MARISSA BECK

HEARIN' IT SOUTHERN

2009-07-24T13:31:00.002-04:00

A conversation that I overheard here in the city (tourism increases in the summer, I suppose). Like another foreign language, my mind was translating the following into English:

Girl1: What toms yur flot? (what time's your flight?)

Girl2: Uh dunoh. Ul needa chake (I don't know. I'll need to check)

Girl1: Ho dya nah know what tom yur flotis? (How do you not know what time your flight is?)

Girl2: Wutevur liv it alown, ul figgurit out (Whatever leave it alone, I will figure it out)

I hope she figured it out.

Now that I've seen this cartoon ...

2009-07-21T12:57:00.003-04:00

... it makes stressing at night so silly !

Has anyone seen the new Reclast commerical?

2009-06-08T21:49:00.003-04:00

Two old girlfriends sit together, enjoying the autumn leaves. They say:

"Hi, I'm Lindsey. And I'm Joanie! And we have everything alike... same friends, same this, same that. We even have osteoporosis!"

Reclast.

We even have osteoporosis. I can certainly see how having this debilitating condition is isolating and how great it would feel for a friend-- a best friend nonetheless!!--- to join in on your "broken" sorrows, but my goodness... The drug companies' commercials just keep getting worse, and the people keep getting way too happy--frenzied-- once their 'this' or their 'that' is fixed with a simple daily dose of Antiblah or Woebegone...

Ca-RAAY-Za-HEE!!!!

I'm Twittering!

2009-05-02T12:49:00.003-04:00

I decided to stop resisting the twitter-dom and recently became a twitterer. I am not sure why I didn't twitter sooner, but I will now begin using and abusing trwerds and will try not to twitter myself into any twouble. Hopefully my thoughts will be twitterific and I'll have tons of followers, become popular and go on Oprah, since twittering about the random thoughts swimming through my sulci are so poignant.

Swine Flu Origins

2009-04-30T13:43:00.006-04:00

How has this recent soon-to-be pandemic not yet been 100% linked to our food system? The swine flu outbreak was said to have originated in Granja Carroll, Mexico, where a big, fat, unsanitary concentration-camp pig farm resides. Granja Carroll is a subsidiary of the US company Smithfield Foods, which is the world's largest pork producer.

"Because concentrated animal feeding operations tend to concentrate large numbers of animals close together, they facilitate rapid transmission and mixing of viruses,” said scientists from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2006.*

I've read some interesting responses.

Time to get a twitter account ...

*Mary J. Gilchrist, Christina Greko, David B. Wallinga, George W. Beran, David G. Riley and Peter S. Thorne, "The Potential Role of CAFOs in Infectious Disease Epidemics and Antibiotic Resistance," Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives, 14 November 2006.

Product Shout-Out

2009-04-19T15:44:00.003-04:00

I need to mention a flax company that makes me want to holler "I LOVE FLAXMEAL" from my fire escape. I flax my food up everyday with "Flax & Company's Original ground flaxmeal" and I think it's grrrrEAT! Flaxmeal doesn't have a taste but it feels like you have little hair shavings all over your food. Well NOT WHEN YOU USE FLAX & COMPANY! The type I like is mixed with ground sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almond and pumpkin seeds, so it makes whatever you're sprinkling, tossing, blending or baking delicioso. The company needs to hire me, because they're getting free promotion here... Thing is, flax usually has a greater n-3:n-6 ratio, but this product has an n-3:n-6 of 3300mg:4360mg. It's due to the nut combination they chose, so I think I might write to the company and ask them to add more walnuts in their mix to topple the omega balance.

Good Sperm = Good nutrition!

2009-04-17T15:22:00.002-04:00

A recent study suggests that men consuming excessive amounts of processed meat and full-fat dairy have poorer sperm quality. They found higher-quality sperm in men who consumed more fruits, vegetables and skim milk.

Thirty Spanish men with poor semen quality (cases) were measured against 31 normospermic control couples. Diets were recorded using a food frequency questionnaire and semen parameters and hormone levels were analyzed.

The controls had a higher intake of skimmed milk, shellfish, tomatoes, and lettuce, and the cases consumed more yogurt, meat products, and potatoes. The cases also had lower intake of lettuce and tomatoes, fruits (apricots and peaches), and significantly higher intake of dairy and meat processed products.

The study concluded that the frequent intake of meat products or milk may negatively affect semen quality in humans, whereas some fruits or vegetables may maintain or improve semen quality.

Cherry Blossom Festival Indian Dance

2009-04-12T17:20:00.004-04:00

I like the moves of the little girl that I zoomed in on, all the way to the right.

Rhyming on the train with a little vino in your tums

2009-04-07T21:56:00.003-04:00

There's something called wine,
it comes from the vine,
it happens to warm up your throat!
It makes you feel older,
ur no longer colder,
u wish u could sober your goat!
Your goat? Your goat?
But what in the world'd u just wrote?
I once had a tiger, made out of fiber
but not like the type in your colon.
My tiger would stare
while I'd go do my hair
and he'd watch me, too, when I spoke.
Sometimes I rhyme, do it all the time,
comes out, easy, no prob.
It's fun, u know, to rhyme as u go,
as long as it ain't on the job.

Nurse Charged with Killing Dialysis Pt

2009-04-05T15:15:00.003-04:00

This is an odd report. A nurse with no prior outstanding history of corrupt behavior goes ahead and injects bleach into a patient's dialysis treatment. The comments are wild.

A Review of the NYC Restaurant Show (03/09)

2009-04-04T17:06:00.005-04:00

Exhibitors from all around the world stake out their spots at the Jacob Javits Convention Center to present the latest and greatest food-stuffs of 2009. The main draw of the show is to taste different cuisines, learn about new products and test machinery that food service can use in their kitchens.

Being hungry and having room in one's belly is a bad idea before attending this event, mainly because a few nibbles over the course of one hour can add up to a whole day's worth of calories if you're not careful. I had the luxury of being in a food coma, complete with blurry vision and the onset of hypochondriacal diabetes; however, I was lucky to remain lucid enough throughout the day in order to learn about some new foods that will be presented in the restaurants this year.

Some sushi places will now begin using soy paper instead of seaweed nori to wrap up their sushi. The soy papers come in an array of colors and flavors, including hot spicy pink and squash yellow. For me, this takes away from the tradition of having black seaweed surrounding sushi, but I suppose restaurants will apply the new seaweed fad accordingly. Some other interesting delights I found were "Japanese foie gras of the sea" (Ankimo), "100% all-natural certified organic fro-yo" by a company called "The Lite Choice" (organic and fro-yo should be banned from sharing room in the same sentence) and "Energy-multigrain bagels" that tout themselves for its high fiber (high fiber because the bagel's the size of your head!)

One of the major highlights of the day included an impromptu talk with Chuck Hunt, the executive vice president of the New York City chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association. Since day one, he has always been against the caloric labeling on menus in restaurants of over 10-15 chains. Me being a proponent of them, we seemed to get into a heated academic debate about the issue, all while tasting sliced cheese and chicken-sticks.

Vendors presented their products with elaborate displays and demos. I tried the "Ergo Chef" heavy-duty knife, whose blade conjured flashbacks of an unfortunate skin-chopping incident. "It's the new shape of cutlery," the seller declared. If I don't cut my fingers off, then I'll consider this new shape, I thought.

Parched from the additives, high-fat and salty items, I searched for water. Vendors, vendors everywhere but not a drop to drink... Until the NYC Local Tap Water booth presented itself way back toward the left of the room. I pounced on it like a traveler in the desert. I had reached water-jug Mecca, and I was not leaving until satisfied.

Sake and wine stands couldn't lure me at that point but I witnessed a major tasting party in the southeast corner and thought about the aftermath of stumbling out of the Javits at 12PM. That wasn't enticing to me.

A fork of oyster and a spoonful of dip later, I left the madness of food service advertising and welcomed back my bland world of eggs and oats.

For more information about the Restaurant Show, visit their website.

New Website Recently Launched

2009-03-31T21:14:00.005-04:00

Check out http://www.fitscoop.com/, a website that connects fitness-minded people in a blog-like community. Registered users can evaluate various fitness activities, give advice and promote their own businesses, too. The site looks like it will become a handy resource for both novice and veteran fitness enthusiasts and a great place where people can come in order to find new ways to start moving!

Morning Routines

2009-03-25T18:26:00.010-04:00

I'm intrigued by them. I have my own, which my sister regards as "bordering on neurotic," but what can I say? I like it and it works. I'm just waiting to see what may happen if one aspect of it gets thrown off. For instance, what if I lift up my shades and turn off my air-conditioning AFTER I've already gone to the bathroom and brushed my teeth? Will I snap if I turn on my tea-pot BEFORE I turn off my alarm and turn on the lights? Speaking of my alarm, I LOVE IT! It MAKES ME want to get out of bed-- not to turn it off-- but to do a little jig. (If you have a blackberry, the sound I am referring to is the "Tune_Calypso," and yes it feels like you've just woken up to someone playing the steel drums in the Caribbean, a smooth breeze caressing your arms and cheek...)

By the way, I'm not downplaying that the above seems to reveal a severe OCD side, but no, I have never been diagnosed with OCD even though there are times that I feel like I have it (but who doesn't feel like they have OCD? Even that expression: "I feel like I have OCD," is used and abused). In retrospect, I think I actually do have some weird form of OCD based on what I used to do during a 7th/8th grade morning routine I had (umm.. yes morning routines date way back to those wee itty bitty days). After washing my face, I used to dry it with a towel (duh) and then blow my nose in a tissue. Okay, nothing too bizarre yet. But THEN -- I had to crumple up the tissue and, from a distance of about a few feet, get it into the trash can. If I did not get it in, I was really mad and I would try again until I succeeded. YES -- THAT MY FRIEND IS COMPLETELY OCD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Luckily, the superstitious basketball action of the routine is gone. But remnants of ritualistic morning needs do remain. I just really like doing what I do in the AM. For instance, I really think I would go bananas if I didn't immediately put on my slippers after I brushed my hair... haha. No that I don't do. Now I am just belaboring the point... But today I was thinking about how upset I was on the train because I didn't allow myself enough time to add one extra thing to my morning routine. I tend not to wear makeup. When I do, it's when I go out or feel like I need to look older than my typical 15-year-old wind-breaker look. But today, I woke up and don't ask me why but was in a makeuppy mood!

So I made myself up. Just put a little mascara and blush on my face, but who knew that THAT takes seven extra minutes! Well. By the time I got to the subway, I missed what seemed like four trains, and then had to wait on the platform for another five minutes! When I got off at my stop, I found myself running into the office, all sweated up. So much for getting prettied in the morning... That is, without taking THE MORNING ROUTINE into account first ;)

You shouldn't read this post

2009-03-22T19:11:00.010-04:00

But then why are you reading it?!

Did I catch your attention?

Great. Now I can blabber all I want about Clostridium difficile. You may be wondering, what is Clostridium difficile? You may also be wondering, what does Clostridium difficile have to do with me?

The simple answer can be drawn from the following cartoon:

Indeed, we have morons in the world who enjoy putting their behinds in inappropriate places. If you're one of those sorts, you may actually get this wondrous bacteria one day. But even if you're not a species of Peter Griffin from Family Guy, you can still be exposed...

Clostridium difficile (also known as, C. difficile or "C. diff," as we like to say in the hospital) is found in the feces and so for this reason, people can become infected easily if they touch anything that's contaminated with their own (or someone else's!) poop, and then go and touch their mouth or any other mucous membrane, for that matter...

Luckily, if you're in good health, you most likely won't get C. diff since it affects those with poor immunity.

New Site

2009-03-22T12:41:00.003-04:00

My personal blog here at Blogger is still going to remain intact; however, please visit my new website, http://marissabeck.wordpress.com, which will host more nutrition topics (because obviously you just can't get enough!) I will start to develop it soon . . .

Spinning with Rasta-Steve

2009-03-21T12:19:00.006-04:00

If I thought spinning with Erin was a heart attack waiting to happen, spinning with Rasta-Steve made me want to throw up on the floor. LOL, sorry. Anyway, no worries that didn't happen but a fire-hose of blood flow through my aorta did.

Rasta-Steve pulled his pony-tail in the back of his head and mounted his bike, a Gloria Estefan gone reggae pumping in the background. His words trailed off into some Jamaican abyss: "Keep yo shoulders a bom... Add mo reseestonce, a bom bom."

My legs were movin, mind in some distant far-away Rasta-island. Were there Caribbean women click clackin seashells and maracas in the background, their coconut-covered breasts and wide-hips would swing sassy to the beat. Rihanna started her whine, and I was flying in the air like Jasmine on Aladdin's carpet.

