I go by the ‘Sasha Diet,’ it is sustainable, affordable  and most importantly delicious!

What is the ‘sasha diet?’ It’s a mix of local foods, what’s affordable at the local grocery and convenience stores and what I feel like eating. It’s an attempt to eat a balanced diet of fats, proteins and carbohydrates and the essential nutrients and minerals. It’s not that I count my calories or scrutinize food for specific nutrients, but I figure if I eat a variety of foods I’ll be able to capture the essentials.

This what I’m thinking about when I’m planning my meals:

• Meats: Opt for organic, grain fed, etc. And as much as possible try to source out local meats. Make sure you include a variety. Remember red meat is rich in iron and if you’re like me, you’ll need lots of it
• Fish: I try and eat fish once a week. I’m always checking out what’s local and try to eat a variety of fish. One of my favourite things to do in the summer is go for sashimi, it’s light, refreshing and packed with protein.
• Nuts and Legumes: Snack on nuts instead of chips and candy. Make or buy your own dips; hummus, bean dips and bring some veggies along to snack away. I prefer to make my own dips, since you can eliminate the chemically preservatives, I make small batches or larger batches that I share with friends!
• Veggies and Fruit: I try and eat a variety of both each day. As much as possible I try to buy what is in season and local or local greenhouse. There are always exceptions, like bananas; you cannot exactly grow a banana in southern Ontario! I try and eat fresh fruit over dried fruit. The fresh fruit provides you with the added water and most of us do not drink enough water in a day. I’ve also heard that consuming fresh fruit over dried fruit makes you feel fuller.  For those of you cutting calories fresh fruit is the way you should go; compare the calories on a cup of fresh vs. dried fruit and you’ll see why.
• Grains: while I try to minimize my bread consumption, you do need to eat some grains every day. I’ve recently started eating oatmeal, red river cereal and cream of wheat again. It’s a great start to the day or even try it as a snack. Add some nuts, raisins, dried fruit etc. And I always add a touch of maple syrup for some sweetness! When I do consume bread I try to pick breads packed with nuts and seeds over conventional white and whole wheat bread.
• Dairy: My favourite recovery snack is chocolate milk! I consume one to two glasses per day depending on the number and intensity of my workouts. I also try to consume some yogurt and fruit as my mid morning snack. Cheeses are not big on my list, not because I don’t like them, they don’t like me. Goat cheese seems to sit ok so I consume a lot of it, and it’s lower in fat than most cheeses.
• Water: Part of a healthy diet is to stay hydrated. Coffee and soft drinks don’t count, they’re laden with caffeine and can be high in calories. Fruit juice is ok, but try to pick the more natural ones with less sugar and less ‘fake’ stuff.

Pick foods that are local. Pick foods that are bright colours. Eat a variety of different things. Shop the perimeter and avoid things that come in a cardboard box. It’s healthy and it’s sustainable. Pick foods that you like and that you’ll eat. Throwing out food is a waste of money and resources.

My diet also includes a lot of physical activity. Compared to most people I do a lot (my Tuesday was an early morning 40k road ride and ultimate frisbee that evening!). I’ve been called everything from dedicated to crazy. While it is not necessary to workout as much as I do, I think part of a healthy diet is being active daily.

As I continue with my blog I think I’ll add a page on recipes. Hopefully it will inspire you to make healthy choices each day.  Check out today’s recipe Summer Spinach Salad.

A co-worker was going on mat leave so we all decided to have lunch together. We picked a restaurant close to work and agreed to meet at the lobby 15 minutes before our reservation. We congregated in the lobby chatting, waiting for the stragglers to come down from their offices, and then the debate over who was going to drive began!

Drive!? ‘You want to drive?’ I asked. I was absolutely adamant that I was walking. It was a beautiful sunny day. I wanted to stretch my legs. But my friends insisted on driving. I overheard ‘I want to make sure I’m back in good time.’

I just GoogleMaps’d the location and it is 850m! I think I arrived one minute after they did. Returning back to the office, with the left turns and the lights, I was back at my desk before my office mates.

We relate our cars to efficient, time-saving machines, but sometimes they are quite the opposite.

I decided to look up what the average distance people are willing to walk to amenities.

In order to get the points for being close to amenities under the CaGBC/USGBC LEED for New Homes one has to construct within a half mile/800m of a frequent transit stop or community resources. I also did a quick Google search and found on average people are willing to walk between 1/4 mile/400m and 1/2 mile/800m.

Physical and mental health is on the decline and obesity is on the rise. A simple way to help combat this is to walk to lunch.

