Mindful Eats

Rules for Restaurant Eating to Avoid Getting Fat

Japanese breakfast

Eating out is one of the biggest diet killers and a sure way to eat unhealthy. It will make you fat. But sometimes you just can't avoid it. Traveling, catching up with friends, and being short of energy and time usually results in a restaurant meal. By the way, even if you ordered it in and eat at home, it's still a restaurant meal!

Since you're eating out, you probably want to treat yourself. Go ahead and do so - just follow some simple rules. We were delighted to find this great New York Times' article that believes the restaurant scene is offering healthier food choices. We've added some of their tips to ours to create an easy mindful cheat sheet.

What to do - Eat Out Smartly

1. If you can, choose your restaurant carefully. Pick a high quality restaurant that focuses on real food. Mediterranean restaurants are often fresh, healthy and flavorful. There are also some fast casual chains that are health conscious: Chop't, Mod-market, Lyfe Kitchen, Native Foods Cafe Sweetgreen and Pret-a-Manger.
2. Scrutinize the menu and try to order whole foods that are grilled or less sauced.
3. More plants, less meat.
4. Some menus have "healthy" options with less calories and fat. Focus on these. They are often called "heart-healthy" or fit. The NYT points out that even the Cheesecake Factory has a "SkinniLicious" menu with over 50 items less than 590 calories.
5. It's all about portion control. That restaurant meal you are eating has more than twice - sometimes four times - the meal you would make at home. To combat that, leave half of your meal on the plate (you can take it home) or order two appetizers instead of an appetizer and an entree. If you can't take food home, just leave it! You didn't ask for such a huge portion so you can leave it guilt-free.
6. Be wary of white sauces. Stay away from mayo, caesar dressing, ranch dressing, hollandaise, cream sauce. It's loaded with fat and calories. Add zing to your food with lemon juice, vinegar and mustard.
7. At a steak restaurant? Choose the filet mignon. It is the lowest calorie option. According to the NYT, filet and a glass of wine will clock in under 750 calories.
8. Eat only delicious bread. It's easy to be mindless about bread. Choose a flavorful, whole grain bread and have just one piece.
9. Drink water. Lots of it. It's good for your skin, and all those juices have calories. Diet soda is full of chemicals.
10. Eat eggs and oatmeal. They are both healthy, as long as they are as natural as possible. Don't add sauces or sugar! You can often find eggs for lunch or dinner at a diner. If you're having breakfast, the processed stuff like pancakes and waffles are NOT the way to go. Bacon and sausages? Have ONE if you need to. Split the side order or leave half of it on the plate.
11. Do not get your own dessert! You did a good job with your meal, don't blow it! After a calorific meal, desserts are calorie bombs. Just get fresh fruit (nothing on it), or share a single desert with at least one (preferably more) people.

 

What I ate: 15 oz. green juice, greek yogurt with blueberries and strawberries, one egg, 2 c.Trader Joe's Japanese fried rice, 12 oz decaf coffee, cheese and crackers, nachos, eggplant kottu, fruit salad, 2 c. cherries, 45 oz water

Exercise: jogged 5.8 miles

 

Diary: Does the Juice Fast / Cleanse Work?

I've always been intrigued by juice fasts as a way to detox but had never tried one. Western medical advice generally says fasting is unnecessary since the liver is created specifically to detoxify the body. As a fairly mindful person, that seemed like an excellent point. I was pretty healthy and tried to maintain a mindful lifestyle - I exercised, hydrated, ate mindfully and tried to get enough sleep. 

However, in the last couple years, I became unhealthy for a variety of reasons. I wasn't exercising, and I started eating in restaurants too many times a week, which makes you fat and unhealthy. I started eating a lot of convenience foods, which were fast but highly processed and loaded with sugar. I felt like walking toxic waste. I needed something drastic to jumpstart a healthy regimen. So after finding a deal on Gilt City, I decided to do a Juice Fast with Liquiteria.

I have to admit, I'm skeptical about the claims that juicing detoxifies your body, but advocates will tell you that taking a break from eating solid food and digesting will allow your body to focus on healing itself. Though I'm not sure I believe in the health benefits, I had a feeling that taking a break from making food choices and eating sugar would help break a sugar addiction and let me reset how I was viewing food. 

As a first time juice faster, I had more decisions to make than I expected. 

Which Juice Company?

