Yesterday marked 4 weeks, or 28 days, since the day I decided to make a change. 28 days seems like a good time to pause to evaluate how things are going. I believe it is the standard amount of rehab programs for those tackling addiction (or maybe just the name of a really bad Sandra Bullock movie on the subject). I decided last night that I would weigh myself. I've been holding out, but figured that once a month wouldn't hurt. Funny thing though, the batteries on my scale died. So I'll have to hold out a little longer... maybe we'll make it every two months. Or not at all. Maybe I'm becoming a little too fatalistic, but I feel like there was a reason the scale stopped working. I know, I know, batteries are bound to run out eventually regardless of messages the Universe might be trying to send me. The bottom line is that my clothes are fitting better. Last night hubby noted that I had visibly lost weight... when the person you live with notices a change you know something is happening. Now all this was not about weight loss, but being healthier. I can honestly say that my focus has changed... I don't think every day about how many calories or "points" I've consumed. I don't spend my time trying to figure out how little I can eat during the day so that I can snack in the evening. In fact, I rarely snack in the evening any more.
There are a few other things that have changed. I spend ages in the grocery store, hunting down the perfect loaf of bread. I've found some of the most delicious breads I've ever eaten. I don't focus on the cost, or calorie count of the things I buy... instead I read the ingredient labels. Last week I paid $1 more for Worcesteshire (sp?) sauce that had a short, recognizable list of ingredients. We have not saved money. The good news is that we've all but stopped eatting out and ordering food, so we've pretty much balanced out on this one.
I've discovered that I don't have to make EVERYTHING myself, but I can make most things and enjoy doing it. If you pay attention there are almost always versions of things with better ingredients. You can buy peanut butter with nothing but peanuts in it... or like my best friend and her partner, you can make it yourself and save yourself paying someone else to do it for you. It is super gratifying to eat food you made with your own hands and know that it is nourishing you.
I've discovered that avacodo is one of the best things you can spread on toast or a sandwich!
Most of all I feel proud of myself. For the first time in years I'm not getting down on myself for breaking down and making bad choices. It might seem like all this should be hard, and it has had its moments. But I really believe that this is the best decision I've ever made for myself and that makes it incredibly easy.
Lastly, 4 weeks in seems like a good time to thank all of you. Thank you to those of you who have been supportive. Thank you for the encouragement. Thank you for the tips, ideas, articles, videos, recipes, etc. Thank you to those who have told me I've been inspiring... that means more than I can say. Thank you just for reading. Most of all thanks to my husband who has been good humoured, supportive and encouraging in all of this.
Upward and onward into month two... I'll keep you all posted.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Dear Universe...
I'm not sure if it would be possible to take this journey without stopping to consider vegetarianism as an option. I've always had an inkling that where our meat comes from is generally not good... but that's just the stuff you get at McDonald's right? The stuff from the grocery store should be fine... right? There's been this nagging voice in the back of my brain for a few years now, insisting that there is more to it than that. I can't ignore it any more. They say ignorance is bliss... but I think ignorance in our society, in this day and age, is simply a refusal to do better. Doing better takes too much effort, and we all have so much on our plates already.
Here's the thing though: I love meat. Now that alone is not enough to make me decide that it's ok to eat it. I love potato chips, and fast food, and french fries, not to mention a thousand other things I've recently given up, but I'm not eating them any more because I recognize the harm they are doing to me, to the planet and to society. So I must consider the possibility of giving up meat. This becomes problematic on a very basic level, as soy is one of the things I am trying to avoid. On the other hand, I know too much now to continue ignoring the issue. I've now read about, and seen footage of the conditions feedlot cows and chickens are kept in. I've seen the shit that passes for their food, not to mention the knee deep shit they stand in all day. I don't mean to sound dramatic when I say that I now look at the meat we eat and I see misery. I see not only the last remains of an unhappy existence, but also the dehumanization of the people who are responsible for providing us with this food.
The problem that runs far deeper than the soy issue is that I've tried out vegetarianism. I gave it a long, hard attempt while I was in India for two months a few years ago. I was eating some of my favourite foods, and some of the most delicious vegetarian meals I've ever tasted. But at the end of the two months I was craving meat so badly that I broke down and got a McChicken. I figured at least at McDonald's the meat had probably been refrigerated. I regretted it afterward, not because it made me sick (it didn't), but because I had broken down and eaten McDonald's in India.
I was discussing all this with hubby last week. He's been a really good sport about all this. He helps me look through ingredient lists in the supermarket. He watches for things he thinks I can have and will pick them up for me if I'm not around. He makes sure we always have fresh fruit and vegetables in the house. He's been making meals, according to my specifications in the slow cooker on a regular basis. But when I brought up the fact that I was starting to worry about the meat we were eating he looked at me in horror and asked "You're not going to become a vegetarian are you?" I laughed and told him I didn't think so. In fact, I think he would fare better as a vegetarian than I would. He had no problem getting through two months in India without meat.
