Falling Off The Wagon

This week has posed a serious challenge for me in terms of remaining on course with the Food Rules experiment. Lately I find myself skipping meals, and grabbing late night drive-thru items. When I finally do decide to sit down and eat, I tend to eat double the servings. After polishing off the value meal, I feel a sense of guilt and then I promise myself to return to the diet plan the following day. The next day comes around, and once again I rationalize why I just don't have the time or the energy to follow through with the diet. Instead, I feel compelled to grab something fast as a matter of convenience rather than because it is good for me.

Another problem I'm having with healthy eating is the holidays which are now here. Today is Halloween, and I just know that I will be around plenty of candy. One becomes two, and so forth, and then before you know it, I've had half of the bag. Even if I return to the diet on Monday, it will only be just a few weeks before Thanksgiving arrives, and then it's back to eating pumpkin pie, two or more healthy servings of cranberry sauce and other holiday favorites.

Although I know these next two months will be challenging, I am prepared to return to the plan tomorrow and see this thing through. During the time that I have participated in this experiment, I have found tremendous improvements in my energy level and overall health. I really enjoy being on the diet, it's just recently with my current demands that I have found it difficult to get back on track. Baby steps I guess.

Cooking Class

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to assistant-teach a cooking class with the Edible Schoolyard. It was somewhat of a nice change because I usually work in the cafeteria. This class was an after-school enrichment program from 3:30-5:30 so it definitely had a different feel than the typical classroom setting. For starters, we did not work in a kitchen. We cooked in a classroom using Bunsen burners while teachers came and went finishing up their after school work.

The setting definitely distracted the students. Also, you have to remember that they have been in class all day long. They got pretty rowdy. Sometimes, it was very difficult to get everyone to calm down and focus, but when we did, their reactions and comments to about the project were refreshing to hear.

We cooked two dishes based around sweet potatoes. (I wish I could remember the recipes. They were delicious and I would have liked to share them with y'all). Anyway, while we were cooking, I heard comments like "Yeah, my mom taught me how to do that. We cook together." And, "We should put LESS butter in the pot. It tastes better." And even, "This is too sweet!" Yes, perhaps the dishes may not have been first on the list of most healthy snacks. But, they were fresh, made of real ingredients, and based around a Thanksgiving theme.

I was shocked and delighted to hear their comments. They are all definitely much better cooks than I was at their age (9-13) and they all seem to also be rather healthy eaters. After we prepared the dishes, we all sat down and enjoyed the final products on real plates with real silverware. After all was said and done, I am still extremely proud of how the students behaved given the circumstances and I am even more proud of their healthy eating habits.

Evil Candy

This looks like an interesting NYT article about Halloween candy. It links to this blog about Samira Kawash, the Candy Professor.

Late Night, Noodles, and Kimchi

So it's about 11 something pm as I'm working on a sociology paper and skyping with friends. I was hungry and couldn't help myself but I made some noodles and added some kimchi. For those who don't know what kimchi is, it's pickled cabbages and it's sooo yummy and from Korea. I felt horrible cause it's late and the noodles aren't great for you, but if it's any constellation, I only use some of the spice package. DON'T, I repeat DON'T EVER use the whole spice package that comes in the noodle bags cause you should really read the sodium content, it's crazy. I try to use less than half and don't drink the soup afterward either.

So as I'm eating, I really think about what Briana said about food bonding and being a part of an experience and cultural experience. I'm from Vietnam where there are so many midnight snack stands. I remember when I visited Vietnam I would go eat clams and have drinks around midnight or if I wanted noodles there would be a stand for that too and that was just part of Vietnamese night life. I grew up watching a lot of Korean dramas and it never goes to fail that the characters somehow whine up going to a noodle stand in the middle of the night and eating away their problems or bonding over a drink. It's such a big cultural thing. So it's hard to avoid some food or some food rituals because that allows you to participate in that culture. Just something I was reflecting on. I kind of want another bowl of noodles, but I guess I'll wait to have some for breakfast...

The Age Old Money Question

I returned to one of my first concerns about this project this past Sunday. While shopping at Winn Dixie (cheaper than Robert's and Whole foods, but sometimes lacking in quality) I tried, as usual, to stick to the perimeters of the supermarket. I've found, as Courtney mentioned in her post on salad, that buying those pre-made bags of organic lettuce is pointless because I'm only one person and it goes bad so quickly. So I went straight for the salad bar and to my surprise...there was none. Okay, so then I decided to make my own salad with a head of lettuce (only $1.60), cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and salad dressing made from oil and vinegar. That was monetarily comprable enough. However, as I moved past the fish and meats I found no organic products, and at risk of seeming like a snob, none of the cheaper fish appealed to me and I can't afford the expensive kinds (lobster, wild salmon etc). I stopped by Whole Foods on my way home where the only fish I could afford was catfish and I didn't want catfish. Robert's is better comparitively, the swordfish and large shrimp averages around 6.99 a pound, and I only need one pound. However, I still find it a challenge to find meats that I can afford. The cheapest beef in the supermarket has the most fat on it (I know Michael Pollen suggests eating meat that stands on two legs or fish but I like to eat beef in tacos and pasta sauces; this is another post altogether) Organic meats are obviously the most pricey and I haven't found a brand I can afford.

Food Rules: The Edible Experiment, Week Eight

Journal Entry
Week Eight
October 22, 2010

Rule 25 “Eat your Colors”

This past weekend, I went to a friend’s 22nd Birthday BBQ. As always, when invited somewhere, I try to offer to bring something, both to help the Host and as a way of saying “thank you for the invitation!” My Host mentioned that it would be great if I could bring a salad. Personally, I love salad – it’s so versatile and of course, really healthy. Knowing that this was a barbecue and many people would probably attend, I decided to keep this particular salad pretty simple so to appeal to a wide variety of tastes. I purchased some fresh spinach, fresh romaine hearts, fresh white mushrooms, and matchstick carrots. I took half of the spinach, chopped 1 ½ of the romaine heads, sliced the mushrooms, and tossed all with the carrots and put in a nice crystal bowl to make a pretty presentation. (Some of you may think that the crystal bowl was a little overboard for a salad at a backyard bbq, but if you know me, you’d expect that… I tend to make things really elegant :) Not as many people came to the bbq as were expected, so I was left with a lot of the salad to take home. Not that I minded; I had been meaning to get back to eating a salad almost every day, but have found that lettuce/spinach seems to go bad so quickly that I couldn’t eat it all in time and felt as though I were wasting every time I threw out half of it because it was rotted. (Although, Pollan would probably approve of my “eating food that will soon rot”)
Left with all of this extra salad (plus what I still had in my fridge that I didn’t bring to the bbq,) I’ve had to get inventive with my salad add-ons. For example:


Sunday’s Colorful Plate:
- Mixed greens, which included dark green spinach and purple cabbage
- Sliced red strawberries
- Dark Red Cranberries
- White Feta Cheese


Tuesday’s Colorful Plate:
- Dark Green Spinach
- Lighter green Romaine
- Orange matchstick carrots
- White/grey sliced mushrooms
- White feta cheese
- Dried fruit: Golden raisins, Crimson Cranberries, Purple Raisins, and Dark Brown Dates
- Sliced leftover Porkchop from last week’s cooking experiment, heated and served on top the salad

So far, the salads have been delicious and its been really fun to play with colors. I’ve heard that the more colors you eat, the wider variety of vitamins and minerals you are getting. And typically, I don’t eat salad dressing on my salads, usually the few add-ons that I put on top give plenty flavor.

I strongly recommend trying the Sunday Salad – those mixed greens with the sliced fresh strawberries? Sounds strange, but add nuts if you choose (I don’t like them, but the recipe called for them) and drizzle with a little pepperjelly vinaigrette – DELICIOUS!

Does anyone have any good salad ideas or recipes for a salad that you like a lot and care to share?

even though I saw her throwing handfuls of MSG into my food...

