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Last week, 12 ZomppaKids joined our Education Director Leanne for our inaugural Spring Break Workshop – and what a week it was! Our intrepid explorers “visited” 18 countries, cooked 18 different dishes, visited 3 urban gardens, planted many seeds, and met 1 cute puppy. The ZomppaKids made dishes from buticha (Ethiopia) to lumpia (Philippines) to carrot salad (India). We had some amazing guest speakers and visitors, and a few wonderful interns from North Carolina State, Amira and Michelle.

Thanks to Terreiro de Arte y Cultura, a beautiful nonprofit studio space, we had our classroom set up in the proper proximity near multiple city gardens and Durham Central Park. Whole Foods in Durham provided a generous gift card to food purchases, and the Interfaith Food Shuttle provided several dozen farm-fresh eggs. Leanne kept the kids engaged and busy, learning greetings from various languages, captivating them with items from the “artifact” bag in anticipation of their next “trip,” and learning to try new foods (yes, even the pickiest of pickiest realized he loved injera!)

The week began with a visit from the Little Green Bus, a farmer’s market on wheels, started and managed by a savvy group of high school students from Cary Academy. They helped the ZomppaKids visualize the benefits of locally-produced produce, and got their hands dirty with some potato/carrot art.

Cullen Whitley from the Goodwill Farm Foundation led the ZomppaKids on a city nature walk, teaching them about white butterflies and crops. He brought them to Emily-Kate of Sweet Beet City Farm, a new urban farm preparing for its first produce right in the middle of downtown Durham.

Santos and Kamilah of SEEDS then brought five DIG youth leaders - Andresha, Kaleb, Nilisha, and Kristen – who led the students through the city to the gardens, where they not only got to see their amazing gardens, but also make seed bombs.

During the China unit, Dana Highfill got the kids up and moving physically, leading them in a mindful session of Qi Gong. Think 5 year olds can’t follow this ancient form of exercise? Think again!

The Sol Food Mobile Farm crew brought their seeds, and the ZomppaKids planted multiple crops. Two of our students, Marcus and Sofia, also enthralled family members at the Parents’ reception with their cello and violin.

Needless to say, it was a busy, fun-filled week, but we are delighted that the ZomppaKids left with a little more excitement about trying new foods, learning about other cultures, and exploring gardens and farms around the city. We will be convening a Parents’ Advisory Council, and continue to work to bring more of these programs wherever there is interest!

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In case you didn’t see our tweets last week, we wanted to share two brilliant artist groups using popular, contemporary, country, and hip-hop music (not to mention the Matrix!) to help raise awareness about healthy eating and the dangers of overly processed food. It’s not just about a growing waistline, but our future at stake.

Earth Amplified & SOS Juice have put together a curriculum that accompanies FOOD FIGHT. Love the Morpheus-esque “Red Bull” or “Carrot” choice….

Homegrown aka Lucas DiGia and Abigail Stauffer of Rap for Food (we were thrilled to have Lucas at the Bull City Food Exchange part deux, and can’t wait for his return) have made Swift’s infamous breakup songs into a rather awesome take on getting rid of relationships with bad food.

Rock on.

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Sigh.

As part of my family’s lifestyle and food culture, we try very hard to rely on the medicinal properties of food to minimize the longevity and severity of our illnesses.  For the most part, this works as the frequency and severity of our colds/sicknesses is negligible (when compared to the average time an adult or child is sick); however, occasionally, an antibiotic is required.  I’ve always assumed that multiple bouts of colds, sneezes and other sickness were par for the course – part of the rigmarole when living with kids.

That is, until I started to do more research on the benefits of Vitamin D.  Vitamin D, as defined by Wikipedia, is a fat-soluble molecule ‘responsible for intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate.’  Sufficient amounts of vitamin D can be synthesized by most mammals if exposed to sufficient levels of sunlight; however, as many of us, particularly during the winter months, do not get enough sunlight, we must supplement with vitamins or diet.

