Week 3: Fish 101

Toxins
The Science Journal published a 2004 study that found farm raised salmon to be TEN times higher in toxins than wild caught salmon. A 2003 study by the Environmental Working Group found farm raised salmon to be SIXTEEN times higher in toxins, and contain the highest level of PCBs in the entire food chain. PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls) are toxins that are now illegal, but were once used in coolants and electrical equipment. They're still around in the environment, and farm raised fish tend to be rife with them. Those in the salmon farming industry claim that the public is misinformed. The levels of PCBs in the farm raised salmon were .038 parts per million, whereas the US FDA's guidelines allow for 2.0 parts per million, so industry leaders say these studies shouldn't scare consumers. However, PCBs, which are stored in fat, can deposit there, linger and accumulate, and for pregnant women or those hoping to conceive, passing along these carcinogens doesn't seem a like risk most are willing to take.

Other Things To Consider
Additionally, their feed isn't natural, thus the farm raised salmon are lower in Omega 3s (and isn't that part of their draw?!) Also, they are kept in pens with less swimming room, thus fed antibiotics, and tend to be higher in mercury, which can contribute or lead to cancer in humans. Farm raised fish end up a whitish gray color, but farmers shoot a dye into them so that they can compete with their salmon-hued wild competitors. One of the colorants, Canthaxanthin, has been linked to eye defects in humans. (Source: Pure Salmon Campaign)

What Does This Mean for Me?
Well, it depends. If you agree with the Real Food way of life, something inside you may have cringed at reading the above information. Or maybe the numbers seem insignificant - especially compared to the extra money you'll be paying for wild caught. Sometimes the difference between farm raised and wild caught is up to five dollars per pound (buying on sale rocks! we don't buy salmon unless it's on sale). If you don't want to fork over the extra cash, there are a few things you can do. PCBs are stored in the fat of the fish, so trim as much fat as you can, and cook under a broiler or over a grill to minimize fat. Also, most canned salmon varieties are wild, so whip up some salmon cakes, or add some flaked salmon to a salad.

My Opinion
I fall into the former camp - I have a difficult time eating something that has been raised in an artificial environment, ingesting toxins. I love the bright pink flesh of a wild caught salmon. And yes, I am one of those annoying dinner dates that asks the waitress if the salmon is farm raised, and say "No, thank you" when they return to confirm my suspicion. But I have been known to get a huge, CAFO raised burger while at Outback Steakhouse or Bugaboo Creek, so I extend no condemnation if you eat the pale pink swimmers! As always, I just want to give you the information. You decide what to do with it!

Week 3 Challenge: Hormone Free Meats

I realized I didn't explicitly say what the challenge was, though I've exhorted you to buy as local and fresh as possible! I recognize this is a very hard task for a number of reasons, the two primary ones being cost and availability. So if you haven't done any shopping yet (and next week isn't too late to start, either!) try to steer clear of meats that haven't had very good homes. That is, if it doesn't say hormone and antibiotic free, run!

Again, please let me know if you'd like to buy local eggs, or even meats. I have several connections around Boston and on the South Shore, and would be glad to hook people up!

Week 3: Chicken 101

Most families eat chicken weekly, and I'd venture to say that the majority of our chicken consumption is NOT organic. Organic chicken is expensive - especially because you don't get that great $1.99 (or less!)/pound sale that conventional chicken does. But conventional chicken frightens me, as does the ways our government and the media have kept the ugly side of their environment and processing under the radar screen.

Conventional Chicken
There's nothing pretty about the chicken we buy at Shaw's or Stop and Shop. Even when it says, "All Natural" all we're getting is something without artificial colors or preservatives added to it. All chicken is "natural." What most people care not to think about are the awful conditions of the chickens:

+cramped, dirty quarters
+unnatural feed
+hormones
+antibiotics

Highest on my list of concerns, however, are the arsenic and chlorine. What? Did I really just say that?! Yes.

