SciShow on Gluten
SciShow has recently popped into my life and a recent video posted to their Facebook page was on gluten! As their Youtube page notes SciShow
“discusses science news and history and concepts. With equal parts skepticism and enthusiasm, we go a little deeper…without going off the deep end.”
You can find SciShow on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Tumblr!
Every day is Earth Day in my book – so you can imagine how excited I am about the US designated Earth Day on April 22! It’s a great reason to explore what you can do to support the Earth, which supports you every moment of your existence. As stated in Where the Yellowstone Goes
“if you don’t take care of your land, it won’t take care of you”.
Each year Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital holds an Earth Day event from 11 a.m. -1 p.m. in two locations: Lubert Plaza and the Atrium. Come out and get seeds to plant, enter into a raffle to win a bike, get information on composting and more!
Check out other Earth Day events in Philadelphia here!
- Eat what you want, trying to eat more plant based or real foods on the continuum of junk food to real food. For Mr. Bittman, this means vegan before 6 pm. Do what works for you – you know your body and willpower best.
- 80% of the farmers in the US are over the age of 70. Change is imminent.
- Massive change is needed politically to see the health of the nation change in 20 years. I tried to think of something optimistic to write here, but I’m at a loss. I’ll refer you to the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future for policy information.
There was a statement during the Q&A portion of the evening from the audience that struck a nerve in me. “Organic local food is so expensive” which can also speak to eating healthfully in general, organic or not, is expensive. There are many choices to be made on how you spend your money. For those who can afford it – if you have a designer purse, $200 pumps, weekly manicures and the latest Blackberry model, how on Earth is this a bigger priority than what you put in your body? As exemplified on the chart below,the US spends less money on food than any other leading nation . It seems that keeping up with the Joneses has nothing to do with health, and has everything to do with appearances. Your dollar is your vote. Consider your wants versus your needs with every purchase.
What’s your personal food policy? Move toward more plants. Moving toward the right direction is empowering. -Mark Bittman
As printed in The Economist on March 12, 2013
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2013/03/daily-chart-5
Moderation (or bramacharya as some interpret it in the world of yoga) is key for a healthy diet. One can eat healthy most of the time, but when you do have that occasional (daily is not occasional, let’s be honest here) dessert or drink, make it for a good cause this February!
If you haven’t noticed the boxes out and about recently, it is officially Girl Scout Cookie season! After checking out the nutrition labels and ingredients, I think the Savannah Smiles are the healthiest choice. With 140 calories, 5 grams of fat for 5 cookies, this cookie can make the health conscious smile. A few of the cookies had high fructose corn syrup in it, so watch out! You can find information on each cookie here.
- Local Philly tip: Cake and the Beanstalk recently debuted Girl Scout Cookie desserts! Last Friday it was Thin Mint Blondies – I wonder if this Friday will bring cheesecake with Thin Mint crust!?
Onto the alcohol… moderation, again, is key! What exactly is one glass of wine? Is it the pour you get in a fancy restaurant that seems like two sips, or a full glass you’ll get out at pub? Check out the Fit For Food website or from this fellow WordPress blogger to get an idea of what moderation really means when it comes to alcohol. Once you have that covered, attending a happy hour benefit can be a great way to support an organization and connect with like minded folks in your area.
- Local Philly tip: If you like how the Girls Scouts introduce young women to camping and respecting the environment around them, check out the Share the Love happy hour on February 21, starting at 5 pm at City Tap House. This happy hour supports Camp Sojourner, a girls leadership camp.
Enjoy… in moderation!
Simple Sweet Potato Salad
This quick and easy salad is great as a side dish, a meal or even as a potluck dish!
- 1/2 cup dry quinoa cooked and chilled
- 1/2 cup dried black beans, soaked, cooked and chilled
- 1 cup cubed, roasted and chilled sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro (more or less to taste)
Mixed these chilled ingredients for a quick salad. Add in a little homemade salad dressing, and you’re ready to grub.
New Year’s Food Resolution
Every year millions of people make New Year’s resolutions. As noted by the University of Scranton’s Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45% of Americans make New Years resolutions, and 8% are successful. The number one resolution is…. drum roll please….
Losing weight!
If a New Year’s resolution is statistically not the way to loose weight, how about setting yourself up for a successful way of eating?
- Don’t keep junk food around. If you’re like me, you’ll eat it! If it’s not available, you’ll have to make a trip out in the cold to get that junk food.
- Snack on dried fruits if you have a sweet tooth.
- Craving sugar? How about a teaspoon of honey? It’s so sweet that your craving just may go away.
- Eat before grocery shopping. No explanation needed.
- While you’re at it, shop the perimeter. Real foods (fruit, veggies, meat, juices) are found around the perimeter of the grocery store. Super processed crap is found in the middle aisle.
- Carry a water bottle – you’ll be more likely to drink water, stay hydrated and keep the munchies at bay.
Check out more suggestions at Fit Sugar – happy 2013!
Buying Local Through a Buying Club
Thomas Jefferson University and Hospital was just added as a Winter Harvest pick up site. Winter Harvest is a buying club organized by Farm to City in Philadelphia that runs from December through April. For the Jefferson community, this means that sustainable food options are available all year long: farmers’ market May to October, CSA from May through December, and the buying club from December through April.
As with most buying clubs, you go online, pick what you want to order, and pick it up at the designated place and time. You only order what you want, when you want it – unlike a CSA.
For the Winter Harvest buying club there are over 500 items available – and they are ALL LOCAL! Produce, eggs, meats, cheeses, yogurt, breads, soups, hummus, herbs and more! The farm and method of growing is provided for every item.
So what are the benefits?
- Your money stays in the local economy
- You get local goods from farms with sustainable practices
- You eat with the season, and gain an understanding of what it takes to get your food from farm to plate
- Less shipping miles means less oil is used to get your food to you
- Your money spent on food goes back to the farmer, not a corporation
- The farmer can spend more time farming and less time finding avenues to sell his/her product
- Point and click shopping online with a one stop delivery – it’s convenient!
Your dollar is a vote – every day, every season. Buy local and sustainable when you can!
