Review: Rudi's Gluten Free Bread

I've been meaning to post on a bread I've tried, and I'm finally getting to do it.  In the spirit of curiosity, I tried out Rudi's Gluten-Free Bread after going to the natural foods store with my roommate, who promptly picked up their organic bread.  I tried it last week, and it tasted like really good multi-grain bread - I could see sunflower seeds and a few millet grains in the slices.  My one complaint is with the texture - while it was pretty good (better, in my opinion, then Food of Life's Millet Bread, by far), I prefer Udi's chewiness (which is about as spot on as you get).  The perfect gluten-free bread would use Rudi's flavor and Udi's texture - I'd be hoarding the stuff!

Review: The Clear Skin Diet (Logan, Treolar)

I received The Clear Skin Diet from Inter-library Loan Wednesday and read it through in a night (now if only I could do that in my research!).  It's comprehensive, clearly written for a lay person, thoroughly researched (not that this is a good measure, but just to give you an idea, the bibliography is 18 pages long).  The authors explain acne as a skin process aggravated by other problems in the body, particularly nutritional deficiencies and how to rectify them.  They treat acne as something to be concerned about beyond pure vanity, citing correlations (sometimes anecdotal, sometimes drawn out of logical extrapolation, sometimes supported by hard science) between acne severity and digestive problems while young, and disease in old age.  They also explore the link between acne and stress - validating the link and providing stategies to help.  While I don't want to rewrite the book here (it's an easy-to-follow argument and that would be breaking copyright law), it's an interesting read.  The suggestions made are well in line with the diet I imposed upon myself (and have been writing about since):  I will be adding a regular probiotic supplement (to be taken before each main meal), fish oil capsules (since good fish isn't readily available where I live, with each main meal), and a Vitamin C, Zinc, and Vitamin A supplement to my regimen (temporarily, once a day).

FDA GMO Labeling Update

According to the Washington Post, the genetically modified salmon up for approval will not have to be labeled as genetically modified.  If this goes to market (and given the FDA's track record, it probably will), I will not eat salmon I can't verify is GMO-free.  Essentially, I'm going to make my own wild-caught salmon sushi and, when eating sushi out, not eat the salmon.  Also, I will have to verify any fish oil supplements I may want to take.  It's extra-ordinarily frustrating - regardless of what you think about GMO's environmental impact.  Consumers should still be given enough information that they can make a choice about whether or not they want to ingest GM food.  Extra labeling is only confusing if you make it confusing (see the high fructose corn syrup naming controversy and you'll see what I mean).

Review: Coconut Aminos

I'm a huge fan of all things soy sauce, so it was really hard to think that I wouldn't be able to dip my sushi in soy sauce on dates with my boyfriend, or make my Thai-inspired peanut butter sauce when I'm in a hurry and want something yummy, or have some of Dad's stir fry.  I tried tamari and that didn't work so well (it just helped open the flood gates for more rule breaking), so I was at a loss.  Then I saw Coconut Secret's Coconut Aminos in the grocery store.  At first, I was wary and just avoided soy substitutes altogether, having read that there really aren't any good soy substitutes on the market.  After missing soy quite a bit, I thought I would give it a try.  I whipped up some Thai-inspired peanut butter sauce this after noon to put on some me-friendly noodles and yum!  Although I've not run it by my flavor discerning boyfriend (he won't touch my green juice, let alone my substitutes), it's close enough to keep me happy.

Followup #2 to Doctor Drama!

I got word back from the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine folks I contacted.  I was initially worried that they would just ignore me (having not being quite as prompt as Dr. Cordain and some messing with getting my email to the right email address), but they did get back to me, and they gave me several names with contact information, including a person at a semi-local Mayo Clinic.

That point caught my attention because my dad actually brought up the idea of going to a Mayo Clinic around the holidays today.  Yes, it would be a grueling and most likely a rather unpleasant day, but I could learn a lot in a relatively quick amount of time (allergy battery, hormone tests, tests for digestive issues, etc.).  Then again, everything could also come back normal and we'd be back to the "well, this diet-regimen works, but we don't know why," stage again.  Not only that, but a Mayo Clinic visit is probably pretty pricey.  Then again, going to the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine is going to be pricey (got quoted at $350 for the initial consultation and $250/follow-up).  That wouldn't be an issue if our health insurance covered that kind of thing.

Furthermore, there are travel costs involved.  I have friends who most likely wouldn't mind hosting me, but travel is expensive, time-consuming, and a general pain - compound that with whatever medical testing they may do - and it sounds like it could be quite a project.  Then again, trying to cure this particularly stubborn case of acne has become at least a part-time job (fussing over food, cooking, research, tweaking, planning, etc.), and is always in the back of my mind while I'm doing my actual job - being a music theory grad student.  Maybe it would be worth whatever money my family and I have to fork over to get my skin issues resolved once and for all.  Acne does significant emotional as well as physical damage (and yes, though I don't let it on much, oh Lordy is it there), and I have had enough.

What would you do, dear readers?

Followup #1 to Doctor Drama!

So there was a part of the whole doctor drama story that I left out yesterday due to the fact that I needed to sleep.  In the Doctor Drama post, I said I emailed the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine to see what they say.  What I didn't say was that I also emailed Dr. Loren Cordain, professor, exercise scientist, and co-creator of the Paleo diet (which I'm a bit leary of still - cutting out all grains doesn't make sense to me), and asked him if he knew of any dermatologists in my state who would be open to working with me and my diet.  Unfortunately, he didn't know of anyone in my state (go figure), but he directed me to Dr. Valori Treloar - a certified dermatologist and nutritionist and co-author of The Clear Skin Diet (with naturopath and M.D. Dr. Alan C. Logan).  I'll email her and see what she recommends.  I've also requested her book (Hurray for Interlibrary Loan!) just to see what she and Dr. Logan say in the book and speed the process along(No redundancy!), but I must say that from what I can tell from the Amazon.com previews (Hurray for that too!), it'll be an interesting and potentially edifying read. 

Doctor Drama!

A brief summary of what has transpired since making the doctor's appointment.

I went to the health center to see one of their dermatologists yesterday morning.  I told her about what I did and that, when I stuck to it, it worked (and that my face shows that I've been needing to do better).  She was very supportive, and wrote me a referral to the local allergist to test for food allergies.  Sounds great!

After the appointment, I called the local allergist to make an appointment.  First, they wouldn't be able to get me in until November (well, okay . . .), and then, when I told the receptionists that I was testing because of acne issues, they insisted I go to the local independent dermatologist (also the allergist's wife!).  Thinking, "well okay, maybe they just don't trust the university doctors", I relented and made an appointment with the second dermatologist for today, in the process messing with my office hours and my research schedule, to convince the allergist that I, in fact, needed his services.

Every time I see a dermatologist, I mentally prepare for an argument.  My experience runs counter to the standard Western medicine explanation that diet has nothing to do with acne, and I know that, when people are presented with fundamental challenges like that, they get . . . funny.  I was ready with the first dermatologist, and I was ready for the second.  I went in with my stack of papers, was very polite (if my teeth were clenched a bit because of the redundancy of this dermatologist visit), presented my situation, and asked for help.  This second dermatologist recommended that I drop everything I was doing and try another antibiotic and another suite of washes/creams because the people who had prescribed my biomedical interventions in the past had prescribed the wrong stuff.  I would just have to give her regimen two months of perfect adherence - including dropping my way of doing things.  I said (as politely as I could, I might add) that I couldn't give her those two months and I wouldn't give up the diet.

And then she got defensive.  She said that because I couldn't trust her (a doctor from a branch of medicine that has failed me for 10 + years who I'd just met and implied that my diet/regimen was bunk), I needed professional mental help.  She said she would call the allergist (but I didn't see her do this because she walked away before I could insist that she do it in front of me) and that she wouldn't charge me (for what amounted to a mutual waste of time, I might add), but I have a feeling that all she did was rant to her husband about some [insert your derogatory term of choice for young women here] refusing to just do what she said without question - she's the one with the MD in dermatology, after all.  What is more mentally - even spiritually - unhealthy?  Doing something just because an expert in the arena says so - even if your experience AND some legit research suggests that what that expert recommends may not hold as much water as they would like to think?  Call me a heretic (which I am - especially in my field of expertise), but I'll go with someone calling me crazy and going with my gut than doing anything that doesn't make sense to me - especially when we're talking about my body!

Anyway, I wrote back to the first dermatologist this afternoon, explaining the situation, and she recommended I contact the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine - the institute Dr. Andrew Weil founded to do research in to doing medicine in a way that makes the patient a partner, rather than another body, and is open to dietary intervention and other more "natural" ways of healing.  I sent their resident allergist an email explaining the situation so far and asking his advice.  He redirected me to their senior director - who I just emailed a copy of what I wrote to the allergist.

We shall see what happens.  I'll keep you posted, dear readers.

Doctor's Appointment Made

My apologies for not writing - school and applying for doctoral programs has been a challenge and will continue to be a challenge throughout the semester.

My 6 month trial of largely gluten, soy, and dairy free eating has come to an end, and I must say that, I like the way I feel and the way my skin has reacted, but I'm afraid that just the diet itself hasn't been the silver bullet in curing my acne 100%.  I'm not giving up by any stretch of the imagination - however, I'm enlisting outside help.  I made an appointment with a dermatology M.D. at the campus health center, where I'm going to lay out my entire story in detail - including my research - and, essentially, draft them in to helping me explore ways to get rid of this acne thing for good.  I'm going to ask to test for food allergies/sensitivities, digestive problems, hormone imbalances, candida, polycystic ovary syndrome (even though I'm not by any definition, obese), insulin resistance - anything that I've considered along the way is fair game - and anything that the MD comes up with is also fair game.  If the MD doesn't buy any of the peer-reviewed research I'm going to bring in (a nice binder - yes, I'm a musician, but I'm an academic musician - I know somewhat how research works), then I'll make an appointment with someone else perhaps a bit more open to new, maybe heretical ideas (my research in music theory is a bit heretical too, hence why I don't have a problem with unorthodox approaches to skin healing).  My parents have given their blessing. 

