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.

Nourishing Foods for Dummies: Part Deux -- Raw Milk

Yesterday's post focused on my attempt to help you define and identify nourishing, nutrient-dense foods. We looked at refined salt vs. unrefined salt and flour vs. sprouted whole wheat flour (with the unrefined and sprouted foods coming out on top nutritionally). Then I realized, as I wrote yesterday's post, that there were more than just a small handful of foods to talk about....and giving you one or two examples ended up leaving some pretty key foods and food groups in the dark.

Onward ho!

Milk
Take a DEEEEEEP breath. Now exhale. Good. Now that you're in a calm state, let's talk about this hotbed issue. It seems like every day brings a new article about the benefits/risks of raw milk. Today's New York Time OpEd piece is just one of hundreds popping up across the nation (and spilling over the border into Canada where raw milk discussions have reached a fever pitch thanks to a recent court case).

I live in a state where the sale and purchase of raw milk is legal. In spite of the fact that Whole Foods recently decided against the sale of raw milk in its stores, nationwide, I can fairly easily get my hands on the stuff at any local farmer's market, milk co-op, or CSA program (btw, the decision by Whole Foods to stop selling raw milk wasn't due to a sudden bacteria outbreak or illness...it was simply because the insurance company Whole Foods uses would not cover liabilities for raw milk). I do have raw milk in my home. I do drink it from time-to-time. My kids do as well although M isn't a milk fan so she mostly gets hers in various foods and Z gets hers, warmed, in a bottle.

Now let's get down to business. Milk has been a contentious topic well before raw milk pushed its way to the headlines. Many folks decry milk as the reason for a laundry list of illnesses including, but not limited to, skin conditions, behavioral issues, auto-immune diseases, heart disease, and much more. But just as many would like to point out that many of these illnesses are the direct result of pasteurization. Here's the deal: when milk is pasteurized, it is cleansed of a huge number of good bacteria. But wait! you say...what about the "bad" bacteria? I mean, doesn't it also remove the bad stuff? Well...yes and no. You see...

....Pasteurization was instituted in the 20s to combat TB, infant diarrhea, undulant fever, and many other diseases caused by poor animal nutrition and dirty production methods. Nowadays, modern stainless steel tanks, milking machines, refrigerated trucks, and strict inspection methods make pasteurization virtually unnecessary. Raw dairy farms in states where the sale of raw dairy is legal undergo continuous, rigorous inspections by the FDA...much more rigorous that those at a regular dairy. These dairies are kept spotless and the cattle are almost 100% grass-fed. Many of the cows are the smaller Jersey or Guernsey breeds, an older breed of cattle popular on small farms across the nation before milk production moved into the factories. Most large-scale dairies use Holsteins...a breed that produces a lot more milk but of a lower quality. The "heirloom" breeds tend to produce creamier, more flavorful milk. I can attest to this...we get our milk from a dairy that raises Jerseys...I have NEVER liked milk but this shit is good: sweet, creamy, nothing like the stuff I drank out of the carton as a kid.

I digress. Back to pasteurization. As I mentioned before, pasteurization was an important tool to help combat the ills of poor dairy hygiene and poorly fed cattle. It served its purpose and likely saved the lives of many young children and immune-compromised adults. But did you know pasteurization destroys more than just good tummy bugs? It also destroys enzymes, reduces vitamin content (gee, where have we heard this before?), strips fragile milk proteins, is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, infant colic, arthritis, heart disease, cancer, and actually PROMOTES pathogens (say what?!).

Let me explain...when you strip the good enzymes and bacteria out of milk, any bad bacteria that wasn't removed during the pasteurization process (and yes, many bad bacteria do make it through) are left to easily conquer the host (you) without having to duke it out with the good stuff that would normally act as a protective shield for your body. This statement warrants repeating: pasteurization kills off the good bacteria so you are more vulnerable to food-borne illnesses caused by any bad bacteria that make it through. This isn't to say people don't get sick from raw milk. They do. The fact is, no food out there is 100% safe. Remember the big spinach recall? Or peanut butter? How about the more recent pepper recall? By all means, take a little walk on the wild side and check out the recalls of the past year. Eating is a risk we take every day. And frankly, I believe we are more likely to become ill from our own flawed home food-prep methods (salmonella from chicken anyone? E. Coli from poorly washed scallions?) or large factories than we are from food we purchased from a small, quality organic farm with rigorous standards.

Here's another little known fact....when pasteurized milk goes "off", it rots and should absolutely not be consumed. When raw milk goes "off" it simply sours....first turning to buttermilk, then to sour cream, then yogurt, and on. Yes, you can use it long after the pull date has passed. And I have. I made some delicious buttermilk pancakes from soured raw milk.

I have spent a huge amount of time talking about pasteurization and why folks should not be so concerned about raw milk. But I have barely touched on the health benefits associated with raw milk. I actually am going to step away from the podium and strongly encourage you to take a peek here and here. Both these sites list, very eloquently and in huge detail (but not so much you will fall asleep reading it), the benefits of raw milk.

So should you personally run out and buy raw milk? It depends. Is it legal in your state/country? If not, are you willing to do your homework and find a local dairy with an excellent track record? Because in states where the sale of raw milk is illegal for human consumption, dairies who find loopholes are not being monitored by the government regulators...so you gotta hope they are being as careful as possible. Then again, keep in mind these folks also make their living off of selling raw milk...and one sick customer could potentially put them out of business permanently. Are you pregnant or do you have a child under the age of one (some feel it's too risky to drink raw milk when pregnant or very young...others don't)? Are you lactose intolerant (and if so, run, don't walk, to the nearest raw milk source and please give it a try...folks who can't manage dairy are shocked to find they can easily drink raw milk)? Whatever you decide, do your homework so you can feel as comfortable with your choices as possible (and no, this blog post doesn't count as having done your homework. I'm just scratching the surface of raw vs. pastuerized milk here...you did note the "for dummies" part of the title, right?)

I was drawn to raw milk because I like the taste. I found out about the health benefits after the fact. At my house, most of our milk is warmed prior to drinking/consuming. We simply like it that way. Therefore it's not in its purest state. Some would say this is further protecting my family from the possibility of food borne illness (since warming the milk is, essentially, a form of mild pasteurization). Who knows. All I can say is it tastes great and we feel fine.

For the record, and in case you hadn't figured it out, raw milk = nourishing, nutrient dense food.

Nourishing Foods For Dummies: Part One

I've mentioned "nourishing" and "nutrient dense" foods a lot here lately. But after talking with someone today, I realized the term doesn't really mean squat to most folks. I mean, the obvious question that comes to mind is "aren't all healthy foods nourishing and nutrient dense?" Well, it depends.

First of all, how do you define healthy foods? As you may have noticed, I'm not a fan of low-fat, diet foods. But turn on the TV, open a magazine, stroll through a bookstore and you'll see I'm in the minority. Others define healthy as eschewing animal products entirely...whereas I must respectfully disagree.

