Excercising and My Plate

For some reason, I have a mind blockage that, while entering my food intake on "My Plate", relieves you of the exercise aspect of the project. If I do not go over my calorie intake, I feel like I do not have to exercise. Mind boggling, isn't it? LOL! I have managed to walk a little this week, but not to the extent that I like to. I made a conscious effort to park away from the buildings and I also walked up and down the stairs in Main Hall, a couple of times, Monday night. (I was there a little early for class). As for the biking aspect, I have the best time biking. My last adventure was with you all at Salem Creek. I always laugh a lot when I ride. My husband and I have discussed purchasing a couple of used bikes to ride around in the neighborhood. I suppose my concern is my ability to continue biking after this class is over. I do not want to ride for a couple of months and then slowly get out of the habit. That would be a waste of money (that I do not have). In any event, I have a good time biking, laugh a lot, enjoy the outdoors and feel better about myself after the ride. Just like anything else we try to achieve, it takes effort and willingness to succeed. Bike On!

Pesticides

Hello everyone!

I have been doing a little research on why exactly we should buy organic vs. veggies and fruit in the stores. For obvious reasons, it is better for the environment, helps the local economy and they are healthier for you. I stumbled across an article that actually listed the 12 top vegetables and fruits that were tested for pesticides and pesticides were actually found. This information was compiled, worldwide, by the US Department of Agriculture, Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group. The following fruits and veggies SHOULD NOT be purchased anywhere but organically. The high percentage of pesticides were found after these items were thoroughly washed.

1. Nectarines - 97%


2. Celery - 94.5 %


3. Pears - 94.4%


4. Peaches - 93.7 %


5. Apples - 91%


6. Cherries - 91%


7. Strawberries - 90%


8. Imported Grapes - 86%


9. Spinach - 83.4%


10. Potatoes - 79.3%


11. Bell Peppers - 68%


12. Red Raspberries - 59%

The next list of fruits and veggies have none to very low contamination of pesticides. If you will notice, most of these items have very thick skins. However; if and when you can (I know organic is expensive and not always available) buy organic.

1. Asparagus


2. Avocados


3. Bananas


4. Broccoli


5. Cauliflower


6. Corn


7. Kiwi


8. Mangoes


9. Onions


10. Papaya


11. Pineapples


12. Sweet Peas

I hope this information will help you. I know it will me. It is certainly an eye opener. This article was found on About.com. My next mission is to find research on what the long term effects, of a little bit of pesticide, induced everyday, would have on the body. Especially children starting at an very young age into adulthood? Scary!

Food That Travels Well

I just read an interesting article entitled "Food That Travels Well" from The New York Times, in reference to food and how far it travels. Environmental groups are pushing for labels to show how far food has traveled. The article points out that that eating locally would significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption. A typical carrot from Iowa has traveled 1,600 miles before we purchase it from our grocery stores. Potatoes, 1,200 miles and a chuck roast 600 miles. Seventy-five percent of apples, in New York, travel from the West Coast. "In this respect eating local joins recycling, biking to work and driving a hybrid as a realistic way that we can, as individuals, shrink our carbon footprint and be good stewards of the environment." Who does this sound like Dr. Allen? There is a flip side to this article that states, "... wouldn't it make more sense to stop obsessing over food miles and strengthen comparative geographical advantages." Maybe, but we have to be realistic that some crops are seasonal and the environment is not always prepared to grow local foods. Diets are different in different areas. Food, at some level, will always travel.

Cabbage Soup from Recipes For The Soul

Being from the south, I was very surprised that I had not heard of or tasted Cabbage Soup. This sounds good for a cold, wet, rainy day.

3 cups broth (chicken or beef)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups diced green cabbage
diced tomatoes
celery
raw carrots
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. oregano

Add broth to pan, then carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, celery and green beans. Season to taste, after carrots are done, add zucchini and cook until tender.

This recipe does not call for any bread, however; I am all about some Texas toast!

GARDEN!

Everyone, please be so excited about , not only, my mom's garden, but mine!! I planted tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and tommy toe tomatoes. It is really not all about me, even though I seem to focus on my world! LOL! You have to understand that this is tradition in my family (biggest tomato wins!). This is my first time trying! My dad passed away (he always won) and we are now, this year, in major competetion with the tomatoes. I am sore, sunburned and on a MISSION! I did find an article pertaining to the anger of people from Mexico, living here in the US and the neighbors objecting to them growing food in thier yards. I only read it briefly, however; I will focus on the article's content and relay more details. I am having the best time with this class! Bike ON!

