Pestering info about Pesticides

In 2004, farmers from India had found a way of getting pesticides into their chili and cotton crops. Indian researchers found that drinking products such as lindane, DDT, chloriphos, and malathion can create problems within the human body. Their science environment (CSE) found that high levels of these pesticides could be found in Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Most of us drink this stuff on the daily!

Drinking these products can affect your nervous system, immune system and reproductive system. These products can also cause birth defects and cancer. The thought of this stuff going into their bodies was so bad that some states ban the sale of these products, either completely or partially.

Produced by: Michael Jones

Chez Panisse

Having the opportunity to explore a fancy restaurant
was an experience. My fellow work members, staff, and I
took a trip to Chez Panisse. Looking at this beautiful place
made me feel warmth inside. Everything was set up just right,
walking into the kitchen felt like home. Each chef had a task
and was working hard. As we asked them questions while they
cooked, not one sweat dropped from their head. I have to say
that's skill, the pressure was on and they kept their ground.
What I liked the most about the restaurant was that the food
that they cooked with all come from farms or natural sources.
I had the chance to interview one of the farmers and he inspired
me, I loved the fact that he grew up on a farm all his life.
What a way to live, he had farm fed meat and natural produce.
Happy inside I dreamed of being on a farm and eating natural,
the fresh fruit dripped down my lips and i woke up.
Back to reality is where i left off, this trip affected
a lot of us Rashawn said " I've always passed by Chez' Panisse
and wanted to go in, on 5-18-10 I stepped in proudly.
I didn't really interview anyone. I was more of the photographer.
The pictures captured the essence and beautiful color of what
goes on in the kitchen of Chez' Panisse.
overall it was a great experience I enjoyed every last
bit of it". Mike said "his experience was cool, meeting new people
and learning new ways to cook". He enjoyed talking to the people
who had patients with cooking and preparing their food.
We all enjoyed this experience and was inspired by it all,
there's nothing like eating and cooking natural it's the
true way to life.

Produced: Rynesha Snowden

Save the seeeds

I think the seed swap is the most interesting
thing I've heard of.
It makes since, why not save the seeds.
Those very seeds is what created, or
formed food in the first place.
Reading the article Take This Turnip,
made me realize that starting a garden is simple.
Save your seeds and your good to go.
Seeds swaps are a growing movement, everyone
is involved from Schools, to neighborhoods.
Even the city of Richmond have a seed lending library.
Where the public can borrow seeds for free, in hopes
that borrowers will donate seeds later.
Why pay for high priced veggies when you can grow them yourself.
If everyone was involved in starting gardens, our health
and life styles would be in a better shape

Produced by: Rynesha Snowden

SEEING THE GOOD IN FATS!

As much as people don't want to believe there are fats that you need to help you stay healthy. Although fats can be really horrible for your body and can put you at a high risk for high cholesterol, heart disease or diabetes you need fats to function throughout the day, most symptoms of not enough fat intake are changes in mood and aggressive behavior. Studies show that different fats are really good for proper brain functioning, for example fish oils. Don't be afraid to eat fats just control how much you eat.

Dont forget to eat your breakfast!

Every morning I wake up for school and get ready. I make sure I take a shower, brush my teeth, wash my face and other things i feel are important before I start my day. The list is pretty long but the one thing that hasn't been on my list is EATING BREAKFAST. It should be the first thing you do every morning but for a lot of young people it's not. Like many people, I could never find the time to fit breakfast in my schedule or it would just slip my mind because I was so used to not eating it. Well lately I have been eating breakfast and I feel better than I used to every other morning. Whether it's a big breakfast like eggs, bacon and pancakes or just a fruit like an apple or pear I've realized my energy level went up and my mind has stayed more focused in class. Breakfast is a very important factor to your health and well being, It's been proven that if you eat breakfast every morning you'll focus more and it increases your attention span. So don't forget to eat your breakfast!! the most important way to start your day.

FOOD FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE!!

