Staying Hydrated

We hope you’ll be able to join us this Thursday afternoon for our fresh fruit and vegetable market at the Village Commons, Pathfinder Produce!

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With the arctic air revisiting our area, it's easy to get dehydrated and experience chapped lips and dry skin.  My hands are in constant need of lotion, and I am reminding myself each day to increase my intake of water so my hands aren’t the texture of sandpaper. 

An avowed “coffee-holic,” I've tried to drink less coffee each day, and have switched to unsweetened flavored teas.  Recent research indicates that moderate coffee consumption does not lead to an overall water loss in the body, according to a story on NPR’s All Things Considered.  In fact, coffee is believed to help with short-term memory and cognition; however it’s still advisable not to overdo it and to rely on water to stay hydrated. 
 

According to the Mayo Clinic's website, on average a healthy man living in a temperate climate requires about 3 liters (13 cups) of fluid each day, and a woman needs about 2.2 liters (9 cups).  Of course, this can vary depending on a person's size, activity level, living conditions, medications, and other factors.  They add that the oft heard “eight glasses of water each day,” would result in 1.9 liters of water (using 8 oz. glasses): The “eight times eight rule” is an easy way for most of us to remember to drink (almost) enough.  The site also indicates that there's no need to differentiate water intake from other beverages … it all counts toward keeping one hydrated.  (The Mayo experts don't advocate sugary drinks however, especially the “supersized” drinks available at fast food eateries, which add a lot of empty calories, spike blood sugar levels, and may take the place of more-nutritious foods).

 

Of course, we all take in a certain amount of water with the foods we eat; fresh vegetables and fruits are actually high in water -- another reason to add more of these foods to our diets.  The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture has devised a neat chart that shows that most popular produce items are over 80% water. Most websites estimate we actually take in 20% of our water needs through foods.

 

The human body is about 60% water, and every basic biological process – respiration, regulation, transport, growth, etc. – needs water to function effectively.  If we don't get enough water, a whole cascade of consequences can happen:  According to the Mayo experts, mild dehydration can lead to ‘dry mouth’, diminished tearing of the eyes, decreased sweating, sleepiness, headaches, dizziness, confusion, irritability, and difficulties with bodily elimination functions.  Young children, pregnant women, older people, those who are ill, and performance athletes are all at risk for becoming dehydrated.

So as you boost your intake of water, it may not be a bad idea to boost your intake of fresh produce to improve your health.  And to help counteract the drying effects of winter air, there are a few beauty and moisturizing “recipes” using fresh fruits and veggies from around the web (some are topical, some are meant to eat):

• Homemade skin care recipes: Seasonal fruits and vegetables
• Homemade cures for dry skin & rough-heels
• Eight natural recipes for amazing skin
• Banana moisturizing facial mask

Cheers!

Lori

Health Tips

A few weeks ago I wrote a column about New Year's Resolutions that was well received; I thought I would follow it up with some health tips for those of us who are interested in starting fitness and weight loss regimens now that we're through the holidays.  A good first step is to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, which are available at our weekly Pathfinder Produce market, Thursday afternoons, from 2 to 5 p.m. 

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 Pathfinder Produce is affiliated with Bassett Research Institute's “5-2-1-0 Every Day” Program; the pilot projects in Edmeston and Delhi are aimed at creating local solutions to problems like childhood obesity, poor eating habits, too much recreational screen time, and the insidious habit of drinking sugary juices and sodas.  For over a year now, members of these communities have been made more aware of fitness, nutrition and ways to embrace healthier lifestyles.

 In Edmeston, we've started an annual 5K Turkey Trot, there have been new incentives for employees to get fit at NYCM's new staff gym facilities, and we have learned that a Weight Watchers group will be forming soon in West Edmeston -- you can contact the group through me at lgraceATpathfindervillage.org if you are interested (insert @ for AT, I'm trying to avoid more spam).  At Pathfinder Village, there have been other programs to help people become motivated … weekly Zumba classes, employee weight-loss initiatives, and we also host local youth soccer games during the spring and fall seasons at Grant's Field (adjacent to the Produce Market).  We plan to apply for grants in 2014 to create a new walking trail, and to build a hoop greenhouse to lengthen our gardening season.

 Last week, our staff Wellness Committee regrouped to discuss ways to encourage employee and resident fitness.  We hope to share ideas through the Produce Blog, and want to contribute to the community's spirit of enthusiasm about fitness and better health.  Some of the ideas mentioned included walking work-breaks, drinking more water each day, and journaling to keep track of what one eats.

