Day 90- The End

I have reached the end of my little experiment.  I must say I started it with a lot more enthusiasm than when I finished.  If you recall, the whole thing started after I read the book In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan.  I also watched the movie Food Inc. around the same time.  I think I need to go back and re-visit both.  I have also been using Pollan's book Food Rules: An Eater's Manual as sort of a guidebook.  But I haven't stuck with it that much.

This summer I was really motivated to change and I was visiting the farmer's market weekly.  Things completely fizzled out for me by October as I was stuck back at the grocery store where "whole food" is a lot more expensive.  It's very discouraging to me that unhealthy convenience type food is so cheap and more healthy whole food choice and organics are so expensive.  I guess you have to decide if it's worth it.  Right now I am back working so convenience is winning out.

There are things I will stick with.  I have really limited the diet soda, artificial sweeteners, low fat and "lite" items.  I am consciously aware of high-fructose corn syrup and soy products.  I really don't buy much off the shelf grocery store meat or eggs any more.  The drive-thru is a rare treat and it gives me indigestion.  I still like McDonald's french fries. (yeah, I know...)

I'm also much more aware of what kind of cleaning products and cosmetics I'm buying- instead of always just the cheapest kind.  I was excited that CVS had some organic shampoo on sale last week.

I'm probably going to go back to my other blog- The Working Mom- because I am a working mom again.  It's still tough and I'm not that thrilled about it.  So this whole thing did not change the world or anything but I hope you had something to think about.  Thanks for reading.  Good luck and have a happy holiday season.

Day 85- Thanksgiving

Nearing the end of my 90 day experiment that has been kind of lagging the past two weeks (darn job that got in the way).  This week is Thanksgiving and I am actually not cooking this year- but I found a wonderful farm near us that raises organic free-range turkeys and chickens and I might order one next year.  I have never cooked a fresh bird before so we'll see.

Now that it's almost winter, I find it harder and harder to acquire and eat locally-grown whole foods.  I have been back to buying packaged foods again from the grocery store.  I have even had fast food a couple times. And (gasp) now that I am working again I find I can't make it without a Diet Coke (I don't drink coffee).

I am thankful that I had this experience and I will wrap up next week with some take-aways and then this blog will be done.  I may start up my old blog again (The Working Mom) so you can head over there.

Here is a recipe for sweet potato casserole I am making this year:
2 lg can yams or sweet potatoes
(I just baked 6 whole sweet potatoes for about an hour and scooped them out with a spoon)
1/2 c butter
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs beaten
1/2 c milk (I used evaporated milk)
1/2 tsp vanilla
topping:
1 c brown sugar
1/4 c butter
1/3 c flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 c chopped pecans (optional)

Drain and heat sweet potatoes in a pan, mash with butter.  Add sugar, salt, eggs, milk, and vanilla and mix well.  Pour into ungreased 9 in glass dish.  For topping mix brown sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon and nuts until crumbly.  Sprinkle on top of sweet potato.  Bake at 350F for 40 minutes.  Double recipe for 9 x 13 pan.

Day 64- Running Out of Steam

I am on Day 64 of my 90-Day journey and I am running out of steam.  I think I know what happened.  You know when you start something new and you are all eager and excited? That was me for the first 30 days.  Then life really kicked in.  First I came down with a cold.  Not a big deal.  But then I didn't feel like exercising, or eating right.  And then we went on vacation and forget it.  And now I started a new job and I am feeling really swamped and pressed for time.  So I don't have time to shop properly or eat properly.  And now farmer's market season is over so I'm stuck mostly going to the grocery store.  And I'm not following my own rules.  I think I need to go back and read some of my own old posts!

How are you all doing?

Day 59- "Natural" vs Organic

As I've said before, I'm not totally on the organic bandwagon.  I do buy some organic foods but not everything.  But one thing you should be aware of is the term "Natural" or "All Natural" on a food label.  What does it mean? Absolutely nothing!  Any manufacturer can put the word "natural" on a product and it's just marketing.  It doesn't mean the food is more healthy or even more "natural" (whatever that means).

