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November 2011

Your conscious life

M a g a z i n e Your conscious life

Dr. Weil’s Anti-inflAmmAtory Diet

M a g a z i n e

Your conscious life

M a g a z i n e Your conscious life

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November 2011 Live Green

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Dr. Weil’s Anti-inflammatory Diet

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Q&A with Dr. Weil

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Seed Banks Dr. Gordon on Negative Hydrogen The Chopra Center

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Eat Wheat Free What’s Up Cupcake?

Boarding Pets A Truck Farm?

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November 2011

Editor’s Note

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November 8, 2011, Dr. Weil discusses his own journey to overcoming dysthymia through improved nutrition and positive psychology—a must read!

This month is a page turner, beginning with my features and interviews with Dr. Andrew Weil in LIVE, and joined by another internationally renowned expert, Deepak Chopra, M.D. who will share his wisdom about the “7 Secrets to Grow Younger, Live Longer.” In “Eat Wheat Free,” Barbi Walker unveils the essentials to becoming a gluten-free restaurant, and offers great eating-out advice for those with celiac disease. Author Aimee Welch talked to executive director Bill McDorman at Native Seed/SEARCH to tell us about seed banks—why we have them, why we need them, and why 007 himself couldn’t even break into one.

What would happen if transportation coming into Arizona was cut off? How long would we be able to sustain our food supply?

These questions are addressed in Judy Zimola’s WORK feature, “The Worst Case Scenario – A 3-Day Food Supply.”

Happy harvest everyone!

This issue always makes me hungry—one, because I love food, and two, it gives me an excuse to visit many restaurants and experience the latest creations our Arizona chefs are dishing out for the fall.

This issue focuses on food and nutrition and we are greatly excited to feature Dr. Andrew Weil, a world-renowned expert in integrative medicine and, founder of the Program in Integrative Medicine (now the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine) at University of Arizona, a New York Times best-selling author, and the nutritional architect behind True Food Kitchen, communitybased restaurants that use local, organic ingredients and adhere to the principles of Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet.

With chronic inflammation on the rise and becoming an increasing concern in adults and children, my article this month highlights Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet. It provides a comprehensive dietary guideline to help you optimize nutrition and make healthy choices for you and your family to counteract chronic inflammation and the serious diseases it enables.

Hopefully by the time you get to PLAY, you’ll have built up an appetite because Chef Aaron Chamberlain of St. Francis is shifting gears for fall, and throwing down some unique dishes with inseason and locally grown food. If you missed the Phoenix Food Truck festival in October, don’t worry, we’ll let you know about the delicious dishes and sweet treats these food truck owners are creating, mobilizing and serving soon at a location near you!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and, if you don’t know what to do with leftovers, check out our recipe section—we have one tasty pot pie to test out from the Healthy U TV team. And when you’ve officially reached food coma status, book reviewer Terri Schlichenmeyer says you’ll want to have “O’s Best Advice Ever!: Makeover Your Life with Oprah and Friends” when you hit the couch.

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Did you know your nutritional choices can help you overcome depression? In his new book Spontaneous Happiness, available Photography by Sigrid Velund-Miller Shoot location in St. Francis, stfrancisaz.com

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Dr. Weil’s Anti-inflAmmAtory Diet

BY TISHIN DONKERSLEY, M.A.

Photography courtesy of Weil Lifestyle LLC

Feature

Inflammation can occur in any part of the body, from our sinuses, muscles and skin to our internal organs. In many cases there is no need for concern, but recurring Inflammation can begin to break down the immune system, leading to many serious diseases.

A

ccording to an NPR interview with Dr. Peter Libby, Mallinckrodt Professor of Medicine from Harvard Medical School and Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, “The immune and inflammatory response is very important in our usual defenses against invaders and repair of injury, but it can get turned against us when it’s deployed inappropriately or [when inflammation continues].”

The rapid increase in the number of cases of chronic inflammation warrants our attention, as it is often intricately intertwined with our own lifestyle choices and unique environments, and can dictate our healthy (or unhealthy) path.

According to an article from Harvard Medical School, “Chronic low-grade inflammation is intimately involved in all stages of atherosclerosis… and sets the stage for heart attacks, most strokes, and even vascular dementia.”

Dr. Andrew Weil, a world-renowned expert in integrative medicine, said that, along with stress, environmental toxins, genetics and secondhand smoke, diet has a huge impact on the body’s inflammatory status. His anti-inflammatory diet provides a comprehensive dietary guideline, highlighting simple dietary changes people can make to optimize nutrition and counteract chronic inflammation and the serious diseases it enables. Weil says, “The current growing body of evidence suggests that it’s chronic, low-level, imperceptible inflammation throughout the body that eventually creates the foundation for these age-related diseases.”

How does inflammation occur in the body?

”Good” inflammation occurs as the body’s defense against bacteria, viruses, and foreign bodies, and to repair damaged tissues. Such inflammatory responses tend to be local, and of limited duration. On the flip side, inflammation is also the body’s response to many irritants we expose ourselves to such as smoking, high-fat and high-caloric diets, processed foods, greenlivingaz.com

environmental toxins, alcohol and medications. Dr. Weil explains, “Inflammation is so powerful… so potentially destructive that the body has very complex mechanisms that ensure it stays where it’s supposed to stay, and ends where it’s supposed to end.”

What happens if inflammation lingers?

A study conducted by Yale University School of Medicine to understand the connection between the inflammatory response and cancer concluded that inflammation has long been associated with the development of cancer. The research stated that “longstanding inflammation secondary to chronic infection or irritation predisposes to cancer… [and] chronic inflammation states associated with infection and irritation may lead to environments that foster genomic lesions and tumor initiation.”

What are symptoms of inappropriate inflammation?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of inflammation of internal organs could include shortness of breath, swelling of the leg, asthma attacks, high blood pressure, cramps or diarrhea.

Other signs of inflammation, as it relates to diseases, could be joint pain, redness, swelling, hot spots or flu-like symptoms.

Anti-inflammatory diet

In order to prevent or manage inflammation, one needs to focus on nutrition. Dr. Weil developed an anti-inflammatory diet to assist in the prevention of chronic inflammation, reduce risks of age-related diseases, and guide people toward a healthy and nutritionally balanced diet. Utilizing his medical education from Harvard University and real-world health and wellness experience, Dr. Weil has inspired many. He has written many New York Times best-selling books on nutrition, founded the Program in Integrative Medicine (now the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine) at University of Arizona, and was the nutritional architect behind True Food Kitchen, communitybased restaurants that use local, organic ingredients and adhere to the principles of Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet.

November 2011 | greenliving 9

Feature

Dr. Weil indicates that most adults are consuming 2,000-3,000 calories a day and, based on his recommended distribution of calories, one should carve up their diet with 40 to 50 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent from fat and 20 to 30 percent from protein. The fundamentals of the anti-inflammatory diet include boosting fruit and vegetable intake, seeking out fresh food, avoiding refined sugars, eating healthy fats from extra-virgin olive oil and cold-water, oily fish such as wild-caught salmon, choosing foods high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, and decreasing processed foods.

Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory food pyramid provides a yellow brick road to a healthier you. Each level was designed to benefit your body, and decrease your risk for disease.

Starting at the top level…thank goodness for some healthy

10 greenliving | November 2011

anti-inflammatory food pyramid sweets! However, they must be few and far between. If you choose to indulge with chocolate, he recommends dark chocolate, as it contains polyphenols with antioxidant properties.

Second tier—red wine! A study conducted by the American Heart Association showed “a 32 percent risk reduction of atherosclerotic disease with red wine intake, which was greater than the 22 percent risk reduction for beer consumption.” If one chooses to drink, Dr. Weil recommends organic red wine and no more than one to two glasses per day.

What else to do during the day? Take your vitamins! Dr. Weil encourages supplements that, depending on an individual’s greenlivingaz.com

Feature

circumstances, may include antioxidants, co-enzyme Q10, distilled fish oil and vitamin D3. Additionally, instead of that cup of java in the morning, try tea. Dr. Weil highlights that tea, whether white, green or oolong, contains antioxidants that can reduce inflammation.

“Following an anti-inflammatory diet can help counteract the chronic inflammation that is a root cause of many serious diseases, including those that become more frequent as people age. It is a way of selecting and preparing foods based on science that can help people achieve and maintain optimum health over their lifetime.” – Andrew Weil, M.D.

Ever thought about growing an herb garden? Turmeric, garlic, ginger, rosemary and thyme are just some of the herbs that contain anti-inflammatory properties. Dr. Weil suggests using them in your daily dishes.

Dr. Weil suggests one or two servings of protein every day, including high-quality cheeses and yogurts, and grass-fed lean meats. Asian mushrooms, including shiitake, enokidake, maitake, oyster and wild mushrooms, are a favorite for this diet because they can build up the immune system, but Dr. Weil recommends minimizing commercial button mushrooms, and avoiding raw mushrooms altogether.

Whole soy foods show up in Dr. Weil’s pyramid too—one to two servings per day of tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy nuts or soy milk are recommended. According to an article on MSNBC.com

by Natasha Allen, a recent study stated that “post-menopausal breast cancer survivors in the study who consumed the most soy

isoflavones, around 42.3 milligrams a day, had a considerably decreased risk of recurrence of their breast cancer compared with those who consumed the least, around 15.2 mg a day.” Omega-3 fish oil from salmon and other cold-water fish have been indicated to reduce the risk for heart disease and slightly lower blood pressure. Dr. Weil encourages two to six servings of fish during the week, rich in omega-3 fats, such as wild Alaskan salmon, herring, sardines or black cod.

For healthy fats from foods such as wild-caught fish, nuts, oils and seeds, to grains, pasta and beans, the goal is to choose pure ingredients. Look for foods high in omega-3 fats, intact (not pulverized) grains that digest slowly such as brown rice, buckwheat or steel-cut oats, and beans rich in folic acid, magnesium, potassium and soluble fiber.

The foundation of Dr. Weil’s anti-inflammatory diet pyramid is fruits and vegetables. People need to eat a lot more of them. He emphasizes the importance of coloring up your plate with more fruits and vegetables. He says certain fruits and vegetables are rich in flavonoids and carotenoids and possess both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities. Fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, apples and pears, among others, are recommended, as well as cruciferous vegetables, dark leafy greens, onions, and raw salad greens.

In addition to following the anti-inflammatory food pyramid, Dr. Weil recommends drinking water throughout the day, which is necessary for the overall functioning and cleansing of the body, and avoiding products made with high-fructose corn syrup. And for you cooks out there, he suggests high-quality olive oil, because it has the highest percentage of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat of any edible oil.

