Foodie Friday: Five Foods for Five Days

Being a pretty healthy eater (though I admit to getting just as excited about a cruelty-free cupcake as the next vegan), I really don't "diet." I don't calorie count, don't measure out portions, and if I have a craving that won't break the bank or send me too far out of my way, I usually indulge it. All that being said, after reading a preview of nutritionist Cynthia Sass' new book, "Cinch! Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds, and Lose Inches," and a few online articles by the author, my interest was piqued. Maybe it's the weather, but I've been sluggish in the mornings and my stomach has not been a happy place for the past few weeks. And I can admit to just a smidgen of vanity and body consciousness, so I booked it to the library.

I don't know if you've ever tried reading a diet book, but it's not exactly a page-turner. I skipped the intro and success stories and went straight to the research, tips, and "plan." The 30-day food ordeal (let's not call it a "diet") starts with an optional "Five Day Fast Forward." Bingo! I can do five days. I know the point is to follow the whole plan, but I figured I would just do the "fast forward" and then continue on with my normal food flow, plus perhaps a few Sass' tips and a better eating schedule. The main goals of the five-day kick start are to "lose weight...gain confidence... reconnect with your body." Okay, I can live with all that. And I get that people who see results quickly might be more motivated to forge on for the remaining days of the ordeal.

My main goals? Fit into my most small-waisted pants (the only clothing I own from the coveted Anthropologie), shake the tummy trouble, and challenge myself to re-examine my relationship with food. Since I don't weigh or measure myself (the numbers game can be a slippery, obsessive slope) and basically just go on how I feel and how my body performs, I'm not Sass' ideal guinea pig. But I thought I'd let you know how five days of spinach, tofu, yogurt, almonds, and raspberries pans out. Sass explains why she chose these five super-foods, but I won't give away the farm (is that even an expression?) -- you'll have to read it yourself if you're up for the challenge. Here I go...

Day Zero: False Start

The plan is composed of four "meals" spaced out strategically over the day. I started late (I blame my cold concrete floors and uber-warm comforter) which probably foils the plan, but proceeded none-the-less with the fruit-on-the-side scramble. Cheated and added mushrooms. Indulged in the "approved" seasonings of garlic and cinnamon. Cinnamon might be my new best friend. I think the only other place you would hear that is in Vegas -- or maybe that's just the novel I'm reading on the side. Anyway, got back on track with the yogurt/fruit/almond parfait and made it through a cello lesson. I noticed that while I was playing and concentrating, I didn't pay any mind to my hunger. However, as soon as I started my car, my stomach out-roared the engine. Cheat #1 - Vegan cornbread with almond butter from Wheatsville. Then a friend invited me to try a new Mexican food restaurant on the up-and-coming East Side of Austin -- who could resist? Learned the true meaning of "the diet starts tomorrow..."

Day One: Pretty Darn Close

Started late again. I may turn into a repeat offender on that one. Followed the plan for breakfast before work, and moved the noon-ish snack down to a later time, which turned out not to be too much later. Ate a salad "dinner" around 4 p.m. in the park. It was rather blustery and I really wanted soup instead. I felt full for a while, but was hungry within about an hour! I decided I needed a mantra and tried, "I am full of the love in my life and at peace with the world." Maybe some deep breathing would be good too. I noticed the busier I am, the less attention I pay to my rumbling stomach -- this can be both good and bad, pointing to the classic case of eating out of boredom, but throwing up warning signals that sometimes we are just too "busy" to listen to our bodies. Cheat #2: Ate a slice of toast with sunbutter (from sunflower seeds). Remembered to drink more water. Made it through just fine and happily prepared the suggested smoothie at 10 p.m. I've never read a diet book that told you to eat that late, but no complaints here. Well, except that I dropped and broke my glass before I was finished. Spent a few minutes mourning the last fifth of my smoothie, cleaned up the mess, and tried to sleep.

Feeling Fine at Fresh Roots Farm

The mosquitos and fierce summer heat (2010 was the second hottest on record since records have been kept, according to this NOAA report) kept me indoors many a day. If I wasn't out kayaking this past summer, I was probably packing, reading back issues of Backpacker Magazine, or otherwise avoiding sitting down at a computer to write. Still, during the nicest day I've felt in months, my friends Mark and Elizabeth of Fresh Roots Farm in Atlanta, GA inspired me to hop on the keyboard share what they're up to.

I hadn't seen Mark since 2007 when we attended Greenpeace's "Change It" training for student activists, but I'd followed his endeavors (without the help of Twitter) through a tour with Greenpeace's Rolling Sunlight (selling crowds on solar power), building trails with AmeriCorps, serving Peace Corps in South America, and landing back in Atlanta -- and that's when things got really interesting!

Though you have to ask Mark for the full backstory, the end result is a sweet little urban farm sprouting natural and organic veggies and offering local, healthy choices right in the heart of Atlanta. I was lucky enough to visit this weekend and meet the lovely residential pig (Olivia), pup (Cocoa), two roosts full of chickens and hang with the farm fresh couple running the show.

