Fruits!

Spring has finally arrived at the supermarket. For weeks I've been wandering the produce section, choosing pears, apples, and bananas, again. I skip over the peaches from Chile, hard as a rock. I ignore the imported grapes (too many pesticides). "Eat local" is a hard concept to execute in New England.

But today I stopped in at Whole Foods (or Whole Paycheck, as it's sometimes known) and was immediately overwhelmed with choices. And while most were decidedly not local, I was pleased to find melons from Texas, organic raspberries from California, and cherries from Washington state. All were a big improvement from what's been available for months around here. Last year, when I really started to overhaul our food choices, I decided my shopping strategy would be this:

• Buy produce from local farms when possible (around here, only possible for about 4-5 months).
• Choose organic produce if it fits in the budget (I've noticed the prices have dropped and are often competitive with regular produce) and looks good.
• Shop the supermarket for U.S. grown produce, avoiding the dirty dozen if possible. New labeling laws have made it easy to see the country of origin for most produce (and meats), which is immensely helpful.
• Buy imported produce as a last resort (generally, late winter).

Thoughtful food shopping can be a lot of work, but I am really committed to making the best choices I can for my family.

No Plan B

Thanks to Fillyjonk for the first comment on my blog! I find her viewpoints thoughtful and interesting, and enjoy reading her daily musings.

I've been following the case of Daniel Hauser with some interest. He's the boy who disappeared with his mother after she refused chemotherapy for his cancer. I tend to look askance at alternative treatments that are used *instead* of conventional treatments, but I do understand the mother's pain and fear. There is nothing more devastating than learning your child has cancer. You fear the treatment will be almost as bad as the disease. After DD17's diagnosis, I remember the neurosurgeon saying she would need radiation and chemotherapy after brain surgery. I had to literally sit down and put my head between my knees to keep from passing out. It took a while to emerge from that bad place, but slowly you realize that there is no Plan B. You have to do this to try to achieve the best possible outcome.

Although childhood cancer rates have plummeted, the treatment is still harsh and most of the drugs have been around for many years. As I understand it, what has changed is better, more targeted radiation and surgical/diagnostic techniques. Still, research has been massively underfunded for a long time. Why? I can only guess because childhood cancer is relatively rare. But as long-term survivorship increases, we will probably see more issues with quality of life and side effects like we encountered. Certainly a trade-off we can live with. Maybe Mrs. Hauser will come to the same conclusion, and that will sustain her.

Senior All-Night Party

Among other things, I spent the weekend painting a "mural" (sounds bigger/more impressive than it is) for our local high school's Senior Class All-Night Party. Although DD17 is still a junior, I got roped into helping by a friend who has run this event for the past few years.

The All-Night Party is supposed to provide a safe alternative to other forms of celebration (i.e., drinking) after graduation. The kids are locked into the school after graduation, along with food, activities, and lots of chaperones. They can't leave until morning or until a parent gets them. By all accounts, it's a good time. The cynic in me, however, feels that the drinking will just commence the next day. This year's class has quite a few problem kids, and has already been touched by a drinking tragedy.

The drinking death happened in the fall. That same week, a little girl in town died of cancer. The juxtaposition of those two events still strikes me now, months later. One group of kids recklessly took life for granted, and paid the price. And a little girl fought a valiant battle for her life, and lost.

Yes, I know life's not fair. We've learned that lesson. But it's painful to watch reckless teenagers thoughtlessly endanger themselves and others. Wouldn't it be nice if they would look around and view the battles being fought by kids who, through no fault of their own, have learned early that life is precious and fragile. My wish for this year's senior class is to appreciate the good health they have and not take it or life for granted.

Memorial Day Weekend News Fast

Long weekends are great. It's just enough time to do chores *and* kick back. Long weekends also encourage news fasts, maybe because schedules tend to be more fluid. I first encountered the term "news fast" from Dr. Andrew Weil's website after 9/11. He calls a constant barrage of news "mental junk food." That really made an impression on me, since I can tend toward anxiety. Listening or reading about a litany of problems (which is what the news is, of course) makes me edgy and down for no perceptible reason. A forced break from the news can re-introduce calmness into the psyche.

Termites!

We have termites. We have to treat the house. It's so frustrating because, although we live in a heavily wooded area, we've done everything to keep termites away (no mulch around the foundation, brush and wood far from the house, etc.).