In a recent interview, Dr. Weil had the following to say about trends in the American food landscape: “The growth of organic agriculture is very heartening. There are more farmers’ markets now, healthier foods in schools, and better availability of highquality foods in general. I do see some very positive signs.”

To learn more about the Anti-inflammatory Diet, visit drweil. com and read his book Healthy Aging. He also explores the relationship between inflammation and mental health in his newest book, Spontaneous Happiness, which will be available November 8, 2011.

SOURCES Dr. Weil Anti-inflammatory Diet Food Pyramid my.clevelandclinic.org drweil.com health.harvard.edu msnbc.msn.com

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ncbi.nlm.nih.gov npr.org Yale J Biol Med. 2006 December; 79(3-4): 123-130.

Published online 2007 October.

November 2011 | greenliving 11

Health & Wellness

BY TISHIN DONKERSLEY, M.A.

Why did you choose the phrase “spontaneous happiness” to describe your book?

Sixteen years ago, I wrote Spontaneous Healing, a book that explored the body’s amazing ability to heal itself. The premise was that if the body is supported by the right diet, exercise and other lifestyle choices, its powerful, innate healing mechanisms that “spontaneously” activate can bring physical systems into health and balance. In Spontaneous Happiness I put forth the idea that something similar can happen at an emotional level. If you give yourself what’s necessary to support health in body, mind and spirit, emotional balance will arise within you as a matter of course. This book is about how to create the necessary conditions to allow positive emotions to manifest spontaneously.

What made you decide to write a book about overcoming depression?

When I learned that the number-one search term used on my website, DrWeil. com, was “depression,” I realized that people were seeking my advice about this condition. We had some articles on the site about depression and emotional health, but I felt a deeper exploration was necessary, as this is a complex problem that really should not be treated trivially—with just a pill, for example.

Also, I struggled with mild to moderate depression—known technically as dysthymia—for much of my life, emerging from it only in my early fifties, so I had a personal connection to this issue that helped inspire me to write about it.

Why do you believe that depression is so prominent in our country?

There are two factors here that need to

12 greenliving | November 2011

be teased apart. First, I think much of the modern “depression epidemic” has been manufactured by pharmaceutical companies to drive sales. They’ve made a vigorous effort to persuade the public that even normal, transient sadness is actually depression, depression is always a sign of a chemical imbalance, and the best treatment is a pill—typically, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI. But I also believe that real depression is more common than it was in the past. I think this is largely due to the fact that we live in ways that are profoundly at odds with our evolutionary development.

Human beings are not “selected,” as the evolutionary biologists say, for sitting indoors, alone, staring at glowing screens, eating processed food, during a day that’s artificially extended for hours by electric lights. This lifestyle undermines our physical and mental health in both profound and subtle ways, and one result is chronically low mood.

Do you find that most depression cases are genetically or circumstantially driven?

I believe both factors contribute to most cases. But our circumstances are changing more quickly than our genes, so I think

much of the growth in depression rates is largely driven by our changing lifestyles.

In what ways do you believe that modern industrial food has contributed to depression?

Modern food is typically highly processed—the worst of it is little more than sugar, salt and synthetic fat. A diet in which such food predominates keeps the body in an inflammatory state.

Inflammation is a good thing when it is localized and short-lived —for example, the typical redness and swelling that surrounds an injury represent the body marshalling forces to that spot to facilitate healing. But a diet of processed, modern food can put the whole body into state marked by chronic, inappropriate levels of inflammation. There is a good deal of evidence that such a state can lead to many of the characteristic chronic diseases of the developed world, including Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular conditions and many cancers. But in the course of researching this book, I was surprised to learn that researchers now see very strong connections between chronic inflammation and depression. So it turns out that eating an anti-inflammatory diet, like the one described by my food greenlivingaz.com

Health & Wellness pyramid, can support both physical and emotional health.

Help us understand your concept of “Mental Nutrition,” and discuss its importance.

If you habitually eat bad food, your physical health will suffer. If you habitually take in negative information, your emotional health will suffer. A great deal of the modern news media is given over to negative news. This is because human beings are “wired” to pay close attention to such information. It’s very pro-survival to keep abreast of potential threats, so the media assaults us with “threat-based” information nonstop, knowing we’ll find it hard to turn away.

The reality is that almost nothing covered by the media represents a real, imminent threat to the average person’s wellbeing. And if something does rise to that level—say, a hurricane is approaching your coastal town—you can be sure that someone will let you know. So I have long

recommended going on periodic “news fasts” in which you simply unplug from news media. I think it is a wonderful way to support your emotional equilibrium.

In what ways was writing the book therapeutic for you?

I began to emerge from my dysthymia in my fifties as a result of doing a lot of the things I recommend in the book, but I learned new information in the course of writing it. I was fascinated by some of the research that’s being done lately in the realm of positive psychology, a relatively new discipline that focuses on optimizing (rather than simply repairing) emotional well-being. One of the most important things that has been discovered in recent years is that consciously cultivating a sense of gratitude is one of the most powerful things you can do to improve your mood-state long-term. Since learning that, I find myself making even more of an effort to focus on all the things in my life for which I can be grateful.

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Who will benefit from reading this book?

I think we’re at something of an inflection point in American history—even world history. For many people, life had already become an essentially nonstop exercise in stress even before the world economy began to slide in 2008. More and more people tell me that something is profoundly out of balance with their jobs, their lives, their whole culture. I think people from many walks of life will benefit from learning that such feelings are not fantasy—that in many ways, the emotional turmoil we feel is a sensible reaction to certain aspects of modern life, not a personal failing. The book does not suggest that the proper response is a complete withdrawal from contemporary society. Rather, I recommend ways to work within the world that honor what we crave emotionally as human beings. I hope that virtually everyone will find something of value in this work.

Book cover courtesy of Little Brown and Company

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November 2011 | greenliving 13

“The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful plant to its culture...One such service of this kind rendered to a nation is worth more to them than all the victories of the most splendid pages of their history, and becomes a source of exalted pleasure to those who have been instrumental in it.”

– Thomas Jefferson Protectors of Plant Diversity and Food Security

BY AIMEE WELCH

ears ago in North America, Native Americans vigilantly tended to their fields, picking out the best ears of corn and using the seeds for the following year. In doing so, they preserved the species’ best qualities—those that tasted best, were resistant to specific diseases or pests, or had the ability to mature before a frost. They saved the crops best-suited for survival…season after season, century after century. They passed on their knowledge to European settlers and, in the era of Thomas Jefferson (one of America’s first great agronomists), farmers made up about 90% of the American workforce—plant diversity flourished. Different cultures grew different foods, refined farming techniques unique to their soil, climate and crops, and saved their best seeds. It’s a system that worked for hundreds of years.

Somewhere along the way, things changed. Sustainable farming gave way to a food production system subsidized by nonrenewable resources, and abundant diversified farms, where multiple varieties of corn, rice and soybeans once grew in the same fields, were replaced with highly productive monocrop fields scientifically bred to produce the characteristics humans want. “In two generations, we lost nearly all of the crops our ancestors took 10,000 years to make,” said Bill McDorman, executive director for Native Seed/SEARCH (NS/S), a non-profit conservation organization and seed bank in Tucson. Currently, the majority of the world’s population lives on approximately 12 plant species, less than one percent of the U.S. population farms as a primary profession, and many Native American tribes now store heirloom seeds in seed banks to ensure the survival of the crops their ancestors scrupulously refined over the centuries.

But we’re producing higher quantities of more predictable food on the same amount of land, right? So what’s the big deal? For starters, we’re losing plant diversity, which is fundamental to food security.

Remember the Irish Potato Famine of the 1800s? Reducing Ireland’s population from 8 million to 5 million in just five years, it remains one of the country’s most catastrophic historical events, causing starvation, disease and massive emigration. The cause?

A vital dependence on one crop, which was obliterated by a fungus. In 1970, a mysterious fungus wiped out more than half of America’s corn yield because the corn (much of it bred from the same seed) was all susceptible to the disease. More recently,

14 greenliving | November 2011

scientists are frantically working to create a wheat plant that is resistant to the ancient Ug99 fungus (red stem rust) that has periodically reappeared throughout the world to wipe out wheat fields. It’s back, and is now threatening nearly 80% of the world’s wheat supply.

For this reason, many people reach out to organizations like NS/S, but McDorman is optimistic. He says this is a time to be positive…to empower ourselves. “We’re waking up from this industrial storm of monocropping. All farmers and gardeners used to save their seeds. We’ve always planted our own seeds.

We just need to relearn to do it,” he said. And despite all of our modern farming techniques, traditional farming, urban farms, farmers markets and backyard gardens are making a huge comeback, thanks, in part, to the seed banks and seed exchanges around the world that protect one of the world’s most precious resources—diversity. “Real human wealth rests on it…it always has,” said McDorman.

To increase the genetic diversity of U.S. corn, the Germplasm Enhancement for Maize (GEM) project seeks to combine exotic germplasm, such as this unusually colored and shaped maize from Latin America, with domestic corn lines.

Photography by Keith Weller

Y

What are seed banks?

Seed banks are essentially “genetic vaults”—protectors of plant biodiversity. They are facilities used to store seeds for food crops, rare heirloom seeds (seeds passed down through generations), native seeds, and other rare plant species from shrubs and trees to grass and flowers.

Properly stored, seeds can remain viable for thousands of years.

They are typically frozen for a period of time (usually around ten years, but sometimes seeds will stay viable in a frozen state for much longer), then grown out in fields so fresh seeds can replace the old.

There are approximately 1,400 banks in countries around the world. National banks are typically the largest, but many smaller greenlivingaz.com

banks preserve seeds that are indigenous to a specific region.

Banks are run by universities, institutes, botanical gardens, non-profits, governments and international organizations. Some keep seeds specifically for “insurance” purposes—in the event a particular species was destroyed by a natural disaster, war, or disease, they are our best opportunity for re-growth. Other banks focus on the expansion of home gardens, making seeds from banks available for “check-out” in seed libraries.

NS/S in Tucson houses 1,900 accessions of traditional crops from 50 Native American tribes originating from the American Southwest and northwestern Mexico. McDorman said reasons for storing seeds vary—many are worried about food security, and others are retiring from farming and, because their children don’t intend to farm, they want to preserve their heirloom seeds. NS/S also operates the Conservation Farm in Patagonia, Arizona, where it regularly regenerates seeds from its seed bank to maintain viability.

buying up seed companies and, today, a handful of companies across the globe actually own the majority of world’s seeds, freely modifying and breeding as they see fit, and maintaining a tight grip on distribution. It’s a controversial issue and story in and of itself.

The bottom line is this—by relying only on predictable, uniform species of plants (and fewer of them), we not only move toward a world with less variety, we make ourselves vulnerable. Climate change, drought, excessive heat, bugs, bacteria, disease—without plant diversity, we’re one major disaster away from a worldwide catastrophe.

