January 2008

I am reading a new book, The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity: A Simple Guide to Unlimited Abundance by Edwene Gaines, in which she suggests you take a 21 day break from gossiping, complaining, and criticizing to really open yourself up to new possibilities. She calls it a life changing exercise and substantiates this with personal experience. Talk about simplifying your life! I feel lighter and freer just thinking about it!

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I have just finished Michael Pollan’s latest book, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto and all I can say is wow. It’s his follow up to his bestseller, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals that attempts to answer the question “What should I eat?”

He sums it up in his eater’s manifesto with seven simple words: Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.

And then goes on to give background on how and why he developed this food philosophy:

• We should reject science and industry in determining what and how we should eat.
• Science is limited in understanding something as richly complex and multifaceted as food.
• Much of the ’scientific wisdom’ we have been fed over the past several decades is being proved wrong.
• Most of the stuff in grocery stores today is not food, but overly processed, artificially flavored, dyed and chemically infused ‘food like products.’
• The Western diet now consists of “lots of processed foods and meat, lots of added fat and sugar, lots of everything–except vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.”
• We are overfed and undernourished for the first time in history.
• We have become an unhealthy population preoccupied with nutrition and diet and the idea of eating healthily.
• Four of the top ten causes of death today are chronic diseases with well-established links to diet: coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer.
• We have become alienated and confused and no longer think in terms of eating meat, grains and veggies, but their chemical components: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, saturated fats, omega 3s, trans-fats, etc.

He strongly believes, “It’s time to return to tradition, common sense and intuition, our senses, and the wisdom of mom and grandma. We can learn a lot more about eating from history, culture and tradition than science because whole foods are proving to provide much more than just the sum of their parts.”

The rise of the organic movement, and local agricultural renaissance underway across the country allows us to opt out of the conventional food system. Eaters now have real choices. Once again we have real food to eat. And all I can say is hurray for that.

He further defines his seven word eating food philosophy with the following guidelines:

• Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
• Avoid food products containing ingredients that are unfamiliar, unpronounceable, more than five in number or that include high fructose corn syrup.
• Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle.
• Get out of the supermarket and instead visit as much as possible farmers markets, CSAs, farm stands, etc.
• Eat mostly plants, especially leaves–they are full of phytonutrients.
• Eat small amounts of meat, treating it more as a flavoring or condiment for the plants.
• You are what you eat and what you eats eats too–think grass fed meats and free range organic poultry.
• Eat wild foods when you can.
• Take supplements. People who take supplements tend to be healthier overall.
• Eat like the French or the Italians of the Japanese, or the Indians or the Greeks…a traditional diet of real foods. Regard nontraditional foods with skepticism.
• Don’t look for the magic bullet. Eat a wide variety of foods.
• Have a glass of wine with dinner if you want.
• Pay more and eat less. Eat food of a higher quality and in less quantity.
• Eat meals at the table not at the desk or in front of television.
• Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does.
• Try not to eat alone.
• Eat slowly and enjoy your food–it should be pleasurable.
• Cook, and if you can, plant a garden.

And there you have it. A simple nourished way to eat. Thank you Michael Pollan, for helping return us to our senses.

I can hardly wait to get to the farmer’s market!

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How do we cultivate healthy habits and make positive changes in our lives? We have two options: we can let go of something that isn’t working or we can introduce something new that will.

For example we can stop (or severely limit) our consumption of french fries or we can commit to eating an extra serving of fruits and veggies every day. Either choice results in a more nourished diet.

To stay balanced it may be helpful to give up something unhealthy and replace it with a better choice, like substituting a side salad for french fries when eating out.

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Nourishing Yoga is a kinder gentler approach to health and fitness that focuses on taking care of ourselves, not beating ourselves up.

We tend to be so hard on ourselves, focusing on our perceived weaknesses and faults, instead of celebrating our strengths. We think that if we just keep working harder, eating less, and denying ourselves, we will lose weight and everything will be perfect.

After a lifetime of struggle, I have learned that diets just don’t work. In fact, studies show that most of us end up gaining more weight than we lost following a diet. It’s time to get off the rollercoaster of deprivation and bingeing. It’s time to take care of ourselves, find balance and stop our extreme behaviors.

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Seeking something a little out of the ordinary, yet relatively easy for dinner last night, I came up with this shrimp & chicken sausage jambalaya. It’s based on a recipe I came across in a new magazine called Clean Eating.