Arsenic and Chlorine
The European Union has a BAN on chicken exports from the United States, due to the manner of processing. After conventional chickens have been slaughtered, they are dipped in a chlorine bath, which the US deems acceptable, but the EU believes it poses a heath risk to their citizens, and will not allow our chicken to enter their country. Hmm.

The other disturbing thing I've learned about conventional chickens is that ARSENIC is an approved supplement for keeping down intestinal parasites in chicken. No joke. There are quite a few articles about this. In a peer reviewed journal, Environmental Health Perspectives, a study was published linking high chicken consumption with arsenic consumption, contributing to skin, respiratory, and bladder cancers. Again - hmm.

What Can I Do About It?
Well, I have yet to find a local farm that raises chickens to sell for a price I'd consider paying, but I do occasionally check Local Harvest for listings. Buying organic chicken from the grocery store is a good alternative. You are guaranteed to be consuming chicken free of additives, hormones, and antibiotics. Even if they're not eating insects and routing around in the yard, I feel much better about limiting my arsenic intake, don't you?!

Free Friday Giveaway: Week 3

Congrats to the Free Friday giveaway winner of last week - Jeanne M.! It wasn't a hard decision, as Jeanne's was the lone comment and giveaway entry.

The Free Friday giveaway for this week is a recipe demonstration - which entails me coming to your home (Massachusetts residents only =) and bringing the ingredients for the recipe you'd most like to try. We'll make it together, and you get to keep the fruit of our labor!

In order to be eligible for this giveaway, please post a comment below with:
1. Your name
2. The recipe (or meal) you'd most like to try

DEADLINE: Friday, January 30th at 11:59pm

Bonus Recipe: Pastured Eggnog

I've been dying for some good eggnog, but didn't dare make it with commercial eggs, or even the Eggland's Best. I wanted local eggs from chickens I have SEEN (or at least someone I know has seen). Yesterday, I picked up three dozens of such eggs, and tonight, I am sipping a glass of eggnog! I was in awe of the eggs while making this drink. As I separated the yolk from the white, I had a firm orange ball in my hand - the sign of a highly nutritious egg. I felt like I could play basketball with this thing! In the last post I mentioned that egg yolks contain so many nutrients, from protein and iron to zinc and phosphorus, and pastured eggs contain twice as much vitamin E and 40% more vitamin A!


I wouldn't recommend this recipe to anyone who doesn't have access to very fresh eggs. Check out Local Harvest to find some fresh eggs near you, or ask around your local health food store!

For one serving:
1 1/4 cups (preferably) raw whole milk or combination of milk and cream
2 egg yolks from free running chickens, raw
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 T maple syrup or honey

Combine in blender! You can add some ice cubes for a bit of texture and coldness.

Myth-busting: Eggs 101

The goal of transitioning to a real food diet is to maximize nutrition, right? Eat to nourish, and enjoy while doing so! When one of my favorite, most versatile and nutritious foods has been slandered repeatedly and without thought or accurate information, I simply must step up.

Mark and I love our eggs. I just bought a few dozen eggs from chickens that eat natural diets and play around in a yard! We go through 2-3 dozen a week, and if (when) we get our own chickens, I hope we can increase that amount! Eggs have earned a bad rap. Many of us dutifully and even eagerly share the nutritional advice that if you have high cholesterol (or even to prevent high cholesterol), you limit your egg intake. But I encourage you to think a little more about this...

Myth 1: Egg whites are a healthier alternative than egg yolks.

They have less calories and fat, yes. So if you are trying to starve yourself or consume as little nutrients as possible, egg whites are a better choice. They have nearly no nutritional value. Not only that, they contain a substance called avidin, which interferes with the aborbtion of a B vitamin called biotin. Egg whites also contain trypsin inhibitors, and they mess with protein digestion.

The egg yolk, on the other hand, is one of the most complete sources of protein found in food. It is also rich in just about every nutrient we know, including the fat soluble vitamins A and D. They are also a good source of iron and calcium. (It is important to note that eggs from chickens that have been routing around in the ground have been proven to be nutritionally superior. More on this later.)

Myth 2: Eggs increase your cholesterol level and contribute to heart disease.