I could make my own juice, but my juicer had collected so much dust during the long period of lazy eating, that I wanted the luxury of having someone else do it. Fortunately, juicing has become so trendy there are now a myriad of companies to choose from. They all have beautiful branding that promise health. It's easy to get confused, but I knew I wanted fresh, cold-pressed organic vegetable juices that were sugar free (without added fruit such as apples, grapes, etc.) The fruit makes the juice taste better, but I wanted pure vegetable juices. Since juices are expensive, I wanted to make sure they included top quality ingredients and were cold pressed to maximize retained nutritition. That narrowed down the field, then I ended up checking out companies for reviews, reputation and price. 

Which Juice Fast?

After deciding on a company, the juice company had a few different levels. There were one day fasts, three days fasts, and levels from beginner to advanced. Even though it was my first cleanse, I wanted a three day fast to break my bad habits. I had never fasted, but since I used to make my own juices I figured I could go straight to the intermediate level since I didn't want a higher calorie, sugary beginner level. Truth be told, I wanted to lose a few of the pounds I had gained, but I also didn't want to starve. I checked the total number of daily calories of each fast looking for a lower calorie fast that wasn't insanely restrictive.

A lot of juice cleanses fit the bill, so when I found a flash sale on one of them, that's the one I went with.

Pre-Cleanse

If you are going to cleanse, you should prepare for it by eating as mindfully as possible during the days/weeks before hand so you don't shock your body. Cut out processed foods, sugars and eat as cleanly as possible. I also started a regular exercise routine during the precleanse.

The Actual Juice Cleanse

Theoretically a cleanse shouldn't be too hard -- you're still taking in calories on a regular basis and you're not exercising, right? However, I found it to be very difficult. Liquiteria recommends no exercise while cleansing since presumably the cleanse is giving your body the time and energy to heal itself and Exercise takes energy away from healing.

Day 1

I start the day with green juice, then every 2-3 hours I have another juice until I drink a total of six. 16 oz of water in between the juices. Lots of liquids. After the first few hours I am obsessed with food - I can't stop thinking about it. Specifically brown rice with vegetables. My mind is rebelling. Lunch brings a sweeter juice, which I am ecstatic about. After that I feel weak and I really want to chew food. By the time dinner rolls around I have two more juices left. I can't stop staring as my husband eats his salmon burger for dinner. It's not that I want to eat it, but I just like watching. My last juice of the day includes beets - thick and sweet. It's like dessert -- completely heavenly. The water is tough to finsh. I definitely do not feel full and go to bed unsated.

Day 2

I'm glad to start the day with green juice, and I love the idea of not having to figure out what to eat for the day. A couple hours later I am miserable. I have a slight headache and I think about food all day. Chewing food, tasting food, eating food. A bizarre amount of enery goes into wanting food. I think of all the things I can eat when I'm done juicing. The juices are unsatisfying. I am tired and cranky all day. My highlight of the day is again the sweeter juice - "Skin Deep". I am more careful about drinking water between each juice and find it goes down more easily. When it's time for dinner, I watch my husband chew his food with so much intensity he feels uncomfortable. The end of day beet juice is delicious and goes down far faster than the other juices. Again, I am hungry all day.

Day 3

I wake up not excited about juice. Oh well, that's what I am having. No headache today, but I still think about food...a lot. Not as obssessively, but a lot. I can't wait to have brown rice with vegetables. This day is the easiest. Maybe my body has resigned itself to a reality of no food, or my mind has capitulated or both. I'm still tired but I know it's the last day, and it really is easier. For a second I think about doing a fourth day... nah. Like the other days I continue to eliminate stuff, which I find weird because I haven't had anything solid and I have a pretty fast digestive system. I'm less hungry than I was during the past couple days, but I'm definitely not sated. Once again the highlights of my day are the sweeter drinks. The end is near and I'm lamely proud to have made it three days since it's not that impressive a feat (I'm ingesting nutritious calories all day after all). I'm excited to be done.

Post-Cleanse

I wake up feeling like it's Christmas morning since I know I can eat. Oddly, I don't rush to the kitchen. I'm a little loath to start eating. Crazy. I was told to break my cleanse with a green juice so as not to shock my system, then to eat primarily raw food. However, I do NOT have any juice. I break my fast with a salad and have a bite of chicken. I can't wait for the next meal, which will be brown rice with vegetables, just as I'd been fantasizing. We get to the restaurant, and they are out of the brown rice bowl. So, I order... pancakes. I'm not happy about it, but oh well. I am plunged back into the world of cooked sugary foods without a grace period. And my body was ok with it - no adverse reactions whatsoever. But let's get real people, it was only three days of juicing - not weeks.

