Blame Me?

Since it is National Eating disorder week I thought it would be appropriate to rant on how people believe it is the medias fault for setting this ever changing silhouette. Fashion models, actresses, and recording artists have been known to create controversy when it comes to eating disorders. We see these people as omnipotent, so we try our very best to emulate there greatness in our own image. This is where it can get scary. Many teens fall victim to the size 0, six pack perfection inescapable image. Low self esteem is part to blame, teens feel that they have to build themselves up physically in order to be accepted by society. This is where you can find young girls purging there soul just for a chance to be a cheerleader or a young boy getting up everyday at 5am just to run off that monkey. It is not the medias fault it is our own, we need to reassure ourselves that we are created to be unique in every way and to change that would be a crime against nature.

Live To Love YOU,


Yohan Callen

Lets clear the air about some of these diets

Would you agree that the diet industry is saturated with unhealthy weight loss misconceptions? This has helped lead to an explosion of irrational behaviors, which do little to encourage good health. I hate the fact that in our day and age for some people "health" equals "fad dieting!" Truth of the matter is that being healthy is an ongoing race those who remain dedicated win while others fail miserably. The moral of the story is if you want to change your life you must be dedicated. Without dedication everything will fail horribly.
Sincerely,

Yohan Callen

Line up of New Years Eve Diets and Fads

With the start of a new year we all know that New Years Eve marks a new beginning for most, but how long does it last? Many Americans have made New Year's resolutions, these resolutions often involve diets and healthy eating. Researchers have found that an increasing number of restaurants have made themselves available to meet their consumers' needs by creating new dishes that are low in fat, calories and sugar . Businesses now proudly promote their food's healthy properties.

We have found that the word "healthy" is now part of menu descriptions, over 86 percent of restaurants now use this term. "Dieting consumers don't always view restaurants as a safe place to eat, either because they don't recognize diet-compatible options, or are too tempted to indulge themselves when eating out," says Technomic Executive Vice President Darren Tristano, he continues on to say "However, the number of healthful dishes offered at restaurants continues to grow, and operators are increasingly interested in touting healthy benefits on their menus." I feel that this is an attempt to gain more business from those eager dieters.


Here’s a few of the top 2011 diets and here is a link for more healthy tips (http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/5-diet-resolutions-new-year ).

No. 1: Jenny Craig Diet
No. 2: Slim-Fast Plan Diet
No. 3: Weight Watchers Diet
No. 4: Zone Diet
No. 5: Ornish Diet
No. 6: Atkins Diet
No. 7: NutriSystem Diet

These diets have been house hold names for a while, they have even been endorsed by celebrities in order to gain popularity. But the key is that they charge people for these plans. You can't just start these diets without their set guide. How does this help our obese nation?



Best wishes ,

Yohan Callen

Eating for the FAT of it!!!!

Some people believe we all eat for the same reason. This idea is extremely blind to reality. Most people have very specific diet guideline's that they follow; while others live carelessly filling themselves with just anything. But what about eating because your depressed? This very common habit is generally when eating becomes the only or main strategy a person uses to manage emotions. "If you eat when you are not hungry, chances are your body does not need the calories," says Jakubczak. "If this happens too often, the extra calories get stored as fat, and too much fat storage can cause one to be overweight, which may present some health risks." Over 75% of eating comes from emotion, so being in touch with yourself allows you to keep track of your eating patterns. This can be a useful technique if you find yourself binge eating. Jakubczak went on to say, "Keeping a food record and ranking your hunger from 1-10 each time you put something in your mouth will bring to light 'if' and 'when' you are eating for reasons other than hunger." The main idea is noticing that your eating habits are out of emotion or hunger. If your eating out if depression try eating other comfort foods that aren't unhealthy. For example instead of eating a bag of Cheetos , try substituting them for fresh carrots.

Live longer, Be healthy

Yohan Callen

Taco love..