Keep my dominance and control over the pedals, don't let it take you over. With each song better than the next, I wondered if I'd still have my kishkas by the end of it. Rata ta ta ta ta ta tata ta. A siren in the background, Ulysses can't resist. No amount of sports bras could contain my boobliness. Background dancers shaking rock-the-boat your hips. Help me save me I can't go anymore. 2 hops, 2 hops. 2hops 2hops 2hops.

UH.

Damn.

Are you kiddin, Rasta-Steve? What's. Your. Deal? What's your freaky freaky deal? Wow wow wow. WOW wow WOW wow WOW wow.

This hurts. This hurts. But I really like the beat.

Rasta Steve's staring at me. Me. ME. ME! I can't miss a beat no I cannot miss a beat, though my thighs did burn. He had to see me go. "Keep it goin keep it goin keep it goin keep it goin keep it, Left. Left. Left. Left."

5. More. Minutes. More.

Legs. Finished. Spent.

The You Wish You Were a Fly on My Shoulder Day: this one goes out to you, An ;)

2009-03-16T16:06:00.008-04:00

Today equals Marissa's-a-Loser day. It all started when I left my Hospital ID at home, which is attached to my nutrition locker keys. It wouldn't have been a problem, had I not decided to keep my dress shoes, lab coat, binder and pocket-calc in my locker, too (yes, I am aware that dork doesn't fully epitomize the breadth of my dorKIness). The security guard wouldn't unclip my lock until someone could verify my identity. I'm sorry but why would a little bombastic amateur nutritionist with an oatmeal pancake in-hand want to rob someone's locker? (Although, I suppose I'd be the perfect suspect, if any). Luckily, the unclipper arrived and I was spared the disgrace of wearing Asics in slacks.

A normal day, until Mrs. K shat her pants as I was doing an assessment, leaving the scent of second-hand feces on my lab coat for the rest of the afternoon.

Glad to get out into the fresh air, I ambled to the subway for my relaxing 100+ block ride home where I muse over the day's events. A pleasant ride, until I was about to get off... My monster book-bag straps got stuck in the pole and I couldn't undo it! The doors slammed shut and there I was, still strapped into my seat. I stayed there like I had been hung on a coat-rack until someone was kind enough to unhook me.

Spinning with Erin

2009-03-14T15:50:00.007-04:00

Erin, my spin instructor, has no idea that I am writing about her. But maybe one day she'll read my blog. Firstly, she is incredible. I pretty much want to be her best friend, but again, if she reads my blog... maybe... Secondly, Erin is so kickBUTT that even a lazy-drag-your-feet-Charlie-Brown would go absolutely insane in her class. So of course, one can only imagine the tachycardia that my body experiences when I am exposed to her. For one, her legs move so quickly that I almost have a heart attack just watching. Cut, defined arms and tight body, the woman knows how to work it. She sets the bar high, and if you miss a beat (literally miss a beat... think Rozalla: Everybody's Free) then you might as well pack up and go. For those who think spinning is a form of weaving on a loom: think again. Think cycling, think fast, and think sweat. It's everything your body wants and craves. Especially when Erin is at the helm!

Blog Woes

2009-03-11T23:06:00.005-04:00

Hello to my devoted reader(s):

As you probably know, my website was down for a few days because I decided to pretend like I knew where I was going in the foreign country, HTMLand. Humbled, scared and cold, I left that magical world of widgets and canonibalism and came back to my quiet copy & edit abode. It isn't exactly a party here now, but it's better than playing piano on my computer keyboard and praying for a miracle to happen to the interface. Anyway, I'm home!

Regards,

Your Bloggerissa

(Me when I found out I lost my blog!)

or better...

(Me when I played in HTMLand)

Globus hystericus

2009-03-05T21:41:00.009-05:00

I never thought I would take to the clinical world of nutrition. I'd shudder paroxysmally in blood's way. I despised needles, white coats, the smell of geriatric piss caked in hospital floor cracks. I looked at my six months at NY-Presbyterian as an initiation into my profession, my body and mind anointed (with monounsaturated oil, of course).

Today I walk in like a veteran, an intrepid practitioner ready to suture up skulls. Ready to yank off jowls and whet up my scalpel. No, I don't do this. I don't even want or dream it (but I like how it reads!) Unflinchingly, I saw a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) get placed the other day, the doctor threading his tube down his patient's throat and into the belly, puncturing the stomach and abdominal wall in order to get a feeding tube in there. My white coat gives me front-row seats to some great shows.

And then I get to determine the nutrition part, the feeding, the life!!! (OK cowgirl, calm down there...) I dance along the polished floors, buzz into my patients' rooms. Without showing my feverish side, I listen to them, observe... hear their stories, their thoughts, pain. Deduce the patients' needs. I may want to do this, I think to myself. More than six months. Work here, be here...

And then I go and almost aspirate a patient today. She was at risk for choking on her food and I didn't know that reclining her bed by more than 45 degrees could draw contents from her mouth right into the lungs. She wanted to sleep, I thought I was helping. (I shouldn't be allowed to push buttons). Our team is fast, our doctors, nurses on their toe-nails. Scrupulous in their care. Like a King-Kong in slo-mo, Nurse Hatchet swings her arms above her head and swims into my patient's room, her sensitive kong-ears hearing the robotic sound of the bed spit out its motor-laugh. With a fat thumb, she pushes the tiny bed-button and sneers at me from the corner of her eye. The bed responds with a gurgling motor and makes its way back up. And I snap out of my medical fantasy, stuttering and shuddering again.

Garlicious!

2009-02-27T14:15:00.010-05:00

First, it was bulgar wheat. Then pomegranates. Now BLACK GARLIC is gonna ROCK your world. It's the new "in" food, but not according to me (because I have yet to try it).

The Washington Post recently wrote an article about the flavorful little bulb and its rise to the top of the food-fad hierarchy. Luckily, I suppose if this new member's going to be the next best thing to "Special K Protein Water," at least it has a heavy bag of health benefits.

People are eating it up, not just literally. Type 'black garlic' into google and the search is endless. Blackgarlic.com is the company that first show-cased black garlic, facilitating its migration from South Korea to the western world. Black Garlic Inc. was formed last year in Hayward, California. As the sole manufacturer and supplier in the United States, the company has a nice monopoly. Restaurants have been demanding this root veggie and food bloggers, alike, are raving about it.

According to the Washington Post, the taste is sweet with licorice, the texture chewy. The pungent garlic flavor isn't as strong in this species, which I can see being a great way to have your garlic and eat it too :)

... Depleted

2009-02-25T21:29:00.005-05:00

Mrs. Willette chit chatted her dentures,
the diet pop she drank didn't quite quench her.
Edema in her arms, ankles and hands,
normal saline solution dripping,
meeting her body's demands.
Raspy voice and snorting cough,
hypertensive pressures,
sounds the korotkoff.

Nurse Hatchet comes in with her crocks and cropped hair,
"how you feel today," she asks, as her patient stares.
Mrs. Willette blinks, shifts her weight to the side,
and with much labor in her voice, she replied...

"I HATE CILANTRO"

2009-02-21T14:11:00.004-05:00

There are 40 groups on Facebook devoted to bashing cilantro, one of which was quoted in the WSJ (2/13). Scientists are interested in this seemingly innocuous little herb, now causing riots on the internet. There is a clear divide: some find it refreshing while others label it as, "soapy, rotten or just plain vile."

I don't like it, myself. Sometimes I think chefs use the "freshness" in the herb to mask the taste of spoiled fish. UGHH! Just writing that makes me sick.

La Rondine

2009-02-21T11:17:00.002-05:00

I just saw La Rondine, which wasn't my favorite opera but it was still very good. Yet another story of attainable then unattainable love, excessive in its use of the superlative, and overflowing with emotions that people tend to repress in our current day. The opera was more modern as compared to the others I've seen. I prefer the traditional ones best -- the lavish costumes and explosive music (and explosive-looking singers). I was sad to see that there weren't any overweight or obese singers in La Rondine. There's a noticeable difference: the music trumps their voices, whereas, larger bodies may be able to project louder tones.

Mushrooms may Lesson the common Grapefruit/Drug Interaction

2009-02-08T14:02:00.011-05:00

Regarding a recent, unrepeatable study, mushrooms may be able to help counteract the "grapefruit/drug" interaction.
Doctors advise patients not to eat grapefruit with certain medications (usually heart) because the normal dose of the drug can be enhanced with the consumption of grapefruit juice. This is because grapefruit carries a class of compounds that inhibit the liver enzymes that the body needs in order to eliminate medications. If grapefruit interacts with such drugs, the normal drug dose can be absorbed in toxic amounts.

But researchers have found that eating mushrooms can counteract this effect. When they mixed grapefruit with an inedible fungus, they found that the mushroom absorbed the compounds that were responsible for the grapefruit/drug interaction.

This research could be useful for future nutrition plans. Specifically, many seniors enjoy eating grapefruit, which is rich in vitamin C and fiber. For many, it could be the only source of citrus and vitamin C they receive, since their diminishing taste buds recognize the sour and/or bitterness of the fruit better than other fruits. Seniors are also on many common medications that interact with grapefruit. If researchers develop a safe compound that is shown to reduce the grapefruit/drug interaction, health-care providers won't have to denounce such a healthy food. And grapefruit can be set free from her little prison :)

Source:
WebMD (2/3)

Super Salt Shaker

2009-01-30T15:00:00.007-05:00

The NYC Department of Health is cracking down, one ingredient at a time. Both the trans-fat ban and the most recent health regulation of caloric posting on menus made for lots of commotion. Nonetheless, both were victories for NYC, a city that seems to rapidly adjust to change.

So then why should salt be any different?

There's a bit more politics involved in this one, and critics think it might not be as successful. Firstly, it isn't about how heavy your hand is. The campaign against added sodium doesn't care if you're pinching a smidgin or shaking your entire arm over your plate. Instead, the NYCDOH hopes to reduce the amount of sodium in packaged foods and mass-produced restaurant meals. This is the hard part. Dr. Frieden, the commissioner of NYCDOH, says that "... a quiet, mass reduction in sodium levels — stealth health, they like to call it around the department — might be more effective."

Getting back to that adjusting to change thing... Americans would likely be shell-shocked if we cut salt out of these foods cold-turkey. This means that, unlike some of the other health initiatives that passed within a few years, the national salt-reduction initiative will take a lot longer, with hopes of reaching its completion within the next decade. Over this time period, officials believe people will become less accustomed to salty foods, which I do believe is a super load of salt shaking... I am not downplaying the FACT that salt leads to higher rates of heart attacks and strokes. It'll just be interesting to see what occurs down the line. Stay tuned in the news on this topic. For more information regarding the impact high sodium diets have on blood pressure and overall health, see here, (ARCH INTERN MED)

The Long Lasting flavor of Umami

2009-01-21T16:11:00.003-05:00

Umami is the least understood taste sensation, and it is now being investigated by researchers to provide more information on taste preferences. The goal of food developers is to enhance umami, which is described as "a hearty, savoury taste." Researchers found that the glutamate receptors on the tongue (the receptors that detect the umami taste) can be "drastically enhanced" by certain proteins (5’ribonucleotides). These nucleotides bind to the receptor in order to keep the umami taste (glutamate) lingering inside of your mouth. The researchers attribute the lingering taste of umami to a "Venus fly-trap" effect, in that the glutamate receptors catch, literally, the umami taste. What implications this may have on health have yet to be determined; however, I've never been a fan of Little Shop of Horrors...

Recession Weight Gain

2009-01-15T12:16:00.003-05:00

As if we aren't a fat enough country, now health experts are worried that people will put on even more weight. Since many studies link obesity to low incomes, experts are concerned that people will now cut back on healthful but relatively expensive items (such as fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and whole grains) and instead buy cheaper foods high in sugar and saturated fats. I thought this was already the case, but I guess it may get worse. See here for more details.

David Returns to Italy

2009-01-08T17:27:00.003-05:00

I couldn't resist posting this email I received:

After a two year loan to the United States, Michelangelo's David is being returned to Italy after the Holidays . . .

His Proud Sponsors were:

Latke, I love you but we need to talk

2008-12-24T12:03:00.004-05:00

Grammy made latkes encrusted with oils galore,
dolloped in full-fat sour cream she did adore.
Sugar, salt, fat, fat, salt, butter, fat, salt,
High insulin? Cholesterol? That's ain't her fault.
"You MUST try my latkes, I made them FOR YOU!
If you DON'T try my latkes, you're not a real Jew!"
Well, can we switch some ingredients, better oil, an egg white?
So we don't have 387429482392 calories in every bite?
Here's a recipe I found; and may it replace,
Grammy's glorious old-school latkes without sacrificing taste

Mitochondria: Yours to Build

2008-12-15T15:27:00.002-05:00

FindArticles - Manipulating mitochondria: playing in the fountain of youth
Nutrition Action Healthletter, Dec, 2008, by David Schardt

We knew exercise helps generate more mitochondria, the cell's "power plant" for energy. Now, a recent study shows that even just "15 to 20 minutes a day, three to four times a week" will help increase the number of mitochondria in cells.