Post Post Cleanse

It's been about three months after I did the juice cleanse, and I still have the results I wanted. It helped break the sugar addiction and processed food habit that I had started. I'm back to starting most days with a homemade green juice, and I've also gotten into the habit of being much more mindful of my food choices.

So that was my experience. Here's my friend Walter's testimonial.

Bottom Line - doing a three day juice cleanse was a good shortcut to jumpstart my mindful eating. It helped reset my eating habits. I could have reset without it, but the break from thinking about what food to eat was helpful. II would do it again only IF I fell off the bandwagon again. Otherwise, I don't think I would gain any health benefits from it if I were living a mindfully.

 

What I ate: green juice, handful of blueberries, 3 cups of cherries, broccoli + adzuki beans + pumpkin seads + quinoa, brussels and squash Brooklyn Taco, plum, 3 dried apricots, dried mangos, walnuts, spinach + beet salad with balsamic and extra virgin olive oil, 3 colossal shrimp, quinoa, steamed broccoli, dark chocolate sorbet

 Exercise: none

 

 

Getting Healthy After Hitting Rock Bottom

If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. ~Lao Tzu

I have a confession -- my days of mindful eating and exercise have fallen far to the wayside in the past couple years. It turns out the three things that have made me happiest - starting a business, meeting the love of my life and getting a dog -- were not the most conducive for my health. The dog hates to run so I started running more slowly and at lower mileage. I've also been eating out with my partner much more frequently, and we all know that restaurants make you fat. The business seems to take up so much time that I don't have enough time to exercise or cook. I relied on convenience foods, and the worst thing is that I ended up eating far too much sugar, which is evil.

Anyway, that's all a BIG FAT EXCUSE because you need to prioritize eating well and exercising, no matter what. It's the foundation for everything else that you do. And I didn't. The result is that I am woefully out of shape, as evidenced by my inability to wake up in the morning, general tiredness, weight gain and susceptibility to colds. I finally had it when I caught a cold that wouldn't go away and lingered for two weeks. 

It was time for a massive rehaul. Fortunately, the map is already written. Eat well, sleep regularly, exercise, drink water. I started by exercising and cutting out dairy (not completely since I work in food and I constantly need to taste things). This prompted me to stop eating cheese as a convenient snack and just general more healthful eating. Almost immediately I noticed that it was easier to wake up in the morning. After five days of cleaner eating, I did a juice cleanse.

I've been fascinated with juice cleanses, but never felt the need to do one since I ate pretty mindfully, and your body works well when your healthy. However, I had become too accustomed to sugar and I had a constant lack of energy. I thought that not eating food was one of the only ways I could quickly reset my palate and signal to my body that we were about to make a big change. So in this iteration of getting healthier, the juice cleanse was a way for me to set the stage for myself. How was it? The next post will be all about it.

Getting healthy is simple, but not necessarily easy. It just takes discipline and willpower. If anyone out there wants to get healthier, let's do it, shall we? It might feel lonely, but there are millions of people out there making that same commitment today. So let's do it!

What to do - Kickstart your Healthy Lifestyle

1. Are you fed up with being unhealthy and tired? Don't take it anymore! Take that anger and turn it into positive motivation. Use it to fuel the foundation of your new healthy lifestyle.
2. Follow the steps in the Mindful Map.

 

What I ate: 14 oz green juice, 2 hard boiled eggs, quinoa, sauteed tofu + kale + shiitake mushrooms, 1.5 cup almonds, brown rice, stirfried shrimp + swiss chard + summer squash + shitaake mushrooms, grapes, tangerine, 3 squares dark chocolate, 16 oz coconut water, 64 oz water

Exercise: jogged 4 miles

Vote YES to Proposition 37 on Nov. 6

 Right to Know Video by Nutiva

A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity. ~Dalai Lama

Hurricane Sandy has focused me on food. The electriciy outage is forcing me to eat everything in my refrigerator before it spoils, and worry about the food left at Pop Karma. I guess the positive of it is that the food DOES spoil since it's not genetically modified, and isn't some Frankenfood made in a lab.