 As you've guessed by now, I love research, and the web is a great resource for both nutritional and fitness information.  And recently, my family re-subscribed to “Prevention” magazine – it too offers a wealth of ideas, new research, and tips on ways people may sensibly take charge of their health.  The first issue recommended:

• Exercising outside during cold weather, as it helps burn brown fat cells.  These cells are sensitive to cold and release heat energy, “torching calories and melting other types of fat;”
•  Adding 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar to 8 ounces of water, and drinking it before eating high-carb meals to keep blood-sugar levels from spiking;
• Taking a 15-min. Power walk to fight sweet-tooth cravings;
• Practicing yoga to counteract the debilitating effects of grief;
• Using a 4-foot length of ¾ or 1 inch pvc pipe as a way to jazz up workouts (mimicking weight lifting, holding the pipe over your head while doing core-strengthening exercises, etc.)

This issue also offered some recipes for healthy finger foods (the article was written for holiday gatherings, but the recipes would be great for upcoming Super Bowl parties).  Even if you don't subscribe, you can cruise the website at www.prevention.com and learn a lot of great information.

 In closing, there are so many places to go for information about health and diet – but the main thing is to get motivated and start making small changes to be healthier.  Once you've taken the smaller steps, and stick with the program you devise, it will be easier to make the bigger changes.

Until next time, be well!

Lori

Winter Tomatoes

Hello!  We hope you will be able to join us this week for our regular Pathfinder Produce market, Thursday afternoon at the Pathfinder Village Commons from 2 to 5 p.m.

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When I was a kid, there was nothing worse than the curse of the winter tomato.  They were pale, hard globes which barely resembled their summertime counterparts.  And I, an avowed tomato fan, avoided them like the plague.

I still tend to shy away from winter tomatoes, but lately have tried the vine-ripened tomatoes that are now offered at many markets, including our weekly Pathfinder Produce green grocery.  They are not big, hearty beefsteaks, but they offer flavor, are pleasing to the eye, and add to most salads and sandwiches.

According to web sources, most vine-ripened tomatoes in the U.S. are picked when they are at stage two – just starting to turn from green to pink (there are six stages for ripening tomatoes).  They are then shipped and exposed to ethylene, a colorless, odorless hydrocarbon gas that occurs naturally as fruit ages (and also through various combustion processes). Ethylene is responsible for the changes in texture, softening, and color.  I’ve found that if I place a green tomato in a bag with a banana “a little on the brown side” that it hastens ripening.  Apples are also good producers of ethylene, which of course, has led to the saying “one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.”

The tomato, widely associated with Italian cuisine, actually originated in the Andes, and was cultivated in Mexico prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. It is believed that Cortez brought the fruit back to Europe about 1520; it also quickly spread throughout lands that the Spanish conquered throughout the Caribbean.  By the 1540s, it was being grown in Mediterranean countries as the plant thrived in the temperate climate.  The first historical reference of tomatoes in Italy was in October 1548, when the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo de’ Medici, referenced a basket of tomatoes in a letter to the family’s private secretary.  Funnily enough, tomatoes were first valued there as ornamental plants, according to Wikipedia.

From the Mediterranean, the plant then traveled throughout Europe and then to the North American colonies by 1710.  Because the plant is a member of the Nightshade family (Solanaceae) and because of folklore that associated the plant with witchcraft and werewolves, there were widespread suspicions of using tomatoes as food.  According to many websites, the tomato was thought be poisonous -- wealthier people ate from pewter plates and utensils, and the acids in tomatoes would leach lead from the pewter, contributing to lead poisoning (It’s not a good idea to eat with anything made of pewter!).  And there was a time in the mid-1800s, when the green tomato worm started decimating tomato gardens – the appearance of this big worm with a horn emanating out of its back caused other irrational fears, according to Smithsonian.com.

However, the tomato slowly gained traction as an edible, and two key developments, the development of modern pizza in Naples in the 1800s and the tomato canning process developed by Joseph Campbell in the 1890s, greatly increased the popularity of tomatoes as a regular part of our diet.