If a product is labeled "USDA Organic" it means the following:

• No chemical fertilizers or pesticides were used
• Food is not genetically modified (GMO) or irradiated
• Meat and dairy is free of growth hormones and antibiotics
• Animals are fed organic feed and have access to outdoor pasture

If you want to read more about the USDA Organic standards go here to the U.S. Dept of Agriculture website.  If you want to check on the "dirty dozen and clean fifteen" produce list go back to my post here on Day 23.

Day 55- Don't be fooled

One thing I have learned.  It's hard to pick pre-packaged food that is "healthy".  Yes you can make better choices, but if you are trying to eat "whole food" you are going to have trouble with just about anything that comes in a package.  Food Rules # 8 "Avoid foods that make health claims".  Food Rules #9 "Avoid foods with the words lite, nonfat or low fat in their names." (usually code for more sugar or salt) Food Rules #10 "Avoid foods pretending to be something they're not." (for example margarine or egg beaters)

On this blog- 100 Days of Real Food- Lisa helps explain the ingredients label and what might look like "health food" is not necessarily so- part 1, part 2, part 3.  It was a real eye-opener to me! Watch out for the words made from "multi-grains" or just "wheat" instead of "whole wheat".  Did you know most "wheat" bread is just like white bread- they just make it look brown with caramel coloring?

Day 50- Scrambled Eggs recipe

Wow Day 50 already! Last week was a complete bust as I was sick with a cold for about 4 days and didn't do anything.  I love eggs and I found this yummy sounding scrambled egg recipe on another blog that calls for cottage cheese and spinach.  Do you know that combining spinach with scrambled eggs makes them more healthy for you?

Here is the recipe from Kitchen Stewardship- she also has a great post if you are just starting a whole food journey and wondering where to start,

Day 48- So What About Soy?

So what about soy? Is is good or bad or what?  I think you should generally tend to try to avoid soy (except for perhaps tofu).  Soy is not really a nutritional "food".  It has been genetically engineered in the United States to grow where other plants may not grow, and it is genetically engineered to be resistant to Round-Up (yes- that's the herbicide chemical that kills weeds).

My major problem with soy is that it is in just about everything!  It is way harder to avoid than even high-fructose corn syrup.  Take a look at any ingredient label in your kitchen right now- do you see any of the following ingredients?  Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, vegetable protein concentrate, vegetable oil, MSG (monosodium glutamate), soy protein isolate, soy lecithin, textured vegetable proteins and, the most prominent of all, soy oil.  Try to find something in a package that does not contain one of these ingredients- you will have a hard time.

Some of the possible side effects of consuming soy are: estrogen effect in men, women and children due to phytoestrogens, blocking the absorption of calcium, digestive problems and upset stomach, impairs thyroid function, increases the body's need for Vitamin D and B12, weight gain, and possible cancer links.

Soy is popular because soy is cheap. It provides cheap feed for animals- and contributes to the same effects in animals as in humans. The American Soybean Association is a powerful political lobby in Washington. The number one producer of soybean seed in the U.S. is Monsanto- the same company that makes Round-Up.  Pretty convenient, huh?  You can find more about soy in Kaayla Daniel's book
The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food.  Google "dangers of soy" if you want to read more.

Day 38- Like Butter

We've talked about eggs. We've talked about milk.  Now lets talk about butter- or margarine.

Butter is a dairy product made from the cream of cow's milk.  Margarine is a butter substitute made from hydrogenated vegetable oil. Don't let anyone fool you- margarine is not a health food. Margarine also contains trans-fat.

Here is an article from the Cleveland Clinic that discusses some of the pros and cons of butter and margarine.

If you look at a package of butter the ingredients are usually milk, cream, salt (maybe beta carotene for coloring).  If you look at a margarine package you are going to see a whole list of oils, emulsifiers, additives, preservatives, and things you can't pronounce.  Many types of margarine are now labelled "0 trans-fat".  This is not true because all hydrogenated oils (corn oil, soy oil) contain trans-fat.  Butter is also available in an organic version.  Here's another article about butter vs. margarine.

