Free range please.

Grilled Caribbean Free Range Chicken



Ingredients

* 1 cup rum
* 5 tablespoons light soy sauce
* 1/4 cup lime juice
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 12 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 1/2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger root
* 2 teaspoons dried thyme
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
* hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™) to taste (optional)
* 1 serrano pepper, finely chopped
* 4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions


1. In a bowl, mix the rum, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, thyme, salt, pepper, hot pepper sauce, and serrano pepper. Pierce the chicken on all sides with a fork. Place chicken in a shallow container, and cover with the marinade. Seal container, and marinate chicken in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat grill for high heat.

3. Lightly oil grill grate. Discard marinade and place chicken on the grill. Cook for eight minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.


Check me out next week!!!!

Yohan Faux Callen

Mercury, Messenger of Fish

I’m sure most of you out there have heard of why pregnant women should not be eating fish right? It is because of the high counts of mercury in fishes. It’s ok if you haven’t. I’m telling you this now, but most pregnant women crave such bazaar things that fish isn’t really on the list anyways.

We all know that fish is a good source of protein and other nutrition’s that help balance our diet, but what is this mercury situation that I keep hearing about? Am I really digesting a metallic element that I hated learning about in chemistry class?
Almost all fishes and shellfish contains mercury in them, so obviously when we eat the fish, we ingest the mercury as well. No, you’re not going to die, I eat fish a lot and I’m fine, well.. except for my bad case of ulcers.. but that has nothing to do with the fish! But the reason why pregnant women should not eat fish is because too much mercury in an unborn or even in an infant can cause problems with the development with their nervous system (note: this does not mean they get nervous over everything).

How did this mercury get into our fish? Through coal burning power plants. It is excess and waste product gas that is produced from these power plants that are fueled by coal get into the water that our fish swim through and eventually ingest. So when we eat the fish, not only do we get the nutrition from the fish, we also get a nice helping of metal. The higher up on the food chain the fishes are, the more mercury they will have because of their time in the water and because of how much more metal they have ingested through smaller fishes.

Too much Mercury in the body, especially in infants can affect many things such as their growth, memory and their thinking patterns. You may not see what the big deal about this is now because most kids in the upcoming generations all happen to have ADD anyways, please take this seriously.

Find out more about sustainable seafood and health next week. Fish is good for the body so just eat those that are not high up on the food chain.

Published by Susanaw

Obesity and Health

Obesity, that’s the subject that we have been talking about for the last few weeks. It’s a growing problem in America for as long as I can remember. Kids are growing up and receiving foods with products in them that destroy the body from the inside out. First it starts with people getting tired and getting lazy, not wanting to go to sleep and not wanting to get up when they have to.

When people get obese, it`s a challenge for them to move around. Some people get so obese that it gets hard for their blood to flow through their body because they are so big that their body can`t push the blood to where they are supposed to go.

Sometimes people get so obese that they become diabetic and if they don’t fix that problem, they might go through a stage where the blood cannot bring blood to the proper place and they must have it amputated, which is when they have to get it cut off.

This is a good reason to keep your body healthy so you don’t have to go through all those problem later in the future. If you want more information on this topic check back wits use next week same place same time. MJ out.

ITs like this for you

There is a huge market for meat products, and this puts major pressure on the farmer who has to increase production. Longer leaner meats are always being disgust, but not how they effect people. Most grazing animals like cows,pigs, and sheep enjoy eating grass. But farmers say, "No time for grass! Feed them grain." This causes them to grow fast, in an unnatural way, and eventually, we humans see the negative results in our weight gain.
Raising animals in barns can cause diseases and they are very difficult to get rid of. All sorts of drugs, from antibiotics to hormones and many other toxic medicines are introduced to the dinner table, all because of of modern meat farmers. Since the animal is raised in a stressful environment, its body will produce more stress hormones. These hormones then get distributed to the tissues and remain in the meat. One reason earlier animals were not affected in the same way is the fact that they had regular physical exercise which burned off the stress and prevented the harmful health effects.

Come check me out next week

Yohan callen

Sumo Status?

Ever wanted to become a sumo wrestler? How about imitating a Snorlax from pokemon? Or you just plain want to gain weight to stop the bullies from looking at you like fresh meat? Guess what you should be eating? Put those fattening foods down because those will not only make you fat, but diabetic as well.

