2013 Food Challenge.

Cast iron forever!

I have been fortunate to meet many climbers this year, a lot of them in their 20's. While I was amazed at their strength and stamina, I was also in awe of what they lived on:

Some opted for everyday carbo-loading by consuming vast amounts of "Special K," while running up and down the Grand (elevation: 13,770) as if it were a 3 mile jog down the road. Others chose protein: eggs, burgers and bacon everyday, again going up and down diverse high altitude peaks several times... weekly. Others just went for the sugar: Pop Tarts, Snicker bars, Tweezers... any junk food really, and/or whatever was on sale at the supermarket, as they spent days at a time traversing peaks... and last but not least, there were also many who lived on ready-made frozen dinners, canned and/or frozen vegetables, canned soups... basically all varieties of processed food, and again putting in hours of workouts daily, and difficult climbs weekly.

While the exercise load was tremendous, I did see and hear complaints and concerns about weight gain. How can super active people in their 20's and 30's possibly gain weight?... yes, it's possible:

No

Food.

I experienced it myself when I came to the US. I was not very active in Brazil, but I did walk everyday (no car) and ate a diet of mostly rice, beans, and an incredible variety of fruits and vegetables. When I moved here, to Boston, I continued to walk even more. But I was 16, and had no idea what eating was all about. I was happy to eat Wonder Bread, Pringles (so delicious!), cereal with vitamin D-fortified milk, eggs, hot-dogs, tuna sandwiches, pizza slices, breaded chicken sandwiches from Burger King, donuts, danishes, ice-cream... and not so many vegetables. I quickly gained weight as a result, and was constantly sick- plagued with colds, sinus infections, ear infections... It took my sister visiting me, scolding me on my diet, and teaching me from scratch on how to buy and eat fresh fruit and vegetables, grains and beans... to change my habits. In short, I had to thoroughly reeducate myself on how to eat in order to maintain the weight and size I had in my 20's... into my 40's.

The beauty of changing habits is that we have an incredible ability to adapt to the new- as long as we give ourselves the chance to do it...

Dark leafy greens = good for the blood

The hardest part of changing eating habits, or any habits for that matter, are the first days. Those are the days that are spent battling the mind, back and forth. Will against ego, change against comfort, fear of ridicule, self-doubt, self deprecation, self beating, confusion, darkness, depression... yes, I have named them all, because I have been through it all, with food and smoking as well... but it is doable. Even giving up donuts and ice cream is doable. I promise.

Start slow, one step at a time. Don't try it all at once. It's too overwhelming, and easy to give up that way.

Go for one change a week. If one week is not enough time to get comfortable with that one change, take 2 weeks, or 3, or a month. A month of one eating habit change is better than no change at all.

So for you, super strong dudes and dudettes that have helped me so much with climbing and work out tips and advice this year... here goes a weekly food post to help you on your own quest for health, strength, and a fearless mind.

Just say no...

Getting started... Most folks lack adequate pots and pans to cook with. If you fall into that category, you may be eating out a lot, and/or "cooking" with the microwave.

Eating out, while convenient, does take a toll on your health if you make it an everyday habit. The reason is, restaurants want folks to love their food... so they will unabashedly use salt, butter, and all kinds of oils... in abundance. Yes abundance is great, but not when it comes to not-so-great ingredients. Remember that most restaurants are trying to make a profit however they can, so the rule is to use the cheapest ingredients possible. That means antibiotic-and-hormone-rich butter, cheese, eggs, poultry and meat, and veggies grown with pesticides. And an abundance of regular salt (sodium), saturated oils (cholesterol), and sugar. As for microwave cooking... that is not cooking!!!! It involves frozen dinners, and/or heating up stuff. Not cooking!!! If I can think of one appliance I'd see in hell, it'd be a microwave.

Big pot

Now that you know my idea of hell... let's move on to step zero: go out and get yourself a pot. Get a fairly big one, then, because that way you will be able to make pasta, soups, stews and beans with just that one pot. You can find your all-in-one pot at a supermarket, wall mart, target, online at Amazon and/or kitchen shops, Good Will... basically anywhere. But make sure your pot is stainless steel, not Teflon or Calphalon. Enamel or cast iron are also great. No aluminum either, as it is associated with Alzheimer's. Aluminum is  unfortunately the metal of choice in restaurant cookware, as it is a great conductor of heat, but not so great a conductor of health (http://www.freshfoodunderground.com/2010/02/on-quest-to-get-rid-of-teflon.html). Very important. Now that you have a nice sized pot... let's start.