And does eating grapes, apples and onions generate more mitochondria, too? In rat studies, quercetin (the main compound in those foods) was said to increase mitochondria in the muscle and brain. This may be an important breakthrough with respect to diabetes and obesity management, being that increases in mitochondria will boost insulin sensitivity.

Dr. Marc Hyman

2008-12-10T15:14:00.002-05:00

I just learned about Dr. Marc Hyman (http://www.drhyman.com/) and think he has a nice handle on living a healthy lifestyle:

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McDonald's pushes packaging with health bits

2008-12-05T00:16:00.002-05:00

McDonald's has updated its packaging for its sandwiches, fries and soft drinks. The new design highlights nutrition information and locally grown ingredients. Not sure how a Chicken McNugget becomes local, anywhere...

Check it out in BusinessWeek (12/3).

Revelation

2008-12-01T14:13:00.003-05:00

While wrapping gifts today (AT WORK) for one hour, I realized how little my brain was being used and I cringe at the fact that it could have been exercised in a much more constructive manner. Although it was only for one hour, why would someone want to waste my brain's time? After that mindless feat, I opened up a book (any book within my cubicle's reach) and read instantly.

Babies

2008-11-24T14:50:00.005-05:00

Here working my second week at the Ryan Center and it dawned on me that the ear-massacring sound of crying is now background noise and I no longer hear it!

Functional Foods Functional?

2008-11-08T10:22:00.002-05:00

What are they?
Foods that are fortified (increasing nutritive value with vitamins) with the intentions of promising a proposed health benefit.

Where can I find them?
Any grocery store carries functional foods. Some examples are Kellogg’s Special K brand, which includes fiber and soy protein in the cereal to produce “satiety.” PepsiCo launched “Diet Pepsi Max,” which was proposed to “provide a kick of energy” with its extra ginseng and caffeine.

Are they beneficial to my health?
Sometimes the claims are true; sometimes they aren’t. Tropicana fortified their Orange Juice with calcium and vitamin D: this is helpful for those who need the extra calcium. For the weight loss claims that have been made, there isn’t sufficient evidence for every statement. For example, functional weight-management products fall under three broad claims. One, products that suppress appetite; two, products that boost metabolism; three, products that inhibit macronutrients (such as fat, carbohydrate or protein). Since appetite suppression is complex, there needs to be more research done on products that have these claims.

Can they harm me?
Sometimes they can. Inhibiting a macronutrient from your diet is not healthy and can lead to malnutrition. In addition, “boosting your metabolism” can elevate your heart-rate, which doesn’t need to be stressed during non-active times. Stressing the heart on a daily basis with excess caffeine can lead to high blood pressure and potential heart trouble.

Take-Home Message:
Don’t believe it just because the claim was made. Many companies are quick to boast about the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients (a substance of plant origin that has nutritive value, e.g., iso-flavonoids in green tea) found in a certain product. These companies rely upon YOU, the consumer to assume that these compounds in any quantity are good for health. In addition, these companies assume that vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients are protective for health even when extracted from the food or plant, itself. This is not always the case, since food compounds work in a synergistic way.

Fortified foods may have a place in your diet if you are deficient in a specific mineral, such as calcium, and are unable to obtain the vitamin or mineral through real foods. Try to detect if and when you are buying a product just for the claim being made. For example, more “vitamin A” doesn’t necessarily lead to greater health. Don’t let the word, itself, connote a sense of health. Watch out for false claims and be aware of appropriate quantities in the products you buy!

Vacation Constipation

2008-10-23T18:56:00.006-04:00

Check out my new site for help with traveling, being constipated, and trying to have a good ol' time while on your vacation without the crap getting stuck in your intestines :

www.vacationconstipation.com

The Nebulous World of Starbucks

2008-10-20T17:06:00.003-04:00

Having Starbucks initiate me as a coffee-drinker is like calling Tasti-Delite, Gelato. It's like eating a Big mac and and saying you've had a good steak...

So I went in. I've been in Starbucks before--as many do when there are a total of 171 in Manhattan. But with careful steps, I walked to the end of the 16-person line and waited my chance to recite my 15-word drink. What DID I want, I thought, as I squinted at the backboard. Well, good thing there are now calories on the menu. I definitely wouldn't have thought the Venti Pumpkin Spice Creme coffee would have a whopping 340. Well, anyway, the line went offensively fast. How does anyone repeat in their head what he'll have to recite once up there?

"Next custama!" said a tall, gangly male employee.

"That'd be me."

"And what will you have?"

I blanked. God, I'd been reciting it for the past two minutes, how could I have blanked??? I looked up again at the board and muttered outloud, "UhhhhHhhhhhh....."

"YES??? Miss? What would you like?"

"OH man, I don't know! Like, a small coffee with some skim milk?" He looked at me and didn't talk for five seconds. EEK, I sunk down into my collared shirt.

"Miss, we have many coffees, in many sizes. And 'small' ain't one of them."

"Ohh-- yes, you do have many coffees... sizes, too---"

"Miss, step aside until you figger out what you want. Next custama!"

AHH! How could he have been so hard on me!?!? I'm new! I waited for the line to thin. This morning coffee thing was becoming a nightmare. I stepped back up to bat.

"Hi -- so, maybe you can help. I'm new to this whole coffee thing. What should I ask for if I just want a cup -- none of that extra caloric stuff-- just some skim milk, or soy. Maybe steamed, too? In a somewhat small size-- or medium? Do you have a medium cup?"

Hopeless, I thought. They need translation next to the caloric break-down.

"It seems that you would like a Tall, Grande or Venti Caffe Misto with soy or skim milk, if I am hearing you correctly."

"Oh, okay. That's it? That sounds okay."

The steamer sound went off, and I exhaled. I made it through a Starbucks coffee line.

After burning my tongue, the roof of my palate and leaving foam on my upper lip, I realized that there were just some places where Marissa Beck does not belong. I scurried out of Starbucks. I'll stick to their salted almonds :)

The New Member of the Coffee-Club

2008-09-27T14:38:00.005-04:00

For the record, I had never tried coffee in my life until a couple of months ago. Coffee was to me like Christmas lights are to a happy Jewish kid: it's there, others do it, but it's just not what you do. Years of coffee-brunch and post-dinner cappuccino refusals had me boasting (a little too quickly) about this non-coffee-drinking-phenomenon of mine, as if coffee were heroin and only I had the long-standing willpower to refrain. Of course I did not believe this. But I marveled at the expressions and comments people made-- the "wow," "really?" and "HOW??" -- as I passed on my share. It just never interested me.I went down to Costa Rica with my family this past January, 08. It was more like a "weekend at Bernies" than a vacation, and perhaps I was slightly off among the various set-backs of losing my passport, getting searched for five apples that I hoarded into the country from NYC, losing power from a rare storm for the majority of our stay, going on a three hour hike through a torrential downpour where my poor mother’s bum knee couldn't handle the slippery rocky and almost killed herself, and staying at an all-inclusive where the plumbing happened not to work, whereby the grounds smelled of feces and the toilets were left rotting for the bugs to fester on; water was scarce and there was no place to wash hands or alternative procedures available. But what was available was: a hot cup of coffee.

Someone had a gas-burning stove and I guess when the going gets tough, you get a pot of the brew. A Costa Rican man offered me a cup. I remember me taking it, feeling half-disrespectful if I didn’t and half-searching for the Spanish words that I couldn’t for the life of me think of. Like a baby putting anything in his hands up to his mouth, I slowly couldn’t help but sip. My eyes widened a little. I looked around me. Was my family watching?? “I don’t drink coffee!” I claimed, thwarting a preempted comment that I thought one of them would make. I kept sipping. It wasn’t all THAT bad. I used to cringe at the scent of it. Well, it really wasn’t all that bad, I kept repeating. I brought the paper cup to my mouth once more. I quivered. In an Oz-like voice, my mouth said to me, “You have presented a new sensation to me. This is a potent flavor. Do you like this.” I do. I DO! Oh no… do I? What will this do to my non-coffee-drinking reputation?!?!

I admit that I often linked coffee-drinking with my own twisted view that only lethargic, stimulant-seeking addicts depended on every morning… I did not want to become one of THOSE! I willed myself not to. I wonder if THEY even exist.

Well.. I haven't "needed a cup of coffee" in the morning and I hope not to ever get to that point, as needing anything food-related (just to get by) isn't something that appeals to me.

On the other hand, I wanted to officially welcome myself as a new member of the coffee-drinking-club. And so what better way to do this, I thought, than to enter into Starbucks... See my next post for the full story.

Japan

2008-07-21T00:21:00.004-04:00

Japan Layover -- Tokyo and Narita village.

THE BEST SUSHI I EVER HAD IN MY LIFE -- pictures above, in Tokyo, at a place called "Stand-up Sushi." I was in heaven and more heaven.

Marissa Heard It Around NYC

2008-05-06T12:10:00.002-04:00

We have a Socrates in the Making!

Four-year-old kid on a scooter: "Why are you walking backwards, Daddy?"

Dad: "So that I can see where you're going..."

Kid: "But I think YOU need to see where you're going!"

CALORIES ON THE NYC MENU's and MENU BOARDS

2008-05-05T20:15:00.004-04:00

Awhile back, I wrote a post on the NYC caloric labeling regulation. For those that haven't been keeping up, today was the day that calories are officially being posted on the menus and menu boards in New York City restaurant chains of 15 or more. Chain restaurants are about 10% of the total number of establishments; however, one-third of caloric intake comes from this amount. This is why the posting initiative was so important as a measure to provide people with the information needed to make informed decisions at the time of purchase.

Today the city health inspectors may began issuing violations if calories were not posted. The fines will be given on July 18th-- a hefty sum of $200-$2,000 depending upon how unprepared the chain is! The New York State Restaurant Association (NYSRA) still wants to overturn the ruling, probably because they can hardly bear seeing profits spiral once people begin to realize that they're eating 510 calories worth of quarter pounder...

I mentioned in my last post that one may never know how many calories she's inhaling -- even at a "healthy" soup and salad NY-safe-haven, such as Hale & Hearty. What I DID NOT know was that Hale & Hearty turned out to be one of the many companies against this new regulation! Also in major opposition are players like the Center for Consumer Freedom, which has been the P.R. for the tobacco, alcohol and restaurant industries. Those industries are all major stakeholders in this issue since these powerful groups run ads that seek to dismiss obesity as a problem. The National Restaurant Association, the International Franchise Association, Wendy’s, Domino’s Pizza, Auntie Anne’s, Darden Restaurants, and Carvel Ice Cream are all in opposition, as well.

Luckily, the powerful stakeholders that support the regulation are leading health organizations, such as the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, the American Medical Association, the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Additionally, CSPI, the Citizen’s Committee for Children, the New York Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance, the NYS District of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Rudd Center for Food Policy at Yale University, the Institute for Human Nutrition at Columbia University, the Public Health Association of New York City, and the New York City Nutrition Education Network (NYCNEN) are also supporters.

Due to the escalating prevalence of obesity in both children and adults and the fact that New Yorkers get a third of their calories outside of the home, the caloric posting is assumed to have a major health impact. Not only will it now supply evidence for the effectiveness of how posted information can make a difference in food choices, but it will also show the rationale that there IS a need for more intensive nutrition education.

Keep an eye on the progress of other states (or petition!) here: www.menulabeling.org

GLWD Final Words

2008-04-25T14:49:00.002-04:00

April 4th
On this day, I had the opportunity to ride on the van doing delivery through the lower, mid and upper west side. I had the pleasure of riding with Fred—our route was packed with traffic, but nonetheless, Fred was able to efficiently navigate through the streets and organized the deliveries so that we were never jetting up and downtown. We began at 8:30/9 and ended at 2:30. There were three testing times.
At 8:45: HOT MEAL: 115F; FROZEN MEAL: 22F
11AM: HOT MEAL: 130F (Due to the heat of the van, the heating device ranges from 173-180F and can heat up the meals as the van remains running. As soon as the van is turned off, Fred said he notices that the temperature of the vessel will drop).
FROZEN MEAL: 38F
2:15PM: HOT MEAL: 140F
FROZEN MEAL: 40F

A MAJOR problem that I saw was that the soups at the very bottom of the insulated tub had to be tossed. Fred says that the bottom line of soups always have their tops crushed. You lose about 10 soups per 40 soup tub, and so 10 people are not getting soup. All in all, it was a very good run. I enjoyed getting to know Fred—it seems like he really cares for this organization and has been enjoying his position. He only started one month ago but has the intentions of staying with the organization since the people are so nice. He mentioned that he thought it was odd that a Brooklyn boy like himself (who “…knows the borough like the back of his hand”) was placed in Manhattan and a “Bronx-guy” was placed in Bklyn. He also thought that if a driver had longer hours and wanted to cut them, while another driver wanted to extend his/hers, then perhaps hours can be dispersed more equally so that one person does not have a 10 hr shift while another only gets six.

