“The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that is difficult.”

-Madame Marie du Deffand

[UPDATE: This guide is no longer available. To upgrade your healthstyle check out my new book Foodist.]

For some people the idea of getting healthy is one of the scariest thoughts in the world. When something in front of us seems very far away, the distance appears insurmountable. Unfortunately, this illusion inspires intense fear. Not only are we terrified of the amount of work we face, we also fear the possibility of failure.

But for most journeys, the perceived length and difficulty is much greater than the true distance.

Getting healthy is no different.

Remember when you learned to ride a bike as a child. It probably seemed like a big, scary thing to do before someone took you out and showed you how. But after a few simple lessons you see how easy it is and quickly become proficient.

The truth is most problems are easier to deal with than we think they are. The hard part is just getting started.

To demystify healthy living, I put together a 25-page free guide to help you get started eating healthy. The guide is a simple blueprint explaining the basic first steps needed to upgrade your healthstyle.

How To Get Started Eating Healthy: The 7 Essential Steps To Getting Healthy and Losing Weight is based on a series I published several months ago, but I have updated the content and added a substantial amount of new material.

In it you will learn:

To get your copy simply write your name and email address in the form below and you will receive an email with a link to download the PDF. You are free to share this report with anyone you feel might benefit from it.

If you are already subscribed to the Summer Tomato Newsletter (different from blog), you should have received an email with the link sometime this morning. Let me know if you have any problems.

[UPDATE: This guide is no longer available. To upgrade your healthstyle check out my new book Foodist.]

Enjoy!

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Leeks and Beets

Probably my single favorite thing about Thanksgiving is that no matter what, it is always on a Thursday.

This simple temporal restriction gives us three full days to recover from too many mashed potatoes and that extra slice of pie we really didn’t mean to have. It also gives us time to stock up on healthy foods for the following week.

The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market tends to be relatively empty after a holiday, which is nice for regular shoppers. I used this opportunity to sleep in a little and stroll slowly through the market once before going back and making the bulk of my purchases.

As expected, peppers, tomatoes and all other remnants of summer are now virtually non-existent, while signs of winter are undeniable.

Mandarins

Mandarins, lemons and oranges are widely available, and today I found the first pomelo of the season.

Pomelo are like huge grapefruit with thick skin, except they are not sour. I first learned to appreciate these fruits in Thailand, where vendors will cut and clean them for you right on the street. These big green pomelo with pink flesh are probably my favorite variety (but don’t hate me if I change my mind 2-3 times this season as new ones come out).

Early Pink Pomelo

Meyer Lemons In Basket

As much as I love citrus though, it is still tough for me to get too excited about it when pears, apples and persimmons are so unbelievably perfect.

Fuyu Persimmon

In the vegetable world, the rockstars this week are roots, stalks and hearty leaves. I’ve been loving Tuscan kale (the dark, bumpy variety), chard, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, fennel and Brussels sprouts.

Celery, leeks, beets, onions and sweet potatoes are also worth playing around with this time of year.

Organic Celery

Taylor Gold Pears

And of course, I’m still obsessed with winter squash. With nothing but olive oil and sea salt, roasted red kuri squash tastes like pumpkin pie only better.

Lastly, it seems that the weekend after Thanksgiving is also the best time to go to the farmers market if you happen to be Super Mario.

If you live in SF, it is worth a trip to the Ferry Building just to see these GIGANTIC porcini mushrooms. I wouldn’t even know where to start with one of these bad boys, but I can’t help but marvel at them with a twinge of envy.

Giant Porcini

Seriously, what could you do with a mushroom like this besides grow super big or get a 1UP? If I had a few of these I could definitely save the princess.

Chantarelles, trumpet mushrooms and several other normal-sized fungi varieties are also in season.

Did any of you make it to the farmers market this week?

