A Return to Natural Farming

Here's another New York Times article that I read today. The story talks about the rebirth of natural farming. There is a new generation of young people who reject industrial farming and want to return to a more natural, "old school" way. The story describes a farm in Oregon, where the food culture welcomes such a change. However, the article points out the difficulties of natural farming. Farmers are limited on land and money and it is difficult to compete with large food growers.

It's exciting to see stories like this because it shows that documentaries like Food, Inc. do have some influence in inspiring people to change how and what they eat. My favorite quote from the article sums up the movement:

Garry Stephenson, coordinator of the Small Farms Program at Oregon State University, said he had not seen so much interest among young people in decades. “It’s kind of exciting,” Mr. Stephenson said. “They’re young, they’re energetic and idealist, and they’re willing to make the sacrifices.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/us/06farmers.html?_r=1&hp

environment influences: when are you done eating dinner?

For those looking to infuse a bit of scientific evidence into our study of human eating behavior, a free online Yale course called The Psychology, Biology, and Politics of Food provides a lot of excellent insight. This lecture, which addresses the morphing of the modern diet, demonstrates just how easily our minds are manipulated. The lecturer describes a study in which he surveyed matched samples of Parisians and Chicagoans, and asked them how they know when they're done eating dinner. Parisians overwhelmingly responded that they finish eating when they're no longer hungry. The second-most common response was that they finish when the food no longer tastes good. Chicagoans have apparently overlooked these self-evident answers. The three most common responses among the latter cohort were: (1) I'm finished when the plate is empty, (2) I'm finished when others around me are done, and (3) I'm finished when the tv show I'm watching is over. I suspect that authors like Kingsolver would explain that in the absence of a deeply-rooted food culture, American eaters allow environmental factors to drown out their body's innate knowledge. As a result, we're a culture full of people who don't know when we ought to stop eating.

In another amusing study, the lecturer rigged a never-ending, self-refilling soup bowl by drilling a hole in the bottom of a bowl and connecting it to a thin pipe that led to a hidden pressurized vat of soup - the contraption made it so that you could eat soup for hours and the level would never decrease. (Here's a video of how he set it up.) Out of 160 participants who ate soup from the bowl for 15 minutes, only 2 discovered that it was a never-ending bowl! And, even more tellingly, it affected perceptions of satiety. Even when people had eaten way more soup than the bowl could possibly hold, they still said that they were fairly hungry - how could they be full, they still have so much soup in front of them?

I've found this particular lecture incredibly helpful, in that it really explains a lot of my own eating habits. I definitely eat like a Chicagoan - I generally don't stop eating until my plate is empty, and/or the folks at my table are done eating as well. The bright side of this insight is that we can make minor environmental changes in order to facilitate mindful eating. So if I'm in an all-you-can-eat dining hall setting, and I know I'm not particularly hungry, I can avoid overeating by taking a smaller plate or bowl, rather than a full-sized plate. It's unrealistic to expect oneself to show perfect and total control - especially in such a crazy food environment. But little changes can go a long way!

My Future Goals

As a Senior, I am constantly worrying about where I will end up next year. It's a very much "living in the now" attitude; applying for jobs, grad school, anything that will provide some form of a salary. BUT. When it comes down to it, I really just want a simple life, preferably filled with good food, as that is the thing that makes me truly happy.

Today I came across an article that addressed this idea with the elderly. Fried chicken, caramel sauce right out of the jar - this is the way to live! What bothers me though is that these indulgences seem to be "okay" because the people consuming the comforting foods are old. This is certainly NOT the way I want to live my own life. In moderation, of course, I hope to live everyday like the people represented in this article. They say that they deserve to indulge because they're old. I want to be able to indulge everyday, because what is life without good and tasty food?

This weekend I went home for some R&R before midterms. I spent the day making ribollita - a Tuscan soup with loads of veggies and country bread, brioche dough to turn into morning sticky buns, and homemade oreos for my acapella group. Like fried chicken, these are all simple foods, but they bring me and others so much pleasure - and I hope that this pleasure will continue throughout the rest of my life . . .not just when I'm OLD!!

Here's the link to the article if you are so inclined!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/dining/02Elder.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

While browsing youtube videos I came across this one about food advertising techniques. Specifically, it follows the story of how one food stylist prepares a burger for a photo shoot. Now before you watch this video, let me tell you that it is pretty silly. Throughout the clip the woman with a nice 80's hairdo refers to the burger as a "him". She also calls it "the star of the show" and a "hunk". But, once you get past this part of it, I think that it is actually a fascinating video. She paints, pins, glues, and arranges the burger so that it looks perfect. Basically, the burger is no longer food but instead a craft project. I think that it is so interesting that the food that is marketed to us in pictures and on TV is not actually even edible. It is so ironic that this is what food marketing has become. So without further ado, here is the video:

"25 Fun Food Facts"

25 Fun Food Facts

Fun Food Fact #1: In general, raw vegetables have a much higher nutrient value than cooked, though there are a few exceptions, such as cooked tomatoes. Cooked artichokes are very high in overall antioxidant value.

