Thanksgiving

We all know that Thanksgiving has passed and that we had us, a great time eating with family and friends. Now when we talk about eating at home vs eating out; this is a great example of eating at home around your family. Sometimes people do go out for Thanksgiving because they don't feel like cooking but if you had a reason to eat at home this would be a good reason. I have been doing great when it comes to eating at home vs going out but this holiday, I did enjoy a great home cooked meal at my great Aunt Maggie's house and it was our first time eating there so i hope there are many more to come!!! When it comes to eating at home vs eating out, eating at home scores because it's always fun and filling to eat home cooked food with family although eating out can be tempting!

sad day

Still have yet to change/ modify my Google Alerts, so there's not much help in that department. My father, on the other hand, has been back in the hospital for high blood sugar. He's now on insaline.

Not Stopping :)

Well, it seems that many people don't like blogging apparently. And it looks like our class project is falling apart. So our teacher, Mr. Dickson, said we can either stop blogging or keep on going--our choice. So I chose to continue! :) I feel like vegetarianism is something many either know or care little about. So if you want to keep on reading my blogs (...if anyone is...), I would love for you to! And send any questions you like! :)

The End of The Road

Ok, so my blogging has come to an end; sad to say. Over the last couple of weeks I have learned a lot. The first couple of weeks of my blogs, I observed how my family reacted to eating out and eating in. I learned that when we ate out for dinner we were always tired after we ate and we would always gain a couple pounds. When we ate at home, everyone could keep their eyes open for the next 3hours after we ate. Longhorn was I favorite restaurant to dine in at. We would always order some Texas cheese fries and the wild west shrimp before we get our food. So we would be full before we get our main course, but we would still eat everything that was in front of us. We then triend to go out to eat at least once a week to cut back on eating out and saving more money. It worked for a couple of weeks and then we started to disobey the rules. Later we stop going out period and ate at home. I’m happy to say it really worked. I was proud of my family. Now that I don’t have to blog anymore I know we will be eating out more now :).

I enjoyed you guys !

Oh, ohh.

So basically, even with all the research I've done, my opinion on eating in versus eating out is still the same. I did find a lot of stuff that would help me argue my opinion on why eating in is better than eating out. Not only did i learn some statistics and some nutritional information, I learned what some people are doing to still "keep hope alive" and continue the old tradition of cooking at home. I even went a little deeper in thought and imagined what it would be like if we stopped cooking all together. I even had a nightmare about Thanksgiving (ehhh!). It was pretty cool over all.

Signing Off

Hello, to all who read and all who will read. Thanks for reading and/or following this. Because of this blog I've learned a lot about diabetes and raising awareness. My only hope is that we can take everything we know and do better with it. Basically its what everybody says: exercise and eat healthy, but it doesn't hit you until you actually try it. But, you truly feel accomplished after you do. Even if it's just eating healthy, try something. It won't hurt to try at all. And if it does...I apologize.

Signing Off...
A.Bellman

Be Happy Be Healthy!
~Buzz the Bee

gone

Finishing this project I believe I did find I learned a lot about the chain reaction of life. For the most part, no one is happy and only looks at the harmful effect that the oil spill resulted in. Now reading my last google alert, which was only somewhat helpful, this article by Fred Lucas is saying no fish were harm in te activity of filling up the ocean will oil. Yes fish have been reported to have been killed he says, but not from the spill. In my last research I am finding the arguments over why the fish have died after this catastrophe. Maybe in the future every question asked will be answered. What I know though, is that not all these problems were has deep and stressing as before this ship leaked. So are people just taking advantage to now have someone to blame, or is BP just trying to make everything less disastrous as they really are?

Final Thoughts

This post will be the final post for me. This blog has given me so much research on buying from local growers versus buying from grocery stores. I’ve learned about new developments that farmers are starting to use such as accepting food stamps. I have also learned about how much healthier farmers markets foods are for you.

 

On the other side, I’ve learned that grocery stores are more convenient for you. They may not be as healthy but you do not have buy produce seasonally as opposed to farmers markets. Grocery stores are also more convenient with their hours of business.

 

So, as I conclude this blog post I hope that people will be motivated by my posts to go outside their comfort zone and try buying from local markets, if they buy mostly from grocery stores. And if readers buy from grocery stores, they would buy from farmers markets.

Summary

Yeah, this is late. Anyways, to sum up everything, my story is going to be about a girl who finds that her family is going to be a huge help during her fight through diabetes. Through all the research I have done, I know a basic description of what her eating habits will be like, what types of pains and annoyances she will have, and also how she will grow accustomed to it. I know that she will have a lot of celebrity influences because through my research even I was surprised at how many celebrities have the disease. I found many people's personal essays that they put online about their own experiences with diabetes and I hope to use those as a guide to how my character acts in my story.

No She Does Not Have A Name Yet

Well... I can honestly say that I have no idea where to start. My blogging experience has probably come to an end here. All I have to offer is a summary of how I'm going to write this.

A girl caught up in the city life--totally forgotten of her down-home roots--travels South back to her country-life family for Christmas. This turns into a completely life-changing experience for her when she realizes how much she actually misses her old lifestyle. She is left with a big choice--go back to the Big Apple with her new life and circle of friends, or stay in her hometown with the people and sights she grew up in?

There's your summary. I'm considering writing it in a personal-journal sort of way in the eye of the city-girl-gone-back-home (no, I have not named her yet, but I will)

Teen Health: Keep Fighting





As you may have already guessed from the other posts of my fellow CW writers, this blog is coming to an end. Thanks to limited resources, information, and other factors, this will be my last blog. While writing this blog, I have found that there are a lot ways that teens can stay healthy. Exorcising, eating healthy, and even getting a new pet can keep away the pounds and health risks. There are other ways to stay in movement, like dancing, playing kickball with friends, or just taking a nice walk. Teens have decisions that they can make that will keep their health in good condition. Hopefully this blog site reached someone.

~Chan

Eh...

     Well, this is pretty much over now.  I wish I could say that it has been more of a profitable experience; I wish i could say that some good, some real good, actually came out these; I wish my teacher actually read these and noticed how smart I look when I write.  Unfortunately, some things just can't happen.
     Thinking back on this, I realize something very particular: I have never given a solution to the problem I've presented.  I've shown it to a very high degree that just looks like nagging, but I've never given a solution.  I suppose that's the ultimate fault of giving a problem; that person expects someone else to fill in the details and figure out what to do next.
     So, here is the only solution I can think of to a problem like this: think.  Think about everything you see around you and think carefully about it.  Ask questions, reason with these questions, and look for answers.  Wonder about the world around you and take it all into consideration.  If something needs to be changed, tell people; if something needs to be done, try to do it; if there is something wrong, make it right.  I know that many people out there think that something is wrong with what goes on in Alabama, particularly Montgomery.  And it's not just the problem I've stated, it's other problems (not calling any of them out...MPS) as well.
     Alabama can provide produce for itself, and sell it to the people of  Alabama too.  Enough said, enough done.  Problem solved...at lease if anyone does something to solve it.
                                 
                                                                                                                                            Godspeed

The Final Blog

This is my last blog and my last chance to warn you about bad dietary choices.

Eat healthy so you won't get sick!!!! That is the simplest way I can put it.
For all the anorexic, obese, and any other eating disorder person...YOU CAN EAT, JUST MAKE SURE ITS HEALTHY!! Obese people can loose weight and anorexic people can get to a healthy size without being fat or over weight. All you have to do is eat healthy and work out.

I now know what I'm going to write my short story about for this project.

Farewell

Well i think this will be my last post for a while. It was fun and i learned a lot as i dived into the world of fast food. I actually did go to Golden Corral with my parents today and got to see what they usually eat when they go. It really wasn't as bad as i thought.My mom had fried fish, carrots,mash potatoes and peas. My dad had grilled tilapia and some kind of spicy chicken, and some other things. Their dessert in take was kinda rocky though.There was ice cream with chocolate and peanut toppings and mini pecan pies floating between the two. But still in the long run they weren't so bad. I just don't know if doing this routine every week though is healthy.

Farewell Blogger!

The Last Blog!!

THIS MAY BE THE LAST THING THAT I WRITE FOR LONG... CAN YOU HEAR ME SMILING WHEN I WRITE THIS BLOG FOR YOU? AND ONLY YOU!!!!! AS I LEAVE WILL YOU BE SOMEONE TO SAY GOODBYE? AS I LEAVE WILL YOU BE SOMEONE TO WIPE YOUR EYE? MY FOOT IS OUT THE DOOR AND YOU CAN'T STOP ME NOW!!!!!!!!    -ALL AMERICAN REJECTS!

 TO ALL OF MY READERS AND BY READERS I MEAN MR. DICKSON. THIS IS OFFICIALLY MY LAST BLOG FOR THIS UHH THIS THING. I AM SAD TO SAY THAT I WILL NOT STRESS OVER TRYING TO GET IT DONE AT THE LAST MINUTE... BUT IN OTHER NEWS AS MY OTHER BLOGS HAVE STATED FOOD HUNGER IS NOT GOOD. GO TO LOCAL FOOD BANKS AND HELP OUT. YOU'LL BE AMAZED AT HOW GREAT YOU FEEL AFTERWARDS!!! WELL PEOPLE I JUST WANNA SAY..... GOODBYE,FAREWELL, TO YOU.. MY FRIEND!!!!!     =)

Wrap Up

It's obvious just by looking around these days that fast food is taking a huge toll on Americans. It's packed full of different artifical flavors and hidden ingredients that are extremley fattening. 45% of Americans eat fast food everyday. The childhood obsesity rate is going up as more chain restraunts are coming up with new kids meals. Why are Americans doing this to themselves? It's because we're lazy. We don't want to cook at home and places like McDonalds and Burger King provide quick inexpensive meals. Obesity is quickly becoming one of the main causes of death in the US today. What are we going to do to stop this?

Farewell

Well, this blog has taken a good run, but all good things but alas end. I have learned much from this blog. I have learned all about diabetes and food-illnesses, and causes, and even ways to get healthy. I have put the beginning of my story up (last weeks post) and I have decided that my main topic will be food germs. The story is about a girl whose mother has discovered a pesticide that keeps germs off of food completely. But the girl (while examining her mother's pesticide) notices a molecule that is deadly to humans. She tries to tell everyone, but no one will believe her. It is about her journey and how she tries to save everyone from the thing that was supposed to keep them from death. I know it's more about adventure than food illnesses, but since the adventure couldn't have happened unless the pesticide had been created, you could say it was the main point. So now, I tip my hat to you, Cast Your Bucket Down blog, as I saw farewell for the last time.

The End is Near!! And Hopefully So Are Your Bad Eating Habits!!!!

Well, i've learned a couple of things during this project: foods are not safe, that maybe my body has been telling me something all along, and that there are things people don't know, but need to know, and i've told them.

Foods just don't seem to be that safe anymore. With the government handing out money to mass produce food like machinery, and  for colleges and scientist to study and "improve" the food growth, and what-not, it's killing us.

My body has been rearing up against any intake of meat for the longest now, and I think I know why: I'ts not trustworthy, and maybe I AM designed to be a veggie head. I can't even look at meat without getting woozy.

Now, looking back at my blog posts from the past, I think that my friends and I have told you all that you ever wanted and never wanted to know about the food around you. SOOO, with this in mind: happy eating and good-bye!  :)

CS "Bonding of the family sort"

Working with dirt and spades and weeds is a great way to bond with family. My mother and I have a plot in the backyard and we spend time weeding and harvesting. My older cousins have a bigger plot and all three of us cut up and goof off when it comes time to take care of anything that needs to be done.
Growing produce, be it vegetables or fruits, or even just taking care of a flower plot can lead to, as my silly cousin Christophermichael call it, "bonding of the family sort." Growing helps the community, the local economy of a region, and even the family ties that keep us sane.

Nothing within the last week of my last blog has changed. I can say that this week I didn't go out to eat. I ate salads this whole week including some rice, green beans and other veggies. I guess i have to take back what I said about eating out because technically i didn't, my mom brought home subway but i can say i did eat healthy!!!!! Trying to decide rather to eat at home or eat out hasn't been a challenge this week because to me eating healthier and knowing how your food is prepared is waaayyy better then going out plus you save money and gas!!!!!

HUNTING ON SATURDAY

So, I am actually going hunting. FINALLY! I am going Saturday or Sunday. I am not quite sure yet. I am really excited. We will be hunting with a cross bow. I am so happy!

It was my birthday ! Is that an excuse ?

Hello my fellow people! As you all can see from my title that we have messed up our diet deal. We didnt do it intentionally, but since this week was my birthday week, we have been eatin out alot. One day we had a Church's Chicken meal , one day we had Poppa John's and one day my dad barbequed. But today, we went to Red Robin. I wanted to get treated to some good dinning food. Besides my mom didn't feel like cooking for my dad and I so she took us out to eat. We really enjoyed the meal, but it really had a huge affect on us afterwards. Everyone was tired and about to pop from all the refills.

I promise we will get back on our diet and make things work. maybe just maybe we can loose a few punds. : ) haha !

Attention All Alabamians!!

Hey! Okay, I just read this article about childhood obesity, and it really hits home! Children this generation are estimated, for the first time apparently in two centuries, to have shorter life expectancies than their parents! That is big! That means the kids in this generation will be lucky to watch their grandchildren grow up like the grandparents today! We need to raise awareness which is what this article is about. Alabama is ranked 2nd in obesity and 3rd in type 2 Diabetes. If you want more info!? Click here.

Colorada Got Game

     So I've been over obesity in Alabama and pretty much beaten the topic wit a stick...a spikey one with twizzlers hanging off it.  It seems that no matter how much I do beat it, an answer still cannot be found.  It might be that I've been looking that this the wrong way; maybe I shouldn't look at this state, but at the healthy ones.
     Now, instead of looking at the wonderful marvels (yes, that was sarcasm) of Alabama, we turn our atention to what has been reported by the Trust for America's Health, TFAH, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, RWJF, to be the two healthiest states in the country.  One has the lowest percentage of adult obesity, and the other has the lowest child percentage.  These two states are Colorada and Oregan.
     What do these two states have that Alabama does not?  I'm not sure yet, but I will look into it.  As for the link where I got my information, here it is: http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2010/
                                                           
                                                                                                                                                 Godspeed

Beautiful Nightmare

The oil rig explosion obviously has effected Alabama deeply as we are right on the gulf and love our local seafood. Now the reason why it is affecting us is because how how these incidents have impacted the fish and sea life of the Alabama coasts. From the surface death can be seen of the fish, birds, and turtles, but more lies underneath the surface. Scientists have found the bottom of the seafloor in certain areas to be caked with oil, destroying organisms that thrive down there. The main source of fish food, plankton, has been diseased from the oil and is likely to cause problems for the fish and seafood industry even in the future. Chemicals used to stop the spread of the oil may have worked, but may result in the fish and future eggs to be mutated making more difficult years to come for those trying to make a living off of the seafood industry.

