Learnin’

September 3, 2013 at 1:39 am

By Ellie Schulman, Film and Television student, College of Communication

It’s 1:30am and I’m sitting on my bed in near darkness because I finally got all of my stuff unpacked, and this is the first internet I’ve had since Wednesday, and I really wanted to wish you all a happy first day of classes. And let’s face it, we all know my brain won’t be functioning at full power in the morning.

So here I am, wishing you well on your first day back (or first day at college, holla freshmen). Fingers crossed you won’t already be falling asleep in your lectures.

Don’t forget to look for the Sargent Choice logo in the dining halls and at the GSU for maximum fueling power!

Happy learning, ya’ll.

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, Events | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

For All BU Buddhas

August 26, 2013 at 10:58 am

By Ellie Schulman, Film and Television student, College of Communication

If you like to get your Ohm on but would rather go somewhere with a slightly more Zen feel than Fit Rec, here are four yoga studios not too far from BU that are also relatively inexpensive. I won’t waste your time with my sarcasm like usual, I’ve just straight up provided the facts so you can make an efficient decision. At the top I’ve broken it down by single-class drop-in prices, but read on to get the real details.

The Bottom Line:

Karma Yoga Studios All One Yoga Sweat and Soul Yoga Back Bay Yoga Studio
$12 $15 $10 Day-time: $10
Evening: $15

http://karmayogastudios.com/Portals/108757/Gallery/Album/4146/dsc03050.jpg

Karma Yoga Studios

971 Commonwealth Avenue (on the 3rd floor above The Ring Boxing Club)
Allston/B.U. neighborhood
Boston, MA

The Allston location recently began giving all yoga classes on a donation basis. Here is their donation guide, pulled from their website:

  • Disciples: $1 - $5 { if you’re on a fiscal cliff }
  • Yogis: $6 - $10 { when you are on firmer ground }
  • Gurus: $11 - $15 { when you love your teacher }
  • Buddhas: $16+ { when you love the cause }

Keep in mind that their Allston location is currently the only one that operates on donations—bring at least $12 and your BU ID if you go to their Harvard Ave location!

http://www.alloneyogaboston.com/images/home-animation/homepage-04.jpg

All One Yoga

1065 Commonwealth Ave
Boston, MA 02215

For those of you who have never been to All One Yoga before, you can get a pass for two weeks of unlimited yoga and pilates classes for $25. Otherwise it’s $15 for a single drop-in and $70 for 5 classes.

http://yoga-boston.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/SASY_hiphopclassWEB-05.jpg

Sweat and Soul Yoga

1032A Commonwealth Ave, 2nd Floor
Boston, MA 02215

All classes are only $10 which is nice, but it’s cash only. Still, that’s not a big deal. And on weekends they offer a $5 community class.

http://backbayyoga.com/VirtualTour

Back Bay Yoga Studio

364 Boylston Street, (2nd Floor, between Arlington and Berkeley Streets)
Boston, MA 02116

Like All One Yoga, BBYS offers unlimited classes for two weeks at $25 if you make the purchase on your first visit to the studio. Otherwise it’s $10 for a drop-in before 5pm and $15 after 5pm. They also offer community classes for $5, though those are cash only.

Have fun!

 

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content. Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk. Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Best of the Food Web: Celiac Central

August 22, 2013 at 11:23 am

By Ellie Schulman, Film and Television student, College of Communication

Best of the Food Web is a series that features websites and blogs that we find helpful and interesting. Some focus exclusively on food or health, some combine the two, but all are worthy of your attention!

http://www.celiaccentral.org/

Hey ya’ll. As promised, here’s part two of my reviews on good resources for those who live with Celiac Disease. Sorry this wasn’t up yesterday, I was busy adding some rebellious blue streaks to my hair.

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

Today I’m reviewing the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness website, called Celiac Central, and despite the fact that the name is very similar to the Beth Israel site Celiac Now that I reviewed yesterday, the two sites are actually pretty different.

