Day 307- Nutrition Bites

Famous Deer Valley Turkey Chili

Ingredients:
2 cups dried black beans
10 cups Water
1 tsp. Pepper
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 medium Anaheim chilies, seeded, chopped
2/3 cup chopped red onion
2/3 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 Large Leek (white part only)
2 Garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1/4 cup corn flour
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoons salt
1/8 cup honey
4 1/2 cup chicken stock
2 1/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
4 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken
Toppings - grated cheddar cheese, red onion, sour cream, fresh cilantro

Directions:
Soak black beans in large pot overnight. The next day you will drain & cook them. Seed and chop the chilies, chop the onion, celery, red pepper and leek. Mince the garlic and get the rest of the ingredients ready to cook.

Add 10 cups water and pepper to the drained beans. Bring them to a boil, simmer 1 1/2 hours. Drain. Melt butter in pot; add chilies, onion, celery, bell peppers, leek, garlic and oregano. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add the flour and spices, cook 5 minutes. Add the honey and 4 cups stock and bring to simmer. Puree 1 1/4 cup of the corn with the remaining 1/2 cup of stock. Add this to chili. Mix black beans, turkey and remaining cup of corn. Simmer all for 25 minutes. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, red onion, sour cream, & fresh cilantro.

Sugar Preacher's Experience
Today, I was skiing at Deer Valley and heard people raving about the Deer Valley turkey chili. I decided to try it. It was delicious! I wanted the recipe, especially since I have 2lbs of turkey sitting in my freezer. After arriving home, I searched the internet and found the famous Deer valley recipe. You gotta love the internet!

Day 306- Nutrition Bites

Raj, author of  Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System,  held up a mangled Snickers bar to symbolize how disconnected we are from our industrial food system and the power that lies behind it. He described the ingredients list on the Snickers bar as "one mysterious thing after another, a concatenation of obscure, weird stuff." Even the first ingredient, "milk chocolate," is a mystery. If the chocolate comes from the Ivory Coast, as the majority of the world's chocolate does, then there's a small but significant chance that it comes from child slavery. However, Raj was most interested in ingredient number 4: lecithin, a widely used emulsifier used to stop fats and water from separating out. The primary purpose of lecithin is not for our enjoyment but to give the bar of chocolate an inordinately long shelf life so that it can last for years and years. "After the Apocalypse it'll be the cockroaches and this Snickers bar that remain," Raj joked. Even more interesting, Raj continued, is that lecithin comes from an ingredient we eat every day without knowing it. This ingredient -- soy -- is in 3/4 of all processed foods in US supermarkets and nearly 100% of food sold to us by the fast food industry. By looking at soy, we can understand volumes about what's wrong with the food industry. As a plant, soy is wonderful. It's the pin-up plant, sexy, enormously flexible. Soy fixes nitrogen, it's tremendously robust, it can lose lots of foliage and keep on growing, and can produce amazing beans with a protein profile that looks more like an animal than a vegetable. It can be used in everything from vegetable oil to newspaper ink to adhesives, lubricants and plastics.

~Address given by Raj Patel at 2009 29th annual Ecological Farming Conference

Sugar Preacher's Experience

You might think twice before you eat a snickers and soy products! Soy can be used for newspapers inks, plastics, and lubricants! Wow!! I heard that soy is a harmful product, but I didn't know it was used for so many other purposes! Raj's research is impressive, and I am excited to read his book!

Day 305- Nutrition Bites

'Orange' you glad oranges are in season? Oranges are low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They are also a good source of Thiamin, Folate, Calcium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber and Vitamin C. Oranges are ranked as the follows according to the nutrition data website.
3.0 Fullness Factor 4.9 Nutrient Dense Rating
Nutrition Data's Opinion
Weight loss: 4 stars
Optimum health: 5 stars
Weight gain: 3 stars
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1970/2

Sugar Preacher's Experience
I heard about this website from a friend today. I love the information! My dad brought home fresh oranges from the California orchards. I love freshly-picked oranges. They are so much sweeter and juicer than what we purchase in our local grocery stores.

