2/11/13 2/11/13

Tipping Point

Last week, I stopped by a fruits and vegetable mini grocery store in my home town (suburban NJ) and was delighted to find veggie juice; i.e. kale, lemon, ginger, apple, etc. for only $4.50. I put it on the counter at the register and an older woman in her 60s said "What is that supposed to do?" And next to her was another older couple discussing their happiness at finding juice at Julio's (the store), mentioning that they were following some sort of diet by Dr. Oz. I explained to the woman that juice had tons of nutrients and that kale was awesome. It made me think, does this conversation mark what would be called a "tipping point?" Obviously healthy eating, juices and the idea of "alternative medicine" has been around since the 60s. It has gone slightly mainstream thanks to Whole Foods but could still be considered limited to a wealthier consumer or even younger demographic.My suspicions were confirmed a few days ago. The NY Times recently posted an article marking this shift. National food chains are offering healthier options at the demand of their consumers. We've reached a tipping point. Corporations are looking towards sustainability and even pharmacies are carrying fresh fruit. In the coming years, I believe there will be a societal pressure to eat healthy and live more sustainable just as we've pressured each other to quit smoking, wear seat belts, and not drink and drive. I'm hoping that the obesity epidemic, crazy weather and political strife around the world is one of those situations where it has to get worse before it gets better. Will everything will be uphill from here?

10/16/12 10/16/12

Shall We Meet Over Coffee? And other social rituals centered around chemical addictions

I've recently discovered the joys of color-correcting my DSLR photos to give them more of an Instagram aesthetic and playing with type to flex my design muscle. So I'm now going to attempt to write posts based on my imagery.True story: During the month of September, I completed the Clean Program, a 21+ day cleanse that involved giving up alcohol, caffeine, dairy, wheat, refined sugars and a plethora of other foods like bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, eggs and peanuts, to name a few. I felt that the beginning of the Fall was the perfect time because it's always symbolized new beginnings to me. The purpose of the cleanse is to feel more energized and learn which foods one is intolerant to. A food intolerance is not like an allergy but like building a tolerance to alcohol. When you drink regularly, alcohol may effect you very little but there are subtle, unnoticeable side effects like fatigue or if you drink too much, liver damage. But if you were to stop drinking then go back on, your body would lose its tolerance and you'd get noticeably drunk or even sick. The world of intolerances versus allergies can get quite confusing and I don't think many traditional doctors even know how to diagnose these problems because often blood tests are of no help.

The first three days were brutal. I didn't realize that my two to three cups of caffeine (mostly coffee) were such an addiction. Coffee stays in your body for over five hours and it can take a few days for the caffeine to completely leave your system. And it left with a bang. For days I felt completely listless, unable to concentrate or even stay awake despite having multiple important interviews on my plate that week. On the third day, I woke up with my entire body aching, like I had just gone on a long, intense run on hard pavement - another unforgiving withdrawal system. Finally, on the fourth day, I felt energized and was able to even choose green juice over tea or coffee before my interview.

For the rest of the cleanse, I felt like my energy was steadier than it's ever been before. I lost about five pounds and ended up weighing less than I've ever weighed since early high school. I rarely felt hungry and I mostly just felt happy. But the hardest part was navigating social situations. Since I'm not dating anyone, that part was easy. But how would things have differed if I chose to date? I couldn't have a first date over a drink or even coffee. Would I get to know the person even better over a walk in Central Park? Day trip to a museum? Was catching up with my girlfriends over lunch just as satisfying as it is over dinner and a few glasses of wine? Even harder than navigating social situations were the rituals associated with my addictions. Could I permanently give up my regular visits to coffee shops where I had not only made friends but often found to be a great place to work? Would I feel like a member of the "coffee tribe" ordering herbal tea? Could I give up the feeling of sophistication and cultural indulgence that comes with ordering a nice glass of red wine? But more importantly, why are so many of our social interactions done over chemical addictions? Is it because the excuse of catching up makes our addictions socially acceptable - like ordering dessert only after your friends do?

It's been at least three weeks since I've gone back to my regular eating habits. I drink less coffee and don't feel I need it to wake up. But until my friends prefer catching up over a run in the park versus an indulgent meal at Ditch Plains, or networking events start serving green juice instead of wine and healthy restaurants start providing wifi, it looks like I'll have to learn how to indulge in moderation. Because what good is being healthy and feeling energetic if you have no one to share that energy with? Perhaps I'll just stop ordering dessert.