According to an online dictionary, the word nourishing literally means promoting or sustaining life, growth, or strength. And nutrient dense is simply a fancy way of saying the food you are putting into your mouth is in its most nutritious form. So when I say "nourishing" and "nutrient dense" foods, I'm talking about foods that are in the most nutritious state possible and good for your body, mind, soul, and tastebuds. I would also argue that these foods are good for the planet.

Let me give you some basic examples.

Salt
Let's talk about salt. Yes salt. Boring, white, available at the drop of a hat (although it used to be a highly prized spice back in the day). Salt is necessary for human life...without it, we would die. Most of us who currently use salt today, probably use the kind that comes in a cylinder-shaped box with a pouring spout. Maybe some of you home chefs use the fancier "kosher" salt. Fact is, most salts are heavily refined. And as with its look-alike cousin refined sugar, refined salt is completely stripped of its nutrients/minerals. Bleach-white in color and dry as a bone, refined salt contains anti-caking chemicals (not good) and added iodine (to make up for the loss of iodine during the refining process). It is processed at high temperatures, altering its basic molecular structure (uh-oh) and removing trace minerals (double uh-oh).

Up until 50 years or so ago, salts were unrefined. And then someone realized refined salt was a lot more profitable because unlike unrefined salt, it didn't clump in the presence of moisture -- so grocers could stock it longer on the shelves and homeowners/restaurants loved that it seemed to last forever. Plus, it was prettier looking than the dirty gray unrefined stuff.

Unrefined salt (sea salt) is 84% sodium chloride and 16% other minerals. Refined salt is 97.5% sodium chloride and approximately 2.5% chemical additives. Unrefined sea salt is a naturally occurring complex of sodium chloride, major minerals such as calcium and magnesium, and a complete complement of essential trace minerals. This is the form of salt the body recognizes and is designed to use. Refined salts, on the other hand, have been linked to hypothyroidism and an inability to regulate hydration (which, let's face it, is precisely what salts are SUPPOSED TO DO). Oh, and BTW, most unrefined salts are harvested sustainably by folks who have been working with salt for generations. Refined salts are created in factories.

The verdict? Refined salts are most certainly NOT nutrient-dense, nor are they nourishing. Avoid them. Instead, try to get your hands on Celtic sea salt, Himalayan salt, or even the new kid on the block, Hawaiian salt. They taste better and they are better for your body. And for more detailed salt info, take a peek here.

Flour
Reading this will give you a severe case of deja vu...especially after reading the previous paragraph and if you've also read my earlier post on sugar.

Flour, like salt and sugar, is another food that for whatever reason, didn't seem to cut it in its natural state. Wheat flour uses all three parts of the wheat grain (endosperm, bran, and germ) whereas white flour only uses the starchy endosperm. When the bran and germ are removed from the wheat grain, over 80% of the fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants are also removed, so much that the government requires five of the 30 nutrients removed to be added back in, producing what we know as enriched or fortified flour. The synthetic nutrients sprayed on the final product are much weaker than the real nutrients and only add a fraction of what is supposed to be there. Therefore, white flour is nutritionally useless and the body treats it like sugar (it literally cannot tell the difference between a spoon of white flour and a spoon of sugar) and you know that's not a good thing. Then early in the 20th century, someone got the bright idea to bleach white flour because it just wasn't pretty enough. Mmmm...chemicals.

So clearly white flour is neither nourishing nor nutrient dense. But what about whole wheat flour? According to The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2003, swapping whole wheat flour for white cuts a person’s heart disease risk by 20%. But wait folks, there's more! Because while whole wheat is definitely better than white, it can still be improved upon. Enter sprouted flour.

Sprouted flour is exactly what it sounds like, flour made from wheatberries that have been allowed to sprout and dry prior to grinding. Why bother? Let me sum it up here: your body treats regular flour like a carbohydrate...your body treats sprouted flour like a vegetable. Sounds good? Sprouting breaks down the starches so your body can digest it better, it increases vitamins B and C, carotene, enzymes, and reduces anti-nutrients (it neutralizes enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid, which is a substance present in the bran of all grains that inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc). Many people buy dehydrators and grinders and sprout, dry, and grind their own flours in the privacy of their homes. I'm not there yet...so I get mine here. (For the record, hardcore sprouting fans will tell you the nutrients begin to fade rapidly so it's best to make it at home in small batches. That's well and fine but I'm ok to purchase mine elsewhere for now).

Oh, PS, sprouted flour would definitely qualify as nourishing and nutrient dense.

I'm going to continue this over the next several days because I realized there are more than a handful of examples I'd like to share with you...stay tuned.

Explaining the Cow to Meat Process to Children

"Mommy, how did the cow die?"

It all started with this simple question...one that began to arrive more and more frequently over the past few months in endless variations:

"....how did the chicken die?"
"....why did the fish have to die?"
"....what part of the pig is this?"
"....doesn't the baby cow miss it's mommy and daddy?"

At first I gave very simple, general responses:

"well, the farmer decided it was time and he took the cows to a place where they become meat."
"well, the fish died so we could eat it"
"well, this comes from the pig's back"
"well, I think the mommy and baby stay together until the baby is older"

But then she began to demand more specifics, more details....WHY do we have to eat the fish? Precisely HOW did the cow/chicken/pig/fish die? Does it hurt? Do the animals get sad?

So I began to think very carefully about my responses and also began to wonder if others had been down the same road and perhaps had some advice how to survive without a) giving a child nightmares or b) creating a mini-vegetarian. I began to search the internet for articles and books about this very topic...but all I could find were postings from a number of pro-vegetarian/vegan websites and blogs. Obviously this wouldn't do. Then I started sending queries out to a few parent lists, the Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF), and Nourishing Our Children, a non-profit org set up by a local gal to educate families about food, the importance of a varied diet, and farm-to-table. Most folks I heard back from were eager to find out if I'd received any useful advice, because they were dealing with similar issues. After a week or two with no additional comments, I figured I'd exhausted that route and wondered what the hell to do. But then, I received an email from Sandrine Hahn, founder of the aforementioned Nourishing Our Children and head of the San Francisco WAPF.

Sandrine liked my questions and decided to send the query out to her list of contacts, and it was at this point that I hit the jackpot. I now have a few resources to fall back on next time the question comes up. You may or may not agree with all, but I am flattered these folks gave my question some serious thought and responded in kind.

The Waldorf Approach
I confess, my understanding of Waldorf is still limited. I've read a few books about Waldorf education and spoke to some parents (including my friend Tammy who is a Waldorf Kindergarten teacher Down Under). So I was very interested and intrigued in what this person had to say in her response to my query. I really liked her advice on what to say when presented with tough questions about food origins. But I'm on the fence about whether or not we should intellectualize with young kids...I think it's good to shield them from as much as we can while gradually providing them with the information they ask for. But I do not necessarily think it's wrong to provide facts when asked for them as long as they are at a level that the child can manage.

This is where I think the Waldorf approach to pedagogy is so helpful. She sounds like an inquisitive girl. For a 3 year old to be so intellectually curious she most likely has had some encouragement from her parents. This may be a good chance for them to see how it doesn't serve very young children to focus on an intellectual approach to learning about the world we are in. Not to say that I'm putting them down for that, our culture really encourages this but it truly does not serve the child. For children of that age the best way to answer questions is with a "story" or an image. And whenever they ask about something we, as adults, deem to be serious or scary or heavy we should always answer in a light, non-serious manner. "Mama, did the cow have to die for this meat?" (in a light, non-committed way) "why yes honey, he did, he lived a long happy life, grazing on grass and running through the fields with his friends". "Why did the cow have to die?" "Well,it was time for him to make a journey to where cows go when they die, it must be a lovely place where he can see his old friends". "how did the cow die?" or "did it hurt?" "I am sure the farmer did his job very well, he/she cares for his animals and makes sure everything is alright." "what happened to head, tail, etc?" (and this is a very useful tool when you don't know or just can't think of anything good) "hmmm, I wonder about that..." than telling them you don't know, because as a mother you are all-knowing in their eyes and it could worry them and also this is where you don't ask them what they think because that puts the pressure on them, something they don't. In general the rule of thumb is: don't intellectualize things with a child under the age of around 7.

The Lierre Keith Approach
Many of you may not have a clue who Ms. Keith is. But she's adding heaps of fuel to the already burning fire between hardcore vegetarians/vegans and meat eaters. In fact, this morning I heard Ms. Keith was attacked by some clearly pissed off vegans (no joke!) at a recent event in San Francisco last week. Lierre is an American lesbian, radical feminist who spent 20 years as a strict vegan. A vegan no more, her book, The Vegetarian Myth, is a concise and point-by-point refutation of every argument you've ever heard in favor of going veg (nutritional, moral, environmental, you name it) and she apparently spends a great deal of time discussing how we humans should handle the animal-to-meat process emotionally and intellectually while at the same time accepting it as necessary. I have not read the book but it's been on my Kindle for the past few weeks and is the next up on my list. I'm not sure how well I will be able to translate her thoughts into a conversation with my daughter but perhaps it will give me a place to start.

The Hard-Core Approach
I suspect the person who recommended this one intended it to be for me to read through and then figure out how best to share with M. I cannot imagine anyone would encourage a parent to share this in its entirety with a three-year old. Frankly, I had a tough time reading through this info...which I found troubling on so many levels because I LIKE EATING MEAT but I also really, really like and respect animals. Anyway, should you be at all ignorant of the process of how a cow makes it to your table via a small family farm with an excellent reputation, be sure to check out this blog post. And please note, while reading it and, if you make it that far, taking a peek at the pics (which do not include the actual killing)...keep in mind that this is how lucky farm animals get to make their exit. The alternative for factory farmed animals is simply brutal and horrific.

J's Favorite Approach
My last recommendation (as of today, more may come through) was from someone who doesn't have children but sure as heck seems like she should! It was by far the most thoughtful response I received. Ultimately, I think I will take this person's guidance and mix it up with the Waldorf gal's advice to keep my responses simple, not too detailed, but as factual as I kind while also ensuring M and Z know the meat they eat (indeed the food they eat) comes from the best places and gets treated with the respect it deserves. I also think it's probably a good idea to introduce some form of "grace" at the table prior to dinner...not for religious purposes but as a reminder to everyone that we have farmers and animals to thank for the food we eat.

These are great questions, ones I have thought of many times. While I don't have children (just animals), I was just such a sensitive soul who wanted to be a vegetarian from a young age, so I can relate. Eventually when I left home, I was vegetarian for awhile, with disastrous results. Now I keep goats, and I don't think I could eat them anymore than I could eat my cats or dogs, but I still eat the meat of animals I don't know personally. Anyway, I do think it's important for parents to face up to these questions. Here are some thoughts on the subject; just my opinion, but I do hope it's helpful.

When I was about 20 I went on a wilderness survival expedition in Southern Utah for a month. Among the participants were several Native Americans. One of the learning experiences on the expedition was the slaughtering of a sheep and making sausage from the meat, using the intestines for casing. We were required to participate in this exercise as a means, I suppose, of impressing upon us all how dependent we are upon other creatures for our sustenance. If I remember correctly (this is over half my lifetime ago so the details are fuzzy), one or more of the Native Americans performed the slaughter, and the whole experience was treated as a sacred ritual and was a very awe-inspiring and thoughtful experience for us all. That impressed upon me the attitude of gratitude for the animals. When our only connection to our food is the supermarket, we miss out on some deep understanding of the nature of life, I believe. To me, the values of respecting animals, respecting the ecosystem, not wasting food, etc., are all in harmony. How dare we treat animals as commodities and make them into silly marketing mascots for fake food or waste their flesh.

The recent Temple Grandin biopic on HBO (perhaps available on DVD by now) looked squarely at this issue as well. My favorite line, repeated twice in the movie, was the Temple character saying "Nature is cruel, but we don't have to be!" She further pointed out that cows are only here (in great numbers) because humans eat them, and that we owe them our respect and a humane life and death. The Joel Salatin/Polyface Farm section of The Omnivore's Dilemma makes similar points, if I remember correctly. I know Michael Pollan published a children's version of the book. I wonder whether that might have something useful?

The Vegetarian Myth of course has lots of relevant passages but they're too esoteric for a young child. I think it comes down to parents thinking through what exactly their values are, maybe writing it down to find phrasing they're comfortable with, and then having the courage of their convictions to express those thoughts to their children. (I'm sure it's easier said than done, but I grew up getting a lot of things transmitted to me through church that I though my parents really should have taught me directly themselves. Citing some outside authority is the easy way out. Parents have a natural place as the authority in the lives of their young children, IMO.)

I don't think there's anything wrong with admitting we are too squeamish as meat eaters to do our own harvesting of livestock. Few people can approach that level of self-sufficiency anymore; it's certainly not practical for most urbanites. (Although Novella Carpenter seriously challenges that idea in Farm City!) Some people say we shouldn't eat meat if we're not willing to kill it ourselves. I think that's a bit harsh, but there is a kernel of truth in there. (Again, this is all just my opinion, but...) It seems to me we are obliged, as Temple Grandin says, to respect the animals and their sacrifice for us. Yes I know that individual sheep and cows don't volunteer to die for us, but as a species, in evolutionary terms, they did "agree" in some sense to be domesticated -- fed and protected from wild predators -- in exchange for us determining when and how they should die. We also know from the work of Weston A. Price as well as subsequent evolutionary biologists and other researchers that eating animal products shaped our evolutionary history and helped make us human. Eating meat (or animal products in general, such as eggs and dairy) is not simply a preference on the order of preferring chocolate to vanilla, it answers deep, cell-level nutritional needs that have been part of our genetic heritage for eons. I think it's legitimate to give children a simplified version of this. At the same time they'll soon become aware, if they aren't already, that some of their friends don't eat meat and are something called "vegetarians." Perhaps that's a good time to introduce the idea that different people have different beliefs about what is right, and different traditions and cultural influences and we respect their right to choose differently from us.

Adventures in Pasta (and Ice Cream!)

Today was a busy, busy day in terms of food prep. I keep wondering if I'm secretly pregnant (which I'm not, BTW, so please don't get the rumor mill started) because I seem to be going through a heavy-duty nesting period. Or perhaps it's Xtreme Domesticity!

Anyway, I tried my hand at making pasta from scratch (second attempt, first was a complete flop) and attempted another flavor of ice cream in our new Cuisinart ice cream maker (first attempt wasn't bad but not great).

First the pasta. A few weeks back, after my smaller-than-expected (but totally nifty) pasta machine arrived, I bit off more than I could chew by attempting an INCREDIBLY difficult and time-consuming pasta recipe courtesy of Thomas Keller's French Laundry Cookbook (I told you I was being overly ambitious). It sucked, to say the least. But I'm not one to give up easily. So back in the trenches I went today with this recipe which I adjusted by subbing 1 1/2 cups sprouted whole wheat flour (more about that in an upcoming blog) and 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour. I decided not to go 100% sprouted whole wheat because I was worried it might mess with the consistency and I'm no pasta expert. I'm pleased to say the recipe worked...and the dough actually traveled smoothly through the machine without the horrific clumping I experienced with the previous recipe. At which point, it dawned on me I had about four hours before said pasta would be needed for dinner and what the fuck was I going to do with it until then? Thank God for the internet! Apparently (who knew? perhaps everyone but me) you are supposed to dry the pasta unless you plan to use it immediately. But of course I don't have a professional pasta dryer so I improvised:


Yes, those are coat hangers from our hall closet. Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures.

After I picked up M from preschool, I decided it was high time to try my hand at another quart of ice cream. The first batch (strawberry) I made a few weeks ago wasn't quite what I'd expected. I suspect it had to do with a) the strawberries not macerating completely before I added them to the bowl and b) the fact that I cut down the sugar significantly. The resulting ice cream was VERY creamy but that was about it. Today I decided to simplify and go for something basic: vanilla. I used this recipe and, of course, modified to some degree. And let me be the first to tell you this was THE BEST DAMN ICE CREAM I'VE EVER TASTED. Holy crap it was good. In fact, K and the kids must have told me at least three times today how much they liked the ice cream. So, assuming you have an ice cream machine of your very own, you might want to give my version of the Ben and Jerry's recipe a try:

Jen and Jerry's French Vanilla Ice Cream

2 large eggs (pastured organic if you can find them. hey, just because it's ice cream doesn't mean you shouldn't try to insert as much nutrition into it as possible!)
3/4 cup sucanat, rapadura, whatever (I used sucanat)
2 cups heavy whipping cream (raw, organic, grass-fed, whatever)
1 cup milk (see above)
1 vanilla bean pod
1/2 teaspoon pure bourbon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Whisk eggs in mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes
2. Whisk in sucanat, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 2 minutes more. Pour in the cream, milk, vanilla extract and whisk to blend.
3. Place vanilla bean pod on a cutting board, flatten it out, and carefully slice it down the middle to open. Use your finger nail or a dull knife to scrape all beans out and dump into bowl. I also dipped the pod into the bowl afterward and left it there while I prepped the ice cream machine.
   
4. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer's instructions.

Makes one quart. Also, due to the addition of sucanat, the color will be darker than what you may be used to for vanilla. But who cares? It's so frigging good it really doesn't matter. The sucanat gives it a rich, satisfying caramel/maple flavor that I defy you to dislike.

Where the Left and the Right Come Together

In my ongoing journey into the world of nutrient-dense foods, I've become aware of an interesting phenomenon: the folks who are attracted to this lifestyle come from some surprising places. You see, we liberals tend to assume we're the only ones who give a shit about the planet, the well-being of the creatures who provide us with our food, and the health of our children. Imagine my surprise...nay, shock....when I began to investigate the nutrient dense movement and uncovered--gasp!--a huge number of card-carrying Libertarians, Conservatives, and hard-core Christians in the mix.

The fact is, there are a HUGE number of right-leaning folks who are passionate about local and organic produce and humanely-raised, pastured farm animals. I see quite a few of them on the various holistic lists I subscribe to and when I pick up groceries at my monthly Azure food drop (imagine if Costco and Whole Foods had a love child with wheels). Many of them are smack in the middle of the ongoing fight against factory farms and the industrialization of our food chain. These people may have come to this movement via a different path than I did...but they are no less dedicated to keeping their children and the planet as healthy as possible. I confess it's taken me some time to get accustomed to purchasing goods from people who have bible quotes as email signatures...or who take our Constitution's Second Amendment to heart. But ultimately, I've come to realize while I may not always agree with the politics of these folks...they are just as concerned about our collective future as I am. And boy is that a relief!

So how is it that the left and right are comfortably rubbing elbows in the world of food? Well, while you probably won't find many conservative raw vegans out there, or left-wing duck hunters, you won't have to look hard to find people of all stripes who simply love to eat quality meats, dairy, vegetables, fruits, and everything in between. The "green" aspect of the nutrient-dense movement appeals to the liberals, the "(sub)urban homesteader" aspect appeals to the libertarians, the "look to the past for food inspiration" aspect appeals to the religious folks, and the "remove the middle man AKA government regulators" appeals to the conservatives.

Fact is, if you've got two eyes and a brain, it's pretty hard to miss how detached we've all become from the source of our food. And many believe this is to blame for the current state of things: the less interaction we have with the farmers who produce our food and the animals who provide it, the less we really understand how it all works, and the more we rely on big corporations to connect the dots so we don't have to. So whether you arrive at this "diet" via Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions, Nina Planck's Real Food, Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma, Jordan Rubin's Makers Diet, or the Slow Food Movement, we're all heading in the same direction and hopefully, the end result will be healthier people, animals, farms, food supply chain, and, ultimately, planet.

NYC Update

Some of you have been asking about this...so a quick update. K is traveling to NYC next week for yet another interview. He had his first interview with someone other than a recruiter yesterday (via phone) and apparently they were duly impressed. So he's heading off to the big city to meet these folks in person. And my mom is going to camp out with me and the kids to provide company during his absence.

K is quite excited by the job. I, on the other hand, am not excited at the idea of moving to the East Coast. My life here is nicely settled...my parents and grandparents are here, the weather is nice, I know my way around, M has a fantastic preschool, it's all good. The only bummer is a) lack of a steady, reliable income (K is currently consulting) and b) having to pay through the nose for insurance. Oh, and c) the underwhelming schools. Aside from that, I'm perfectly happy to stay in California in perpetuity.

So now we have to start asking ourselves the BIG question: is not having to worry about money/benefits + a large chunk of expendable income + K's career satisfaction worth dragging our whole family to parts unknown? I'm not entirely convinced. I'll say this: if we didn't have kids and were a lot younger, I'd be off like a shot. But when you have kids, you need a support network....and I don't relish the thought of having to build one of those back up from scratch. Nor do I like the idea of being isolated at home (in what would most certainly be a much nicer house) with my kids and all our fancy new things. What's the point of having more money and nice things when you're all alone? Seems silly.

The whole thing depresses me. Or maybe I'm a tad change adverse? Who knows.

Stay tuned for more angst-ridden posts about NYC...assuming K makes it into the final cut.

Kick-Ass, Super Fast Blueberry Cobbler

I just made this and had to post the recipe because it was SO damn good. I got the original from Natural Home magazine and modified it with a few tweaks (less sugar, sucanat, wheat flour). It was incredibly easy to prepare, baked while we ate dinner, and everyone loved it. Both kids kept asking for more until I had to hide the damn thing so there was some left for K tonight. I think this is the perfect recipe for a last-minute dinner party.

Oh, and for those of you still afraid of full fat foods, please remember to use organic butter and milk from grass-fed (aka pastured) cows. The grass will ensure you don't put your bad cholesterol through the roof. (And be sure to read this book if you are still worried about fats, weight gain, heart disease, and cholesterol).

J's Blueberry Cobbler

Serves 8 (if you don't eat it all yourself)

1⁄2 cup organic, pastured butter
3/4 cup sucanat
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1-1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 cup organic, pastured milk
2 cups organic blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Slice butter, sprinkle around baking dish and place in oven until melted.
3. Mix together dry ingredients then stir in milk. Pour batter into melted butter and scatter fruit over top.
4. Bake uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes.

Try to eat as soon as you take it out of the oven...fresh cream, fresh whipped cream, or ice cream would be a great pairing with this. Enjoy!

Refined Sugars, Artificial Sweeteners Begone!

As part of my ongoing attempt to embrace whole foods and say adios! to processed and packaged crapola, I've been paying close attention to our sugar intake. Let me say right here and now: This Is Not Easy. Why? Because I LOVE sugar. Love it. I've been known to eat sugar straight out of a bag when I needed a fix. As a child, I drove my mom crazy by sneaking boxes of jello, packets of hot chocolate, jars of marshmallow cream, and eating them in the raw. I love "crap" candy: Bubble Gum tape, Everlasting Gobstoppers, Runts, Spree, Red Vines, Good n' Plenty, Red Hots, Atomic Fireballs...if it's full of artificial substances and dyes and tastes sweet, I'll most likely eat it. Truth be told, there are few sweet foods I won't indulge in...I can't actually think of one off the top of my head.

So you get my drift. Sugar + J = Ecstasy

Which is why it's been so hard for me to make a complete break from it. But, as you can see by my obvious sugar addiction, it's a step I REALLY need to take. Perhaps you do too? I think it's safe to say we all could benefit from less sugar.

Why Sugar is Bad

Let me clarify a critical point: not all sugars are created equal. Refined and artificial sugars have no business in anyone's body. But there are quite a few naturally derived sugars that metabolize better and wreak a lot less havoc in your body. But even those sugars, as with much in life, should be taken in moderation.

So back to why refined and artificial sugars are bad for you. Well, there's the obvious rotting teeth deal. And the whole diabetes thing. Let's not forget obesity. To be more specific, sugar has NO nutritional value whatsoever. It also depletes the body of enzymes, minerals, and vitamins (especially, it turns out, B-vitamins which can impact moods, memory, and sleep regulation). Most interesting to me are the studies showing how refined sugars suppress the immune system. The amount of sugar found in two sodas is enough to do the trick. Refined sugars can cause a 50% drop in the ability of white blood cells to engulf bacteria. This immune suppression can last for up to five or six hours after eating or drinking heavily sugared foods. Kind of scary when you remember stress also suppresses the immune system and most of us tend to crave sugar when under pressure...no wonder we all get sick around the holidays or when things are going badly at the office! But we're not just talking about catching a cold or flu, people. Sugar has some unpleasant ties to cancer and tumors...or I should say insulin does (which tends to increase when the body has more sugar than it needs).

Many people get the refined sugar = not good for you thing. But then they turn around and start drinking and eating products (note how I said "products" and not "food") filled with artificial sweeteners. Hey, been there, done that. I used to figure it was a good way to get a sweet taste in my mouth without all the bad stuff. Unfortunately, the laundry list of diseases tied to artificial sweeteners (even the newer ones) include cancer, weight gain (!), MS, Parkinsons, seizures, and migraines (I didn't have the heart to link to the studies for each disease but feel free to do a Google search on your own, they aren't hard to find).

Oh, a quick aside: refined sugars are kind of sneaky in that they frequently wear disguises. Aside from that big bag of white sugar in your pantry, it typically hides in packaged foods under the following pseudonyms: sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, and maltodextrin. Take a peek at your bread, canned goods (but maybe consider dumping the canned goods because of BPA. I'm just saying), frozen foods, yogurts, dessert items, granola bars, cereals. You'll find sugar lurking...unless, of course, you've already gotten wise to it and started buying products without it.

So What Now?

How does a recovering sugar addict break the habit and still get some enjoyment out of life? Good news folks! You don't have to give sugar the big heave-ho 100%. You just have to be willing to investigate the alternatives and do what you can to reduce your sugar intake (cutting back in recipes is a great start).

The very best sweeteners are those that occur in nature: rapadura (AKA sucanat AKA raw cane sugar), pure maple syrup, honey (honey can be sneaky as it does sometimes get listed as a refined product...be sure to check that out) , or molasses. I've started experimenting with these and can say I'm a big fan of sucanat (which isn't a surprise because it tastes a lot like brown sugar -- yum) and use it frequently when baking. Maple syrup and honey are also excellent. Natural sugars actually contain vitamins and nutrients (calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron) that get stripped out of refined sugars. Your body also tends to process these sugars better because they are in their natural state. But keep in mind, sugar is sugar. Even natural sugars can mess with your glucose levels if taken in excess...so still a good idea to include them in your diet in moderation.

As for reducing....get in the habit of 1) changing the sugar and 2) cutting back the quantities in recipes. You'll be pleasantly surprised how frequently you can do this and not notice a damn thing in terms of flavor or sweetness. No one but me knows that when I make cookies and cakes at home, they are heavily reduced in sugar quantity. But everyone asks for more!

For a great place to look for reduced-sugar and alternative sugar recipes, you can't beat this site.

Little Consumers in the Making

Last week, I went to a local mall. I actually don't go to malls much any more...maybe a few times a year to buy my seasonal allotment of clothing. This time I was on my way to see a movie which happened to be at a theater embedded within said mall. It was about 7:50pm when I finally parked my car and walked in. Given the level of activity, you would have thought for sure it was the middle of the day during a huge sales event...because the place was packed. I've been spending a lot of time in the quiet of my home so it can be tough to rejoin the frenetic pace of the outside world. But that's not what bothered me. What I couldn't help but notice as I made my way towards The Gap (where my friends were waiting) was the huge numbers of families out and about with very young children. Call me crazy but last I checked, children under the age of six should be in bed by 8:00pm. And they sure as hell shouldn't be sitting with mom and dad getting "dinner" in the food court.

So WHAT in the hell are these people with young kids doing at the mall on a Friday night?!?!? There is nothing you need so urgently that it must be purchased with your entire family at 8:00pm. And if you are biding your time until the kiddies are ready for bed, why not stay at home and - gasp! - play with your kids? or read them a story! Here's a novel idea, how about cooking dinner for the family and eating in? Or, for God's sake, if you are going to eat out...then perhaps try something a tad bit healthier than the mall food court.

As if it wasn't bad enough to see large numbers of exhausted kids being dragged around the mall by mom and dad....the highlight of our movie was two toddlers running up and down the side aisle near the front of the theater. Yes, for two hours until 11:30pm, two very young children and their loser parents graced us with their presence. I felt sorry for the tykes while at the same time spent the entire movie plotting revenge on the parents.

Are people really so selfish that they choose to inconvenience their children in order to satisfy their need for a shopping/entertainment fix? Don't answer that. Obviously there are a lot worse things parents can do to their children, things that I don't even want to consider. But these "minor" infractions have a way of sneaking up on us too. Because one day, these little children are going to grow into big (likely VERY big considering how they are being fed) adults. Assuming the environmental crisis continues, many of them will be confronted with a world that's very different from the one we live in today. At a time when we will need kind, good people with strong values, morals, a sense of community, and a desire to implement positive change....all these people will really know how to do is go shopping.

The End of an Era is Nigh...

This morning I received a very important email from a woman who volunteers with PROS, a pug rescue organization. As some of you may recall, a while back I posted about how neglected our two pugs had been since the birth of M and Z. Well, that post got me to thinking. And then eventually it got K to thinking. Which prompted us to start having a conversation about the situation. Until eventually, after a lot of stalling and hemming and hawing, it dawned on us that Lucie and Edgar were leading a pretty shitty life (at least as far as a pure bred pug is concerned) and deserved a whole lot better.

So back to the important email.

This Saturday, while M and I are heading off to see yet another Disney on Ice show (note to self: see if there is any way to smuggle alcohol in and don't forget 1) jacket, 2) earplugs), K and Z will be packing Lucie and Edgar and all their various accoutrements into our Honda CRV and making the 30 minute trek up to Fremont where they will meet with a volunteer from PROS. Said volunteer will exchange paperwork with K, help him load Lu and Ed into her car, and drive off with them into the sunset. Actually, she'll be driving up to Sacramento where our guys will be placed in a foster home, given a careful evaluation by a breed-specific veterinarian, showered with love and any medical care/social skills refresher courses they may need, and eventually released into the permanent care of a brand new (and much improved) family.

My feelings are, as you might imagine, rather mixed. The pugs have been with us for almost six years. They were our kids before we had M and Z. But of those six years, they spent the last three or so getting minimal attention from us. And then when K and I lost our jobs last year and began cutting back on our expenses, we realized we just couldn't afford to provide for Lu and Ed the way they deserved and needed. Pugs are a wonderful breed but not without a bevvy of problems which include dry eyes, skin allergies, hip dysplasia, incontenence, and more. And then there's the whole shedding thing. Followed, of course, by the fact that they should be indoor-only dogs because they cannot tolerate extreme temperatures. Aside from all that, it also doesn't help that both our kids run screaming whenever the dogs are allowed indoors (which, obviously, isn't often).

So while I feel sad to see them go and guilty that it had to come to this....I confess to feeling not a little relieved that they are going to go to a new family who LOVES pugs. Because let's face it....you don't adopt two six-year old pugs unless you are a die-hard pug fanatic.

Anyway, I dedicate this post to Lu and Ed, who will almost certainly not spare a second thought to our family once they get settled in their foster home. Nor should they. You guys deserved better!! May you live out the remainder of your lives being spoiled rotten and overindulged. And may your new family a) find Lucie's obsessive, nervous air licking habit cute and b) Edgar's desire to pee on area rugs, laundry piles, throw pillows, pretty much anything on the floor, par for the course.

Here's to you, my little wrinkly friends!

Children's Books: Death, Bullying, and Other Interesting Topics

Because M seems to be hitting a major developmental growth spurt, I've been getting TONS of big questions about biology and life: why and how do we kill animals to eat their meat? what happens when/after we die? (a recurring theme) why do I have to be nice to people I don't want to be around? why are those two men holding hands? why does that lady have such a big bottom? So what did I do? I bought books, of course!

Death and Dying
We go to "church" regularly, but the whole death and dying theme continues to come up. I keep suggesting that M ask some of these questions at her classes on Sunday mornings but she never does. Which leaves me continuously trotting out what I think happens when we die and what other people think happens and how nobody really has a clue (except for those of us who have gone into the Great Beyond). It's very stressful because, let's face it, death is a topic very few people can comfortably chat about...especially with a three-year old.

Now for the books. These have been vetted, purchased, and read multiple times in our home so I can vouch for them.

The Fall of Freddie the Leaf by Leo Buscaglia
A simple, soothing, and moving tale about a leaf, his life, and his death. Because of the naturalistic setting (a tree in a park with the various seasons on display), this story flows effortlessly from Freddie's youth to old age. I feel it's appropriate for families of any faith because the focus is on the cyclical nature of life rather than what happens after we die. And at no point is the book a downer...yes, the main characters do eventually die but it's all matter-of-fact and uplifting without becoming a schlock-fest. M was able to get the gist of the story fairly quickly, even though it's wordier than a typical preschool picture book (one or two pages are all words, no pictures, which might be challenging for kids who need visuals to focus). I'd recommend this for ages four and up...or for thoughtful three-year olds.

Old Coyote by Nancy Wood
A lovely story with some truly beautiful illustrations. As the title suggests, it's about an old coyote who has reached the end of his life. He spends his last days/hours remembering his life and visiting the friends and places that are most dear to him. Eventually he goes off on his own and lies down, "dreaming his way into a whole new world." We really like this story a lot...even though M isn't a fan of dogs/wolves/etc. It's fairly easy for younger kids to grasp but some parents may need to be prepared to simplify some of the more poetic turns of phrase for literal-minded preschoolers. Warning: this story may bring a few tears to your eyes...it did me. But it's not depressing or maudlin.

Bullying
Luckily we have not had any issues with this at all. But M is a rather assertive little person and, depending on her mood, can become downright bossy at times. So I figured it wouldn't hurt to ensure her natural leadership qualities get channeled in a positive direction. I also wanted to ensure she has the necessary skills to stand up for herself should she ever be unfortunate enough to cross paths with a bully....and to stand up on behalf of others who are being bullied.

One by Kathryn Otoshi
We read quite a few books on bullying before I came across this one. Wow. Even if bullying NEVER comes up in your household, this is still an incredible read and one that will almost certainly be at the top of your child's "favorite" pile. The art is AMAZING and really suits the tone of the writing. I really love how the characters become empowered halfway through the story...and I especially loved the gentle way in which the bully's ultimate loneliness was recognized and addressed at the end. This book is great for all ages...the very youngest will be intrigued by the colors and numbers and older kids will tune into the overarching messages within.

Gays/Lesbians
Not too long ago, M saw two men holding hands at our local Whole Foods. For some reason, we see a LOT of women doing this (and for some reason, women holding hands doesn't seem to be a big deal in M's world). But it's pretty rare for us to come across gay male couples. As you might imagine, M was curious and wondered why they were holding hands, what did it mean, etc. I was delighted...as any liberal-minded parent is when presented with a alternative-lifestyles teaching moment. We talked about how some men like other men (or some women like other women) and frankly M seemed to take it all in stride. The topic never came up again...but I decided we needed to have a book to further address the issue...and voila!

And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell
Honestly, the illustrations in this book were meh...not bad but not anything to write home about. But the story is very sweet and based on the true story of two male penguins in the NYC zoo. It's a very gentle way to introduce the idea of same-sex pairings (and families) to preschool-aged kids. M loves the story and was fascinated that the baby penguin has two daddies. It took her some time to understand that some families do just fine with no mommy or no daddy...but once she processed it, it never came up again. This one is requested again and again for bedtime reading.

Radical Homemakers

I spent the past hour writing a long-winded post about why I think you should read this book. Then I read through it and decided it made me sound like a pompous ass and deleted the whole damn thing.

I'll keep it short and sweet.

Read. This. Book. Seriously. It's informative, educational, moving, and very enlightening. Even if you think, based on the description, that the book sounds like a bunch of hippy-dippy BS, give it a try. And if you are a mother/parent, please pick this up (or borrow it).

Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity From a Consumer Culture by Shannon Hayes

Oh, and here's an article by the author, Shannon Hayes, that gives a great synopsis of the book (for those of you who need more info than the book jacket on Amazon).

BPA, Part Two

As the result of a comment posted to my previous BPA post, I decided to do a little research to find out exactly how BPA is stored within the body and whether or not there is a legitimate method to remove it. I also wanted to know if BPA exposure was reversible...that is if a child was exposed to BPA in early development, would the removal of the BPA source(s) minimize and/or reverse any ill effects of the chemical?

This is of great interest to me because for the first year of M's life, word about BPA (and pthalates) was only just reaching my ears. As a result, she was fed via a mainstream plastic bottle until she was almost 12 mos old. And that's not counting all the plastic containers, spoons, canned foods, toys, pacifiers, etc she came into contact with. After the revelation, I spent a big chunk of time feeling really guilty about it...convinced I'd screwed M royally. And then I decided, "to hell with it" and stopped beating myself up. Instead I took action and began the massive plastic purge. Which is where I am today.

Back to BPA detox. First of all, I think it's worth taking a closer look at just what types of items contain BPA. I know I covered this in detail in my previos post but there's still a bit more that you should be aware of. This is a great article that covers the basics. But keep in mind, a plastic that does not contain BPA may very well still contain pthalates.

I spoke with our naturopath and then did a little research of my own. Here's what I discovered: BPA, once ingested, makes its merry way into the digestive tract and from there, into the liver for metabolism. Generally speaking, some BPA gets passed right out of the body via the liver's natural filtration system (which typically recognizes foreign substances and pushes them out into the kidneys, bladder, and--ultimately--urine). But recent studies have shown that the BPA removal time isn't quite as speedy, or thorough, as we'd originally been told. The fact is, it tends to hang out in fatty tissue for an unspecified period of time...which is leading scientists to wonder if a) our main source of BPA isn't via food (canned foods and drinks, plastic containers) but environmental (water, soil, etc) and/or b) if BPA is just darned hard to get out of our bodies once its there.

So...how should someone go about removing it entirely? Is it even possible? Based on what I've read, there are a few answers to this question.

1) One of the best ways to reduce BPA in the body is to simply reduce exposure to BPA. Since the body does "shed" some BPA relatively quickly, if you cut back on BPA exposure, you will--over time--significantly cut back on the amount in your system.

2) Because BPA tends to hang out in the liver, some folks recommend focusing on foods and/or supplements that cleanse the liver as a way to fully remove BPA. This could involve doing a "detox" program for a few weeks (check with a nutritionist or naturopath for specifics) or taking milk thistle supplements. However it's important to understand that these are not things anyone should be doing with young children unless they've discussed with a doctor first.

As to my final question, whether or not BPA exposure is reversible, I was never able to find the answer to that. My guess is there's still a lot scientists don't know or understand about how BPA impacts a developing child. My educated guess is if you can reduce exposure early enough, to give a developing child's body time to shed the chemical, it should help to minimize the impact of BPA on that child. And if you takes steps to further reduce exposure to other chemicals-- phthalates, pesticides, flame retardents, etc--while also providing healthy meals and plenty of exercise, your child will have more than a fighting chance to mature into a strong, healthy adult.

Ultimately, the best we as parents can do is stay educated about the risks and act quickly to reduce exposure as much as possible. While non-pregnant adults are at a relatively low risk from BPA exposure (lets face it, the damage was done long ago for most of us), children (especially those in utero and up to age three) are very high risk. Children's immune and natural detox systems aren't fully ramped up until age three...which means chemical exposure impacts them a whole lot more than it does adults.

This Book Will Change Your Diet

Or at least it'll give you food for thought (pun intended).

Last year I spent a lot of time taking a closer look at our family diet: what we ate, how we ate, when we ate, etc. I suspect a lot of this had to do with the fact that I am now full-time at home and actually have time to focus on meals in a lot more detail than before. During our food journey, I explored a lot of different types of foods and diets to figure out which might be the best for our taste buds, our health, and our pocketbook.

First thing I quickly realized was that in order to eat really well, food was not going to be very cheap. But K and I decided we were ok with that since, I feel, quality food is right up there with quality medical care in terms of importance. So we stopped going to mainstream grocery stores and we started focusing solely on organic foods (more so than we already did). We also tried to stay away from pre-packaged, processed foods (easier said than done). It's been a long journey...and there have been a few bumps along the way...but overall, I feel really good about what my family eats and where our food comes from.

At the beginning of this journey, I was pretty sure I knew how our diet would look once we'd figured everything out: less meat, less fats, more vegetables and fruits, less sugars and carbs. In some respects I was right, in others...I couldn't have been more wrong. See here's the thing: if you are at all interested in "green living" and organic foods, chances are you will gravitate towards a vegetarian diet. That's just how it is. Go to any Green Festival or eco fair in your local town/city and the entire "food court" section will be made up of vegan, raw vegan, and vegetarian foods. Not a meat dish in sight. Go to your local Whole Foods or health food co-op and most of the books on display will be touting the glories of low-fat, veggie-intense diets. It's kind of hard to escape. But frankly, while I like fruits, nuts, and veggies...I also really, really like meat. Which is why I was SO relieved to stumble across Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck.

