Mató & Maple Syrup » Nutrition

Inspiration

alexandra — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:56:23 +0000

I’m not one to buy too many cookbooks but I love cooking magazines. My favourite at the moment is Fine Cooking for the variety of recipes, the emphasis on seasonal ingredients, and its pedagogical flair. Many recipes are actually built around teaching a particular technique or the principles behind a traditional dish. The article on polenta, for example, explains in detail the basic methods for cooking it as well as many practical variations. The one on stews is heavenly and its technique for turkey roasting got me through my first Christmas cooking without any glitches. Once in a while the publishers bring out a special issue dedicated to a particular season or emphasis. Entitled Quick & Fresh, the newest special issue features Ellie Krieger, a registered dietitian who also hosts a popular show on the Food Network. Since I don’t watch Food Network, I didn’t really know Ellie’s work but the recipe on the cover caught my attention and I had to try it right away.

On monday I tried another of her recipes: Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamame & Tofu. It was very good! It also looked amazing.

Diet, nutritionism, and health

alexandra — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:58:04 +0000

I believe we are what we eat but for the longest time the whole notion of counting calories, talking about carbs, fats, proteins and nutrients seemed a bit odd to me. I tried supplements and stopped because I don’t care what anybody says – I don’t think my urine should be bright orange/yellow/green. So here I was interested in food but utterly confused by all the nutrition advise out there. Until I discovered Michael Pollan. As a historian, I can recognize his research as good and his arguments as solid. But most importantly, it all makes sense in a way that even our great grandmother would agree. If you don’t have time to read his books, at least watch this video.

Food Matters

alexandra — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 21:57:59 +0000

I wrote about Mark Bittman before but it was only today that I finally got his newly released book, Food Matters: a Guide to Conscious Eating. Much like Michael Pollan, to whom he often refers in the book, Mark Bittman calls us to be more conscientious of our eating habits and adopt what he calls “sane eating.” There are seven basic guidelines:

Eat fewer animal products than average
Eat all the plants you can manage
Make legumes part of your life
Whole grains beat refined carbs
Snack on nuts or olives
When it comes to fats, embrace olive oil
Everything else is a treat, and you can have treats daily

Numbers 1 & 2 are the hardest for those in a strict meat-and-potatoes kind of diet. But you can cut down gradually, making dishes that combine meat and grains to reduce the proportion of meat. Number 7 will depend on how you feel. If you are feeling fine, losing weight and your doctor is happy, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t indulge on your daily dessert but if you are not getting the results you want, it might be better to reduce the treats.

His plan is not really a diet in a faddish sense. He doesn’t preach we must eat all organic although he admits that eating what is produced locally and in season would be best not only for us but for the environment. And this is where all this eating sanely leads to – better health for us and for the earth we live in. Bittman started becoming more conscious of his eating habits after he read a scientific report that showed that the meat industry was responsible for producing one-fifth of greenhouse gases, much more than the transportation industry. At the same time his doctor raised the red flag telling him his cholesterol and blood sugars were out of wack. By switching the proportions of animal and vegetable products, cutting junk food and prossessed food (anything with more than 5 ingredients or with ingredients with more than five syllables), he lost 15 pounds in the first month, his lab work turned out normal in the second month, and within four months he slept better than ever before, lost 35 pounds (his weight eventually stabilized) and he felt confortable and well with his new eating style.Without counting calories, nutrients, feeling hungry, or rebounding.

Makes a lot of sense to me and I do try to follow many of these tips in my daily life.

Worth a read if you feel your health is below optimal and/or you are concerned about the environment.

Check the Globe and Mail review of the book.

Organic fruits & vegetables

alexandra — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:05:58 +0000

When it comes to pesticides, not all fruits and vegetables are created equal. Apparently, if you make sure the following 12 fruits & veggies are organic, you can cut down your exposure to the nasty stuff by 90%:

Fruits

Peaches and nectarines
Strawberries and cherries
Apples and pears
Imported grapes

Veggies

Spinach and lettuce
Potatoes and celery
Sweet bell peppers