Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Links

I love Darya Pinto's reasoning for not counting calories in her recipes.  Food is about quality, not quantity, and all calories are not created equal.

Is it trash or is it dinner?  This great NY Times article may potentially help you to rethink edible food -- it is fascinating to think about how much food we do throw out, even though we could eat it.

(photo courtesy of NY Times)



This article links to obesity trends in the US.  Check out the infograph on obesity trends in the past 20 years -- scary!



Just some food for thought.  Recipes to be posted later this week!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

A very good day...

Consists of:
-Reading a good book (current selection: The Omnivore's Dilemma.  I know I'm a little behind the times, but it's such a relevant read.  Every American should read this book.  It's so eye opening about our food sources).



- Drinking iced coffee to beat the summer heat.

- Saying "no!" to that tempting donut, and knowing that I'm healthier and my tummy will be happier for it.

- Being outside after a rainfall, still able to smell the rain and feel a cool breeze finally break the heat.

- Obtaining a new personal record at CrossFit.  (Today, I back squatted 195 pounds 3 times, for a new 3 rep max!  Who knew my thunder thighs would one day allow me to be so strong?)

- Catching up, on the phone, with friends and family.

What made today a very good day?

Summer Recipe: Pesto

There's just something so lovely about herbs in the summertime, especially basil.  I love the smell and taste of basil; there's just something so comforting and familiar about it, and I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment when I went to cut basil from my back deck today to use for dinner:



My husband asked if I would make pesto for dinner, and I was happy to oblige.  It's easy, convenient, and delicious.  In the past, I've associated pesto with pasta -- specifically gnocchi or tortellini.  But in my desire to rid my diet of processed foods, pasta isn't a healthy or practical dinner choice.  So, pesto chicken seemed like the tastiest and best option.

When I went to our local market to purchase chicken breast, I was faced with an economical and ethical decision.  Did I purchase the boneless chicken breast at $2.99 a pound, only labeled with a barcode and a price?  Clearly, that conventionally, farm produced chicken was pumped with hormones, antibiotics, potentially fed animal by-products, and who knows what else.  Or, did I buy the hormone free, antibiotic free, pure vegetarian diet chicken with a price tag of $7 a pound?  After a brief debate, I opted for the latter.  Quality of food is important to me, especially when dealing with meat.  I don't want to put unnecessary junk in my body.  If I'm going to "eat the earth" and consume foods in their most natural state, that means paying attention to labels and how foods are produced.  It's easy to forget that a piece of clean chicken was once an animal, and the way in which that animal was raised could potentially have a profound affect on my own health.

This afternoon, I cut my basil, and prepared all necessary ingredients:


Pesto:
-1/3 cup (organic) olive oil
-1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (this will definitely make it cheesy, which I love.  Scale back a bit, though, if you want it "less cheesy")
-1 garlic clove, minced
-2 cups fresh basil
-a sprinkle of black pepper
-a dash of sea salt (optional, since the cheese is pretty salty)

Place all ingredients in food processor; blend for 15 seconds.  Mix around as necessary; process again if needed.  Voila!  Pesto is ready.  My husband grilled the chicken and an eggplant, we cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces, and I mixed the pesto into the chicken for a little pesto chicken salad.


It was a delicious dinner, and perfectly eaten on our back deck as the sun went down.  Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

For the love of fat: a vacation story

Last week, my husband and I went on a fabulous vacation to the beach.  Our days were spent laying out, taking a quick dip in the ocean, perhaps putzing around a small town center, and eating.  Eating featured front and center of our lovely trip away, and for the first time in a year, I liberally ate foods I had spent the last 12 months avoiding like the plague.

In a nutshell, I ate:
English muffins
Cereal
Chicken tenders
More french fries than I can count
Bakery muffins
Ice cream (well, I eat that one at least a couple times a month)
Brownies
Dinner rolls
Croissants
Sandwiches
Mashed potatoes...

And the list goes on.  And it seemed that the more I ate, the more I wanted it.  How did this happen?  Even though my body was in such distress (to the point where I was up at night), I still wanted more.  Most of it wasn't that tasty, but man, that croissant was AMAZING.  I totally abandoned Mark Sisson's 80/20 rule (eat 80 primal, 20 percent cheat) and turned it into 20/80.  According to msnbc.com, fatty foods produce a chemical response in our body similar to the chemicals found in marijuana.  Eating fatty foods makes us feel good.  This was partly for evolutionary purposes; we need fat to survive.  But fat in the form of muffins does nothing to benefit our health.  And honestly, I feel pretty disgusting after my vacation choices, and I feel a bit desperate to get back to how I felt before I left.  I don't necessarily regret falling off the horse a bit; I guess I wish I had shown a bit more restraint.

Now, I am in the slow process of detoxing.  Why?  I know those foods have little benefit for me, but it's been a rough process.  (Confession: lunch yesterday was a huge plate of gnocchi and bread; my snack was a cupcake).  Today has been easier as I've started to retreat back to my old standards of eggs, Greek yogurt with fruit, almond butter, cottage cheese, salad, and meat.  But it's the first time in a long time that I've felt like I'm struggling with my food choices.  Vacation was a lovely respite, but it's time to get back into the swing of things -- and that includes eating fresh, local, and clean foods.  And to start, I'm committing myself to not eating out and not bringing processed foods into the house.  Out of sight, out of mind -- right?

When you go on vacation, do you stick to your normal food routine, or do you throw it out the window? How do you get back on track?

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Musings, with pictures

The other day as I was shopping in Barnes and Noble, I saw this on the "New Arrivals" table:


Everyday Paleo, front and center!  I've been eyeing this cookbook for awhile, and while I didn't purchase it, I found it excited to see that Paleo has made it to the front of the bookstore!  I quickly flipped through it.  The recipes looked simple, and photos are included.  In the back are some basic exercises, which would be great if you're new to exercise, but too simplistic if you've been CrossFitting.  It's geared toward getting the whole family involved in a Paleo lifestyle, so it is definitely worth checking out.  Once I buy it, I'll let everyone know how it is, and if you already own it, let me know what you think!  You can buy it here.

While shopping at Olympia Sports with my husband, I stumbled upon this atrocity that sent me seething:


One pound weights that are pink.  What does one even do with one pound weights?  Maybe for someone who is older and has significant shoulder issues, but somehow I doubt that these weights are targeted for that crowd.  Honestly, this is just insulting and embarrassing.  What message does this send to women?  Clearly, we have a lot of work to do to prove that we're strong and not afraid to lift.  Olympia Sports, you can take your 1 pound weights and shove it!

I always put balsamic vinegar and olive oil on my salad.  While I've been loving basil infused olive oil, I've needed something other than balsamic vinegar to mix things up.  My husband and I went out to dinner where I got a salad with white balsamic vinegar dressing.  It was phenomenal.  Light bulb moment -- I need to mix up my vinegar!  So last night, my lovely salad had this on it was well:


Champagne vinegar, bought at Gustare on Cape Cod.  It was a light and refreshing addition to a summer salad of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, dried cherries, and lettuce from our garden:


Summer is such a great time to eat paleo/primal/clean/local.  Anyone have a new, healthy summer dish that they've tried and loved?