Tuesday, June 10, 2014
A Cookin' Education
11:19 PM | 
Posted by
Kaplan Center for Health and Wellness
Peanut Butter Cookies. Horrible tasting,
baking soda overloaded, peanut butter cookies. That is the first food item I
remember making on my own. What was yours? Pizza! Angel food cake! Lasagna! Julia
Child’s Beef Bourguignon? Oui! Whatever it was I am sure you felt proud
of your accomplishment and that everyone said how tasty it was, regardless of
how it actually tasted! But, no doubt, it was fabulous!
Do
you still enjoy cooking? Oh, I hope you do! It is such an important part of
health and wellness!
In
one of my previous jobs, I ran a health and wellness program for college
students. We talked about good nutrition and exercise and I helped them create
goals and lay out steps for achieving their goals. Through this process I
became extremely frustrated because the students didn’t know how to cook. Most of them didn’t know how to boil water. We
changed our whole agenda that semester and instead I had everyone over to my
house for basic cooking lessons. From that point on, that is where we started
each semester.
We
started with cooking lessons because one of the main barriers to consuming a
healthy diet is a lack of cooking skills. According to a recent survey (Huffington Post, 2011),
almost 30% of Americans say they don’t know how to cook. As we discussed
earlier eating healthy doesn’t have to be less convenient or expensive but
in order for it to be comparable in price the individual must know how to
cook. Perhaps the lack of cooking skills is the result of no longer providing
home economic classes in high school?
In your work in the health and wellness field you may find yourself counseling individuals who have no idea how to cook. Where would you start? What would you recommend? Of course, the exact approach will depend on the client, but it is always good to do a little research and preparation. Find some great cookbooks, online videos and even local cooking classes that you could recommend to clients!
Some
of my favorite cookbooks involve education. Of course, the classic Julia Child’s:
Mastering the Art of French Cooking is wonderful. Even though it is about
French Cooking, her book really is about education. Want to know about sex
organs of lobsters? She will tell you! In great detail! Anyone can learn
something in these books. Another great author is Deborah Madison. She gained
her initial cooking education at Chez Panisse. Chez Panisse was founded by
Alice Waters and she is credited with starting the local, organic and fresh
food movement. Deborah Madison has published many cookbooks and of course her
focus is on using local, fresh foods. She is a great resource to learn how to
use fresh fruits and vegetables in the best possible way. She teaches you how
to let the produce shine!
What
cookbooks and other resources can you recommend?
Emily Boldrin PhD, RD
Huffington
Post. (2011).
Cooking Survey Reveals 28% of Americans Can’t Cook. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/09/cooking-survey_n_955600.html.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
A Story...and some ideas
10:03 PM |
Posted by
Kaplan Center for Health and Wellness
By: Emily Boldrin, PhD, R.D.
YOU GUYS!!! Do you know what happened last Friday? Well I
suppose not, so let me tell you, but first a little background…
Are you like me? I love food. Do you love it too? It is fun,
tasty, and we need it to survive. Pretty great combination in my book! My love
of food started when I was a child where I was lucky enough to be raised in a
family that experimented with food. A lot. Needless to say, grocery shopping
for me is fun (aside from the cost…see previous post). The wackier the grocery
store, the better. Strange cans I can’t read? Perfect! A fish that looks like
an alien? Yummy. I will take it!
But. Guess what? I had a baby. A wonderfully cute, time
demanding baby. These grocery store trips are no longer fun and it is impossible
to justify taking him to a sketchy area of town just to go to some wacky
grocery store. So, for the last 16 months I have been relegated to the standard
big box grocery store.
Le sigh. Le sigh. Le sigh.
But then...last Friday...Grandma time!! I said see you later
and sped out the door faster than a herd of turtles. I was on a mission to binge on grocery
stores. All the glorious ones I hadn’t been to in over a year. I was on my way!
First stop - Natural Grocer – which is similar to Whole Foods. This store is right
next to my big box grocery store. But for reasons stated earlier, this was my
first visit in 16 months.
I pulled up and the doors opened to the heavens and I am
sure Celine Dion was singing. Or maybe it was Phil Collins. Anyways, when I
went in and saw the dew kissed organic produce greeting and calling out to me,
shock and horror arose. Could it be true? I racked my brain and determined it
was in fact true. The organic produce at this grocery store was cheaper than
the non-organic produce at the big box store. Happy, happy day! Now I could buy
organic produce for less than what I was spending on regular produce. Budgetary
delight!
Speaking of budgets - We talked in the last blog post about
how much we are spending on food in America, how it compares to other countries
and how it correlates with obesity rates. I also discussed how students often
say that they can’t eat healthy because it is too expensive. So, this time we
are going to talk about how we can eat healthy on a budget. The concepts we
discuss below* can apply to organic or conventional produce!