What are the benefits of vitamin D?   There are potentially multiple significant benefits.  Below are a few:

1. It may be helpful in protecting the immune system from the common cold;
2. It may reduce the risk of development multiple sclerosis;
3. It may have a role in protecting the health of the brain;
4. It may reduce the risk of developing cancer;
5. It may also help regulate ones mood;

For the first time since my children were born, I decided it was time the family take some vitamin D supplements, on top of absorbing it via food (fish, eggs, mushrooms, to name a few).  I didn’t anticipate any immediate benefits (I’ll admit that some of this might be placebo, but that wouldn’t be the case with my children as they do not understand the potential benefits of Vitamin D), but I believe strongly that we greatly benefit from a daily dosage (about 2000 IU’s for me and about 600 IU’s for kids), starting with significantly better/steady moods and no major sicknesses this winter (there were a few runny noses with no other symptoms and the youngest had a fever that lasted less than 6 hours, but other than that, nothing…knocking on wood).  Another potential benefit, specific to me, is the major improvement in my PMS symptoms; the usual ‘storm’ that precedes my period has in essence, been non-existent.  After about 2 decades of severe PMS, I’ll take whatever relief I can get.

Vitamin D.  It does our bodies good.  Try it.

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Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, ‘The Physiology of Taste’ (1825)

Everyone knows the feeling of “butterflies in the stomach” when nervous, and many of us have had the unfortunate experience of getting a stomachache when stressed or sad. We understand that the brain can affect our guts, but it can also work the other way around. In this article, I will be discussing not only healthy eating, but also the importance of happy eating.

Scientists have been examining how deeply influenced our mood and decision-making abilities are by the occurrences in our bellies. It has long been known that 95% of the body’s serotonin stores in our gastrointestinal tract, and that harnessing that is crucial to mental health.  Researchers now know that there are around one hundred million neurons in our enteric nervous system (ENS) , which controls the stomach and intestines, and that they transmit more signals to the brain than they receive. This resulted in the ENS being dubbed the body’s “second brain” by Dr. Michael Gershon, a neurobiologist and founding father of the field of neurogastroenterology.

According to Gershon, “A steady stream of messages flow back and forth between the brain and the gut…in fact, messages departing the gut outnumber the opposing traffic on the order of about nine to one.”

So, what does this mean to us when we sit down for dinner? Obviously, we want to eat foods that promote healthy serotonin levels- particularly in these winter months, when the body’s  natural stores tend to drop. Foods such as wild-caught fish, eggs, nuts and seeds, kale, avocados, and dark chocolate can help the body produce serotonin. But nutrients alone are not enough.

Consider how you are eating. Are you enjoying the experience of the meal, or are you feeling distracted, rushed, angry, or sad? Was the process of preparing the food one that gave you pleasure? Whether you are sharing brunch with friends, or dining in peaceful solitude, a positive state of mind will likely have longer term effects than merely the avoidance of indigestion.

Mindful eating may help coax the digestive system to release more serotonin and send calming signals to the brain, whereas stressful or negative food experiences may trigger anxiety or depressive tendencies. “The brain in the gut plays a major role in human happiness and misery,” says Gershon.

Multiple studies have shown that adolescents who engage in at least three family meals per week are less likely to exhibit depressive symptoms and engage in risky behaviors, and tend to do better in school and have better self-esteem- regardless of what the nutritional content of the meal is. Cultures in which food sharing, such as hand-feeding; use of common plates; and potluck meals, is common rate higher on levels of emotional satisfaction and sociable happiness. Clearly, the consumption of food in a social context feeds more than just the body.

This is not to leave out those who choose to nourish themselves unaccompanied. There is a meditative peace in being able to focus oneself entirely on a delicious bowl of soup, uninterrupted by conversation. The sound of a knife cutting vegetables in an otherwise silent kitchen can be as sweet as the peppers themselves.

However you decide to consume your food, be it with your friends or family, or in the company of your own thoughts, let it be with happiness and love. Your guts will thank you for it.

Sources & Additional Reading:

http://dailyfreepress.com/2012/01/17/the-real-butterfly-in-your-stomach-scientists-explore-the-possibility-of-a-second-brain-in-our-gut/

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=gut-second-brain

Gershon, MD (1999) The Enteric Nervous System; A Second Brain, Hospital Practice. Book.

