A few simple changes.

Recently I picked up One Simple Change by Healthy Green Kitchen blogger Winnie Abramson. Her blog focuses on a fusion of home cooking, holistic nutrition and green living - her recent book has a similar focus. One Simple Change compiles fifty changes that you can easily incorporate into your life to help you have a more healthy, holistic and green life.

I picked out my top ten "simple changes," with the idea that I would incorporate those changes into my (or our in some cases) life. At first I was thinking this would be my new "challenge" so-to-speak, to help me on my never-ending journey to lead a more healthy life. My original thought was that I would make a change a week for the next ten weeks. Then I realized that smack-dab in the middle of those ten weeks is a once-in-a-lifetime two and a half week trip, during which I will not worry about what I eat, drink, how much sleep I get, or any of those concerns. Instead - I will be focused on being in the moment, which is actually chapter 38. Although her tips deal more with everyday life and interactions - I think being in the moment is the number one most important thing on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. So perhaps I will add that as my eleventh "simple change" - one that is specific to that moment in my life.

So here are the other changes that really jumped out at me. Some I have already started down the path, others I will really have to think through how to accomplish, and at least one will truly be a challenge for me.

1. Limit wheat consumption - and when possible focus on sprouted and heirloom wheats (einkorn). (Chapter 12: Be Wary of Wheat).
2. Drink a bottle of water first thing in the morning. (Chapter 03: Drink Water First Thing)
3. Get sunshine (Chapter 07: Get a Little Sunshine) & fresh air (Chapter 36: Get Fresh Air Every Day). For me this equates with going for a 10-15 minute walk at lunchtime.
4. Clean out the pantry - get rid of unhealthy or old food. Focus on organizing healthy, whole, nutritious foods (Chapter 09: Revamp Your Pantry).
5. Limit (white) sugar (although an occasional treat is fine, stop eating the sweets that come through the office, and return to one piece of really good dark chocolate at the end of the day. (Chapter 14: Steer Clear of White Sugar & Chapter 29: Be Choosy About Chocolate).
6. Eat local. Grassfed. Free Range. Grass-fed meat is healthier and more nutritious, not to mention environmentally better. Eat animals that are raised eating what they are meant to be eating. This goes hand in hand with buying local, particularly meat - know the farm, or at least know the guy (the butcher) who knows the farm the animals were raised and processed on (Chapter 24: Reconsider Meat & Chapter 42: Get Closer to Your Food).
7. Get house plants for inside the house. I've been wanting more indoor plants, and it helps the air quality in the house (Related to Chapter 36: Get Fresh Air Every Day)
8. This one will be a bit difficult, a struggle really for us to find the best way to incorporate more of these changes in our lives. To reduce our carbon footprint - she recommends buying a more efficient car, bringing your own bags to the store, and using a reusable water bottle. We already do all that - what else can we do? I would like us to start composting again. Buy in bulk (cuts down on packaging). Reduce paper towel usage. Buy cleaning products with less chemicals (or make our own). (Chapter 39: Leave a Smaller Footprint & Chapter 40: Be Eco-Friendly at Home).
9. Stop counting calories, obsessing over the scale, and allowing every slip-up to feel like I have failed. This one will be the most challenging of all the changes (Chapter 1: Stop Dieting).
10. Eat real food - this corresponds nicely with something else I am already trying to do, and with what I recently read in Michael Pollan's book, In Defense of Food: "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants." (Chapter 2: Eat Real Food).
11. and....11...be In the Moment (Chapter 37: Be in the Moment).

I would really recommend this book as another really quick read, similar to Michael Pollan's  Food Rules - a way to outline a few small things you can change that, in the long run, would make a really big difference. 

These are not in the order I will necessarily tackle them in. I already started with number 2 this week - and have been drinking an entire bottle of water while getting ready, BEFORE I have my coffee. But this is the list. Many of these will also get incorporated slowly in multiple ways. For example, tonight I am making tumeric chicken with apple confit and salad. This will also cover #1, 6 & 10. But I am going to try to focus on one change per week - this week that is getting into the habit of drinking water every morning when I wake up. 

