Livin’ La Vida Locavore

I recently blogged about exploring alternative lifestyles like going vegan or adopting freeganism or trying dumpster diving. I just came across another alternative approach to food and living that, while not quite as outré as some of the others, is still less than mainstream.

Becoming a “locavore” entails eating only seasonally available, locally grown food. Sounds kind of hippie-ish, doesn’t it? For me, it conjures visions of people wearing broad-brimmed hats crouched in front of neat rows of nutrient-rich dirt.

“For years, the idea of eating only food grown locally and in season was reserved for upscale chefs like Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., or serious hippies living off the grid, while the rest of us didn’t think twice about gulping down blueberries from Chile or avocadoes from Mexico.”

With the current economic situation, the popularity of books like “The Omnivore’s Dilemma“, and concerns about the environment, more and more average Americans are making food decisions based on where food originates and how it’s processed. This tends to be a much healthier way to eat, too, because locally available items are predominantly fresh fruits and vegetables.

Like any dietary discipline, it can be hard to do it 100% of the time. One “locavore” eats locally about 85% and includes one month of total local eating during an annual “eat local challenge”. Even allowing that 15% cushion, though, during the rest of the year, being a “locavore” can be tough.

“In order to eat locally through the winter without getting scurvy or facing a family revolt, locavores are forced to take on domestic efforts that most families haven’t tackled for generations.”

Canning and other “long-forgotten food preservation skills” are critical to local-eating success and can be daunting to learn. Not to mention that it can be expensive to eat this way; the volume discounts many food manufacturers offer don’t translate to smaller, local enterprises. It also costs time, primarily in preparation hours devoted to packing the pantry with off-season goods.

Think you might want to live la vida “locavore”? Check out the book “Plenty“, which chronicles one couple’s year-long experiment with eating locally.

Exploring Alternative Lifestyles

No, I’m not talking about romantic preferences here; I’m talking about “non mainstream” food and/or philosophical lifestyles. Sometimes they are the same thing. Take veganism, for instance.

The response to the new book Quantum Wellness has prompted me to consider buying it… and consider adopting a vegan diet plan, at least for 21 days like Oprah.

Being on a fiscal diet as well as a physical one has made articles about extreme anti-consumerism very interesting to me. Most recently, the article “For frugalists, bargain hunting is a lifestyle” caught – and held – my attention.

We tend to accept the status quo: what we see on TV, what our friends and co-workers are doing, what’s presented to us at the supermarket. It’s rare that most of us venture outside the norm and try something different. I did that when I swapped my office chair for a ball, and it still draws comments, questions and sometimes mockery today. I also get raised eyebrows when I talk about my stair workout. Sweating during the workday seems nutty to some. And these things aren’t that far off the radar.

Veganism is becoming more commonplace, particularly with the rise in popularity of food stores like Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s. These stores make it easier to live the lifestyle by offering pre-packaged items that meet all the criteria. I think it’d be easier for me to follow a vegan diet than it would a raw one. I’ve gotten more comfortable with cooking than I was before, so the recipes seem less daunting to me now.

As far as the anti-consumerism/frugal living ideas go, I haven’t worked up the nerve to try dumpster diving, especially for food. I want to do it, though, at least once… just to say I’ve given it a go. I’ve always believed that we should try most things once in our lives, if only to broaden our experiential horizons. Plus, I’d like someday to be able to live as inexpensively – but as richly – as possible, and if this is a way to achieve that goal, I want to explore it.

I have benefited from hand-me-downs including exercise shorts, a suede jacket, dresses, handbags and shoes. I never turn down a secondhand item that’s offered to me. Even if I don’t use it for the intended purpose, I can always find something else to do with it. One used purse I was given became an art project. I’ve sold other items at garage and yard sales. It feels good to recycle things while enjoying a “new” item that I might not have been able to afford myself.

Sometimes the fiscal and the physical goals work against each other, like when you’re spending extra dollars on organic produce at a store across town. With some planning, though, I think you can accomplish both goals successfully.

It’s food for thought… literally and figuratively! J

PB&J for Fun, Health and the Planet!

I love peanut butter. I mean, I REALLY love peanut butter. I love it so much that I can’t control myself around it, which is why I almost never have it in the house. The jar is always in imminent danger of being consumed in one sitting. Considering that PB has 180-210 calories per two-tablespoon serving, that can be dangerous to my waistline.

