I have been actively exploring the eating habits of my grandparents and parents. I remember inventively asking my Grandma, before her death, about her eating habits. What I found out was that they had very little meat, when they did eat meat they feasted, but for the most part their daily diets were various grains, lentils and vegetables. My mom on the other hand told me about things that she ate that she doesn’t make anymore.
Largely out of the lack of the ingredients not being found in the US because of the lack of importation from the “motherland(s)”. Its also the lack of time to make food items that are time-effort intensive. There are also shortcuts, ready made items and what not, that take away from the original taste, feel and connected emotions so my Mom stays away from making those things often.
Instead like I ranted in my posts about the historical development of the obesity epidemic I talked about how the industrial agricultural process has picked and genetically narrowed in on commodity crops. Fascinatingly I never wondered what happened to the crops that didn’t meet the agro-big-business model. But I guess it was like heirloom tomatoes and such, they just have been around but nothing to popular and widespread. WSJ had this article “Eating Like the Ancients: Heirloom Grains Return” by Laura Johannes which explores the fact that there are “ancient grains” are making a comeback.
These grains are the first domesticated grains that humans started to plant and eat a thousands of years ago. Like Einkorn, which is the oldest of the grains making a comeback now, it first appeared in human diets some 10,000 years ago. Otzi, the mummy from 5,200 years ago, also known as the Iceman, was most likely munching on a flatbread made out of einkorn. The reason why it probably didnt make the agro-big-business commodity list was because of the its low yield, but its super nutritious. Whereas modern grains require that the grain be high yield and not necessarily full of high nutrition. Which makes the cultivation and sale of einkorn a very expensive endeavor, a five pound bag is selling for $35 bucks.
But the variety of ancient grains making it to the market now is amazing. A short list includes sorghum, millet, teff (North African grain), amaranth, buckwheat and quinoa. Sadly, these big-agro-food-industrial-complex are the ones pushing these new grains as well. The thing thats important is that we are going back to a diversity of base foods, especially grains. To that end I found this really cool blog that discusses how to bake with these ancient grains, though its not regularly updated (possibly because there’s not much more to do with ancient grains then whats already been shared?).
Whatever it is, I like this “Eating like the ancients” title. It encompasses exactly the type of eating I believe we need to go back to. Its not just what Evan Klienman champions, the slow cook movement, but also the type of dietary style that existed. Thats not to say we should live in a world free of freezers and fridges, but definitely one that is better connected to the diversity of foods that existed, habits of eating, less processed foods, more slow cooked foods.
My quest to grow food at home began with wanting to get healthy. Getting healthy began with the hope of eating better and losing weight. To get to the point of growing food at home, I set out to compost, in particular to compost with worms. So by extension I knew I was going to learn more then I want to about worms. However, I never thought I would also learn about fruit flies.
Currently I am dealing with an invasion of fruit flies in my compost bin. I got rid of the big fat ugly ones, but there are gazillions of little red bodied nuisances that I discovered are fruit flies. The drosophila aren’t new to me, in the lab we did all sorts of things to them, now, its like their descendants and relatives are back to take their vengeance on me.
The thing I couldn’t figure out was what was attracting them. I had hoped the worms would eat up the food, but I guess with the onset of winter, their appetites are not as voracious so the kitchen scraps remains.
Fruit flies go gaga for banana’s. Its like crack in fruit fly physiology.
Ripened or fermenting fruits and vegetables, in general, bring the fruit flies to your yard.
The moist film associated with damp places, is perfect environment for them to stay and have sexy time.
Which brings me to something totally crazy, and probably you don’t care about at all: Fruit flies have one of the fastest life cycles out of all the living things on Earth.
Fruit flies lay their eggs near the surface of fermenting foods or other moist, organic materials. Upon emerging, the tiny larvae continue to feed near the surface of the fermenting mass. The entire lifecycle from egg to adult can be completed in about a week. Which means that the potential to multiply is ENORMOUS and when given the opportunity for optimal conditions, a female Drosophila will lay about 500 eggs.
I am a loss as to what to call this. The folks in the video call what they are doing an “urban homestead” and in other instances I have seen “urban farming” and just plane ol’gardens. But calling it something is important especially if there are certain key characteristics that set it apart from the other terms. But first you need to watch the video below.
That video is inspirational. I can’t see, nor do I want too, myself going to the extremes the Darveas family has gone into their “Urban Homestead” lifestyle but I do feel I found an outlet for my outdoorsy disposition. The following is what I find attractive:
1. Utilizing land appropriately.
We have yards with lawns. Lots of green grass that gets cut every week. We pour abundant amounts of water from a limited, if not scarce, supply of water. In fact, in Southern California our lawn lifestyle drains an entire natural environment, the Owns Valley, of its water leaving it a barren salt wasteland.