Fast Food As A Whole=Bad

So i'll be wrapping up this blog next week, I hope my readers got something out of it. Fast food can try it's harder to be healthier,but as long as there is still a big Mac on the menu, people are going to buy it. With the new healthier options, a person is tempting to but the big(although nowadays not that big) hamburger instead of the healthy salad they planned on buying. Fast food has become a way of life for us, as long as they make it, people will buy it.

Thats a business not going anywhere anytime soon. I know i never got to the Golden Corral thing, who knows, i might work a miracle between now and next week. ^_^

Soul Food

So, I watched the movie "Soul Food" last night, and it made me think. For those of you that aren't familiar with the movie, it's about a family attempting to stay together after their mother dies. Their mother, Big Mama, cooked Sunday dinner every week. Regardless of what was going on, the family always set aside their issues and problems to come to Big Mama's house for dinner. At any rate, I realized that many families are like Big Mama's family. The only time people ever take the time out to sit down and eat with one another is on a Sunday. Why is that?

Well actually, why was that? The way things are these days, family dinners can be held at the restaurant down the street.

Before you know it, Thanksgiving Dinner will no longer carry the excitement of home cooked turkey and dressing along with it. What is the world coming to?

Home Cooking vs Fast Food

It's about time to collaborate all the blog information together to formulate it into a project. A play is at the top of my list of things where I want to take my research. Writing a play based off of the information accumulated over a period of time, seems like the right choice. It could incorporate the different arguments and ideas of home cooking and fast food. I'm looking forward to starting it.

Final Post

To conclude the posts that have thus far been erratic in style and content, I can honestly say that I have very little new to say. With that being said, from all the information acquired so far, it is reasonable to conclude that (1) Google Alerts, though a clever and convenient form of reasearch, is not the best means, by far, to conduct such research and should not be depended upon as the sole source for all content, (2) that the heat is absolutely terrible and farmers are having a heck of a time dealing with it, and (3) that if the end is as nigh as the common belief would suggest, then we are doomed to rot in a wasteland of mass-produced filth and little more than a reasonable facsimile of "good health." Thank you, industrialization. You've done us a world of good.
Signing Forever Off.
L.A.

Not so fun facts...

So I looked up some interesting facts on diabetes because I am running out of things to talk about. Apparently, Asians are more likely to get diabetes than the white population. Also, diabetes in India is very common because many people have apple shaped or obese body types there. The most common first symptom of diabetes is feeling thirsty. Finally, about 6 people die per minute of diabetes. These were just some of the facts I found about diabetes.

Now Let's See Here...

Research isn't panning out as well as it, I guess, should be. I'm running, quite quickly, out of new things to report and ruin your day with. But, before I completely stop reporting, I'd like to link another article I found that is about reinforcing being "different." It's a good idea:
I forget whether this week's blog is wrapping up or if it is next week's, but I think I'm going to kind of wrap up.
This research has really broadened my knowledge of what people suffer through. I realized that eating disorders weren't just Anorexia and Bulimia, but were binging and purging and abuse of exercise and all these different categories. To be truthful, I once thought I was beginning to be "fat" and gave thought to cutting back on food. This research erased that thought from my mind. It gave me more confidence. I don't want to end up in therapy, talking to some sarcastic adult about my problems, or in the hospital with, shudder, needles under my skin. And more so, I like my eyes and vision. Life is a nice thing. And where I might not have the rock-hard abs and perfectly flat stomach of some of my friends, being a little more curvy isn't a BAD thing. After all, I want people to love me for me, not for what they want me to be. But I'm getting off topic.
Eating disorders affect more people than I realized, too. These past weeks have helped me to be able to recognize eating disorders better, and be able to stand up to anyone who might be afflicted with them. If we do have another blog due next week, I'll leave it to talk about my story. I've already started on it, and it's going very well.

Reflections

There isn't much I can say that I haven't already said before. However, on this blog I would like to...reflect- I don't know. Anyways.

I want whoever reads this to look in the mirror or any thing reflective. Take a good look.
The person staring back is you. He/she will always be you no matter what you look like. The emotion in the eyes and face, is you. Don't try to change who you are to be accepted. Don't go on crazy diets so you be skinny and fit in. When you're hurt dont binge on unhealthy foods. Just Don't.

If you really want to change what you see in the mirror, then change how you see yourself in your mind. If you think you're beautiful then your beautiful. But if you think that isn't enough, then make sure you lose weight the healthy way and do it for yourself, not anyone else. You'll feel a lot better on the inside if you did it for yourself and if you didn't have to stoop to unhealthy levels to do it. Good dietary choices matter, so make good choices.

The Dark Side of the All American Meal

When you ask someone why they love fast food, they will most likely tell you that it's because it tastes good. Although that may be true, many Americans don't know the secret behind the flavor of some of their favorite fast foods. According to Eric Schlosser's book The Dark Side of the All American Meal, just about all of fast foods are processed so most of their original flavor is destroyed. To make of for the loss of flavor, the factories that process the food add in ingredients like beef extract, unknown animal products, and other artifical additives.
Statistics show that about one quarter of the US population eat fast food every day, and that roughly 12% of the working class has worked at McDonald's. Children are now about to recognize McDonald's golden arches before they can even say their own name. Those same golden arches have become more recognized than the Christian cross. Is this really the world that we're living in?

IT WILL KILL YOU SOON!

Here are some things you should know about your beloved McDonald's, below is an article written by John Robbins:

HOW BAD IS MCDONALD’S FOOD?
By John Robbins
Morgan Spurlock sought to find out in his 2004 documentary Super Size Me. In his film, I was interviewed and spoke about the role McDonald’s food is playing in our epidemic of obesity and diabetes.
For 30 days, Spurlock ate only McDonald’s food. All of us involved in the film, including Spurlock’s doctors, were shocked at the amount that his health deteriorated in such a short time. Before the 30 days started, we each predicted what changes we expected to see in his weight, cholesterol levels, liver enzymes and other biomarkers, but every one of us substantially underestimated how severely his health would be jeopardized. It turned out that in the 30 days, the then 32-year-old man gained 25 pounds, his cholesterol levels rose dangerously as did fatty accumulations in his liver, and he experienced mood swings, depression, heart palpitations and sexual dysfunction.
Some have said Spurlock was an idiot for eating that way, and it’s true that he did himself some major damage in those 30 days. But I’ve always felt the suffering he took upon himself by eating all his meals for that month at McDonald’s was admirable, because it served to warn millions of the all too real health dangers of eating too much fast food.
Super Size Me struck a chord for a lot of people, as it became one of the highest-grossing documentaries of all time, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. And more importantly, it changed the eating habits of millions.
Now a group of physicians and other health professionals have produced a short (39 second) ad that may be one of the more controversial in advertising history. The Washington, DC-based group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)’s new “Consequences” ad takes dead aim at McDonald’s high-fat menu. The provocative ad has become a story unto itself, because it has in only a few days generated nearly one million views on YouTube, and has been covered by newspapers and broadcast media around the world, including the Wall Street Journal, U.K.’s The Guardian, CNN, the New York Times and hundreds of other media outlets.