So I've been mulling all this over in my head, trying to figure out what I'm going to do. I know that there are free range, grass fed options out there, I just had to look into them. Then I got home one night last week and hubby informed me that the guy who sells bison at the farmer's market called. We'd signed up last summer for a draw for some free bison, and had left our phone number. He'd called to let us know that he frequently does deliveries in our area and to ask if we'd be interested in having him come by our place. Hubby asked him if he only sold bison, or if he sold other meats as well, which he did. He went on to explain that all his meat was free range, grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free, etc. He has a refrigerated truck which he will pull up outside your home, so you can "shop" for whatever meat you would like without having to order ahead. I don't believe in coincidences. To me this was the universe's equivalent of sending me a letter: "Dear Shawn, you are on the right track. Keep up the good work. Much love, the Forces of the Universe." It could not be any clearer. My next steps are to switch to eating only free range, properly fed animals. It might sound contrary to everything I've just said, but I don't eat tons of meat as it is. My decision is to be a part time vegetarian; to only eat meat when I know where it comes from. That much I can manage.
"Dear Universe, thanks for the support. Much love, Shawn."
Here's the thing though: I love meat. Now that alone is not enough to make me decide that it's ok to eat it. I love potato chips, and fast food, and french fries, not to mention a thousand other things I've recently given up, but I'm not eating them any more because I recognize the harm they are doing to me, to the planet and to society. So I must consider the possibility of giving up meat. This becomes problematic on a very basic level, as soy is one of the things I am trying to avoid. On the other hand, I know too much now to continue ignoring the issue. I've now read about, and seen footage of the conditions feedlot cows and chickens are kept in. I've seen the shit that passes for their food, not to mention the knee deep shit they stand in all day. I don't mean to sound dramatic when I say that I now look at the meat we eat and I see misery. I see not only the last remains of an unhappy existence, but also the dehumanization of the people who are responsible for providing us with this food.
The problem that runs far deeper than the soy issue is that I've tried out vegetarianism. I gave it a long, hard attempt while I was in India for two months a few years ago. I was eating some of my favourite foods, and some of the most delicious vegetarian meals I've ever tasted. But at the end of the two months I was craving meat so badly that I broke down and got a McChicken. I figured at least at McDonald's the meat had probably been refrigerated. I regretted it afterward, not because it made me sick (it didn't), but because I had broken down and eaten McDonald's in India.
I was discussing all this with hubby last week. He's been a really good sport about all this. He helps me look through ingredient lists in the supermarket. He watches for things he thinks I can have and will pick them up for me if I'm not around. He makes sure we always have fresh fruit and vegetables in the house. He's been making meals, according to my specifications in the slow cooker on a regular basis. But when I brought up the fact that I was starting to worry about the meat we were eating he looked at me in horror and asked "You're not going to become a vegetarian are you?" I laughed and told him I didn't think so. In fact, I think he would fare better as a vegetarian than I would. He had no problem getting through two months in India without meat.
So I've been mulling all this over in my head, trying to figure out what I'm going to do. I know that there are free range, grass fed options out there, I just had to look into them. Then I got home one night last week and hubby informed me that the guy who sells bison at the farmer's market called. We'd signed up last summer for a draw for some free bison, and had left our phone number. He'd called to let us know that he frequently does deliveries in our area and to ask if we'd be interested in having him come by our place. Hubby asked him if he only sold bison, or if he sold other meats as well, which he did. He went on to explain that all his meat was free range, grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free, etc. He has a refrigerated truck which he will pull up outside your home, so you can "shop" for whatever meat you would like without having to order ahead. I don't believe in coincidences. To me this was the universe's equivalent of sending me a letter: "Dear Shawn, you are on the right track. Keep up the good work. Much love, the Forces of the Universe." It could not be any clearer. My next steps are to switch to eating only free range, properly fed animals. It might sound contrary to everything I've just said, but I don't eat tons of meat as it is. My decision is to be a part time vegetarian; to only eat meat when I know where it comes from. That much I can manage.
"Dear Universe, thanks for the support. Much love, Shawn."
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Chocolate covered bacon, and other scenes from an airport
Airports are funny places. They are generally home to two different kinds of traveler. There are the nervous travelers, leery of this foreign landscape, always worried about the next leg of the journey... there are so many obstacles for these people, it's no wonder every small step is nerve wracking... a slow check in line, followed by the security line up, the worry that security or customs will "bust" you with some accidental contraband. Then if you have a layover, the anxiety of whether or not your first flight will make you late for your second, not to mention having to navigate the strange landscape of unknown airports. The second type of travelers are the business folk, who fly 100+ times a year. These people seldom look worried. They know that there are always airport hotels and later flights. To be fair, they seldom have to worry that they might lose a day of precious vacation time.
