Taking Off Guard

It is a terrible thing when you come home and find your mother rushing you to clean up for dinner because she decided to cook for a change. The situation that I just mentioned is the one I walked into earlier today. I find it kind of funny when I come home and see my mother preparing a home cooked meal. Not because she is a funny looking person or anything, but because it is something she hardly ever does. Putting yourself in my shoes you would have to admit some thing that is abnormal would tickle your humor bug also. Don't get me wrong, in my opinion I tend to believe that my mother can cook. I chose not to eat at home because of the time limit I have in my day. Food is food if you ask me, whether it comes from a stove in your home or a stove in a fast food joint ( Applebee's, Jim n' Nicks, or Burgerking). I do believe that all this eating out will catch up with me, so to any one who eats out heavily i would suggest that exercise be a very essential part of your daily life. One reason I don't sweat eating out a lot is because I am highly active and don't mind in working out to ensure my body is burning off the proper calories of my food intake per day. Not having much else to say for right now my advice would be to make sure you do put your body through a rigours routine each day to ensure you are burning off the proper calories in 24 hours, whether it is from a home cooked meal or from a pull up window with a greasy bag in your lap.
-food is food!

Fast food/Junk food lifestyles the next plague?

A lot of people like to eat their emotions away, and the usual comfort food is unhealthy and full of sugar and fat. Nobody thinks to pick up something healthy to eat when they're sad or bored. The choice to binge on celery instead of ice cream could not only prevent many diseases, but it can also help loose weight. Our life style of fast food effects us tremendously. This quick food is loaded with calories and fat, and it's unhealty, but we buy it and eat it without a glance at what's in it.

I will be the first to admitt that its hard to stay away from the Bic Macs and Baconators and so on, because we don't have the time to cook healthy or the money to buy healthy. But I, and everybody else, have to limit that intake. Naturalalternativechoices.com did a test that shows: out of 6000 people, over 16% consume high calororie foods with sugar content beyond daily value. So, we have to take every chance we get to eat right and make good dietary choices, or disease like obesity (dietary related diseases) will be Americas next plague.

What We Don't Realize --

It's Tuesday, work was hectic, and you're a mom that has been carpooling your kids around from practice to practice. After all of this busy work and a busy day -- who has the time to cook? It is such a simple decision that we do not even realize. Week after week can go by, and then year after year, our children will transform into a statistic. "Results from the 2007-2008 NHANES, using measured heights and weights, indicate that an estimated 16.9% of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity_child_07_08/obesity_child_07_08.htm>." These results show that not only are these so-called simple decisions affecting ourselves, but generations to come. I think it's about time parents and adults begin a revelation of healthy eating, while eating out in moderation. So instead of going out to eat with a friend to catch up, have a home-cooked healthy meal instead. Simple decisions are starting to add up, and effect everyone around us.

Week 1: The Observation

Friday afternoon, as usual, we went to McDonalds for dinner. This time, however, I kept close tabs on what everyone including myself was eating.

Dad: Big Mac Meal

Sandwich: 540 calories
Large Coke: 310 calories
Medium Fries: 380 calories
Total : 1230 calories

Jarria: Mighty Kids Meal

Sandwich: 300 calories
Small Fries: 230 calories
Small Sprite: 110 calories
Total: 640 calories

Me: All American Meal

Sandwich: 300 calories
Medium Fries: 380 calories
Mocha Iced McCafe: 560 calories (I couldn't resist the temptation)
Diet Dr. Pepper: 0 calories
Total: 1240 calories

Mom decided not to get anything this week so her calorie count remains at 0.
Judging by all the information I've gathered this is more than enough reason to intervene with this sick tradition. Next week, instead of the usual greasy fast food from McDonalds, I'm going to get my family to try something a little more healthy.

Why does this matter?

It is all over the news that there was an oil spill disaster in the gulf this past spring. This is my first time blogging and I will share the information I find specifically on how this disaster has effected restaurants in Montgomery, Alabama. Since the oil spill has occurred prices in the seafood industry have sky-rocketed, causing local restaurants with seafood specialities to raise their prices too. My research will include local places around the Montgomery area that have been affected by this oil spill, with prices and money, because customers will simply stop spending on high-priced food. This project will help me share how this has been a true disaster for some even as far as Montgomery in the fact of fish prices and the limited number of seafood that is now coming from the Gulf.