I used shrimp and sausage since that was what I had in the freezer. Always looking for ways to increase our veggie count, I added chopped celery and sliced fennel to the original version’s call for onion and pepper.

While not a traditional jambalaya ingredient, the fennel worked nicely. Served with a caesar salad, it was a big hit with both my husband and stepson.

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One of the best ways to clean up our eating and improve our health is to eliminate the ‘clutter’ from our diets. This includes all the sources of ‘empty’ calories devoid of nutrition like soda, refined sugars, unhealthy fats and overly processed foods.

I recently read that junk food now makes up nearly one third of the calories in our typical American diet. Sources of these calories include sweets, desserts, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, salty snacks, and fruit-flavored drinks. Couple this with the fact that we are now eating 300 calories a day more than we did in 1985 and you have a perfect recipe for obesity and poor nutrition. We are overfed but undernourished.

Start today by clearing away the ‘clutter’ from your fridge and overhauling your pantry to make way for healthier alternatives. Eliminate the ‘empty calories’ and ‘unhealthy’ food products like:

• Refined sugars
• Trans-fats (anything with partially hydrogenated in the label)
• Refined flours
• Artificial sweeteners
• Unfamiliar ingredients
• Unpronounceable ingredients
• High fructose corn syrup

Take the time to read labels and keep this stuff out of your kitchen and your body. You will free up space for more fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats, lean proteins and other healthy sources of vitamins and minerals.

More Information on Healthy Eating

Twelve Simple Steps for Eating Well

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My brother recently came across the following quote from Jack La Lanne and sent it to me.

“There are more gyms now than ever, and all kinds of crackpot diets, too,” he says. “It seems like they’re all out to make money. This stuff is so simple. Like I’ve always said, exercise is king, diet is queen, put them together and you’ve got a kingdom. And, if you want to lose weight, you have to count calories. You’ve got to take in less than 2,000 calories a day or you will never lose weight. These are not new discoveries. And you have to exercise. Not necessarily to the extent that I have. Twenty to thirty minutes three or four times a week is fine when combined with a sensible diet. But work and live vigorously.”–Jack La Lanne
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When we severely restrict calorie intake our metabolism slows down and our body holds on to its fat to protect it self from a perceived famine situation. According to Martha Beck, author of The Four Day Win: End Your Diet War and Achieve Thinner Peace, “When you diet in a highly restrictive way, or even when you mentally attack yourself for being fat, your body may go into ‘emergency’ mode. Your metabolism drops, while the brain increases production of hormones that tell your body to store fat, especially around your middle.” (Pete can we create Amazon Link) More proof that extreme diets are not the solution.

They may not be particularly innovative or sexy, but here are seven sensible strategies for sustainable weight loss.

1. Be Realistic with your goals
   Make them measurable, achievable and sustainable. How long did it take you to gain the weight? I am guessing you gained it a pound at a time over months or years. The best way to take it off is the same way—gradually. Aim for between 1-2 pounds a week and 2-3 pounds a month. Slow and stead is the best way to achieve lasting results. Track your progress by how you feel and how your clothes fit, rather than fixating on a number on the scale.
2. Gradually Replace old habits with healthier new ones
   There is no magic bullet. A quick fix just doesn’t exist. You have heard it all before and for a reason, because it’s true. If you want to change a habit you need to do it gradually and for a period for 28 days to get it to stick. Don’t get radical. Make one or two changes at a time.
   Some of my favorites include:
   • Eat an extra serving of fruits and veggies each day
   • Have a salad instead of fries
   • Drink alcohol only on the weekends and keep the count to 1-2
   • Have popcorn instead of chips and sparkling water instead of soda
   • Clear away the processed foods, transfats, and sugar laden stuff
   • Be picky and quality conscious. Don’t eat it if it isn’t delicious
   • Act as if and change your self talk
   • Don’t have tempting snacks around
   • Always order the small size
   • Don’t clean your plate–stop when you are no longer hungry
3. Seek support
   Find a coach, a friend, family member, or support group who can be there for you. Studies confirm that those trying to lose weight who are aided by support, in person, on line or over the phone, enjoy more success than those who try to go it alone.
4. Reward yourself with things other than food
   Treat yourself to a movie or a manicure when you reach a goal.
5. Increase your activity
   • Walk more
   • Find ways to take more steps each day
   • Do sit-ups before bed or while watching tv
   • Stretch for a few minutes each morning
   • Take the stairs, not the elevator
   • Take a ten minute walk at lunchtime and again after dinner
   • Find an activity you enjoy and engage in it often
   • Try yoga, pilates or tai chi for the mind-body benefits
6. Keep a journal
   It will increase your awareness and accountability. Most of us underestimate how much we eat and this is a great way to get real with ourselves. Record what you eat, how much, when, where and with whom. You will become more knowledgeable about your choices and eating patterns. Studies confirm the effectiveness of this approach. You identify unhealthy habits and can begin to substitute more healthy ones. Simply knowing you’re tracking your food can help you avoid that unnecessary snack because you just don’t want to write it down!
7. Be Mindful–Pay Attention
   Eat only when sitting down. Cut down on the mindless snacking. Give up drive throughs and eating while watching television. One of my major offenses is snacking while I am getting meals ready. I keep reminding myself to only eat while sitting down and sometimes chew mint gum to avoid temptation.

