cookie

I was doing pretty well with the sugar thing until tonight when I went to the Abbey cafe, which is located adjacent to a Presbyterian church. Therein lay a chocolate chip cookie.

central valley’s landscape of disenfranchisement

I want to point you to this link for an NPR podcast and article on certain areas in the Central Valley that have made life hellish for its inhabitants. It underscores the fact that, in certain parts of California, big agriculture has created an environment that keeps its workers marginalized and isolated, and generally unhealthy. Read more HERE. Imagine an agricultural area that bans farmers’ markets!

…back again

Well here I am again after another hiatus. The hiatus was about trying to come to terms with the fact that I AM a sugar addict, and I WILL indulge. Apparently I was under some illusion that if I start posting my meals here, I would cut down on the sugar (not!). So, oh well. At least I’m limiting it to mostly vegan sweets made with whole grains, fruit, chocolate, etc. I also realize that I’m not really writing this blog to track my eating habits. One of the reasons I started this is because whole foods constitute a wonderful, sensual adventure for me, and I enjoy writing about it, and sharing my discoveries.

Anyway, I had a light dinner this evening: two blue corn tortillas, with melted goat mozzarella and kidney beans — dressed with some crushed tricolor sage from my garden. Simple. Easy.

Michael Pollan on NPR

Listening to Michael Pollan talking on NPR radio this morning — about rethinking our whole food system.
It’s a difficult time, financially, to think about how to do this. Although we don’t really have much choice.

How can we make good, local food more accessible for people who don’t have much money?

Several things he mentioned:
Grow food for yourself, if you have a little piece of yard on which to do it.
Learning the traditional talents for the kitchen, which, in the old days got 3 or 4 meals out of one chicken.
Subsidizing real food (vs. empty calorie food) for those who have little money.

Edward Espe Brown

Hey, it’s that Tassajara Cookbook guy!

Talli’s podcast: meat vs. veg.

I’m listening to Talli van Sunder’s podcast on meat-eating vs. vegetarianism.
This is an excellent podcast; she really gets into detail about the best kind of meat to eat, and how to prepare it so that it tastes best. Wow, “prime” is the fattiest? OK, nix on prime. Best to get “select” category. And choose grass-fed beef whenever. Fortunately, I don’t eat a lot of meat. Maybe once or twice a week, I’ll get a piece of chicken or beef. The rest of the time, it’s fish or vegies.

The reason I’m particularly interested in this podcast is because I’ve been working out in the gym almost everyday at lunch (yay!) and I feel the need for more protein.

shopping routine

Started today with a bowl of rolled spelt (a “primitive” non-hybrid wheat) cereal, which is a lot like rolled oats, only — different. Not bad, though. In fact, pretty good!

I live in a rural area, about 4 miles away from the closest mid-sized economy chain grocery, about 7 miles away from a Safeway, 8 miles from a once-a-week farmer’s market, and about 20 miles away from a Whole Foods, and the nearest organic farmstand.

I prefer to shop on a daily basis, and purchase only what I need for one or two days. Fortunately, it’s possible for me to do this, because I commute to work, which is near a Whole Foods. And, I’ve figured out how to avoid the more expensive foods in the store. The main rule is: STAY AWAY FROM THE DELI COUNTER! Also, while Whole Foods meat can be seriously pricey, they do often have good deals on things like ground dark turkey meat (lean, high protein, and great for chili), or chowder fish.

oops

A comment by a friend reminded me that I haven’t been reporting lately. Well, generally, I was doing OK with occasional forays into sugarland. What really threw me was when I had a baby shower at my house last weekend. It was a potluck, and while there was plenty of healthy food, there was also plenty of salt and sugar. No, I don’t do well when I’m surrounded with the stuff.

But, one good thing to report is that I have been going to the gym on a daily basis (during my lunch hour), and really feeling an overall improvement.

Another good thing. I found a great recipe for turkey chili with corn and kale at Kitchen Therapy. Mm, mm, mm!

absence

Wow, I really got off my meal reporting, there. Well, I kept fairly well to the plan, except for yesterday, when I had an “oatie” bar, which was not as healthy as it sounds, and today, when I had a whole grain dark chocolate/cherry roll, which is actually (I suspect) healthier than it sounds.

Today, I added a new exercise [check out Talli's podcast on exercise and a longer life], as I’m taking a Qi Gong class at lunchtime, twice a week.

Breakfast: chocolate protein smoothie with half a banana, soy milk, and non-fat yogurt.

Snack: half a cup of green tea (revelation: for some reason, I have been able to drink real tea again, without getting a migraine. I’ve tried it several times without a bad reaction. Is this a result of generally cutting down on refined sugar and flour?)

Lunch: Beef vegetable soup, small bowl of couscous salad with tofu.

Dinner: Two cheese tacos (on sprouted corn tortillas), crisped in olive oil, with avocado slices and tomato slices.

wed. meal report

Getting behind on my meal reporting! (I decided not to title these by date, because the blog does that automatically).

Breakfast: chocolate protein drink w/nonfat yogurt, handful cashews, and soymilk.
Snack: handful of cashews, piece of Dagoba “eclipse” chocolate. no caffeine tea.
Lunch: leftover beans w/sausage, brown rice & cheese. Spelt tortilla. Water.