Gender: Female
Status: Married
Age: 51
Sign: Leo
City: PHILADELPHIA
State: PENNSYLVANIA
Country: US
Signup Date: 6/20/2006
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Monday, January 07, 2008
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Wednesday, September 12, 2007
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What to do with A Sh*t-Load of Vegetables
or
How I Ended My Summer Vacation
by Elizabeth Fiend, 2007
Upon returning from my vacation I was greeted by my two charming 20-something house sitters. They did a great job holding down the fort and loving my big orange cat Hurricane. They bashfully asked me if it would be okay if they left the remainder of their CSA Farm Share in my fridge. Like many people, seems they're trying hard to eat right but are at a loss as to how to actually pull it off.
Can you image asking ME if it would be okay to unload a bunch of organic fruit and vegetables?I made them squirm bit and then hastily accepted. In my book, there's only one thing better than a fridge full of organic produce, a fridge fill of free organic produce.
I quickly went through the bonanza. In the crisper tomatoes tightly wrapped in a plastic bag were immediately removed to a plate and set on the counter. Fresh corn was out on the counter seemingly left there for days. What were they thinking, pop corn? That had to go to the composting heap. But everything else was salvageable.
The two pints of blackberries were on the verge of extinction. To save them I popped them in the microwave for three minutes. I added a touch of maple syrup to remove the tartness, which I'm assuming is why the house sitters didn't eat them. I drained some of the dark purple, almost black actually, juice off and drank it right then. The blackberry compote would be perfect for weekend pancakes.
Giant bags of beets and carrots did seem a bit daunting as they were still covered in farm dirt. But not to worry, I have a vegetable scrubber. There was also a bag of Swiss chard as big as a house, eggplants, tomatoes, tomatillos and the obligatory oodles of end-of-summer-zucchini.
First night home I didn't want to do much work but I was craving a good home cooked meal so I ordered up some Won Ton soup. To enhance it I cooked some matchstick strips of carrots, a diced red pepper, some ginger and garlic in enough water to cover. After the carrots were tender I added a few cups of chopped Swiss chard. When the chard was tender I added the Wan Ton soup to the pot. The capper, a tablespoon of lime juice, this adds a Vietnamese edge to soup. Almost-instant Nirvana.
Next day, now I had more energy and was finally recovering from being on vacation. I could clearly see some roasting was in order. Too hot for the oven, so I went to the grill. I sliced the eggplant into half moons and a few tomatoes into wedges and put them onto an edged baking tray that I had sprayed with olive oil. I added in a tablespoon of gram masala spice mix AND a tablespoon of tandoori spice mix. I know, crazy. But I'm like that.
I had the grill on medium heat. I put the baking tray on the bottom rack. I closed the cover and went back into the house to clean some carrots. I cut the carrots the long way in half, then each half into three pieces. I added these to another edged baking sheet along with a half cup of water. I put these on the grill and stirred the Indian spiced eggplant / tomato mix. Finally I cut some onions into wedges, put them on a lightly oiled tray and squeezed them onto the barbie. I cooked these separately because I know I would use them in a multitude of dishes.
Need tips for roasting on the grill? Keep your eye on everything. Turn and rotate food frequently. Add small increments of water to things like onions and carrots as needed. These should be moist only -- not drowning in liquid. The eggplant and tomatoes require more water. These should be 'saucy.'
Carrots are done when you can easily poke them with a fork. Onions glazed. Eggplant is done when the skin is soft. Wow, I now had a ton of roasted veggies. In a food processor I lightly pulsed the Indian spiced eggplant and tomatoes with some of the glazed onions. You can buy a relish called biagan bharta, which is quite like what I had just made, in a jar at gourmet food stores and pay through the nose.
I ate a heap of this pungent relish for lunch as a toping on my veggie burger. It was so good, the next day I ditched the burger and ate the relish straight up on some crusty bread along with some fruit and one of those carrots (raw).
That night for dinner I made bite size the roasted carrots and onions; diced the tomatillos, some tomatoes, a zucchini and a medium sized hot pepper; threw them all into a soup pot along with a few cups of vegetable broth and a tablespoon of lime juice. I seasoned this with sage, fresh mint and the Mexican spice epazote -- all from my garden, and some salt; then simmered until all the vegetables were tender.
At this point I added Quorn Chicken Tenders (a vegetarian meat analog), a can of kidney beans and adjusted the flavor by stirring in some nutritional yeast, cinnamon and unsweetened cocoa powder.
Yes, chocolate.
The ingredients might seem haphazard or even bizarre to you. But most all have a basis in Mexican cuisine from the lime, tomatillos, tomatoes, epazote, yes even the cinnamon and the cocoa powder which is used in the classic Mexican mole sauce.
The stew was slightly sour, just a tiny bit, from the lime juice and tomatillos; deep, rich and smooth from the nutritional yeast; and seductively smoky from the cinnamon and cocoa. It was really complex, as flavorful as any meat stew could be.
This is the inventiveness that separates great food from the ordinary. It takes practice. Cook often. TASTE as you cook. I'm constantly dumbfounded at how many people never taste what they're cooking.
I served the stew along with some strips of oven toasted corn tortillas. For an impressive presentation you can stand-up the tortilla strips in the stew.
If this is really just too unfamiliar, or if there're just too many vegetables for your family, serve over pasta. One serving of pasta per person -- look at the box!!! But add two or three servings of vegetables per person if you can.
This was a lot of stew. I was happy to have leftovers to freeze (sans pasta, add that when you defrost).
That deluxe Won Ton soup I had made a few days before barely made a dent in the gargantuan bag of Swiss chard. I decided now was a great time to try out my idea of Swiss chard pesto. I had discussed this concept previously with some culinary pals. They were skeptic. But the pesto came off without a hitch.
Use raw Swiss chard, discard stems. Instead of walnuts (too bitter) or pine nuts (to bland) I used pecan nuts; their sweetness is a perfect foil to the tartness of the chard. Pesto already has fat in the form of nuts, so to make mine healthier I cut WAY, WAY down on the traditional olive oil and instead add some water and a teaspoon of lemon juice. If you want, add some grated locatelli or parm. But you don't need to if you want to keep the fat down. You can use a lot of garlic but don't use salt, Swiss chard is already naturally high in sodium and I knew I'd be pairing this pesto with other salty ingredients.
But then it gets better, oh, so much better. I invented a true culinary delight -- The Green Pizza. Oh, my-lack-of-god this pizza was the best pizza I ever had. And quite beautiful to behold. (I had to be sure and made it twice, it was that good.)
Start out with a whole wheat pizza shell, or make your own. Spread the Swiss chard pesto over the crust. Yes, a green sauce on pizza! Top with diced raw tomatoes. Avoid a cardinal sin in pizza-making and drain the tomatoes well on a paper towel first. Nothing is more disgusting or amateurish than a mushy pizza. Sprinkle on some chopped black olives and some crumbled feta cheese. Bake or better yet cook on the grill (low heat, keep your eye on it).
Turkish delight for real my friends.
Any leftover pesto can be thinned slightly with water and stirred into a pasta like rigatoni or shells and served hot or cold.
If you're trying to incorporate more vegetables in to your diet, or just love to talk vegetarian food, post here with your cooking or ingredient questions and comments.
Keep at it!
I love you.
About the Ingredients:
Epazote:
Grows wild in the gutter of South Philly. Don't eat that! Instead pick some seeds or a tiny plant and grow in your garden to be sure that it doesn't have dog piss on it. Or buy online.
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/epazote.htm
Nutritional Yeast:
Available in the bulk section at any good health food store. Don't confuse with brewers yeast.http://www.bulkfoods.com/yeast.htm
Quorn:
The number one meat substitute in Europe for years was only recently been introduced to America. It's a naturally occurring fungus, more specifically a mold that's vat grown. Yep, Soylent Green for real (I debated not telling you....). Can be purchased in the freezer section of Whole Foods.
Pro: http://www.quorn.us/
Con: http://www.cspinet.org/new/quornpr02_28_02.html
Rebuttal: http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=%5CCulture%5
Carchive%5C200209%5CCUL20020911a.html
Swiss chard:
Extremely low in calories, high in dietary fiber. A great source of the vitamins A (214% of your recommended daily intake!), C, E, K (716% of RDI!!). Plus the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese, and zinc. A powerhouse of nutrients!