Farmers in the States, Week 1

For the farmers of America, buyouts are threats, sentences of death for many. These people who feed us are becoming a slowly dying breed in as some refuse to become a government controlled and assisted farm and, in turn, are leaving their homes. These people feel like they have lost freedom and privacy, causing them to rebel on these matters and inevitably be destroyed. Though this is a huge problem in many matters for America, the major worries have been the loss of food supply versus labor. However, many farmers agree to the terms presented to them as they are paid to live on the land and work, as long as they farm and produce the quota that has been laid out for them. There has been a strong decrease in these land values up to now.

In Indiana, there has been a strong upturn in land value and crop value when there was an expected downturn. Average quality farmland in the area has been valued at approximately $4,419. In a long term study, corn has been yielding a large profit margin and reduced costs of fertilizers have produced a very healthy crop in the state. This is good for the crops this year, but the lasting effect might not be as well as predicted, as tax rates have been cut in Indiana, but this is generally not inclusive of the farmlands in rural areas. They may have a good year, but the battle is still fought for survival of their families and the survival of America’s food supplies.

Amazing Hunger Rates and Wal-Mart

It’s really amazing that so many people in America are at danger of hunger, even though the country they are in is one of the richest countries in the world. According to the tristatefoodbank.org, nearly one in four children is at risk of hunger. In the Tri-State area, more than 120,000 people live at or below poverty and 39,000 of them are children.

Then, how can we rescue people in America from the evil danger of hunger? There are several ways help hungry people, and some of them are: making donations and volunteering at Tri-State Food Bank.

In the other hand, apparently Wal-Mart is helping people from the hunger also. It is not sure that Wal-Mart is helping those people for their strategy to make more money; however, it is sure that Wal-Mart had donated 81 million pounds of foods according to information provided by Lockhart. Also, this year, Wal-Mart Corporation and its foundation is planning to donate even more food through a five-year “Fighting Hunger Together” campaign.

I heard that someone says that Wal-Mart and Wikipedia are the most evil things that human could ever invent. However, one of them, Wal-Mart, is helping hungry people by giving them food.

The Daunting Question

In this day and age, buying produce from local growers at farmers’ markets isn’t exactly a “trendy" thing. Most families buy their produce at grocery stores or chain stores such as Walmart. What families today don’t realize it that buying from local growers is more beneficial than the produce at Walmart. Some of those advantages include buying produce at lower prices, getting very fresh and high quality produce, receiving the maximum amount of nutrition, and wide variety of seasonal and preserved produce. Also, getting a feeling a satisfaction for showing support for local agriculture and economy is a very good thing! But, there is some down sides to purchasing produce from local growers.

Such as farmers’ markets aren’t always located close to one’s home causing long travel distances, they’re really not open to anyone’s convenience, overcrowded, time consuming, and not elderly or toddler friendly. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of buying from grocery stores or chain stores like Walmart? A few advantages include not time consuming, convenient hours, promotional offers, and closer locations. Several disadvantages contain no wide variety, not as healthy, and not as fresh.

So which one is really better to purchase produce from? I guess it depends on a personal preference and location.

Who Wins?

Thinking about what to write about the topic, eating at home vs. eating out, is very hard to do. I want to see the benefits and possible cons of both. I have a hard time sometimes, choosing what to eat, whether to eat what's at home and waiting 15 to 30 minutes for it to be done or going out to a fast food restaurant and getting it as soon as I pay my money.

When choosing what I'm going to write, I have to say that I 85% always choose eating at home than eating out, so i guess that's one point for eating at home. I love to try to eat anything healthy. I love fruits and especially vegetables (YUMMY!!!) since my mom discovered away to cook vegetables with flavor and crunch! I would prefer eating at home because at least i know how the food was handle (With care!) but don't get me wrong, every once and awhile i will stop at a Wendys or a Burger King and grab me a cheeseburger with everything on it and a medium fry with a sprite on the side because of its readiness and its delicious taste.

I am the kind of person that tries to eat healthy but I am a sucker for McDonald's apple pies and a few days ago, someone brought this thought to my attention: How about when i go out like to a fast food place then i can try to order a healthy item off the menu. For some reason that never crossed my mind that I could eat healthier at a fast food place and also see the calories the item held because all I saw was the fat juicy burger! So I guess that's one point for fast foods places.

Week Two: Homecooking vs. Fast Food

Opinions are important when it comes to these two topics. Homecooking is good, depending on who prepares the food. As nice as it is, having home cooked meals every night can be boring and irrating. On the other hand, fast food is also good. They're are numerous resturants for different cravings of cuisine to indulge in. A negative aspect to take into the consideration is the hands that prepare the food. Usually if someone allows another person to cook for them, they're well aquainted. In fast food places, chances are that the customer has never seen or met the cashier or the "cooks". Those are things to think about when one is about to eat at the dinner table or sit in the drive-thru where the "golden arches" sits tall.

Diabetes?

Diabetes is much more than, "Oh, I can't eat that many sweets". No.

Yes, sweets are to be avoided if you have diabetes, but that's only scratching the surface. Diabetes is when the insulin in your body is either not being produced or it's not functioning properly. Insulin is a polypeptide hormone, produced by the beta cells of the langerhans and the pancreas, that regulates the metabolism of glucose and other nutrients. Basically, insulin is what helps your body absorb the vitamins and nutrients that you need to grow, function, and live. Also, it controls your metabolism, so it either speeds up or slows it down radically. From these facts, it's easy to see how malfunctioning metabolism can be a real problem. Insulin is carried through your bloodstream. Your blood sugar levels (glucose levels) are controlled by your metabolism, so you have to keep an eye on your levels because if it goes down, then you don't have enough insulin. Most people with diabetes can control their glucose levels by keeping a careful eye on their diet, exercising, and keeping their body weight in the prescribed range according to height.

In diabetes, age is very important. The older you are, the harder it is to control your glucose levels. When you are younger, it is easier because your metabolism is high, you're very active, and you don't eat as much. Diabetes is serious and real. Diabetes kills approximately 234,000 people a year, and that is only in the US. In the countries that aren't as clean and don't have good medical care, such as Africa, the death toll is much higher.

That Good Ol' Family Heart Trouble

For the “Cast Your Bucket Down” project, Mr. Dickson recommended that we choose a topic that we can relate to, because what’s a work of writing without passion behind it, right? So I chose the subject of illnesses and diseases resulting from poor dietary choices and habits. I have a family history of such diseases including the all-powerful diabetes and high cholesterol induced from hearty partaking of greasy goodness. So with sparing my family’s dignity and health issues put aside, I should have plenty of first hand knowledge for research, maybe even a picture or two of the rainbow of pills my father has to pop everyday because of his diabetes.

Just last summer I visited my great-grandfather’s grave and underneath the tombstone was a war plaque; it turns out that he fought in War World II. After the whole family history jazz was given to me, I asked my father if he died in war. No. Great- grandfather died of heart trouble. So now I’m just looking for prime time for an interview from one of my older family members with that good ol’ family heart trouble. Currently I’m debating what research will be needed in order to create either a play inspired from my father’s hospitalization, or a short non-fiction work about the subject.

What's in your Tummy?

Processed foods are foods that have been changed from their natural state for whatever reasons. The foods that are easily identified as processed have been cann, frozen, or even dehydrated. Lots of people consider processed foods bad, but most people don't even now what they are. For example, Cheetos are covered with cheese that has been turned into a dust and sprinkled across fried cornbread. Yes, your precious Cheetos can be bad for you! Hot dogs, bologna, and other packaged meats are commonly consumed processed products. When buying meats like chicken, you can usually check the labeling for whether the meat is 100% or not. Health issues such as high blood pressure can result from the hidden and excessive amounts of sodium in processed foods. Canned vegetables especially have lots of sodium from the juice the are kept in. Processed foods like packaged meats or cracker snacks can be good for you, but you have to watch the amount you consume. Happy eating!

