The Full Frontal Nudity of Food

I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat like one…

2011-04-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

This is the answer I give to most who ask me the question…

On January 18th, I started eating to live instead of eating to lose weight and I can honestly say that it was the best decision I have made.

The details may shock some and most of my friends have given me their defensive rebuttals but I understand why. Everything we know about food in this country has been “spoon fed” to us by a corrupt government and the mis-informed media.
Why do I love the way I eat? Here’s why:

It’s inexpensive
I feel fulfilled most of the time
I forgive myself if I slip (aka eat meat or processed food)
I have a lot more energy
I bond with my kid (the vegetarian) through food
I look great!

The last bullet wasn’t meant to brag. Realistically, I’ve lost a few pounds, but the combination of having more energy, more freedom, and more “glow”, gives me a certain level of confidence no scale ever could.

I’ll keep you posted in future posts; revealing more and more, but first let me make the following food reading recommendations:

Eat to Live (thank you Jackie!)
Food Politics
Vegetarian Perspectives: Is Something Really Missing?

Soulfood Junkies - Dangerously in Love

2011-04-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

Soulfood Junkies Teaser from Byron Hurt on Vimeo.

I am eagerly anticipating the release of this indie film that finally addresses the issues surrounding food choices and how these choices impact the health of the Black community. I just watched the trailer for Soulfood Junkies. As most of you know, this is a topic very near and dear to my heart as I continue on my challenging quest to keep it healthy.

Food advocacy is critical in the battle to educate our people about how they are being manipulated by the diabolic relationship between food processors and the USDA.

Please visit the Facebook page for this movie and "like it" in show of your support.

To be continued...

Vitamin D May Help Prevent Macular Degeneration

2011-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Saw this brief story on the news (thanks to Locohama!!) last night and was please to see what the doctors are prescribing to help eradicate this disease...VEGGIES!

Here are some online sources regarding Vitamin D deficiency:
Dr. Weil
Web MD
Mayo Clinic

Just Salad...Yeah Right

2011-04-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

I had some time to spare between appointments in the City today. I was, in my opinion, in the worst part of town; the garment district...UGH. The choices are dismal for someone looking to find just a salad. After almost fainting from hunger in Lord and Taylor, I decided to just zig zag my way to my next stop until I found some place that was "nude foodie" friendly.

As destiny would have it, I spotted from half a block away a sign that read "Just Salad". I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. Being the jaded New Yorker that I am, I was slightly skeptical as I neared the entrance thinking, "Please God don't let it be a dump." He was listening (cue the angelic voiced singers...).

OK so let's skip to the reality of what this place is...it's a salad bar; the kind where the servers throw everything you want into a container and toss or chop the salad, toppings and dressings for you...the end. I have worked in Soho for the past 11 years so this is nothing new to me, BUT....
Here's the Facebook (via Twitter) exchange that ensued while eating my delicious "greens and beans":

Me: Why would u name a place Just Salads??? U know ur gonna add soup and wraps to the menu!
AJ: Jedi mind trick
Me: The Jedi Mind Trick should have been to name the place "Just Steaks"
AJ: LMAO

It is funny isn't it?? Is it just shortsightedness or wishful thinking to name a place with the word "Just" at the beginning?

All in all, the salad was great and I pretended not to be tempted by the wraps, soups and chips. Thank God they didn't sell cookies and cakes to accompany the "just" salad.

Hmmm maybe the word "just" is being used as an adjective!! That must be it!

The Jinx and Reverse Engineered Excuses

2011-04-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted to this particular blog in a long time. Not because I haven't been doing well. As a matter of fact, I'm doing great! Lately, my resistance to blogging about my healthy living journey, stems from a superstitious belief that I like to call "The Jinx".

I don't need to explain The Jinx (Just because I put it in a proper noun format, doesn't make it any different than a normal one. I do so here only to make it appear more dramatic), but I did want to clarify that this particular jinx is a self-afflicting one; I do it to myself.

Every single change in diet I've had for the past 30 years, has been met with a certain level of success right up until the point that someone says, "Wow! You look great! Have you lost weight? Your skin is glowing! Keep up the good work! Yadda Yadda Yadda!". Don't get me wrong, I truly appreciate the feedback BUT my ego??? Hunny! Homegirl loses her mind! She starts telling me it's OK to "cheat" and not exercise "just this once". After a few days of this, the progress begins to wane and the word "plateau" becomes part of my vernacular (along with a ton of four letter words) at the daily weigh in.

So I've convinced myself that blogging only makes matters worse. It jinxes me. It makes the outside world more aware of my journey, thereby creating this positive energy of encouragement and well wishes from my family and friends (the only ones that read this blog anyway lol), which in turn feeds my ego that then convinces me that I don't need to stay on target, and the weight starts to creep back...again.
Does anyone need a diagram?

I am, of course, totally off base here. The way that I need to visualize things is this way...

I blog about my weight loss journey.
I am accountable for my actions.
I stay focused.
I stay positive.
I continue to blog about my weight loss journey.

THE END

Day 202 - Emotional Setbacks

2010-07-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

This specific entry is in the form of personal journaling. Please read it with that in mind...

Spoke to Hank on Sunday, he remarked that I was behind on my blog posts and silly absent-minded me had to actually ask him for the date of my last post..."June 17th," he replied. Wow, I couldn't believe it. What could have happened that would have distracted me from posting to my most favorite blog? Oh I remember! I got fired on June 24th; that's what happened...
So yeah I got canned, and while I will try to refrain from getting lost in the details, what I can say is that I have been dealing with the situation in a positive way on the outside but possibly internalizing negative emotions at the same time. The manifestation of these repressed emotions come in the form of eating; eating food that I know good and well, is bad for me.
So now that I have an awareness of this emotion, this feeling, this impact, how do I make an adjustment? Well, I've taken the first step and that is where awareness comes in. It's almost like when they say to alcoholics "The first step towards recovery, is admitting you have a problem." or something like that...
So now, I gotta check myself...before I wreck myself (I'm ole skool). For those who are wondering about what my plans are for the future may be, my answer will be something along the line of "I am open to what the universe has to offer."
I can speak more tangibly however about my future eating plans. I will forgive my recent transgressions and not feel guilty about the past few weeks. I've also learned a lot about my role as a "clean eating role model", a job I'm apprehensive about but willing to undertake, but I refuse to bear some heavy load of responsibility to the people that read this blog (or don't for that matter). It is not, quite frankly, the purpose of my wellness mission. I would like for those folks to please allow me to inspire them without the purpose of impressing them. This will make me happy.

Day 258 - F^$*% the Hair. Time to Exercise

2010-06-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

OK...OK....OK
In a previous post, I wrote about how much more my hair mattered to me than exercise did. As usual, I've finally come back to reality and started moving my "bod" in a way that actually produces sweat. If there's only one single thing you'll learn about me in these posts, it's that I absolutely hate the gym. I don't really mind classes, and some of the machines. I just really hate the commitment part. I'm a bona fide flake which means that I can't commit to anything that requires repetition. I'm "membership-phobic".
My solution for this was to find indoor activities where I could go anytime I wanted without having to commit to a damn thing.
First I chose spin classes at 3sixty cycling studio in my lovely town of Montclair, NJ. This place is co-owned by make-up artist Bobby Brown by the way (not that it matters. just an interesting side-bar). The first class was free, lasted 45 minutes, and I liked it a lot. I was sweating like crazy! There was only one little, itsy, bitsy problem. The seats hurt like HELL. OH...MY...GOD!!! I even brought an extra cushion with me and even though it was over two weeks ago, my butt cheeks still clench in fear at the thought of going back to that place...
I'm not going to give up though. I'm currently researching padded biking shorts...
Second on the line up...hot (Bikram) yoga at Be Evolution Hot Yoga; again in my lovely town. Now people! Let me tell you something...I researched this shit down to the bone. Even got feedback from my Facebook friends. I was scared to death of going because I could not even imagine what it would be like to do yoga in a hot-as-hell ass room (over 100 degrees) for 90 whole minutes. Regular yoga is challenging enough (I know this from my past life as a yogi of course), but this shit right here??? Kicked my ass! And the craziest thing of all?? I LOVED IT! I wanted to run (make that crawl) screaming from the room after 30 minutes, but when it was all over, and I walked (make that staggered) out into the 80 degree corridor, you couldn't tell me I wasn't Kwai Chang Caine (RIP David Carradine)!!! I felt cool. I felt...high. And I'll take a legal get-high any chance I can get. I've been back again and this time better equipped; lighter clothing, and a change of clothing because when you're done, you are absolutely soaking wet. There are folks in the class with no shame in their game and now I know why. I highly recommend hot yoga but warning...it is no joke!
So what about my hair? Let's just say, I try not to look at my reflection from the hair line up when passing store windows, but the view below is much better. My stylist is gonna hook it up tomorrow and even though I'm going to ruin it again in a few days when I hit my hot yoga class, I'm ok with that. I'm making sweat my ally instead of my enemy.

Day 134 Women Food God - Is it Fear?

2010-05-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

So this Oprah show everyone is talking about...came on Wednesday. First 15 minutes...I wasn't buying it.
I really couldn't understand what the hell O and this woman Geneen Roth were talking about. I was in immediate denial. My guard was up. I was set in my mind that I had found a new way to eat, and that I wasn't officially dieting so I didn't really need this advice because I wasn't a binge eater or food addict (I'm a food lover remember?). But then O said something that made my ears perk up. She told the story of how she was upset by something and went to food to console herself but it wasn't cake or cookies or chips or lasagna she reached for...she reached for lettuce!

Now it was finally my turn to have an "AHA" moment.

The mere existence of this food/diet blog is proof that I have a strong relationship with food. I think about it ALL of the time; every waking moment (funny, I can't recall dreaming about food). I have said on occasion, that I am obsessed with food, but just because I'm changing what I eat, doesn't mean that I don't run to food when something in me needs to be fulfilled...thus the AHA!!!
I have been holding back on posting about portion control because quite frankly,I don't have it "under control". Doesn't matter what you eat people, more in and less out still makes the scale say "yeah...and?". And this my peeps is the thing, the door, the whatever that needs to be explored; my dependence on food for some deep seeded reason.
My first instinct is to be afraid of what I'll uncover, but to also quickly jump the gun and self-diagnose the "thing" to be fear. Maybe it is, but here's what I'm going to do. I'm actually going to follow along with this book/program (damn them for not being on the Kindle!!!) for two months and see what happens.
I'm scared, but I will keep you posted.

P.S. - still staying whole, natural, and minimally processed...just in case you were wondering.

Watch more AOL Black Voices videos on AOL Video

Guest Post - "Stop the Insanity"

2010-05-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a post from a friend of mine who I invited to share with you all as well. He just started is own blog which you can find here:
http://firedupwellness.blogspot.com/
Welcome FiredUp!

This past January like so many of you, I decided to take a fresh new look at my wellness. No, I did not join a gym or start some fad diet. I fired my doctor! This was not a revelation, but a revolution that also prompted me to make changes that will put me on the road to health.

Being overweight is not new for me. I was a chubby kid, overweight teen and yo-yo'ed for much of my 20’s and 30’s. I had some successful weight losses. During my junior year of high school, I lost 70 pounds on one of those weight loss clinics that offer counseling as well as a food-based weight loss program. I did well. But over the next 4 years the weight came back. After college graduation, I lost weight again. This time through caloric reduction and intense exercise. I had a lot of free time then.

Fast forward ten years, a demanding career with a crazy traveling schedule I am at the heaviest I have ever been. How did I get this way? Well, I am just starting to figure that out. In the ten years, I have been to a nutritionist, personal trainers, weight loss providers and of course my doctor.

Here is a synopsis:

The nutritionist told me to “take a dinner plate and divide it into four parts – three of the four parts need to be vegetables”. Needless to my first visit was my last.
The personal trainer, at 10 years younger and 200 pounds smaller than me, saw a big guy and worked me too hard, to the point where I ended up bed ridden with a herniated disk for 8 weeks.
WeightWatchers, although helpful, sends mixed messages with counting calories instead of discussing quality and quantity of food. Besides the group counseling sessions are filled with mom’s struggling with their weight. That really doesn’t apply to my lifestyle.
My doctor of 10 years told me to get weight loss surgery, and pushed it pretty hard.

Through all this, I could not seem to get the mantra of that fitness and diet guru Susan Powter (you know the one from 1990’s with that white buzz cut) out of my head. Remember "Stop the Insanity"? Although maybe a little whacked out, she was kind of on to something. She mentioned that she too, went to the weight loss industry, the medical industry and the food industry all to help her lose weight. The problem is that none of them really want you to lose weight… or maybe better yet, they actually just don’t know how. Isn’t that amazing, they don’t know how. We have learned so many lies about food, our relationship with it, what is healthy and what is not, that even the experts do not know really how to keep us healthy. IF they don’t know, what are we supposed to do? Fire them all! And that is what I did!

Whole Wheat Cashews

2010-05-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

Short tale for you all...
I am becoming more and more successful at brainwashing my children when it comes to eating right.
My daughter spots a package marked Whole Cashews on the kitchen counter and yells to me across the house "Ma! Where in the world did you find whole wheat cashews????!?!?!"
Ba-dum-dum.

KFC Buckets for the Cure

2010-05-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

Not really sure where I should start here..
Is anyone else bothered by this bullshit commercial?
What speaks louder than the bullshit however is the ingredients list. But first! Let me list for you, the five ingredients for my grilled chicken:
Chicken, preferably antibiotic free and vegan fed (please, please, please, my vegan friends...do not abandon me. I still love yall, but I still love chicken too)
fresh lemon juice
fresh rosemary
Salt and Pepper

Now here's the KFC® Grilled Chicken ingredients list:

Fresh Chicken Marinated With Salt, Sodium Phosphate, and Monosodium Glutamate. Seasoned With: Maltodextrin, Salt, Bleached Wheat Flour, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil, Monosodium Glutamate, Secret Kentucky Grilled Chicken Spices, Palm Oil, Natural Flavor, Garlic Powder, Soy Sauce (Soybean, Wheat, Salt), Chicken Fat, Chicken Broth, Autolyzed Yeast, Beef Powder, Rendered Beef Fat, Extractives of Turmeric, Dehydrated Carrot, Onion Powder, and Not More Than 2% Each of Calcium Silicate and Silicon Dioxide Added As Anticaking Agents.
Contains Wheat and Soy.

And if you're curious about what's in all of the other lovely menu items at KFC, feel free to visit their website here.

Nuff Said

Is it Enough?

Do I really need to rant about the transparent diabolical strategy behind this campaign? Do they really think we're that stupid? It's as ridiculous and surreal as watching, let's see...the Marlboro Man as spokesperson for the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society.

Dear KFC,

Stop treating us like fools. I do not feel warm and fuzzy when I see this commercial. I feel sick to my stomach and extremely sad. I'm not sad because you're lying to me. I'm sad because I know that there are hundreds of thousands of people who are touched by your so-called efforts and don't realize the irony of this ridiculous attempt to glorify your brand image while heightening brand awareness.

Shame on you.

Sincerely,

Yo Mama!

Day 123 - The Dirty Dozen

2010-05-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

If you don't mind roach spray on your fruits and vegetables, don't bother reviewing this list. This is the most informative resource I use when grocery shopping.

We don't have to buy everything organic, but those on the Dirty Dozen list warrant our attention.

You can find out more information by clicking here where you can also download a copy of this shopper's guide for yourself.

Good health to ya!

Note - the only objection I have to this guide is the listing of sweet corn on the Clean list. Conventionally grown corn is more than likely genetically engineered, so buying organic corn would be a safer bet.

Recipe of the Month - WW Oatmeal Raisin Nut Cookies

2010-04-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

Delish! All Whole Grain, All Natural, All that.

1/2 cup organic unsalted butter
1/2 cup Sucanat (non-refined cane sugar)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 walnuts or toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together butter and sucanat until smooth and silky. Add in egg and vanilla and mix until well blended. In another bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture and stir until well blended.
Add remaining ingredients one at a time until all mixed in.

Using a tablespoon measure, scoop onto parchment lined backing sheets; 12 at a time and flatten with a fork. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Cool on pan for a few minutes and transfer onto backing rack to cool completely or....Enjoy warm if you can't help yourself!

Makes about 2 dozen

Day 118 - Great News from my Doctor!!!!

2010-04-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

When folks challenge me about my new "weird" eating habits and roll their eyes when they think I'm not looking, I always felt that I would be vindicated one day. Today is that day.
When I look at my scale with scorn because I truly believe it's lying to me most of the time, I always try and remember that there is a higher purpose to my mission besides saying goodbye forever to the pounds that refuse to leave me without a fight. Today, that mission was reinforced.
At the end of December, I visited my regular (and fabulous) primary care physician, Dr. Susan Minkowitz. I've been seeing Dr. Minkowitz for a long time now and even though her office was in the heart of Chinatown, I would make the trek because she is the genuine article; warm, knowledgeable and...hilarious! Her favorite line when I'm not feeling well is "I'm gonna fix ya!" and she does!!
So at the very end of last year, I knew I had to do something to once and for all get my health to a point where I didn't have to rely on high-blood pressure medication anymore. I've known the solution for years. I had to eat right and get rid of the weight. Hypertension, cancer and diabetes run rampant up and down my family tree and I've seen lots of relatives die from these diseases way too early and I am not prepared to add my name to the list.
My blood work is typically...EH, so-so, ok, not bad, but never really great. I'll be 43 soon and those "EH, so-so, ok, not bad, numbers ain't cute because as some of you know, it's harder to combat ailments and illnesses as we get older. I needed to make a change (did you hear Michael Jackson just now too?).
Immediately on January 1st (always a good day to start over), I began to eat natural, whole, minimally processed foods exclusively (on excellent days). Education is key. I made a few mistakes here and there. I didn't know if certain ingredients on packages where ok and I still struggle with understanding the impact of certain food items on my health but for the most part, I have made a full transition.
Today is Day 118; four months in deep. I feel good physically and mentally and most importantly...I don't feel deprived. On Friday, I went back to see Dr. Minkowitz who has now moved to Chelsea and she ran the standard blood tests again. She just called me back with the results. I want to share my numbers with you:

Glucose (aka "sugah")*: was 91, now 79
Cholesterol**: was 207 (borderline/high risk), now 173 (desirable/low risk)
Vitamin D***: was 8 (crazy deficient), now 28 (yay I'm normal now!)
Weight: hahahahahahaaaaa. There is no way I'm revealing that, BUT I am pleased to report that there was a loss of 10 pounds.
Blood Pressure: GREAT!! Still on meds, but the number is the best it's been in a long time even on meds.