The fresh stuff, the produce, seafood, meat and dairy cases line the outside of the store, while the prepackaged stuff crowds the middle. That pre-packaged, read-to-eat (or almost ready-to-eat) stuff is really junk food and filled with chemicals, preservatives, salts, sugars, fats, etc.

Unfortunately the middle rows, the pre-packaged foods have been cheaper than the perimeter, fresh foods. And some people opt for salt-laden, fat-heavy, fast food meals because they may be even cheaper, and more importantly are quick.

But that may change. Certain ingredients known to cause health issues may have a tax added to them. For instance, trans fats, cheap to produce but are associated with raised levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol (higher levels of LDL cholesterol). Taxes may also be added to foods that have higher than recommended levels of fats and sugars, as reported by Postmedia.

While I am a perimeter shopper I do have to venture in to the middle sometimes for my staples. Olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Organic Peanut and almond Butter. Pure maple syrup. Oatmeal. Dried fruit. Baking ingredients. And it’s ok to eat junk food, just remember to do so in moderation. And I do try and avoid fast food meals. It takes less time to throw a salad together in the morning than drive to a McDonald’s at lunch.

Here are my green New Years Resolutions:

Be less wasteful: We are all guilty of it. That tomato sauce that goes moldy so we throw out the container instead of cleaning it and either reusing or recycling it. Throwing out food, especially wasted fruits and vegetables. I am going to try to consume more left overs for lunch and use more of the lettuce that is delivered to me week

Consume Locally: organic or not organic I think overall the environmental impact is smaller if I consume things that are produced locally. Root vegetables and squashes are delicious in Ontario through the winter and preserve well. I may have to satisfy my strawberry addiction (but isn’t it better to consume things from California, than say China or the middle east?)

Eat more ancient Grains: Not only do they keep you feeling satiated longer but there are lots of health benefits to ancient grains. In December I discovered Quinoa and all the great things you can make with it, today I ventured into Steel Cut Oatmeal.

Use My Car Less: I’m pretty good with this one already but I believe in always trying to be better. I’ll continue to walk to the grocery store and use transit, my bicycle and my legs where ever I can.

What are your green resolutions this year?

Thanks to @Greenopolis yesterday for posting a great list on their to 10 things you can do to be more green this year. Here were Greenopolis’ suggestions:

1. Re-think Re-gifting: have two of something now? Don’t really need the gift? Just be sensitive to whom you re-gift.
2. Buy Less: It’s the though that counts! Buy something meaningful, something useful. Even better make a gift for someone. My favourite gift to give is a mason jar filled with all the dry ingredients for cookies. Add a message around it about how much butter, egg, etc to add as well as baking instructions.
3. Shop Together: The carpooling part saves on emissions but it’s so much more fun to shop with friends too
4. Go the ‘Secret Santa’ Route: Instead of buying each family member a gift, put a maximum on gift amounts and have family members draw names from a hat. (if that’s not possible put one person in charge and have them email each person who their buying for)
5. Keep it Local: go to local craft shows and marketplaces (I plan to go to the St. Lawrence Market this weekend for some unique gifts)
6. Give it to others: donate old toys, books and clothes to charity. Or contact your local shelter about donating to their holiday feast. The Fred Victor Centre in Toronto opens it’s doors to those in need thru the holidays. You can purchase ‘units of turkey’ to help out those in need
7. Lower your impact: Change all your lights to LEDs (if you haven’t already done so). And turn out all the holiday lights as you go to bed (OK maybe leave them on for the 24th, Santa needs to know how to find your tree and stockings!)
8. Choose a live tree: Surprisingly real trees are more sustainable than plastic ones,, most of the research believes that you’ll keep your plastic tree forever, but most people throw theirs away once it’s tattered. Better yet buy a potted tree, it will last you for years.
9. Make your own cards: Choose eco friendly paper, buy seed-cards that can be planted in the spring or send an e-card.
10. Green your gift wrap: old news papers and brown bags make great wrapping paper. One of my friends actually puts her stuff in boxes/bins for everyone and covers them with a sheet with each child’s name on a card.

There are so many more things that we can do to make it a ‘greener’ holiday. Here are some that I think we can also do:

1. Green you food: Try and get local, organic turkey and vegetables. Many butchers will order in exactly what you’re looking for. And with all the great markets out there you’re bound to find many organic vegetables. If you can’t go local, organic try and go local before you go organic, it’s usually a smaller footprint (The best local butcher shops in Toronto can be found here)
2. Ask for things you need: Sure new frivolous things are great, but what do you really need this year?
3. Gingerbread Decorations: Not only can you make whatever type of decoration you want, in whatever colours you want, they are also delicious!
4. Think Minimalist: Isn’t that the style these days? You’ll see just how great your house can look with very few decorations
5. Practice the 3R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle, compost as much as you can and stick to your daily green habits

Last night someone really got me thinking about the things we eat and what influences our eating choices. My friend was telling me that he has a secret obsession with KFC (not that he eats it frequently now) and he thinks it stems from the fact that it was the closest place to walk for lunch while he was in high school. And he’s probably right, his decision for lunch everyday was likely based on proximity, after all, we are a society of convenience.

I pack my lunch most days and can’t help but wonder if it is influenced by the fact that there was nothing really close by to my high school? I really didn’t like the cafeteria food so I was forced to pack a lunch, a practice I still continue to this day.

Fast food is more convenient, easily accessible and usually steps from most high schools. If we are to try and teach this current generation of teenagers about better eating habits should there be a radius in place that prevents un-healthy restaurants from opening near a school?

Schools are traditionally part of neighbourhoods so not permitting fast-food chains to open near a school is unjustly unfair to the remainder of the community. As parents, as teachers as mentors it is our job to influence the teenagers around us, to teach them that it is ‘cool’ to eat healthy, and even to pack a lunch. So what can we do to help our teenage generation think more about the choices they make for lunch

1. Apples: crunchy, crisp and full of energy (according to my bf they provide you with more energy than the jolt from a cup of coffee). With all these teenagers addicted to coffee from all the Tim Horton’s Commercial’s and the stigma of not carrying a Starbucks cup, it’s time to help shift that mentality. Most people like the taste of apples, they are sweet and refreshing. It’s not just about teenagers seeing you with an apple but seeing you eat one.
2. Salad: It is becoming part of the fast food chain and more importantly salad is becoming trendy. Both the Lettuce Eatery and Freshii are two of Toronto’s healthy fast food alternatives. Load them up with protein and you can get a pretty balanced meal out a salad. Salad is one of my favourite things and I typically pack one to accompany my lunch each day.
3. Water: If I were to hazard a guess I would estimate that about 90% of the population is dehydrated. An average person should consume 2 litres of water a day. Caffeinated drinks as a diuretic robbing our bodies of the necessary water it needs. Juice is an okay substitute, but the calories from a lot of juice add up quickly.
4. Sandwiches: I’ll admit they can get really boring when you eat them day-in and day-out but you can have a really balanced meal all in one bite. Protein, carbs, vegetable servings, the more creative you are with your sandwich the better it tastes and the better it is for you.
5. Smoothies: OK, maybe not a lunch thing but if you walk around with a smoothie in a clear glass you get peoples attention. Smoothies are typically a vibrant colour and are very appealing to the eye. Because smoothies are just fruits and vegetables they come filled with nutrients and not much fat, if any. Much like the common cold, smoothies are contagious. Just by walking around with one you’ll inspire others to make one every day.

My friends always ask how I have time to make my lunch and to make such a healthy lunch. It is a matter of proper planning, buying the right things and making enough leftovers. On average I think I spend two to five minutes a day making my lunch. Just the right amount of time from when I put the kettle on in the morning until it boils.

I often get asked when I have to put my lunch together, when I have time to keep the fridge stocked with fresh foods and generally reminded by people that they just don’t have time to prepare healthy food. I decided I would put together some of my ideas on quick and healthy foods to go (at home and dinner meals to be a follow up)

Simple ways to create quick, healthy meals

• Keep cleaned, cut-up lettuce in your fridge – many stores sell pre-washed lettuce in clamshell containers or bags. Most of the fancier greens like baby spinach, arugula and mache (my favourite) and they tend to have more nutrients in them too Plus it is always easy to add some protein and carbs to have a well-balanced meal
• When making dinner make a bit extra for a left-overs lunch the next day
• Eat fresh, local fruit – most of the time it just needs to be washed to be eaten
• Use local vegetables that can be eaten raw or only need a few minutes of steaming
• Have yogurt as a side dish – yogurt is packed with calcium, protein and all the good probiotics. And with all the great flavours there should be one to suit your palate
• Keep a bag of trail mix on you – I am almost always hungry. Instead of opting for the donut, chips or candy I usually have a bag of mixed nuts, raisins and dried cranberries on me. It’s a simple way to get some energy with a whole bunch of great flavours.

And when you are trying to make your decisions in the grocery store, try to opt for the local, organic varieties.

To add to what Marni said, here is what I believe, “Healthy, everyday eating can be simple and delicious.”