Burger King or Eating at Home

We all know that fast food can be more convenient than going home and cooking. But it isn't necessarily healthier. Fast food is clearly the Devil!

Don't get me wrong, I love the greasy goodness, but it isn't good for us. A couple of days ago Burger King released a 2,500-calorie pizza burger in New York. And yet people wonder why we as Americans are so fat. I know it's a choice whether we eat it or not, but if it's not created, we wouldn't have the temptation on our hands. Then we have the issue of wondering why younger kids are getting bigger. Well, for one thing, the kids meal we love to buy them, when we're tired from work and don't feel like cooking, has about 900 calories. That answer the question?

Big food chains like McDonald's and Burger King are trying to add healthier items to their menus. But to be honest, who wants to go to McDonalds to buy a salad? Why not just modify how and with what you cook the food with? Minimize the greasiness and maybe your pants size would minimize. But then I got to thinking isn't the greasiness the reason why we go to fast food joints?

Gather 'Round the Good Stuff

My mom and grandmothers' have always told me that the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Cooking, especially in the South, is a way of life and brings us all closer together. I guess it is safe to conclude that food is a universal language. Don't believe me? Next time you want something from a parent or friend, try giving them a slice of cake and watch how that "no" quickly turns into a "yes." Every Sunday after church, my family gathers around the table to enjoy a good Southern, home-cooked meal.
This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to share a delicious meal with my family and a few of my friends came over to join in on the fun. On the menu was macaroni and cheese, baked chicken, fried chicken, collard greens, cornbread, corn on the cob, black eyed peas, fried apples, strawberry cake, and caramel pound cake. Is your mouth watering because it should be. Grandma and Momma took their time to carefully put the right ingredients and measurements into making Sunday's menu. Everyone gathered around the table, held hands, bowed their heads, while my father blessed the food. As soon as he said, "Amen" everyone grabbed a plate and went straight for the stove. There wasn't a single person who did not get everything on their plate. Everyone ate in silence and the only sound that was heard was the fork hitting the plate. After everyone had at least one plate, it was time for seconds and this is when the conversations began. Momma says you know the food is good when everyone is silent the first time around. Laughs and stories about Aunt Joy spread around the table and the latest 'gossip' about family and questions about school were among the conversations at the table. We all can agree that a family that eats together will stay together.

Self-Sustinence With Food: My Goals

Okay, here goes my first blog. I am a little nervous....

My topic is self-sustenance with food. By no means am I going to completely sustain myself by the end of this year, but I sure should know a lot more on how to.

So far my goals are: plant a (successful) garden, learn to hunt, and learn how to can/preserve food.

This summer I planted some cantaloupes (my inspiration for this project). Well, they died. Oops! Darn that hot Alabama sun! So now I am starting to think on my winter garden. I know it is a little early, but I am not planting pumpkins. So far, the only winter veggies I can think of is cabbage, collards, and fava beans. I guess I will be needing to plant those pretty soon, but it is just so hot! I am afraid all my plants will burn up (again).

Next on the agenda is learning to hunt. Well, I need to talk to some family friends about that... I do actually have a plan, I just need to set it into action. I am sure I will need some shooting practice so I don't scare all the deer away. One good thing is that I already know how to clean deer, so by the rare chance that I am successful I will actually be able to do all the gutting and cleaning.

Canning and preserving are probably the thing I am most excited about. I am going to buy some fresh vegetables from the farmer's market and take them up to Ms. Patty's house probably the weekend after next. If I wait any longer, thee won't be anything good to buy. Hopefully by te end of it all I will be canning my own vegetables.

I am looking forward to learning so many new things as well as writing about them!

Food: An Enemy?

Can it be that food, the thing most of us love beyond much else, is an enemy to some? How could this be? The answer to that is, my friend, the cause of an eating disorder. Some, causing drastic weight gain, are the result of a large love of food. Though, to be an enemy, there are other types of eating disorders. They don't come around on their own, though. It could be said that they can be encouraged. How? Depression, a lot of stress, or negative attitudes, as well as outside factors like fashion magazines displaying images of unrealistically skinny models on their front covers. Why? It looks good. All around us, advertisements make men and women long for bodies they don't have. The result, while many people will honestly eat "right" and go to the gym every day, is in part, eating disorders.

