How to read a PLU number

Photo credit Timothy Valentine, retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/el_ramon/3615382366/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Fruit and vegetables don't come with nutritional information, but the do have a price look up or a PLU code. This small sticker can tell you more than you think.

You can find out if the fruit has been grown organically, genetically modified, or produced using herbicides or fungicides.

If the sticker has four digits and begin with a "3" or a "4" it means they were grown by conventional methods. This means the product has been sprayed with both weed killers and chemical pesticides.

If the sticker has five digits and begins with an "8", it means that the fruit was genetically engineered. This means that humans have played with the genetics to produce a larger or possibly more colorful fruit.

If the PLU sticker has 5 digits and starts with a "9", it tells you the fruit was grown organically, meaning it was exposed to no chemicals.

Here is a site that lets you look up your PLU to see exactly what the code means.

Anti-Techno Please

We are in a world today where the regular human being cannot spend a day without technology!
We use TVs for entertainment, Computers for work, Cell phones for communication, DVD players for movies, Ipods for music, and the list continues on. We blindly spend infinite amount of time with these technological devices without realizing their harmful effects to our health.

What effects do some of these everyday using devices have on our well being? Some very common ones are mentioned as follows:

Computers: 

Photo credits: Wikipedia

First and foremost, when a person spends too much time on the computer, they become computer addicts. They start living their life on the internet and wasting their productive years as a growing human being. The initial disadvantage is to the social life of a person which starts withering due to skipping social gatherings, events, and recreational sports so that they would be able to spend that time on the computer instead. 

Other harmful effects are physical: Using the keyboard and mouse for too long can cause joint pain in the hands and also cause bruises on the wrist. 

Photo credits: Wikipedia

Cell Phones: This device today is one that most of us cannot think of spending the day without at all. It has become a habit for people today to be toying with their cell phones for reason or for no reason. Whenever we spend at least an hour on our phones, our brain gets negatively affected and drained out completely. It stops responding as attentively and if continued for long, can cause permanent understanding disability.
Screens of phones have also become larger so this means that more radiation is effecting the eyes and causing damage to the eyesight.

Photo credits: Wikipedia

Television:  A day does not pass by when one does not collapse in front of the television and spend a good 2-3 hours relaxing. This causes a lot of strain to the eyes which can cause eyesight to become hazy and unclear for a while. Further, when we remain in the same posture for these prolonged hours of watching TV, that causes a negative impact on our muscles and can cause long-term cramping in the legs, shoulders and abdomen.

History of the frozen dinner

In the pursuit of convenience frozen dinners have become a staple in many North American's diet plan. The average American consumes 72 frozen meals a year, a huge amount of their total diet. But how did frozen meals become so popular.

Photo credit rsepulveda, retrieved from http://www.fotopedia.com/wiki/Ice#!/items/flickr-4278741835

Many credit Clarence Birdseye with the discovery of frozen dinners. While fishing in 1924, Birdseye noticed that if the fish he caught in chilly Newfoundland we quickly frozen they maintained much of their fresh taste and texture. At the time food was frozen slowly causing large ice crystals to form, when the food was thawed out it would become soaked in water. Birdseye developed a technique that used two metal plates chilled to -25 degrees Fahrenheit allowing a two inch thick stake to be frozen in 90 minutes, fruits and vegetables in 30 minutes.

It was the Swanson brothers though that made the TV dinner a common dish in every home.  In 1954 the Swanson Brother asked workers to come up with ideas to sell the 260 tons of Thanksgiving dinner leftovers that they had. Swanson Brother's salesman Gerry Thomas who had just returned from a flight on Pan American Airways, came up with the idea of prepackaged frozen meals after seeing the inflight meals. That year Swanson sold 25 million turkey dinners at a cost of 98 cents.

Photo credit I-5 Design, Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/i5design/6071608636/

From there the market has only gotten bigger. In the 1960's Swanson's TV dinner menu grew to include breakfast and lunch. In 1973 in order to fulfill the growing appetites of consumers, Campbell Soup the parent company to Swanson launched the Hungry Man line. The options now are almost endless, you can choose vegetarian, gluten free or gourmet choices including broccoli florets with potato wedges and chicken tikka masala.

How to choose the right smoothie!

Places like Jugo Juice claim to offer us great nutrition, but what are we really getting? How do they compare to a home made smoothie?

Photo By Ariffa Lalani

I was first intrigued when I read my friend Ariffa's blog and saw a scary looking green drink. She calls them "green monsters" and drinks them on an almost daily basis! I was pretty grossed out by the looks of it, but couldn't help but notice the amount of nutrients she packed in to one small cup. 

It got me thinking about what companies put in those huge plastic cups that make them seem so health conscious. After a little bit of research I found out that I was getting the wrong impression from these companies and I might reconsider grabbing one after next class. 

According to their website, one Jugo Juice smoothie can have over 400 calories and include high amounts of some vitamins. Usually these smoothies are eaten with a meal, and those calories can add up fast! I was really disappointed to learn that Booster Juice was not only just as bad, but worse! One smoothie can be over 500 calories, and they often use dairy fillers to bulk up their smoothies. 

Yes, smoothies are made primarily with fruit which makes them better than your average fast food meal. And they do include lots of great vitamins and minerals. But because of their large portions and bulked-up ingredient list, they may not be as healthy as we expected. 

Instead, why not make a smoothie ahead of time? Make on at night and keep it in your fridge to grab in the morning. It may help you avoid the urge to grab one from the campus or mall. You could even try Ariffa's own Green Monster recipe:

Big scoop (~2 tbsp) each of: vanilla protein powder, peanut flour, rolled oats. Little scoop (~1 tbsp) each of chia seeds and cocoa powder. 1 frozen, chopped banana, 1 c. almond milk, ~2 packed cups of spinach/ kale.