My bottom line is butter is better, in moderation.  If you have a significant cholesterol problem you may want to limit the amount of butter you consume.

By the way- did you know that butter is sold in sticks in the East part of the U.S. and blocks in the West?


Western butter



Day 37- Got Milk?

Let's talk milk. First thing right off the bat I will say- I don't drink milk.  I mean like a big ol' glass of cold milk- yuck.  I do cook with it and occasionally put some on my cereal- but I don't really like cows milk at all.  I use almond milk (either Almond Dream or Blue Diamond/Almond Breeze ) on my cereal.  But my family does like to drink milk, so I do buy milk. Although we don't go through a lot. (I don't drink soy milk either, but that's another story.)

I'm not a nutritionist or any other kind of "-ist" so I'm no expert on milk.  The notion of drinking another mammal's milk kind of creeps me out.  But if you're going to drink cows milk, should you be buying organic milk or what?  Since we don't go through very much milk, I usually buy the store brand.  The milk from the store I shop does not contain the hormone rBGH (bovine growth hormone).  I also have been buying whole milk or 2% as opposed to skim or 1% milk.  Lower fat milk often has additives put in it to make it more creamy appearing.  A search around the Internet turns up possible links betwen prostate cancer and low fat milk.  All commercially sold milk is pasteurized- or heated at low temperature to kill the bacteria.  This also destroys some of the nutrients.  Vitamin D is usually added to commercial milk.  Milk sold in a plastic jug is usually regular pasteurized and milk sold in a carton (including organic milk) is usually ultra-pasteurized.  Meaning it is heated even more, which destroys even more nutrients.  However organic milk usually has a longer expiration date.

Fresh or raw milk from the farm is harder to come by unless you know a farmer.  It is actually illegal in some states to sell non-pasteurized raw milk except as animal feed.  I recently bought some whole milk from Hartzler Dairy in Wooster, but it was pasteurized not raw. (By the way I didn't like it at all- it has a very strong taste.)

Milk and eggs.  Usually these are the top two items recommended if you are starting to go organic.  Dairy cows living on large commercial factory farms do not have a happy life (regardless of what the California Dairy Council wants you to think) .  They live most of their lives in a small pen.  They are not allowed to graze on grass but are fed hay or grain or high protein "cow feed".  They are given hormones and antibiotics to grow larger and produce more milk. Their young calves are taken away so the milk is not "wasted" on them and are basically fed cow "formula".

Organic milk should be free of hormones and pesticides.  It does cost more, sometimes much more than regular milk.  There was an interesting discussion on Money Saving Mom on whether organic milk was worth it. Here is an argument against organic milk, saying it is just a marketing ploy to make more money (organic milk can cost 2 to 3 times more than regular milk.)  There also appears to be some discrepancy with regards to what "organic" means in regards to milk. 

My bottom line is I think I will continue to buy store brand milk that is rBGH-free but not necessarily organic. Do you buy organic milk?

Day 34- First Month- Let's Review

I am more than a month into my little experiment of trying to make more healthy food choices.  So far I have bought farm-fresh eggs.  Given up Fast Food (yes, I have had Wendy's once and Burger King once for breakfast- it was not very tasty.)  I shopped at Whole Foods (really expensive) and Trader Joe's (more fun). I avoided high-fructose corn syrup- although this is a work in process. I gave up Diet Coke and my headaches subsided- but I still crave a cold icy glass often. I weighed in every Tuesday and I have not seen the scale move much.  I started The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jumpstart (but I have not been very consistent.)  I picked apples, shopped at local farms, and ate grass-fed beef.  Someone asked me if I felt loads better and truthfully I don't feel any different.  Maybe because I have not been completely consistent. And maybe because this is still a process.  I do know my cholesterol levels have come down (I have also been taking a fish oil supplement.)  For the next month of the journey, I want to focus on being more consistent with exercise and looking at incorporating more of the Food Rules.  I'm also planning a give-away contest coming up soon.

