Thinking and Reading and Growing

 "Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly Plants" ~Michael Pollan

I know I have said it before but I take how I choose to feed myself very seriously.  I believe it is the most important choice I can make and I make that choice three or more times a day. 

How I choose to feed myself has a huge impact on the enviornment, my community, animal wellfare, water conservation, land development not to mention my own health and vitality.  I can't think of a topic that deserves more careful thought and consideration.

I am constantly growing as far as my own personal food philosophy goes.  The more I read and learn about all the different asspects of the food system, nutrition and new cooking (or un-cooking) techniques the more my food philosophy evolves.

This has been taking up so much mind space for me here lately that I am almost having trouble keeping up with all the new ideas.  But I think maybe I should be making a better effort to document what I am learning and how my food philosophy is changing.  I talked a little bit about that in my last post a couple weeks ago but I am going to make a bigger effort to share and document my journey a little better on this blog. 

So with that in mind I thought I would put together a link post of some of the great stuff I have been reading recently about food.

I have recently spent a good about of time at the website of Michael Pollan the author of In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto and The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals as well as others.  He has some really interesting things to say about our food system and other related food topics. Here are a couple of my favorite articles of his.

• Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch - Some really interesting observations about the trend of people spending significantly less time in the kitchen cooking while at the same time cooking shows are rising in popularity.
• Farmer in Chief - A letter to the new President Obama regarding what should be considered a top priority for our government: Food Policy.
• Unhappy Meals - If you are not up to investing the time to read one of Michael Pollans books, just read this article.  It pretty much sums up a lot of his ideas.

Some other great stuff I have been reading from other sources:

• Why is White Refined Sugar Unhealthy? - If you are not exactly sure what the big fuss is about as far as sugar goes check this out.  She has some good information of her own and some great links as well for further reading.  The best link of the bunch would have to be this one.  You won't ever look at sugar the same way after reading it.  It was a game changer for me.
• The Only Healthy Eating Guide You'll Ever Need - Its a good one.  I think I might change a couple things here and there.  Maybe I will have to put together my own guide at some point :)
• Protein for Vegans: A Fresh Approach to Getting Enough - Its funny how we tend to categorize foods.  Meat is protein, grains are carbs. Lentils are proteins, vegetables are carbs etc...  Just because a food is a good source of carbs does not mean that is the only thing it has to offer nutritionally.  You have to look at the whole picture.  As far as I'm concerned, as long as it's a whole food you really can't go wrong.
• The Moderation Trap - I love this post.  It is so true that the phrase 'in moderation' can lead down a  very slippery slope.
• Junk Food Isn't Healthy; Health Food Isn't Healthy - This is one of the best links of the lot.  This post is all about what it really means to have a healthy diet.
• Choosing Raw - Not a link to a specific article but I have been really enjoying this blog. I have spent a good amount of time digging around in the archives.  I love her attitude about choosing cooked vs raw food (no need to go 100% raw, do what seems manageable to you and makes you feel healthy!).  There are some great recipes and all sorts of great information here.  I just love it!

I think I just became a vegan. Wait.... I think I just became a raw food vegan!

"Be not afraid of growing slowly; 

be afraid only of standing still." 

~Chinese Proverb

I have been making some pretty big lifestyle changes the last few years.  It it pretty amazing when I think back on how much my outlook on life, health and wellness has evolved.

I went from your average overweight American who gave little to no thought to my food choices or nutrition to a vegetarian runner who rarely eats out. 

I have made these changes mostly in tiny little baby steps  but from time to time I seem to make larger leaps and jumps. Recently I have been making some pretty big leaps.

Leap...
I have been a vegetarian for 3 years now but have continued to have some eggs and dairy in my diet.  I have tried to keep those products to a minimum but didn't worry to much if my best option out at a restaurant or family get together was a grilled cheese sandwich or a veggie omlet. 

That was until Monday of last week.  We were out of groceries and my office has a great cafe with a full made to order grill so I decided I was going to buy my breakfast and lunch that day (which I rarely do anymore).  For breakfast I got an egg and cheese bagel sandwich. 

I have always loved this breakfast on occasion but for whatever reason that day it just didn't taste all that good.  As the morning went on it made me feel even worse.  I just felt slow and sluggish and just generally gross.  Ugh...  Mid morning I sent my husband a text message that said "I think I just became a vegan". 

