment. 

I started looking for less-toxic, greener alternatives a few years ago. It's hard! You can whip up your own natural cleaners with lemons, vinegar, baking soda and water, which is pretty cool, but I'm too lazy to do that, so I buy commercial items. It's pricier than making my own, but at least the "natural" alternatives leave a fresh, nice smelling house instead of a light head like the conventional stuff. I even look forward to using it - it's the only nice thing about cleaning. 

What to do - Mindfully Green Your Cleaners

Simplify your cleaning needs in zones (in bold below), and begin greening your supplies gradually or all at once. There's an ever-growing world of green cleaners out there - from the granddaddies of green brands like Seventh Generation, Ecover and Biokleen to higher end Caldrea to the widely distributed Method. Check out your household products at this National Institute of Health database. Do you really need all those supplies? See if you can narrow what you need down to an all-purpose cleaner and a few specialists.

1. Read the ingredients lists of your cleaners. Like food, make sure the lists aren't long and/or toxic sounding. If you are motivated to make your own cleaners from household ingredients, you are awesome. Search the internet for recipes or check out these by Real Simple magazine. 
2. Experiment to see what works best. Then share your results with us! I like products that don't require a lot of elbow grease. The easiest way to avoid heavy scrubbing is to clean regularly. When Silda Wall Spitzer was in the governor's mansion, they tried a lot of green cleaners and ended up primarily using Ecover, Seventh Generation and Biokleen.
3. Buy large quantities of cleaner to refill your smaller bottles with. It's easier on your wallet and the environment! Most of the green cleaners make large refill sizes.
4. Glass. Glass cleaner is actually easy and cheap to make. Real Simple says to mix ¼ cup vinegar, 2 cups water, and a squirt of liquid Castile soap in a spray bottle, then spritz windows and wipe with a sheet of newspaper. The now defunct Domino Magazine recommended Biokleen Glass Cleaner in 2008.
5. Floors. I use Mrs. Meyer's All-Purpose Lavender Cleaner for non-wood floors. According to Real Simple, you can mop almost any type of floor with a solution of ¼ cup liquid Castile soap and 2 gallons warm water. If the floors are greasy, add ¼ cup distilled white vinegar to the bucket.
6. Bathrooms. I use Mrs. Meyer's All-Purpose Lavender Cleaner ($7.99 for large 32 oz that can be cut into spray bottles) on everything in the bathroom. Domino Magazine crowned Solay Simple (7.95 for large 32 oz) their 2008 Green winner, and I'm planning on trying it. I have to admit, I don't always clean my bathtub as regularly as I should, and as a result, I had to bomb it with Tilex Mold and Mildew Remover for my parents. That stuff works wonders, but it smells like you need a hazmat. I'm going to stick to using my all-purpose more frequently from now on. 
7. Kitchens. I use the all-purpose cleaner for all surfaces in here as well. Some people want a disinfectant, which used to be hard to find green, but fortunately Seventh Generation has a new line of EPA registered disinfectants. Conventional dishwashing detergents are icky. Mine is from Williams Sonoma (works great on grease - I use it to clean off my stovetop when it's greasy), and I love my Biokleen Automatic Dish Powder. It's effective and concentrated so you don't need that much. One of the most common cleaning mistakes is using too much cleaner in the dishwasher, so be careful!
8. Laundry. Domino Magazine crowned Shaklee "Get Clean Fresh Laundry" their 2008 Green winner. I haven't tried it but it's on my list. This is the other most common cleaning mistake - too much laundry detergent, so go light. It's good for your clothes and the environment.
9. Wood furniture. My furniture store recommended Guardsman Furniture Polish, but I have a feeling it's not too green since it doesn't list the ingredients. Domino Magazine put Timothy Corrigan Home ($12.50 for 12 oz.) on their list.

