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. 

 ****

 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.

*********

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.

****

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

New Year Resolutions

Ring in 2014 by stopping by Pathfinder Produce this Thursday afternoon, Jan. 2, from 2 to 5 p.m. for the freshest, most-competitively priced fruits and veggies around!

*** 

The holiday season has drawn to a close, and some of us have made New Year’s resolutions to improve our health.  Many resolve to lose weight and exercise more; sadly, these goals may go to the wayside as we become immersed in life’s hectic pace.

Without any studies or evidence to base my thoughts on, I believe most of us who fail in our resolutions do so because we set the bar too high.  While it’s a good thing to want to lose 25 pounds, the goal is so hard to attain that it is easy to say “the heck with it” the next time a co-worker brings in cookies, your mother-in-law offers you an extra helping of mashed potatoes, or “there’s just a dab of mac-‘n-cheese to finish and it’s not worth saving.”

So, why not try to set the bar lower, and establish “pathways” that allow you to achieve incremental successes?   (It’s like the old saying, but with a twist:  How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.)

So rather than saying you’re going to lose those 25 pounds, make resolutions that gradually lower your calorie intake and increase your activity, like: “I resolve to not eat second-helpings,” and “I will take a five minute walk during my lunch break.”  Another good resolution is to compare food ingredients and nutrition labels while grocery shopping, and to develop an understanding of how things like carbohydrates, trans fats, and sodium levels can affect your overall health.

I think we’re hard wired in such a way that once we realize success through one behavior change, it helps us embrace other, more significant changes.  At least that’s what I’ve observed among several of my friends who have had significant weight losses and who have kept the weight off successfully.

One of my co-workers, Mike, has done an incredible job in losing and keeping off over 110 pounds since 2009, chiefly through watching what he eats, how much he eats, drinking more water, and walking.  He stays away from chips, his admitted weakness, and avoids soda all together.  He keeps a journal of everything he eats, which is a great way to “keep it real.”  He has set some basic rules for himself, and is disciplined about observing each of those rules.  I noticed that during a holiday party we both were at, he stayed away from high fat, carb laden foods, and opted for fresh fruit and veggies.

Mike has inspired others; we all cheer him on through Facebook as he works toward his health goals.  His story is proof that you don’t have to go for crazy commercial diet systems or become an “uber gym rat” to lose weight.  His success is due to his commitment to achievable behavior changes. 

A lifelong friend, Rhonda, has used incremental behavior changes to lose over 100 pounds, and to battle debilitating Parkinson’s disease, which she has had for over 15 years.  Over 10 years ago, she relied on a wheelchair to get about.  By 2009, she suffered seizures and a stroke.  Following several surgeries to help control her PD, and encouraged by her husband and sons, Rhonda adopted a vegetarian diet and started running. (Dopamine is created in the brain while running; this boost helps combat Parkinson’s, which is a motor system disorder caused by the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells).

“It was very short distances at first. It was something like running to a tree and back,” she said in an interview with her local newspaper. “But it slowly grew over time.”  Since March 2011, she has run in over 60 half marathons, trains each day when she feels well, and hopes to return for her second Boston Marathon this coming April.  She is determined to cross the finish line.

So, during the New Year 2014, set some achievable goals to improve your health.  Everyone here at Pathfinder Produce wishes you great success and is cheering you from the sidelines as you head toward your personal finish line.

Have a safe and Happy New Year, everyone!

Lori

Market Opportunities

This week, our Pathfinder Produce market is closed, but we’re all set to open on Thursday, January 2, 2014, to bring our friends and neighbors the freshest fruits and veggies around.  Don’t forget to vote in the MVP Health Care Contest at this link, http://www.mvpprojectgo.com/detail.cfm?id=147, to help Pathfinder Village win $2,500 in support of our new produce initiative.  Here’s to a healthy and prosperous New Year for everyone!

 **** 

Last week’s blog gave the “back story” on how our Pathfinder Produce market started and how it serves a great need in our home community.  I thought I’d continue along that vein this week.

Pathfinder Produce is staffed by resident volunteers and Village employees, chiefly from our Ancillary, Finance and Program departments.  Before last Thursday’s market, I stopped by the Village Commons to talk with our volunteers, who do the lion’s share of set up each week.  Chris, Chris, and Chelsea were just finishing up with their tasks, and each team member was busy and focused. They were looking forward to an impromptu holiday party their mentor, Steph Jones, was hosting for them in celebration of their hard work.

Each week, the young adults are responsible for inspecting incoming produce, placing it on display in the new Vocational Center, and posting prices for each item offered.  Miss Jones is a stickler when it comes to workplace rules; and the volunteers repeat the “market mantra” of safety, cleanliness and orderliness.  During market hours, they assist with keeping the displays neat and well-stocked, weighing customers’ purchases, and bagging items. 

As they work, you can see the volunteers are passionate about what they are doing.  They take pride in the quality of the produce and they want the market to be attractive to customers.  They support each other, offering tips about how certain items should be displayed.  The market also offers a new opportunity for the volunteers to engage with friends and neighbors who are from outside our immediate Village community.

So in many ways, Pathfinder Produce is a positive development, as it provides people living with intellectual disabilities opportunities for engagement and activities that benefit others.  This is important:  In my view it changes the volunteers’ status from “consumers,” a term I feel is lacking in today’s vernacular, to “contributors,” which is more to-the-point in recognizing the many talents and great potential of those living with disabilities.

From all of us at Pathfinder Village and Pathfinder Produce, we wish you a week filled with the comforts of home and hearth, and the warm embrace of family.  Thank you once more for supporting “the little market that could,” and we’ll see you in 2014!

Lori