Healthy? To Be or Not To Be

I have no earthly idea what happened to me this weekend! Everything I have been doing for the past several weeks was ruined in a few short days. It started with a wedding shower and all the goodies on the table. One was too many and a thousand were not enough! It was such a beautiful day Sunday, I decided to pack a small cooler and paint my chairs outside. One of my girlfriends came over and the small cooler turned into an ice chest! Whew! Junk food and more. "My Plate" looks like a bomb exploded. Not feeling guilty enough, I decided that since I had already blown it, that I did not have to excercise, it could wait until Monday. Yeah right! I am definitely getting back on task starting NOW. Bike On! takes on a whole new meaning.

Severe Bicycle Injuries

I read an interesting article pertaining to the severity of bike accidents being on the rise. With gas prices so high and the low economy, a lot more people are becoming more sensitive to the environment. Researchers at the University of Colorado, found that over the past 11 years, bike injuries have increased along with the severity of the injuries. Some of this is caused by bikers NOT wearing helments. (33 out of 329 bikers) Chest injuries, spleens, livers, rib fractures and internal bleeding are making hospital stays much longer. Denver is a biking community with great infrastructures and this study was conducted in Denver. The researchers came to one conclusion that the lack of good infrastructures may be an important part of this problem. They think if it is a big problem in Denver, that it has to be even larger for poor infrastructures. Dr. Kashuk would like to obtain funding to further this study nationally. He makes a point to say how far we have come with safer highways, so why not use just a small percentage of that money for bikers to be safe? "On a local and national level, people need to be aware of the fact that a push for bike transportation for the sake of health, the environment, and lower transportaion costs has real potential to raise medical costs because our infrastructure may not be ready for it, Dr. Kashuk said." ScienceDaily (October. 17, 2009)

Bus with Your Bike. WS Newsletter

Hello all, I found some really cool information pertaining to, being able to bring your bike on the bus. The Winston Salem Transit Authority, (WSTA) (336) 727-2000 along with, Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation 1-800-588-7787 (PART) have bike racks on thier buses. There is a 4 part diagram that explains how to put your bike in the rack. It looks really easy. Just FYI. Another article or article(s) that I found are in the "Let's Go!" Cycling and Walking Newsletter for Winter 2011. It is sponsored by Winston-Salem's Active Transportation. There were several articles from "thanking" Dorris Adams for officially naming the newsletter to bikes being donated by WS DOT. Ardmore Baptist Church has new under shelter bike parking. There is an article pertaining to WFUBMC being recognized as a bicycle-friendly business. There are public meetings to discuss greenways, sidewalk repairs and study areas. Included in the newsletter is a full calendar. I thought this was pretty neat. Evidently, this must be a new newsletter for them to have just picked out a name.

The Way We Were

Becoming aware of locally grown foods, through Dr. Allen's class at Salem, made me decide to conduct my project toward the generation before me. Their ages are 70 or older. Communities are becoming more aware of the fresh food markets but when did they start to decline? I interviewed 2 different families asking specific questions pertaining to "local food". My first subject is my mom. Her name is Rebecca Flynt. We will call her Becky. She was brought up on a farm in Georgia. My second subjects are Tom & Lee Essic. They are my neighbors and both Tom and Lee were raised in the city in North Carolina. Both of Lee's grandparents lived on farms. My first statement asked was to define "local food". Tom and Lee replied, "It's food that is grown in town in a general area." Whereas, Becky replied, "It is locally grown in the community or city. I would say within a 20 mile radius." My next question was, Why do you think people today go to the supermarkets or grocery store vs. a farmers market? Becky replied, "it is easier to get everything in one place, in one trip." Tom & Lee said, " Time is a factor. People are busy and it is convenient. There is more emphasis put on the Farmer's Market in local areas. Access has been improving."

