on my mind monday 05.22.12

news | photo: mconnors

It's never the same two weeks in a row.  This is what I find interesting in the world of food, nutrition, health, and holistic living.  Read what's on my mind.

Testing Antioxidant Power of Foods -   The concept of antioxidant powders or beverages may sound great, but we are still moving away from the idea of whole foods.  Not even all whole foods are perfect as many of them contain enzymes that interfere with bioavailability if not soaked or fermented.  As the article itself states, "Blueberries have one of the highest scores—6,000 to 9,000 a cup, and more for wild-type berries. But the berries' colorful anthocyanins may not be well absorbed by the body, scientists say. Raw broccoli, they add, has a score of 1,400 a cup, but it contains a powerful antioxidant booster that isn't recorded by the lab test."  My suggestions:  Don't rely on a can for all of your nutrients and eat a varied, balanced, nourishing, whole food diet.

Foodiodicals - This collection of foodie magazines and concepts sounds amazing and intriguing.  Going beyond the typical grocery store food magazines, or those who love food and love reading about food - those who are obsessed with food, it looks like there's a lot more out there than one might think.

Mario Batali Spending $31 Per Week On Groceries - This is in response to the Food Stamp Challenge. I did this a while back as did a few of my friends.  It's an eye opening experience.  For me I also realized how, unless you know how to shop and cook well, you are not going to be able to eat as well as you would like.  There's also a huge divide in the foods which are subsidized (and therefore cheaper)  and those which are not.  Batali remarked, "We want people to think about calling and talking to their representation about cuts to the Farm Bill and the food stamp program."  I would like to encourage folks to read the book Hope's Edge by Frances Moore Lappe.  There are a lot of amazing stories in it about food and our diet.  One that really stuck with me over the years was the story of Belo Horizonte, Brazil which established the practice and belief of "Food As A Right."  As I re-read the story I'm struck by how simple the concept is and how powerfully it can work.

Everything You Thought About Pricey Health Foods Is Wrong - This goes back to something I've been saying for a while.  If you look at the nutrient density of what you are eating, that's how you determine your spending.  The picture in this article says it all. I don't know about you but I would be a lot more satisfied with the serving of strawberries than potato chips.


This is an older video but definitely one worth watching. If an 11 year old child can get it, why can't those who produce our food?  Birke Baehr is now 13 years old and still going strong with his mission as a sustainable food advocate.

disclaimer: cmp.ly/5