I am a New York Times junkie. Staying up late on Saturday nights is exciting just to hear the thump of the Sunday Times on my porch and knowing the blessed day of rest will be spent reading it. I follow the food trends there and check with Mark Bittman’s column “The Minimalist” on line to round out my readin’. Imagine my pleasure when Erica asked me if I’d be interested in hearing Mark speak about his new book “Food Matters” and perhaps interviewing him for fellow yummies!

In a packed room on the U of T Campus, I saw 200 or so, standing room only determined, folks. We were treated to an hour of CBC’s Matt Galloway lobbing a few questions at a self-deprecating, very humorous “home cook” Mark Bittman who is big on being vegan. He readily admits that he won’t go all the way any time soon and only practices vegan-ism until supper time each day but he does lay out the stats as to why we should all swing in that direction.  And a compelling argument it is…the cost to the planet and its resources to raise animal protein for our consumption is untenable, 40 calories of fossil fuel to produce 1 calorie of beef protein. Never mind the cost to our bodies of too much saturated fat and cholesterol.

Last night, Mark was “preaching to the choir” of converted vegetarians, vegans, flexi-tarians and environmentalists.  He wasn’t challenged on his views and was for the most part received warmly.  When asked about this his response was something like (shrug) I’ll deal with the people yelling at me when it happens, and if it happens, it will mean that we are reaching the mainstream and that’s a good thing. I couldn’t help but feel that we have the right guy at the front of this movement…well researched, well spoken, sensible and un-flappable.  Not at all the bearded hippie you’d expect. I have sent along my questions to Mark and will post them here as soon as he responds.

I have spent the past year trying to figure out why my view that we need to resolve every day and not just on January 1st is so different from other (my husband would say “normal”) people’s style of resolve. Resolution in January, forget by Feb, coast til next year.

I’ll blame 60% on our concept of work (blame the evil corporation) and 40% on our cultural view of human personal responsibility.

The evil corporation 60% portion…we live in a culture where we trade our time for our money in the form of work. In this culture only paid work is valued, which is why motherhood is so damned hard and under supported.  In this culture, it takes an hour to get to work and an hour to get back home. In this culture the idea of an 8 hour day is ridiculous, we fool ourselves into believing it is 8 hours but the stats show that it is more like 9, 10 or 11. So, that leaves few hours for the rest of what the human body and spirit needs. (Never mind the grocerylaundrydustingvacuumingcookingshovellingmaintenance duties for now.)

This imbalance has caused us to adapt the “pursuit of happiness” habit, formerly reserved only for royalty and the gods.  We feel that we “work” hard enough to have us some of that “rest”. We are not wrong but we gave so much at the office that the movement and joy got squeezed out.  When I think about it, my life was most in balance when I hurried around after a small child.  Sorry, did I just make you spill your tea?

Really, our lives are meant to be movement and work. We are made to sleep, eat and move in the pursuit of satiety and safety. Which means finding food, gathering wood, cleaning in the river, making safe the nest.  All of this work is physically exhausting but it is actually worth it, if feels good, is grounding. Unlike (the mentally exhausting )pursuit of hunting down that client to get him to sign that contract so that the corporation can make a huge profit and pay me a small portion for doing so. How is that going to keep the warmth in the hut? I mean, I know it pays the hydro guy to walk around to read your meter so the power corp can make their money to pay his pittance but where was my body in all that? Sitting at my desk, in my car, on my couch.  See what I mean? The money moves so we don’t have to!

Here is the 40% personal responsibility bit…we bought it hook, line and sinker. It is only the very, very excellent corporations and institutions that do something about this out of wack-ness. They all see it, know it, but shrug it off. This brings to mind the DPA (daily physical activity) program in my daughter’s school. At various times throughout the day, everything stops, the almighty voice comes over the loud speaker system and says, “Get up and dance to this song!” or something like that.  The teachers and kids groan but they all get up and for 10 minutes each day they wiggle and wave some movement into their lives.  They do it (hate it?) together.  At least it has been acknowledged that they need some more movement in the sedentary day, yes, it’s a shame that it has come to that but there you have it.

Seems to me, the only solution if for us to push hard at that 60%. Just decide to move that needle of personal responsibility and take back a little bit of the time/effort/oppression.  No one is stopping you from bring an exercise ball to work and sitting on it for at least an hour instead of your chair. No one is stopping you from brown bagging your lunch of a huge salad instead of slouching down to the food court. Eat that salad at your desk, on your ball and then walk up the stairs to visit a friend for 10 minutes.  No one is stopping you from standing up on the subway for half the ride, it is an amazing ab workout if you don’t hold on! No one is stopping you from walking up the stairs to your desk instead of taking the elevator.

