You know you really should eat more fish. But one of the excuses you have always used was, "well, with all the mercury and pcbs, I don't know which fish are safe!"
Let me remove that objection with a list. Source: Ocean's Alive. Mission:
"The Environmental Defense Oceans program works to find constructive solutions to the most critical problems facing the world's marine environments.
Our team of scientists, attorneys, policy experts and economists focuses on protecting ecosystems and fisheries. Our Oceans Alive campaign builds on the team's decades of experience and efforts to stem the tide of decline in our seas."
Keep in mind that Oceans Alive is not just trying to protect you from bad fish. They are also trying to protect fish from bad people. (pollution, overfishing).
Link to Oceans Alive
Link to a printable pocket guide to fish selection (.pdf format) that you can take to the supermarket.
[thanks Jeff!]
[via Boing Boing]
Enough said?
(photo courtesy of pdphoto.org)
There's a report on the web site of the Health On the Net Foundation, a non-governmental organization in special consultative status with the U.N. It seems there's further evidence that trans fats consumed in high quantities will have a major impact on the health of your heart. The report quotes Dr. Frank Hu, senior author of the study and an associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, as saying:
This study just reinforces the idea that trans fat is bad -- worse than saturated fat -- and we need to make a concerted effort to reduce trans fats, including individuals, food manufacturers and policy-makers.
To read the full report by the Health On the Net Foundation click here: High Trans Fat Intake Triples Heart Disease Risk
To learn more about trans fats visit: American Heart Association
A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture must allow meatpackers to test their animals for mad cow disease. Creekstone Farms Premium Beef, a meatpacker in Kansas, wants to test all of its cows. Larger packers fear they will have to test all their cows if Creekstone tests and begins touting its meat as safer.
The Department of Agriculture currently tests less than 1% of the beef that goes to market. The Department argues that widespread testing could lead to a false positive that would harm the meat industry.
Mad cow disease is linked to more than 150 human deaths, mostly in Britain. U.S. District Judge James Robertson put his order on hold until the government can appeal.
To read a full article that appeared in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer click here:
Judge allows private testing for mad cow
(photo courtesy of morguefile.com)
Want to cut down your calorie intake? Best skip that soda and have a glass of water instead. Want to cleanse your system? You can't beat a glass of water. We hear a lot about making food choices that will be good for our health. We don't see as much information on what we should be drinking and what we should avoid drinking.
To read a recent New York Times article on smart beverage choices click here: You Are Also What You Drink
(photo courtesy of morguefile.com)
Nearly 6 years of negotiations with PETA have resulted in Burger King's agreeing to enact a new industry-leading animal welfare plan to improve conditions for the animals used for its products.
According to its new plan, Burger King will:
* Immediately begin purchasing 10% of its pig flesh from suppliers that do not use cruel gestation crates—metal enclosures that confine mother pigs and are so restrictive that the animals cannot even stretch a limb or take a step—and double that amount by the end of 2007.
* Immediately begin purchasing 2% of its eggs from hens who are not confined to tiny wire battery cages and more than double that amount by the end of 2007.
* Issue a statement to its egg suppliers that it will give purchasing preference to those that do not use battery cages.
* Issue a statement to its chicken-flesh suppliers that it will give purchasing preference to those that use or switch to "controlled-atmosphere killing" (CAK), the least cruel method of poultry slaughter in existence.
PETA applauds Burger King for this groundbreaking announcement, and we will continue to work with the company to improve its animal welfare requirements. American Feast joins in the applause.
For further info on PETA visit the organization's web site: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
Fresh Blueberries (photo by Christina Dreesen, courtesy of morguefile.com)
A compound found in blueberries shows promise for preventing colon cancer in animals, according to a joint study by scientists at Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The researchers say colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The compound, pterostilbene, is a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants are the "natural zappers" of free radicals-unstable oxygen molecules associated with cancer, heart disease and the effects of aging.
“This study underscores the need to include more berries in the diet, especially blueberries,” says study leader Bandaru Reddy, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Chemical Biology at Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J. Although the blueberry compound won’t cure colon cancer, it represents a potential new and attractive strategy for preventing the disease naturally, says Reddy, an expert on nutritional factors that influence colon cancer development.
Not long ago, U.S. Department of Agriculture studies measured the antioxidant activity of more than 40 fruits and vegetables and ranked blueberries #1.
A press release from the American Chemical Society says that the promising compound in blueberries might be developed into pill form. But why wait? Blueberries are delicious! Why not get the benefits now by enjoying some fresh blueberries or blueberry jam?
To read the full press release announcing the new research findings go here: American Chemical Society
(photo courtesy of Solar Living Institute)
Established in 1998 as a spin-off from Real Goods Trading Company, the Solar Living Institute in Hopland, California, is a non-profit educational organization whose mission is to promote sustainable living through inspirational environmental education. The Institute provides practical, education by example and hands-on workshops on renewable energy, green building, sustainable living, permaculture, organic gardening and alternative, environmental, construction methods.
The Institute is headquartered at the Solar Living Center, a gorgeous 12-acre renewable energy and sustainable living demonstration site visited by nearly 200,000 people annually in the heart of Northern California’s wine country in Hopland. Since its inception nearly 2 million visitors have experienced the Solar Living Center.