Additionally, it seems that drivers are wary of getting a ticket. It seems that it would be VERY EASY to get a ticket since those streets are always very crowded, and since there is always lots of running out of the van, leaving it running, and double-parked. But there is really no other option, unless the vans have a GLWD emblem on the side, whereby Policemen may be more lenient. Fred never received a ticket but he seemed nervous about it throughout our journey together.

April 13th, 2008
GLWD ORIENTATION: What was interesting to me was that I had the orientation later on versus earlier in my practicum—and I must say that it was nice to go through it, knowing so much already about GLWD. The video was very motivational and inspiring. It was also nice to get the history without reading about it on the website. It seems that even the other volunteers are all very willing to help and have very selfless mindsets. This is essential for this organization to survive, so I see why the volunteers are lauded so.

April 21st, 2008
I did delivery at the Aurora Food Delivery Building on this day. Although I did not get a test meal; I noticed that the soups were close to exploding, and I had to clean the bottom of a couple in order to place them neatly inside of the bags. Also, the desserts for this particular day included famous amos oatmeal raisin cookies, which seemed atypical, being that the point of GLWD is to nourish people not to kill them.

A Short History of Medicine

2008-04-15T22:15:00.005-04:00

"Doctor, I have a tummy ache."

2000 B.C.—"Here, eat this root."
1000 B.C.—"That root is heathen, say this prayer."
1850 A.D.—"That prayer is superstition, drink this potion."
1940 A.D.—"That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill."
1985 A.D.—"That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic."
2000 A.D.—"That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root!"

NPO Day 4

2008-04-02T13:50:00.002-04:00

3/27, 9:30-1PM at Hope Lodge

The building was immaculate. It was new, state-of-the-art, comfortable and spacious. This is the way anyone would want to live.

Cancer patients did not float through the halls, at least not on the floor that I was on. We saw one family, whose kids were playing with their dear Grandma. I remembered mine and felt a short sting inside of my chest. She died of cancer, too.

But I went there not to weep or peep around. Another Registered Dietitian and I gave a presentation on food safety to the staff. There weren't too many people, but we provided lots of resources, books and power-point slides for the staff to keep on handy for their guests.

The key point we brought up was that since cancer patients have a high risk for contracting an illness, food safety is essential. Proper handwashing (20-30 seconds or singing happy birthday to oneself, twice), cleaning of fruits and veggies, and reheating meats/cooking foods in the microwave all the way were major points for the staff to bring up with their guests.

Reference: Food Safety for People with Cancer (USDA)

NPO Day 3

2008-04-02T13:24:00.004-04:00

3/24, 10:30-1PM
What I did today was life-altering and AWESOME. Lisa had me going to a delivery site on W 86th St called, St. Paul and St. Andrew's Church. There, the food was dropped off in tubs and picked up by a GLWD volunteer (he's been volunteering for 10 years!) in order to deliver the food to the UWS contingency. This population resided mostly in public housing.

My job was not only to take notes and deliver the meals with the volunteer (named Kevin), but also do a "food test," which entailed me referring to HACCP guidelines, sticking a thermometer in the hot meals, and recording temperatures. I tested the food twice, once in the beginning of the delivery and once at the end in order to discern varations in temperature throughout the delivery process. The first test was in the stairwell and the temperatures were the following: Entree (vegetables, pasta and chicken): 103F and Soup: 119F. The dessert and bagels were room temperature. According to Kevin, "The meals are usually pretty hot." The meals are put into two bags: one smaller brown bag and one larger brown bag with handles so it is easy to carry. Kevin says it take one hour more or less to deliver to five people. Yesterday, he had seven people to deliver to. We began at 11:30 and we ended at 12:48. I tested the test meal again at 12:55 and the temperatures read as the following: Entree: 80FSoup: 97F. According to food safety guidelines, these temperatures are too low.

From start to finish, this was an eye-opening experience for me and I am very grateful for it. The public housing apartments were dicey: elevators and bells seldom worked, the smells were potent and made me feel sad that people had to live in this manner. Not every apartment was like this -- but the majority of the public housing buildings were. An 80-year-old lived right next to an apt that was BLASTING music so loudly that I was even offended. And it wasn't jazz or classical... if you get what I mean.

I had never seen anything like it before, only passed by them. It was certainly an experience I will not forget.

Kevin is a great delivery man. He has been doing this for the past 10 years and I could tell that he really cares about this organization, and the people he delivers to. He says he typically waits as long as it takes until someone opens the outside door when the outside bell isn't working. We luckily had someone come within 10 minutes to one building, whose bell has been broken for as long as Kevin can remember.

In thinking about the surveys I did the week prior, I realized that even PHONE connections doesn't take down the wall between understanding where these people live and come from. That I went INTO public housing didn't even't expose me to the magnitude of poverty these individuals experience. In the back (or I should say front) of my mind, I knew that once I left each building, I'd still have my own to come home to...

NPO DAY 2

2008-04-02T12:54:00.002-04:00

3/20, 11AM-2:30PM
I went back to the home-base and got the chance to learn all about a new delivery site called, Hope Lodge, down on W 32nd st. The lodge is for cancer patients to stay at if they do not live in the city but seek NYC medical attension. GLWD decided to send meals over to the lodge for the patients, since many of them cannot cook on their own. I will have the opportunity to see how the planning works right from the beginning. (Thurs the 27th I go to the Lodge to witness a Food Safety presentation and provide feedback for everyone).

I have been enjoying how much my skills and education are valued, respected and utilized.

My NPO Experience

2008-04-01T14:29:00.003-04:00

March 19th (11AM-3:30PM)
I stroll down to GLWD, a not-for-prof devoted toward delivering meals to people whose lives have been dramatically altered by disease. The home-base, on 166 Ave of the America's @ Spring Street, is where all of the good stuff happens.

Although I did my research prior to entering the big, grand building (which looks much like an over- sized old post-office), I had no idea what to expect. As embarrassing as this may sound, I actually thought that even though this was a food DELIVERY service, I was prepared to meet people with serious illnesses. For all of my health background, the thought of me sitting on a GLWD toilet seat full of virus and bacteria crossed my mind and I had to remind myself that I couldn't contract a disease through sitting my tush on the bowl.

These thoughts were dispelled instantly (thank GLWD) when I had the pleasure of meeting Esther, a sweet woman working in the Nutritional Services department as an RD, graduated from TC, where she evaluates clients' diets and answers any nutrition questions they have. Since the place sends out close to 3000 meals per day, there are a ton of questions coming in and the phone rings constantly.

Esther took me to the actual kitchen where I wore a food hair net for the first time. The kitchen was clean and it looked much like some of the camp kitchens I've worked in over the summer (well, maybe not worked in... but at least, utilized).

Esther also took me to the volunteer and admin offices so that I could see all aspects of the organization. It's HUGE! And everyone there is so warm--full of love, as the organization would imply.

During the course of my first day thee, I met Lisa Zullig, the head of the Nutrition Services dept, who can be contacted here. She had me calling clients to evaluate how they liked their meals, what time their delivery came, if they wanted any substitutions (such as yogurt for bagel)...etc. This was a great experience for me for a few reasons:

1. It directly had me in contact with the exact people who reap the benefits of the GLWD service, whereby I was fully able to analyze the quality of the GLWD program, in addition to the clients' preferences.

2. It put the human-touch-aspect of the job in check for me. Dealing with people is so important versus reading or writing about them.

3. 200 surveys later, I developed a great "phone-voice," and could probably take over for the lady on your voicemail :)

The New Pick-me-up's

2008-03-31T20:25:00.003-04:00

What's The Big Idea with exercise or sleep when you can GET SOME ENERGY like this!!

Energy Boost ... or SCAM

2008-03-28T11:08:00.005-04:00

We know vitamins and minerals do not give us energy... And yet these "certified athletic trainers" believe in a product called, Effex, which they used at an athletic convention. Effex has supposedly been shown to improve energy instantly (anecdotally).

The ingredients of this product, according to the spokesperson, are the following:

"Only good stuff. Nothing but vitamins and minerals."

Check out the "ingredients," and see if you agree. Last I heard, caffeine is neither a vitamin nor a mineral, so they are marketing this product very unethically.

What's most interesting is that they do not list the amounts of vitamins and minerals in their product, only the form. Another point to note is even though caffeine has been shown to boost performance; too much is not a good thing. The latter study specifically mentions the word "moderation" to reap a benefit. Most likely, Effex-users could become abusers if they respond well to the spray, meaning, moderation might not occur.

Raw Food Diet Detox Survey

2008-03-09T16:27:00.000-04:00

Survey

Calories on NYC menus (if it's a chain of more than 15)

2008-01-23T12:12:00.000-05:00

Have you heard? Soon we will have Calorie regulation on menus in NYC, beginning March 31st.

I think this is a fantastic idea. Although, "...it doesn't take a Ph.D. in nutrition, let alone a high school diploma, to tell the difference between a 12-piece bucket of chicken and a salad," says J. Justin Wilson, that's not what we're measuring. A calorie is a calorie whether it's coming from a kale leaf or a chicken wing. And those calories can sky-rocket when people don't know what a serving size is. Ultimately, providing caloric information on the menu will inform and influence people to choose healthier options.

Those who frequent the chain, Hale and Hearty understand how easy it is to pack together a hefty caloric salad. There is no end to how much a customer can put into her dish, even if she thinks she is choosing healthy options. For example, piling on walnuts, goat cheese, grilled chicken and avocado (not to mention the use of liberal amounts of dressing) can add 400 extra calories or more (and that's without the soup and bread). Before you know it, you have yourself a 700 plus calorie lunch. And you wonder why you can't concentrate at work after your break? Would you choose differently if given a basic gist of how many calories you'd be consuming?

Unfortunately, the regulation is not being applied to more restaurants. This is too bad since one of the MAJOR PROBLEMS with dining out is portion and calorie control! An 800 calorie label doesn't come along-side the four serving plate of food. But if it did?

The regulation states that food needs to come "in close proximity" to the items listed on the menu. It will be interesting to see just how close the absolute calorie counts are in relation to the items. We'll have to see if owners choose to lower their 500 calorie burger to 489, just as $4.89 appears to be cheaper than $5. If so, consumers will have yet another obstacle to face in the jungle of NYC dining.

A little familial promo here...

2008-01-14T18:09:00.000-05:00

Today, I had my third wisdom tooth pulled, a swift and painless performance, by none other than my Dr Beck! I feel inclined to give a shout-out. If you feel the holidays have butchered your pearly whites, see my dad, a dentist in Brooklyn (or better known as "the brooklyn denstist") at 1730 Ocean Avenue.

I eat . . . for Christmas

2007-12-09T22:31:00.000-05:00

What's on your Christmas plate?

My Dietary Intake, Eating & Physical Activity Patterns

2007-09-18T08:41:00.000-04:00

My pattern of eating resembles a classic diet-plan from a nutrition textbook, splashed with the occasional familial Last Supper. I have bolded and CAPPED the points to look for in your own diet when doing an analysis. Check it out:

The WHAT is a Mediterranean-style diet. The WHEN is every morning, noon and evening with some snacks in between, especially on a physically active day. HOW OFTEN is every three-four hours, for the most part. I take a cocktail of SUPPLEMENTS by Usana Nutritionals: a “Health Pak” of six pills in the morning and six at night, which claim to be a mixture of vitamins (both water and fat soluble) and minerals, plus antioxidants, herbs and an omega-3 fish oil tablet. I have refrained from taking this “package of health” as often as I used to and cut down to two-three packs per week. What’s more, I didn’t even have to wear the patch!

I’m pretty strict with my diet. I’m on a tight schedule of eating during the WEEK. Over the WEEKENDS, I’m still vigilant; however, here and there I enter myself into a slimy contest from Nickelode on’s Double Dare. Typically, it begins with an innocent invite from a friend for brunch and turns into a Popover masquerade with Little Miss Muffin sans curds and whey. Although the quantity of food is rarely excessive, it’s accurate to say that the contents of my meals vary from week to weekend.

