Hurricane Harvey + What to Eat in a Natural Disaster

Hurricane Harvey is hitting our friends in the south hard, and as Lauren and I know from going to school in New Orleans, hurricanes do not just mean "hurrication" (hurricane vacation- what they were called pre-Katrina). In fact I heard that almost a quarter million people are already without power and there is serious price gauging with bottled water - with people charging up to $99 for a case!

So yesterday I chatted about natural disasters + food safety with Fox and Friends (Lauren had plenty of "blechs" but I'm just getting the info out). Whether you're in Hurricane Harvey's path or in case you get stuck inside during a future hurricane or blizzard, here's what you need to know:

• Refrigerated food is technically fine during a power outage for up to 4 hours, could be more. The KEY is to keep the fridge door closed. No going in and out for water (or wine!).

• When in doubt, throw it out - and also, don't taste it to test it. If something smells or looks off, toss it. A little food waste is better than a lot of food poisoning. 

• Stock up. Here's our Storm Shopping List (best to have some of these items in house before storm forecasts when supplies can be limited)

• lots of bottled water or seltzer
• gluten free bread
• oatmeal cups such as vigilant eats, if need be can just add hot water
• natural almond or peanut butter
• jarred (or if need be canned) tuna
• jerky
• avocados
• bananas
• apples
• pistachios (you'll have time on your hands) 
• Kale chips
• Rx bars 
• Shelf stable almond milk
• Pickles
• (dark chocolate and limes for tequila optional)

• Oh, and one last great tip c/o Lauren: don't eat all the food+snacks+drinks just to prevent them from going bad. No need for Hurricane Weight Gain. 

Stay safe our southern friends!! 

This summer's "it" food

Get these from our Foodtrainers' shop while they last (or before we eat them all).

Whether you’re paleo or gluten free (or neither), many of us are conscious of decreasing our grain intake. We’ve noticed a wave of products and restaurants filling the grain gap with cassava and tapioca. Cassava, a root vegetable, is native to Latin America, Asia and Africa, it is also known as yucca. Today, our Chip List newsletter (be sure you’re signed up to receive our Monthly Morsels) mentioned Siete Chips. These are made from cassava and there's pretty damn delicious.

Then, there’s tapioca. Tapioca is the starch extracted from the cassava root.  I know this is a little confusing, bear with me. For now, just know that cassava and tapioca come from the same place but are different nutritionally.

Cassava is nutritionally like a sweet potato. Cassava has more protein, a ton more vitamin C (cassava a great source), slightly more potassium and about the same amount of fiber. Cassava is higher in calories, if that matters to you (not to me). Cassava is used to make flour and breads (Otto’s cassava flour is a great brand). The concern with cassava processed improperly is that it contains compounds that convert to cyanide, sounds scarier than it is. The truth is many foods contain these compounds, flax is one of them. These compounds are in the leaves and peel of cassava and not the flesh/root. The bulk of the issues with cassava have been with people processing the tuber versus consuming it. Companies, such as Otto's, test their products for these compounds.

And tapioca, I have to admit as a gluten free-er, I love the taste of the tapioca “sandwiches”. The tapioca makes a crepe-like wrap for any type of filling. A couple of places in NYC such as Tapnyc and Oca serve these. We tasted Wrapioca's creations at the fancy food show and, also in NYC, is yubakery, their yubuns are not to be missed. In the sandwiches, tapioca has a slightly crunchy texture, yum. However, the more I researched tapioca, I realized it isn’t a nutritional superstar. The saving grace for tapioca is that it’s a source of resistant starch. These starches feed probiotic bacteria. So, tapioca versus white flour? Tapioca wins. Tapioca versus cassava, that one goes to cassava. 

If you are in NYC, I would check out Tap. The whole place is gluten free, the “sandwiches” are delicious. We liked the vegan and also the one with prosciutto. They are very ingredient conscious, in terms of quality. Plus, they have matcha (odd for a Brazilian place but I'm happy about it). 

Have you tried cassava, yucca or tapioca? Let me know your thoughts.

This is how I lose weight

I mentioned to a friend that I felt ick following a recent vacation. “Do you let yourself go when away?” The sad part is, I don’t. I tend to eat, more or less, the same way when I’m away. But..all meals are out at restaurants and there’s more booze, for sure. 
To compound things, when we got home, we didn’t have access to our kitchen (we refinished our floors which everyone says is a nightmare. I was convinced it would 't be that bad, I was wrong). My husband was thrilled to eat all meals out, that's his preference (even though he complains he needs to start to "watch" too). I missed home cooking. My body missed home cooking too. I decided to control what I could and really reign it in. At restaurants, I watched portions and skipped extras (cheese in salads etc). Guess what? I still felt gross. 

It wasn’t until this week that I could cook. I made simple, light dinners, didn’t have alcohol and it’s only been a few days and I feel back to me.

I can’t be out every night, even if I’m eating oysters and salads, and have a drink and feel good. My kids go to camp each summer and this is a lesson I've already learned, apparently not.

My mood dips if I drink too many days in a row and my clothes just don’t fit the way I like them to.

If you’re finding you don’t feel as lean as you’d like, take a few days and ensure all meals are homecooked. Skip all alcohol and I bet you’ll come to the not-so-new realization I did.

Should I see a nutritionist? I mean, shouldn’t I be able to do this on my own?

Our waiting room

Recently, I received an email from a longtime client, who I hadn’t seen in a few months.
She was emailing for an appointment but expressed frustration at not being able to manage things (food things) on her own. This is a legit question but one that’s not asked of other experts. We don’t try to do therapy on our own. We see trainers for years at a time. It’s understood that our minds and bodies are long-term projects. Why do we pressure ourselves to be "done" with nutrition?

At the same time, we do try to build a degree of independence in our clients. Most Foodtrainers’ clients start out coming weekly, move to every other week and then to once a month. Clients, who tweak their nutrition continuously, tend to fare better than those who come in intensely, disappear and then resurface with the common refrain, “I should have come back sooner.”

After all these years, it’s not a matter of being sell-y”.  I know what works. If we start to see nutrition the way we do personal training, gym going, therapy, hair coloring (I was trying to think of repetitive appointments), waxing etc. we’ll mitigate feelings of guilt and really feel better.