To learn more about the Institute's efforts to promote sustainable living click here: Solar Living Institute
Ever had the thought, if they could put a man on the moon, why can't they make a healthier pizza? Well, it looks like somebody was using their noodle (or dough) and finally did something about this universal problem.
Boosting the antioxidant properties of the pizza – ars technica
Chemists make pizza a 'health food' – The Sydney Morning Herald
Evening at the Festival (photo courtesy of Scottsdale Culinary Festival)
As the longest running festival of its kind in the United States, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival draws more than 40,000 visitors looking to enjoy fabulous food, fun and festivities (not to mention idyllic weather!) And its all for a good cause. Since 1992, the League has contributed more than $2.1 Million to support art and art education.
This year's festival will run from April 10th to April 15th. It will feature a host of events from cooking demonstrations by some the nation's top chefs to a one of a kind James Beard out of the house dinner. No matter what kind of culinary experience you crave, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival has something for everyone!
Bravo's Top Chef Winner-Ilan Hall will be at the 2007 Scottsdale Culinary Festival. He will be doing a cooking demonstration Saturday April 14 at Cooks and Corks and on Sunday April 15th, he will compete against top local valley chefs at the Challenge to the Chefs event during the Great Arizona Picnic.
For more details & info on purchasing tickets visit the Festval's web site: 29th Annual Scottsdale Culinary Festival
Joan Nathan's (bio here) book, 'The New American Cooking', won the James Beard regional award for food of the Americas last year.
She tasted her way from Alaska to Puerto Rico, hanging out with a chef at the Honolulu fish auction, gathering wild rice with Ojibwe Indians in Minnesota, eating Sunday dinner with a family of Cambodian farmers in Lowell, Mass., gleefully noting a Chinese restaurant serving stir-fried bison.
She even works Tom Hanks and Larry David into the book! Check it out.
Article, here, includes reprinted recipies.
(photo courtesy of morguefile.com)
It seems that a Mediterranean-style diet rich in olive oil and fish is just as heart healthy as the low fat diet that's long been recommended by the American Heart Association. People on either diet had one-third the risk of suffering another heart attack, a stroke, death or other heart problem compared with heart patients eating in the usual way.
"Both diets are prudent choices" for people at high risk of heart disease, said Dr. Katherine Tuttle of Providence Medical Research Center and Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Washington. She headed the study and presented the findings at an American College of Cardiology conference.
Since we already like our fish slathered in olive oil and we indulge in plenty of pasta with red sauce, we're more than ready to follow Dr. Tuttle's advice for keeping heart healthy!
To learn more about keeping heart healtthy through diet & nutrition click here: American Heart Association
(photo courtesy of morguefile.com)
World famous chef Wolfgang Puck has announced that he will only use food products from animals raised under strict humane standards. We say bravo! All of us can do our part to fight the horrors of factory farms by being careful about the products we purchase. When great numbers of people make socially conscious purchasing decisions they can have a real impact on the marketplace. Organics have grown to be a multi-billion dollar industry precisely because so many people acted with their pocketbooks.
When a person with the high profile of Mr. Puck endorses the cause it can only help the movement for humane, safe and delicious food to continue growing. Thank you Mr. Puck!
To read a New York Times Editorial praising Mr. Puck's decision go to: Mr. Puck’s Good Idea
Is Dean Foods' Horizon facility in Idaho truly organic? (photo courtesy of Cornucopia Institute)
For the second year in a row socially concerned investors have filed a shareholder proposal asking Dean Foods to report on how it is responding to widespread concern that industrial-scale organic dairies supplying milk for its Horizon Organic brand violate consumer trust and jeopardize share value.
The shareholder proposal is a by-product of a seven-year debate in the organic industry over the introduction of large-scale factory-farms, milking as many as 2,000-10,000 cows each. It is the contention of a growing number of public interest, environmental, and farming groups that some of these farms are violating current U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations by labeling their products as organic.
“When consumers pay a premium for organic milk, they generally have the expectation that cows have access to pasture and gain a sizable percentage of their nutrients from grass,” said Steven Heim, director of social research with Boston Common Asset Management, lead investor-sponsor of the resolution.
In June of 2006 Heim and Mark Kastel, The Cornucopia Institute’s senior farm policy analyst, toured Dean’s Idaho farm at Dean’s invitation. “Although the company is making a $10 million investment in additional facilities in the desert-like conditions, and is attempting to paint their facility ‘green’, serious questions remain as to the legitimacy of milking thousands of cows in these conditions,” Kastel said.
The investors contend that in light of the controversy over its factory-farms, the company’s milk procurement practices could have a negative effect on consumer trust in Dean’s organic label. A boycott by the 700,000-member Organic Consumers Association has resulted natural foods retailers around the country dropping all or part of the Horizon Organic product line.
Last year Dean Foods responded to a shareholder proposal expressing similar concerns by filing a formal protest with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), asking for permission to omit it from Dean’s 2006 proxy statement. The company maintains that where it purchases or produces its milk is the sole purview of its management, and shareholders have no legal right to raise questions of this nature in a proxy statement. The shareholder proponents withdrew their proposal last year to protect their right to refile if disatisfied with Dean's actions regarding their concerns. With this year’s refiling, Dean Foods has again appealed to the SEC for the authority to prevent its shareholders from voting on the resolution.
Leslie Lowe, director of the Energy and Environment Program at the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility in New York, said, “Dean Foods has an excellent opportunity to return value to its shareholders through its investments in the organic industry. But they must respect the ethical beliefs of their organic customers, a very loyal and sophisticated market segment. Otherwise these investments could end up damaging their brand and costing investors dearly.”
For info on some of the organizations involved try the following links:
Dean Foods
Cornucopia Institute
Organic Consumers Association
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
Boston Common Asset Management
Feasters Dave Matlin & Sue Tango Gettin' Some of Dat Good Shrimp Remoulade (photo by Rick Tango)
By Susan Tango, americanfeast.com
Mardi Gras may be long gone but the feasting continues on! This was apparent at the American Feast bash as CEO Jeff Deasy donned the apron and served up true Louisiana fare. Company principals along with family and friends gathered at the home of American Feast’s Tim Tango for a New Orleans Night Party sampling some classic Cajun & Creole dishes.
Utilizing skills acquired at a New York Institute for Culinary Education class in Manhattan, Jeff and Tim executed the recipes with a blend of local ingredients and food shipped straight from the Big Easy. Cajun tunes played in the background as the ‘flavor of New Orleans’ buffet was artistically displayed and professionally photographed by AF’s Rick Tango.
As refreshments flowed, the energy and excitement of the new venture was palpable in the room. Beginning with the Shrimp Remoulade and continuing on with Jambalaya and Creole Chicken, some guests were treated to first time taste experiences. Jeff even contributed his personal secret recipe for Red Beans and Rice!
Guests posed questions about New Orleans cuisine that were answered throughout the tasting. Like all its products, American Feast’s offerings from Cajun & Creole country are carefully screened and personally selected by AF partners. The company's award-winning selections originate from family-owned sustainable farms and small creative kitchens across the USA. The best from the farms is brought directly to the dining tables of the customers, products that may otherwise never be obtained outside their local region. Newcomers were excited about the selections and the easy access to some of America’s highest quality regional foods available today.
The evening ended with recipe exchanges, ingredients lists (both available on the web-site) and the exciting introduction of upcoming podcasts produced by AF’s Doug Ferber. Promises were made about future gatherings, so onto more cooking classes…there are still many more regions to sample!
(photo courtesy of Library of Congress)
We try to acknowledge the good work of people and organizations dedicated to improving the nation’s food supply by posting info about them and providing links to their web sites. We’ve been impressed by the sheer number of Americans involved in improving the sustainability of food production, promoting family farms, encouraging the purchase of locally grown produce, teaching children to eat healthy, protecting the livelihoods of the people who produce food, and making foods using traditional artisanal methods.
We’re convinced that people want to know more about where their food comes from, how it was produced, and who made it; just as we like telling the story of the people behind the foods we’ve selected for our web site. People are excited about producing food that is the opposite of the highly processed food that dominates the fast food industry and takes up so much supermarket shelf space. Many have returned to practices that have been around for centuries, even millennia! By using traditional methods they’re turning out foods that are delicious, unique, and healthy. Sometimes it seems like everything old is new again.
To read a thoughtful essay that appears in the March issue of Conscious Choice click here: The New Rules of Food, By Alan Mammoser
We wish we could rememberwho gave us this delicious dish so we could give credit to where credit is due!
Ingredients
* 2 racks of lamb (8 ribs each)
* 1/2 cup Dijon-style mustard
* 2 tbs. sodium-reduced soy sauce
* 1 tbs. olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
* 1/4 tsp. dried ground ginger
Preparation
1. Trim fat from lamb.
2. In a small bowl stir together mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic, rosemary and ginger.
3. Place lamb, fat side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
4. Insert thermometer and brush on mustard mixture.
5. Roast in pre-heated oven at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes per pound.
6. Meat thermometer should register 145-150 degrees for medium-rare.
7. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before carving.
To order a world class, hand-crafted olive oil from beautiful Mendocino, California go to: L'Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dave, from Dave's Gourmet, Inc., originally developed his award winning sauces in his small restaurant near the University of Maryland. He produced unique flavors with fresh specialty ingredients and a slightly insane perspective!
Ingredients
* 2 tbs. vegetable oil
* 3 garlic cloves, chopped
* 2 onions, chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 3 pounds beef
* 1 tsp. ground cumin
* 1 tsp. ground oregano
* 1 tsp. Temporary Insanity Sauce
* 10 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
* 1 can of beer
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet.
2. Add garlic, onions, and green pepper, saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add beef and lightly brown on all surfaces, drain excess fat.
4. Add remaining ingredients.
5. Partially cover skillet so steam can escape and simmer for 1 hour.
6. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking; skim off fat that rises.