Variation on Raw-Inspired Date Cookies

So the date cookies didn't last very long and I had to do something else to satisfy my sweet tooth and my need to have at least some solid food.  I was looking around at others blogs (which I do for inspiration, since I'm a relative newcomer to this way of eating - I'm still cheating with forbidden foods on occasion), and I kept reading about the joys of almond flour.  Rather than buying some at the local natural foods store (which takes up lots of my time and money already), I ground up some almonds in my coffee grinder and made a variation on the date cookies.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fresh ground almond flour
3/4 cup finely chopped dates
1 tbsp flax seeds (optional, but recommended)
1 tbsp hemp seeds (optional, but recommended)
1 tbsp chia seeds (optional, but recommended)
2 tbsp honey
a dash of vanilla extract
a dash of almond extract
1/8 cup melted coconut oil
1 scoop greens powder (optional)
3 tbsp cocoa powder (include if you use the greens powder)

Directions

Combine almond flour, dates, and seeds in a mixing bowl.  Mix.  Pour mixture into a blender/food processor and blend until well blended.  Take mixture out of blender and back into the mixing bowl.  Add honey, coconut oil, vanilla and almond extracts, greens powder and cocoa powder.  Mix mixture until you get a good solid dough.  Scoop out on to wax paper and place in the refrigerator for about an hour, or, if you have a dehydrator, dehydrate to taste.

Raw-Inspired Date Cookies

When Michael (my boyfriend for newcomers) and I went on a nice long hike several days ago, I bought some raw cookie-like energy cubes from the natural food store here that were quite good.  As usual though, it felt like a compromise to buy the things - even from the natural food store - because they had the ubiquitous "natural flavors" on the ingredient's list.  Frankly, "natural flavors" could mean anything: all-natural extracts (which I can have, in moderation) or something I would rather not think about.  Either way, I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to try and replicate the cookie-ish energy cubes on my own, so that I wouldn't have to worry about what the heck "natural flavors" means.  This is an approximation of what I came up with:

Ingredients
2-3 big fistfuls of dates, finely chopped
a tablespoon or two almond flour
two to four tablespoons shredded coconut, divided
a teaspoon or two honey
a few drops vanilla extract
1/2 a scoop of my greens powder (optional)
a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder (optional)

Puree dates, almond flour, and 2 tablespoons  of shredded coconut in a food processor.  Remove from food processor and add honey, vanilla extract, greens powder, and cocoa powder.  Mix until you get a sticky dough-like substance.  Divide into bite size balls on parchment paper and flatten into a cookie shape.  Sprinkle the rest of the shredded coconut on top and press the coconut into the cookie.  Chill for an hour. 

I'll be trying other variations, since my searches on several raw and paleo blogs have yielded some inspiration for variations on the no-cook cookie theme.

A brief guide to c-dfsf milks in coffee

As I said in today's review of Turtle Mountain's Coconut Milk Yogurt, I was in a hurry to get to church and I needed breakfast.  I also bought some of their Cultured Coconut Milk to use in my Starbucks coffee, which, in addition to prompting an interesting dialogue with the aspiring-vegan barista on-duty, made me realize that not all non-dairy milks go well with coffee.  While I like Turtle Moutain's Cultured Coconut Milk straight; as my green powder's reconstituting liquid; or in smoothies, this particular products almost-yogurt like consistency did not work with the coffee at all.  When I tried stirring up the coffee and the milk up to get the milk to dissolve, nothing happened.  Not only that, but the cultured coconut milk did nothing to cover up the bitterness of the coffee and added a yogurt-like aftertaste.  I ended up going home, opening a can of lite coconut milk, and pouring some in (along with some honey and vanilla extract) to get it right.  Thankfully, I wasn't late for church - I had plenty of time to warm up, practice the hymns, meet the guest speaker, and improvise variations - but it made me think that others (particularly those who don't live dairy-casein free AND soy-free) would find the variety of commercial dairy-casein-and-soy-free milks overwhelming, especially when doctoring up something as simple (and delicious) as coffee.

Rice Milk: the most common choice among coffee shops looking to accommodate dairy-casein-and-soy-free folk, rice milk isn't bad flavor-wise, but is the most watery of the options available.  Even so, I do not complain much when that's the only c-dfsf milk option available, since it's mostly the local coffee/breakfast places where I am that have started offering c-dfsf milk, and I'm just grateful to be able to say, "Let's grab some coffee at [insert 'me-friendly' restaurant here]".

Almond Milk:  a common alternative to rice milk in our local natural foods grocery and a growing alternative in more mainstream grocery stores, commercial almond milk generally has a pleasant, nutty flavor and does fairly well texture-wise in coffee. 

Hemp Milk:  another alternative to rice milk, though less common in mainstream grocery stores than almond milk.  Of the commercial nut/seed milks I've tried, I like this one the best in coffee because of the unusual, rich, nutty flavor and creamy texture.  

Coconut Milk:  this is my favorite overall for doctoring up coffee because of it's light, sweet flavor and naturally rich, creamy texture.  I also prefer it hands down because regular, untouched coconut milk from a can is rich and creamy without "food" additives like carrageenan.  Commercial almond, hemp, rice milks - as well as preprocessed coconut milk milks - all have similar "food" additives for similar purposes.  When I make nut/seed milks at home (which I do regularly) I put in some coconut milk in the mix because it adds some good, creamy texture.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Review: Turtle Mountain So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt

I was in a hurry this morning to get to church and needed to grab breakfast on the go, so I took the opportunity to try Turtle Mountain's So Delicious Coconut Milk Vanilla Yogurt.  I'll go on record with the shortest review in existence:  yum.  The texture was right; the flavor was great; my only regret is that it's so expensive - $2 + for an 8 oz carton - and that it has carregeenan - a thickener I try to avoid.  Now that I know that it's possible, I'll just have to figure out how to make my own.  In the mean time, yum . . .

Review: Food of Life Millet Bread

I was in the grocery store yesterday and was intrigued by the thought of millet bread.  I like millet, and I've read that adding any pseudo-grain (i.e. amaranth, millet, quinoa) to gluten-free bread helps with texture, flavor, and nutritional punch.  With that in mind, I bought a loaf of Food of Life's Millet Bread and I wasn't impressed.  The flavor wasn't bad (again, I like millet), but the grainy texture wasn't wheat-bread-like at all.  I gave some to my boyfriend (who eats "normally", is a wonderful cook, and is very discerning about food) and he was not impressed either.  While it may be an improvement over gluten-free breads of the past, Food of Life's Millet Bread doesn't hold a candle to my personal "me-friendly" bread favorite from Udi's Gluten-Free Foods.  On the other hand, I do like their brown rice tortillas, which do not fall apart when you try to fold them for burritos and don't taste gluten-free either.

Common Ways of Eating

In spirit of promoting understanding of the ways that different people organize what they eat, I've put together a brief glossary with broad definitions of common ways of eating.  Enjoy!
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This list is by no means exhaustive, but provides broad definitions of common ways of eating.  If you are someone without dietary restrictions providing food for someone who is and you have doubts about whether or not they will eat a particular dish for any reason, ask. 

Those who avoid meat and/or animal-derived products:

• Vegetarian:  generally speaking, a person who does not eat meat or meat products (i.e. meat-based broth).  There are different sub-groups of vegetarians, however, who may consume dairy (lacto-), eggs (ovo-), fish (pescatarian), or some combination of the three (i.e. lacto-ovo-vegatarian).
• Vegan: a person who does not consume any animal products or products derived from animals (i.e. meat and meat products, dairy, eggs, etc.).

Those with suspected/confirmed food sensitivities/allergies or are following a biomedical intervention protocol for autism:

• GF:  short for "gluten-free", someone who avoids gluten, a protein found in wheat and wheat-related products.
• CF:  short for "casein-free", someone who avoids casein, a milk protein.  
• SF:  short for "soy-free", someone who avoids soy and soy products.
• Top 8:  refers to those foods responsible for most allergic reactions.  These include gluten, dairy, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, fish, and shellfish.

Those on special diets for other concerns:

• Raw Foodist: definitions vary, but generally speaking, a person who eats mostly or only foods that have not been cooked or have been dehydrated at very low temperatures.  Some raw foodists are vegetarians or vegans, some aren't.
• Paleolithic: a person who eats only what was readily available to paleolithic age humans.  Any food that became available only when humans began practicing agriculture is out (i.e. grains, dairy, sugar, etc.), leaving only foods readily available to hunter-gatherers (i.e. meat, berries, mushrooms, etc.).
• Whole Foodist: a person who eats only food prepared from scratch from fresh ingredients. 
• Locavore:  a person who eats mostly or only food produced near where they live.  Definitions vary as to how close the food needs to be sourced to be considered "local".

Those who follow dietary restrictions for religious reasons:

• Note:  Many religious traditions do not lay down dietary restrictions per se (i.e. Christianity, Buddhism), but many practitioners have taken up certain dietary practices based on their interpretations of their religion (i.e. many Buddhists are vegetarians or vegans, some Christians do not eat meat on Fridays, etc.).  Also, not all people who practice a particular religion necessarily follow all dietary restrictions, for various reasons.  If in doubt, ask.
  
• Kosher (Judaism):  dietary restrictions laid out in the Torah.  Rules include prohibitions on kinds of meat (i.e. no pork) and the way the meat is slaughtered and prepared; not mixing meat and dairy in the same meal; and restrictions on mixing utinsels used for meat and dairy.  For more information on basic kosher rules, check out Judaism 101's entry on keeping kosher.
• Halal (Islam): dietary restrictions based on the Koran.  Rules are similar to Kosher rules in that they include prohibitions on kinds of meat (no pork) and the way the meat is slaughtered and prepared.  Other rules include prohibitions on alcohol and certain food additives.
• Hinduism:  many Hindu practitioners avoid meat and meat products to varying extents.
• For more detailed information on different religious traditions' dietary restrictions, check out Faith and Food

A yogurt substitute!

