Who knew there were such people? Not I until I was contacted by the PR company for Butterball. The contact 
person offered me a paid opportunity to blog for Butterball during the holiday season as well as man a FB fan page and answer questions for people on cooking turkeys and such.
I would have gotten to go to Turkey school for a whole day outside of Chicago–all expenses paid.
I would have gotten lots of traffic to my blog as they would be pointing people my way along with the four other bloggers chosen.
At first it sounded like fun. And money is a good thing–so many offers come in to blog for others for free.
Then my values kicked in. I’m against factory farming. “But you don’t know who owns Butterball” the little devil on one shoulder said. So I went online to find out. The owner of the brand is ConAgra. They contract with farms who raise turkeys to provide them with said birds. So far not so awful cause I couldn’t find any info on the individual farms. What I did find, which contradicts ConAgra’s policy statement, were numerous complaints against the company over workers heath and safety. Bird contamination was mentioned.
Then, last night, I watched the movie Food, Inc. I resisted seeing it because I know the horrors of factory farming having seen plenty of films while at culinary school on just this subject. (They were meant to educate not make a statement of any kind) A little horror goes a long way to raising consciousness and this movie keeps it in balance.
There were many scenes I could not watch. With one eye on the screen I did see images of the chicken houses. One woman chicken farmer who contracts to Perdue I think was in tears describing how the company treats her first of all. She uses open window coups vs the dark tunnel types but Perdue was pressuring her to change to the completely enclosed dark ones–at her expense. She wouldn’t do it, she was finished.
It was heart breaking on so many levels. If you haven’t seen it I’d rent it. There is hope in the movie. The owner/ founder of Chipotle restaurant chain buys almost all of his chicken, pork and beef from sustainable, humane farms all over the country and he has 800 some restaurants. Stoneyfield Farms owner talked about working with Walmart. Not just to gain more market share but to keep inferior products out of the food supply. To strengthen the small farmers who supply them with anti-biotic and growth hormone free milk and give them more business.
The movie reminded me of my one of my top values–treat all life with respect.
The little devil joined me just an hour or so ago when another email came through asking if I’d had time to read through the offer. “How bad can it be? It’s only for a few months and not everyone can afford free range turkeys, you’ll be helping people” he whispered.
One good swat sent him flying and I wrote a polite, grateful email back to the PR company telling them that as an opponent of factory farming, I wouldn’t be a good candidate. It felt so good to stand in my values and side with the animals.
This Thanksgiving like the past 10 or more I’ll be buying a farm raised, old fashioned, not huge breasted bird with no saline solution, no drugs, and no fear hormones trapped in its meat. And I’ll help people cook theirs regardless of what kind they’ve chosen.
I’m always grateful for an opportunity to share my expertise–paid or not–but only when I get to feel good about who I am in this lifetime.
Hormones rule, did you know that? I’m not talking just sex hormones though in teenaged boys and middle aged women they are certainly at the top of the pecking order most days.
Everything we eat has a hormonal consequence, some helpful, some down right harmful over the long term.
Insulin is a hormone and is responsible for getting blood sugar somewhere it can be used or stored. Grehlin and leptin are the push me-pull yous of the hunger and satiety dance. These three food related hormones are in direct communication with our other messengers such as glucagon–the fat-burning hormone. Called into action when food is scarce, glucagon converts stored fat into sugar and uses it for energy. These 4 hormones worked in perfect harmony before the introduction of grains and industrial food production when all hormonal hell broke loss. It’s been a steep slide towards disease and women on the verge ever since.
So what can be done? Keep an eye on this blog cause it’s one of missions to let women know about how to eat for hormonal balance, and grab this book if you want some science and some recipes.
Dr. Michael Aziz is an internist with a practice in Manhattan; Midtown Integrative Medicine. Frustrated early on in his medical career that so many young people were coming in with cancers, diabtetes, and allergies that he couldn’t heal as well as all ages of people who had weight issues, he went in search of some answers. What he found was this connection between key hormones and the foods we eat. The main culprits?
Sugar, grains, processed fake foods like margarine, and the endocrine disruptors found in the chemicals used to increase shelf life, texture, color, etc. One of his findings goes along with mine of late–low fat diets are partially at fault in the rise of diabetes, obesity, and hormonal chaos. “The results of the research is clear, eating fat does not make you fat. Rather it’s the lack of natural fats in your diet that makes you gain weight” writes Aziz. He continues, “Natural fats are essential for your cells to work properly. Fats slow down the absorption of food, stabilize blood sugar levels, decrease, cravings, and make you feel full.”
And blood sugar levels will make or break our health over the long haul. I’ve included a link to a 2.5 minute video of Dr. Aziz live, he explains his philosophy and his book a bit more. His solution is an easy, delicious way of eating, protein, fat and fresh fruits, veggies, beans and legumes pretty much.
