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A Healthy Indulgence

Reduce "Noisy" Foods

The first thing to know about any problems you may have with your diet is that it's not all your fault. We get the bulk of our food from companies whose interests directly contradict ours. By adding processing steps, flavoring, scents and preservatives, the big food producers are able to charge much more than they would for the raw products. This "added value" generates huge profits for them, and huge problems for us. Have a look at any of the frozen meals in your freezer; sugar, salt, and chemical additives are way up there on the list of ingredients. Come on! You wouldn't add sugar, food-dye and artificial preservatives to a veggie lasagna if you made it fresh, so why do they?

These highly processed foods are literally addictive (just look at Super Size Me!), and we soon come to feel like we need that "high" that sugar and caffeine gives us. Your daily pre-sweetened creamy-coffee concoction isn't giving you true energy—what it's actually doing is pushing you through the day on a wave of nervous anxiety.  And who needs more anxiety in their daily life?

I want to offer you a tip to help you start gradually reducing your intake of these stimulants, what I call "noisy" foods. Try this morning shake as a substitution for your morning mega-latte. Make a deal with yourself to try it for a week, and jot down the differences you notice in your emotions, energy levels, and physical state. Instead of the instant jolt of sugar and caffeine that wears off around noon, you'll find that the protein in this tasty smoothie gives you mental clarity all morning long:

It may be that you truly love some of these over-stimulating foods, and have no wish to cut them out of your diet completely. Fine, keep them in your diet, but try this approach: instead of consuming huge amounts of cheap sugar (think run-of-the-mill candy bars or indifferent desserts), become a connoisseur of those treats you really love. If chocolate is your vice, enjoy trying the dense, dark bars of high-end chocolate sold in specialty stores. Let yourself enjoy a little nibble of one everyday, and have fun exploring the wealth of tastes and textures out there. Turn your vice into something that enriches your life, and you'll find you have control of it, rather than the other way around.

In Healthy Living From the Inside Out I provide more tips to help you slowly cut down your intake of "noisy" foods and gradually replace them with foods that boost your energy throughout the day.

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The Green Kitchen Challenge

Sustainability starts with the most essential part of life, eating. I created an earth-friendly kitchen by challenging myself to make one small change per week to my regular routine.

1. I committed to breaking one bad habit per week.
   Turn off taps instead of leaving them running; set up a streamlined recycling system by devoting a clean receptacle to non-landfill trash; unplug appliances when not in use because they steal energy for no good reason. (I even tied a ribbon around the faucet to remind me of my promise.)
2. I determined to cut solid waste disposal in half.
   I deemed plastic containers, zipper-top sandwich bags, and glass jars to be non-disposable items and reused them unless they'd been used to store raw meats or fish. A small bag-drying rack on the countertop is a godsend for repurposing bags. Fifteen minutes spent organizing container drawers to ensure each item has a lid pays off. I put a selection of these items in my car with my cloth shopping totes to use at markets and salad bars.
3. I made a decision to buy bulk items whenever possible so I could take my own containers.
   Beans, pulses, nuts, baking ingredients, and whatever grains you use can be purchased this way, and it usually works out cheaper than brand-name goods.
4. I pledged to not throw away food and to cook or freeze whatever had just lost freshness.
   Soft vegetables can easily become a vegetable stock for soups; overripe tomatoes become sauce; bananas and other fruit going mushy can get frozen in chunks for smoothies. Half a loaf of bread can be sliced and frozen on purchase. Woody herbs like rosemary and thyme can be dried; leafy ones like cilantro get pureed and frozen in ice-cube trays for later use. Our grandmothers did it - why can't we?
5. I went cold-turkey on toxic, chemical-filled cleaning products.
   There's no need to buy an armory of new stuff, as an all-purpose green cleaner covers many needs. Reusable cleaning materials like microfiber dusting cloths and old-fashioned dishtowels mean that (recycled) paper towels are saved for true one-time usage.
6. I installed a quality water filter for my drinking, cooking, and vegetable-washing needs.
   This costs some money up front but delivers pure water free of chemicals and contaminants, without the environmental impact of bottled water production and delivery. I fill up a metal canister to take water with me when I leave the house.
7. I put a large container outside my door to gather rainwater for plants and pets.
   It's a small act of conservation, but it feels great to scoop water up and bring it inside - children learn from it, too.
8. I invested in some solar panels for my roof to lessen my reliance on nonrenewable resources.
   The amount of energy I saved surprised me; the initial investment paid off quicker than I'd thought.

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