When I was finishing up high school, my breakfast of choice was vanilla yogurt topped with mixed berries and some granola.  These days, I haven't done much with yogurt, since I've not been bothered to try and make the stuff myself.  It's not that I don't like the stuff - it's just that I'm of the mind that I should eat primarily things that are naturally gfc-dfsf, rather than trying to find substitutes for the things I can't have.  While that's all fine and good when I'm eating on my own, when I'm with company, it makes us both uncomfortable if I can't have some equivalent.  That said, Turtle Mountain has added coconut milk-based yogurt to it's line of dairy alternatives.  They've got 9 flavors to choose from, and the reviews look good.  I've not yet tried it myself, but I intend to by the time school starts.  It's not a perfect substitute - it has carregeenan (a food additive I try to avoid) - but since I don't do yogurt (or yogurt substitutes) very much, I can compromise a little in the event I need a "yogurt".

Housewarming Party! More recipes coming soon!

My roommate and I had a house-warming party to celebrate the end of the first stage of moving and to have some fun.  We did it potluck style with everyone bringing finger foods or drinks (we got lots of lemonade and a little wine).  I didn't expect anyone to try to cater to my issues - so I made a gfc-dfsf fruit and veggie platter with three dips - bean dip (a hijacked hummus recipe that I accidentally made very garlic-y - but people liked it still), my chocolate goo, and a vanilla coconut goo.  All of it came off really well - especially the vanilla coconut goo.  Unfortunately, I didn't measure out what I made - I was rushing to finish the dips before people started arriving - so I don't have an exact recipe yet.  I promised someone at church though that I would give her the recipe, so I have plenty of reason to re-create it (that and it's quite yummy).

Why I'm picky about soy

Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D write about the dangers of soy - particularly, un-fermented soy.  In a nut-shell, it used to be that soy was only considered safe for eating if it was fermented (i.e. tamari, miso, natto, tempeh) - and even then - it was a condiment, like ketchup.  Now, for various reasons, soy - fermented and otherwise - gets marketed as a "miracle food", when there are dangers associated with isoflavones.  It's a bit of a long read, but it's worth it.

Dining out? Some helpful hints

In a similar vein to my ranting about the CNN article on miserable dining-out company, I thought I would offer up my strategies for navigating the awkward, "I can't have that" conversation regarding restaurants.  These are only my personal strategies; they are not the only way to go about things; and they may not necessarily work in every situation.

1)  Respect the others' needs/preferences, whatever they may be.  Food isn't just about shoveling calories down your throat - it's a social experience.  "Normal" folks (for a lack of a better term, those who don't have special dietary restrictions) should respect the needs/preferences of the food sensitive/intolerant, the vegetarians, the vegans, the raw food-ists, etc. and vice versa.  Quoth the Rabbi Hillel, "What is hateful to thyself, do not do to another.  That is the whole Law, the rest is commentary."  In the words of Jesus, "Love thy neighbor as thyself."

2)  For those with special dietary needs, always have a plan ready.  For example:

• Have a mental (and/or physical) list of "okay" restaurants/dishes ready for those spur-of-the-moment, "Let's grab lunch" conversations.  
• Going to a restaurant with a menu that doesn't readily accommodate your needs?  Call the restaurant ASAP, explain your needs, and, if possible, negotiate a compromise.
• Cannot go to restaurants period?  Offer to cook something you can eat that is agreeable to your company.
• Someone wants to grab a bite and you have your food already?  Offer to meet them in a neutral place (i.e. their desk, their office, a picnic table outside, etc.).     
• Going to a party?  If at all possible, confer with the host/hostess about "okay" options in advance.  Offer to help them plan/prepare the food themselves or to bring an "okay" option to share.  If necessary, have "okay" options ready.  
• Hosting a party?  If possible (and there are situations when this is not possible), bring or cook something that you can't have, but others can.

The bottom line?  Be prepared to be part of the solution.

3)  For those without special dietary needs, be supportive and flexible.  For example:

• Going out?  Let those with special dietary needs lead.
• Cooking for someone with dietary restrictions?  Hosting a party?  Choose recipes that are naturally "okay" when possible.  Some ingredients are more easily substituted than others: i.e. substituting plant-based oils for animal based fats and one sweetener for another are pretty easy; good soy-sauce and cheese substitutes are hard to find, however.

The bottom line?  Don't be afraid to get creative or try something new.

Picky Dinner Pals - by necessity

I've been enjoying CNN's Eatocracy for a while, but I'm a bit perturbed about the comments to an entry about adults who are picky about what they eat when going to restaurants.  Now there are reasons to be perturbed at someone who is just downright rude (I really dislike those too), but in the case of trying to avoid certain foods because of potential food intolerances by asking the waiter to hold the cheese on a burger - it's already trying to be food intolerant (or, in my case, potentially), but folks who don't make an effort to understand or accommodate folks with food intolerances are just as miserable dinner company as picky eaters or rude folks.

Forgive me for ranting, but respecting each others' dietary differences has become a priority for me.  I live with a kosher vegetarian; am happily in a relationship with a guy who loves his meat and cheese; am friends with those who eat versions of the Standard American Diet, as well as vegans, gluten-free, and dairy-free folks, and would never think to impose my dietary restrictions on any of them.  In fact, the struggle is finding places where we can all sit down and break bread so that they can eat freely, and I don't have to compromise (unless I feel like owing a confession).

New Address!

The Acne-Free Foodie has changed its name and moved!  It's now The GFCFSF Acne-Free Foodie, and the new address is http://thegfcfsfacnefreefoodie.blogspot.com.  More updates coming soon!

Happy August! More re-branding thoughts

We're going into the 4th month of The Acne-Free Foodie, and I'm still looking for more ways to make this little neck of the web a bit less academic and a bit more . . . fun? Food and cooking is my anti-work. When I get frustrated with my professors, or my work, or my colleagues, or "the system" (which can and does happen), I go home and cook - even before starting this thing. Cooking is not (and has never been) work and neither should The Acne-Free Foodie be. Pictures and video would help, and I'm working on that, but I'm not much of a picture/video taker - it's not a habit . . . yet.

Furthermore, I wonder if this could be less about sane food advocacy. That's happening a lot on the web and it's important - trust me - but it doesn't help my family or my friends trying to navigate this change with me. I don't know how many times I've had to explain what I can and can't eat; where I can and can't eat; how to adapt recipes so I can eat them; finding good substitutions so I don't stick out like a sore thumb; and how awkward those conversations can be. I wonder if it wouldn't more helpful to help non-gfcfsf, sane-meat-and-poultry-only, no-artificial/processed-sweeteners folk (i.e. most people I know) navigate the gfcfsf, sane-meat-and-poultry-only, no-artificial/processed-sweeteners world from a female 20-something's perspective. It's a little different from the mom's cookbook-with-pictures-of-good-food-and-healthier-kids approach, but I'm an unmarried, 23-year-old grad student with no children. That approach isn't going to work for me.

Any thoughts?

A Tactical Shift

One of my favorite ways to kill time is to go on ted.com and watch one of the talks. I've been trying to unwind after the GRE experience (studying and stressing up to yesterday) and I found this one by Lewis Pugh on how he tackled a cold water swim on Mt. Everest.

Regardless of what you think about climate change, the idea of revamping a tactic when your current strategy isn't working is useful. I've been looking at this lifestyle shift as a restrictive, temporary thing, but it's clear that I'm going to have to keep doing it in order to continue to have a semi-clear/clear complexion. Continuing to consider this thing as a restrictive thing is not going to help me stay on it.

The Great and Powerful Green Drink

Apparently, the green powder that I've been slacking on makes quite a big difference. I had half a scoop of the stuff in water with some coconut milk and lemon juice last night, and, when I woke up this morning, my shoulders and face were much less red and swollen. I had no idea. Sheesh.

Anyway - this is the stuff - Field of Greens by Vibrant Health. It's organic, raw, vegan, gluten-free, and filler-less. It's a bit strong by itself, so this is how I drink it most of the time.

1 tall glass water (divided)
1 scoop Field of Greens Green Powder
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Splash of coconut milk, to taste (optional)

Fill the glass about half way with water. Add Field of Greens Green Powder, lemon juice, and coconut milk. Fill the glass the rest of the way with water. Stir until the green powder is dissolved. Enjoy immediately cold. It takes some getting used to, but the lemon really helps cut the strong green taste.

Every once in a while, I will pick up some coconut water and add in my daily powder. The sweet coconut water does plenty to mask the strong green flavor of the powder.

My face is not happy with me - back to the strict diet

I finally took the GRE today and it feels fantastic to be done with that thing. My face, however, is not happy with me for it.

See, while there is a significant dietary/hormonal component to my acne, there is also a significant stress component too. My natural inclination is to hold stress in until whatever is stressing me out passes, after which I breathe a huge sigh of relief. Thing is, I rarely know how bad something is affecting me until after it's passed: in this case, the GRE must have really been doing a number on me because areas that have been clear for months (forehead, neck, shoulders) are now breaking out! I'm going to have to take soy (fermented and un-fermented) completely out of the picture again, and not to mention going out to eat and most desserts. I'll have to be more careful about the birth control too - I almost wonder if that could be contributing to my breakouts too. Maybe I should go back to writing a confession each time I so much as toe the line - I've not been terribly strict all summer about doing that. Perhaps its in my best interest.

Why must my body be so darn sensitive - seriously? It's driving me crazy. I don't know if I'm going to be able to reincorporate those ingredients I slashed in March after things re-clear up. Oi vey!

Anti-Performance-Anxiety Smoothie - Literally!

A few years back, I was really worried about panicking at my piano juries (really high-pressure performances - not fun). My counterpoint professor overheard me and told me that if I give up dessert for a week and have toast with peanut butter and a banana at least two hours before my jury time, it would have the effect of a beta-blocker, without the nasty meds. I did it and it worked.