While we are grappling with food issues on the East Coast, a very important food date is coming up in California. Proposition 37 is up for voting on November 6th. This proposition that would require that genetically modified food (with exceptions of course) is labeled as genetically modified. That's it. Transparency. So if you want genetically modified food, you can happily know it is, and if you don't want it, you can avoid it.

Monsanto and other large food corporations have poured millions of dollars into California to fight this proposition. Why? Because genetically modified foods (GMOs) make a lot of money for Monsanto and other companies. Food that has been altered to resist pests and spoilage are obviously better for manufacturers. But they aren't obviously better for human health. And until they are, I don't want it. I'm not into eating untested food to make other people richer.

The food corporations insist that Proposition 37 will open the way to frivolous lawsuits and will cost more for consumers. The proposition may not be perfectly worded, but no bills are since they are so negotiated before they become law. And frankly, someone that wants to bring a frivolous lawsuit will do so no matter what. Proposition 37 is a step in letting people know what is in their food. The food corporations think that once they do know, they won't want GMO food -- hence it will cost consumers more. Because they have been using cheap GMOs to lower the price of food. Give us a choice!

As a food manufacturer at Pop Karma, we are firmly anti-GMO. It may cost more, but we aren't playing with your health.

If you are in California, please vote on November 6th, and vote YES to Proposition 37. And encourage everyone you know to do so.

Want to know more?

• Proposition 37 Voter Information Guide
• Michael Pollan's Take on Prop 37 (Yes), Vote for the Dinner Party
• Monsanto and Food Corporations Reasons to Vote No to Prop 37

 

What I ate: Haven's Kitchen whole wheat pancakes + butter, quinoa, sauteed green chard + broccoli + tempeh, kimchi, fresh pasta, boiled watercress + Rao's sauce, Cremont cheese, rosemary crostini, chai tea, milk, water

Exercise: 2 mile patrol with dog + 24 flights of stairs

 

Rule #1: Eat Unprocessed Food

Fruits at Union Square Greenmarket

The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just. ~Abraham Lincoln

Today's gift is a Free Pass Card to eat whatever you like -- as long as its unprocessed and preferably prepared at home.

I came across an inspirational Mark Bittman talk called "What's Wrong with What We Eat" at a 2007 TED conference. It's wise, funny and informative. I rarely watch videos over two minutes long but I watched all 20 minutes. In short, it's fabulous and worth your time.

Then a few days later I received two comments that would be directly addressed by Mr. Bittman's video: one from a reader who wanted to buy organic, but found it expensive and felt guilty for buying conventional food and the second from a man who was anti-tofu because he gets too much soy in his regular diet.

STOP THE MADNESS! At MindfulEats, we are totally flexible about the kind of diets and foods you choose to eat. In terms of food, we have only two rules: 1) eat non-processed foods, and 2) be moderate in how much of each food you eat. That's it. To expound a little on #2 - if you eat animal products, you should probably eat less of it. The average American eats 1/2 pound a day (3.5 lbs a week), and the generous FDA recommendation is 1/2 pound a week.

If you're eating non-processed foods, you're not getting soy in your diet unless you are consciously choosing it. The only place it's sneaking in is in animal products, since animals are often fed soy. If you're preparing your own non-processed foods (and mostly plants), you are doing fabulous. Even if it's conventional. If you washed all the residue off an organic tomato and a conventional tomato, a lab would not be able to tell the difference between them (unless the conventional tomato was genetically modified). You are doing better preparing your own conventional meals than buying a really expensive live organic food in a bag. Because that bagged food is processed. And don't complain about preparing food -- you can just steam it which is fast, easy, and what I often do.

Mark Bittman says it much more eloquently in his video.

What to do - Eat more fresh unprocessed food

Mr. Bittman's video reminded me that old stuff is classic. So here are a few posts to review to help you eat less processed food:

• What is processed food?
• What is conventionally grown, industrial food?
• How to prepare your own food
• The low down on organic food

 

What I ate: strawberries, cherries, blueberries, 6 squares dark chocolate, almonds, grilled portobello and radicchio salad, swordfish, eggplant, root mash, strawberry shortcake, 32 oz. pomegranate white tea, parmesan cheese, steamed tofu + baby bok choy, soofoo (grain and lentil blend)

Exercise: 2 mile jog, 75 minutes yoga

 

Produce: Dirty Dozen and Clean 15

You cannot build a better world without improving individuals. ~Marie Curie

You know how sometimes you have seemingly opposing goals like 1) you want to lose weight AND 2) eat delicious food?  (Okay, I gave that to you as a confidence booster because you already know how to do that. Eat whole unprocessed foods, yum.)  Well, maybe one of your New Year's resolutions is to eat more produce.  So what if you want to 1) eat organic to reduce your chemical intake in the form of pesticides AND 2) you want to be light on your wallet?

