I Walk In This World

Good Thursday morning Blog peeps!

In my IWITW efforts to continue to spread true and verifiable information about Ethical Eating, I wanted to quickly share some tips with y’all about which seafood you should be eating, assuming you’re not a vegetarian, if you are pursuing an ethical and sustainable eating lifestyle.

Tara Parker-Pope has a quickie blog post over at the NY Times about Choosing Safer, Sustainable Seafood.  For more in depth info, please please PLEASE go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website where you can read more of the science AND print a super cute wallet-sized card that says which fish to eat and which to avoid.  I carry mine in my wallet and pull it out when dining at seafood restaurants or when shopping for fresh fish!

So, on to Wednesday food stuff…

Din last night was a ginorm salad with bread.  I have to be honest.  In thinking up dinner, I was totally crafting my plans around how to have those 2 giant slices of whole grain toast on the side.  I am such a bread lovah, it’s ridic.

• spinach + green leaf lettuce salad with…
• 1 small free range chicken breast tender (about 2.5 oz)
• maters
• cukes
• carrot
• peanuts
• goat cheese
• 4 hummus flava’d Dr. Krackers
• honey dijon dressing
• I also had those 2 fabulous pieces of toast with buttah
• and a generous pour of a New Zealand Sauv Blanc

I thought up this meal while sitting in Court last night!  Ugh.  Evening court.  Can you imagine?  Eleven billionty people with traffic tickets all trying to get their points reduced.  Luckily, since I was there to testify in a case for the State, they bumped me up.  I was only there a little over an hour.  The case didn’t go to trial b/c the defendant decided to plead guilty (yay), accept the points against his license, and pay his fine. 

So when I got home a sprinted to the gym and did a 20 minute run plus some leg & ab work.

• leg press at 55lbs xs 3 reps
• leg extensions at 25lbs x 3 reps
• innner/outer thigh extensions at 40 & 50lbs x 3 reps
• 100 various ab exercises

Lunch at work was hurried, eaten in my cube, b/c I’m buried with work.

• Applegate Farms ham + cheddar + green lettuce + dijon on whole grain panini
• carrot with garlic hummus
• no sugar added applesauce
• cantalope
• water
• a camera shy handful of peanuts

WORK Here!

Breks was normal, a berry smoothie in a cute pint glass.

• handful frozen mango
• handful frozen black raspberries
• half a banana
• half cup lf vanilla almond milk
• 2 T ff vanilla yogurt
• 4 ice cubes    

Question.  Do you eat seafood?  Do you pay attention to the sustainable nature of the fish you choose?

Blog friends.  Lately, there’s been buzz in the blogosphere and the real world about the movie Food, Inc.  I am so happy and proud of all you peeps taking the time to see it, listen to its message, and then spread the word here!

I’ve been in contact with some people involved in the production of the film and have gotten mixed reaction from these folks as to the extent to which the film expands on some issues and maybe skimps on other issues.  But hey, that’s to be expected when trying to squeeze years worth of research into a 90 minute documentary.

Now.  For those of you who have been touched by the film and are serious about making lifestyle changes when it comes to meat, local, and organic, I wanted to share with you the top books, in my opinion, that are worth reading in order to *really* educate yourselves.

For years I’ve been doing research on the issues covered by Food, Inc and am sharing with you, what I consider to be, the most relevant and thought provoking books on these subjects.

I’ve been, what I call, an ethical eater since 2005.  At first I was a veggie and then I morphed into and ethical omni after actually learning a LOT about the subject of food, where it comes from, what it means, and how we can make a difference in the choices we makes.

A few of the things we do here in the IWITW household…

• all meat comes from local, organic, free range farms OR if bought in the store, meets all those criteria except being local
• all eggs, milk, and butter are Organic Valley brand that ensures free range, cage free hens and happy cows that are humanely cared for   
• most dairy is organic, including yogurts and milk
• most cheese is purchased from small farmers that specialize in goats milk cheese, etc
• we shop at local farmers markets for produce and meat
• we also shop at the grocery store, and focus our produce purchases on local fruits and vegs, or organic ones if not local
• We do not shop at Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJs
• I haven’t eaten at a fast food chain like McDonalds, Burger King, etc since 2004 

And I should point out that I have a FT real job, a FT blogging job (self imposed), a husband, a dog, and an hour commute to work.  And I still find time and energy to make the effort to follow thru with these choices.  Oh yeah, and I’m 30. 

So.  If you’re so inspired and are looking for information and further reading on these subjects, I suggest my book collection up there.  You CAN do it.  It’s just about making some shifts in the way you look at what you eat and grasp where it comes from. 

Din was excellent and I owe it all to the addition of the lovely array of veggies down below.  Well, that’s not totally true.  We used my Dad’s homemade marinara (rocks) and added in 1/3 lb of humanely raised, hormone free ground bison.  Yum.  All atop whole wheat noodlies.

• zucchini, green peppers, onion, mushrooms sauteed in olive oil and garlic
• Dad’s marinara with ground bison
• whole wheat spaghetti

As to the amount that I eat,  pasta is one of the few things I do measure for portion control.  I ate a little less than 2 oz and Hubz ate about 2.5-3 oz.  Perfect amount!

For exercise today, I got my booty on the treadmill and ran for 30 minutes with 3 mins warm up and cool down pre and post.  And lots o stretching afta.

Lunch ala cube farm.

• Applegate Farms uncured ham + American cheese + lettuce + dijon on whole grain panini
• naked carrot
• blueberries aplenty
• unsweetened applesauce

HUGE giant work stuff happening.  And stay tuned for Tuesday’s work surprise which MAY include a helicopter ride…

Breks was a frothy little number.

•  half a banana
• handful of mango chunks
• about 10 black raspberries
• almond milk
• a few T of ff vanilla yogurt
• ice

Thanks for listening to my reading recommendations.  For anyone serious about making eating lifestyle changes after watching Food, Inc., these books changed my entire eating life.  They helped me forge the path I am on as an ethical eater.