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20ci.html
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Wednesday, September 12, 2007
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War on Pollution
by Elizabeth Fiend
Sadly, we hear every day about the horrible human toll of war – the body counts, an up-close and personal look at a hero who no longer has any legs, the countless and nameless children ravaged by the violence, rendered orphans or worse. War is hell on earth, of course. But war is also hell on The Earth, too. You may not be aware of just how toxic and devastating is the footprint that the military-industrial complex leaves behind on Battlefield Earth. Agent Orange, rocket fuel, lead, mercury, petroleum, asbestos and countless carcinogenic solvents. This toxic stew settles into the soil in which we grow our food, seeps down into the water we drink and floats unseen in the air we breathe making us sick -- terribly sick -- killing many of us, or leading to birth defects, cancer, miscarriages, and kidney and thyroid disease. Twenty-nine million Americans – that's about one in every 10 Americans -- live within 10 miles of a toxic military site. That is, a site that's already been labeled under the Superfund Program as being a top priority for toxic-waste cleanup. There are many, many, more sites that haven't been certified yet.
The military-industrial complex has a long track record of leaving a mess all around the country and all around the world. In San Diego alone, the Navy is responsible for creating 100 toxic sites. Jet fuel was dumped around the Naval Air Station in Fallon Nevada and radioactive materials seeped in to the ground water, cancer followed. In Denver, tons of asbestos-laced soil left over from the Lowry Air Force Base had to be dug out of the ground before a new housing development could be built. The Air Force refused to pay the $15 million bill for the removal, claimed that the risks from asbestos weren't high enough to warrant a clean up.
Breast cancer rates are startling high among people who lived near the 1951-1962 atomic tests in Nevada and Utah. Regardless, the Bush administration has raised the possibility of resuming nuclear testing in Nevada "I belong to a Clan of One-Breasted Women," by Terry Tempest Williams, is a heart-breaking essay about a Mormon family who witnessed those atomic tests. The story begins: "My mother, my grandmothers, and six aunts have all had mastectomies. Seven are dead. The two who survive have just completed rounds of chemotherapy and radiation." More recently in Alaska, as a result of nuclear testing off that state's coast, doctors say workers there will develop cancer at twice the rate as the general public.
The Vietnamese Red Cross estimates that 150,000 children have birth defects caused by the U.S. military's spraying of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Recently, New Jersey's Newark Bay was found to be contaminated with dioxins from the manufacturing of some of that Agent Orange. In the Philippines, the rates of miscarriage is high around the former site of the U.S. Clark Air Force Base.
In Colonie, NY, soil near a factory that supplies the military with depleted uranium was found to have 500 times the normal amount of that material. The health cost of depleted uranium on Gulf War veterans is shocking and awesome. It is equally mind-blowing that the U.S. government persists in refuting there is any such thing as Golf War Syndrome despite the fact that 80,000 veterans of that conflict have officially registered as being ill. In today's Baghdad, the Tigris River – a source of drinking water for many -- is a chemical-cocktail of oil, gas, pesticides and heavy metals from Iraqi and American military waste.
The U.S. military has also left a poisonous goulash in hundreds of other sites including Hawaii, South Korea, Greenland, Panama and Philadelphia. Huh? Yes. It seems that no place is spared the mess created in the name of war. In South Philly, 20th St. and Oregon Avenue is the site of the former Defense Personnel Supply Center, where Army uniforms were made. It's estimated that more than 500 workers and nearby residents have died or fallen ill as a result of exposure to asbestos, DDT, unknown fumes and other hazardous chemicals at the factory complex, also known as the Quartermaster. Workers reported to the South Philly Review that a black oily substance would seep into work stations, even out of the water fountain, during rain storms. Management told the workers to wait it out in the rec room and then return to their jobs.
The site was shut down in 1994, and for the past few years an ad-hoc group of workers and residents has been asking Congress to investigate their exposure to toxins at the plant. The issue was never resolved, the site never cleaned up. When a new mall was built there, contractors were instructed not to dig deeper than 10 feet, to avoid disturbing a toxic petroleum plume.
Shit happens, but the Department of Defense (DoD) seems to think theirs doesn't stink. Under the Bush administration the Pentagon is taking unprecedented steps to limit the military's accountability for its long history of pollution. Under the guise of national security and terrorist threats, the armed services believe they should be exempt from current environmental laws. The DoD has already been granted exemption from our nation's wildlife protection laws. The Pentagon has repeatedly asked congress for exemptions from the Clean Air Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (Superfund law), and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The DoD has also tried to get around environmental laws by reinventing the definition of solid waste to exclude munitions and their fragments, explosives and a list of other toxic material.
The Pentagon is putting the screws to governmental agencies that might block their path to perma-war. The military bitched to the White House that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was overstating the dangers of military waste. Since then, the EPA has lessened annual inspections at military sites by 26 percent, and cut the number and severity of fines. The EPA also said it would back off and take more time to study the toxicity of several prominent military chemicals.
Perchlorate and trichlorethylene, two toxic military chemicals, are causing extensive worry. Perchlorate, the explosive ingredient in rocket fuel, has been seeping into ground water around military bases, rocket test sites and the factories that produce it. At many of these sites, it's believed to have been haphazardly and improperly disposed of. Perchlorate affects the thyroid gland by blocking iodide uptake, causing thyroid problems in women and birth defects and lower IQ's in children. Perchlorate has been found in the drinking water of 22 states, in 93 percent of lettuce and milk and in 97 percent of breast milk taken from random samples across the United States. In 2003 when U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) insisted that perchlorate sites be cleaned up, the DoD shot back that they were excluded from any liability for perchlorate because they needed to be anti-terrorist ready.
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recently found perchlorate to be 10 times more toxic to humans than the DoD has been claiming.
The second chemical, trichlorethylene (TCE) is a solvent used to clean fuel lines at missile sites and to degrease airplanes. The military and its contractors began using it way back during the Korean War. TCE is the most commonly found industrial pollutant in America's drinking water. Its occurance is especially severe around military bases and at hundreds of chemical waste sites spread across the U.S., where it also contaminants the soil and air. In 2001, the EPA linked TCE, to auto-immune diseases, birth defects, cancer and specifically to kidney disease. In 2006 the NAS found that TCE is even more dangerous than was announced five years earlier by the EPA.
Sources:
Stats / clean up flaws since Bush / EPA back off:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-10-14-cover-pollution_x.htm
Clan of the One-Breasted Women:
http://www.awakenedwoman.com/tempest_refuge.htm
Gulf War Syndrome:
http://www.gulfweb.org/bigdoc/selfhelp.cfmWhat%20is%20Gulf%20War%
20Syndrome?
South Philly:
http://www.southphillyreview.com/view_article.php?id=2473
Nuclear waste clean up:
http://earthwatch.unep.net/emergingissues/radioactivewaste/military.
phpPerchlorate /
EPA back off:
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2004/tc20041215_
6123_tc024.htmandhttp://
www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_3250.cfmTrichloroethylene:
http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID
=11707http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11707.htmltoc
General sources:
http://www.miltoxproj.org/http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:OT63_yQgEgIJ:
www.dollarsandsense.org/archives/2003/0303maps.pdf+.+%22War+on+
Earth%22+by+Bob+Feldman,+Dollars+and+Sense,+March/April+2003&
hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ushttp://
www.commondreams.org/views05/0327-21.htmhttp://www.alternet.org/story
/39723/
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Monday, June 11, 2007
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Category: Life
Allergies Are the Lies the Body Tells Itself
BY ELIZABETH FIEND 2007
What do vaginal dryness, lousy driving, methamphetamine, cocaine, steroids and Kleenex all have in common? You guessed it: this article is gong to be all about seasonal allergies.
Allergies are caused by a body's misplaced, overblown reaction to something that in reality isn't harmful. When this happens the culprit is called an allergen. Pollen is an allergen, though it's a harmless substance, not poisonous in any way to humans. But for a growing number of people, pollen, mold, animal fur and dust mites trigger an unnecessary, and unfortunate, attack by their immune system. The result of this attack is an allergic reaction -- nasal secretion, itchy throat, eyes, and ear canals, sneezing, tearing eyes, stuffy nose and ears. Allergies also make some people tired, cranky, impair memory and concentration and prevent sleep.
More and more people are becoming allergic, to food, pollen and -- crazy as it sounds -- there's currently a boom in allergies to ladybugs! As for hayfever, at least one in 10 people will suffer from hay fever at some point, and that number is growing.
If one of your parents has allergies you're at a 50 percent risk of developing allergies yourself. If both of your parents have allergies, you're screwed -- there's a 70 percent chance you will, too. Strangely enough, even birth order seems to have an influence on who develops allergies: If you have three or more older siblings, you might get off Scot free (presumably due to the fact that your parents gave up by the time you came along and you were exposed to more immune system-building germs than your sibs). Breastfeeding also gives a child an edge over allergies. Allergies can get worse as you age because your system is more easily traumatized and overreacts, even more, to allergens.
The weather can play a part in your allergies. Wind? Not good for the nose. Rain is good because it brings pollen to the ground, not your nostrils. Rain is bad, because it makes plants grow faster, producing more allergens.
Allergens bind to antibodies, which set off the release of chemicals called histamines. They in turn bind to receptors in your nose and set off the symptoms associated with allergies, like inflammation.