WEEK 1

WHOLE WHEAT PASTA

Why whole wheat pasta? Because whole wheat foods are less processed, and have more naturally-occurring nutrients, instead of the chemical vitamins and additives that are added to foods like "special K." Whole wheat has lots of fiber as well, which is important for maintaining a good rhythm in your body and keep things moving the right direction. Whole wheat pasta is also simple and easy to cook. 11 or 12 minutes, and you are done. If it is organic that is great, but if not, that is great too. I have in my pantry both organic pasta from the health food store, and non-organic pasta from Costco. And white pasta as well.

Penne, my favorite! 

Now that you have a box or 2 of whole wheat pasta, substitute one "old" menu item for "pasta" this week. Try it once, a couple times, or use and abuse and go for it every day. If you get sick and tired of it, there is always next week, or the old menu, right? so go for it. No fear.

So then back to basics... cereal folks, you have just created a whole new dinner meal by simply opting for "pasta" for dinner instead of cereal. Add butter and salt to the pasta, and you are set. Protein folks, serve your protein with pasta.; pasta with meat, pasta with bacon and meat... for the junkies, put mapple syrup in the pasta... and for the frozen dinner gang... add some of the frozen vegetables to the pasta at the end of the cooking, or sautee the veggies with butter and/or olive oil, and throw them on top of the pasta when it is done... and you have a meal.

Penne, chicken, broccoli

If you don't like the pasta you bought, try a different brand. Also, try going back and forth white/whole wheat and see if you eat less or more of one versus the other... or if you notice any change in how you feel afterwards. Try cooking it with olive oil, and then with butter... more or less salt, spices, pepper. Create what pleases you and makes you feel good. You are not restraining and constricting yourself, you are expanding your horizons.

And please ask questions! Write anytime. I am here to help, and I am excited for this process to begin. Recipes always welcome as well! Here is to great cooking this year!

Review: Clif Crunch Granola Bars

I like to always keep some kind of food in my bag for unforeseen hunger "emergencies", especially with kids.

I used to carry with me various granola bars, but stopped buying them out of concern about ingredients such as canola oil, GMO-corn and soy flours, corn syrup, non-organic grains, excess sugar, additives, and funky-named ingredients in general.

Today I was presented with the opportunity to try, courtesy of Clif Bar, 4 different flavors of Clif Crunch granola bars.

I tried the Honey Oat one this morning, during work break. I really enjoyed it, and so did my friends whom I shared it with. It was very satisfying, not too sweet, and crisp- I'm not too fond of mushy power bars. It gave the energy I needed to carry me until lunch.

After work, since I was waiting for my husband to have lunch together, I decided to try the other flavors.

I loved the White Chocolate Macadamia the most, even though it was sweeter than the other bars. I was also concerned about the soy flour in the white chocolate, but have since learned that Clif Bar sources only non-GMO ingredients.

My second favorite was the Chocolate Chip. The chocolate chips are unsweetened, which makes the bar nicely balanced and not as sweet as the White Chocolate Macadamia bar.

My husband loves peanut butter, so I gave him the Peanut Butter bar to try; he liked its crispness, and that it is not as dry as other granola bars.

I very much like the fact that those bars are made with just a few quality ingredients, and that most of them (70% to be precise) are organic. While that is not 100% organic, they are still excellent bars. And, like Patagonia, they are members of 1% for the planet, which is admirable.

Waldoch Honey

This is the honey from Mr. George Waldoch, of Waldoch Honey. I had previously posted about him (April 20, 2010), but never had a chance to make it to his house, down in Julington Creek. I finally had some free time today, so I decided to bike to his house and buy some honey. I ended up buying a gallon of it... a hell of a bike ride home. When I got back, I weighted it just for kicks... 13 pounds. Here is a Times Union article on Mr. Waldoch, as well as a link to Mr. Waldoch in action:
Feeling the buzz: George Waldoch's love for bees goes back more than 80 years. By Liz Van Hooser

It was 1925, and George Waldoch was 6 years old. In his family, this made him old enough to help his older brother tend to the beehives on their farm in Minnesota. Life's twists and turns would take him into the Navy during World War II; he'd sell sewing machines door to door in Jacksonville; he'd have four children and eventually lose a daughter followed by his wife, Ruth.

But through it all, Waldoch tended to his bees — dozens of hives at a time. The hobby has helped bring in extra income, and he's still at it at as he approaches his 90th birthday next month.

