dairy
Yesterday at work I saw a sign announcing an event for the American Heart Association’s Go Red campaign. It’s nice to see the company supporting heart health…supporting it so very much actually, that they are giving out FREE SUNDAES to anyone that bought a pin! Anyone catching on to the irony yet? Here’s the discussion that followed:
Email from me to 2 high ranking people in my company who I thought might be involved in this event:
“I think it’s great to promote awareness of heart disease. But I’m having trouble with the idea of incentivizing people to come by giving away sundaes. It sends a mixed message, don’t you think, since saturated fat from animal products is a leading cause of heart disease? Are you guys the right people to talk to or is someone else managing the actual event?”
At this point I was feeling nervous about having sent this email. I anticipated a negative response, or no response at all.
First response:
“You raise an interesting point. Maybe we serve healthier food! Mau, what do you think?”
After reading that someone saw my point and had taken it under consideration, I felt great! What a win!
Then this, from a woman at the front desk. She is a long-time employee, somewhat of a grandmother figure. Someone must have forwarded my message to her. Turns out she is involved in the event:
“Ice cream – very lo-fat, strawberries – no sugar added meaning they are healthy fruit and I mashed them myself in my kitchen, the chocolate sauce is fat free – I have kept this healthy and inexpensive since money is at a premium for these events that people want us to have but put on WORKLIFE budgets.
This is a fundraiser – we want to give the American Heart Association some money – if the kids here are worried about their health – that is their personal choice – they do not have to buy a pin or eat the sundae – and personally – I would not do anything to jeopardize their health – SUNDAES ARE FUN!!!
We are also trying to save money – I am not charging for the strawberries, or the M&M peanuts (some healthy item there), I am donating all this to save money – it’s a charity that is “close to my Heart” no pun intended – “
After reading this I was extremely frustrated. Clearly she means well and seems to feel insulted by my thoughts on food. But how to explain that even though SUNDAES ARE FUN, it doesn’t mean it’s the responsible thing to do? I decided that I’d said enough at this point and at least had a small win with the first response.
I replied:
“I just could not live with myself if I didn’t suggest a healthy alternative for food. Ice cream is certainly the kind of processed food/animal product that causes heart disease, although I respect your attempt to keep it all low-fat and such. I’m still interested in the mixed message it sends to combine a heart-healthy event with ice cream. It’s a point that can be taken, disregarded, or simply considered next time! Thanks for responding.”
Speaking my truth was exhilarating, truth be told. But what could I have done better? How could I have handled this in a way that would have made a real difference? And have you had experiences like this, speaking out about food choices in a way that maybe offends other people? Please share in the comments!
February 5th, 2009 | dairy, disease, public health | No Comments »
When I served this cake last night I informed Max that I’d sprinkled salt on top before baking it. Says Max, “But salty is the opposite of sweet.” Bingo, sir! ‘Tis the secret for bringing out sweetness. Also, the fact that I shmushed all the strawberries and let their juice mix into the top of the cake batter. But all this wasn’t my idea, it was from Heidi at 101cookbooks.com. Check it out for the recipe!
I did not, of course, follow the recipe 100%. I used strawberries instead of raspberries, just regular sized grains of salt/sugar, and ghee (clarified butter) instead of regular butter. For all my smacktalk about dairy, I really haven’t found a way to bake without it and still get mucho delicious results.
We had a some Riesling with our cake for dessert and pretended we were sitting on the veranda we don’t have with a slight summertime breeze instead of sitting in our living room with the AC blasting. Whatever. There’s no So You Think You Can Dance on the veranda.
July 10th, 2008 | dairy, recipe | No Comments »
The milkshake. Wait, I’ll back up. I’ve been off dairy and white flour products for a year. Off sugar and meat for about 6 months. I’ve been making valiant attempts to eat organic produce and avoid alkaloid-ridden nightshade vegetables. All in the name of health, mostly. Saving the planet maybe a little too.
But all my efforts did not keep away my yearly sinus infection. After 2 weeks of living in a congested, antibioticized daze I deserved a reward. Yes, that’s it! Something to congratulate myself on finally feeling better. Something comforting and indulgent. Suddenly an undeniable image appeared in my mind: Bartley’s Burgers. The smell that wafts down Mass Ave and lures pedestrians in off the street reached me, two towns away. In my mind I knew this was the reward I deserved so very much.