Start off with a good calorie filled breakfast like peanut butter on whole wheat toast and some eggs. Drink a glass of milk, glass of orange juice (for citrus) and maybe a banana as well when you walk out that door to head to school or work. (I know what you’re thinking, this is just inviting you to use the bathroom right?)

During lunch and dinner, you should have baked goods like baked potatoes, baked chicken, and baked fish. (Bake chips don’t really count so put that down) Chicken Mcnuggets and French fries can only cause diabetes in the long run so don’t even try to lie to yourself to think that those nuggets are baked chicken.

Whenever you get the munchies (you know who you are) go for some trail mix full of nuts and dried fruits for protein.

Always have vegetables with your meals to keep the nutrition balanced. The meat and fish is for protein and starch filled foods like potato and corn extra calories. Also, drink lots of water because that can fill you up and hydrate your body.

I know a lot of people talk about gaining weight and there are many guides for that, but what about those who look to gain weight? Just make sure you do it the healthy way instead of just jamming fatty oily fast foods down your throat. Nothing can replace good old fashion exercise at the gym. Just because you’re looking to gain weight doesn’t mean you should ignore the gym. Remember, there is a difference between gaining muscle and gaining fat.

Published by Susana

The Seafood Chain

We have to think carefully about our environment and what happens to it when we either farm, fish or herd our food. If we hurt our environment too much then it can shift and change the future.

For example, because fishes like tuna and swordfish are in such demand, they are over fished. They also happen to be predators in the sea, the more we fish tuna and swordfish, the populations that these predators usually hunt for are increasing. This results in the food chain being imbalanced.

A simple solution to this is to simply eat and fish for what is in season. If we allow the fishes to reproduce more then we wont be shifting the food chain and the natural way things are.

It is important to keep a balance in the environment because one change that maybe seems simple to us can actually cause the whole world to change and become imbalance. Please be mindful and try to eat and support what is in season. More information on sustaining seafood life will continue next week so be sure to check it out.

Published by Susana

What? Processed foods are in the process of harming me?

Processed foods are great because they are usually ready to eat or don't take long to cook right? They're also good for store owners because of the amount of time they can sit on a shelf without perishing. People fail to realize the effects that processed foods have on the environment. Most problems come from the ingredients that are not beneficial to the human body. The ingredients that are used to preserve the food are an example. The packaging that people just throw all over the place carries bacteria that just spreads everywhere because people know how to dispose of things correctly but just choose not too. Its not an excuse anymore, people learn in school, television, signs, everywhere. But yeah that's a another story.

coming to a new meaning of urban farming!!!!!!

We need more youth leaders who need to understand where their food comes from and how their actions can impact human and environmental health. Besides the environmental benefits of reducing reliance on fossil-fuel guzzling transportation, eating locally produced food is a more seasonal and often healthier.
Here is a little project you can do in your community: find an abandoned rooftop to demonstrate how the food is efficiently produced. Click here to see a photo of a rooftop garden.

It will get natural light from the sun, so all you really need is some planting equipment, seeds, and water. You can also use hydroponics, a method of growing that uses mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. It uses much less water and space than field farming as well! This is a great project to do with your friend and family.
Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture (commonly referred to as UPA) distributes food in or around a village, town or city, creating job opportunities and food cost reduction and produce of better quality. This is a perfect opportunity for women to be part of the informal economy in city and it's easy to manage in your day along with household tasks and childcare. Better health and nutrition increased income, employments, food security within the household are all results of urban farming.
See, the difference between Urban farming and Industrial farming is that Urban farming is the growing and harvesting of plants and animals through systemic and sustained activities performed or controlled by humans. Industrial farming is a systematic that involved a group or an individual activities that produce defined results can be duplicated. Here is fun fact: Industrial farming began 2.5 million years before the current era (B.C.E.). Then several years later, urban farming was created 12,000 and 15,000 years B.C.E. That's it for now, but make sure you read my next blog for more info on Urban farming