Fun Food Fact #2: The smaller the size of a berry, the sweeter its taste.

Fun Food Fact #3: Those mega-size apples and oranges you’ve been seeing lately at conventional grocers are pumped up due to added water volume, rather than fruit substance. This is a crop-yield technique by farmers designed to produce bigger fruit for more consumer appeal.

Fun Food Fact #4: A well-done steak, especially if it has “charred” portions, contains much higher levels of carcinogens than a medium-done or rare steak.

Fun Food Fact #5: Artificial colorings in foods have been linked to increased incidence of ADHD symptoms.

Fun Food Fact #6: The flavor of bubble gum comes from the fusion of vanilla, wintergreen and “cassia,” a a form of cinnamon.

Fun Food Fact #7: There is evidence that honey is the only food that cannot spoil. Archaeologists have tasted honey discovered in ancient Egyptian tombs, reporting that it’s edible.

Fun Food Fact #8: Popcorn has been around for 6,000 years.

Fun Food Fact #9: The fat on raw steak or chicken, slices off super easily if the meat is partially frozen.

Fun Food Fact #10: There are 1,200 varieties of watermelon.

Fun Food Fact #11: In order for green tea to have a therapeutic effect, you must consume 4-5 cups daily.

Fun Food Fact #12: The closer a food is to its natural state, the healthier it is for you: An apple is better than apple sauce which is better than bottled apple juice which is better than apple pie.

Fun Food Fact #13: The reason some canned soups taste so good is because they contain a lot of sugar.

Fun Food Fact #14: Formaldehyde is the stinky liquid that’s used to preserve dead laboratory animals. This chemical is what the artificial sweetener, aspartame, breaks down into after being eaten.

Fun Food Fact #15: To prevent bananas from becoming brown, refrigerate them.

Fun Food Fact #16: Iceberg lettuce is 90 percent water, and therefore, of negligible nutrient value.

Fun Food Fact #17: If you could eat only one vegetable for the rest of your life, eat spinach; it’s one of the highest ranking vegetables as far as overall antioxidant capacity, yet so versatile in recipes.

Fun Food Fact #18: The world record for eating cheesecake is 11 pounds eaten in nine minutes – by Sonya Thomas, who weighs 105 pounds.

Fun Food Fact #19: The “special sauce” in a Big Mac is actually thousand island dressing.

Fun Food Fact #20: Two 12-ounce servings of freshly juiced apples, pears, carrots, celery and leafy greens can produce the same effect as twice the dosing recommendation of a laxative.

Fun Food Fact #21: The reason Wendy’s beef patties are square is because the late Dave Thomas, who purchased a little burger place one day and named it Wendy’s, did not believe in cutting corners when it came to building a business and serving customers.

Fun Food Fact #22: The only continent that does not have a McDonald’s is Antarctica. A Big Mac contains 560 calories.

Fun Food Fact #23: Diet soda has not been proven to aid in weight loss. In fact, it’s been shown to actually increase hunger.

Fun Food Fact #24: Whenever a recipe for cake or muffins calls for oil, applesauce can be substituted.

Fun Food Fact #25: Watermelon and cucumbers are among a dog’s favorite foods…once they are introduced to them, of course. And these foods supply valuable enzymes to a dog’s system.

I found these fun food facts will googling, and a lot of these were new to me. I know that all of you guys are aware of some of these facts, but wow... honey from ancient Egypt! And for Food Fact #3, what are scientists doing with apples (no wonder all those apples tasted bad.......)? I feel like todays technologies and sciences (related to inventing food products) are making horrible things. How can they do that to apple!?

[Courtesy of: http://www.brighthub.com/health/diet-nutrition/articles/31918.aspx#ixzz1FTpn8TiW]

Broken Food System

In light of our conversation about Food, Inc and our broken food system, this NPR article caught my attention. It's an examination of our organic foods (specifically corn and alfalfa) and how there are most likely traces of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in the food which is labeled "organic". This cross pollination is very upsetting to some people and 77% of organic food buyers say that they would discontinue buying a product if there were traces of GMOs in it. Unfortunately, cross pollination is basically inevitable as our food system currently stands.

Unusual Foods From Around the World 2

Yes! These little babies produce silk! And people do eat them. I didn't know that Thai people ate these too. People eat these in S. Korea and they call it "bundaegi" (roasted silkworm pupae). I know, these don't really look appealing, but they aren't so bad (I tried these before). A lot of the Koreans I know hate these, but give it a try guys! They seem to be healthy because according to the website, "silkworms are high in protein, low in fat and great source of essential fatty acids." Really, they don't taste so bad... just close your eyes and drop one in your mouth......

[Courtesy of http://www.thailandunique.com/store/edible-thai-silk-worm-larvae-p-56.html]