What I like most about Celiac Central is that its Celiac Disease information is all super straight forward. If a tab says “Celiac Symptoms” it actually gives you the symptoms. If it says “Diagnosis and Treatment” then it’s really just quick info about diagnosis and treatment. It’s as simple and straight forward as Wikipedia, except unlike Wiki, Celiac Central is composed of real facts.

http://www.celiaccentral.org/zatarainsrecipes/gluten-free-dirty-rice-burritos-8330/

Before you even ask, yes, they have gluten-free recipes, though it isn’t a whole plethora of disorganized recipes posted for your perusing. Instead, Celiac Central features a new recipe each week, which you can get an email subscription to. They also provide a series of recipes written up by different companies. For example, you can peek into the recipe box of Zatarain's to find some wonderful gluten-free recipes using Zartarain’s products. Sure, it’s advertising—a wonderful demonstration of product integration catered toward the gluten-free crowd—but that doesn’t mean that the recipes are no good (I’m looking at a mouthwatering picture of the “Dirty Rice Burrito” right now…gimme).

If you click on the “Community” tab, you’ll find some pretty cool links, including a link for upcoming GF events and one for GF bloggers as well. Lisa Ferreira, a food allergy expert and Registered Dietitian for the SCNC, really loves the free webinars available under this tab. “The webinars are great for dietitians,” she says. “I was just listening to one a few weeks ago about the controversy surrounding the safety of beers that have had the gluten removed from them.” Clearly this website knows the hot issues in the gluten-free community! And hey, best of both worlds if it’s great for counselors and clients alike.

Anyway I hope these last two reviews have helped you somehow, whether you personally have Celiac Disease or you’re just trying to prove to your gluten-free roommate that this time you grabbed the right box of cookie dough.

 

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content. Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk. Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Web, BU Community, Nutrition News, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (4)

Best of the Food Web: Celiac Now

August 20, 2013 at 12:58 pm

By Ellie Schulman, Film and Television student, College of Communication

Best of the Food Web is a series that features websites and blogs that we find helpful and interesting. Some focus exclusively on food or health, some combine the two, but all are worthy of your attention!

http://www.bidmc.org/Centers-and-Departments/Departments/Digestive-Disease-Center/~/media/Images/CentersandDepartments/DigestiveDiseaseCenter/celiacnow/CeliacLogo.ashx

I recently found two really great resources for people who live with Celiac Disease, so I am going to post a review of one today and another tomorrow. Consider this part 1.

First up is Celiac Now, because that’s the first one I wrote down in my notebook.

Celiac Now

Celiac Now is a resource for people with Celiac Disease (and other gluten-related disorders, they ain’t elitist!), whether they have been recently diagnosed or have been living with it for a while, whether they are old or young, and whether they just want to get a smidge of info or a complete reference book’s worth. The website was set up through the Celiac Center at the Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston.

It’s great because you can take baby steps or kanga-leaps to learn about Celiac. If you were just diagnosed, you’d probably overwhelm yourself if you tried to learn everything about Celiac all at once. Likewise, if you’re just trying to figure out why your roommate didn’t eat the cookies you baked for him on his birthday, you probably aren’t too worried about figuring out the difference between the typical or atypical symptoms. So for all of you, you can easily read the Level 1 information.

http://www.monkeyinthecage.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/level-up.jpg

But if you’ve been in the game for a while and are more interested in being a guru than a novice, you can level up with Level 3 information.

There’s also a section about eating out which I know can be stressful when you have special food needs. I know that for me personally, as someone who has lactose intolerance, I always get so stressed when a friend invites me for ice cream because I don’t want to refuse and seem aloof or picky. I’ve found that it’s all about learning what your options are and how you can still go out without hurting yourself. For example, I might do a quick online search for a place nearby that serves coconut-based ice cream (bless Boston for having a J.P. Licks near my house). If it’s gluten that you need to avoid when eating out, the “Dining Out” section on Celiac Now gives some good tips like this to help you plan better.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jfjr-ACRxaQ/UFPf4NeT_aI/AAAAAAAAAJk/dVF88a4seLQ/s320/Indian-Food.jpg

As SCNC food allergy expert and Registered Dietitian, Lisa Ferreira, points out, the “Dining Out” section also, “…helps you know the right questions to ask about ethnic cuisines.”