I'm asking ...no begging, my friends and family out there to please, please, please go see your doctor. Some of the most serious diseases are silent killers. Take care of your health. Stop eating hydrogenated fats and EAT MORE FIBER. I said "EAT", not "take fiber pills or supplements".

My favorite high fiber foods are:
Beans, especially lentils
Leafy greens of any kind
Whole grains (not to be confused with multigrains)

My favorite sweeteners are:
Raw honey
Agave nectar
Pure liquid stevia
Succanat (an extremely pure form of raw sugar), not Sugar in the Raw

For information on what our numbers should be, please check out these resources below.
* - http://diabetes.about.com/od/symptomsdiagnosis/a/glucoselevels.htm
** - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=183
*** - http://diabetes.about.com/od/symptomsdiagnosis/a/glucoselevels.htm

P.S. - Read my previous post about the foods I refuse to give up. I am pretty much still stubborn about my hunnies (that's what I call the food I love).

Day 93 Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

2010-04-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

Last night's featured bullshit: French fries are a vegetable!! Technically, I guess this is true, but when agencies that should know better (federal school lunch program), mandate this as a guideline, it's an outlandish lie. I frowned. I squinted. I got angry.

Last night's featured inspiration: High schoolers taking charge in a professional kitchen. Yes, this is television but it's a great series for a good cause, so the motives of the establishment don't concern me. I smiled. I cried. I felt joy.

Watch this show...change your life.

Define Cheating

2010-03-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

Cheating: A term usually reserved for the adulterous, the liars, the thieves or in the case of my former life...the dieter.

I stated in an earlier post that there are a few food items, I absolutely refuse to give up...and I haven't. In fact, by making that statement, I now find myself consuming these items well below the "in moderation" level.

Maybe I haven't been clear in my mission statement, because I find that most people are under the impression that I'm on a diet. I'm not "on a diet". In my mind, that term signifies what it has for most of my life; temporary and non-committal abstinence from eating the foods I love.

That's not where I am right now and therefore I refuse to claim the term "cheating" to my vocabularyeither; even if I happen to eat something I know is bad for me.

This became amazingly clear to me this weekend when I slid along the slippery slope of eating at restaurants for almost five days in a row; what a nightmare. I didn't realize things were getting bad until I had THE worst case of indigestion on the 4th evening. That's when my body just totally cursed me out and made others run for the hills. Ironically though, I ate what I believed to be whole food choices (with the exception of Sunday night), but in all honesty I had no idea what was going on in the kitchens of these places.

By the fifth night, I just "gave up" (hey! that's a term I can agree to use!). I tried everything* without a single hesitant thought as to how it was made: coconut sticky rice, crab cakes, lobster boniato mash, braised beef spring rolls, rib eye steak, risotto, and last (but actually least, I'm proud to say), a taste of coconut cake (with coconut ice cream of course). No thought was given because I knew exactly how everything was made...

The last outrageous dinner on Sunday (Asia de Cuba) tasted just as wonderful as the first in the series on Tuesday (GustoOrganics). The difference was simply the fact that the dinner on Tuesday was the lessor of two evils. Even in a 100% organic restaurant environment that uses whole food ingredients, one still "gives up" their liberty of knowing exactly what's in their food.

There's no way around it except to cook at home as much as possible!!!

So the more I type this term "give up", the more I like it. In a way it's more spiritual because it releases me from guilt which interestingly enough, I didn't feel after eating as I did. I actually looked forward to making dinner the next day, and today, and the rest of the week as well.

So what's on the home cooked menu tonight? No idea, but the raw and minimal processed ingredients are waiting for maximum preparation by the one and only...ME!

*I will not mention the two Caipirinhas I had...nope, not gonna mention them at all.

Gustorganics

2010-03-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Since January 1 (the day I went naked), I have become "that friend"; the one on a special diet. Most of my peeps are on board thankfully, but hangin' out for dinner has become more of a chore for them than me. A dinner invitation is usually followed by the comment "Oh but what can you eat?" I try to explain that I can find something to eat almost anywhere although I prefer to eat somewhere where the food isn't so bad for us. This is purely me sticking to my laurels and supporting businesses that pay attention to the wholesomeness of food versus those that have cans stacked up in their kitchens.
This week a friend and I went to Gustorganics and I...AM...IN...LOVE!!!...(with the food of course)
I've been to several organic restaurants and this is by far THE BEST so far. Not only is absolutely everything organic including the bar, but they also use alternative ingredients like agave nectar and whole wheat flour in their preparations. The food was absolutely incredible and my mouth is watering now just thinking about what I had to eat.
The service was impeccable for a restaurant so laid back yet sophisticated in its offerings.
If you haven't been yet...GO NOW!!

Day 59 - Can it Core a Apple??

2010-02-28T18:14:00.000-08:00

I'm a fan of pop culture; specifically the television sitcom genre. Even more so, I love obscure lines from some of these shows.

