Quote: Urban farming in Cleveland

Urban farmers are making money. There are a number of full-time and part-time farmers in Cleveland, myself one of them. I live in the City of Cleveland, pay taxes in the City of Cleveland, and patronize other Cleveland businesses. I am not unique in this sense as there are many others in the same boat. This number will continue to grow as the number of vacant acres under till increases.

Todd Alexander
Rustwire.com 

SUNDAY PALEO / September 18, 2011

Where on Earth? Send your answer to paleoterran@me.com

ECONOMY

Where the Jobs Are: the Clean Energy Sector Continues to Grow and Employ Americans 
"This sector grew nearly twice as fast as the overall economy between 2003 and 2010. In fact, more than 2.7 million people are working in the clean economy right now. That’s more than the entire fossil fuel industry employs, a new report by the Brookings Institution found." - Switchboard

Vegetable Gardens Are Booming in a Fallow Economy 
"Vegetable gardening has been on the rise across the country, ....driven by rising food prices and a growing contingent of health-conscious consumers. Garden-store retailers have reported increased sales over the past two years, he said, and many community gardens have waiting lists." - The New York Times

Will Aquaponics and Other Urban Farms Yield a Green Job Harvest? 
"The coalition is promoting sustainable, closed-loop farms that grow local, fresh food and, it says, create green jobs using clean, recycled water in place of soil. The farms can produce plants, fish, or a combination of both -- a method called aquaponics." - GreenBiz.com

ENVIRONMENT

Internet Giants Ignoring Energy Consumption, Carbon Management at Their Risk 
"Due to their rapid growth and global prominence, internet and social networking firms such as Facebook and Google will be confronted by a barrage of energy and carbon emissions challenges," - SustainableBusiness.com

HEALTH

Why Laughter May Be the Best Pain Medicine 
"In addition to giving us a "buzz," these endorphins raise our ability to ignore pain. So the researchers used the endorphins' pain relief to determine if laughter causes an endorphin release." - Scientific American

A Brisk Walk a Day Keeps Common Cold at Bay  
"The cure for the common cold has been discovered: exercise. OK, that's an overstatement. However new research findings published in the online British Journal of Sports Medicine do show that active, fit people do suffer fewer colds, and they tend to be less severe." - Daily News Central

Apples, Pears Linked to Reduced Stroke Risk 
"The color of the primary edible portion of fruits and vegetables reflects the presence or absence of particular pigmented bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids, anthocyanidins, and flavonoids, the authors write. Which fruits and vegetables in particular contribute most the reduction in stroke risk from overall high consumption is not known, and that was the primary aim of this study." - Medscape

Omega-3s Reduce Stroke Severity, Study Suggests 
"The consumption of omega-3s creates an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective environment in the brain that mitigates damage following a stroke," summarized Jasna Kriz, of Université Laval's Faculty of Medicine. "It prevents an acute inflammatory response that, if not controlled, is harmful to brain tissue." - ScienceDaily

Intriguing Links Between Depression and Cholesterol 
"So the truth of the matter is that people suffering from depression have lower overall cholesterol than average. I know, crazy, right?  Here's where I really blow your mind - people with major depressive disorder, despite the lower cholesterol, have higher rates of death from heart disease, whether or not you had heart disease before or after the diagnosis of depression." - Evolutionary Psychiatry

RECIPES

Simple salad: Apple, blackberries, walnuts and mixed field lettuce. 

Aromatic Beef Heart Skewers 
"Our mission of random animal parts is far from over, but for today, we are sharing our recipe for beef heart. Bill and I really don't squirm at the idea of eating any certain part of an animal anymore, however, this recipe in particular was slightly difficult for us." - Primal Palate

Progression to Paleo: Evolution Step II

Fitch's Corner lets you Pick Your Own. By Leslie Why Reap

Hello my tall, speedy, well rested readers!   How are we doing with Step 1 of the Nutritional Evolution?  21 days have elapsed.  Are you in charge?  Consuming your veggies, fruits, water and real?  Shunning the refined and packaged nastiness containing HFCS, Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAS), and other unrecognizables?   Excellent!  I deem you ready to tackle Step 2.   You are going to focus on high quality foods with nutrient density (think yams not grains) and in some cases energy density (think good fats not baked goods) while steering clear of those center grocery aisles.