Anorexia and Bulimia are among the most commonly known. Women as well as some men indulge themselves in these types of eating habits to attempt to gain that body they saw on television. Anorexia, eating as little as possible to nothing at all, is a very fast - and very unhealthy way - to gain the "perfect body," which in reality is nowhere near to perfect. People diagnosed with anorexia have had their muscles turned to the exact thing they've been trying to avoid - fat, as well as having their body's overall growth severely reduced (mentality included), and in some cases, intelligence cut severely.

Bulimia is harder to notice, as people with the disease tend to have average body weights. Bulimia usually consists of people who skip meals - just to binge on food, which in turn exits the body before being fully digested via laxatives, self-induced vomiting, or diuretics. People with bulimia tend to not eat in public, disappear after meals, or skip them all together.

The Beginning

So, this is my first blog. And I must confess I'm probably a little rusty at this--it's been a while since I've done any kind of blogging. . . my Myspace days are far in my past. But let's get to the main reason I'm writing. A school project of course; but this is in no way a bad thing. See, the Cast Your Bucket Down project is to get the Creative Writing students of BTW High School to practice the teachings of Booker T. Washington. And so in honor of Mr. Washington himself, it's time for us to get off our butts and to get to spreading word around our community on things that we care about. So this takes me here to blogger.com. My purpose is to share with all you lovely readers that I am a vegetarian from Alabama. And I know what you are all thinking, "they eat something besides road kill and wild game down there?" The answer is yes, we do, or at least I do. Not all of us are innutritious. In fact, that is my other purpose for this blog. I want to prove to all of you, that living a nutritious, healthy, vegetarian lifestyle is possible. So keep an open mind. In my next blog, I'll explain more on my choice to be a vegetarian and how I can help you too. But until then, I challenge you to consider some reading. Try Upton Sinclairs "The Jungle", I promise it will open your meat-eating eyes.

Fast food or a home cooked meal? Some people and health freaks would tend to believe that having a home cooked meal is more beneficial than eating at a fast food place IE: Burger king, McDonald's, Wendy's, or any where else that a person might intake a lot of greasy foods. Me, personally I could care less, food is. My influence may very well be based on the lack of a daily meal prepared by mother due to our very rigours schedule.

When a family is limited on time, like mine, it easier for them to stop by the nearest fast food joint than slave over a hot stove. No I'm not knocking the fact that a healthy and balanced diet is necessary, but at the same time I will say a health diet has to revolve around time and connivance. Like stated before it's for me to stop by McDonald and grab something for my sister and I to eat on the way to practice rather than wait for my mother to cook it. Being that my mom gets off at 5 and takes any where from 15- 25 minutes to get home, waiting on a hot meal is pressing when we have practice at 6 in Prattville. Yes having one ready once we return home would also be nice, its a little unrealistic to cook at 8 o'clock at night when the child has already eaten and is preparing for their night's rest. So yes in this case connivance and time would win over what is considerable "healthy".

A Lot To Learn

Diabetes is a disease that I have known about for a while because my aunt has had it for about five years now. She once showed me a log she keeps with her at all times where she writes down the day and what her blood sugar level is. There were so many different dates and levels on it that I was overwhelmed. I didn’t realize how many times a day she had to check it. It must be rather tedious to have to prick your own finger so many times a day. I’ve found a lot of interesting stories on the lives of diabetics through the internet from people who have blogged about living with the disease. It seems that I have a lot to learn about what life really is like for a diabetic.

Getting To Know Diabetes

What is diabetes? Diabetes, also referred to as diabetes mellitus, is classed as a metabolism disorder. A person with diabetes has a condition on which the quantity of glucose in the blood is to elevated. The reason for this is becasue the body either does not produce enough insulin, produces no insulin, or the insulin produced by the pancreas isn't responded to well by the body. There are over 20 million Americans suffering form diabetes toady, and many more who my not unknowingly have the disease.

