My Nutrient-Dense Diet is Vinidcated

Howdy! Long time, no see. I've spent the past several months in deep undercover researching schools, managing two very bright and barely controllable kids, and drinking quietly in a dark corner of my bedroom. But I decided it was time to stop wallowing in self-pity for a little bit and let you guys know about a big piece of news...no, I'm not pregnant, didn't win the lottery, haven't run off with my young, hot yoga instructor (she actually is young and hot...but I don't swing that way). Instead, I had my annual physical run with all the bells and whistles including the very critical blood tests (lipids, among other things). The last time I did this was, well, last year...and the results were not the greatest. This is partly why I decided to change my diet to nutrient dense foods: grass-fed, free-range meats and dairy; no soy; no vegetable oils except EVOO (that's Rachael Ray slang for extra virgin olive oil. I'm embarrassed I even know); hugely reduced refined carb intake; and too many more to list. Anyway, I was pretty excited/nervous to get the results from this year's tests. Either the whole nutrient dense diet is a load of horseshit and put me on the verge of an imminent heart attack OR it actually works and all that money I've been throwing at Whole Foods and food co-ops has been worth every dime.

You probably already know the results...based on the title of this post. So yes, I'm in MUCH better shape. My lipid panel was pretty darned good (for those of you not in the know, this is the test they run to see how your cholesterol is doing along with some other stuff your doc might throw in like fertility, hormones, blood sugar, and what not). My good cholesterol is through the roof. My "bad" cholesterol is within normal range. But most importantly, my homocysteine levels (MUCH more important than cholesterol levels) is within normal range and has improved since last year. My blood sugar is fantastico and I am at 0% risk of developing a metabolic syndrome like diabetes and the like. I also had my overall nutrient levels tested (this is a test that checks to see how you're doing on basic vitamins and minerals. I am just slightly deficient on two: B12 and A...but I was already deficient on these last year and my percentage has dramatically improved so I'm headed in the right direction. My vitamin D is off the charts (in a good way). There's much more but suffice it to say, I'm a lot healthier than someone who barely moves and ate Stouffer's mac 'n cheese and sugar straight from the bag for a big chunk of her childhood has any right to be.

In case you didn't hear me loud and clear before via my multiple food-related posts....please take a good, long look at your current diet and your overall health and ask yourself some tough questions about what you eat and why. There's a very strong chance if you have a weak immune system (get sick a lot and you don't spend a lot of time with kids or, god forbid, have an autoimmune disease), suffer from gastro-intenstinal issues (AKA farting, heartburn, or constipation), have any skin issues, have a weight problem, suffer from mood disorders (including PMS), have allergies, and generally feel like shit...a lot of what's plaguing you can be resolved to some degree by changing what and how you eat. I'm not claiming a nutrient-dense diet is going to cure cancer...but I have seen the impact it has on myself, my extended family, and my friends. Give it a try...the worst that could happen is it's not for you and you move on.

Here's a few articles to help you figure out where to start:

Snapshots of the Past: In Color

Yes, I'm back. For now. Expect more posts when summer is over.

I stumbled across these photos earlier today and I find myself strangely drawn to them. I spent almost 30 minutes studying the pictures in detail. I suspect a big part of the fascination has to do with the fact that these are color photos from a time period we almost always see in black and white (outside technicolor movies, of course, like The Wizard of Oz). In fact, as a kid I distinctly recall asking one of my grandparents when the world become "colored." Black and white photos are lovely. But I feel they often add a starkness or other-worldliness to photos which distracts from the underlying themes and moods of the moment. Not to mention, seeing these pictures in real color (and not that phony tinted crap used about 50 years prior) makes the subjects and the settings seem tangible, immediate, and much more human.

Here are a few things I noticed after looking at these pics today:

-- A complete lack of inorganic materials like plastic -- it's all paper, metal, stone, and wood
-- In most photos featuring children and/or families...many dresses are clearly handmade and cut from the same cloth; a lot of kids are without shoes (by choice, do you think, or circumstance?)
-- The African Americans seem to be better off than many of the white folks OR they just take better care with their appearance
-- The parents and the military guys look so young; the working folks look so old and haggard
-- Even the poorest families (I'm thinking of the New Mexico homesteader pics) seem to possess a quiet dignity. Look at the care with which the makeshift table has been set and how the whole family is sharing a meal together. Or the cheerful curtains on the windows.
-- Notice how clothes become more colorful the further the photos move from the Depression Era
-- I love to see the packs of children roaming about and exploring without constant adult supervision...no play dates here!

What things jumped out at you?

My Favorite (Multi-Purpose) Recipe: Cucumber and Feta Dip

I posted this recipe last year in June but after using it for a party yesterday, I decided it was time to repost because it's so darned good. I'd love to say I created this myself. Sadly, I did not (that credit goes to Joanne Weir). But who cares because this has been my go-to-recipe any time I attend a potluck or need to whip up something for an impromptu party at home. And I can say, without fail, at least two people if not more request this recipe after tasting it.