One newly acquired pearl of wisdom from the author (that’s me!)…remember that we all have varying abilities to handle higher protein/“good” fat diets.  Just because a 40 year old, 150 lb male can eat 6 ounces of protein and a nice dose of fat at every meal and successfully go Paleo overnight, does not mean that everyone can.  So please proceed with your head attached to your shoulders (I’ve earned the right to say that) and be smart about this transition.   Check in with yourself after each meal and throughout the day.  How is my energy?  Is my digestion the same, better or worse?  Going 100% Paleo overnight with a dramatic increase in animal protein and fat can affect your digestion (read : liver, gallbladder, gut).  The typical American lifestyle has taken a toll on your body.  If you start to feel any bloating or sluggishness, increase your water intake, ensure that 50% of your plate is fruits and vegetables and start with smaller amounts of protein and good fats and increase slowly as your body adjusts.  This approach will facilitate a healthy transition  and allow your liver and gallbladder to bounce back a bit.

Okay, here we go!

Click to read more ...

Terra: Removal of Glines Canyon Dam begins September 17

Year of the River: Episode 1 from Andy Maser on Vimeo.

Quote: Gluten-free Novak Djokovic wins US Open

Novak Djokovic held on to beat defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1 Monday in a final filled with lengthy, mesmerizing points to win his first U.S. Open championship and third Grand Slam trophy of the year.

CBS News

Related Entry
Gluten-free Novak Djokovic shakes up tennis 

Celiac disease is not a disease

“HLA antibodies complexed to alpha-/beta-gliadin.” Image: Wikimedia CommonsThe New Oxford American Dictionary defines a disease as:

a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, esp. one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury

For this discussion, the key point is “a disorder of structure or function.” With celiac disease (CD) however, there is a problem: the person does not have “a disorder of structure or function.” Their structure or function would have been just fine before the agricultural revolution. There is nothing wrong with the person; the problem is the invented diet of the agricultural revolution. (Consider it this way: if someone is suffering from chronic mercury exposure, you do not say they have mercury disease, you say they have mercury poisoning.)

Click to read more ...

SUNDAY PALEO / September 11, 2011

Walking and urban hiking take many forms. Lleida, Spain.

FITNESS

Urban Hiking: Exploring Your Local Terrain 
"Though many of us live in dense, heavily human terrain, there’s plenty of adventure to be had, ample chance for discovery, and abundant opportunity for the rich, contemplative experience we often seek in the most secluded wood. It’s all about embracing the whole of the world just outside our doors – and journeying into it with new eyes and an open mind." - Mark's Daily Apple 

MODERN DISEASES

Omega-3s Reduce Stroke Severity, Study Suggests 
"Professor Calon believes that this anti-inflammatory effect is likely transferable to humans. "Since DHA is readily available, inexpensive, and reduces the risk of a number of health problems without causing significant side effects, the risk-benefit ratio tends to favor the regular consumption of fish or DHA," he concluded."" - Science Daily News

PALEO DIET

New Cookbook: Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie & Charles Mayfield

"And we were very honored to get the following comment via email from Dr. Loren Cordain yesterday: “Julie and Charles – Many thanks for sending me a copy of your book.  It’s absolutely fantastic and I loved reading about your backgrounds and transition into eating Paleo…”  Paleo Comfort Foods  

New Paleo Resource: Eat to Evolve 
"I'd like to introduce those of you that live in the Philly or Main Line Area to a new local Paleo resource, Eat to Evolve. ...Eat to Evolve focuses on delivering high quality Paleo meals to your door - so for those of you that want to try Paleo but can't cook or don't have the time...this could be the perfect solution for you." - Against the Grain