Fortunately, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has compiled a list of the "Dirty Dozen" fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residue, and a list of the "Clean 15" with the least pesticide revenue. You can significantly limit your pesticide intake by avoiding the "Dirty Dozen" and eating the "Clean 15". Likewise you can stretch your dollar by buying the Dirty Dozen organic and the Clean 15 conventional. Now that it's winter, there are several items on the Clean 15 that are seasonal: onions, cabbage, sweet potatoes, grapefruit and mushrooms.

What if you can't buy the Dirty Dozen organic? Just go ahead and eat them. You deserve a gold star for eating unprocessed foods. What if you don't have a budget constraint? Buy everything organic since it's better for our environment not to be depositing chemicals on our soils.

Here's the current list of Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 Foods, but check the EWG database since it is updated.

Dirty Dozen

1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines - Imported
7. Grapes - Imported
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries - Domestic
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/Collard Greens

Clean 15

1. Onions
2. Sweet Corn - there is no required labeling for Genetically Modified Foods, so you may want to purchase this oganically to avoid genetically engineered corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet Peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe - Domestic
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet Potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms

Want to learn more?

• The Low Down on Organic Food
• What is conventionally grown, industrial food?
• EWG Database

What I ate today: 4T blackstrap molasses, 4T apple cider vinegar, cheese popcorn, caramel popcorn, olive oil popcorn, brown rice, sauteed kale, boiled shrimp, cheese, 1.5 cups coffee + cream, whole wheat spaghetti + bolagnaise sauce + spinach, 1 apple, 30 oz. water

Exercise: jogged 4 miles, 60 situps, 6 pushups

 

All About Eggs and their Benefits

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. ~Abraham Lincoln

Photo Credit: Delish.com

You know what you should have for breakfast? Eggs. You know what you should have as a snack? A hard boiled egg. You should be eating eggs regularly. Yup, you. Unless you have 1) allergies, 2) diet restrictions (e.g. you're vegan), or 3) disease restrictions (e.g. diabetes). Eggs are little powerhouses of goodness - they are a nearly perfect protein and packed with other nutrients. They are also cheap compared to other protein sources. 

Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse. The protein in eggs are such high quality that all other proteins are measured against them. They contain 18 out of the 20 amino acids, and all the essential amino acids (essential means that your body can't synthesize them - they can only come from your diet) which makes them a complete protein. 43% of the protein is in the yolk, while 57% is in the whites. Eggs are also one of the best sources of choline, which is tough to find elsewhere but important for brain health and reduces inflammation. Eggs also contain all vitamins except for Vitamin C (though not necessarily in significant amounts). And what about the common knock of eggs being bad for your cholesterol? Research has not shown a connection between moderate egg consumption (1 per day) and high cholesterol levels. One extra-large egg contains 7g of protein (14% RDA), choline (30% RDA), and only 80 calories.

What are the best eggs? Egg quality is affected by freshness and chicken health. Most eggs consumed in the U.S. are chicken eggs. You want to eat eggs from the healthiest, happiest hens. Makes sense, yes? Factory chickens that are sick, dosed up on antibiotics, can't move (let alone exercise) because they are smushed in a cage with nine others getting pooped on from chickens above them, pooping on chickens below them, and eating only grain are not going to make the best quality eggs. Go to the farmer's market where you can ask the farmer how her chickens live. The best eggs come from hens that can spend their days outdoors, poking around for bugs in grass. These girls produce healthy eggs with more Omega-3's. Chickens weren't meant to be vegetarians! Find a producer you can trust, and buy eggs that were recently laid. They're the tastiest and most nutritious. Eggs are a cheap protein. Pay up for the best ones. You're worth it.

So what do all those labels mean - cage free, pastured, organic? Pretty much nothing except for USDA certified organic.  USDA Certified Organic eggs mean 1) the hens receive organic feed and forage in organic pastures and 2) they must have enough access to outdoor space to be able to exercise year round, and they must have enough indoor space to be able move around freely as well as clean, dry bedding. Otherwise, there are no standards. Cage free hens can still be penned indoors in such tight quarters they can not move, and free range or pastured hens can have access to limited outdoor concrete space, which is not what you are looking for.  The best thing to do is talk to the farmers at the market about the way their hens are raised. Ask if you can visit their farms or see some pictures.