And Jump....
When I decided to stop eating meat I didn't want to just replace it with highly processed soy products or start eating significantly more eggs and dairy than I used to as can be easy to slip into as a vegetarian. 

I want to eat real whole foods.  Not boca or tofu.  So I learned how to cook dried beans, rices, whole grains and that sort of thing.  It has been a journey and I am alsways anxious to learn more.  I have been known to read a cookbook like a novel cover to cover to learn about all the techniques and ingriedients.

Which leads me to the next phase in this little story.  The last several months I have been very interested in the idea of living food.  Such as sprouts grown on the kitchen counter that are still growing when put on a salad and fermented foods which have living healthy bacteria to help digestive health (think pro biotic yogurt but with vegetables or perhaps beverages). 

I have spent a lot of time over at the sprout people website and I recently picked up Wild Fermentation from the library and read it cover to cover. 

And then it hit me.  Live foods, as in raw foods, as in those crazy extreem raw food vegans I swore I would never become like who just take things "too far".  Somehow that lifestyle doesn't seem so crazy to me anymore.

So I picked up a couple raw food uncookbooks from the library.  I picked up Raw Food Real World and Ani's Raw Food Essentials and read them both cover to cover (I'm actually still working on Ani's Raw Food Essentials).  

Both of these books are wonderful with both amazing recipes as well as a very healthy and reasonable outlook about eating raw food. Both book are about living a full and healthy life.  About loving food and the process of preparing it.  About doing whats best for you even if sometimes that means heating some meals over 115 degrees or eating out at a restaurant with friends.  Its about choosing raw foods because  they make you feel amazing and not because you "should".  They are about treating the raw food lifestyle as a personal practice and not an unyielding dogma.

I think I just became a raw food vegan.


If you are interested in any of the books mentioned in this post (I would highly recommend all of them!) please consider supporting this blog by using the affiliate links in this post to purchase from Amazon.

Lentil Salad Recipe

"What is more refreshing than salads when your appetite seems to have deserted you..." 

~Alexis Soyer

I think I am having a love affair with lentils.  

They are one of my favorite foods.  They are just so versatile, nutritious, and  pretty.  They go great in salads, soups, casseroles and are awesome in chili.  They cook quickly without all the pre-soaking you need to do with other dried beans and are an awesome source of protein.  Yes lentils are an absolute staple around my house.  

One of my favorite ways to use them is in this beautiful lentil salad.  The cold cooked lentils with salad greens is just about the perfect lunch.  Super nutritious and super filling.  

Ingredients:

1 cup green lentils

2 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

1 cup salad greens  

sprouts and slivered almonds to sprinkle on top

a few cherry tomatoes

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan bring vegetable broth to a boil.  Add lentils, mustard, oregano and bay leaf and reduce to a simmer.  Cover and cook until lentils are cooked through (about half an hour to 45 minutes).  Remove bay leaf and divide lentils into two or three portions.  Top with salad greens sprouts slivered almonds and cherry tomatoes.  


With the flavor of the lentils I really don't think this salad needs a dressing but feel free to top with your favorite viegarette or a bit of olive oil if you like.  

This salad is wonderful when the lentils are still warm right off the stove or cold after they have had time to cool.  

Basic nutritional infomration (for two salads):

196 calories
4 grams of fat
29 grams of carbs
11 grams of fiber
13 grams of protein

Mmmmmm.... yummy!

Enjoy!





 

10 Ways to Have a Healthy Relationship With Food

“By fostering a supportive environment, you and your family can develop a positive relationship with healthy food. You can lead them by your example.” 

~Jennifer Warner WebMDfeature article

The other day I read a great article fromWebMD about getting kids to eat healthy foods. It occurred to me as I was reading that all of the tips listed could be helpful for adults as well. So here is my reinterpretation for you!

These tips are all about creating a healthy and positive relationship with food. Not just to get off those last 10 pounds but to establish a healthy eating habit for a lifetime.