Day 304- Nutrition Bite

For the first time, researchers say they have detected traces of silvery metal in samples of high-fructose corn syrup, a widely used sweetener that has replaced sugar in many processed foods. The study was published Monday in the peer-reviewed journal "Environmental Health." See peer-reviewed journal for further details http://www.ehjournal.net/content/pdf/1476-069x-8-2.pdf.

Sugar Preacher's Experience
Traces of toxic mercury are enough to motivate me to stay away from high-fructose corn syrup! The stuff is no good.

Day 302- Nutrition Bites

Most grocery stores are arranged with produce on the left or right side of the store, with frozen foods on the opposite side. Chilled products are at the back of the store and meats are usually near the produce. Everything is designed to direct you around the store to buy most of your staples. This will then direct you to look at more displays and to impulse shop. Store managers are aware that the more time you spend in the store, the more money you will spend. The solution to impulse buying is to shop the perimeter of the grocery store.

Sugar Preacher's Experience
I usually shop for produce first and other items last. I load my cart with healthy food, and then I don't have room for junk food. The same scenario works with my stomach.

Day 301- Nutrition Bites

Sugar Preacher's Experience
When I eat whipped topping, I feel like spitting it out at times. I love real whipped cream! However, whipped topping seems so unnatural with so many artificial ingredients. On another subject... Wow! I only have sixty five more days remaining on my sugar shun endeavors.

Day 300- Nutrition Bites

The Unlucky 7 is a recycling number that you want to avoid. Polycarbonate plastic with a No. 7 may contain BPA or bisphenol A. BPA is an estorgen mimin and activates the same receptoos as estrogen. BPA is an endocrine disruptor and may affect the maturing of the brain. It also increases risk of breast and prostrate cancer. Animal studies show that BPA in women affects abnormal behavior and abnormal changes in brain cells. Also, animal studies show BPA increases risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, or other health problems. A good alternative to polycarbonate is polyethylene terephthalate, which is recycling No.1. No known health effects have been associated with No. 1 PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate - most 2 litre or less drink bottles). Also, No.2 HDPE (High Density Polyethylene -milk bottles), No.4 LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene – bread bags, some cling wraps), and No.5 PP (polypropylene - containers) are safe. However, it is recommended to stick with plastics 1 and 2, because these are commonly the ones that New Zealand local authorities recycle.

-Nutrition Action, April 2008, p.10


Sugar Preacher's Experience
I loved this article. I have been wondering about my cycling water bottles. I was in the store recently, and my friend told me NOT to buy a water jug with a low number. After reading this information, I will avoid No. 7. A few plastics containers that contain No.7 are nalgene-type water bottles, food can liners, disposable cutlery, and sippy cups. If recyclers won't take No. 7 plastics, why should I buy them!

Day 299- Nutrition Bites

What fruit has the Vitamin C of an orange, the potassium of half a banana, and the fiber of a half-cup of bran flakes? The answer is the Kool Kiwi which is native to China and was introduced into New Zealand in the early 1900s. The kiwi was named after New Zealand's national symbol--the plump, flightless kiwi bird. Next time you need a snack, try a Kool Kiwi!

Sugar Preacher's Experience

I forget about the exotic fruits such as the kiwi. This week, I am going to buy a few kiwis and eat them for snacks!

Day 298- Nutrition Bites

Kruddy Kreme needs to get rid of trans fat products. The original glazed doughnut has 3 grams of saturated fat plus 3 1/2 grams of trans fat. A chocolate iced kreme filled doughnut has 5 grams of saturated fat plus 7 grams of trans fat. The American Heart Association recommends that people consume less than 2 grams of trans fat in an entire day. Trans fats occur in small amounts naturally in meat and dairy products; thus no room for industrial manufactured trans fats.

- Nutrition Action, January 2008, p.16

Sugar Preacher's Experience

Great! I don't think trans fats should be allowed in manufactured foods and Krispy Kreme should get ahead of the game. Most doughnut shops are replacing trans fats with saturated fats. I'm not sure why Kruddy Kreme is taking so long to jump on the band wagon!