Allergy medicines work by reducing inflammation and countering the release of histamines. Inflammation is the immune system's response to irritation. Inflammation sends an influx of white blood cells rushing to the scene of the crime, producing the redness, swelling, heat and pain of rhinitis, or inflammation of the nose.
Back in the good old days, cocaine was recommended to hay fever suffers. Today doctors usually steer patients to one or a combination of three types of medicines: decongestants, antihistamines and steroid nasal sprays. Unfortunately, none of these options do anything to actually prevent allergies, they just mask the symptoms. They all work with limited degrees of success and all come with side effects.
Decongestants, like Sudafed, Actifed, Contact, Claritin D and Allegra D are medicines that shrink swollen tissue and blood vessels to relieve the discomfort caused by pressure on your sinuses. They also raise your blood pressure, restrict urinary flow and can cause irritability, insomnia, dizziness, nervousness and make your heart race. In other words, you can get wired on the stuff. Oops I forget to mention stroke, which is another possible side effect.
Decongestants containing the ingredients pseudoephedrine, ephedrine and phenylpropanolamie, even if non-prescription, must now be sold from behind the pharmacy counter because you can also use that stuff to cook up meth in your bathtub. So along came the Combat Methamphetamine Act of 2005, which requires a patient to sign for their allergy meds and show ID and the sales are recorded in some giant computer.
If you try to buy more than nine grams of the stuff a month, an alarm goes off in an enormous warehouse in the Midwest and a bunch of guys in flakjackets bust down your door. But more importantly, doesn't the fact that the active ingredient in meth is the same ingredient as the one in your allergy meds say something? Hint: This treatment isn't gonna be good for your body in the long run.
Steroids, such as corticosteroid in the form of nasal sprays, also reduce inflammation. They must be taken daily for one or two weeks before becoming fully effective. Their side effects include weight gain, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, even cataracts.
Antihistamines such as Benadryl, Alavert and Allegra are drugs that block histamines. They're used to try to stop the itchy eyes, sneezing and runny nose. Of course it would be smarter to try to stop the release of the histamines in the first place, especially because antihistamines have side effects like drowsiness, dry mouth and mental fog. Studies have also shown that antihistamines can negatively affect learning and thinking in children.
According to a recent study in England, 3.3 million drivers admit that they lost concentration at the wheel or had an impaired reaction due to side effects of their allergy medicine.
Both antihistamines and decongestants work by drying up your nose. But your nose isn't all that gets dried out; these meds, when used frequently, can also dry out other parts of your body, even causing vaginal dryness (been wondering how I was going to work that in, huh?).
Wiser than taking those medicines would be to make simple changes in your behavior, like more frequent showering to remove pollen from you skin and hair, and keeping your bedding and house clean and free of dust. It may look silly, but wearing a dust mask when doing the housework can really help.
Since allergies are basically a malfunction of the immune system it's important to keep yours in good shape. Jade Screen, a Chinese herbal combination does a super job of boosting your immune system. I take this and it really works. (Leave a comment if you want more info on Jade Screen).
Your diet plays a huge role in your immune system's functionality. Diets high in protein, like Atkins, can mess with the immune system in some people. The best diet for people with allergies is -- yes I'm actually going to say it again -- one that centers on fruits and vegetables, eating fat and protein in moderate amounts and drinking plenty of water, while avoiding processed foods, white sugar and white flour.
Also try my animal, vegetable and mineral approach.
Animal
The number one dietary change you can make to relieve allergies is to give up cow's milk. Milk, ice cream and cheese are really, really bad for you if you suffer from hay fever (this is totally independent and has nothing to do with being lactose intolerant). I know it's hard to give up pizza, but cow's milk, specifically the protein casein, increases mucus, a lot. Even non-dairy cheese made from almonds or soy may contain casein, so check the label. The good news is that sheep and goat milk don't have casein so you can still eat products made from these sources.
Vegetable
According to integrative-medicine guru Dr. Andrew Weil, effective herbal remedies for allergy suffers include the leaves and root from the stinging nettle plant. Take one to two freeze-dried capsule every two to four hours.* And quercetin, a bioflavonoid from citrus fruits and buckwheat, should be taken in the form of 500 mg coated tablets (avoid the powder) for at least six to eight weeks* to stabilize the cells that produce the itch. Dr. Weil also recommends using a nasal douche which rinses pollen from your nasal tissues while soothing the irritated mucus membranes. A commercial, non-prescription product he recommends is Nasalcrom Nasal Solution. (*Dosages given are for non-pregnant adults.)
Mineral
Mr. Fiend and I can personally state that zinc really does boost the immune system. It makes your hair grow real nice too. Ziacam is a zinc-based product made specifically for allergy suffers. We prefer to take a simple mineral supplement that contains calcium, magnesium and zinc.
Mind-body medicines like meditation, guided imagery and hypnosis have good track records in treating allergies, as do acupuncture and homeopathy. All three consider the body as a whole, not just parts, and there are generally no side effects to treatments. An acupuncturist and homeopathic practitioner will spend a lot more time diagnosing your allergy and developing a personal treatment than a doctor of Western medicine will. These techniques not only lessen specific allergy attacks, they can actually help your body unlearn its whacked response to allergens – allergies-be-gone.
Honey is a folk remedy for pollen allergies. It's kinda like the allergy shot concept, take in a small dose of an allergen and your body will learn to relax, not overreact to it and your allergies will gradually disappear. Honey contains pollen; the body recognizes honey as a food, your immune system chills out instead of freaking out. Important: Use local hone and take a spoonful a day.
Allergy medicine is BIG business.
Drug company GlaxoSmithKline just won FDA approval for their new steroid nasal spray Veramyst. It's expected to make sales of up to $1 billion in the first year alone, so don't expect your doctor to recommend acupuncture, mind-body techniques, herbal remedies or dietary changes that can cure your allergies. It's in the best interest of the medical field to keep you sick.
Sources and For More Information:
General on allergies:
http://www.health.harvard.edu/special_health_reports/What_to_do_about
_Allergies.htm http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/aha/aha_hayfever_crs.htm
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/4738408.html
Dr. Weil, search >allergies< for various articles.
drweil.com
Homeopath and natural remedies:
http://www.vaxa.com/allergy-medicines.cfm
http://dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_5747949
Acupuncture:
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=51978
Allergies and meth:
http://www.newsobserver.com/104/story/562846.html
Allergies are big business: http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/27/news/companies/bc.glaxo.allergies.reut/?
postversion=2007042717
Driving while under the influence (of allergy meds): http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/motoring/motorsafety/Hayfever+Driving+Risk-1223.html
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Tuesday, May 15, 2007
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Category: Life
Phenology, Nature in Your Own Back Yard, and Global Warming
BY ELIZABETH FIEND
I've been reading Wild Fruits, an unfinished, recently published manuscript by American naturalist Henry David Thoreau. The book is a combination of diary and essay, chronicling the ways Thoreau spent his days and what he learned during the final years of his brief life. With each page I get more jealous, wishing I too could spend my day stalking a bee to find its hive and to learn what type of flower the bee drinks nectar from and how that affects the flavor of the honey.
Of all the things I love to do (and I love to do a LOT of things) observing nature is on the top of my list. Fantasizing how I could manage to spend my days doing what Thoreau did, I realized my main stumbling block is that I'm just not as big of a mooch as Thoreau. Sure, he worked some in his family's pencil factory (in fact, he "invented" the modern clay-and-graphite pencil). But he also spent quite a lot of time not working, crashing at his mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson's house and living on, and off of, Emerson's land.
I work full time at a library, not some of the time at a pencil factory. But still, I manage to spend quite a lot of time observing nature, especially the ecology of my South Philly back yard. There's a lot going on outside, even in the midst of a large city. I actually start my observing while I'm still lying in bed each morning -- If you listen to the sounds of the outdoors you can learn quite a lot, especially about the birds. In fact, I think I know more about what the birds in my 'hood are up to than my human neighbors, whom I never see and don't particularly want to hear.
Phenology -- derived from the Greek word phainomai, to appear or come into view -- is the study of the seasonal timing of life-cycle events. As the seasons change, so do the actions and characteristics of living things. Phenology is mostly concerned with firsts: the first day the maple trees bud-out in spring, or the first day they begin to show fall color. It is a very, very old science, older than the word science.
I try to apply the science of phenology to my own back yard. Instead of going by a calendar date to plant peas, or prune roses, you take your cue from other living things. I prune my roses when the forsythia blooms. Are the hellebores blooming? Okay, time to prune the grapes and other hardwood fruit trees.
Phenology is also helpful to understand and predict when a particular plant will come alive in the spring. Right now, my lavender plants aren't showing any sign of life, while almost everything else around them is. But I'm not panicking because I observed and studied the plant in previous years so I know it's one of the last plants to show new growth. I also observed a professional landscaper pulling out some oak leaf hydrangeas last week -- too bad, because I knew they weren't dead, just slower to bud out than other shrubs.