Botanically speaking, tomatoes are a fruit, and there are over 7500 varieties grown today.  Most people consider them a vegetable, and the United States Supreme Court weighed in on the matter in its 1893 decision, Nix vs. Hedden.  The Tariff Act of 1883 required a tax to be paid on imported vegetables, but not fruit; the Nix family filed an action against Edward L. Hedden, then the Collector of the Port of New York, to recover back duties they had paid.

The court unanimously decided in favor of the defense and said that the tomato should be classified under the customs regulations as a vegetable, based on the ways in which it was used. Justice Horace Gray, writing the opinion for the Court, concluded that although tomatoes are botanically classified as a "fruit of the vine," for the purposes of customs, they should be classified as vegetables as they were usually eaten as a main course instead of as a dessert.

All legal precedents aside, there are so many tremendous ways to use tomatoes.  Here’s a sampling from around the web for you to try.

Baked Tomatoes

Quick Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce with Spaghetti

We hope to see you at this week’s Pathfinder Produce on Thursday, from 2 to 5 p.m.

Lori

The Power of C

Join us this week for the freshest fruits and veggies around at Pathfinder Produce.  Our friendly and convenient market is open at the Pathfinder Village Commons, from 2 to 5 p.m. each Thursday, and is proud to serve our community.

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Some of my friends and I started off the New Year with bouts of illness, and it is that time of year when there are many types of bugs lurking about, especially in schools, stores, and workplaces.  It’s a good time to remember ways to help prevent the spread of viruses and germs:  Chief among these are to wash your hands frequently and well, and to maintain a regular health regimen (eat well, get enough sleep, dress appropriately, drink water), so that your body can fight any invading microbes. 

At my house, anytime anyone exhibits a sniffle, my husband’s mantra is “Take a C.”  He’s a believer in the value of ascorbic acid in the battle against colds and flu.  Vitamin C acts as both an antihistamine and antioxidant, and was touted by famed researcher Linus Pauling in the 1970s for its preventative properties.  (Here’s the link for the scientist’s bio on the website of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.)  Pauling is the only individual to have won two unshared Nobel Prizes, in Chemistry in 1954, and the Peace Prize in 1962.

Vitamin C (also called L-ascorbic acid or ascorbate) is a water-soluble, essential nutrient that is necessary for the prevention of scurvy.   Many species are able to synthesize Vitamin C naturally, but humans and other primates have lost this ability during evolution.  Specifically, Vitamin C is used to create collagen, the main structural protein of connective tissues in animal muscles, blood vessels, and skin. 

Although Pauling’s pioneering work with Vitamin C as a preventative for colds and cancer was scoffed at in the 1970s, subsequent studies (and today’s popular products) have lent support to some of his ideas:  According to Wikipedia, Vitamin C is found in high concentrations in immune cells.  It is consumed quickly during infections, and is believed to regulate the activities of phagocytes, the cells that engulf and absorb harmful bacteria.  Vitamin C also counters the effects of allergens (histamines) that cause typical cold/allergy symptoms like sneezing, itchy eyes, and runny noses.   

Studies show Vitamin C can prevent histamine releases, and helps “detoxify” the allergen.

Humans can only absorb so much Vitamin C at any given time; the extra is rapidly flushed out the body.  The recommended dose according to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and Health Canada is 90 mg/day for adult men and 75 mg/day for adult women.  (The recommended upward limit is 2000mg/day; if one takes too much Vitamin C, it is possible to cause digestive issues).

Of course, Vitamin C is available in different supplemental forms, but the best way (in my opinion) to get enough in your diet is to turn to fruits and vegetables that have it in abundance.  According to the website, “The World’s Healthiest Foods,” excellent sources that are commonly available are parsley,  strawberries, oranges, lemon juice, papaya, cauliflower, kale, and mustard greens.  I expected to see the citrus fruits heading the list, but was surprised by how well peppers, broccoli and Brussels sprouts ranked.  Click here to see the site’s chart that shows how much Vitamin C is in each food.

It’s been a while since I’ve offered a recipe, so here are a few meal ideas from around the web that are rich in Vitamin C, and hopefully will provide a lift if you’re feeling a bit out of sorts. 

• Rodale's Lemon Broccoli 
• Health.com's Stuffed Roasted Peppers 
• The Food Network’s Sauteed Brussels Sprout

So during this artic cold snap and the traditional cold and flu season, take care of yourself and try to boost your immunity by eating foods rich in Vitamin C.  We hope you’ll be able to join us this Thursday at Pathfinder Produce to try a variety of vitamin-rich (and delicious) fruits and veggies.

Lori