Nutrition!

aka - Women, their fat asses, and why they always seem to want to talk about them or;
Healthy Living: so easy a caveman could do it

All choked up

I wasn't always up on my Healthy Nutrition High Horse over here. Like most people in this country, I grew up eating a lot of meat, including fast food. Luckily, and thank god, my parents are what I now refer to as "foodies" - people who enjoyed food past the interest of just being fed. Growing up in Florida, they raised me with an appreciation for fruits (bountiful) and vegetables, FRESH fresh fish and seafood, sushi (eating it since I was a youngin'), and forays into various other cultural cuisines. I was very lucky - and still somehow, as a high school kid, managed to eat fast food all the time anyway. (And I didn't give a SHIT. ) Thankfully, I broke away from fast foodstuffs in college (possibly just because it didn't really exist where I was going to school) and with the help of roommates, ex-boyfriends, calls to my mom at home and the internet, learned how to cook for myself. It became a passionate hobby - I realized if I wanted to eat well, there was no other way to go about it than to figure out how to cook it for myself.

While I was going to school in Baltimore, I happened upon a job at a cafe that was opening up where my ex lived, just outside the city in Towson. It was a juice bar, with an emphasis on healthy and primarily (though not exclusively) vegetarian food. Working there changed my life. I slowly transitioned into vegetarianism as I poured over books from the cafe bookshelf when business was slow - I learned about the high rates of heart disease, cancer, and other ailments that were directly linked to a diet high in dairy, meat and fat. I was exposed to the disturbing information about hormones and antibiotics in animal products, and the horrific conditions of factory farms that run rampant with contamination, disease, and downright cruelty. For my health and my conscience, I made drastic changes to my diet. And you know what? Not surprisingly, I lost weight and felt better. Win-win.


So that's where I come from as far as food goes. I consider myself currently to be what I like to call a "bad vegetarian" - I occasionally, maybe once or twice a month, eat fish or other seafood. Other than that I eat a basic ovo-lacto vegetarian diet, meaning I still eat eggs and dairy products. (Vegan is the one that cuts out dairy and eggs, and while there have been times in my life where I was eating close to a vegan diet, it's just not for me.) Eggs are a terrific form of protein, and I really enjoy cheese. Milk I consider "cow-pus" and find somewhat gross, so I won't buy it or drink it. Butter I can take or leave, and rarely cook with it. (Olive oil all the way!) Everything in moderation, though - as much as I'd like to live on cheese alone sometimes, it's really not the greatest thing for you. It helps that my husband is somewhat lactose intolerant, so cooking with dairy in general is done sparingly.

I feel like lately - be it the cold winter weather or the new gym that opened up close to my neighborhood - EVERYONE and their mom is talking about dieting, exercising, or losing weight. Which is good, I guess. We should put thought into what we eat and how we take care of ourselves. Before we had so many choices, it wasn't an issue - and now it's almost a matter of survival. With an obesity epidemic on the rise and everyone suddenly realizing the importance of eating healthy, it should be an important part of our dialogue. Not just wintertime, but all the time. Just yesterday, the New York Times published an article titled "Government's Dietary Advice : Eat Less" - once again reminding Americans they need to a) eat more fruits and vegetables, seriously... and b) PUT DOWN THE motherfucking FORK!

It makes me want to bang my head against the wall. It's not rocket science, everyone! Stop eating bacon 3 times a day and put a vegetable in your mouth once in awhile. Maybe it's even *gasp* - a RAW vegetable, one that maybe isn't covered in ranch dressing or something equally nauseating? Speaking of ranch dressing - here is another fun fact about our food - the food additive MSG, or mono-sodium glutamate, is in a lot more than just Chinese food these days. In fact, it's in an alarming number of everyday processed foods that people eat all the time. Campbells soup, for example. Kraft Ranch dressing, and lots of other salad dressings and marinades. General purpose seasonings (seasoned salt varieties and more) tend to contain MSG as well, and in addition, it's hidden in even more of what we eat by simply being called something else. (And I will add the link to that information a little later, because it's important to know.)