There are two types of diabetes. The first type is type one diabetes, or insulin dependant diabetes mellitus, an the second is typs two diabetes, or non-insulin dependant diabetes mellitus.

A person very close to has type one diabetes. When i asked them how they deal wuith it they told me"everdsy is a struggle but my health is important to me so I do what I have to do." When i asked about their eating habits they told me, "I can eat whatever I choose to eat. The only rule is that I have to take my insulin after I eat for the carbohydrtes I've eaten." During the interview I also asked if they chose to eat healthier on their own. They respoinded "I eat a somewhat healthy becasue I want to, not because of doctors orders, but I know if I diodn't eat healthy sometimes, that my diabetes could be alot worse."

Diabetes and Me

Obesity. High Cholesterol. Diabetes. Words or Warning? Alabama is the 3rd most medicated state in America! It almost tied at number 2 with Tennessee. Almost 66% of the population in Alabama is overweight, 235.5 people out of 100,000 have heart disease, and over 12% have diabetes.

Diabetes is a condition that has already hit close to home for me. My father has it and yes, we live in Alabama, so seeing reports like this isn't comforting. But do we let it get us down? Nope! We move forward so we don't end up as a statistic. Yes my father has diabetes, we can't change that, but what we can change is the conditions that come with it if he doesn't take care of himself, and if we don't help him. Will it be hard? Of course! Especially living in the south surrounded by all this soul food, but we can do it.

The life of a diabetic, I've already seen, isn't easy. Counting carbs because you can't go over a certain amount a day, eliminating foods from your diet, and constantly having to know what your blood sugar is? You'd have to be Superman to do it perfectly. Though I'm sure even Superman would be tempted to cheat on his diet.

Evolution or Body Pollution?

"We cook at least 6 days of the week at my house."

That was the statement that sent my health class into shock. My classmates, even my health teacher, were a little more than surprised to hear me say that. At first, I wasn't sure if it was because of my size or what. In the on going discussion (which haunted me for the rest of the semester), we discussed how my health teacher could not and would not cook. She ate out every day. Although not always fast food, she ate food prepared at a restaurant. My classmates, who may not have eaten at nice restaurants, ate out at least 5 times a week.

Both parties (me versus my entire class) were surprised at each others' reaction. Their general argument was that no one cooked anymore. They spoke about it like it was a flip phone or a VHS, like something that had gone out of style. My teacher even made the joke that me and my family were living in the 1800s because of our home cooked meals.

For as long as I can remember, my mom cooked. Regardless of how tired she was when she got off work, she cooked for me and my dad. Maybe this is why i don't buy other people's excuses about being to tired or not having time. We made time to cook and eat.

I said all of that for this reason: that class room discussion struck something in me. Are families all over the country like my health class? Does everyone think that cooking is "stupid"? Is it just a southern thing? Is cooking something that has faded out? Have we evolved to the point where we don't need to anymore? Or are fast food restaurants sorry excuses for us to harm and fill our bodies with unhealthy things? I'm not sure, but I want to find out. I'm convinced that there has to be families out there that don't rely on cooks in restaurants to supply them with their meals.

My class also pointed out that there are too many fast food restaurants around for me to assume that people cooked. Maybe they had a point, but I had a different way of looking at things. Although we cook most of the time, we do eat out occasionally. I assumed that so many people came to the fast food restaurants on their "occasional" time that they fast food places were able to stay in business. Maybe not, but I will soon find out.

K.DAWN

Is organic as good as it seems?

Many people say eating organic and eating foods from local farms are both just as healthy as the other. What most people fail to realize, though, is the difference in the number of pesticides between organic and local produce, and the health concerns linked to such. In a study done by the CDC, an average red tomato from a chain supermarket has between fifty and sixty pesticides soaked into its soft skin. However, the local red tomatoes also included in the test were found to have only three to four traced pesticides. In substantial amounts, pesticides can cause severe illness and even death. So in a case such as this one, less is worth so much more,

Fat for Thought: The Start of a Revolution

America is fat. Alabama is fat. Alabama gets fatter. Although the first three sentences are harsh, and I admit that, they are also factual. A huge number of news stations, newspapers, radio stations, and other multimedia groups talk about the continual rise in the percentage of obese people in the country. According to an article in the New York Times titled "Obesity Rates Keep Rising, Troubling Health Officals", obesity rates have reached 26.7 percent in 2009, raising the total amount of fat people to 72.5 million. And as for Alabama, the total reaches 30 percent along with nine other states.