Now, I have to take the GRE - like an SAT for grad students - and I'm worried that I'll choke. It's not that the test is hard, but it's long, and it messes with your head. Thankfully, I have a way to bail out if I don't like the way I did, but it costs $140 to take the test, and I only want to do this bugger once. I can't have traditional bread, but I have a kick-butt blender, so I made this.

The Anti-Performance-Anxiety Smoothie

4 tablespoons peanut butter
1 whole banana
1 tablespoon hemp seed
1 tablespoon flax seed
1/4 cup lite coconut milk

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Enjoy cold at least two hours before your high-pressure event for an all-natural beta-blocker.

I think I understand now why Elvis liked peanut butter and banana sandwiches so much. I never made that connection before.

Trying out soy again - yum!

In the name of figuring out which, if any, of the foods I cut I can bring back, I bought some organic, wheat-free tamari - aka, soy sauce. I made some chicken with Thai peanut sauce and basmati rice last night and boy have I missed soy sauce! It tasted so good and rich and punchy! I'm going to take this slow because I wonder also if it may be that I can handle only certain quantities of soy, and only if it's fermented (aka, soy sauce, miso, tempeh, natto). While soy has been heavily marketed as a health food for it's isoflavinoids and plant-based protein in the West, some say that un-fermented soy (soy milk, soy cheese, etc.) does more harm then good (1, 2, 3). So here, we go!

Boiled White Rice Recipe

When my dad's family lived in Japan, his mom asked for a no-fail recipe for boiling rice, and the recipe has been passed down to me (and probably my sister, though I don't know how much rice she makes). I'm passing it on to you, dear readers, with optional olive oil and salt.

3 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
a dash of salt (optional)
2 cups rice

Rinse rice. Pour water, olive oil, and salt in a sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil on high heat. Add the rice. Bring heat down to medium heat and allow to lightly simmer uncovered. Simmer until water evaporates - about 20 minutes or so. Fluff and serve hot immediately.

Boiled Amaranth Recipe

In the spirit of getting back to basics (with some actual measurements), here's the basic recipe I use for boiling amaranth seed (adapted from 1).

2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
a dash of salt (optional)
1 cup amaranth

Rinse amaranth. Pour water, oil, and salt into sauce pan and bring to a vigorous boil. Add amaranth. Allow the amaranth to boil for until the water evaporates - about 20 minutes or so. The end result should be sticky, but not gummy.

A realization or two (or three)

So I've been trying to figure out what exactly to do with The Acne-Free Foodie to make it better (and bring more people to the site), and I'm thinking that a major restructuring of the blog is in order. Here's what I'm thinking:

1) The original purpose - to be an advocacy/food-news/cookbook blog that challenges the conventional wisdom about food-health relationships - was a bit too ambitious. I need to par this thing down to make it manageable for a music theory graduate student. The original intent may have been a good idea for someone in a food/health-related field, but maybe not for music theorist.

2) The recipes I've posted (except for the basic buckwheat) are woefully inexact. The reason for that - that's how I cook. Cooking, for me, is something creative and (in comparison to composing music) instantly gratifying. I don't have a professor "murdering my baby" when I cook - it's just me and the food. I don't have a problem taking liberties with recipes or experimenting without them because, in my other creative pursuits, I'm supposed to create my own recipes. For someone else though, that's downright intimidating.

3) This blog is all text! I'm not taking advantage of one of the things I most love about the Internet - the multimedia, hypertextual possibilities. I frequently rant about how academia has not taken advantage of all the web-based publishing's possibilities, yet I have yet to post so much as a picture on this blog. How hypocritical!

So, in summary:

1) More focused purpose
2) More detailed, exact recipes
3) More multimedia integration/hypertextuality throughout

What say you?

A basic buckwheat recipe

A few weeks back, as part of my efforts to get over major food boredom, I bought some buckwheat groats to try. I finally made another curry-like dish last night and a oatmeal-like dish this morning, both of which need some refining before I post here. I will admit that buckwheat has an unusual texture that I need to get used to (fluffy, but kind of springy), but I understand why the food allergy community likes to use the grain as the base for pancakes so much. Here's a basic cooked buckwheat recipe.

Cooked Buckwheat
4 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
a dash of salt (optional)
1 cup uncooked, rinsed buckwheat groats

Pour water in a saucepan. Add olive oil and salt, if desired. Bring water to boil. Add buckwheat. Turn stove to medium-high, or just enough so that the contents are vigorously simmering. Cook until the water evaporates. Serve hot immediately.

New Blender - and I didn't break the bank! (yet)

The failing blender issue has been temporarily resolved. We ended up getting a $100 KitchenAid 5-speed Custom Blender (KSB560) a brick and mortar Bed, Bath and Beyond for $80 with a 20%-off coupon. I've not tried it yet, but the reviews online are favorable. I do hope that this holds up better than by my poor Oster, which will be given as comfortable a retirement as a blender can receive. Goodwill will take blenders that work, and it'll probably serve the average user much better than it will serve me. It's the least I can do, especially after asking the Oster do things at a frequency it was never designed to handle.

An Ice Cream Maker!

A few posts back, I was pleased to discover a technique for making ice cream that was quick and didn't involve coffee cans or going out and buying an ice cream maker. My parents have an ice cream maker that has just been sitting in their cupboard and offered to let me use it. As wonderful as Luna and Larry's Organic Coconut Bliss is, it's expensive, so I'll be experimenting with my own coconut milk ice cream and coconut water sorbet when I get home. Yum!

New Page: AFF Friendly Food Brands

My family visit gave me an idea for another page - a list of AFF-friendly food brands. So far, I have two listed, Udi's Gluten-Free Foods, and Enjoy Life! Foods, but I know about others - I just need to relocate them and post links to their online stores.

Hurray for Udi's Gluten Free Foods!

I'm visiting family this week and gluten, soy, and dairy free they are not. Thankfully, my parents hardly live in a gluten, soy, and dairy free desert, so they can tell me what they are going to eat, and I can buy AFF-friendly substitutes. Udi's makes the best gluten, soy, and dairy free bread I've ever had (it may be the only gfcfsf bread I've ever had, but it's good), as well as AFF-friendly pizza crusts and blueberry muffins. They are pricey and can be difficult to find, but it makes navigating the social aspect of food a lot easier - especially the "I can't have that because it has [insert objectionable ingredient here]" conversation. Yay Udi's!

The Ultimate Green Smoothie Variation Set

I was poking around the Vitamix site again and they have a mix-and-match green smoothie cheat sheet in PDF format. There's a quick sign-up, but what you get is quite good - 336 different variations on the green smoothie. I have been beat, dear readers, by quite a long shot. Then again, this is Vitamix - this is what they do. Maybe I'll try out the cheat sheet and share my favorite combinations here.

My only quibble is that it doesn't include basil, cilantro, parsley, or other green, leafy herbs anywhere on the mix-and-match table. They do cut the same old green taste quite a bit and make things more interesting.

Holy Bleep! (on Vitamixes)

I've been looking around at blenders to replace my poor Oster blender, which is starting to go. I've heard from multiple sources (the blogosphere, Consumer Reports) that Vitamix makes the best blender on the market and will last for a long time. I knew it would be pricey because it's institutional/professional chef quality - not to mention durable - but the base model, the Vitamix 5200, the time of this writing, is $449.00! That's enough to make any grad student gulp in terror. I guess I could just buy another Oster, but I don't want to have to buy another blender in 4 months (since I've been slacking) because I've been using it (abusing it?) the way I have. At the rate I'm going through blenders, I'll go through 2 $40 blenders a year. That's $80 on blenders a year. At that rate, it'll take me 5.625 years to get to $450. I feel great when I stick to the diet, and it helps tremendously, but I'm paying quite a bit for food as it is. That much on a blender - even a good blender - is a lot of money. Yes, spend it on food or spend it on the doctor, but sheesh - this better work!

Cookbook, Edition #7: Basil Smoothie!

Here's yet another variation on the green smoothie in a further attempt to cure food boredom. It was inspired in part by Giada De Laurentiis' version, but without the dairy or the syrup.

As much fresh basil as you can stuff into your blender (the stuff reduces fast)
A squirt of lemon juice or two
A teaspoon or two of agave nectar/honey
A splash of coconut milk
A splash of water.

Blend until smooth. Serve immediately cold.

Enjoy!

Finances, Edition #5

Today's finances are a double whammy to make up for getting a week behind. I think I'm getting the hang of how to do this diet at least semi-cheap, which means cutting back on the strawberries and the blueberries and going more with the fruits on sale. These past two weeks, the kiwis, the peaches, and the nectarines have been on sale, and, with those, you get more fruit for less money. I don't understand why the kiwis are so cheap - just $.79 each - when they source them from New Zealand (!).

7/2/10

2 1lb packages organic strawberries @ $3/package = $6
2 packages organic blueberries @ $3/package = $6
2.64 lbs organic bananas @ $1.29/lb = $3.41
organic raw almonds = $3.65
bunch of carrots = $1.99
6 kiwi fruit @ $.79/ea. = $4.74
organic rice puffs = $2.19
organic millet puffs = $2.19
C20 coconut water = $1.39
2 15oz cans organic garbanzo beans @ $1.39/can = $2.78
2 15oz cans organic diced tomatoes @ $2.39/can = $4.78
2 15oz cans organic black beans @ $1.39/can = $2.78
1.03 lbs organic white peaches @ $2.29/lb = $2.56
1.11 lbs organic lemons @ $2.49/lb = $2.76

Total = $49.61

7/10/10

2 15oz cans organic black beans @ $1.39/can = $2.78
2 15oz cans organic pinto beans @ $1.39/can = $2.78
3 15 oz cans light organic coconut milk @ $1.99/can = $5.97
1 jar organic sunflower seed butter = $6.99
organic raw almonds = $5.45
1.11 lb organic lemons @ $2.99/lb = $3.32
1.85 lb organic nectarines @ $1.69/lb = $3.13
2.33 lb organic yellow peaches @ $1.69/lb = $3.94
6 organic kiwi @ $.79/lb = $4.74
1 bunch organic cilantro = $1.49
1 bunch organic parsley = $1.29
3 organic avocados @ $.99/each = $2.97
1 bunch organic spinach = $2.49
1 plant organic basil = $2.99
2.22 lb organic bananas @ $1.29/lb = $2.86

Total = $54.58

Media, Edition #8: Sweet Misery

Here's something scary: the history and affects of Nutrasweet, AKA aspartame. It shows how toothless the FDA has been, how bad the revolving door is between industry and politics in the US, and how nasty all of this food regulation stuff is. For more information on aspartame, check out the DORway.

