Hubby is in Chile right now. The family is all curious about what we are doing over here...food-wise I mean. And so I started a food series on my other blog regarding the food that we are and that we aren't eating (www.lapatiperradelnorte.blogspot.com). Actually, this work started already some weeks back when my long time friend Dani (can you believe it, it's been a long time already!) asked me to guest write on her blog, in Portuguese (. So I wrote a few posts in Spanish, she translated them. Now I am only spreading the word, breaking language barriers...
Next topic: wheat. Getting geared...
Monday, May 14, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Circles in the water
Yesterday I told my mom if she knew all the circles in the water originating from out disasterous day in Mariehamn one year ago (if you are curious, read this blogpost for the nasty details: Reclaiming the hoods)
It was the day when I discovered the Pink "Wise Choice" Cookbook in the library. It was the day when I realized there might be away of getting rid off all those nasty foods marketed to kids.
Well my mom had no idea but I told her that the book did not only inspire me to do some changes in my children's diet it also changed the life for other kids in our surroundings. After sharing my experience and some recipes with friends, suddenly the pink book and its sugar/milkfree smoothies started appearing also elsewhere. I wasn't the only mommy charmed by the easy solution to healthier life proposed by this book.
I am happy to see a friend of mine blogging on the same topics as me, but in Swedish: Mat o mera
I really like her blog. Too bad for my foreign friends that she writes in Swedish. But I hope her blog will be widely shared around these places... because sharing is caring! And yes, if I would have figured out a better name than Patiperra for my blog in Swedish, I'd also be sharing some thoughts on the same subject for those living nearby. But the name is still under consideration. And for the time being, Patiperra has been kidnapped by my Spanish-alterego.
Hope you all had a nice mother's day. Mine was much better than I had ever thought was possible. Promised myself I will start to follow the first amendment soon: stop hanging here, start sleeping instead. Good night to you all!
It was the day when I discovered the Pink "Wise Choice" Cookbook in the library. It was the day when I realized there might be away of getting rid off all those nasty foods marketed to kids.
Well my mom had no idea but I told her that the book did not only inspire me to do some changes in my children's diet it also changed the life for other kids in our surroundings. After sharing my experience and some recipes with friends, suddenly the pink book and its sugar/milkfree smoothies started appearing also elsewhere. I wasn't the only mommy charmed by the easy solution to healthier life proposed by this book.
I am happy to see a friend of mine blogging on the same topics as me, but in Swedish: Mat o mera
I really like her blog. Too bad for my foreign friends that she writes in Swedish. But I hope her blog will be widely shared around these places... because sharing is caring! And yes, if I would have figured out a better name than Patiperra for my blog in Swedish, I'd also be sharing some thoughts on the same subject for those living nearby. But the name is still under consideration. And for the time being, Patiperra has been kidnapped by my Spanish-alterego.
Hope you all had a nice mother's day. Mine was much better than I had ever thought was possible. Promised myself I will start to follow the first amendment soon: stop hanging here, start sleeping instead. Good night to you all!
Meat eating ethics
NY Times had a competition on who could write the best arguments on why eating meat is ethically a good thing...and the winner is...
NY Times article on ethics of meat eating
Strange enough, what is presented in the article isn't far from my own perspective. Which, by the way, if you missed it, was presented in a post last week (Is veganism the answer?)
Or maybe not so strange, considering the effort I have put into thinking about the same things - from the ecological and biosystem perspective as well...
NY Times article on ethics of meat eating
Strange enough, what is presented in the article isn't far from my own perspective. Which, by the way, if you missed it, was presented in a post last week (Is veganism the answer?)
Or maybe not so strange, considering the effort I have put into thinking about the same things - from the ecological and biosystem perspective as well...
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Cruise food - had forgot to post this one!
I'd better document this one before I forget. I've been cruising this weekend. Me and the kiddos on a weekend trip ovder to see my mom and as I didn't come around to buying us plane tickets in time, I decided last minute that we would still do the trip, but by boat. My parents live on an island, which is interconnected with mainland Finland and with Sweden through a myriad of cruise ships, sailing the Baltic to provide us Finns and the Swedes with an easy gettaway, tax free booze and all other kind of cruise experiences.
Well, I think I've blogged about what cruising was all about when I was a kid. Eating those big candy bags, 1 kilo each. It was helluva heaven for a kid in the early stages of developing a sweet tooth. And yes, there was no stopping me as the years passed; cloetta, turkish pepper, salty pinguins, haribo mixes, I tried them all, one kilo at a time, one bag at a time. As I now think of it, I can't believe it. I was getting drunk before I even knew what alcohol is... getting drunk on sugar. How did my parents let that happen? Well, because they were not aware of the connections. Not aware of the true harms that sugar does to the body. Not aware of their daughter's body and mind being extra sensitive to sweet stuff. Well yes, they knew, they saw me in action....and I was a lot better at finishing my bag than my brother ever was - but I do not think my parents really understood how harmful that sweet tooth of mine could be.