However, there's a huge problem with Alabama having one of the highest obesity percentages in the country. Alabama is an agricultual state, meaning that in this state, farmers grow healthy food that is available first to the people of this state. What this says is that instead of buying healthy and state grown food, people in this state will by frozen foods that were probably enduced with chemicals and toxins. Instead of eating food that would be better for them, they would eat food that isn't? Something is very wrong with that.

Granted yes, obesity can be caused by an ample amount of variables. From genetics to disease, the list can go on and on. And also, eating foods that are bad for you may or may not make you fat. Still, when the obviously better choice could be right around the corner from a person's house, they will still choose to buy canned food.

This blog is here to point out something that is seriously wrong in the state of Alabama. It's here to find out why people don't take advantage of foodmarkets in the state when everything about them would benifit them. Better food, better health, and supporting the state's farmers,all accomplished in one trip to a local foodmarket. Yet still, it doesn't happen. I intend to find out why, and I intend to give every single last detail I come across in this topic.

Godspeed

The Tradition

My family and I unknowingly started an unusual tradition two years ago. We were on our way home on a Friday and, like every other day of the week, we were all tired and since mom didn't feel like cooking that night we decided to order pizza for dinner. Sounds innocent enough.

Another week went by and it was Friday again, but that Friday I noticed my mom taking a different way home. I quickly saw the reason why as the golden arches of McDonald's came into view. And every Friday since then we've taken that same road home, always stopping by McDonalds or Burger King in case we wanted to switch things up and thus a tradition was born.

Before then my family never really ate fast food. The only times that we would go to a fast food restaurant or any restaurant in general was whenever we were on a long road trip going somewhere or if it was someone's birthday.

My plan for the next semester or so is to somewhat monitor my families eating habits on Mondays through Thursdays and compare them to our eating habits on Fridays and the weeked and maybe, if possible, break the tradition.

Diets Aren't As Good As We Think!

Temptations to eat are just as bad as temptations to not eat. The daily struggle to control what we eat is very stressful. So not only are we opening ourself up for dietary illnesses, but also for illnesses related to stress. People everywhere are stressing over how fat they are, how much food they're eating, and all these other things. All we're doing is making it worse for ourselves.

Fad diets, like low-carb diets don't give the body everything they need. They also dehydrate the body, causing the loss of water weight, which cause people to think they've lost weight but they haven't. As soon as the diet stops, the weight comes back. Low-carb/high-protein diets have a lot of bad side effects. For example: risk of kidney or heart or cancer, disease, nausea, bad breath, bone loss, digestive problems, mood changes, etc. The choices made in our diets effect our entire life, so its up to us to to protect our bodies from illnesses. In the long run it will help us become healthy no matter how slow the process.

CS one

Google Alerts has not sent me any information as of yet, so I do not have much to report in that department. Though for this project, I will record my family's gardening and natural food consumption. I will record my findings within this blog and update weekly as is required. Hopefully, I will receive information from various sources and will have something to report with my next post.
- bookie

Organic Food 1

I checked my Google alerts today, there is abundant information. I'm hoping to begin organizing soon. I won't have any shortage of facts, though. Organic food health benefits is definately a broad topic, but I'll end up learning a lot.

Teens on Health

Trying to stay healthy can be very challenging for teens today. Homework, school, and our jobs are just a few things that are keeping us from being active. Eating healthy seems to be more of a burden than the right to thing with the affordability of fast food. Yet some teens have changed their lifestyles so that they can live healthier. I'll discuss how local teens stay healthy, whether it's by not eating meat, working out, or eating only organic food. I'll also give information to help change your lifestyle,eating habits, and become a healthier individual. More from my project will soon come, so stay tuned. ~Chan

Week One

Although the information aquired via Google Alerts has not been entirely as helpful as I might have liked, they have made it abundantly obvious that currently the factor most affecting Alabama's farmers is the heat. This is quite useful information, highlighting the struggle of farmers in recent times, and therefore the benefits of buying locally. Progress is slow but definite. I hope to get more information soon.