Let me first start out by stating that Japan is the country with the highest consumption of eggs, but is known to have one of the lowest rates of heart disease. Just throwing that out there. Also, when we (Americans) ate more eggs, before nutrition had it's own political correctness, people had less incidences of heart disease. As far as eggs raising cholesterol levels, there is no scientific basis for this bogus myth. Back in the 1960s, there was a study linking blood cholesterol and heart disease. Since eggs are high in cholesterol, they became marred and blamed. But guess what - they're innocent. Here's what will raise your cholesterol: genetics. Less than 25% of your blood cholesterol levels are affected by diet. So the other 3/4ths? That's all Mom and Pops.

Up Next...Eggs 102 - where to buy fresh, healthy eggs

Week 3: Beef 101

This is an intense topic, and I don't think I'll be able to do it justice in just one week, but my goal is to give an overview of the industrialization of the meat industry (I'm lumping beef, chicken, turkey, and fish into the word "meat" for right now). There are so many comprehensive resources, including The Omnivore's Dilemma, Eat Wild, and a host of scientific articles, many of which even I am bored with. I'm indebted to best selling author, Michael Pollen, for his research on this topic, and much of the information I'll be sharing comes from his work. I'll do my best to break things down simply, so you understand the implications on your health when you consume meat from various sources.

Factory Farming
America has moved towards specialization in so many areas, and the production of our food is no exception. There are hundreds of acres of lettuce at Cal-Organic Farms in California, hundreds of thousands of acres of wheat and corn in the midwest, and "farms" that raise acres and acres of cows, as if they were like a stalk of corn, and needed only a small space to grow. This "specialization" has led to losses on all ends. The crops miss out on the valuable nutrients from the manure of the cows; the cows aren't eating the grass and plants their bodies were designed to eat; and the people who eat the cows and the plants aren't getting the most benefits from what could be very healthy food.

Animals are raised on large farms called CAFOs, or Confined Animal Feeding Operations. The name alone doesn't evoke the happy, lazy lifestyle of a cow I'd want to eat. Here are some of the problems of CAFOs, cited by Eat Wild:

• Animal stress and abuse
• Air, land, and water pollution
• The unnecessary use of hormones, antibiotics, and other drugs
• Low-paid, stressful farm work
• The loss of small family farms
• Food with less nutritional value

Unnatural Diets
Animals raised in factory farms are given diets designed to boost their productivity and lower costs. The main ingredients are genetically modified grain and soy that are kept at artificially low prices by government subsidies. To further cut costs, the feed may also contain “by-product feedstuff” such as municipal garbage, stale pastry, chicken feathers, and candy. Until 1997, U.S. cattle were also being fed meat that had been trimmed from other cattle, in effect turning herbivores into carnivores. This unnatural practice is believed to be the underlying cause of BSE or “mad cow disease.” (Eat Wild)

What does this mean for me?
We've become so far removed from our sources of food. Many people do not know where the meat they consumed was raised, or that it was pumped with antibiotics because cows' stomachs aren't designed to eat grain, leading to diseases that have to be kept down with drugs. Animals that are raised on feedlots need to be fattened quickly to maximize profit. Enter: horomones. Girls are developing a more rapid pace than previous generations, and diseases such as cancer are sky rocketing in their occurrences. (In a 1999 study published in the Annual Review of Public Health, Dinse, Umbach, Sasco, Hoel and Davis found that cancer rates increased from 22% to 56% in the time period between 1975 to 1994. Startling information!) The media has vilified meat as a possible culprit, and warns consumers to limit their red meat intake. What if it's not red meat, but the broader range of meat, dairy, and eggs from animals raised in CAFOs?

Consider this. Grass-fed meat offers a much greater amount of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is a cancer-fighting fat. There are numerous European studies on the link between high levels of CLA and lower risk of breast cancer. Additionally, the nutrient levels in grass-fed meat, eggs, and dairy is higher than their CAFO counterparts. Grass-fed is rich in antioxidants, vitamins E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Additionally, there have been studies proving the Omega 3 content decreases significantly, the longer an animal is off grass.Data from: J Animal Sci (1993) 71(8):2079-88.