Last Friday, as Tien has mentioned, was Loyola's Country Fair. There were tables set up with students representing a decent parcel of the globe, and many of them featured food from their country's respective culture. Samples ranged from Guatemalan rice pudding, assorted delicious spicy mushes to be eaten with fingers from Ethiopia, fried noodles from the Philippines, waffly looking desserts from Belgium, Italian hazelnut gelato, Chilean empanadas con queso o carne y pebre, "American" gumbo, etc..... I wondered as I walked around, sniffed and sampled, exactly how many of Pollan's rules were being broken by the tables collectively. And I didn't really care.

I remember before I started making going abroad a semi-regular thing, I was extremely health-conscious, mostly due to my father's anti-white-flour-and-high-fructose-corn-syrup brainwashing throughout my childhood. On my first true international experience aside from random vacationing in the Caribbean I was volunteering in Belize and our meals were prepared by a Belizan cook. As often as I could before it was already dumped on my plate, I told her I didn't want the white rice; I remember it breaking her rhythm. I also only very hesitantly would eat the Jiffy peanut butter (loaded with high fructose c.s.) we had as an on-the-go lunch option. I grumbled to myself about white bread--basically my steadfastness to my health principles was making meal time an unenjoyable experience, uncomfortable for the host, and setting me apart from the rest of the group (though a bit less so than the no-gluton dieter) that would just say "thank you" and eat eagerly. Eventually my resolve to eating healthy was overpowered by my desire to eat like the rest of the group and be glad for food and the sharing of it. Since that experience, and my more intensive year in Chile in which my host mom Tatiana would stress that though we did not always have very much or very delicious foods to eat, there would always be something on our plates and made with love at that, I have viewed food very differently. Sure, little pieces of sliced hot dog over pasta, instant mashed potatoes, single ingredient salads were not my favorites. But I was culturally engaged in eating as they did and bonded to my host family by the sentiments behind the food. It no longer became important if the bread was white or whole grain, but that we had it and were eating together, a shared moment of relaxation.

I guess what I am getting at is that I hope to never be such a healthy eater that it interferes with my ability to receive hospitality. Food is as much symbolic as it is literal.

Word from Dr. Pollan!

Hey Class! I checked my inbox today and was just tickled to have an email from who other than Michael Pollan! I send him an email from myself, Tien, and Tom on behalf of the class inviting him to view our blog. Here's the original email, and here's his reply:

On Sat, Oct 23, 2010 at 9:37 AM, cmorris wrote:

Hi Dr. Pollan,

We are students at Loyola University New Orleans, currently
enrolled in a "Green Literature" course that is being
offered here this semester. Our course requirements include
the option of reading and tackling your "Food Rules" as one
of our semester projects, choosing different rules to follow
and posting our results weekly on a class Blog.

Since most, if not all, of the class has decided to pursue
this challenge, we thought that you might be interested in
hearing our thoughts about "Food Rules," seeing what some of
our favorite rules are, and sharing in our successes and
failures as we challenge ourselves to "Eat Food" over the
course of this semester!

Moreover, we would be honored if you would consider
participating in our Blog to view and comment on our posts,
and wanted to invite you to join us!

http://eatersmanual.blogspot.com/

Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Courtney Morris, Tien Tran, and Tom Martenstein
Representatives of "Green Literature" ENGLA394

Reply on Sat, Oct 23, 2010 at 4:48 pm Michael Pollan

This is great, thanks. Don't think I'll have time to contribute, butI'm looking for new rules, so you might solicit them and send on. I'll let you know which if any I can use-- this is for a new edition.

Are you up for the challenge? Let's come up with some NEW rules for his new edition! I emailed him back and let him know we were definitely interested, so let's show him what we've got!

Post all ideas under this thread, and I'll compile and send them at the end of the semester. Yay!

"Food Rules" PotLuck

You are all hereby invited to contribute a dish to the "Food Rules" PotLuck, to be held on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 @ 3:30pm. Directions to follow.

In the meantime, please post under comments the dish you plan to prepare, recipes and all. I think this'd make a nice catalogue of food to celebrate the experiment!

UPDATE: please bring your own individual plate, drinking cup, and napkin (preferably cloth--which I'll be happy to wash). I have enough silverware for all. I'd like to see how little waste this gathering can produce!

Also, if you need to cook anything or warm anything, please feel free to use my stove, microwave, toaster, etc.

And, finally, not all of you might be keen on cooking/baking/making something. So feel free to bring a store-bought food or drink item. I have water and some juice always to hand, but if you want anything in particular, bring it!

Plants Want to Live Too

This post on the new Antennae blog tells it like it is (sorry vegans). Antennae is about art and “nature.”

Michael Pollan gives a plant's-eye view | Video on TED.com

Michael Pollan gives a plant's-eye view | Video on TED.com

Listening to Your Body

The other night, my parents and i went to a new buffet that opened up. The main reason for them wanting to go was because they served lobster every night. First of all, I don't even care for buffets that much because they are more aim towards quantity, rather than quality and I don't eat as much as I used to so it was kind of a waste. I felt horrible that nigh because of the salty and oily food I ate. After awhile and especially since really being aware of the food I eat, my body told me that it did not appreciate me polluting it. Plus I had a soda the other day and that was a no no. I felt bloated all day. And I am realizing more and more what is good and what isn't good for my body.

I also am listening to my body much more. If I am slightly hungry I'll have a snack, and recently I've been able to eat less and stop eating when my body/brain tells me that I'm full.

I also like eating more simply. One of my favorite dishes that I like to make it Vietnamese chicken salad. I'll post the recipe here. Also so glad to see Briana, Cait, and Tom at the Country Fair. That was a fun way to taste and see the food from so many other different nations!

Vietnamese Chicken Salad
Boil chicken, then shred it.
Slice Onions, and green onions.
Cilantro.
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, Tony Chachere's.
and squeeze half a lime over it.

Just mix everything together and most Vietnamese thin slice cabbage and throw it into the salad it's super good, fast, simple, and basic! I hope yal try it out soon.

Food Rules: The Edible Experiment, Week Seven

Journal Entry
Week Seven
October 14, 2010

Rule 63 “Cook”

In my Farmer’s Market post a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned a particular booth there that was selling salt-free spice and seasoning blends. “Moroccan,” “Greek Blend,” and “Italian Blend” were among the many that this particular vendor (a sweet, somewhat older lady) had for sale. (Their names were much more appetizing sounding; I’m sorry my memory isn’t doing them justice. But I know they would be delicious in “cooking ethnically” as ekkerr posted below!)

Purchase one of these delicious blends I did, and last week, was able to use it in a few different dishes that I – yes, I actually – cooked!

I had bought the “All & Sundry Seasoning,” which claims that it is perfect for Soups and Stews, Meats, Roasts, and Casseroles. Best of all, no salt! The vendor recommended using it on chicken as a spice rub before cooking, too.

The ingredients are as follows: “Lots of love, Parsley, Marjoram, Celery, Savory, Thyme, Sage, Onion, Pepper, Basil, Garlic, Bay Leaf, Rosemary, and Sun Dried Tomato.

The first time I used this spice mixture, I actually had made a beef stew with carrots, onions, bell pepper, and garlic in my crockpot (You guys - crockpots are awesome for busy college students! Simply put in any ingredients of your choice, turn on low, and voila! Six to eight hours later, just as you are arriving home starving from school, you have a delicious hot meal ready to eat! I even hear you can make cakes and stuff in those things. That’ll have to be cooking experiment #2). I used the All & Sundry blend in the stew and it did add a nice extra layer to the flavor. I also used it as a rub on stewed pork chops that I made, and added a little extra garlic and sliced onion and cooked those on low for about an hour or so until they were nice and tender. Overall, while I still sometimes feel like I need extra salt, I really like having the control over how much salt I add into whatever it is I am cooking.

And, I’ve always loved cooking, but living as one person sometimes proves everyday cooking to be a challenge: proportions and measurements for just one person, leftovers, more leftovers, frozen leftovers a week later… you get the idea. Plus I do not always have the time or the fresh ingredients on hand that it takes to actually cook a hot meal. So in the event that I can’t cook for myself any given week, I just head out to my family’s house where mom always has a hot meal going…mmm, and speaking of, I can’t wait for cooler weather and mom’s gumbo! (I’ll have to bring some of the Spice blend and have her put it to the test, too!)

