On Food and Health
Archives: April 2004
Cultivating Mindful Eating
Food is powerful. It provides the energy we need to live and often the occasion for social interaction. Frequently we may eat to cope with stress or other discomforts such as anxiety, boredom and emptiness: eating not to nourish, but to feel better.
This relationship of ours with food has been reinforced throughout our lives. As children, our parents may have given us candy to keep us quiet or as a reward for good behavior. We are also emotionally attached to specific foods and eating rituals at particular times with particular people. Our identity and food are each a reflection of each other – intimately related. These emotional ties contribute to automatic eating, eating without being consciously aware of a need to nourish. Our compulsive choices, consequently, may not be healthful, choosing instead something easy to get or a “comfort food.” A compulsive choice may indeed reflect a mind “disconnected” from the body – food chosen for comfort and practicality rather than nourishment.
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Add quality to your life through exercise and food.
Working towards and maintaining good quality of life becomes more important to us as we age. Isn’t it better to age without the need to medicate ourselves for joint pain, high cholesterol, hypertension or weight-related diabetes? Of course it is!
Maintaining good quality of life is not unlike keeping a retirement account. Both will serve you well when the time comes. Both are literal ways to save money. One is assessed through a financial statement and the other through the way you feel: healthy, unhealthy, happy or sad. If we are good about putting money away for retirement, we should be equally adept at keeping our body in good condition both for the present and the later years.
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Food Allergies
A basic overview by Executive Chef Daniel Chong-Jiménez
What is a food allergy?
Fortunately most guests know of a food allergy they may have before they order their meal and those with experience will usually ask their servers to make sure that the cooks leave any potentially harmful ingredients out of their meal. The time may come, however, when a patron is unaware of a food allergy. Therefore, to minimize our guest’s exposure, ask the right questions and look for signs of distress soon after the guest has begun to eat. A guest has a food allergy when his or her immune system has an inappropriate response. The following are considered allergic responses (to food or drink):
difficulty breathing
sudden facial redness
nausea or vomiting
nasal congestion
tachycardia or arrhythmia
headache
swelling around the mouth
coughing
The above symptoms appear shortly after an allergen has been ingested. It is very important to be aware of these because it’s not uncommon for a symptom to evolve into a life-threatening situation.
Who can have a food allergy?
Anyone can have a food allergy and not know it. Most people have some type of allergy, but with mild allergic responses that may be barely noticeable. Others may not be able to even touch a certain food or drink—doing so may have serious health consequences.
The best precaution is to take your guest’s allergy with utmost seriousness.
What food items are people commonly allergic to?
chocolate
shellfish
strawberries
wheat
corn
dairy and derived products
eggs
alcohol
What if my guest begins to have an allergic reaction?
Do not panic.
Quickly analyze the situation. Try to best evaluate what is going on and ask for help from your peers or supervisor. Your guest may be choking on food or both.
Calmly, but firmly ask your guest if they need assistance. They may be prepared to deal with it themselves. If, however, a guest is unable to speak or seems disoriented call (or have someone else call) 911. Give the dispatcher all the pertinent information: why you’re are calling, where you are calling from, what your name is and any other information they may request. Send someone to the front entrance to meet the paramedics when they arrive. If warranted, give any first aid you may be qualified to give. Remember not to give aid unless the victim has requested it or has become unconscious. It is unlawful to forcefully give aid to a person who does not want it. You must wait until the victim has become unconscious.
Aphrodisiac qualities of foods... Is it the whole meal or just one ingredient?
By Daniel Chong-Jiménez
Executive Chef at The Spa at Norwich Inn
To the dismay of some, there is no single ingredient, except for prescribed medication, that will serve as an aphrodisiac. It is rather a combination of ingredients in the diet that, when taken regularly, will help promote healthy sexual function. Healthy eating and keeping physically fit is probably the best aphrodisiac one can have, but we should strive to give our bodies all the help we can, especially when the results make our significant other happy.
It has been well documented that zinc is a major player in the development and proper function of reproductive tissue. Fortunately, there are many foods that contain zinc: egg yolks, fish, lamb, poultry, beef, oysters, seafood, sardines, legumes, pecans, sunflower seeds and soy, to name a few. Herbs that contain zinc are cayenne, chamomile, dandelion, parsley, sage, skullcap and hops among others. As you can see, it would not be difficult to keep any of these items regularly in your diet.