- Be a detective – See example above J. Even if you comparison shopped a year ago (as I had done), it never hurts to check out competition every now and then. Looks for sales flyers if you don’t want to go to the store. Some stores even have their prices online.
- Be a cook – Avoid the cellulose and plastic packages. The more intact an item, the cheaper. Bonus - you get to refine your slicing and dicing skills J
- Be a hoarder – look for sale items and stock up. This goes for produce as well. A lot of stores have a dinged and damaged area for produce. For example, at my big box grocery store, you can get 5 pieces of organic produce for 1 dollar in this area.
- Be Bulky – Often times, the more you can buy in bulk, the cheaper it is. However, you will want to comparison shop to verify you are getting a better deal.
- Be the Crazy Coupon Lady/Man – I admit that I hate couponing. Perhaps it had to do with long Sunday afternoons as a kid getting paper cuts while cutting out endless coupons. But, for those of you without couponing nightmares, it can be a really great tool to save money. A lot of stores are offering online coupons and of course you can find coupons in your Sunday circular.
- Be Smart – Buy produce in season from your local farmers markets and fruits stands. Make the farmer’s market your family Saturday morning activity and get to know the farmers! The more they know you, the better they treat you (and that includes getting a good deal on their produce).
- Be Discerning – If you want to buy organic produce but need to watch your budget, you can refer to the Environmental Working Group lists of the “dirty dozen” and “clean fifteen” to help you decide what to produce to purchase. Find it here: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/
- Be Friendly – You can sign up to join a food coop. These food coops deliver weekly “bounties” to their members. The coops often have large bounties, so ask a friend to join with you. Sharing the produce with a friend will half the price!
- Be Picky – You can find organic or conventional local produce operations that are much tastier than what you find in the grocery store and most often cheaper! Pick until you can’t pick any more and freeze, can or cook what you can’t eat.
- Be a Farmer – This is the easiest way to save money! Plant a garden – even if it is just one plant. Anyone can grow zucchini and tomatoes are great for small spaces like a patio or porch.
*Tips adapted from: Organic.org. (2014)“Money Saving Tips”.
Retrieved from: http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-210
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Are We Expecting Too Much?
12:59 AM |
Posted by
Kaplan Center for Health and Wellness
You know how it is after you
go out of town for a week or so? You come home to a cavernous fridge and pantry
and have to go and buy what feels like, the entire grocery store! You have
stock up. I did that last week and as I was checking out, felt the pain that
comes with seeing your grocery bill get higher and higher with every “beep” of
the register. It is extra torturous when they turn the register screen so you
can watch as money flies out of your wallet.
I have been watching the egg prices go up recently and it makes me
nervous. Not too long ago I was paying less than a dollar for a dozen eggs, but
just last week those same eggs were $2.09 a dozen. Ouch. It got me thinking
about food prices and how much we spend on groceries. Any time I talk with
students (or anyone for that matter) about eating healthy, they say they would
like to eat healthy, but do not do so because it is so expensive. Budgets I
understand, my husband and I lived off $20.00 a week for groceries for many years
when we were first married. BUT overall,
maybe our expectations for what eating healthy should cost, are unrealistic?
Let’s do a little global comparison on how much people spend on
food around the world. If we take a look at spending statistics we will see
that Americans spend by far the least amount of their income of food. Check out
this map - particularly the developed countries http://civileats.com/2011/03/29/mapping-global-food-spending-infographic/ – This chart shows that according the USDA (2010) Americans
spend less than 7 percent of their income on food and also have the highest
rates of obesity (over 30%). England spends only 8.8 percent of their
income on food and ranks 3rd in obesity rates (23%) worldwide. Conversely,
Koreans spend about 15% of their income (double the US) on food and have very low
obesity rates (about 3%). It could be inferred that the more money someone
spends on their food, the healthier the food they are able to buy and thus they
experience a lower rate/risk of obesity.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2011), Americans are spending the least (percentage wise) than ever on food. In the 1960’s Americans were spending just over 16% of their income on food. Now, we are spending less than 7%. It appears there is an inverse relationship between how much we spend and how much we weigh… If we want to have a healthy diet and healthy body perhaps it is more of an issue of re-prioritizing what we spend on money on...
What do you all think?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2011), Americans are spending the least (percentage wise) than ever on food. In the 1960’s Americans were spending just over 16% of their income on food. Now, we are spending less than 7%. It appears there is an inverse relationship between how much we spend and how much we weigh… If we want to have a healthy diet and healthy body perhaps it is more of an issue of re-prioritizing what we spend on money on...
What do you all think?
Dr. Emily Boldrin PhD, RD
United
States Department of Agriculture. (2010).
Euromonitor data [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/home.aspx
United
States Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2011).