How can one distinguish egg quality? When you have a healthy, fresh egg, you'll notice right away when you try to crack it. Thwack! That egg is hard to crack because the shell is strong. The chicken had adequate calcium to make that egg. She ran around in open air and ate bugs for protein. Then when you open it, the egg stays tight and contained instead of spreading out all over the place. You notice a bright yolk that sits up high above the white. It's trying to say hello. The whites are tight and thick instead of runny, and you can notice the two layers of whites - a tighter white that's surrounded by a paler white. The highest quality are Grade AA, then Grade A and finally B. B and below usually goes to restaurants and food service.

How should eggs be stored? Eggs are porous and can dry out, so they should be stored in your refrigerator. Preferably in the cardboard carton if they are going to be kept for a while.

Are some egg colors better than others? An egg derives its color solely from pigmentation. If they come from a brown hen, the eggs are brown. If they come from a white hen, the eggs are white. Besides color, there are no nutritional differences. Certain breeds of chickens produce different colors - for example, Platine Bleues produce blue eggs, which I personally think are richer. Try different types as you come across them and let me know what you think!

How is an egg made? Eggs begin their journeys inside a hen, and take about 26 hours to be made. Eggs don't need to be fertilized. The hen creates a yolk as part of ovulation, and it is released into her oviduct. If it is going to be fertilized, that is where it happens. In either case, as the yolk travels down the oviduct, a membrane than the whites are created around it. Then at the bottom of the oviduct, the hard calcium shell is created.

Fun fact - most hens lay their eggs in the morning before noon. None are laid after 3pm.

Tip: Want to eat more eggs? Hard boil a dozen and leave them in the refrigerator for a fast breakfast or snack.

Hens confronted by snow - they stayed in

Updated: 9/9/2020

Acknowledgment to Aliza Holtz for a great deal of egg knowledge

What I ate: 2 slices toast + hazelnut butter, 4 clementines, 1 apple, 32 oz. chicken rice soup, 3 green tea mochi ice creams, bacon ranch popcorn, 1 dark Chocalive truffle, sauteed shrimp + brussell sprouts, 1 cup quinoa, 2 squares dark chocolate, 16 oz water + blackstrap molasses + apple cider vinegar,  50 oz. water + Vitamin C

Exercise: jogged 4 miles

 

 

 

Benefits of Hemp Seeds vs. Flax Seeds

  Nutiva hemp chocolate bar and shelled hemp seeds

To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it. ~Mother Teresa

I'd been happily eating flax seeds for quite some time when I met hemp advocate John Roulac, Founder and CEO of Nutiva. I'd seen hemp oil in lip balm and clothes, and I'd tried hemp milk before, but I never thought of it as a food. John introduced me to hemp seeds and some other hemp products, and I just wish I'd learned about them earlier - they are delicious and oh so nutritious. I am going to switch most of my flax seed eating over to hemp seeds. I also learned about superfood chia seeds, which is the subject of an upcoming blog post.

Hemp is one of the earliest cultivated crops - the Chinese grew it 4000 years ago, and it was popular across Asia and the Middle East. Hemp seeds, also known as hemp hearts, are the basis of hemp foods. You can eat them shelled, or they are also processed into hemp oil and hemp milk. I find shelled raw hemp seeds to have a fresh, nutty, kind of sprouty flavor. What makes them so special?