Today’s Purchases:

• Napa cabbage (Capay Organics)
• Delicata squash (Capay Organics)
• Brussels sprouts (Iacopi Farm)
• Assorted pears (Frog Hollow Farm)
• Trumpet mushrooms (Far West Fungi)
• Red Russian kale (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Cippolini onions (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Shallots (Dirty Girl Produce)
• Collard greens (Chue’s Farm)
• Fennel (Chue’s Farm)
• Parsley (Chue’s Farm)
• Fuyu persimmon (Devoto Gardens)
• Pink lady apples (Devoto Gardens)

Paris Farmers Market Update

Yes, you read that right! Today’s Farmers Market Update is straight from the streets of Paris by the lovely Joanna Milo Ragland (@GirlAboutParis). Joanna is a California resident but has been living in Paris for the past several months, getting to know the local markets and vendors.

I love these guest posts from shoppers in other cities and am thinking about making this a monthly event. What do you think?

Farmers Market Update: Paris In Autumn

by Joanna Milo Ragland

The many Paris markets range from tiny and touristy to huge and mostly local. Each neighborhood has its own market, some of the once or twice weekly roving variey, others in stable locations open Tuesday through Sunday.

The largest of the roving local markets is the Marché de Bastille. Spanning several long blocks of boulevard Richard Lenoi along the Canal St. Martin, the Bastille market offers rows upon rows of the freshest, most colorful produce. The generally jovial vendors are all too happy to offer samples of their wares.

Clementines

Market Vendor

Near the 1pm market closing time, wheeling and dealing becomes de rigeur and a friendly smile might just fetch you a couple extra clementines in your shopping bag.

As in San Francisco, the late summer produce is on its way out, but peppers, eggplant, and figs are still widely available. Prickly Italian figs (also known as figues de barbarie and more reminiscent of cactus than figs), persimmons (here called kaki), and grapes in abundance can be found at just about every fruit stand.

The prickley Italian figues de barbarie has a green skin that becomes orange as it ripens and a bright orange flesh. Delicious as this strange little fruit is, I found it nearly impossible to eat, as it’s full of small, hard seeds that permeate the entirety of the soft flesh. Am I missing something?

Paris Produce

Figuier de Barbarie

(Note from Darya: Figuier de barbarie (English translation) are actually cactus fruit, or prickly pear. You’ll have to ask a Frenchman why they call them figs….)

I also spotted some huge persimmons with a lovely, deep red-orange color. (I’m a little afraid of persimmons, though they are delicious.)

Parsnips, Broccoli, Artichoke and Endive

Persimmons, Chestnuts and Berries

Adding to the orange-colored fruit party, the clementines here are already awesome; easy to peel, not too many seeds, sweet and just tart enough to be thirst-quenching…the perfect snack to take along on a day of Paris sightseeing.

The lemons are also great and I’ve been stocking up and using them in my morning tea.

Walnuts

Vendor With Chestnuts

A chatty, Tunisian vendor offered me a sample of some yellow-green Italian grapes. Though they did have some seeds, they were plump, juicy and bursting with grap-ey deliciousness. He also explained to me that Italian fruit is far superior to Spanish fruit and that pesticides are not as widely used in Italy, rendering the grapes safe to eat unwashed–not the case with grapes from Spain, I was sternly told. (LOL)

Pink pomagranates have also appeared in the last week or two and are bursting with sweet-tart antioxidant goodness, although I still find red poms to be juicier and more flavorful.

What's wrong with this picture?

Pomegranates

Also noteworthy are the many varieties of apples. I had the opportunity to sample the honey crunch apple, one I hadn’t previously heard of, and it was true to it’s name. Firm, sweet, delicious, with that great apple bite! The honey crunch would be a perfect apple to use for a tarte tatin!

Fresh Tuna

Leeks

At the veggie stands, huge leeks, radishes, and many onion varieties are beautiful, aromatic, and begging to be used in your soups, stirfrys and tagines. Kale and swiss chard are also starting to show up, though just at a few of the stands.