This is the kind of dilemma that haunts me and keeps me up at night. It's so hard to dodge the carcinogens in our world. We've done the research on the chemical that will be used, and despite myriad assurances that it's safe, I always feel we're being snookered. Who knows what they'll discover about this chemical in thirty years? I guess the only thing that sustains me is that I'm committed to keeping us as healthy as possible (to take care of the "terrain" as it's called in David Servan-Schreiber's book).

We've decided to treat the outside only, and not drill into the basement floor to treat the inside. This will of course void our guarantee, but we'll try it first. If it doesn't work, we'll do the inside. (For which I'm sure we'll be charged, again. Sigh. It's only money.)

Too young

This story has been the hot topic around here.

I'm surprised that a 24-year-old is considered responsible enough to transport thousands of people a day on public transportation. I don't think you can understand the fragility of life until you are much older, or have gone through a life-changing experience like having and being responsible for a child.

And while I've become as addicted to my cell phone as anyone else, I almost never text. It takes too much concentration. I can't imagine texting while driving, although I know many people do. I have made calls on my cell phone, but most of my calls are programmed into speed dial, and I think pressing one number is far different from typing a message. Splitting hairs, maybe. Of course, DD17 is prohibited from using her phone when driving, period. I know eventually she will, but I'm hoping she'll get lots more driving experience under her belt before that day.

Sometimes it's hard to remember that driving a car is like driving a two-ton weapon. You can kill yourself, or worse, kill someone else.

A Reason to Eat Healthy--Clear Skin

About 80% of teenagers have acne. A lot of adults do too. I'm sure there's a genetic component to acne, but I think you are what you eat. Teenagers tend to eat processed, sugary foods and drink sodas or energy drinks. If you cut all that stuff out of the diet, your skin will improve, generally. (Good hygiene is a piece of the picture, too.) Throw in some ground flaxseed and it might even glow.

I have two teenagers who don't really eat much processed foods at all, and almost never drink anything besides water, milk, and fruit juice with breakfast. Other than the occasional pimple or breakout caused by stress, they have clear skin. My unofficial observation of their peers is that the more processed foods they eat, the worse their skin. We'll see if this holds true with DS12, who is my junk food junkie when I'm not watching.

I've come to this conclusion slowly, after overhauling the food in our house. My own skin improved once I started eating mostly unprocessed foods. But, it's hard to go cold-turkey and ban all processed foods from the typical Western diet. What about condiments? I'm not about to make my own ketchup, that's for sure.

Meat, please

Before a soccer game yesterday, DS12 wanted a snack. "OK, what do you want?" I asked. "Meat," he answered. "Meat?" I said blankly. "Like what, a hamburger?"

"You know, meat," DS12 said. "Roast beef or pepperoni or something. There's never any meat around here."

He ended up with an apple and cheese, and wasn't very happy about it. Clearly, I have work to do.

Mediterranean Pinto Beans

One of my favorite websites is The World's Healthiest Foods (http://www.whfoods.org/). It presents in-depth nutritional information on a wide range of natural (not processed) foods. The website also offers a newsletter, cooking tips to minimize nutrient loss, and recipes. I think it's a great resource for ideas on incorporating healthier foods in our diet.

In my quest to add more legumes as a protein and vegetable source in meals, I've had to search out interesting, tasty ways to serve beans. Recently I tried Mediterranean Pinto Beans from The World's Healthiest Foods, and really liked them. Most of the family did too, although there were a few holdouts. I especially like the addition of anchovies, which were subtle enough to add depth but not overpower the other flavors. Although I like anchovies, I have to hide them in any foods the kids are going to eat.

Purell becomes Popular

One good thing about Swine Flu (or H1N1 flu) is that people seem to be thinking about hand hygiene a bit more than usual. My kids have had a Purell in their lunches for a while now, ever since DD17 was going through treatment (trying to keep germs at bay). The other day, for the first time ever, DS12 was asked by his tablemates at lunch to share his Purell. Seems like everyone thought it might be a good idea to clean their hands before eating. Did they or their mothers not think about hand hygiene before Swine Flu exploded in the press? Um, kids touch LOTS of disgusting things in the course of the school day, not just potential viruses.