One of the world’s most famous seed banks, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, is located 390 feet inside a mountain on a small Norwegian island, protected by dual blast-proof security doors and an airlock, with only one way in. Sounds a little bit like the Bat Cave, but this “doomsday” seed bank is the world’s backup system, storing copies of up to three million different crop varieties in the event climate change, war, natural disasters or water and energy shortages make it necessary to “start over.”

Why do we need seed banks?

The “short” answer is that we need seed banks to protect plant diversity (which is fundamental to global food security), preserve centuries-old heirloom plants that risk extinction since they are no longer used in commercial agriculture production, and safeguard against disease, natural or man-made disasters that could devastate the plant population, which we rely on not only for food, but for oxygen, medicine and clothing. Kind of a big deal.

Today, 96 percent of the 1,500 crops that different cultures used for food in the early 1900s are gone. Thousands of years of evolution gone. As plant species die off, we lose genetic diversity and, without it, scientists and farmers can’t develop seeds capable of adapting to climate changes or new diseases. “Diversity is the strength of any ecosystem,” McDorman enthusiastically stated.

“Because at some point we’ll run out of ideas.”

So what happened, anyway? The answer is entangled in a historical, ethical web that started with “The Green Revolution” of the 1960s. Modernized agricultural techniques adopted in the 20th century—fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation and high-yielding crops, to name a few—gave farmers greater control over growing conditions, enabling them to produce more food on the same amount of land. This “progress” saved billions of people from starvation, but it came at a cost—a loss of plant diversity.

And that was just the beginning. A 1980 Supreme Court ruling said genetic coding of plants could be “owned.” This monumental ruling triggered a shift in the seed industry from public to private. Pharmaceutical and chemical companies started greenlivingaz.com

Led by executive director Bill McDorman (light colored cap on right), students at Native Seeds/SEARCH in Tucson attend “Seed School” to learn to develop regional seed companies, keep agriculture local, support food security, and create seed libraries or programs to strengthen diversity.

Feeding the world is a balancing act

With a rapidly expanding global population, the benefits and detriments of high-yielding commercial agriculture are here to stay. But, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), our current agricultural system won’t sustain the world’s growing population. Instead, it says that in order to grow, agriculture must learn to save by enhancing natural resources. “This new paradigm of agriculture is sustainable crop production intensification (SCPI), which can be summed up in the words ‘save and grow.’” FAO believes a key part of the solution is to strengthen national programs for plant genetic resources conservation, plant breeding and seed distribution to deploy improved crop varieties that are resilient to climate change and more efficient with regards to nutrients, water and external resources.

McDorman agrees in saving and growing, but his optimistic outlook involves more action on the part of individuals. He encourages every reader to become a member of NS/S, save seeds, grow food and become a part of the solution. He believes that 1,000 years from now, people will look back in admiration at the people who made a difference at this critical time in November 2011 | greenliving 15

“In two generations, we lost nearly all of the crops our ancestors took 10,000 years to make...

Currently, the majority of the world’s population lives on approximately 12 plant species, less than 1% of the U.S. population farms as a primary profession.” history—the small farmers, gardeners, activists, organizations and avid supporters that brought diversity back from the brink of death. “We don’t want to have to save our seeds. It should be a living, breathing part of it all. It’s a better life for everyone.

That’s diversity. It’s a beautiful thing. We’re here to live—let’s do it better,” he encourages. Cheers…I’ll plant to that.

SOURCES Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, fao.org/, fao.org/docrep/u8480e/u8480e07. htm International Plant Protection Convention, ippc.int National Geographic, news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/photogalleries/seedbank-pictures/ index.html Native Seeds/SEARCH, nativeseeds.org Photo source, nativeseeds.org/pdf/Newsletters/SeedheadNews109-2011.pdf Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute, jeffersoninstitute.org/initiative/jefferson.shtml Corn photo source, ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/k7743-13.htm

Aimee Welch is a freelance writer, marketing consultant, and former advertising executive. She writes advertising copy, magazine and web articles for her company, 17,000 Feet; and for herself, she runs, snowboards, travels and hangs with her husband, two kids and four dogs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Ohio State University.

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Health & Wellness

Negative Hydrogen

for Positive Health

BY DR. GARRY F. GORDON, MD, DO, MD(H)

Y

ou may have heard the phrase that the “life of the body is in the blood.” Without delving into metaphysical considerations, scientifically, the statement is spot-on when considering the quality and length of our lives in association with the condition of our heart and circulatory system. Our heart pumps blood carrying oxygen and nutrients to our tissues and cells, and removes waste products. Blood is the vehicle and transport system for the fuel, but our cells are the powerhouses.

Providing our cells an optimal environment with necessary nutrients for energy production, repair and function, as well as elimination of toxins and wastes, is absolutely crucial to our health, happiness and longevity.

medicine’s answer is to prescribe a statin drug which only further damages the system.

On a chemical and physical level, all disease is essentially caused by a loss of energy, or a power failure in our cell bodies. Dr. Douglas Wallace of the Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine in Philadelphia says, “Every one of the diseases we can’t solve is absolutely logical if we put energy at the center.”

Mitochondria are the powerhouses in our cells that produce energy through two metabolic processes. One is the citric acid cycle which converts fuel (food) into ATP and hydrogen, and the second is through oxidative phosphorylation whereby hydrogen is combined with oxygen to generate ATP. Oxidative phosphorylation is the primary energy process for all aerobic organisms. Pollution, various toxins and unhealthy food all contribute to the breakdown of this fundamental cycle.

Hydrogen, specifically the negative hydrogen ion (H- ion) is thought to be the most powerful antioxidant, and by simply replenishing our hydrogen stores, we can increase cellular energy and detoxification, relieving and even reversing many of these conditions.

Hydrogen plays a critical role in achieving and maintaining positive health. We need this element, which makes up 90 percent of matter in our universe, as much as we need oxygen.

Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who discovered vitamin C, believes that hydrogen, not oxygen, is the “fuel of life.” Oxygen burns hydrogen, which releases the energy that runs our bodies.

Another way to add H-ions is in the form of a supplement called Active H-minus. Simply add a small tablet to any bottle of clean drinking water, and it will add an incredible number of free radical neutralizing electrons to your body! I have lived most of my life with a heart rhythm disturbance similar to atrial fibrillation and since taking Active H-minus over several weeks, my skipped heartbeats have disappeared, my pulse is stronger than ever, and my energy levels have skyrocketed. My FIGHT For Your Health Program is designed to teach people how the quality of our lives and health is vitally dependent upon the health of our blood, more specifically, our cells. Gordoninstitute.com.

Our ancestors replenished their hydrogen stores by eating fresh, minimally processed or raw foods, high-quality animal protein, and drinking clean, unfiltered water from natural deep aquifers. Unfortunately, hydrogen in our environment has been tainted and reduced by pollutants, heating, processing, and milling, prolonged exposure to air, or prolonged storage. Food intolerances to things like lactose and gluten are also attributed to over-processing and our modern diets.

Our bodies store most of our hydrogen in the liver and intestines, where the majority of our detoxification processes occur. Energy production is further affected as our liver becomes overburdened with toxins. Our body’s protective response is often chronic inflammation and increased cholesterol levels. Sadly, mainstream

18 greenliving | November 2011

Antioxidants are the body’s defense against damaging free radicals, which are created primarily by pollution and the natural aging process and can cause mutations and changes in genetic sequencing. Free-radical accumulation over time is linked to aging and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, and to symptoms associated with heart disease, atrial fibrillation, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, depression, thyroid and hormone imbalances, Type 2 diabetes, acid reflux and indigestion.

“Super foods” containing vitamin C, vitamin B2, vitamin E and beta carotene help eliminate the effect of free radicals from the human body.

SOURCES Active H-Minus – Super Antioxidant and Cell Cleanse h-ions.com/Pdfs/H-AntioxidantCellCleanse.pdf The Negative Hydrogen Ion – chelation therapy online website chelationtherapyonline.com/technical/p20.htm Power Failure: Mitochondria and Disease americanscientist.org/science/pub/power---failure-mitochondria-and---disease Ward, D and Fowkes, S. Mitochondrial Nutrition, Aging and Cognition. ceri.com/mito.htm

Garry F. Gordon MD,DO,MD(H), President, Gordon Research Institute. gordonresearch.com

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Health & Wellness

TO GROW

BY DEEPAK CHOPRA, M.D.

I

n the past five decades, researchers have found irrefutable evidence that the mind can play a decisive part in prevention of illness and also in healing. This is particularly true in the field of aging. We now know that the human body doesn’t simply wear out like an old car with too many miles on it. Even though we all have genetic predispositions, our health and aging aren’t predetermined. By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform the experience of our body and decrease our biological age.

To grow younger and live longer, I offer seven practical steps to harness the power of the mind-body connection.

Change your perCeptions of your body and aging Perception is a selective act of attention and interpretation.

What you experience as “reality,” including your physical body and aging, is shaped by your habits of perception. While most people are conditioned to see the body as a machine destined to break down, you can begin to view it as a field of energy, transformation, and intelligence that is constantly renewing itself.

Begin to notice both your internal dialogue and how you speak about your body and aging. If you find yourself saying things like, “I’m hitting the age where I’ll need reading glasses,” or “I’m too old to try yoga (or some other activity),” or “I inherited my dad’s bad back,” make a conscious choice to shift your perspective and tell yourself what you want from your body and age.

stress reduCtion and meditation Meditation is a simple yet powerful tool that takes us to a state of profound relaxation dissolving fatigue and accumulated stress that accelerates the aging process.

Research shows that people who meditate regularly develop less hypertension, heart disease, anxiety, and other stress-related illnesses that speed up the aging process. Long-term meditators can have a biological age between five and twelve years younger than their chronological age. There are many meditation techniques, and it’s important to find one that resonates with you. You may benefit from a mantra-based technique, such as the Primordial Sound Meditation practice taught at the Chopra Center. Another good place to begin is with guided meditations.

20 greenliving | November 2011

Also at the Chopra Center we’ve created several series of guided meditations called “The 21-Day Meditation Challenge.”

restful sleep Getting regular restful sleep is an essential key to staying healthy and vital, yet it is so often neglected. A lack of restful sleep disrupts the body’s innate balance, weakens our immune system, and speeds up the aging process.

Human beings generally need between six and eight hours of restful sleep each night. Restful sleep means that you’re not using pharmaceuticals or alcohol to get to sleep but that you’re drifting off easily once you turn off the light and sleeping soundly through the night.

nurture your body with healthy food There are “dead” foods that accelerate aging and entropy and others that renew and revitalize the body. Foods to eliminate or minimize include items that are canned, frozen, microwaved, or highly processed. Focus on eating a variety of fresh and freshly prepared foods.