Resources:

• Debra's List of Green Cleaners - an extensive brand list from Debra Lynn Dadd, who was dubbed the Queen of Green by the New York Times
• Household Products Database - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - check out household cleaners here
• Mindful Gear - you can buy many green cleaners from our Amazon store if you can't find it locally. They can also make a nice present for an eco-minded person that has everything.

What I ate: 1/2 sweet potato, lots of macadamia nuts, 1/2 avocado, 1 c. steel cut oatmeal + milk + ground flaxseeds, scrambled eggs + ground flaxseeds, Mindful Mix, 1 apple, 1 cup steamed broccoli, Mike & Sam's cheese popcorn, cheddar cheese, 1 piece duck, whole wheat spaghetti + Rao's Siciliana sauce + parmesan + ground flaxseeds, dried mango slices, hot chocolate, 50 oz. water

Exercise: 2 mile jog + 4 mile race, 25 minutes weights

Feed Your Brain

So much to learn: World History, New York Times, Vogue, The Economist, Ken Ken, Geographical Expeditions Travel

My body is tired, but my spirit does soar/ if not to work hard than what is this body for? ~Cory Booker

Smartypants, you are so clever to be getting healthier. We know you are (getting healthier), otherwise you wouldn't be here. We also know you're looking good... but what are you doing with all the extra energy and vitality? Feed your brain! Not only does it make you scintillating, it also makes you smarter. 

Sure, you can spend your extra energy at work or at the bar, but be sure to indulge your other passions. Even if you're one of the lucky people who managed to combine work with what you love, you can still nurse your other interests. Inspiration often strikes when you've veered from the normal routine, so if you're a workaholic, you'll be even better at your job. Developing your multiple facets also makes you an even more fascinating person AND a better role model for your kids. Then there are all the other benefits of exercising your brain - you stay sharp, slow memory loss and help ward off potential senility and Alzheimer's. It's just like your body - use it or lose it! 

What to do - Feed Your Brain

1. Stay informed. Get a subscription to your local newspaper or a great magazine (it's ok to read things offline. By reading a paper newspaper, we find that we often end up reading articles we would have never read online). We recommend the New York Times or the Economist for general current events. 
2. Dive into your passions. What interests you? Your passions may be long-standing, but they don't have to be. They can even be temporary. Make a list of everything that you are curious about or wish you had time for. Look at it and see what floats to the top. Start playing soccer again, memorize that Shakespeare sonnet, take a cooking class, travel, research the difference between European swords and Japanese swords. Become an expert. There's so much to do! As Martin Scorsese notes in Raging Bull, we're only here (on Earth) for 20 minutes, so relax and have a good time.
3. Learn something new. Learn a new language, a new physical skill, how to act, or that thing you've been putting off. Take that sailing or painting class. Do some new sudoku or crosswords. It's a big world.
4. Show off. There's so much to learn and do, we can't possibly do it all. So indulge your passion and share all that knowledge with someone else. We're dying to know! Seriously. What is it that makes you your quirky self? What are you passionate about? Leave a comment or send an email.

What I ate: vegetable juice, 2 coffees, Barbara's Bakery Shredded Oat cereal + ground flax seeds + milk, 6 squares dark chocolate, sauteed scallops + whole wheat spaghetti, dried mango slices, LifeThyme Market Raw Vegan Pizza, macadamia nuts, hot chocolate, 50 oz. water

Exercise: 15 min stationary bike, 20 min weights

Milk 101 with Organic Dairy Farmers

Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity. ~Lou Holtz

When I was a little redneck kid, the milk man used to deliver weekly rounds. Then that stopped, and we went to the dairy to pick up milk. Now almost everyone buys their milk in the grocery store. Milk and dairy products can be mysterious to urbanites - how does milk get from a cow to a bottle? I was fortunate enough to have organic farmers Dean Sparks and Dan France of nymilk demystify the process for me. These extremely thoughtful men gave me a Milk 101, explained organic and raw milk, and shared some of the amazing work they are doing.

