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Books Over Movies

April 11, 2012 3:45 am / Leave a comment

I finally gave in to the nagging of my Netflix queue and watched the movie Forks Over Knives. I did so dutifully and at times enthusiastically. I nodded in agreement with certain parts, offered my own commentary to the talking heads and gasped in awe at some of the statistics. When it was over I expected to feel inspired. What I felt instead was a little dismayed. I kept thinking “I don’t want to be sick. I want to be healthy! Do I have to be vegan?” I am not a vegan, though I do admire those who are. If you are anything like me and these types of questions plague you too, let me cheerfully recommend the BOOK Forks Over Knives.

Foremost, it is a cookbook with over 100 mouth watering recipes. There is a list of handy kitchen tools that make quick work of all the fruits and veggies you’ll be making into masterpieces. There is even a conversion chart in the back. The recipes range from the most basic like Steamed Veggies with Brown Rice (pg. 137) to the new and intriguing like Green Pea Guacamole (pg. 74). Interspersed are short biographies of the doctors, their patients, and other folks who support this way of eating.

Notice I didn’t call it a diet. When I think of a diet, I think of all the things I can’t eat. This is a way of eating that reminds me of the abundance and variety of all the things I can eat! By and large the message is that we shouldn’t worry about eating a particular food to get enough of a particular nutrient. If we focus on eating a variety of foods, and not using animal products as the foundation, we will be exposing ourselves to all the nutrients we need.

So vegans, vegetarians and the rest of us can take heart – health is attainable and it tastes so good!

Looking for more plant-based culinary inspiration? Check out Fields of Greens. Based on recipes from the Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, it is a treasure trove of vegetarian dishes.

An Unlikely Duo

March 29, 2012 10:51 pm / Leave a comment

It’s a tale as old as time. An unlikely duo teaming up to save the day and teach us all a valuable lesson. Our hero’s: Tom Hunton and Charlie Tilt, owners of Hunton’s Farm and Hummingbird Wholesale respectively. One a grower of grain, one a distributor. Both located here in the scenic Willamette Valley. So what is it that brings these two businessmen together?

To answer this we must start at the beginning and ask another question. How do those hard little kernels of grain turn up on your plate in the form of cereal and bread? It is through the magic of milling! And now, thanks to these two enterprising daredevils, for the first time in over 80 years, the Willamette Valley boasts its very own stone flour mill.

Years ago, these types of grist mills were common along many of the waterways of the Willamette Valley. As grain farmers turned to grass seed production, and a preference for white bread developed among their consumers, many of these mills were forced to close. Where there is no grain being grown, there is no need for a flour mill. And so it went for a long time.

As the economy began to change and the price of grass seed changed with it, the Hunton’s realized the need to re-strategize. Enter Charlie and Julie Tilt and their business Hummingbird Wholesale. If the Hunton’s were going to grow grains (and beans, as it turns out), it would only make good economic sense to mill them locally as well. Hauling a commodity hundreds of miles to be milled and processed and then shipping it back is not only increasing the carbon footprint of a product, but also unnecessarily increasing the cost.

And so, with their forces combined, (and some help from eDev and the City of Eugene), they built a mill. As with any construction project, things got complicated, but they persevered. Working with an eye towards the future they created a mission statement and a set of goals to support continued viability, provide resources to farmers in the valley, implement innovative practices, and foster an environment of optimism and collaboration.

As individuals, when we choose to support these products and businesses, we can have far-reaching effects on our local and subsequently global economies, standards of health and living, and what society holds as important. We can all be heroes!

BOOK OF THE MONTH – NATURAL NOTES

March 6, 2012 8:02 pm / Leave a comment

NATURAL NOTES

It’s the beginning of a new month, and that means it’s time for another Book of the Month blog post! As I look forward to the coming spring and summer, in spite of the snow this morning, I am excited to bring your attention to this new publication. Natural Notes are quick reference guides on a range of subjects relating to alternative health and wellness.
As the days grow longer and the promise of good weather becomes more real, I find myself re-inspired to make good on those New Year’s resolutions. This last bout with winter can be discouraging, but these colorful and easy-to-use guides are exactly what is needed to remind me that my goals are achievable and worthwhile!
With information at a glance and durable construction, Natural Notes are perfect to carry along with you throughout the day, or keep by your kitchen sink.
Whether you are wanting to learn more about pH Balancing, Sprouting Seeds, Genetically Modified Food, Aromatherapy, or more, Natural Notes are a great way to start your inquiry and support your healthy lifestyle decisions along the way!