• They are a nutritional powerhouse, full of omega-3 and 6, and a complete protein. Hemp seeds have about 3300mg of Omega-3 and 8100mg of omega-6 in 3 tbs (compared to 4050mg of Omega-3 and 800mg Omega-6 in 3 tbs of flax seeds). Omega-3 is harder to get than 6, and though there is more in flax seed, it is all ALA. Some of the omega-3 in hemp seed is the easier to absorb and harder to find SDA. The ratio of omega 3 to 6 is almost ideal in hemp seeds (ideal is considered 1:2 or 1:4. It's actually on the lower range of ideal, which is a bonus because most of us get enough omega-6 already. As for protein, hemp seeds are 33% protein and contain all the essential amino acids and nearly all the amino acids. 3 tbsp contain 11g protein. Hemp also does not appear to contain phytic acid that may reduce nutrient absorption.
• Hemp is environmental. It is illegal to grow hemp in the U.S., so most of it is imported from Canada. Hemp grows quickly and has a deep root structure so it is good for the soil. This miracle plant also naturally resists pests so it doesn't need pesticides. Hemp likes nitrogen rich soil, so like all other crops, organic farmers will rotate. Unorganic farmers tend to use fertilizer.
• Hemp seeds are easy to use. They are more shelf stable than flax seeds, but not as stable as chia seeds. Nutiva recommends using within 8-12 weeks of opening. They also don't need to be ground.
• Hemp seeds won't get you high. There are many varities of hemp, and the kind that gets you high is marijuana, which is high in THC (the stuff that gets you high). Hemp seeds are grown from industrial hemp plants which contain too little THC to get you high, no matter how much of it you eat or drink.

Bottom line: I'm replacing much of my flax seed consumption with hemp seeds. They are more expensive but I find hemp to be tasty enough to eat straight out of the bag as a snack, and they last longer. I think flax is more neutral in flavor and has more omega-3, so I'll still be using it. Just not as much.

What to do: Eat Hemp Seeds

1. Buy hemp seed products. You can buy the seeds, hemp milk or hemp oil in natural foods stores and Whole Foods. You can also buy directly from Nutiva. If you like supplements like protein powders, you can also find hemp protein. Nutiva makes hemp shake mix and hemp seed bars as well. I'm not a big fan of supplements or bars, but the bars are impressively clean: sunflower seeds, honey, hemp seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds.
2. Eat/drink the seeds and milk straight or add the seeds and oil to your meals. Sprinkle seeds in grains, yogurt and salad or drizzle oils over salads and anywhere you would use olive oil. Don't cook with the oil though.  
3. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator. They will turn rancid after opening, so use them in the time suggested.

 Want to learn more?

• Omega-3, 6 and 9
• Benefits of flax seed
• Hemp milk
• Nutiva
• Hemp seed profile

What I ate: 1 apple, 1 cup grapes, Oogie's black pepper and asiago popcorn, quinoa, tofu, steamed broccoli, 1 slice whole wheat bread + Justin's chocolate hazel nut butter, 1 banana, 1 green tea + rice cakes and seafood, crispy noodles, soup dumplings, vegetable dumplings, bubble tea, tea, 3 tbsp hemp seeds, 45 oz. water

Exercise: jogged 4.5 miles

 

Juice Fast/Cleanse Testimonial

Cleanses have been trendy for quite a while now. They can be anything from a juice fast (no food, only juices) to clean eating (no processed food). You can do it yourself, or you can follow a company's instructions. They usually last 3 days or longer. While I've been fascinated by cleanses, I've never actually done one. Fortunately for you, my friend Walter Frye did his second cleanse this summer and blogs about his experience below.

People go on cleanses since they believe they are giving their body "a break" from digesting and allowing it to focus energy on ridding itself of toxins and healing itself. The medical establishment believes that cleanses are unnecessary since your body is built to cleanse and detoxify itself (through your liver, intestines, etc). If the idea of a cleanse interests you, and you want to re-set your attitude toward food, you may want to try a cleanse. MindfulEats does not endorse cleansing, but since different things work for different people, you may want to try it. Just research it first.

So, without further ado, here is Walter's experience:

When I was asked to journal my experience on the 3-day Organic Avenue juice cleanse, I was starving. It was day 3, which was by far the hardest.

I decided to do a cleanse because I wanted to rid my body of all the toxins I've poured in, in the form of gallons of diet coke, fried food, and my other vices. Who am I kidding? I did it to kickstart my summer body and get rid of the last layer of fat stopping me from ab definition. I must say, to that end, this was a success and even though it was very challenging at times, I'd do it again.

For me, the first two days weren't so bad, except for the 2-hour meeting that someone decided to bring freshly baked chocolate chips cookies to -- pure torture. I'll admit, many of the juices were downright gross, but I'd hold my nose, gulp, and feel relatively sated for while.

It's the morning after, and I think the worst part may not be over. I've heard the body takes a while to readjust to food, and the rumblings currently in my stomach give me reason to believe this is true. I'm not so worried about that because I think there will be continued benefit as my appetite is reduced and the idea of eating a french fry or having a soda (usually my idea of a good time) is completely unappealing. We'll see how long that lasts...