A simple way to make sure that you’re getting a balanced diet is to include the six tastes (sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter, and astringent) in each meal. The typical American diet is dominated by the sweet, sour, and salty tastes (the main flavors of a hamburger). We do need these tastes, but they can lower metabolism, especially if eaten in excess.

The pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes, on the other hand, are anti-inflammatory and increase metabolism. These tastes are found in food such as radishes, ginger, mustard, peppers, spinach, mushrooms, tea, lentils lettuce, and so on.

exerCise One of the most important ways to grow younger and live longer is regular exercise. Researchers at Tufts University have documented the powerful effects of exercise on many of the biomarkers of aging, including muscle mass, strength, aerobic capacity, bone density, and cholesterol.

Exercising keeps the body young, a vital mind and promotes emotional well-being. In his recent book, Spark: The greenlivingaz.com

Health & Wellness

Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, Harvard University professor John Ratey, M.D., describes research showing how “physical activity sparks biological changes that encourage brain cells to bind to one another.” This spark, as he calls it, increases the brain’s ability to learn, adapt, and perform other cognitive tasks.

The important thing is to start off slowly, find physical activities you enjoy, and do them regularly.

Love and connection Love and meaningful relationships are vital to physical and emotional well-being. As research reveals, people who continue to nurture long-term and new friendships as they grow older are more likely to enjoy health and vitality. Isolation and loneliness, on the other hand, create the conditions for rapid aging. Heart attack and death rates have been shown to increase among the recently widowed, and among men who have been suddenly terminated from their jobs without warning or against their will.

The key is to stay connected and open to new relationships throughout your life. Losing friends and loved ones is an inevitable part of aging, and many people have a tendency to go quietly into semi-isolation. Instead, set your intention on expanding and deepening the love in your life.

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Maintain a youthfuL Mind An ancient Vedic aphorism says, “Infinite flexibility is the secret to immortality.” When we cultivate flexibility in our consciousness, we renew ourselves and reverse the aging process.

To maintain a youthful mind, write down a few things you can do that are totally childlike. Think of something that evokes childhood for you—eating an ice cream cone, coloring a picture, jumping rope, or building a sand castle. Choose one of these activities to do today and allow yourself to have fun.

Deepak Chopra, M.D. is a best-selling author and the co-founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, California. For more information on meditation, sleep, the six tastes, mind-body healing, and Ayurveda, or to sign up for the Center’s free online newsletter, please visit chopra.com or call 888.736.6895.

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23

HEAlTH & WEllNESS 24

O p ti m al H e a l t h and l ifest y le I recently looked in my 1995 Edition of Webster’s New Dictionary and Thesaurus, the Perfect All-In-One Book for School, Home and Office, for the word “wellness.” It wasn’t there. That was just 16 years ago. It was also the year I became the Executive Director of the Wellness Council of Tucson, now the Wellness Council of Arizona.

Obviously wellness was being pursued even though Webster had not heard of it yet. Pioneers in Worksite Wellness established the Wellness Council in 1985, Mel Zuckerman of Canyon Ranch Health Resort and local business leaders like Jim Click Jr. They shared a vision of advancing optimal health and lifestyles for employees and their families over 25 years ago. I’m happy to say that each of them remain strong advocates of personal responsibility and opportunity to enjoy great health. They continue to advance it within their businesses and embrace it in their personal lives.

Back to 1985, two other visionaries of healthy living and wellness were emerging as world recognized leaders in mind-body medicine. Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Deepak Chopra were on paths of changing and reshaping the typical way America had been approaching illness and treating disease. They each were building evidence and credibility in the field of mind-body medicine along with the incredible influences of daily lifestyle. Both Deepak and Andy believe in and promote the values of green living personally and professionally every day.

This month’s issue of Green Living Magazine features articles and great recommendations from Drs. Deepak Chopra and Andrew Weil. I am so excited for all of the readers who will receive information and motivation from two of the most incredible health and wellness minds of our time. I have enjoyed the opportunity of meeting and working with both of these gentlemen through my tenure with the Wellness Council. Both of them display an unending dedication and passion for people and everyone’s most optimal health. Enjoy this issue of Green Living Magazine; it’s one you will certainly want to save and refer to regularly.

By the way, Webster has caught up. According to them, “wellness” is “the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal , <lifestyles that promote wellness>.” I’d like to add that wellness encompasses not only physical health, but also your total well being which relates to how you feel about your environment and community now and in the future. This certainly speaks to living green.

The Wellness Council of Arizona is a non-profit organization that promotes healthy living through worksites and communities.

Contact us for more information on creating an influential and sustainable health promotion initiative for your group. I hope you enjoy Strength, Energy & Vitality!

Daniel A Johnson is Executive Director of the Wellness Council of Arizona.

Contact: 520-293-3369 Dan@welcoaz.org www.welcoaz.org

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Health & Wellness

BY BARBI WALKER

G

luten-free! More restaurants are catering to the gluten-free crowd, and for those suffering from true allergies to gluten (a wheat protein), dining out has become more of a reality.

However, it comes with its challenges. Altering a menu or simply removing items with gluten isn’t enough. For restaurants, the decision to go gluten-free and advertise gluten-free should not be taken lightly.

For people with celiac disease, any contact with wheat proteins can have severe physical ramifications. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one in every 133 American adults suffers from celiac disease. For a restaurant to go truly glutenfree, here are many important factors that go into providing a safe, healthy and enjoyable dining experience for glutenintolerant customers.

Gluten-free - not a fad diet First, “gluten-free” is a way of life for people who suffer from gluten intolerance, or celiac disease. Celiac sufferers cannot tolerate this protein found in wheat, rye and barley which is commonly used in cookies, pastas, breads, pizza crust and other foods. The disease is a condition that affects the digestive system when protein gluten is consumed. In 2006 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) listed wheat as a serious food allergen. In fact, Maricopa County’s Food Safety Manual states: “Each year, millions of people in the United States have allergic reactions to foods. Most food allergies cause minor symptoms. However, some food allergies can cause severe, even life-threatening reactions. Around 90 percent of serious food allergies are caused by contact with the proteins in these eight foods: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, or soybeans.”

Rhonda Kane, a registered dietitian and consumer safety officer at the FDA says, “Eating gluten-free is not meant to be a diet craze.

It’s a medical necessity for those who have celiac disease.”

Wheat, along with shellfish and nuts, results in the most severe allergic reactions and consequences for those subject to these allergies.

Making it gluten-free: a five-step recipe Although the FDA has deemed wheat as an allergen, restaurants are mainly left on their own to navigate offerings on their gluten-free menus. “There are a couple of national bodies that do certifications, but there is no FDA standard,” says Nina Spitzer,

greenlivingaz.com

president of Gluten Free-Absolutely! Spitzer, who has celiac disease, works with restaurants that want to add gluten-free options to their menus. She feels it’s wonderful that restaurants are making these changes, but cautions that many businesses aren’t aware of the intricacies involved. “Unfortunately, however, many are not aware of all the fine points of creating a ’safe’ gluten-free menu for those with the greatest need, celiac disease patients,” she says.

For restaurants considering a gluten-free option, Spitzer says there are three main and important steps to follow: 1. All ingredients must be checked with the manufacturer as gluten-free before being considered for a gluten-free menu item.

2. Managing the prep in the kitchen to eliminate any crosscontamination - where the protein of an allergy-causing food comes in contact with another food. Crosscontamination occurs if a cook uses the same cooking oil, knives, utensils, cutting boards, food containers, fryers and grills for both food items.

3. The staff must be trained and educated about proper storage and handling of gluten-free items to eliminate any cross-contamination — everyone from the owner and general manager, to the servers and even the host or hostess must maintain and be mindful of the gluten-free standards and policies, ensuring no wheat-based items come into contact with a gluten-free plate at any point.

Bon Appétit sans gluten Fortunately there are numerous restaurants in Arizona that are offering gluten-free dishes. If you plan to dine out, Spitzer says the first thing to do is review the restaurant’s menu. If you find gluten-free options or things that seem to be easily altered, it’s a good idea to call the restaurant ahead of time to verify with the chef or manager. For dinner, she says 4:00 is a good time to call because it’s before the dinner rush. This is especially important

November 2011 | greenliving 27

Health & Wellness

Here is a list of local restaurants that offer a Gluten-Free menu: Havana Cafe, havanacafe-az.com Nourish, nourish123.com Picazzo’s Pizza, picazzo.com Pugzie’s, pugzies.com The White Chocolate Grill, whitechocolategrill.com ZTejas, tempe.ztejas.com Heartline Cafe, heartlinecafe.com Cafe Ole, Flagstaff Mountain Oasis Restaurant, themenuplease.com/ mountainoasis

if it’s your first time dining at that restaurant. Tell the manager or chef that you are considering coming to the restaurant, you are allergic to gluten, and find out how the gluten-free dishes are prepared.

The Celiac Disease Foundation, Greater Phoenix chapter has a list of tried-and-true gluten-free restaurants, many of which have online menus. Some of the gluten-free restaurants with online menus include Nourish, Picazzo’s Pizza, Havana Cafe, ZTejas, Pugzie’s, and for those craving delicious desserts there’s The White Chocolate Grill. Many more are listed on the chapter’s website, phoenixceliac.org.

The Greater Phoenix chapter was founded by Spitzer as a support group for those with celiac disease. The foundation offers support, education and information to others suffering from celiac disease and has been involved with gluten-free restaurant menu projects. “We are blessed here in Phoenix to have so many restaurants, both chains and locally owned, willing to work with us,” says Diane Lake, a spokeswoman for the chapter.

“Even the slightest mistake can make celiacs sick,” says Spitzer.

“I hope restaurants choosing to offer a gluten-free menu will do it with serious dedication and attention to these important medical needs.”

SOURCES celiac.org digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/ fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm265212.htm glutenfreeabsolutely.com maricopa.gov/EnvSvc/EnvHealth/Pdf/Engbook.pdf phoenixceliac.org

Barbi Walker is a freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. Barbi lives in Phoenix with her husband and young son.

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What’s Up Cupcake?

Looking for healthy desserts that are delicious?

Visit Urban Cookies | Ollie Cakes for some delicious treats that are local and organic.

Urban Cookies | OllieCake Once an insurance agent, Brady Breese entered an employee bake-off competition and won with a flourless chocolate torte – this self-taught, homegrown culinary artist opened Urban Cookies and OllieCake one year later with his wife Shaun.