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How many times do we need to be told that restrictive diets don’t work before we will believe it and give up all the fads? I still find myself perking up and tuning in when I hear about a new “diet” someone is trying or see a new “diet book” on the shelves even though I know that there is no magic bullet! I found myself drawn in again just the other day seeking solutions to the “what is the right way to eat?” question in the latest diet book offerings. Fortunately I caught myself midstream, realized that there is no “right” way, but many acceptable approaches and put them back on the shelf where they need to stay.

At some point I will list all the diet books I have read and diet approaches I have tried. It is frightening to consider how much time I have spent on this. Eating well shouldn’t be this hard! Food should bring health and pleasure, not fear.

I am convinced that the Europeans have eating figured out. I haven’t traveled much, but on my trips to Paris and Italy I encountered people savoring their food. On a trip to Paris several years ago, a culinary focused excursion called Unpolished Paris, I had the opportunity to visit with the wife of a local baker who seemed to take immense pleasure in food while maintaining a Barbie sized figure. I had the time and opportunity and so I asked, “How do you do it? What is the secret?”

She was happy to share her thoughts. Originating from Canada and having visited the U.S. on several occasions, she was able to provide a very insightful opinion.

Here are some of her beliefs regarding why French ladies are able to eat well, enjoy food and stay slim:

1. French ladies don’t eat all the time. They eat 3 meals a day at routine times and don’t indulge much in between. She was amazed that in the U.S. people seem to be eating at all hours. In Paris the restaurants stop serving lunch at 2:00 PM and don’t open again until dinner.
2. Portions in France are much smaller. The amount of food served in the U.S. was obscene to her. The focus in France is on quality, not quantity.
3. People in France, especially Paris, get a lot more exercise because they do so much walking.
4. The French don’t multi-task while eating. They sit down and savor their meals. The drive-through restaurant is an incomprehensible concept.

That really sums it up. No tricks, no fads, just common sense and moderation.

I also observed that the French eat a lot more real food and fewer processed ingredients, as reflected in the spectacular open markets and specialty food stores. I spent a week in Paris and indulged in everything imaginable. I lived like a French woman, savoring croissants or baguette and coffee for breakfast, delicious lunches and dinners, salads, omelets, cheese, fish, cassoulet, crepes, dessert and wine. The food was delicious and incredibly satisfying. I also walked a lot visiting the sites and the markets, touring restaurants, and restaurant supply stores, attended cooking lessons and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn’t want to leave.

Before departing, I was a little apprehensive about potential weight gain but decided to throw caution to the wind and just enjoy the adventure. You know what? I didn’t gain a pound! Many others have had similar experiences. My Francophile friend Hallie who ran the tour and now spends part of each year in Provence is another example. This slim talented chef and food writer who lives the French lifestyle proves that you can and should trust a skinny chef!

I think that when we eat real food, savor it, in the company of friends and family, linger over meals, stop when we are full, relax, and lead happy active lives, our bodies accommodate us. Food is more than just fuel. Real food is more than the sum of its parts. When we eat delicious, fresh real food—veggies and fruit and cheese and bread and fish or chicken or meat our bodies get the nutrients we need and we are truly nourished so the body can keep what it needs and let the rest go.

Of course in our chaotic over-scheduled world this is not easily accomplished. I truly believe the rewards are worth it. It is what simple nourished living is all about for me.

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