The third great thing about Celiac Now that I want to touch upon is the plethora of resources offered. I’m serious, there’s a massive list of medical centers, organizations, reference books, magazines, websites, apps and have I sold you on it yet? Not even kidding, I didn’t bother counting how many there were because it would have taken me longer to count them than to write this post.

So go check it out. And stay tuned for another great Celiac resource tomorrow.

 

 

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content.  Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk.  Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Web, BU Community, Nutrition News, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (3)

A Victory for Gluten Free

August 15, 2013 at 1:39 pm

By Ellie Schulman, Film and Television student, College of Communication

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/images/0806-against-the-grain.jpg

A couple weeks ago, the FDA finally announced their ruling on what constitutes a product to be “gluten free.” It was a victory for the members of the gluten free community, who have been awaiting a decision since the FDA first proposed defining the term in 2007. I’m here to outline the most important details of the ruling, for those of you who depend on those labels.

What is the ruling? A food may be labeled as gluten free if it is naturally free of gluten or if any gluten containing ingredient in the food measures below 20 parts per million (ppm).

But won’t manufacturers aim to remove just enough gluten so they can legally use the label and make money off the gluten free community? No, the rule requires that each product labeled gluten free that registers in the 0-20ppm range must have been manufactured with the goal of removing all gluten.

Why let even 19.5 ppm of gluten remain in a product—why not 0 ppm? Because there are currently no reliable tools or methods to measure accurately below 20 ppm.

Who does the labeling and is it mandatory? Product manufacturers; it is voluntary for the manufacturer to the label its product, but if it does, the product must meet the new requirements by the compliance date.

When is the compliance date? Manufacturers have one year from the official publishing of the rule to comply.

What products does this rule apply to? All FDA regulated foods, including dietary supplements (note: not all foods are FDA regulated, such as meats, poultry, and some egg products which are under USDA jurisdiction).

How will the FDA keep the manufacturers in check? It is up to the manufacturer to self-regulate. However, the FDA may inspect food manufacturing facilities, review food labels, follow up on complaints, and analyze food samples if it sees fit.

I hope this gave you some very basic information. For those of you who depend on the gluten free label, I advise you to read a more detailed description of the ruling here, on the official FDA website. All facts were pulled from that document.

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content.  Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk.  Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Web, BU Community, Events, Nutrition News | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (4)

B-e-a-YOU-tiful

August 13, 2013 at 10:46 am


By Ellie Schulman, Film and Television student, College of Communication

 

I came across the video above the other day and adamantly believe the subject is worthy of a blog post. Make sure you watch it before you keep reading so you can keep up with my thoughts. Go on, I’ll wait…

Are you back now? Good.

There are so many things about this Dove ad that I love, like the fact that Dove even produced it in the first place, but the content of the ad itself was what really struck me (surprise, surprise, an advertisement that succeeded in its goal). These people described themselves less accurately than a stranger described them, because, as so many people are, they are more critical of themselves than of others.

STOP, I know what you’re doing! Don’t you click out of this tab after reading that line because you think I’m about to get all “love yourself for who you aaaarrreeee” on you. I promise I’ll try to be as honest and sarcastic as I am in person. It’s just that I understand that it’s hard for us to love ourselves completely, even when we do know our good qualities.
The funny thing is, it wasn’t until writing this that I realized why it’s so difficult to focus only on our good qualities. It’s because having “good qualities” automatically means there are “bad qualities” too, right?

Well…yeah. Nobody is perfect. And that’s my exact point.

Take your best friend, for instance. He or she is your best friend for a reason, right? You guys get along fabulously. You’d probably say something like this to describe them: “We make fun of the same movies, have the same favorite coffee shop, and can both easily watch five hours straight of The Vampire Diaries. And she has a pool in her backyard, WAHOO! But dang, she does this one really weird thing…she takes her laptop into the bathroom with her….”

Okay maybe that’s not exactly what your best friend is like, but whatever.

