SNL

I thought this was pretty funny. First, no parent likes to be lectured. Second, the punchline is at the very end.

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America's Next Great Restaurant

A new reality show has started, America's Next Great Restaurant. The first episode was Sunday and so far it looks pretty good. Who else looks pretty good? Curtis Stone. But, that's not the point of this blog. The four investors/judges chose their top ten ideas to invest in - Bobby Flay {the great}, Steve Ells {Chipotle - my favorite fast food joint}, Lorena Garcia {Latina Chef}, and the yummy Curtis Stone {"cook as Mother Nature intended"}. The winner will open three eateries in Hollywood, Minneapolis, and New York City.

My front runners:

The Tiffin Box- Indian inspired cuisine

Fixed calorie fast food

Wok- which seems to be a little like Pei Wei

The last thing this country needs is another wing/burger/fried joint. I am pulling for all the healthy options. We'll see if they make it!

Are you watching it?

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Vegan for a Week

It's late. My mind is racing. I just finished watching my DVR recording of Oprah. My hero was on, Michael Pollan. I REALLY, REALLY love everything he has to say. I couldn't wait to share my thoughts {especially since I took notes} on the matter so here they are.

Could you go vegan for a week? I am seriously asking you. I could. It would be hard, but I could. I may hold a vegan-for-a-week contest on here in a few weeks so stay tuned. When I suggested it to my husband he immediately turned me down, but I feel like it would be a good experiment everyone. I'll keep bugging him!

Oprah called this a "radical experiment", that it was. Eating meat is definitely a "hot button" in this country. Meat is tradition, it has a moral and ethical connection. I personally believe that animals are on this earth for our benefit. Our bodies require certain, essential nutrients to grow and thrive properly and many animal products provide those nutrients. It amazes me that we can receive those nutrients from living things that are naturally available. However, our country has developed a system that produces meat {and other "foods"} that go beyond what our bodies actually need.

According to the USDA, Americans consume 10 billion animals per year and 33 million cows per year!! I don't believe that is what our bodies truly need. When it comes to our health, it will not improve if we don't THINK about our food. Michael said, "The health care crisis is a euphemism of the catastrophe that is the American diet." 75% of chronic diseases are linked to diet. The new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans {which I will be discussing in an upcoming post} states, "Even in the absence of overweight, poor diet and physical inactivity are associated with major causes or morbidity and mortality in the United States." Therefore, being at a healthy weight does not protect you against the consequences of a poor diet.

When Lisa Ling showed us inside Cargill's {the biggest red meat supplier} slaughterhouse, I was actually amazed at how organized and precise it was. Sure, I felt a little bad for the cows but not enough to make me a vegan. What we can learn from that video is to be "more thoughtful meat eaters." Think about how often you eat meat or anything from an animal. Perhaps you can cut back and replace it with more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Later, Kathy Freston took us shopping for vegan food. I wonder how much money that lady spent at Whole Foods, her cart was PACKED?! You must also consider all those meat alternatives she placed in her cart. I don't feel as though many of those products are better for us than free range organic chicken, or low-fat mozzarella cheese. In fact, here is an ingredient label from just the cheese on a Tofurky Pizza:

Filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, expeller

pressed canola and/or expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, vegan natural flavors, inactive yeast, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, vegan lactic acid (derived from sugar), titanium dioxide (a naturally occurring mineral)

One product I did like? Earth Balance. I totally buy that!

Kathy said, "there is a vegan alternative to everything." I don't think that is a good thing. Just like there is a gluten-free alternative to everything, most of those products are processed, packaged food.

At the end of the show, some of the participants of this challenge were sharing success stories. {Kathy was of course pleased because thousands of people are going to buy her book.} One man lost 11 pounds in one week. But, realize this. He did not lose that weight because he went vegan. He lost it because his diet was so bad before and he changed what he was eating to include more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Michael summed up the show with some pretty remarkable quotes {as he always does}. He said, "Meat is not evil. We need to put it in its place and reform the system. Not turn our backs on it." We need to come up with better solutions and that is why Cargill let the Oprah cameras in. They appear to use better methods than other places.