Anyway, I am not that surprised to see that not much has changed on those cruises. Kids still carry around big bags of candy. Adults (and children) still overeat in the buffet, both for breakfast and dinner...What surprises me though, is how hard it is to go on a cruise with children, who are not supposed to overeat on sugar, not supposed to eat any wheat at all, and who might be developing ear infections by ingesting milk products. My goodness. These are the times you realize how much of that stuff is just in ALL our most common foods! No wonder people are getting sick....
What did I do? Well, I took the kids to the "upper class" breakfast and I stocked up on fresh fruits for them. I let them eat as much glutenfree bread as they wanted, with some ham and veggies and I got them some cooked eggs. Funny part is that in the midst of this morning breakfast buffet offering, filled with wheat croissants, cookies, freshly baked breads, cakes and cookies, I managed to keep the kids happy by only offering them one thing they normally do not get: apple juice (mixed with water, they wouldn't tell). They were jumping up and down when they realized they were getting juice. I would probably be labeled as a cruel parent by some, but I myself take that as an achievement, and really that is all that count for me.
I was annoyed that they gave out chocolate covered caramell lollypops to the kids in the playroom but after checking the label of kidone's treat I decided to let her have it. It did not contain wheat and taking it away would have been very cruel towards her, but luckily kidtwo was too occupied in the ball sea to even know of the lollypop existence.
On they way back, the other cruise company was kind enough to only have toys included in their givaways (well givaway is maybe not the right word, I had to pay them 2 euros each for the fishing experience...). However, as it was afternoon and the kids were tired, there were also a whole lot more temptations of sweets in their surroundings (other kids eating sweets). We did the buffet to kill time. And I let them eat nachos, all they could eat. Then they had a sorbet ice cream, all they could eat. It was 2 hours before hitting land so I gathered we'd make before the sugar low. And we did. The kids were sleeping within 5 minutes of getting into the car. It was a good trip. We all enjoyed it. In our own way.
Well, I think I've blogged about what cruising was all about when I was a kid. Eating those big candy bags, 1 kilo each. It was helluva heaven for a kid in the early stages of developing a sweet tooth. And yes, there was no stopping me as the years passed; cloetta, turkish pepper, salty pinguins, haribo mixes, I tried them all, one kilo at a time, one bag at a time. As I now think of it, I can't believe it. I was getting drunk before I even knew what alcohol is... getting drunk on sugar. How did my parents let that happen? Well, because they were not aware of the connections. Not aware of the true harms that sugar does to the body. Not aware of their daughter's body and mind being extra sensitive to sweet stuff. Well yes, they knew, they saw me in action....and I was a lot better at finishing my bag than my brother ever was - but I do not think my parents really understood how harmful that sweet tooth of mine could be.
Anyway, I am not that surprised to see that not much has changed on those cruises. Kids still carry around big bags of candy. Adults (and children) still overeat in the buffet, both for breakfast and dinner...What surprises me though, is how hard it is to go on a cruise with children, who are not supposed to overeat on sugar, not supposed to eat any wheat at all, and who might be developing ear infections by ingesting milk products. My goodness. These are the times you realize how much of that stuff is just in ALL our most common foods! No wonder people are getting sick....
What did I do? Well, I took the kids to the "upper class" breakfast and I stocked up on fresh fruits for them. I let them eat as much glutenfree bread as they wanted, with some ham and veggies and I got them some cooked eggs. Funny part is that in the midst of this morning breakfast buffet offering, filled with wheat croissants, cookies, freshly baked breads, cakes and cookies, I managed to keep the kids happy by only offering them one thing they normally do not get: apple juice (mixed with water, they wouldn't tell). They were jumping up and down when they realized they were getting juice. I would probably be labeled as a cruel parent by some, but I myself take that as an achievement, and really that is all that count for me.
I was annoyed that they gave out chocolate covered caramell lollypops to the kids in the playroom but after checking the label of kidone's treat I decided to let her have it. It did not contain wheat and taking it away would have been very cruel towards her, but luckily kidtwo was too occupied in the ball sea to even know of the lollypop existence.
On they way back, the other cruise company was kind enough to only have toys included in their givaways (well givaway is maybe not the right word, I had to pay them 2 euros each for the fishing experience...). However, as it was afternoon and the kids were tired, there were also a whole lot more temptations of sweets in their surroundings (other kids eating sweets). We did the buffet to kill time. And I let them eat nachos, all they could eat. Then they had a sorbet ice cream, all they could eat. It was 2 hours before hitting land so I gathered we'd make before the sugar low. And we did. The kids were sleeping within 5 minutes of getting into the car. It was a good trip. We all enjoyed it. In our own way.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
14 sweet facts about sugar
Thanking a friend for this one!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Is veganism the answer?