11/26/11 11/26/11

The Great Brooklyn Neighborhood Tour

Since moving back to the East Coast in March, I have had the privilege of living in three different apartments, three distinct neighborhoods and with a total of six people, all within Brooklyn. I lived with people from all different backgrounds and ages, from a 20 year old college student about to enter her senior year of college and become legally allowed to drink, to a 39 year old Harvard educated, former doctor about to hit a very different milestone.I experienced, witnessed and lived through countless events on a historial and personal level. During the hurricane that wasn't, also my last weekend in Prospect Heights, I was awoken by the falling of a huge tree right outside my window, a tree, that I later found out, had been in front of the building for over forty years.

A week later, settled into my new neighborhood of Crown Heights, only a ten minute walk but a world of difference, I came home one night to a swarm of policemen and roped off sidewalks. There had been a major shooting 6 blocks from my apartment and two people had been killed, including an innocent bystander. This shocked the neighborhood, an eclectic mix of West Indians, Orthodox Jews, white, creative professions and hipsters. I've only been in "my" Park Slope apartment for nearly a month and with a new freelance gig, my reality has changed dramatically. It seems that with each apartment, there is the possibility of a new beginning and I am making the most out of every moment.

My first apartment in Prospect Heights was a world of first's; first time being outnumbered by male roommates, living in Brooklyn and living in an up and coming neighborhood. My neighborhood was more racially diverse than the East Village but less diverse than my home town. The local ice cream shop, Blue Marble, catered to hipster parents with young children, eagerly lining up for all natural ice cream and young professionals, like me, excited that my fair-trade iced coffee came in a compostable cup.

My apartment building was a mix of young, white professionals and African Americans of all ages, some with kids and some who had been in the building their entire life.The neighborhood itself consisted mostly of brownstones, nearly as beautiful as Park Slope but not as crowded or as developed. Vanderbilt was lined with only a handful of restaurants and Washington had various hidden enclaves like Sit & Wonder, among local corner delis and laundromats.

My next Brooklyn apartment in Crown Heights coincided with one of the most difficult experiences in my life financially and emotionally. The cliff notes are that my cat nearly died and some other stuff happened that I'd prefer not to write about. I don't have many fond memories of my dark apartment, with a window that overlooked a garbage filled courtyard, but I'm happy to have discovered Franklin Avenue and all

the lovely restaurants. Most importantly, I'm still trying to cope with not having Chavela's corn on the cob once a week. And I'm still kicking myself for having only discovered,a week before leaving, that Abigail Cafe, with their mellow atmosphere and healthy menu is the absolute perfect work spot. I usually went to Glass Shop on Classon which was a great coffee shop but you can only drink coffee so much before you need a real meal.

Finally, we come to ParkSlope.Call me simple, but I am easily influenced by amazing food and like Crown Heights, there are culinary delights to be found. I had my mind expanded and blown away the other day with a breakfast dish from Juventino, two poached eggs over wilted greens (swiss chard perhaps?!), brioche with garlic infused chicken broth poured over the dish - a perfect cold day, fall or winter treat.

And now instead of "hipster cafes" with freelancers on laptops, I'm a block away from Café Martin, acoffee shop with enough French staff to allow me to pretend I've just stepped into Paris. Now, instead of being surrounded by "hipsters," I'm surrounded by parents with their children who have won the clothing battle. Once again, a am faced with an entirely new beginning and a neighborhood full of new discoveries. What's your favorite neighborhood in Brooklyn?

5/26/10 5/26/10

Web Wandering Wednesdays

As you know, I'm a regular reader of Cup of Joe, Joanna Goddard's blog. I had to share her very inspiring post that included cooking, great photography, wine and what seemed to be, good company. All the important things in life right?! According to Joanna's post, photographer Karen Mordechai invites people into (what looks like) her amazing home to cook a fantastic meal led by a chef. I scrolled through the post to find a fellow Skidmore Grad (go liberal arts!) who started the delicious artisan ice cream truck Van Leeuwen seen here with his wife and business partner. I don't remember him from school but it's always inspiring to hear about someone from my college who paved their own way and took an interesting path. For more photos and the full blog post about the event, check out Joanna and Karen's blog and hopefully it will give you some ideas for Memorial Day celebration fare.

via Cup of Joe

via Karen Mordechai's blog Sunday Suppers

11/19/09 11/19/09

First Home Made Meal... with the boy

This is sooo belated but my mother is getting blog withdrawal so I figured I'd post this. I'm chilling at my parent's watching True Blood!! So exciting to watch an actual TV instead of my computer.

