Spring Smoothies

We hope you’ll be able to join us at our next Pathfinder Produce market at the Village Commons, this Thursday, April 3, from 2 to 5 p.m.  April is National Volunteer Month, so we’d like to extend a big thank you to our volunteers who help things run smoothly each week – we simply couldn’t offer our market without their assistance.

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A few friends have been posting lately about their kitchen experiments with smoothies, those cold, creamy, drinks that have become popular over the past few years.  With Pathfinder Produce offering so many fresh and tasty ingredients, smoothies are a natural way to incorporate more fruits and veggies into daily routines.  All you really need is a decent blender, some frozen fruit, and a little time for prep and clean-up.

I am admittedly new to smoothies, but from a brief perusal of the web, it seems that they can stand in as either meal substitutes or as snacks/desserts.  They can be simple, based on a few standard ingredients, or as complex as you like.  People who are in training seem to add all kinds of things, like whey powder, flax seeds, almond milk, etc., but I think I’ll stick to the basics in my experiments :). 

Bon Appetit writer Victoria von Biel cautions that smoothies can present nutritional pitfalls:  If you add extra sugar (like honey or sweetened fruit juices) or dessert-grade frozen yogurt, the resulting drinks can add calories from empty carbohydrates and fats.  It probably takes some time to acclimate one’s self to smoothies: They’re cold and thick, so those of us who grew up drinking milkshakes need to realize that smoothies shouldn’t be as sweet as ice cream-based confections.

Von Biel recommends freezing chunks of fruit ahead of time to keep drinks the right consistency, and trying non-dairy alternatives like almond or soy milk as the “smoothie base.”  She also mentions using coconut water to thin overly thick drinks (coconut water is trendy according to NPR), or adding avocados, which are effective in controlling cholesterol and can squelch hunger pangs.

For most families, especially those with kids, low-fat and non-fat Greek-style yogurt is a good base for smoothies, as yogurt provides muscle-building protein, calcium, and beneficial probiotic bacteria.  Plus, most kids love yogurt.  But avoid yogurts that have lots of added sugar and other chemical additives – lactose is the sugar that is naturally found in milk, and most flavored yogurt has added table sugar (sucrose). I personally refrain from buying yogurts sweetened with artificial sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup (an industrial invention of the 1960s that could be a culprit for our obesity epidemic).

Here are some recipes found online that offer different smoothie concoctions.  Those from Prevention Magazine are fruit based, whereas the Buzzfeed and Fitness Magazine are a bit more adventuresome.  There are plenty of recipes out there too for “detox” smoothies, those that help flush unwanted chemical residues from the body. 

http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-recipes/20-super-healthy-smoothies?s=4

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessseinfeld/8-easy-3-ingredient-smoothies 

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/drinks/healthy-choices/healthy-and-refreshing-smoothie-recipes/ 

Until next time, be well!

Lori

A Look at Sports Drinks

Good afternoon,

We invite everyone to join us for our fresh fruits and vegetable market this Thursday at Pathfinder Produce.  Join us at the Village Commons, from 2 to 5 p.m. for the freshest produce around!

One of the unexpected things that has happened during our first year of the Pathfinder Produce market has been the way it has brought people together.  Our residents help prepare for the market and serve customers, we have a loyal contingent of local volunteers who assist with duties, and we work closely with the 5-2-1-0 Every Day staff and other organizations in sharing our fresh produce market with the community. Through this connection, we have gotten to know College Senior Marni Rawiszer, who has an internship with the 5-2-1-0 staff this semester.

Marni is working towards a degree in Child and Family Studies at the State University of New York at Oneonta, and hopes to continue her studies at the graduate level, possibly in the field of public health. As a special project, Marni has worked with her advisors to provide the following guest post:

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By Marni Rawiszer
5-2-1-0 Every Day Intern

The consumption of sports drinks has greatly risen over the past three decades. As childhood obesity rates continue to climb, it is evident the increase in sports drinks consumption is no coincidence. Marketing campaigns are directly targeting children and adolescents by the means of social media and using slogans to specifically attract their attention. Two important beliefs resulting from these campaigns are:

1. Sports drinks are especially beneficial for children and adolescents during sports practices, games or when otherwise being physically active, and
2. Sports drinks represent a healthy alternative beverage to soda. 