Rule #41

I have recently become very enthusiastic about Rule #41 "Eat more like the French. Or the Japanese. or the Italians. Or the Greeks."

Although, I believe the "American" take on Italian food (lots of cheese and carbs) defeats the purpose of this rule. Basically, Italian restaurants will often have lots of fried foods (chicken, eggplant, or veal parmesan) as well as mounds of noodles. More traditional Italian dishes include lean fish, whole grain pastas and breads, as well as homemade tomato sauces. My interpretation of Italian food usually includes Classico four cheese sauce (which has more than five ingrediants including high fructose corn syrup), plain white noodles, and mounds of Kraft parmesan cheese. Not a healthy meal by Food Rules standards. However, I have recently added shrimp cooked in olive oil, pesto sauces, whole grain and fresh pastas, and a salad on the side. MUCH better.

Also, Greek food. I would love to try and adapt my diet to include more traditional Greek foods. however, the only Greek food I have access to is Byblos in the Tulane LBC and the verdict is still out on whether or not that is an acceptable meal by Food Rules standards. I'm sure the chicken is a little too fried, and I can't account for all the ingredients but it does follow the "eat your colors" rule and has alot of veggies.

As far as Japanese goes, I have yet to try and cook it myself. Maybe the sushi rolls and teriyaki chicken would work with the Food Rules. The Japanese food that I like most is tempura and highly marinated beef kabobs (no veggies just beef). Also, most Japanese restaurants serve white rice. I'm not sure what authentic Japanese food is like, I've only been to a few restaurants.

French- What I would like to try next.

Michael Pollen suggests you follow cooking from just one culture because people who do tend to be healthier. It is not necessarily the food you consume, but portion sizes and balance that make a huge difference as well. Take French food for example: in my experience, lots of mayonaise, carbs, and butter. But the French have a way lower obesity rate that goes along with their vastly different attitude towards food.



Also, on a side note: my most recent trip to Whole Foods was to buy my dog organic food. I figured if I feel healthier eating organic than he might appreciate food that follows the crucial rule "avoid food that has ingredients a third grader cannot pronounce"

Affluent Malnutrition

If you've been in and out of airports and hotels for two days, like I have—just two days—you will feel highly malnourished. I start to feel it about a day in to any trip that involves “eating” the “food” that these “venues” “provide“ (nb scare quotes). You spent all this money, and for what?

Po-boy sickness = success!

I just wanted to say that I thought Greg's presentation was awesome and made veganism, or at least vegetarianism, very appealing with the incorporation of ahimsa. I like the awareness that what you choose to eat, or consume in general, has spiritual or humane implications past the physical. Our eating a chicken poboy (which after 3 days of no meat made me feel quite ill) is undeniably participation is the inhumane (funny term) treatment of other living beings.

I do wonder though why some vegans also choose to not eat honey, when the bees are clearly glad to make it and treated with much care (else the sting). Is it the general domestication of the bees that is considered a violence on them?

Fast Food- farmer's market style

Lately I have been trying to pretty much sample different markets and so far I really like the Crescent City Farmer's Market uptown. It is extremely close to school and open before I have to go to class. I went there this past Tuesday and was able to have lunch. I bought a wheat wrap stuffed with spinach and artichoke. It was delicious! Also, I had a real hot tamale! However, I was under the impression one was able to eat the wrapping but it seemed too hard. I just opened it up instead and ate the filing which tasted much like grits and cheese. Maybe this is what it always was..? To finish my meal I had a container of honey lemonade, which I really enjoyed. I plan to stop there every Tuesday on my way to school and grab lunch. I highly suggest trying the fruit popsicles which do not contain extra sugar.

I think the worst thing about markets is there availability. They are only open on certain days for a few hours, and being a full-time student with two jobs makes it difficult to find time to go. That is why fast food services, such as, the 24 hour McDonalds and "open till 2 a.m." Wendys, is able to get so much attention. They are always available any time and have many locations.

The world is seriously backwards; society has cheap available imitation food and expensive scarce healthy food. Since when did this happen?

Food Rules: The Edible Experiment, Week Six

Journal Entry
Week Six
October 7, 2010

Rule 59 “Try not to eat alone”

Now this rule always gets me, because I live alone…and therefore find it very hard not to eat alone! I guess I could put a mirror in front of me while I’m eating…but that would totally freak me out so I usually refrain from doing such things. I do occasionally eat with my family on the weekends when I go home to visit them; in fact, I look forward to Sunday dinner with the family because quite frankly, it gets pretty lonely night after night sitting there with a bowl of cereal or scrambled eggs or oatmeal (don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love breakfast! I love it so much I often eat it for dinner :) If I had to pick a favorite meal, I’d say it would have to be breakfast. And then breakfast again for dinner. Naturally. (I really like it.) But I digress.

So anyway back to this problem of me finding people to eat with. Well the characters in my books that I study for school while eating (I know, I know, breaking the “refrain from multitasking rule”) aren’t the best company. So when I do get the chance to go eat with friends, I usually take advantage of the offer! Now last week I mentioned the new Organic restaurant that my friend and I went to visit, and promised a dissertation on the matter. Yet I’d rather not consider this a dissertation so much as a little slice of a really incredibly cool experience! During the course of our explorations at the Farmer’s Market last weekend, my friend (Rachel) received a text from another friend of ours who was in town and who wanted to get together for lunch. It was a really beautiful day, and we were already out and about, so of course we said yes, absolutely! Well I had been hearing raving reviews of this new little café that just opened up here in Covington, called Toad Hollow. I had heard that they were “all-organic” or, at least, all-natural, and that their food was simply delicious and simply must be tried! And thinking back to the Farmer’s Market that I attended (was subjected to Community Service at?) a year ago, I remember them actually serving samples of their little tasty goodies and remembered how people had raved at how delicious they were. So I suggested going to this little café to check it out and see if it was really as good as claimed.

Now, neither Rachel nor I are 100% “let’s only eat organic food for the rest of our lives” type of people, but both of us are very health conscientious and do strive to balance a healthy diet and good solid exercise regimen, and we both hit up the gym several times a week. So we both were curious about this new restaurant and really eager to try it. Now of course, when we arrived, our friend immediately said “Toad Hollow? Gee how unappetizing that sounds!” (Hey I thought it was kind of a cute name, but whatever) We proceeded inside, curious to find out what they had to offer.

The menu was filled with delicious-sounding delicacies, and amidst comments such as “wow all this stuff sounds so healthy,” and “do people really eat this way?” and “what the heck is couscous?” from our dear out-of-town friend, the peanut-gallery of one, I noted a section on the menu which said that none of the meat served there was treated with any type of antibiotic or additive. I also noticed that when they brought my Hibiscus-Mint iced tea (a specialty brewed fresh on the premises daily) there were no pink, yellow, or blue sugar-packets in sight!!! (Now THAT was a sight for sore eyes!) Only Stevia and turbinado sugar were available as natural alternatives to artificial sweeteners.

There were tons of delicious selections on the menu, which included everything from breakfast items made with cage-free eggs, all natural cheeses, and lots and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, to salads with light tasty dressings, to sandwiches, wraps, entrees, and even desserts, all of which fulfilled a large majority of Pollan’s rules – eat your colors, 2/3 veggies to 1/3 meat, no preservatives or fillers, names that could all be pronounced, all-in-all, a very well balanced menu and delicious twists on new meal ideas! And to boot, I was with friends and not eating alone!

Except there was only one tiny little problem: I was SO full from the breakfast that I had eaten before the Farmer’s Market, and from the sampling of many yummy things at the Farmer’s Market, that alas! all I had room for was my tea! I was going to buy something and take it home, but I figured that would completely ruin the experience because a) I wouldn’t be eating it fresh and in the ambience of the restaurant (sometimes that makes things taste that much better) and b) I would end up … what? Eating it alone?! No way, really?

So I just forfeited lunch that day for the moment, ate a sandwich later when I got hungry, and resolved to go back to Toad Hollow with Rachel very soon, where we could both enjoy a nice, healthy bite to eat without comments from our “less” health-conscious, out-of-town friends.

