Swine Flu and Chilling the F*#@ out

So unless you've been in a coma the past week or so, you've probably been bombarded by media coverage of the swine flu "pandemic." The newest thing is that the World Health Organization raised the pandemic alert level to Phase 5, which has never happened before.

Naturally, what you have to actually read the article to find out is that it’s never happened before because there was no phase system until 2005, when the system was created in response to the "avian flu crisis."

Anyway, I really wish that the media would balance out their panic pieces with a few articles about how to stay calm and ways in which you can take care of yourself and boost your immune system to promote general wellness. I'm a firm believer that stress negatively affects your physical health.

True, "how to feel good" doesn't sell papers quite the way that "EMERGENCY!" does, but a girl can dream, right?

There are certain things you can do to help yourself mellow out, though. For example, sipping a cup of tea (especially chamomile) or taking a warm bath can help. You might try yoga or acupuncture as well.

As far as nutrition goes, there are definitely foods that have a calming effect. Here is a video featuring Self blogger Cristin Dillon-Jones talking about what kinds of foods to eat to manage stress. It's a few months old, but the information is still great!

No matter what, you can't go wrong making sure that you're getting enough of the nutrients you need. That, along with enough sleep and exercise (and okay, maybe a little bit of obsessive hand-sanitizer application after subway trips) can help keep you well. Swine flu be damned.

Colleges Ditch Trays

Here's an interesting article from today's New York Times about how many colleges are beginning to get rid of trays in their dining halls. They're finding that it saves money and food waste, and it's caused students and other people who regularly take their meals in the cafeteria to eat less. I guess that's one way to control portion sizes. 

That just reminded me of when I was in college and ate in the dining hall. I always tried to avoid putting more than I could balance on my tray because I was afraid of dropping the damn thing. I wish I'd kept that same fear in mind when I was a waitress at a fancy country club and attempted to carry a tray piled high with half-full red wine and port glasses across the ballroom (with its brand-spanking new carpet). 

Close Encounters of the Fake Meat Kind

Something you’ll probably see me post a lot about is vegetarianism.

I never intended to become a vegetarian—and technically, I’m still not one—but since meeting and living with Chris, I’ve come to appreciate meat-free foods. We don’t really keep meat in the house (except for the occasional carton of egg whites when we’re baking cookies or something, if that counts), and we often go to one of the many vegetarian or vegetarian-friendly restaurants in New York, since there are so many.

I do still eat meat on occasion, though over the past year-and-a-half, I’ve very gradually transitioned from eating it once a day to once a week. It hasn’t been a conscious effort, exactly. To be honest, it’s more that I’ve just gotten used to it and come to really enjoy some of the benefits of a vegetarian diet. I feel like I have more energy and get sick less frequently. I also sleep better—much better—than I used to.

Of course, there are plenty of other factors that contribute, but some of the other perks include that feeling that I am making a choice that benefits the planet and its creatures (hah, creatures)—we humans love feeling “green,” don’t we?—and the sweetness of saving a little money.

And did I mention how awesome and amusing fake meat is? It basically is what it sounds like: texturized soy or gluten protein flavored to taste like various meat products. For example, the other night, I made this masaman curry with vegetarian duck in it. We had just spent the day in Chinatown wandering around and stocking up on various canned fake meat products we’d never encountered before.

Last night, we made pad thai with fried gluten, which was oddly similar to scrambled egg. We also threw in some chopped peanuts. Since we were out, Chris went to the deli on the corner and came home with a pack of Uncle Jesse’s nuts. I about died laughing…

Welcome!

So it looks like this blog is a Taurus! I suppose it's fitting that a blog about food, nutrition, and general wellness should be an earth sign...

This blog was created to act as a space in which I can post thoughts, observations, along with articles and other media I encounter during my course of study for a Masters in Nutrition & Dietetics.

There's a lot of info out there about what to eat and why. It can be hard to tune out the noise, but it's not impossible to tune in to yourself and your body and learn what your personal needs are and how to meet them. I have a lot to learn myself, and much to ponder along the way. This should be interesting, if nothing else...