I continued my interview by asking questions about organic foods, seasonal foods and fresh grown foods. All 3 were in agreement that organic foods are more expensive with added concerns of "proof of actually being organic, soil content and where organic seeds come from." Becky said, "I don't think most people know the difference. I think fresh grown is better because the nutrients are better. You don't know how long packaged food has been on the shelf or the conditions they were packaged." Tom and Lee stated,"Out of seasonal produce is not as good and usually hard. We just make do during the winter." The next part of the interview pertained to actual access to food while they were growing up. Tom said, "Most of our vegetables were delivered. So was our butter and sausage. Local farmers grew it. We would go to the "City Market on Saturdays to buy our meats, produce and sausage too. They had meats and fish inside and farmers would set up stands around the outside." Lee's family reaped the benefits from her grandfathers' farms. " My grandpa raised chickens, pigs and hogs. They grew vegetables. It was a country place and they had cows. The farms were self-sustaining. In the spring we would get mountain apples and at Christmas we would get oranges because that is what was shipped in. I can remember at Christmas getting an apple, orange, banana and nuts in my stocking." Becky said, " We raised peanuts and beans and grew everything. We had peaches, plums and blackberries. All of our vegetables were picked and canned. We put our meat in the smokehouse in the winter. On the coldest day, animals were slaughtered, cut and rubbed in salt about 1/4 inch thick then wrapped in cheese cloth, placed in a burlap bag until they cured. We didn't use sugar, it was too expensive. I was unaware of any of us going to a grocery store until I was 10. I don't remember going to a grocery store before the 4th or 5th grade." Lee's grandparents used the smoke house, curing method as well but did use sugar curing also.

I then proceeded to ask their opinions about genetically modified seeds. Tom and Lee stated, "You can't control nature. We depend on birds, bees and the wind. Certain trees you have to plant the opposite sex for them to cross pollinate." Becky's comment was, "I think it is a bunch of malarky." All 3 were in agreement with seed banks. Becky replied, " If the seeds are generational, each plant should get better. Keep the good ones and discard the bad ones to keep the line pure." Tom and Lee said, "You should be able to protect thier variety and also patent them like larger companies."

In both households, Becky had 6 unprocessed items and Tom and Lee had 5 unprocessed items. The rest of thier food from vegetables, breads, meats, dairy and fruit were processed. None of the unprocessed food was bought from a local or fresh market.

My Plate

Hello Everyone, I have been keeping up with "My Plate" for quite some time now. I guess, my confusion is, my calorie count for my body weight and height, is 2000 calories a day. I am staying within that limit; however, my body intake of fat is 47%. I wear my pedometer and walk and excercise with my step count everyday. (Up to 1 1/2 to 2 miles) No applause please! What's UP? Actually, I have lost 5 lbs. since this class and maintain healthy eating programs, in which I designed myself. My problem is figuring out what, why and how am I still putting more fat into my body than protiens? Cocktails DO NOT help. 100 calories a pop! Not many, just one or two every now and then. Maybe, it's because I am trying to develop my own program vs. experts? Comments?

Food Bank Garden

I discovered an exciting article "From Hand-Outs to How-to" that inspired me to grow my own little garden. The article came from Tucson, Arizona published in the Nov.-Dec. 2008 issue in Orion magazine. It was in reference to a food bank. Beside the food bank a seven thousand square foot organic garden was being grown by local people in the community. The garden was filled with tomatoes, beans, chiles and other types of vegetables. They also had chickens that were eating the garden scraps and using their waste for a compost pile. The workshops, for this community, are ongoing for training and they are presented in both English and Spanish. Not only do they train people, they give them the necessary compost piles and tools to get started. They will send someone to your home to select a suitable garden and help you through the process of growing your own food. The community as a whole benefits and the spreading of knowledge will allow the community to become a more economically stable environment. Instead of "how-to handouts", they are actually showing you "How-to". The project is very socially healthy in many aspects. My garden will consist of tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers and green beans. I am also going to plant tomatoes and peppers at my mom's. Wish me luck! On another note, we are really coming together with our Novant Health project. Things were a little shakey at first due to the break we had last week. Now that we have a clear vision and strategy plan, I am anxious to find out if the calorie counting application can be embraced by other colleges.

Salem Greenway Trail

I think a good time was"had by ALL" on our outing last week! I was laughing so much, while riding my bike, that I almost wrecked 5 times. I did have to walk up the hills a few times. Love all the pictures! It is truly amazing how the outdoors, fresh air and nature can make you feel. Heather was a true sport in being my mentor throughout our 2 mile ride. We saw and heard some interesting rodents. Thankfully, I was not as sore in my legs as I thought I would be. As usual, my best buddy is my pedometer. I am walking on a regular basis. My husband is walking the dogs, for excercise, early in the morning before he goes to work (at the break of dawn). We are eating much healthier. I have not been on My Plate this week because I have been at my mom's. She still has "dial up" on her computer. I will however; start back today.