Rotten Life

So it has been nearly two weeks since I've been eating poultry and seafood again. My body is doing a bit better, but it gets cranky sometimes because all this fresh is rotten inside of it! A few days I had an average amount of meat as any other person would, but other days I hardly have any besides a slice on my sandwich. As I'm eating meat again, my diet is slowly changing because some chicken and seafood dish I eat require rice to be eaten with them, even though I try not to eat rice at all. Since I'm eating meat, I feel like I'm not eating as healthy as I use to be.

I've been reading the post and a lot of people seem to have trouble to eat healthy more and overcoming sweets. The first thing I want to address is eating healthy while being busy or living at school. I know people have busy lives and are constantly on the move. One thing I recommend is packing snacks, some sliced apples, a handful of grapes or nuts and just have that in your backpack so whenever you're hungry or have a few minutes possible even before class you can snack on them. As for living on campus, that is a tough issue. I wouldn't recommend this, but personally i would put food on my plate in the OR, then slip it into a plastic bag and bring it back to my room. I know buying your own food can be hard sometimes so I don't know what to suggest for that.

Then there is sweets! It really has been hard for me too because I love eating sweets! I can just eat icing out of the can! I still eat sweets, I don't care what that book says, but I don't eat a lot. I usually buy dark chocolate because supposedly it is better for you and eat one or two pieces a night. But with cakes and other things, it is sooooooo hard. I just want more and more. JUST SAY NO. That is all I have to say, don't give into sweet pressure.

I Ate the Meat!

Yes, I confess I ate the meat! I have been trying so hard not to eat any animals, but I just don't know how you non meat eaters do it in today's world. Meat is sneaky... Did you know its in Worcestershire sauce???? Oh yes its in there, so think twice before you drink the Bloody Mary. I have found there is a vegetarian version, so don't be fooled any longer.


I still struggle with the sweets the most and look forward to any and all suggestions on how to kick the sweets addiction.

I will admit that I have a new favorite food and it is Hummus. I think it goes with everything. Its a snack when paired with pita or dip cucumber for less carbs, its a meal when you make a sandwich out of it with lots of veggies. If I can find a way to make it into a desert I will let you know!

Nutritional Info for Hummus:

• High in Iron and Vitamin C


• Folate and Vitamin B6


• Chickpeas are good source of Dietary fiber


• Tahini is mostly sesame seeds, high in Amino Acids

Indulge and enjoy!

If you thought Pink Chicken Nugget Goo was bad...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101012/bs_yblog_upshot/mcdonalds-happy-meal-resists-decomposition-for-six-months

Happy Meal project's startling results!
I couldn't wait until class to bring this in as a "current 'event'"... Go to and Read the article above; I'd love to hear your thoughts.

If it is true, and untampered with, and has stayed on a shelf like that for 6 months, can we imagine what it might do to your body??

Smart Choices?

Every Tuesday and Thursday I enjoy tutoring young and old adults at the Presbyterian church on State St. They are preparing to take the GED. Today, my session was cut short because we the had a visitor, a nutrition specialist. Visiting from the LSU AgCenter of Research & Extension, a woman dressed in scrubs (I am unsure of her position) offered the group a list of dietary guidelines. The sheet of paper she handed out was from 2005.

According to the sheet, a recipe for good health includes eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, reducing intake of saturated fats and sodium, and adding exercise to your daily routine. Okay, sounds good!

Unfortunately, she went on to provide information that was rather contradictory to Pollan's Law. For example: eat margarine instead of butter, drink skim milk instead of whole or 2%, eat yogurts such a Yoplait, and eat Cheerio's and TrailMix (items advertised on television).

Anyway, I think overall it was a successful presentation and the students added their personal stories of attempting to eat well. However, I had a difficult time getting past the fact that a hospital/health representative was giving dated and usually incomplete information to a group of people who seemed rather susceptible to her every word.

Also, she never spoke of the horrors of processed food. When someone made a joke about Oreo's, she said that those were her favorite.

I asked the group why apples and oranges were never advertised on commercials and the class comedian responded, "Haven't you ever seen the Fruit of the Loom commercials?"

Habits Manifest

Pollan cites chronic diseases, cancer, and a shortened lifespan to advocate a decrease of meat consumption. It's a great tactic, scaring the beef out of us, and the leniency in Food Rules regarding meat is a little comforting: "Treat meat as a flavoring...," (p53, #23), the stress on the phrase "eat mostly plants" in rule 22, and rule 29, "Eat like an omnivore." The permission to eat a food he attributes so much bodily harm to couples with the guidelines towards the end of the book on enjoying treats, breaking rules, ripping pages. It might be a bit of submission by Pollan as he accepts our love for food and is slightly forced to give an overwhelmed, guilty-feeling reader something of a buffer and some comfort. It might also be an acceptance of these 'occasion foods' as a little necessary-- that our contemporary tastes have developed and our cravings become acute, powerful, and easily satisfied by a massive production strucuture that delivers our comfort food so quickly and in quantity.

I think I'm feeling healthier. Friends and I did the "Master Cleanse" a few months ago, fasting for 4 days while drinking lemon, pepper, and syrup the entire time. We agreed that there weren't any noticeable changes to our physiques or moods, that we didn't even feel particularly healthy. Under Food Rules, I've accepted my salads and have even compensated for the decrease in how much meat I eat by having grilled vegetables, the slight char delivering at least the flavor for a craving. Habits have set in (this week is a half-way point, isn't it?) and this is actually a little exciting or at least reason to be very optimistic that a feeling of health, of STRENGTH, OF VITALITY will come around. That I'll be able to lift cars, chew mountains, and jump higher.



Statistics on American meat consumption-
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/resources/research/stats_meat_consumption.html

cup-o-noodle neuroses

I was feeling particularly curious about processed foods today, as I seem to not be able to completely avoid them and their mysterious hard-to-pronounce-and-visualize additives yet (I found my seemingly innocent lightly salted Planters Peanuts actually contained Maltodextrin, Cornstarch, and Corn Syrup Solids, whatever that is). So I looked up the history of food processing for kicks and to gain some insight on how adding extra ingredients to whole foods can benefit a company at all and will share a few links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_processing
("Similar processes are used to produce animal feed." HAHA!)

http://www.wisebread.com/the-dirty-secrets-of-food-processing-strong-stomach-required


I also found out that every time I have a bowl of non-milk-color changing cereal (which I guess we have consensused is already generally evil) I inadvertently am still breaking the no-sugar-in-the-top-3-ingredients-rule, even with the healthier cereal selections (I probably should have taken 4 more seconds to read the ingredients before buying). So I guess I could eat dry, plain oats for breakfast, because the low-fat milk is already a no-no, but alas, isn't Quaker too an ill-doing company? I am starting to get paranoid that everything I buy is having a detrimental effect somewhere down the line, be it nutritional, environmental, social; I become frightened, fear all forms of consumerism. If anyone knows any companies with spotless track records in all areas, please share before I become an airtarian or a Jain monk.

I'm Sorry I'm Fat

I had a bottle of coke today and pumpkin seeds that contain 'titanium oxide' and finished someone else's meal after my own and I'm sorry. I do feel slow, so noticeable consequences at least affirm that my body has adjusted to the vegetable/fish heavy diet. A silver lining. Silver like a Babe Ruth candy bar....

I've broken the rules once in a while, like I'm told to. Pollan uses Oscar Wilde's bit on page 139, "All things in moderation. Including moderation." To this I add that the quickest way to get rid of a temptation is to indulge it. Having said this, I think I've crossed a line as habit is starting to take over my usual diet so that the moments of indulgence feel like exactly that and are getting to be kind of rare. It feels great and that's why I'm so sorry I've been terrible today, a terrible experiment, a terrible student, I had 4 or 5 pancakes this morning instead of the 3 that came with my order and I didn't check the syrup ingredients and I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm talking to my belt.

Time Crunch

I am finding a recent challenge with the rules that require you to limit your portion sizes, and also chewing until your meal virtually becomes a liquid smoothie in your mouth. I have always been accustomed to eating "healthy" servings of food, and tend to put them down rather quickly. Since I maintain a very active lifestyle and expend many calories, I find that I stay hungry throughout the day unless I pile on the additional servings during meals. As an employee of the university I have access to the Orleans Room and usually take advantage of the salad bar and vegetarian line. This convenience makes it more accessible for me to choose healthier food items, but it does not stop me from loading up on the portion sizes; this actually creates an adverse effect because my rationale is that since I am eating things that are good for me, then I should increase their amounts too.