Their motto is baking extraordinary cookies and cupcakes with organic, fresh, sometimes local, and always the highest quality ingredients, as well as natural dyes. This year Brady and his lead baker, Salvador Garcia, won the Food Network Cupcake Wars with these four Ollie Cake recipes:

• Orange-Scented Chocolate Campfire Cupcake an orange-scented chocolate cake is housed in an orange half, and then topped with cream cheese frosting and dark chocolate chards.

• Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Cupcake Tomato and thyme cake is topped with a honey mascarpone frosting, Parmesan crisps and roasted, sugared tomatoes.

Each month, Salvador Garcia and Brady Breese makes a special flavor of cookies and cupcakes. Visit Urban Cookies at 7th Street and Highland in Phoenix, purchase their cookies at Whole Foods Markets, Luci’s Healthy Market Place and Press Coffee, or order online at urbancookies.com.

• Orange Olive Oil and Rosewater Cupcake an orange olive oil cake brushed with a honey glaze and topped with a rosewater scented butter cream frosting and a rose petal.

• Peach-Berry Shortcake Cupcake a peach corn cake is topped with whipped cream, a berry compote and tarragon shortcake.

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Pets

What You Should

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Know

Top 5 QuesTions To Ask: • is there someone on staff 24/7?

• How are the animals exercised or stimulated?

• How do you handle separation anxiety?

• Can i tour your facility?

• What qualifications do you require of your staff?

F

or those that need to board their pets for the holidays or vacation, how can you sniff out the good from the bad boarding facilities? How do you know your pet will be safe and happy there? There are a few tricks to determining if the facility is the right fit based on environment, stimulation and special care.

Comfort and Environment First and foremost, someone should be there 24/7 to monitor pets and maintain a safe environment. Today there are two

A Return to Simplicity.

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boarding options, kennels or cage-free. Kennels are a catch-all and can be used by anyone because animals are separated at all times. Cage-free boarding is for spayed or neutered, sociable animals. This is a great for dogs, as most get separation anxiety, and feel safer and more at ease when they are among their cohorts. To find out if it is truly a cage-free environment and that someone is actually there all night, I recommend visiting the facility at night, park in the lot and listen. Do you hear dogs howling? If so, it is a sign of separation anxiety and could mean they’ve been placed in individual rooms or cages. It might also mean the staff has left for the evening.

Some questions you can ask regarding comfort and environment include: • How do you handle separation anxiety?

• Do you have someone at the facility 24/7?

• What is the employee to dog/cat ratio?

• Do you have webcams so I can watch my pet?

• What qualifications do you require of your staff?

• What is your cleaning regimen?

• Can I have a tour of the facility?

Mental and Physical Stimulation Routine engagement throughout the day is also key to ensuring your pet has a good experience, as well as exercise outside, weather permitting. Find out what games they play and for how long, if they are in a group or individual setting. Dogs should always be kept with others of the similar energy level and size.

Ask if there is a staff member present during activities and if there is an additional charge.

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Every boarding facility should be equipped to care for pets with a variety of needs—old, young, special diets, and medications.

• Do you administer medications? What are the qualifications of the person administering them?

• What mental stimulation and exercise activities do you provide for mature pets?

• How and when are the pets fed? Do you monitor how much food they are given?

• Can you accommodate my pet’s special dietary needs? How will I know?

Your pet(s) are a part of the family and feel empowered to ask the right questions, and take the time to explore and feel comfortable with the facility and staff. Your pet should enjoy the experience.

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Tom Murray is the Ceo and president of Villa La pAWs, the Valley’s premier cage-free indoor/outdoor dog daycare, boarding and grooming facility with two locations in the greater phoenix area. For more information, visit VillaLapaws.com.

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November 2011 | greenliving 31

Green Thumb

A TRUCK FARM?

A

farm in the back of a truck? On a mission to expose the Phoenix community to foods that can be grown right here in the Valley — by farmers or in your backyard — Truck Farm Phoenix has packed the soil and seeds into the bed of a truck and is driving it to a location near you.

Truck Farm Phoenix is one of 25 mobile farming exhibits across the country designed to teach kids about local food. Truck Farm was born in Brooklyn, NY, in the spring of 2009, when filmmaker Ian Cheney set out to plant a vegetable garden in the bed of his grandfather’s 1986 Dodge pick-up truck after realizing he didn’t have anywhere else to grow food in New York City. The mobile garden project literally grew from there. Ian and collaborator Curt Ellis (co-creators of the “King Corn” documentary) took the public art project on the road, exhibiting Truck Farm at 40 schools and on the National Mall in Washington D.C. In Spring 2011, the first annual Truck Farm Garden Contest inspired hundreds of young people to plant creative farms of their own.

The contest was judged by food celebrities Alice Waters, Michael Pollan and Marion Nestle, who awarded the grand prize to Ivan Skrabalo for his “Everyday Parsley Farm.”

locally grown foods and educating students about healthy eating. They are also making their debut this month at farmers’ markets, festivals and businesses in the greater Phoenix area.

Self-described as “a Wicked Delicate farm and food project: a mobile community farm, a documentary about urban agriculture, and - a public art and education project,” Truck Farm Phoenix is managed by Natalie Morris, Clea Sennevile, Patty Emmert and Mike Avilla, and is co-sponsored by Slow Food Phoenix, Native Seeds Search, Duncan Family Farms and The FUSION Foundation.

If you are interested in having Truck Farm visit your organization or school, contact truckfarmphx@gmail.com. For upcoming events and the latest sprouts, visit their Facebook page “Truck Farm Phoenix” or follow on Twitter @TruckFarmPHX.

This fall, Truck Farm Phoenix will be reaching out to local schools and youth organizations to share the joy of gardening,

SOURCES Truck Farm Phoenix Fusion Foundation

Photography courtesy of Truck Farm Phoenix

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Feature

The Worst-Case Scenario Hubert cites the victory gardens of World War II as an example of the simplicity and beauty of the “small is beautiful” ethos. “When everybody—non-farmers, kids, schools— pitched in to grow food in whatever patch of land they had, using or borrowing whatever tools were available, it added up to 40 percent of all the vegetables consumed nationally.”

A 3-Day Food Supply

BY JUDY ZIMOLA

Tup to store loading entrances to offload supplies. From wice a week, delivery trucks across the state trundle

neighborhood mom-and-pops where one can still find cooking lard to chain stores that tweet coupons, the majority of grocery stores carry, at most, a three-day supply of food—a practice called “just in time” economics. The scary thought is that if a natural disaster hit, the shelves would empty within hours. Granted, a clean-the-fridge soup is fun every now and then, but a large-scale catastrophe could destroy delivery routes into all parts of the state; an economic meltdown such as the crash of 1929 could turn aisles of artisan potato chips and bins of roma tomatoes into retail wastelands.

“Figuring it out” has special worth in a lean economy, and in the real world, people who know how to repair machines, preserve food, or turn old pants into warm coats will create wealth, or at least, a lack of want. “During a downturn, people need skills that enable them to make things that don’t rely on a lot of technology,” said Hubert. “Tool-sharing, fixing instead of replacing, bartering services for other services or food, builds a community’s independence. That’s valuable in the event the supply chain breaks down.”

Jonathan Netzky, founder of Local Alternative Catering in Flagstaff and chair of the Northern Arizona Sustainable Economic Development Initiative, Regional Food Production and Security Project Team, believes the key to creating a resilient community lies in building an infrastructure that supports the local system.

To strengthen his business community’s foundation, he shares his commercial freezer with the local ranchers. “If they had to give it to a major distributor, that food would leave our community, which would increase its cost, and prolonged freezing would decrease nutritional value.” With a chuckle, he adds, “They’d have to send it out for it to come right back to us.”

The bare-shelf truth is this—towns and individuals need to be prepared, and proactively put practices into place now to manage a potential food shortage if a crisis were to occur, natural or manmade. It’s also important to grasp the notion that paper money would be of little use during a catastrophic emergency.

During the Great Depression, bartering became the new economy, and those with food, livestock, tools, and some special skills held all the wealth. What does that mean to our local economy?

Netzky’s vision of a sustainable community imbues the word “subsistence” with new dimension. “People subsisted for a long time, and it meant figuring out how to get the most value out of everything they had. To me, subsisting means getting not only the most value out of everything in front of you, but what’s around you; understanding the cycles of life, and developing a strong connection to the community.”

“Let’s start with the basic need during a crisis—food,” says Ron Hubert, President and Chairman of the Board at Sustainable Economic Development Initiative - Northern Arizona and Adjunct Professor at Northern Arizona University. “Developing self-sufficiency through growing, buying, and selling small and locally is how communities can free themselves from supplychain economics.”

“Getting to know members of the community is our greatest safety net,” agrees Carolyne Slayton, Executive Director of Transition US, a nationwide organization with chapters in Pima and Tucson dedicated to “building resilient communities that are able to withstand severe energy, climate, or economic shocks while creating a better quality of life in the process.” Slayton believes that after food, water, and shelter, strong community ties are the next essential element.

36 greenliving | November 2011

greenlivingaz.com

Feature

Transition US creates opportunities for building connections at “Reskilling” festivals, where lost arts such as brining, tool repair, bee or chicken keeping, composting, etc., are taught by enthusiasts, not professionals, in the area. Slayton is a fervent believer in the quiet power of these festivals. “The ingenuity that’s unleashed at these events is incredible, interesting, thoughtful, and small, sweet, and potent. Benefits start shaping up from people meeting this way—carpools are formed, services are traded. And those bonds help a place respond much more effectively to whatever shock comes its way.”

Not to say there’s no room for entrepreneurship in a back-to-basics environment. Slayton sees the potential for enterprise to flourish in towns that strive to keep their business local. “Energy prices will rise, fuel consumption will slack, and tremendous business opportunities will be created. Niche businesses that have low transportation costs, or use alternative energy, are going to be in the best position.”

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A trowel, a plan, and a creative, unflinching outlook at what can be accomplished through foresight and preparedness can go a long way to ease fears in a havoc-wreaking, fast-changing world. Bonds formed through sharing resources and recipes will strengthen a neighborhood’s amity and, by association, its resilience.

As Jonathan Netzy sees it, “The good that is built into a healthy community is self-perpetuating.”

“Figuring it out” has special worth in a lean economy, and in the real world, people who know how to repair machines, preserve food, or turn old pants into warm coats will create wealth, or at least, a lack of want.

Judy Zimola is a freelance writer whose interests include but are not limited to petrified wood, shoes, art books, and running. She’s written articles for Nebraska Life and No Depression magazines, as well as several anthologies.

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Architecture

Life on the

BY DAVID M. BROWN

L

ocation, location, location: Sitting with nature, not against it, is a central element of today’s green building and LEED programs.

textures. They also appreciated the regular desert wildlife that surrounded the area, including bobcats, red-tail hawks and javelina families.

