There are so many topics to cover in this wonderful blog of mine.
I just got home from yoga, and decided to make myself a salad...it seemed appropriate.
As I was making it, I remembered a time when I was sitting on a couch in my sorority house waiting for a friend when a girl came in with a plate full of salad.
It consisted of:
1. iceberg lettuce
2. cheese
3. croutons
4. ranch dressing
She proceeds to tell me how she is on a diet, and how she is so proud of herself for avoiding the "italian style" dinner we were having that night.
Now, normally I would just smile and nod. But I liked the girl, and the irony was just too much.
So, I broke it down for her. I told her that she would probably be better off eating the lasagna.
Iceberg lettuce: 0 nutritional value
Alternative: go for the really dark green leafy stuff like arugula, spinach, romaine, etc
Cheese: adding to the fat
Alternative: adding about 1/4 cup of cheese to your salad adds about 100 calories depending on the cheese. Opt for adding more veggies, and if you cant live without cheese try something low in fat like feta.
Fun Fact: all cheese is white, companies add in food coloring to make it orange-yellow. And food coloring is horrible for your body...so pick the white American cheese :)
Croutons: might as well be eating a piece of bread with many additives, preservatives, and trans fat.
Alternative: add nuts
Ranch Dressing: finally, one of the biggest mistakes is using a fatty dressing like ranch or caesar. Even some of those fruity vinaigrettes have tons and tons of sugar.
Alternative: try adding some fresh lime/lemon juice with some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and balsamic.
In total, avoid the salads heavy in dressing and yummies like bacon, croutons, etc.
But keep eating the good stuff.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
To shop Organic or not Organic?- that is the question!
Ever since the all organic crazy began, controversy has been king.
Ideas:
Idea #1: What is organic?
Organic by USDA regulations is: generally free of synthetic substances; contains no antibiotics and hormones; has not been irradiated or fertilized with sewage sludge; was raised without the use of most conventional pesticides; and contains no genetically modified ingredients.
I am going to provide you with some ideas and then let YOU decide.
But first, in one of the articles I found it mentions that eating organic is somewhat of a red herring...meaning that if our nation switch 100% to organic...it really wouldn't change our obesity problem. Eating organic is such a small piece of the pie.
Idea #1: What is organic?
Organic by USDA regulations is: generally free of synthetic substances; contains no antibiotics and hormones; has not been irradiated or fertilized with sewage sludge; was raised without the use of most conventional pesticides; and contains no genetically modified ingredients.
Idea #2: Is it healthier?
Organic tomatoes were found to have nearly twice the level of two compounds, quercetin and kaempferol, as traditionally grown tomatoes. These compounds, part of a group called flavonoids, which are just a subclass of antioxidants, have been linked to a reduction in heart disease risk, so higher levels in food would seem to be a good thing.
but referring back to the point I first made: Most Americans do NOT get the amount of fruits and veggies needed to sustain a healthy diet in the first place. Organic is just a drop in the ocean.
Traditionally grown fruits and vegetables are quite healthful, and there's plenty of research to prove it.
In a study, it found that for 10 out of the 13 nutrient categories analysed between organic and traditional, there were no significant differences between production methods in nutrient content.
Idea #3: Is it worth it?
If you want to pay higher prices for organic foods based on their perceived health and nutrition benefits, you're welcome to it. They certainly know their framing, since the global organic food market was estimated in 2007 to be worth nearly $40 billion...and 25% of organic food comes from big business and not your local farm.
Also, when you shop for traditional food, it's more likely to last longer in your fridge.
Idea #4: Is it better for the environment?
THAT ALL DEPENDS!
Hell ya it's better for the environment considering the amount of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer that go into the production of traditional food. It's extensive and harmful to our environment and bodies if signification amounts are ingested.
HOWEVER
Is organic really better for the environment when its carbon foot print is big? Lets say you live in Maine...if the food coming from California is organic...is travel pollution more or less harmful than traditional food production?
There is this one wonderful example of how fish "farming" can be revolutionized in Spain. It is a completely 100% sustainable farm. It will make you wonder why we don't see more of this.
And finally Idea #5: Is it the future of food?
It might be a piece of it but, no; organic farming is not sustainable for the mass production of food. Our resources are getting smaller each day, and so the more that we can produce per acre of land the better!
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