I am looking forward to surveying the Fleer students on thier diets and hopefully, our group can make a change in someone's life. Looking forward to class on Monday! Happy Spring Break! Bike On!

Projects/Health/Kiva

I am really excited about the fact that our Novant health group could come up with an actual app that will help control students health habits. Great idea Cassie and Meghan! Matt Gymer seemed please with the idea. Our group also seemed excited and ready to plunge forward with great energy. I am looking forward to working on this project with you ladies.

I am really into walking now. At first, I was all about becoming a biker on a regular basis. Then I was going to be this religious excerciser on the stationary bike. I still excercise on the bike but walking has become my thing. As soon as I started using my pedometer, it made me want to walk. I am walking 1 1/2/ to 2 miles everyday. It is like excercising without you knowing that you are doing it. You would really be amazed at how many steps a person takes in one day! My hat is off to Dr. Allen for making me change my lifestyle. I am eating much healthier while calculating calories with My Plate, walking on a regular basis (you can do this anywhere) and I am very conscious about food sources and how they were grown. Before this class, I ate a lot of processed food and did not exercise at all. I must say at 51 years of age I am probably the healthiest I have ever been. It is never to late to start. My husband is eating healthier and is excercising on a regular basis as well.

Alcoa article/Kiva

I read an interesting article from the NY Times titled, "An Icelandic Battle of Wildlife vs. Voltage." The world's largest aluminum company is Alcoa. There have been schemes for decades to build dams on three rivers for hydropower, in Iceland. These rivers are "alpine spillways for billions of gallons of glacial melt." In April of 2007, Aloca came on board to propose a $1 billion dollar investment to build a smeltering plant on Iceland's beautiful landscape. Alcoa stated that this would create 2000 construction jobs and 600 to 1000 permanent jobs. Alcoa says that this would be a social engineering experiment to test to see if the area could be repopulated. There are 280,000 residence. While damming 2 of the virgin rivers, Alcoa stated that they would build turbines to generate 700 megawatts of electricity. 80% of Iceland's electricity would be used to make aluminum. The environmentalists were outraged stating that Iceland was selling thier birthright and ruining their tourism image just for a few jobs. The plan was approved by Parliment but was eventually killed by environmentalists who paired with Iceland's State Planning Agency. They said the dams would do too much environmental damage and the economics of the plan were too vague. The agency's decision was again overturned by the environment minister and Alcoa employs 700 people today. They do; however, have a "Ten Million Trees" project that entails all Alcoa companies will collectively plant 10 million trees, all over the world, near the Alcoa sites. This should be completed by the year 2020. They recycle and was named the world's most sustainable company in 2008. The do have an ECO ALCOA plan in place. I Googled "Iceland and Alcoa" clicked on the first icon and then clicked environment. Interesting.

Biking w/Kiva

Hello!
Hope everyone is having a great week. Unfortunately I have been spending much of my time at the hospital and missing out on this beautiful weather. No biking this week but I am LOVING my pedometer. I have had ample opportunities to walk around the hospital and I average at least 2 miles a day. My plate (Livestrong) looks like a disaster waiting to happen because I have been grabbing food here and there, packing whatever I can throw in a bag and vending, snack machines are slowly becoming my new best friends. Starting TODAY, I am watching what I eat, will be riding my stationary bike while still maintaining my hospital walks. It is so easy to backslide.

I am very excited about the opportunity to work with Matt Gymer at Novant Health. There will be more information after I find out exactly what is expected of me and what my role will consist of.

Biking w/Kiva

I think all three projects sound interesting. Being outside and actually having hands on experience with building a trail sounds neat. I wish I did not live so far from Moore's Spring Trails. The drive is really not feasible for me. Novant Health and Center for Design Innovation seem to be going in the right directions as well. They both seem to have a zest for healthier communities and are interested in what people think and how people do things. They all three seem to want to make an everlasting change for the goodness and well being of thier communities and surrounding communities. It seems that the main objection is to educate people and promote awareness of healthier choices. Any of the three would be a fun challenge.

I did not get to do a lot of biking this week do to personal reasons with my mom. I am still riding my stationary bike when I can. My 4 mile goal has not been reached but I am doing 2 things that might spark some interest. I started the LIVESTRONG (my plate) calorie tracking. I was amazed that this week I consumed over 70% of fat while watching what I ate. I guess the solution is to eat nuts, bark, berries and leaves! I am not giving up yet. The second thing I am doing is wearing a pedometer. This tracks how many steps you take in a certain period of time. 10,000 steps = 1 mile. It is really cool. You would not believe how many steps you can take in a short period of time. I am not breaking any records but it is interesting all the same. The most I have calculated in one day was 15,867 steps. I am getting a little braver about the whole bike experience. Yesterday, while in Walmart (I am all about Wally World) I checked out the bikes. I saw one that I might purchase. It is called a Cruiser. Nothing fancy, just a regular bike. We will see what the future holds. As usual, Bike On!