Paleo Round Two 
"As I mentioned in my first essay on my poor eating habits, before paleo I considered my one vice in life to have too much of a wheat craving, with pasta, bread, cookies and cakes leading the pack. My cooking skills were limited to making toast, pasta or frying eggs. Cheap, easy, fast and convenient. But healthy? No. That has changed dramatically." - Modern Paleo

The Persistence Hunt: Day Two and Recap 
"The modern alarm clock is the primitive technology.  A thuggish tool that clubs us awake, brute force cortisol, lacking elegance and intelligence -- the caveman stereotype embodied by modern man." - Hunter-Gatherer 

REJUVENATION

Research Shows Nature Helps With Stress 
"Recent research shows that taking a stroll through a natural setting can boost performance on “tasks calling for sustained focus.” “Taking in the sights and sounds of nature appears to be especially beneficial for our minds.”" - The Dirt 

TERRA

Largest U.S. Dam Removal to Restore Salmon Runs 
"The largest dam-removal undertaking in U.S. history, the project could serve as an inspiration and a model for similar enterprises in other parts of the country, conservationists say. ...'It is one of the most significant restoration efforts we have ever seen.'" - National Geographic Daily News

Military Installs Largest US Residential Solar Project in History 
"The US military is becoming a major proponent of the renewable energy industry and, with this financing, will build the largest rooftop solar project in the US." - SustainableBusiness.com

FROM THE ARCHIVE

Walking, the Ideal Exercise
"Walking is commonly known as “the ideal exercise.” Almost anyone can do it almost anywhere, and of all of the Paleo exercises, walking is the most gentle, which means that it’s a great way to curtail the sedentary lifestyle dominating American culture today." - PaleoTerran

9/11. Remember the fallen. Rebuild in their honor.

Quote: Metabolic & physiologic benefits of the Paleo diet

Even short-term consumption of a paleolithic type diet improves BP and glucose tolerance, decreases insulin secretion, increases insulin sensitivity and improves lipid profiles without weight loss in healthy sedentary humans.

Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 

Paleolithic Nutrition: Refined Carbohydrates

By John Michael

It was our aesthetic sensibility, a preference for white flour, which aggravated our current predicament. We’re eating processed grains that have been refined to please our eyes, noses, and taste buds, but which are mostly devoid of nutritional value, because this value has been removed in the effort to make these foods more palatable, in a process that “gives foods a finer texture and prolongs shelf life, but also removes important nutrients, such as B vitamins, fiber, and iron.”

These refined grains are often no better than sugar. We digest them quickly, leading to a rapid increase in blood sugar that’s followed by an equally precipitous decrease, which we feel as a bump in energy and then a crash. Unsurprisingly, then, both white flour and white sugar are refined carbohydrates, which are “produced when whole plants which are high in carbohydrates are processed in a way to strip out everything but the highly digestible carbohydrate (starch or sugar).”

Why, if they’re so unhealthy, are refined carbs so prevalent? For one thing, we’ve become accustomed to eating them. The intense sweetness that sugar adds is something we’ve come to desire; ominously, one rat study showed it to be more addictive than cocaine. While we’ve also become accustomed to white flour, its power over us doesn’t have to do with any addictive qualities, so much as with its ability to take on the flavors of whatever ingredients are added to it, like sugar or salt, among others.

One of the biggest problems with these refined carbohydrates is that they’re nutrient deficient; they take up a large part of our diets, and so reduce our overall nutrient intake by replacing healthier foods. Another problem is that the energy we derive from them, if not quickly used, is stored as fat, which is why in America we often find the overweight are malnourished. According to some speculation, the short uptick in blood sugar caused by refined carbs leads to an excess of insulin, which, after removing the sugar from the bloodstream, causes a sudden lack of it that could possibly lead to severe problems, like the exacerbation, or even the cause of, cancer.