7. Let sit, tightly covered, for an hour after cooking is complete.
8. Serve with cornbread or cheese biscuits.
9. Yields six servings.
If you'd like to purchase the award-winning hot sauces from Dave's Goumet go to: Great American Hot Sauce Collection
If you'd like to read about Dave's journey to becoming America's premier hot sauce maker go to: Dave’s Gourmet
(photo courtesy of morguefile.com)
I've worked in some pretty fine restaurants that never used expensive wines for cooking. The pricey stuff was saved for the customers prepared to pay for it. I think that's just the economics of making a go of it in the notoriously tough restaurant biz. Still, I never read a review saying that the beef bourguignon or any other dish was made with an inferior wine. Nor did I ever hear a customer make that complaint about the wine used in a dish I had served.
I've never been able to judge a wine that's been cooked into a dish. I've always used inexpensive wines when cooking for guests; no complaints so far. Now an article in the New York Times indicates that you don't need to use expensive wines for cooking. That's good enough for me! I'll go on cooking with inexpensive wines and save the pricier stuff to enjoy in a glass.
To read the full article in the New York Times click here: It Boils Down to This: Cheap Wine Works Fine
Maine's 'Pastor Chuck' provides this recipe for healthful and delicious snacking.
Ingredients
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
* 1/2 cup Pastor Chucks Organic Apple Butter
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 2 tablespoon milk
* 1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
* 1/2 cup golden raisins
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.
3. Beat in eggs, oats and apple butter.
4. Combine dry ingredients.
5. Gradually add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture along with the milk.
6. Beat until blended.
7. Stir in nuts and raisins.
8. Chill well for one hour.
9. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
If you'd like to try some amazing organic apple butter go to: Pastor Chucks Organic Apple Butter
If you'd like to read about Pastor Chuck & how he got his business started go to: Pastor Chuck
Here's a little reminder for our friends in Chicago. This year, you have an opportunity to celebrate Earth Day at the Green Festival taking place at McCormick Place/ Lakeside, April 21 & 22.
There will be more than 200 speakers and exhibits from 400 green businesses. Look for workshops, green films and even green career advice. While you’re there you can enjoy organic, sustainably produced cuisine and wine and beer!
If you can’t make the show in Chicago, there will be two additional Green Festivals this year. In D.C. Oct 6 & 7 and in San Francisco Nov 9-11.
Visit the official Green Festivals site for more info and resources, here.
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is encouraging consumers to send their comments on the regulation of cloned animals to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA is currently accepting comments on their controversial, proposed regulations that would allow milk, eggs and meat from cloned animals on the market, without labeling or safety testing.
In December of 2006, Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine stated that, "Meat and milk from cattle, swine and goat clones is as safe to eat as the food we eat every day."
Many food safety advocates strongly disagree with the FDA's proposal. The Center for Food Safety (CFS) is a non-profit public interest and environmental advocacy organization. CFS has released a report "...calling on FDA to issue a mandatory ban on the use of clones in food production until long-term studies demonstrate the safety of these foods and the vitally important ethical and animal welfare issues in cloning are resolved."
You can view the CFS press release here: New CFS Report Says FDA Plan to Approve Sale of Food from Animal Clones Is Based On Wishful Thinking, Not Science
You can view the full CFS report here: Not Ready For Prime Time: FDA's Flawed Approach To Assessing The Safety Of Food From Animal Clones
OCA is a grassroots, non-profit, public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The OCA deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, children's health, corporate accountability, Fair Trade, environmental sustainability and other key topics for the estimated 50 million organic and socially responsible consumers in the U.S.
To visit the OCA web site & submit a comment to the FDA click here: Organic Consumers Association
If you bought Dole Organic Bananas recently, you might have noticed a number on the sticker under the words “certified organic”. Go to the Dole Organic website and type that code into the box provided. What you will get is information regarding the plantation where that particular banana was grown along with organic certification details. You even get photos of the workers on that farm and satellite images from Google Earth! Other food producers should take note. This is an ingenious use of the Internet and one that should be replicated. Dole Organic site here.
The U.S.’s biggest organic farmer cooperative has offered this feature on their soy milk products since 2004. Entering the expiration date at their site, brings up bios of the actual farmers that grew the beans! Organic Valley Coop site here.
Windmill (photo by Bianca Meyer, courtesy of morguefile.com)
Wind energy propelled boats on the Nile River as early as 5000 B.C. In China, simple windmills pumped water several centuries B.C. Millions of windmills were built in the American West during the late 19th century. Some farms and ranches still use windmills to pump water today.
The Washington Post reports that the United States is the fastest growing wind-energy market in the world. Power-generating capacity from wind jumped 27% last year and is expected to do the same this year. In the draft of an upcoming report, four major Northwest utilities and a federal agency say that they have found "no fundamental technical barriers" to integrating 6,000 megawatts of wind power into the regional grid. That would produce clean electricity for 1.3 million to 1.8 million homes.
To read the full Washington Post article click here: Air, Water Powerful Partners in Northwest
For additional info on wind power check out the following links:
Basics of Wind Power
Greenpeace on Wind Power
Opponents of Wind Power
(photo by Lisa Welbourn)
Tax season seems like a good time to deliver news on a way to save money by making an eco-friendly investment in your home. California Solar Energy Industries Association supports the widespread adoption of solar thermal and photovoltaic systems by educating consumers, supporting solar legislation and conducting business in a professional and ethical manner. CAL SEIA is a non-profit business association. It's activities are supported by its members.