But by far the best thing about this (aside from how relatively quickly you can throw it together, barring the marinade time for the cucumber) is how versatile it is. Throw some toasted pita bread pieces, carrots, and celery on a plate and voila! It's a dip! Dollop some onto a length of prosciutto, roll it up into a canape, and voila! It's an appetizer! Spread some on a just-grilled burger and voila! It's a condiment! And those are only a few suggestions...I bet you guys can think of many more...

Enjoy!

Going Primal

I'm back!! Well, sort of. Sorry for the uber-long hiatus. For those of you not in the know, April and May are generally crazy for my family because we have no less than four birthdays in a row and we typically take a vacation of some sort around thereabouts (we were in Cancun for two weeks). Anyhoo...I'm back for a quickie post and then will start doing more regularly after this week, which is Miss M's birthday extravaganza.

I have been reading. Shocking, I know. My hunger for food knowledge continues unabated. But I've moved into deeper nutritional territory. I started out with "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes. An excellent, albeit lengthy and weighty, read. In spite of the fun looking cover, the book--which took Mr. Taubes seven years to research and write and is about 650 pages long--is intended primarily for those with a medical and/or more scientific bent. As such, it was NOT an easy read at times. But it's so worth it if you can push through. The gist? Fats aren't the big bad guy. Carbs and sugars are. High cholesterol isn't the bad guy either. Insulin is. Obesity is not the result of laziness or overeating. Laziness and overeating are symptoms of obesity which is a metabolic disease. Note: This is not a "gimmick" book -- no diets, no promises, no miracles, no Suzanne Sommers. It's well researched, highly detailed, very academic, and a great gift for loved ones who are difficult to convince and need lots and lots of facts and figures and data.

I also read "The Primal Blueprint" by Mark Sisson which I saw recommended on the "Good Calories, Bad Calories" readers also liked list. This book felt and read much more like one a gimmick diet book BUT it was full of some great info and meshed well with what I've been hearing all along for months (summed up in the Good Calories review above). This was also the first book that addressed the fitness side of things....as most of what I've read has talked solely about food nutrition but not how to take care of yourself outside your diet. For those not familiar with the whole primal diet, this offers a quick primer. Frankly, the idea that we should try to eat similar foods to what our ancestors ate because that's what our bodies have been programmed to process...makes sense. Per the author (and others) we just haven't evolved the ability to digest and assimilate sugars and carbs, even unrefined carbs like whole grains, very well because they are very recent introductions in the scheme of things. Oh, and if you are a cardio/workout fan then please read Mark's advice on fitness...it will definitely shake things up for you and perhaps make you relax a bit as well (hint: hour-long, repetitive, daily cardio isn't the key to weight loss....nor is it great for your body. You're better off shortening the number, length, and intensity of workouts; focusing more on strength training; fitting a few very short (as in seconds) high-intensity sprints into your monthly schedule; reducing sugars and carbs -- and you will lose weight faster and become much healthier in the process. But don't take it from me....you can also take a peek at Mark's advice on his blog.

Currently I'm halfway through "Primal Body, Primal Mind" by Nora Gedgaudes. A lot of what she says isn't new....but I wanted to read as many "highly recommended" primal diet books as I could to get a solid understanding of what it means. I also wanted to cross-compare to make sure all these folks are on the same page. Again, sugars and carbs = VERY BAD. Good fats (grass-fed, wild, free-range, meats and fish) = GOOD. This book has a lot of health stuff in it...not so much fitness. She really hammers home on the whole cooking oil phenomenon that has swept the nation and is ultimately very bad for us (unless we're talking about olive oil, of course). In a nutshell, please go to your pantries now and remove corn oil, canola oil, and whatever other oils you typically use to cook. Replace with butters, animal fats (lard is a good one), and ghee.

Signing off for now....more later!

Nourishing Foods For Dummies III: Butter Strikes Back

In spite of today's date, I promise this is NOT an April Fool's post...in spite of the fact that the idea of lard being better for your body than canola oil seems, well, frigging ridiculous. Read on brave reader!

Before I move into the next infomercial for dairy products (ha!), allow me to quickly point out one item I completely forgot to mention in my previous post. I spent a LONG time going on and on about raw milk. But I never bothered to point out one critical fact: when you buy milk, whether it's raw or pasteurized, please do yourself and your kids a favor and buy it WHOLE (and organic, of course). As in not "low-fat" or, God forbid, "skim". Yes, I do realize how hard it is to wean yourself away from equating "fat" with "bad for me"...but you've got to trust me on this one. IF you are purchasing organic milk from grass-fed cows, then there is no reason why you can't drink whole milk. Still don't trust me? Here's a little tidbit I spotted recently...from a relatively mainstream news source.

Ok so let's move on.

Cooking Oils vs. Butter, Animal Fats

You probably already have a pretty good idea which one is going to come out a winner here. But I feel compelled to go through the motions anyway, just so you can educate yourself as to the "whys" and the "hows".

For milennia, humans have used some form of fat to cook their food. In the beginning, before animal domestication, there was only one choice: animal fat (tallow [from beef, mutton), lard, etc). When animal domestication started, using animal milk to supplement the human diet began to catch on, and butter became another popular choice. And then thousands of years later, as agriculture took the world by storm, olive oil and coconut oil got thrown into the mix. Scores of centuries passed with everyone seemingly satisfied to use one or all of the previously mentioned options (depending, of course, on where in the world one happened to reside). Right up until fairly recently, say the last 150 years or so, when suddenly the original options became scarce or too expensive and alternatives were required.