The point is this: we love our best friends to the moon and back even though they are flawed, so why do we have so much trouble loving ourselves the same way?

Sure we have bad qualities! I’ve got tons! Ask any of my ex-boyfriends! But here’s the kicker: the reason we should find the things about ourselves that we love is because those qualities hold more weight than the negative ones.

If we focus on something positive, then we might begin to realize, however slowly, that our lives are actually pretty good. Or we’ll get so distracted enjoying the good things that we simply don’t have time to worry about the bad things anymore. Or, my favorite, we’ll realize we have the potential to make our life better because we are strong.
It’s not terrible for us to dislike certain things about ourselves. But it isn’t helpful if we get so hung up on trying to change those things that we start treating ourselves poorly.

Now imagine me saying this next line in the calm whisper of a Buddhist Monk: “Your body…is a temple.”
And don’t forget, so is your mind!

Treat yourself well. Don’t beat yourself up mentally if you did poorly on a test. Remember that you are a survivor by nature. Take a deep breath and a step back. Muster all the patience and optimism you never thought you had in you. Things will get better.

We’ve reached the point in the article where some of you are feeling inspired, some of you think I’m full of it, and some of you probably stopped reading a while ago. (Congratulations if you made it this far, you’re making me proud!)

I’m now speaking directly to those of you who think I’m full of it.

“But Ellie,” you think, “this all sounds great in theory, but it’s so much harder in practice, don’t you know?! Your advice is awful!”

HOW DARE YOU! No I’m just kidding. Let me take a moment to be serious, because I think it’s important.

If you find yourself having a more difficult time than feels reasonable, I encourage you to talk to someone about it. Start simple: open up to a friend. Once you’re ready, don’t be afraid to seek the assistance of a professional—if anything, that makes you exceptionally brave. Please consider this seriously and don’t brush it off.

I’m sure you’ve got things to do so let me wrap up by putting this whole article very simply: you are the best friend of your best friend—he or she looks at you the same way you look at them. Try to think of yourself from their viewpoint and you’ll start to see wonderful things about yourself, both physically and personality wise.

You are all beautiful.

Here are a couple of BU resources if you’d like someone to talk to:
Student Health Services
SCNC
And some inspiration: Students Speak

 

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content.  Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk.  Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, Nutrition News | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

Say FAREwell to Food Allergies

August 9, 2013 at 10:46 am

By Ellie Schulman, Film and Television student, College of Communication

My name is Ellie Schulman, and I’m lactose intolerant.

Wait, this isn’t Intolerants Anonymous? My bad.

http://www.godairyfree.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/farelogo.jpg

Anyway, there’s a lovely organization called Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) that does pretty much exactly what its name implies. We actually did a blog post about FARE's website a while back, highlighting it as a good resource for people with food allergies. The group will soon be hosting a series of Walks around the country to raise money to educate the world about food allergies through research and advocacy. Quite the noble cause!

Why is it so noble, you ask? Because food allergies are no joke. According to the FARE stats and facts page, “Every 3 minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency department,” and those are just the reactions that are serious enough to send someone to the hospital. Some reactions are so bad they result in “anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially deadly reaction.”

As you can see, the issue of food allergies demands notice and shouldn’t be taken lightly…despite the fact that I opened this post with a joke. What can I say, I take the issue seriously, but my self-deprecation is persistent.

RD Lisa Ferreira, the SCNC's expert on food allergies, acknowledges the lack of awareness surrounding the issue, especially in children. "Some people don't understand the severity; they may even become annoyed," she says. "Some kids bully and even try to harm [children with food allergies]. I love the idea of these Walks in order to raise awareness."

So listen up, kiddos! There are two FARE Walks that I’d like to bring to your notice because they aren’t too far from our home in Boston.

http://www.foodallergy.org/FARE-WALK-for-FOOD-ALLERGY

First, on September 22, there is a Walk in Newport, Rhode Island. I have graciously provided a link to the event details from their site here, and you can register on the left-hand side of the page if you want to support the cause for yourself or for someone you know. If you do join the Walk, make sure to let your friends know that you’ve registered so they can pledge money on your behalf. And hey, just because they weren’t willing to cover you that one time you all went out for ice cream and you forgot your wallet and had to watch everyone enjoy their waffle cones while you sat in teary-eyed observance—doesn’t mean they won’t be willing to help you fund-raise for the cause!