There are other herbs that have not been scientifically singled out as having an effect, but have been used throughout history for their aphrodisiac qualities. For example, parsley was believed to enhance youthfulness and was used in love concoctions for frigidity or to get the drinker of the potion “in the mood.” Garlic is practically good for anything, ranging from colds to high blood pressure. It is also supposed to add vitality and slow the aging process. Ginger is a warming spice that perhaps also warms the heart. It has been used in the Far East for menstrual problems, impotence and lack of sex drive – be careful, too much can irritate your stomach! The capsacin in cayenne certainly enhances the body’s fire and is said to increase sex drive and energy as well as slowing the aging process. Cloves and cinnamon relax tension and increase vitality and sex drive, respectively. An old wife’s tale from Spain advises the use of cinnamon baths to attract the attention of the opposite sex! Rosemary is said to have rejuvenating, as well as antioxidant properties and in times past was a symbol of love and fidelity. The Greeks and Persians, to stimulate virility, have used peppermint in teas and essential oils. The famous gift of a wise man to the Christ Child, myrrh, is a rejuvenating herb that increases energy and restores the female reproductive system. Lastly, our modern symbol of love and passion, the rose is a tonic to the female reproductive system that has been used to treat infertility and enhance desire. Rose, in men, can increase interest in sex and may help impotence. The most applied use of rose is found in aromatherapy, where, as an essential oil, it is used to treat a wide range of sexual disorders. A word on aromatherapy: this science is far more complex than the media has led us to understand. A person truly specialized in aromatherapy has trained for many years and should have a strong foundation in clinical experience.
Live long and prosper!
Foods That Help Reduce Stress
By Daniel Chong-Jiménez
Executive Chef at The Spa at Norwich Inn
Stress is a state of extreme difficulty, pressure or strain. TIME called it “The Epidemic of the Eighties” and the leading health problem in the United States. Little has changed since then and has probably worsened since 9/11. Research states that 75% of our population experience “great stress” at least once a week and 75 to 90% of visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related problems. Everyone is prone to stress: you, children, teens, college students and elderly. Reasons vary from too much work and less personal time to an internal perception of inadequacy or inability to perform to violence and threats to our personal safety as a nation.
What happens when we stress and why?
• Under stressful conditions or situations, our heart rate and blood pressure increase dramatically. Our bodies and mind prepares for “action,” thoughts race through our minds, our palms sweat, we may tremble and our voices become hoarse or aggressive or feeble. We begin to feel flushed and momentarily energetic.
• Blood glucose rises in anticipation of a “fight or flight.” Glucose is one of the fuels we use to live. This is especially damaging over time when food becomes the “crutch” to deal with stress. Typical foods eaten under stress are sugary foods made from refined products. Refined sugars elicit a strong insulin response that will eventually convert sugar into fat.
• Digestion stops or is substantially decreased because blood is diverted to the arms and legs. Do you remember experiencing diarrhea, gas or constipation after a stressful bout?
• Blood clotting is enhanced which is potentially lethal or damaging. This
may be a great trait for hunter-gatherers that are prone to injury, but not
so good for the office warrior prone to strokes.
• Chronic stress due to loneliness, depression or frustration impairs the immune system: our resistance to disease, viruses, bacteria, cancer and others diminishes, further exacerbating the situation.
Powerful nutrition is a weapon against stress.
• Eating “healthy” means eating foods that are nutritionally dense. Eating healthy is not eating light or low calorie foods, simply because calorie content is low!
• Nutritionally dense foods contain natural compounds that help fight and prevent disease. These are commonly known as bioflavonoids, isoflavones, phytochemicals and phytonutrients. Good-for-you foods will always be minimally processed and closely resemble their natural state.
• Avoid refined flours, sweets and pastries, soft drinks, greasy or starchy foods, French fries, too much coffee, alcohol, regular tea, salty foods, etc.
• Drink caffeine-free beverages: natural juices (but not too much), vegetable juice (V8 or tomato juice), herbal tea (chamomile, green tea, hops tea, etc.) and lots of water before you sleep and when you wake, before and after each meal or snack.
• Eat as many vegetables and legumes as you like and fruits, but not too much -- they contain sugar. Remember that potatoes are not a vegetable; they are a starch, so go easy on them. Try all dark green and leafy vegetables as well as those brightly colored ones. Some good examples are: kale, broccoli, chard, asparagus, green, yellow and red peppers, tomatoes, collard greens, spinach, zucchini, yellow squash, soy beans/foods, red kidney beans, black beans, apples, oranges, papaya, grapefruit, pineapple, bananas, etc.
• Eat whole grains and unsalted (or very lightly salted) nuts: old fashioned oats, barley, wild rice, brown rice, millet, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin sees, and sunflower seeds as part of your regular diet.
Food is powerful medicine that can help mitigate and reverse the effects of stress. You don’t have to change your lifestyle, but incorporate some elements of powerful nutrition into your routine. Be consistent with what you choose; do it every day and make sure your choice is wise and something you can live with over time.