These refined carbohydrates are playing a role in the spread of several modern diseases, among them diabetes and hypertension. While it’s easy to make villains of the corporations that use refined carbohydrates in their products, we also have to accept some of the blame ourselves. By overindulging our tastes, we went too far down the wrong road, refining carbohydrates so much that we stripped them of their beneficial qualities. At the same time, we over-exerted our tongues, over-stimulating them with the crude tastes of refined carbs, and so allowed ourselves to forget the deliciously subtle flavors that natural foods like those found in the Paleo diet have to offer.

Grass Fed New York Strip Steak with Warm Caramelized Mushroom Salad

By Leslie Why Reap

This recipe for New York Strip Steak with Warm Caramelized Mushroom Salad is the second in a series of videos that Chef John, from www.Foodwishes.com did on cooking various cuts of grass-fed beef.

I have transcribed the full recipe for you but you can also hear it directly from Chef John, here.

I made this a few weeks ago for friends and received rave reviews.  I used two 10 ounce NY Strip Steaks (also can be labeled as boneless top loin strip steak, Kansas City steak, or strip loin) and it served 4 of us perfectly.  As a testament to how easy this recipe is, I was able to pull it off in restaurant quality fashion while juggling a glass of wine, two conversations,  my iPhone (in order to watch the video instructions on how to make it) and a roasting pan of Brussels sprouts.  I did have help with the green salad however!

According to Chef John, he feels a simple pan searing is best.  At first I was intimidated by the pan searing, it threw me off as I was expecting to grill it.  The pan searing was quick, easy and produced a perfectly done, juicy and delightfully tender steak.  Careful though because the searing does not take more than a few minutes per side and you do NOT want to overcook these beauties!  Grass fed beef cooks more quickly as well. 

The warm caramelized mushroom salad is the perfect complement.  In Chef John’s words, “the earthy mushrooms really amplify the beefy flavors of the steak -- and the sherry vinaigrette and fresh tarragon are perfect conduits.”  As a person that does not eat mushrooms often, I would have had seconds had there been any.  So find some beautiful grass fed strip steak at your local farm, Whole Foods, or smaller scale Natural Foods store and try a recipe that will delight your palate and nourish your body!

Ingredients:

• 8 large mushrooms, sliced 
• 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil 
• 1 tbsp. butter 
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar 
• salt to taste 
• 1 whole garlic clove, peeled and bruised 
• 1 tbsp. fresh chopped tarragon

For the rest:

• 1 tbsp. olive oil 
• 2 (8-oz) New York strip steaks
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Nutrition Facts Per 4 oz. serving: 353 calories: 34 grams of protein, 3.7 grams of carbohydrates, only 7 grams of saturated fat **

Making the Mushroom Salad:

1. Remove mushroom stems and slice thickly (1/4-1/3 of an inch), set aside.
2. In a heavy bottom sauté pan, over medium heat, combine butter and olive oil.
3. Heat butter mixture until it foams (will get a slight “nutty color to top of foam) and add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt.
4. Slowly caramelize the mushrooms by sautéing gently and spreading them evenly throughout pan.  This will take about 20 minutes until they are nice and brown and crispy on the edges.  Stir every few minutes or so.
5. While the mushrooms are cooking, pound one peeled clove of garlic and add it to a medium sized bowl.  To pound it, place the clove under the flat side of a butcher’s knife or large knife, and using your fist, come down onto the flat side of the blade and flatten out the clove. 
6. Add mushrooms to the bowl with the garlic.
7. Turn off the burner and return the pan to the burner.  Add the sherry to the pan.  Stir sherry around and scrape the pan (deglaze) and pour sherry and bits of leftover caramelized mushrooms into the mushroom/garlic bowl.

Cooking the steaks:

1. Using the same pan, over medium heat, add the olive oil.
2. Pat steaks dry and generously salt and pepper both sides of steaks.
3. Add the steaks to the pan, searing 2.5 – 4 minutes per side depending on your stove.  Chef John says 2.5 minutes for rare but mine took more like 4 minutes a side for rare/medium rare, don’t be afraid to cut into it and check it out, do NOT overcook.
4. Remove steaks from pan and add last tablespoon of butter to pan and turn off burner.  Return pan to burner, add mushroom salad to pan with butter and deglaze once again, scraping up the bits of caramelized beef on the bottom of the pan. 
5. Add the chopped fresh tarragon to the mushroom salad in the pan and then top your steaks with the mushroom salad, distributing evenly…enjoy!

