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?

image from internetmonk.com

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

HIYA! KAPOW! Why are Asians so skinny?

picture is from candicekitchen.com

Asian people are so little, in both height and width. Especially in comparison to fellow Americans, Asians are typically much thinner. Does this have to do with genetics, or the food they may or may not consume? I am going to guess that it us a little bit of both. The main course does not consist of meat, but is very focused on rice and vegetables. Their culture's food pyramid is much different than ours, they typically only eat red meat about once a month, eggs and poultry weekly, and daily eat fruits, vegetables, rice, and sometimes fish. This is drastically different from the typical diet of an American. For most Americans, red meat is a daily part of their diet, and they rarely get all five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. A lot of people think that Asians are just naturally skinny as a result of genetics. This is true for any race or ethinicity. Lets say that two people eat the same exact diet for a month. Will those individuals gain or lose the exact same amount of weight? Of course not, because no two bodies are exactly alike. While it is true that most Asians are built with a smaller frame, that does not necessarily mean that they are destined to be thin. I know plenty of Americans that are "thin as a rail " no matter what they eat they cannot gain weight. While genetics does play a role in a persons body build, diet is equally as important to staying at a healthy weight.

Macaroni, peas,and tuna...a delicious combination?

I know most human beings do not enjoy eating five fruits or vegetables a day, but is this an impossible task? I think not! I love mixing my foods together. I am not very anal about my food touching, and the more variety there is, the better it tastes. I am told that I am weird for doing this, but I do not care. I am mixing healthy things in with a less healthy food choice, and thus forth I feel better about my meal. I know it is a struggle to mix in veggies with a meal, but I have food ways to make this experience more pleasurable. Most any vegetable, in my humble opinion, tastes better in cheese. I am quite aware that cheese is fattening, but it is the one thing I truly enjoy to indulge in. Macaroni is one of my favorite things to eat, and I will put just about anytihng in my macaroni. Ingredients may include peas, tuna, mushrooms, brocolli, beets, peppers, tomatoes, green beans, spinach and just about any green vegetable. If you are looking for some protein, adding some lean meat such as grilled chicken, ham, turkey, or roast beef might just do the trick for you. This is a simple way to make a meal healthier, and taste better! Some times students have to be creative, especially when eating in the cafeteria. So instead of just giving in and getting the usual slice of pizza, try this technique out. I know that some people think I am crazy, but there are those few people who commend me for my delicious dishes. This will make the cafeteria experience more interesting and enjoyable, and will start some interesting conversations as you compare your different creations with your peers.

Old school way of slimming down



Photo is of the Dodd family farm in Colorado,
and was taken by Barbara Lewellen

Would it be better if we just went back to our old ways when there was not a single state with more than 20% obesity? What would happen if people started buying organic food more often? Although I know it would be more expensive at first, I believe it would be worth it. The companies would be hurting for money, and maybe they would begin to change their ways. It would take a large chunk of America to truly change this, but it would bring about a much needed change.  Just think about it. If more people began to farm, not only would they begin to eat some of their own more nutricious food, they would also get some much needed exercise. Maybe the larger corporations would begin to make more of their own food instead of having it shipped from overseas. Then the people working in the ware houses would be able to get outside and smell the fresh air , along with getting more exercise. This possibility would most likely up the amount of tractors and farming equipment being made, and more manual labor jobs would be in demand. This could potentially lead to more jobs, and help out the economy. We should begin to get food from our own resources, not that of other countries we are in debt to. As of right now, I am quite aware that buying organic food is a bit more expensive. The big companies could begin to be more aware of their effects and start to find other options that were used back in the less obese days of America. I know it is possible to overcome this hurdle, seeing that we were at one time a slimmer nation. Some people should try to step up and go old school, to better themselves and those who decide to invest in their products.