Rambling About Food Issues

I was a substitute for the first half of today for a high school Pre-Algebra teacher. In one of the classes I taught, I met a 15 year old boy who drinks 3-4 energy drinks each day - his preferred brands seemed to be Amp and Monster (he had a collection of drink tabs on a cord in his backpack). I asked him where he purchases the drinks and he told me that there is a vending machine on the high school campus that sells the drinks. He told me that if he doesn't drink the energy drinks, he has headaches and his energy levels crash. I asked him about his daily eating habits and I found out that he only eats one meal per day - dinner. One of the reasons he gave for his one meal per day rule is that he can keep from getting "fat" this way - I have to mention that he is not an overweight child. He did not have an athletic build, but he didn't look like he was carrying much extra weight. He said he usuallyeats dinner by himself in his bedroom at his house because he doesn't like to be around his family. I found out that he really only eats with other people - family or friends - if he goes out to eat at a restaurant, the most common place for that is at Red Robin. Because he doesn't eat lunch at school, I asked him what he does during the school's 30 minute lunch period - his answer was that he hangs out with his friends. I also asked him if the caffeine from the energy drinks he is consuming affects his sleep schedule, and his answer made me sad, he ssaid that he has trouble sleeping anyway so he takes a prescription to help him sleep. He didn't seem to think there was a connection between the energy drinks he consumes and his sleep problems. Interestingly though, he told me that the energy drinks have affected his adrenal glands - essentially making them shut down. I'm not a doctor, but I do know how to look up medical terms on the internet, medterms.com gave this definition of adrenal glands:

Adrenal gland: One of a pair of small glands, each of which sits on top of the kidneys. The adrenal is made of of an outer wall (the cortex) and an inner portion (the medulla).

The adrenal glands produce hormones that help control the heart rate, blood pressure, the way the body uses food, and other vital functions. The adrenal cortex secretes steroid (cortison-related) hormones and mineralocortoids that regulate the levels of minerals such as sodium and potassium in the blood.

The adrenal medulla makes adrenaline and noradrenaline. Adrenaline is secreted in response to low blood levels of glucose as well as exercise and stress; it causes the breakdown of the storage product glycogen to the sugar glucose in the liver, facilitates the release of fatty acids from adipose (fat) tissue, causes dilation (widening of the small arteries within muscle and increases the output of the heart. Noradrenaline is a neurohormone, a neurotransmitter, for most of the so-called sympathetic nervous system.

The name "adrenal" comes from the Latin "ad-", toward + "rebes", kidney. It refers to the perch of this gland atop the kidney. The adrenals are also called the suprarenal glands, "supra-" in Latin meaning "on top."

I try not to be an overly judgemental person. Also, I've worked with high school students for the past seven years and I realize they often do not share the entire story when it comes to their home lives and their relationship with their parents. However, if I took everything that this student told me today at face value, it is a pretty grim story. I can't help but wonder why his parents have not stepped in. He is not establishing healthy life-long habits. I didn't get around to asking him about exercise and activities he is involved in, but I bet I could make some guesses.

Later in the day, I ended up doing another half-day substitute job at a middle school. Part of the job included supervision in the lunch room. Also on duty in the lunch room was the school's principal. I introduced myself and chatted with her for a bit. I asked her whether there were energy drinks available on the middle school campus. She told me that the drinks are not available for purchase on her campus. She went on to explain that even though the district does not yet have a policy about students drinking energy drinks on their campuses, when she sees an energy drink in a student's hand, she makes a point to ask the student not to drink it or to bring it onto campus. It felt good to hear that.

So why am I writing about this, why do I even care what middle and high school students in my area are eating and drinking? Why am I posting pictures of the sushi I ate for lunch when I was done with my substitute jobs? That last one is easy, I thought the sushi made a cool picture and I wasn't brave enough to take a picture of the food I saw in the middle school lunch room or the energy drinks I saw on student's desks at the high school. But to answer the first question, I have struggled with my own weight since I was about 9 years old. I have gained weight and lost weight several times over as an adult. I know how frustrating it is to struggle with "body image issues", so I tend to pay closer attention when I hear things about issues of childhood obesity and the general obesity epidemic in the United States.