I watched all this going on around me on my way from Winnipeg to Raleigh, North Carolina, last week. The line to check in for my flight was unbelievably slow, thank you to United Airline's superb customer service :P, compounded by a long security line, etc. I know that when I check in only 20 minutes before my flight, and still have to hit customs and security, I might be in trouble. I also know that if half to three quarters of the other people on my flight are with me, that plane is not going anywhere for a bit. I float somewhere in between these two types of travelers. I fly frequently enough to know it's mostly all hurry up and wait. However, I do generally have those precious vacation days at stake, so I still don't like the idea of being hung up in Chicago overnight.
I started my trip to Raleigh with a new set of worries I don't normally even consider. I'd be travelling from mid-afternoon to about 11 pm. So what on earth was I going to eat for dinner? I'd read somewhere that a Mexican place can be an ok option because you can always get a bean burrito and rice. I've been through O'Hare international about a thousand times, and I had no recollection of any Mexican restaurants. With that in mind I'd tried to smuggle an apple in my purse. I'd thought about just keeping my mouth shut and hoping no one would notice. However, lying to customs, or rather trying to pull a fast one on them, has not once gone my way.
"Any food with you mam?" The US Boarder Guard inquired. "Just an apple in my purse." I replied casually. He went through his litany... and just when I thought I was in the clear, he added: "Just see the man in this office and show him your apple." Um, ok. I turn the corner into the room he's pointed at. The man looks up from the counter. "Can I help you mam?" He smiles. "I’m supposed to show you my apple." I'm informed that if my apple has a sticker I might be able to take it. Presumably they want to know that it was grown in the US. My apple is BC Organic, but it has no sticker to defend itself with. Some crazy person removed it when she washed her apple that morning. I have two options, I can eat my apple or I can throw it away. I'm full from lunch and have less than 20 minutes until my flight. Still, I hate to throw away perfectly good food. I offered it to the Border Guard. He declined.
So now here i am in Chicago, apple-less. I'm not hungry yet, but I like to gather what I need, find my gate and stay put. So I'm trying to forage for something I can eat. I will get McDonald's if I have to, but I'm not ready to break that big just yet. In my hunt for something to eat, I notice another strange thing about airports... they've become mini-cities. Aside from all the retail outlets, there are a McDonald's and a Starbuck's on every corner. But when you look more closely there are other options, you just have to be watching for them. I found a shop with fruit and nuts on display in the window. The apples and pears are alarmingly large, but given the choice between a GMO'd pear and a Big Mac, I'll take the pear. I also bought some nuts and dried fruit. Not really a meal, I know, but enough to get me through the evening, and stay true to my mission.
Just a side note, to finish things up... While in line buying my fruit and nuts I notice something slightly disturbing... a piece of bacon dipped in chocolate masquerading as a candy bar... is there nothing we won't eat???
I watched all this going on around me on my way from Winnipeg to Raleigh, North Carolina, last week. The line to check in for my flight was unbelievably slow, thank you to United Airline's superb customer service :P, compounded by a long security line, etc. I know that when I check in only 20 minutes before my flight, and still have to hit customs and security, I might be in trouble. I also know that if half to three quarters of the other people on my flight are with me, that plane is not going anywhere for a bit. I float somewhere in between these two types of travelers. I fly frequently enough to know it's mostly all hurry up and wait. However, I do generally have those precious vacation days at stake, so I still don't like the idea of being hung up in Chicago overnight.
I started my trip to Raleigh with a new set of worries I don't normally even consider. I'd be travelling from mid-afternoon to about 11 pm. So what on earth was I going to eat for dinner? I'd read somewhere that a Mexican place can be an ok option because you can always get a bean burrito and rice. I've been through O'Hare international about a thousand times, and I had no recollection of any Mexican restaurants. With that in mind I'd tried to smuggle an apple in my purse. I'd thought about just keeping my mouth shut and hoping no one would notice. However, lying to customs, or rather trying to pull a fast one on them, has not once gone my way.
"Any food with you mam?" The US Boarder Guard inquired. "Just an apple in my purse." I replied casually. He went through his litany... and just when I thought I was in the clear, he added: "Just see the man in this office and show him your apple." Um, ok. I turn the corner into the room he's pointed at. The man looks up from the counter. "Can I help you mam?" He smiles. "I’m supposed to show you my apple." I'm informed that if my apple has a sticker I might be able to take it. Presumably they want to know that it was grown in the US. My apple is BC Organic, but it has no sticker to defend itself with. Some crazy person removed it when she washed her apple that morning. I have two options, I can eat my apple or I can throw it away. I'm full from lunch and have less than 20 minutes until my flight. Still, I hate to throw away perfectly good food. I offered it to the Border Guard. He declined.
So now here i am in Chicago, apple-less. I'm not hungry yet, but I like to gather what I need, find my gate and stay put. So I'm trying to forage for something I can eat. I will get McDonald's if I have to, but I'm not ready to break that big just yet. In my hunt for something to eat, I notice another strange thing about airports... they've become mini-cities. Aside from all the retail outlets, there are a McDonald's and a Starbuck's on every corner. But when you look more closely there are other options, you just have to be watching for them. I found a shop with fruit and nuts on display in the window. The apples and pears are alarmingly large, but given the choice between a GMO'd pear and a Big Mac, I'll take the pear. I also bought some nuts and dried fruit. Not really a meal, I know, but enough to get me through the evening, and stay true to my mission.
