Open your fridge. Take a snapshot. What does this say about what/how you eat - and about YOU?

Check out these fridge shots: which one is like yours?

Posted by Michelle on May 29, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Since having my daughter 14 months ago, I have become so very hyper aware of the shortness of the 24-hour day. Every single day, I create ambitions for my day that must be clipped in half to remain somewhat realistic - and even then, I feel like I ran a marathon trying to accomplish them. Before having a child, I got these lists of things done and still had time to lounge, grab a coffee, call a friend, and take a long shower - and if something unforeseen popped up, I could probably find room for that, too.

Often, my reality is 1-2 things can be accomplished each day (grocery shopping & playground; work & making dinner; work, ordering in, & catching up on email). It's been really hard for me to grasp that when that one little thing I'd love to do pops up, I simply cannot 'rearrange this' or 'not do that' to make room for it. Part of me rebels. ("there must be time here somewhere... maybe - oh. maybe! - oh. hrm...") there simply isn't any more time to be squeezed out of my day. I sometimes find myself eyeing people on the subway who look young enough to be childless and thinking "if she wanted to go to yoga, she could just CHOOSE to go - she has no idea how free she is!"

And now for my little secret - between me and the birds: rising early. I have reclaimed a couple hours of me-time and it's happening when no one else is awake. Often, for me, I wake early to exercise (- I NEED exercise). But sometimes I just go for a quick walk and come back and get organized about something, or write email, or journal. It feels so good to get something quietly accomplished.

I started this in the winter, and I will say: it was a huge challenge. it was dark and cold and not very welcoming to the early riser. But now spring is upon us, and the birds know nature's loveliest secret - that the wee hours of the early morning can provide you with an amazing, fulfilling jump start to your day, and the gorgeous spring morning is like your own little private gift of sunny newness. Ok, yes, that is a little rosey for 5:30am, but after you've gotten over the initial pain, you really do realize how amazing it feels. And the weird truth is that you really can steal the time: funny enough, I go to bed at pretty much the same time, and I have more energy than when I slept in later.

So, here's to a couple of delicious early-morning reclaimed hours. If you'd like to give it a shot at waking earlier, I recommend this fantastic post: How to become an Early Riser.

Posted by Michelle on May 18, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Michael Pollan, who has made a career of studying food politics and culture (author of the brilliant Ominvore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food), has made a call for your food rules. He's penned his own: Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants. - but now it's your turn!

Posted by Michelle on March 10, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The topic of supplements is a highly battled one - and last week's news from the Women's Health Initiative Study, reported on today by the NY Times, here - doesn't help much. But - in reading the play by play on the history of supplements and the clinical studies, one thought kept pounding in my head - summarized by Dr. Gann, here:

Scientists suspect that the benefits of a healthful diet come from eating the whole fruit or vegetable, not just the individual vitamins found in it. “There may not be a single component of broccoli or green leafy vegetables that is responsible for the health benefits,” Dr. Gann said. “Why are we taking a reductionist approach and plucking out one or two chemicals given in isolation?”

Why ARE we taking a reductionist approach and plucking out one or two chemicals in isolation? To use Michael Pollan's term, 'nutritionism' is only complicating things, and ignores the systemic nature of our bodies, our lives, and the food we eat. To think we are anywhere close to understanding the delicate dance between our bodies and the nourishment provided by the earth's fruits - or that we can come close through the reductive scientific method, is infuriating to me. Yes - we can learn a lot - but why not just eat a bountiful, varied, whole foods diet based on seasonal eating?

That said, I will admit that I DO take vitamins - just a multi and cod liver oil. And that is merely an insurance plan - I believe that our food system doesn't make it easy to eat the balanced diet we need to get the goods, so why not back it up with vitamins. But just as I believe in quality of food, I believe in quality of product, and I am very careful to get well-sourced, whole-food based vitamins, as well as Internationally Certified Fish Oil. But supplements are my plan B for health - not may main game. Eating (and enjoying) quality food is.

Posted by Michelle on February 17, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Happy 2009! In less than 9 days we get a new pres, what a great way to start the new year...

Check out what's going on over at Ideas for Change: Ideas for Change in America is a nationwide competition to identify the best ideas for change in America. The top 10 ideas will be presented to the Obama administration just before inauguration day and form the basis of a nationwide advocacy campaign to turn each idea into actual policy. It only takes a second to register and cast your vote for the ideas you think are most important.

