sustainability inspiration…

As I’ve explored nutrition and responsibility, I’ve found that the principle of sustainability, or living in a way that contributes to the preservation and restoration of the world, is most certainly relevant.

 

Day 12: Give back to the environment

Although sustainability encompasses many things, I most often think about its relation to the environment. There are many ways [both big and small] to practice environmental responsibility:

• buy local food
• reusable shopping bags [I love baggu…but know they are “ethically” made in china]
• recycle via thrifting
• support sustainability efforts [Sustainable Harvest International, Microloan Coffee]

One thing I have always found interesting is the concept of commuter cycling…not only for its positive effect on the environment but for its contribution to health. I had the pleasure of interviewing 4 fantastic individuals from all over (St. Louis, Nashville, Chicago, W. Michigan) about their experiences with cycling as a primary form of transportation.

Dan is one my classmates from SLU’s dietetic internship. While the rest of us drove to our rotation sites and classes, Dan braved the crazy St. Louis drivers on his bike.

Dottie lives in Chicago and is a fantastic photographer. She and her husband decided to ditch their car after a year of living in Chicago…and never looked back.

 

Dave is a friend who’s made a lot of great strides toward sustainable living in a very non-progressive town. He loves Michael Pollan’s books and discussing food responsibility [and also commuted by foot for the first 1.5 years without a car].

Trisha is 1/2 of the blogging team behind Let’s Go Ride a Bike. She still has a car but bikes 2.5 miles daily to work.

 

What are some of the ways you practice sustainability? Have you ever thought about commuting via bicycle? If you have any questions, leave some comment love, and I’ll forward them to my contributors. Thanks to Dan, Dottie and Trisha at Let’s Go Ride a Bike, and Dave for collaborating with me on this post. 

winter, etc.

Well, the snow is back…I saw some sledders during my run this afternoon, which reminded me that I haven’t been sledding in forever.

     

This is partly because I’ve most recently lived in places without sledding hills…and going back farther than that, in highschool, I was always afraid I’d break my arm and have to miss the rest of my gymnastics season. Too bad I managed to tear my hamstring and sprain both my ankles in two separate seasons…without any help from the snow.

Anyway, while enjoying the lovely 19 degree temps, I’ve been wearing my favorite warm scarf (made by the ex-roommate), cooking up comfort food, and doing some quality reading.

apple crumble [martha rose shulman]

Incredibly easy…I substituted oats for the quinoa topping simply because there is only one oven in the kitchen I’ll be teaching in, and I’m trying to time all my dishes carefully.

I know I’ve talked a lot about my appreciation for Michael Pollan’s books, but a friend recommended Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals to me, and I haven’t been able to put it down.

 

While Pollan does an excellent job digging into the history of food and explaining how our country developed such a problem with agriculture and eating food that is not food, Foer speaks more to the tie between human experience relevant to food.

Foer talks about the process behind his decision to eat (or not to eat) animals in a completely entertaining but thoughtful way. I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in food responsibility. Perhaps a more detailed review to come in the future…

vegan un-mac & cheese [my breakfast blog]

My taste testers said calling this dish “mac & cheese” was misleading because it doesn’t taste like the mac & cheese. Fine then. Call it magical vegan pasta or whatever your little heart desires.

Day 11: The gift of affirmation…

Words can be very powerful. Let your friends and family know what you appreciate about them. Your words of encouragement just might fall at a time when someone needs it most. A little cheesy, I know, but it’s definitely happened to me before.

Have you read Eating Animals? What is the best book you read in 2010?

Coming up…

the LAST day in the 12 days of giving series. I’m really excited about this one because it features commuter cycling, which is becoming a semi-hot topic in the blogworld.

quick weeknight meals

Great responses on the NY Times eating before breakfast article. Last minute thoughts, then I’m done, promise!

Important things to remember when reading a media-reported health study:

• the media loves sensationalist material and often misinterprets information.
• one study will not necessarily change what we know about health slash nutrition; it takes many studies to validate results or form any sort of concrete conclusion.
• studies are often conducted in highly controlled environments with variables designed to achieve results; applying the results of a study to the general population isn’t usually realistic.