Among other information on the CAL SEIA web site you can get a basic explanation of tax credits for installing solar electric and solar domestic water heating systems by clicking here: Federal Solar Tax Credits
California Law provides a property tax exemption for qualified solar energy systems. For CAL SEIA's info on the exemption click here: California Property Tax Exemption
The State of California has put in place a range of financial incentives that substantially reduce the costs of solar energy systems. For CAL SEIA's info on the incentives click here: Energy Rebates
Sharing her love for the fig, Sondra Bernstein brings you a taste of her Sonoma restaurant, 'the girl & the fig' with this recipe.
Ingredients
Dough:
* 1 1/4 cups warm water
* 1/2 tbs. yeast
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 4 + 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
* 3 1/2 cups flour
Toppings:
* 2 tablespoons semolina flour or corn starch
* 1 jar Black Mission Fig Jam
* 1 cup prosciutto, thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup grilled red onions
* 8 tablespoons crumbled Roquefort cheese
* 2 tablebspoons extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
1. Place warm water in bowl and sprinkle yeast and sugar over the top
2. Allow mixture to foam then put it in a food processor with all other dough ingredients except the oil.
3. If needed, add more flour or water as you work the dough, forming a smooth ball.
4. Coat a large bowl inside with remaining oil, roll dough ball around it to coat.
5. Cover with a damp towel, place in a warm area to rise.
6. When double in size (1 1/2 hours), punch dough down, recover and let rest for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 500 degrees
8. Divide dough ball in half and roll out pieces to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
9. Sprinkle baking pan with semolina flour and set dough on top.
10 Cover evenly with topping ingredients placing cheese on last.
11. Bake until brown for approximately 10 minutes.
12. Yields two 12” pissaladieres.
To purchase fabulous fig jam from Sonoma's 'the girl & the fig' restaurant go to: Black Mission Fig Jam
In the last installment in her five part series on engaging the brain in your weight loss efforts, Nutritionist Lisa Maffucci talks about exercise.
Suggestion 5: Change the way you think about exercise.
The objective is to find an exercise that you enjoy, so that it isn't something you dread. If you dread it, you won't do it. Figure out what you like. Will a class work best for you? Do you like to walk? Ride your bike? Swim? How about weights? Yoga? Find something you like, and commit to doing it for thirty minutes a day, 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Schedule it into your day so that you don't get too busy or forget. Write it on your calendar. Don't give yourself an easy way out.
Some people find it helpful to join a gym. Others prefer to go it alone. Still others work with a personal trainer. It doesn't matter, as long as you do it.
As always, it is recommended that you check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program.
Changing the way you think about food and exercise is key to changing your habits. With practice, you will look forward to your healthy meals and workouts, because you will love how you feel when your health improves. You will begin to recognize that feeling healthy and active doesn't mean you can't eat anything you love or that you have to spend hours working out. Improving your health will decrease your chances of developing the chronic diseases that plague our country.
Isn't that its own reward?
Previous posts:
Suggestion 1: Change the way you think about diets.
Suggestion 2: Learn to recognize hunger and satiety.
Suggestion 3: Change the way you think about healthy food.
Suggestion 4: Change the way you think about rewarding yourself.
(photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures)
We loved this movie when we saw it in the theater and now it's available on DVD. Maybe we liked it so much because we agree with a message it sends; that cheap, easily grabbed food isn't so cheap after all. That's a message we endorse whenever we get the chance.
You don't have to take our word for the quality of Fast Food Nation. It was an official selection at the Cannes Film Festival. Here's what A.O. Scott of the New York Times had to say about it:
Fast Food Nation is thick with debate, argument, rumination and repartee. Curiously enough, the talkiness is what saves the movie from turning into a lecture. Its loose, digressive rhythm keeps it tethered to reality, while the dialogue and the easy pace of the scenes allow the characters to register as individuals, not just as types.
Read the rest of the review here: New York Times Review of Fast Food Nation
Learn more about the film's cast, crew & credits here: Internet Movie Database
(photo courtesy of Ireland.ie)
St. Patrick's Festival is now by far the biggest annual event in Ireland providing entertainment for all interests and ages. The Festival programme has music, theatre, family carnivals, comedy, street arts, visual arts, dance, a treasure hunt, symposiums, and cavalcades of vintage cars. All together there are 4,000 performers enjoyed by 1.5 million spectators over 5 days of fantastic fun.
It's not just a feast for the eyes, your taste buds can get in on the action too. In association with St. Patrick's Festival, Tastefest is a multi-cultural food festival that's not just for foodies. Taster portions from Japan, Malaysia, India, Turkey, Lithuania, Italy, Spain, France, Ireland and beyond are sampled with "Tastefest Tokens". With the food Tastefest features cookery demonstrations, beverage tasings, and live entertainment.
St Patrick's Festival was set up in 1995 to offer a national festival ranking amongst the greatest celebrations in the world. It's an opportunity for people of Irish descent (and those who sometimes wish they were Irish) to attend and join in the imaginative and expressive celebrations.