Waldoch, who lives in Mandarin, keeps hives in several locations. He currently has 120 in rural Brevard County. Although he's been working with the insects for more than 80 years, Waldoch said he's still learning new things about them. He shared a few of those lessons about bees and honey:

• Waldoch believes bees can sense if you're scared of them and are more likely to sting if you're wary. He never works with netting but tries to bring a pleasant attitude to the bees. Sometimes, he gets no stings at all. Other times, he'll get 20 or 30. If a bee is flying in your direction, Waldoch recommends you don't tense up. If a bee lands on you, don't slap it into your skin. You'll get stung. Instead, grab it between your fingers and roll it around until it's crushed.

• Waldoch doesn't recommend eating imported honey. Local bees make their honey by taking nectar (and some bits of pollen) from local blossoms. Some say that when you eat out-of-town honey, you lose the immune system benefits of honey. Allergists regularly recommend trying local honey to see if it helps relieve allergies.

• There are several kinds of honey made in Florida. The varieties take their flavor cues from the blossoms the bees feed on. Some of the most common plants bees thrive on here are Brazilian peppers, cabbage palm, gallberry, saw palmetto, orange trees and white tupelo. Waldoch's favorite kind of honey is made from saw palmetto plants.

• Waldoch says a bee sting doesn't hurt much. Scorpions, which like to hang out in beehives, are a different story. Waldoch was bitten by one on his ring finger. It became so swollen that he had to have his wedding band cut off. (He later had it soldered back together and still wears it.)

• The average beehive has 30,000 bees and can produce 9 gallons of honey a year. Waldoch says hives are smaller today than they were 50 years ago. He blames mites and beetles that prey on the bees, as well as fewer people raising them.

• Bees don't sleep.

• Waldoch eats honey every day, usually on cereal or with a piece of cheese. He doesn't get people who drizzle honey on pancakes, though.

liz.vanhooser@jacksonville.com

MORE HONEY!

Here is another local honey supplier. Jimmy is located in San Marco, and you can visit the apiary. I love the taste of this honey, and have been using it to sweeten mint tea, smoothies, oatmeal, and to make granola, as well as sandwiches (with almond butter on bread) and snacks for the kids. jimeezbeez@yahoo.com

Raw milk's popularity spurs debate over safety

by Jason Blevins
The Denver Post

Article Last Updated; Monday, May 10, 2010  12:00AM

Photo by JASON BLEVINS/The Denver Post

Raw-milk dairy farmers such as Keith Lafferty collect and bottle milk from the cows on their farms. Consumers purchase shares of the cows, which entitles them to raw milk.

