Food Matters

Lately I've been thinking that a lot of health issues could be improved if people were willing to give up some of the fast and ready-made food they eat, which are not good for all sorts of reasons. So I loved finding this fascinating article in the New York Times by columnist and author Mark Bittman (“Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating”).

Some of the statistics made my hair stand on end (Americans get more calories from soft drinks (7%) than they do from fruits and vegetables!!!). But it's nice to hear someone else talking about the benefits of eating real, cook it yourself food. Maybe I'm delusional, but I'm calling it a trend!

Don't take my word for it. Take the time -- a whole minute and a half!! -- to watch the trailer (above) for the documentary "Processed People." Want to see more? Check out the second trailer (below) -- it's barely three minutes long. Even if you're not inspired to buy or rent the DVD, just remember the bottom line: Eat Food, Not Food-Like Things!

Thoughts About Sugar and Why It Is Not Your Friend

Back when I was in college, I read "Sugar Blues" by William Duffy (and not by candlelight -- we had electricity, even way back then!). Ever since, I've been leery of sweets. There have been plenty of other books written on the subject and in theory the debate about whether or not sugar is good or bad rages on. I say "in theory" because the sugar and corn (makers of high fructose corn syrup) industries have powerful lobbies in Washington and there are literally billions of dollars involved. All this makes it tougher to sort fact from fiction.

So to make things easier, let's reframe the issue and put aside arguments about overall health. Instead, let's focus on weight loss -- something most of the nation is concerned about. Simply put:

If you're trying to lose weight, sugar is not your friend.

Don't take my word for it. Here's a great little summary from the Washington Post's Lean Plate Club with some excellent food for thought.

And the Losers Are ...

...the 60+ percent of our population who are overweight or obese. According to a new report in The Guardian, excess weight is likely to double the number of cancer deaths in the next 40 years. The saddest part: about one-third of those deaths are preventable with lifestyle changes, such as improved diet and more activity.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: "Obesity is the biggest health challenge we face and many people simply don't know that being overweight can lead to major health problems, including cancer...."

It's truly mystifying to me that people don't connect weight and health. But rather than try to figure out how that happened, it seems more productive to focus on weight loss and management.

Where to start? Admit there's a problem!! Addicts can't realistically deal with addiction until they acknowledge that they are in trouble. So start by calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI) with this handy tool from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to see if you fall into the overweight or obese categories. Then check back here for frequent updates on weight loss news. (HINT: The man in the photograph is looking in the wrong place. Weight loss does not start in the medicine chest!)

In fact, here's a great overall suggestion from the Guardian article:

"The experts urged people to stay slim and abstain from too much fast food, red meat and preserved meat, such as ham and bacon, as well as alcohol."

What does this have to do with crafting? More than you might think. Because crafting (and many jobs these days) is so sedentary, it's almost a given that you'll gain weight if that's all you're doing. And now I'm going for a walk!

A Few Words about Green Tea (Yummmmm)

My name is Marie and I'm a green tea addict. Seriously. That's not meant to mock 12-step programs -- I'm just trying to get your attention. Because I just read yet another article written by a person who tried green tea and could not stand the taste of it. My response? She did not have a good, high quality tea.

So here are two simple rules regarding green tea:

1. Buy loose tea in a real tea shop or an online source (see list below), not tea bags from a major tea distributor whose name I won't mention but it begins with an L and is found in most grocery stores. The contents of those tea bags is what's known in the tea world as "tea dust," and it is literally that ... dust and bits of tea leaves swept up from the floor of factories. (So is their black tea, for that matter, but let's just focus on the green for now.)

2. Put a scant teaspoon of tea leaves (less is truly more with green tea) in a small strainer, put the strainer over the top of a cup so the tea leaves can soak in water and pour hot (not boiling) water over them. Let the leaves steep in hot water for NO more than two minutes. Green tea becomes bitter if it steeps for much longer than that.

If you want to decaffeinate your tea, let the leaves soak for 30 seconds, throw out that water and pour new hot water over the leaves. Nearly all the caffeine is removed from the leaves during the first 30 seconds.

Still not crazy about the taste of green tea? Check out the flavored greens -- jasmine, Earl Grey, and the ones that incorporate fruit bits and/or flower petals. They are amaaaaaazing!

Why should you go to all this trouble to buy what appears to be over-priced (not really) tea that you're not even sure you like? Time for another list!

1. Green tea has profound health benefits, including the possibility of minimizing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), reducing levels of LDL (bad)cholesterol, cutting the risk of developing various types of cancer, easing symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative and liver diseases. Fewer symptoms and ailments means less money spent on doctors and medicine, right?

2. Green tea has been linked to weight loss. It's no magic bullet, because there isn't one. None. Nada. Period. (MUCH much more on weight loss in the near future.)But it does help, plus it has the other health benefits listed above.

3. The used tea leaves make an excellent mulch for your green plants.

If you don't have a great tea shop nearby, the best place to buy green tea is online. I say that because those mall chain stores (like Teavana) are pretty much considered a joke among serious tea lovers:

1. My favorite hangout -- Le Palais Gourmet (http://www.lepalaisgourmet.com). Don't be put off by the fancy name or the prices. These people are devoted to tea. And price-wise, you can get a whole lot of great tea for the price of a few of those over-sugared, 500-calorie "coffee" drinks that end up on your hips and thighs.

2. Harney and Sons (www.harney.com) have a great website, beautiful catalog and extraordinary teas that are worth every single penny.

Time for some tea. See you later!

Latest in the Pipeline and Why Organic Produce is Better than Conventional

New bag in the works, one of those ideas that just appears out of nowhere -- a triangle purse cut from two felted Jones New York sweaters. I love the shape!! All that's missing is a really great lining, which means a shopping trip to International Silks and Woolens on Beverly Drive.

For me, going to ISW is like taking a drug addict on a tour of the evidence lockers at the police station -- I'm just dumbfounded by all the amazing fabric. Not to mention an entire separate room with notions!! It's sort of like getting a preview of what it would be like to die and go to heaven (which in real life is pretty much a long shot).

Now for the health news: Check out this piece, via Yahoo News and Time magazine, explaining why produce is probably not as healthful today as it was in our grandparents' day. The money info is toward the end (last couple of paragraphs). Basically, experts tend to agree that the pesticides and other chemicals used to grow conventional fruits and veggies rob them of nutrients. So go organic!! And don't make me tell you twice, okay -- just do it. More on organic benefits later ...