What do you think? Is the ad a contribution to public health, or does it go too far? Even if the underlying critique of the dangers of hamburgers and other fast food is valid, does the ad accomplish its purpose, or is it too emotionally manipulative?
The ad ends by telling us to “make it vegetarian,” making it obvious that PCRM has a pro-vegetarian orientation. But with good reason. The evidence is consistent and compelling that vegetarians suffer less from the diseases associated with the typical Western diet. Vegetarians have repeatedly been shown to have lower rates of obesity, coronary heart disease, hypertension, type II diabetes, diverticular disease, constipation and gall stones. They also have lower rates of many kinds of cancer, including colon cancer and the hormone dependent cancers such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, uterine cancer and ovarian cancer.
Do you have to be a strict vegetarian to enjoy the considerable health benefits of a vegetarian diet? No, you do not. What’s important is to eat a plant-strong diet, with a high percentage of your calories coming from whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and a low percentage coming from processed foods, sugars, unhealthy fats and animal products.
The standard American diet — in which 62 percent of calories come from processed foods, 25 percent from animal products and only 5 percent from fruits and vegetables — is nothing less than a health travesty. Our fast-food culture has produced a population with widespread chronic illness and is a primary reason that health care costs are taking a devastating toll on just about everyone.
The annual health insurance premiums paid by the average American family now exceed the gross yearly income of a full-time minimum wage worker. Every 30 seconds, someone in the U.S. files for bankruptcy due to the costs of treating a health problem. Starbucks spends more on the health insurance of its workers than it does on coffee.
Medical care costs in the U.S. have not always been this excessive. This year, we will spend more than $2.5 trillion on medical care. But in 1950, five years before Ray Kroc opened the first franchised McDonald’s restaurant, Americans only spent $8.4 billion ($70 billion in today’s dollars). Even after adjusting for inflation, we now spend as much on health care every 10 days as we did in the entire year of 1950.
Has this enormous increase in spending made us healthier? Earlier this year, when the World Health Organization assessed the overall health outcomes of different nations, it placed 36 other nations ahead of the United States.
Today, we have an epidemic of largely preventable diseases. To these illnesses, Americans are losing not only their health but also their life savings. Meanwhile, the evidence keeps growing that the path to improved health lies in eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes, and eating far less processed foods, sugars and animal products.
It’s striking to me that in all the heated debates we have had about health care reform, one basic fact has rarely been discussed, and that is the one thing that could dramatically bring down the costs of health care while improving the health of our people. Studies have shown that 50 to 70 percent of the nation’s health care costs are preventable, and the single most effective step most people can take to improve their health is to eat a healthier diet. If Americans were to stop overeating, to stop eating unhealthy foods and to instead eat more foods with higher nutrient densities and cancer protective properties, we could have a more affordable, sustainable and effective health care system.
Is it McDonald’s fault that more than 63 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, making us the fattest nation in the history of the world? I don’t think so, because each of us is responsible for what we put in our mouths and in the mouths of our children. Plus many other fast food chains serve food that is just as harmful. But the company is playing a significant role in generating our national appetite for unhealthy foods. McDonald’s is by far the largest food advertiser in the country, spending more than one billion dollars a year on direct media advertising.
Much of McDonald’s advertising is aimed at children, and it’s been effective. Every month, approximately nine out of 10 American children eat at a McDonald’s restaurant. Most U.S. children can recognize McDonald’s before they can speak. Tragically, one in every three children born this year in the U.S. will develop diabetes in their lifetime.
Of course, fast food is not the only cause of the tragic rise of obesity and diabetes in our society. Our culture has become pathologically sedentary. Watching television and sitting in front of computer monitors for hour upon hour doesn’t help. But the high sugar and high fat foods sold by McDonald’s and the other fast food restaurants is certainly a major part of the problem. You would have to walk for seven hours without stopping to burn off the calories from a Big Mac, a Coke and an order of fries.
Love Wins

YEEEEAAAAHHHHH

Fat Fruit Flies?

Well, Google Alerts still isn't too helpful; although there will never be a shortage on links to...God only knows what: "We cannot tell which flies are fat simply by looking at them but that's because we're not fruit flies," he says. "I think if you were a fruit fly in the same vial you might look at them and go, 'Whoa they're fat!'" - Of Portly Flies and Slimmer Thighs - abc news... Well thank you Google Alerts and abc news for this vital bit of information that will truly save my Bucket project. Although for an update on dad's diabetes, he was recently in the hospital for an infection on his leg. His diabetes made the infection spread like wild fire and only a few days ago he was back in the E.R. So don't be fat and get diabetes because it'll do horrible things to you. Moral, man, moral. Now he has to shoot four shots of insaline a day until his medicine can be stabalized. If that doesn't want to make you eat right, maybe all the helpful articles Google supplies will.

I GOT YOUR OLD!!

I'm tired!!

I was playing the Wii with my little cousin, and he's so full of energy. He's five, so of course he's got enrgy, but it was like we were cars and her was running on F (full), while I was running on E (empty.) My little cousin took pity on me and said "sit your old self down!"

Can you believe, he called ME old. I'm not even sixteen yet, and he had the nerve to call me old. That did not make me happy.

Then I though about this project. I thought about how I've been tellin you to eat healthier to eliminate diabetes. I've even been telling you to excercise!!

I also thought about what I had yesterday for a snack. I'm not going to lie, I had a coke and a Twix. It was good too, but I shouldn't have eaten because I knew what dinner was going to be that night. Fried chicken, patato salad, and collard greens.

Before you get all judgemental, you should know that when I ate my snack and my dinner I did feel guily. I mean I could just as easily have had and apple or orange for a sanck, but instead I chose a Twix and a coke.

So when he called me old, I regreted that snack even more. So tonight for dinner I had a simple salad, and as soon as I finish posting this, and check my twitter (my addiction), that little boy is in for a rude awakening.

I got his old!!!

Steak!

Sunday. The day that many family settle down after a nice sermon at church and gather around the table for a homecooked meal. Well, at least that's what my family does. My parents, older brother, younger sister, and I enjoyed a meal Sunday afternoon and it was tasty, as always. We enjoyed Mother prepared steak and it was just right. Tender, juicy, yet fully cooked. Along with steak, she cooked green beans, corn, corn bread, and mashed potatoes. To make things a little sweeter, she made her famous home-made lemonade. Dinner was delicious and we were all full. After the second plate, we all went to our rooms and enjoyed the rest of our Sunday afternoon.