I have said this before, I am not a vegetarian. Minus the one-week challenge that I plan to hold, I will never be vegan. Kathy had mentioned that she has seen enough research to deter her away from animal products with it being higher in saturated fat, etc. But, there is EVEN MORE research regarding the consequences of a highly processed diet. Although Kathy's book does focus on whole foods, it would be easy to ingest too many processed carbohydrates if you don't consume animal products. In my research and in my belief those are much more detrimental to your health than a tender filet Mignon.

Thoughts? Comments? Would you go vegan for a week?

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Food Revolution

I saw an advertisment for a new show starting March 26th on ABC. It looks very interesting and appears to be something all American's need to let into their homes. I will be setting my DVR. Will you?

Perfectly Said

Last week Michael Pollan was on Oprah to discuss the documentary Food Inc. I recorded it and I have watched it three times. If you have not seen this film, rent it, buy it, or borrow it. In one word it is EMPOWERING! I have heard other words and phrases to describe the film..."disturbing", "sad", "eye-opening", "it made me a vegan", and "I should just live in a cave because there is nothing safe to eat". In my opinion, that is NOT the purpose of the film. Yes, it can be disturbing and eye-opening. But, it doesn't need to scare you away from food or cause you to avoid anything that comes from an animal. I believe [most] animals are on this earth to provide nutrients for us (among other things), we just need to take better care of them. Additionally, they should not be the basis of our diet. Definitely not, "200 pounds per person per year."

Mr. Pollan sums up his belief into one, profound phrase..."Eat food, mostly plants, not too much." He also stated, "A lot of what you see in the supermarket I would argue is not really food. It's what I call edible, food-like substances." I couldn't agree with him more. He mentioned to Oprah that the supermarket can be so confusing, that there are cereals (Frosted Mini Wheats) promising to improves a child's focus in school. Those little wheat square may be "made with whole grain", but they are full of sugar. Yes, food companies are trying to fool us into thinking their products are truly healthy...most of them aren't. It is up to us to become educated, look at the label, read the ingredients, and decided if that is something we want to bring home to our family.

Another EXTREMELY interesting topic discussed was the amount of money we spend on food. "We spend less on our food than any people who have ever lived, than any people on earth - 9.5 percent of our income." Michael stated, "In 1960 18% of our national income was spent on food, and only 5% on healthcare. Today, 9% of our income is spent on food and a whopping 17% on healthcare. THE LESS WE SPEND ON FOOD THE MORE WE SPEND ON HEALTHCARE." It's true, American's LOVE cheap food. This is the American way, this is what has lead to the Western Diet - a diet that is high in fat and sugar and low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Before the Western Diet, populations did not have high levels of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, etc.

All these stats sure made me smile because I personally spend more money at the grocery store than most people I know who are in a similar situation (my age, married, children, financial...) and it was wonderful for my husband to hear. He would always encourage me to buy cheaper food (like the Captin Crunch that was 5 for $5) so we could save some money. I would always tell him otherwise, plus I couldn't be caught dead walking out of Harmon's with a sack full of Captin Crunch!!! I definitely do the best I can with the food budget I have and I am proud of it. I have to admit I was already doing a lot to support the cause of Food Inc. before I saw it, but there are a few things that it pushed me to be better at...

1. Buy fruits and vegetables in their proper season & reading where they were grown

2. Eating/preparing more meatless meals (which is easy for me, but hard for my hubby)

3. Purchasing grass-fed beef (which we only consume about once per week)

I know this topic may be a lot to take it, but the beautiful thing is that we all have the power to improve our food system. Pick 3 things that you can do better at. When those become normal, pick 3 more. Here are some examples...

1. Plant a garden this spring (only a few months away)

2. Support local agriculture and visit those farms (I am going to see the cows that supply milk for Winder Diary next month)

3. Cook more, eat out less

4. Support Meatless Monday

5. Buy free-range poultry and eggs (it really isn't much more expensive)

6. Avoid the cookie and cracker aisle

7. Don't buy cereals that are 5 for $5 they are likely the horrible kind

8. Drink more water and less soda

9. Read where your produce is coming from and pick a few to purchase organic

10. If you want junk food, bake it (one rule from Food Rules)