Welcome to Almost Fit. This is part one in a series on my opinion on High Fructose Corn Syrup. I’ve broken it into three parts, with the next two focusing on the specifics. If you enjoy this article, please consider subscribing to Almost Fit. It is free, as always. Thanks.

There are very few things that I avoid more consciously these days than High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). And despite what you may have been led to believe recently by a gigantic ad campaign, people like me do not make this choice out of ignorance as a consumer.

As you have likely seen, the Corn Refiners Association is in full swing on a huge ad campaign to restore the broken faith of the American public in the benefits of using HFCS in our collective diet. In one ad, the CRA suggests that there are not solid reasons for avoiding it – in fact, it is kind of, well, what all the healthy, cool kids drink. The Mother who avoids HFCS is portrayed as far less informed (she is made to look like the fool, actually) than the Mother who happily feeds her children HFCS-laced products. In fact, the Mother who avoids HFCS for her kids has nothing better to say then, “….um….nice shirt?”

What are not mentioned in the ads are, well any real facts at all. Things like the minor detail that HFCS is not considered safe, even by the food producers themselves, for infants. Though from anything I’ve been able to find, they won’t say exactly why. Or that HFCS, not just fructose, has recently been linked to increased rates of obesity and diabetes, yet again.

Is it any surprise that the Corn Refiners Association and Big Tobacco are related through their PR companies and strategists?

So what is the truth about HFCS? And what are the solid answers surrounding why I think it should be listed next to industrially produced trans fats as something we should avoid? Read the rest of this entry »

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Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit focuses on improving your health by eating real food in moderation. If you enjoy this post, please consider subscribing. It’s free, as always. Thanks.

[Ed. UPDATE: For some reason comments were turned off when this posted this morning. My apologies - I've turned them on as I'd love to hear your thoughts. Ah, the meeting of technology and fumbling digits...]

In my evening travels from one blog to the next, I find myself perpetually returning to Andrew’s blog (AndrewIsGettingFit.com). Andrew describes in vivid, technicolor detail his successes and failures on his quest to change his health, for good. Today Andrew posted a question to his readers. He said:

“For those of you who run, maybe you could share some of the things you love about running in the comments or on your blogs?”

I thought it was an appropriate question, given that today I went for a run when I would have loved to have skipped it. I forced myself out the door, and did it anyway. It was the right choice. Read the rest of this entry »

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It was a tight race. With the help of some old school Oregon-style green sustainable strategy, 100% renewable solar energy on my shoulders, and the inspiration of a recent television bender in the form of an historic Olympiad, I did it – I pulled off the victory of the century for team Almost Fit.

I placed FIRST in the World’s most revered foot race.

You read right. A self-described dorky-looking white guy (alternately described by some as “portly and stout” – to whom I simply say, “racists” -), running with a camera bag, a cell phone, and a trusty moleskin notebook, took the Blue Ribbon in America’s fiercest competition of the season, bar none: The Iowa Avenue Virtual 5K - Portland edition.

To quote that eloquent icon of my youth, Sir D. Duck: MINE. ALL. MINE. Read the rest of this entry »

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Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit focuses on improving your health by eating real food in moderation. This post is a continuation of the series of photographs of What We Eat. If you enjoy this post, please consider subscribing. Thanks.

Supper, Tuesday evening

• Lamb masala: Braised lamb (locally raised), zucchini, eggplant, organic garbanzo beans (canned), potatoes (CSA), chopped cipollini onions, celery, and carrots (CSA and our garden), fresh garlic (CSA), 2 cups of premade masala, 1 cup premade curry, golden raisins, garam masala spices, dania powder, whole Thai coconut milk (canned)
• Raita: Whole milk yogurt (Nancy’s), salted cucumber, cilantro (from our kitchen garden), fresh lime juice, pepper
• Salad: Greens from the garden and CSA, olives, basic balsamic vinaigrette
• Naan (store bought)
• Rice: Brown jasmine rice cooked in chicken stock and water

The highlight of this meal had to be the lamb. We’ve found that braising the lamb at high heat is the key to keeping it tender in masala or curry. This dish cooked for about an hour. Read the rest of this entry »

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Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit focuses on improving your health by eating real food in moderation. This post is a continuation of the series of photographs of What We Eat. If you enjoy this post, please consider subscribing. Thanks.

