Time for Lunch Campaign

I'm not a mother (yet), but as a girl who grew up having to participate in the "Free Lunch" program, this issue hits close to home for me. My school lunches in grade school were typically pizza, hamburgers, chicken nuggets (not breast meat), and french fries. On the days I had breakfast at school there were donuts, muffins (not homemade), french toast dippers (pre-packaged frozen variety), biscuits with gravy... you get the picture. Just thinking of these foods make me shudder, and my stomach hurt. The sad part is, many years later nothing has changed for the better, it's worse.

I recently signed a petition for the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization after watching the movie Food, Inc.. I was so moved by the movie - which I highly recommend - that I signed up to Take Part for this cause. So when I received an email from Slow Food USA a couple of days ago about the Time for Lunch Campaign, I didn't hesitate to check them out and email my legislators to voice my support.

Here’s their key message (taken directly from the campaign website):

It’s time to give America’s kids a healthy future.

• Child obesity is spiraling out of control, and our kids, our economy, our health care system and our quality of life are at risk.
• Our best opportunity for fighting obesity is to ensure that every child has access to fresh, wholesome food every school day.
• Right now, Congress gives schools $2.68 per lunch, about $1.00 of which goes towards buying ingredients. As a result, schools have to rely on the cheap processed foods that are fueling the obesity and diabetes epidemics.
• With an additional $1.00 per lunch, schools would be able to serve real food, buy whole ingredients and cook meals from scratch.
• President Obama’s budget adds $1 billion per year to child nutrition programs. That’s an important step forward, but it’s not enough to give America’s kids a healthy future. Not when Congress spends over $13 billion per year subsidizing processed foods, and when obesity costs our nation $147 billion per year. Congress should add at least $1 billion to child nutrition programs, and recognize that until we give schools $1.00 more per lunch, we’re putting the health of America’s children at risk.
• Congress should also pass mandatory funding for Farm-to-School programs, which link schools to local farms, create jobs in local economies and give schools the resources to update their kitchens and plant school gardens.
• Finally, Congress should strengthen the nutrition standards for all the food sold at school, including the food sold in school vending machines and as “a la carte” items in the cafeteria.

Learn more about the campaign at www.slowfoodusa.org/timeforlunch. Also, from this website you can easily email your legislators to tell them you support schools serving real food. Please take less than 30 seconds to voice your support!

Another supporter for this cause is Jaime Oliver who is starting a food revolution to be aired on ABC starting Friday, March 26th at 8 PM EDT. His show is called Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution. The first episode will also be shown as a sneak preview tomorrow night, Sunday March 21st at 10 PM EDT.



You can also sign Jaime's Food Revolution Petition by clicking the image below.

 Check it out, voice your support, get involved, or donate!

Mercury & Fish Debate

I just read this article and browsed some of the links within the post. It contains interesting information about the controversy between the FDA and EPA on how much fish is safe to eat, and if the hazards of mercury content is outweighed by the benefits of Omega-3 fats and other nutrients.  Did you know,

"the EWG recommends that women of childbearing age and children under 5 not eat albacore tuna at all, because a significant portion of albacore tuna has very high mercury levels. People eating this tuna will exceed safe exposure levels by a wide margin." 

Granted I think they mean Albacore and not Light Tuna but it makes you go hmmm... The funny part for me is that I just started liking canned tuna... for years I couldn't eat it without gagging!  Do you know how much you can safely eat in a week? Check out the EWG tuna calculator here. They also have a safe fish list for women.

OK, mercury or not, I'm craving sushi!

Back to Eating Clean & SLEEP

This year I'm back to eating clean, and after a few weeks I am feeling so much better. OK, so I am currently getting over some kind of crud... I think my entire office has been out sick at some point the last couple of weeks. I tried to avoid it, even denied it, but got sick anyway. But besides the sniffles, sneezing, coughing, headaches, and fever... I feel great! :)

I set off the new year by getting back to clean eating - which means I cut out processed foods, ditch the sugar (except for some treats here and there), balance my carbs and protein, and have been getting back in the habit of taking vitamins. The result? I FEEL better! It's hard to explain, I just feel like my body is back in balance. The best part? For the past 3 or 4 nights I've actually had really good full nights of glorious SLEEP - which is a rare celebratory event for me. Sad I know, but you have no idea how important sleep is, until you are not able to... I really think I got sick last week because I wasn't sleeping well while I was waiting for the clean eating/vitamins to take effect (it had only been a couple of weeks) and being stubborn about not taking a sleeping aid.

I credit my improvement in sleep mostly to taking a Calcium/Magnesium/D supplement. I had no idea how important magnesium is for you until I read YOU: The Owner's Manual, Updated and Expanded Edition: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger and You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty by Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz which led me to look more into this mineral.

Here is a list of the vitamins I take:

• Alive Multi-Vitamin by Nature's Way
• Calcium, Mag, & D Complex by Nature's Way
• Fisol Enteric-Coated Fish Oil by Nature's Way
• Iron 28 mg

Most of them recommend taking them 3 times a day. I am lucky if I remember to take them twice! Better than not taking them at all! Plus, eating clean, I don't feel like I have to take them so often... I see them more as an insurance policy. Except for the Cal/Mag/D complex which I know I need everyday.