Since the dawn of Homo sapiens, humans have used phenology to survive. Our earliest ancestors had to learn how the unfolding of the seasons related to the food chain, and had to watch for signs from nature herself. When was the season to hunt, to gather, to stock up on food? And phenology's role in the development of agriculture was immense. Plant your seeds when it's too cold, too wet or too hot they won't germinate. Understand the signs, or starve.
Today, phenology has an important role in the global warming debate. For centuries obsessive phenologists have been keeping detailed logs of nature's seasonal changes. In China and Japan, the blooming of cherry and pear trees was always noted and celebrated. Festivals that date all the way back to the 8th Century are held when the blossoms arrive.
Phenology won't tell us if global warming is man made, but the records kept by phenologists tell us that changes are definitely afoot. In Burgundy, France, home of the pinot noir grape, detailed logs of temperature variations were registered continually in parish municipal archives since 1370. Wow. In a report published by Nature, these records were used to reconstruct 700 years worth of spring/summer temperatures in that specific part of the world. The study showed that indeed there have been periods of higher-than-normal temperatures, but the summer of 2003 had the highest recorded temperatures ever.
One of the things phenologists note is the growing season of any particular geographical location. These are the days in-between the last and first frost. The growing season in any given area is important because it concerns food production. That date is used to know when it's safe to plant, when it's time to harvest and also which plants are suitable for the area. If you have a short growing season, stick with tomatoes and basil, a longer growing season try some watermelon.
Based on a recent analysis of area temperatures over the past 30 years, Philadelphia's growing season has expanded by a full lunar cycle! Of course, less than one week after these figures were reported, we embarked on a round of record-breaking cold weather; this April has been the coldest in 40 years.
During the cold snap, if one more person came up to me and said "So much for global warming" I was going to have to bite their head off, like I recently saw a sharp-shinned hawk do to a pigeon in my back yard. Global warming is about weather chaos, people, it's not a measured, systematic slide into balmy tropical temperatures. Global warming is going to bring wide, unpredictable swings in temperatures of the air and oceans. It's going to cause too much rain, too little rain, or rain at the wrong time. It will lead to flooding and drought. We'll see hurricanes and twisters where there never were any, and more fierce storms in areas already prone to them. It's going to be hell. Think global weather chaos rather than global warming and you'll be more prepared for your future life.
But also think food shortages and economic hardship. No matter the technical advancements in agribusiness, agriculture is highly dependent on climate. Temperature, solar radiation and precipitation are the drivers of crop growth.
It was once proposed that global warming would actually create a boost in agricultural productivity due to increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. On paper this looked right. But recent studies showed that yes, plants like carbon dioxide (there's already super poison ivy growing about the East Coast). But plants hate ozone, another side effect of global warming, so we should look forward to a decrease in food production.
Production patterns of our food will change in ways we can't really anticipate.
Wheat germinates at a very specific temperature. As the temperature changes due to global warming agricultural zones will move closer to the poles. No more bread basket in Middle America. Soon our bread basket will be in Canada.
Corn is pollinated by the wind. Pollen is blown from the corn tassels to the silks inside the ears. Yes, global warming will change our wind patterns too. Too much wind will blow the pollen too far away, too little won't get the job done. We may be eating corn with empty rows and missing kernels.
Global warming isn't just going to affect the weather. It will affect all the things that weather affects. When nature loses its predictability, things have a tendency to spiral out of control. Living things, animals, insects, birds and plants not only live in a cycle, their cycles are dependent on the cycles of other living things. Global warming is going to affect the birds and the bees which in turn will affect our food supply.
Fruit trees like apple, peach and cherry, burst into a brilliant haze of blooms each spring, and the flowers only last a few days. If the bees don't arrive to pollinate at exactly the right time, there will be no fruit to eat. Citrus production will decrease because of an increase in disease, some of which is weather-related, others are caused by insects. Because of changing weather cycles, birds and ladybugs will not arrive on time to eat the aphids that suck the life out of other crops.
If you really look at nature and study her habits you'll know, this is not an intelligent design it's too intricate and complicated. I'll even go as far as to say that Nature is one crazy lady. The late Kurt Vonnegut recently observed that the planet Earth is treating human beings as a scourge, a plague, or more accurately a germ. Global warming is the planets self-defense mechanism. Earth has developed a fever to get rid of us, to kill us off before we kill her.
Elizabeth's Sparrow Cheat Sheet
If you'd like to be a junior-phenologist and get more involved with nature and learn her cycles start with the sparrows, they're everywhere, everyday. Maybe they all look the same to you, but they're not. Here's my cheat sheet to the most common sparrows in our area. Check 'em out. Where do they hang, what do they eat, why do they fight, what makes them sing, and how do they get their girlfriends?
House Sparrow aka English Sparrow
Male: black beak
Female: yellow beak
Plain top of head
Tan rump
Aggressive and abundant
Chipping Sparrow
Red head
White eye brow
Black line from bill past eye to ear
Gray nape and cheek
Two white bars on wings
Song Sparrow
Broad grayish eye brow
Broad black stripes on white throat
Under parts whitish
Legs and feet are pink
White Throated Sparrow
White throat
Dark crown
Black stripes and eye lid
Eurasian Sparrow
More rare
Brown is redder
Black dot on side, not on chest
Tan rump
Sources and For More Information:
Henry David Thoreau:
http://www.transcendentalists.com/1thorea.html
Phenology and climate change:
http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/almanac/arc2003/alm03
mar.htm http://poorwillsalmanack.com/index.html
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v432/n7015/full/432289a.html
Longer growing season in Philadelphia:
http://www.philly.com/philly/health_and_science/20070326_
WeatherWatch___Growing_season_is_longer__but_what_does
_that_mean_.html
Pollination:
http://msucares.com/lawn/garden/vegetables/pollination/index.html
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Wednesday, April 25, 2007
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Soy to the World
2007 BY ELIZABETH FIEND
You wait and wait, eagerly anticipating your favorite time of the year, and suddenly, it's here! April is National Soy Month, the most delicious month of the year! Soy is one hell of an amazing plant, one that's been part of the human diet for over 5,000 years. But it's much, much more than just veggie burgers. The soybean is also used as food for livestock and it has all the properties of petroleum -- except unlike petrol, soy is biodegradable. Wow, doesn't knowing that you could fuel up your car or feed your cow with it make soy even more mouth-watering, appetizing and desirable to you?
This bean's potential is astounding.
Ben Franklin was so intrigued by the story of a "cheese" made from a bean he acquired some seeds, soybeans actually, and sent them to his West Philly homey John Bartram's estate. Ben also sent along directions on how to turn the beans into curds, aka tofu. Despite Ben's efforts, soy never really caught on in Ye Olde America, and was primarily grown for livestock feed and oil until food shortages during WWII stimulated interest in the plant as a source of food for human beans. Tofu, which had Ben so jazzed up, wasn't sold in an American supermarket until 1958. Not coincidentally, I made my own debut that year.
Franklin was only one great thinker (and eater) who was intrigued by the potential of the plant from Asia. Both George Washington Carver and Henry Ford donated a great deal of their lives to this marvelous bean. Carver, the African-American educator and agricultural genius, began investigating soy in hopes it would become a crop newly-emancipated slaves might use to gain financial independence. His soy products include candles, soups, coffee, cheeses, ice cream, flour and oil.
Henry Ford also had a million projects going on involving soy and dedicated the last two decades of his life to the bean. Among other things, he unveiled a car made with soy-composite body parts in 1941 and was known to be out and about town in a suit spun out of soy.
As a food, soy can't be beat. It's packed with more protein than any other bean. In fact, the soybean is the only plant food source that contains ALL of the nine essential amino acids, making it equal to the protein from animal sources. But unlike animal products, soy has no cholesterol and is much lower in saturated fat. It's loaded with fiber and nutrients such as phosphorus and vitamin E. It contains antioxidants and has shown promise in lowering LDL, or "bad" cholesterol. Soy may also prevent heart disease and cancer, and alleviate the symptoms of menopause because it tricks the body into thinking it's getting the hormone estrogen. Because soy isoflavones seem not only to prevent bone loss, but actually build bone, many soy products contain added calcium to help your body maximize this benefit.
Blame it on the hippies.
So if soy is so good, why does it have such a bad rap with the American public? In the early 1970s, the health food movement emerged big time. Propelled by granola-eating, Earth Shoe-wearing, anti-war hippies, it got a "liberal" stigma, which is really nonsensical yet has persisted. Soy is also linked to vegetarianism, which is not the case in any other part of the world. And what can I say, Americans hate vegetarians.
Tofu: The other other white meat.