One thing that has been difficult is the cost of buying "better" food. Other than produce being rather inexpensive during the summer months, other healthy foods are quite a bit more expensive.  And it is so much more time-consuming to cook from scratch!  It's way easier to get carry-out or make Hamburger Helper (which is so gross in my opinion).  But it takes a lot of time and effort and planning to cook healthy meals.  (OK end of whining.)

Leave a comment to let me know how you are doing- I would like to hear from you!

Day 31- My apple crisp recipe

We went apple picking today and you can't beat a big bag of apples right off the tree for $5!

My Oatmeal Apple Crisp recipe

6 apples, peeled, cored, sliced, chopped
grease bottom of 8x8 baking dish with butter
put chopped apples in the dish
sprinkle 1-2 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon over the apples

In a large bowl mix:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
melt 1/2 stick butter and mix with all ingredients together
spoon over apples and bake for 45 min at 350 F

Enjoy!

(Frugal Friday at Life As Mom)

Day 30- Eat Local Challenge Oct 2-8

When the government recommends something, I usually tend to want to run far away.  But this is actually a good idea.  The Ohio Department of Agriculture challenges you to eat locally grown food.  For one week plan and prepare one meal every day using foods that are grown or raised in Ohio.  Here is a link you can use to click on your county and accept the challenge.

Local Harvest is a fantastic site for finding local farms, farmers markets and CSA's. Ohio Proud is an Ohio-grown food and agriculture site. One of my favorite things about this time of year is picking apples.  Go here to find PYO sites in Ohio. The Good Earth Guide at OFFEO is a guide to organic growers on Ohio.

Many grocery stores will also feature "locally grown" produce throughout the summer and fall.

Food Rule #19- "If it came from a plant eat it. If it was made in a plant don't."

Day 25- Trip to the farm to buy beef & eggs

Yesterday we drove out to the country to a farm that raises free-range Golden Buff chickens and grass-pastured black Angus cows.  We got a dozen eggs for $3 and 5 pounds of ground beef for $3.99/lb. (That was all the beef they had left for now- until they slaughter the next steer.)

My daughter enjoyed the pumpkin display and the farm cat the most!  It was a nice ride and I think we will go back in a few weeks when the trees change.

Saturday Shopping Superstars at Thrifty Mama.

Day 23- Why buy and eat organic food?

Food Rules #27-  "Eat animals that have themselves eaten well." Animals raised for food should eat what animals eat naturally.  Like grass.  Not other animals parts.  They should not be given growth hormones or antibiotics to make them grow unusually fast and large.

Food Rules #30- "Eat well-grown food from healthy soil." Organic food is usually grown well and pesticides and chemical fertilizers are avoided.  But all organic food is not necessarily healthy.  I don't think organic Oreos are any better for your diet than the regular ones!

When I am picking food either at the grocery store or at the farmer's market, I try to buy locally grown, in-season produce whenever possible.  Here is a list of the "dirty dozen" and "clean 15" fruits and vegetables.  I like to try to follow this list when I can- although organic produce is more expensive. Generally fruits and vegetables you eat whole like apples and peaches are the most "dirty", and those you peel like corn or watermelon are the "cleanest". The latest study has a shown a link between pesticide exposure and ADHD in children.

Organic food is more expensive.  I have read if you are going to start somewhere, start with organic eggs and milk.  Laying hens on a commercial factory-farm are raised in terribly crowded indoor conditions.  Even those marked "free-range" never go outside they are just kept in large indoor pens instead of cages.  They are given hormones to speed their growth at an abnormal rate. Their beaks are clipped off to prevent them from pecking each other.  Commercial milking cows also spend their whole lives in a stall in a huge barn.  They don't go outside to graze.  They stand in their own waste.  Their calves are taken away from them and fed commercial feed.  Only beef cows generally get to graze in a pasture.  I am not a vegetarian, but I have a hard time eating commercially raised beef, chicken and pork except for locally farm grown or organic grass-fed.  For more information see Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, or Animal Factory by David Kirby.