Knee deep

Today I wanted to talk to you about animal waste in factory farms. Factory farms keep unmanageable amounts of manure. Just one pig creates 17.5 pounds of manure and urine a day. Now, if you take 1,000 pigs and put them together, they will leave you with six million pounds of waste by the end of the year.Just so you know the average male hippo weighs up to 7000 pounds, imagine 150 hippos waiting in your backyard. Most factory farms put out at least 200 million pounds of waste a year. On a regular farm manure can be used for other things, Both conventional and organic agriculture utilize manure as part of regular farm soil fertilization programs. Certified organic farmers, however, must have a farm plan detailing the methods used to build soil fertility including the application of manure or composted manure. Certified organic farmers are prohibited from using raw manure for at least 90 days before harvest of crops grown for human consumption. For your knowledge a factory farm is a man made environment created to raise livestock at an accelerated rate.Most factory farms recycle there manure for fertilizer others just drain it into huge hazardous reservoirs. These methods sound like they get the job done but when it rains the toxins from the manure leak into drains that lead to the ocean and other areas were they can cause harm. Remember that every action has a reaction, Newtons 3rd Law

Check me out next Monday for more meat info!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Yohan Callen

Obama knows food

It is finally that time to upgrade the nutrition standards for school lunches. How many hours do we spend in school? I used to spend at least 8 hours in school and all we would get is an hour to eat lunch that not only doesn’t taste good, it’s not even good for the body (I never made it to first period on time for breakfast). My French fries in school used to taste like soap water (for all you smart mouths out there who like to go “ew, you know what soap water tastes like?” yes, yes I do).

President Barack Obama signed into law “Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010” on December 13, 2010. This law is to help improve school meals and make them healthier for kids in hopes to help fight obesity and to give children a better future. Remember, you can’t learn when you’re asleep because the food you’re digesting is taking up most of your energy.

We should all work together to support this. Send your child off to school with a healthy breakfast to start off the metabolism and to give your child energy in order to be able to learn better in school. Try it and watch the improvement.

Published by Susana

Marine Support

Did you know that 80% of marine species around the world are being fished at or above their capacity to replenish their numbers?

I know I have spoken on sustainable seafood before, but I must stress how important it is that we pay attention and support the needs to sustain the marine life if we want this ecosystem to even survive.

Try to purchase wild caught or farmed fishes that take into consideration the long-term effects for our Earth. We need to understand the significance of fishing and be to manage our seafood supplies in ways that we can eat our fill but also not compromise future generations of marine life that we will need.

I'll give you more information about this next week. So make sure you come back and check the blog for more information.

Published by Susana

Beneath The Taste

Okay so have you ever thought about the things that are crammed into the food you eat everyday? There are actually toxins in everyday foods such as chicken, chewing gum, butter, microwave popcorn, etc. You may have heard of things like MSG and High Fructose Corn Syrup but you probably never guessed that these types of things actually have an effect on your body. Did you know that Soy contains several naturally occurring compounds that are toxic to people? Soy foods can block calcium and can cause vitamin D not to be as effective as it could be. Some soy toxins have even been known to cause cancer over time.

I think large company's such as McDonald's should take more notice to the health effects of the toxins they put in there food.

Check out this clip about The toxins

Feeling Big?

So obesity in America is kinda bad nowadays. Approximately 62% of females in America and 67% of males in America are overweight. Today, there are above 25% of American children who are also obese or overweight. The main reason is because advertising bad foods is not against the law in the U.S.. It does however cause issues that in the end do not help the problem, namely that more than 70 million people are dealing with today-OBESITY.

What is helping to drive this problem? The average adult spends at least 40 hours a week at work. More people live farther away from their workplace, thus spending more time commuting (driving has replaced walking/biking). Work sites are increasingly automated which means less movement for the body. More soft drinks and high calorie foods and snacks at work sites created a issue with the human body which in the end led to obesity which then led to people having strokes from ingesting those products and after some time the children became overweight and experience elevated blood lipids, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and other problems. That’s why it’s important to look at what u put in to your body advertisement is all around u in ways u wouldn’t think of twice about so to look out for yourself look at the label

Published by Mike Jones

Urban Farming in the Bay Area

Let me tell you something about Urban Farming…but before I start let me introduce myself, my name is Jo-Jo, I'm 17 and an 11th grader who goes to Street Academy in Oakland, CA. You might be wondering, what is Urban Farming? Well, Urban Farming is the growing of plants and the raising of animals within and around cities. Now I really don’t know too much but about Urban Farming but I'm m learning like you are now. Yes indeed, there are some organization, efforts, and movements in the Bay Area like The Movement Generation Justice & Ecology Project that provides in depth information about the global ecological crisis and facilitates strategic planning for action among leading organizers from urban Bay Area organizations working for economic and racial justice in communities of color. Okay, but what does that really mean? Well to put it simply, economic and social justice is directly related to our ecological environment and access to healthy environments. Although I have just begun my study of Urban Farming, I can see that Urban Farms have probably risen in popularity as a response javascript:void(0)to social and urban injustice.