Have you ever been emotionally attached to food? Or happen to have a memory about food that makes you emotional? I know I have. I have one word: tacos. Tacos and I have a thing for each other. You see, when I was just a young child, my granddad would make tacos every time my mama and I would come visit. Now these tacos weren't just regular tacos. These were super tacos. These tacos were jammed packed with meat, cheese, green onions, lettuce, black olives, tomatoes, sour cream and love. I had never eaten a taco so scrumptious. Taco eating at 2912 Seminary was always an out of body experience. Once everyone had their tacos and was seated, there was complete silence. And after all plates were cleared, we would sit back, watch a movie and eat butter scotch candies. Moments like those made a small but big impact on my life. Family time as a child.

After a few years of visiting, then leaving craving them, I realized that time was overdue for me to learn his secret. One day after grocery shopping I noticed that my mama bought items for tacos, so I jumped on the opportunity for her to teach me how to make them. Once I made that first taco.. And bit into that first taco.. It was on! Since then, I have made thousands of tacos. My granddad died in 2002, so every time I eat or make tacos, I make them with my granddad in my spirit. When people eat my tacos they taste more than just flavor, they taste the love. And that’s the emotion that I want people to feel. Love conquers all, and food is always the way to someone’s heart. When people are full and sleepy, even if they don’t like you, in that moment, they will love you.

So, my question to you is: Do you have a favorite food memory? How about you leave us a comment telling us what your best food memory is. It can be a happy memory or an angry memory. Just leave one that automatically came to mind when you first read this blog..

And I know you want to taste my tacos. So I will leave the top secret recipe for you execute. Do so at your own risk.

1 pound of ground beef

½ diced white onion

2 green onions

1 head of lettuce

2 tomatoes

½ pound cheddar cheese

1 pack of corn tortillas

1 can of black olive-drained

Sour cream

Taco seasoning pack

1 tablespoon cumin

hot sauce to taste

LOVE!!!

Cook 1 pound of ground beef in large sauce pan with ½ diced white onion. Once fully browned, drain grease from meat and place back on top of the stove. Add the Del Monte’ taco seasoning packet, stir and repeat with the table spoon of cumin. Add water and let evaporate. Stir occasionally. In a non stick sauce pan (medium or large) place a cap full of oil into the skillet and allow it to get hot. Then, you want to place a corn tortilla in the center of skillet for 30 seconds and flip it. Once flipped you must place a scoop of meat on the center of the tortilla and fold it over immediately, let stand for another 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. Once the tortilla shell is complete, you remove the taco from the skillet and place it on a plate with napkins so the remaining grease can drain out.

Then you repeat the taco making process until you have the desired amount. After all of the tacos are cooked, you (or the people eating them) will place desired condiments’, (always put the cheese directly on the meat when it’s hot so it can melt) and chow down!!

NOTE: These tacos will not taste like mine, unless, you are cooking it with love. All the way from the time you buy the ingredients, until the time you are setting plates and giving out the tacos. Love is the number one ingredient. (To anything) ;-)

C'est la vie.. (SAY LA VEE)

<3 Venus

We are Powerful. We are Healthy. We are Active. We are Teens.

After completing the 7x7 work, we realized there was still more work to be done. Our mission, which we have accepted, is to keep searching for how to bring healthy eating active living information to youth. We are now P.H.A.T. Detectives… who, is a P.H.A.T. Detective you might ask:

We are Powerful. We are Healthy. We are Active. We are Teens. We are the Youth Radio Eats crew, on a mission that cannot be deterred. We will be watching, observing, discovering, and detecting everything YOU need to know about living a healthy life, in mind, body, and health. On our mission of utmost importance, we strive to share with you the truth about food, and everything associated with food, including our habits, our relationships, our lives! Myths and misinformation cloud our airwaves, our television shows, our neighborhoods, even our schools about what we are SUPPOSED to eat. The P.H.A.T. Detectives are here to show you the real deal, and squash those lies that contribute to our wellbeing. Are you interested in living healthier? Are you interested in being confident in your eating habits and what you put in your body? All you have to do is keep your eyes and ears open. Here at Youth Radio, our P.H.A.T. Detective team will be writing blogs, texting, investigating, creating media content, and sharing all that with you! When is this happening, you ask? Whenever you need us……..see you soon!