Beginnings

This is the beginning of my fictional story based from my research on food-related illnesses:

Science is the most boring thing in the world. Trust me, I'm not exaggerating. As usual, my mom has to love the one thing I actually hate with all my heart. I'm Carra Langsten, and I am the daughter of one of the most famous scientists in the world. My mother, Rachelle Langsten, is well-known for her scientific break-through in the world of germs. She had found the soul purpose of germs' lives, and she recorded it, and she was given millions of dollars for it. Honestly, I don't see why. Give me any kind of germ and i can find the base of its life source in about five seconds. It really isn't that hard. I don't see how any other scientist hadn't seen it earlier. Besides her germ break-through, she has also conducted many famous experiments with trying to kill the germs. Luckily, for me, another scientist had found the pesticide before my mom. If my mom had found it, then I would never hear the end of it. Just more hours at press conferences. More hours at college lectures. More hours in inerviews. More hours in the lab. More hours being harrassed by my science teachers about my mom and if they could meet sometime. I guess you could say I was a master at excuses because, seriously, would you want to have five different science teachers eating at your dinner table? Not me.
I got up from the couch in the corner of my mom's personal lab. Oh, yeah, did I mention that? Yeah, my mom was given her own personal Jeffersonian lab personally by the President. No, not the president of the Jeffersonian. The President of the United States. That's a pretty big deal right there. So I'm walking around the lab because my legs were cramping. I stared at my mom as she was leaning over the microscope, as still as a statue except for her hand that was scribbling furiously on the notepad. You think a doctor's hand writing is messy? Try reading a scientist's hand writing while their observing something. Now THAT'S something I would like to see an archeologist decode.
My mom remained at her little observation table. She didn't notice that I was walking around. She didn't notice that I was picking up her prized trophy. Once, I even sliced my hand open accidentaly on one of her knives, and she didn't even notice it until I was shoving her arm with my bloody hand. I swear, mom is so unobservant when it comees to reality. I could walk in one day, scream at the top of my lungs: "Goodbye Cruel World! I will miss you not!" and then hang myself right infront of her, and she wouldn't notice until three hours later when her contacts would start getting dry from staring so long at the SAME STINCKN' THING!

Dying Out

Is it just the fish in the gulf dying out? Nope. Restaurants in Alabama are dying too. Checks are being sent out to those who made claims after the oil spill disaster, but they are coming too late with too little composition. Too late for restaurant owner Robin Lamber of Fairhope, Alabama is now in the top priority for businesses claims form the oil spill. Lambert received her check, but was basically cheated and not given enough to keep her fifteen year old restaurant, Old Bay Steamer, open. Customers being cautious of the fish and shrimp served after the spill left Old Bay Steamer in a fix, and when Lamber disappointedly opened her check containing ten percent of what she asked for, she knew it was time to close. Senator Richard Shelby and Governor Bob Riley have poked and prodded Ken Feinberg to move Alabama to the top of the oil claims, and while this may have worked, if BP is not giving enough money to the local restaurants, then they stil cannot survive if not given the help needed when they money they customarily depend on is gone in the deep, black sea.

Salon fights food hunger

Good deeds can be found from not far, but near us. I figured that you don’t have to be a president of Wal-mart or any big wealthy cooperation to do something to fight hunger. For example, right in Montgomery, a group of six local salons did fought hunger.
According to Tina McGrady’s news, Bridget Schlicher of RedHead’s and other five salons had been collecting items through Friday to be donated to the local food pantry and animal shelter.

Spoiled Food Anyone?

A really bad con of buying from grocery or chain stores is sometimes you may be faced a nasty purchase. You may get something rotten or spoiled. You will probably get your money back if you return but still getting bad products is devastating. Not only does it affect the consumer but also the company suffers the loss of a valued customer. This article I read was really about how if grocery stores are going to lose money, they should at least try to keep the customer. But I found it interesting how it talked about a major con of grocery stores using dialogue. Anyways, next time you purchase a perishable item from a grocery store, check the date or closely examine it because you may be the one asking for a refund. The site where the story is found is http://waypointgroup.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/changing-customer-loss-into-a-win/

Surprise!

Being that I don't know how to cook I found it quite mind boggling when she called and told me to prepare dinner. Don't get me wrong I'm very skilled in preparing certain dishes such as: Bologna sandwiches, cereal, French fries, any type of breakfast item, and of course fried chicken. I mean what would life be without fried chicken? Naturally my thought that came to mind after the questionable phone call was to run down stairs and start hitting up the grease. Fried chicken with rice and gravy sounded great to me, but to my mom it was totally different idea. After realizing what she asked me to do, she agreed to walk me through the process step by step. Within the first 2-3 minutes my patience were growing thin, and I was already in the mood to order in some take out. Knowing it was going to take way longer to thaw out the meat, than I had time, it was my brilliant idea to run each piece under some hot water to speed up the process. Now realizing that might not have been the smartest idea I kinda wish I would've taken the proper time to prepare our food, OH WELL! Cooking can be very stressful, even with her walking me through the process step by step, some how or another I still found a way to mess something up. From this the conclusion was drawn that maybe a lot of people don't enjoy cooking because with one little mistake you will have to restart the tedious process over and over again until you got it right.

-Food is Food

Teen Health: The Computer Is Our Enemy, Not Food



Videos games: What ever happened to riding a bike?

 I just had an epiphany today.  It is now 6:35 and I have realized that I have wasted almost three hours of my life sitting at my desktop computer. Don't give me those judgemental looks people. I know I can't be the only person alive who has gotten on the computer for "just a minute" only to look up and see that hours have passed by without even noticing. The problem is that there is just so much to do and it's all at the tip of your fingers. YouTube is there for music videos, TV shows, movies and even work out videos if you want to take it that far. Facebook is there for updates on friends. Even Twitter has taken the physical aspects of stalking away thanks to the good old follow button. The problem that we face today is not with what we put in our mouths,but what we waste our time doing! The more time you spend on the computer, the less time you're outside walking, excising, or spending any real time with real people. The computer, along with videos games, are the main reason we don't see little kids outside riding their bikes, playing hopscotch, or all those other things kids used to do. If you want to stay in shape, and value your health, stay away from the PC.
~Chan

A Trip to the Market CS

My family and I recently visited the farmer's market near my mother's work. It was a very eye-opening experience. I found that some of these individuals live off of what they sell and produce. Some grow just for the market. I find that this is a wonderful way to support our community and eventually our economy.
It's also a way to help with the devastating lack of exercise. If you've ever tilled or weeded a large plot of land, then you know that it's a very good work out. Especially during the hot weather months. And picking one's harvest isn't a walk in the park either.
I really respect these people. They do something they love (if they do not survive off their produce, and grow just for a hobby) or they support local economy by helping their neighbors buy locally. My family plans to commandeer a booth some time in the future to sell our produce.

Home Cooking vs Fast Food

One major thing about the fast food industry is having the leading restaurant. Companies are always in competition to see who can come out on top. Some steal one another's ideas and some use catchy slogans. Major rivalries such as McDonald's and Burger King are always trying to come out with new food and products. Every restaurant has their targeted audience. For example, McDonald's is always coming out with contests that influence customers to buy their food. Burger King constantly comes out with toys. Families are a big targeted audience. Parents usually eat where their children want to. Perfect strategy.