Assessing Causality and Persistence in Associations Between Family Dinners and Adolescent Well‐Being

http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/612649

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1755458608000078

http://hea.sagepub.com/content/14/5/467.full.pdf+html

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Now that I am a working mom, I am grateful that nobody inquires after my daily consumption. It is often assumed that because I work with children and food, and devote a great deal of time writing about the same, that I have somehow tapped into the secrets of maintaining a healthy diet myself. This is mostly true- but not on days like today.

Today, I found myself in the car (after dropping off the kids at school, one conference call taken in the school parking lot, depositing a check, fielding a surprise phone call from my mom, and attending a meeting) on the way to yet another meeting, realizing that I had not eaten a thing and that the next time I would be near my kitchen was at least four hours off. I usually keep fruit and pretzels in my glove box, just for these moments, but had eaten them a few days before in a situation quite similar to this. I pulled into a gas station and tried to make the best of it.

The best of it was terrible. I faced row after row of chips and candy, and some packaged egg salad sandwiches that terrified me on many levels. I settled on an overpriced granola bar and some burnt coffee. I tried to convince myself that I had made the wisest choice- granola bars are healthy, right? And the coffee would give me much needed energy.

Hmm.

To say that I crashed an hour later is like saying the Titanic had a “mishap.” During my next meeting, my co-worker noticed my heavy eyelids and offered me a granola bar from her purse. ANOTHER granola bar! I ate it, of course, thankful to have something- anything- to feed myself.

I recognize that I snack my way through many a day, and I know that I am not alone in this. Often my circle of busy-parent friends rely on one other to help manage our hunger. We produce granola bars, packaged peanuts, and the occasional piece of fruit from pocket books and desk drawers. We choose what we believe are the “healthiest” of options because we are, after all, invested in health and food issues.

And yet, if any of our children came home and announced that they had eaten four chocolate-chip granola bars, a pot of coffee, and nothing else that day- we would fall into conniption fits. We would try to impress upon them the importance of eating meals, you know- “real food.” The gift of age and experience has equipped us with the ability to justify our own junk food diets, even though it flies in the face of all we actually believe.

As a child, my grandmother worked as a 3rd-shift nurse in a prominent hospital. I remember watching her drop whole hardboiled eggs and a few slices of bread into the pockets of her uniform before leaving the house. She explained that she often had no time to stop and eat, and that the candy bars in the break room made her feel terrible by the end of her shift. For her, it was a no-brainer to take ingredients for a sandwich. She survived years in the emergency room and intensive care- eating, you know, food.

This week, in honor of my grandmother’s wisdom, I am dedicating myself to making and taking actual meals with me whenever I leave the house. The plan is to avoid all snacking and bring along containers (specifically, canning jars) of “real food.”

My requirements for these take-along meals are that they have to be portable (duh), but also made of nutritious whole foods that that I don’t have to cook and won’t spoil if left in the car for a few hours. That sounds like a much taller order than it actually is. All it really takes is a little bit of preparation. Here are a few “recipes” to get started:

Green Salad in a Jar
Ingredients:
Lettuce, chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Carrots, chopped
Red pepper, chopped
Onion, chopped
Green peas
*Or vegetables of your choice- hey, it’s your salad*
Salad dressing of choice (mine is Raspberry Vinaigrette)
16 ounce canning jar with screw-off lid

Directions:
Pour adequate amount of dressing into the bottom of the jar. Place vegetables on top in “wilt order,” meaning, the heartier, crunchier stuff on bottom. With my list, I stack in this order: onion, carrots, red pepper, peas, tomatoes, lettuce.
Try to keep the jar right-side-up until just before eating. When ready, flip the jar over and shake the dressing to coat all the ingredients. Bada-bing! Delicious, healthy salad that isn’t slimy and gross by the time you get to it.

Fennel-Tangerine Carrots
Ingredients:
Carrots, shredded
Fennel bulb, thinly sliced
Tangerine Wedges
Olive oil
Rice Wine Vinegar
Optional: raisins, almond slivers, walnuts, and/or feta cheese
Canning jar with screw-off lid

Directions:
Combine all ingredients the night before, so flavors can mingle.

Pineapple-Beet Salad
Ingredients:
Pineapple, cubed
Beets, shredded
Red onion, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Canning jar with screw-off lid

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in canning jar the night before so the flavors can mingle.