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ERIE - When the neighborhood kids visit the Lafferty family's bustling farmhouse, they're offered water, juice or milk.“They always say, 'Milk, milk, milk,'" says Nickie Lafferty.
The Laffertys' milk - hand-labeled and stored in Mason jars with a thick head of cream - is straight from the cow. No pasteurization. No processing.
Every afternoon, customers who own a portion of the family's dairy herd visit the 30-acre farm, pulling jars of the farm-fresh, raw milk from a small refrigerator in a spotless room next to the milking parlor.
Whether those people are playing Russian roulette with their health or getting a safer - and tastier - product than the milk found in grocery stores remains a source of contention. That debate is growing in intensity as state health officials crack down on dairies offering other unpasteurized milk products, such as butter and yogurt.
Health officials repeatedly warn that raw milk sickens dozens every year. But since Colorado lawmakers in 2005 allowed farmers to privately sell shares of their dairy herd to drinkers of unpasteurized milk, the number of Colorado dairies offering straight-from-the-cow milk has climbed to 60.
Colorado is one of 29 states - and Wisconsin is about to join them - with cow-share programs that use communal ownership to get around laws forbidding the retail sale of raw milk.
Those who drink raw milk say pasteurization removes some of milk's health benefits. They herald its creamy taste and the security that comes from knowing the source of their food.
“I have more faith in Meg, my farmer, than FDA officials who are being lobbied by industrial food lobbyists," says Michael O'Brien, whose Fort Collins family gets its milk directly from a Windsor dairy.
In the late 1930s, a quarter of all food illnesses stemmed from milk, but with pasteurization, milk has all but disappeared from the Food and Drug Administration's annual list of food-caused ailments.
Now raw-milk sicknesses account for 70 percent of all milk-related outbreaks reported to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Eating should not be risky behavior, and we know better now," said Judy Barbe, a dietician and senior director of nutrition affairs for the Colorado-based Western Dairy Association. “The protection provided by pasteurization is too great to forgo."
Between 1998 and 2008, the FDA counted 85 bacterial outbreaks connected to raw milk. Last year, Colorado health officials suspended operations for two weeks at Montrose's Kinikin Corner Dairy after a Campylobacter outbreak afflicted 12 people who reported drinking the dairy's raw milk.
Scott Freeman, Kinikin's owner, said many people in the region were suffering from intestinal issues at the time, and he's not convinced the outbreak was connected to his milk. He says he lost only four of his 175 share-holding customers after the suspension.
Still, those bacterial eruptions fuel the conventional dairy industry's disdain for raw milk.
“What is happening nationwide as advocates push for raw milk and it becomes more mainstream, you are going to see more outbreaks and more illnesses, and you will see more sick or dead kids, and that will create a pushback effect on raw milk," says Bill Marler, a food-safety attorney who represents food-poisoning victims and helped form the website realrawmilkfacts.com.
“Governors and legislators are going to be facing more difficult choices with raw milk, addressing issues of personal freedom versus science."
Colorado's lawmakers may soon be asked again to ponder raw milk. In April, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment sent a letter to the Windsor Dairy — the state's largest raw-milk dairy — saying its supply of raw-milk products, such as butter, yogurt and soft cheeses, violates the state's raw-milk exemption.
“The position of the department is that you can only have raw milk," says Patti Klocker, assistant director for the department's consumer-protection division.
Doing some risk analysis In response, the state's raw-milk dairies are crafting a proposal to expand the raw-milk laws to include all foods made with such milk.
Marci and Michael O'Brien did their own risk analysis when they opted to go raw. Every batch of milk the O'Briens get from veterinarians Meg Cattell and Arden Nelson at their Windsor Dairy comes with results of pathogen tests.
“We go to the farm and see the cows in clean condition and our kids pet the baby calves," says Marci O'Brien, whose 5-year-old daughter loves raw milk. “I think if people saw how typical dairy cows are treated, they would understandably fear for their food safety."
The Laffertys, who have run a raw-milk cow share for the past year on their family's longtime farm, say they build relationships with customers — customers they want to keep safe and healthy.
“We are just petrified at the notion of getting someone sick," says Nickie Lafferty. “We've built relationships with these people. They're our friends. If anything goes wrong, we are over."
The Laffertys regularly test their milk and their cows. Each animal has a name. Nora, a top producer, gets a little nervous when strangers watch her getting milked.
Customers pay a one-time $40 fee and $30 a month for boarding.
Raw milk boasts higher fat content than traditional whole milk. That gives it a creamy taste that raw milkers champion. Yet most of the 18 families who own 35 shares of the Laffertys' cows drink raw milk for its health benefits, Nickie says.
Among those people is Dana Shier, who at college developed a growing intolerance to milk.
“If I drink a regular glass of milk, I'll throw up," says the 27-year-old from Golden. “I have no problems with raw milk. It seems to help my allergies too."
That sort of anecdotal evidence of raw milk's benefits is plentiful. Raw milkers say pasteurization limits immune-enhancing and beneficial bacteria and is another example of the sterilization of American food.
“The FDA is the real villain in that story. They refuse to even listen to any of the health benefits of milk, and they deny even the possibility that raw milk could be beneficial, yet they push those drugs like crazy," says Mary Blair McMorran, executive director of the Raw Milk Association of Colorado.
Milk safety, while complex, basically boils down to storage and poop. Storage is the easier of the two problems: Make sure the milk is always cold.
Contamination, however, is a challenge. Cows, being cows, tend to sport manure. Making sure it is nowhere near teats, containers, milk or any part of the bottling process is a critical task, says Michele Jay-Russell, a veterinarian and food-safety specialist with the Western Institute for Food Safety and Security at the University of California.
“That contamination is a big concern for people in food safety," she says.
For industrial dairy cows, manure in crowded feedlots is an issue. But grass-fed cows that spend their days roaming pastures aren't wallowing in their waste.
“The conventional dairy industry produces milk designed for pasteurization. That milk will certainly get you sick if you drink it raw," McMorran says. “We design milk for drinking."

The Myth of Pasteurization

In her book, The Medical Mafia, Dr Lanctôt debunks pasteurization with a one-two punch:

1. The temperature is not high enough.
2. The temperature is too high.

First off, Dr Lanctôt points out that germs that bring us typhoid, coli bacillus, and tuberculosis are not killed by the temperatures used, and there have been a good number of salmonella epidemics traced to pasteurized milk.
Secondly, the heating process injures the milk. She points out that pasteurization destroys milk's intrinsic germicidal properties, not to mention healthy enzymes. She goes on to state that 50% of milks calcium is unusable (the body cannot assimilate it) after pasteurization. So much for all those milk commercials.
This is from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors concerning outbreaks from pasteurized milk:
1997, 28 persons ill from Salmonella in California, ALL FROM PASTEURIZED MILK.
1996, 46 persons ill from Campylobacter and Salmonella in California.
1994, 105 persons ill from E. coli and Listeria in California
March of 1985 19,660 confirmed cases of Salmonella typhimurium illness FROM CONSUMING PROPERLY PASTEURIZED MILK. Over 200,000 people ill from Salmonella typhimurium in PASTEURIZED MILK
1985, 142 cases and 47 deaths traced to PASTEURIZED Mexican-style cheese contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes SURVIVES PASTEURIZATION!
1985, 1500 persons ill from Salmonella infection
August of 1984 approximately 200 persons became ill with a Salmonella typhimurium from CONSUMING PASTEURIZED MILK
November of 1984, another outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium illness from CONSUMING PASTEURIZED MILK
1983, over 49 persons with Listeria illness have been associated with the consumption of PASTEURIZED MILK in Massachusetts.
1993, 28 persons ill from Salmonella infection
1982, 172 persons ill (100 hospitalized) from a three Southern state area from PASTEURIZED MILK.
1982, over 17,000 persons became ill with Yersinia enterocolitica from PASTEURIZED MILK bottled in Memphis, Tennessee.
It is the author's conclusion that pasteurization is simply a quick fix that allows large cartels to profit from the sales of milk. Instead of relying on safe, sterile handling procedures of raw milk (which would make the costs of milk much more expensive), we've incorporated this quick fix, which might or might not work, but certainly helps the cartels profit. If you live near a farm, go get yourself some raw milk. Heck, I'd even drink that!
References And Further Reading:
Dr Ghislaine Lanctôt, The Medical Mafia – To order a copy, you can call the publishers at: 450-297-3930.
Ethel Douglas, Bechamp or Pasteur (later published as Pasteur Exposed) – there are copies on the web; here is just one place: http://www.healthresearchbooks.com/pages/book_detail.php?pid=1102
R B Perason, The Dream and Lie of Louis Pasteur – can be found online at: http://www.sumeria.net/dream.html

More on this: http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/history/biographies/louis_pasteur.htm

Raw vs Pasteurized « The Bovine

Here is more information about raw versus pasteurized milk:

http://thebovine.wordpress.com/raw-vs-pasteurized/

Raw Milk FAQ

Answers to some frequently asked questions about raw milk:

Q: Is all raw milk the same?

A: No! There is a lot of variation due to the many factors that go into its formation. What the cow is fed, how and where it's raised, how the milk is collected all play important roles in its safety and quality. Cows pastured on organic green grass produce milk with amazing health benefits.

Q: Won't raw milk make me sick?
A: Not if it is properly collected from cows fed organic grass (and a minimum of grain). Heavy grain diets change the composition of the milk and hinder its ability to protect itself. Grass-fed milk has natural antibiotic properties that help protect it (and those lucky enough to drink it) from pathogenic bacteria. If you've been using pasteurized dairy products, you might want to eat small amounts of yogurt or kefir for a week or so, to give your digestive tract a pro-biotic boost, before switching to raw milk. For more info, go to: http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/Raw_Milk_FAQ.html

Milk - superfood or hyper allergen? | Washington Times Communities

Milk - superfood or hyper allergen? | Washington Times Communities

5 Points Honey

Here is a new find! This honey tastes delicious, and it is made right here in Jacksonville's 5 Points. It does not get more local than that, and it comes straight from the bees to you; it is not filtered or heated in any way; pure, raw, delicious honey. They sell it to Restaurant Orsay, as well as to Underbelly (located in 5 Points). If you'd like to get a taste of it, look for them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=213872589824&ref=nf

Real local honey find!

Feeling the buzz: George Waldoch's love for bees goes back more than 80 years | jacksonville.com
This guy is still around. I called, and talked to this him today! 11 dollars for a quart of honey in a glass jar, $34 for a gallon. He leaves it on his porch for you to pick it up, and you put the money wherever he tells you to place it. This is a cool article on him. I have been told by a member of the local Slow Food that he is the oldest beekeeper around this area, and that he has taught many people. He told me himself that he taught the guys who produce Thomas Honey, out of Lake City FL.