Masterfully placed amid the washes, ravines and boulders that characterize Fountain Hills, Jon and Teri Bernhard’s 3,950-square-foot, three-bedroom home was completed in January 2003 by Phoenix-based Chess Pacific Builders.

From the second-level rear terrace, the Bernhards enjoy boulders, hills, mountains and the landmark town fountain, which jets upwards to 560 feet. East views are dominated by the 7,000-foot Four Peaks mountain range, Red Mountain to the south, and the McDowell Mountains to the north.

“This is a home that celebrates the character and spirit of desert life,” says Jon, AIA, designer, owner, and a partner in Scottsdale’s distinguished architectural firm, Swaback Partners, also the landscape design firm for his home, along with design affiliate, Studio V, which assisted with the interior.

“Teri and I didn’t want a home that stood out from the landscape. We wanted one that married itself seamlessly to its environment,” he said. Before designing their home, Jon walked the ridge site.

The builder’s superintendent asked him at the prow of a large boulder: “You want to build a house . . . here?”

Appreciating this 1.5-acre site required a geologist’s love and an excavator’s vision, as the multi-ton, earthtone granite boulders lie on top of each other, some apparently precariously. One boulder, in the approach to the home from the parking area, is at least 90-feet-long and embedded deeply enough to intimidate a box of dynamite.

“The boulder outcroppings were extraordinary,” Jon said. “Placing a large home, pool and abundant outdoor living areas, and avoiding visible disturbance, proved to be a challenge.”

The couple moved to Fountain Hills in the early ‘90s because they liked its mountain views and the area’s signature topography of hills, arroyos and ravines — its wildness and ruggedness, its Festival_at_the_Farms_Final_outlines.indd 1

38 greenliving | November 2011

7/22/11 5:19 PM

greenlivingaz.com

Architecture “I started,” Jon recalled, “with an appreciation for the site. In fact, my primary goal was not to ruin the natural integrity of the site. Disturbance to the boulders and grades creates visible scars that significantly distract from the natural setting.”

“Jon designed the home to provide abundant indirect natural light in every room except the media room. The natural illumination and avoidance of direct sunlight really help out in the summers,” Teri said.

High-efficiency HVAC units powered by natural gas help keep the Bernhards’ utility bills to a minimum, and the home is zoned to maximize efficiency.

To that end, Bernhard programmed terraces and steps to integrate with the site, avoiding walls and railings that would detract from the visual approach and experience of a home in the boulders. To further connect the home with the environment, he also called for the sloping rooflines to be coppersheathed.

Bernhard also installed high-performance insulated windows and high-insulated walls and ceilings, with full fiberglass insulation plus rigid insulation to minimize thermal bridging, which occurs when two adjacent surfaces are highly conductive.

“Using primarily natural and regionally appropriate building materials, such as the copper roof finish, natural stone finish surfaces, and masonry, minimizes the carbon footprint and extends the useful life over many more commonly used materials,” Jon said.

During construction, Jon built in a conduit and properly oriented surfaces for solar or other alternative power sources when the clean energy was economically and environmentally feasible.

They also chose a low-energy-use “scene” lighting control system to provide optimum light levels at specific locations and installed ceiling fans throughout.

On the rear of the home, the swimming pool area was created by excavating the pool into the granite base. Bernhard designed a waterfall, moving boulders into place; elsewhere in the area and throughout the backyard, the rocks are used as accents.

Low-flow plumbing fixtures reduce water demands, as does a recirculation pump for the water heater.

“Most of the property is native Sonoran desert with other drought-tolerant landscaping, and the site is designed to take advantage of rain water and run-off for irrigation,” Bernhard says.

“The majority of the site remains in native undisturbed condition, providing ideal views, privacy and a habitat for wildlife.”

Green before green was golden The building orientation, the roofline/overhang design and the location of clerestory windows were placed to take advantage of natural day-lighting without glare or direct sun exposure, he explains.

“What we wanted for our family was a modest and very comfortable home designed specifically for our desert lifestyle,” he adds. “And having lived here for eight years now, I think all of us believe this simple vision has been accomplished splendidly.”

David M. Brown is a 30-plus-year Valley resident who writes on architecture, design, the environment and other subjects. He has two grown children, who keep him young, and a Border collie, who keeps him in line. He can be reached at dmbrownone@msn.com.

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INTRODUCTION Living more sustainably is pretty simple

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Living more sustainably is pretty simple

O

n any given day in the late fall, I grab my colander and head out to my yard to collect carrots, parsnips, collard greens, peas and a plethora of herbs to create a meal I call my “farm fall soup.” I have spent bits and pieces of my time during the past 22 years converting my suburban yard into an edible landscape including more than 70 fruit trees, grape vines, vegetables and flowers all growing in my 1/3-acre front and back yard. I also have chickens that eat vegetable scraps, weeds, bugs and help complete the growing cycle by providing fertilizer. Simply put, this is how I live sustainably.

But it’s not the only way.

Essentially sustainability is living life to the fullest without compromising future generations’ ability to do so. I know many people who already work toward this by reducing and reusing as well as buying locally grown food and supporting local businesses.

Many of us are working hard to conserve fuel by walking, using public transit, riding bikes and combining errands.

Taking these first steps is the key to starting the sustainability journey, and you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that there are many more simple steps we can take along the way.

INTRODUCTION

It’s often simply a matter of rethinking our use patterns. For example, we can: – Pull the plug on electricity “vampires” – those appliances that consume electricity even when they are turned off.

– Reduce your electric bill by substituting energy-efficient LED light bulbs. Then turn them off when not in use.

– Use cloth shopping bags rather than plastic, this saves on the petrochemical resources required to manufacture plastic bags.

– Consider converting your yard into an edible landscape and reap delicious benefits from your care and watering efforts.

– Collect and direct rainwater in your landscape, which will significantly reduce your need to turn on the tap and naturally sustain your yard.

– Learn to Vermicompost (keep worms) where you can dispose of fruit and vegetable scraps, ultimately creating rich natural fertilizer.

– Start drying laundry on a clothesline as it provides an energy savings that translates into lower bills.

Overall the notion of living sustainably is done through planning ahead and learning how our actions today will affect tomorrow. It is about the choices that we make every day without suffering or giving up.

Have fun riding the current…and with these tips and the many more that you can come up with, you can use a little less.

Greg Peterson owns the Urban Farm, (urbanfarm.org) a sustainability showcase home on one-third of an acre in Central Phoenix, and is a founder of AzLocalFood.org.

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Feature

Make for Good Company

BY BARBI WALKER

For

food lovers, good eats are just around the corner, thanks to the food truck revolution. Food trucks or “street eats,” as they are often called, have taken the country by storm in the last few years. Downtown Phoenix now has a regular fleet of them and will be celebrating the first anniversary of Food Truck Friday this November 4.

One food truck vendor whose passion for providing good, healthy food at a reasonable cost is Clea Senneville, who cooks up amazing vegetarian dishes for the beet strEAT truck. “I love food…I love good food and we were thinking of how I could support my social justice food aspirations,” Senneville says of her decision to buy a food truck.

Food Truck Friday has been a staple at Phoenix Public Market, located at 14 East Pierce St., where food trucks set up for the Friday lunch crowd. These aren’t the “roach coaches” of years past, but delicious and even gourmet meals, all served in a casual neighborhood setting.

Senneville and her partner, Jason Edwards, conjure up great vegetarian menu options that are healthy, full of flavor, and easy on the budget. Senneville says she wants people to experience good food and encourages the vegetarian lifestyle.

The food truck has been a part of Americana for many years, says Marshall Shore, who was recently named Best Unofficial Phoenix Historian by the Phoenix New Times.

But it wasn’t until around 2008, when the recession hit, that these once construction-site-taco-trucks found a niche in the haute cuisine world, according to a historical account of food trucks on Mashable.com. The popularity of food trucks has grown so much that the Food Network dedicated a show to them—“The Great Food Truck Race.”

At Food Truck Fridays you can find everything from unique hot dogs and vegan dishes to Filipino fusion and artisan ice creams.

There truly is something for everyone here—the goal of the PHX Street Food coalition.

The coalition brings this unique food experience to the Metro Phoenix area in hopes that the city and local businesses will see how valuable street food is to the community it serves.

Vendors use local, fresh produce and ingredients whenever possible and support local growers and farmers.

44 greenliving | November 2011

“We aren’t loud and proud about being vegetarian or vegan,” she says, “I just want people to have a good meal.” Senneville says the idea of doing a food truck really came from her and Edwards’ unique backgrounds, his in business and hers in social and environmental justice. “Together we wanted to make an impact on our local community, and the food truck idea seemed to be the right way to do it.”

The day I visited beet strEAT, the line stayed constant and long, and patrons were in good spirits while they waited for their food. Shore, who frequents Food Truck Fridays, says the weekly event is creating a community. People are coming together in this urban space, waiting in line together and then sitting at picnic style tables together and sharing experiences, he says.

Senneville agrees and says Food Truck Fridays is a great event to create a stronger sense of community. It seems like the trucks and the market are not only creating a community; they are gaining loyal repeat customers.

One diner, Steve Hart, said that he comes every week and has been eating his way through the various gourmet hot dogs from Short Leash Dogs - so far he likes the Poor Boy the best.

What truck owners have found that even in the technological world, word-of-mouth has been the best advertising for their business. However, social media has played an integral part in building a client base for these mobile restaurants, and many believe it helped launch and grow the gourmet food truck

greenlivingaz.com

Feature

The food truck has been a part of Americana for many years... But it wasn’t until around 2008, when the recession hit, that these once construction-site-taco-trucks found a niche in the haute cuisine world” revolution. By tweeting locations, times and daily menu specials, customers can follow the trucks when they are on the move.

Every food truck vendor at Food Truck Friday has a Twitter feed and logo on their webpage or menu, which helps to create a loyal customer base.

Delicious, fresh and local, food trucks are a medium that is bringing our community together.

Visit Food Truck Friday every Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Phoenix Public Market, 14 East Pierce St., Phoenix, AZ, 85004. Call (602) 254-1799 for more information, and for a list of food vendors, check the Phoenix Street Food’s website: phxstreetfood.org.

RESOURCES beetstrEAT.com History of food trucks: mashable.com/2011/08/04/food-truck-history-infographic/ Marshall Shore: phoenixnewtimes.com/bestof/2011/award/best-unofficial-phoenixhistorian-2730055/ Phoenix Street Food Coalition: phxstreetfood.org Short Leash Dogs | @ShortLeashDogs Sweet Republic | @SweetRepublic

Photography source: phxstreetfood.org Comment on this article at greenlivingaz.com

46 greenliving | November 2011

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Travel

Learning Green With Kids

BY CARRIE SIMMONS

I

n the years I’ve spent traveling this great green earth producing the television series Travel With Kids, I have learned a lot from the locals. From utilizing traditional knowledge—jungle vines in Moorea contain drinking water, which plants in Wales relieve Stinging Nettle pain, and plants you can eat in the Amazon—to thinking outside the box for modern solutions, people around the world are implementing innovative “green” strategies. The ECO-cation my kids receive lingers way beyond the trip itself, infiltrating their everyday outlook on the world, and forming eco-friendly habits at home.