Genetics

Well, because my story is going to be about a girl that has diabetes and through it she becomes closer to her family, I guess I should talk about the genetics of diabetes because it can be passed down through your genes. I searched through the American Diabetes Association and found this quote : “Genes alone are not enough. One proof of this is identical twins. Identical twins have identical genes. Yet when one twin has type 1 diabetes, the other gets the disease at most only half the time. When one twin has type 2 diabetes, the other's risk is at most 3 in 4” Apparently; diabetes can be triggered because of people’s surroundings such as cold weather. That is only a theory though, but it gives me an idea on the setting for my story. I also found this quote: “In general, if you are a man with type 1 diabetes, the odds of your child getting diabetes are 1 in 17. If you are a woman with type 1 diabetes and your child was born before you were 25, your child's risk is 1 in 25; if your child was born after you turned 25, your child's risk is 1 in 100.” This gave me another idea on how my character’s parents should be aged

Canadien Bacon Should Stay in Canada

     So, it has been awhile since I've been on this thing; stuff gets in the way.  All that matters is that I'm back on this and ready to talk more about problems.
     Today though, I would like to talk about something that happened in my life resently.  I was in class, like any other normal day, sitting in my desk and learning.  Across from me a few kids where having a conversation about school lunches (a very common topic around or after lunchtime).  Now, I am not sure exactly what was said during the conversation, but there is only one statement I overheard that is of real importance in this blog at the moment.  The statement went something like this: "Why can't we have tomatos from Alabama?"
     That statement sparked a memory in my head of an incident similar to the one happening before me.  It was at a local wal-mart, and I was shopping with my mom for groceries.  We were in the section where the vegatables and fruits were, and my mom picks up a tomato.  She looks at it and realizes that it isn't ripe.  She looks over it more closely, and she finds that the tomato wasn't even from Alabama; it was from Canada.
     Now, I know I'm not the only one who sees a problem here.  We have an agricultural state, with averagely all around good weather.  Aside from the humidity, this is basically a true statement.  Yet here we are, in a grocery store, in Alabama, with Canadian tomatos.
     I don't know what the problem is.  I suppose if I did I wouldn't have to even post this because the problem would already have been solved.  But that's not the case, and this is a problem.  I believe that it is more of a problem then just to stop buying tomatos from Canada.  No, situations such as these usually have deeper connections then most people may realize.  I hope someone can find these connections, and solve this problem.
                                                                                                                                                  Godspeed

The Worst Topic Ever: Food

Ok, honestly, food is the worst topic ever. There is so little on it, that it's crazy! But I have decided to go with story idea #2, the futuristic one because it will be easier to write about..... But there is literally nothing else to talk about in food-illnesses. All of the same medicines are the same, all of the information is the same, all of the information is the same, there are no new disieses, no new illnesses, no new anything! I'm starting to work on my story so next week I will definitely have a clip to post.

We can help each other out. All of us. So why don't we start by taking the time to understand someone, and to ultimately appreciate their struggle? The struggle of a farmer is no less significant than that of a housewife, a teacher, a stock broker, a patty-flipper. And we can help them. There are tough times that host an army of tough people, and we can easily find ourselves attaching to tough people and learning immense things from them. But instead of an army that protects, this army is one in need of assistance. You can provide that assistance. Put down the burger, man. Farmer Ted's got something even better.

Makes a Difference

Due to some unfortunate situations, my aunt is staying with us now. She's doing well, she's just not fully able to operate like she used too, so my mother has to make sure she has cooked for every single meal. My mother cooks often anyway, but now she has too for every meal, and it has to be healthy too.

During the week, she usually doesn't make breakfast because she doesn't have time. Now, she does. I've been home lately while she's cooked and I've eaten at home instead of at school. I noticed that eating the breakfast my mom cooked not only kept me satisfied until lunch, but kept me awake and more alert.

I didn't even think about breakfast as far as home cooking was concerned. Not only did it save me 75 cents a day to eat at home, it had other positive effects as well. Eating at home makes a difference all the way around.

What is Awaiting Us...?

Doesn't everybody at some point in time look to the future. Whether its looking to tomorrow or 10 years from now. Well how about 40 years from now? What does the future say for us in 2050. Will apparently, according to a new study, in 2050 the number of Americans with diabetes will triple! Especially if things continue as they are now. Triple! 31% of Alabama already have diabetes now! Think what the number would be when it triples for the entire country. Scary huh?

Well it doesn't have to be. Eat Healthier! Outside of school or the past month I've been eating only vegetarian meals, and it does make a difference! Come on healthy food taste good too sometimes! It's as simple as switching to Multi-Grain Tostitos (the ones you eat with salsa) So come on, try it. I promise you, if I can do it, so can you!

Fast Food Calorie Counter

I know we've all kinda thought about how many calories we're taking in when we go to fast food restaurants, but we really don't know how many for real. I found this cool calories counter and I think you guys should check it out and see how many calories you're really eating when you order that #2 with large fries. ^_^

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/flash/health/caloriecounter/caloriecounter.html

Rant Of Improper Grammar and Punctuation (With a Lot of Parenthesis)

okay im not really gettin much and most of my google alerts end up to be "oh and this restauant in iowa is givin benefits to its employees" or "and we're here in virginia to celebrate gourd week" or giving me things i already found out months ago so this aint fun. i mean seriously, gourd week?!?!?!?! okay, my rant with improper grammar is officially over.

New beginning! Okay, so like I said, not much new this time around... My sources this week actually come from my mom and her new diet thing she's been trying (again as said previously, Google has helped absolutely NONE). So, the average person is supposed to eat a minimum of 1200 calories for daily function. Most of us eat well over that. Like, 2000-calorie-range over. Some of us, it doesn't really matter, because we either have a high metabolism or exercise enough to burn it off. Others build up those extra calories (and the fat that goes along with it) and their body turns it into storage (AKA love handles, chunk, fluff, or any other noun meaning fat). And, most of us who do build up "storage" get it from stuff like TV dinners, Pizza Hut pizza, or the ever-so-infamous chocolate ice cream. Exchanging just one of these with a veggie or fruit (from your local farmers market!) can save you over 100 calories per serving, and in due time that ends up to be less "fluff" for you and more fit into your favorite pair of jeans.

Try it out! And trust me, I know an apple doesn't sound nearly as good as ice cream, but it's worth it. (and you can't eat the apple with peanut butter or caramel! or candied!)

HOLD THE PHONE!!!

How in the world did I not know about this??!! October is world vegetarian awareness month!!!! And I totally missed World Vegetarian Day, which was October 1st, CRAP!! They should really get the word out about these kinds of things... seems how that is the whole purpose of this event...

But anyways, if you are interested, you should go to www.worldvegetarianday.org, and pledge to be a vegetarian for a minimum of one day-- or maybe even the last four days of October (since we have kinda missed the boat on the whole month dedication project). And if you pledge online you will be entered in a drawing to win prizes, including a grand prize of $1,000! See, incentives are nice ;)

Eating Out but Healthy?

When trying to decide whether to eat at home or go out to eat can be a pretty tough decision. So far, I have been doing good when it came down to eating at home but it is real hard to do that when your favorite fast food places are staring you in the face. So today I gave in and I ate out at my new found love, Jim N Nicks. I had a kids pork slider but to be a little healthy and not feel guilty about my choice, instead of the fries I replaced it with some fruit!!!! So when looking at eating at home vs. eating out, if you chose to eat out then you could always go half and half, healthy and good juicy pork!!

We're Managing ; So I'm Proud

This week with our diet that we are trying, we have decided to cut back. This week is all about cutting back on our portions of food thats served. We are trying to have at least one serving of each food choice that my mom cooks. Last night she cooked a pan of baked spagehetti. It was delicious, but since we were on the we serving diet I couldn't get as much as I wanted. This method of dieting is really helping us see the difference between why we shouldnt eat out oftern. Next week, we will try a new method of dieting and we're also going to see if we can remain our from those FAST FOOD RESTURANTS :)

Anorexia vs. Obesity

Anorexia and Obesity are both a disease and involve very unhealthy dietary choices. However, they are complete opposites. One is about being way too skinny and the other is about being way to fat. These are very unhealthy eating disorders.