Hooray!

Hello girlie fries, (not to be confused with curly fries! LOL! )
I just biked, (stationary, 2.79 miles in under 10 minutes) My goal now is 4 miles. Hooray! Hooray! A sailor's life for me, and lost 67.6 calories. The tension level was very low or high? It was the easiest to peddle. My husband and I are going to start walking on the track that we have right here in our neighborhood. The LIVESTRONG is a very rude awakening!! (My Plate) Must try it. For dinner, I am having grilled chicken, open range, with a salad of fresh veggies accompanied by yes, oh yes, a cocktail. Hiss, boo? Water too! I feel really good at this point, but the best is yet to come. I bike on an average of 12.4 to 13.2 miles per hour. The soreness is much better today. I like Dr. Allen's advice and my fellow student, " The soreness works the weakness out and do a little bit everyday." My world is changing, hopefully to keep it up as a life change. As usual, BIKE ON!

Columbus, Ohio Greenway

My top 50 greenway city and state is Columbus, Ohio. COG stands for Central Ohio Greenway Project. This organization started in 2007 to present. Thier goal is to connect 12 surrounding counties by local trails and trail systems. COG feels that recreational trails can be thier most valuable natural resource to promote exercise, commutes and the ability to enjoy the outdoors. The Olentangy Trail is a paved 18.4 miles and connects Worthington to Columbus and Ohio State University. The Alum Creek Trail is a paved 24.36 miles and connects to shopping in Easton and the Bexley area. The Scioto Trail travels through the heart of Columbus. Blacklick (currently under construction) will be a paved total of 15.36 miles that will eventually connect to the Alum Trail. For the expert trail rider, there is the Big Darby Trail with 4 miles of crushed gravel. The trail will eventually connect to Heritage Trail that currently offers (total 7 miles) 3.3 miles of horse trails. Central Ohio Greenways are very serious about thier bike riders and are trying diligently to have this project completed by 2012. The COG is working with MORPC which stands for Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission. There are 5 parts to their strategic plan. 1. Improve sustainability 2. Increase mobility 3. Improve communication 4. Grow membership and 5. Be a leader in regional, state and national policies. The main focuses of this group are air, energy, greenways and water. Ohio State University and the city of Columbus will be the first, United States hosts, of a meeting of the world's most respected minds in ecological science. The meeting will be held September 30th - October 5th in 2012. There are 10,000 plus members that are based in Washington, DC that have elected to co-host this international event. For more information and a map that shows the connecting Columbus trails go to www.centralohiogreenways.com.

Reaching My Goal

Hello ladies! I have not quite reached my goal of two miles on my stationary bike. I am; however, exercising on a regular basis. I am a very busy, active person. This made me feel like I was in shape. Well, I am not. Being busy and active are totally different than being in shape. Whew! This morning I rode a little over 6 1/2 minutes and reached 1.7 miles. It probably does not sound like a lot, but for me, it is really good. My 2 mile goal is right around the corner. My next goal will be 4 miles. Hey, who knows, I might eventually get to 10 miles! Bike On!!!

My Biking Adventure

OMG! The first part of this adventure, I tried a stationary bike and rode for approx. 2 minutes. (how embarrassing!) I visit my mom quite often, in my old neighborhood, and decided that part two of this adventure would be riding a bike instead of driving through the neighborhood. I was wobbly at first because the bike was old. I first rode down a hill (almost busting my #!*) with the handlebars shaking back and forth. Less than a couple of minutes I started to gain control but was still a little nervous. A new road had been built at the bottom of the hill and I had to struggle, not only to stay on the bike, but to make it up the hill. Eventually, I had to push the bike. It became somewhat humorous which caused me to become even weaker. Coming down the hill in the opposite direction was exciting! (Still nervous about wrecking!) I had never really noticed all the new industrial plants and businesses while driving. This experience was definately an eye opener but fun. I MAY ride with my nieces and nephews at some point. This experience has, however; motivated to reach personal goals on the stationary bike. I did not realize just how out of shape I am in. Bike On!