Lately, my diet has gone down the toilet. I was doing really well for a while there making sure to keep processed foods to a minimum and eating as much local, sustainably raised food as possible. My last quarter of school was the most challenging I've ever experienced, and it became more and more difficult to find the energy to grocery shop and cook. I found a handful of places where I could get decent gluten free, dairy free foods that were pre-made, and I went to town. Even though this quarter has been much less stressful, I haven't gotten back into the habit of cooking regularly. Plus, I've been eating a lot more sugar and fried foods than is healthy for anyone.

It's getting to be summer, which means that it's the time of year for delicious, local fruits and vegetables. My summer quarter is going to be quite light with only one class and 4 clinic shifts (by the way, if you are interested in seeing me at clinic, let me know! I can give you the days and times I'll be there and instructions on how to make the appointment). This means that I will have a lot of time to devote to cooking.

Because I'm heading into finals next week, I'm not going to make any major changes immediately, but I will try to keep sugar to a minimum. Once finals are over, I'm going to be going back to the diet that makes me feel healthy, energetic, and happy.

Organic Body Care Recipes - Review

When you look at the label of an average bath product, you'll see loads of chemicals which you probably can't pronounce, and the very innocent sounding ingredient, "Fragrance." I'm trying to avoid eating foods with ingredients that don't instantly evoke images of food in my head (like dextrin, polysorbate, and red 40, among many others) because it isn't good for my body. As Stephanie Tourles, the author of Organic Body Care Recipes points out in her introduction, we absorb both chemicals and nutrients through our skin as well as through our digestive system. By using products that are full of beneficial plant-based ingredients, we absorb the good and avoid the bad. There is a brief section in the book that talks about common chemicals in personal care products that are harmful. Through some research of my own, I have also learned that companies are not required to disclose information about what they put in fragrances. The article I linked to says,

"Fragrance secrecy is legal due to a giant loophole in the Federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1973, which requires companies to list cosmetics ingredients on the product labels but explicitly exempts fragrance. By taking advantage of this loophole, the cosmetics industry has kept the public in the dark about the ingredients in fragrance, even those that present potential health risks or build up in people’s bodies."

I don't know about you, but I prefer to know exactly what I'm putting into my body, whether it's through my skin or my mouth. Organic Body Care Recipes is a wonderful place to start. It's a comprehensive recipe book for personal care products, ranging from skin and hair care to aphrodisiacs. Tourles gives plenty of information about the health benefits of ingredients, what to look for when buying them, and what tools you need to create your own products. She also helps you to understand what kind of skin and hair you have and which recipes work for which types.

I have tried quite a few of the recipes in the book and have been thrilled with every one of them. Some of them are so simple and effective, you'll wonder why you ever paid for over-priced store-bought products at all. For example, her "Nighttime Eye Moisturizer" recipe is 1/4 teaspoon of oil (she lists several acceptable varieties - I use jojoba, but you could also use extra virgin olive oil). That's it! Just dab the oil around your eye area, and you're good to go. Of course, some of the recipes require more work, and some take a long time to prepare, but it's satisfying and fun to make your own products, especially when you know exactly what's in it and where everything came from.

Food Rules - Review

Yesterday, I picked up a copy of Food Rules by Michael Pollan. The book is exactly what its title implies - 64 rules about food to get you to eat better. It is a very quick read, and he summarizes all the rules as, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants." He covers pretty much everything I've covered in my blog - eat whole foods rather than processed foods, eat animals that have eaten well, eat organic, and when possible, eat local, plus some other great suggestions.

The book is very accessible, and it's correct. If you follow the rules, you will have a much healthier diet than the average American, you will probably lose weight, and you will be less likely to succumb to all of the horrible diseases that are caused by the American diet (this statement was not approved by the FDA).

This morning, my roommate, who isn't nearly as excited about food and diet as I am, picked the book up off the coffee table and started reading it. He even told me, excitedly, that he had started following the rule, "Drink your food, chew your drink," which can be summarized as: eat and drink very slowly. At lunch today, I also followed that rule (while blatantly breaking a few of the other rules, but you have to start somewhere, right?), and I found that I ate about 2/3 of what I would normally eat.

The book lacks sources and data to back up its claims, though the author comes right out and says that he's not going to include them, but the data is out there if you look. On the plus side, the lack of scholarly language makes it much easier to read, so the average Joe can pick it up and start eating better immediately. On the negative side, the book is left wide open to criticism and ridicule from the corporations who don't want you to follow the rules in the book.

Overall, I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. It's definitely worth spending $11 and taking an hour of your time to read it.

Food, Inc - Review

I just watched the documentary "Food, Inc." The information in it wasn't news to me. Most of the information covered was in Michael Pollan's book "The Omnivore's Dilemma." It was, however, eye-opening because they showed limited footage of the conditions in which factory farmed animals live, as well as the terrible conditions for the workers.

The best thing about the film is that it is far more accessible to the average American than a book. I know that most people aren't as gung ho about reading as I am, and many people don't like much at all. "Food, Inc." was an hour and a half, and I think that everyone should watch it.

Most of us are completely ignorant about where our food comes from, yet food is the most fundamental building block for life. Unfortunately, the majority of food available comes from just a few giant corporations, and they are not interested in our health. They are interested in making a profit. It turns out that the FDA and the USDA tend to be on the side of the corporations rather than the farmers and the people. This is not OK.

At the end of the film, they said that every time you purchase food, you are voting. If you purchase organic, local, non GMO (genetically modified), sustainably grown and raised food, you encourage your supermarket to continue offering those products, and to offer more in the future. Yes, it costs more out of pocket to buy organic, but the rewards to your body, your community, and the planet are substantial.

I have found that it can be difficult to start dialogue with people about food. They don't want to hear it. There is a sense of security in doing what is familiar. If people learn the truth about the industries they support with their eating habits, it's uncomfortable, and let's face it, no one wants to be uncomfortable. Food, Inc. isn't a feel-good movie. It is painful to watch at moments, and I'm not ashamed to admit that parts of it made me cry. Even so, if I could, I would have everyone watch it. Hopefully, it will make viewers stop and think. Every time someone chooses organic - even if it's not all the time - it is a step in the right direction.