Cookbook, Edition #7: WholeFoods Raw Berry Crisp

I've not made this yet, but it looks and sounds fantastic! My mouth started watering just thinking about it. And there are so many variations you could make on it: peaches, mangoes, pears, apples, cherries - yum!

And WholeFoods puts out more recipes indexed by special dietary needs - I'll be posting more as I find more good things to eat!

Regimen, Edition #2: Turmeric and Coconut Oil Update

After a few days of trying to turmeric and coconut oil mask applied topically at night, I've decided that it may work for some people, I'm more frustrated with the mess it's causing than pleased by the results I'm getting. I bought some color friendly bleach to get the yellow stain out of my clothes. Turmeric tea doesn't bother me though (it tastes like liquid mustard, but I like mustard), so that will be how I reap turmeric's benefits.

Turmeric Tea

1 Cup Water
A dash of ground Turmeric
A dash of ground Black Pepper
Lemon Juice (optional)
Coconut Milk (optional)
Agave Nectar (optional)

Combine Water, Turmeric, and Pepper in a microwavable container. Microwave until the water gently boils. Add optional ingredients to taste. Serve hot immediately.

Odds and Ends: Facemapping Acne

This is cool - face-mapping acne to see what's causing it. According to this, the rest of my acne, which is largely on my upper cheeks these days (though I have some on the lower cheeks and on my neck), could be due to lung issues, talking on the phone, or my pillows. I have had minor respiratory issues in the past during exceedingly bad allergy season, and I probably don't exercise enough. I've got time these days, so I don't have an excuse.

Diet, Edition #4: A New and Improved Restricted Ingredients List!

I had a request that the Restricted Ingredients list be formatted and presented in a way that's easier to read and download, and I have fulfilled that request. I have compiled all of the ingredients from the three major categories (plus other ingredients that I avoided before taking on the AFF diet) into a relatively short, printable list. Before I update the Restricted Ingredients page, I wanted to see if this works as well for you, readers, as it does for me. Also, I've been looking at ingredients too long, so if there are any typos, duplicates, or other mistakes, let me know in the comments.

Media, Edition #8: Top Chef Tom Colicchio for improving school food

CNN reports on Top Chef host and judge Tom Colicchio's testimony in support of H.R. 5504, the Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act. While I am generally a fiscal conservative concerned about the mounting national debt, I know from personal experience that investing in good food is well worth the extra expense. I have written here many times that I feel lighter, cleaner, brighter, and more sane when I adhere to my general food principles strictly - not to mention that my face is clearer. My experience corrobates with scientific studies demonstrate that good food helps prevent and heal disease (1). The current obesity epidemic, the cost of good food, and the difficulties faced by the poor and middle classes necessitates a school lunch program where good food is the rule, not the exception.

Finances, Edition #4

I enjoy my weekly grocery store trip. There’s something about all the colorful food that makes me briefly forget about my worries. I also adhere to my family’s food-money philosophy: “You either spend money on food or you spend money on medical bills”. While I knew that my food bills would increase when I started buying all-organic fruits and vegetables, I didn’t think they would increase as much as they did - to $60, $80, sometimes $100 a week. To draw attention to the cost of good food, I’m keeping a cumulative tally of my weekly grocery bill and the tab from any time I eat out.

I realized I missed a week, so I owe you this receipt from two weeks ago as well as yesterday's receipt. Two weeks ago was an expensive week, mostly because I ran out of spices, tea tree oil, and grains - at the same time!

1.31 lb Organic Lemons @ $2.49/lb = $3.26
1 Bunch Organic Carrots = $1.99
Organic Tea Tree Oil = $11.49
1.62 lb Organic White Onion @ $2.49/lb = $2.99
2.37 lb Organic Red Seedless Grapes @ $2.99 = $7.09
Organic Raw Hemp Seed = $9.44
Organic Raw Hemp Seed = $4.44
1.05 lb Organic Millet @ $1.29 lb = $1.35
2 Packages of Organic Blueberries @ 2 Packages for $5 = $5
10oz Organic Girl Baby Spinach = $6.99
1.25 lb Organic Short Brown Rice @ $1.99/lb = $2..49
.76 lb Organic Raw Buckwheat Grits @ $2.39/lb = $2.49
Organic Cumin = $5.59
Organic Tumeric = $4.39
Organic Curry Powder = $4.99
Raw Blue Agave = $11.99
1.51 lb Organic White Jasmine Rice @ $2.29 /lb = $4.82
.76 lb Organic Amaranth @ $2.39/lb = $1.82
4 Mangos @ 4 for $5 = $5
2 1lb Packages Organic Strawberries @ 2 packages for $6 = $6
3.35 lb Organic Bananas @ $1.29/lb = $4.32

Subtotal = $108.01
Tax = $1.09
Total = $109.10

Regimen, Edition #1: Turmeric and Coconut Oil Mask

Because the diet I've been following is such a challenge, I've not written much about my topical regimen. The regimen I've more or less settled on is washing my face with coconut oil, applying tea tree oil with a cotton ball, and then applying a small amount of coconut oil as a moisturizer both in the morning and evening. In the evening, I've also used prescription strength retin-A cream after the tea tree oil and before the moisturizing coconut oil.

A few nights ago, I stumbled some people who use turmeric as a mask and tea to help with acne to great effect. While I don't like changing up my regimen too much, I also don't mind a nice face mask every once in a while. I made a mask using turmeric, all purpose wheat flour (which I haven't thrown out, since I've not conclusively proved that I am gluten sensitive, but I have suspicions - hence the diet), and coconut oil. I mixed it up, washed my face with coconut oil, applied the mask, and let it sit. It felt good while on my skin, and when I washed it off, my skin felt smoother than it had felt in years.

Now, there are drawbacks. The turmeric yellow stain is annoying. I've noticed that my neck is breaking out again (just two little buggers, but they hurt), probably from the stuff I didn't wash off. And, of course, the wheat flour seems unnecessary. I'll keep trying it, but I'll make the next batch sans the wheat. If the stuff irritates my skin, then it probably irritates my insides too.

Media, Edition #7: Sugar linked to high blood pressure

CNN reports that a study that found that the more fructose (the sugar naturally found in fruit and vegetables) you eat, the more likely you are to have hypertension (1).

With all the worries about fructose products (high fructose corn syrup, refined fructose, etc.), this is not a cop-out to avoid fruit and vegetables all together. When you eat the whole fruit (or as much as possible), you get a small amount of fructose and plenty of fiber, which helps you properly process the sugar. Dr. Robert Lustig, MD at University of California, San Francisco shows how in his lecture, Sugar: The Bitter Truth. The section on biochemistry is technical, but well worth the time, if you have it and remember some of your high school biology.

Cookbook, Edition #7: The Pink Smoothie

The Pink Smoothie resulted from two things: 1) combating food boredom, and 2) applying lessons from my former academic concentration to my food.

I am a musician by training, but I am more an academic than a performer. I was a composer until I realized that, as much as I love composing, I love learning about and teaching music theory more. One of the main lessons I took away from composing was that you can generate a lot of good stuff from just a few ideas. In fact, the less stuff you have to work with, the more creative you get with what you do use.

With the original Green Smoothie, I just wanted to get the vegetables into my system without setting off my gag reflex. As a brave soul who actually tried some of the original Green Smoothie said, "It doesn't taste bad. It doesn't really taste like anything." While that works for awhile, drinking tasteless green goop doesn't work long term, especially for a food lover. The variations on the Green Smoothie are one result of that effort to make this thing long term and enjoyable.

That said, just plain fruit is fantastic, especially in the morning. This is what I've been making for breakfast as of late.

The Pink Smoothie
2 handfuls chopped strawberries
2 handfuls blueberries, de-stemmed
1 banana
1 tablespoon or so hemp seed
1 tablespoon or so flax seed
a splash of coconut milk
a splash of water

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve cold immediately.

Cookbook, Edition #6: Green Smoothie, Variations I and II

Spinach and berries are great, but I get bored with the same food all the time quickly. Not only that, but other fruits pair nicely with spinach and have been in-season (and on sale) recently, and I like saving money just like anyone else. To take advantage of the in-season, on-sale fruit, I had to come up with a few variations on the green smoothie. This is what I came up with:

Variation I

2 fistfuls baby spinach
2 big handfuls red grapes
2 big handfuls chopped mango
1 peeled, chopped banana
1 chopped carrot with green, leafy parts
1 tablespoon or so hemp seed
1 tablespoon or so flax seed
a splash of coconut milk
a splash of water

Blend in a blender until smooth. Serve cold immediately.

Variation II

2 fistfulls baby spinach
2 big handfuls chopped mango
2 yellow peaches, diced
1 peeled, chopped banana
1 tablespoon or so hemp seed
1 tablespoon or so flax seed
a splash of coconut milk
a splash of water

Blend in a blender until smooth. Serve cold immediately.

Odds and Ends: New Format! New Features Coming Soon!

Earlier today, I was experimenting with a new format for The Acne-Free Foodie and found this lovely template. With very little modification, I'm pleased to say that the new format and color scheme fits more with the my vision of what The Acne-Free Foodie is all about: easy access to good, clean, well-prepared food for a clear face, body, and mind. More features will be coming soon inspired by (or taken directly from) you, readers, as well some of my own ideas on how to make this more user friendly and attract more people to the site. Feel free to share more ideas in the comments below!