There are some other things I want to add to my list that weren't from this book. So as an aside:

1. I want to continue to develop my hobbies and creative outlets: this blog, photography, cooking, gardening. It is important to have things that I am interested in outside of work.
2. I want to continue to push myself harder at my workouts, particularly CrossFit - I can only get stronger.
3. Simultaneously I want to learn to listen to my body and not mentally beat myself up - just because I scheduled a workout, does not meean I failed if I feel I need rest, or get stuck at work late.
4. Finally - I need to lose weight. The scale is the highest it has ever been. And while I don't want to focus on a number, that is disheartening. And it is where almost all of my desire to make changes, no matter how simple they are, comes from. 

And, in spirit of #1 on my own list. As I mentioned, I made a new recipe tonight! Tumeric Chicken with Apple Shallot Confit and salad, based on this recipe, but altered some.

Tumeric is supposed to have great anti-inflammatory effects, as well as antioxidants that are thought to help relieve arthritis symptoms. It has also proven useful with digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome. It has long served as an herbal remedy and is one powerful little spice.

I marinaded my chicken overnight, and used boneless thighs (because that is what I could get that was free-range, pasture raised, organic, etc.). I also added some cayenne to my marinade for spice. I browned each side of the chicken in a grill pan, then put the pan in a 375 degree oven to finish cooking. 

The apple shallot confit followed the recipe. Then I made a basic salad with some vinegar and garlic infused olive oil for the dressing.

Simple, quick, real food.  

Crock Pot Oatmeal & Shrimp Puttanesca

This weekend marked an early end to my gluten free experiment. I am glad I tried it, and I think I had good reasons for being curious if it would be helpful for me, but I do not think that I suffer from a true intolerance. After the cookies and chicken fried steak on Friday, I had another cookie Saturday, some beers Saturday night, then breakfast tacos (flour tortillas) on Sunday - so obviously I didn't remain gluten free at all this weekend. I also noticed very little change once I began eating gluten again. I felt a little bloated by Sunday, which was likely a combination of unhealthy choices and gluten. I think, from here on, I will continue to try to avoid gluten - but not focus on being gluten free. Overall I learned some great ways to replace gluten, and I think that generally led to healthier eating. But I am not going to avoid cookies and english muffins like the plague, or utilize replacement ingredients.

Now I am no longer doing gluten free, I am trying to focus on whole and healthy foods.

Last night I combined everything to make these overnight, slow cooker, pumpkin pie steel-cut oatmeal to eat in the mornings this week. I've been on an oatmeal kick, and this recipe seemed like a great option. It was easy to pull together, and was quite delicious and filling this morning. I used the "double broiler way" that she mentions in her post, which was particularly easy because I just pulled the bowl of oats out this morning and put a lid on it to save the rest of the oats for later this week (it makes a ton).

I added some almond milk and pecans on top this morning. When I first removed the bowl from the slow cooker it needed quite a good stir, and it smelled amazing! I will definitely make this, and variations of this recipe again.

Tonight I tried another recipe I had recently pinned on Pinterest, it was a guest post on Against all Grain for Shrimp Puttanesca with Sweet Potato Noodles. I got to use my fun little spiralizer thingy again, and Mr. X wasn't here for dinner, so I didn't have to worry about subbing something for the sweet potato (he isn't a fan...)

Mine turned out soupier than the recipe, maybe I didn't let it reduce long enough. My fun spiralizer also was a bit too small for the sweet potatoes, so my noodles were a little small (don't worry, I've already found a bigger/better one). I am really loving making "noodles" from veggies, and this sauce was amazing. I tripled the garlic and added at least twice the red pepper flakes...in the end I am kinda glad it was soupy,  I was slurping the "broth" right out of the bowl! And there is plenty for lunch tomorow! Mmmmmmm.....I can't wait for lunch!

Recipes!

As promised, here are yesterday's recipes!