Up Next...
Common sense and tradition tend to trump even the best study. Many traditional peoples lived strong, healthy lives (cancer-free) on meat, eggs, and dairy from their own flocks or farms. I'm not suggesting we all move to rural Vermont, but we have options beyond a package of Shaw's Grade A beef, and nutritionally void eggs. In fact, I just bought $800 pounds of grass-fed beef yesterday, from rural Vermont, and I'd love to share. Stay tuned for how to incorporate more well-raised meats into your diet.

Week 3 Shopping List

There are a few choices this week (lamb vs. beef in the Moussaka, and salmon or crockpot ragout, and spinach vs. red pepper kiku) hence the options. I have to put in a plug for the baked oatmeal - easy and delicious! It's definitely worth it.

Meat
1 lb anti-biotic hormone free ground beef and 2 lbs ground lamb
OR
3 lbs ground beef

1lb ground chicken
OR
1 lb wild caught salmon

Produce
1 bag small onions (about 6)
6 green peppers
1 bag carrots
garlic
4-5 large eggplants
bananas

4 new potatoes
OR
2 acorn squash (crockpot ragout or salmon)

2 bunches of spinach
OR
1 bunch of spinach and 1 red pepper (for minestrone soup/kiku)


Canned or Dried Items
1 can tomato paste
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cups of brown rice
rolled oats
tuna fish
dried kidney beans, or 1 15 ounce can of beans
whole wheat berries (if you're grinding your own flour) or whole wheat flour

coconut oil (favorite source - Mountain Rose Herbs: $41 for 1 gallon of unrefined or $22 for refined, which will last forever!)

~ 1 c each pine nuts and walnuts (optional--though nice to buy in bulk and have on hand)

Dairy
~2 c (raw) Parmesan or Cheddar cheese
cage free eggs
yogurt

Week 3 Menu

In efforts to streamline meal preparation, I've decided to include some new weekly features. The menu plan will include use of a large pot of grains, bread, a soup, and snack. Additionally, all of the meals will include enough for two nights' dinners, for two people, so you'll be preparing dinner just three evenings (or if you're like me, all in one day to minimize cooking!). Adjust recipes accordingly if you are cooking for more than two.


Features
Prepare these early in the week so you have them on hand for recipes and munching!

Grain - Brown Rice
Bread - Whole Wheat No-Knead
Soup - Minestrone
Snack - Coconut Candy Delights

Prep: Soak oats for baked oatmeal

Day 1
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs and bacon (cook the night before)
Lunch - Tuna and celery sandwich on no knead bread
Dinner - Stuffed Peppers

Day 2
Breakfast - Baked Oatmeal
Lunch - Minestrone Soup and bread
Dinner - Leftover peppers

Day 3
Breakfast - Smoothies
Lunch - Spinach Kiku
Dinner - Crockpot Ragout

or Wild caught salmon prepared with a pad of butter, salt, and pepper, brown rice, and baked squash (at end of post)

Day 4
Breakfast - Baked oatmeal
Lunch - Yogurt Parfait
Dinner - Crockpot Ragout

or Wild caught salmon prepared with a pad of butter, salt, and pepper, brown rice, and baked squash (at end of post)

Day 5
Breakfast - Quick spinach omlette
Lunch - Minestrone Soup and bread
Dinner - Moussaka and rice

Day 6
Breakfast - Smoothies
Lunch - Spinach Kiku
Dinner - Leftover moussaka and rice


Day 7
You'll probably have enough leftovers to take you through the day! Most people enjoy a meal or two out once a week as well, so these recipes should take you through.


Snacks
Crispy or sprouted nuts

Natural yogurt (no added sugars or "vitamins") with unsweetened coconut, soaked nuts, and cocoa powder

Hummus with veggies or crackers

Homemade popcorn, popped on stove in coconut oil

celery with all natural peanut butter and raisins

potato skins or sweet potato fries