10 Ways to Have a Healthy Relationship With Food

1. Avoid placing restrictions on food. Restricting foods fosters a mindset of deprivation. You might have the will power to keep it up in short bursts but it will likely backlash on you later down the line. Instead of placing heavy food restrictions on yourself focus on falling in love with all the healthy food options that are available to you. Learn how to properly store and cook healthy foods and learn what healthy foods you love! 
2. Keep healthy food at hand. And keep the junk food out. Make it easy for yourself to choose healthy options. Keep healthy snacks out in plane sight and easy to access. Do your grocery shopping when you have your health goals firmly in mind with a good plan.
3. Don't label foods as "good" or "bad." The food itself is not innately bad, it just might not do for your body what you need it to. Tie foods to the things you care about. For example remind yourself that good nutrition will help you have more energy and a clear mind. Remind yourself that good nutrition will help you feel better overall and keep you regular. Think about how food makes you feel overall and how it impacts the things you need and want to get done.  
4. Praise healthy choices. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back when you make a good choice. Stand a bit taller and be proud of yourself. You are doing great!  
5. Don't nag about unhealthy choices. Old habits can be hard to break, no need to berate yourself. Instead just try to redirect yourself to a healthier substitute. Want something sweet? How about a piece of fruit instead of a candy bar. Looking for something salty? How about a small portion of nuts instead of potato chips. If you slip up, try to think of how you could avoid that slip up in the future. Don’t feel guilty! Guilt never did anything to encourage a healthy relationship with food for anyone. 
6. Never use food as a reward. This is not the best path to creating a healthy relationship with food. Next time you find yourself saying “it’s ok, I deserve it” as you start to grab yourself a candy bar try finding a different sort of reward instead. How about you take a nap this afternoon or go get a pedicure. Or even better go for a walk or take a yoga class. You do deserve it! You deserve to live a long life and have a healthy relationship with food. 
7. Sit down to family dinners at night. This is a great habit for your kids but it is for you as well. By eating at the table instead of in front of the TV or computer you are able to eat mindfully and fully enjoy your food. Dinning on amazing food with people you love is one of the great pleasures in life. Enjoy it!
8. Prepare plates in the kitchen. Serving platters on the table to pass around might be pretty but it’s not the best way to go for portion control. Take it even one step further and measure your food so you know what you are really getting. Serve your plate in the kitchen right from the pots and pans they were cooked in. This saves an extra dish to clean as well. Bonus! 
9. Try at least one bite. Be a food explorer and try new and different things. Ever cooked with eggplant? How about heirloom beans? Try some different things and see what you like. There is a whole new world of foods out there to explore. 
10. Consult your doctor. Get yourself checked out! This is part of practicing awareness. Know your numbers and what your health risks are. Talk to your doctor about your diet and exercise changes.

One of the best things you can do to help your kids create healthy habits is to create healthy habits for yourself.  Be a good example and eat what you would like to see your kids eat.  Create a healthy family with a healthy relationship with food.  It's one of the best things you could do for your kids and yourself.

The Stand Up Guy, Life Lessons, Pruning Tips, Diversity and Black Bean Hummus

"You've got a lot of choices.  If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice."  ~Steven D. Woodhull

Time to share some of the best things I have read over the last several weeks!

• Become a stand up guy (or gal) - Stand up desks have been getting a lot of attention here lately.  This post that covers the history of the stand up desk as well as some ideas on how to rig one together for yourself.
• 30 life lessons - This is from my favorite vegetarian running blogs but in this post Matt decided to write something a little different for his blog.  Very inspiring!
• How to prune small trees and shrubs- Don't hire someone to come prune your smaller trees.  Get outside and go for it yourself!  You can save some money and it will help you spend some time being active! This is a great and simple guide to help.
• Experiencing diversity- I completely agree with this idea.  Learning to be an accepting and compassionate person to all kinds of diverse people probably means being uncomfortable sometimes.  I think this is really important to keep in mind.
• Black bean hummus- This is a great video recipe I found on the Whole Foods Blog. I can't wait to try it!

Off Season Training

"Summer has set in with its usual severity."  

~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Its summer time.  Time for pool parties, watermelon and for many runners in many parts of the country this is ideal running time.  Beautiful warm weather perfect for heading out for a good early morning hard workout.

Here in Arizona that is nearly unimaginable.  Well maybe not the pool parties and watermelon.  We know how to have a good pool party here.  But the running thing, yeah that's not happening.