Oh, and mushrooms!! Can’t have a Paris market update without discussing the mushrooms. It’s porcini (cêpes) season and they are as beautiful as they are earthily fragrant. Prices can range dramatically based on the location of the market and the quality of the mushrooms, so do be sure to shop around. During the late summer and early fall, it was all about yellow (and sometimes black) oyster mushrooms, but now, porcinis  rule. Their meaty texture and hearty, earthy flavor make them amazing in soups, stews, pasta dishes, risotto, or grilled and served up on bruschetta. The porcini possibilities are endless, but the season is short so I’m enjoying them as much as possible while I can.

Paris Fish Monger

French Wine

Of course, the Paris markets have much more to offer than just fruits and veggies. Amazing seafood, cheeses, breads, sweets…it’s difficult to pass by all the beautifully displayed, wonderful smelling artisinal foods without going a bit crazy and putting a dent in your budget, not to mention your calorie-count. Not that you should count calories, especially when in Paris. Head to the markets, take in the sights, smells and flavors, and most importantly, enjoy!!

Fresh Scallops and Sea Urchin

Oysters

A bientôt et bisous de Paris!

For The Love of Food

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup.

If you only read one thing today make it Tom Venuto’s article about The Biggest Loser. The first time I saw the show I was inspired and loved it, but as the years progress it is clear it is not helping any of the “losers.” The Biggest Loser teaches people that weight loss is about torture and extremes, and they are destined to fail. I was going to write an article about it, but Tom does such a good job explaining my reasons I no longer feel the need to.

But, of course, there are 10 great articles down there worth checking out!

I still need votes for the People’s HealthBlogger Award by Wellsphere and would greatly appreciate your support. Wellsphere is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in healthy living. To vote for me you have to create an account with them, but you can delete it when you’re done (I have yet to get any spam). If you enjoy this blog, please take a minute to show your support. Much thanks to those who have already voted.

for Darya http://summertomato.com/

I read many more wonderful articles than I post here each week. If you’d like to see more or just don’t want to wait until Friday, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@summertomato) or the Summer Tomato Facebook fan page. For complete reading lists join me on the social bookmarking sites StumbleUpon and Delicious. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you there. (Note: If you want a follow back on Twitter introduce yourself with an @ message).

For The Love of Food

• The Biggest Loser Pros And Cons: An In-Depth Review of Television’s Most Popular Reality Show <<Brilliant analysis of The Biggest Loser by Tom Venuto. I was going to write a similar article myself, but now I clearly don’t have to. (Burn The Fat)
• Moderate-Fat Diet May Be Better at Reducing Heart Risks <<People with metabolic syndrome should steer clear of low-fat meal plans, study says (HealthDay)
• Twitter-equipped bathroom scale tells the world how much you weigh <<B.S. of the week The most common response to this I got on Twitter was “nightmare.” Can you imagine anything more humiliating? (Los Angeles Times)
• Phys Ed: The Best Exercises for Healthy Bones <<To prevent osteoporosis, impact exercises are best, but not too much. Fascinating article by New York Times columnist Tara Parker-Pope. (Well Blog)
• High-fat, high-sugar diet alters bacteria in the gut, making it easier to gain weight <<The role of gut bacteria (we all have it) in body weight is just beginning to be appreciated. This study explains how it is impacted by diet. (Booster Shots)
• Chocolate milk redux: Nutrifluff vs. Policy <<Marion Nestle’s take on the chocolate milk controversy. As usual, I agree with everything she says. (Food Politics)
• Folic acid and cancer: New data might add to suspicion or, better, to discussion <<Folic acid supplements increased cancer rates in a new study, and this was in a population that does not eat as many fortified foods as we do in the US. But of course Summer Tomato readers don’t have to worry about stuff like this since we eat natural, whole foods from the farmers market. Right? (Booster Shots)
• Sarah Palin is History’s Greatest Monster <<It’s not what you think, but it made me laugh. (The Internet Food Association)
• Israeli Couscous with Butternut Squash & Preserved Lemons <<I’ve been eating winter squash like it’s going out of style, but I’m a little sick of just roasting it. This recipe is next on my list. (David Lebovitz)
• Say Hello To Nosh’s Mini-Me, The “Noshtopia iPhone Food Pics” Blog <<Stephanie Quilao over at Noshtopia started a cool new project photo documenting her daily noshing with iPhone pics right on her blog. What fun!