Lately, I have been following Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" campaign. I am proud of her for setting a wonderful example by planting the White House vegetable garden. The blog, Obama Foodorama, is currently my favorite means of staying up-to-date on what our First Lady is up to. I think she has her work cut out for her, her mission is huge!

Since January, I've also been following another blog, Fed Up With Lunch: The School Lunch Project. It is being written anonymously by an elementary school teacher - she is staying quiet about her identity to protect her job (can't say that I blame her for that!). She has committed to eating the same school lunch served to her students on every school day of 2010. Her observations are interesting and honest. She discusses taste, variety, freshness, ingredients, nutritional value, the affect the lunches seem to have on her students behavior, the opinions that the students share with her about the food, and she has even mentioned recess (does not happen) and physical education (happens once a week) at her school.

There is quite a bit of attention from the media being given to food issues recently, I shared in the past that I read Barbara Kingsolver's book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" and Michael Pollan's "Omnivoure's Dilema." I also saw Michael Pollan's documentary "Food, Inc." twice last summer (one of those viewings was part of the Seattle showing that was sponsored by Chipotle). I'm not alone, I frequently find myself discussing these books and the documentary with friends and acquaintences. More and more frequently the line between what I'm reading and what I'm doing in my own life is getting blurred.

At our house, we have been paying close attention to what we are eating for about the past three years. My husband gets migraine headaches if he eats foods that contain preservatives, so I've become a vigilant "label reader" whenever I'm buying packaged foods. The best thing for us has been to make our meals from whole ingredients and to start canning our own fruit and marinara sauce. There are other reasons that we have become more careful about the foods we eat. The husband and I both have family members who are diabetics, and I currently weigh more than the healthy range for someone of my height and build. Since last September, I have made time to exercise 4-6 times a week. I have been eating more consciously. Though my choices have been far from perfect, I have been able to loose about 11 pounds without doing any true "dieting", just regular exercise, better portion control, healthier food choices and a substantial increase in sleep. It is interesting how infrequently I hear sleep mentioned as an important part of staying healthy and fit.

It has been an easy decision (followed by lots of hard physical labor) to plant a vegetable garden over the last three years. Each year my garden has produced more and I've gained wonderful knowledge from getting my hands in the dirt and paying attention to what is happening. I hope that this coming summer will be the best year so far - we've expanded like crazy with our raised beds.

Being fruit lovers, another easy decision was to add to the number of fruit trees in our orchard. One of the first things that the husband and I ever did together on our property was to plant our orchard. It was how we spend our first Valentine's Day together as a couple long before we were married or even engaged. I guess deep down I was fairly confident our relationship would go the distance, I knew even then that most trees take 3-5 years to begin producing fruit.

Deciding to raise chickens for fresh eggs wasn't as simple a decision, the husband was pretty hesitant at first, but the decision has been one that we have not regretted. The chickens were also quite a bit of work initially and then again when we built their new protected area because of the issues we were having with hawks. They are a great part of our lives, our ten new Buff Orpingtons are growing like crazy and so far seem to be much more friendlier than our group of Americauna chicks from last year. If all goes well, we will have 14 hens laying this fall...plenty of eggs for us and to sell.

Just the other day, we had a conversation about committing to eating locally for a year, though it wouldn't happen until a few years from now. We both would like to live a more sustainable and healthy lifestyle, but we realize that takes many small changes over time to add up to a significant difference. I can tell you right now that when (if?) I have my own child(ren), they will not be drinking 3 or 4 energy drinks a day and eating dinner by themself in their bedroom. One of the [many] things I have loved about the two trips I have been able to take to Italy has been the slow food attitude there. Meals are a time to gather with loved ones and to be nourished through food and fellowship. I want that for myself and for those I love.

What I've Been Reading Lately...