Beyond loving the taste of peanut butter purely as a food, I also love the “aura” it has. Peanut Butter is a happy food. It evokes memories of mellow afternoons filled with strawberry jam, marshmallow fluff and bananas. Peanut butter is a bit kitschy. The acronym – PB&J – rolls off the tongue. It’s fun; it’s festive.

I recently moved into a new crib, and I’m planning a housewarming party of sorts in the next couple of months. My home décor is unusual: mod, pop-art with lots of bright colors. My artwork, consisting largely of funky collages in shiny black frames, hangs throughout. I’ve made a sofa table out of a wall mirror and a couple of huge vases, and on it, I display art purses I’ve made with supplies found at the dollar store. When I have my party, I want it to reflect my quirky personality and decorating style. Which is why I’ve decided to have a PB&J party.

Using recipes from The Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook and the P.B. Loco website, all the tasty food offerings be made in some way, shape or form from peanut butter and jelly. (I will, of course, note this on my invitation so that anyone with peanut allergies can stay away.) It’ll be a hoot! I want people who come to my party to have a time like no other. I don’t want it to be a standard party with the same-old food. PB&J is definitely the way to go.

For sure, peanut butter is a young-at-heart kicky food, but it’s also got a serious side. Peanut butter is good for you! According to Prevention Magazine, peanut butter is “healthy, filling, and can be a dieter’s best friend“. The combination of fiber and protein makes it stick to your ribs longer, precluding overeating later on. It’s also vitamin-rich with vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B6. Peanut butter contains resveratrol, the same ingredient in red wine that has been associated with lower cardiovascular risk. It’s even got lots of the good fat – the heart-healthy monounsaturated kind. Add in some all-fruit, unsweetened jam and whole-wheat bread, and you’ve covered nearly all of your nutritional bases in one, easy-to-hold package. Plus, “women who ate peanut butter five days a week had a 20 percent lower risk of developing diabetes compared to those who didn’t eat the spread, according to a 2002 report in The Journal of the American Medical Association.”

What I just learned, however, is that peanut butter is also good for the planet. The PB&J Campaign says that peanut butter and jelly can slow global warming. “Next time you have one you’ll reduce your carbon footprint by saving the equivalent of 2.5 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over an average animal-based lunch like a hamburger, a tuna sandwich, grilled cheese, or chicken nuggets. That’s about forty percent of what you’d save driving around for the day in a hybrid instead of a standard sedan. If you have a PB&J instead of a ham sandwich or a hamburger, you save the equivalent almost 3.5 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.” Wow! That’s huge!

So, when you’re feeling fruity and craving something nutty, go for a PB&J… for your health, for fun and for the planet!

Are You Eating Clean?

One of the things I’ve been exploring recently is the concept of Clean Eating. Clean Eating is consistently eating high quality foods that are basically free of all unnatural additives. Clean foods are those without man-made sugars, hydrogenated fats, trans-fats and other unnecessary ingredients.

Robert Kennedy Publications, creator of Oxygen Magazine, has recently come out with Clean Eating Magazine after the success of Oxygen columnist Tosca Reno’s Eat-Clean Diet and Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook.

Weight Watchers teaches in general how to eat more healthfully. Because the Points system incorporates calories, fat and fiber, foods lower in fat and higher in fiber – usually healthier foods – have fewer points, so you can eat more of them. But, in reality, if you wanted to create your own All Twinkie Diet using the Weight Watchers system, you could, and you’d still lose weight. You probably wouldn’t be too healthy, but you’d drop pounds!

As I’ve grasped the concept of portion control, I’ve focused more and more – little by little – on making my diet as nutrient-rich as possible.

Questions I ask myself every day (and you can, too!)

• Am I eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day?

• If so, am I eating a variety – a colorful range - of fruits and vegetables?

• How much fiber have I gotten today?

• How much protein have I gotten today?

• Has most of the food I’ve eaten been in its natural state?

• Have I consumed at least

I actually keep track of many of these items in my food journal.  If you haven’t started keeping a food journal yet, I highly recommend it. It’s been another one of the keys to my success. If keeping a daily record of your diet is not doable for you right now, at least keep these questions in mind as you prepare your meals and make your food choices throughout the day.