What to do - Research Cleanses if Interested

1. Identify your goals. Some commonly stated goals for cleansing are to increase energy, eat more cleanly, jumpstart a change in your diet, etc.
2. Research. There are many different types of cleanses out there - figure out which ones make the most sense. Talk to people that have done it, look at different companies, read some books. As your doctor. Some cleanses are the Master Cleanse, Clean, Blueprint. 
3. If you are still interested, cleanse. Follow the program that you've identified as being the best for you. You can do it yourself and create your own juices/food, which is cheaper (and you know exactly what went into it) or order from a program, which is more convenient. Here's a post on juicing yourself. Let us know how you're experience went!

What I ate: 1 large latte, 1 plum, 1 cantalope, Japanese rice crackers, vegetable stir-fry + Violet Mountain sicky rice, 10 almonds, 5 cheese and crackers, Hawthorne Valley yogurt + strawberries + ground flaxseeds, whole wheat spaghetti + bolognese sauce, 2 tablespoons chocolate ice cream, 45 oz water

Exercise: jogged 4 miles

Superfood: Quinoa and its Nutritional Benefits

Cooked and dried quinoa

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet ~James Oppenheim

I distinctly remember the first time I encountered quinoa - it was at the end of a long day hiking the Incan trail up to Macchu Pichu. Melded into a corn soup, it was chewy and delicious, easily the best meal I'd had in days. All the meals were good, but it's the only one that I can actually remember. Since then it's consistently made the "superfoods" list (who makes this list anyway - the same people that maintain the best-dressed list?) because of its high nutrition content.

Famed in ancient Incan times and now the modern, quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) was identified by NASA scientists as one of the most nutritious foods in the plant and animal kingdoms. The Incans considered it sacred and called it the "Mother of All Grains." The first seeds of the season were sown by the Incan Emperor using golden implements. It was so integral to the culture that the Spanish conquistadors forbade its cultivation and scorned it as "food for Indians." Quinoa is often identified as a grain, but it is actually the seeds of a goosefoot (chenopod), so it is closely related to spinach, beets and tumbleweeds. 

So what makes it so nutritious? Quinoa is very high in quality protein. Like eggs, it is a very high-quality protein since it has all nine essential amino acids for adults (the aminos that your body can't produce). One serving (1/2 cup) contains 12% of your daily iron requirements, and it's high in magnesium, riboflavin, fiber and phospohorus. Quinoa is easy to digest and gluten-free for those with gluten issues. It was given to Incan warriors and nursing mothers. NASA is considering it as a crop for long duration manned space flights.

Quinoa comes in two colors -  a traditional beige or red. Nutritionally they are considered equivalent, though you may want to vary the colors according to your dish. A 1/4 cup dry (1/2 cup cooked) serving contains:

• 163-172 calories
• 2.8-3 grams of fat (no saturated fats, trans fats or cholesterol)
• 1-5 mg sodium
• 29-31 grams carbohydrates
• 3-5 grams sugar
• 6 grams proteins

In its natural state quinoa is covered with a sticky coat of saponin, which is difficult to remove. Most commercially sold quinoa has had this layer removed. However, you may still want to soak them (as recommended by Sally Fallon) for 12+ hours in water with 2T of kefir, yogurt, vinegar or lemon juice to remove antinutritive properties.

Quinoa can be used as a substitute for any grain. You can swap it out for rice in a stir-fry or barley in a soup. Get creative. It cooks quickly (15 min), and absorbs 2 cups of water to 1 cup of quinoa.

As quinoa becomes a more popular export crop, The New York Times reported that producers are earning more income, but fewer local people can afford it resulting in greater malnutrition in quinoa-growing areas. Globalization also means that there is also an increasing preference for processed foods such as noodles in South America. Less access to nutritious, locally grown food but higher income for farmers. It's a tough situation, but MindfulEats is on the side of increasing local income.

Want to learn more?

• Comprehensive quinoa overview from World's Healthiest Foods
• New York Times article on impact of global quinoa demand on Bolivia (March 20, 2011)

What I ate: macadamia nuts, City Bakery dark hot chocolate, 2 tangerines, 1 blood orange, Indian Food buffet: spinach paneer, lentils, chick peas, vegetable korma, vegetable tandoori, tikka masala, rice pudding, naan, masala tea, white tea, 24 oz coconut water, 45 oz water 

Exercise: jogged 5.5 miles, 50 min yoga