The toasted coconut chocolate chip recipe was basically this recipe, I just excluded the coconut extract (because I didn't have any). We are devouring these cookies. So yummy!

The chicken fried steak recipe I winged. Here it is:

(Serves 2)

3/4 pound cube or round steak (or something similar)

2+ cups flour - divided

(Spice amount based on your preference, or use different spices)

1 tbsp cayenne 

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp hungarian paprika

1 1/2 cup milk - divided

1 egg

Canola oil

Salt & pepper

Pound out steaks until thin and tenderized.

Mix 1 egg and 1/2 cup milk in shallow container.

Mix 1 cup flour and spices in second shallow container.

Coat large heavy skillet with canola oil, heat over medium high heat until oil pops when you throw a dash of flour in it.

Dredge each piece of steak in milk mixture, then coat in flour mixture.

Place in frying pan, and fry each side for five minutes - you will be tempted to check it, don't! 

Remove from pan and place on paper towel.

To make gravy, whisk 1 cup of flour with pan drippings until it is thick and brown. 

Whisk in milk until desired consistency, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Done!

"Snow day" = cheat day

Today was supposedly a "snow" day in Austin - meaning there is icy precipitation, which, in Southern states, we are not equipped to handle - so most state and local businesses shut down. Which means: free Friday!!!! Today was a little silly, at least in Austin proper there was no ice and Mr. X had to go to work. Maybe my decision to stop gluten free started there....or maybe I just lost the drive once I realized it wasn't doing anything for me. Either way, I felt bad I had the day off and Mr. X didn't, so I decided to bake him some cookies as a surprise. I didn't have all the ingredients I needed to make gluten free cookies so I made some delicious toasted coconut and dark chocolate chip cookies.

Did I mention they were delicious?

I had also promised that I would attempt chicken fried steak for the first time. I have been craving it, and Mr. X long ago said it would be fun to make things like this now and then at home. Originally I had planned to make it gluten free, but once I had made, and tasted (I mean you have to taste...) the cookies, I decided to go all out. So tonight we had chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, mac and cheese and salad. It was pretty amazing.

I definitely feel pretty full...but I think that is from overeating, not the gluten. I will definitely monitor how I feel over the next couple days. 

I don't feel bad about my "snow" day/cheat day, it was delicious. And when I decided to make chicken fried steak, something I read in Pollan's Food Rules stuck in my mind: That treating yourself is fine - if you make it at home. That means it is something you really want. And I can't help but think it was at least healthier than the same meal would have been at our local home cooking restaurant...or maybe I am just telling myself that to make me feel better. Either way, it definately took more dedication to my craving for chicken fried steak than it would have to just jump in a car and get it served to me....

Hmmm...day number.....

I have kinda lost track of what number day I am on....but according to my blog it is Day #24 - if nothing else blogging about this is helping me keep track of the days!!!

I follow Nourished Kitchen on Facebook (and put the new cookbook on my birthday wish list....hint...hint), and they had a post that really spoke to me yesterday:

"I eat fat. I eat grains. I eat vegetables. And pulses [beans]. And fruit. And meat. And fish. And sweeteners. And milk. And it's awesome.
The more variety I eat, the better I feel.
Many people suffer from real intolerances and allergies to foods making restriction necessary, but don't assume that because everyone in the world seems to be giving up the food-du-jour that you need to give it up, too."

I still maintain that I have seen no benefits from giving up gluten. I feel that I definitely had good reasons for trying it, including some unexplained digestive issues, some strange skin issues, and obviously some inflammatory issues. However, none of these seems to have been improved by my going gluten-free. I have concluded that I do not have an intolerance, and do not plan to be 100% gluten free once the 30 days is over. This post by Nourished Kitchen is exactly what I have been thinking. It is also my basic feeling on a lot of the diets that are being thrown about right now: Paleo, gluten-free, Mediterranean, carb-free, juicing, raw foods, sugar-free, dairy-free, etc., etc., etc.   

I think it is important to practice moderation and variety. Focus on whole foods: fruits, veggies, unprocessed meats, grains. Avoid processed, packaged foods. Enjoy what you eat! 