But....to keep at my level, Urban Farming is not only about growing diverse fruits and vegetables, it’s also about creating a more diverse community. City Slicker Farms is a group doing exactly that: growing affordable fresh produce for West Oakland residents, and bringing the residents together in this process. However there are many more farms and groups in the Bay Area. How I feel about Urban Farming? One, the fruits and vegetables are fresh and tasty, without hormones or additives, and two, the process has the ability to bring you and your community together. What I would like to do is to get a bunch of youth together to start a garden in my community to have a place to go when we want fresh fruits and vegetables.
Talk to you next week!
Jo-Jo

Sleepy MSG

I’m feeling so sleepy right now and I’m supposed to be working. Try not to have chinese food for lunch, not just Chinese food thought, just any food in general that holds a lot of carbs and MSG (Monosodium Glutamate- check out the YRE video on MSG)

So why does this happen? I am yawning as I type this (please don’t fire me boss) You can consider MSG a type of food drug; once consumed, it makes you crave and eat more of the food than you need to. Since there are many carbs in, for example: chinese food, and also MSG, the body will not only be taking in more food than it should be digesting but also your body takes more energy to break down the carbs which is what makes you sleepy.

Oh man my boss is coming, I need to find some energy quick but I don’t want to fuel up on sugar and just crash even harder later. What do I do? OH I see a bunch of fruits, let’s grab some of that quick. Natural sugar from fruits such as bananas, strawberries and mangos will keep me up enough just until I can get home to have an energy filled dinner such as salmon, sweet potatoes, or something with a lot of grain in it. I’m set. Now I know better than to eat something that is carb filled before I need to work or while I’m at work.

Published by Susana

Would you cross the road

Time is very important, People are moving and working so hard that they overlook the small things .I’m not talking about smelling roses or what that cloud looks like, but how our meat makes its way to our local grocery stores.
Let's look at chicken for example. In most cases your chicken will be raised in a huge warehouse filled with other chickens. These warehouses are filthy; the chickens are surrounded by other dead chickens, and animal waist. Most chickens become crippled from rapid weight gain due to growth hormones. It is completely legal for a farmers to come along with a metal rod and beat said chicken until death. Once these domestic fowl have been raised to proper weight they are packed tightly in huge metal cages then transported to slaughter. As they enter the slaughter house they are bound by their ankles upside down in preparation for blood letting. Some chickens live threw this gruesome process and are burned alive during feather removal. Most chickens arrive to a slaughterhouse with broken bones but that doesn’t prevent them from going through the steps. Through this blog I want to raise awareness about the meat industry. I never knew it was so inhumane; my goal is to get people to eat meat in moderation so that the animals don’t have to be raised and slaughtered unnaturally and inhumanely.
P.S Dont forget to come check me out every Monday

By: Yohan Callen

Seafood Season

I’m not much of a seafood eater but while I was in Los Angeles/Orange County, almost every other place that was around was seafood places. What other choice did I have? One particular place caught my attention in general because they were talking much about sustainable seafood. What the heck does that mean?

Sustainable seafood means seafood that is fished or farmed in a way that will not harm the environment or its natural flow of the ecosystem. Doesn’t it suck that we kill so many other fishes that aren’t even edible just so we can catch a certain type that we always eat? Tuna anyone? I like it on my crackers just as much as the rich guy likes caviar on his but I can wait for them to be raised and fished properly.

Another thing that is happening is just the simple fact that the ways these fishes are being caught will destroy our seafloors slowly over time. A big net is dragged across the seafloors which damage not only our earth but the homes of many other sea creatures that are hiding from predators. Pretty soon there will be an increase of one type of marine life because they are able to eat so many others who cannot protect themselves because their homes have been damaged. Either that or this mass fishing method will destroy all marine life or there will be nothing left.

There are plenty of other reasons but these are just some to think about. This is going on not just in America but all over the world. Is your expensive seafood really worth destroying the planet over?

Published by: Susana