Cookbook, Edition #6: Curry-ish Beans and Rice

I have been meaning to try curry for a while simply because I had no idea what it was, friends rave about the stuff, and I've been bored with my other rice and beans concoctions. I'm happy to say that I tried making something like curry last night and thought it quite good. I doubt its close to authentic curry, but I liked it enough to share it with the world. It's vegetarian, and it cooks up quick, so I'll be making it during the regular school year too.

Ingredients

Rice
1 cup Brown Rice
1 1/2 cups water
A tablespoon or so olive oil
A pinch of salt

Curry-like Beans
A handful or two of fresh diced onion
A tablespoon or so of olive oil
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
A pinch of cayanne pepper
A heaping tablespoon of premixed curry powder
A pinch of powdered coriander
A pinch of salt
1 15 oz can garbanzo beans
A tablespoon or so of coconut milk

Rinse rice. Boil 1 1/2 cups water, tablespoon of olive oil, and pinch of salt in a sauce pan. While boiling, add rice. Simmer uncovered until water boiled off and/or absorbed.

While the rice simmers, saute chopped onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and let gently simmer until the rice is finished. Serve hot over rice.

You can substitute jasmine rice for the brown rice, adjust the spices to your taste, or substitute other kinds of beans, tofu, or meat for the garbanzo beans.

Cookbook, Edition #5: Using Your Old Cookbooks

While moving, I unearthed my old cookbooks and didn't have the heart to put them in the Goodwill pile. While struggling with a severe bout of food boredom, I started looking through these hand-me-down cookbooks and found that there were a lot of recipes I could have, some with no alterations, and some just a few tweaks. There were some recipes that were completely out of the question (i.e. stir fry recipes requiring soy sauce), but I was surprised how little work I would have to do to get out of my food rut and hop back into the gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy-free diet I had tackled in March. Of course, when you are cooking gfsfcf, it's always better choose recipes that are naturally gfsfcf compliant.

Some basic, recurring substitutions:
-Heavy Cream, Half-and-Half and Milk, esp. when used to make something creamy: coconut milk in various concentrations *
-Butter: Canola or olive oil
-Refined Sugar: honey, agave nectar, or (in some cases) fruit

I made lists of the recipes I can have with little or no work and hope to give a compilation to my parents so they can see what I can have.

* A word is necessary about using coconut milk as a gfsfcf substitute. There have been conflicting reports on whether or not coconut products are good for you due to their high saturated fat content. There are plenty of resources on the Internet to allow you to evaluate whether or not including coconut milk in your diet is a good idea. Personally, I don't have a problem using coconut milk as a milk substitute every once in while, so long as I know that I have been getting plenty of fruit, vegetables, grains, and beans and not too much meat.

Media, Edition #6: Food Revolution Continues #2

This just in my inbox: the Washington D.C. area school food director recently announced that they are banning flavored milk (1). Also, Florida schools are considering a similar milk ban (2). Now, I can't have milk at all right now , but I don't mind advocating for those who can have the stuff. After all, who wants elementary school kids to have access to this sugary, flavored stuff while in school? When I was in elementary school, I chose the chocolate milk 99% of the time - and yes, they sold the stuff when I was growing up. So congrats, D.C. and Florida area schools!

Odds and Ends: I am (more or less) done moving

I have been dealing with moving and reorganizing stuff for the past few weeks, and it has made writing (not to mention cooking) difficult, if not impossible. I'm getting back into the swing of things though and will be writing regularly again soon - I've yet to get used to my new, otherwise beautiful, but pantry-less, kitchen. Rather than rehash all of the confessions I actually owe you, dear readers, I'm going to ask that we skip ahead to a new chapter in this gfsfcf diet: how to get through extreme food boredom and make this diet a semi-permanent fixture. I get my home Internet installed on Monday, so you'll be hearing from me soon.

Finances, Edition #3

I enjoy my weekly grocery store trip. There’s something about all the colorful food that makes me briefly forget about my worries. I also adhere to my family’s food-money philosophy: “You either spend money on food or you spend money on medical bills”. While I knew that my food bills would increase when I started buying all-organic fruits and vegetables, I didn’t think they would increase as much as they did - to $60, $80, sometimes $100 a week. To draw attention to the cost of good food, I’m keeping a cumulative tally of my weekly grocery bill and the tab from any time I eat out.

I did some more cutting corners last week, although early this week, I blew it because pesticide-free strawberries, organic blueberries, and organic mangos were on sale for the best prices I've seen where I live.

5/28/10

Organic Kidney Beans (15 oz): $1.39
Organic Black Beans (15 oz): $1.29
Organic Light Coconut Milk (15 oz): $2.39
3 Organic Lemons, $2.49/lb: $2.27
4 Organic White Peaches, 3.99/lb: $4.27
Organic Raw Hemp Seeds: $5.68
Organic Deget Dates: $2.04
1 lb pesticide free Strawberries: $3.00
1 lb pesticide free Strawberries: $3.99 (Interesting. The strawberries were supposed to be on sale - 2 for $6.)
4 Organic Mangos, 1.25 ea.: $5

Total: $37.41

Then, when I went back to grab something to eat before going on a nice drive, I saw that there were more strawberries, blueberries, and mangos for the taking, and they looked better than the ones I'd picked through the last trip.

5/31/10

4 1lb boxes of Pesticide-Free Strawberries: $12
4 boxes of Organic Blueberries: $12
4 Organic Mangos, 1.25 ea: $5
AmaZake Rice Drink (by Grainaissance), Original Flavor: $2.49
Peanut Butter Cookie: $1.99

Total: $33.65

Week's Total: $71.06

Blog Total: $192.17

Confession, Edition #4

We all make poor food choices and I am no exception, so I am sharing the occasions when I break my own diet. In doing so, I hope to keep myself accountable in adhering to the diet; bring attention to the difference in cost between AFF friendly food and not-so-AFF-friendly food; and show where to find AFF-friendly food outside the apartment kitchen.

I went a week and five days without writing a confession! I know my detractors would say that if I were serious about clearing acne and feeling better permanently, I wouldn't have to write confessions at all. While they may have a point, I would prefer to be as honest as possible about my gluten, soy, and dairy-free (and industrial-animal-product-and-synthetic-sweetener-free avoiding) adventures and misadventures. Should someone of influence come across this blog, I hope they will see the benefits of maintaining high food-quality standards and just how difficult maintaining these standards is in today's food market - and maybe do something about it.

So, confession from yesterday. A friend (and my new roommate!) and I went on a day trip so that she could meet a professor who teaches at a school to which she's considering applying for her doctoral program. I went along because the school is also in my hometown and I would get a chance to see my mom.

Before we left, we had to get our cashier's checks and money orders to pay the up-front fees for our new apartment and sign the lease. While dealing with the mess that is cashier's checks and money orders, I bought tall coffee with soy milk at Starbucks and sweetened it with white sugar (soy, non-organic, processed sugar, caffeine). In my defense, I also got a Berry Blast Naked Juice for later, bringing the day's total sins to $5.29.

Then, after we signed the lease and paid our money, we stopped and got some more Starbucks coffee for free. Our new apartment offers free, fresh brewed Starbucks coffee in it's main office. Unfortunately, they don't have any fresh, liquid, non-dairy, soy, gluten, or artificial sweetner-laiden creamer. I do like black coffee, but I didn't resist pouring some hazelnut-flavored powder creamer (gluten, soy, dairy, non-organic, artificial sweetener/processed sugar, caffeine) to celebrate a new, beautiful apartment with a new, awesome roommate.

So, we drove down and found where she needed to be, with a few minutes to spare. My mom came and we went to the Starbucks near the campus. We both got the non-organic black tea without sweetener (non-organic, caffeine). It was Mom's treat.

When my roommate's appointment was finished and my Mom went home, we had a misadventure trying to pick up something for my roommate's boss. We had had nothing to eat besides coffee (and, in my case, tea and Naked Juice) and ended up at Red Robin. I was so hungry I didn't even really want to think about a salad with fruit. I ordered the Burnin' Love Burger with a Garden Burger for the meat (gluten, dairy, soy) and had marinaded cheese sticks and fried jalepenos with marinara and ranch (dairy, gluten, fried food). That total was $15.75.

For dessert (because my roommate's meeting went very well), I ordered an iced boba chai tea at a local tea shop for $5.55.

The day's total: $26.59.

I still need to write another confession for a few nights ago. I bought an organic pizza (gluten, dairy, soy) and had a soy-based cheesecake (which actually was quite good). The total was $14.93.

So maybe it's been less than a week and five days since my last confession . . .

This confession's total: $41.52.

Media, Edition #5: Orange Juice Scam?

This intrigued me because orange juice seems like such an innocent food. Then again, Food Inc., The Future of Food, and other media sources readily argue otherwise, so maybe no readily available food is "innocent" unless labeled so (and you know how to read food labels). That said, this interview with Alissa Hamilton, author of Squeezed: What You Don't Know About Orange Juice, struck a chord because I remember having bottled Dole orange juice as a kid and it never tasted right. Minute Maid and Tropicana were less offensive, but none of them really matched what an orange tasted like. I guess I now know why.

Cookbook, Edition #4: Chocolate Goo

I love chocolate. Before I went gluten, soy, and dairy free, I tried to have a little bit of dark chocolate every day. Whether or not it is actually good for you, I liked having an excuse to have a nibble or two.

Now, most chocolate bars require a confession entry. Nonetheless, I still have the last bit of a Trader Joes Dark Chocolate Bar in my fridge. I know it's probably gone bad, but I just don't have the heart to let it go yet - not to mention I hate wasting food.

When I went gluten, soy, and dairy free, I knew that I would need some kind of chocolate substitute to satisfy my addiction. I did some reading, adapted recipes to my situation, and came up with a Chocolate Goo that works well on its own and as a frosting that surprised the day-lights out of my gluten-soy-and-dairy-eating friends. If you come up with a better title, feel free to leave it in the comments.