Day 297- Nutrition Bites

An explosion of chocolate studies have been conducted which are largely funded by the chocolate industry. The studies have convinced many people that chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can protect your heart. However, the evidence is limited and the natural occurring flavanols in coca powder protects blood vessels. The studies do show a reduction in blood pressure, but the studies were small and not high quality. Until better research indicates whether chocolate is a net benefit to the heart, don't believe everything you read including dark chocolate is healthy for you!

-Nutrition action, October 2008, p.12

Sugar Preacher's Experience

I've heard for years that flavanoids in dark chocolate are healthy! The article would make sense if the studies were funded by another source. Chocolate is packed with unnecessary calories and only two squares are required a day. One square is about 60 calories. Two squares of chocolate packed with minimal nutrients can be compared to a grapefruit with the same amount of calories. Make your choice a candy bar or grape fruit!!

Day 296- Nutrition Bites

Stevia may join the major no-calories sugar substitutes for a reputation of increasing cancer risk.  Stevia has two main sweet components which are rebaudioside A and stevioside. UCLA toxicologists main concern is stevioside. Stevioside has been known to cause mutation, chromosome damage, and DNA breakage in animal studies.  Other substitutes have showed increase in cancer risk such as aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), saccharin(Sweet'N Low), and acesulfame-potassium. The sweetener Sucralose(Splenda) appears to be safe but is made by chlorinating sugar molecules. 

-Nutrition Action, October 2008, p. 9

Sugar Preacher's Experience

I decided eating from the tree is my best bet. No worries about cancer when you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Stick with fresh fruit and avoid sweeteners! 

Day 295- Nutrition Bites

How to Cut the HCAs

1-Marinate meat for 40 minutes can eliminate HCAs by more than 90 percent. 

2-Microwave meat first for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, discard the juices, and then the meat's creatine and amino acids will be gone.

3-Seafood has less HCAs than meat and poultry. 

4-Keep meat moist by not overcooking.

5- Bake, roast or stir fry because you generate less heat than grilling or barbecuing. 

6- Cook in a liquid and you will not generate HCAs because the temperature never tops the boiling point. 

7-Flip frequently and you will reduce the surface temperature of the meat.

8- Eat your veggies such as veggie burgers and cooked vegetables to generate little or no HCAs. 

-Nutrition Action September 2008 p.10

Sugar Preacher's Experience

The tips are fantastic. I'm going to apply them!

Day 294- Nutrition Bites

Overcooking meat and poultry can be dangerous!  Lawerence Livermore's researchers discovered that heterocylic amines (HCAs) form when amino acids combine with creatine ad they are heated together to a high temperature. "As soon as you heat over 350 degrees, HCAs show up with PhIP being the most common. PhIP is a carcinogen, at least in animals. Feeding large does of PhIP to rats cause colon, breast, and prostrate tumors. PhIP and three other HCAs are reasonably anticipated to be carcinogenic.

-Nutrition Action, September 2008, p.9

Sugar Preacher's Experience

Eat meat less and definitely don't overcook it! I rarely cook meat at home and occasionally order meat while dining.  Next time while dining, I will ask the waitor or waitress the cooked temperature of the meat.  

Day 293- Nutrition Bites

The evidence is moderately strong that refined carbohydrates and a high glycemic load increase the risk of diabetes, while a diet high in whole grains and fiber and a low glycemic load are associated with a lower risk," says Harvard's Joann Mason. For example, in a study of more than 42,000 men and another study of 75,00 women, those who eat the most whole grains had a 40 percent lower risk of diabetes than those who ate the least. 

-Nutrition  Action, September 2008, p.6

 

Sugar Preacher's Experience

I found this article in the periodical section at the U of U library. The research is sound. This study gives another reason to eat complex carbohydrates such as wheat berries, amaranth, quinoa, oats, barley, etc......