For more info and special offers on trips to Ireland you can visit: Ireland.ie
A new nominee for the 180 degree award. Now they DON'T want you to blow into someone's mouth when performing CPR! Jeeeesh!
Heart attack? Study says no mouth-to-mouth - ABC Australia
People are usually taken aback by the sound of this recipe but one little taste convinces them just how delicious it is. Great for entertaining. A cheesecake with barbeque sauce in it is a real conversation piece.
Crust:
1 C. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 C. butter, melted
2 to 3 T. sugar
Combine well and press into a greased 8 x 8 pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 C. evaporated milk 1/2 C. sugar
2 T. flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1/3 C. Jersey Mary
1/2 C. lite canned peaches, well drained & pureed.
Put the 1st 6 ingredients into a blender and mix well. In a small saucepan combine the Jersey Mary and peaches and reduce by1/3. Let cool. Now add 1/2 the vanilla mixture into the pan and mix the other half with the Jersey Mary reduction. Pour this as a swirl over the top. Bake for 40 - 45 min. or until set. Let cool.
Glaze:
You can make this while your cake is baking.
1/4 C. Jersey Mary
1/4 C. strawberry preserves, unsweetened.
Melt these together in a small saucepan and thicken by reducing slightly. Let cool completely. Top off the cooled cheesecake with the glaze. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving. Optional: A little fresh whipped cream with some softened mascarpone folded in is a perfect crowning touch.
If you'd like to purchase some of the best BBQ sauce we've ever tried go to: Jersey Mary's Barbeque/Baking Sauce
People that I speak with pay a lot of lip service to fruits and vegetables but unfortunately, according to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) not many people are translating that into action. Despite all the good news about fruits and vegetables and health, consumption is the same as it was in 1994!
CDC: Too Few Eating Fruits, Vegetables - Newsday
Americans Skimping on Fruits, Veggies - WebMD
(photo by Rick Tango)
As Prepared for American Feast's Family BBQ
Ingredients for 3 to 4 Servings
* 1 Natural Chicken cut into 6 pieces & rinsed under cold running water
* 1 Lemon cut into 1/8 inch round slices
* Juice from 1 Lemon
* Coarsely Ground Black Peppercorns
* 1 Sliced Scallion
* 2 Finely Chopped Garlic Cloves
* 1/4 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt (or to taste)
Preparation
Marinade:
1. Begin marinating at least 2 hours before grilling.
2. Marinating may begin up to 24 hours before grilling.
3. Place the lemon slices, lemon juice, crushed black peppercorns, scallion, chopped garlic and salt in a large bowl.
4. Add the olive oil and whisk all the ingredients together.
5. Toss the chicken pieces into the marinade mixture.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Grilling Outdoors:
1. Heat the grill.
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the hot grill.
3. Turn every 5 minutes to insure even cooking.
4. Cover the grill and leave the vents open.
5. Chicken should be evenly browned.
6. Chicken's internal temperature should be 150 degrees.
Should you have a heart attack or stroke, you would be best advised to have it during the week. If you have it on the weekend, your chances of recovery are lessened. This is the conclusion reached in a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researches at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey came to this conclusion after studying existing data from a large statewide database.
Analysis: Weekend no time for heart attack - ScienceDaily.com
Heart Attacks on Weekends Kill More Patients, Researchers Say - Bloomberg.com
(photo by Rick Tango)
Yahoo posted a Reuters report on the findings presented by Dr. Sarah M. Conklin at the American Psychosomatic Society's annual meeting. According to the Reuters report on the presentation:
Having salmon for dinner is not just good for your heart, it may also improve your disposition, according to a University of Pittsburgh study. It found that omega-3 fatty acids, which are plentiful in fatty fish like salmon, seem to affect areas of the brain associated with emotion.
To get the full Reuters story click here: Omega-3 may be good for your mood
Food Alliance is a nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable agriculture by recognizing and rewarding farmers who produce food in environmentally friendly and socially responsible ways, and educating consumers and others in the food system about the benefits of sustainable agriculture.
Food Alliance operates the most comprehensive third-party certification program in North America for sustainably produced food. Food Alliance Certified distinguishes foods produced by farmers, ranchers and food processors who use environmentally and socially responsible practices.
You can read up on what it takes for a farmer, rancher or food artisan to get certified at: http://www.foodalliance.org/index.html
(photo courtesy of Cornucopia Institute)
This is how Cornucopia explains its mission:
The Cornucopia Institute is dedicated to the fight for economic justice for the family-scale farming community. Through research, advocacy, and economic development our goal is to empower farmers both politically and through marketplace initiatives. The Organic Integrity Project acts as a corporate watchdog assuring that no compromises to the credibility of organic farming methods and the food it produces are made in the pursuit of profit. We will actively resist regulatory rollbacks and the weakening of organic standards to protect and maintain consumer confidence in the organic food label.
You can learn more about Cornucopia's excellent work by going to: http://cornucopia.org/pasture/index.php
Time for the penultimate installment of Nutritionist Lisa Maffucci's five part series on engaging your brain in your weight loss efforts.
