I Heart My CSA

Each spring, I get super-psyched about my “CSA season,” which typically runs from June through November here in the Northeast. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture; its structure connects conscientious consumers to a local farmer. As a CSA member, you purchase a share of the farm and in return receive an abundance of seasonal produce every week throughout the CSA season.

I have been a member of three different CSAs: one in New York City, one in Easton, PA, and my newest CSA in my newest city of residence, Syracuse. I feel amazingly gratified to be able to say that my CSA, Wyllie Fox Farm, just received its USDA organic certification! The USDA has many specifications for farmers who choose to become officially organic and the process of becoming legally organic is so arduous that many farmers choose not to apply for the certificate. In order to become USDA certified organic, a farm has to refrain from using synthetic pesticides or fertilizers; they can not use plastic mulches, they can not use non-organic transplants; they are not allowed to use any synthetic materials in their washing, handling, and storing of the produce; the list goes on and on. But Jamie and Maggie Edelstein work very hard to meet the USDA certified organic specifications.

Here is an example of a large share! So many greens! And rhubarb!

(wait until you find out what I did with THAT!)

Brent and I had the great pleasure of visiting the farm and celebrating their certification. They’re totally GREEN! For example, the plastic that they use for their high tunnels is recycled; it came from farmers who no longer need high tunnels. The farm equipment appears archaic, but hey, it does the job; they feel no need to get the “latest and greatest” farm equipment.

We are thrilled about our CSA! We’re splitting it with a friend so it’s only costing us $275 a season. $275 for 20 weeks! That comes out to $13.75 a week. What a deal for the freshest, local, organic produce!

June 5th Farmers Market Trip

I can’t imagine changing my Saturday morning routine; honestly, it is the highlight of my week. I wake up at the break of dawn (who knew a night owl like me could acclimate to such a schedule?). I go to my triathlon practice. After that, on my way home, I stop at the Central New York Regional Farmer’s Market. Parking is a %$&^* at this hour, but it’s worth it. I bring a couple of my shopping tote bags and I load up. For the longest time, I only bought my produce at farmers markets; I thought I couldn’t afford paying an extra buck for each dozen of eggs and I didn’t even want to investigate meat prices. The truth of the matter is that my food budget has not increased and I feel healthier than ever.

And I’m supporting local farms---how can I NOT feel good about that? Here’s what I bought this past Saturday:

A pint of strawberries - $4 (SO DELICIOUS)

A HUGE bunch of spinach $5 (think 2-3 of those bags you buy at the grocery store)

A bunch of organic asparagus $3

A pint of snow peas $2

1.5 pounds of wild-caught Washington State salmon - $13.75

(I’ll elaborate below—the BEST!)

Pint of local vanilla yogurt from grass-fed cows $4.25

(not much more than Stonyfield Farms)

Two dozen of free-range eggs $5 (yummy omlettes)

A total of six basil plants for my garden $7 (hope I can make lots of pesto this year)

Garlic-lemon chevre $5 (my favorite EVER--a huge log of it)

3 small organic zucchinis $1 (what a deal—I should have bought more)

The total = exactly $50

I purchased all of that food for what it generally costs for Brent and I to have a meal out. And this food covers probably close to 80 % of our food for the week. Brent made a phenomenal grilled salmon pictured here. Strawberries with my homemade granola and yogurt is sensational. I made a yogurt-mustard sauce for the asparagus. We used the spinach in this spinach, black-eyed pea and wild rice vegetarian dish that we love so much. Eating this way is SO SO SO fun. Thank you CNY farmers!!!

Pictured below: Photo 1 = grilled salmon marinated in cilantro, mango juice, lime juice, olive oil, splash of rice vinegar, ginger, and cumin. Photo 2 = glorious strawberries in the nude!

Alice Waters on Nutrition

Alice Waters is such an inspiration and she GLOWS, so you know she walks her talk! Here's a recent quote from her: "We need to protect the planet because that is the source of our food. It is unimaginable to me that people could think about global warming without talking about food, because 40 percent of the emissions--the bad kind--come from the wrong sort of farming, ranching, and distribution of food around this planet. So if we were all to be asked to support the people who take care of the land, to buy our food carefully with intention, then I think we could make a dramatic difference." Read more about Alice Waters' edible school yard here.