One line in particular, from one of my favorites, always comes to mind when I am in the the process of coring apples. It comes from the Honeymooners. Ralph and Norton of course have another big idea; this time it entails promoting a kitchen gadget on live TV. It's a funny skit of course, but the line I'm referring to stands out because of the grammatical error: "Can it core a apple?" I have never figured out whether or not:

the writers meant to write it incorrectly this way
or
this is how people spoke back then

So I'm about to make some baked apples for dessert and all I can hear in my head is this line while I start to core a apple. Take a look at the clip (about 3:20 minutes in if you're not a big fan). It still makes me laugh.

Just in case you're wondering about how I make baked apples (by far the simplest thing in the world to make), here's the recipe...

Ingredients
Apples, cored of course - almost any variety. I used a few organic Fuji that were sitting around longer than I would have liked.
Ground Cinnamon
Organic Blue Agave Nectar Sweetener
Plain Greek Yogurt

Place cored apples (do not peel) in an oven safe dish and cover with foil.
Place in preheated 450 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until apples are soft and tender
Uncover apples and pour the agave nectar over apples lightly (it's a very sweet sweetener) and sprinkle with cinnamon.
DO NOT RE-COVER and place back in oven until apples have darken a bit. Feel free to baste with drippings once a while.
They're done when you think they look good.
Cool just a bit if you like.
Serve by spooning a dollop of yogurt on top of apples. Pour pan juices over yogurt and eat!
YUM!

Day 57 - There are ALWAYS alternatives...really

2010-02-26T08:40:00.000-08:00

My youngest teen offered to boil some eggs for me this morning. It's probably my favorite protein right now due to the fact that I have lost some of my desire to eat meat most days. I may have mentioned in an earlier post that my youngest also decided to change her eating habits and has adopted the life of a pescetarian. So this boiled egg ritual has become what we bond over for some strange reason (in addition to roasted veggies).

I declined her offer this morning because I was in the process of finishing off a peanut butter and jelly sandwich...yep that's right a good ole fashioned PB&J sammich! For some of you familiar with the food path/journey I'm taking, a red flag may register because typically, the traditional version of this all-time favorite classic is usually laden with ingredients that include unnecessary amounts of sugar, salt, preservatives and of course, flour, but here is my natural, wholesome, minimally processed version:

Peanut Butter - Freshly ground unsalted peanuts

Whole Foods 365 Apricot Spread

2 slices of toasted Ezekiel Bread (pictured above)

Very simple, very good-for-you and believe it or not, very delicious.

And speaking of delicious...I must make a confession. My palate has changed quite a bit and I realize that what is delicious to me now, is no longer delicious to the fans of my former food preparation practices and vices. I'll take time to address this at a later date as I ponder on it a bit more.

Day 55 - The MSG Conspiracy Fully Exposed

2010-02-23T22:52:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer - I am not a scientist. I am however a pissed-off blogger.

Warning!- This post contains information that will either make you mad at the food industry OR mad at me for telling you the real deal. I prefer the former.

I remember being told when I was a kid, a very very long long time ago, that MSG was BAD. It was all over the news and the folks who made Accent were ripped to shreds and "branded" as the big bad wolf. We, the so-called educated consumers started yelling "YO! NO MSG Aight!!" over the counter at the corner Chinese spot and were ecstatic to see the higher end Chinese joint menus, tout the fact that they didn't use MSG.
Eventually we became a little lackadaisical and just assumed MSG disappeared off the face of the earth. We couldn't have been more wrong. Unfortunately, when I run around screaming "there's crap in everything we eat!", I couldn't be more disappointingly right.
The final frontier of my food selection challenges has been to really and truly decipher food labels. I have totally abandoned the more standardized nutritional information stats in lieu of the more important information...the freakin' ingredients! Common sense tells me, that it doesn't matter what the caloric, fat, fiber, et al grams list entails, if the ingredients list is 25+ items long for something as simple as tomato sauce.
I digress...back to the MSG conspiracy...
MSG is still around, but it's being dished out to us under the radar, in the form of ingredients that you would never in your life believe are remotely associated with it.
I'm not going to take up space here in my blog to hash over the extremely long list of aliases for MSG. Instead, I direct you to an extremely comprehensive website dedicated to the truth about MSG.
As a teaser, here is a short list of familiar products that contain MSG. Continue to indulge at your own risk...
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Goya Sazon
Any type of sausage product
Soy Sauce
Lipton Onion Soup mix
Low Fat or Non-fat Milk (COME ON!!!! Are you kidding me??)
Any food with the term "Natural Flavors"

So basically the reality is that you should avoid leaving your house and if you absolutely must venture out, pack your bags with something you made yourself...GEESH! Oh yeah and don't eat at anyone else's house unless they're well versed on the MSG conspiracy..ok?