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As nutrition counseling appointments stack up for the new year, I find requests for quick weeknight meals a common theme. It’s pretty stressful to have to make any meal, let alone a healthful meal at the end of the work day.

Here’s a favorite that’s ready in no time and is a fantastic way to sneak in those vegetables.

Step 1. Chop up an assortment of veggies…your choice. Season with olive oil, black pepper, garlic, maple syrup, and a shake of parmesan cheese.

Step 2. Place vegetable mixture in foil, and form into packets.

Step 3. Bake at 400 F for about 50 minutes.

Step 4. Serve over quinoa, which takes ~15 minutes to cook. Top with feta cheese if you’re feeling adventurous.

 

Not sure how it could get much quicker [or easier] than that.

If you have extra time, you can make this whole wheat carrot cake.

[whole wheat carrot cake]

ingredients

• scant 1 cup turbinado sugar
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups applesauce
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 9 x 13 pan.
2. Combine the sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, soda, & applesauce. With an electric mixer beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the carrots and the walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.

*note: I made my own frosting with vanilla yogurt + powdered sugar. I didn’t measure anything, so just mix until it’s the desired consistency.

What’s your fave quick fix dinner? If you have a recipe link, please share! I’m in the process of making a book for my clients and would love your suggestions.

Day 10: the gift of reading

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud [search for a program in your area].

You can give by volunteering to be a reader or donating gently used or new books. As someone who grew up doing a lot of reading (Nancy Drew was one of my favorites) and still loves it today, I know how much reading can contribute to educational development…and imagination.

Happy weekend, all. I’ll be in the kitchen testing out recipes for my first ever cooking class next week…wish me luck!

eating breakfast is for….losers?!

In certain cities, blizzards incapacitate citizens…in West Michigan, half the city was at the health club I work at while the snow continued to fall [thanks to those lovely NY resolutions]. I hope this means they’ll want nutrition counseling, too.

While we’re on the topic of gym-ming, I want to revisit the whole eating breakfast before exercising debate. I briefly mentioned this in an earlier post, asking you about your pre-workout eating routine.

Some of you may have seen this article in the New York Times by Gretchen Reynolds. While the article was carefully crafted, many people drew the conclusion that skipping breakfast before exercising was the best way to go (as evidenced by the article’s comment section).

After reading the actual study, here’s what I found interesting:

• the number of study participants was small (n=28); they were also regular, healthy exercisers vs. obese individuals (who are also often insulin resistant).
• the workouts implemented in the study were pretty intense: 60 minutes x 2 days/week + 90 minutes x 2 days/week of cycling and running; again, not something in which the casual exerciser could likely engage.
• all 3 groups gained weight while consuming a high calorie (>30% caloric needs) and high fat diet (50% total calories), regardless of whether they exercised or not.
• Good things: insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance were improved in the group that fasted before working out but not the breakfast before exercise group. However, both of these things should be fine if you’re healthy.

Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to eat a healthful diet and engage in regular, moderate exercise (let’s be honest…most people probably don’t run or bike for an hour at a time)? I doubt that eating breakfast before exercising will cause weight gain if one is not consuming excess calories. In addition, having low blood sugar before beginning a workout may lead to a pretty sub-par workout.

In all, I think that the breakfast thing is personal. If you can complete your morning workout sans breakfast without going into hypoglycemia, then kudos to you. If you can’t, I wouldn’t worry about turning into a donut anytime soon.

Day 9: Send a snail mail thank you…

Although email is incredibly convenient, there is nothing like getting a handwritten note via the good ole postal system...I still keep a collection of letters from friends that are always nice to return to after a rough day.

Thoughts on this post are welcome, as always!

reasons to celebrate the new year…

Thanks for your comments on my 2010 recap. It was important for me to look back and remember all of the good things that have happened. The uncertainty of the future is overwhelming, but I was reminded that despite all of the challenges ahead, I am incredibly blessed.

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Warm weather! We had some unseasonably warm weather here in Michigan, which led to a 5 mile run in shorts in the middle of winter. Crazy.

As you can see, the snow melted (I’m completely ok with this). So sorry to anyone currently dealing with snow and shoveling and people who don’t know how to drive…but don’t be too jealous, I’m pretty sure it’s blizzarding outside right now.