What are you reading?

Today is my 30th birthday and a perfect time to reflect on life, the universe and everything.

Despite being female and thus held to tough and often unrealistic physical standards, hitting the end of my third decade doesn’t cause me anxiety about either my appearance or place in the world.

In my experience, age is not an amount of time but a state of mind. As a child I always wanted to be a grown up, so I acted like one. It freaked my parents out sometimes, but that’s just how I was. In my mind, I still feel pretty much the same in that regard. I love to work hard and I thrive in positions of responsibility. Since both these traits get more important with age, I have actually enjoyed stepping into the adult role I’ve always felt I belonged in.

But that’s only one part of me.

In many other ways I’m as juvenile as ever. If you spend much time with me on Twitter (@summertomato) you’ve probably noticed I have the sense of humor of a 12-year-old boy. I blame my dad for that one. I’m also still shocked every time I hear that friends my age are getting married and having children. In my brain we’re not nearly old enough for that yet! But in reality, it is my friends who are normal and I’m the outlier.

Oh, and did I mention I’m still in school? Up until a couple years ago I carried a backpack with me everywhere, for better or for worse.

All these things give me a sense of agelessness, so it is hard to think of this birthday as anything but another day to do things I love. But part of my peace of mind certainly comes from the fact that I’m in pretty good shape physically–probably the best of my life. And at 30 this is definitely something to be proud of.

Summer Tomato readers know I attribute my good health almost entirely to my eating habits. I also spend a good amount of time in the gym, though I don’t workout nearly as much as I used to. But healthstyle extends to more than just diet and exercise.

Here I’ve compiled my favorite 30 habits to slow aging and keep you young in more than just your heart.