Ocean Protection My family members are avid scuba divers, and soldiers in the fight to save the ocean and protect its inhabitants. One of the most informative ocean camps my kids attended came from an unlikely source. The Breakers Resort Palm Beach offers a sustainable twist by teaching eco-knowledge in their children’s camp. Since the Florida coastline is home to nesting turtles, The Breakers taught our kids all about these dinoancestors and what needs to be done to protect their habitat—everything from limiting lighting on beaches to marking and protecting nesting sites.

After witnessing a giant turtle laying eggs, and helping a naturalist count and re-bury them, the kids were enamored with turtles.

In Alaska, we learned the long-term impact of pollution on other ocean animals. On-board an Auklet Charters boat in Prince William Sound, we watched dolphins play at the bow of the boat and seals popped their heads up to say hello—pictureperfect. Later, our captain dug down a few inches on one of the beaches and revealed oil-soaked sand left over from the Exxon Valdez spill that occurred more than two decades prior. Captain David gave the kids a firsthand account of the oil spill, clean-up efforts, and the ongoing aftermath, including the effects on otters that dig for clams on their beaches.

Alternative Energy Alaskans have also created innovative ways to harness energy in the icy north. On the same trip, at Chena Hot Springs Resort just outside Fairbanks, we witnessed how innovative thinking and technology turned a spa attraction into an energy source. The resort runs pipes from the hot springs under the cabins to heat the rooms, and utilizes geothermal energy to spin turbines for power, making them completely self-sufficient… even in the cold Alaska winters. greenlivingaz.com

November 2011 | greenliving 47

Travel At the Center for Alternative Technology in Wales, the kids were fascinated by the tramway, which used water instead of electricity to power the trams. Two trams rise and fall on a pulley system— the tram at the top fills its tank with water while the bottom tram empties it, enabling them to trade places using no traditional energy or carbon footprint. The water is re-routed from a nearby river and released after use. In nearby St. David’s, Andy Middleton, environmentalist and owner of TYF Adventure, takes transportation innovation one step further. He drives a car that runs on chip fat (French fry grease to us Americans) – you know, the stuff left in the pan after the “chips” come out. But Middleton says you don’t have to go to that extreme. “It’s about getting out and exploring the world—on foot…on bike.” And he says we can do better than leaving no footprint: “Leave it better. Pick up garbage as you go.”

Travel With Kids, a family travel documentary series, follows the adventures of Arizona kids Nathan and Seamus (and their mom, Carrie, and dad, Jeremy) as they explore the globe, immersing themselves in culture, exploring nature, and discovering history.

From planting trees and caring for elephants in Thailand to learning survival techniques in Wales—from discovering traditional sailing methods in Bora Bora to helping out at an animal rescue center in Costa Rica…we do it all. Travel With Kids embraces eco-friendly travel wherever it goes.

For updates on the series and to join travel discussions, visit facebook.com/travelwithkids or twitter.com/travel_withkids

Sustainability When it comes to eco-friendly hotels, two beach properties stand out—Maho Bay Camps in the Virgin Islands and EcoTulum’s Zahra Bungalows in the Mayan River built low-impact structures designed to champion sustainability and minimize carbon footprint. Both hotels take nighttime “breaks” to conserve electricity (visitors are given candles and flashlights), they collect water from rain catchments, and utilize solar heating, and the list of eco-friendly features goes on and on. The Maho Bay’s tent camps are actually built on platforms above the jungle floor to avoid disturbing the foliage.

What the kids and I have taken away from our travels is that going green is possible in many areas and enjoyable. They felt inspired and empowered by the locals in these destinations, to act and do something on their own to protect the earth. Whether recycling (even turning would-be-trash into art), picking up trash at the park, on hiking trails and on the beach, respecting coral reefs while snorkeling, or resisting to feed wild animals – the kids felt like they were making an impact - a key ingredient to going green.

The Travel With Kids series will air on KAET PBS Channel 8 Sundays at Noon, beginning November 13.

Join us November 10 at 6:00pm at Picture Show Paradise Valley for the Premiere Party Fundraiser, which will feature food, drinks, a private screening an opportunity to meet the host family, and lots of fun kids’ activities. Entry is by donation to Vista Colina Emergency Shelter—a family homeless shelter in Phoenix. Make a reservation at travelwithkids.tv

RESOURCES Auklet Charters: Auklet.com The Breaks Palm Beach: TheBreakers.com Chena Hot Springs Resort: chenahotsprings.com Center for Alternative Technology: cat.org.uk

Ecotulum: ecotulum.com Maho Bay Camps: maho.org TYF Adventure: tyf.com Visit Wales: visitwales.com

Carrie Simmons is the producer of Travel With Kids, a family travel documentary series airing on television around the world and has traveled to five continents in search of adventure. Look for the show on PBS this fall. For more information on the series, visit TravelWithKids.tv

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Chef Profile

An interview with Chef Aaron Chamberlain

BY TISHIN DONKERSLEY, M.A.

Who was your inspiration for cooking?

My grandfather was my inspiration and, growing up, I watched and learned from him. He was in the restaurant business since the 1930s in the San Francisco Bay area. At the time, being a chef was considered a blue-collar position, and it was unheard of to run multiple restaurants at one time. I essentially learned by working in the kitchen.

You have a tribute to your grandparents at St. Francis—share with us.

On the wall next to the entrance of St. Francis I have a picture of my grandparents. One special gift was a collection of tasting spoons my grandfather acquired throughout the years and then gifted to me. I kept those spoons with me throughout my 16 years of travel.

When we were building St. Francis, I wanted the spoons to be incorporated into the design. On the same wall with the photo, the architect and I blended the spoons into the concrete — it is a nice reminder of him. If you look closely at one of the tasting spoons, it has a floral design which I incorporated into the St. Francis logo. On our t-shirts I had a spoon placed next to the logo, representing the tasting spoons he gave me.

I lived in San Francisco for 12 years and started my profession there. I love the food, culture, wine and the whole idea of an urban neighborhood restaurant.

For St. Francis, I wanted to retrofit a building in Phoenix and create a similar feel to what you might experience in San Francisco. As for the menu, I use a combination of three things: the needs of the community, in-season and locally grown food, and inspiration from my travels. When I was developing the menu, I used to drive the surrounding neighborhoods asking people what they would like to see on a menu. One of our signature dishes, the pork chop, was inspired by a neighbor in the Willow District who told me it was hard to find a place that served a good pork chop — I was immediately inspired and created it for St. Francis.

Paint me a picture of your ideal dish.

Similar to farm-to-table, I would like to create a dish that encompasses all ingredients from one source, enabling people to experience, on some conscious level, a connection with their food — knowing exactly where it all came from and how it was produced. I know a rancher that sources everything from meats to vegetables… my ideal dish could come from there.

How do you see people shifting their eating preferences?

More people are eating a vegetable-based diet and educating themselves on healthy food for their bodies. There are more farmers markets and people are becoming more conscious about their eating habits.

I want to provide that healthy eating at St. Francis.

What was a favorite dish your grandmother cooked for you?

What advice do you have for those wanting to enter the restaurant business?

She used to make me tomato soup and a grilled cheese. It was my comfort food.

This is a lifestyle, not a profession.

You have to live, breathe, and eat this life—especially when you are working

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12- to16-hour days, constantly touching food, creating dishes and connecting with customers. One has to understand that it takes a good seven years to become a sous chef and ten years to become an executive chef. I recommend getting as much exposure as possible and reading industry books. Two great books are Ma Gastronomie — a historic book from 1928 written by Fernand Point, and Noma: Time and Place with Nordic Cuisine by Rene’ Redzepi. The Noma restaurant in Copenhagen was named the top restaurant in the world and is known for acquiring all ingredients within 50 miles of Noma.

How is St. Francis evolving in the community?

We are going to cater even more to the community and its neighbors. I am really excited to release our Friday afternoon menu and encourage Brophy and Xavier students, who are released around lunchtime, to come in, eat and hang out — I am inspired to develop the next generation of palates. We are also encouraging more families to come in and feel comfortable — I come from a family of seven brothers and sisters, and it’s in my genes to be family-oriented. By the way, kids eat free.

Tell me about this amazing dessert, sticky toffee pudding with vanilla gelato.

This recipe has stood the test of time, as it came from a 100-year-old recipe book that my grandfather gave to me. I re-created this dessert using locally grown dates and topped it with gelato made from a business right down the street, the Golden Spoon. Even 100 years later, this recipe is still amazing.

November 2011 | greenliving 49

Photography courtesy of St. Francis

Where did you find inspiration for St Francis’s menu and vibe?

Book Review

Makeover Your Life with Oprah and Friends

BY THE EDITORS OF O, THE OpRaH MagazInE REVIEWED BY TERRI SCHLICHEnMEYER

Help comes in the most unlikely places.

When you need a little advice, you know you can always ask your best friend or your parent. You might find what you need online or from professionals and had a good outcome.

But where do you get personal advice when you don’t want to actually talk to anyone? How about Oprah? Some of the things you learned by watching her show, and that is why these unforgettable tips are in the new book O’s Best Advice Ever!

If you’re drawn to this book, there is a pretty good chance you know what you want in life, and where you’re going—but admit it, sometimes it’s nice to have a little nudge in the right direction. That’s where O’s Best Advice Ever! comes in handy.

O’s Best Advice Ever! is a little bit different than the other anthologies from O, The Oprah Magazine. This book is more targeted, with pages and pages of articles from experts you know, and the best part, a wealth of wisdom from Oprah herself. Oprah shares interviews with Barbra Streisand, Tina Turner, Jerry Seinfeld, and others that serve to remind us why we’ve followed Oprah for over 25 years.

Overall, O’s Best Advice Ever! is a browser’s paradise with a good mix of fun and fact. If you’re looking for useful-but-light reading, you’ll love this book.

If your health is an issue, let Dr. Oz teach you how to reduce stress, stay sharp, eat right, lose weight, stock your medicine cabinet, stay well in the winter, and why you shouldn’t wear shoes in your house. Then, Bob Greene weighs in on weight, and why you might be better off accepting those last seven pounds.