Monday evening, supper

• Chipotle sausage and seasonal vegetable soup: Organic chicken stock with water, Niman Ranch Chipotle sausage (chopped), swiss chard, celery tops, and beet tops (all from our garden), mirepoix of onions, celery, and garlic (from our garden and our CSA), potatoes (CSA), salt and pepper, topped with grated parmesan
• Homemade artisan bread

The goal of Monday evening’s dinner was simplicity. We had just come home from our trip to Seattle, and didn’t have much to work with in the refrigerator. Thankfully we had an abundance of produce from our garden and from our CSA. Read the rest of this entry »

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Editor’s note: This post marks the return of the weekly Friday Fit recipe. The idea is to try “real food” recipes that can be prepared on the weekend. Of course, each recipe can also be prepared during the week (that’s when I’m trying it), but with the hectic schedules of most, a recipe might be easier to try on the weekend when work is generally less of a factor. If you enjoy this article on Almost Fit, please consider subscribing to my feed. Thanks.

I have been anxiously waiting for something to happen, and in the last few weeks, it did.

Our tomatoes have begun to ripen. (The photo above was taken this morning in our backyard.)

Tomatoes may sound like a pretty mundane thing to anticipate, but believe me, when you’ve shoveled a dozen tons of dirt into a large garden space and gone to the trouble of tending to them through the odd summer we’ve had, getting a few beautiful round red, green, and yellow orbs to spring from the ground is a welcome reward. Read the rest of this entry »

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Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit is about losing weight and improving your health by eating real food in moderation. If you enjoy this entry, please consider sharing it with StumbleUpon. Thanks.

I found this fun little item over on Mark Salinas’ site, and thought I’d pitch my hat in the ring just for kicks. From Mark’s site:

“The site Very Good Taste posted a list of 100 things that they felt every good omnivore should try at least once in his or her life.”

I decided to share my list here – I was surprised at how many foods I’ve eaten. How about you?

So which foods have you eaten, or would you eat?

Copy this list into your blog, including these instructions.

Bold all items you’ve eaten.
Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

Here’s my list – Have a look….. Read the rest of this entry »

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Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit focuses on improving your health by eating real food in moderation. This post is a continuation of the series of photographs of What We Eat. If you enjoy this post, please consider subscribing. Thanks.

Supper, Saturday evening, 5 Spot in Seattle

Saturday evening in Seattle we ate with friends and family at 5 Spot on Queene Anne. 5 Spot is one of our old hangouts, and was a frequent late night dinner stop for us when we were out on the town. 5 Spot’s atmosphere is what I would call “hip quirky” – lots of odd, seemingly random elements on the walls that make it fun just to look around and investigate what’s new, and a really broad range of patrons. This time, they had “spooky” radio drama piped into the bathroom sound system, which is par for the course for 5 Spot. Read the rest of this entry »

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Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit is about losing weight and improving your health by eating real food in moderation. If you enjoy this entry, please consider sharing it with StumbleUpon. Thanks.

I am amazed at this, but apparently I have not posted a link roundup in nearly a month. Without further adieu, here are some links to articles that I’ve personally found interesting this week.

[And in case you're wondering, that big fella in the picture in this post is me, running in the Santa Barbara Half Marathon a few years ago. ]

I recently came across this article on MSNBC: French lessons: Eat petite, take your time, which describes some of Paul Rozin’s work on identifying the differences in habits (particularly portion sizes) between the typical American diet and the French, and the correlation to obesity rates. The article is a decent, if lightweight, treatment of Rozin’s incredibly practical findings (as opposed to many University-driven studies that are often reflections of scientifically interesting results, but have little practical value on a daily basis for most of us). Read the rest of this entry »

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Welcome to Almost Fit. Almost Fit focuses on improving your health by eating real food in moderation. This post is a continuation of the series of photographs of What We Eat. If you enjoy this post, please consider subscribing. Thanks.

Supper, Friday night at my sister’s home in Seattle

On Friday night of our Seattle trip, we ordered take-out from an Indian restaurant near my sister’s home on Queen Anne. I have a weakness for Indian food, so moderation is definitely a challenge. However, this evening I succeeded in keeping it to one plate, which was my aim. Although I certainly cannot vouch for whether even a single ingredient was local, I think that as with all things, balance is the key. We default to eating local whenever possible, but we also have the occasional indulgence.

The second photo was taken from the window sill of my sister’s home. It was a beautiful summer evening in Seattle – one of those evenings that remind you of why you live in the Pacific Northwest – and a good photo to keep around for the winter doldrums.

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