A report from Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, summarizes the scientific evidence to counter these general beliefs about sports drinks. 

As parents, coaches and educators, we are quick to choose the highly advertised sports drinks such as Gatorades and PowerAdes that promise to hydrate and enhance athletic performance. However, electrolytes and carbohydrates in sports drinks are only justified for athletes who are vigorously exercising for over an hour at a time or performing extreme activities. Therefore, the majority of healthy children and adolescents do not need the nutrients which sports drinks provide. Even for children who are participating in long practices and doing high energy activities such as running for an hour, consumption of water before, during and after vigorous activity should be sufficient, according to researchers.

Surveys also have found adolescents who are drinking sports drinks are more likely to be physically inactive and are looking for an alternative beverage to soda. Some teens even believe sports drinks are a healthier option.  Advertisements showing athletes performing better using these sports drinks give misleading messages to children. Sports drinks contain extra calories, in the form of unnecessary sugar that can help pack on the pounds.  

Additionally, sports drinks also contain high amounts of sodium, which is linked to increased risk of developing high blood pressure. Another ingredient commonly found in sports drinks is citric acid, which increases the risk for the development of cavities.  For these reasons, parents and children should not look to sports drinks as a healthier alternative to soda.

In today’s market of abundant choices on the shelves, it is difficult to choose the product which best suits our needs or our children’s. Research shows that a balanced diet is the best way for the average child to replenish water, electrolytes and carbohydrates. Water provides the fluids necessary for children and adults to rehydrate as well as sports drinks. Sports drinks contain excess calories, sugars and additives unnecessary for the average child. Therefore this makes water the best choice for a beverage all the time and while exercising.

http://healthyeatingresearch.org/research/consumption-of-sports-drinks-by-children-and-adolescents-a-research-review/

Thanks to our 5-2-1-0 partners for sharing this important health information.  We hope to see you this week at Pathfinder Produce! 

Until next time, be well!

Lori

Our One Year Anniversary, WDSD, and Splash Path!

Join us for our one year anniversary celebration for Pathfinder Produce this week!  We’ll also be kicking off our observance of World Down Syndrome Day at Pathfinder Produce.  Our market will feature special promotions, along with a great selection of fresh fruits and veggies.  We hope that you’ll be able to join us this Thursday, March 20, from 2 to 5 p.m.

The market will feature cooking demonstrations by Brian Belknap from ECS, health smoothies, a gift certificate drawing, distribution of World Down Syndrome Day pins, and we will start our new produce buyers’ club rewards card.

World Down Syndrome Day takes place each year on 3-21, which represents the full or partial triplication of the 21^st chromosome.  For individuals living with Down syndrome, these changes may result in cognitive, developmental and physical changes, including smaller stature, low muscle tone, extra skin folds on the eyelids, and a single deep crease across the center of the palm.  The world-wide observance was officially recognized by the United Nations in 2012; the day shares a global voice for advocacy, inclusion and the well-being of people with Down syndrome.

But that isn’t the only big news we wish to share:  Pathfinder Village will sponsor a new 5K paint run and walk to support building a new hoop house and community walking trail here at the Village. The Splash Path 5K will start at the Pathfinder Pavilion Saturday, May 31, and will feature non-toxic color stations for the runners to go through.  Participants will be provided white tee shirts, and will have their “true colors” shine through by the end of the race.

Splash Path registration opens April 1, the deadline for early registration is May 1. Visit the new www.pathfindervillage.org website or the Pathfinder Village Facebook page for announcements on event details and online registration/waiver forms.  Early entry fees are:  Family (3+ members)-$45; Adults (19 and up)-$20; Youths (10-18)-$10; Kids (9 & under)-free.  There will be registration from 8 to 9:00 a.m. on the day of the event (a $5 last minute registration fee will be charged).  The run/walk will begin at 9:30 a.m., and signed waiver forms will be required to participate. 

Enjoy your celebration of World Down Syndrome Day and the official start of Spring, and we hope you will join us for the Splash Path event!

Until next time,

Lori

Thank you!

