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.

Here are some of the highlights:

LEED for Homes

Last year I achieved the LEED AP accreditation, just before the new system of rating was implemented. Now LEED has introduced new rating systems for New Construction, Commercial Interiors, Core and Shell, Existing Buildings, Neighbourhood Development and Homes. Both Derek Satnik and Richard Vermeulen gave presentations the Thursday morning on how to design homes and neighbourhoods to be sustainable and more livable. They argued if you looked at it from both a bottom line and a life cycle cost perspective that you could build a home for none to very little additional cost.

Although it is argued that a LEED home only saves about 15% of the energy of a traditional home, it does get you thinking about how to do things with a minimal foot print. Ideally we begin to design and construct homes that are 50% more efficient, off the grid, and with recycled or renewable materials. Satnik discussed the other environmental standards including Energy Star, EnerGuide,  BREEAM and many, many others. While he said none of these is perfect it does help to minimize the impact of homes.

And think how good would it feel to not have to pay your hyrdo or water bills ever again…

Furniture

Made in Canada by Canadian designers with Canadian materials (mostly), meet Nienkamper. Their website seems to be down this morning but I was really impressed with the quality of the furniture at the store. I’m currently trying to figure out if I can order a coffee table from them without having to put a commercial order in.

Fatboy also peaked my interest. They have unique lounging chairs and blocks for the home. I think I’ll have to get one of their hammocks for reading and relaxing next summer!

While there were many textiles that were intriguing, they were only available for commercial purchase. While I’m interested in purchasing eco-friendly textiles I do not need to outfit a commercial space; I only need enough for a small 1-bdrm space.

I was also interested in the green roof and gardening materials. I attended a presentation on Thursday morning regarding gardens, but it was more about the International Garden Festival than about how we can use vegetation to minimize our carbon footprint.

I will be reluctant to attend the Green Building Festival next year. Although the presentations I attended were well done, I was not impressed with the exposition this year. The Direct Energy Centre was an improvement in venue location from when I attended two years ago out by the airport. It would be good to see industry getting together with the universities to brain storm both large and small solutions to our sustainability conundrum.

Recently friends of mine considered having their home designated as LEED certified. With local materials, recycled material, geothermal for heating and cooling and several other features under all the LEED categories this house would be sure to qualify for LEED certifications. They have applied and received all the government incentives for choosing environmentally friendly methods, balanced all the LCC and looked at the benefit-cost ratios and have decided not to apply to LEED Canada.

Why? LEED would become a marketing feature to their house. They are no incentives for being LEED certified. In the end it was just an extra $5000 to say that they were environmentally friendly.

I decided to do a quick Google search on why it is important to register your building with LEED. Here are some of the things that were returned.

• Buildings that are LEED certified almost always use resources more effectively when compared to traditional buildings that are built to code. Because of this, they are recognized as better for their surrounding environments.
• LEED certified buildings often provide healthier work and living environments, contributing to higher productivity and improved employee health and comfort.
• LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: (1. sustainable site development, 2. water efficiency, 3. energy efficiency, 4. materials selection and 5. indoor environmental quality)
• Encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.
• Promotes integrated, whole-building design practices
• Building amenities include lush rooftop gardens, individual storage units, covered parking for bicycles, proximity to transit lines and direct access to car sharing.

This list could get quite lengthy. There are many benefits to having a LEED certified building.

My argument – if you’re willing to do all the environmentally friendly things to your house, do you really need the label of LEED? And what does that money that you pay for registration go towards?

In the end if we take the steps forward to think of the environment before we think of the bottom line, when we’re constructing, we are taking the right steps forward. LEED certification may only be a ‘label’ but it embodies what designers should be thinking when they start any new design.

Like many of the surrounding suburbs of Toronto, Burlington has larger homes on bigger properties and streets that seem to go no where. In addition to that parents of the Burlington area were worried about student safety (and who wouldn’t these days with two pedestrian deaths in the Toronto area yesterday). Each day more kids get a drive to school than walk.

The program in Burlington encourages teachers and student volunteers to ‘pick up’ students much like a bus would, but instead of a bus they all walk together. It is active transportation at its best. Plus it means more time for students to socialize with their friends.

There are so many benefits to students walking to school:

• It stimulates their bodies making them more alert and attentive at school
• It stimulates their metabolism; increasing their metabolic rates and food processing abilities
• It gets the ‘social bug’ out – instead of socializing in the classroom students socialize on the way to school
• It encourages life long lessons in exercise

Ontario is encouraging students to walk to school, as both a green community initiative and as an active transportation initiative. There are no 40 communities participating in the Active and Safe Routes to School Program, all the way from Windsor to Ottawa and up and over to Kenora.

How did your kids get to school today? Change up your routines and encourage your children to be more active.

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?

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.

My bf and I try as much as possible to sit down together at the end of our busy days and enjoy a meal together. As he says ‘she likes to cook and I like what she makes’ so usually it is my responsibility to make dinner. With limited time I’ve had to be somewhat creative over the last few weeks. And although we may have had KD at some point (great comfort food)  have generally been able to come up with some great meals.

Here are some of my suggestions for quick and easy meals:

1. Fish: Salmon is a favourite in our house. A little balsamic, maple syrup and brown sugar and put it in the oven or in the bbq wrapped in foil and it’s delicious. Always moist
2. Soups: Fresh vegetable soup is one of my favourite things to eat right now. Carrot, Corn, Roasted Red Pepper. Soup can be made in about 15 minutes and left to simmer while you do other things around the house. We usually have containers that can be defrosted quickly to enjoy with a meal
3. Pasta: It gets a bad reputation, full of carbs, nothing really valuable in it … well that’s true if you make plain pasta with salt filled canned tomato sauce. Instead boil a few tomatoes with balsamic and redwine vinegar, add some corn starch and you can make excellent sauce or follow Jamie Oliver’s sauce recipe. Add goat cheese, chicken and pile of roasted veges. The more veges you have the fewer noodles you need, which leads to one balanced meal.
4. Steak and Broccoli: another favourite in our house. Steak is a great source of iron and broccoli is a wonder vegetable, together they are an unstoppable combo
5. Chicken Breasts: With some white wine, lemons and thyme you can make a very delicious chicken breast pretty quickly.
6. Steamed Vegetables: anything green in a steamer and you have a side dish in 10 minutes

I actually could go on and on about quick and simple dinners. Maybe one day I’ll have enough time to publish some of these recipes. What are you quick and simple dinners?

I cannot remind people enough how important it is to eat well balanced meals. Without proper nutrition I wouldn’t have the energy to do the things I love to do, and do so many of them at once.

And remember always reward yourself with treats. It’s apple season in Ontario so I’m currently enjoying a candied apple!

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.