Don't Buy It: Roast it!

In the beginning of the week I suggested you eliminate foods with ingredient lists and instead use recipes.  Labels have given us all food for thought for the days or weeks to come especially as we implement new habits, introduce new foods, and experiment with our weekly menu planning.  Do we stick to strictly organic?  Do we search for NonGMO foods?  Do we spend extra on 'free range chicken' and 'grass fed beef'?  My advice is to take on one label at a time.  Maybe just start by planning a menu and looking at its face value!

Breakfast.  I can think of about 77 breakfast foods (some require assembly, some don't)!  Whole wheat toast, orange slices, coffee and fruit preserves is one of my favorites.  Egg sandwiches are another weakness of mine.  When assembling a breakfast menu when processed foods are absent whole wheat toast isn't an option.  Eggs, quinoa, steel cut or rolled oatmeal, and milk are all good, high protein ways to start the day.  Add fruits or veggies (think omelet) to get your vitamins.  If you need yogurt or cheese, have yogurt or cheese but read the labels before you buy~  not all cheeses and yogurts are the same.

Lunch.  Trying to steer clear of the deli meat sodium attack?  On Sunday, roast an extra chicken, turkey, or pork shoulder, even a beef roast will work... you'll have lunch meat all week long.  Deli meats are convenient, but they are expensive! The home-made variety is easy on your wallet and delicious in salads, quesadillas, soups, and sandwiches alike.  Last night's leftover roast works just as well if you don't want to dedicate a whole bird to lunch~  (Remember, salad means 'a medley of food'...  only involve lettuce if you want to!)

Dinner.  Right now in RI, fennel, beets, carrots, asparagus, kale, chard and artichokes are in season.  Onions, leeks, potatoes and peas are also on the list (to name a few).  If I just use seasonal veggies I can load my plate with different items each night of the week without much repetition and without sacrificing flavor.  What's in season where you live?  If the list is short, take a trip around your produce department and look for veggies that are crisp, bright, and smell good!  If they don't smell, they were picked too early and might not offer much nutrition.  If they are dull and limp, again, they are probably deficient.  You can always find live lettuce and nuts and seeds and dried or dehydrated foods~  all excellent choices!

Dessert.  Have dessert.  Chocolate.  Mousse.  Chocolate mousse.  Pudding.  Sherbet/sorbet.  Gelato.  Ice Cream.  If you don't make it yourself, read the label.  If you read 17 ingredients, don't buy it.  If the label reads something like, 'Milk, cream, sugar, cocoa powder, almond extract, salt,' it might not be a bad choice to satisfy a sweet tooth.  Enjoy all of the real foods you find this weekend~  Remember to give your vitamins their vitamins, wash them in with water, and, as always, remember to wash your hands.

Anna~

Is GMO on the Label?

GMO: Genetically Modified Organism. Biotechnology has been touching our food for decades and GMOs are the result. Plants that withstand chemical pesticides, yield larger fruit, produce more vegetables and grow in unlikely conditions, move from the super market shelves to our dinner tables without detection. Animals that possess giant breasts, meaty shoulders, rotund butts and the pinkest flesh have gone from farm to 'Friday's Menu' as well. GMOs may look and taste delicious, but they create a few problems along the way.

Genetically Modified Organisms were created to "withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide." They may ward off bugs and tolerate chemicals but they do not offer a nutritionally superior product. Interestingly enough, they aren't even labeled! As we are meandering through the grocery store we may not be able to tell which foods have been engineered and which are the real thing.  The problem with that is not knowing where our food comes from - Earth or Engineer?

Why does that matter? Is Genetic Engineering (GE) of food safe?  "This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding."  I don't know much about the science, nor do I understand all of the repercussions of GE, but if a food is designed to withstand herbicides and pesticides I know it is being doused with the chemicals it is modified to withstand.  Do I wish to eat such a food?  There is the question, dear reader...

How do we steer clear of GMO's?  Though it may not be this simple, look for 'Organic' or '100% Organic' on the label or brand of the foods you consume.  'Natural' is another word to look for when choosing fresh foods to put into your body.  Ask your local growers if they are part of the NonGMO project.  Do a quick internet search to find out if your favorite brands of bread or potato or chicken or pork are NonGMO verified.  Education is the key~    

Just as the labels in our T-shirts tell us if they came from across the globe or the USA, so should your food be labeled to tell if it is laboratory grown, genetically modified, or locally cultivated.  Because GMOs are not labeled, a bit of detective work is necessary....  more investigation is needed~
Yesterday I gave unsolicited advice to a friend who expressed a desire to lose weight.  I suggested she eliminate all processed food and fatty meat.  She then asked, "What would I eat?"  I said, "Eat real, whole, naturally occurring foods, add a vitamin, drink plenty of water, and remember to wash your hands."  I wonder if she will take my advice?  

Anna~

 (Maybe I should make her a menu?)

Am I there yet?

So I've been running.  To the gym at least twice a week (to start) and an active record of how long and how far my runs take me.  Running to some may be a definitive lifestyle; for me its more like an effort toward a goal - that is it.

I am learning that not only do I dislike running, I dislike really hard work.  When I approach labored breathing, I give up; when I start to sweat, I slow down; when I feel the pain in the back of my legs, I walk.  I am successfully stocking the fridge with great, clean, delicious foods, but when it comes to stepping up to a run, I'm a flop.

My husband and kids run.  My husband runs about a nine minute mile, eight if he pushes it which he is competitively able to do; my son ran cross country last fall and achieved an eight minute mile as well.  I ran with Kendra last week and my three miles came in at about 45 minutes and she was easily 15 minutes ahead of me (she claims it was because she had to use the bathroom).  Our youngest hasn't attempted a measurable run yet, but when Scott is down pounding out Insanity, she is willing and able to keep up.  I remember a time when I would lace up and follow the seams where the runway held off the grass but that time has faded like the numbers on a jersey worn long ago.

I have seen a small gain in distance over my last three half hour attempts;  instead of 2 miles/30 minutes I am running 2.15.  It will take me about 30 trips to the gym to reach to my 3 mile goal, but it's a goal none the less.  The benefits of lumbering on a tread mill are more than a tenth of a mile gain, however.  Stronger heart, healthier lungs, cleaner digestive system, crisper nervous and limbic system, better hormonal balance, sexier legs, and trimmer middle are just the beginning!  To think a 15 minute mile could deliver so many rewards...

For now, I encourage all of you to set a goal toward health.  Clean out your pantry, stock your fridge, and enjoy real, whole, nourishing food.  Drink plenty of water so that your food can be absorbed.  Take vitamins to supplement for the few you've missed.  Take a walk.  Log a run.  Laugh with your sisters.  And, as always, remember to wash your hands...

Anna