Cold Mint-Pea Soup
Ingredients:
8 oz. peas (I tend to use frozen, or you can cook raw peas if they are in season)
3/4 c. veggie or chicken broth
OR milk or almond milk + 1/4 c. water, for creamier texture
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbs lemon juice
1 handful or so of fresh mint leaves
Canning jar with screw-off lid

Directions:
Put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until a pleasing consistency. Pour into jar and go!

Curry Hummus and Veggies
Ingredients:
1 can Chick peas (reserve juice)
Olive oil
Lemon juice or vinegar
Curry powder
Celery, cut into sticks
Carrots, cut into sticks
Yellow squash, cut into sticks
Canning jar, with screw-off lid

Directions:
Blend chick peas, olive oil, lemon juice, and curry powder until very smooth. Pour into bottom half of the jar. Push vegetable sticks vertically into the dip. When you are ready to eat, simply remove the pre-dipped veggie sticks- super easy!

Overnight Oatmeal
Ingredients:
1/4 c. Milk or milk alternative (such as soy or almond milk)
1/4 c. Oatmeal, any type
Fresh or frozen fruits of choice
Canning jar with screw-off lid

Directions:
Combine ingredients in jar. Shake thoroughly to wet oats. Leave in refrigerator overnight- oats will hydrate and the fruit will infuse them with flavor.

No-Cook Meal
Ingredients:
Protein of choice- cooked or canned seafood or chicken, tofu, seitan, or whatever you like
Frozen mixed vegetables
Salad dressing of choice

Directions:
Before leaving the house, put protein and frozen veggies in a jar and pour the dressing on top. When you are ready to eat a few hours later, the vegetables should be thawed out and ready to eat. Until then, they will be keeping the protein cool- no refrigeration required!

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Credit: http://www.thebraiser.com/rino-little-japanese-girl-eating/

If you haven’t gone online and met Rino, I strongly suggest you do.  You’ll find her enthusiastically inhaling large quantities of international foods made by her loving parents;  in one video you’ll find Rino eating Korean bibimbap and Chap Jae, Pad Thai, homemade Tortilla and ramen.

What made Little Miss Rino’s internet debut grip the hearts of people, particularly parents, all the wide world?  There are a billion and one cute kids on youtube (eating and not eating) and on the internet, so what is it about Rino?

Well, my guess is that the attraction has less to do with Rino’s adorableness (which is difficult to resist),  and more to do with Rino’s parents, whose faces we never see.

Of the parents I’ve spoken to who’ve watched Rino devour her global entrees, all of them ultimately wonder:  how did the parents do this?  How did they inspire such fearlessness in their child when it comes to food, particularly food that may/may not be native to her culture or people?

My husband and I consider ourselves adventurous and successful eaters.  We also feel that our children, ages 4 and 6, are, relatively, courageous and strong eaters.  They eat most things that I put in front of them (including seaweed and some sea creatures); however, whenever I introduce something ‘different’,  new, or that has a ‘distinct’ smell, my two daughter’s are up in arms.  These small people go into high-alert and want to know why mommy would serve, x, y, and z and how are they going to swallow the food without a 3-gallon bucket of water to wash it down?

Some might argue that genetics plays a critical factor in determining food preference and if someone is more or less willing to try a new food.  My guess is that food profiles and preferences are developed as a result of both genetics and experiences.  However, given our personal food profiles, how would genetics/nurture explain my children’s seemingly innate fear of the new?

One, like myself, might feel assured when reading many parenting books that suggest children, particularly toddlers (like Rino), are resistant to trying new food items, almost instinctively, as if they are hardwired to decline something different.  If this is true, then how do we explain Rino’s vigor and thrill seeking persona?

Perhaps there isn’t anything wrong, per se, with my children, their tastes buds or our parenting skills as it comes to developing our children’s food preferences and tastes.  Maybe Rino is just uber-talented, a food connoisseur prodigy.  Who knows.  In either case, Rino leaves something to be desired and she offers a sense of hope:  hope not only in inspiring an equally enthusiastic interest of food in our children, but also that children in any part of the world can, as Zomppa promotes, learn about our cultural differences and learn to appreciate our uniqueness through the power of food.

Would Rino like to become the face of Zomppa? Food for thought?!

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