Organic foods should also be free of GMO's or genetically modified organisms (aka- genetically engineered). Although because of cross-pollination some GMO's are finding their way into nearly all the food supply.  Just about all soybeans grown in this country for food or for feed are GMO's.  Right now I challenge you to look at any package of food you have from cookies, to salad dressing, to candy bars and you will see an ingredient called "soy lecithin" or "soybean oil" or just "lecithin".  It's everywhere!  For more on GMO's and soybeans see The World According to Monsanto by Marie-Monique Robin or Food Inc. DVD by Eric Shlosser and Michael Pollan.

There is a great Eating Organic Series at this blog- Your Green Helper.  She also lists money-saving tips for buying organic, green and eco-friendly products. Mambo Sprouts- great site for coupons for organic items.

Day 9- The End of Diet Coke...

I would like to have a moment of silence please.  Yesterday I opened the last can of Diet Coke in my refrigerator.  I need a little time of mourning.  And I have a headache.

I don't drink coffee, I don't drink tea, I don't drink regular pop (that's soda for the rest of you).  But I love me some Diet Coke in a cold can- or in a glass over ice.  Never in a plastic bottle.  I will miss you, Diet Coke.  I'm not buying any more pop, diet or otherwise, for the rest of the 90 Days of Change.

(sigh...)

Ok, so I'm not buying into that "Diet Coke causes MS nonsense" you get in forwarded emails from people (just check Snopes). But apparently Aspartame- the sweetener in diet soda- gets broken down into methanol in your gut which is then converted into formaldehyde.  Like the stuff they preserve dead things in.  That can't be good for you unless you're Joan Rivers.  Plus the phosphate in soda causes phosphate levels to rise in the blood and calcium to decrease- so it's bad for your bones. My habit is only one 12 ounce can a day- so that shouldn't be too hard, right?

So- will you join me and give up regular or diet pop (soda)?

(link to Simple Lives Thursday)

Day 8- Have Healthy Snacks Ready

Over at We Are That Family- there is a little blog carnival called Works For Me Wednesday (WFMW).  Go check it out for some great tips!

Here is my WFMW tip of the day.  If you want to eat more healthy- have healthy snacks ready.  Like washed fruit, and organic popcorn, and ice water in the frig.  It's so much less tempting to grab something "bad" when you have something "good' that's quick and easy.

If you want to read my whole blog from the beginning- go here.

Day 7- High Fructose Corn Syrup

Food Rules #4- avoid high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is added to hundreds of foods- many you would not expect- like bread, ketchup, salad dressing.  No, it's probably not any worse than plain old cane sugar, but it is not a naturally occurring ingredient- it is highly processed.  On the flip side, beware of anything that is loaded with sugar, cane sugar or otherwise.  A throw-back Mountain Dew is not going to be any better for you than a regular one.

Here's some good advice from the Mayo Clinic:

• Limit processed foods.
• Avoid foods that contain added sugar.
• Drink less soda.

Here's a commentary on HFCS from Melanie Warner at bnet. Here's a propaganda website put together by the U.S.  Corn Refiners Association.  I think one of the biggest problems with HFCS is that it is cheap and sweet and added to lots of stuff you wouldn't expect.  Read the ingredients label.  I like this blog article by Wholesome Mommy on the different choices in sweeteners. This rule is difficult if you use any packaged food at all, even bread.  Watch out for anything labelled "low-fat" or "fat-free" which is often code for "more sugar added". I've been trying to be diligent about reading the labels, but again I'm not throwing anything away I already have- just trying to make better choices going forward.

HFCS-free lunch we often have- Jif Natural Peanut Butter, Smucker's Simply Fruit, on Arnold bread (Arnold's bread is HFCS-free but it does contain soy).  You can check out Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

Do you avoid high-fructose corn syrup?

Day 3- Shopping Trip

Today I am planning to go to Whole Foods and Trader Joes.  I say "planning" because it's a bit of a trip and some times the best laid plans- well you know!  Whole Foods has a pretty good web site- you can check their specials and they have printable coupons.  Did you know Trader Joes is owned by the same family in Germany that runs Aldi?  It's actually 2 different branches of the same family- one owns Trader Joes and one owns Aldi.  (I actually don't have very good luck at Aldi but I know a lot of people do.) One thing about Trader Joe's- a lot of their Trader Joe's brand items are actually made by mainstream companies like Frito Lay (Pepsi), etc.- that's why the prices are low.