The American family is just beginning to embrace soy. Manufacturers and admen work hard to make this happen, but the country still refuses to embrace tofu. Imagine in the 1950s, a typical nuclear family sitting down to a dinner of sushi? Forget about it. But today, sushi is eaten with chop sticks as a convenience take-out food by teenagers and Dads alike. But tofu? No way. Tofu hasn't made the leap. It's still yucky to Dads.
Tofu, frankly, is unlike any other ingredient Americans eat. Forget the raw, white, gelatinous blob you tried and hated. Save that experience until your taste buds have matured and you can really groove on it. Instead, try some baked tofu. Make your own (my recipe is below) or buy already baked. When cooked properly, it's so scrumptious and, and as a bonus, tofu is almost always organic! And it's super cheap.
Blame it on the Baby Boomers.
Even though tofu hasn't yet broken through into the culinary mainstream, we have seen an increase in the number of mainstream food products containing soy. Ever since soy isoflavones were linked to the relief of menopausal symptoms, Lady Boomers began seeking ways to incorporate more soy into their diets. Of course, they just wanted to take a pill. But isoflavones in pill form have not been proven effective, as in many other cases, eating the whole food is the way to go.
Boomers have been driving the economy since they dealt their first bag of weed. When this large generation reached menopause, their abundant disposable income demanded soy convenience foods and we began seeing more and more food products made out of soy. Soy milk is a prime example. You can get it at any supermarket in the refrigerator section, right next to cow's milk. It's great on cereal and definitely worth a try, but look for a brand that has the certified organic seal on the carton.
Whip up your own soy milk fruit smoothies. The ones you buy at an ice cream or juice stand are loaded with carbs. (Anytime you see a beverage made with bananas AND orange juice, back away unless you want to gain weight.) Instead, what I'd suggest is get a bag of frozen mangoes, pop them in a blender with some soy milk. Don't add sugar! Instant, creamy, healthful, it's a filling, refreshing summer breakfast.
Soy in bean curds = Out, Edamame = In.
Tofu may not have made the leap into cool but edamame, the fresh green soy bean, has. You can buy frozen bags of them, in or out of the pod. Great for snacks, or use like any other green vegetable. Toasted soy nuts make good snacks too, they're lower in fat and calories than peanuts. You can even enjoy soybean sprouts in sandwiches and salads. Soybean oil is used for frying, in baked goods and in salad dressings -- it's even used as a non-toxic filler for some for breast implants! (Soya Oil / Trilucent Breast Implants).
Fermented soy is especially nutritious. Use miso, a fermented soybean paste, in soups and sauces. Stir in a spoonful or so, but add it at the last minute, as boiling miso destroys the beneficial enzymes. Miso is also great for making salad dressings. My favorite is made with ginger, miso, a touch of sesame oil and some orange juice.
Tempeh, a cultured cake of beans and grain and a staple in Indonesia, is also made from fermented soy. It is the most healthful of all soy products. It's so special in fact, that I'll write a future article about this mysterious food. If you haven't dined on my tempeh BBQ ribs, you haven't lived yet. If you want a dinner invite, leave a comment on this blog.
Analog, not digital.
And of course there are the tofu hot dogs and veggie burgers. In fact, the supermarket aisle are full of meat analogs -- that is, fake meat -- in the form of sausage, ground beef, cold cuts, chicken nuggets, meatballs and more. Most of these meat analog products are actually blends of soy and wheat. And unless it says organic on the label, you can pretty much be assured that it's made with genetically modified soy.
Not all of these meat analogs are created equal. Check the package for nutritional information; especially look at the fat grams, calories and sodium. I've seen some brands of vegetarian kielbasa that have 13 grams of fat. Absurd! There is absolutely no reason to eat a veggie product that's higher than 7 grams of fat per serving, and many, like Boca Burgers (2.5 grams of fat), go much lower.
If you don't like one brand, try another until you find one you like. Generally, you don't want to microwave these things, even though they provide microwaving instructions. Would you microwave a hamburger? Of course not, it would taste like crap -- and so will the meat analog. Grill, bake, pan fry in a teensy bit of fat, or stir fry. Don't over cook.
For optimum health it's recommended you eat one or two servings of soy a day, which equals 40 mg of isoflavones. As always, avoid highly processed foods.
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Elizabeth Fiend's BASIC BAKED-TOFU
Cooking Time: 45 min., Active time: 10 min., Servings: 4
In America in the 60's and 70's when tofu was first coming into recognition by the crunchy, granola eating set the suggested preparation method for cooking tofu was very complicated. It usually involved pressing the tofu under weights and marinating it for hours before cooking. I have combined all those steps into one easy method that's basically dry rub then bake! Baked tofu is so good and versatile to use I often double this recipe and cook 2 lbs. of tofu at once.
Quick and easy uses for baked tofu: Use baked tofu in sandwiches. Slice or dice baked tofu and substitute for chicken in any of your favorite recipes. Add it to a can of soup for an instant upgrade in flavor and nutrition. Add, with vegetables, to ramen noodles, or combine with vegetables in a stir-fry. You may want to add the tofu to your dish at last minute to preserve its texture.
Ingredients:
1 lb EXTRA firm tofu
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp powdered ginger
½ tsp dry mustard spray olive oil
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Open tofu package -- discard water
Slice tofu on the shortest side of the block into 8 pieces
Spray baking sheet with olive oil and lay slices of tofu on baking sheet
Sprinkle on top of the tofu the garlic, ginger and mustard or your favorite seasonings
Shake on the soy sauce (don't overdo the salt!)
Bake for 25 minutes or until the bottom is golden and crispy
Slide a thin spatula under each piece of tofu and flip
Spray light coating of olive oil over top of tofu
Bake for 20 more minutes or until the bottom is golden and crispy
You want the tofu to be slightly crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. Overbaking will result in tofu-jerky; underbake, and the tofu won't have as interesting a texture.
Elizabeth's secret steps: When done cooking, remove the tofu from the oven and flip it over one more time. This will release heat and moisture, preserving the crispy texture of the tofu. To preserve the texture, don't refrigerate until completely cooled. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How do you use that baked tofu?
RED x 3 by Elizabeth Fiend
Time: 1/2 hour-ish, Serves 4, Vegan
Red foods generally contain more vitamins than their less showy cousins. Take advantage by combining 3 red vegetables and tofu in this spicy Korean flavored, one pot vegan meal. It's the perfect dish for those with roommates. (cuz you know they never wash the dishes) Loaded with antioxidants!
SEASONING Ingredients
1 t sesame oil
3 or more cloves fresh garlic -- minced
2 T fresh ginger -- minced
HOT pepper flakes (to taste, I recommend a lot!)
RED STUFF
2 RED onions -- sliced into ½ moons
2 RED peppers -- cut into match sticks
1/2 head RED cabbage -- shredded PROTEIN
1 lb. firm tofu – baked & cut into cubes (see recipe above)
SAUCE
1 T light soy sauce
1/4 c lime juice
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c chopped cilantro
TOPPING (more protein!)
1/2 c walnuts pieces
COOK IT
In a non stick pan or wok, sauté garlic, ginger & hot pepper in sesame oil (when dry: do NOT add more oil, add water)
add onions, cook till just translucent
add red peppers, cook till skins are soft
add cabbage, don't overcook!
add baked tofu cubes & cook until heated thru
stir in sauce ingredients adjust to taste
dish up
top with nuts eat
Note: This dish doesn't make good leftovers as the red cabbage tends to dye the tofu an unsightly color.
Sources and For More Information:
George Washington Carver
http://www.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/gwc/bio.html
Henry Ford
http://www.karlwells.com/nov2003.htm
National Cancer Institute http://www.cancer.gov/prevention/agents/Soy_Isoflavones.html
Soy and menopause
http://health.ivillage.com/eating/ewsoy/0,,32k,00.html
Food and Drug Administration http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/2000/300_soy.html
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Friday, April 13, 2007
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Category: Life
Spring Cleaning (Health & the Environment)
by ELIZABETH FIEND
When the earth is tilted so that the sun is directly over the equator at high noon, this is the vernal equinox. In this momentary balance of light and dark, we are halfway between summer and winter. Mid-points have been celebrated through out the ages and around the world. In ancient Babylon, the New Year occurred at the spring equinox. The ancients of America oriented their giant earthwork mounds to equinox sunrise points. Celtic Pagans lit fires at dawn to cure ills, renew life and protect crops. Today, we party in Cancun.
Or we clean.
This season of renewal brings with it the tradition of spring cleaning, making now as good a time as any to switch to all things natural. I'm talking about cleaning products -- for your home and your body. All types of non-toxic cleaners for your home are now available in conventional supermarkets: glass, drain, dishwasher, dish soap, laundry, shower, even toilet bowl cleaners. Most are competitively priced or cost just a tad bit more than chemical-based cleaners. Theses natural cleaners are conveniently located right next to the toxic ones, or maybe on a shelf not quite at eye level.
