Mindful Eats

We Have a Winner: Best Water Bottle

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

One of our most popular posts compares steel to aluminum water bottles. We're really excited it's popular, because that means that more people are getting away from plastic bottles, blech.

Well, now we've found the best water bottle of 2010! If you're in a situation where you need to be mobile, glass just won't do. Metal water bottles are the way to go! They are environmental since they're reusable, and you'll save money over the long run. 

Plastic bottles can leach chemicals into water - that's why if you leave your drink in it for a while, it tastes like plastic. If the plastic is made of bispheonol A (BPA), there's increasing evidence that it disrupts hormonal functioning.

We've come down firmly on the side of high quality 18/8 stainless steel bottles. The trendy aluminum bottles used to tempt us with their stylish looks, but this good looking steel bottle has surpassed them in handsome lines. And besides, aluminum needs to be lined to prevent them from leaching aluminum (another no-no that is linked with Alzheimer's) into your drink. Who needs that?

Our clear winner of the year is the Klean Kanteen Wide Mouth. This one has almost everything:

• High quality 18/8 steel construction.
• A variety of sizes (we like the 18 oz since it's a good amount of liquid but small enough to throw in a bag).
• Wide mouth so you can see your drink and for easy cleaning - one of bad things about reusable bottles is you couldn't get in there to clean them out. You can with this bottle.
• Architectural good looks - nice clean lines.

It's almost perfect but not quite - if Klean Kanteen made the following modifications it might be:

• Put a thicker rim on the bottle. The nice thing about Sigg bottles is the thicker lip - it's very comfortable to drink from.
• Take the tacky logo off the side.

Oh well. The minor cons are worth the big pros. Investing in a stainless steel water bottle is an easy way to improve your health - you'll drink more water and avoid plastic contamination.

What to do - Use Water Bottles

1. Purchase a stainless steel water bottle. We recommend the wide mouth Klean Kanteen. If you want the insulated one to keep hot drinks hot, it'll be a few dollars more.  
2. Fill it with filtered water.
3. Keep it clean. Wash regularly - it is also dishwasher safe.

What I ate: 1 grapefruit, 1 latte, Fage Greek yogurt + ground flaxseeds + Sarabeth's jam, 1 cup steel cut oatmeal + milk + dried cranberries, 1 banana,  Thai soup, Pad Thai, stir-fried vegetables and tofu, 28 oz. hot chocolate, water

Exercise: 60 min running, 60 min vinyassa yoga

Trying Hemp Milk

Living Harvest Hempmilk

Every man is born an original, but sadly, most men die copies. ~Abraham Lincoln

Yet another plant "milk" is getting hyped up. This time it's hemp. Since we're not crazy about soy milk, we were a little skeptical about trying hemp milk. But we did. 

Why drink hemp milk? It turns out that hemp milk has a lot of nutrients - its loaded with essential fatty acids Omega 3 and 6 (more than any other plant), and it's a good source of vegetarian protein since it has all 10 essential amino acids. In addition, it has magnesium, iron, potassium, fiber and phytonutrients, plus natural antioxidants like vitamin E. And its good for the planet since it's fast growing and doesn't require pesticides. Apparently it doesn't need a lot of watering since it has a large taproot, and it naturally suppresses weeds due to its tall canopy. It's also disease-resistant. Sounds amazing, doesn't it? 

What is it? Plant milks aren't milk. They are whitish and hemp milk is served chilled, which is the closest similarity to milk that we can see. Most squeezed plants are known as juice, but whatever. Hemp milk comes from pressing tiny little hemp seeds.

How does it taste? It can be the healthiest thing in the world, but you probably won't drink it if you don't like it. We don't like additives in our food and we wanted to get the true flavor of it, so we chose the unsweetened original flavor. If you look closely you see little grainy looking things suspended in it. Make sure you shake well. We didn't like the first glass at all, partly because we were expecting it to taste more like milk. It doesn't. Get that idea out of your head! It's kinda creamy and a little grainy, and doesn't taste like anything else we've ever tried. We were ready to pour it down the drain and call it a day. However, in the spirit of research, we finished the box over the next week. The second glass was okay since we no longer expected it to taste like milk. And by the fourth glass, we kind of liked it. We even used it in cereal when we were out of regular dairy milk. Not bad. Though if it wasn't loaded with nutrients, we wouldn't drink it. But just because we don't love the stuff doesn't mean you won't.

Does it get you high? No. It doesn't contain any THC (the stuff in marijuana that gets you high).

What about allergies? Hemp has its own profile, so it doesn't mean you'll be allergic even if you're allergic to tree nuts, soy and dairy.