In fact, no one is stopping you from rattling the cage of said corporation and starting a committee to have the stairwell painted a pleasing color, art hung on the walls and music piped in to it. This would benefit all the employees by making the stairs a nice place to walk. The corporation benefits by having more invigorated staff that have less of their lifeblood squeezed out and more of their heart in the day (forgive the pun.)

I know it takes immense effort to roll that rock but this is your life! Not theirs. If not you, who? Who is going to be creative in finding ways that will extend your life and improve your health so you can enjoy it? I don’t want you to put your foot through that new 40 inch tv screen, you did work hard, you did earn it but I think we need to “deserve” the rest differently. Don’t give it all away, steel 30 minutes each day from the corporation or just use them differently, work them your way, you will feel better and be more productive in the long run. Start a “movement movement” that will last all year.

Is a good mood a state of mind or a way of being? Or, can you enhance your mood by choosing what you eat carefully. You betcha! Of course the “go to” food any craving ninny will tell you is chocolate but there is much more to it than that.

Improving your mood means stabilizing your blood sugar level first and foremost. Think about it…what kind of bear are you when you haven’t eaten in a few too many hours? There is a biological reason for that, you are built to be given the rage to kill whatever gets between you and your food. It is survival instinct 101!

 So before we go for the chocolate (and there is a specific way to do that) let’s start with the blood sugar level:

1.       My favorite food to control blood sugar is actually medically tested and patented for doing so. Salba ® is an ancient grain that is high in everything we need for a good mood: omega 3(see item later on this nutrient!) magnesium, protein and fibre.
2.       My second favorite food is hemp seed and I prefer Mum’s Original Hemp since it is a delicious, organic product that has no grassy taste like some others can. Hemp is a complete vegetarian protein that provides insoluble fibre to regulate digestion and therefore blood sugar swings.  It also contains GLA which helps control hormonal swings; I know that’s a big part of my mood.
Then it’s about the brain fuel…good fat:

3.       Fish and/or fish oil supplements for their omega 3 fats.  There is consistent evidence that supplying the brain with sufficient omega 3 improves or prevents symptoms of dementia, depression and other mental disorders. And, if it can do that it can surely bust our little bumps of the blues.
4.       Eggs. An egg a day is a healthy way to get an excellent protein and it is high in B6, B12, pantothenic acid and tryptophan  which are all required to make the very neurotransmitters that determine mood.

Lastly the fun one…

Chocolate. Yes, I finally got to the favorite.  The jury is still out on if, how and why chocolate improves mood but we both know there is nothing like it.  During these dreary winter days, I have a cup of hot cocoa each and every day. But, to get the health benefits, it must be 1 tbsp of pure cocoa powder mixed with 2 tsp maple syrup, topped with a mug of hot water and ¼ cup of milk.  Mmm, my mood improved just thinking about it.

Its okay, I get it, no one wants to talk to the nutritionist during the holidays but did you know that the few pounds that you gain every year likely joined you during this time each and every year since college? It could be argued that this is what has contributed to the obesity crisis! It isn’t the fact that you gained a few over the holidays, we all need to let our hair down and enjoy food with our friends and family. It is the simple fact that we don’t get rid of it immediately afterward.

A few tips to help you prevent the spread while enjoying the party:

• Drink 2 full glasses of water before you go to the party. You will feel fuller and be less likely to overeat. Plus, the extra water is needed to process the alcohol.
• Eat a boiled egg, an apple and 1 Tbsp of Salba as a late afternoon snack. It is the protein and fibre content of this snack that will turn your “feed me!” sensor to low giving you more strength to resist.
• The minute you get there, gorge on the veggie platter first but limit your dipping duties. Again with the fill ‘er up correctly while you still have the strength.
• Choose the protein based appetizers. The breads and pastry covered snacks are more caloric than they look and have very little to offer in the way of nutrition.
• Flat out refuse to eat anything deep fried, don’t get me started!
• Dance, baby, dance. Or wiggle, or tap your foot but definitely move throughout the entire evening.
• Enjoy a glass or two of red wine but don’t drink more than that, it is a long holiday season!
• Leave the party before the dessert table gets set. Avoiding 400-800 calories per slice of fruit cake is more important than avoiding your ex’s new girlfriend with the big boots (you thought I meant something a little higher?)

If you do indulge, do yourself a favor and get those pounds off immediately. Reset yourself in the new year with some realistic goals.  We will talk again then.