In other news, I found a dress for my 10 year high school reunion. I had a few dresses in mind until my friend on the reunion committee told me it was comfortable casual. What the hell does that mean? So I got something in a more "casual" jersey fabric from Urban Outfitters except that it feels pretty short and sometimes I think my butt is hanging out. C'est la vie. I'm excited. It will be fun. Haven't gotten my dance on in a while.

8/28/09 8/28/09

My Day Off

Perfect end to a fairly good week. I took today off from work and started myself off with a healthy brunch; scrambled eggs (cage free) with pepper, and cheese. A side of sauteed spinach with garlic, onions, red pepper and some salt. And toast with butter. My mother would be so proud.

Moving away from the subject of food. Last night I went to a law school party in Brooklyn. It was one of the few times I've partied in Brooklyn then taken the subway home late night. I know. I'm a sheltered girl. Fortunately, I made a new friend and didn't have to take it alone. And we made some more friends - three drunk guys from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. They were all 21. One was like a caricature of a person. He was exactly what you'd think a 21 year old Brooklynite, venturing into the city on a Thursday, summer night would be like, heavy accent and Italian background included. Through our journey underground, he bravely asked my new friend and I all sorts of questions. Like how could my new friend be Jewish when she clearly looked Irish? How could I not be entirely Jewish when my mother is? What do we do? Where do we live? And his odd conclusion - are we together, as a couple? It was quite the fantastical journey, until we hit the Brooklyn Bridge, and his quieter friend motioned that he was going to puke. And thus, we had to say good bye. So I got home safe.

Prior to my Brooklyn trip, I sat outside, drinking iced tea with an interesting fellow at the coffee shop across my street. During the course of our conversation, a bird crapped on my head. Of course. Not wanting to disrupt the flow of conversation, I secretly flicked it off, said a little anti-bird flu prayer (in my head), and continued our convo, coincidentally about daily signs, listening to what the universe tells you, etc. That's good luck right? Yes, I think it is. According to a Facebook friend, it could also mean it helped me avoid a near disaster. Hence - me getting home safe. Off to some more chillaxing..

6/3/09 6/3/09

Apartment Search and then Some

I'm taking the Upper East Side off the table again. I hung out there yesterday and although it's close to the park and people I hang out with, I just feel like it's too generic. Not sure how I feel about the general population that lives there. I love how each neighborhood in New York has a distinct character even from one block to another. Plus having to wait for the 456 probably takes just as long as having to wait for any train in Brooklyn.

In other news, I went to the doctor again- follow appointment. This is nothing new, but apparently I have to give up all refined carbs if I want to lose weight. My doctor put it in terms that I could understand- it's like being an alcoholic.. all or nothing. I have to give it all up because apparently I can't handle moderation. Yeah, that's pretty accurate. Although ironically, he didn't try to deter me from having a glass of red wine every once in while. In fact, he seemed to encourage it. It's definitely harder to plan meals given this information. Seems like refined carbs are easier to grab on the go but yeah, I already know this. Anyway, I'm making an announcement in the hopes that it will keep more motivated. Besides, there ain't no AA for reformed refined carbaholics. Okay, maybe there is- it's called Overeaters Anonymous but I'm not ready to go there. Anyway, you can put off a lot of things, but you can't put off weightloss.

So um, here's to the first day of the rest of my life. That would be tomorrow I mean. No more refined carbs. No more pizza, no more bagels (actually gave that up months ago), no more bread basket, or pasta, or pastries, or muffins. BUT here's to cheese!, nuts, peanut butter, butter, delicious vegetables, fruit, and anything creamy and fatty.

I suppose I'll keep you posted on my progress. The goal is to lose 20 pounds by November. I'm hoping that by telling my readers that, I'll be more likely to achieve it.