It is not at all uncommon for it to hit 100 degrees by 8 am this time of year and it only gets hotter as the weeks go on.  It will get to a point where the over night low might not get below 100 degrees and I don't even want to think about what the mid day high temps can be.

Last summer I was in the middle of marathon training this time of year.  I ran a late August marathon so around this time I was doing some of my highest mileage weeks.  I was super motivated and was willing to get the training however I needed to.  I did some running outside very early on my weekend mornings (4:30 am) through June and maybe even early July, but I did my longest runs at the gym.  On a treadmill.  That's right I did a 22 mile run on a treadmill!  

I am very proud of my dedication and what I accomplished last summer but when I think about going to the gym day after day even for just a 3-5 mile run, it makes me want to cry.   It's just not happening this year.

So instead of forcing myself to run in far to hot weather at ridiculous hours on my days off or joining a gym for the summer I think I am going to be going light on the running.  Every sport needs an off season and it looks like this summer is going to be mine.  As much as I love running I think maybe its not so bad to take some time off. 

Well not off-off, more like taking time away from running to work my butt off in other areas of fitness.

Remember a couple months back when I talked about wanting to focus on doing some more core work to help my running.  Well I have been working on that and I do think it has been helping.  It takes me longer to get tired in my runs because my core muscles are doing a better job of supporting me so I can run more efficiently. 

Well I think maybe this summer is a good time to take that idea one step further.  I am going to take some time to focus on building  my overall strength and fitness for a while and then jump back into training for a new big race challenge with a new higher level of strength and fitness (I'm thinking the Rock 'n' Roll half marathon in January).

So what is my training going to consist of?  I'm doing P90X baby! 

We have had these videos for a while.  My husband has done a few of them (though not the full 90 day schedule) and we have had friends who have done them.  I have been using the ab ripper workout and the yoga workout from time to time.  It seems to be a very thorough and well constructed plan so I have decided to do the whole 90 day plan!  Yikes!

This is going to be a lot of upper body work that will not necissarily translate directly to running fitness but it will help my overall fitness.  I don't want to just be a strong runner, I want to be strong and fit overall.  It would be pretty cool to be able to do a few pull ups.  As of now I can't do a single one without a chair.  I'm just a weak little girl!

I do think much of the plan will translate directly to help me become a better runner.  Much of the core training will help I know.  There is also a plyometrics workout which many professional runners use in their training.  It helps to strengthen all the small muscles in your lower legs and gives you that explosive push off in your stride.  I also think the Kempo workout with all the kicking will help to strengthen my hip flexors and help me have better flexibility and overall range of motion.

I am kind of excited about this!  Instead of spending the next several months trudging along on a treadmill or dreading heading out into the heat at 5:00 in the morning and wondering how hot it is already to try to get my workouts in I am going to be doing something different, exciting and challenging every day right in my living room. 

Hopefully when I am done with the program on September 30th I will be glad I did it and not wishing I had spent the summer running instead.  Only one way to find out!  Wish me luck.

P90X Before Photo July 5th 2011

If you are interesting in trying the P90X program with me please consider supporting this blog by using one of the affiliate links in the post and purchasing from Amazon.

Seeing Red, Homemade Granola Bars, Summer Lovin', and Slow Money

"The best way to succeed in life is to act on the advice we give to others." 

~Author Unknown 

Time again for the best links on the web:

• Seeing Red- I have always known that certain colors have certain effects on me so I totally believe this. I wouldn't want a red bedroom but with this in mind I might want to buy a red shirt for my next road race.
• Homemade Granola Bars- I made these last weekend and they were so easy and delicious! I need to go shopping for the ingredients to make these again and I think this time I might make some of the granola as well.
• Summer Lovin' -I think my formula for a healthy and joyful summer would probably be sprouting+cooking+jarring (tomatoes)+summer racing= stronger wellness connection. Whats your formula?
• Slow Money Business + Green Veggie Friendly Restaurant- "Today the restaurant serves as one of the first and best examples of the tenets of Slow Money, a new model of investing in small, local food enterprises that connects investors to projects that revive economies and build healthy communities." I love the business model and I want to eat at this restaurant one day! Check out the video at the end of the post.