I've been struggling to find time for reading lately, but our trip to Hawaii made it possible for me to start and finishe two books...the one below on the flight over with a bit left over for some reading on the lanai. It is the story of a couple that is living in NYC in a neighborhood near Ground Zero on 9/11. The story follows them through two days as they experience and react to horror. Their marital, financial and parenting struggles are all put into perspective. It was a moving story, more emotional for me than I would have predicted it would be...but, this book won't be a keeper for me...more about that after a little bit about the other book I read on vacation.The second book I read was a non-fiction story...I wasn't sure what to expect and I mistakenly expected that I wouldn't like the book...the reason that I didn't pick it as my first read. Well, I thought it was an interesting, well written, unique and fascinating story. From one of the two main characters, I learned a ton about the connection between slavery in the South and 20th century share-cropping, and gained insight about homelessness and injustice. From the other main character, I heard a true story about commitment and love between two people who had been married for 30 years, this character also wrote honestly about his aversion to the homeless community and the humility he felt when he realized how his pride had blinded him. This book is a keeper, it will be finding a permanent spot on my shelf...I have an unofficial policy where when I finish any book I decide right away whether I'd read it again or not and/or whether I liked it enough to lend it to a friend. I've been a member of paperbackswap for almost three years. I decided to join after I moved in with the husband and opened several boxes of books that I'd been moving/storing through several apartments and houses throughout my 20's. I'd outgrown many of the books, several more had been required reading in college courses, and some were about subjects that I was no longer interested in. Initially I decided to post 70-something books from my collection onto paperbackswap. I now have just 15 books posted. Since joining I have mailed 122 books to other members and I have received 123. Only once in 122 exchanges did I receive a book that I had not requested instead of the book I was expecting. Strange story actually, the book I received was about Alzheimers and it smelled of smoke and was filthy with pet hair...when I contacted the person who'd sent it, the message I received in return made it clear that they were the unfortunate individual for whom the Alzheimers research had been done. It really was a fluke incident, the other 122 books I have received have been in excellent condition - I have not been disappointed. Most books cost around $2-3 to send (media rate), so it has been a very affordable way for me to keep up my book habit. The post office that we use has just one employee, she knows me well - we like to chat about what we've been reading lately. I used to spend anywhere between $25 and $100 a month on books, but not anymore! I can count on one hand the number of books I've purchased at bookstores in the past few years. In my account set-up I have refused to receive books that have been in a smoking environment, so occasionally I have to wait a bit longer than my "turn" on a waiting list for a particular book. It doesn't bother me anymore to wait to receive a book I want, the patience is good for me, and really, if I desperately want a particular book, I can always go to a book store or to Amazon for it. This typically doesn't happen, all I have to do is take a look at the stack of books on my bed-side stand that are waiting to be read to convince myself that I already have enough reading material. Now I just need another vacation so I can get to a few more of the books in that stack!

Just A Few Days Now...

I can't believe I leave for Egypt in just 3 days...right now I am balancing all of my responsibilities, but just kind of hanging in there until I get to leave. I really do miss my husband that much. And, to make up for the fact that Bambino is only getting attention from one parent instead of two, we've upped the amount of time we spend playing fetch each day...and he's been going for walks with me about every other day. Not a bad deal for him. Or for me, he's so tired by the end of the day that he can't hardly keep his eyes open.

When I haven't been doing stuff for work, I've been chipping away at my to-do list. All I can say is that I'm glad I got to the part about cleaning all of the bathrooms before this happened (this picture is not his most flattering ever!). I leave a fresh bowl of water out, just for him, by the door that leads to our garage. There is another water bowl in the area of our kitchen for Bambino, but Figaro is also welcome to it. In addition, I regularly fill not one but two bowls of water out in the garden for all pets to drink from. So why my dear Figaro felt he had no where else to turn when he was thirsty is beyond me. Like I said, I'm just glad that I'd cleaned it before he decided to do this. But, I won't be giving him kisses on the face now!

Being alone has meant more time for reading, especially before falling asleep at night...for the past several days this book, by John Elder Robinson, is what I've been picking up. Honestly, it's hard to put it down, even when I can barely keep my eyes open. He has a form of autism called Asbergers Syndrome, a form of autism sometimes called "mini-professor" autism. In the past I have taught a few students with Asbergers...so it is fascinating to read his story. It seems that because he is an adult and has learned to articulate his feelings and experiences, I wonder if some of the things that he says are things that have been true for the kids I've known as well. As someone who is fascinated by all things education, learning and intelligence related, this book is definitely one that I would recommend to others with similar interests. If anything, I think every teacher should at some point put it on their reading list.Well, I'm off to get more of my to-do list finished, that way I can go play fetch with Bambino, fill up Figaro's water bowl, and sit down for a while to read.

Localvores/Locavores Reading

From one of my favorite sources of quick information, Wikipedia:

A localvore is someone who eats food grown or produced locally or within a certain radius such as 50, 100, or 150 miles (240 km). The localvore movement encourages consumers to buy from farmers’ markets or even to produce their own food, with the argument that fresh, local products are more nutritious and taste better. Locally grown food is an environmentally friendly means of obtaining food, since supermarkets that import their food use more fossil fuels and non-renewable resources.
"Localvore" was coined by Jessica Prentice from the San Francisco Bay Area on the occasion of World Environment Day 2005 to describe and promote the practice of eating a diet consisting of food harvested from within an area most commonly bound by a 100-mile (160 km) radius. "Locavore" is sometimes also used.
The New Oxford American Dictionary chose locavore, a person who seeks out locally produced food, as its word of the year 2007.[6] The local foods movement is gaining momentum as people discover that the best-tasting and most sustainable choices are foods that are fresh, seasonal, and grown close to home. Some locavores draw inspiration from the The 100-Mile Diet or from advocates of local eating like Barbara Kingsolver whose book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle chronicles her family's attempts to eat locally. Others just follow their taste buds to farmers' markets, community supported agriculture programs, and community gardens.
A study in the 2007 Dewey Health Review revealed that a Locavore diet (study included 100 individuals ages 18–55 eating local food grown within an 80-mile (130 km) radius) resulted in a 19% increase in sturdiness of bowel movement and an overall drop in sleep apnea and night terrors.

These three books have been on my reading list recently. Each author approaches the subject of eating locally in a very different manner. All three provide first hand knowledge of the challenges and benefits involved in eating locally. So here are my rapid fire reviews:

• Farewell, My Subaru: This book was the most entertaining of the three. The author tells the story of his year of local living in the Southwest in a fun and sometimes shocking way. He also discusses in detail the process of transitioning completely away from fossil fuels for transportation. Fine tells his story chronologically, explaining the trials and triumphs of each season. His efforts to use solar panels and solar water heating to get off "the grid" were inspiring.
• Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: This family showed commitment. Also told in a chronological manner, this book made it appear possible that a family (with a young child) could successfully take on the challenge of eating locally. It is one thing for a single person to make that commitment, it's a whole different ball game for a family with a young child, who has to take a lunch to school everyday, to make the same commitment to local eating. I was most inspired by Kingsolver's stories about her garden and poultry raising - though I am still not interested in raising and "harvesting" meat birds. I have already shared on this blog that I learned valuable information about asparagus from her book. I've also been inspired by the many recipes included in the book. I specifically plan on using the recipe for tomato sauce for canning this summer.
• The Omnivore's Dilema: So many things stand out in this book. One of the first thing that hit me was Pollan's thoughts about the American food traditions. I think it explained the longing that I've felt when I've traveled in places like Italy or Thailand - I want to belong to a culture with a strong food tradition. I don't want to be a part of a society that decides based upon a trend that bread is a product of the devil - the fat devil. I am hoping to go see the documentary that Pollan made "Food Inc." later this week in Seattle, the husband and I have talked about making it into a date...fun!

Is Asparagus Supposed To Do This?

Here is another one of my asparagus starts, peeking through the ground...I like the fact that it is just a petite version of what it will become. Here are a couple of the other starts that are further along...I am a bit confused though, is asparagus supposed to turn into a bushy looking plant? I read somewhere that you plant them in trenches so that as the tips appear you can keep adding soil - never completely covering the plant, but keeping soil right up to it's "neck". Well, I was away for a few days recently and it was during a heat wave while I was gone that these plants took off...I wasn't there to keep pushing dirt over them. Did I end up making a mistake? I haven't been able to find an answer yet, so I am continuing to add dirt and hoping for the best.