Planck, a former omnivore-turned-vegan-turned-vegetarian-turned-omnivore, was raised on a farm in Virginia by idealistic, college-educated parents from New York City. She is best known for her push to bring Farmers Markets back into vogue in London and here in the U.S. So Planck knows food. And her personal experience with food combined with the latest nutritional data about fats, carbs, dairy, meats, sugars, etc is a very convincing sell as to what we should be eating and what most of us aren't.

To put it bluntly (and this won't be a surprise to those of you who have read any of Michael Pollan's recent books) humans are omnivores, have been so since the very beginning when we likely had a diet consisting of grubs, seeds, animals, and fruits, and we need meat and dairy along with fruits, vegetables, and nuts in order to stay in optimum health. But not only do we need meat and dairy....we should be getting it in very specific forms: grass-fed meats, wild fish, pastured eggs, raw dairy*. Without these foods, we're putting ourselves and our families at risk for a lifetime of health problems like obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, depression, and more. Sadly, anyone living in the Western world has likely been scared shitless by all the bad press surrounding fats, eggs, and meat. "What about high cholesterol?!" "What about weight gain?" etc, etc. Thankfully Planck does an excellent job of addressing these health issues and more with lots of factual data from recent (legit) studies.

Anyway, if you love meat and dairy, are passionate about the environment and about your family's health, I urge you to pick up this book. It'll definitely provide a perspective that few of us get when it comes to food and health. And Planck's writing is approachable, humorous, and engaging without ever becoming pedantic or alarmist...so it's not a painful read.

*I am pretty sure you were all nodding in agreement right up until you hit the "raw dairy" bit. Because there's been a lot of press lately about raw milk/cheese and whether or not it's at all safe for human consumption. There's a lot of pro/con literature out there and I encourage you to read it. Find out about the history of milk pasteurization and why/when/how it started. Find out about what happens during the pasteurization process and how it impacts the bad and good bacteria in milk. Visit a few raw dairy websites and get a feel for what the whole raw milk thing is all about. Trust your instincts, whatever they may be telling you, but definitely do the research before you make a decision one way or another. For the record, we've been drinking raw milk from a local dairy for over a year with no issues. Make of that what you will!

Out Damn BPA! Out I Say!

Apologies to W. Shakespeare....

Unless you've been living under a rock, you have likely heard something about BPA (aka Bisphenol A). BPA has been around for 50+ years and is commonly found in plastics. People, it's frigging EVERYWHERE. Baby bottles, containers, epoxy resins (which are found in almost all food and beverage cans), sports equipment, medical and dental equipment (mouth guards anyone?), dental fillings, plastic toys, CDs, DVDs, eyeglass lenses, electronic appliances, yada, yada, yada. You get my drift. Why all the fuss? Well, there's a lot to say about why BPA sucks....but I'll give you the Cliff Notes version here (and for more depressing details, you can visit Wikipedia).

BPA has so far been shown (and in many cases proven with solid data to back it up) to be the cause of or contributing factor in just about every illness known to humankind: obesity, neurological issues (impacting memory, mood, learning, and hyperactivity), thyroid problems, breast cancer, prostrate cancer, heart disease, reproductive issues (infertility in males and females, increase risk of miscarriage). There's more but I just don't have the heart to type it all out.

To alleviate my feelings of parental neglect, I have spent the past year or so completely weeding BPA out of our home to the best of my ability. I don't plan to toss out our CD/DVD collection. Nor am I going to trash our home electronics. But there are a lot of other items I have been able to remove and replace with minimal impact to myself. For those of you interested in doing the same, allow me to share a few tips and tricks:

Farewell My Tupperware!
Aside from the great baby bottle switch of 2007 (we now only use Born Free bottles), I also took it upon myself to completely trash all plastic food and drink containers. Finding a replacement was a bit of a drag. Say what you will about plastic (and as you can see, there is a LOT to say) it's easy to clean and lightweight which is a good thing when it comes to food/drink storage. Rumor has it there are some great stainless steel options out there. But I opted to go the tempered glass route and chose Anchor Hocking storage containers. Mine are the older glass lid/bottom sets (before they began creating glass containers with BPA-free plastic lids) but I think I still prefer these because they are multi-purpose: I can store food in them...I can also pop them in the oven. They are heavy (downside) but it takes a LOT to break one of these puppies (believe me, we've tried). Oh, and while I'm on the topic of food containers, we also got rid of our hard plastic water dispenser for the fridge and replaced it with a stainless steel version w/ ceramic lid.

Hasta La Vista Canned Foods
We're not a soda family and when we do have soda around the house, its typically something that comes in a glass bottle, not a can. Turns out this is a good thing because, as previously mentioned, canned beverages are almost always lined with BPA-containing epoxy resin. But like most families in this country (and around the world) our pantry was lined with at least a dozen cans of various foods (beans, tomatoes, etc). I also had several of those boxed broth containers (also BPA-laden). As with canned drinks, canned foods are nothing more than BPA receptacles. It makes no difference whether the food is organic or not. And the canned foods with the highest amounts of BPA are generally those with the most acids in them: tomatoes, tomato-based sauces, soups, raviolis, and, oddly, green beans. To make matters worse, reliable sources claim most of us are getting the majority of our BPA via canned foods and drinks. So what can you do? Well, I tossed out the canned goods and started buying what I could in glass jars (some tomato products do come in glass bottles...barring that, try fresh "canned" products ) and I increased the amount of fresh produce we purchased each week. As for my broth, I use this which comes in a handy glass container. I confess I still use a lot of frozen produce (peas, green beans) and I suspect, but have not confirmed, the bags are not made of good plastic. Baby steps, my friends...

Adieu Cheap Plastic Toys
As long as we have someone in our house who delights in stuffing random things into her mouth, I am all about eradicating as many plastic toys as humanly possible. It's not just the BPA that concerns me...so many of the cheap toys out there contain high levels of lead and cadmium that I figure I'm doing the whole family a favor by keeping that tacky shit far from our toybox. But I have to be VERY careful as to how I do this. Thing is, cheap crap keeps infiltrating our home in the form of party favors, dentist and doctor's office trinkets, and well-meaning grandparents/friends. And these are the items M seems to fixate on with laser-like precision. So little by little, I have very stealthily been making mardi gras beads, princess crowns, battery-operated necklaces, clip-on earrings, and other bits and pieces disappear without a trace. And just as carefully I have been replacing said items with safer items made of wood or cloth. Of course, this isn't always a guarantee of safety...even Melissa and Doug have recently come under fire due to high lead levels in some of their toys. But it's a good place to start.

Auf Wiedersehen Plastic Baggies
The most recent items to come under fire in my home are plastic bags: Ziplocks and their ilk. I confess, this one is pretty tough to manage. Sure, I had no problem getting rid of plastic sandwich bags (enter these) or those plastic produce bags at the grocery store (enter these). But what do you do when you need a resealable plastic bag to store something in? I'm still searching...

Well, that's it my friends. For those of you who don't have kids (and probably those of you who do), I probably sound like a total wack-a-doo. But hey, the worst that could happen by my doing all this is nothing. And the best? My family and I might end up being just a tad healthier. It's worth a try!