One idea that's getting a lot of traction is Victory Garden 2.0:

thousands of Americans and people from the around the world are asking the Obamas to lead by example on climate change, health policy, economic self-reliance, food security, and energy independence by replanting an organic food garden at the White House with the produce going to the First Kitchen and to local food pantries.

The many successes of the first Victory Garden movement were the result of effective public policy, bold leadership at a time of national crisis, and the commitment of millions of citizens who were ready to roll up their sleeves for the greater good.

There's no better, more symbolic place for launching a new National Victory Garden Program than at the White House, "America's House". There's no better, more urgent time than now. And there's NOTHING that can beat the fresh taste of locally-grown, home-cooked foods.

The more I think about what a movement the Victory Garden was, the more I think Eleanor Roosevelt was seriously kickass. Wouldn't it be incredible if the Obama's followed suit. Let them know what you think: cast your vote here.

Posted by Michelle on January 11, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you've ever had a day when you awoke unrested or hungover or generally not feeling your best, you'll know that on those days even the simplest thing like going to work feels like a drag you don't have energy for.

Take that concept and apply it to life. Today we have some tough challenges facing us - and we need to find the will, optimism, and courage within to overcome them. But if we're not feeling complete, healthy, vital - we're going to have trouble feeling we can summon the strength to meet these challenges and kick some ass.

So I implore you: are you taking care of YOU? Are you doing what's needed to cultivate personal vitality?

This may seem like I'm adding one more thing to your already full plate, but I'm not: let me introduce a way of thinking about this: taking care of yourself is not another thing to do - more often, it's about NOT DOING - or consciously doing - some of the things you're doing now. Here's what I mean:

Continue reading "Give Yourself a Break" »

Posted by Michelle on October 23, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Above my desk, I have a home-made bulletin board type thing that I made out of an old piece of masonite board with huge industrial sized rubber bands on it. All kinds of scraps I have deemed precious remain pinned to the board beneath the rubber bands. Over the past week, it's been falling apart as the very old rubber bands have finally snapped, one by one. I find it curious that, after all these years, the rubber bands decide to go within days of each other. Perhaps rubber bands have a more finite life than we ever knew.

In any event, every day I find scattered on my desk the previously posted (and completely neglected) scraps that have fallen due to the rubber band's tragedy. As someone who believes that it's important to pay attention to that which the creative energies of the universe put in your path, I've found it quite interesting to see what awaits me each day.

Today, upon my desk, sat the following list; a modest collection of thoughts by designer Stefan Sagmeister, entitled "Things I have Learned". I love this list for its simplicity and authenticity. What with all the uncertaintity today, we tend to let fear and worry carry us away. Why not, instead, take a moment to breathe, re-calibrate and find our authentic selves. We might go through some tough times, but hey, we're all going to be ok. I hope this strikes a chord of 'chill' for you too.

Things I have Learned by Stefan Sagmeister

* Complaining is silly. Either act or forget.
* Thinking life will be better in the future is stupid, I have to live now.
* Being not truthful works against me.
* Helping other people helps me.
* Organizing a charity group is surprisingly easy.
* Everything I do always comes back to me.
* Drugs feel great in the beginning and become a drag later on.
* Over time I get used to everything and start taking it for granted.
* Money does not make me happy.
* Traveling alone is helpful for a new perspective on life.
* Assuming is stifling.
* Keeping a diary supports my personal development.
* Trying to look good limits my life.
* Worrying solves nothing.
* Material luxuries are best enjoyed in small doeses.
* Having guts always works out for me.

Posted by Michelle on October 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

[Warning: Blogger on soapbox]

Okay, I have to say something. I've seen too many in the past few weeks to keep my mouth shut any longer. I'm talking about t-shirts with messages oozing negativity. Like the one I saw in a shop window in Vermont: Life is crap (no, it was not an advertisement for a plumbing company). At Rockefeller Center: Just Riot (with the Nike symbol re-done to look vaguely Arabic). Or this one, which I've seen all over: Good morning, let the stress begin. Then there are all the "Leave me the [expletive] alone" and "[expletive] you" t-shirts on St. Marks Avenue. And, of course, the perennial "I'm with Stupid."

I find this upsetting because I believe that what we put out affects not only us, but the world around us. And that's a lot of negative energy to be putting out. After all, words are powerful things. Think about it, how do you feel when someone curses at you? How about when someone compliments you? How long does the affect last?

All I'm really saying, is think about what you're putting out there. Because it will come back to you. Wouldn't you rather have peace, fun, celebration, and other good stuff?

Okay, stepping down from my soapbox. For now.

I hope your day is awesome (in every sense of the word).

Posted by Jody on July 26, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Since the birth of my daughter, Lulu, I've been astutely aware of how much we all say "Time flies..." or "isn't it all going by so fast..." or "seems like just yesterday..." Other parents in particular comment on this, often. They remark that their child is now, say, 9 years old, but it seems like just yesterday that she was a baby as small as Lulu. Where does the time go?

That is a good question as far as I'm concerned. One I've been pondering often lately. It seems to be on everyone's [subconscious] mind. Do you think that in generations past, people talked so much of how quickly the time went? For some reason, I don't think so. I'm sure the sensation has been ever-present, but I think we're all, on some level, convinced that it's going faster and faster. And I think it is...

Continue reading "Waging war on flying time: On being Present" »

Posted by Michelle on June 5, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I've discovered something. Physical trauma makes me crave carbs. Not the brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat kind of carbs. I'm talking cookies, ice cream, and yes, bagels.

Continue reading "Sometimes a Girl Just Needs a Bagel" »

Posted by Jody on April 10, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Recently, I participated in an email recipe exchange project. The email arrived with two names and corresponding email addresses at the top and some instructions below. They read: "Send a recipe to the first person on the list, then copy the contents of this email, removing the first person's name. Add your name/email below the second person's email/name. Send to 10 friends and expect 36 recipes in your inbox soon."

The instructions also included some detail about the recipe you were to send: "the best type of recipe is the one you can jot down from memory and send immediately."

The promise of more off-the-cuff home cooking was what incented me to participate. After all, who needs more recipes? I have thousands on my bookshelves and even more available at my fingertips via the web. What we all could use are easy, basic approaches to food - things that taste great and you can scribble from memory as quickly as you can gather the ingredients.

Finally, I have to admit, I was curious what my friends (or really, friend's friends) cook. Cooking and food preparation are a very personal thing - with what concoctions are we nourishing ourselves on a weeknight when we need a no-fuss meal?

The answer, if it truly is reflective of the spectrum of american casual cooking, was... sobering.

Continue reading "Are your homemade recipes made with Food? (or "Food"?)" »

Posted by themindfuleater on January 11, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The past year brought stories about health scares from ecoli to toys made in China, pet food made in China, (...anything made in China...) and then there are some stories which linger, more troubling-ly, and return again and again with increasing concern. Two such stories are those of MRSA, the new antibiotic-resistant bacteria which is now killing more people than AIDS (in the US), and Colony Collapse Disorder - the troublesome problem of bees, necessary for pollination and therefore integral to food production, flying away and not returning.

In his always evocative and eloquent way, Michael Pollan (did I mention, I *heart* Michael Pollan?) discusses these issues and how they're related directly to modern food practices, and the exact definition of sustainability in a tightly wrapped piece in the NY Times magazine. Read it.

Posted by themindfuleater on January 4, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Or... why I haven't been around.

Ok, no excuses, but if you must know, the universe threw me a couple curve balls lately. In the past 2 months, I broke my foot (playing soccer in Prospect Park with friends), learned I was pregnant (2 days later), and got kicked out of my apartment into an obscenely expensive rental market in Brooklyn. I've just entered my second trimester (will my appetite please return now?), and I'm in the home stretch of cast-wearing (hopefully only 1-2 more weeks! - I'll never take walking for granted again). And we will move at the end of the month.

The entire experience has been a huge lesson about letting go. When you realize you cannot control the way things unfold, stop fighting. Happiness lies in finding a way to accept reality and work with it toward what you want and what is possible.

In the meantime, I hope you've been mindfully eating in this late-summer cornucopia! There are so many amazing, beautiful, flavor-packing foods busting out of the ground (or falling from trees) right now. And now that I'm emerging from my challenges, I hope to be a more active part of enthusing you about them from this point forward. Onward to fall yumminess!