Instead of the toxic, nonrenewable or harmful-to-the-environment ingredients like petroleum, butyl cellosolve, chlorine bleach, and the cancer-causing fragrance ingredient phthalates, the new non-toxic cleaners are made from ingredients like corn, grain alcohol, palm kernel, and citrus and coconut oils. And they really work. Hypo-allergenic, with no perfumes or dyes, they smell nice too. To my nose, they smell way, way better.
Why make the switch?
VOCs -- Volatile organic compounds -- are gases emitted from some liquid or solid chemicals. VOCs are emitted from the very same chemicals that are included in many cleaning products, disinfectants and air fresheners. They're in your dry cleaning too. Not to mention their presence in other common household products like paint, varnish, craft and hobby materials. They're also found in scads of personal care products like cosmetics, body soaps and shampoos, and baby products. [Today I'm just talkin' cleaning. But be forewarned: In the future I'll do an in-depth report about all types of personal care products and cosmetics. It's bad news. Very, very, bad.]
Open the windows! (Seriously.)
The EPA estimates that VOCs are present in the air indoors, that is, in your home, in concentrations up to 10 times higher than outdoors. These toxic gases have short- and long-term negative health effects including headaches, irritation to eyes, nose and throat, nausea and most alarmingly, damage to your central nervous system, liver and kidneys.
Do I have to go on? OK: fatigue, dizziness, allergic skin reaction, difficulty breathing, declines in cholinesterase levels (an enzyme found in the heart, brain, and blood and at nerve endings, which hydrolyzes acetylcholine to acetic acid and choline -- so there). Several of the toxic VOCs found in cleaning products are definitely known to cause cancer in animals and are suspected to be carcinogenic in humans too.
As far back as last century, a study published in New Scientist found that in households in which a lot of air fresheners were used, pregnant women experienced 25 percent more headaches and their newborn babies had a 30 percent higher rate of ear infections than in homes that didn't use air fresheners. This was a big study too, involving 1,400 women.
It's tricky to know which products to buy because the laws work against us. No safety standards are set for non-commercial levels of VOCs, and federal law doesn't require the listing of all chemicals in non-food products. Laundry soaps such as Tide and Cheer may have as many as 300 ingredients, but only a few are actually listed on the label.
"Green" company Seventh Generation's bathroom cleaner contains only five ingredients: hydrogen peroxide (the active stain removal agent), biodegradable surfactants (for soil removal), citrus oil (for grease removal), food-grade, non-toxic oxygen stabilizers (to help the hydrogen peroxide last longer), and water. It removes soap scum. Do you really need another 295 other secret, non-listed ingredients? I think not.
When go shopping, you have to be seriously careful about the new trend of greenwashing by manufacturers and admen. They use words like non-toxic, eco-safe, natural, environmentally friendly and organic. Unfortunately when used to describe (or sell) non-food items these phrases, have absolutely no regulation as to their meaning. So, assume they mean absolutely nothing. "Fragrance-free" however does generally mean, fragrance free. I'd say, go for it.
Throw away the notion that if your mom used it it's gotta be good (sorry Mom) and begin instead with the concept that if you can't pronounce it, don't use it. A best bet would be to use a cleaning product with the Green Seal (it's actually blue with a green check-mark). Green Seal is a great non-profit out of Washington, DC that investigates products and services and certifies them for environmental safety and sustainability. And remember, this is your house, not a hospital -- so maybe use less of that cleaning product and clean a little less often (sorry again Mom).
And while we're at it, why increase the chemical overload on your body by applying toxic chemicals to it? Switch to natural personal care products, too.
Toothpaste: it's a cleaning product you actually put straight into your mouth. So why use one made with added colorants, thickeners, preservatives and harsh cleaning chemicals? And sweeteners -- do you really need to brush your teeth with a product that contains artificial sugar?
Traditional toothpastes have creepy, mysterious ingredients like sodium hexametaphosphate, which is defined as "sodium phosphate glass." I don't know what the hell that is or what it does, and I don't even want to know, since I can buy a perfectly good product without it.
On the shelf next to the toothpastes made with saccharin, preservatives, artificial flavors and colorings, you'll find toothpaste made from all-natural flavors with out additives. They taste better too. Tom's of Main is the brand I use, and it comes in about a bazillion options and flavors.
Oh my lack of god, I just looked at the toxicity report for Revlon Aquamarine Shampoo. The bottle boasts extra body, fresh scent and 21 ingredients. It doesn't tell you that of those 21 ingredients, 13 raise health concerns; six have violations, restrictions, and warnings attached to them; and one proprietary ingredient has an identity unknown. Nine ingredients have not been assessed by the cosmetics industry at all and 13 have data gaps. All this info thanks to an exhaustive study conducted by the watchdog non-profit, Environmental Working Group. And this is a shampoo that's ranked as being of moderate concern. I'll spare you news about the products of high concern and just advise: skip 'em all and go natural.
Unfortunately, non-toxic personal cleaners like shampoo and body soap have not made the leap into many conventional supermarkets and drug stores. Indeed, you might have to (gasp!) pay a visit to a health food store. Whole Foods, generally a pricey chain, actually has some excellent, inexpensive shampoos and soaps. They're nonperishable so you can stock up on 'em, and always have some on hand. And review my previous article about antibacterial soaps. http://www.phawker.com/?p=1772
Go zen.
While you're doing all this cleaning, cut down on material possessions. It's called junk for a reason, people -- give away the stuff you no longer use or need and don't buy new stuff. You'll have less to clean.
You can save money and make your own green cleaning products. "They" say these really work. What? You figure I probably make all my own cleaning products. Hell yeah I would, but I don't actually do any cleaning. Mr. Fiend takes care of all that. (Ok, I'm a spoiled bitch. I cook, he cleans.) Share with us your own special green cleaning tips or try some of these out and report back here how they work.
Sources:
New York Timeshttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/15/garden/15clean.html?8dpc
Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html
Common Dreams Orghttp://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0208-08.htm
Grist Magazinehttp://www.grist.org/advice/possessions/2003/03/18/possessions-
cleaning/index.html
Environmental Working Grouphttp://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/report.php?type=PRODUCT
&id=8800938
Green Certification:
Green Seal
http://www.greenseal.org/
Products:
Seventh Generationhttp://www.seventhgen.com/index.php
Sun and Earthhttp://www.sunandearth.com/
Make Your Own Cleaners:
http://www.greenerchoices.org/products.cfm?product=greencleaning&page
=RightChoices
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Friday, March 30, 2007
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Category: Life
Calories In, Calories Out
copyright 2007 by ELIZABETH FIEND
Spring is in the air, and peoples' attention will be turning to romance and in turn lookin' good for the summer months when you get to show off a lot more skin. If you're considering going on a diet to look great to attract that special someone, I can help you because I know THE definitive way to lose weight. Send me a check and I'll spill it. Oh hell, I'll just tell you right now. The way, and this is the only way to loose weight -- drum roll please..... eat less and/or exercise more. Or to be very precise, burn more calories than you consume. This is the only way, folks. Don't let anyone else tell you differently and don't spend any money or waste time on any other scheme.
Calories in, calories out.
Every fad diet or even the ones that linger -- such as Atkins, Weight Watchers, South Beach, The Zone, The Grapefruit Diet, The Cabbage Soup Diet -- no matter what they try to get you to believe (eat only protein, eat no fat, eat only grapefruit) underneath it all, at the end of the meal these diets are about one thing -- calorie restriction.
The camouflage that these diets wrap themselves in, and the way they differ from one another, is in their strategy of helping you to stick to the restricted caloric intake. These strategies really can help you consume fewer calories by making you feel less hungry. For example, it's true that simple carbohydrates, like cake and white bread, release all their energy (or calories) into your blood quickly. You eat, you crash. You feel lack of energy so you eat again. Foods containing protein and complex carbs, nuts and the whole grains in whole wheat pasta or brown rice, release their energy slowly, over time, making you feel more satiated and therefore less likely to consume more calories. Fruits and vegetables, which contain few calories to begin with, can fill you up because you can eat a lot of them and not consume too many calories.
Portion control, consuming whole grains and lean protein, eating 7 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruits a day, and a constant, moderate exercise program -- these are the keys to losing weight.
Which brings me to Enviga.
Enviga is a new green tea-flavored soda that's been test marketed right here in Philadelphia. It's part of the new and disturbing class of so called "functional foods" -- foods that are fortified with supplements, chemicals or herbs that are designed in a laboratory and tout health benefits with little or no scientific backing.
Enviga's makers, Coca-Cola and Nestlé, claim that by drinking the concoction, you'll burn not only more calories than the 5 the beverage contains -- kinda like the old grapefruit diet -- but that you'll actually burn an extra 106 calories, a 4 percent increase over a placebo. The placebo being another diet soda.