Just a side note, to finish things up... While in line buying my fruit and nuts I notice something slightly disturbing... a piece of bacon dipped in chocolate masquerading as a candy bar... is there nothing we won't eat???
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
To weigh or not to weigh
Well I think I have to start by saying that Sunday night's bread did NOT turn out. Rather than the light fluffy delicious loaves I'd imagined, I got two dense lumps. I don't hate dense breads, so I cut a slice off one of the loaves and did not attempt to disguise it with butter or any other spread. I wanted the genuine flavour of my very own bread. It was awful. I've since discussed some of the possible pit falls with a friend whose family owns a very succesful local bakery and I think I've figured out a few of the places I went wrong. Apparently it is almost impossible to get bread to rise properly using only whole wheat flour, further to this I think the flour was stale. So there we have our dense loaves, and our crappy flavour. To top it off my apartment is pretty cold, so the dough was likely not warm enough while it was trying to rise. I was going to take picture of my sad little loaves, but hubby threw them out before I had the chance. Just as well. I will try again, although I'm not sure how I'm going to get around the white flour issue, as it is one of the things I'm trying to avoid. I'll have to do some investigating. I'll report back when I have more info on that.
One of my struggles over the last few days has been whether or not to weigh myself. I am so used to my Weight Watchers routine that not weighing myself every week (especially when I'm feeling the results might be good) is a hard habit to break. Part of me wants the reward of seeing that number go down, and part of me needs to quantify the results of my new venture. But I keep going back to my first post, where I said that this wasn't going to be about weight loss, but about health. How can this not be about weight loss if I am weighing myself? I can say with certainty that my clothes are fitting better, and I feel less bloated. So for now that is going to have to be enough.
Some challenges are coming my way this week... namely dinner at my mother-in-laws, followed by 4 days at my mom's place in Raleigh, NC. I'm not too worried about these, but it is going to be hard to relinquish control so early in the game. There are also the issues of having to spend about a half day travelling,each way. Normally I would pack up some veggies, etc to take with me. This is what I did for the trips to and from the cabin this weekend, since both times they fell during meal times. I'm a little worried about having trouble "bringing" vegetables across the border. That may sound paranoid, because it's not as thought I'm planning on landing in the US with my snacks. A few years ago an unfriendly border guard (shocking I know, they're usually so sunny) accused me of lying about not having any food to bring into the US because I was carrying a Tim Horton's bagel. If anyone has any suggestions that might prevent me from having to eat dinner at the McDonald's in O'Hare (I have a layover there from 4 to 8 pm) I'd love to hear your ideas.
One of my struggles over the last few days has been whether or not to weigh myself. I am so used to my Weight Watchers routine that not weighing myself every week (especially when I'm feeling the results might be good) is a hard habit to break. Part of me wants the reward of seeing that number go down, and part of me needs to quantify the results of my new venture. But I keep going back to my first post, where I said that this wasn't going to be about weight loss, but about health. How can this not be about weight loss if I am weighing myself? I can say with certainty that my clothes are fitting better, and I feel less bloated. So for now that is going to have to be enough.
Some challenges are coming my way this week... namely dinner at my mother-in-laws, followed by 4 days at my mom's place in Raleigh, NC. I'm not too worried about these, but it is going to be hard to relinquish control so early in the game. There are also the issues of having to spend about a half day travelling,each way. Normally I would pack up some veggies, etc to take with me. This is what I did for the trips to and from the cabin this weekend, since both times they fell during meal times. I'm a little worried about having trouble "bringing" vegetables across the border. That may sound paranoid, because it's not as thought I'm planning on landing in the US with my snacks. A few years ago an unfriendly border guard (shocking I know, they're usually so sunny) accused me of lying about not having any food to bring into the US because I was carrying a Tim Horton's bagel. If anyone has any suggestions that might prevent me from having to eat dinner at the McDonald's in O'Hare (I have a layover there from 4 to 8 pm) I'd love to hear your ideas.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
I Live with my Drug Dealer
I’ve been almost completely off processed foods for a week now. The husband and I started out the week with a commitment to making our own meals from scratch. By mid-week I’d discovered a whole slew of things around my kitchen that were corn, soy and chemicals in disguise. So the commitment, at least for me, altered. Not only am I going to make my own meals, but I am going to make them out of real food… not high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated soy. I’ve had some slips, but for the most part it’s been a successful week.
The hardest part of all this isn’t changing my eating habits; it’s changing them while living with someone who is only half on board. My husband is right there with me wanting to make meals from scratch… it’s the elimination of the ingredients he is used to using that is presenting more of a challenge. He’s fascinated, and he’s supportive… he’s just not ready to go the whole way. At lunch today while I’m eating a veggie sandwich, with hummus, on organic spelt bread with wild rice (which is dense, but awesome tasting bread, with not a trace of anything you wouldn't put in bread you made at home), the husband is settling in with two maple smokies which smell absolutely fantastic. “Is this hard?” he asks. I’ll admit it is a little bit tempting, but I’ve just finished reading a section of “Omnivore’s Dilemma” which talks about what we feed beef cows. My sandwich is definitely looking more appealing. I followed it up with an apple.
As I write he is dangling dark chocolate over my head… taunting me. I’m not making this shit up. I live with my drug dealer… in fairness to him he brought the chocolate over thinking it was something I could eat, the packaging looks quite “wholesome” (oh how willing we are to blindly believe in packaging). I make him read the ingredients, half way through he is laughing at himself. Whether he is ready to come on board or not he is learning. And he is at the very least humouring me. He wanted to make cookies this weekend, to which I jokingly responded that I wouldn’t eat them unless he made them with whole wheat flour and raw sugar… he bought both.
Truth be told, last night I broke down. I found a bag of my favourite snack food,
Today I got back on my wagon. Remember how a few days ago I was joking about making my own mayonnaise? Well we were going through the recipe books at the cabin, and found one for mayonnaise. It didn't look to hard, so this morning we made some. It was great, not quite as thick as what we're used to. I'm not sure if that's owing to all the "extras" Helmans is putting in, or if it just might take some tweeking, but regardless the flavour was good.
We have been talking a while about getting a bread maker. This weekend we decided to try making our own bread all by ourselves... if it proved really cumbersome then we'd look into a bread maker. When we got back to the city we went straight to the grocery store to pick up yeast. It had been the only thing stopping us from trying over the weekend. We got home and I started on it straight away. I decided to start with something simple, plain old whole wheat bread. This is not back breaking work! It's mixing a few dry ingredients with oil, water and milk. The most difficult part is the kneading, which I honestly found totally enjoyable. It's relaxing, even kind of meditative, and even a bit of a work out. As I type my first attempt at bread is rising in a bowl in the kitchen. I've never been so excited to eat bread in my whole life. If this is what it feels like to be connected to your food, I'm in. I can't believe I'm just figuring this out.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Hydrogenated Soy?????
I have to start by saying that I am home with the flu today. Part of me can't help wondering if it's the flu, or if just a few days of nearly no processed foods is kicking my body into detox. I'm leaning towards actually having the flu, because hubby has been home sick two days previous to today.
I'm done "Food Rules". One of the best things about this book is that it is not a dense read, or difficult to understand. It is a simple and straight forward manual to recognizing what qualifies as real food, and how much of it you really should be eating.
The most surprising thing I've come across so far is a slew of negative information about soy... that's right, the wonder food of vegetarianism is being modified in ways that, like corn, sugars, etc. are exceptionally bad for you. The rule that led to my research advises that you not eat foods that are pretending to be something they are not, and lists soy-based fake meats as an example. So I've done some online research, and as with any other food there are pro and con advocates. Much of the negative research seems to link soy oil with suppressed thyroid activity, which leads to weight gain. The bottom line, so far as I can see it, is that much like any other food soy should be eaten in moderation. The problem? Much like corn, it is starting to show up in EVERYTHING. Case in point: I'm making dinner last night and I pick up my pre-fab spice mix (I won't mention brands here... just read your ingredient labels), and I figure this must be safe, it's just a mix of spices. I was shocked to see that I was completely wrong... the spices were some of the last things on the list of ingredients. I was not shocked to see salt had been added, however I was taken back by the addition of hydrogenated soy... hydrogenated soy? Now hydrogenated is one of those bad buzz words that has my back up immediately, but to be honest I didn't actually know what it meant. Thank goodness for Google... what did people do before they could look things up online? Here's what I found: Essentially this is the process of heating oil so that the fatty acids can acquire hydrogen, making the oil more butterlike, but cheaper to produce. So what is this doing in my spice mix? I can only guess that it's there to add flavour... bah.
This got me curious. What other seemingly harmless things were lurking around my kitchen? Well, tons... chili paste, canned coconut milk, more or less all my condiments... at this rate I'm going to be making my own mayonnaise soon. So how am I going to manage this without becoming one of those people everyone dreads having over for dinner, because they can't eat anything? The answer to this one comes straight from my mother's rule book: control what you can eat, when you can... when you can't don't stress about it, just enjoy. My mother is one of the most health conscience people I know, and she hasn't eaten red meat in years, but even she will graciously eat a hamburger on the rare occasion when some unsuspecting host serves her one.
Now this all begs the question, what am I eating? And the answer is: plenty! Hubby and I made a stew in the slow cooker the other day... tons of veggies, a small roast from the butchers, chopped up, flavoured with a mix of spices, port (MP advises one glass of wine a day!), etc. We ate that for a dinner and packed some up for lunch the next day. The rest went in the freezer for next time we don't feel like cooking. We almost always have a batch of home made curry of some sort in the fridge, so I've been eating that with rice. Home made hummus is something I'll have a little of between meals, or with pita and salad for lunch.
