By the time I was old enough to care about diets, the “low-fat” concept was beyond just a fad. It was universally accepted that fat was the culprit of weight and health issues, and low- and no-fat options were ubiquitous in the grocery store.
Food deserts are defined as areas that are devoid of fruit, vegetable, and fresh food options. They tend to be areas populated by poor and working-class families. According to the USDA, food deserts tend not to have enough grocery stores, farmers’ markets, or food providers for the demand. The problem of food deserts was so pervasive that First Lady Michelle Obama dedicated a lot of time to this topic through her Let’s Move initiative.
As the seasons change and the weather gets cooler, we start to crave more warming and nourishing foods. Unfortunately, the change in seasons also tends to bring more busyness to our lives - school functions, late hours, and holidays all colliding at the same time. It’s a double-edged sword -- craving the heaviness of winter foods while also unable to spend hours in the kitchen.
Kombucha is rising in popularity—and for good reason. Its probiotic properties make it great for the all-important microbiome (fancy talk for “your gut”), which helps many health issues. However, as major brands jump on the bandwagon and create their own drinks, the refrigerated shelves are getting a little crowded.
It’s no secret that the nutrition world has fallen in love with fermented foods. Yogurt, long heralded for its probiotic qualities, now has a lot of nutritionist competition with other fermented eats, like tempeh, kimchi, and miso—and drinks, like kefir and kombucha.
Easier said than done. What the heck is kefir, and how do you cook with kimchi? Relax, young (healthy) grasshopper. These simple meal ideas use ingredients you probably have on hand to complement the ones you just got for the first time.
Breakfast: Kombucha
I am a self-proclaimed healthy eater, but I would be completely lying if I said that I never eat packaged convenience food. The easy and quick nature of something nearly ready-prepared is hard to beat, but the nutrition is often lacking. On nights when we can’t seem to possibly get everything done, I reach for an old standby: packaged ramen. Now I know what you’re thinking, “You can’t be serious! Ramen? Those heavily processed bricks of noodles?” Yes, I mean that ramen!
As the days get cooler and the mornings get darker, I start to crave more warming and hearty breakfast foods. As a runner, fall is typically a time of peak preparation; many large races occur in the fall months, and my training season is no different. About 4 weeks ago I started training for my second big race of the year: the California International Marathon, affectionately called CIM. While the race is known for its world-class organization and net downhill course, it is anything but easy.
My first encounter with Egyptian street food was in the most unlikely of places: the Minnesota State Fair. Strange as it may sound, among the corndogs and cheese curds, there is a popular Middle Eastern food stand at the fair serving things like falafel, gyro meat, dolmas, and my favorite, koshari. As it happens, koshari (also spelled kushari, koshary, or kosheri) is the national dish of Egypt and a popular street food item. The dish consists of rice, lentils, macaroni, chickpeas, fried onions, and a delicious spicy red sauce.
As fall approaches, you may be experiencing a sigh of relief. Why? Because you’ll be putting your bikinis and swimming trunks aside, and digging out all of those heavy winter coats you forgot you even had. That’s why. However, I’d like to challenge you to embrace a new line of thinking.
The 80/20 Rule: Why is the kitchen so important?
The 80/20 rule is not the brainchild of some health and fitness guru on a quest to eradicate obesity. As grand as that sounds, it is more complex than a simple snap of the fingers. From cheat days to diminishing the importance of exercise there is a lot of hype surrounding this idea of 80/20 that in fact originated over a century ago.