We pour in tons of chemicals to keep the lawns green, free of weeds and green. The idea of keeping a lawn to me sounds completely idiotic. Having spent years cutting and maintaining the lawn I value the life lessons its taught me- doing chores, yard work, manual labor. However, its just not sustainable. The question I ask myself is that if we were to ration the water supply, would the lawn get priority?
The answer is no, it wouldn’t. Therefore, like Arizona, Californians need to come to terms with the reality of desert life. If you can’t turn your lawn into a local-scape because the green is very attractive, then atleast consider turning it into something edible.
In that sense I think I like the idea of Urban Farming: taking vacant properties in urban areas to turn them into neighborhood farms. I also like the Urban Homestead: converting available space on your plot of land into manageable growth areas for vegetable gardening.
2. Growing Organic veggies.
Proposition 37 in California was all about knowing what is in your food. We are informed about the fat, the ingredients, nutrient content; well I want to know if I am ingesting genetically modified food. I should be able to make the choice based on my wallet, that way farmers and producers can decide how good for their wallet this product will be.
The fear for those supply side folks is that if I choose not to buy genetically modified foods their task of producing factory-like-products will be affected. That genetically modified food is cheaper for them and therefore cheaper for me on the consumer end of the equation should be a good thing, however, there is one way to test this model- tell me what is genetically modified and what is not. Let them sit side-by-side so I can choose to buy the foods I want to eat.
I believe that is the ultimate test, however, since I can’t do that I like the idea of growing my own food stuff. The basics sound good right now- tomatoes especially.
3. Sustainable living- seasonal, local and fresh.
I talked about the idea of meat consumption in my previous posts. I am beginning to realize that a similar morphing has happened with the availability of vegetables throughout the year. We basically have lost sense of whats in season. This has driven us to live a life of entitlement and disregard to how our choices affect not only others but also the environment.
That takes me to the second issue: buy local. I stopped buying from Walmart ages ago. I would only go into a Walmart if my parents take me there. Similarly, I when I travel I like to find local places to eat, I refuse to be a patron at chain restaurants. The purpose of chain restaurants was to standardize the your food intake. When going place to place you knew that eating at one of these chain restaurants you could get your meal the way you got it at home. All of that is changed now, I don’t want to eat the same meals, and even more importantly, I dont want to eat the fat injected, carb-loaded beasts sold at these restaurants. I want to buy local. Local grocery, eat at a local mom & pop restaurant, buy from small sellers on Amazon or Etsy, get my clothes from sellers that are unique and most likely won’t be on the backs of every other person I meet.
Finally, the idea of eating fresh just sounds good. Imagine picking up a fresh egg. Cutting off some fresh tomatoes. The idea of eating food that isn’t or hasn’t packaged and transported and stored for a length of time seems romantic indeed.
In the end I think for me its about preserving a slower, nature connected, environmentally conscious intentional modern lifestyle that values the art of gardening, cooking and being human.
4. Returning to the land.
I guess the idea itself is a romanticization of the “goo’ole days.” Up until the mid-1960′s we were still living a consumption lifestyle that was grounded on seasonal eating. While I appreciate refrigeration and the science behind transporting all the wonderful produce we eat in the country it is something else to be able to grow your own food.
Part of “returning to the land” mentality I have also stems from the whole “end of civilization” thought process. If our civilization were to end, how do we survive? Besides scavenging and survival of the fittest it comes down to having some basic level of skills such as hunting and farming.
I am not delusional, doomsday-prepper-I am-not; though its probably not a bad idea- I do think its good to be able to grow your own food. If not for that skill set, then at least for the ability to impart simple science to my kids; “hey, Fatima, look this is your chicken Molly, ‘whaaack’, now Molly is going to be our tandoori chicken dinner.”
5. Alternative to the the consumption driven farming policies.
There is a lot to say about this. Sufficient for now is that I don’t like our current farming policies and I wish to opt-out. While I can’t completely opt-out, I can begin to make certain lifestyle choices that free my conscience of this crazy farming-complex. Watch these really informative, unbiased, PBS documentaries on farming (long), transportation (long), energy production (long) and the edible backyard (short, 4 mins).
I don’t know if its a “revolution” or its just a passing “fad.” What I do know is that growing things in your backyard that isnt just purdy-and-green has been a long established tradition here in America. A plot of land signified independence. During the WWII there were plantings of victory gardens. To that end, I, This American Muslim, have taken it upon myself to start taking steps to beginning a organic vegetable garden. Homesteader-urban-farmer I am not, but backyard garden I shall have. Will post up on my first step toward an organic garden shortly: its gonna be a wormy experience!
Iftari at the Shaikh house, its to early to take pictures of Sahoor. I usually am not of sound mind to take an appropriate picture at the time so I share our table scape when we break the fast.