I'll be honest, most of the from scratch foods in our house are not made by me. The one thing I do really well is marinara sauce from scratch, so last night I decided it was my turn to do up a home cooked meal. The secret ingredient in my sauce? My pre-fab Greek Spice. That's when I made the disturbing discovery mentioned above. In fact a few of my key ingredients are now verboten. I usually add a teaspoon of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. I wound up replacing the sugar with a bit of honey and used garlic, basil, oregano, chili flakes, pepper and salt to flavour. Caramelized onions also help to add sweetness. What I ended up with was a surprisingly simple sauce that was really delicious. I poured the sauce over whole wheat noodles and then topped the dish with something really exciting - a little bit of grated FULL FAT cheese to add a bit of protein. I have been hiding from those two words for more than ten years. What does MP have to say about this? To simplify, the disease/obesity epidemics in our society coincide with the advent of "low fat" foods. The problem being with all the other crap we've had to add to our foods to replace the fats. Not to mention that fact that we seem to believe that because something is "low fat" we can gorge ourselves on it, and end up overeating. The key to eating full fat foods? Not too much!
Ta da! A delicious, filling meal with minimal amounts of processing. Even hubby was impressed... and that's no small feat.
Assuming I'm feeling better, we're going to try making bread this weekend. So more on that next time.
I'm done "Food Rules". One of the best things about this book is that it is not a dense read, or difficult to understand. It is a simple and straight forward manual to recognizing what qualifies as real food, and how much of it you really should be eating.
The most surprising thing I've come across so far is a slew of negative information about soy... that's right, the wonder food of vegetarianism is being modified in ways that, like corn, sugars, etc. are exceptionally bad for you. The rule that led to my research advises that you not eat foods that are pretending to be something they are not, and lists soy-based fake meats as an example. So I've done some online research, and as with any other food there are pro and con advocates. Much of the negative research seems to link soy oil with suppressed thyroid activity, which leads to weight gain. The bottom line, so far as I can see it, is that much like any other food soy should be eaten in moderation. The problem? Much like corn, it is starting to show up in EVERYTHING. Case in point: I'm making dinner last night and I pick up my pre-fab spice mix (I won't mention brands here... just read your ingredient labels), and I figure this must be safe, it's just a mix of spices. I was shocked to see that I was completely wrong... the spices were some of the last things on the list of ingredients. I was not shocked to see salt had been added, however I was taken back by the addition of hydrogenated soy... hydrogenated soy? Now hydrogenated is one of those bad buzz words that has my back up immediately, but to be honest I didn't actually know what it meant. Thank goodness for Google... what did people do before they could look things up online? Here's what I found: Essentially this is the process of heating oil so that the fatty acids can acquire hydrogen, making the oil more butterlike, but cheaper to produce. So what is this doing in my spice mix? I can only guess that it's there to add flavour... bah.
This got me curious. What other seemingly harmless things were lurking around my kitchen? Well, tons... chili paste, canned coconut milk, more or less all my condiments... at this rate I'm going to be making my own mayonnaise soon. So how am I going to manage this without becoming one of those people everyone dreads having over for dinner, because they can't eat anything? The answer to this one comes straight from my mother's rule book: control what you can eat, when you can... when you can't don't stress about it, just enjoy. My mother is one of the most health conscience people I know, and she hasn't eaten red meat in years, but even she will graciously eat a hamburger on the rare occasion when some unsuspecting host serves her one.
Now this all begs the question, what am I eating? And the answer is: plenty! Hubby and I made a stew in the slow cooker the other day... tons of veggies, a small roast from the butchers, chopped up, flavoured with a mix of spices, port (MP advises one glass of wine a day!), etc. We ate that for a dinner and packed some up for lunch the next day. The rest went in the freezer for next time we don't feel like cooking. We almost always have a batch of home made curry of some sort in the fridge, so I've been eating that with rice. Home made hummus is something I'll have a little of between meals, or with pita and salad for lunch.
I'll be honest, most of the from scratch foods in our house are not made by me. The one thing I do really well is marinara sauce from scratch, so last night I decided it was my turn to do up a home cooked meal. The secret ingredient in my sauce? My pre-fab Greek Spice. That's when I made the disturbing discovery mentioned above. In fact a few of my key ingredients are now verboten. I usually add a teaspoon of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. I wound up replacing the sugar with a bit of honey and used garlic, basil, oregano, chili flakes, pepper and salt to flavour. Caramelized onions also help to add sweetness. What I ended up with was a surprisingly simple sauce that was really delicious. I poured the sauce over whole wheat noodles and then topped the dish with something really exciting - a little bit of grated FULL FAT cheese to add a bit of protein. I have been hiding from those two words for more than ten years. What does MP have to say about this? To simplify, the disease/obesity epidemics in our society coincide with the advent of "low fat" foods. The problem being with all the other crap we've had to add to our foods to replace the fats. Not to mention that fact that we seem to believe that because something is "low fat" we can gorge ourselves on it, and end up overeating. The key to eating full fat foods? Not too much!