A problem with my current occupation as a campus police officer is that I have a very limited time to really sit down and enjoy the meal. I often have to cut lunches short, eat on the go, or guzzle it down so that I may respond to the radio if an emergency situation arises. These emergency calls that I receive are often frequent, and hinder my ability to stay true to some of the rules within the diet. To make-up the difference I will overeat later on in the day, increase portion sizes, and attempt to get as close to a "healthy" meal as my time allows, or just skip altogether. I know these eating habits are not a good practice, and I am currently trying to find better solutions for these types of situations, so if anyone has any advice on these matters I could really use it right now.

you are how you eat, really.

So now that I'm thoroughly brushed up on what to eat and what not to eat (I am aware, whether or not I have succeeded in following many of the rules), I move onto "How should I eat?" Several of these rules present particular challenges to my habits. Rule #55, in example: "Eat meals." I tend to eat like a bird—a little bit of this, a little bit of that, as hunger rises 'til it fades (Why limit yourself to one pallet of tastes, I say? Have a bit of everything!). So this one is especially difficult. I do agree with Pollan that in this way of eating, it becomes a bit more problematic to keep track of exactly what and how much you are eating a day. And though I do try to be conscious to cover an array of foods for nutritional completeness, snacking does become very much whim to the particular cravings of a moment. I guess this is one to work on then, or at the least I should be able to keep track of my snacking and see that it is amounting to meal-sized proportions.

I was surprised by the stat Pollan included in #55: “One study found that among Americans ages eighteen to fifty nearly a fifth of all eating takes place in the car.” I don’t think I can articulate on how many levels this information is disturbing and depressing. What kind of animal are we?!! It seems we are a species that has moved closer to resembling machines than the rest of that kingdom. We must fuel ourselves on the go in order to operate our also consuming mode of going. And it is amazing how many environmentally degrading industries we can support at one time: while driving in an automobile that is both made of and propelled by non-renewable resources, you can eat a Big Mac made from factory farm cows (we can even throw in some of that pink nugget goo that was once a supposed chicken) on a bun made of highly refined flour grown on highly refined land, contribute to CO2 emissions, and all at once be completely detached of what the vital process of eating really is at base (living). Talk about multi-tasking. This modern American culture is a culture of sad solitary overeaters that do not know that eating is much more than something you have to “get out of the way” in order to live out all the “to-dos” of the day.

snacks.

I want to say the best thing I've done since reading the Food Rules book is snack better. I no longer regularly eat potato chips, junk food with tons of sugar, fast food, or drink soft drinks. What I think is helping this transformation is not allowing these types of "edible foodlike substances" in the house. Instead I am buying avocados, hummus, wheat pita bread, cheese spread from the farmers market, and fresh fruits to eat between meals. Thanks to the new "diet" I can honestly say I feel better. I do not feel full and nasty after eating like I did when I would eat potato chips. I feel healthy and light not weighed down and tired. I plan to continue these eating habits and hope to continue to eliminate foods that aren't whole foods.

NOTE: hummus from the farmer's market tastes so much better than the supermarket brands.

MUST TRY: Cajun Fresh Chevre (spicy goat cheese) Hollygrove Market

Covington Farmers Market: Directions!

For anyone who is interested!! Come visit! And if you're going come for a morning, plan to swing by for lunch at the new Toad Hollow Organic Cafe & Restaurant, just a couple blocks away!

http://www.covingtonfarmersmarket.org/index.shtml
^^^ CHECK out the website for Vendor info, cool pictures, etc!
(The hyperlink thing wasn't working so just copy and paste that into your browser)


Driving directions to 609 N Columbia St, Covington, LA 70433
51 minsLake Pontchartrain Causeway
41.1 mi

Start:
Loyola University
6363 Saint Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA 70118-6195

Loyola University New Orleans
6363 Saint Charles AveNew Orleans, LA 70118
(504) 865-2011

1. Head west toward St Charles Ave 243 ft
2. Turn right at St Charles Ave 0.4 mi
3. Turn right at Broadway St 1.2 mi
4. Turn left at US-90 W/S Claiborne Ave
Continue to follow US-90 W 3.0 mi
5. Turn right at Causeway Blvd 4.1 mi
6. Continue onto Lake Pontchartrain Causeway 24.0 mi

Once you cross the Causeway, stay straight for about 8 miles toward Covington. You'll be on HWY 190. The road will fork right before it goes over an overpass - veer right at this fork. You will see a Walgreens on your left and a Rouse's on your right. Continue until you cannot drive any further (about 0.2 miles) and take a left at the light. You will be on Boston Street. Continue through downtown on Boston until you see Columbia Street. (There will be a light at Columbia). Take a right, and the Farmers Market will be a few stop signs down on your left! You can't miss it!

(Farmers Market Address: 609 N Columbia St, Covington LA 70433)

Sometimes there is Just Frustration

I hope my fellow Food Rulers will understand when I stress my frustration on following many of the rules. The 5 ingredients rule, ok was easy enough. The not eating items made with ingredients a child could not pronounce, was even kind of fun at times. I have been able to almost stop eating meat all together. But the rules on sweets are just some how unattainable for me. The weeks passs and the frustration mounts on my quest to limit the sweets. I have refused to give up on social occasions just to avoid the deserts. I will share a sinfully glorious picture of my most recient Pollan shortfall. This was ofcourse a special occasion with my better half but I am unable to hold myself back.

If anyone has advice or would like to share your secret for mastering these types of situations please share your feelings, I am open to all of your ideas. Rule #60 you are the rule I must conquer.

seasoning alternatives.

As I walked through farmers market I was contemplating on what I should eat for dinner. As I got to one of the last stands I noticed I hadn't cooked meat in awhile. I ended up buying 2 pounds of shank. I had never heard of this meat before, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I thought about how I usually cook meat; I use butter, tons of salt, lots of pepper, tony's, etc. when seasoning. I continued to walk through the booths thinking how I could make my meat have good flavor without all the sodium. At the very last stand in the back they were selling peppers. I have never seen meet cooked with actual peppers but I though perhaps the peppers could replace a lot of the added seasoning. I bought a mixed bag with bell peppers, Jalapeno peppers, spicy small red peppers, and mild yellow peppers and left.

The meat was very different from what I am used to. It was extremely thick with a good bit of fat. I rinsed the meat and cut it into pieces so it would not take as long to cook. While I let the pan get hot, I cut up the peppers and put a few in before the meat, occasionally sprinkling in some water. Next, I put the meat in and let it cook for about five minutes before put large pieces of peppers on top. I added a tiny bit of sea salt. I let the meat sit for another five minutes then I added some water before I let it finish cooking.

To my surprise the meat turned out delicious and spicy even though only five ingredients were used.

-peppers

-shank

-olive oil

-water

-sea salt

A New Menu

So this Monday I just started eating meat (chicken, turkey, seafood) again because I'm done with my annual seven weeks of vegetarian spiritual reflection, cleanse, or whatever you may call it. So in the last 4 days or so I haven't even had that much meat. I can actually tell you exactly what I had. A deck of cards worth of chicken that I ate from some curry, and 7 slices of turkey luncheon meat, and Kimchi that has some shrimp flavoring in it. I'm still eating pretty healthy and eating mainly salads and fruits, but with with me rearranging my diet, my stomach hasn't been too happy. As we may know, meat has to rot in our system before it is digested so I think my body isn't taking it well even though I'm not haven't even eaten that much meat. I think since I did my veggie period and eating really healthy, I feel like I don't even want or need as much meat as I used to eat - just enough for proteins. But whose to say I won't stuff my face with Popeyes next week? I'm just waiting to see how long it will take for my body to readjust to meat again.