Day 292- Nutrition Bites

When it comes to diabetes, sweet beverages seem to be a double whammy. "Their high-fructose corn syrup and other sugars increase the demand for insulin and have a high glycemic load," explains JoAnn Mason, a professor at Harvard Medical School.  What's more, the sugar you sip may add flab more than the sugar you chew.  "Liquid calories don't seem to lead to satiety and the reduction in subsequent food intake that you might have with solid calories," notes Mason. That may explain why women who drank at least one sugar-sweetened sod drink or fruit punch a day had nearly twice the risk of diabetes oer four years as women who drank less than one a month. Fruit juice and fruit punch, but not fruit, are associated with an increase risk," says Mason.

-Nutrition Action September 2008, p. 5

Sugar Preacher's Experience

I bout some Acai juice at Costco yesterday. The stuff is delicious. I hope it doesn't add inches to my waistline. 

Day 291- Nutrition Bites

Six-Pack Science

Here are the approximate body fat percentages you need to hit to show off your six pack:

Men: To make you abdominal muscles visible you need to get your body fat below 11%, If you get it below 8%, you'll most likely have a clearly visible six pack. 

Women: You need to get your body fat somewhere under 17%, and 14% would even be better.

Sugar Preacher's Experience

I am happy with a one pack. However, I think it might be fun to challenge myself and get below 17% body fat.  I thought the stats were interesting especially since I work in the fitness industry. 

Day 290- Nutrition Bite

Mom’s Chili Recipe

1 lb lean ground beef (optional)
2 large onions chopped
2 – 15 oz cans light red kidney beans
2 – 15 oz cans dark red kidney beans
1 – 28 oz can Italian style tomatoes
1 – 14 oz can stewed tomatoes
2 – 4 oz cans diced green chiles
½ c chili powder
1 tsp dried crushed oregano
¼ tsp ground red pepper (optional)

Cook for 1 ¼ hours
Creates 12 cups

Sugar Preacher's Expereince
My neighbor gave me this recipe. She is vegetarian, thus omitted the ground beef. The soup is great with or without meat espeically during these cold winter days. The soup is loaded with protein and fat which will give your body the insulation and calories needed!

Day 289- Nutrition Bite

This video inspires a pregnant mother to get proper nutrients, which will effect the child's development and long-term health! Click on video http://www.grtl.org/media/FetalDevelopmentHighest.wmv.

Day 288- Nutrition Bite

"Scientists from Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research recently found that children of pregnant women untreated for high levels of blood sugar were 89% more likely to be overweight and 82% more likely to be obese by the time they were ages 5 to 7 compared with children born to women who had normal blood sugar levels during pregnancy. The study was published last month in Diabetes Care". See article for more details http://articles.latimes.com/2007/nov/12/health/he-fetalside12

Sugar Preacher's Experience

Today, we learned about prenatal nutrition in my life span nutrition class. The debate was whether the prenatal diet predisposes children to diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and other disease. I think prenatal nutrients have an impact on the child; however, I think environmental factors play a more important role in disease. It was fun to discuss the subject in class this afternoon.

Day 287- Nutrition Bite

Learn More About Dr. Perricone's superfoods:

Açaí
The Allium Family
Barley
Beans and Lentils
Buckwheat
Green Foods
Hot Peppers
Nuts and Seeds
Sprouts
Yogurt and Kefir

See http://www.oprah.com/article/health/nutrition/life_superfoods/1 for more details.

Sugar Preacher's Experience
I'm familiar with all foods on the list except Acai. However, they Acai berrries sound tasty. You think that I would have tried them living in Brazil. I hear they taste like berries and chocolate mixed together. I cannot wait to purchase some Acai berries at Good Earth or Whole Foods.

Day 286- Nutrition Bite

Genesis 1:29-30
29 ¶ And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for a meat.
30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for a meat: and it was so.

~Bible

Sugar Preacher's Experience
Meat means food in hebrew. I like the scripture referring to the importance of herbs. Herbs
balance the body, herbs treat disease, not just the symptoms. When used with knowledge, herbs are far safer than most pharmaceutical drugs.

