Graham Crackers...what exactly are they?

picture provided by: foodsenseatevergreen.wordpress.com

I was chomping down on a cinnamon graham cracker last night with my roomate when she decides to ask me "what is in a graham cracker?" That is a grand question! I had never thought about it, so I thought I would do some research. They began in the 1800's when a minister by the name of  Sylvester Graham decided to go on a health craze. He used graham flour which is whole grain wheat flour that has not been sifted. This provides the unique texture to this cracker. There is also honey, molasses and the occasional pinch of cinnamon mixed in as well. I am sure this was quite a tasty treat, but of course we had to modernize it and make it more unhealthy. We use a ton of butter, baking soda, and brown sugar in them. So is the graham cracker a healthy snack? It is said that it holds a good amount of fiber in it, however does the amount of sugar outweigh the good in it? I guess if you are having a sweet tooth this would be a good alternative to a cookie or some icecream. I will always enjoy putting peanut butter and marshmallow on a cinnamon graham cracker. After microwaving this combination of food, it is a delicious treat! If you would like to learn more about the history of the graham cracker check out this web page: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-graham-crackers.htm.

Veggie Tales!!

Picture from guidinglight.com

Last night as we were commenting on blogs, I was inspired by a fellow student to write about Veggie Tales. As I posted in my last blog, both tomatoes and cucumbers and NOT vegetables. Scientifically, they are both considered a fruit. This is Crazy, right? Does this mean that Veggie Tales should be changed to Scientific Fruit Tales? I love Veggie Tales-they crack me up! However, they should not change this knee slapping show just because some goofy scientists decided to label this vegetables as "fruits."

On another note, I thought I would investigate how many other vegetables (in the culinary sense) are actually fruit. As mentioned earlier, a vegetable is in fact a culinary term. Apparently there is nothing scientific about it. Pumpkin, squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and even green beans are considered to be "fruit-vegetables." Simply put, this is because of the seeds in them. Most everyone thinks that these are vegetables and after many debates, some of which have ended up in the supreme court, I think we will just have to meet have way. I believe I will start calling this controversial food group fregetables.
Look here for more information on fregetables:
http://www.suite101.com/content/fruit-or-vegetable--a9756

Are pickles a vegetable, or a fruit?

Image is from sportsgeezer.com

I was eating some pickle spears in the cafeteria when all of the sudden I came upon a odd question. Are pickles good for you? If so, are they considered to be a vegetable or a fruit? I never realized until now how controversial of a subject this could be. As we all know, the pickle is another form of a cucumber. Often times cucumbers and tomatoes are associated with vegetables, especially when it comes to salad. With this being said, I looked up articles that talk about what exactly a cucumber is. According to an article I found, scientifically speaking cucumbers are a fruit. The reason why so many people consider it to be a vegetable is because in the culinary world it is in fact a vegetable. It has seeds with tissue around it, but it is always thrown in with the vegetable group. No matter what it is, cucumbers are a light snack with very few calories and so are pickles if they are not infatuated with salt or sugar. I suppose that it is a matter of personal opinion as to whether or not the cucumber is a fruit or a vegetable. You can learn more about this at http://www.buzzle.com/articles/is-cucumber-a-fruit-or-vegetable.html

What if you do not like thanksgiving dinner?

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So, many people are shocked whenever I tell them that I do not like thanksgiving dinner. The thought of it just makes my stomach turn and although I appreciate the break, I am not really looking forward to the meal. Last year I became terribly sick around thanksgiving and since then I really do not like the food associated with this holiday. So what shall I do? I guess I could convince them to make green bean casserole, and eat a lot of rolls. I suppose that is what I get for having a picky stomach. . Another option is  to make my own creations to work around my sensitive stomach. Last year I was harrassed for putting tartar sauce and turkey on a roll. I thought it was a nice alternative to our annual meal. It is important to switch it up a bit so that one does not get tired of having the same thing every year. I am still looking forward to my visit and I will have to adjust my eating in order to make the most of my thanksgiving.

What the heck is an acai berry?

picture from: acaiberryhealthdrink.com

As I was chatting with my mother, the topic of the acai berry came up. I love fruit, and hearing of another type that could potentially help you loose weight was exciting to hear. This just sounded to good to be true, so I did some research on WebMD. I was crushed to hear that there are not too many experiments to back up the theory that acai berries help you lose weight. Now the question is why would someone promote this super berry if it's not all that it's cracked up to be? This to me is just another example of fraud. It is hard know who to believe these days when it comes to weight loss. Have no fear, this acai berry is good for you because it has more antioxidants that any other berry known to mankind. There are many studies that have yet to be done on the acai. I am anxious to see all the benefits of the acai berries, and hopefully they will become a little more affordable over time. I just wish that people would get their facts straight before promoting something.

http://www.webmd.com/.../acai-berries-and-acai-berry-juice-what-are-the-health-%20benefits

My enzymes ran away!

Picture from: doctorramani.com

Over this past year I have recently developed a slightly lactose intolerant digestive system. I have always wondered why in the world this happened so late in my life. After doing some quick research, I have found a possible answer. I noticed that I did not drink as much milk as my body had previously been used to. Growing up, my mother made me drink about 2 or so glasses of milk a day. Then as I got older, I began replacing milk with water or juice more often. Apparently, according the peer reviewed Journal of Young Investigators, this sudden lactose intolerance may have do with my lack of dairy for a certain period of time in my life. My body just assumed it did not need that lactose enzyme, and went through what is commonly called a natural enzyme deficiency. Now I am usually fine if I take a lactase pill every so often, and stay away from ice cream, milk, and limit myself to cheese. I still have some milk with cereal, and ice cream about once a month. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I have quite the touchy stomach. Along with that, milk has an unholy and unnecessary amount of fat in it that I could live without. There are many other ways of getting the proper amount of calcium in a diet. Referring back to the article mentioned earlier, they say that calcium can be obtained from grains and leafy vegetables. This is clearly a healthier alternative, but a glass of milk every once in a while will not kill you! Hopefully all that milk my mother made me drink when I was little will last me a life time and prevent me from getting Osteoperosis. Check out this article to see where I learned all of this from: http://www.jyi.org/volumes/volume6/issue3/features/lee_and_wei.html

Could Japanese Americans be more at risk for anorexia?

It may not seem like much of a shock, but the typical Japanese girl is almost held accountable to be a tiny little stick. Japanese girls are known for being thinner, so if one of them just so happens to be struggling with their weight, there is more pressure for them to change their body. According to the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, anorexia rates are continuing to go up in Japan. It seems logical that anorexia would especially be a concern to Japanese girls who travel to America. They are used to their cuisine back at home, and after eating American food, they begin to gain weight. According to a video found on youtube, there is a lady who went through this exact situation. Thankfully, she did not choose anorexia to fix her problems because she truly enjoyed eating. Luckily she could solve her problem by traditionally cooking her food and incorporating this western diet into her original cuisine. What about the girls who feel as though diets do not work, so they choose to starve themselves? It seems as though it is a hopeless situation, and I truly would like to help those who struggle with it. There is only so much we can do in such a thin-focused society.
Here is a link to some statistics on anorexia: http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm