You are what you eat eats

You know the saying, "you are what you eat?" Well, apparently you can take this saying a step further. Because you're really what you eat eats.

Based on what I read in The Omnivore's Dilemma last night, it seems that what the plants and animals you eat have eaten is equally (if not more) important than what kind of plant or animal they are (i.e. is a grass-fed cow better for you than a corn-fed salmon? Maybe!). I'm so upset that it has taken me 27 years to find this out!

If you don't know what I'm talking about, here is a little synopsis...

1. Plants. If they're "eating" natural sunlight, the nutrients from natural soil, and drinking rain water, you get all of the natural nutrients that plants (fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts) were best suited to produce from nature. On the other hand, if plants are ingesting artificial light, pesticides, and human-purified water they don't develop natural nutrients and defenses like they were meant to. You're essentially eating the lowest common denominator here. In other words, which sounds better: sunlight, organic soil, and rain water -or- fluorescent light, pesticide-filled soil, and stripped down water?

2. Animals. Corn-fed salmon? Grain-fed cows? Not good. For them or for us. Salmon are designed to eat what is in the water. Cows are designed to eat grass. And when they eat what they're designed to eat, their bodies function better. A better functioning body means better, more nutritious, dinner for you and I.

So in case you can't tell, right now I am on a food quality kick. Want to make sure the Paleo Diet I'm getting is the best it can be!
-Andi

Blueberry and pear crumble

My mom visited this weekend and made this delicious blueberry and pear crumble!


Here's the recipe...

Ingredients:

• 5 pears
• 1 tbsp. mixed spice
• 4 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 300g frozen blueberries
• 2 tbsp. arrowroot
• 1/2 c. almond meal
• 10 dates
• 1 tbsp. water
• 1/3 c. walnuts, chopped

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Peel pears, remove cores, and slice.
• Heat a medium sized pan to low-med heat, add pear slices, mixed spice, lemon juice and honey. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
• Add arrowroot and stir until pears are coated. Add blueberries, stir continuously for 5 minutes, or until blueberries have defrosted and sauce has thickened.
• Place almond meal in a food processor, turn onto medium high heat, add dates and water and blend until well combined. Place into a bowl and add walnuts.
• Bake.

-Andi

Relapse & Effects of Paleo on Blood Sugars

It sounds like Mitch and I have both had some relapse these past couple weeks (I know this from talking to him on the phone).

It has been a couple of very busy and stressful weeks at work for me (we just changed our name!), so maybe that has something to do with it. I would say I have been eating about 70% Paleo these past 2 weeks, and here are some of the hurdles I have been running into with the diet:

1. After getting a really hard workout in (i.e. hockey practice or swimming) I am famished. In a moment of weakness [twice] I got a junior Arby's roast beef (I can't even remember the last time I had fast food!). No convenience food can be tough in times like these.

2. My gastroparesis flared up from insulin pump infusion site issues, sending my blood sugar soaring to 300+ a couple times. This is when it is tough to eat Paleo for me b/c it is all high fiber food that is hard to digest. So I have gone back to my Asian food staples (miso soup, sushi, a little lettuce with ginger dressing) a few times these past couple weeks. These are things that I know digest well for me. But they do tend to send my blood sugars a little higher... which brings me to this point...

While "normal" healthy people might not be able to tell any concrete signs if the Paleo diet is working for them or not, I am here to tell you that it does! I get to see the direct effects of eating Paleo and non-Paleo meals on blood sugar and here is what I've found:

***When I eat Paleo meals my blood sugar typically stays around 80-100 mg/dL before and after eating, and for most of the day (right on target).

***When I eat NON-Paleo meals my blood sugar tends to run around 170 mg/dL for most of the day (too high).

So, that should be pretty good motivation to eat Paleo, right? Well, most of the time. I am committed to doing this diet long term b/c I have seen what a great effect it has had on my health, but I am also only human so sometimes I slip and eat the tasty modern morsels put before me. The numbers help...

-Andi

Problem solved: local and organic for less $$

We did it!

My housemate and I joined Grant Family Farms CSA (www.grantfarms.com). Looking forward to 26 weeks of fresh, local, organic veggies, fruits, and eggs for only $18/week!

It's going to be a new challenge to make seasonal Paleo dishes as they are harvested, but I'm excited to give it a try!

We've also switched over to local honey this year. Did you know that it helps people with allergies - like both my housemates - because it contains local pollen? That's what I hear anyway.

Learning lots of the food growing side of things with this diet from the incredible book I've been reading called Omnivore's Dillema. Everyone should read this book!

-Andi

CSA: Grant Family Farms

I think I've found the CSA I'll be supporting this year: Grant Family Farms.

The farms are located in Wellington, CO - just north of Fort Collins - and they have pickup locations 1x/week near our house in Denver from June-December. The reason we went with a family farm CSA as opposed to one where people grow things in their backyard in the city is because we want to support those who are trying to make a living doing a great thing like this.

Here is a breakdown of how much it will cost us to support locally grown, certified organic food (for 26 weeks) trying to be "beyond organic" sustainable:

Veggies (single share): $18/week
Eggs (1 dozen/week): $4.50/week
Fruit (single share): $16.36/week
Mushrooms (1/2 lb. share): $7/week

They also raise meat: goose, chicken, duck, turkey, pork, lamb, and goat.

Very Paleo Diet friendly!!

FYI - I found this farm on www.localharvest.org. Check it out for farms in your area!

Looking forward to this new food adventure in 2010...

-Andi

Tasty treat

I just discovered a delicious treat! Dark chocolate, walnuts, and dried cranberries.

I now keep this concoction in my desk at work for when I need a little pick me up snack.

-Andi

Non-Paleo problems, eating local and organic

I ate a bunch more "Open Meals" (non-Paleo) than I would have liked to this week and totally noticed some very concrete changes in my health:

1. I broke out in acne on my face.
2. My blood sugars have been all over the place: a consistently higher fasting blood glucose, more highs and lows. On Saturday night I almost hit 400 (normal = 83-90 mg/dL) after eating 1.5 corn tamales at our local Mexican restaurant: non-Paleo ingredients in these included corn, cheese, salt, and sour cream.
3. I don't feel as healthy as usual.

I'm hopeful that I can get back on track this week.

I also just discovered a great website for finding local, organic food that is actually a lot less expensive than buying it at a local grocery store (or a place like Vitamin Cottage or Whole Foods): http://www.localharvest.org/

Reading The Omnivore's Dilemma has really re-sparked my desire to buy organic somehow, and I am hopeful that this is a viable solution. I'd really like to go Paleo and organic. The local CSA that one of my co-workers grows for only charges $249 for a 20-week share (that comes out to only $12.45/week for local, organically grown food!).

-Andi