Ta da! A delicious, filling meal with minimal amounts of processing. Even hubby was impressed... and that's no small feat.
Assuming I'm feeling better, we're going to try making bread this weekend. So more on that next time.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Next steps
Well, last night I did manage to pick up the book (Food Rules by Michael Pollan - $13.50, 25% off at Superstore right now). I'd been at the gym, which happens to be on the second level at Superstore. So afterward I went down and checked out their book section to see if they had it, which they did.
I got home feeling excited to get reading and start on this new venture. I hadn't taken two steps in the door when my husband announced that pizza was on it's way. I deflated a little bit. Maybe he saw the look on my face, because he immediately got appologetic. "I saw your post on Face Book today (see "Beginings"). I think it's great what you're doing. I'm really proud of you. There's stuff in the fridge if you don't want Pizza." I contemplated my options, knowing that the minute the pizza got in the door and I could smell it, I would want it. So then and there I formulated what is going to be my one and only no exceptions rule: Not too much. Mr. Pollan said it himself. In otherwords, don't over eat. I won't lie, I did do a little justifying on this one (I wouldn't be a good junkie if I didn't). The pizza was afterall, ordered from a local, family owned restaurant. While it does break some of the rules in the book (Eat whatever you want, but prepare it yourself) it does meet others (Don't eat food not made by a human). I weighed all this in my mind and came to the conclusion that I would eat TWO slices of pizza, and then I would go cut up some vegetables.
So, I'm not sure where MP would rate me in terms of success, but I'm going to put this one in the win colomn, and I like to think he would too. It allowed me to establish some good rules of my own, because after all, in the end I have to think for myself on this one. I decided that in addition to my no overeating rule, I'm also going to limit myself to two meals prepared outside my home each week. Maybe that sounds like a lot to some of you, but it's a step. I had thought about saying one, but I do enjoy a breakfast out on the weekends. I might have to eat them all at Fresh Cafe to stick with my other rules, I guess we'll see.
I got home feeling excited to get reading and start on this new venture. I hadn't taken two steps in the door when my husband announced that pizza was on it's way. I deflated a little bit. Maybe he saw the look on my face, because he immediately got appologetic. "I saw your post on Face Book today (see "Beginings"). I think it's great what you're doing. I'm really proud of you. There's stuff in the fridge if you don't want Pizza." I contemplated my options, knowing that the minute the pizza got in the door and I could smell it, I would want it. So then and there I formulated what is going to be my one and only no exceptions rule: Not too much. Mr. Pollan said it himself. In otherwords, don't over eat. I won't lie, I did do a little justifying on this one (I wouldn't be a good junkie if I didn't). The pizza was afterall, ordered from a local, family owned restaurant. While it does break some of the rules in the book (Eat whatever you want, but prepare it yourself) it does meet others (Don't eat food not made by a human). I weighed all this in my mind and came to the conclusion that I would eat TWO slices of pizza, and then I would go cut up some vegetables.
So, I'm not sure where MP would rate me in terms of success, but I'm going to put this one in the win colomn, and I like to think he would too. It allowed me to establish some good rules of my own, because after all, in the end I have to think for myself on this one. I decided that in addition to my no overeating rule, I'm also going to limit myself to two meals prepared outside my home each week. Maybe that sounds like a lot to some of you, but it's a step. I had thought about saying one, but I do enjoy a breakfast out on the weekends. I might have to eat them all at Fresh Cafe to stick with my other rules, I guess we'll see.
Beginnings
I'd like to start by saying that I do not believe in New Years Resolutions. Change should come in your life when you are ready to take it on. By pure coincidence I have made some decisions this January that I hope will be life changing for me.
I have spent most of my adult life trying to commit to two things: eating better and writing more. The two things are of course totally unrelated, aside from being the bane of my existence. So I've come to the point where I am ready to make changes in both arenas, and in order to fully commit to both I am going to combine them by chronicling my food reformation. I don't care if no one reads it, the point is to create some kind of accountability to both.
I am a food addict. They say the first step is admitting it, and I have been slowly coming to this realization over the last year or so. I have a problem. I have a problem. I have an addiction. It's hard to think about the sustenance your body needs in this manner, but the more I say it the more I see the truth in it. Just like any other addiction it is doing damage to my life. The most obvious of course being the negative effects on my health. But there is more: food controls my moods in a way that I can no longer put up with. I use food to celebrate, and to commiserate. I turn to food as comfort. Food is fuel, it is not a loving support system. I have to stop treating it that way.