Dean and Dan are supercool, and their passion and deep knowledge of food issues is inspiring - as is their mission: to build the organic nymilk brand so they can save hundreds of family farms and bring wholesome local food to the New York and Northern New Jersey market. But before we get into that, let's start with the basics.

Dean and his family jumped into farming in 1998 (with no background), and they now have a 50 acre organic farm that raises poultry, pigs and seasonal foods. He authors one of my favorite blogs that provides real insight into food production. Dan is an 8th generation dairy farmer in Cobleskill, NY. He has a 70 cow dairy, and he's the spitting image of the hale, apple-cheeked farmer that is portrayed in children's books. Charming and smart, they were very patient with my simple questions.

MindulEats burning question: "Um, are cows pregnant all the time?" Turns out that the way it works is that after a cow gives birth, she produces milk for 10 months then has a dry period. The normal cycle is 13-14 months. Cows are bred while they are milking, then the cycle starts all over again. The normal lifespan for a cow is 7-8 years, and she calves 4 times during her lifetime. After she gets old, she becomes a hamburger at a fast food restaurant. I'd always thought the burgers in fast food restaurants came from beef cattle like Black Angus - but it's actually old dairy cows! Industrial dairies keep their cows in extremely stressful situations - thousands can be penned in dirt lots, standing in their waste, with little room to move. Disease spreads quickly so they are given antibiotics. They get hormone shots to increase milk production and lengthen their milking period. Cows in these Confined Area Feeding Operations (CAFOs) have shorter life spans.

"What happens to the calves?" Female calves are raised until they are two, then they get impregnated and are a dairy cow. Male calves are sold and become veal. (Carla, there's your question answered).

"Is all organic milk from family farms?" Most of us think that organic milk comes from happy, pasture-fed cows. After all, I don't want to consume food or items based on another creature's misery. Well, some organic milk is actually coming from CAFOs out west. These CAFOs get to call their milk organic since they feed the cows organic grain (but they're still standing in cramped dirt lots). A lot of the cheap organic milk you get from Target and WalMart are from these operations. However, this should all change on June 11, 2010. The USDA's National Organic Program is being amended with the New Pasture Rules, which state that cattle have to be pastured for the full local season (at least 120 days), and must get at least 30% of their food from pasture during the season. Dean and Dan are delighted by the ruling - Dan points out that any farm with 300+ cows is a CAFO. This means the price of organic milk will increase to reflect a truly quality product.

"What's the deal with raw milk?" There is a growing trend for drinking raw milk (unpasteurized). Fans say that is full of nutrients that get killed during pasteurization, and that it is far more delicious than pasteurized milk. People claim that even the lactose intolerant can drink it since it still has the enzymes to help you digest it. Dean's stance on raw milk is absolute. "Don't ever ask a farmer to risk his family and farm. If you want raw milk, go buy a cow - asking someone else to do it is putting them at too high a risk." They personally know multi-generation farms that have been put out of business over raw milk. Dean observed that a consumer can take a gallon of milk during the summer, stop at the library for 30 minutes and leave the milk in the car (allowing the bacteria to fester) before going home and putting it in the refrigerator. If someone then gets ill or dies from the milk, the farmer is blamed. Dan's drunk raw milk for 60 years. But then again, he has his own cows.

"OK, no raw milk without owning a cow. What about pasteurization?" Pasteurization means heating milk to kill bad bacteria. Low heat pasteurization (140 degrees) kills less bacteria but has better nutrition (more calcium and vitamins). High heat sterilizes milk and gives it a longer shelf life. It's up to you, but we prefer the more nutritious version. Many local brands like nymilk, MilkThistle and SkyTop Farms do low heat pasteurization. Homogenized milk is personal preference. I like unhomogenized milk since that's what I grew up on.