Probably the worst thing to happen to our society as far as our health as a people has been the transition in our diet from whole, natural foods (vegetables, things from the earth) to processed foods. Go to any mini-mart or corner bodega in the country, and more than likely you will find nothing but bags of chips, sodas, gum, candy bars, and other crap that has a massive list of ingredients down the sides of it's packaging. Ingredients that include things that the average American can't even pronounce, much less know what it is. When I stopped working in a cubicle and quit my job, I was suddenly at home all the time - and even though I took my lunch to work a lot, I still occasionally grabbed breakfast or lunch from a restaurant, cafe, or whatever. I don't exactly live in the most... metropolitan areas of Philadelphia, so I didn't seek out that food while I was at home, either. I ended up losing weight and keeping it off, and I'm convinced that it's the absence of processed foods from my diet, along with not being in an office where everyone else is eating junk food literally all the time. (Vending machines, water ice, soft pretzels, candy... yuck. Nothing good for you.) That, and whenever you eat out - even if they give you the nutritional information - you can never be completely sure of the fat and calories you're consuming, and more than likely it's more than you would normally cook at home or consume if you knew the details.

Alright - so what IS safe and healthy to eat?

It's very simple. Obviously, vegetables and fruits. Whole grains, legumes, lean protein (fish, turkey, tofu.) More vegetables. Especially raw ones. Cook with olive oil instead of butter. Limit your intake of dairy, or try cutting it out completely. Eating right and still not seeing any difference? Don't forget to exercise. And stop drinking so much damn booze - full of sugar and empty calories.

As for eating veggies, french fries do not count. And trust me, I freaking love french fries. As a (bad) vegetarian, more often than not, if I'm out a bar or restaurant that doesn't have much I can eat, they at least have french fries. And oh, I will eat them and enjoy it. (Thankfully this doesn't happen too often, but here we are again with the word - moderation.) Potatoes are actually one of the least nutritional vegetables out there you can eat, and to boot the ones that are not organic tend to have high levels of pesticides. DO start incorporating things like dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, collards), broccoli, brussel sprouts, zucchini, tomatoes, avocados. If it's from the ground and it's colorful, eat it.

Fruits do contain sugar - duh - so don't overdo it. According to um, "science"... sugar from fruit may, or may not be, better or worse than table sugar (way to be vague, guys, thanks.) However, there are so many other nutritional benefits to eating fruit, like antioxidants and vitamins, that it should be worth the sugar you are consuming, unlike a candy bar.

If you've never had fresh juice (not from a bottle, from a plant that goes into a machine and all the liquid comes out), go to your local natural foods store and give it a try. Plenty of appliance manufacturers sell at-home juicers, but mine is only okay, and nothing compares to an industrial strength, commercial one. (They do make decent ones out there, but they tend to be expensive.) Carrot juice is delicious and great for you - try mixing it with a little apple and ginger for a tasty beverage. Cucumber, watermelon and lemon used to be a favorite of mine at the juice bar one summer. You can really juice almost anything, with the exceptions being soft squishy fruits like bananas with a low water content. (Those go in smoothies instead.)

(HERE is a great article from Huffington Post about the best and worst vegetables to eat and juice.)

So, if you've tried juice and are feeling bold and adventurous, one of my favorite new things to do with raw kale is throw it in a blender with almond/soy/rice milk or water, maple syrup or honey, and other fruit (today I included some frozen pineapple chunks and half a banana.) Kale is one of those perfect vegetables that has a whole lot of awesome shit in it for your body, and while I love eating it in a bunch of different ways, if you can stomach it raw it's really amazing for you. I too, was skeptical about this curious green beverage, but it's actually pretty good. I expect to feel like a champ when I get done chugging this one down.

Mmmm kale.

Even though the FDA and people in charge are finally starting to come out with new dietary guidelines and information like in the NY Times article I posted above, it does seem sometimes like our culture is trying as hard as they can to make our asses fat. And it doesn't have to be like that. I'm not saying you need to become a vegetarian (or anything else), but maybe think about laying off the cheeseburgers once in awhile. (Moderation, people.) Eat smart - it's not hard and it also doesn't have to be expensive, which is another myth. Asian grocery stores and farmers markets always tend to have cheaper produce than a conventional grocery store. I love to shop at Iovine Brothers in Reading Terminal Market here in Philly, where you can make off like a bandit with bags and bags full of produce for half the price. So America, eat some fucking vegetables and you will thank me - because your BODY will feel better. I promise. And this will be reason enough for you to continue.

As for women and their fat asses, I actually am not sure why they talk about them non-stop. Maybe it's supposed to motivate them in some backwards way? I'm sure it has a lot to do with a lot of things, and this entry is already long enough. My expert advice is to read this information and put down the fork. Your fat asses will thank you later.