A bit more about yesterday's post on fast food. There are a couple reasons- I think- not to eat fast food.  First, most of the menu is fried. Food deep fried in oil is just not that good for you.  Second, I think the meat- especially the beef is suspect.  According to Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser,  McDonald's is the largest purchaser of beef in the world.  That means beef producers pretty much produce beef to McDonald's standards- for just about everyone- including schools.  A couple things make me uneasy about this beef.  First the way the animals are fed and raised on "factory-farms". I am opposed to any kind of growth hormone given to cows.  Second the way they are slaughtered and processed.  Because there is a great risk of E. coli 0157:H7 contamination, the beef is treated with ammonia.

A bit of a disclaimer here.  I am no expert on whole food, organic food, or anything else.  I am just posting things I am trying.  I'm not telling you what to do- you have to make your own choices.  I'm not totally on board with the whole "organic" thing.  I want to eat more vegetables, fruits and healthy meats- and way less packaged foods.  I also want to support local farmers when I can.  I have not cleaned out my refrigerator or pantry.  I can't afford to do this right now- so we are eating our way through some packaged stuff now.  But as I shop and replace things- I try to make better choices.

Hope you have a great holiday weekend! If you are looking for some frugal pantry ideas- check out Frugal Friday over at Life As Mom (a terrific blog).

Day 2- Fast Food

The basic thesis of Michal Pollan's book- Food Rules is: "Eat food, Mostly plants, Not too much."

I'm not going to pretend to change everything all at once, and I wouldn't even try.  But I am going to start one of Pollan's Food Rules right now- #20 "It's not food if it arrived through the window of your car." In other words- no more fast food.  I will admit right here I love fast food.  It's cheap, it tastes good, it leaves you wanting more.  But then you feel kind of awful after you eat it.  This is going to be one of the hardest rules to follow for the next 90 days.  I'm pretty sure I can do it for myself, but it might be a little harder to get the whole family on board.  The one thing I will really miss is McDonald's french fries.  I actually had a small order on Monday to say goodbye.  Isn't that pathetic!

There is this scene in the movie Food Inc. with a family going through the drive-thru and the mom says if she has a dollar she's going to get her daughter a double-cheeseburger because you can't even buy a bunch of broccoli for $1.  That's the truth and it's really kind of sad.  Plus you have to wash and cook the broccoli.  And let's face it- plain broccoli does not taste that good. (I'm just being honest!)  Not eating fast food is a lot more work and a lot less convenient. If you plan to follow this step with me, try watching Super Size Me with Morgan Spurlock.  The guy eats nothing but McDonald's for 30 days with some alarming results to his health.

I'm pretty sure I'll end up breaking this rule somewhere along the way.  There will be this day we're in a hurry or something.  I also think some fast food may be ok.  Like a salad, or fruit, or yogurt- (or Chipotle LOL!).  But I'm going to try to go cold turkey for now.  I should also note that we eat a lot of processed foods in general- even when I "cook" a lot of time it comes out of a package.  So even a little change is going to be big for me.

Do you eat fast food? Or do you never touch the stuff?

Day 1- Eggs, Eggs, Eggs

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks- you've heard about the massive egg recall from two Iowa egg "farm-factories".  The conditions at the farms were found to be terrible.

One change I have already made this summer goes along with Pollan's rule #15.  "Get out of the supermarket whenever you can."  I have been shopping at farmer's markets all summer.  You can't get everything there and I don't try. But I get fresh locally grown produce and sometimes farm-fresh eggs. You can also find farms that sell eggs.  Or I will buy organic eggs at the grocery store.  I like Eggland's Best Eggs- they often have coupons in the newspaper. Yes, they are more expensive.  I will pay about $3.00 a dozen for farm-fresh eggs. When you crack them open, the yolks are orange-yellow not pale like the grocery store eggs.  That's because they are full of beta-carotene.  My daughter says it's because the chickens ate their vegetables!

Do you eat local farm eggs? Where do you get them?