SUNDAY PALEO / September 4, 2011

Bear Creek Basin, Telluride, Colorado

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.

John Muir

ENVIRONMENT

Big Island of Hawaii Gets 20% of Its Electricity from Geothermal Plant
"The Puna Geothermal Venture is run by Ormat Technologies and is located in the Mt. Kilauea East Rift zone.  The plant has five wells that bring up 650-degree geothermal fluids to the surface where the steam is separated out and used to drive generators." - EcoGeek

Paper Use Declines as Media Tablets Boom 
"By 2015, paper used for publishing in North America - such as magazine, newspaper and book publishing - will be down 12%-21% compared to their 2010 levels. This is on top of the massive collapse that occurred during the recent recession." - Sustainable Business.com

First-Ever LEED Platinum Student Housing at USC 
“There are some luxury items that may at face value seem incompatible with sustainable development, but what we’ve found is that austerity does not necessarily represent ecofriendly construction,” says David Hilliard, president of Symphony Development, the developer of West 27th Place. - Sustainable Business.com

FITNESS

Guest Post by Tate Zandstra: MovNat training in Thailand 
“When you are a kid, you’re always told, ‘don’t yell, don’t move’…whenever we have this primal exuberance, this expression of this energy that we have in ourselves, it’s repressed to the point that it’s suppressed, like you have to stand right, be polite, be silent, then you’re a good kid.”  - MovNat

The Complete Guide to Interval Training [Infographic] - Greatist

NUTRITION

Paleo is reaching its Tipping Point 
"The movement started to gain momentum last year when I realized that a few of my co-workers were in a transformational program addressing workouts and nutrition - and guess what their nutrition plan was...yup basically Paleo." - Against the Grain

How to Eat Meat: Transitioning Away from Vegetarianism 
"I get a fair amount of emails from vegetarian readers who want to reintroduce meat into their diets. Although they see the health benefits of reclaiming omnivorism, they’re hesitant about the transition itself." - Mark’s Daily Apple

RECIPES

Lamb Arm Chops with Porcini Mushrooms and Rosemary 
"At first bite, we knew we had to recreate this dish. We had two lamb arm chops from US Wellness Meats awaiting our arrival back home, and we finally had the perfect recipe inspiration for these delicious looking chops." - The Food Lovers Primal Palate

Curry Sirloin Tips 
"I wasn't so sure this one was going to turn out very well, but boy was I wrong! Warm, spicy, rich, smoky flavors just fill your mouth and make this steak sing." - The Food Lovers Primal Palate

SUCCESS STORIES

Hypertension, Prediabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and 75 Pounds, All Gone in 6 Months 
"6 months ago I was 270 lbs, hypertensive, pre-diabetic, metabolic syndrome, etc. I had been aware of your site for a year or so because a political blog I frequent (lewrockwell.com) occasionally links to yours. I was intrigued by some of the articles but was skeptical and didn’t take it too seriously." - Mark's Daily Apple 

FROM THE ARCHIVE

The Idea of an Ecovillage 
I’ve heard a lot about sustainability, and I know that it’s a good thing, but I’ve rarely seen it in practice, and never to the extent that it’s practiced here, at Comuna de Rhiannon, a farming commune located within the Andes Mountains, and about an hour to the north of the Ecuadorian capital of Quito. Sustainability is the operating idea at Comuna de Rhiannon, and it governs the fate of everything that lives within the commune’s boundaries, from the hogs that are used to till Rhiannon’s soil, which is rich in volcanic ash, as the farm is surrounded by several volcanoes, to the food that is leftover from meals, which is either used as animal feed or as compost, depending upon what it is. - PaleoTerran