Suggestion 4: Change the way you think about rewarding yourself.
Many people use food as a treat. When they've had a hard day, they reach for high calorie snacks to comfort themselves. Or they celebrate an accomplishment with a high-fat meal in a restaurant. Rewarding yourself with high fat, high calorie, unhealthy food, whether it's because of a rough day or a great day, is counterproductive. I can't tell you how many times I've heard 'Well, it was a special occasion', as though it's a license to not take care of yourself. If you are trying to improve your health, it is for YOUR benefit. Why would you choose to undermine your efforts? Once again, learn to recognize your excuses. Special occasions and poor eating don't have to go hand in hand.
By the same token, food is not a reward. Think of other non-food ways to reward yourself for a job well done. Get a massage, or a manicure. Buy a book that you've been planning to read. Go see a movie. If you don't have the money, do something that doesnit cost. Eating food that you don't need costs you in many ways, so it’s not an excuse. The point is to do something for yourself that doesn't involve food. Remember, you need to associate food with hunger, not other emotions.
Stay tuned for next week's hindmost installment. Same time, same channel!
Previous posts:
Suggestion 1: Change the way you think about diets.
Suggestion 2: Learn to recognize hunger and satiety.
Suggestion 3: Change the way you think about healthy food.
The New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods is a non-profit organization that works to promote nutrition education and help kids make healthier food choices in New York schools. This is important because many of these children do not get this kind of information at home. There are plenty of resources at their site to help you get a program started at your child's school. The groups motto is Healthy Foods + Exercise = Better Health, Better Grades, Better Behavior.
New York Coalition for Healthy School Foods site here.
[thanks, Jeff!]
According to the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, the USDA is responsible to appoint members to the NOSB (National Organics Standards Board). These members are to be broadly representative of the organic community including environmentalists, consumer representatives and scientists. But according to the OCA (Organic Consumers Association), vacant seats on the board have been filled with industry representatives from companies like General Mills and Campbell's.
Alert: Stop USDA from Stacking Federal Organic Standards Board with Industry Reps - OCA
Having worked many years in an office, it's always amazed me how much paper gets wasted. From useless mail to reams of meeting notes that get trashed, sometimes I feel like we must go through a forest a day!
When I go out for my important executive lunches (at McDonalds), I see people grabbing twenty or thirty napkins, use two, then throw the rest in the garbage.
Finally, someone has a good idea to help make people aware of what they are doing.
These Come From Trees Blog - Link here.
[via sustainablog]
(photo by Rick Tango)
We prepared this Big Easy classic for our family and friends at American Feast’s New Orleans Night Party. It's another of the recipes we learned at a class called “Taste of New Orleans” presented by Chef-Instructor Ann Rossi at the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan. Chef Rossi taught us well and we’ve been pleasing our guests with Creole Chicken ever since.
Ingredients for 6 Servings
* 6 Boneless Chicken Breasts
* Flour
* 2 tbsp. of Canola Oil
* 3/4 Cup of Spanish Onion - Medium Dice
* 3/4 Cup of Celery - Medium Dice
* 3/4 Cup of Green & Red Peppers - Medium Dice
* 1 tsp. of Garlic - Minced
* 1/2 Cup of Tomato Sauce
* 2 Cups of Tomatoes - Peeled & Chopped
Dry Ingredients
* 2 Ct Bay Leaves
* 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
* 1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
* 3/4 tsp. Dried Thyme Leaves
* 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
Preparation
Creole Sauce
1. Saute peppers, onion & celery in canola oil until they start to sweat.
2. Add in dry seasonings.
3. Add & stir in tomato products.
4. Taste & adjust seasonings to taste.
5. Let simmer 15 minutes.
Chicken Breasts
6. Dredge chicken breasts in flour.
7. Saute chicken in canola oil.
8. Drain excess oil.
9. Add in Creole Sauce & finish cooking 6-8 minutes.
If you're near NYC & would like to see a great selection of cooking classes go to: Institute of Culinary Education
Time for part three of Nutritionist Lisa Maffucci's five part series on engaging your brain in your weight loss efforts.
Suggestion 3: Change the way you think about healthy food.
Changing the way you think about food is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health. Here are the most popular self-defeating things people tell me (and themselves) about food:
I don't like anything that's good for me.
I do fine until 4 pm, and then I snack all night.
I would eat better, but my (fill in the blank) doesn't want to eat healthy.
My family won't eat healthy foods, and I'm not cooking two different meals.
I have to keep snacks in the house for my kids (and then I eat them).
I don't have time to cook healthy foods.
I eat out a lot, so I can't eat healthy.
I hate vegetables.
My (fill in the blank) brings junk food in the house.
High cholesterol (blood pressure, triglycerides, heart disease, etc.) runs in my family, so there's nothing I can do.
I'm sure you can add some of your own.
THESE ARE EXCUSES. They are convenient ways to let yourself off the hook for not taking responsibility for your choices and your behavior. The problem with them is that you actually convince yourself that they are true if you say them often enough.
But you don't convince me.
Recognize that these excuses guarantee failure. They guarantee that you will never achieve your health goals. I will refute them one at a time.
