March 2010
Fat Fiends
Many of us have our food vices, something that we totally love and can't get enough of. Most times, these vice foods are those that are of the fatty sort: Ice cream, chocolate, potato chips, etc. Now, studies have shown that we are not able to help ourselves and also, it may, over time, take more of these foods to create the same satisfaction.
According to a study by Scripps Research Institute, fatty foods activate the pleasure centers in the brain. But as with everything it has a peak. Some times while eating, we "peak" which makes it so that it will take more of the same food to create the same pleasure. This addictive quality happens to be how cocaine and heroin affect the body as well making fat just as addicting and dangerous.
For more information on this VERY INTERESTING research
The Lunch Link to Home Life
In the midst of the Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and the Local Matters movement, we have been bombarded with a deluge of information of what is better for us to eat and why. But, most of us may not see the links to a student's home life and what they are eating for lunch and how important this link is.
While we encourage packing your child's lunch (at least until all schools have the Healthy Options program) to know what is going into their little tummies, during a time of recession, many public school goers are not able to do so. With parents laid off from jobs and some jobs cutting back, schools lunches are some parents' mealtime saviors.
What's a Dad to do?
My wife and I have three lovely children that more or less run our home or maybe that's just the way it feels at times. I work during the week and my wife works at least one day every weekend.
Now, you must understand that I think of myself as a fairly capable person around the kitchen, but I think my biggest problem is what so many of us run into... lack of inspiration. I am constantly stumped when it comes to what I can fix for dinner when Mom isn't around. It is really important that our meals are good for us,something the kids will enjoy, inexpensive and fairly easy to make.
Yoga For Team-building
So, what are the greatest perks about working for Local Matters? Not only do I get to work with wonderful, enthusiastic, talented people....but I also get paid to practice yoga once a week!
As part of a team building and healthy living initiative...Local Matters approached Balanced yoga, asking them if they could offer yoga once a week to our Food Is Elementary team. The result...every monday from 4-5, our teachers and staff members enjoy relaxing together while building balance, strength, and flexibility.
Healthful Eating on a Dime
I really love The New York Times' Well Blog; it is a great source for up to the minute information about health, wellness,and food/health policy; it also has tons of recipes (many of them vegetarian, all of them healthy).The following link will take you to The Well Blog's "Healthy Eating on a Dime" article, and five simple, healthy recipes that rely heavily on inexpensive pantry staples. While you're checking out the recipes, take a look around The Well- I think you'll like it!
well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/26/healthful-dining-on-a-dime/
Healthy and Delicious Asparagus Recipes
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Spring has finally come to Ohio, and after what felt like many, many dark and cold months, we will soon be enjoying many of the seasonal veggies we have been craving all winter.
As such, it is time to start posting recipes featuring seasonal produce, and as spring has just started, I am thinking asparagus! Check out the two recipes below that feature asparagus as a key ingredient.
Penne with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes
(from the Food Network)
The Great School Lunch Debate
We're excited to see so much great conversation going on around the food served in our school cafeterias these days. The new TV show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution is sure to stir some emotion from all sides. British chef Jamie Oliver has "invaded" the town of Huntington, WV (declared the least healthy city in America, though not much different than many cities across this country) to confront the childhood obesity and diabetes crisis building in the city's schools.
Being Vegan
So you want to become a vegan! Go for it! I congratulate you! While local matters does not tell people they need to be vegan to be healthy...we do support people in any improvements or upgrades they would like to make to their diet.
So what is a vegan? A vegan is anyone who does not eat meat, eggs, dairy, honey or any other animal food or product. In addition, most vegans, do not buy shoes or clothes made from leather, wool, or silk.
Reforming Healthcare
So, no matter what side of this oh so controversial debate on whether or not we should have universal healthcare for those who can't afford it, there are some things that are about to change in our country. While some changes are immediate, some will take years to implement, this signing makes it so that health insurance companies will care more about YOUR health because they are not allowed to deny coverage.
For those of you that have read my post on Michael Pollan's new book, I spoke alittle about how there is a synergy between food companies and the health insurance industry:
" 'Cheap foods have a high cost paid by the public health system,'
"Black Gold"
For those of us who are frequently in the kitchen, creating yummy dishes with our local produce...we have many beautiful scraps that would be a shame to end up in the trash.
For those of us who are gardeners, we all are itching to get back in the dirt. One thing that I am looking forward to is using all of the rich, black composting soil that has come from all of my kitchen waste. I use so much fresh produce daily that I am stocked up! Another great way to compost is with worms. Children love 
helping and it's amazing to see those little creatures churn out such great compost. I personally used a "Worm Condo" and had a wooden system that was similar to this:
