Author: Tristan Klesick

Spring is here, the weather is warmer and probably the most asked question I get is, “How can I lose weight?” or “Which diet works?” When thinking about losing weight, it’s not always the decreased number on the scale that we are looking for. It is the way it makes us feel: the increased energy, the lithe movements, how our clothes fit and our skin feels. It is not simply the weight but the health too! With so many diets in the media now, how do you know which is the best choice for you?

Well, “diets” never work because they eventually end and we go back to eating the same bad food choice s. When considering weight, health and all those good feelings, a “lifestyle change” is most important. These choices can really vary too, so in my next few articles I will walk you through some interesting diet choices that you may have never thought of.

Acid and Alkaline Balance Diet.  The goal of this diet is to help your body maintain a healthy pH level for all organs and systems to function optimally. This is an interesting theory that I have struggled to understand for years. Many Acid/Alkaline advocates believe that this diet will cure all kinds of diseases. I’m a little more skeptical on that part. We are too complex of a system for it to be that simple. It is imperative, however, that our body maintain its pH; otherwise, cells die…we die. So how could a diet help when our body has so many checks and balances to stabilize pH on its own? Well, some of those checks and balances are dependent on minerals. Where do we get minerals? Our bones, muscles, teeth or our food. If our food isn’t balanced then our body steals what it needs from other areas (bones, muscles and teeth) to correct the imbalance in the blood. So you can see, our health can really decline if our body has to work hard to compensate for our poor food choices.

All foods have acid and alkaline forming properties. Again, it is the balance within that food or meal that matters. Foods that cause an overly acidic condition are foods high in animal fats, animal proteins, sugar and refined grains like white flour products and white rice. Artificial chemicals, flavorings and additives can also create an acidic condition. Foods that increase an alkaline condition are fruits, vegetables and organic whole or sprouted grains. This can be confused with healthy foods that are acidic themselves. Citrus, kiwi and bell peppers contain acids and can be irritating to an ulcer but they create an alkaline condition when absorbed by the body because of other beneficial nutrients. Coffee, alcohol and sugar…well, they are acidic to an ulcer and your body.

Generally, alkaline-forming foods should make up at least 75% of our diet to maintain optimal health. There are many lists available in books and on the internet if you are interested in a further look. My thoughts: alkaline foods are healthy choices, high in nutrients and low in calories, and are non-inflammatory foods. It may be worth a try.

Stay tuned for the next article on the Raw Foods Diet. 

by Rebecca Dirks, N.D.
Associate Physician, NW Center for Optimal Health
Marysville, 360-651-9355
Producer & Co-Host, Healthy Living, KSER FM 90.7

This time of year is filled with such eagerness and new beginnings. The cold, gray winter is fading fast and we welcome the sunny, cool days of spring. With each coming season new joy and excitement emerges.

For me, spring is marked with the planting of seeds. Our windowsills are lined with little pots studded with seeds of carrots, ground cherries, tomatoes, and spring onions. In our “petite” garden patch we’ve already planted sugar snap peas and arugula. Each day, with anticipation, my sons and I check the status of our seedlings and dream of hot sunny summer days playing outside and eating the sweet-as-candy peas from the vine.

My next step in welcoming spring is rhubarb. Its bright red stalks roasted in the oven with a touch of sugar and orange zest make the most decadent compote that tops anything from ice cream to oatmeal. My mouth puckers at its tart bright flavor and I smile at this memorable taste that, to me, screams spring.

The recipe I have for you this week highlights what this season has to offer. A variety of citron green vegetables are stirred into fresh eggs then topped with cheese and broiled until golden brown. A frittata is the perfect weekday dinner. Served with a simple green salad, this dish is a welcoming light meal after a long winter of heavy and hearty foods. “Frittata” is basically just a fancy way of saying omelette (those Italians always know how to fancy things up a bit). A frittata, however, is usually a bit lighter, as the eggs are whipped more than a traditional omelette. The resulting texture is lighter and more fluffy. Nearly any vegetable can be substituted and diced ham, bacon, or turkey can easily be added. I’m sure you too will add the frittata to your weekly meal plan.