Day 285- Nutrition Bite

Odwalla's Berries GoMEga bar is a great-tasting way to get 1000mg of essentail omega-3 fatty acids from ground flax. Bursting with cranberries, blueberries, stawberries and raspberrries, it's a berry simple snack for the meal-on-the-go. See website for more details http://www.odwalla.com

Sugar Preacher's Experience
Odwalla' Berries GoMega is my new favorite bar! After snowshoeing for four hours without food and water, the Odwalla bar hit the spot last night. The bar is loaded with nutrients and brown rice syrup is used instead of refined sugar. Next time you are in the store, buy an Odwalla bar!

Day 284- Nutrition Bite

Professor Gardner and colleagues at Stanford University compared four weight-loss plans. The diets studied were Atkins diet, the Zone diet, the LEARN diet, and the Ornish diet. The researchers found that the Atkins diet contributed to greater weight loss than higher carbohydrate plans without negative effects such as increased cholesterol. See website for more details http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/030607.htm

Sugar Preacher's Experience
I detest the Atkin's diet. However, I know people who lost weight on high protein diets. My aunt is on a low carb diet which requires 2 oz. of grains, 2-3 fruits, and 4-5 servings of vegetables a day. The rest of the calories come from meat and dairy. She is in her late 50's and currently weighs less than she did in high school due to the low carb diet. If your New Year's Resolution is to lose weight, find a diet that works for you and stick with it!

Day 283- Nutrition Bite

Which foods are acid or akaline-forming? Note that a food's acid or alkaline-forming tendency in the body has nothing to do with the actual pH of the food itself. For example, lemons are very acidic, however the end-products they produce after digestion and assimilation are alkaline so lemons are alkaline-forming in the body. Likewise, meat will test alkaline before digestion but it leaves acidic residue in the body so, like nearly all animal products, meat is classified as acid-forming.

It is important that your daily dietary intake of food naturally acts to balance your body pH. To maintain health, the diet should consist of at least 60% alkaline forming foods and at most 40% acid forming foods. To restore health, the diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods.

FOOD CATEGORY SWEETENERS, CONDIMENTS
High Alkaline- Stevia
Alkaline- Maple Syrup, Rice Syrup
Low Alkaline- Raw Honey, Raw Sugar
Low Acid- White Sugar, Processed Honey
Acid- Milk Chocolate, Brown Sugar, Molasses, Jam, Ketchup, Mayonnaise, Mustard,
High Acid- Artificial Sweeteners
http://www.trans4mind.com/nutrition/pH.html

Sugar Preacher's Experience
We are fermenting cabbage in my biology class today. We purchased pH indicator paper so we could measure the pH of the liquid. I was trying to find the pH of cabbage before fermentation and found this web page. I thought it was interesting to read which sweeteners are considered more alkaline. If you need to sweeten your food, try maple syrup, stevia, and rice syrup to create alkalinity in the body.

Day 282- Nutrition Bite

Stay away from Chili's Texas Cheese Fries with Jalapeno Ranch dressing!

Whose idea was cheese fries? They're delicious, but really, do we need to top deep-fried potatoes with greasy melted cheese and bacon and dip them in dressed-up mayonnaise? No, we do not. Now cheese fries are a staple at chain restaurants. Restaurants compete with signature ranch dressings, extra toppings and, ultimately, more fat.

Chili's boasts: "Homestyle fries topped with melted cheese, jalapeños, applewood smoked bacon & jalapeño-ranch dipping sauce." These fries lost the contest for the worst cheese fries in America (that dishonor went to Outback Steakhouse's cheese fries); but it was a tight race.

One hundred and sixty grams of fat. One-six-zero. 160! (Oh, and you'll get 1 1/2 days' worth of sodium in one meal!)

2,070 calories
160 g fat
73 g saturated fat
73 g carbs
85 g protein
8 g fiber
3,730 mg sodium

Click on link to see the 11 worst foods of 2008 http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=the_11_worst_foods_of_2008

Sugar Preacher's Experience
Reading this article gives me another reason to avoid fast food restuarants. At least today at Snowbird, they were able to meet my health needs by swaping the wonder bread bun for some whole wheat bread. Skiing was so fun today!!