Chocolate Goo

1 part Cocoa Powder
2 parts Coconut Oil
1 part Honey (I switched to Agave Nectar after I read it wouldn't make my blood sugar spike - another possibility for my breakouts - you can use less if you use it)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer, for best mixing. At this point, you can use it as frosting or eat it plain. I've also experimented with adding flax and hemp seeds, as well as other nuts, to make the goo less goo-like and more like a chocolate. I've also tried substituting bananas for part of the honey/agave nectar, but that experiment didn't work so well.

Cookbook, Edition #3: Popped Amaranth, Attempt I

I've been reading about popped amaranth recently - how good it is in cereal and as a basis for treats. I like popcorn well enough - I've never really made it outside my parent's house before - so I thought I'd give it try.

I'm sorry to say that my first attempt failed: I burned the amaranth and set off both of my apartment's smoke alarms. I think I didn't account for the fact that, at high elevations, temperatures around the oven heat up really fast, and I was using the big shallow frying pan I have on hand. It's nice for scrambling an egg quickly, but not so good for popping amaranth. I've not given up, but I need to procure a wok somehow, as is specified in several recipes I read. My dad would be thrilled - he's talked about the wok's virtues since I was a kid.

That said, here's how to pop amaranth, courtesy of Winnie Abramson at the Healthy Green Kitchen.

"Rinse amaranth seeds in a fine mesh strainer and let sit for about 30 minutes so they are dry. Place a wok or cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the raw amaranth. Stir around with a wooden spoon as the amaranth seeds begin to turn brown and toasty. Then they should start popping. Be aware that if the pan isn’t hot enough or if you add too much amaranth at once, your seeds may not pop, and they might just burn. (For this reason, you may want to add only a tablespoon of amaranth at once, and remove them as soon as they’ve popped).

If the pan is hot enough though, and if you continue to stir the seeds around, most of them should pop and turn white. Watch that they don’t burn. When most of the seeds have popped, remove from the heat and set aside to cool." (1)

Odds and Ends: A Food Revolutionary - in my sleep!

As has probably become apparent, my "food philosophy" either resonates with or is influenced by Jamie Oliver and his Food Revolution. That said, I apparently eat, breath, and sleep the Food Revolution now (as opposed to the GRE and my research).

I had a dream that, among other things, I was touring an elementary school and I heard one of the teachers complaining about the fresh, home-made, nutritious, beautifully prepped and presented food. I let it go briefly because I was talking to someone else about something else, but I finally delivered a Jamie-Oliver-esque lecture about how the food on her plate would make her feel good and help her students behave better and achieve more in her class. I wasn't even thinking - the words just came - flawlessly.

I know where this came from. I've been struggling a bit with the social consequences of taking on the AFF diet. I'm not a social butterfly, but I prefer sitting down to a home-made meal to restaurant food any day of the week. It's so much cheaper, and I get to cook. Maybe it's the teacher in me, but I like showing people how easy, fast, and yummy home-cooked food can be. Professional cook I am not, but I can do simple, good, nutritious dishes on a dime with little effort. That's all a grad student needs to get by.

The AFF Diet, Edition #5: The Cheese Problem

While this diet is working for me - I'm working on eliminating my last patch of cysts on the right side of my face, with a bump here and there elsewhere - there is a problem with this diet that keeps coming up. I'm calling it the Cheese Problem.

I like cheese and cheese-based foods - cheesecake, macaroni and cheese, and pizza, particularly - and cheese adds something to a lot of Italian dishes (pasta marinara without parmesan anyone?). I've tried soy-based cheese on an otherwise-acceptable pizza (I think I wrote that confession entry - or maybe it was before I started the blog), and thought it inadequate. After having read somewhere that soy cheese was the best dairy-cheese-alternative out there, I thought I would have to kiss cheese goodbye altogether. That made me really sad. While I don't want to go back to eating dairy (since that seems to be an acne-aggravator, not to mention it messes with my digestive system), I want to eat cheesecake along with my dairy-eating family, boyfriend, and friends.

Today, I ran across the nut cheese idea. There are apparently lots of recipes for this cheese substitute. My brief search yielded mostly cream-cheese-like spreads, like this one, which seems promising for a future diet-friendly cheesecake recipe.

Cookbook, Edition #2: Breakfast Rice

While on vacation, I had access to lots of rice and spices for free (Thank you!). It wasn't ideal rice - it wasn't organic and it was fortified - but it sure tasted good and prevented me from writing even more confession entries than I did last week.

When I was a kid, my paternal grandmother once gave us rice with spices and milk for breakfast - a variation on oatmeal. I liked it a lot as kid - I liked oatmeal and rice was just as good. So when confronted with rice and spices for breakfast, I knew (more or less) what I was going to do.

Breakfast Rice

1 cup dry rice (I used white rice on my vacation, but brown rice would work too)
a few shakes cinnamon
a dash nutmeg
a dash cardamom (this stuff is pricey, but it is fantastic)
a bit olive oil (optional)

Boil rice according to the instructions on the package. While the water is boiling, add oil and spices to taste. Continue to cook rice according the package instructions. When rice is finished, fluff and enjoy while hot.

Variations: Add your "milk" of choice for a dish a bit more like oatmeal. Try adding your favorite fruit, nuts, and/or seeds for more nutritional punch. Substitute different rices, amaranth, quinoa, or gluten free oats (if you can have them).

Yield: 2 servings

Finances, Edition #2

I enjoy my weekly grocery store trip. There’s something about all the colorful food that makes me briefly forget about my worries. I also adhere to my family’s food-money philosophy: “You either spend money on food or you spend money on medical bills”. While I knew that my food bills would increase when I started buying all-organic fruits and vegetables, I didn’t think they would increase as much as they did - to $60, $80, sometimes $100 a week. To draw attention to the cost of good food, I’m keeping a cumulative tally of my weekly grocery bill and the tab from any time I eat out.

Updates from my vacation (minus the confession entries).

Brown rice bread: $4.99
Fudge Brownie: $1.59
Frozen Channa Masala: $3.99
Mango White Tea: $1.59

Total: $12.16

Organic Blueberry Juice: $3.99
Organic Black Beans: $1.39
Organic Kidney Beans: $1.39
Organic Spinach: $3.49

Total: $10.26

Vanilla Hemp Milk: $3.29
Tea: $1.79

Total: $5.08

Vacation Total: $27.50

Now that I'm back, I have to get more creative and calculating in how I spend the few dollars I am making. I met a friend at the natural foods store today and got down and dirty with cutting corners.

Organic Hass Avocados: $.99 ea X 3 = $2.97
Organic Cantalope: $1.49/lb X 5.4 lb = $8.05
Organic Kiwi: $.79 ea X 6 = $3.95
Organic Red Leaf Lettuce: $1.99/head X 1 head = $1.99
Organic Green Leaf Lettuce: $1.99/head X 1 head = $1.99
Organic Carrot Bunch (5 carrots): $1.59/bunch X 1 bunch = $1.59
Organic Deglet Dates: $2.16
Organic Amaranth (bulk): $2.39/lb X 2.01 lb = $4.80
Organic Chocolate Coconut Macaroons: $3.99

Total: $31.49

Blog Total: $121.11

The AFF Diet, Edition #4: More ingredients!

I was casually searching the Internet, looking up what I could find to start adding another kind of entry (more are coming) and found more glutenous ingredients to avoid! Due credit goes to the Lake Michigan Celiac Support Group for this list.

AMP-ISOSTEAROYL HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN
DISODIUM WHEATGERMAMIDO PEG-2 SULFOSUCCINATE
HYDROLYZED WHEAT GLUTEN
HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN
HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN PG-PROPYL SILANETRIOL
HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN/PVP CROSSPOLYMER
HYDROLYZED WHEAT STARCH
HYDROXYPROPYLTRIMONIUM HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN
STEARYLDIMONIUMHYDROXYPROPYL
TRITICUM VULGARE (WHEAT) FLOUR LIPIDS
TRITICUM VULGARE (WHEAT) GERM EXTRACT
TRITICUM VULGARE (WHEAT) GERM OIL
VITAMIN E DERIVED FROM WHEAT GERM OIL
WHEAT GERMAMIDOPROPALKONIUM CHLORIDE
WHEATGERMAMIDOPROPYL ETHYLDIMONIUM ETHOSULFATE
WHEAT AMINO ACIDS
WHEAT BRAN EXTRACT
WHEAT GERMAMIDOPROPYLDIMONIUM HYDROXYPROPYL
WHEAT GERM EXTRACT
WHEAT GERM GLYCERIDES
WHEAT GERM OIL
WHEAT PROTEIN
WHEAT (TRITICUM VULGARE) BRAN EXTRACT
AMINO PEPTIDE COMPLEX
BARLEY EXTRACT
BARLEY LIPIDS
HORDEUM VULGARE (BARLEY) EXTRACT
HYDROLYZED MALT EXTRACT
PHYTOSPHINGOSINE EXTRACT
SAMINO PEPTIDE COMPLEX
SECALE CEREALE (RYE) SEED FLOUR
AVENA SATIVA (OAT) KERNEL PROTEIN
HYDROLYZED OAT FLOUR
OAT AMINO ACIDS
OAT (AVENA SATIVA) EXTRACT
OAT BETA GLUCANOAT EXTRACT
OAT FLOURSODIUM LAUROYL
SAVENA SATIVA (OAT) FLOUR
CYCLODEXTRIN
DEXTRIN
DEXTRIN PALMITATE
HYDROLYZED VEGETABLE PROTEIN
MALTODEXTRIN (COULD BE DERIVED FROM BARLEY)

More sorting out for me!

As always, if you find more ingredients, please comment and cite your source!

Confession, Edition #3

We all make poor food choices and I am no exception, so I am sharing the occasions when I break my own diet. In doing so, I hope to keep myself accountable in adhering to the diet; bring attention to the difference in cost between AFF friendly food and not-so-AFF-friendly food; and show where to find AFF-friendly food outside the apartment kitchen.