This week has been another knowledge intensive week for me. Balancing my normal knowledge intensive daily job with my interest in food can mean knowledge overload sometimes. But sometimes my thoughts on the two subjects actually intersect, even go parallell with each other. The more I think about it, the more they intersect. And this is what happened when I read this article on a new book on veganism for children: Are kids too young to understand veganism?.
I have had a couple of closer friends who have been vegans, and I totally respect their decision. I also understand that due to their conviction that it is wrong to use animals for our own purpose they would have a hard time bringing up children on anything else than vegetable-based foods. I am also fascinated by the fact that small children brought up on a vegetarian/vegan diet probably are better at eating leafy greens. Anyone with experience, is it so?
However, this article that I read stand in sharp, and I mean sharpísimo, contrast with what is being preeched in other food movements. I am now thinking about how the animals are treated, and that being the reason to why to turn vegan. I completely disagree on this issue. And I actually think it is wrong to write a children's book referring to ALL meat as being produced in such horrible circumstances and that is why its morally wrong for us humans to consume it.
This week the movie Food Inc was broadcasted on Finnish national television (proud of national broadcasting company). The message? Profit goes before any consideration of human health, wellbeing of animals, consideration of nature. The conditions for chicken and beef alike are so sick that they do not stand being shown in day light. But for those vegans about to claim victory over meat I have to say hold your horses. The way conventional vegetables and staple foods (i.e. corn, soy, wheat) are grown is just as bad and harmful for the nature. The message in the movie is not to ditch animal food all together. Its about caring for the animal, showing them respect, bringing back dignity to farming in general and returning to the organic roots of farming. This is something that is also preached by other food movements (paleo, weston price, gaps) who have adopted an omnivore lifestyle. Eating animal does not necessarily need to be about buying into the massprouction, massabuse of animals these days. Assuring that the animal on your plate has had a "happy life" and treated with respect, you can eat your dinner with dignity and even include respect for the whole ecosystem in they way you consume food. Humans have eaten animals for tens of thousands of years, it's only in the past 50 it turned controversial. Not because of us eating animal but because of the Food Industry's focus on large scale in the name of profit.
Why create an aversion in kids to perfectly good food before they can decide for themselves? Yes, I believe leafy greens to be healthy, as most fruits and other veggies. But I also think meet is an excellent source of protein, and bone broth the best medicine for delicate guts. Why spoil such food for the new generation? If we want a sustainable future, we have to restore local ecosystems. I would believe that up in the north, it is necessary to stay dependent on domesticated animal to stay local in our food supply. But by domesticated I do not say abused. I am a strong believer of the argument that animals treated with respect during their lifetime will also provide better sources of nutrients thourgh their by-products (dairy and eggs) and meat on our dinner table.
I am not saying that being vegan would be unhealthy. However, I think there are enough anecdotal evidence out there that going on a strict vegan diet might have longterm consequences for you health. I actually think that you can do it on two conditions: 1) you REALLY know what you are doing (not only substituting meat with wheat and soy but really getting informed on human nutrition) and 2) your body is apt for such a diet (which I would guess depend on a mixture of your genes and health history).
To sum up, I'd like to post a link which illustrates the opposite of the vegan diet: bone broth. I have been feeding my family bone broth from "ecological" chicken and beef bones in the past 6 months. It's amazing what this miracle medicine can do to the apetite and the gut!
I have had a couple of closer friends who have been vegans, and I totally respect their decision. I also understand that due to their conviction that it is wrong to use animals for our own purpose they would have a hard time bringing up children on anything else than vegetable-based foods. I am also fascinated by the fact that small children brought up on a vegetarian/vegan diet probably are better at eating leafy greens. Anyone with experience, is it so?
However, this article that I read stand in sharp, and I mean sharpísimo, contrast with what is being preeched in other food movements. I am now thinking about how the animals are treated, and that being the reason to why to turn vegan. I completely disagree on this issue. And I actually think it is wrong to write a children's book referring to ALL meat as being produced in such horrible circumstances and that is why its morally wrong for us humans to consume it.
This week the movie Food Inc was broadcasted on Finnish national television (proud of national broadcasting company). The message? Profit goes before any consideration of human health, wellbeing of animals, consideration of nature. The conditions for chicken and beef alike are so sick that they do not stand being shown in day light. But for those vegans about to claim victory over meat I have to say hold your horses. The way conventional vegetables and staple foods (i.e. corn, soy, wheat) are grown is just as bad and harmful for the nature. The message in the movie is not to ditch animal food all together. Its about caring for the animal, showing them respect, bringing back dignity to farming in general and returning to the organic roots of farming. This is something that is also preached by other food movements (paleo, weston price, gaps) who have adopted an omnivore lifestyle. Eating animal does not necessarily need to be about buying into the massprouction, massabuse of animals these days. Assuring that the animal on your plate has had a "happy life" and treated with respect, you can eat your dinner with dignity and even include respect for the whole ecosystem in they way you consume food. Humans have eaten animals for tens of thousands of years, it's only in the past 50 it turned controversial. Not because of us eating animal but because of the Food Industry's focus on large scale in the name of profit.
Why create an aversion in kids to perfectly good food before they can decide for themselves? Yes, I believe leafy greens to be healthy, as most fruits and other veggies. But I also think meet is an excellent source of protein, and bone broth the best medicine for delicate guts. Why spoil such food for the new generation? If we want a sustainable future, we have to restore local ecosystems. I would believe that up in the north, it is necessary to stay dependent on domesticated animal to stay local in our food supply. But by domesticated I do not say abused. I am a strong believer of the argument that animals treated with respect during their lifetime will also provide better sources of nutrients thourgh their by-products (dairy and eggs) and meat on our dinner table.
I am not saying that being vegan would be unhealthy. However, I think there are enough anecdotal evidence out there that going on a strict vegan diet might have longterm consequences for you health. I actually think that you can do it on two conditions: 1) you REALLY know what you are doing (not only substituting meat with wheat and soy but really getting informed on human nutrition) and 2) your body is apt for such a diet (which I would guess depend on a mixture of your genes and health history).
To sum up, I'd like to post a link which illustrates the opposite of the vegan diet: bone broth. I have been feeding my family bone broth from "ecological" chicken and beef bones in the past 6 months. It's amazing what this miracle medicine can do to the apetite and the gut!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Seven minutes
Seven minutes is what it takes to watch this clip and get an understanding of why its so hard to follow the doctor's advice on loosing weight.The outlook for those suffering could be different if the medical society would accept this message that Lustig is preaching; the urge to eat unhealthy food is a biochemical drive. The focus is here on sweet sugary stuff, it could just as well be on wheat-based foods such as bread and pizza.
This is what I have been trying to say to those who advoate "eating a balanced (low fat) diet": Such a diet makes it impossible for those with food addictions to overcome their cravings. It's just not possible. And I speak from my own experience...
Robert Lustig is explicit on the issue:
"Nobody chooses obesity, obesity chooses them" Then he goes on saying "... these are all hormonal driven...What we call behavior is not behavior at all, it is a cognitive inhibition on that biochemical drive, the question is how long do you think you can excert a cognitive inhibition on a biochemical drive that is going on 24-7-365, getting worse every single day that you perform it. Nobody can excert a cognitivie inhibiotion, wil-power, over a biochemical drive that goes on every minute of every day, it's just not possible."
When I was for the first time trying to get rid of my extra kilos back in high school (after a year in high school in the U.S. I got home, hmmm, a little bit swelled...), I remember getting mad at my dad for buying home ice cream while I was trying to loose weight. I gave him a lecture right there, that if I was to succeed, he'd better only buy healthy food for us. He obeyed. And I was back in my normal size in time for graduation.
Later with hubby, or boyfriend at that time, I remember having had a similar conversation regarding, yes, icecream. We used to have the cozy habit of sharing one of those ultra-sweet one-liter packages of icecream (caramel with marshmallows), each with a table spoon in our hand, digging in while watching tv. I wanted us to stop eating that way, he didn't think much of it and said if I wanted to stop it was just a matter of will-power. I said it was not - I could not stop once the ice cream was in front of me. It was impossible. I don't know how many times after that we've gone through this exact discussion again and again, particularly discussing my obsession with (milk) chocolate.
I always knew it was an addiction. The problem was that my surrounding did not understand the severity of my cravings. Today, I thank hubby and others around me for being supportive on this issue. Not having had any of this junk food around at home for the past year has saved me from temptations. On those few occassion when it has been around, my conviction that one bite of the wrong kind of food could spark a series of serious cravings has kept me from even trying. It's just not worth it. Actually, now coming to think of it, there has been milkchocolate in our cupboard several times, and although I am home alone during the day I never touch it anymore...still, I do not consider myself cured, for me, overcoming my sweet tooth will be a lifetime battle, one that I am planning to win.
So for all of those out there who are in the position of giving advice to fat people on how to eat; give this video clip seven minutes of your time. And if you understand Swedish, and have another 60 minutes to spare, then I'd suggest you watch Bitten Johnsons lecture on the different levels of sugar cravings and how to work on sugar (on any) addiction. Well spent time I'd say.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)