Anorexia is not only a eating dissorder, but psychological disorder. Obesity is a genetic disease.
With anorexia people usually start dieting and are quite successful, but then they can't stop. This is similar to obesity in the sense that, with obesity people start eating and can't stop. With obesity being genetic, it is easy to understand that in some situtations a person can't help it.

Symptoms:
Anorexia- depression, fatigue, OCD with or pertaining to food, drastic weight loss, etc.
obesity- extreme weight gain, constant eating, etc.

click on the links to get more information.

October 27

So, I'm doing my project as a short story. The characters are going to be the organic and non organic foods. they'll be basically arguing about who is a better food, and I have a feeling that the organic foods are going to win. It should be pretty intresting, so yeah. I dont really have much to say, except I'm going to start working on it pretty soon, and it should be fun.

The Truth About Counting Calories

Some doctors would say that you don't need to worry about the calories you eat -- as long as they don't come from carbs. Dietitians and other weight-loss experts know the truth: calories in ,equal calories out. In other words, if you eat more calories than your body uses, they will be stored as fat.

It's true that different energy sources have varying amounts of calories. Here's the breakdown:

• 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
• 1 gram of protein = 4 calories
• 1 gram of fat = 9 calories
• 1 gram of alcohol = 7 calories

Through carbs and protein are only half as caloric as fat, you cannot eat them with wild abandon. The best plan is to eat a healthy mix of all 3 energy sources. Approximately 45-60% of calories should come from carbohydrates, 15-20 % should be protein and the remaining 25 to 35 % can come from fat (mostly from monounsaturated sources.)

Pros and Cons - But Mostly Cons

This week's depressing news: Diabetics are being found to get in to the eating disorder "trend," as it has been named. Called "Diabulimia," it is centered around people with type 1 diabetes that, to my horror, skip their insulin shots to lose weight! Because insulin promotes bone growth and, oh-ehm-gee, keeps fat calories in your body, sufferers skip the shot to promote rapid weight loss.
Something named "Pregorexia" has come about as well. As the name suggests, it is basically Anorexia for a pregnant women. Because of a will to stay the same weight throughout pregnancy (however much a dumb idea that is) pregnant sufferers will cut calories and exercise frequently. Such a thing can affect the baby, too! When born, it can have a smaller head and / or IQ, birth defects, and impaired functions later on in life.
Men have found an eating disorder to their fancy, now, too. Called "Reverse Anorexia," it is not what the name implies. Sufferers of this disease are usually teenage boys who are enticed by modeling men with 6, 8, and 10-packs, who think that they aren't attractive unless they are laced head to toe with muscle. Exercising and building muscle isn't bad -- until it becomes a health risk.
To make this end happily, I want to share something I found really inspiring and a good idea. It is called "Fat Free Talk Week." It is a week where society, girls especially, eliminate any negative comments about their bodies. Harmless questions like, "You look great, have you been dieting?" or, "Does this make my butt look big?" (one I, personally, laugh at) can really affect the target's thinking process. At the end of the article, , it encouraged everyone to make it not "Fat Free Talk Week" but "Fat Free Talk Year." Every year. Society is a big part in eating disorders, so shouldn't it be striving to help what it's inflicted?

Good News: Diabetes Will NOT Win

Bradley County Schools Coordinated School Health has received a $250,000 grant for diabetes prevention to focus on Lake Forest Middle School and its feeder schools.

According to June McDonald, who is the assistant director of Coordinated School Health, the one-year grant was received from the Tennessee Department of Health.

McDonald said Type 2 Diabetes is becoming more prevalent in the school system.

“It is directly associated to obesity. Because of that we definitely need to address health and nutrition to the students,” said McDonald.

The funds will be used for walking trails and health education at Waterville Community, Taylor, Valley View, Black Fox and Blue Springs Elementary schools. A low-rope course will also be built at Lake Forest Middle.

With this kind of money I know there WILL be some changes. Diabetes is not a cool trend. It's killing people, and affecting people negatively. It's not cool to have.

So to YOU I say EAT HEALTHIER, LIVE HEALTHIER!!!!

To diabetes I say YOU WILL NOT WIN!!!!

What Do We Like About Fast Food?

One of the things that draws people to fast food or food served at restaurants is that is looks just like things that you would make at home in your own kitchen. One of the things that many people don't know, however, is that mot of the foods served are manufactured or processed. When fast food restaurants first started, the potatoes for french fries were peeled and sliced in a back room. As they grew moe successful, the fast food chains built factories where most, if not all, of their food is proccessed, frozen and shipped to its restaurants all over the country. Added ingredients like oils are unhealthy and can make you fat.
In addition to the added ingredients put into the food, meal sizing is anther contributing factor. Fast food portions are really big and the companies behind them are making them bigger at little or no cost.

We All Scream For Hot Wings!

Sunday's dinner was simply delicious. Sunday was another day where Mom wasn't really in the mood for preparing a home-cooked meal. So, she looked in the freezer and grabbed two bags - a bag of crinkle-cut fries and a bag of hot wings. The only preparing that Mom had to do was warming the oven and placing the food items in a pan. After about an hour, our meal was finished. Dad made cherry flavored Kool-Aid and I had a box of chocolate chip cookies left over from a reception I attended earlier. The hot wings were definately hot and the fries were salty. Even though this meal is considered to be on the unhealthy side, we all enjoyed eating it. Good thing that was the only real meal I ate that day because the calories per wing all add up and let's be truthful - very few, if any, people get the right serving amount for fries and you can't just eat one cookie or pour just one glass of Kool-Aid. Good? Tasty? Yes. Healthy? Not so much.

Cardboard Lunches

In Boston, students got the opportunity to rate school lunch! "At the Museum of Science recently, a "What's for Lunch?" program, part of the museum's larger "Let's Talk About Food" initiative, included 300 high school students from Boston and nearby communities, a forum, a cooking demonstration by Tony Maws of Craggie on Main, and hands-on food exhibits." This program urges the young people to take initiative and shape food of the future. Many polls were taken, and showed that students don't like the food and would rather eat junk everyday that have the food they serve.
...My sentiments exactly.

Who is a Chubby Bunny? ... We in Alabama are Chubby Bunnies.

Alabama is in the top 5 of child obesity. That is probably because compared to other states, and the innovation they have, Alabama is a bit off the map. Obesity has many causes such as the unhealthy food in lunchrooms, and sometimes even the healthy food. Sometimes the lack of fatty foods can drive students to crave junk even more. The media plays a role in how teens view healthy things. There is very aggressive marketing of unhealthy food to children. Also, everyone is depending on the lunchroom to be the complete solution. One Alabama teacher suggests getting each grade level a personal nutritionist.

This Can Lead to Child Obesity..

I used to think that if a school had healthier, tastier food- students would be happy with the new decisions, but Point Grey Secondary School is losing the junk food war. The school revamped the program about two years ago to meet new food regulations. There are only a few significant changes- but their lunchroom food was still much better than ours. Yet, when the lunch bell rings the students flock to the 7-Eleven, McDonald's, and Flying Wedge where you can get some big greasy, delicious pizza and a soda for only $3.50. This adds up to over 900 calories-if the students get the complementary cookie...and let's face it. (Who would turn down a cookie?) This proves that if U.S. lunchrooms stop serving junk food on campus- they will go elsewhere to get it by any means necessary.

