Monthly Archives: January 2015

Good, Better, Best

by change, grocery, habits, health, ingredients, nutrients

I recently had the absolute delight of being invited to cook in the fabulous kitchen at Three Goats Farm.  Designed and operated by the amazing Primitive Diva, Melissa Humphries, this is a fun place to hang out and you couldn't ask for better company to hang out with.

Getting ready for the launch of Primitive Diva TV, PDTV, she invited me to film an episode while we chatted about the concept of good, better, best, when it comes to food and nourishing your body.  I love helping people move up the nutrition ladder so to speak.  

It's difficult to go from a highly processed food plan to one that truly nourishes your body.  I certainly know, from personal experience and from working with clients, that it's a step-by-step process which takes time and effort to achieve.  I don't know anyone who has made a huge jump overnight and managed to stick with it.  You start where you are, decide what you're going to focus on, and begin to make changes.  Just as in the fable of the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race.

Small measurable changes, mindfully made over time are most often the ones that are sustainable and lead to long-term, healthier change.  Extravagant changes and massive numbers of them, all at the same time, are overwhelming.

One way to manage this change is to focus on shifting food, recipes, ingredients up the ladder from good to better to best.

The Concept of Good, Better, Best in Nutrition

Here's an example that we used in the filming.  [In case you're interested we made the polenta and Tuscan Stew recipes from The Pantry Principle on pages 124 and 145 respectively]  In the example below I'm going to talk about upgrading your polenta.

Good is when you decide to shift from a heavy processed food and/or restaurant/take-away diet to making more foods at home.  There is often less chemicals, less sugar, salt, and fat.  The serving sizes are more reasonable.  In the case of polenta this may mean purchasing a chub of polenta and heating it up at home as part of your recipe.

Better is realizing that corn is one of the most highly genetically modified crops on the face of the planet.  You don't want to eat conventional corn anymore because you want to avoid the GMOs and probable heavy pesticide residue.  So you choose organic corn.  Possibly still in a chub.  Or maybe you decide to make it from scratch and you use organic ground cornmeal plus other clean ingredients.

Best means you've decided to really focus on eating well and are buying organically grown, sprouted cornmeal.  The sprouting adds extra nutrition, better digestibility, and reduces phytic acids and enzyme inhibitors which can interfere with nutrition.

One step at a time we work our way up the ladder to better digestion, better nourishment, better food sourcing.

We had a great time chatting in the kitchen.  As you can see from the picture above the food was so enticing that the aromas got us and we didn't get a picture until after we'd dug in and started devouring it.  Mr. Diva came in at the end and polished off a plate of his own.  I promise, this recipe is a winner.  And so is Three Goats Farm.  

In the meantime, if you have any questions about food, nutrition, holistic health, or how to take your recipes from good to better to best, don't forget to take advantage of my 15-minute discovery call for FREE. 

Greensbury Market – A Review

by meat, organic, reviews

Greensbury Mkt

I write and talk frequently about eating cleanly, well-sourced foods.  From pesticide-free, non-gmo produce to pastured eggs, grass-fed dairy, and more.  For a number of people it's not always that easy to source clean meats.  Grocery stores don't always carry what you want, it may be organic but it's not grass-fed, or it's grass-finished not fully grass-fed, or it's not pastured.  There may not be easy access to a local farmer who is raising sustainable animal products.  For whatever reason there are times when your only way to source what you want is to purchase it online.

I've recently discovered a new source for clean meats, all sourced from providers who follow sustainable practices, Greensbury Market.  I was fortunate enough to be able to try some of their organic, sustainably raised beef.   I had holiday houseguests and decided to have a tasting party for them, serving the steak and hamburgers from Greensbury Market.    While we had delicious vegetables, a lovely fermented cabbage and cucumber dish, and a salad, the focus of the meal, of course, was on the meat. I asked my guests for honest feedback and here's what they shared:

“I'm not a big meat eater, but I would definitely eat this again.”

“This is really tender meat.”

“Delicious!  Great burger.”

“This tastes better than the steak we usually eat.”

I agree, I found it to be very tender and quite delicious.  I also liked that the meat was very lean.  A quality best found in pastured beef since the cows are not fattened up by feeding them food they can't digest well.

Usually I try to avoid “work talk” at the dinner table but this time I was able to share with my guests why it's so important to choose clean meats.  Grass-fed beef in particular has less saturated fat, more omega-3 (yes you can get it from beef, not just from fish), and a higher level of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid that is beneficial for avoiding cancer (those with higher CLA appear to have less incidence of breast, colorectal, and stomach cancers), reducing cardiovascular risk, blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglycerides.

According to Greensbury Market they source all their meats from small farmers who are environmentally proactive, practice sustainable agriculture, and are focused on animal welfare.  Additionally, their meat comes from animals that are not given synthetic hormones or antibiotics.

They offer beef, chicken, pork, and seafood, all sustainably sourced.  Having tasted it I can say that their beef is delicious.  I am a fan of their stated agricultural focus, especially that the animals are humanely raised.   If you're looking for a good source for clean, humanely raised, pastured, grass-fed meats, I'd encourage you to check out Greensbury Market.

 

 

 

*disclosure

Word Of The Year: Balance

by change, family, health

Last year with the encouragement of my friend Sue Painter I  chose a word to focus on for the upcoming year.  It was the word inspire.  And last year was definitely a year of inspiration, change, and huge personal growth.

I enjoyed the process so much that I decided to do it again.  Oddly enough it's not that easy to pick a word.  When you stop to consider that this word is a guiding focus for the year ahead, to think about how to condense all of your goals and hopes into one single word, it can be a bit overwhelming.

After much careful consideration I've chosen the word balance.  The dictionary defines it as:

bal·ance (ˈbaləns/Submit)

noun

1.  an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady.

synonyms: stability, equilibrium, steadiness, footing

stability of one's mind or feelings.

"the way to some kind of peace and personal balance"

SAILING
the ability of a boat to stay on course without adjustment of the rudder

2.  a condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions.
synonyms: fairness, justice, impartiality, evenhandedness, egalitarianism, equal opportunity

ART
harmony of design and proportion, the relative volume of various sources of sound.

3.  an apparatus for weighing, especially one with a central pivot, beam, and a pair of scales

synonyms: scale(s), weighing machine

the zodiacal sign or constellation Libra

4.  a counteracting weight or force

synonyms: counterbalance, counterweight, stabilizer, compensation

the regulating device in a mechanical clock or watch.

5.  a predominating weight or amount; the majority.

6.  a figure representing the difference between credits and debits in an account; the amount of money held in an account.

the difference between an amount due and an amount paid

synonyms: remainder, outstanding amount, rest, residue, difference, remaining part, an amount left over

verb

verb: balance; 3rd person present: balances; past tense: balanced; past participle: balanced; gerund or present participle: balancing

1.  keep or put (something) in a steady position so that it does not fall

synonyms: steady, stabilize, poise, level

remain in a steady position without falling

2.  offset or compare the value of (one thing) with another

synonyms: weigh, weigh up, compare, evaluate, consider, assess, appraise, judge

As a word nerd, I love the fact that it's both a noun and a verb.  But even more, I like what it stands for and how my focus in the year ahead, my intention, is to seek balance, find balance, be balanced, and to provide balance for others.  

As part of how I practice I assist people with their health goals, that brings them into balance with their bodies.  As a holistic health practitioner I support them in looking at all aspects of their current state of being, that brings them into balance in many different areas of their life, a "way to some kind of peace and personal balance."  That really resonates with me; I hope to be the rudder that helps others find the balance they need.

On a more personal note is the idea of balancing so that "different elements are equal or in the correct proportions."  As I focus on the year ahead I need to be mindful of balancing my own healing journey with my food sensitivities, my personal commitments, my clients, time with friends, spiritual growth, focus on family, and personal development.  That balancing act is never easy, but I believe it's worth focusing on.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, peaceful year ahead!