 

Everything is pretty brown and ugly, though. I have to admit that the snow makes the park much prettier.

 

Homemade pizza…I love adding my own toppings and making the crust. Perfect for dinner parties with picky guests (ha).

  

Hello, new camera. Goodbye, old dinosaur camera which required me to take 60 billion photos(+) before getting a decent shot.

Ice cream is seriously my favorite thing ever, although I really don’t eat it a lot in the winter. CSN was kind enough to provide this Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream, and Sorbet Maker for review. I like the idea of adding my own ingredients without additives, preservatives, and a plethora of food dyes.

The Cuisinart was super easy to use, and it didn’t take long to make this vegan coconut mango ice cream. One note on the recipe: cut the sugar in half or leave it out completely; coconut milk is definitely sweet enough on its own. 

Catching up with friends…on life lately. Sometimes I’m bad at keeping in touch, but I really appreciate the friendships that pick up right where they left off.

 

Obviously 12 days of giving was not completed in December. But who says that giving needs to be isolated to the holiday season?! So…I’m extending the series into January.

Day 8: Donate your surplus sweaters…

The Salvation Army is a great place to donate your gently used but no longer worn clothing, furniture, and housewares (especially as you’re making room for your Christmas presents). When you donate or purchase from a Salvation Army store, you are also supporting their Adult Rehabilitation ministry. Find a store near you!

What things are you celebrating so far in 2011?

holiday caffeination

I may be a dietitian, but I love coffee (in moderation, of course…read my thoughts on caffeine here). You may remember Patrick’s guest post from earlier this year, and I’m happy to bring you an update.

Day 7: [better than] fair trade coffee

Patrick Hughes [read his guest post] once dreamed of a career as a mechanical engineer and a 9-5 desk job. When he realized that he was following the expectations others had for him instead of his own ambitions, he made the life changing decision to partner with some friends and form Unión MicroFinanza, a microfinance organization in Honduras [yes, as in Central America].

Instead of merely giving loans to coffee farmers, Unión MicroFinanza works to educate them on financial responsibility and better farming techniques. The extra effort has not gone unrewarded; Unión MicroFinanza has been extremely successful, with a loan repayment rate greater than 99%.

Despite his accomplishments, Patrick is still a pretty humble guy and not afraid of tedious tasks like putting 300 stickers on bags of coffee. He says one of the biggest challenges has been immersing himself in the Honduran culture while trying to induce positive changes.

Patrick’s passion for his organization and for helping others is infectious. He truly believes that hard work can land anyone a dream job. The other members of the Unión MicroFinanza team include:

Andrew Boyd, Manager of Business [special thanks for delivering Microloan Coffee to my doorstep on Thanksgiving!].

Michael De Wit, Manager of Development

Daniel Schwartz, Manager of Community Relations

Ways to help:

• Become a fan of Unión MicroFinanza on Facebook
• Buy coffee! [As a borderline coffee snob, I will say that this is the best coffee I’ve ever had].
• Make a donation.

I also had a really interesting discussion with Patrick about direct trade vs. fair trade…more thoughts on that to come.

• Where does your coffee come from? And does it fit into a sustainable lifestyle?
• How many of you are working your dream job?

list for a tuesday…

Thanks for all the comments on the protein post. I do want to say that although I eat a mostly vegetarian diet, I don’t worry about protein. I eat lots of vegetables, and I love nut butter and quinoa.

1]. I’m not over eating pumpkin yet. I don’t care if it’s winter. I miss fall, and I will continue to eat pumpkin in protest [pumpkin pancake recipe here].

2]. I love artsy gift tags. These were pretty fun to make, but I should probably practice cutting out circles by the looks of those edges.

   

Want to print out your own? Click here for the PDF download…

 

3]. Did you see the NYT article on exercising before breakfast? I always eat before running or working out in the morning, and I think this article was very interesting. More on that to come…

4]. I don’t know who is behind the christmas is happening music project, but it’s pretty awesome. I hear that some of the songs will be available for download soon, so check it out for some musical inspiration.

5]. Day 6: Forgive.

This one is definitely intangible but still powerful. Hurt we carry is often more damaging to us than the person who wronged us. So forgive someone else...or yourself, and welcome the freedom that comes with it.

Do you exercise before breakfast?!