These amazing guys are all about education and saving farms. They are growing nymilk to be a powerhouse local brand - they currently have a 20 farm dairy coop and an 8 farm coop. In addition to milk and nycheese, they are planning nyogurt and nyeggs. Their mission is to convert as many farms to organic as possible, provide fair wages for the work involved, and bring the food to local markets. As a coop, they share marketing resources, then they share in any profits above the typical pay price. MindfulEats, for one, is happy to pay a fair price for quality goods. If you live in the NY area, look for the cloud in the shape of NY state. These guys are the real deal, and I walked away from them feeling inspired and hopeful.

What to do - Support Local Dairies

1. If you've decided to consume dairy products, think about the kind of agribusiness you're supporting. Organic products may be more expensive, but they don't have unnecessary chemicals like hormones and antibiotics. And you are paying the farmers a livable wage.
2. Consider buying local. Shipping may take less of an environmental toll, and your dollars stay in the area. If you buy from the farmer's market you meet the farmer who is accountable for his food. If you're in NY and buy nymilk, you can ask Dean any questions directly on his blog or on twitter @OrganicNYmilk1.
3. Save money. You can learn more about Organic Valley and get some coupons.

Fore more posts on sustainable, organic, local and ethical food, go to Food Renegade.

What I ate: Oikos vanilla yogurt + ground flax seeds, strawberry kefir, latte, (full day of eating out): 2 little chicken sandwich bits, turkey/brie sandwich, salad, apple, spaghettini + cherry tomatoes + clam sauce, 2 oz. popchips, cheddar cheese, hot chocolate, 50 oz. water

Exercise: none

Local Winter Seasonal Foods

Paffenroth Farms stand at Union Square Greenmarket, NYC, 1/30/10

Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. ~Henry David Thoreau

MindfulEats is celebrating our first year anniversary, and we are very grateful to have you with us. We were founded last January during a particularly inspirational time - New Year Resolutions were swirling, Obama had just been inaugurated and the Steelers were on the way to the Super Bowl. 

It was also the middle of winter, and food choices were more limited than during the summer. Root vegetables dominated over fruit. If you haven't noticed a difference, you probably live in a warm and sunny area. Those of us in cold, wintry climates are fortunate that we can take advantage of delicious seasonal specialties. The interest in local foods seem to be increasing (yay!) and we've recently fielded several questions on what's in season - so Bill, Jon and Kaitlyn, this post is for you.  

It's possible to deny winter with food that's been shipped from warmer areas, but that stuff isn't great. It was picked days before it had a chance to ripen naturally, and it's been sitting around for a while. It also cost a lot of carbon to ship. Use it as a supplement to the bonanza of hearty winter foods easily available: cabbage, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, brussel sprouts, dried beans, eggs, meat. There may not be as wide a selection as the summer, but this is definitely a season to take advantage of. (And do it while you can - the winter season is short!) Eating seasonally provides you with:

• Food that makes sense. It's cold out there, and filling your tummy with roasted sweet potatoes and a heart-warming stew or cassoulet makes more sense than eating a tomato and mozzarella sandwich with strawberries. You'll be in sync with nature!
• Cheaper and tastier food. Produce that's in season and local tastes better. Parsnips and turnips in the NYC greenmarket are $1 a pound. That's a lot less than the small bundles of spinach from California.

The hardest thing about adding seasonal foods is knowing what's in season, so:

What to do - Eat Seasonally (and Locally)

1. Bundle up and go to the farmer's market. The selection is more sparse than during the summer, but you'll quickly see what's in season and you'll be able to buy the freshest. Besides, this is when your local farmers need the most support. They get a lot less traffic and they're cold too.
2. Use this great site from Natural Resources Defense Council and check out what's in season.
3. Learn how to cook root vegetables and meat. Most any winter food can be roasted or turned into stew. Your slow cooker is perfect for this season, and we roast veggies at least once a week.
4. If you're in the NYC or SF area, buy this clever and beautifully illustrated Local Foods Wheel from Chelsea Green to always see what's in season. It makes a great gift too! It was our favorite item in a gift bag.