Day 281- Nutrition Bite

"People should be aware that aspartame is currently being studied by reputable research scientists from around the world, and that the research shows aspartame is responsible for multiple forms of cancer, including lymphoma and leukemia, memory loss, nerve disorders, and has biological effects on gene expressions." See article for more details on aspartame research http://www.janethull.com/newsletter/0507/the_silent_side_of_research.php

Sugar Preacher's Experience
I'm not sure what to believe. One day I read aspartame is FDA approved. The next day I read it is detrimental to your health. Who knows what to believe?? However, I do know that I don't like the flavor of artificial sugars. I would prefer to eat something with natural cane sugar than aspartame any day.

Day 280- Nutrition Bite

Trans fatty acids v. Saturated fatty acids
"Trans fatty acids have similar properties to saturated fatty acids when used in baked goods, but the assertion that trans fatty acids are like saturated fatty acid is not correct in biological systems. A listing of the biological effects of saturated fatty acids in the diet versus the biological effects of trans fatty acids in the diet is in actuality a listing of the good (saturated) versus the not-so-good (trans).

Note that: (1) saturated fatty acids raise HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, whereas the trans fatty acids lower HDL cholesterol; (2) saturated fatty acids lower the blood levels of the atherogenic lipoprotein (a), whereas trans fatty acids raise the blood levels of Lp(a); (3) saturated fatty acids conserve the good omega-3 fatty acids whereas trans fatty acids cause the tissues to lose the good omega-3 fatty acids; (4) saturated fatty acids do not inhibit insulin binding whereas trans fatty acids do inhibit insulin binding; (5) saturated fatty acids are the normal fatty acids made by the body and they do not interfere with enzyme functions such as the delta-6-desaturase, whereas trans fatty acids are not made by the body and they interfere with many enzyme functions such as delta-6-desaturase; (6) some saturated fatty acids are used by the body to fight viruses, bacteria and protozoa and they support the immune system whereas trans fatty acids interfere with the function of the immune system; (7) stearic acid, a naturally saturated fatty acid, is the preferred food for the heart whereas trans fatty acids replace these saturated fatty acids in the cell membrane, thus depriving the heart of its optimum energy source; (8) saturated fatty acids are needed for proper modeling of calcium in the bones whereas trans fatty acids cause softening of the bones; and (9) saturated fatty acids from animal sources are carriers for vital fat-soluble vitamins whereas factory-produced trans fatty acids are devoid of these important nutrients."

~By Mary G. Enig, Ph.D.

Sugar Preacher's Experience
I had a discussion with a friend yesterday about saturated versus trans fatty acids. He thinks the best oil to counsume is coconut oil. I don't agree because it has 92% saturated fat. I always thought saturated and trans fatty acids function similar in the body. However, I started to research and found out otherwise.

Day 279- Nutrition Bite

2008 By The Numbers

U.S. Population:
January 2008: 302,785,808
December 2008: 305,313,980

Unemployment:
January 2008: 4.9%
November 2008: 6.7%

Inflation (Nov 2007-Nov 2008):
All items: 1.1%
Food: 6.0%
Energy: -13.3%
All items less food & energy: 2.0%

Hunger (as of Dec 2007):
Food Insecurity: 11.1% of all U.S. Households
Hunger: 4.1% of all U.S. Households
Hungry Children: 691,000
*These numbers are expected to get worse in 2008, as unemployment went up and so did food prices. The numbers here are most recently released by the USDA.

Sugar Preacher's Experience
Food prices rising along with unemployment rising is not a good combination. The two combined equal food insecurity. I need to work on my food storage and start learning to cook from it. It is always better to be over prepared than under prepared.