Really though, I already knew that I wasn't going to be able to pick and eat any of the asparagus this year anyway, they are supposed to be given a year to establish roots before they are picked, so there is still a year to wait and see what comes of these plants.

That's how gardening is sometimes, lots of questions that require patience to get answers to. I do wish frequently that I had a near-by garden mentor to ask these questions. Poking around online doesn't always do it for me, I like asking real people questions and hearing their answers in person...doesn't everyone prefer that?

UPDATE

Before I explain the update, I have a confession to make. I have been feeling beyond overly stressed lately as my job is coming to a close. Not wanting to neglect this blog - it is a great source of joy for me right now - I "power blogged" last weekend, basically came up with several blogs that I could publish later. This is one of them. Now, after the fact, I am realizing that although it seemed like an excellent idea, and in many ways it still is, there is a flaw in my little system.

Here's the flaw, when I wrote this post, I was genuinely having questions about the asparagus in my garden. Since writing this post I have been doing some reading. Specifically, I have been reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. By the way, I am only a few chapters in, and I absolutely am loving the book! But back to what I was explaining, Kingsolver wrote an entire chapter on her lifetime of experience with asparagus. I was fascinated by this chapter, I even read it out loud to the husband before we went to sleep a few nights ago. I highly recommend the book - not just for the asparagus information - it is a great account of her family's year of eating locally. To misquote a famously cheesy movie "She had me at asparagus", though in reality she probably had me earlier than that. I may even have to do an actual review of the book sometime this summer when I've finally finished it.

So all of that brings me to my final point...my asparagus is behaving in a very normal, typical, "asparagus-like" fashion. I don't need to worry, simply watering and continuing to fill in the trench as the plants grow is all I need to do this year. There is an art to picking asparagus and knowing when to stop, but it seems I don't need to worry about that yet. Kingsolver says to wait until the thrird season before picking asparagus, I've heard the second before, I'm not sure what is right. I'm thinking I'll wait until next year and decide then.

I'm now done rambling about asparagus, have a lovely day!

A Few Good Food Books...

I thought that today I'd share what books are inspiring me in the kitchen lately...

The first is my newest cook book:

Jeanne Kelley cooks the types of foods I like to eat: fresh, simple, and full of flavor. The book itself is beautiful to look at, it is currently on display in my kitchen. Seeing it makes me happy, it also inspires me to walk out to the garden more often than not to collect fresh herbs to add to what ever I'm making for dinner, and to pick fresh lettuce and spinach for salads. I have used her recipe for Asian Slaw for my "Soup Group" at work. (The soup group is about 20 people who take turns making big pots of soup to share on Fridays and then when the weather warms up we switch to salads - it is something I am going to miss dearly since I won't be working there much longer.) Tonight I am using her recipe for pizza dough to make calzones...I used it once a couple of weeks ago for pizza night with the husband and he gave it high approval ratings. That is significant because he is quite the pizza connoisseur and has pronounced other pizza dough recipes I've used in the past as not up to snuff. This is also my current go-to book for inspiration for new meals - this weekend I am going to try the Morracan Chicken Skewers for a dinner with our neighbors on Saturday. Most of the ingredients in the book's recipes are things that most folks would typically have on hand - I've yet to come across a recipe with ingredients I don't recognize or can't easily get my hands on.

The next book that has been inspiring me is part cookbook, part collection of essays:

Molly has a beautiful voice in her writing - I like to pick it up when I am having a small snack or meal by myself. Her stories are touching. It is difficult sometimes to not continue reading - I've read multiple chapters at times when my intention was to only read one. But as much as I can, I'm reading this book slowly so I can savor her stories and consider her recipes. Her book is unique, I can think of a few friends for whom it would make a fantastic gift. It was a good gift to myself afterall!