I believe I am receiving ADEQUATE NUTRITION on most days of the week. Sometimes, my kcal energy is too low and other days it is too high, depending upon the occasion. I eat more during special events, holidays and whenever I am in the presence of “My Big Fat Jewish Family.” If I were to guess which nutrients I were receiving too much of, it would be vitamin A and E (I eat lots of tocopherols and carotenoids). I don’t think I am getting enough calcium, magnesium and D.

I EXERCISE five days per week, two days off (one of which I walk a good deal or run around doing errands). The physical activity consists of five cardiovascular workouts that range from 30-60 minutes in duration. Two of the five days per week incorporate weight training. I am no longer on a split routine, instead, focusing more on total body exercises. One of the five days also incorporates a Pilates class.

My ESTIMATES are as follows: (1) My caloric range is vast… I can get as low as 1300 and as high as 2000 or more. My average would have to be a 1600 caloric intake on most days of the week; (2) total fat: 30%, sat fat 8%, protein 40%, CHO 30%; (3) 275 mg cholesterol (egg plus any animal product I consume thereafter); (4) 600mg dietary Ca, if even; (5) 30-40g of fiber; (6) 7,500 IU Vit A; and (7) I spend 30-60 minutes of moderate-vigorous physical activity most if not all days of the week. When I am pushing, I estimate that I am burning 100 calories per 10-minute block.

I surmise that, as compared to the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, I am not getting as much of my calories from CHO (carbohydrate) sources. The USDA would scold me for my low level of Calcium, but they’d make me their poster-child for physical activity. Additionally, they would laud my 5-9 fruits and veggies per day, my high fiber intake and the low level of junk present in my diet, of course, barring my Nickelodeon events ☺

The Physical

2007-07-22T23:06:00.000-04:00

"Yesterday I went to the doctor for my yearly physical. My blood pressure was high, my cholesterol was high, I'd gained some weight, and I didn't feel so hot.

My doctor said eating right doesn't have to be complicated and it would solve my physical problems. He said just think in colors; fill your plate with bright colors; greens, yellows, reds, etc.

I went right home and ate an entire bowl of M&M's and sure enough, I felt better immediately. I never knew eating right could be so easy!!"

Monaco, no not Club

2007-07-18T16:06:00.001-04:00

Went here last night, check out what I (RissaRachel) had to say about it:

Monaco

421 Amsterdam Ave. (at 80th St.)

New York , NY 10024

What's in YOUR Microwave?????

2007-07-18T10:58:00.000-04:00

We've all heard it: Don't use plastic in the microwave. An old wives tale, you say?

Yes and No.

If you're reheating some Chinese takeout or a tub of margarine, think again. Those containers are not meant for microwave-man-handling. The FDA only approves certain plastics for use in the microwave. Prior to approval of any plastic materials, the FDA conducts tests to ensure that hazardous substances won't leak into food.

Only containers that pass the FDA's test and display a microwave-safe icon -- or that have the sentence on the product that confirms they're approved for use in microwave ovens-- are truly safe.

What's interesting is that Plasticers.org refutes any harmful side effects associated with plastic-leakage into food. Even if they are correct, it is still important to be aware of the following recommendations by Harvard Medical School:

Most takeout containers, water bottles, and plastic tubs or jars made to hold margarine, yogurt, whipped topping, and foods such as cream cheese, mayonnaise, and mustard are not microwave-safe.
Microwavable takeout dinner trays are formulated for one-time use only and will say so on the package.
Don’t microwave plastic storage bags or plastic bags from the grocery store.
A recycle symbol does not mean a container is safe to use or reuse in the microwave oven. Only a microwave-safe icon or wording to that effect does.
Before microwaving food, be sure to vent the container: Leave the lid ajar, or lift the edge of the cover.
Don’t allow plastic wrap to touch food during microwaving because it may melt. Wax paper, kitchen parchment paper, or white paper towels are alternatives.
If you’re concerned about plastic wraps or containers in the microwave, transfer food to glass or ceramic containers labeled for microwave oven use.

Windorphins: the new way to waste time and feel GREAT about it!

2007-07-14T00:10:00.001-04:00

Windorph

Mmmmmmmilanos

2007-07-09T01:02:00.000-04:00

And it just doesn't matter how educated one becomes in this ever-expanding field of health... One glimpse of this fine, loving, soft, delicious, milk-accompanying cookie is enough to make me forget about cis and trans bonds for a short while... Hello my little cookie :)

10 best and worst foods

2007-07-09T00:52:00.000-04:00

According to CSPI's food porn and praise section in their Nutrition Action Health Letter, one can easily get "artery crust" with just a little bit of Pepperidge Farm Pot Pie... See more for the dirty details...

Advergaming

2007-06-28T14:33:00.001-04:00

We need to stop irresponsible marketing toward children! This research study was very illuminating in that it showed how easy it is for brand-named foods to market to children via "Advergaming," which is a method where kids can play games off of the company's website, in which the advertised product is part of the game. This is a sly marketing strategy on a company's part since there is ample opportunity for the child to remember the food or beverage being advertised to them and link it with the fun game they had played, which ultimately promotes the sale of the product.

This study focused upon food and beverage brand-websites and what kind of marketing techniques/advertising they displayed upon their sites. The categories selected for the analysis were: beverages, soft drinks; beverages, other; fast food; ready-to-eat cereal; cookies; crackers; salted snacks; and candy. The researchers chose to select these categories because they are liked by and most regularly marketed toward children. 40 brands were chosen and 37 had their own websites. 85% of those websites had interactive components (sounds, animation, and movement) and 63% had Advergaming. Other marketing techniques included cartoon "spokescharacters" for the product, pictures of children consuming the product and downloadable branded coloring pages. ALL of the websites had tie-ins to TV shows, movies or cartoons.

Ostensibly, these Advergames and other fun interactive components are all a means to sell very unhealthy products to children. According to the study, children may not even be aware that they are being exposed to sophisticated marketing strategies. This is not acceptable in an age where the obesity epidemic is only getting wider. Registered Dietitians and other health professionals have to advocate for responsible marketing and ensure that the health of the children isn't tainted by these big corporate companies, only looking to raise their stock ratings.

The researchers of the study suggest that we use this new interactive technology to help children learn to make better choices in "fun and interesting ways." Already, MyPyramid.gov has a "kids area," which has some of the interactive games that websites like Nabisco and Kraft have. Unfortunately, I have been to this "kids area" on MyPyramid and they have yet to change it for the past year or so.

If we want to prevent kids from indulging in both the websites' games and their products, then we have to 1) make sure that we are keeping up with the marketing strategies and employ them in our own health websites and campaigns, and 2) keep our kids educated about nutrition and how processed foods affect their bodies so that they think twice before being mesmerized by the products and their stupid Advergames.

Check out the picture below to see how we can create games that kids can trust.

Reference:
Internet Food Marketing Strategies Aimed at Children and Adolescents: A Content Analysis of Food and Beverage Brand Web Sites. Weber K, Story M, Harnack L. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. September 2006 (Vol. 106, Issue 9, Pages 1463-1466)

Frosty Chocolate

2007-06-27T00:05:00.000-04:00

Today I drank a Frosty Chocolate Protein Drink post-workout and I was very impressed and pleased by the quality of taste, nutrients, and ratio of protein to fat/cals/sugar.
For 170 calories and 35g worth of PRO, this is a perfect way to refuel. They come in different flavors, but the Frosty Chocolate is on the mark. Check out the nutrition facts below.

One of the main things I noticed (which makes this a great drink) is that potassium trumps sodium. We want this to occur since the Na/K (sodium/potassium pump) is continuously working in our bodies to pump out the sodium from the cell and get potassium inside. Post-workout, we need potassium in our cells for recovery. One of the ways to do this is to ensure that the products you choose to eat have a greater ratio of potassium to sodium. Having sodium in post-workout snacks is not necessarily a bad thing, however. Sodium is good for helping replenish sweat-losses, since water accompanies the molecule. Plus sodium induces a physiological urge to drink water, which will prevent post-workout dehydration.

All around, I would say that if you're looking for a snack and don't want to worry about spoilage/leakage and the like, this drink has what it takes, especially if you're CHO (carbohydrate) counting. I would not, however, recommend this drink to those who are endurance athletes since a greater amt of CHO refueling is essential for glycogen losses (which accompany grueling aerobic exercise).

Spinach is good for your 'SOL'

2007-06-24T14:40:00.000-04:00

SOLar energy, that is! We've all heard about solar panels, but this new design is based on the idea that the skin of spinach can generate energy. Well, it can: The protein, photosystem I, is found in the chloroplasts of all plants (basically the energy power-house. Much like our mitochondria, which are OUR energy power-house parts). Photosystem I is a cluster of 200 to 300 light-absorbing pigments located in the thylakoid of the plant. Although this project is still in the works, it appears that it can help in our quest for a more sustainable approach to our living situations.

Get Involved

2007-06-22T05:42:00.000-04:00

You don't need to grow your own tomatoes or be the master gardener to support local agriculture. But if you care about sustainability and our food system, it's easy to be supportive without picking up a single rake! Many don't realize that the major work being done for local agriculture is right here on her own computer. See what I'm referring to...

Freeze Me

2007-06-06T10:45:00.000-04:00

I just discovered frozen raspberries and blueberries. I came upon it like a sly villain, buying into the two for one deal. I came home with two boxes of raspberries and two boxes of blueberries, freezing two and saving two. Well... to my surprise, frozen berries aren't just a tasty little healthy treat. Frozen berries should be the staple in every household with a freezer— period! This is the poker tip no one told me about that could potentially save my game. The berries have a soft crunch in your mouth but without the sound. The fructose is so overpowering that your tongue doesn't even know how to react. It is the sweetest candy I've had in a long time. And I will continue to succumb to the two for one sale and freeze my berries for as long as I have freezer access in my privileged little existence...

TaCo ToWn!!!!!!

2007-05-17T22:18:00.000-04:00

You know what I love about TACO's????

EVERYTHING

Comfort Food and Stress Study

2007-05-08T12:31:00.000-04:00

Dallman MF, Pecoraro N, et al. (2003) Chronic stress and obesity: a new view of "comfort food". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Sep 30; 100(20): 11696-701.

The body reacts to stress by releasing catecholamines and glucocorticoids (GCs), hormones that control a major part of the autonomic nervous system. The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis is also a major aspect of this system, since its primary role is to balance the stress hormones mentioned above. This study's main objective was to observe how chronic stress plays a role in obesity, particularly in how chronically high levels of GCs act in three ways to cause the individual to rely upon "comfort foods," which are higher in refined carbohydrate and saturated fat. Those three ways include: one, high amounts of CRF in the amygdala; two, high stimulus salience of activities; and three, high abdominal obesity, which lowers HPA activity.

Although this study used rats as its main subjects to analyze the above three ways, the authors state that the effects of chronic stress and GCs in rats do indeed apply to humans, as well. In the first way, GCs will increase the expression of CRF (corticotropin-releasing factor) in the amygdala (the node in the emotional part of the brain). The high expression of CRF induces us to draw from "the chronic stress network" pool, which increases ACTH and corticosterone B, both hormones that respond to acute stressors and increase anxiety-like behavior. In addition, recruiting this chronic stress network over time will increase the PVT (paraventricular thalamus) secretion of glutamate, which is said to increase synaptic connections. My postulation is that drawing from the chronic stress network pool over time will deplete the components necessary to confront stressful situations, which in turn, can cause compulsive activity since the response network won't be as efficient.

The second way that chronic GC affects our bodies is via a high stimulus salience of activities, which includes exactly what I postulated—namely compulsive activity. This study defined compulsive activity as ingesting sucrose, fat, drugs and wheel-running. They found that corticosterone B specifically raised consumption of comfort foods when rats were chronically stressed, which is again, due to high GCs causing an excitatory response in the brain. With comfort food, HPA axis activity declines, meaning that the ability for the body to balance its stress hormones is greatly reduced. As a result, to lead into the third way that was mentioned, the body responds with a build-up of abdominal fat depots, which increases the inhibitory feedback signal of CRF. Since CRF receptors lie in the amygdala, this emotional cycle can continue and lead to obesity if stress levels are left unchecked.

What is essential to note is the decrease in HPA axis activity, since we decrease the ability to balance our GCs and catecholamines. In turn, the inability to balance these hormones properly can impel one to look to outside mechanisms, such as the comfort foods, the drugs, etc, to regulate the internal chaos. Ironically, eating these foods and/or doing drugs only worsens the havoc within the body, and the cycle continues. The study's authors suggest that attempting to reduce stress in one's life can help to mitigate the effects of our chronic stress-response network, and can help to improve overall mental and physical health.

wow DANE COOK, MAn!