Day 50 - All Brown Rice is (are?) not Created Equal

2010-02-18T20:28:00.000-08:00

Am I typically a patient person?? Well that depends on whether I'm in a hurry or not. Hahaaaaa!

The beauty in cooking with only whole foods is the time, love and care it takes to create a wonderful meal from scratch. The satisfaction I feel in knowing exactly what I'm consuming is also reassuring. However...there are those days when I get home and need to throw a meal together in a matter of minutes. Usually this would lead me to pull some prepared food concoction in my cupboard or freezer that's usually loaded with additives, sugars and a plethora (I love this word) of processed ingredients. Now I know better, and instead I turn the oven up really high to 400 or so, and start chopping up some fresh veggies that I'll coat with a bit of olive oil, kosher salt, and spices and throw the whole lot in for about 20 min. Maybe while those are roasting, I'll pop some fresh fish on a hot grill pan as well.

While starch is not always a necessity, I do crave brown rice every now and then, but while I'm cooking everything else, I spend most of this time hemmin' and hawin' about whether I even want the damned rice. By the time the veggies and fish are almost done, it's too late to get the rice going and unfortunately brown rice usually takes 45 minutes to cook...or so I thought.

Because of my new found mistrust of the food industry, I was initially skeptical of Success Boil-in-Bag Whole Grain Brown Rice which only takes 10 minutes to make. Ingredient: Precooked Parboiled Whole Grain Brown Rice (Long Grain)

The mere term "boil-in-bag" was frowned upon in my house as a kid. My mother being from Charleston SC, would NEVAH-EVAH, I mean under no circumstances known to mankind, buy a "boil-in-bag" rice product but then again, she also would never eat brown rice either. So I'm basically dishonoring my geechee ancestors and family on both fronts, just by endorsing this product anyway.

But here's what I found out. The nutritional benefit of this particular brand/process is actually a bit more favorable than regular brown rice...I still don't believe it. And by a "bit more favorable" I mean that it contains one more gram of fiber...that's it; nothing to get over-excited about of course. I suspect that this has something to do with the par-boiling process. I would like to care enough to delve deeper, but I'm afraid of what I'll discover. So for now ignorance is bliss.

Feel free however to dash my hopes!

Recipe of the Month - Roasted Eggplant Stew

2010-02-09T19:51:00.000-08:00

My first major home cooked dish, after my DIY oven repair project...incident...OK accident, was this delicious ratatouille-esque dish that still has my mouth watering. I was inspired by a recent trip to this fabu market nearby called Corrado's that had some of the most amazing produce I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot). For this recipe, I used an eggplant that I think was a Japanese variety and I was so taken by its beauty that I just grabbed it!

Here's a picture of the gorgeous aubergine..
I only bought one (just ran to the fridge to make sure) and I am terribly sad about that. It was absolutely lovely and not bitter at all

Ingredients:
1 Eggplant (I'm sure any variety will do) cut in half length-wise
1/4 white onion chopped
3-4 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 teas dried oregano
1/2 small green hot pepper seeds removed

5 plum tomatoes chopped

kosher or sea salt to taste
squeeze of lemon
Cooked brown rice - made with vegetable stock, onions, garlic, thyme and a few drops of toasted sesame oil.
Goat Cheese as garnish (vegans can leave this out of course)

What to do:
Pre-heat oven to 425
Salt cut side of eggplant and place in oiled glass dish, flesh side down
Place in oven and roast until tender. Remove from oven and roughly chop into large pieces.

When eggplant is almost finished roasting, saute onions, garlic, peppers, and oregano until soft. Add tomatoes and chopped eggplant (juices and all).
Simmer until tomatoes are just cooked at bit.
Add salt and squeeze of lemon to taste.

Serve over the cooked brown rice and top with a small spoon of goat cheese (or plain non-fat yogurt).

OMG! This is a scrumptious dish! Please make this somebody and tell me how it turns out.

Day 39 - The Not-So-Last Temptation...

2010-02-08T18:34:00.000-08:00

Ask anyone who's been on a diet about the honeymoon stage. It's the stage where you're sticking to the plan; you're in total and complete love with the plan. Your willpower is strong and you tend to make speeches about the merits of the plan and how well you're doing together.

I was on my honeymoon for an entire month, but now...the honeymoon is over. Now I'm married to the plan and although I know it's good for me in the long run, my eyes are starting to wander.

Last month, I resisted temptation(s) without much of a problem. I was able to handle the restaurant challenges and I could bypass my regular naughty haunts with ease, but recently I ran into a problem with a botched oven repair project of mine (long story) that left me with only my microwave as a cooking tool for almost two weeks. If I lived alone, maybe I could have survived on salad for dinner every night, but (here's where she blames it on the kids folks) I have the two teens that insisted on ordering take out every night for dinner.