At the beginning of In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan talks about how overwhelming nutrition science is. One year the focus is on low-fat diets, then the next a study is released stating how unhealthy low-fat substitutes can be. This makes us very anxious about what we are supposed to eat - looking to doctors and nutritionists and websites for answers. Instead, we should trust that eating reasonable portions of whole foods - like our grandmothers did, and their grandmothers before them - is the best way to treat our bodies. 

I still have six more days of no gluten, but I am already trying to focus more on developing my own food philosophy (I knew that degree would come in handy eventually). Last night was pork chops, which I got from the local butcher Salt and Time, which means it was from a local ranch. With asparagus and salad. Whole, real foods. And it was amazingly delicious. (So delicious I totally forgot to take picture until we had demolished the entire meal...)

Tonight I made Lamb Pita "Pizzas" with hummus - based on this Cooking Light recipe, but I used the tostada recipe from Against all Grain for the pitas. I love this recipe, and it was great with the gluten free tostadas!

Tomorrow starts the last weekend of my 30 day experiment,  it should be a pretty quiet one...

Confession

Today is day 21, and I have a confession. I cheated this weekend. Hardcore. I just couldn't resist a bowl of amazing pasta at Olive and June, along with some super amazingly yummy bread Saturday night. I don't regret it AT ALL. It was amazing. And, interestingly, I didn't have any ill-effects...I don't think. Although, in all honesty, my stomach was a teensy upset yesterday.  I actually assume it was the bottle of wine I decided to drink (ok, not a full bottle...), it felt similar to other nights where I had a bit too much to drink. But I have also decided to go back to gluten-free for the next 10 days (one extra day to make up for the cheat day), and really monitor my experience when I go back to having gluten. And it is good timing, I will be back on gluten just in time for Valentine's day!!

Tonight I made a spicy shrimp dish, based loosely on this recipe for Shrimp Fra Diavolo. I tossed the shrimp and tomato sauce with some gluten-free pasta. It was a pretty quick and easy dinner to pull together, which was great because I also put together a crock pot of jambalaya for tomorrow night!

Now that I did a killer workout at Crossfit (21 pull ups, 14 kettle bell swings, 7 box jumps - all times three), prepared two dinners, cleaned the kitchen, folded the last of the laundry, and straightened up the house - I think it is time for a glass of wine, and some Veronica Mars!

Over half-way!

Today is day number 16  number 17, and although I have not been blogging every day recently (hey! Life gets busy!) I have been maintaining my gluten-free diet. In fact, I was pretty proud of myself today yesterday. We had a work luncheon (that I organized) and I skipped the pecan crusted chicken (which I am sure was also breadcrumb crusted) and opted for the vegetarian meal instead: warm quinoa with spinach, tofu, peppers and eggplant, along with a small salad. It was yummy, and within the gluten-free boundaries. I was still a little hungry after lunch, so I had a handful of almonds, some berries and a small piece of dark chocolate.

Obviously I started this blog post yesterday, but we had an extremely crazy day at work so the five seconds I took to write the first paragraph is about the only break I had! We had a second event last night, and I ate mostly gluten free. I had quite a few stuffed mushrooms, which I realized half way through may have had breadcrumbs in them. I felt no ill side effects if they did, but considering I have had little benefits from the diet thus far, I wouldn't expect to have side effects from a tiny amount of wheat.

By the end of the night last night I felt like I may have been coming down with a cold, so I went home chugged a huge glass of fresh orange juice and went straight to bed. I felt pretty bad this morning, thought getting up would help....and now, by the end of the day, it is definitely worse. I think I officially have a cold. A stuffy nose, scratchy/sore throat, stuffy ears, congestion and achey cold. Sigh. Alas.

Late last week I finally finished Wheat Belly, and I picked up Michael Pollan's Food Rules: An Eater's Manual. This was a much, much faster read than Wheat Belly - I actually read it in one night. I have read Michael Pollan's work before, specifically The Omnivore's Dilemma. I find his insight on the intersection of society, culture, and food to be extremely interesting. I also kind of love his nickname from a 2006 New York Times book review, "liberal foodie intellectual."