So we went. We ordered! I am an American! I deserve this. I sank my teeth into that burger and pulled away and unsatisfying bite of mostly bun. I tried again, teeth grazing the beef. I pushed away thoughts of feedlots, stun guns, and methane. The burger was…ok. I couldn’t enjoy it. The fries were ok too. The satisfaction just wasn’t there. The taste didn’t draw me in and drive me to consume every last bite like I remembered.
But then, there was the milkshake, of which I drank down to the bottom of the glass with glee. After months of limited dairy and sugar, it was pure heaven. Delicious. And worth every sip. Until 20 minutes later when I was staggering around Harvard Square, my blood sugar exhausted. But in that moment…the milkshake definitely, definitely won.
April 7th, 2008 | Boston, dairy, restaurant, Sugar | No Comments »
Eager to eliminate dairy from my diet, I’ve had to dig a little deeper into the calcium issue. With no milk, will my bones collapse? What are other sources of calcium? Is it healthy to not eat any dairy products? Answers: no, kale (for example), yes.
Recently I heard that almonds are a great source of calcium, so I clickety-clacked over to NutritionData.com to find out. This is an awesome site for all nutritional data inquiries. Turns out, almonds kick whole milk’s butt in % daily values of calcium.
March 24th, 2008 | calcium, dairy | No Comments »
You know that processed dairy stuff in the green canister that you shake willy-nilly on everything from pizza to soup to omelettes? Now the vegan in you can shine with a substitute condiment known as Nutritional Yeast. Wait – don’t ick out on me yet. This stuff can be found in the bulk section at Whole Foods and it has a sort of cheesy, savory flavor that tastes WAY better than the name sounds. The best part is that it acts as a nutritional supplement for those of us needing extra B vitamins.
Look for your yummy Nutritional Yeast to be fortified with B12 in particular if you aren’t eating meat. Found naturally in soil and ingested with garden-grown veggies, we lose B12 when our produce is washed to sterile perfection. If you don’t eat the cow that ate the dirt, then you too could use extra B12 help. Enjoy!
March 3rd, 2008 | dairy, vegan, vegetarian | No Comments »
First of all, who’s that guy??
My doctor made me get a bone density scan last year because of my ‘premature grays.’ How mortifying. So it got me thinking about bones and calcium and stuff, and pretty much feeling like my mom. Turns out my bone density is fine and I intend to keep it that way.
I’m re-reading John Robbins’ The Food Revolution and feel compelled to share some of his stats. (I understand that with any statistics they could be off, or wrong entirely. But it’s worth thinking about, right?)
*Countries with the highest consumption of dairy products are the same countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis: Finland, Sweden, USA, England
*Calcium intake in rural China: 1/2 the calcium intake of the USA. Bone fracture rate in rural China: 1/5 of the USA.
*Amount of calcium lost in urine of a woman after eating a hamburger: 28 mg
*Amount of calcium lost in urine of a woman after drinking a cup of coffee: 2 mg
So, as mentioned in other posts on this blog, the best way to increase your calcium intake is to eat leafy green vegetables like broccoli, kale, and brussel sprouts. The calcium absorption from these veggies are substantially higher than cow’s milk, and come with no ill side effects. Plus, green veggies are a lot cheaper than those questionable chocolatey calcium chews.
January 25th, 2008 | calcium, dairy, public health | No Comments »
How about a 10-day dairy challenge? I’ve been hearing snippets about people doing this but have yet to find an actual organization or website supporting the idea. Maybe this is it! I hereby challenge you to 10 days of no dairy! No milk, no cheese, no ice cream, nothing. Do it for the new year because if it doesn’t work for you, you are off the hook after 10 days. Woohoo! But seriously, see how you feel after 10 days–then,on the 11th day eat tons of dairy and see how it affects you. For me, no dairy was the best decision I’ve ever made about my health. Supposedly you will experience more excellent bowel movements, less congestion in your head and chest, and will stop ingesting growth hormones and antibiotics from the dairy cows. Happy 2008, indeed.
December 12th, 2007 | dairy, digestion, try new things | No Comments »