Consumer expenditure survey [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/data/
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Rosemary Herbal Shampoo
9:19 PM |
Posted by
Kaplan Center for Health and Wellness
Whether you choose to put it in a pot or in the ground, it is almost guaranteed to get tall, bushy, and permeate your yard with its amazing scent. Its scent is also great for keeping herb loving insects at bay, so may want to consider planting it around your garden as a natural insecticide.
Personally I use Rosemary almost every day in the kitchen, and also use it to make an herbal shampoo that smells divine! Check out the stats of this old friend below and the recipe for the shampoo that follows.
Rosemary (Rosmarius officinalis)
Description:
Rosemary belongs to the Lamiaceae, or mint family, and have square stems, purple two-lipped flowers and abundant fragrance-bearing oil glands typical of many members of the mint family (HerbSociety of America, 2010).
Growing Tips:
Set out plants in the spring when the weather has warmed.
Plant in full sun, but in the warmer climates they will accept some light shade. They thrive in a light, well-drained, soil. During the growing season, pinch back growth tips two or three inches to promote bushy plants; cut back hard only in early spring to allow the new growth time to mature (NGA, 2010).
Most rosemary varieties are reliably hardy to only 20°F; however, gardeners in cold-winter areas can successfully grow rosemary indoors in a container with a fast-draining potting soil. Bring the plants indoors at least several weeks before your area's first frost date. Feed the potted rosemary regularly with fish emulsion and provide good air circulation to ward off harmful mildew (NGA, 2010).
Parts Used: Leaves
Uses:
Rosemary is a great treatment for headaches. It is also useful for indigestion, colic, nausea, gas, and fevers (Tierra, 1998). It is also high in calcium and thus is a benefit to the entire nervous system, as well as having antibiotic properties. Rosemary can also be used for the hair and scalp; use as a cooled strong tea as a rinse after shampoo (Tierra, 1998). This herb is used in just about every type of culinary dish with fruit, eggs, salads, sauces and meat.
Rosemary Herbal Shampoo
8 oz water
3 oz Liquid Castille Soap
4 TBSP Rosemary Leaf
20-60 drops essential oil (optional)
1/4 tsp organic Jojoba or Olive oil (adjust as needed – use more for dry hair or may omit for oily hair)
Make an herbal infusion, or strong tea, by pouring boiling water over the herbs. Cover, and allow them to steep for at least 4 hours. Strain the herbs out and pour the remaining liquid into a bottle, then adding the Castille soap and oils. Rosemary is good for any hair type. It is also effective treatment for dry scalp, dandruff, dermatitis, and hair loss.
*This recipe is adapted from Mountain Rose Herbs (2011).
References:
Herb Society of America.org (2010) Herb Society of America Fact Sheet. Retrieved May 31, 2010 from www.herbsociety.org.
Mountain Rose Herbs (2011). Retrieved May 1, 2011 from www.mountainroseherbs.com.
National Gardening Association.org (2010) Retrieved May 31, 2010 from http://www.garden.org
Tierra, M. (1998). The Way of Herbs. New York, NY: Pocket Books.
Enjoy!
Kristin Henningsen MS, CH, RYT
Monday, June 2, 2014
Detox Recipes For Spring Health
5:40 PM |
Posted by
Kaplan Center for Health and Wellness
Getting the feel for what kind of detox is right for your body can be a challenge, and for many, working with a qualified healthcare practitioner is a great choice. I've left a few of my tried and true recipes below that you can incorporate into any detox diet. Keep in mind that it is essential to listen to your body.
Detoxification Tea
-1 part Echinacea Root -1 part Yarrow
-1 part Red Clover Blossoms -1/2 part Dandelion Root
-1/2 part Peppermint -1/4 part Parsley
*Mix herbs well. Infuse 1 tablespoon of tea in 1 cup hot water for 10-15 minutes. Drink 5-7 cups for 7-10 days.
Spring Master Cleanser
-2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juices -1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
-1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper -8 ounces filtered water
Mix and drink 8-12 glasses a day.
*This tastes way better than it sounds!
Rejuvenation Ration
-3 cups filtered water -1 tablespoon ginger root, chopped
-1-2 tablespoons miso paste -1-2 stalks green onion, chopped
-cilantro to taste, chopped -1-2 pinches cayenne pepper
-2 teaspoons olive oil -juice of 1/ 2 lemon
*Boil water. Add ginger root. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir in miso paste to taste. Turn off heat. Then add green onion, cilantro, cayenne, olive oil, and lemon juice. Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Of course incorporating fresh greens and fresh fruits this time of year is a great choice too. Just focusing on fruits and greens, the springtime master cleanser, and detox tea is a great plan to follow for many of us.
Figure out what will realistically work best for you, and start planning your menu. And don't forget to include some yoga in your week to support you through the cleanse.
Be Well,
Kristin Henningsen, MS, CH, RYT
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