Marni has some great holistic recipes on her website for quick and easy meals. In the end it is a matter of finding balance and making time for the things that are important to you. Nutritious food doesn’t have to take a long time to prepare and in the end you’ll find you have more energy, fewer afternoon crashes, you’re more positive and you won’t miss the greasy food you used to eat for lunch.

Sure it is a pain to peel and cut the carrots but the taste is definitely worth the effort.

Baby Carrots are put through a chlorine wash to make them look the way they do

Once upon a time I had heard that in order to make baby carrots they were dipped in acid, chlorine and other harmful chemicals to make them look and taste perfect. At the time I did not really eat that many carrots and when I did buy them I went for the convenience of the baby ones – regardless of how they were made.

How is the baby carrot made? According to the World Carrot Museum there are actually two types of baby carrots, ‘true’ and ‘manufactured.’ The difference? True baby carrots are carrots grown to the ‘baby stage’ that is long before it reaches the mature size, either because of thinning or as a specialty item. A true baby carrot resembles a mature carrot, a pointed tip and a strong shoulder. The ‘manufactored’ baby carrot was invented by Mike Yurosek, a Californian farmer that was tired of throwing away disfigured carrots. Instead he took these unappealing carrots, cut them into 5 cm/2 in sections and then peeled them. The end result, what we know as baby carrots.

What about the talk of acid, chlorine, pesticides, etc. From what I have read it depends on the farming process both for true carrots, baby or otherwise, and manufactured carrots. If you buy organic you’ll avoid all the chemicals.

Why mature carrots are better

Back to the debate between a mature carrot and a ‘manufactured’ baby carrot (True baby carrots can also be considered as mature carrots for this argument). To make the ‘manufactured’ baby carrot the farmer peels and prunes away much the nutrient value; most of the nutrients in carrots are in the skin and just below that. Finally the chlorine uncovered, non-organic farmers wash their carrots in chlorine as a disinfectant and to preserve the colour. According to both the FDA and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency this ‘free’ chlorine is not harmful to humans. Personally I’ll stick to the organic varieties that are washed in a citrus based solution.

‘Manufactured’ baby carrots are convenient and cute but they lack in the nutrients and flavour of mature carrots. I’ll be sticking to my mature carrots despite the inconvenience. And just as an added bonus, mature carrots are significantly cheaper than their manufactured counterparts.

I recently picked up Vanessa Farquharson’s book, Sleeping Naked is Green, and I’m plowing through it. It recounts here year of doing one green act per day. And it really gets to you! You are continuously questioning yourself.

Am I being green enough? What other choices do I have? Would they have less of an environmental footprint? Do I really need this item anyways?

It’s an unending list of questions that leaves your head spinning in the grocery store. Today I questioned my toilet paper purchase, paper towels (because yes cat feces is too disgusting to pick up with anything that doesn’t just go straight to the compost bin), my vegetables, my milk, my eggs and my coffee (no you cannot buy local coffee here in Ontario but you can definitely pick up fair trade). In the end it makes that trip to the grocery store that much longer, but I did for the most part find local fruits and vegetables, recycled paper towels and toilet paper and fair trade coffee.

Today was a great day, I did feel like I was making a difference. To start the grocery store had tons of options, and even bags that were used for carrying stuff home (I forgot my reusable ones) were good for my home compost bin. And then my ‘big smile’ for the day. My bf had to run in and get cleaning supplies and to my surprise he picked up ‘green’ friendly products.

The antithesis to that is something called the slow food movement, and part of that is Alice Waters. To her it is all about fresh foods – locally grown, pesticide free, organic, free-range food.

Chez Panisse

This is where it all began. In 1971 Waters opened this restaurant after returning from rural France where she was inspired by the simple yet fresh flavours. When she returned home she based her restaurant off this mantra, with daily menu changes and only local, sustainable foods.

Some say her food is over-priced and for the elite. On her 60 minutes interview last night she says it’s all about choices … some people want the latest Nike shoes and some people want good, wholesome, sustainable fresh foods.

Where does that leave the average person?

Waters is lucky in that she lives in a climate that supports a diverse amount of foods through the year. In Toronto, and through much of Canada and the Northern US, we are forced to rely on green houses, and sometimes even other countries, to get the foods we have become accustomed to.

I do agree with Waters in that it is about choices – buy a bag of cookies or buy a bag of cherries? One of the best and healthiest foods out there is oatmeal and it costs only pennies a bowl – add to it some fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, raisins … and you have a very delicious breakfast or snack. Healthy eating doesn’t mean you have to blow your budget but it does force you to shop smarter