2007-05-06T23:04:00.000-04:00

CHICKS

Annoying friend

LOLOLOLOLOL

The all too familiar car alarm...

2007-05-06T22:28:00.000-04:00

decided to go off for, oh, THE ENTIRE DAY while I was trying to concentrate. This sound has implanted itself into the deepest, most darkest depths of all brains living in today's era.

Workouts

2007-05-06T14:03:00.000-04:00

Great website to develop your own program

"Giving things up"

2007-05-06T12:44:00.000-04:00

My mother sent me the following:

I was walking down the street when I was accosted by a particularly dirty and shabby-looking homeless woman who asked me for a couple of dollars for dinner. I took out my wallet, got out ten dollars and asked, "If I give you this money, will you buy some wine with it instead of dinner?"

"No, I had to stop drinking years ago", the homeless woman told me.

"Will you use it to go shopping instead of buying food?" I asked.

"No, I don't waste time shopping," the homeless woman said. "I need to spend all my time trying to stay alive."

"Will you spend this on a beauty salon instead of food?" I asked.

"Are you NUTS!" replied the homeless woman. "I haven't had my hair done in 20 years!"

"Well," I said, "I'm not going to give you the money. Instead, I'm going to take you out for dinner with my husband and me tonight."

The homeless woman was shocked. "Won't your husband be furious with you for doing that? I know I'm dirty, and I probably smell pretty disgusting."

I said, "That's okay. It's important for him to see what a woman looks like after she has given up shopping, hair appointments, and wine."

Loose as a Goose!!!!

2007-05-04T17:08:00.000-04:00

"Transit time" is the amount of time it takes for your meal to travel from the mouth to its final elimination from the colon.

Check out this AWESOME WEBSITE to see where you're at!!!

I guess we're all just a little 'nutty'

2007-05-02T00:02:00.000-04:00

He sat next to me for a whole two hours, at which point he whips out the mother-load of zip-locks, chock-full of nutty trail mix. He left it in his bag for two hours without touching it once. If I had a zip-lock of mix in my bag, that would be like the alcoholic trying to remain sober with a wine bottle in the fridge. Yet, while I can keep my wine chilled for weeks, the alchie can keep trail mix in his book-bag without the slightest urge to ravage. And therein lies the whole nutty truth :)

Fear of Living with Nature

2007-04-24T22:49:00.001-04:00

A recent NY Times article ponders over the sudden down-sizing of the bee population. Quite frankly, I don't see what the confusion is about. We look at bugs as pests and keep animals in cages, far from the sight of the human population— where we can't see or hear what happens, only eat or ignore it. We've grown so far from the earth, that we are no longer a part of it. We can't even see that our own little beehives are victim to human embezzlement. We are dependant on our "reliable" food system to provide us with the nutrients necessary to thwart disease and prolong our survival. We depend on this system—and are ENTITLED— to eat foods without having to worry about pesticides that may be carcinogenic, or cattle on antibiotic and growth hormones, or anything else that may damage our nervous and reproductive systems. Little do we know, we're not just damaging our own thoraxes... (check out inserted photo of an extremely diseased bee).

In the past 15-20 years, new bacterial strains have arrived. It's scary to think that these strains could possibly be LACED into our bodies. What came first: 'the chicken' or the virulent new bacterial strain? No wonder many physicians can no longer treat their microbial-resistant patients.

Do we really think that the modern-day body can birth the same wholesome child as did our great, great grannys from the alpine mountain forests, or the tropical wild jungles? They didn't eat StarKist albacore tuna while pregnant! And their kids didn't have ADHD or Autism.

People should know WHAT they are eating and WHERE it is coming from!

Why must we jump into the corporate industry's ruthless approach to speed and volume? We must slow down and think logically about what is happening to the food we are eating, and the nature from which it is born. We must bypass the baloney in the stores. The brutality of our food system upon our health is inescapable. Not only will RDs and other medical professionals need to be cognizant about our interconnected bodily system/food system— everyone will. Clearly, our animals need to be fed grass and no more grain, corn, antibiotics, growth hormone... Clearly, the bees are vanishing because we're inflicting the same disease-wrought life upon them for which we, too, are at risk.

Where can we eat but in our own backyards? There, we won't find any 'unearthed' secrets. There, we know where our food grew, how it was grown, and never would we have to wonder if the strawberry we just ate had any "inerts" on it. Perhaps we are the real bees that need to make some buzzzzzzz.

"Springing" from a Garden near You...

2007-04-24T14:57:00.001-04:00

Incredible is my having lived in this city for (almost!) 24 years and still, find myself stumbling upon renowned gems across this 13-mile island… Well, what better beautiful day to pick than this past Sunday, a modest 75°F, to visit the Cloisters of NY. Accompanying me-- my most amiable and charming companion, who shared in the marveling of all things medieval: architecture, gardens, sculptures and paintings. It seemed semi-insane that something made out of, i.e. lindenwood from the 12th century, could still be preserved for our eyes today. Stained glass windows tell stories of medieval torture and tapestries remind us of the mysterious unicorns, which even now, are odd creatures of the mind's eye... In retrospect, the backgrounds of the tapestries (a floral arrangement) have fields of flowers that seem to mimic the actual garden beds outdoors. And I guess, when winter falls over the Cloisters, the inner garden can continue to emit "spring" from its walls.

A wonderful well-spent Sunday afternoon, if you asked me.

Brilliant!

2007-04-18T16:24:00.000-04:00

The Artificial Testament

2007-04-18T13:25:00.000-04:00

"Elohim said, 'Let the earth sprout greenery, seed-producing plants, fruit trees producing fruit according to their type.' And it happened." –Tanahk, Genesis (Day 3).

Now, Elohim says, "Let the earth purge artificial greenery, cultivate any remaining ancestral seed-producing plants, and harvest without using chemical fertilizer, or else you'll all regress into a pile of humus before you can utter the word organic." And with that, Elohim added, "Muhuhahaha." (Elohim is allowed to be "evil" there because he's had a "fist in [His] eye" way too many times now to be Mr. Niceguy).

Whether Elohim or evolution (or a combination), both organisms and plants have the DNA that make them "prepared for anything," as Barbara Kingsolver says. But we have not allowed our crops to fulfill this potential, what with our splicing of Bacillus thuringiensis and contorted corncobs. Up to this day, we are a surviving summation of all that has worked over time. And instead of taking advantage of Darwin's good work, realizing that if what worked over time is that which has survived, we abuse the land we came from. We don't seem to pay close attention to those lands that have harvested for thousands of years before, or to the Monarch butterfly who has produced generations of her breed.

Until now. These paradoxes are a part of daily American life at this point. I didn't even realize that genetic engineering had the "evilness" it's worthy of. The theme surrounding the adaptation to genetic engineering is that people just don't know their science. We're used to hearing that USDA approves rice with human genes, or that developing countries can't sustain themselves, unless they rely upon biotechnology. Stink bugs devouring genetically engineered cotton should be telling us, supposedly logical human beings, something: stop making this stuff! Instead, we are used to living amidst these cutting-edge "technologies." Except, are they logical? Why SHOULD natural plants accept DNA that is not its own?

Then we have the paradoxical labels— the ORGANIC TV dinner doesn't strike the average American as illogical? What might Sir Albert Howard say about the Whole Foods' industry? Whole Foods misleads the public that their food is actually coming from a whole natural system. Perhaps the store should be called, "Partial Foods," since the consumers are only hearing a part of the story. "Access to pasture," was Corporate Organic's get-out-of-jail-free card. Can you have it both ways? No... But Whole Foods can. America believes in the pastoral side of the franchise, but there is nothing pastoral about a chicken that gets a patch of outdoor stale dirt the size of a shoebox. And yet, we still contribute to the enormous industrial profit of the "organic empire," because it just sounds so good and natural!

Organic is woven into the industrial food system—clearly shown in Phil Howard's Organic Industry Structure (June 2005). Why did the public let this happen? They didn't have a choice. It happened TO THEM. We abide by the artificial laws that have created the world as we know it today. We have become an artificial Adam and Eve, dependent on the artificial fruit of this nation.

Good Intentions

2007-04-17T22:22:00.000-04:00

Mothers ask their children if they want to drink more milk
From their little plastic sippy cups.
They just want their children healthy and strong,
And do not know the insides
Of that milk carton container.

BANANA POWER

2007-04-16T16:24:00.000-04:00

The Scoop About a BANANA... a neat email I received:

After Reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again!

Bananas contain three natural sugars --- sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained, and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS! :
Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito Bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work?
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also ! neutrali zes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature Control:
Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Bananas can help SAD sufferers be! cause t hey contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking:
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6 and B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the he! artbeat , sends oxygen to the brain, and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be re-balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes:
According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine," eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

“If you didn't exercise as a kid, it could be dangerous to start when you’re older.”

2007-04-15T23:53:00.000-04:00

MYTH. GET UP AND GET YOUR BUTT TO THE GYM!

Exercise is advantageous at any age, regardless of prior training experience. The only “danger” in starting a new exercise program—whether an expert or a novice—is if it does not adhere to current safe training techniques.

Otherwise, the effects of exercise are too substantial to pass up. Since there is a tendency for the body to lose muscle as we age (sarcopenia), the American Heart Association (AHA) stresses the importance of physical activity throughout one’s lifetime. In a study investigating the influence of current and/or past physical activity on balance in older adults, current physical activity was the major determinant for postural parameters—not age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and past physical activity. The study went on to show that regular physical activity, even when started later on in life, allowed “…appropriate reorganization of the different components of postural control during sensory conflicting situations.” Thus, the study concluded that physical activity counteracts the age-related decline of postural control. (Buatois et al).

Furthermore, the purpose of another relevant study was to test the hypothesis that an increase in “vascular bed filtration capacity” demonstrated an adaptation to endurance training in the elderly. Indeed, they concluded that exercise influences muscular adaptation. (Charles M. et al).

Losing muscle not only decreases mobility, but also makes the body more susceptible to chronic diseases, according to researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University. They noted that various “biomarkers of aging,” such as muscle mass and strength, BMR and body fat percentage, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, bone density, and temperature regulation—can all be improved with physical activity.

Moral of the story: you can be a gym-rat at any age ;)

References

American Heart Association (2007). Exercise (Physical Activity) for Older People and Those With Disabilities [online]. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4557

Buatois S. Gauchard GC. Aubry C. Benetos A. Perrin P. (2007) Current physical activity improves balance control during sensory conflicting conditions in older adults. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 28(1):53-8.

Charles M. Charifi N. Verney J. Pichot V. Feasson L. Costes F. Denis C. (2006). Effect of endurance training on muscle microvascular filtration capacity and vascular bed morphometry in the elderly. Acta Physiologica. 187(3):399-406.

Who pays this idiot? Oh right... BK!!!!!

2007-04-12T01:11:00.000-04:00

http://www.subservientchicken.com

Felony

2007-04-10T00:21:00.000-04:00

Tonight I ventured out on a horrible escapade, hunting through Manhattan like a dehydrated sojourner in the Sahara. I ripped through the city, stopping off time to time to buy a treat like it was some illegal drug—and yet, it was worse because none of my purchases were illegal and no one was going to arrest me for taking a hit of a brownie or slice of pizza.

No one cares. Everyone from store clerk to homeless guy is smiling at you—courteous as hell as you order your hot slice. I wanted to say, “STOP ME for GOD’s SAKE! LOOK at what I am doing! LOOK at what I am DOING right now. Aren’t you going to STOP ME??????” But instead, I smile back and hide my contorted grimaces for fear that they will see the real ugly witch in me, boiling and troubling over their pizza. I’m in my own illicit universe, where I’ve handpicked what’s legal and illegal to use. And I, ironically, am the only one responsible.

I wander the streets and temptations lure everywhere in sight. Like a crack-addict, I can’t avoid the lights, the scents, the sounds— everything and everyone is a danger zone. I am my own danger zone. While others have to meet in alleys and look over their shoulders, experiencing the thrill of ‘the escape’ as they’ve broken the law and slipped away from authorities, I can consume my drug in broad day-light and no one gives a $#@%. No one is going to pull me over and ask why I was mutilating myself right there, walking in the middle of the street.

WHY, pizza store clerk, were you so nice to me as I purchased that slice and looked dead into your trusting eyes? “Yes, Miss? How can I help you? Anything else, Miss? What else can we do for you? Is that all, MISS? THANK YOU, MISS!”

It's only pizza, right? RIGHT? WRONG. It's this whole easy-world we've created. And it's such a big fat convenient piece of... pizza.

The Creation

2007-04-08T13:53:00.000-04:00

"I intend to make attar out of everything!" And thus spoke Borden, and processed food was born. And Borden said, let there be licensed plants in other parts of the country, and "the chain" was born. And Delmonico saw that New World plants could be cultivated, and "salads" were born. And Clarence Birdseye ice-fished in the pond one day, and "the freezer" was born. In order to inspire awe in our ancestors, history writers (like the above dogmas by Boorstin) attributed America's food 'progress' to entrepreneurial "business heroes." In reality, the garden of Eden was already born by people who lived in this country way before us: Native Americans.

But we like heroes. And now, our food system has again undergone another creation, changing within the last 40 years more than in the previous forty thousand. Our secretive Willy Wonka Wonderland is no longer a product of soil and water, but instead, a technological wizardry with new heroes to laud. The true conundrum remains: fast food was founded by individualists and people who broke out of conventional wisdom— all to develop a conformity that we are now all imprisoned by and from which many of us wish to break free but don't know how to or just can't. Are we, as Rachel Lauden posits, in the mindset that for sanity and happiness to persist in this culture, that we need to live in the moment, amidst this scientific progress?

My little six-year-old cousin asked me at our Seder: Why is the piece of Matzoh so large? Well, little one, we are now in a world where capitalism dominates. We have stripped the workers of their rights, and placed much of the conniving exploitation we humans are capable of unto the consumer. Now we, as consumers, have to recognize that companies do not allow for moderation with their super-sizing, thanks to Wallerstein. That the mere presence of more for less DOES induce people to eat more. And that we have to raise our own culinary gavel and be responsible for sifting through images bombarding us day by day in order to make a logical, self-made decision.

We should be angry at society for creating these types of "foods," and instead, we are angry with ourselves for succumbing and buying it, filling up our intestines with this shit that we think actually makes us feel good. I hate the colors of the packaging, the false claims, and the ingredients that are probably better used for your little cousin's toy motorboat than a meal choice. It is IMPERATIVE to see what we've done to our species and to our culture— that processed packaging is a development of big business— not health. That we are degrading the lands day by day and de-mineralizing the soil, contributing to increased vitamin and mineral requirements. That we are adding crap-loads of salts and sugars to our foods— only to be competitive within the food market, and SELL for the sake of taste— NOT for health. Awareness is essential when scavenging the super-markets. It is a STORE, and they want to SELL their PRODUCTS, regardless of the false claims and consequences.

I agree with Lauden in that "natural was unreliable" but have we really "beaten plants into submission" by all of our soaking and crushing, or have we just beaten ourselves into submission that this way is the new, better way? Heating always destroys ring structures and decreases the raw bioavailability of vitamins in food. No one is taking away the convenience of a loaf of bread, churros, or andagi— but how does it react once INSIDE? This isn't about convenience. It's about your life— it's about the thing your mind sits on and preserving that thing for as long as you can.

I'm not going to lie— I love being able to taste the fruit of different cultures BECAUSE OF our processing and packaging and shipping and importing. Because of our open trade, and our open markets, and our need for bigger business— we can enjoy the myriad fruits of the Earth. But I'm sorry. Why should I succumb to this societal progression of dining? YES— bring back "slow food." I am NOT a proponent of advertisement bombings on my skull everyday, and the homogenizing, cookie-cut influence on our culture from the uniformity of these BIG CORPS. The golden arches are "more widely recognized than the Christian cross?" SICK! The McDonaldization of America is a sad excuse for an entire culture of people-turned-food-lazy. The irony: Tri-athlete Greg Brenneman, is the CEO of BK. And why shouldn't he be? Of course, a slop-eating lazy couch potato can't possibly run one of the largest corporations in the world.

They really get to the ROOT of it =)

2007-04-07T15:49:00.000-04:00

YAY FOR ROOT VEGETABLES !!!!!!!!!!

Let's just get down to business and eat these cute little things :)

TURANDOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-04-06T13:46:00.000-04:00

Last night I saw TURANDOT at the Met Opera. The ICY COLD Princess Turandot had many suitors that wanted her hand, but she did not want to "be conquered". And so first, they had to solve her three riddles. If they answered correctly, they would have her. If not, she had them beheaded!!! No one was able to solve her riddles, and there was much bloodshead. Finally, an unknown prince came to town and was able to solve her riddles-- but he was smart-- and gave her one in return: if Turandot could figure out his identity before the sunrise, she didn't have to have him as her master-- and what's more, he would even let her kill him. Hey, I didn't make it up... So I won't give away the ending, but I will say that the set was breath-taking, and made you feel like you were right there in the Asian lands, amid some hazy summer's day in the palace. TuranDOT!!!! TuranDOT!!! (that's me singing).

You could get a good facial for that price...

2007-04-04T11:42:00.000-04:00

In Zentsuji, southwestern Japan, watermelons are grown inside square molds to better store in refridgerators. The melons sell for $83 bones!

Poor Haggis

2007-04-04T09:24:00.000-04:00

Haggis

Much to his dad and mum's dismay
Horace ate himself one day
He didn't stop to say his grace
He just sat down and ate his face
"We can't have this!" his dad declared
"If that lad's ate he should be shared"
But even as he spoke they saw
Horace eating more and more:
First his legs and then his thighs,
His arms, his nose, his hair, his eyes
"Stop him someone!" Mother cried
"Those eyeballs would be better fried!"
But all too late for they were gone,
And he had started on his dong...
"Oh foolish child!" the father mourned
"You could have deep-fried those with prawns,
Some parsley and some tartar sauce..."
But H was on his second course;
His liver and his lights and lung,
His ears, his neck, his chin, his tongue
"To think I raised him from the cot
And now he's gone to scoff the lot!"
His mother cried what shall we do?
What's left won't even make a stew..."
And as she wept her son was seen
To eat his head his heart his spleen
And there he lay, a boy no more
Just a stomach on the floor...
None the less since it was his
They ate it - and that's what haggis is

From: Monty Python's Big Red Book
Published by NTC/Contemporary Publishing
Publication date: September 1980

HOECAKE and Crudites With Vomit Vinaigrette

2007-04-03T15:16:00.000-04:00

In case you Pesach-keepers were searching for some new dishes, here are some tasty new treat ideas!!! Mmmmm...

HOECAKE - thin usually unleavened johnnycake made of cornmeal; originally baked on the blade of a hoe over an open fire (Southern)

Crudites With Vomit Vinaigrette

“With the right exercise, you can get rid of trouble spots”

2007-04-01T12:26:00.000-04:00

I can't even tell you how many times I have heard this. A client recently asked me, "What AB exercises will remove the tire around my waist?" I informed her that there aren't any AB exercises to target fat loss in a certain area. It is a huge misconception that we can get rid of our "trouble spots" by training specific sites of the body.

Although it is well-established that there is a site-specific response in bone density with upper and lower body resistance training (Winters-Stone et al.), this is not the case for adipose tissue. Instead, significant weight changes only occur with a total change in body composition, which results from gains/losses in fat-free mass and body fat. (Kyle UG., Melzer K et al.). Even with a decrease in body fat, one's genetic make-up is a major determinant of where fat loss occurs on the body.

For example, genes that metabolize estrogens and androgens are important in body fat regulation. In a study measuring the effects of exercise on fat loss in postmenopausal women, genetic polymorphisms showed a change in "BMI, total and percentage body fat, or subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat during a year-long exercise intervention trial." This means that there are genetic factors involved in total body fat regulation. (Tworoger SS et al).

That's not to say one can't get rid of her "trouble spots." By expending more energy and decreasing caloric energy, she will increase total lean body mass, which is known to help raise metabolism. A training program must comprise of both cardiovascular activity AND weight training for this reason. In order to keep those "trouble spots" away, muscle is necessary to keep up a high metabolic rate. (Kyle UG., Zhang FF et al).

References

Kyle UG. Melzer K. Kayser B. Picard-Kossovsky M. Gremion G. Pichard C. Eight-year longitudinal changes in body composition in healthy Swiss adults. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 25(6):493-501, 2006 Dec.

Kyle UG. Zhang FF. Morabia A. Pichard C. Longitudinal study of body composition changes associated with weight change and physical activity. Nutrition. 22(11-12):1103-11, 2006 Nov-Dec.

Tworoger SS. Chubak J. Aiello EJ. Yasui Y. Ulrich CM. Farin FM. Stapleton PL. Irwin ML. Potter JD. Schwartz RS. McTiernan A. The effect of CYP19 and COMT polymorphisms on exercise-induced fat loss in postmenopausal women. Obesity Research. 12(6):972-81, 2004 Jun.

Winters-Stone KM. Snow CM. Site-specific response of bone to exercise in premenopausal women. Bone. 39(6):1203-9, 2006 Dec.

And it doesn't even hurt!

2007-03-25T16:39:00.000-04:00

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In order to experiment with MRT, you have to be at least 24, have had Lasik-eye surgery, and swear by gruel morning, noon, and night. You should have also spent hours upon hours of data entry and feel urges to go to bed with Alexander Hammy. In addition, you should identify yourself as "an old man."

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A Night at the Opera

2007-03-23T14:17:00.000-04:00

Last night I went to the opening night of Andrea Chénier with my Aunt. I am officially an opera convert. We sat in the Grand Tier, section A, overlooking the orchestra. It was just beautiful, very traditional and the costumes were outrageous!!!! The music was enough to give you chills, and I loved the story line-- had to do with betrayal during the french revolution, and of course there's love, unrequited love and death!

A Remembered High

2007-03-21T22:34:00.000-04:00

Today I ran. Today I ran and it felt amazing. I felt like I had been running for months now. It's as though everything clicked today, and I'm back from the dead. I think a week of alternative exercise (skiing) and proper recovery plus keeping fitness levels high w/ cross-training and wt-training has aided in this revival. I ran on the treadmill at 6.0, and increased in increments, up to 6.5. I ran 3 mi in 30min. Although this is a huge gap in what I used to do at 7.5-8.5, I am very proud of myself for being able to keep the speed low & not feel the impulsive or competitive urge to increase the number. I stretched for 15 minutes post exercise. I did not feel the accompanying burning sensations in my quad, knee or hip later on in the day. I felt refreshed, rejuvinated, renewed. I feel like a runner again.

WIKIPEDIA, time to get YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT FROM ME

2007-03-08T17:11:00.000-05:00

Henry VIII was said to have died from gout, the syph, and his being grossly overweight. According to Wikipedia, "The well known theory [was] that he suffered from syphilis... More recent support for this idea has come from a greater understanding of the disease and has led to the suggestion that Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I all displayed symptoms characteristic of congenital syphilis. Henry's increased size dates from a jousting accident in 1536. He suffered a thigh wound which not only prevented him from taking exercise, but also gradually became ulcerated and may have indirectly led to his death..."

Well, Wiki, though your facts are correct, Henry VIII did not die (as assumed) from gout, or venereal disease. I will postulate that he died of SCURVY because he didn't eat any FRUIT! One of the classic symptoms of Scurvy, (besides violent swings of temperament due to vit C's coenzymatic function in synthesizing norepinephrine, which if low, can lead to mood disorders) is BLEEDING and improper healing of wounds. That ulceration from a thigh wound was INDEED related to his death-- a little more DIRECTLY than people want to admit.

According to Jasper Ridley, "...he beheaded two wives, defied the pope and waged the 100 year's war." Did he lack a conscience or just vitamin C??

This man needed a piece of fruit, ladies and gents!

A WEEK AT THE GYM: ONE TRAINER'S STORY

2007-02-18T08:29:00.001-05:00

You asked for it. You got it. Here's A WEEK AT THE GYM: ONE MAN'S STORY from Belinda's perspective... By Marissa Beck (Even better if read alongside the original!)

Dear Diary.
I've taken on yet another tall, lanky, muscle-deprived older man as a client, Milton Goldberg, whose wife thinks personal training sessions with me will magically get his body looking and feeling like it did when she first met him… Because I didn't want to admit that her beloved Milton would never be an Arnold anytime in the next, oh, lifetime, I put on a chirpy face and assured her that her husband would be a "ROCKSTAR!" by the time I was through with him. Here are some of my training notes:

MONDAY
Pumped up after my own hour-long cycle/row workout, I met with Milton at 6AM. Thank goodness he was prompt; there's nothing worse than tardiness. I am used to clients who don't dress properly for their workouts, but I must say, never in my life have I seen anyone so oddly and inappropriately clad. Yes it's winter, but a woolen vest? I asked Milton if he wanted to take the vest off, but he crossed his arms, squinted his eyes and shook his head rapidly. Okay. So I had him hop on the treadmill. I was quite surprised to find that Milton never actually saw a treadmill before, and even though I had the speed at a comfortable 3.6, felt him wheeze and cough all over me. It reminded me of the sporadic steam-room blasts of wet air… only, his breath smelled like skunk and stale toast. His rubber sandals squeaked with every step and it was hard for me to actually take a pulse. He kept looking at me between sweaty blinks and said that my polypropylene sports-top, which he called Lycra (anything but!), was very fitted. Thanks Milton, you perve. Five minutes later, his HR was 140 bpm and we hadn't even begun our workout! I quickly whisked him off of the treadmill and decided to show him the weights. He touched the rack of dumbbells as if he were searching for a ripe apple in a supermarket. When we crunched, he grabbed his stomach like he was giving birth. At least he was beaming with excitement. Where did this guy come from?