What a joy to live in this beautiful green area that produces an abundance of fresh produce. From the slender, sweet stalks of asparagus to the pungent and peppery garlic greens – I welcome it all with open arms and an open mouth.

by Ashley Rodriquez
Chef, food blogger, and full-time mom. You can read more of her writings at www.notwithoutsalt.com

I overheard  my daughter Maddy (8) correcting her younger sister Maleah (5) last week.  Maleah was using the word “dirt” as they were playing with BRIO train tracks, a Lincoln log house and a few little people. Maddy, in the casual course of conversation, responded to the word “dirt” by saying that it is actually “soil.” Maleah agreed and they went on playing. 

As their farming father, I was particularly happy to hear my 8 year old refer to “dirt” as “soil.”  For me, my soil is everything. It determines what kind of farmer I am and what crops I can grow. Yes, I am a farmer that raises vegetables, nuts, fruit, cattle and hay, but for the most part those are the crops that my soil allows me to raise. Essentially, I am a soil farmer. Soil is a gift from God. It holds all the essential minerals that plants need to grow. With the addition of some water and sunshine, I have the perfect environment to farm. Yeah!!!

So when Maddy uses the term “soil” instead of “dirt” I pay attention because she is showing respect to the building blocks of life.

Dave Hedlin of Hedlin Farms has said more than once, “Dirt is what you sweep off the kitchen floor and soil is what you grow food in.” Amen!

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Have you noticed that we are now on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr?! We are taking advantage of these new forms of media to keep in touch with you, let you know about special promotions and clue you in on what’s happening on the farm. We’re uploading scenery photos from the farm every month. Join us and watch the seasons change! I have posted a picture of my little ones playing with their BRIO train tracks and Lincoln logs. Go and check it out and feel free to share with us a picture of your kiddos having fun.

Facebook.com/KlesickFamilyFarm

Twitter.com/boxofgood

Flickr.com/photos/klesickfamilyfarm

by Ashley Rodriguez

Last April, I was invited by the director, Robert Kenner, to attend a screening of Food, Inc. in Los Angeles. This invitation was all thanks for my brother who filmed much of the movie. I jumped at the opportunity to see the film.

Food, Inc. “lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA” (www.foodincmovie.com). It does so in a way that is honest and not intended purely for shock value but to inform and educate the often misguided and undereducated consumer. If you haven’t seen the movie yet I highly recommend it and as a very proud sister I have to point out that Food, Inc. has an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary.

What struck me the most while viewing the film is that food works best if we let it do what it was created to do. Tomatoes left to ripen on the vine are sweeter, have a much greater nutritional value and a flavor that cannot even compare to the tomatoes that were plucked while still green and left to ripen on the truck while in transit. The same goes for cows.

Cows were created to eat grass. Their digestive systems were designed to consume grass and yet lately, due to ease, cost and control, many cows are being fed grain. Now we all know grain in and of itself is not a bad thing but when cows start eating something other than grass things start to go wrong.

As things have started to go wrong for cows because of their unnatural diet, science has solved the problem by creating antibiotics that combat the diseases that arise. Rather than solving the problem by changing their diet, which would eliminate the need for antibiotics, we are now consuming meat from “cows that are essentially being kept alive by drugs” (baronbeef.com).

So now that we got that out of the way, let’s focus on the benefits of grass-fed beef. For me the most important part is that it just plain tastes better. Richer, meatier and more complex in flavor. But there are other reasons as well. “The animal itself thrives because it is getting the food it was designed to eat and it converts that food to muscle and fat that is higher in minerals, vitamins, CLAs (conjugated linoleic acid) and Omega 3 fatty acids, and lower in cholesterol and fat” (baronbeef.com). Even though grass-fed beef isn’t injected with antibiotics you have a much lower risk of getting diseases associated with beef such as E-Coli and Mad Cow Disease.

To learn more about this and in general where our food comes from I can’t recommend the film Food, Inc. enough. Also, any of Michael Pollen’s best-selling books like the Omnivores Dilemma provide a very thorough look into the world behind the food on our plate.

In the meantime, I highly encourage you to take advantage of this great opportunity to purchase and enjoy grass-fed beef. Not only can you eat it in good conscience but you will be thrilled with the wonderful taste that comes from cows who eat a diet that they were created for.

Ashley Rodriquez is a chef, food blogger, and full-time mom.
You can read more of her writings at www.notwithoutsalt.com