Living and eating healthy are very important in societies across America. But nowadays people don't feel safe to go outside because of violence taking part in the cities and towns. This is a big issue because this takes away from people enjoying healthy foods at farmers markets or being active outside. This bothers me because its important for us youth to stop violence going on around us; this same violence contributes directly and indirectly to the negative thinking about low income people. For example in low income towns there are hardly any farmers markets or organic produce grocery stores. Why is that? Well, if you ask your self, "would i want to open a organic store in a high crime rate city?" (I sure wouldn't.) On the flip side people like to think of low income neighborhood residents as unhealthy and overweight but there's nowhere to go for healthy foods because of the violence in the cities. Keep an open mind before you judge what's going on in low income neighborhoods.
by Rashawn Moore

All about Smoothies

With smoothies there are a lot of different things you can use. Me personally, I like to use mangos, apples, strawberries, blueberries, banana, grapes, and peaches. Any fruit you use is good in a smoothie as long as you don’t add any artificial sweeteners like too much sugar. Some sweeteners are good for you like glucose, but the best way to make a smoothie is to just use the fruit you pick or already have with milk and ice. The other day on Thursday I made a mango, orange, banana smoothie that everybody told me was great.

This is just one small recipe: two mangos, one banana and one orange with a cup of milk. It’s good and healthy for you. It is not all about the recipe; it is about what you want and whatever feels good to you. It is whatever you feel would have the best taste in your smoothie. However, if you keep reading and I will keep blogging.

Produced by: Michael Jones

Recipe for Virgin Mojitos

Ever wonder how those bartenders make their drinks? Ever just wanted a mojito appear at your hands without wasting much money? Ever wanted to impress your kids but not get them drunk? This is the blog for you. Here I have recipe of how to make a virgin mojito with ingredients you probably already have in your garden and kitchen, if not, you can get this stuff fairly cheap at the supermarket.

Minted Simple Syrup (recipe for 1 cup)

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup freshly chopped mint leaves

Chop up the mint leaves to very small pieces. In a small sauce pan bring sugar, water and mint to a rolling boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let it cook for 2 more minute. Place lid on pot and let it sit for 15 minutes. Strain syrup (can toss mint, just need syrup)

This simple syrup recipe is needed for making any mojito. Now to actually make a VIRGIN mojito (recipe for 1 glass):

Several sprigs of mint removed from stem
1 ½ table spoon minted simple syrup
Juice of half a lime
Sparkling water or club soda or natural lemon lime soda
Ice

Virgin mojito (recipe for 1 pitcher):

6 stems of mint leaves removed from stem
¾ cup of minted simple syrup
2/3 cup of lime juice
Sparkling water or club soda or natural lemon lime soda
Ice

Put the mint leaves at bottom of the glass and bruise it with the back of a spoon. (this allows for the taste and smell to stand out) Fill glass with ice. Add juice of the lime and minted simple syrup then fill glass to top with club soda/sparkling water and stir (you can add more juice of lime and minted simple syrup till it fits your taste)

If you want a fruit taste to your virgin mojito then all you have to do is blend the fruit (without the skin) with some sugar and lime juice till your taste of liking and add spoonfuls of blended fruit to your already prepared mojito and stir.

Produced by: Susana Vuong

Global Food Perspective

Youth Radio Eats is taking a trip around the world and is inviting YOU to come along! We're calling it the Global Food Perspective project. We're planning to follow the slave trade route starting from Spain and moving southwest ward down into Ghana, Africa. About two Fridays ago we made Spanish croquettes which were like an artichoke and dough rolled up, dipped in breadcrumbs , eggs and seasonings and then fried. A lot of our history was determined either by famine, weather, war or economic reasons, but what we are basically trying to show is how food also influenced history and still does. Foods come from many different places around the world and one dish is always influencing another. I look at food as a way of all different cultures coming together as one despite their differences.So join us as we visit country after country every other Friday in the comfort of Youth Radio's kitchen.

National Food Allergy Awareness Week: May 9-15

Its National Food Allergy Awareness week everybody and this week we thought we would drop a little knowledge about one of the most prevalent food allergies: lactose intolerance! Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, which is a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy products. Symptoms can go from mild to extreme, with abdominal cramping, nausea, diarrhea, and even weight loss and slow growth.
Amazingly enough, over 30 million people in the US are plagued by lactose intolerance, or to put it in different terms, about 1 in 10 people! While people across many different ethnic backgrounds suffer from this allergy, Asian American, African American, and Native American populations have the highest prevalence. If you haven’t noticed symptoms of lactose intolerance, chances are you are in the clear. (Most people develop the allergy early on in life.) In general those individuals with the allergy can avoid food items with high levels of lactose (generally dairy products) but lactose is also found in many common medications! Most of us go about our lives, free to eat whatever we please, but be aware there are millions out there that do not share that same freedom!
For more information on allergies check out
www.foodsafety.org