When you start to slide even a tiny bit (in my case that meant eating things that I didn't personally prepare or wasn't entirely privy to the ingredients), the door to bigger temptations, opens just a bit wider. Through this door, just taunting me with their utter deliciousness were the following:

Cheddar and Sour Cream Flavored Wise Ridgies Potato Chips
IKEA Cinnamon Buns

I'll admit it. The chips were my fault. I bought them for my daughter's (you can always blame the kids) little gathering of friends coming over to work on a school project. I figured I'd be out of the house while they devoured all four bags and that upon my return, they'd all be gone (the chips and the company). When I did return however, there were three large bags left unopened on my kitchen counter. I should have sent the unopened bags home with the departing visitors but I had a mental block darnit! And I think I was a bit cocky; thinking that I wouldn't be tempted to eat them. That was yesterday...I want those chips! I want those chips so bad I could go in that kitchen right now and eat an entire bag all by myself. I'm dying here people!

Exposing myself to the IKEA cinnamon buns wasn't entirely my fault. I went shopping for a bookcase yesterday and my friends drove me to that God forsaken place. I should have had breakfast beforehand, but instead all I had was a banana; thinking that we would have brunch before we hit the stores. That plan was blown, but thank goodness one of my friends had an orange in her bag so I wasn't starving by the time we reached the IKEA restaurant that surprisingly had quite a few healthy whole food choices. There was no sign of those luscious cinnamon buns anywhere (oddly enough) and I almost thought I was going to escape the store without a hitch...until I left the checkout...OH GOD THE SMELL OF THE CINNAMON BUNS PEOPLE!!! It just hits you! KAPOW! My enabler...ooops I mean my friend, asked if I wanted to split one with her. I walked as if in a trance directly over to the food section and was just about to say yes. Then I stopped. I stopped and said "no." We all made a bee line for the door and left.

So you're probably wondering about my strategy for resisting temptation this time around. The strategy is simple, but remembering to use what I know is what makes it hard to execute. The strategy is to think about the ingredients; not the calories or fat grams or carbs, but just simply the ingredients. I knew right away that the cinnamon buns consisted of white flour, white sugar and yeast; right away three items I wanted to avoid. And silly me, I figured the chips were fried in corn, cottonseed or canola oil (ALL BAD!!), but little did I realize how long the ingredient list would actually pan out to be once I read it on the bag. Soooo, I just have to keep reminding myself about what's at stake here...good health and peace of mind. Eating whole, minimally processed foods will get me both as long as I continue to educate myself and stay alert. Avoidance is not the answer because it's not realistic. There is bad shit everywhere!

Just in case you're wondering about the complete ingredient lists for both of these temptations, click on the images below.
Note: I tried for the life of me to find the real bona fide ingredients list for the Ikea Cinnamon Buns, but I couldn't find them anywhere. I guess I should have bought them after all. All in the name of research of course. Instead I link to a Swedish recipe I found.

Day 28 1:30 pm - Hair...A valid excuse NOT to exercise

2010-01-28T10:35:00.000-08:00

I hate where this is going to take me...
Unlike Chris Rock's recent exploration of the Black hair care industry, this entry is meant only to explore a recurring dilemma for me: How to incorporate exercise into my life without ruining my hairstyle.
For those of you who don't have a clue about what this refers to, I'm sorry. I'm not going to explain it. Explaining the hair issue to those not of my color nor gender, is annoying to me. Soooo you're welcome to read on at your own risk.
I have not exercised in two days because I just got my hair done yesterday. When leaving my stylist, I said "Let me go home and workout." She replied "Why didn't you do that before you came here?" She's was right! What the hell was I thinking??
The last time I was faced with this problem, I shaved off all my hair. I have no desire to do that right now. I love my current style, so now I have to come up with an exercise routine that takes into account my hair appointments as well as upcoming events (where the cut obviously matters dahling!).
How ridiculous, but nonetheless a completely valid excuse NOT to exercise.

P.S. -No I don't want braids, or a weave...Thanks in advance for those suggestions.

Day 28 - What I Won't Give Up

2010-01-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

This is a "living" entry. Here's where I will list the food and beverages that I refuse to give up; no excuses. Some of these items are really bad for you but hopefully the list won't grow that much and maybe there will be some deletions as I become more serious about this lifestyle change.
Note: I consume all of these things in moderation.

Coffee with caffeine preferably from Starbucks
Bacon from The Original Pancake House in West Caldwell, NJ
Red Mango or Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt
Sugar Free Chewing Gum
Patron Tequila
Red Wine
Real Butter (unsalted)
Real Cheese

Here's the most arrogant statement you'll ever hear me say (or read me write lol)..."What I know about food can fill multiple volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Try and school me if you like, but there are no substitutes in my mind for what I've listed above."

You guys are welcome to try and offer some but I ain't gonna like 'em...I promise.