Who doesn’t want to save money in this economy? From Suze Orman, you’ll learn that tidying your office files could lead to a tidy little bank deposit. Clean up, straighten up, throw out paperwork you don’t need anymore, and watch your financial life improve. Having a clutter-free house is just a bonus! Get a little boost in your overall life with Dr. Phil, who offers ten steps for renewing yourself and nine ways to survive the upcoming holidays. Oh, and forget New Year’s resolutions— he has resolutions you can use now.

Columnist Martha Beck gives five “best” pieces of advice and a trust test. Lisa Kogan adds thought-starters on patience and keeping magic in your heart. Nate Berkus helps spiff up your house, and Adam Glassman polishes up your wardrobe.

Then, just for fun, check out a smattering of Oprah’s “best” throughout the years—friends, reflections, interviews, and her observations of life.

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2 [Garden Tools Journal What did you do in your garden today? Share your thoughts and advice in this journal with a delightful garden theme. The paper is FSC certified and made with windpower, and is 30 percent post-consumer fiber. The journal is only 5.5 inches by 7 inches so it fits easily into any bag or purse. Etsy.com

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November 2011 | greenliving 51

He’s Green she’s Green

She is: Jennifer Burkhart He is: John Burkhart

Break out the layers and the snuggly blanket, as our green couple cracked open cans of soup for their review this month. See which hearty soup will warm your tummy this winter.

Wolfgang Puck Organic free-range chicken with white & wild rice

He said My first thought was, “Where’s the chicken?” Then I found a piece and realized why they didn’t put very much in the can.

Why is it that canned chicken has the consistency of a dried-up old sponge? The broth and carrots were both very good, and I enjoyed the wild rice. The chicken did drag this one down quite a bit though.

sHe said I was so surprised that the chicken pieces were not only sparse, but dry. They could have been replaced with wads of cardboard and I wouldn’t have known the difference. At least the rice, carrots and broth were tasty.

She gave it:

He gave it:

Imagine Organic creamy potato leek

Amy’s Organic Tuscan bean & rice

365 Organic Organic lentil

He said Call me crazy, but I prefer my potato leek soup to have chunks of potatoes and sliced leeks in it. This bisque-like soup had none. It still tasted good without the chunks, but it was a little too close to baby food for me.

sHe said Though I prefer chunky soup, this one had me saying “yum” from the first velvety spoonful. Creamy, not-too-thick texture with a light potato and bright leek flavor. It would have been perfectly paired with a crusty sourdough baguette on a chilly night.

He gave it:

She gave it:

He said I enjoyed this hearty, tomato-based, bean and rice soup. It was very filling and I could see it being wonderful on a cold winter day. Be sure to cover it in the microwave though — it sounded like World War III in there.

sHe said This chunky soup doesn’t skimp on good-for-you ingredients, but be prepared; you won’t really know there’s beans, rice, onions, carrots, celery and spinach in there - because EVERYTHING tasted like tomato puree. Ugh.

He gave it:

She gave it:

He said This soup recipe must have been made by a person with no taste buds. It had a watery, vaguely tomato broth with mushy, hard-to-find veggies, and the most bland of bland lentils. I’ve had excellent lentil soup before and this wasn’t even close.

sHe said Well, not sure what 365 had against a little salt and seasonings, but they desperately needed it in this soup! It was watery, dull, and tasted like plain ‘ol lentils. Pretty unexciting.

She gave it:

He gave it:

Pacific Organic creamy tomato

He said I’ve never found a good store-bought tomato soup… until now.

Pacific’s version of this classic was very creamy with a strong but sweet tomato flavor. Give me a bowl of this and a grilled cheese sandwich and I’m a happy camper!

sHe said Yum-my! Never thought I was a tomato soup fan, but this one made me a believer. It was very smooth and creamy with a rich tomato flavor and a slightly sweet finish. All that was missing was the grilled cheese sandwich!

He gave it:

She gave it:

52 greenliving | November 2011

greenlivingaz.com

INGREDIENTS FILLING 1 pkg. prepared pie crust 1 1/2 lbs. to 2 lbs. leftover turkey meat, diced or shredded To save time, one can of no-saltadded Vegall 1 large onion, finely diced 3-4 garlic cloves, finely diced 1 tbsp. butter 1/2 can low-sodium cream of broccoli 1/2 can low-sodium cream of asparagus

Turkey Pot Pie

1/2 can low-sodium cream of mushroom 1-2 cups milk (soy milk) Salt and pepper to taste TOPPING 1 tbsp. butter (vegan butter) 1 cup to 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs or homemade 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 shallot, finely chopped 1 cup chicken or turkey stock 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the prepared pie crust into a pie tin and evenly distribute around the pan. Pinch the edges with your thumb and finger, then press lightly on the edges with the tines of a fork.

Directions for filling In a sauté pan, place your butter (vegan butter) and sauté over medium heat until the onions and garlic are fragrant and the onions are translucent. Add the cream soups and stir in milk until desired consistency. Add the diced turkey and no-salt-added Vegall. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place into the prepared pie shell and distribute evenly almost to the top of the sides of the pie tin.

Directions for topping Melt butter in a skillet. Add shallots and garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add bread crumbs and stir to combine. Add chicken or turkey stock until mixture isn’t dry but not too wet. Mix in parmesan cheese.

Cover the top with the bread crumb mixture and cover the edges of the pie with foil. Place the pot pie onto a baking sheet and onto the center rack of the oven. Place into the preheated oven and bake for approximately 10-15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350, remove foil and cook for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden check frequently.

Pumpkin spice cupcakes with apricot glaze and cream cheese frosting – gluten-free Serves 30 INGREDIENTS 4 organic eggs, beaten 1 1/2 cups evaporated cane juice 1 cup organic coconut oil 1–15 oz. can organic pumpkin 1 cup almond flour 1 cup gluten-free oat flour 1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup potato starch 1 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. xanthan gum 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1 tsp. cinnamon Optional - 1 cup chopped nuts and 6 oz. chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cupcakes In a large mixing bowl beat eggs until light and frothy. Add sugar and oil, mix well. Mix in pumpkin. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and fold into pumpkin mixture.

Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Fill cups ¾ full. Bake for 12-14 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

greenlivingaz.com

FROSTING Apricot jam or apricot allfruit spread 1/2 cup softened butter 8 oz. cream cheese 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. vanilla 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Frosting Cream the butter in a large bowl. Add the cream cheese and beat until fluffy. Add the vanilla, cinnamon and the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Spread a thin layer of apricot spread on cooled cupcakes, then pipe or spread the frosting on top. Garnish with chopped nuts if desired.

Recipe courtesy of Jewels Cupcake Shop

Recipe provided by Mary Heitmeyer, Healthy U TV

Pumpkin Fondue Serves 2

INGREDIENTS 4 oz. white organic chocolate melted down 1 tsp. pumpkin pie filling 1 tsp. organic rum Graham crackers (optional: gluten-free graham crackers)

DIRECTIONS Flambé until chocolate bubbles. Stir to incorporate ingredients. Garnish on top with crushed graham cracker pieces. Sprinkle on top with cinnamon and nutmeg. Use dippers such as pound cake, strawberries, bananas or cheesecake.

Recipe provided by the Melting Pot

November 2011 | greenliving 53

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November 2011 | greenliving 55

Green Personality

Cindy Gentry

Executive Director, Community Food Connections

BY TISHIN DONKERSLEY, M.A.

When did you start getting involved with locally grown foods?

In 1991, I worked with the Association of Arizona Food Banks’ Statewide Gleaning Program. We went out into farmers’ fields around the state to glean food that was too small, too big, or for which there was no buyer, to put on the tables of hungry families.

Tell us about Community Food Connections (CFC).

I founded Community Food Connections in 2002 with the intent to focus efforts on long-term solutions to feed the hunger that pervades the lives of more than 900,000 Arizonans - we have 1 in 4 children that go hungry daily in Arizona. The premise and mission is to increase access to healthy foods, especially for vulnerable people, while at the same time building our community, economic viability and self-sufficiency for Arizona’s small-scale farmers and micro-businesses.

How do CFC’s partners facilitate the goals of self-sufficiency?

We work to maintain a low-risk, low-overhead venue in which small businesses can get started, build their capacity, and become successful. Our partners represent the business community, local government, and vendors.

What is the concept behind the Phoenix Public Market?

To provide access to healthy food in an underserved area, create jobs, expand distribution outlets for farmers, and create a community gathering place for people from all walks of life. The Market is based on a 15-year business plan where we grow -from a single day per week open-air market to being open multiple days as customers and vendors expand, to ultimately adding a permanent structure and becoming an indoor/outdoor market with more space and more amenities for vendors.

Tell us about the farm-to-school program.

Whether eating locally grown vegetables every day, visiting local farms, or starting a school garden, Farm-to-School instills in school children long-lasting experiences that help them build a better nutritional foundation and quality of life. In the program, children learn where vegetables come from, how they are grown and harvested, and the beauty of growing living things. They are also taught to appreciate them for their nutritional value.

• Provides healthier in-season foods and increases the variety of fresh produce, enhancing in-school meal programs.

• Creates “hands on” visibility of where vegetables come from and expands awareness of environmental issues.

• Teaches children to make healthy food choices.

• Supports sustainable local agriculture and the local economy.

About 20 schools participate statewide. The Arizona Department of Education has created a position for a staff member to coordinate with school food service workers.

What is your vision for Arizona agriculture?

I would love to see the Arizona Department of Agriculture receive state funds to assist smaller growers. I would love to see water, land preservation and permitting policies in place at the state level to ensure that farmers and ranchers will stay on the land.

I would love to see Arizona’s cultural traditions around food production and consumption thriving.

How have you fueled your passion to feed healthy food to the hungry?

I have helped initiate several programs here in Arizona. One program allows people to use their food stamp benefits at about 20 different statewide markets. Another, the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, allows families on WIC and senior citizens receiving Food Plus, or participating in tribal meal programs, to shop at almost 40 markets around Arizona. I am delighted to say that all of the farmers participating in the Market have increased their production, and these programs encourage growth. We also work with a local food pantry through St. Mary’s Food Bank that picks up food weekly to feed the hungry.

How can the community support the farm-totable concept?

What we need at CFC is funding for a staff member to work with growers to assist with administrative duties such as pack sizes, pricing, school needs, filling orders and delivery coordination.

Parents can voice to their PTAs, PTOs and school food service workers that they want local food in their children’s meals.

Parents can help plant school gardens, and work with us and the Arizona Department of Education to get policies in place that make it easier for small farmers to sell directly to schools.

What the program does: • Makes affordable, locally grown fruit and vegetables more accessible.

56 greenliving | November 2011

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Community Food Connections P.O. Box 22216 Phoenix, AZ 85028 602.493.5231 foodconnect.org greenlivingaz.com

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