I’m on vacation until Saturday, but I also want to stay current. I've been fortunate to have access to my boyfriend's kitchen, so this confession isn't nearly as long as it could be.

On Sunday, I had been driving 2 1/2 hours and I needed protein. I stopped at the Barnes and Noble coffee shop and ordered a Turkey Chipotle Panini (gluten, dairy, non-organic, industrial meat, probably soy in there too) and a Tall Starbucks Drip Coffee (non-organic, dairy).

The Bill: Free (gift card)

I could have ordered the vegetarian soup to avoid the industrial meat (at the least), but that wouldn't have given me the protein I needed.

Yesterday, I broke the diet twice. For lunch, I met a friend at Pei Wei because he's moving cross-country today. I knew I'd be breaking the diet on my undergraduate alma mater's off-campus restaurant row, but I could have faired better. I got the Kung Pao Chicken (gluten, soy, dairy) and an organic green tea (nothing).

The Bill: approximately $10

For dinner, I met with boyfriend and his mom at a favorite local Greek food place. They serve complementary pita and hummus (gluten, dairy, non-organic). We got the pita and fried Saganaki (gluten, dairy, non-organic) and I got the Organic House Salad (nothing!) and the Lemon Chicken with Rice Soup (dairy, industrial meat, non-organic).

The Bill: Free (boyfriend's mom's treat)

Today, my boyfriend and I ate the cheesecake slice (non-organic, gluten, and dairy) he ordered at the Greek place.

Media, Edition #4: Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution - Food Philosophy

If you want another philosophy of food, here's Jamie Oliver's. The philosophy is what he calls for - sane and balanced. As much as I am enjoying the food I am eating now, I look forward to relaxing on what I eat (including some soy, dairy, and gluten - well, maybe not dairy) once every last pimple, cyst, and red mark is gone.

"My philosophy to food and healthy eating has always been about enjoying everything in a balanced, and sane way. Food is one of life's greatest joys yet we've reached this really sad point where we're turning food into the enemy, and something to be afraid of. I believe that when you use good ingredients to make pasta dishes, salads, stews, burgers, grilled vegetables, fruit salads, and even outrageous cakes, they all have a place in our diets. We just need to rediscover our common sense: if you want to curl up and eat macaroni and cheese every once in a while – that's alright! Just have a sensible portion next to a fresh salad, and don't eat a big old helping of chocolate cake afterwords.

Knowing how to cook means you'll be able to turn all sorts of fresh ingredients into meals when they're in season, at their best, and cheapest! Cooking this way will always be cheaper than buying processed food, not to mention better for you. And because you'll be cooking a variety of lovely things, you'll naturally start to find a sensible balance. Some days you'll feel like making something light, and fresh, other days you'll want something warming and hearty. If you've got to snack between meals, try to go for something healthy rather than loading up on chocolate or potato crisps. Basically, as long as we all recognize that treats should be treats, not a daily occurrence, we'll be in a good place. So when I talk about having a 'healthy' approach to food, and eating better I'm talking about achieving that sense of balance: lots of the good stuff, loads of variety, and the odd indulgence every now and then." (1)

Media, Edition #3: Salt Addiction and "Cultural Handicaps"

Salt isn't something I worry about too much. Quite frankly, I much prefer garlic-y, onion-y, herb-y, sweet tastes in my food. I'll take chocolate any day over salty chips.

That said, Philip J. Klemmer, MD, a professor who gave up salt cold-turkey, said that even though he saw significant health benefits during his "salt challenge", "I couldn't keep up the hunter-gatherer diet [fruits, veggies, and a bit of meat] because it would become a cultural handicap [ . . . ] I'd be less fun. I wouldn't be able to associate with people, or I'd be the one sitting there with a bag lunch when everybody else was ordering food." (1)

I know I've been in this situation - I feel guilty for being the stick in the mud when it comes to food such that I make so many compromises that result in Confession entries. Since its summer and we students have more leisure time, it's even more difficult because temptation is everywhere. Even if I did bring my own food, there are restaurants that wouldn't allow me to take it in. My friends have been supportive (and many thanks to all of you) but there is so little food out there that, if I stuck to the diet the way I stuck to it in the first weeks, I'd miss out on things that are just as important to health as pristine food. Anyone have any advice on this?

The AFF Diet, Edition #3: Another reason to give up dairy

John McDougall, MD on the Real Food Channel describes how dairy products are linked to or can cause a swath of health problems, including, but not limited to leukemia, type-I diabetes, constipation, arthritis, and heart disease. While I don't agree with everything he says (particularly the concerns about too much fat), my hemp seed/coconut milk tastes even better now. That stuff about Bovine AIDS, Bovine Leukemia, and pus cells was disgusting.

Media, Edition #2: Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Continues #1!

The six-episode mini-series in Huntington, West Virginia was just a kick-off for a nationwide effort to get better food into US public schools and change the American food culture. Oliver has been providing weekly updates on the movement (week 1 and week 2) and the Food Revolution is picking up speed. His online petition for better food in the public schools is inching towards 600,000 people. If you haven't signed the petition, do it. When you do, you can opt in to a weekly newsletter to stay updated on the Food Revolution branch of the US movement for healthier food.

The weekly newsletter also comes with an easy recipe to try: last week was an omlete, this week is a one cup pancake. Omletes are fantastic - they were the first things I learned how to cook when I was little. This pancake is going to be a bit of a challenge - I'll have to make some changes to make them AFF friendly and have them work at high altitudes. When I do get to trying them out, I'll post a picture and my adjustments. If you get to trying out AFF friendly versions, leave them in the comments.

Government, Edition #1: Senate Bill S510

Really?! In the name of food safety?! I'm normally measured about big political measures, but, occasionally, something is brought to my attention that makes that diplomacy rather difficult. Why it hasn't been all over the news is beyond me.

Senate Bill S510/H.R. 2749 makes it illegal to trade, sell, share, or otherwise distribute any food that is not registered and regulated by the federal government. The idea is that, if the US government outlaws unregistered, unregulated food, then our food will be safer to eat. The problem with the logic is that it's not the food grown in individuals' gardens or small farms that is the problem. Given the opportunity to keep a garden (I live in apartments where gardening is rather difficult, if not impossible), I would guard it from nasty stuff (E. coli, pesticides, herbicides, genetically-modified food-stuffs) with everything I had. I can't even focus enough to go looking for articles showing how it's not independently grown food that's the problem - it's big, industrial food. I guess I'll have to settle with this analysis for now.

Regimen, Edition #1: Organic, Unrefined, Coconut Oil

When I was researching the regimen, I read several accounts about how people who had struggled with acne for years found that organic, raw coconut oil made all the difference for them. I thought they were nuts, but I was willing to give anything reasonable a shot at the time, so I gave coconut oil a go.

I am pleased to say that raw, organic, non-hydrogenated coconut oil has made quite a difference. I started using it just as a moisturizer after my Retin-A cream at night, but I've using it as a day moisturizer and a body lotion too. I've had fewer problems with dry skin and scars have faded faster than they normally do. I've yet to figure out how exactly to make it work with my hair, but when I have used it, coconut oil works just as well on dandruff as T-Gel.

Coconut oil also works well with the recipes I've been developing. It helps keep my protein bars together (lifesavers when I'm in a hurry) and it works well in smoothies. Now it sounds crazy to be going through so much coconut oil, because of the high saturated fat content, but everyone needs some fat to stay healthy and sane and the kind of saturated fat in coconut oil is the same kind in mother's milk. I wouldn't say that's a bad trade-off, especially if fat consumption in general is low like mine (little meat; tons of fruits, veggies, and nuts; a bit of grain; very little dairy).

I'm not paid by anyone to market coconut oil (though I really could use the money), but it's worth a shot if you're not allergic or sensitive.

Confession, Edition #2

We all make poor food choices and I am no exception, so I am sharing the occasions when I break my own diet. In doing so, I hope to keep myself accountable in adhering to the diet; bring attention to the difference in cost between AFF friendly food and not-so-friendly AFF food; and show where to find AFF friendly food outside the apartment kitchen.

My future roommate and I went out to dinner/dessert at the Wildflower Bread Company to discuss apartment searching stuff. Not wanting to modify the Emerald Spinach Salad yet again, I tried the Vegetarian Black Bean Soup, and it was good, filling, and cheap. It's not organic, unfortunately, but there is only one partially organic restaurant in my area, and it's a bit pricey. Not a bad deal for compromising.

The Bill: $5.18

We got dessert at the Barnes and Noble Coffee Shop. I broke the diet (again) with a coffee with soymilk and a lemon bundt cake. It didn't cost me anything because I still have a Barnes and Noble gift card from Christmas. I still could have just a had tea and honey though.

The AFF Diet, Edition #2: Why organic?

I've cut out soy, gluten, and dairy. That pretty much eliminates abundant, cheap, quick, processed food found in traditional supermarkets and restaurants. That elimination also makes my food bill eat up a substantial fraction of my limited income. Why go organic too?

First thing's first. Organic food is grown without certain chemicals (mostly synthetic fertilizers and pesticides) that has been approved by the US government to carry a USDA Certified Organic sticker (1, 2). People have different reasons for going organic, but, in my reading, the Soil Association's 5 reasons for organic foods sums the reasons up well: concerns about health, animals, and the environment (3). While organizations have claimed that organic food is more nutritious than regular food (4), such claims took a hit when CNN covered a study arguing otherwise. None the less, the demand for organic food has increased over the past several years.

The reason I am choosing organic food is simple and has nothing to do with nutrition. While it would be nice to be getting %50 more nutrients for every apple that I eat, I am most concerned with what I don't get with organic food. I don't want to eat the chemicals used on regular food, or the genetically-modified foods unregulated in regular food. While the chemical/GMO junk may come in minute quantities, my body has been trying to get rid of that stuff for the past 12-13 years, and I don't need to be processing it.