Week One (Homecooking -vs- Fast Food)

Differentiating between the pros and cons of homecooking and fast food is no simple ordeal. With so many different perspectives to take into account, is there really an unbiased conclusion that could give justice to both sides? Some people enjoy traditional meals at the family table, while others want instant gratification by swinging through the drive-thru to pick up dinner. Another way to look it would be through the eyes of people watching their health. Not necessarily their weight, but what they take in when it comes to their diet. Both fast food and homecooking have negative and positive aspects, but with research and deductive reasoning a person may conclude that one may be better than the other.

The Oprah Winfrey Show

Yesterday, I watched an episode of the “Oprah Winfrey Show” that aired on August 11, and it was about food and healthy eating habits. Oprah’s guests were food writer Michael Pollan, actress Alicia Silverstone who has recently written a book called “The Kind Diet,” and the owner and head chef of the Chipotle restaurant chain. Normally, I’m not an “Oprah” watcher, but my wife has a Season Pass on TiVo for the show, and we watch them sometimes when nothing else is on. The one thing I do like about Oprah Winfrey is her dedication to using her clout to help people lead better lives, instead of running show after show about cheating spouses getting caught or wild baby-daddy arguments.

Michael Pollan’s name is synonymous with healthy food and responsible eating habits. I recently saw a friend reading “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” and admitted during that conversation that Pollan’s books are ones I wish I had read. He is one of the main voices in the documentary, “Food, Inc.,” which “examines the costs of putting value and convenience over nutrition and environmental impact.” Oprah explained during the course of the show that she made an arrangement with Amazon.com to sell the movie for only $9.99 (for a limited time), to encourage more people to watch it.

Alicia Silverstone, who is probably best known for her role in the movie “Clueless” or for being the girl in the Aerosmith videos of the 1990s, was also on the show, but to talk about her book, not her acting. In the “The Kind Diet,” Silverstone shares ways to eat vegan, for two reasons: first, to feel better and second, to eliminate the cruel treatment of animals raised for food. Her message is to be “kind,” both to ourselves and to animals. Silverstone, who smiled through most of the interview, explained that her switch to being a vegan did everything from give her more energy to clear up her acne.

Steve Ells, owner of Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants, has brought healthy ingredients and actual cooking to fast food. He explained that, in his restaurants, employees chop and measure ingredients and use pots and pans, instead of warming over or frying processed items that were trucked in. There's a clip of Steve Ells on “Oprah" on YouTube.

I even learned a few things just watching the latter of half of this one talk-show episode. I had not realized that the average American eats 200 pounds of meat a year, for instance. That’s an average! I had also never thought about eating habits as being “kind” to yourself, not putting your body through the agony of having to digest and process some things. It was also good to hear that some culinary experts are finding ways to make healthy fast food possible, to have good food without the usual time involved.

I think it was Michael Pollan who said on the show that the average American eats fast food four times a week, which shocked me! I can’t imagine eating like that on a regular basis. I can’t imagine wanting fast food that often. I typically eat fast food when I’m on the road, especially in airports where nothing looks all that good, but only about twice a month normally. I can’t imagine eating fast food more than 200 times in year.

The Project

The "Cast Your Bucket Down" project takes the basic idea in the 1895 Atlanta Exposition Speech by Booker T. Washington -- "Cast your bucket down where you are." -- and applies it to issues of food consumption and production in Alabama. (To read the speech, click here.)

The blog will be written by 34 creative writing magnet students at Booker T. Washington Magnet High School in Montgomery, Alabama, each of whom has chosen a food or farming related topic to explored from August to December 2010.

After that, the students will each produce a creative work based on their experiences and findings. More on that as the project goes on. The final product will be a short film.