In the mid-19th century, Emperor Napoleon III of France offered a prize to anyone who could come up with a good substitute for butter. The idea was to produce something inexpensive to make and buy that the military and the poor could use. Et voila, margarine. (I confess I am amused the French, who--rightly so--pride themselves on their delicious cuisine and wide-armed embrace of fatty foods, are who we ultimately have to thank for introducing butter substitutes into the world. Ah well).

Margarine was the beginning of some very bad times for butter, lard, and olive oil. Because once the cooking fat substitute window opened, all hell broke loose. In 1911, Crisco arrived on the scene. Made of hydrogenated cottonseed oil and originally created as a soap substitute, Crisco's inventors realized they'd stumbled onto something big when they noticed the product had a lot in common with lard -- at least texturally and visually. Lard, a byproduct of pigs, had always been readily available to people up until the Industrial Revolution. It was commonly used in place of butter in food prep and as an excellent baking fat (flavorless leaf lard in particular is prized for creating flaky pie crusts). Lard has a relatively high smoke point...you can heat it to 370 degrees before the flavor and nutritional elements begin to break down. But once folks started to move away from the family farm and into bigger towns and cities, lard became a luxury. Crisco entered the scene at the perfect time -- it was cheap, made entirely out of vegetable oils but looked and acted like everyone's favorite cooking fat. Of course, there was the small problem of trans fatty acids....but no one knew about that for decades...and by that time, the use of vegetables oils as substitutes for the fats and oils we'd been cooking with for eons was well entrenched. (take a look at this fascinating and more detailed post about the life and times of Crisco).

So let's quickly talk about vegetable oils. Yes, olive oil and coconut oil are technically just that. But they've been in use since long before the first pyramids showed up in Egypt. That food experiment has had more than enough time to play out and the verdict is that both are very good for you, in moderation and with certain foods (coconut oil, for example, is only best used unrefined although this means the coconut taste will be more present). Aside from those oils, most vegetable oils have only been part of the human diet for a very short period of time.

Let's take Canola oil, for example. Canola, made from rapeseed, was used for hundreds of years by Asians and Europeans as lamp oil. After some time, people began to use it in limited forms as a cooking oil and in foods. Then when the Industrial Revolution arrived, factory owners noticed the oil was an excellent machine lubricant and the crop boomed. WWI and WWII occurred and demand for rapeseed oil went through the roof to keep munitions factories running smoothly. But after the wars, demand dropped sharply, leaving a lot of rapeseed farmers desperately searching for another market. Which is when it got re-branded as Canola and started entering family kitchens around the world. This happened in 1980.

A tour through other vegetable cooking oils reveals much the same thing: aside from rare cases where people used these oils to cook food in place of unavailable fats, none of these were in widespread use until the second half of the 20th century.

Now, if I were going the whole hog in this post, this is where I'd write a lengthy educational bit about the differences between polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats, and saturated fats. I might even talk about cholesterol a bit....as well as heart disease. But darned if I can figure out how to drill into all this stuff in one paragraph or less. So I am going to rely on my good, if sometimes wacky, friends at the Weston A Price Foundation to give you the specifics. This is a LONG read...but well worth your while if you can get through it without falling asleep.

So where am I going with all of this? You now know the history of cooking oils (the abbreviated version) but unless you took the time to click through to the link I provided in the last paragraph, you probably haven't a clue why you should stick with traditional cooking oils and fats and steer clear of the more recent stuff. Will you simply take my word for it that the newer stuff just isn't all that great for you? I know...it's so hard to imagine, after years and years of programming, that lard and butter are actually good for your health whereas "heart healthy!" canola and other vegetable oils aren't. Go back to the previous paragraph and at least skim the post I linked to. And maybe check this out too (and if you get far enough, try not to laugh at the hair and glasses on the poor gal at the bottom...goodness me, someone needs a "What Not to Wear" intervention).

A Quick Word About Ghee
If you, like me, love Indian food...then you already know what ghee is even if you've never heard of it before. Ghee, AKA clarified butter, is -- you heard it here first folks! -- the next big thing in terms of cooking fats. What's the big deal? Try this on for size...ghee has a long shelf life (unlike butter), doesn't need to be refrigerated (unlike butter), and has an incredibly high smoke point (unlike butter. Butter = 350, Ghee = 485). In a nutshell, ghee has all the benefits of the butter it was made from (if organic and pastured, it'll have all sorts of good stuff like CLA in it) but it lasts longer and you can use it to cook just about anything at super high temps and don't have to worry about oxidation. Dude! There's a lot more to say about ghee but as usual, someone else has done a much better job of it. I currently use ghee when I need to cook on the stove (butter is still for baking). I rarely use olive oil for cooking these days....mostly on salads and with bread now. If you decide to give ghee a chance....be sure to get ghee that comes from pastured cows and one that is preferably organic. I use this brand.