Posted by themindfuleater on September 13, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As many of you may know, I work as a Wellness + Nutrition Counselor (otherwise known as a Holistic Health Counselor) in Brooklyn, NY. You can learn more about me and my practice, here.

Each season, I send what I call a seasonal dispatch to my email list. Below is the 2007 Summer Dispatch. If you'd like to be on my list, send an email with "subscribe" in the subject to dispatches[at]zhauswellness.com.

---------

2007 Summer Dispatch Contents:
1. On Site: TheMindfulEater.com
2. It's Summer!
3. Eat this
4. Get your move on
5. Modern sun worship
6. The Artful Eye

Continue reading "2007 Summer Dispatch" »

Posted by themindfuleater on June 28, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last night Sicko opened in New York, at the Lincoln Square theater. We attended the 11pm showing, where Mr. Moore himself showed up and gave a little impromptu speech. It just so happens that he used to live in that neighborhood and this was his favorite theater, and he had viewed the previous showing and hung out to talk with us. He was enthusiastically received and thoroughly documented via cell phone camera (including mine, above) and delivered some witty remarks and heartfelt thanks for the support – and shared that he had just learned that this opening was one of the highest one-night sales EVER at this theater. Hm.

The movie was excellent and sobering - even for someone like me, who is already well aware of the paradigm shift that's so necessary to change the course we're on regarding health in this country.

Moore focused on the sad stories of a few "covered" patients, including volunteer workers from 9/11, and then turned the attention on healthcare in other countries, which is often abundant, highly focused on preventative measures, efficient, and most of all, free. The shot after shot of bewildered looks on behalf of citizens of canada, the uk, france and even cuba when asked how much they paid for this or that procedure, or how much effort it took to deal with their health was like a continual dagger to the heart, as we can all think of at least one person in our lives who is ill and struggling to figure what will be covered by insurance and how to afford the shortfall.

In contrast to his previous films, Moore didn't have to become an antagonistic nuisance to make his point - the status of our healthcare is so miserable all he needed to do was shed a light on it, show us what all our neighbors are doing, and the facts speak powerfully for themselves.

We desperately need a change in this country: a continual, singular business goal of "maximizing profits" is making us a sick culture in more ways than one. It's time we think about the long-term cost and introduce a bit more humanity into our business culture. And that starts with demands from the citizen/consumer. It starts with changing the laws so lobbying doesn't continue to buy our government. And then it becomes about reforming the privatized healthcare industry. If you know any movement or organization working toward these goals, please post your info here.

Til then - take your parents and go see Sicko.

Posted by themindfuleater on June 23, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last week I began a series all about Organic and why it matters. This week I continue that discussion, folding in another potentially bewildering consideration about our food: Eating Local.

Continue reading "All About Organic, Part 2: Local vs Organic" »

Posted by themindfuleater on May 19, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Spring is a time for all sorts of cleaning – the yard, the house, the sock drawer that's full of sock orphans. This year, I decided to explore this concept a little differently – by ‘cleansing’ internally: fasting for health.

If the idea of what is commonly referred to as a “cleanse” or a “fast” is daunting to you, stay with me.

Continue reading "On Cleansing" »

Posted by themindfuleater on August 20, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lately I’ve been trying to practice a couple mindfulness concepts I’ve recently learned. I find these two concepts to be extremely effective at combating stress, and yet they are so simple. The first: no matter what you’re doing – and no matter how much time you actually have to do it, pretend that you have all the time in the world. Regardless of how much time you have (or don't have), you always behold the ability to choose your response to the matter: you can choose to be anxious and stressed, or you can choose to relax and accept - even enjoy - a reality you cannot change. Even in the most stressful situations, taking this stance not only helps lifts the stress away but gives you poise and centeredness.

The other technique is similar but different: treat whatever you’re doing as if it’s the most important thing in the world. This is the antithesis to boredom – in Buddhist philosophy, there is no such thing as boredom, for there is always something to take interest in. You’ll find that the most mundane activities, such as doing the dishes, can become interesting if you do it as if it’s the most important thing in the world. Beneath this concept is a wealth of joyfulness to discover in simply being present and nothing more.

These concepts in mind, I’ve been pondering what it means to be a mindful eater.

Continue reading "An Exercise in Mindful Eating" »

Posted by themindfuleater on August 20, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)