Hot Pepper's 2011 Garden

On May 23, I planted my garden in the late afternoon. In the past, I'd tried my hand at container gardening, but even that I hadn't done in a couple of years. This year marks a new venture. I went to Lowe's, bought a raised garden, two-tier bed kit, 5 - 2 cu. ft. bags of garden soil with fertilizer, and several small plants. In fact, I went kind of crazy with the inventory including sweet basil, Thai basil, hot banana pepper, rosemary, cucumber, Thai hot pepper, jalepeno, mint, German John heirloom tomato, strawberries, Mr. Stripey and Black Krim heirloom tomatoes, crook neck squash, Chinese eggplant, Red Bull sweet pepper, Bonnie green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and Bonnie original tomato.

My son helped me put the kit together. I didn't have enought soil and had to go up the street to Home Depot for 3 more 2 cu.ft. bags. I also bought some rabbit repellent because just that morning I'd seen a baby rabbit in the backyard munching away. Originally, I was going to wait until the next day to plant, but after putting the raised bed together I got a second wind and planted everything that evening! Dirty, tied and body aching I ended the day proud of my accomplishment.

The next day, I got up, dressed and inspected my garden. Beads of rain glistened on the plant leaves after an early morning rain. Sounds corny, but it was magical. I took a picture. And every day since, I've repeated my morning ritual, watching over my little garden, watering it, and anxiously waiting to see the fruits of my labor.

A Young Woman's Ode to Overweight

At a time when overweight affects over 60 percent African American women, young women are especially at risk. However, we can and must learn to recognize cultural norms and use them to "teach" young people about health. One of my twenty year old daughter/niece/sister friends is into spoken word and recited a poem to me that she'd written after interacting with a classmate. It touched me because I realized it's going to take a lot more than telling someone to eat fruits and vegetables to turn around the epidemic of overweight in the African American community. We're going to have to focus on the whole body, mind and spirit to get the message of healthy living across. For a starter I found these 5 healthy living tips for twenty-something women on the web:

1. Start an exercise routine of cardiovascular exercise and strength training to benefit your general health and well-being.

2. Eat right to help maintain your weight plus prevent chronic diseases in the future. Find what's 'right' for you, but for best results choose moderation of all foods and a variety of more fruit, vegetables and whole grains.

3. Don't smoke cigarettes for greater life-long health.

4. Drink in moderation. Have fun at the party, but be safe and don't overdo.

5. Have a great support group. Family and positive friends you hang out with can get you through the ups and downs of this very exciting time of the life cycle.

20-Somethings-What a Young Man Thinks about Food and Nutrition

This month we're looking at Twenty-Somethings, that age in your life when you're young, care-free, and probably just beginning to make your mark on the world. The other day I googled nutrition and twenty-somethings and found 5 Healthy Living Tips for Young Men (www.fitday.com):

1. Exercise Regularly four to six days per week to make it a life long behavior.


2. Don't Push Yourself Too Hard, which is important for safe and healthy fitness.


3. Eat Right to maintain overall health.


4. Avoid Drinking and Smoking contributes to healthy living practices.


5. Visit the Doctor because regular physical exams and check-ups keep you on point as an advocate for health promotion and prevention.

I think the focus on young men is important because the last thing they might be thinking about is nutrition and health. But what do I know - a young man I asked to comment on the subject proved me wrong. His thoughts are below:

"Being a young male in my mid-twenties, eating well portioned and healthy meals are few and far in between. I often eat an abundance of fried foods, which has been shown to have adverse effects on the body over an extended period of time. Because I'm single with no dependents, it's sometimes easier and more convenient to eat fast foods versus a home prepared meal. As I've grown older, it has become increasingly difficult to digest most fast foods. Eating home cooked meals have definitely become the best way to stay fit and also save money. There is a vast difference in the way I feel when eating out, which makes me feel sluggish and bloated, versus eating self-prepared foods, which gives me a feeling of empowerment and energy. I've found that fresh fish, spinach ravioli, ground turkey, cheese, vegetables, spaghetti and brown or white rice are the combination of foods to keep my body running smooth. On the flip side, I've discovered cutting back my consumption of red meat has helped regulate my weight and reduced many digestive problems. One dilemma I see with young men my age is eating 1 or 2 large portioned meals a day. I've noticed that eating 3 small to moderately portioned meals keeps me more energized throughout the day. That's something that I have not done consistently over the years. Making the transition to well balanced and portioned meals on a regular and more consistent basis makes for longer and healthier living. You are what you eat!"

Nutrition in your 30's, the Big Challenge!

For me, in my 30's it was Thyme for me to get real about food and nutrition. Not everyone enjoys cooking the way I do. For many people, it is one of the most dreaded tasks. In my thirties, my biggest challenge was to spend less time in the kitchen and more time eating home cooked meals, this coming from someone who enjoys cooking. I had little time, I worked long hours, and volunteered much of my time in the community. To say I needed a cook was an understatement. Since I prefer eating at home during the week and taking my lunch to work, I decided to cook once and call it a week. This not only works for single 30-year-olds, but it works for 30-year-olds with young families. I know that you are thinking, that would be time consuming, I just don't have the time. I decided to calculate the time I spent thawing, prepping and cooking food during the week and I saw that it was a tremendous amount of time. I started to think, what if I only cooked one day a week? Instead of taking 30 minutes to 1 hour each evening, I take about 4 hours on the weekend and cook everything I need for the week. But how do I get started? The answer is very simple. I use Sunday as my day to cook for the week. I start by planning what I want to eat. I cook 3 meat dishes, 4 vegetable dishes, and 2 - 3 starch dishes. That way, I can mix it up and it never seems like I am eating leftover food. I plate the food up for lunch and dinner. I set out all of my Ziploc containers and I just mix it all up. Put meats together with different vegetables and different starches. On a given week, I may prepare two different kinds of chicken dishes and a fish dish. I may even do a fish, chicken, and beef dish. For vegetables, I try to cook what is in season, making sure that I cook at least 4 different kinds. For starches, I prepare brown rice, pasta, and a mixture of roasted sweet potatoes, potatoes, and butternut squash. This may not work for everyone, but it sure does work for me. For cases of extreme boredom, I keep something that is quick to thaw, like shrimp in a bag and toss with tomatoes and broccoli. Remember, you have already made the pasta. This sure to add some spice on any given night. Happy cooking!

Nutrition in Your 30's

The special topic that we would like to feature this month is "Nutrition in Your 30's". First of all, I would like to say that I am a newly minted 40 year-old. So I feel I have a lot of experience as it relates to nutrition in my 30's. I know for me, the most pressing issues were related to figuring out how to eat better and most importantly, put a stop to my expanding waist line. In my 30's I started to really focus on what I was eating and set a personal goal of trying to eat a lot better. Paying more attention to fruits and vegetables was my biggest focus. Not so much for health, but really as a way of changing my figure. Well, that all changed when I realized that I wasn't going to be a size 6 anymore. And then, right in the middle of my 30's, I realized that I needed to eat better for health reasons. I wanted to be responsible and save the environment and eat locally grown foods. I began to visit farmer's markets and eat mostly locally grown foods from May - December. I started my own backyard garden, as a way of getting more vegetables and lowering my food bill. Although I don't have a green thumb, I realized that I was really good at growing things. This really gave me a feeling of accomplishment. This is Thyme and there is more to come related to "Nutrition in Your 30's".

Working and Eating Healthy in the City

At times I have challenges getting food in the city. This is mainly because I work far from the city and sometimes there just isn't enough time. I am sure for many working people there are challenges with work that prevents them from getting healthy food including long work hours and lack of transportation. The Baltimore City Health Department has been thinking about the citizens of Baltimore getting the food they need. I was elated to hear about a new program in the city called Baltimarket, the Virual Supermarket Program. It is a program that allows city residents to visit the local library and order their food online and have it delivered to the same library the next day at no charge. Online grocery shopping is not new. As a matter of fact, Giant and Safeway both offer programs where you can shop online and have your groceries delivered for a fee. The only problem is that you have to have internet access and pay a delivery fee. These programs are generally limited to those with higher incomes. Baltimarket is a program that is designed specifically for assistance to low-income residents with low vehicle and internet access to place and receive grocery orders at their local library. Another unique feature of the program is that it encourages healthy eating, provides healthy recipes, healthy cooking demonstrations, and a $10 incentive for healthy food purchases. With a goal of improving health and wellness of Baltimore City residents, you can't go wrong with the Baltimarket program. This program was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Btaltimore City Health Department, Santoni's Super Market, Maryland Institute and College of Art, adn the Baltimore City Enoch Pratt Free Library System. This is Thyme, and this is a great program, check it out! Click on the website to view the entire story and find out additional information on the program. http://www.baltimorehealth.org/virtualsupermarket.html

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 Released

Since the theme of this month’s blog is working and eating healthy, the release of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 is timely. Because Americans are faced with an epidemic of overweight and obesity due to poor diet and inactivity, this time around the Guidelines focus on three succinct messages:

1. Balancing Calories

• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.

2. Foods to Increase

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

3. Foods to Reduce

• Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
  

For more information on the Dietary Guidelines 2010, link to http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htm.