"Recipes for a Change, Healthy Food In Every Community"

I think by now most of us realize that our food system needs to dramatically change in order to increase access to healthy foods, and indeed, live healthier lives. The question for the longest time has been surrounding what methods would be effective to change a system so massive and complex. The newly released Convergence Partnerships "Recipes for a Change: Healthy Food in Every Community" takes a stab at that question and shares innovative prevention methods already in use in many communities across the U.S.
Access, or lack thereof, to healthy foods, especially in low-come communities is a huge issue that is finally starting to get the attention it deserves. Reversing this rooted system can have huge implications for our economic, social, physical, mental, and environmental well-being. Because "Recipes for a Change" is the result of tons of research, interviews, and policy scanning, it is able to effectively highlight the most viable prevention strategies. This pdf took me about 20 seconds to download, and best of all, didn't cost a thing! There is no reason to not check this amazing document and too important to pass up.
Find it at:

http://www.preventioninstitute.org/component/jlibrary/article/id-266/288.html

-Alex

The silent killer

Salad dressing can be bad for you did you know that.
The reason for this is because a lot of salad dressing
have trans fat, msg, and a lot of sugar.
So that salad you think is so good is not healthy after all.
Have you ever thought about making your own salad dressing?
It's simple get a few fresh ingredients and your good to go.
Doing this will help you move away from processed and unhealthy
products. Making things on your own is fun and exciting, you
get to decide what your eating not the processors.
Here are a few dressings you could try at home

Ranch Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. of the following
Dried chives
Dill weed
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt and Pepper
Mix all together with whisk
and keep in the fridge

Buttermilk can be substituted for sour cream
if you like,

Basic vinaigrette
1 part vinegar (red wine, apple cider, or balsamic)
3 parts olive oil
salt and pepper

Start with vinegar in a bowl
drizzle olive oil while whisking

Dijon Dressing
1/4 c red wine
3/4 c olive
2 tbsp. Dijon
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. each garlic powder, thyme, oregano, basil

Produced by: Rynesha Snowden

Energy intake and Mental health

Isn't it crazy how what you do and don't eat can affect how you act. Not eating breakfast can most definitely cause a person to experience lack of energy and motivation throughout the day. There is a lot of food that we eat that doesn't contain the energy content that we need to function throughout the day. 20 to 30% of a persons energy intake goes to resting at night , so if you don't eat to meet your energy requirements you will experience the following changes in mental functioning such as: losing problem solving ability, lower fluency and comprehension. I realy think its important that we are aware how the types of food we eat directly affects our brain and our body. MAKE SURE TO EAT YOUR BREAKFAST !!

Berkeley's edible schoolyard

The edible schoolyard garden at Martin Luther King, Jr Middle School in Berkeley is one of the most smart and creative things I've ever seen. Every year they have students who attend the school work,plant and tend to the garden. They plant fruits and vegetables that are appropriate for the season and weather changes within the bay area and make sure everyone has a job in the garden. I think this is a great idea because for one it gives the students a chance to learn something new and the opportunity to try and eat better, healthier and fresh foods...which most kids sadly don't get. Also it's teaching them how to plant their own fresh vegetables and fruits.It's a safe,calm learning environment.It also gives them the chance to learn more about their community and learn something most people don't know how to do, and that's gardening. It also takes care of the whole "bad school food" problem in a way because it gives the kids an alternative to turn to. If you ask me I think every school should have an edible schoolyard. -angel b

Edible Schoolyard Mother's Day plant sale!

Plant Sale

Come celebrate Mother’s Day at The Edible Schoolyard’s 6th Annual Plant Sale, on Saturday May 8th from 9am to 3pm, and Sunday May 9th from 10am to 1pm!

We will be offering annual vegetables, annual and perennial herbs and flowers, culinary and tea herbs, fruit plants and trees, and more than 20 tomato varieties. All plants are grown in the Edible Schoolyard garden and are healthy, excellent starts for local Bay Area gardens.

On Saturday, join us for pizza by the slice from the wood burning oven, freshly tossed garden salad, local food vendors, live music, garden and kitchen tours led by King students, and Alice Waters will also be signing her new book "In the Green Kitchen" from 9-10:30!