I recently was interviewed by Mona Shadia for her column “Unveiled: A Muslim Girl in O.C.” about Ramadan and Sahoor (the really early morning meal to start off the fasting day). She’s a is a reporter for Times Community News. An Egyptian American, she was born and raised in Cairo and now lives in Orange County. Her column includes various questions and issues facing Muslims in America. Follow her on Twitter @MonaShadia. Below is an excerpt from our conversation for her piece titled “The benefits of Ramadan are truly endless“, go support her!
Affad Shaikh [thats me], a Muslim American of Pakistani descent whom I know from the Council on American-Islamic Relations [I did that, and loved every minute of it], left his Newport Beach [love living there] apartment for the month to spend Ramadan with his family [SUPER excited about being able to do this, its like I am a fat kid in a candy store all alone type of excitement].
Affad, 29, recently quit his job [I hate not having an income] and is attending law school [which I suggest people not do]. He’s out for the summer [SWEEeeeeet!], which presented the perfect opportunity to spend Ramadan with his parents and younger brother [on twitter at @shaikhster] and sister [on twitter @ashaikh3] in Palmdale for the first time in a few years.
The family’s alarm clocks go off right at 3:30 a.m. [more like my mom starts the stove and i realize the scrumptious goodness I'm about to miss out on if I don't wake up], the lights go on and all members of his household gather in the kitchen for fried or boiled eggs. Mom prepares Paratha [yummmmmmy! Give me some of 'em right now!], which is like Pakistani tortilla that Affad and his brother like to eat with honey and dad prefers with banana. Affad makes himself a protein shake.
When the food is ready, everyone sits together to eat, talk and laugh. Affad said they talk about the news, about their plans for the day. Because their dad leaves to work at 5:30 a.m. [God bless his soul and let us kids be even a tiny bit disciplined like him. Ameen!], it’s a great chance to spend time and talk with him in the morning.
“I definitely appreciate being with family for suhoor,” he said. [so nice to not be sahooring/iftaring alone]
Once the family is done eating, they get ready to pray Fajr, which is the first prayer of the day. They also read the Koran and then, Affad said, “I’m usually knocked out.”
“During Ramadan, we’re kind of forced to sit as a family because of the time constraints,” he said. “It’s very communal. You get to come together to do these things.”
…and thats how we do things at the Shaikh household. Great post by Mona, check out some of her other pieces, totally tearing stereotypes and misperceptions about Islam and Muslims in her column. Also you can find me on twitter to get in on the Shaikh family escapades- @SOCALMOSLEM
I think I fell off the blogging roll. Even doing a simple post is pretty taxing. I will leave out the update for the past several days and continue to update you on my progress once I catch up. But here is the link to the 70 Day Challenge and also the link where you can find the links for all my days- hold me accountable at youtube, pinterest, and twitter.
Most influential for my health consciousness was Men’s Health magazine because it introduced me to “The Abs Diet.” The magazine editor and author of the book is David Zinczenko. Although the book is written in a way to attract males towards the diet, any dieter can follow it. I learned that each person has to make a personalized way to get to the goals you have and the book I think best presents the way to do it on a great foundation.
Following the steps in the book I got a way to transform the fat into muscle, as well as steps to sculpt the rest of the body. I know I put down the “diet” trend, and yes, I am not a fan of diets but that term is associated with a “lifestyle” where you purge yourself of your natural desire to eat carbs or other things. Here your body and your personal habits are taken into account and there is a way for you to incrementally change and add the healthy lifestyle choices to your life.
The Meal Plan
The meal plan consists of a 7-day plan, filled with what the author calls “power foods.” There are twelve power foods listed in his book, accompanied by recipes. You get one meal per week that is considered a “cheat” meal so you can et anything you want. The diet suggests that foods, such as fat-filled meats, processed and refined carbohydrates, as well as foods high in sugar, should be avoided.
The Power Foods
The foods below are referred to as the “Power 12,” and play an important role when following the Abs Diet.
Nuts: almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, etc. These should be eaten with the skin still in place.
Beans and otherLegumes
Green Vegetables: spinach, asparagus, broccoli, lettuce, etc.
Dairy: This includes fat-free milk, low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, as well as cottage cheese
Instant Oatmeal: When eating this food, no sweeteners should be added and it should also be unflavored.
Eggs
Turkey and other lean meats: This includes lean steak, chicken, as well as fish
Peanut Butter: This selection should be all natural and contain no sugar.
Olive Oil
Bread and Cereals: These items should consist of whole grains.
Extra Protein Whey Powder
Berries: raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, etc.
I have been actively exploring the eating habits of my grandparents and parents. I remember inventively asking my Grandma, before her death, about her eating habits. What I found out was that they had very little meat, when they did eat meat they feasted, but for the most part their daily diets were various grains, lentils and vegetables. My mom on the other hand told me about things that she ate that she doesn’t make anymore.