I don't like anything that's good for me. Followed closely by I hate vegetables.
It can't be true that you don't like anything that's good for you. Everyone can find something (watermelon, sweet potatoes, strawberries) that's good and good for you. The same is true for vegetables - there must be a few you like. Recognize that all-or-nothing, extremist thinking is self-defeating.
Also, understand that it takes three weeks to make or break a habit. If you commit to trying a vegetable (or another healthy food) for three weeks, you may find that you do like it. Sometimes, it's a matter of finding the right way to cook it. Learn to catch yourself in self-defeating thought cycles and work on solutions.
I do fine until 4 pm, and then I snack all night.
This usually happens when you skimp on food during the day. You become so hungry by the afternoon that you can't stop eating. This results from not paying attention to your internal hunger/satiety cues. If you eat earlier in the day, you will not be starving at 4 pm (or 5 pm, or 6 pm - whatever your bewitching hour is). If you are hungry, eat a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts. And then STOP.
Snacking all night is a habit. Make sure you eat satisfying meals and then plan an activity after dinner. Do NOT allow yourself to wander in and out of the kitchen. Recognize that you are not physically hungry and identify what other emotions are causing you to reach for food.
I would eat better, but my (fill in the blank) doesn't want to eat healthy.
My family won't eat healthy foods, and I'm not cooking two different meals.
I keep snacks in the house for my kids.
All of these are, once again, convenient escape hatches for you. First of all, everyone should be eating healthy, and healthy doesn't mean mashed yeast and bean sprouts. Invest in a good low fat vegetarian cookbook to learn some healthy delicious meals that can become staples in your household. Ask your children and spouse for suggestions. Involve them in meal planning, shopping, and cooking. Find new ways to cook old favorites.
Snacks should be healthy for your children as well. Whole grain crackers and natural peanut butter, popcorn, dried fruit and nuts are all good choices for the whole family. No one needs cookies loaded with sugar and trans fats, chips that are high in fat and sodium, and candy. These are once-in-a-blue-moon foods, and keeping them in the house "for the kids" makes no sense. You want your children to develop healthy eating habits at an early age. If they aren't good for you, why would you feed them to your children?
I don't have time to cook healthy foods.
This is the mother of all excuses, as far as I am concerned. How long do people think it takes to cook a healthy meal? Do they actually think they need to go out and grow the food themselves?
Here are some examples of how easy it is to cook quick, healthy meals. Instant brown (not white) rice takes five minutes to cook. Beans come in a can. Frozen vegetables (already washed and cut) can be steamed on the stovetop in ten minutes, less in the microwave. Salad greens can be washed and spun in a salad spinner in under ten minutes. Baby carrots (don't need to be washed or peeled) can be added to salads or dipped in low-fat dressing. Whole wheat pasta can be boiled in under ten minutes. Potatoes can be baked on the weekend and reheated during the week.
The truth is, once you know how, it doesn't take any longer to cook healthy foods than it does to cook unhealthy ones. Commit to learning how and then doing it.
I eat out a lot, so I can't eat healthy.
Once again, this is an excuse. Restaurants cater to you, the customer. They want you to be happy. Order your entrée grilled without added fat. Ask for butter, salad dressing, and sauces on the side so you can control how much is added. Specify "no added fat" on your vegetables. Ask for butter or mayo on the side when you order a sandwich (restaurants often butter toasted buns). Ask for whole wheat bread. Order brown rice (available at many Chinese restaurants). Always order salad without cheese and croutons (again, with dressing on the side). (And before you tell me that you don't like brown rice or whole wheat bread, remember that it takes three weeks to develop a taste for something - so commit to trying it.) It IS possible to eat out healthfully with a little bit of planning.
High cholesterol (blood pressure, triglycerides, heart disease, etc.) runs in my family, so there's nothing I can do.
The research shows that genes are responsible for only a small percentage of health conditions. What is learned, however, are poor eating and exercise habits. If you find yourself developing the same health conditions as your parents and grandparents, take a close look at your diet. Chances are, you are eating the same foods as your family before you ate. Cleaning up your diet can actually reverse certain health conditions.
Recognize the road blocks you put up for yourself that keep you stuck in the same place. One by one, replace your excuses with solutions.
Stay tune for part four next week and if your interested in the previous suggestions, here are the links:
Suggestion 1: Change the way you think about diets - American Feast Blog
Suggestion 2: Learn to recognize hunger and satiety - American Feast Blog
Despite Mireille Guiliano's book "French Women Don't Get Fat" arguing that the French have figured out some magic formula for eating that allows them to eat plenty of fatty foods and still stay slim, almost one-third of the French are overweight and ten percent, obese. That's better than us but still a problem.
French Food Ads Carry Health Warnings - topix.net
[thanks, Jeff!]
Michael Pollan, the author of one of the top-ten books of 2006, "The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals", will be appearing for a lecture at the Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh on Monday.
He gives this interview to Mackenzie Carpenter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Michael Pollan teaches us to think before we eat - Pittsburg Post-Gazette
Previous Michael Pollan Post:
Organic Twinkie vs. The Earth - American Feast Blog
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