Day 278- Nutrition Bite

Where We Buy Our Food
Outlet Type 1986 1996 2006
Conventional Supermarkets 65.3 58.2 57.7
Other Grocery
(Small, neighborhood stores) 14.3 15.8 3.4
Specialty Food Stores 5.8 2.6 2.7
Supercenters and wholesale club stores
(SuperTarget, Wal-Mart Supercenter) 0.4 4.3 17.9
Mass merchandise stores
(Target, Wal-Mart) 1.5 2.1 1.7
Convenience Stores 3.3 3.0 2.9
Home deliveries/mail order 1.2 2.8 3.8
Farmers/processors/wholesalers 2.0 1.9 0.8
Other Stores 6.2 10.1 9.2
Source: USDA Report on Supply Chain and Food Marketing 2008

Sugar Preacher's Experience
I think SJ had a great new year's resoultion of joining the slow food movement. I've been thinking of participating in the local chapter in Utah. Most of my meals have been slow food for the last 278 days. Last week, I did go to a hamburger joint in Park City. As you can see with these stats, people want cheap and fast. They buy food from supercenters like Wal-Mart with home deliveries on the rise also. Lets start slowing things down and eat healthier!!

Day 277- Nutrition Bite

The Cost of Eating Well

My girlfriend and I are able to feed ourselves healthy for about $6 each day. We are not able to eat entirely organic or local food. However, our food is mostly unprocessed whole grains and vegetables. We are able to eat on a small budget for one reason: time in the kitchen. We easily spend two hours in the kitchen every weekday and more on weekends. That sort of time is required for us to make our own yogurt, bread and dinners that are later our lunches at work.

My co-workers easily spend more like $15 a day on a much less healthy diet. The key ingredient they are missing is time. Lunches are purchased and other meals are made up primarily of highly processed snacks and drinks.
Could they feed themselves healthier at prices more similar to what I spend? Unfortunately, I think probably not. I think not because they do not cook. I am unsure whether or not they can not cook or will not cook. But in the end they do not cook and have little interest in doing so. I believe that one of the greatest challenges facing the effort to improve nutrition and indeed the entire food system is a general unwillingness among people to cook. A further sadness for me is that my coworkers lack any interest in cooking. They have commented, "I only eat because I have to. Some people get excited about food, but I can't; I have other things to do.”

I fear that more and more this pattern will not be uncommon. People will not know how to cook or want to learn. I generation ago people feared the loss of knowledge on how to grow food. Today we are living with the consequences of this loss. What do we face in a future where people do not even know how to cook?

For me this broader cultural issue of food is perhaps one of the most important in changing the food system. We know how (of course we can always learn more) to grow food in ecologically beneficial ways, and we are able (sometimes just barely) to make a living from sustainable farming through direct marketing. In short the technical questions of producing good food and earning a living are answered. However, to affect broad change everyone must be a participant in a food culture that assumes vibrant food, knowledge of cooking, and joy in eating as basic ingredients. Currently not everyone is interested. Facts and figures won't help. What will help is to share good food and a passion for its creation with others.

Happy New Year!

William

Sugar Preacher's Experience
I read this quote on the comfood listserve. The e-mail generated discussion about our food system. I love to cook and eat inexpensively similar to William. However, fast foodss and processed foods are becoming the norm. People don't have time or the desire to cook. They would rather wait in the drive-thru for 1/2 hour and another 1/2 hour driving to McDonalds. Is fast food really fast? Time is a factor either way. I guess that our value system has changed over time!!

Day 276- Nutrition Bite

"As the world says goodbye to 2008 and hello to 2009, the lingering effects of last year -- belly fat, cigarette addiction, heaps of debt -- linger on for some people. Slimming down, stopping smoking and reducing debt almost always top the list of annual New Year's resolutions and, according to some Chattanoogans, they're still No. 1 on the hitlist." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28459393/#storyContinued

Sugar Preacher's Experience

It is interesting that resolutions are the same each year. Maybe, people are not accomplishing their goals or the previous resolutions require continued effort from one year to the next. The great thing about New Year's resolutions is it facilitates improvement. The biggest room we have is the room for improvement. I am excited for a new year to continue my sugar shun and improve in other areas of my life. Have a great year!!