What I ate: City Bakery hot chocolate shot, 1 cup plain yogurt + 1T Sarabeth's peach-strawberry jam + flaxseeds, 1 cup McCann's steel-cut oatmeal + dried cranberries + ground flax seeds, cheddar cheese, macadamia nuts, 1 grapefruit, 1 large latte, 1 cup tea, Trader Joe's dried mangos, Tazo white apricot tea, whole wheat fusilli, roasted eggplant + portobello mushrooms + parsnips + turnips, hot chocolate, New Chapter multivitamin, water

Exercise: 30 min run, 60 min yoga

Butchering a Pork Shoulder

Wares from Flying Pigs Farm, Union Square Greenmarket  

I can't believe that God put us on this earth to be ordinary. ~Lou Holtz

I try to be mindful and grateful about the meal on my plate. A lot of effort and carbon went into growing and transporting it, and lives were given up for it, sometimes animal. I even wrote a post about appreciating food. But after butchering a pork shoulder and some winter vegetables for an upcoming slow cooker recipe, I hit a whole new level of food gratitude.

This was the second time I'd made a meat dish in the 8 months since I started eating meat again. In love with my slow-cooker, and hearing multiple stories about how perfect it is for meat, I went to the farmer's market in search of something to braise. After a discussion with a guy at Flying Pigs Farm, I went home with a pork shoulder. My only criteria was simplicity. I wanted to pop the meat in the slow cooker with veggies and flip a button - no roasting or prepping of any type beforehand. He promised the shoulder would fit the bill.

The pork shoulder might have been perfect - but it was a tad too big for my small crockpot. So I started to chop it up. Chopping into the shoulder was entirely different from browning grass-fed ground beef, the other meat that I had made.

The last biology class I had taken was in high school (a very long time ago), and this kitchen exercise reminded me of it. As I cut into the pork shoulder, I called a lifeline to determine whether the skin was edible (he didn't know either. If you do, please let me know.) The skin had small bits of hair on it, and I was pretty sure I didn't want to eat hair so I discarded the skin. Underneath the skin were layers I vaguely remembered from class - fat, membrane, muscle, and bone. And blood. The shoulder had that cool rolling joint in it - I imagine it looks exactly like my shoulder. For the first time, I realized why people get expensive knives. My knife wasn't quite sharp enough for the job, so it took me nearly an hour to cut off the necessary bits. 

The whole operation left my soft, citified, restaurant-eating self pretty squeamish and grossed out. I lost my appetite. I'm sure I did just about everything wrong, but as I was unhappily butchering the shoulder, I felt a real connection with my food and a very strong appreciation of the stew I was preparing. When I finished with the shoulder and starting peeling turnips, even the butchering of the vegetables made me nauseous - my appreciation extended to everything that went into the stew. It's a connection that the traditional hunters and farmers are closer to (or for completely non-country folk, the same appreciation that the blue Avatar people have when they hunt).

The stew ended up being delicious. Getting my hands "dirty" gave me a connection that I just don't have when food shows up beautifully plated at restaurants, or when it's precut and ready to pop into the pan. You gotta eat, and getting down with the pork shoulder helped eliminate the distance that is so common in today's food chain. I'm not going to butcher another cut of meat tomorrow, but I will at some point. And in the meantime, I have a whole new respect for everything that crosses my plate.

What I ate: 1 grapefruit, macadamia nuts, 2 cups coffee, 1 latte, cheddar cheese, sushi + salad, 10 wasabi nuts, 1 orange, baby carrots, Heavenly Hummus, Minetta Tavern: steelhead salmon, cabbage + mushrooms + beans, whole wheat spaghetti + Rao's Siciliana, 40 oz. water

Exercise: 30 min stationary bike, 30 minutes lifting