I do think that you have to be careful not to let this book rule your life though. I mean the list is very long and extensive, even though we a lot of the rules are really simple to follow. Some of these rules I listen to, but have a hard time putting into practice. Rule 54, breakfast is suppose to be the biggest meal in the day and honestly I body can not physically bring itself to eat much more than a sandwich or some fruits early like that in the morning. I mean I do want to eat a lot in the morning and even if I'm really hungry, after I have a small portion of something, that it's for me, I don't want anything else for until a few hours later. It's tough trying to eat a good size meal in the morning because then my stomach just can't handle it. I have been really good at cutting out treats from my life though. I just don't bother buying them cause I'll just eat them. But I will now and then buy some York patties or chocolate cause I don't want to deprive myself of them. I think one of the most effective things you can do in this process if switch from snacking on sweets and chips to eating more veggies and fruits. Everyday I pack a lunch because I try to eat every few hours nowadays. I always pack a bag of fruits like kiwis, strawberries, grapes, and I throw some carrots in there too. Something delicious and healthy to snack on when you're hungry and it's completely guilt-free!

Another I notice now is that I opt out for the easy food options for meal. What I mean is that we are busy people and something we don't always have time to cook. I do fast meals like veggie and cheese panini, or just a salad if I'm really lazy. Couscous is quite easy too, just boil some water, seasoning, a can of dice tomatoes, boil, put in your cup of couscous, and turn of the heat and cover it and that's it. And sometimes when I get really lazy I just won't eat cause there's nothing really that healthy to snack on or I might just have an apple or carrots if there is one. In my family, my parents never buy us chips or cookies so if you want a snack you have to buy it yourself. So I have to be careful and make sure I always have food stocked in my cabinets so I don't starve to death.

P.S I'm not a Whole Foods store advocate nor do I typically shop there, but I notice their grain aisle was actually kind of cheap and stone ground wheat was actually cheap like .99 cents per pound or something. It's good that we try other grains like couscous, quinoa, and bulgar rather than rice.

Food Rules: The Edible Experiment, Week Five

Journal Entry
Week Five
October 1, 2010

Rule 15 “Get out of the Supermarket whenever you can”

So about two weeks ago, I had a dear friend of mine over to my house for coffee and to chit-chat (you know, like girls like to do). During the course of our conversation, she mentioned to me how she had really been wanting to visit some of the great Farmer’s Markets that we have here on the Northshore. I was like “OH MY GOSH YES! Because you see…” And then I proceeded to blurt out to her this huge gush of Michael Pollan Food Rules excitement and how one of the “projects” that I had chosen to do was to visit a Farmer’s Market! (I was simply bursting at the seams with excitement… poor girl must’ve not expected such an … energetic… reaction, haha)
Well, here in Covington we’re blessed to have one –may I say – AWESOME Local Farmer’s Market that meets every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 – 1 pm, never fails. I had had the opportunity to spend some time at this Farmer’s Market about a year ago, where they had numerous local vendors selling everything from fresh eggs to organic vegetables to local milk and cheese, to herbs, free-range chicken, goats meat, grass-fed beef, homemade salsa, fresh baked goods, and local plants. (Ok so I was actually there doing Community Service… but hey, it was a way better option than picking up trash on the side of the road, washing Fire Trucks, or paying for a $250 speeding ticket, right?) My job was to serve tea and coffee at the little tea/coffee stand and I had the pleasure of standing right in the middle of all the action, conversing with all the market visitors, listening to a live band play some folk music, and perusing all of the vendor’s booths, all while enjoying a beautiful day outside “serving my Community.” :)
I suggested to my friend Rachel that we plan a day in early October where the weather would be simply gorgeous and a little cooler, and that we meet early in the morning and go to the Farmer’s Market. She was all in, and also suggested that we visit the local Market in Abita while we were at it (which neither of us had been to, and to which idea I happily complied). So last Saturday, we met at about 10:00 at the Market, which was simply teeming with happy activity! There was a lady holding a chicken and selling fresh eggs, a beekeeper selling local honey, complete with a little glass/wooden case of BEES, (lol!) fresh herbs, fresh Salsa, freshly squeezed orange juice (literally squeezed right before your eyes), samples of gluten-free and homemade baked goods, pure fruit popsicles with no added sugars, homemade goat cheese, fresh whole grain breads for sale, fresh seafood, homemade natural dressings, spice blends, natural soaps, lotions, and oils, my goodness the list goes on! There was a band playing music, too, which just added to the aura of the day! It was so exciting, it really was. There was something about being out in the open, fresh air, and sampling all of these healthy alternatives to normal “supermarket fare” that was simply invigorating! We came across this one little stand that was selling spices with “no salt added.” I have always been a fan of no-salt added spices, but they are hard to come by since that is an easy and cheap way for manufacturers to add flavor. But this lady had blended many spices together without salt to create a “Moroccan Blend,” a “Greek Blend,” an “All & Sundry Blend,” …I can’t even remember the rest. But they looked and sounded delicious and cost MUCH less than your average bottle of spice would cost at the supermarket… these were a mere $2.50! (This is something you could probably do yourself, just blend up a bunch of spices and sell them, but who actually does that? No one. Except for this creative lady :) ) I had to get one. I opted for the “All & Sundry” considering that I thought it would be good on chicken, fish, in gumbo, beans, etc. I also thought it sounded good because she had included sun-dried tomatoes in it (which I simply love). I haven’t tried it yet, but will let you know how it goes when I get to rule 63!
Anyway, needless to say, my morning experience at the local Farmer’s Market was fabulous, and when shared with a friend, it was all the more fun! We headed out to the Abita Farmer’s Market but didn’t quite make it that far, another friend called us to meet for lunch… which we did… at a new, all natural and organic café here in Covington!!! What an experience… details to come very soon! Until then, you guys, seriously: GO TO A FARMER’S MARKET! A GOOD ONE. YOU WILL BE SO SURPRISED AND DELIGHTED WITH THE TREASURES YOU FIND THERE! And be sure to share your findings with the rest of us so we can live vicariously through your experience!! :) (Or hey, let me know if you’d like to check out the market over here… it’s great and really easy to get to… makes for a lovely drive one morning away from the city, too!)

Some online activity with "Food Rules"

Fellow Blogger: http://www.creamandsugarkitchen.com/cream-sugar/2010/01/2910.html

Oprah: http://planetforward.ca/blog/oprah-talks-food-rules-with-michael-pollan/

Michelle Obama: http://www.pbs.org/pov/blog/2010/01/michelle_obamas_food_rules.php

Today's Attempt

Alright, as a food journal/blog I feel like I should report some of my attempts at the Pollan challenge.

Today I went shopping with a roommate and (since this is one of the first real grocery shopping trips since we got the book) I figured I needed to pay more attention. So I focused on some of my favorite/ easiest to remember food rules.

6) Avoid food products that contain more than five ingredients.

7) Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce.

13) Eat only foods that will eventually rot.

14) Eat foods made from ingredients that you can picture in their raw state or growing in nature.

19) If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't.

23) Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food

25) Eat your colors

35) Eat sweet foods as you find them in nature

44) Pay more, eat less

Lets see how I did... (The red is what I feel breaks a rule).

Strawberries - "Driscoll's Only the Finest Berries", Watsonville, CA 95077, Product of USA

Cheese - "The Laughing Cow", Light Creamy Swiss Flavor, (50% Less Fat), Calories 35; Ingredients: Light cheddar, cheddar, swiss and semisoft cheeses (cultured milk and skim milk, salt enzymes), whey cream, sodium phosphate, sodium citrate, salt

Carrots - "Green Giant Baby Cut Carrots", Calories 35; Ingredients: Carrots

Salame - "Columbus Italian Dry Salame", South San Francisco, CA 94080, authentic Italian recipe, slow aged for optimum flavor, no gluten, no MSG and 0g Trans Fat per serving, Calories 90; Ingredients: Pork, Salt, nonfat dry milk, sugar, corn syrup, spices, wine, garlic, lactic acid starter culture, sodium nitrate

Crackers -"Classic Crackers", Minneapolis, MN 55403, Calories 70; Ingredients: Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate [vitamin B1], riboflavin [vitamin B2], Floic Acid), vegetable oil

Orange Juice - "Simply Orange", not from concentrate, pasteurized, Apopka, Fl 32703, Calories 110, contains orange juice from counties USA/Brazil

The worst foods were the crackers and the salame, which are two of my favorite things. However, I did get naturally sweet strawberries and yummy carrots. The plate was very colorful and the meat was not the main food group. I payed a little more for the salame and the cheese, which were delicious, but I guess (because of the salame) paying more isn't always the best. You still have to watch yourself. Other than that, I'm not sure how the orange juice is made from juice from both the US and Brazil?? Not sure about that one..

hmmm well, I tried!