30 Healthstyle Tips To Keep You Young

1. Be happy The physical damage caused to your body by stress has only recently become appreciated by the scientific community. Fill your life with things you love and get rid of almost everything else. Practice stress relieving activities like meditation and exercise, and learn to appreciate joy when you find it. Happiness does a body good.
2. Eat vegetables There is good evidence that oxidative damage caused by toxins and metabolism contributes to the aging process at a cellular level. Foods (but not supplements) high in antioxidants seem to protect us from oxidative stress.
3. Avoid sugar Sugar is a direct cause of aging and significantly reduces lifespan in organisms from yeast to primates. Not by a small amount either.
4. Moisturize The appearance of your skin is largely dependent upon moisture. Help it out by using moisturizers to keep your skin soft and hydrated. Work with a professional to determine what type is best for you.
5. Don’t raise your eyebrows Credit my mother for teaching me this one, it has been a lifesaver. As a kid she used to warn me about raising my eyebrows, saying it would give me wrinkles and I’d regret it. I thought she was crazy, but still learned to express myself without much forehead crinkling. As a result I have far fewer forehead lines than some people years younger than me.
6. Sleep For me the most important determinant of how I look (and feel) on a given day is how much sleep I get. Seven hours is my ideal, but everyone is different.
7. Eat fish Some evidence suggests that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are particularly beneficial to the skin.
8. Wear sunscreen I love the sun and spend as much time in it as possible, but I never walk out the door without sunscreen on my face. UV radiation from the sun damages your skin and promotes aging.
9. Don’t smoke Smoking is one of the easiest ways to look older than you really are and shorten your life at the same time. Avoid both primary and secondary smoke like the plague.
10. Step out of your comfort zone Mental exercise seems to be one of the key elements of quality aging, but this doesn’t mean you should sit around all day doing crossword puzzles. Neuroscientist and cognitive aging specialist Dr. Adam Gazzaley suggests going out of your way to challenge yourself mentally, doing things like traveling and learning new languages even over the age of 60.
11. Take vitamin D Some research suggests that vitamin D may be particularly important in slowing the aging process. The jury is still out on the value of vitamin D supplements for aging, but they seem to have enough other benefits that it’s worth the investment.
12. Eat fruit Like vegetables, fruits have an enormous amount of antioxidants and help with hydration. Vitamin C in particular is thought to benefit skin.
13. No foundation or powder makeup Generally I avoid putting any makeup directly onto my skin. I realize I have a very flexible work environment and this is not possible for every woman, but skipping the makeup does help maintain your skin’s hydration and elasticity. I do wear makeup occasionally, maybe once or twice per week. But in general I find that mascara and lip gloss are enough for most situations.
14. Hydrate Your skin is very sensitive to water levels. Stay hydrated by sipping water and eating fruits and vegetables throughout the day.
15. Whiten teeth I know this isn’t something you can find at the farmers market, but when you drink as much coffee and red wine as I do, minor (and admittedly superficial) fixes like teeth whitening can go a long way. If you don’t believe me, try and remember the last time you saw a 20-year-old with yellow teeth….
16. Wear sunglasses If you’re a happy person (and I know you are), your wrinkles will most likely be caused by smiling and show up predominantly around your eyes. Block out extra sun (and look super cool) by always wearing sunglasses when you go outside.
17. Eat beans and lentils Legumes are a fabulous source of minerals that can help keep your skin hydrated and looking young.
18. Tea Afternoon tea time is one of the greatest discoveries I’ve ever made. Not only is tea full of antioxidants and other cancer-fighting compounds, a midday break can be just what the doctor ordered to sip away stress.
19. Cardio I’m not the biggest believer in cardio exercise for weight loss, but it is still important for vascular health. Not to mention how awesome you feel after a good session. Cardio doesn’t need to kill you, but you should do it regularly.
20. Strength training Building strong, toned muscles is one of the most effective ways to look younger than your years. Ask anyone who looks fabulous and they’ll swear by strength training. A little goes a long way.
21. Eat intact whole grains Intact grains (not fake “whole” grains that are ground into flour) are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and soluble fiber. They are also perfect fuel for those killer workouts.
22. Olive oil It is hard to think of something more versatile, healthy and delicious than olive oil. It breaks my heart that dietary fat got such a bad rap the past few decades, since the benefits of healthy fats like olive oil are innumerable. Fat isn’t just “not bad” for you, it’s essential.
23. Kill your television We all have things we enjoy watching (I’m partial to NBA championship teams), but if it takes up a significant amount of your time each week (>5 hrs) it may be time to reevaluate. How many years of your life do you really want to spend on your couch?
24. Don’t stuff yourself Cutting back on calories is the single most effective way to slow aging and extend life. I don’t advise starving yourself, but it’s a good idea to avoid overeating in any situation.
25. Eat nuts Nuts are the perfect snack food and are filled with anti-aging fats, vitamins and minerals. They are also great for suppressing appetite–just don’t eat more than a handful.
26. Avoid dairy Studies of aging skin have shown that milk and milk products are associated with more aging and wrinkles.
27. Avoid processed meats Processed meats are associated with many different health problems in humans. No need to get too hung up on this, but you may not want to eat deli meat every single day if you want to stay young.
28. No processed carbohydrates Just like sugar, processed carbohydrates are a direct cause of aging and disease. I eat these things occasionally, but don’t let it happen too often.
29. Coconut oil Fats come in all different shapes and sizes, and I try to incorporate a good mix of all of them. Medium-chain fatty acids like those found in coconut oil are starting to be recognized as important by researchers, but the evidence is limited. Coconut oil is also a healthy source of saturated fat for vegetarians. I always use coconut oil when cooking Southeast Asian food.
30. Red wine Red wine has a powerful anti-aging compound in it known as resveratrol. Though it is unlikely that the dosage of resveratrol in red wine is high enough to impact lifespan, drinking alcohol in moderation is also associated with decreased risk of heart disease and other vascular problems. Cheers!

Do you have any anti-aging secrets?