Fingerprints for Food

A high school district in Los Angeles, California starts to use a fingerprint scanning system to record children's lunch purchases. Yvonne Edwards, principal at Foshay Learning Center says it is safer because students don't have to bring money to school. She says it speeds up the line and eliminates problems with privacy, students' rights, and forgotten lunch money. Some parents disagree with the system saying that they are only children, and it is just lunch. I think the lunches should be more delicious and nutritious if students will be fingerprinted like lunch is all important. The district will spread the system to all schools who will accept it by 2012.

As times change, then so do the demands of teenagers. Teenagers demand instant gratification. It goes along with the territory about being born in world controlled by technology. Technolgy is everywhere. There is no where to run where technolgoy can't find you. People have become so dependent upon it, that they would probably fall apart without it. Technolgy effects the way food is taken in. Without the power of microwaves, most teenagers would probably be lost.






-Food is Food!

Food should be prepared in a timely manner and still be delicious. Long tedious meals are acceptable, but not on a regualr basis. For events and holidays, such as Thanksgiving, then it's understandable. Mothers who cook meals for their families on a nightly basis put too much into it. Cooking everynight is already a complicated task, but having to take the time to slow cook it to perfection is unneccesary. Cooking is a wonderful tool, but at the same time drastic measures should be taken just to get one meal. Sometimes its perfectly all right to put some hamburgers in the oven and open a can of beans. Sometimes change is good.


-Food is Food!

Dancing on the riverwalk

A few weeks ago, a few friends and I volunteered at the Run/Walk for Caner event held at the riverwalk downtown . In the morning many women, children, and men of all ages participated in a half mile and five mile run. Later on there was a performance by Maya's Dance School. A few older women, shook and jigged on the stage for the audience. After the ladies were done, the dance instructor, Maya, took the stage and began to teach give a free class to anyone interested. First, she invited children to come dance with her on stage.

Then it was our turn. We got as close to the stage as we could and followed her movements as we danced (in my case, tried) to the sound of reggeat-tone . By the third song my friends and I were feeling the burn and laughing at ourselves as we tried to keep up.
Dancing is a great way to stay active and also fun. Zumba is a great new dancing work out trend that is qucikly spreading across the nation. Instead of buying a video from online, take part of a real class and strut your stuff!
If you want a taste of what Zumba is, just check Maya out at the holiday market coming up. She's going to give another free lesson there, or just check her out at her studio.
mayasbellydancing.multiply.com/
~Chan

Weather Hinders Production

A con of buying from local growers at farmers markets is the weather. Hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. can all stop a farmers crops from being produced. Just recently, I read about Hurricane Paula that came along Cuba's northwest coast last Thursday, bringing lots of rain on the island's famed tobacco fields even when it weakened.

 

Pina del Rio is known for its high-quality tobacco fileds and is crucial for Cuba's famed cigar industry. Growers had planned to begin planting Tuesday, but the storm hindered that from commencing.

 

So bad weather can have terrible affects on the food you buy at farmer's markets. You could end up buying old produce that can be easily purchased from the supermarket. Also, the produce or meat you buy at the farmer's market may be not be available for purchase due to harsh weather conditions.

NY Mayor Tries to Ban Food Stamps for Sodas

According to this New York Times article from October 7, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is facing opposition in his proposed plan to keep food stamp recipients from using the government-run food program to purchase sodas or any other drink with sugar added to it. The arguments for the proposal, which is backed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, regard soft drinks' role in causing obesity and diabetes, as well as the previous banning of sodas in school lunchrooms.

The article reminds the reader that "the food-stamp program had not changed since 1977: 'any food or food product for home consumption except alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and hot foods or hot food products ready for immediate consumption.'" Basically, right now no one may use food stamps to go out to eat, buy take-out food, or buy beer, wine, cigarettes, etc. The prohibition of these items seems like a good idea, since I don't think anyone wants a person to use food stamps for these kinds of items.

However, adding unhealthy grocery-store items to the list of taboo items will be more difficult. It still seems like a bad idea to use food stamps for Cokes, Doritos, and Twinkies, but where is the line for intervening in which foods are purchased with the vouchers? I, too, would like to believe that the government assistance should be used to buy healthy food, but the truth is that I eat a lot of junk food too, so I would be kind of a hypocrite to proclaim my support of Bloomberg's proposal, wouldn't I?

Creating Life- Research Coming to a Close

Well it’s been another week. I think I have enough material in the way of news and information, so I started a rough draft of my writing project, which is a narrative that is about a family of farmers and their neighbors fighting every step of the way for their land as a landslide of new industry moves down their dirt road and the decisions they all have to make to survive.

Could this be you right now?

(This is an article I found on Associated Content and I think it has some very good points and maybe you would be/ should be interested in what it has to say.

Drive-thrus, dollar menus and more: there are 4 main ways that the minute-meal industry is affecting teenagers if visited too much for too long.

Outward Appearance
The poor nutritional content of fast food affects teens primarily in their appearance. Frequently eating fatty and unhealthy meals can cause weight gain and does not give growing bodies what they need in terms of vitamins and minerals. The lack of vitamins and minerals can cause poor skin, such as breakouts, unevenness, paleness and even underlying hues of gray. Hair can become dull and lifeless, and nails can turn brittle from a lack of nutrition. Since most teenagers have a harder time seeing the long-term effects of a unbalanced diet, but take great stock in what they see in the present, making teenagers aware of such immediate changes can help get them back on the right nutritional path. If time is of an issue, read About Diet Delivery Programs for ideas on how to get healthy meals delivered right to your door.

Mental Status
Thinking abilities suffer from poor nutrition. A poor diet lacking in the required vitamins and minerals can cause lethargy and a reduced capacity to perform tasks at school and home. When the human body doesn't get what it needs in terms of vitamins and minerals, the body can essentially shut down to conserve on what it has. This effect is especially true with teenagers, whose bodies and brains are already working overtime to grow properly. Too many meals eaten outside the home at unhealthy restaurants can take their toll quickly during these crucial years of development. For more information read Causes of Fatigue in Children.

New Ideas

It has just been researched that the health of a father could have a serious impact on whether or not their daughters have diabetes. This experiment consisted of unhealthy male rats bred with healthy female rats. Apparently the offspring of the rats, a daughter, could only produce half the amount of insulin she needed. A quote from a health doctor they had on this website said that “Diabetes or insulin resistance clearly causes reproductive problems in women so we think it plays a role in men as well." It seems to me that there are always different updates on possible reasons why so many people have diabetes.

Me Vs. Mom

Sunday's dinner, we were all on our own. Mom did not feel like cooking so it was up to us to make plans to eat. My brother and sister made sandwiches and chips, my grandma made her some pork chops and beans, my mom and dad bought salads, and since I had money, I decided to eat out at McDonalds. I ordered two double-cheeseburgers, a large fry, an apple pie, and a large drink. Most people don't think I can consume so much, all of it at that. But, I can. So, let's compare the calories in my meal to what was in my mom's, shall we?

My Meal:
Double Cheeseburger- 440 Calories (2)
Large Fries- 500 Calories
Baked Hot Apple Pie - 250 Calories
Large Sprite - 310 Calories

A total of 1940 Calories (The total calorie intake is somewhere between 2000 and 2500)

Mom's Meal:
Chicken Salad - 350 calories
(And she got more! She was full while I was still snacking hours later!)

So, who got the better meal? I guess it was Mom!