How much does it cost? It costs a little more than soy milk. In NYC, it's around $5 for a 32 oz. box.

So that's the scoop on hemp milk. We'll buy it occasionally in the future, but it won't be a regular drink in our refrigerator.

Want to learn more? 

• Dr. Weil on hemp milk
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article
• Manufacturer website (Living Harvest)

What I ate: macadamia nuts, latte, yogurt + blueberries + mangos + strawberries + sugar, chocolate croissant, coffee, baby carrot, babaganoush, white tea, brown rice, quinoa, stir-fried tofu + tempeh + broccoli + mushrooms + garlic, ginger snap, hot chocolate, water

Exercise: Ran 3 miles, 20 min. upper body weights

Sigg Aluminum Water Bottles and BPA

Lying is done with words and also with silence. ~Adrienne Rich

Many of you have stopped using plastic water bottles and food containers since you are worried about the health implications of chemicals leaching from plastic. The most popular post on MindfulEats is about steel vs. aluminum water bottles. We came down on the side of steel water bottles since they don't require a lining.

Especially a "secret lining". Even though we like the designs of the Sigg water bottles, we couldn't get over the "secret" ingredients they used. Why have a secret at all? It just didn't add up. Well, earlier this month, Sigg admitted that BPA exists in the lining of the bottles manufactured before August 2008.

People are outraged! Sigg maintains that the BPA in their liner was tiny, and all testing has shown that there is no leaching. Their new liners are BPA-free. If you are really concerned, Sigg will exchange your bottle for a new one by October 31, 2009 (but you pay for shipping).

No matter what, we still recommend using high-quality, unlined stainless steel or glass:

• Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles (loop top or sports top) 
• Klean Kanteen sippy bottles for the kids
• Dr. Brown's glass bottles for babies. Glass is heavier, so these are small 3.5 oz. sizes

Want to read more about the Sigg controversy?

• Apology from Sigg CEOs
• Simran Sethi guiltfest. Apparently Sigg is one of the only products she recommended - on Oprah no less! We're not sure who she is or why she is recommending products when she doesn't know what's in them, but she appears on Oprah and Martha Stewart so you'd think she knows something.

What to do

1. If you don't own an aluminum water bottle and are still using plastic, see above for recommended products. Also read these posts on water bottles and plastics.
2. If you have a Sigg aluminum water bottle that was manufactured before August 2008, you have BPA in your liner. Don't panic! Sigg says that all the testing has demonstrated there is 0% leaching. You are probably fine, but if you want to participate in their exchange program, go here. Just do it before 10/31/09. We still recommend you get a stainless steel bottle.
3. In the future, use common sense. If you ask someone a question, and they won't give you an answer, be suspicious. Or just ask us at MindfulEats. :)

What I ate: Fage Greek yogurt + 1 tblsp Sarabeth's strawberry + peach jam, macadamia nuts, 16 oz. cafe au lait, 2 bananas, 6 squares dark chocolate, rotisserie chicken + brown rice + roasted asparagus, 1 nectarine, sauteed squash, whole wheat spaghetti + Rao's sauce, kettle corn, water

Exercise: None

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.

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

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

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. 

Tea: Steeped in Health Benefits

Teapot with a selection of teas: Dr. Weil's green, Twining's classic black teas, Tazo white, and Celestial Seasons

Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company. ~Anonymous

Tea - cha in Mandarin and much of the world - is the most popular drink after water. Devotees (and there are many of them) insist that hot tea is the perfect drink since it cools you off during hot weather, and warms you up in cold. Or you can do the American thing and dump ice in your tea during the summer. In this post we are referring specifically to "regular" tea from the Camellia sinensis plant instead of herbal tea.

Tea contains 900+ chemicals, of which a multitude of benefits are associated:

• polyphenols (catechins) are the big daddy of positive health benefits in tea (catechins can be up to 30% of dry tea weight!)
• flavonoids are unique antioxidants (including potent ECGC) that help against free radicals that are associated with cancer, heart disease, and clogged arteries
• fluorine helps prevent cavities
• caffeine can help mental alertness (though there is less caffeine per cup than coffee) 
• no calories (as long as it is straight up, without milk or sweetener) 

Sound good? There's a huge variety of tea to choose from, but they are categorized by how they are processed. In order from the least processed and highest level of antioxidants (healthiest):

You Need a Water Filter for Optimal Health

"Expect poison from the standing water." -William Blake

Drinking lots of clean water is necessary for good health (as is high-quality food, exercise and sleep). Water seems uncomplicated - it tends to come from a bottle or the sink. In many developed countries (including the U.S.), municipal water has been purified and is drinkable from the tap. So how clean is the water that you drink? 

Bottled water. Unless you are testing your water, you probably don't know how "pure" it really is. Some testing suggests that it is no cleaner than tap water, as this old USA Today article reports. Bottled water also doesn't contain fluoride, which helps prevent cavaties. It may not be any better than tap, and it costs more in terms of your wallet (no need to pay money for something that provides no value over the free stuff), and the environment (all those needless plastic bottles being used). Of course, you can filter it, but what's the point? Not so smart, slick.

Water Bottles - Stainless Steel or Aluminum?

 Stainless steel vs. Aluminum Water Bottle.

"Water is the only drink for a wise man." - Henry David Thoreau

3/1/10 Update: We've found a great-looking steel water bottle, so the clear winner of the contest is steel over aluminum.

9/19/09 Update: Sigg admitted that their former "secret" lining contained BPA (but maintains it does not leach). MindfulEats is proud that we always noted the squirellyness of their secret lining and we still stand by this post.

As we discussed in a prior post, you should be drinking filtered tap water. The Mayo Clinic, a renowned medical center, advises that your fluid intake may be adequate if "you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day." Sorry to be crude, but have you ever measured how much urine you are producing? We didn't think so. You can probably drink more water. 

It's easy to drink water when you're sitting in one place, but what about when you're running around town or exercising? Then you need a water bottle. Glass breaks and we know that we don't want plastic. That leaves metal.

Caffeine - Blessing or Curse?

My beloved Francis Francis espresso machine.

“I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.” - TS Elliot

Caffeine is controversial. One camp is convinced it is harmful, whereas another camp thinks there is no health damage, and believes it might even help protect men from Parkinson's (but not women). Either way it is a drug. It stimulates the nervous system to make you more alert. It can enhance performance - both athletic and mental. Caffeinated drinks have an ancient history - people have been drinking tea for over a thousand years. People are physically addicted to it. So is it a blessing or a curse, and where does it fit in a healthy diet?

I know that I run better races when I have an espresso beforehand. And I love a good latte. My espresso machine is both the most stylish thing in my kitchen and an excellent source of savings - I haven't bought a $4 latte since the machine came home. I find a morning cup of coffee or tea comforting.

The trendy Skinny Bitch books advocate a dependence-free diet.  They make the point that if you are cranky and unpleasant before taking a substance (morning coffee anyone?), you shouldn't be taking the substance. That's an excellent point. 

The key to caffeine is moderation (as is the key to nearly everything in MindfulEats). If you get a headache without it, then you are addicted and you should give it up (at least for a while). If you aren't addicted and you like your cuppa, then enjoy it in moderation, and do so mindfully.

What to do

1. Figure out if you're addicted or not. Go a day without drinking it, and see if you are irritable or get a headache.  If so, do not have any caffeine until you finish withdrawal and have a couple of happy, caffeine-free weeks. You might want to stop drinking it completely at this point, or go back to it mindfully with step #2. Though I have caffeine regularly, it has little impact on me - I have gone weeks without it and not even noticed.
2. Be mindful, and notice its impact. When do you have it, and how does it make you feel? Does it keep you from falling asleep at night if you have it after a certain time? Keep track of it in your Mindful Log. I have a very high tolerance to caffeine - I can have a cup of coffee and fall asleep 10 minutes later, but my friend Murtada won't have it after 4pm or he'll suffer a sleepless night.
3. Using the parameters that you put in place in step two, enjoy your caffeine mindfully. I used to mindlessly down six cups of coffee a day - I just liked to get up and go to the pantry while I was working.  That is ridiculous. I halved that, and now enjoy each cup that I have.

• Caffeine fact: a cup of tea has less caffeine than a cup of coffee.  Pound for pound tea has more caffeine than coffee, but much less tea is used in a cup than in coffee. 8 oz. drip coffee has 104-192 mg of caffeine, 1 espresso has 100 mg, 8 oz. brewed tea has 20-90mg. 

What I ate: 1 banana, 2 green teas, 1 slice whole wheat bread + butter + jam, 5 clementines, brown rice + steamed broccoli + tofu + mushrooms, 3T banana pudding, 1 c. pistachios, 1 apple, 1 cherry yogurt, turnip/collard green/quinoa soup, yogurt + strawberry/peach jam, 1 handful Mindful Mix, 2 hot chocolates, 66 oz. water, 3 Airbournes, 2000 mg Vitaming C (fighting a cold).

Exercise: 1 hour cardio + weights