Really?

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/snacklash-junking-a-virtuous-bag/?scp=1&sq=sun%20chips&st=cse

Frito-Lay's dumps biodegradable SunChips bag because customers say that it is too noisy.

One customer's comment: "if you can’t see why there’s a problem there, then I guess you don’t eat chips while watching TV."

Freetarian’s Apology

The trouble is not grocery shopping. I do just fine when I stock up in supermarkets—my purchases typically including: fruits, vegetables, organic milk and yogurt, hummus, cheese, eggs, pasta or rice or couscous, wheat or some other very grainy bread, natural peanut butter, fibrous cereals, vegetarian refried beans when I want to make some Mexican food, some wine or tasty beer from time to time—this is what I buy to eat. I do not like to purchase meat except for the occasional can of fish because I try not to support the factory farm industry, but I will not deny it if it is given to me or if I go out to a restaurant (I like my amino acids and think eating meat in essence is completely natural, just not the modern way it is “harvested”). I avoid buying snacks and sweets, knowing that if I buy them, I will surely eat them, and it is likely that some other scenario will arise in which I will have a chance to sneak in something less healthy. And it is in such scenarios that my resolute caves: I am a sucker for free food, in any form. Perhaps it is the survival strategy of a tight-budget college student that I have come to adopt. Or just the idea that if something is “free,” it is automatically good and this luck should be taken advantage of. Whatever the root, I have an extremely difficult time saying no to free food. It doesn’t even have to be a food that I like or looks appealing; I happen to not really like cake at all and still ate it twice in the past two weeks when it was offered to me. Even if I am not hungry or packed a lunch, I will eat free food with the rationalization that my groceries will last longer if I have the option to delay eating them (I can then eat my packed lunch as dinner). My friends and I are skilled scavengers, and if one of us comes upon free food, there is a chain of communication that ensures it is distributed and all are fed. Some of us even carry a Tupperware in our backpacks to be prepared for such an occasion. Maybe it is this communal wolf-packish practice that makes it so hard to quit; I could be sacrificing the wellbeing of the tribe (though a couple of weeks ago along with the cake I was offered bags full of finger sandwiches left-over from a school function that I immediately and joyously dispatched among friends but did not partake in their consumption). The point is, there is something very primal in the excitement of opportunistic eating. I witnessed this to an extreme when I worked at Costco as a sample-lady (yes, complete with a hairnet, apron, gloves, and wonderfully senile co-workers) and watched the hordes of members swoop down on my tray, rarely making eye contact, tunnel-vision on the watering hole. It is fascinating how food can on one hand bring out our most animalistic instincts of competition, on the other be the medium of deep bonding in its sharing (perhaps precisely because it is so valued). Anyway, in order to be able to abide Pollan’s plan for eating, this is something I must work on. I need to learn to say no to free. I guess I can still be fulfilled in the delivering the bounty even if I myself do not take a taste.

A Change in Lifestyle

One thing I’ve noticed about this project to eat as closely to the guidelines in the Food Rules book as possible is the number of changes that have come to my diet and to my lifestyle. I immediately knew that several things were going to be taken out of my weekly routines when I started this project but I did not think it would have quite the drastic affect. A few of the rules involve cutting back on foods that list sugar third under the list of ingredients, foods with ingredients that you cannot pronounce and foods that your grandmother would not recognize as food; so as a result I have stopped going to certain occasions that would involve eating one of these items.
To begin, I have turned down a few opportunities to go with friends to movies as these trips usually lead to eating popcorn, candy and soft drinks (on that note, the book also says to avoid eating when bored, and to eat when hungry). To avoid trying to figure out what is in the food at restaurants, I have been eating out less and less. It occurs to me that a number of the social experiences I have with many of my friends and family involves eating. It never really hit me before but this is true. In a city like New Orleans, there are few things to do other than eating or drinking. Even activities like going to see a movie or going bowling usually have eating or drinking mixed in somehow.
One thing I have noticed is my obvious lack of desire to continue reading labels and looking at names of ingredients I know I will never be able to pronounce much less recognize. My diet now is mostly comprised of fruits and vegetables that I know are fresh and “safe” to eat or a meal my mother or brother have made for dinner. Occasionally I do break from the rules between classes, especially if I have not eaten anything for breakfast, and grab a cereal bar from Loyola.
This project has not been the easiest to follow as I rarely ever go grocery shopping and don’t really enjoy doing it. But it has opened my eyes to a number of habits I have and how much better off I am without them. My mother and sister found out about this assignment and have decided to take part which is a great help since they do the majority of grocery shopping in the first place. To be extra careful they make a trip to Whole Foods every so often if they’re not sure about an item from the usual Rouses. I’ve noticed that the freezer has remained pretty empty except for meats and bread. Anything other than bread, meat, vegetables and fruits are usually bought from Whole Foods, like peanut butter, or canned tomato sauce.
Since most of this food is much more expensive than what we were buying, the amount of food itself in our house has gone done. We don’t usually buy anything in bulk anymore, so trips to either Rouses or Whole Foods have gone up. I find that this project is a lot easier to follow since I live at home and have foods made for me every night, but the challenge is to resist the temptation of getting a cup of coffee from Loyola in the mornings or buying something from work at 5 Happiness for lunch or dinner on weekends.

Microwaved Vegetables

I had the busiest weekend of my year (also known as sorority recruitment) and I came across a contradiction in the Michael Pollen diet. I'm really trying to keep my diet healthy (which comes in handy for this experiment) and follow the "Whole Foods" diet as much as my schedule/budget allows. This last weekend I found it IMPOSSIBLE to cook for myself; I barely had time to eat at all. So microwaved meals from the C-Store and mac n' cheese from flambeaux's became a staple in my diet. I started thinking about all the pre-packaged microwave meals that are offered in the C-store as well as groceries all over the country that are marketed towards the health-conscious. Amy's certified organic meals are even sold at whole foods as "healthy" vegan options to fast-eating. However, according to Pollen, just because a food is labeled "organic" does not make it good for you. I started to wonder about the new line of vegetables that you steam-cook by microwaving. Are these bad for you too? All of these options are healthier than the cup of greasy cheese and noodles I get from flambeaux's. So this caused me to question: how far is too far in the search for healthy foods? Should we always snub our noses at microwaved options or can we sometimes substitute the healthiest options (fresh foods; homecooked meals) for time and budget considerations in order to maximize our success. Microwave vegetables=more money in our wallets and time on our hands. If it is relatively healthy, how can this be a bad thing?

Lunch-to-Go

For those of us without much time during the day to sit and dine in the OR, Satchmo's serves up a pretty good lunch with their OR to-go. With the swipe of your meal plan (or, 8 bucks), you can have a hot meal to eat on the run. However, this option can be extremely inconsistent when it comes to following Pollan's rules, or any health rules for that matter. If you are unconcerned with what you put in your body, then this option is perfect.

The meal includes a meat, usually chicken, rice, a vegetable, a dessert, and drink. It is usually satisfying and incredibly substantial. However, for health-and-environmentally-conscious-meat-and-dessert-avoiders, the meal quickly slims. I opt out of the chicken and am offered a double helping of rice-not the best choice (it's always white or yellow rice). Then, I pass on the dessert. Sometimes, I can persuade them to substitute it with a whole fruit, but the fruit is not always available. When it comes to the drink, the options are soft drinks in a recyclable aluminum can or bottled water. I have been avoiding the poison sodas, so that's a no. And, I already have a re-usable water bottle on me, so no drink and no substitutions. I give the company the same amount of money, but receive a less amount of food in return.

However, I have had good luck there in the past. Once, the server offered to substitute the meat for a delicious tomato/humus/lettuce sandwich that she was making. And once, she offered a double helping of carrots instead of rice. And once, I enjoyed a banana in place of the chocolate cake. Such flexibility seems to depend on who is working which day. Most of the time when I say "no chicken please," I get a stare like I'm crazy.