Next week, Pathfinder Village will be celebrating its one year anniversary for the Pathfinder Produce market.  What a year it’s been!

We cannot thank our customers, the 5-2-1-0 Every Day program, our wonderful volunteers and other community supporters enough … this has been a project to benefit our home community through the help of our home community.  It’s been incredibly rewarding and educational, and we believe we are making positive changes to support community health.

To celebrate we’ll be hosting some special offerings during the market on Thursday, March 20, which also happens to be the day before World Down Syndrome Day.  This global event celebrates the talents of individuals with Trisomy 21, and also shines a light on how communities are made stronger through the involvement of people living with disabilities.

To celebrate both events, our Produce market will feature:

• Cooking demonstrations by Brian Belknap from Edmeston Central School.  Brian will prepare a Spinach and Grape Tomato Sauté for folks to try.
• Pathfinder Village staff will be blending up easy and refreshing smoothies.
• There will be a drawing for Produce Market Gift Certificates.
• Pathfinder Village will distribute pins in celebration of World Down Syndrome Day
• And finally, Pathfinder will kick off its new Premium Produce Buyers Club, a rewards card to celebrate our customers.

We hope to see you on this Thursday, and have a great week.  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Lori

Good News to Hear

We hope that you’ll be able to join us this Thursday for another friendly and convenient Pathfinder Produce market.  We’re open from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Pathfinder Village Commons.

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Although spring is a bit delayed this year, there are some genuine reasons to celebrate: First, a recent study suggests that the upward trend in child obesity may be starting to turn, and the Food and Drug Administration has proposed new labels that will be easier for consumers to understand.

According to a report in The Journal of the American Medical Association last week, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that obesity rates for young children, ages 2 to 5, dropped from 13.9% in 2003-04 to 8.4% in 2011-12.  No specific cause was cited for the drop, but it may be a hopeful sign that kids will live healthier and longer, especially as lifelong eating patterns are thought to form at this critical stage.  

A blog post on the Washington Post site offers some possible reasons for the drop: 

• Food assistance programs, like SNAP and WIC, have revised their funding to encourage families to buy more fruits and vegetables.

• New nutritional guidelines used by government programs are encouraging more water consumption, less sugar-laden drinks, smaller serving sizes, and limited recreational screen time. 
• More babies are being breast-fed (70.3% in 2000 up to 74.6% in 2008), which is thought to provide better nutrition to infants.
• Food companies are limiting ads targeting children (presumably for high-sugar, high-fat foods); between 2003 and 2007, the daily exposure for young children to food ads fell by 13.7%.
• National initiatives have promoted healthy eating among children, such as First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” program.  Mrs. Obama has taken her message to the public by being on shows like “Sesame Street,” and appearing with celebrities and on late-night programs to help educate parents.

Unfortunately, the CDC study indicated that obesity rates for school aged children and adults didn't change (17% for youths, 33% for adults), and the rates went up for women 60+.  The First Lady and others are now working to bring changes to school lunch rooms, according to the Let's Move! site.  As part of a comprehensive effort, food marketing in schools will be curtailed to only those products that may be sold or served in schools.  And the school breakfast program will be expanded to serve 9 million kids in 22,000 schools; healthy breakfasts have been shown to boost math scores by 17.5% and to diminish disciplinary issues.

Another way to improve eating habits is to make it easier for people to understand what and how much they are eating.  Food labels may be getting a face-lift – the first since the 1990s – and will be in-synch with actual eating habits according to the Associated Press/NPR.  The new labels would reflect what people actually eat (a whole cup of ice cream vs. a half-cup on the current labels).  Calorie counts will indicate the entire contents of the can, bottle or package (FYI - a 20 oz. bottle of soda is actually 2 ½ servings, not one).  The new labels are under a 90 day review and comment period, and may take several years to implement.  More on the “portion distortion” that has become ingrained in American life can be found here.

Fat content will still be listed, but sugar content – naturally occurring and added sugars – will be more evident on the new labels.  According to the Department of Agriculture, added sugars contribute about 16% of the total calories in our diets each day.  That’s a really big number if you think about it. 

Until next time, be well.  We hope to see you at Pathfinder Produce this Thursday!

Lori