Eat Like A Baby

Since having my daughter Sally in April, I have come to realize that the phrase “sleep like a baby” really doesn’t make any sense. Or, I should say, it does not make sense if you’re referring to my baby. Because for her to sleep, we have needed everything from pacifiers to noisemakers to rocking chairs to made-up lullabies. She’s finally coming around in the sleep department, but I am still not sold on that phrase.

I’d like to replace it with “eat like a baby.”

For the past month and a half, I have had the pleasure of making all of Sally’s baby food. Most of what she has eaten has come from our weekly CSA box. I usually take one night per week to settle into the baby food-making routine: chopping, steaming, roasting, pureeing, sorting, labeling, freezing, washing dishes. Three or four hours later, I am completely exhausted. But when I get to feed Sally her fresh butternut squash and kale puree the next morning, and see the excitement in her eyes as she tries a new food, I feel such a strong sense of satisfaction.

It occurred to me one day that Sally’s diet is much better than my diet. In six weeks, her little 15-pound self has eaten four pumpkins, three squash, bags of apples and pears, over a dozen beets, one bunch of kale, three heads of cauliflower, two heads of broccoli, three heads of kohlrabi, and many more organic fruits and vegetables, most of them locally picked. She hasn’t eaten any Halloween candy or French fries or pizza, and she hasn’t indulged in any Miller Lites or glasses of red wine.

So, rather than sleep like a baby, I think we should all try to eat like a baby. Of course, we will have much more variety, but if we can try to make fresh fruits and vegetables the center of our diet, our health will improve and we will look and feel better. There is a reason that babies are so healthy-looking and happy all of the time!

I think this is an especially good challenge as we enter the holiday season. There are plenty of delicious, healthy holiday dishes that are traditionally served at Thanksgiving. Try to make these the focus of your plate, and forego the things that don’t truly celebrate the spirit of the season: choose a roasted sweet potato dish over a dinner roll; a slice of homemade apple pie over a frosted cookie.

I hope your Thanksgiving week is full of delicious food, family, friends, and relaxation. And I hope you can try to eat a little more like a baby, and sleep a little less like my baby!

Boar's Head Broken Down

People have been enjoying Boar’s Head meats for over 100 years. There is a level of comfort around the name. People trust it, and do not question it.

But should we?

For all of my clients, I recommend choosing meats that are free of hormones and antibiotics (Why? Well, that’s an entirely different topic for a different day...). Meats from organic, grass-fed animals are even better, but much harder to come by. Recently, one of my clients asked about Boar’s Head deli meat. This client prefers Boar’s Head, but wanted to make sure it was an acceptable choice. I was happy to have the opportunity to research this a bit, and decided to share what I found since so many people love Boar’s Head.

I called a question hotline that I found on the company’s website. The woman was very helpful. Here is what I found out:

Boar’s Head does not carry any organic products at all.

However, they do have an all-natural line. It includes four types of turkey breast, two types of ham, and one type of roast beef. The all-natural meats are purchased from a completely different vendor than their regular meats. The all-natural vendor does not use any hormones or antibiotics in their animals.

Since the USDA does not allow the use of hormones in poultry and pork, it is safe to say that all of Boar’s Head poultry- and pork-based deli meats are hormone-free. However, they still may contain antibiotics (unless they are part of the all-natural line). In addition, the USDA does allow use of hormones in beef, so regular Boar’s Head beef will contain hormones and antibiotics as well.

So, it sounds like the only way to ensure your deli meat is hormone- and antibiotic-free is to purchase from the all-natural line of meats. The all-natural line is not as widely available. You may call the Boar’s Head question hotline at 1-800-352-6277 and ask them to direct you to a distributor in your city, who can let you know which stores and delis sell all-natural Boar’s Head meats. Since I always encourage clients and people who follow my blog to be very proactive when it comes to their nutrition and their health, I highly recommend making this phone call if you regularly purchase Boar's Head. It could be that the deli down the street from you is selling the all-natural meats... you won't know unless you research it a bit!

I will also mention that all Boar’s Head meats are free of fillers, gluten, artificial colors and flavors, and trans fats.

Hopefully those of you who are loyal Boar’s Head lovers found this information helpful!

Dear PWN,

What impact does microwaving food have on its nutritional content? I have heard that microwaving devoids food of its nutrients, more so than heating on a stove. I am hoping that is false.

-John from University City, MO

The microwave question. We’ve all asked it at one point or another, and maybe we’ve even opted out of researching it in fear of what we’d find.

I actually do not own a microwave. We had a little one that had Ed inherited before we even met, and it was such an eyesore on our counter, and so rarely used, that we decided to get rid of it. I can honestly say that I don’t even miss having one around. If I ever designed a new kitchen maybe I’d designate a place for a microwave, but for now we don’t really need one.

However, I am still very interested in the topic of what different cooking methods do to nutrients in food. I did a little research, and here is what I found:

The main methods used for cooking vegetables are boiling, steaming, microwaving, or stir-frying. All types of cooking alter the food in some way. Generally speaking, the more heat used, the more nutrients and enzymes are destroyed.

Any time vegetables are cooked in water, greater nutrient loss occurs. The water leeches nutrients and, unless the water is used in the final dish, these nutrients are lost. Water-soluble vitamins include vitamins B and C, which are abundant in fresh vegetables. These are the most heat sensitive vitamins, and therefore are easily destroyed.

A study published in The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture (2003) found that when vegetables were microwaved in water, they lost 74% - 97% of their antioxidants. A 2009 study came up with similar results: broccoli that was boiled or microwaved retained fewer nutrients than broccoli cooked without as much water, such as by steaming or stir-frying. Other studies I found, however, were inconclusive as to whether or not microwaving foods was more nutrient-destructive than other cooking methods.

Despite the conflicting information on this subject, one thing is certain: microwaving does deactivate enzymes, which are useful when it comes time to digest the food. Other cooking methods can also deactivate at least some enzymes. That being said, gently cooked foods are typically easier to digest than raw foods for other reasons. My recommendation would be to lightly steam your veggies for maximum nutritional benefits. If you boil them, use the water as a base for a soup to get all the important nutrients from the vegetables. If you microwave vegetables, use as little water as possible and only heat them for a short period of time. Most of the research I found was on cooking veggies, but I believe these conclusions would apply to all types of food.

And, of course, never microwave in plastic. Glass or non-leaded microwaveable ceramic is best.

Sources

“Effects of different cooking methods on health-promoting compounds of broccoli” by Gao-feng Yuan, Bo Sun, Jing Yuan, and Qiao-mei Wang (2009

“The Claim: Microwave Ovens Kill Nutrients in Food” by Anahad O’Connor (New York Times, 2006)

www.medicinenet.com