If you're curious about what eating clean is about and other stuff I mentioned above... check out the list of resources below (though a lot of these are listed on the right hand side of this page too). A simple explanation of clean eating, directly from the Clean Eating Magazine website is,

Clean Eating? It's simple, really. Consuming food in it's most natural state -- or as close as possible to it -- is the soul of clean eating. It's not a diet; it's a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to health, well-being and a lean look.

The Eat Clean Diet (I swear it's not a fad diet, not matter what this website makes it look like)
Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet Blog
Eating Clean Works Blog
Clean Eating Magazine
Health Benifits of Magnesium
What's your Real Age?

Bye Bye Bottled Water

Another great ZapRoot video... I don't always agree with what they say, but this one was on the mark for me.

Bullet Breakfast

I think I've figured out my perfect work day breakfast, and thought I would share... I can't take full credit because I evolved it from a recipe by Tosca Reno in her Eat Clean Cookbook. I call it the Bullet Breakfast because I make it in the Magic Bullet (a mini blender). It's so quick and easy to make - especially if you use a food scale - with minimal clean up! Here you go:

Bullet Breakfast
1 banana
1/2 cup FF/skim milk
1/3 cup rolled oats (old fashioned oatmeal or 1 minute)
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 scoop protein powder - vanilla or chocolate (I use Designer Whey)
1 shot of espresso (optional)
1 tsp honey

This is tasty with or without the espresso (or coffee). I think it's yummier (is that a word?) made with vanilla protein powder if you don't add the espresso.... but better with chocolate if you do (think mocha java!). This is a perfect clean eating breakfast... It's got the complex carbs for fiber, and protein to keep your sugar levels steady and keep you full. Plus, a dose of healthy fats and the kick of the espresso/coffee! If you try it, let me know what you think!

Eat Clean

I keep getting asked about what "diet" I'm following and what exactly eating clean is all about... Well, here is a short video of Tosca Reno, the author, explaining it herself!

Eating Clean and the Domino Effect

So all the sudden it seems I'm making a bunch of changes at home… I've cleared out my pantry and refridgerator of processed foods, I'm limiting the amount of plastic I use and purchase, getting rid of toxins from our house, and slowly going "green". Why all these changes now? It all started with my husband and I learning about clean eating, and then it was like a domino effect to the rest of our lives. I've started this blog to share how I'm making small changes to be more eco-friendly, and live a healthier lifestyle.

A couple of months ago (April 2008) I was browsing the internet and came across a message board thread of people discussing how they were changing their eating habits to "Eat Clean" and how great they were feeling. After digging in some more, I discovered they were following The Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno. I hoffed at the idea of a fad DIET, but the more I read the more curious I became and eventually went to the website, Tosca Rena's website, and then looked up the book on Amazon. After reading multiple reviews and descriptions of this "diet" I learned that this in fact was not a fad diet (unfortunately the cover of the book makes it seem like one) but is a way of eating for a healthy lifestyle. Less than a week later I purchased her book, along with The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook, also by Tosca Reno.

The Eat Clean Diet is nothing new - athletes have been following this type of diet for decades to stay lean and healthy. Tosca Reno has just presented it in a way that speaks to ordinary people. So I know you're all asking - what the heck is Clean Eating? It is simply consuming food in it's most natural state (or as close as possible) in order to become healthy and lean. Here are the basic principles:

• 80/10/10 (this is straight from Tosca Reno's book). Your ideal body is 80% nutrition, 10% training/exercise, and 10% genes. You WILL NOT achieve the body you want if you don't feed it what it needs, when it needs it.
• Eat 5-6 meals a day (every 2-3 hours) in order to keep your metabolism revved and your blood sugar levels steady.
• Consume lean protein at every meal (20-25g): chicken breasts; turkey; fish; lean cuts of pork and beef; bison; tofu; fat free dairy; whey or soy protein.
• Eat complex carbohydrates with your protein, this includes whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. The balance of proteins and carbs at each meal is the key. The energy it takes to process the combination of these foods comes from stored body fat.
• Eat good fats everyday. Fats that come from fish (salmon, tuna), nuts, nut butter, flaxseed, and healthy oils are all excellent sources of Omega 3's and Omega 6's.
• Drink lots of water, 8-10 cups, every day
• Eliminate (avoid as much as possible) overly processed foods, refined flour and sugar, saturated and trans fats.

I have to say, I love this way of eating. I feel great, I'm seeing changes in my body composition (loosing body fat %), and I have more energy! My husband is having great results too! It simply WORKS. This way of eating takes some getting used to mainly because it's essential to plan your meals (weekly and daily), but it is so worth it. The best part is, I've never felt deprived of anything. I'm eating so much food my body doesn't have time for cravings. My husband had a hard time giving up his usual nightly dessert of ice cream. But once he got over his body's addiction to sugar, and the habit of the dessert ritual, he stopped craving it. We now use natural sweeteners rather than sugar, like honey, agave, and stevia.

Here are some sources for more information:

Eat Clean Diet www.eatcleandiet.com
Clean Eating Magazine www.cleaneatingmag.com
Whole Foods www.whfoods.org