Pebbles and Blades of Grass in my Salad

This post is more of a reflection than an informative or educational entry. This spring and summer, Brent and I have had the delight of having fresh, local greens every single day. We both agree that the local varieties of chard, arugula, mesclun, green leaf lettuce, spinach, and red leaf lettuce are the tastiest greens we have ever had. They're so fresh, crunchy, and juicy; and I swear you can taste their dense nutrient levels!

We get these greens from our local CSA and from our local Farmer's Market. We always wash these greens thoroughly as there will often be some residue of dirt, and occasionally some pebbles. I LOVE that! You can't get earthier than that; it makes me feel connected to this globe that we live on, nourished straight from the earth. So many people are disconnected from that.

Despite my thorough cleaning job, Brent and I will occasionally find blades of grass or pebbles in our salad. Thankfully, we still have all of our teeth. When I find a blade of grass or pebble in my salad, I smile thinking of this wonderful earth and hoping that organic farming will one day defeat industrial farming practices!

My Spring Cleanse of Sorts

This past weekend I lead a spring cleansing and detoxification workshop at Easton Yoga. I presented three different types of cleanses that individuals could experiment with based on their current eating style, whether or not they cleansed before, and what would be possible for them to accommodate. I wanted everyone to acknowledge that a detox of any sort will reap a plethora of benefits. Detoxing is a gift you give to yourself.

As I am one who most certainly walks my talk, I started one of my detox programs myself. Even though my lifestyle and eating habits (lots of vegetables daily, little to no weekly alcohol consumption, no coffee consumption, little meat consumption, little dairy consumption, daily consumption of whole grains) qualifies me for my most stringent cleanse (mostly raw veggies and veggie juices), I chose to implement my most lenient cleanse (raw veggies and fruits, some whole grains, and steamed veggies with a savory sauce). And I chose to make the cleanse even MORE lenient by implementing more legumes, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. This decision was practical for me. I am an athlete, so I need these complex carbohydrates and protein to fuel my running, biking and swimming. And I feel great!

How has my diet changed these past few days? No caffeine (I am quite astounded by the fact that I actually have MORE energy than ever). I am drinking even more water than usual. No processed foods and no animal products. I confess that I am missing my morning egg wraps. And my husband melted my heart when he ate a yummy Nature's Path pop tart in front of me yesterday. However, I feel vibrant and balanced.

Perhaps the most beneficial part of my cleanse has been the complementary practices. I have been doing sun salutations every morning. I have been dry brushing my skin after every shower. I have been reflecting more on all that I am grateful for (where I live, my family, my friends, my talents, my dog).

So when will I stop my cleanse? Probably soon. When my husband is finished with his semester at school, I think a toast with a nice frothy beer is due! And I may just have some chicken fingers as well!

I’ve found the ideal whey protein. . . now let’s just hope it tastes good!

As many of you know, not only am I a holistic nutritionist, but also, I’m a holistic sports nutritionist. Now, let me tell you, this can be one challenging profession!

Why? Well, first of all, I primarily work with endurance athletes: runners, cyclists, triathletes. I’ve been a competitive runner for 20 years myself. Endurance athletes need a lot of calories! They also need a way to get protein and nutrients into their body quickly after working out (within 45 minutes ideally)! As a proponent of wholesome nourishing foods, it’s difficult for me to endorse many sports nutrition products as they are extremely processed, which in the long run, I hate to say, will result in setbacks for these athletes.

However, I’m also a realist. I understand that it isn’t always possible to prepare a healthy meal after an intense endurance workout. There are only so many hours in a day. I do not promote soy protein (that’s another blog in and off itself – a lot of research has been conducted on the harmful effects of soy. In smalll quantities and especially if it is fermented (miso, tempeh, etc.), it can be a healthy add-on to any diet, but not in bulk quantities). Whey protein is an easy way to get in some healthy protein after a workout and will help your muscles to recover. Because of the naturally occurring branched chain amino acids in whey, you will also find that it will prevent you from becoming burnt out from your workouts.