The farm is basically a front yard for Mark, Elizabeth, and a couple of neighbors in their 19th-century, post-industrial warehouse turned loft abode. I was greeted by my gracious host circa 2 a.m. (traffic was thick as molasses in Tennessee and I forgot about the time difference from Texas, to boot). My eyes widened to fit the space as I stepped from the entryway into the living room with a ceiling so high it could have housed the moon. I was further delighted by the way the decor seemed to simply capture the important things in life: pinned up sketches, a large kitchen table, a bookshelf balanced with history and fiction, a drum set, a few tomatoes no doubt fresh from the vine. Bunking on the futon, I was sun-kissed in the morning (with two-thirds of the wall being window) and set off to see what the many-hat-wearing Mark was up to...

The community that houses Fresh Roots is also a collection of residences occupied by artists and their adjacent studios, a gallery, a community coffee house, and a flexible space for all sorts of other gatherings and endeavors. While I sipped on coffee and tea and talked to Mark, a man came in and inquired about using the site for a music video. Apparently, on any given day here one might walk through the set of a far-out indie sci-fi flick, clothing-optional photo shoot, film festival, medicine show musical, or beer and pancake party. In the midst of all the abstract, Fresh Roots Farm keeps the place down-to-earth in a funky but wholesome way.

To visit, volunteer, inquire about their CSA, or just hook up with some really cool, bright people, check out Fresh Root's website and Facebook page and blog (managed by the loveliest chicken wrangler this side of the Mississippi, Elizabeth Stephens).

(Pictured: Mark, Elizabeth and Cocoa)

Be a pig! A SmartyPig.

Well, I've never been called a "pig," but under most circumstances I don't think I would be offended. Pigs are cute, fun, smart, sassy, and contrary to stereotypes, clean (and love belly rubs). But I'll take it a step further, and challenge you to do the same -- be a SmartyPig.

Okay, so SmartyPig is more so a reference to the piggy banks of our childhood allowance days than to the squeaky pink babes romping in fields (at least at farm sanctuaries). This hip new addition to the drift of online banking outlets has keenly brought merger to online banking and social networking, neglecting not a nuance. For example, savvy savers can watch a collection of YouTube-style videos (e.g., Setting Up A Savings Goal) as an introduction to SmartyPig rather than pouring over pages of fine print.

Once users have watched the videos (or you know, read the fine print), they can set up specific savings accounts for "goals," such as an "Adventure Fund" or "Emergency Savings" or even "Trip to France" with a scheduled goal deadline, customized savings amount, and scheduled contributions (or the option to contribute "whenever"). Upping the cool factor from the boring online banks of olde, SmartyPig allows users to chose an avatar, create a widget, and even share their goals and progress via Facebook. In addition to the factor that making a goal public generally gives us more inclination to stick to it (like the "21 day Vegan Kickstart"), these tools allow SmartyPig's savers to accept contributions from supportive friends and family.

So, full-disclosure, I am myself an enthusiastic SmartyPig with an adventure fund and emergency savings account, but I haven't gone public (widget-wise) with my savings goals. However, SmartyPig isn't giving me any kickbacks to write this post. Actually, I'm pretty sure this modest blog is below their radar. But I'm an advocate of a program that rewards members for saving (as opposed to credit cards that "reward" members for spending). Even barely eking by with an entry-level, non-profit salary and student loans to repay, with a 2% APY, I feel like I'm making hay of what I can scrape into my accounts.

So my recommendation? Be a pig; take your tax return and start a goal toward the vacation you don't think you can afford, create an "F* You Fund" for getting out of a dead-end job or crappy roommate situation, or save up to donate to your favorite charity. Maybe $oink$ will become the new "cha-ching."

Vegans Eat the Craziest F*ing Things

I just had an excellent sandwich: 

Whole grain bread

Sun-nut butter (from sunflower seeds, like peanut butter, but peanut butter kills me)

Shredded Carrots

Shredded Zucchini, courtesy of the local Uncertain Farms

Shredded, dried coconut (although fresh would be better)

It was delicious. Some of my friends could say "That's the craziest F*ing thing I ever ate," but not anywhere near as crazy (and cruel!) as eating diseased, enlarged duck liver and calling it a "delicacy." What's the craziest F*ing thing you like to call lunch?

Women Action and the Media

This year I am serious about attending the Women Action & The Media Conference hosted by the Center for New Words. The conference will be held March 27-29, 2009 at MIT in Cambridge, Mass. Supported by such organizations as Feministing, Bitch, Free Press, Women Make Movies and more, the conference features guest speakers, workshops and networking opportunities galore. I'm looking forward to presentations on climate change, blogging, jobs in the new media, grassroots feminism -- well, all of them. I think it's an excellent opportunity to share ideas and bring together social justice movements (yes, vegetarianism is feminism and environmentalism!).

Regardless of gender, everyone is welcome. So feminist, journalist, media-watcher, activist... you get the idea. Hope to see you there!

On-words,
*fff*

The herbivore's guide to surviving holiday meals

    Though my enthusiasm is somewhat curtailed by lack of sleep (three weeks 'til graduation!), the holidays are upon us and I don't have to dig too deep to find reasons to be thankful. The kitty I've been taking care of just found a wonderful home, I got to spend the day in Austin with my mom and I get the day off work on Thanksgiving to spend with family -- and since the university is officially closed, I don't have to feel guilty about not spending the time off working on my senior portfolio! 

     Now throw this in with the fact that I just received my adoption certificate from Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey program (I selected "choose for me" and was pleasantly surprised to find I am sponsoring the lovely Hannah!), and that my mom is going to make her delicious yam dish vegan, and I'm one lucky, er... turkey.

    So what about those veggies out there who aren't lucky enough to have an accommodating family? What if you are a non-veggie trying to be the accommodator for a vegan friend/family member? How do you explain the lack of bird-corpse on your plate to prodding omnivores without simply telling them to go get stuffed? Hopefully these all-purpose tips will help deflect some of the stress so you can focus on the true spirit of the holidays.

If you are a non-veggie playing host to a vegetarian/vegan, SuperVegan re-posted this helpful how-to from about.com (and now I'm reposting it too: reduce, reuse, recycle, repost?!).  

If you're a veggie dining among the not-yet-enlightened, hopefully you will both give and receive compassion. Here are a few ways to keep the conversation from boiling over:

* Omnivores may feel vegetarians are judging them for their eating habits or attire.  It’s not uncommon for a non-veggie to “apologize” to a veggie for the chicken taco they ate for lunch or the leather coat they are wearing. Colleen Patrick-Goudreau of Compassionate Cooks suggests (via podcast) that veggies use a little humor in this situation. “Don’t apologize to me, apologize to the chicken/cow!” (or turkey!)

* When faced with an argumentative fellow diner, it's your decision whether you really want to get into the "top of the food chain" debate or if you will seek a peaceful way out, but remember that you don't have to be the spokesperson for all veggie-kind. Patrick-Goudreu reminds veggies to be confident and willing to leave it at a simple statement: " I do know that I feel really good about eating this way."

on the other hand...

Meals with omnivores can be a really great way to break the ice and literally put animal advocacy on the table. If those around you inquire why you are abstaining from the poultry or ask why you're veg, you have the perfect opportunity to be a voice for the animals. You don't have to get down to the dirty details of factory farming while forks are flying, but let the inquirer know you're veg for the animals and offer to talk about it after dinner, advises Matt Rice of Farm Sanctuary's education department. 

A few last things:

*Don't forget to R.S.V(egetarian).P.! Don't be shy about vocalizing your dietary selectivity to your host or hostess and of course bring a scrumptious vegan treat to share.

*If you feel like splurging financially instead of slaving culinarily, check out your local vegan or natural foods grocer/co-op, Whole Foods, or veggie restaurants to see if they offer a catered meal for T-giving. With work and school and a mountain of laundry, I know I'm thankful this year for Green Vegetarian Cuisine's pre-prepared vegan feast. 

However,

If you're a traditionalist and have the time to do it all, vegan yum*yum's got you covered: Thank Seitan. 

*If your city has a food-not-bombs program, soup kitchen, or holiday event to feed the less fortunate, show you are thankful for your community and all the creatures therein by donating a dish or pitching in and helping out. 

How to have a truly *Happy* Turkey Day!

    Though the duopoly of the presidential election didn't really make me want to put on a party hat and sing the national anthem, something remarkable did happen on the west coast this November 4; voters passed Prop 2 , a landmark decision in animal agriculture. I'm so proud of and thankful for the organizations and individuals that got behind this campaign with full-force and defeated Big Agriculture and its $9 million campaign against Prop 2. 

    Now that the ballot boxes have been checked "yes," there's another way you can make a difference to help farm animals and bring good karma to the table at Thanksgiving. Start a new, cruelty-free tradition everyone can be truly thankful for by adopting a turkey instead of eating one. It costs only $25 to sponsor one of these noble creatures that Farm Sanctuary has kept off the table and provided with shelter, food and special care-- in fact, at Farm Sanctuary's two shelters, they have a feast for rather than of the turkeys! If you're near Watkins Glen, NY or Orland, CA, enjoy a vegan feast and go hug a turkey for me (really, they like hugs)!

   Share the love with Phoenix, Hawthorne, Apollo, Serendipity and their turkey friends by adopting a turkey today. If you're like me, a veg among omnivores, it's a great way to set a compassionate example and get your friends and relatives thinking about the true spirit of the holidays and extending love and care to all creatures. In addition to bringing a vegan dish for everyone to enjoy, my boyfriend and I will adopt a turkey and take his or her photo to share at Thanksgiving dinner and  explain why we'd prefer to have Tofurkey on our plates!