The study, funded by Nestlé, which "proves" this was conducted for only 72 hours, on only 31 people – all thin and young, probably beautiful too, although that wasn't mentioned in the report. In this flimsiest of flimsy studies, the young, thin and likely beautiful people drank three cans of Enviga a day. That means they each had nine whole cans of the stuff. Study over, conclusions drawn. Marketing begins.
The soda's website says "Enviga represents the perfect partnership of science and nature." But I'm calling bullshit: I don't see any science in their study, and I see even less nature in their product. In fact, if you follow their plan of drinking 3 cans of the dreck a day you'll actually be burning more money than calories. The scheme will set you back about $1,400 a year. Marketing success!
The web site also says Enviga contains "many healthy ingredients." The ingredient list is carbonated water, added calcium, concentrated green tea extract, unnamed natural flavors, caffeine, phosphoric acid and two artificial sweetners, aspartame and acesulfame potassium. I don't think that list counts as "many" healthy ingredients, but the soda does come with a snappy slogan! "Be positive, drink negative."
The active diet ingredient being touted to the public, via a green can, comes from the green tea extract. Green tea is a beverage that's linked to all kinds of great health benefits. I'm a supporter of green tea. I drink two mugs of the stuff a day myself -- hot, and without added sugar or anything. But more importantly, nothing removed, which is what's been done with this beverage's green tea. It's not really green tea, it contains an extract of green tea called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. EGGG was isolated in a laboratory and possibly might, may be, perhaps is, the one thing that lends green tea the special health benefit being touted here, that is, increased metabolism. But as I've pointed out before, isolated elements of food rarely work as well as whole foods.
Enviga is certainly not a whole food, or even a healthful one.
Coca Cola and Nestlé are also bragging about the other active ingredient in Enviga: its extra caffeine, about twice the amount in a Diet Coke. Caffeine also contains EGGG. And remember, they recommend you drink three cans of Enviga a day, every day, to achieve the promised weight loss. That's a lot of jitters and no way to get a date.
Before you reach for a cuppa Joe instead, let me say that caffeine does not work as a real weight loss strategy, if it did we'd have an awfully lot of thin people hanging out at Starbucks, which we do not. Caffeine makes you hot (as in warm, not good-looking) and you temporarily burn some calories, but it doesn't last.
What made me hot and burning mad was Helen Falco, director of nutrition and health policy at Coca-Cola. She told USA Today, "I can choose to walk up the stairs or I can choose to have a can of Enviga."
Oh boy, that Helen Falco can really press my buttons. Imagine telling people not to exercise, but to drink a stupid soda instead! (Now imagine my head spinning off and exploding all over my desk.) I'm sure I expended at least 50 calories digesting this tidbit. Exercise is a key way to expend energy or burn calories. Exercise is necessary to remain healthy, stay at a proper weight and to just feel good and alive.
To make matters even more ridiculous, what Coca-Cola and Nestlé aren't promoting is that not all of the thin, young, possibly beautiful test subjects lost weight over the 3 day study! In reality, of the 31 participants in the study, six actually burned fewer calories after three days of consuming Enviga, not more.
In a press release issued by the nonprofit food watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) senior nutritionist David Schardt said "If you follow Coke's and Nestlé's logic, then about one in five consumers will eventually get fatter from drinking Enviga every day." CSPI is so pissed they're suing Coca-Cola and Nestlé, as is the state of Connecticut.
In reality, Enviga and products like this are a sign of desperation from the floundering makers of sodas and artificial beverages. You see, we are as a nation trying to get a grip on our weight and health in this era of obesity and diabetes epidemics. The public is starting to get the message that soft drinks, whether they be diet or regular, are bad for us. Consumption is way off, sales are way down, hence the invention of a whole new class of beverages.
Unfortunately, the soda makers got it wrong. We don't need newfangled ways to manage our weight. We already know the one way -- calories in, calories out; burn more calories than you consume.If you have any questions about weight management strategies, ask them here.
Sources:
Business Week:
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2007/02/negative
_calor
USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-02-11-enviga-claims_x.htm
Center for Science in the Public Interest:
http://www.cspinet.org/new/200612041.html
Common Dreams:
http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0212-04.htm
Enviga:
http://www.enviga.com
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Friday, March 23, 2007
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Category: Life
FLOWERS AND BOMBS
2007 by ELIZABETH FIEND
The first time I ever ate flowers, they were served to me by a man who just moments before had uttered the command: "Don't smoke in this room, this is where we make our bombs." He then pointed out the window, where on an overhanging roof rung with barbed wire I spied rows and rows of Molotov cocktails, finely crafted in Heineken bottles. The bombs were needed in case the police came a-knockin'. Or as I found out first hand, several hours later, when they don't knock. The cops actually come a-bangin,' with a battering-ram. And they dress in full riot gear -- shields, helmets, batons.
Welcome to the world of European squats.
Later that night, while I was performing there with my band More Fiends, I told the crowd that this would be our last song. I looked down and a second later when I looked up, the room was totally deserted. Huh, I thought some weird Danish custom? Nope, the place was under attack by the politi and everyone had fled upstairs to their defensive positions.
No Molotov cocktails were thrown that night. Instead, they activated Plan B, the lobbing of fist-sized chunks of asphalt via sling-shots – the super industrial kind that are sold for 'hunting.' The asphalt chunks were kept in cascading mounds in each corner of a room that was down the hall from the bomb making room. Helmets with face masks were hung on hooks down one wall, the sling-shots on the other.
You could smoke in that room, no problem.
While my bandmates and I stood alone in the back hallway watching the double doors bend inwards with each assault of the police battering ram, some moments of uncertainty passed. What should we do? But I did know one thing for sure, edible flowers would have a place in my future.
Pansies, roses, calendula, squash flowers, anise hyssop, day lilies, bee balm, marigolds, carnations, sunflower buds, the flowers from most herbs and Thomas Jefferson's favorite flower, from the hyacinth bean, are all edible.
Luckily, most edible flowers are easy to grow. As an added bonus, many are classified as herbs and have medicinal qualities. In fact many of these herbs, such as basil, have turned out to be super foods – possessing unique power to keep you healthy at the cellular level.
Edible flowers will shine as an amazingly colorful addition to a dish by transforming the ordinary into the sublime. I always feel like a fairy princess when I eat a salad laden with colorful petals -- yellow and orange calendula, purple Johnny jump-ups – all intermingling with the emerald and kelly greens of mixed lettuce.
The globe-shaped flower heads of perennial chive are visually stunning when broken up and tossed with cooked brown rice. Each bite a tiny purple, succulent burst of garlic. Not overpowering, just empowering -- to the proud hostess that is. You can also pick the flower heads when they begin to form their seed pods, when the pods are still green, to use like capers.
Sunflowers aren't just for the birds, although that's a great bonus. You can steam the immature flower buds and serve them as you would artichokes.
Roses, ah, the Queen of edible flowers! Rose flavor is common in Indian cuisine, but quite exotic to the American palate. My favorite contribution to the summer pot-luck barbeque is Rose Petal Ricotta. So easy, so dreamy, so impressive, you really just have to say the name and everyone is clamoring for a taste. Your friends will think you've slaved for hours making this elegant spread, but in fact all you have to do is slice a rose bud into concentric circles – making rose confetti – and then gently stir the rose confetti into ricotta cheese. The best ricotta is the kind you buy fresh at the Italian Market. Serve on whole grain crackers and sit back and enjoy the oohs and aahhhs.
The purple spires of anise hyssop have the most pure anise flavor I've ever tasted, and are perfect for baking into shortbread or adding to iced tea. Anise hyssop is an anti-viral, promotes sweating and is used for fever and heatstroke. North American First Nations people use it as a breath-freshener, as a tea and as a sweetener. In China it's used for headache and angina.
Some flowers will not only add color and flavor but texture as well. Hyacinth bean flowers, for example, have the crunch and taste of a radish but they look like miniature orchids. So lovely. And some flowers, especially those of herbs, will add exceptional taste even when dried. Pinkish-purple sage flowers, balancing on buoyant stems shooting above the silvery green of sage leaves, should be cut just before their peak, dusted off, hung upside down and left to dry in a clean area away from direct sun light. Used when dried, they are deep with flavor, the flavor is at once familiar, yet impossible for the uninitiated to name as the source.
And tea -- what great tea these flowers make! Sage flower tea is delicious and healing, capable of soothing even the most painful sore throat. The generic name for sage, Salvia, comes from the Latin word meaning 'to heal' or 'savior.' Around the 10th century, Arab physicians believed sage extended life to the point of immortality. After the Crusades, the saying "Why should a man die who grows sage in his garden?" became popular in Europe. Charlemagne ordered sage grown in the medicinal herb gardens on his imperial farms, and the French called the herb toute bonne, meaning 'all's well.' Sage is also an immune system stimulant and makes a good digestive remedy. According to Flower Essence Lore (yes, there is such a thing!) sage flower essence enables the Self to learn and reflect about life, particularly enhancing the capacity to experience deep inner peace and wisdom.