After immersing myself for the past twenty days or so (I started reading the books before I started the diet) in gluten-free propaganda - it was good to step back outside that box a bit. Pollan does not necessarily buy into any diet or fad. In fact, he points out quickly in his book how new the science of nutrition is - and how little we know about what is good or bad. His belief is wrapped up in a simple statement that first appeared in In Defense of Food: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." This next book, Food Rules lists 64 general food rules that are based on this idea. This states the essentials in an easy-to-digest format (pun intended), that is easy to flip through again and again.

He feels there are two basic facts within what we know about food and health. First, that eating a diet consisting of processed foods and meats, high in fat and sugar and a lot of refined grains is a problem. And second, that traditional diets (whether a traditional Inuit diet, French diet, Spanish diet...) do not seem to have the health problems that we as Westerners, with our processed foods, have. Additionally, nutrition science does not seem focused on these facts. However, you can find these facts inside the current literature out there on nutrition. In fact, I would argue that a lot of the literature written to be consumed by the public on nutrition (meaning literature outside of medical journals and studies) does focus on these rules - but in a variety of ways. Wheat Belly focuses on how different the wheat of fifty years ago was from the wheat of today - and in that way we have strayed from our traditional diet. Or the literature on Paleo calls for a return to a very traditional diet of meat and vegetables. However, all these so-called diets do focus on what to remove. Or on telling people what to eat. Or focusing too much on science, and not enough on tradition.

This is where Food Rules comes in. This book is different from most. It contains sixty-four simple rules, focused on eating healthy and happy. Each page is a different rule, and some, but not all rules, are accompanied by a short explanation (two paragraphs at most). If you are thinking of starting any sort of journey in which you change the way you eat for the better - I would encourage you to pick up this book. It is short, to the point, and a great place to start. I certainly will not list all the rules, you have to buy Michael Pollan's book for that, but I will tell you just a couple that really stuck with me - to whet your appetite...

One of my favorites was "Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food." In trying to get to a more whole-foods based diet - this is an easy mantra to think of each time I pick up something to put in my mouth.

Another that I have really been trying to incorporate into our diet is "Eat animals that have themsevles eaten well." (The next rule is about buying a freezer...). I have been trying to focus on buying meats that were raised and processed locally, from nearby farms - whether it be from the Farmer's Market or Butcher. And although Mr. X would say I am crazy, I swear there is a difference in the quality and taste of the meat. I've actually been toying with bringing up the idea of a freezer with him. Something small we could put in the garage, but would allow me to buy larger quantities of meat, when I find a good deal on local items.

Although there are many more rules that quickly jumped out at me, I do not want to ruin his book - so I will only mention two more that are things I need to incorporate in my (and our) life. The first is "Stop eating before you're full." I know I am very guilty of doing the opposite, and then feeling over-stuffed and uncomfortable. I need to learn to listen to my body and slow down, so I can just eat to the point of no longer being hungry, instead of being full. And second: "Do all your eating at a table." I believe this is an important component of not eating until you are full and being able to listen to your body - is eating at a table. We are very guilty of eating in front of the TV almost all nights lately, and we should really make more of an effort to sit at the table. Not just because it is overall healthier for our bodies, but also for our relationship and family.

Again, I would recommend Food Rules as a quick and easy way to make yourself think about they ways you interact with food, the ways you eat, and they ways our culture makes you think about your relationship with food. If you enjoy it - then you can go on to read other books on the same subject...but this is an easy first one.

So here I am - day #17. I am going to continue gluten free for thirty days, but at this point I don't think I will continue to be gluten free once I reach my goal. There really have been no notable benefits. Although it will be interesting once I do have gluten after the thirty days, if there will be adverse effects. At this point that is the only thing that will make me reconsider. And hopefully this cold doesn't get any worse....all I want when I have a cold like this is soup and saltine crackers...and that obviously is not on the menu!