It’s becoming harder and harder to hide from the latest message on food as medicine–eat what’s natural, eat foods you can recognize as such, don’t fear the fat, and eat organic (meats and dairy) and grass fed (meats) when you can. In case you don’t remember how delicious a dollop of half and half is in your coffee or whole egg poached or fried–it’s The Yumm Factor to the 10s. You may have to let go of some long held beliefs to take on these new ideas but if you find hormonal heaven vs a daily roller coaster from hell, wouldn’t it be worth it?
Dr. Michael Aziz
Last night I slept really well and woke up really hungry. A sign I think that this way of eating must be good for me. Of course it’s not just what I’m eating but what I’m not eating or drinking that I think is having the biggest impact. No sugar, no caffeine–yes I know I’m having Green Tea but it’s a different caffeine effect, more on that later–no dairy, no wheat, no alcohol, no starches period, all add up to pretty clean eating.
My cravings seem to be mostly in the sugar and salt category. I can live without the dairy for a bit but the Manchego cheese in my fridge called siren like when I fished for the salmon for last night’s dinner.
Yes I’m an admitted salt-a-holic. Thank god for the 4 olives I’m allowed to have each day, or is it 8? Well I had 8 yesterday and if that makes me a bad person well then fine.
Do I sound cranky?
Could be the no coffee, I’ll admit. I love my morning joe and I love it dark, thick, and strong. I miss him. I wonder, does he miss me too? Ok I’m off my rocker now.
The diet includes a few snacks and I turned my half a pear, 4 hazelnuts and some low fat plain yogurt into a parfait sort of thing. I chopped the pear and crushed the nuts. Each bite was creamy and crunchy, sweet and tangy. Part of our feeling satisfied when we eat is to combine textures and sensations and this hit all of those points. So delicious and I didn’t miss the honey, agave syrup or molasses I usually drizzle in.
After two meals of some not great salmon from my local mega grocery store–my local fish guys were snowed out of business yesterday after the east end got about 12″–I’m hoping they’ll open today so I can get some wild pacific coast salmon. The deeper and colder the waters our fish lives in the fattier, more tasty, more Omega 3′s their flesh contains. Not to mention the texture is sublime if you don’t over cook it.
Portions of food are ample though I think I went over the suggested menu with that second 4 olives and some extra steamed veggies with dinner. One has to be smart about this stuff. I spent 2 hours of intense outdoor exercise shoveling snow and digging out the feral cat colonies I tend to on Mondays. I knew I needed some more calories to fuel my body for the mental work I was doing so I simply added within the diets guidelines.
All in all I feel great, my energy is very even, and chocolate cravings aside this is a great jump start to a more like me eating plan. I’ve been a bit lazy over the past year or so I’ll admit. And that’s ok but it’s time for me at least to recommit to eating the way I know we must eat to feel and look our best. Midlife with a vengeance is about now, and about doing what’s uncomfortable sometimes because we can feel how good it’s going to feel when we’re through to the other side. And because we want to age with ease and vitality right?
Dr. Perricone’s approach to beautiful skin has the added benefit of improving all the markers of aging along the way. Maybe midlife wrinkles aren’t such a bad thing if they get us to take notice and do something to minimize them.
I may be growing a fin and feeling scaly from all the salmon but by golly my skin looks better already and it’s comforting to know that my whole system is benefitting.
So it’s the day after Thanksgiving here in the US and I have a question midlife women–what kind of exercise will you do this weekend? “Why do you ask?” you might ask. Because if you are anything like me it’s helpful to have someone remind me to include this uber beneficial activity in my long weekend with leftovers lurking in every corner of the kitchen. Hey, we have yesterday’s extra calories to get rid of but that’s not all.
Yes, the holiday season has officially started bringing with it the once-a-year-only delicious morsels, parties, and longer than usual to-do lists. In our already busy lives, these rituals can squeeze out our much needed exercise program. Skipping exercise is never a good thing but when temptation in the form of food and libations beckon ditching that walk or spin class is the surest way to the Holiday 5. Hate to break it to you, if it was a 5 pound weight gain in our 30′s and 40′s it’s an 8 – 10 pound gain in our 50′s.
Rather than fretting let’s do something different this year. Let’s plan some movement into our month rather than trying to squeeze it in as the days progress. Oh, and if you are of the mindset that “it’s already the end of the year, I’ll just party like it’s 1999, eat what I want, and start my new lifestyle habits in the new year” I have a question for you? How has that kind of thinking worked for you in the past?
Starting on Dec. 1st I’m going to give you tips to party smart and avoid the Holiday 5 (10). I am not asking you to starve, forgo treats, or stay home like Cinderella all season. I’m going to give you easy ways to manage it all and not gain the weight.
Wouldn’t it be a bonus if you woke up on January 1st feeling like a success before you even looked at your new year creation plan?
I can’t wait to hear your success stories.