TUESDAY
Milton was as jittery as a school-girl who wet her pants, so I had him lie down on a bench. A nice bench wkout can fix up just about anyone… or so I thought. Milton could hardly lift the 45-pound barbell WITH my spot. But he still had a smile on his face, so I assumed that meant he wanted more. I put on a couple of plates. Just 2.5 pounds, but my, did Milton gawk at me when I did that!! Next I put him on the treadmill and it looked like he had a pole running through his behind. To my surprise, the guy made a full mile! I think I'm really helping him because he thanked me profusely at the end of our workout. These are the days that make training these suckers worthwhile!

WEDNESDAY
Milton strolled into the gym 15 minutes late, and he didn't even apologize! This agitated me, so I stuck him on the treadmill for a little warm up right away. The man began to screech and hold his little pecs like I was poking him with a vaccine. Other members started looking at us in fright, so I raised my voice and said, "Milton! Toughen up!" He didn't take to the Sergeant Bilko sort of tone… So I softened, and put him on the Stairmaster. That's a lot easier than running. But he seemed to have a problem with that too, grimacing and shaking his head again! I told him life isn't as awful as he thinks it is. At least he has a wonderful wife who cares about him enough to buy such expensive training sessions with me. (I mean, what a spoiled, arrogant little baby—I work hard for the money so he better treat me right!)

THURSDAY
Milton is lucky that I didn't clock him with a cable this morning for arriving 30 minutes late. When he finally got here, it looked like a stray dog dragged him in from a nightlong storm. His collared jean shirt had holes in the armpits and he kept tripping over the bottoms of his enormous khaki pants, AT LEAST FOUR TIMES as we walked over to the dumbbells. I turned to grab an eight-pounder and the sneaky sonuva gun slipped away like a bandit. But I showed him. Grabbed Lars, who mind you, used to wrestle for the WWE. Whatever Lars did worked, because Milton acquiesced and sat down on the erg. He looked like he was at a rodeo riding a bull.

FRIDAY
What an angry-looking face on this cretin. I was alarmed to see that Milton had his finger pointed at me underneath the towel, as if it were a gun! Oh silly Milton—he couldn't hurt a soul! I decided that today should be a triceps day. As I had him lying back in skull-crusher position, his nostrils flared wider with every elbow bend. It actually looked really scary. Something funny happened during our workout, though… (I can say it is funny NOW, but at the time, we thought Milton had died because he didn't get up for some time). He fell off of the end of the treadmill! Like a little feather, he floated peacefully onto the floor—right at the foot of another trainer. It looked like slow-mo! I think Milton is a drama-queen… I'm sure it didn't "hurt" as much as he said it did.

SATURDAY
I know that chump was sleeping in his warm little bed. I bet he contrived the whole thing, planning to stand me up. Unacceptable! I left him a message. I am almost positive he screened my call. Of course, I was way too nice on his answering machine. I should have bribed him with pizza or whatever those people eat.

SUNDAY
I'm resorting to a no-training-unappreciative-nitwits policy. Amen.

NOT YOUR FAULT...

2007-02-13T13:17:00.000-05:00

"Obesity-promoting behaviors are controlled by factors outside the individual and obese individuals cannot be expected to have total self-control over their weight in an environment that promotes weight gain by reinforcing overeating and inactivity any more than they can control their genes." ~Poston and Foreyt

A WEEK AT THE GYM: ONE MAN'S STORY

2007-02-12T10:04:00.000-05:00

Dear Diary.
For my sixty fifth birthday this year, my wife (the dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for me. Although I am still in great shape since playing on my college tennis team 45 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My wife seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress ..

MONDAY
Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of
bed, but found it was
well worth it when I arrived at the health club
to find Belinda
waiting for me. She is something of a Greek
goddess - with blond hair,
dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo
Hoo!! Belinda
gave me a tour and showed me the machines. She
took my pulse after five
minutes on the
treadmill. She was alarmed that my pulse was so
fast, but I attribute it
to standing next to her in her Lycra aerobic
outfit. I enjoyed
watching the skillful way in which she conducted
her aerobics class
after my workout today. Very inspiring!
Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, all
though my gut was
already aching from holding it in the whole time
she was around.
This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

TUESDAY
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made
it out the door.
Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy
iron bar into the air
then she put weights on it! My legs were a little
wobbly on
the treadmill, but I made the full mile.
Belinda's rewarding smile made
it all worthwhile. I feelGREAT-!! It's a whole
new life for me.

WEDNESDAY
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying on
the toothbrush on the
counter and moving my mouth back and forth over
it. I
believe I have a hernia in both pectorals.
Driving was OK as long as I
didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a
GEO in the
club parking lot.
Belinda was impatient with me,insisting that my
screams bothered other
club members.
Her voice is a little too perky for early in the
morning and when she
scolds, She gets this nasally whine that is VERY
annoying. My
chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so
Belinda put me onthe stair
monster. Why the hell would anyone invent a
machine to
simulate an activity rendered obsolete by
elevators? Belindatold me it
would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She
said some
other shit too.

THURSDAY
Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like
teeth exposed as her
thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full
snarl. I couldn't help
being a half an hour late, it took me that long
to tie my shoes. Belinda
took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was
not
looking, I ran and hid in the men's room. She
sent Lars to find me.
Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing
machine --
which I sank.

FRIDAY
I hate that bitch Belinda more than any human
being has everhated any
other human being in the history of the world.
Stupid, skinny,
anemic little cheerleader. If there was a part of
mybody I could move
without unbearable pain, I would beat her with
it. Belinda
wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have
anytriceps! And if you
don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the
M----- f-----
barbells or anything that weighs more than a
sandwich. The treadmill
flung me off and I landed on a health and
nutrition teacher.
Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like
the drama coach or the
choir director?

SATURDAY
Belinda left a message on my answering machine in
her grating,shrilly
voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just
hearing her
made me want to smash the machine with my
planner.However, I lacked the
strength to even use the TV remote and ended up
catching eleven straight hours of the Weather
Channel.

SUNDAY
I'm having the Church van pick me up for services
today so I can go and
thank GOD that this week is over. I will also
pray that
next year my wife (the bitch) will choose a gift
for me that is fun --
like a root canal or a vasectomy.

Do you do #2?

2007-01-04T20:06:00.000-05:00

I just returned from a week long trip in Puerto Rico. It was not a touristy vacation—I lived in my friend's cousin's house in San Juan and then for the second part of the week with my friend's family in a quaint apartment overlooking the ocean in Luquillo. I can talk about the welcoming people, the historic sites I saw, the beauty of the land and clear waters of Puerto Rico—but my version won't be any more scintillating than Frommers, so I'll spare you 'my-virgin-impression-story,' and instead write what I believe you'll really appreciate.

They don't eat fruits and vegetables. For breakfast, we eat sandwiches: Two pale pink pieces of salty ham lay flat atop a white, perfectly square, shiny piece of cheese. Lettuce slices line the refined bread like shredded paper confetti, able to stick to the dough via a thick paste of mayonnaise. The remainder of the sandwich includes a few sliced Goya black olives, speckled amongst a couple of skinny soft tomato pieces. My friend's cousin opens the refrigerator and I get a glimpse of a carton of eggs. I wonder if there are actually hens in Puerto Rico. Like a criminal eyeing her prey, I wait until the family isn't looking and I peek at the label on top of the carton. Gainesville, Georgia, 30503. Hens in Puerto Rico, Bah! What was I thinking… I scan the refrigerator door and my eyes discern a familiar logo. There he is in all his glory, with the friendly smile and black confederate cap. Hola, Señor Quaker-man. "Avena," reads the box, which means oatmeal. That is the only grain I see, processed nonetheless, and I want him so badly that I can feel the saliva ducts begin to water in my mouth. But alas, I know it to be impossible. Señor Quaker-man and I wouldn't be meeting each other's acquaintance during this trip.

It's almost comical thinking about this past week in Puerto Rico, as 'lackhealthster' Joe. Because I was on vacation with my friend's family, I was on their time, at all times. I did not exercise. I ate close to no vegetables. The extent of my veggie-eating entailed strands of overcooked peppers drenched in too much butter, which lay over a bed of white or yellow rice. Granted, I had a couple of home-cooked meals by TiTi Myrna, a chicken, rice and bean delicacy; but still, the cruciferous crew was not in attendance. I ate fried food—everyday. Fried plantains, fried empanadas, fried fish... I drank every night. I drank beer, hard alcohol and sugary frozen drinks. I drank often on an empty stomach. I drank because people tend to have a "mid afternoon drink" versus actual food, and though I could have declined, opted to "fit in."

I drank no water. When I was offered a cup of water, it was as though I'd seen a small pond in the desert. I must have had at most, two cups of water per day. That's probably not so good considering that my skin was baking in the sun, exposing its dryness to more cancer-causing UV rays! I went to bed every night at 3 AM on a bumpy mattress and pillow that raised my head at an obtuse angle from my shoulders. I slept for a total of five hours per night. I ate pork loin, chorizo (sausage), egg yolks in butter, refined white breads, trans-fatty crackers, non-homemade pastries, nothing whole grain. I let more than five or six hours pass in between meals and I ate the bulk of my calories at night. I ate, slept, drank and functioned according to those around me. My independence was stripped away for one week and already I was able to feel the extreme difference that my healthy machine of a body went though. People really live like this. People live their whole lives eating starches, meats, processed foods, zero vegetables and fruits, all while sitting on their asses and drinking beer.

It dawned on me that the commercialization of Puerto Rico is to blame, and NOT the people's lack of desire to eat well. The food is cheap at Wal-greens. Burger King tastes good and is very local: there is one on almost every block in San Juan. I wondered if anyone else's body craved fiber as much as mine. My protruded bloated belly scoffed at me: what da HELL are u doing right now to me, Marissa?? Somebody has taken over your mind and I don't like it, not one bit!! The subject of this post is the question I constantly wanted to ask all of the people I met on this vacation.

I now REALLY understand why people have all of these horrible health problems. When breakfast, lunch and dinner consists of packaged-up foods and when the only "natural" foods happen to be meat from an animal or beans from a can, Houston, WE HAVE A PROBLEM.

Although Puerto Rico is a U.S. dependent territory, I still couldn't believe how Americanized it really was. I know that my seven days in Puerto Rico is only just the beginning of my commericialized cognizance. In our era, choosing foods from our mega-food industry is the mainstream way to eat.

I am back in NYC, and have since had a day of vegetables and fruits billowing out of my ears. I'll stick to that for now...

Roasted Walnut Oil

2006-09-25T10:13:00.000-04:00

The best thing you will ever eat, is Trader Joe's Roasted Walnut Oil. Hands DOWN. This morning, I poured some of this nutty-tasting, clear, light oil all over my spelt and bulgur wheat (best results come from pre-soaking the bulgur the night before, and pre-cooking the spelt either day of or night before). The walnut oil and grain consistency is heavenly. But Trader's Roasted Walnut Oil is incredible with almost anything. I soaked the remainder of a piece of bread in some of this stuff and it tastes better than any oil I've ever tried. Plus, it's healthy!! Walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. I've acclimated my tastebuds to the oily alcholic taste of flaxseed oil, which is also a great source of the omega-3's, but if you're not a fan of flax or fish oils, and don't seem to enjoy chomping on whole walnuts, Roasted Walnut Oil is the answer. I could also see this oil pairing well with a vegetable salad, or mixing it in a tuna or chicken salad. You must buy Roasted Walnut Oil immediately. I have yet to try a different brand because the first time I ever experienced Roasted Walnut Oil was only two days ago when I purchased it from Trader's. No matter the brand, I don't think I will ever have a cabinet devoid of Roasted Walnut Oil again!

Mister Multi-task

2006-08-31T00:20:00.000-04:00

In 1765, the sandwich was invented by John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, who gave the food its name. The Earl used to order roast beef between pieces of toast for a snack while he was at the gaming tables, it allowed him to keep one hand free to play while he ate.