Eating healthily, or consciously, on campus is difficult. Eating "on-the-go" is even harder.

Campus eating...

So I live in an apartment, which is great to cook and control my food intake. However, since sorority recruitment and starting work right afterward, I've had to get food on the go. I won't get out of work until pretty late and during the day and running from one event to the next reading assignment to yet another meeting. So what to do?

"Food Rules" certainly hasn't been ruling my life as of the last week, but I want to try to find better fast food- that doesn't come out of my window. Usually I buy the yummy Special K bars, but that has at least 5 ingredients that I can't pronounce let alone a 5th grader. With that in mind, the C-Store has every trans-fat you could possibly get, so don't get me started on Flambeauxs size portions. Eating healthy as a working-college student getting ready for grad school is certainly a challenge.

All in all, that is my next challenge to myself. I did a pretty good job when things were quieter, but following "Food Rules" needs to applicable to all levels of craziness that my come our way. It needs to be easy to find food (or at least prepare food) that can keep up with different lifestyles.

Tune in next time...

Plan to break the Rules

Last week I was the most successful yet at sticking to Food Rules. On Sunday I made a big trip to Winn Dixie.... whole wheat pasta, vodka sauce with real ingredients and no preservatives, tons and tons of veggies, brown rice, salads, olive oil, vinegar... These are things that I ate the whole week. Veggies on a bed of brown rice with teriyaki sauce is my staple dinner now. Its so filling and I get a huge surge of energy after. My only slip up last week, and I'm not even sure if this is a slip up, was getting a coffee at CC's. I wonder if coffee is breaking the rules?? And MILK... milk is a big question of mine..... In the diet book Skinny Bitch the authors have a whole chapter devoted to how disgusting milk is and how it should not be included in a healthy diet. I have always bought skim milk, and in Food Rules it says do not by anything that is 'low fat' or 'fat free'.... and that is exactly what skim milk is.

Anyway, I only ate meat once in five days, which is a huge change for me. I have discovered a useful trick to help me stick to food rules: PLAN when you are going to break the rules. On Sunday, when I made my pilgrimage to Winn Dixie, I told myself that if I was perfect all week and did not eat meat once, I would go to Raising Canes on friday and get a huge, delicious, greasy meal. All week I looked forward to this and stuck to the rules just so that meal on Friday would taste even better. And let me tell you..... it was SO good. So, so good. So now I'm back to a new week to try again, hopefully to be just as successful.

the Blog becomes Big Brother

It has taken me a while to confront my procrastination to start ruling my foods. I read, enjoyed and even felt that my habits were already generally in line with Pollan’s quirky take on eating, but somehow I resisted complying whole-heartedly to the regimen. Perhaps precisely because I perceive it to be regimen that my automatic instinct says “REVOLT!!” Strangely enough, I have found myself breaking the rules (rules that I would maybe even would naturally follow) more often since I’ve had the book in the back of my mind. Now I don’t typically consider myself one to defy for the sake of defiance, so I tried to dig a little deeper and explore why it is that I would sabotage my success in doing something I want to do anyway. I realized that this was in a way a parallel pattern to a lot of habits that I have wished to break, and have not yet had the discipline to do so. I have often and periodically told myself: “I will exercise, I will eat right and less, I will meditate, I will write letters to people I have met elsewhere and love, I will wake up early and stretch, I will set time apart for reflection and creation, I will smoke less, I will not procrastinate, etc.” The tune has become trite, has not changed, and only sometimes plays more loudly than others in my inner ear. It is not that over the years since this mantra first surfaced that I have been an unconscious slob, to a degree I do indeed do all these things, I just still lack the stability and regularity that I desire. I want my will and sense of wellness for myself to be stronger than any external temptations at any given moment, and in this I still waver. It seems counter-instinctual that an individual can struggle so much in self-nourishment and health, that these are things we choose to put off (see aborted New Year’s resolutions as example), but I suppose there are greater psychological forces at play (such the hedonistic draw to immediate gratification rather than the delayed gratification of a longer life, victimization by the advertising machine, socio-economic limitations, etc.) that endanger the chance of long-term survival. So I will bear all this in mind as I attempt to slowly mold myself some shape of discipline. Good news is that if I can begin to rule my foods, it may become easier to extend this exercise to other areas of my life. Maybe it won’t be such a bad thing.

Dough Crisis

Last night I was watching my nieces, both 10 and 7, while my sister and her husband went out to celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary. Before they came over to stay the night, I had realized that I didn't have anything stocked in the kitchen for them to eat. After scooping them up, our first destination was the grocery store. As we scanned each of the aisles along the perimeter of the store, I bought my typical healthly stock of items like almond butter, plain yogurt,fruits and veggies. I then entered into the forbidden middle section of the store and allowed the kids to choose their own goodies, as they did not have to comply with the rigid demands of the Food Rules Challenge. Instead of carrots or whole wheat cereal, they opted for Frosted Flakes and Chips Ahoy Soft Batch Cookies; which they later kindly polished off most of the bag while in my presence, I was so envious.

We had quickly made our way through most of the store without delay until reaching the bread aisle. There, I had encountered a problem which I did not typically expect to find when choosing a whole grain bread which violated the two rules where you're supposed to select products which have five ingredients or less, and eat only those things which a small child can pronounce. It appeared that all of the breads, including the labels listed with extra fiber, no fructose corn syrup or other additives, stone ground, or reduced sugar or sodium, still contained a ton of ingredients which would defy the book's best advice. Eventually we did end up locating one bread on the very top shelf which seemed to adhere to its claim of being human and environmentally friendly. I was elated to make this bread discovery as the kids were squandering around, bored looking at the numerous package labels, but it reminded me of just how difficult the process is when visiting most large grocery chains to find healthy choices.

I think all stores should offer larger selections of organic food, not just specialty stores where individuals won't have to make special trips to get basic items such as bread. Are the stores discriminating against customers by assuming that the only people that consume healthy foods are those who live in large urban areas with money? Are working class people who are living in the suburbs with larger families shopping more cost conscious then health conscious? I guess this is what the numbers reflect, so it is unfortunately demand which drives these chains to stock minimal amounts of the healthy stuff for most stores. At least for now it looks as if food makers themselves are making somewhat of an effort to make products which are less processed and offer better quality ingredients.

Pollan's book seems so easy to read, I just wished the same applied to finding food items sufficient enough to meet the book's criteria.

I am going...

Farmer's Market "Hopping" tomorrow! Ooo I can't wait!!

Food and Waste

I'm kind of having an issue with #61 - Leave something on your plate. Last night, I was cleaning some stuff out of my refrigerator and it really is true that we don't eat 20-30% of food we buy! I don't know the exact statistics, but it's something like that or worse. I threw out some withered veggies, bad yogurt, and some food that has been in there for a week! It just reminded me to not buy or cook too much food that I won't get around to eating. Back to rule 61 though. He says to always leave something on your plate, but without the afterthought of putting it in a container for later. I think he even goes to say feed the garbage can! I feel like you don't have to finish your plate if you save it for later, or just get smaller portions and come back for more later if you really wanted to. I understand his explanation of how as children we were always taught to finish our plate and that has followed us through the years. I still encourage to finish your plate, but only fill it with 2/3 of what you would normally eat so you won't have as much to clean off and you can eat more later.

I actually love rule #52 - buy smaller plates and glasses! I actually heard this on the radio and they said to try it. I usually like eating with a big spoon because I can eat more and go faster, but in theory it makes sense to eat with smaller bowls and spoons. I've been eating with a smaller spoon and bowl and it really has made a difference. You take so many scoops and then before you know it, you don't want anymore! So that helps you not go for seconds and you won't want to get as much either. To also reduce the amount of food I'm wasting, I tend to only cook enough for that day and eat what I have.

I won't lie though, the other day I totally binged on 5 beignets and then had chocolate wafer sticks, and I ate half a bag of croutons! Last night, I had ice cream right before bed too! It was horrible, haha. But I guess we're allowed to break the rules once in awhile. I'm so up for eating half a cake right now = D