So I've admitted it. What next? I've given this a lot of thought and I have a game plan. First I need to stop attempting to diet, and stop making being skinny my goal. I need new goals, because the old ones never worked. If I'm really being honest, being thin has always been my one and only goal in eating better. So I've banished "skinny" from my vocab. When I stopped to think about it, the only time I am miserable about my weight is when I am eating my worst. When I'm eating well, even for short periods, I feel happy, proud of myself and my weight no longer seems like such a terrible curse. So the key is to focus on that feeling... the great feeling I get from putting food in my body that I know is nourishing it.
Still, I need some kind of guide to this new world of food. I've understood for years what carbohydrates, proteins, sugars, calories, etc. do to a body, the roll they play in your overall health. But I've still never been able to really make the connection between this understanding and eating better. So I know that I can't do this all on my own, I need some rules to follow. So I'm watching TV the other day, Oprah to be more specific (No comments from the peanut gallery necessary on this one. I am a closeted Oprah fan, and I'm tired of hiding it.). She's doing an episode about revolutionizing the way we think about food. I don't believe in coincidences, I never have. The universe will tell you over and over again what you need to do to live your best life, you can ignore it, but eventually it will drop a boulder on you if it has to in order to get your attention. I'd rather not wait for the boulder. So, back to Oprah... her guest is author Michael Pollan, and he's written a book called "Food Rules". He's boiled down his stance on eating to one simple idea, which I'm paraphrasing: Eat food, mostly vegetables, not too much. He talks about things that shouldn't seem revolutionary, but do: Don't eat things your great, great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. Food should eventually rot, if it doesn't you shouldn't eat it. Shop around the edge of the grocery store, all the processed fake foods are in the middle. Eat whatever you want, but make it yourself.
So tonight I am going to buy this book. I'm going to read it, and evaluate the ideas I can apply to my life and how to go about doing it. I am going to make a plan. Then I'm going to come back here, every second day and write about how it's going. I'm not saying that I am going to turn my whole life around overnight tonight. I'm not going to wake up tomorrow wanting to eat nothing but apples... but I'm ready to start trying. I'm ready to deal with this the way all other addicts are told to deal with their demons: One day at a time.
I have spent most of my adult life trying to commit to two things: eating better and writing more. The two things are of course totally unrelated, aside from being the bane of my existence. So I've come to the point where I am ready to make changes in both arenas, and in order to fully commit to both I am going to combine them by chronicling my food reformation. I don't care if no one reads it, the point is to create some kind of accountability to both.
I am a food addict. They say the first step is admitting it, and I have been slowly coming to this realization over the last year or so. I have a problem. I have a problem. I have an addiction. It's hard to think about the sustenance your body needs in this manner, but the more I say it the more I see the truth in it. Just like any other addiction it is doing damage to my life. The most obvious of course being the negative effects on my health. But there is more: food controls my moods in a way that I can no longer put up with. I use food to celebrate, and to commiserate. I turn to food as comfort. Food is fuel, it is not a loving support system. I have to stop treating it that way.
So I've admitted it. What next? I've given this a lot of thought and I have a game plan. First I need to stop attempting to diet, and stop making being skinny my goal. I need new goals, because the old ones never worked. If I'm really being honest, being thin has always been my one and only goal in eating better. So I've banished "skinny" from my vocab. When I stopped to think about it, the only time I am miserable about my weight is when I am eating my worst. When I'm eating well, even for short periods, I feel happy, proud of myself and my weight no longer seems like such a terrible curse. So the key is to focus on that feeling... the great feeling I get from putting food in my body that I know is nourishing it.
Still, I need some kind of guide to this new world of food. I've understood for years what carbohydrates, proteins, sugars, calories, etc. do to a body, the roll they play in your overall health. But I've still never been able to really make the connection between this understanding and eating better. So I know that I can't do this all on my own, I need some rules to follow. So I'm watching TV the other day, Oprah to be more specific (No comments from the peanut gallery necessary on this one. I am a closeted Oprah fan, and I'm tired of hiding it.). She's doing an episode about revolutionizing the way we think about food. I don't believe in coincidences, I never have. The universe will tell you over and over again what you need to do to live your best life, you can ignore it, but eventually it will drop a boulder on you if it has to in order to get your attention. I'd rather not wait for the boulder. So, back to Oprah... her guest is author Michael Pollan, and he's written a book called "Food Rules". He's boiled down his stance on eating to one simple idea, which I'm paraphrasing: Eat food, mostly vegetables, not too much. He talks about things that shouldn't seem revolutionary, but do: Don't eat things your great, great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. Food should eventually rot, if it doesn't you shouldn't eat it. Shop around the edge of the grocery store, all the processed fake foods are in the middle. Eat whatever you want, but make it yourself.
So tonight I am going to buy this book. I'm going to read it, and evaluate the ideas I can apply to my life and how to go about doing it. I am going to make a plan. Then I'm going to come back here, every second day and write about how it's going. I'm not saying that I am going to turn my whole life around overnight tonight. I'm not going to wake up tomorrow wanting to eat nothing but apples... but I'm ready to start trying. I'm ready to deal with this the way all other addicts are told to deal with their demons: One day at a time.
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