It tastes great, is full of nutrients, has no fillers, and is super easy to make. You can substitute or add any ingredients you like and make it your own. It may also serve as a conversation starter because of it's colour! 

Have fun preparing your own smoothies and remember that store bought drinks may be deceiving!

Why white bread is bad for you

Many people have switched from white to whole grains in an attempt to eat healthier, but what is it that makes it so much better for you.

Photo credit Hz536n retrieved from http://www.fotopedia.com/wiki/Wheat#!/items/flickr-2558692789

White bread is made from refined grains. Refined grain come from the process of grinding down and then stripping the grain. The process removes the germ and bran from the bread, this is the healthy part of the bread. Many bread makers will add nutrients back into the bread to attempt to make it more healthy. Wonder bread announced in 2010 that is now contained nine vitamins and as much calcium as a glass of milk. Unfortunately all these vitamins were added back in artificially after the process of stripping them out, making them far less beneficial for health.

White bread has a high glycemic index, meaning that it is rapidly absorbed and digested into the body causing very quick spikes in both blood sugar and insulin. This is a similar response to the body's reaction to candy.

Photo credit untipografico retrieved from http://www.fotopedia.com/wiki/Bread#!/items/flickr-1798762004

 

 

 

White bread is also very low in fiber, in order to maintain a healthy diet a you should strive for 14g of fiber for every 1000 calories you take in. The average slice of white bread has 0.5 grams of fiber compared to the slice of whole wheat's 2 grams.

Here is an easy, healthy bread recipe, that is not only delicious but high in fiber and nutrients. Give it a try, nothing is better than bread fresh out of the oven. 

What Might Taste Bad But is Still Good for You?

As we all may know that there are good experiences with food (mostly junk food!) and there are bad experiences with food. Mostly the association of a bad experience with food (not always) is with healthy food. It is unfortunate that fried food tastes better than baked food, how ice cream is preferred for dessert over fruit , and of course pop is served in most of the parties rather juices.
Why does this happen?
Well there is a myth that people believe in so strongly that unhealthy food always tastes better than healthy food. This is not completely true! Some of the most healthiest not-so-great-tasting foods can be combined with a scrumptious recipe that will make them easier to consume and tasty as well.

Lets look at 4 such foods today:

Photo credits: Gadus morhua

1) Fish: Some people stay away from fish due its smell which then also affects it taste. Although the smell factor is there, this is one of my favorite food items because not only is it extremely beneficial for eyesight but it is one of the top anti-aging super foods. The best type of fish to be eating to obtain the maximum benefits is salmon. To make this food item easier on the taste buds, here is a quick marination recipe that I have personally tried and is a great hit to add exotic flavor to your fish!

Photo credits: Allium sativum

2) Garlic: Raw garlic is probably not something that people eat occasionally. This is not good news because these cloves are our healing power! They are natural antibiotics that prevent bacteria from evolving in our body systems thus preventing us from many infections and also the occasional common flu (which is so irritating!). An easier method to consume garlic is to grind it with water and use it as a paste in ANY dish to add flavor (except desserts of course).

Photo credits: Cortando cebolla

3) Onion: This makes people tear up which is why some of us take it personally and do not consume onions at all! Not good because onions act as de-clotting factors for our body. They help heal wounds and also reduce cholesterol levels thus preventing cardiovascular diseases. Deep brown baked onions or even raw onions dipped in vinegar in a salad are a great way to intake this vegetable.

Photo credits: Bitter melon 

4) Bitter gourd: This vegetable also known as 'Karela' tastes extremely bitter because of its seeds. Its health benefits include containing numerous vitamins such as B2, B1, B3, C and also being rich in fiber! A great way to consume gourd is to remove all the seeds and cook fully ripe bitter gourds, which can be done by putting it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days before eating.




These are some of the most healthiest foods that should be consumed, which may not taste that great, but if prepared in the proper way, they can be as delicious as any other great tasting food item. So please be informed and inform others as well!

Misguided support in thinspo communities

Weight loss has become a large part of western society, and in many ways has improved our health. Unfortunately the obsession with being thin has led to some negative consequences that affect many communities.  

  

"Thinspo" is a growingly popular term that encompasses a community of weight loss blogs and websites. It is defined as an abbreviation for "thin inspiration" and is commonly used on the internet by youth and young adults who are seeking to lose weight. It is masked as a positive community that encourages health and fitness, but it is often driven by an obsession for a thin body. 

Example of a thinspo image
By tollieschmidt

The communities are provoked by images that portray a overly thin body as ideal and worth striving for. The images are often of celebrities or other "successful" community members. In popular culture, stick-thin bodies are seen as negative, but in the thinspo community it is highly sought after. Through websites like Tumblr, many thinspo communities are currently flourishing and the cycle of negativity is continuing. 

What is perhaps the most tragic about this group is that through misguided encouragement this community has built a strong foundation and is constantly growing. Personal success stories of starving and eating disorders to lose weight has encouraged people to try extreme measures to become thin. Many of these community members look to each other for advice instead of talking to a health care professional or dietician. 

The advice that is often heard in these communities includes a strict restriction of calories and excessive exercise. Many participators will open brag about week long fasts and only consuming water for days. Unfortunately this perpetuates the cycle of negative means to an unhealthy end. The accessibility of this information has let it's support grow to huge proportions and it is leading to dangerous decisions.  

This community is a stark reminder that body image and health need to always co-exist in a positive way. Though many of us seek more "ideal" bodies, we need to remember that it should always be obtained through health focused goals and holistic means.