The Oswego Indians of western New York made tea from the dried aromatic leaves of monarda (aka bee balm), bergamot, Oswego Tea, and shared their fondness for it with colonial settlers who embraced it when imported tea became scarce after that other Tea Party, up in Boston. One colonist, John Bartram of West Philadelphia, was so enamored by the plant he sent seeds back to England. I grow several types of bee balm and make a tea blend using the leaves and flowers from the varieties Purple Petite and the red flowered Monarda didyma 'Adam.' Delicious iced or hot.
The Shakers used monarda tea to treat colds and sore throats. Native Americans used it for colic, gas, colds, fevers, stomachaches, nosebleeds, insomnia, heart trouble, measles, and to induce sweating. Oswego tea contains the aromatic antiseptic thymol, which is widely used as a breath freshener by dentists and modern medical practitioners.
Never eat flowers you find along the road as they may have been sprayed with pesticides. Don't eat flowers from florists, it's a pretty sure bet these have also been treated with chemicals. The safest flowers you can eat are the ones you grow yourself.
Grow your own edible flowers, make your own tea blends, impress your dining companions with stunningly beautiful presentations and unique dishes. But get on the ball, because the time is NOW to order your plants or seeds for the coming spring and summer. In my experience, it's a crap shoot as to which nursery to purchase from. Price doesn't always matter either. But an important aspect of gardening is to know your local. Check the zone and conditions in which the plant can flourish and pay attention to the plants -- all summer. Don't try to tame nature to your will.
Feel free to post your questions about growing edible flowers here and check back later in the summer for more uses and recipes for these floral gems.
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Thursday, February 22, 2007
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Category: Life
Spice Up Your Life
copyright 2007 by ELizabeth Fiend
India is an ancient land of exotic foods flavored with sizzling spices, blended in sophisticated, aromatic, mouth-watering ways. Dishes are seasoned with a dazzling array of herbs and spices, ones we rarely cook with like fenugreek, asafetida, black mustard seed, mint, cardamom and rose petal essence. Complex, heady mixes like Tandoori spice are heady with ginger, nutmeg, coriander, cumin, paprika, black pepper, salt, cloves, cinnamon and turmeric, each blend particular to each cook, the recipes passed on down the generations.
Compare the intricacy of Tandorri spice to our "special sauce" -- a mix of mayo and ketchup -- served on our national dish, The Big Mac, which is seasoned with salt, and lots of it. Then compare India's rates of breast cancer, lung disease and Alzheimer's to our own. In India, 79 women in a million develop breast cancer each year, while here in the U.S. it's a whopping 660 per million. India's rate of lung cancer is even lower, about 30 people per million, while ours is over 600 per million. India also has the lowest rate of Alzheimer's in the world. So what's up with this?
Cultures that extend back to ancient times have their own approaches to medicine, and it's becoming quite clear to modern day scientists that these primordial systems have something going for them. Ayurvedic medicine, a philosophy developed over thousands of years in India, is still practiced today. Derived from the roots off two Sanskrit words, ayus meaning life, and veda, knowledge, Ayurvedic is a holistic healing method which, among many other things, believes food plays an important role in a person's health.
Taking a clue from this time-worn knowledge, we've begun to note that some foods go beyond merely nourishing us. Certain foods or even combinations of foods may reverse the negative effects of aging, pollution and life. Western medicine has dubbed these "super foods." You may have seen TV commercials for oatmeal, which can lower cholesterol levels or heard that one glass of wine a day can keep your heart healthy and that blueberries are not only delicious but rich in cancer busting antioxidants. All true -- these foods are indeed super for us.
Recent studies are showing that it's not only fruits, vegetables and whole grains which are super, but also the little things. Spices and herbs can play an important role in keeping us healthy too. Herbs and spices are proving to be a powerhouse in diseases treatment. But even better, it seems that regular consumption of some spices may actually prevent disease in the first place. How lucky for us that they're delicious, adding immense flavor and variety with out much in the way of calories or fat.
For thousands of years Ayurvedic medical practioners, have prescribed the spice turmeric as an anti-inflammatory and for digestive disorders, liver problems, wound healing and skin disease. And now Western science is backing up these claims. While searching for the reason why Indians have such low rates of Alzheimer's disease and breast and lung cancers, researchers turned their attention to this yellow powder. Indians eat turmeric at practically every meal -- in fact, India consumes and produces more turmeric than any other country.
Turmeric, Curcuma longa L, is a long-stemmed plant in the same family as ginger. It has bright green lily-like leaves and conical clusters of trumpet-shaped, pale yellow flowers. Its rhizome (a root like underground stem) is boiled, dried and turned into the yellow powder used to flavor curry dishes and to impart the yellow color in mustard. Its use in India has been documented for more than 4,000 years, and turmeric is still used in Hindu rituals and as a dye for holy robes.
Turmeric has turned out to truly be a super food, rich in both photochemicals and antioxidants, natural protective compounds embedded in food that protect our cells from damage. At the University of Arizona, Tucson, studies suggested that curcuminoids (polyphenolic pigments, like the beneficial pigments in red wine) found in turmeric can ease arthritis by preventing joint inflammation. It works by stopping a particular protein from setting off an inflammatory "chain reaction." Animal studies done at the University of Maryland Medical Center found turmeric demonstrated anti-tumor action, protect the liver, and had the ability to reduce inflammation and fight certain infections.
Want more? Turmeric is also a mosquito repellent.
In other studies, turmeric was shown to prevent heart attack and strokes by blocking the build up of atherosclerotic plaque. Positive results from even more studies indicate turmeric may be beneficial in treatment of cancers of the prostate, skin, breast and colon.
In German the herbal regulatory agency called Commission E has approved turmeric for digestive disorders because curcumin (one of the curcuminoids in turmeric) induces the flow of bile which helps bust up fats. This makes turmeric beneficial for the liver as well, because turmeric clears out toxins. It was specifically shown that turmeric protects the liver from damage caused by acetaminophen (Tylenol). So, maybe before you take Tylenol to cure that hangover, you should have a turmeric cocktail first?
What a promising list of attributes – heart, lungs, wounds, infections, cancers -- I mean it's just incredible stuff! If I was a money grubbing developer of pharmaceuticals, I'd want to control it. But that's ridiculous, right? Isn't turmeric a naturally occurring plant that's been grown and used for thousands of years by an indigenous population? Can someone claim ownership to something like that?
Yes, and the term is biopiracy. In 1995 the University of Mississippi Medical Center applied for and received a U.S. patient for the "use of turmeric in wound healing." This patient awarded the University exclusive rights to sell turmeric. Say what? In 1997, a suit was filed by India's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, disputing the University's right to own turmeric. The Council won their case by showing ancient Sanskrit writings that verified turmeric's diverse and vast use through out India's history. Eventually the patient was revoked.
It's very important that scientific methods are being used to investigate the beneficial claims herbalists have been documenting since the dawn of time. However, today's two-second attention span mentality insists on the magic pill philosophy. We want to isolate "the one thing" that pushes a plant from being merely food to being medicine, even though this philosophy has proven false time after time. Food is more than the sum of its parts, and nature is complex. The ancients understood this, but we refuse to accept it in our constant battle to tame, control and bend to our will the natural wonders of Earth.
Don't look for turmeric in a pill. Eat some curry, sprinkle some turmeric into your favorite dishes, add my vegan coleslaw recipe to your cooking repertoire. Or, order some turmeric tea and drink it cold and unsweetened, like they do on Okinawa, the Japanese island famed for its inhabitants' longevity.
THE FIENDS ANTIOXIDANT SLAW
This creamy coleslaw recipe not only gives contains turmeric, but has the added health benefit of another "warming" spice, cayenne pepper. This salad packs even more of a punch with the vitamins and antioxidants found in red cabbage and carrots, and the minerals found in seeds. It's also low-cal and so refreshing!
Serves 4, Time: 15 minutes (vegan)
Dressing Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy milk
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
Slaw Ingredients:
2 carrots, grated
¼ head red cabbage, grated
4 teaspoons sunflower seeds
Directions, Easy as 1-2-3:
1.) Mix up dressing (use a container with a lid and shake it up baby)
2.) Pour dressing over grated carrots and red cabbage
3.) Top with sunflower seeds right before serving
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Links:
Cancer rates US vs India: Ihttp://www.umassmed.edu/hema_oncology/MDSCenter/index.aspx
U of Arizona study:
http://www.medicinenet.com
U of Maryland studies:
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/Turmericch.html
Curcuminoids overview of medical studies:
http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/cur_0087.shtml
U of Misssippi Med Center patient battle:
http://www.american.edu/ted/turmeric.htm
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