A lot of whey protein mixes can be incredibly processed. Some harmful ingredients include malodextrin, yeast, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, or sweeteners like Acesulfame Potassium. You want to make sure that the whey is organic or at least from cows that have not been given the rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone). Also avoid “texturized” whey protein (as it likely has MSG in it).

I believe that athletes shouldn’t have to spend a fortune to pursue their passion and goals (We already know how expensive equipment can be). So, when I research the ideal products for clients, I also bear in mind the cost. Happily, the Wegman’s generic whey protein meets my high standards. However, the ultimate winner of the best whey protein for me is the California Academy of Health’s Whey protein. They have research to back up their all-natural ingredient list. And the way that they process their whey provides for an extensive amount of amino acids that will support a healthy immune system and ultimate muscle recovery. Additionally, their whey actually has fiber (unlike Wegmans). I presume this is because the CAOH’s whey protein has more L-Glutamine, which is probably the most needed ingredient for great intestinal health. To order this product, or to read more about it, click here.

BOOK REVIEW: THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA by MICHAEL POLLAN

While everyone is running out to grab Michael Pollan’s latest book In Defense of Food, I have just finished reading his copyrighted 2006 New York Times bestseller, The Omnivore’s Dilemma. What an incredibly thought-provoking account of the United States’ sad disconnect from the food that we eat.

As a holistic health counselor for the past six years, one of my goals has been to encourage people to ingest the most nourishing food as possible. I understand the reality of their situations and Pollan certainly confirms this reality in his book: we live in a culture of convenience. It’s hard to even find fresh food. Other concerns that people have is that organic or local food is expensive. Yes, it is, but you get what you pay for!

If you thought the truths exposed in Fast Food Nation or Supersize Me repulsed you wait until you read this book. Before reading the The Omnivore’s Dilemma, I already took ages to shop for groceries (I’m a manic label reader), but after reading this book, I don’t think anyone will ever want to step foot in a grocery store with me. For instance, did you know that the cyrystalline fuctose, ascorbic acid, dextrose, lactic acid, lysine, HFCS, xanthan gum, and modified or unmodified starch, are all derived from corn? I’ve strayed away from products with corn for years because I know that corn in this country is genetically modified and inauthentic. I feel as though we’re not meant to eat things that are artificial—it messes up the food chain! And up until reading this book, the only corn-derived “chemical” I knew of was high-fructose corn syrup. So, yes, you will learn a lot when you read this book.

I liked the structure of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. It is broken into three parts: The first section discusses industrial farming; the second, organic food, both on the industrial level as well as the local level; and in the third section, Pollan experiments with hunting and gathering. Each section concludes with a meal representing the particular production of food-- a cheeseburger and fries from McDonald's; roast chicken, vegetables and a salad from Whole Foods; and grilled chicken, corn and a chocolate soufflé (made with fresh eggs) from a sustainable farm; and, finally, mushrooms and wild pig, from a forest near his home in California.

Pollan does an incredible job of submerging himself into the particular environments of each section. He visits industrial farms and even tries to follow the life of a particular cow from its birth two weeks prior to being shipped to an industrial farm to its death—steer 534, the poor fella. Pollan works on a small sustainable organic farm in Virginia and even participates in slaughtering the chickens (I certainly winced quite a bit here). Honestly though, Pollan reveals so many interesting facts about how unhealthy meat and processed food is in this country. For instance, when you read a label on chicken or beef that says “vegetarian-fed,” don’t let the marketing fool you. The vegetarian grains that these animals eat are highly processed granules of corn and soy. So unnatural!!!

Pollan has a sense of humor too. This book is satisfying on so many levels. After reading it, you will feel like an educated consumer and you will have had a few good laughs as well. Take for example Pollan’s first attempt at hunting—absolutely hysterical! All in all, this book only reaffirms my desire to bring health and wellness back to basics!!!