Second, on October 6, there’s a walk in Massachusetts! Again, click the link for details and register on the left-hand side.

If it’s too difficult to get out to either Walk but you really wish you could go, you can still help the cause. Bust out your wallet (I’m glad you found it after that whole ice cream fiasco) and donate! You can donate however much you want, so if you feel like you don’t have more than five dollars to spare this week, that’s totally okay!

I hope you come back and comment to me about your magical day at the FARE Walk.

Adios amigos.

______________________________________________________

 

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content. Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk. Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, Events, exercise, Nutrition News | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

Brookline Farmer’s Market Redux

August 5, 2013 at 3:10 pm

By Ellie Schulman, Film and Television Student, College of Communication

Last year our fearless former blog manager, Kelli Swensen, posted about her experience at the Brookline Farmers Market. Because I've been super busy setting up advertisements around campus for the Fall (and somewhat because I lack originality) I decided that now is a great time to repost her article. But let's forget about the part where I said that I'm unoriginal and think instead about what great timing this is for you! It's open till the end of October, which means, for those of us living locally, we have about four weeks before all the students come swarming back to Boston and crowding the Market, and for those who departed this great city for the summer, ya'll have two months once you've returned to make it there before it closes.

Happy shopping!

July 18, 2012 at 10:11 am

By Kelli Swensen, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

While you wont necessarily save money by shopping at the Brookline Farmer’s Market, you will find high quality local ingredients. Last Thursday my friend and I decided to check out the market. Being broke college students we didn’t buy anything, but we did visit each station and even got to try some samples. If you’ve ever been to the Copley Farmer’s Market, Brookline’s is very similar in the kinds of goods you will find.

Besides having the obvious produce, some vendors supply grass-fed beef, lamb, fresh eggs, cheeses, homemade pies (we wanted to buy one of the rhubarb pies so badly! I might just give in and get one this week), and numerous other food and home goods.

Not surprisingly one of the most popular stands was Clear Flour Bread, which is known for its simple ingredients that come together to make the most airy, flavorful breads. Our favorite samples of the day were gluten-free, all-natural cookies. Rather than being scarily sweet, the cookies had a wholesome, not-too overpowering sweetness.

Since we went on a 90-degree day, the longest line was for Trobettas Farm’s ice cream truck. Hailing from Marlborough, MA, Trobettas’ ice cream is made from local, fresh ingredients, and offerings include ice cream, hard serve frozen yogurt, Italian ices, and sorbets.

The Essentials:

What You’ll Find: All local products, most of them at grocery store prices. Goods usually include: in season produce, herbs, cheese, eggs, meat (turkey, beef, lamb), plants and cut flowers, breads, baked goods, ice cream, dips, and handmade crafts, accessories, and glass.
Hours: The market is open every Thursday from 1:30 p.m. – Dusk, and runs until October 31, 2013.
Location: Centre Street, West Parking Lot, Brookline, MA
Getting There: The fastest way using public transportation is to take the C line to Coolidge Corner stop, then walk up Beacon St. to Centre Street.

 

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in BU Community, CSA, Restaurants and Farmers Markets | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (3)

Best of the Food Web: Marine Stewardship Council

July 31, 2013 at 3:47 pm

Every other week we will be posting about a new blog or cooking website that we love! The internet is filled with food websites, and our goal is to arm you with the “Best of the Food Web”!

By Ellie Schulman, Film and Television student, College of Communication

I’m not going to lie to you, I’m not a huge fan of seafood. However, I am a fan of acting in ways that don’t waste natural resources or harm the environment. So even though the thought of eating fish doesn’t drive me crazy with desire, I’m going to share a cool website with you all that has to do with seafood—specifically, sustainable seafood.

If you’ve never heard of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) it’s probably because it’s a London based organization, and—just an educated guess—I’m betting you’re an American between the ages of 18-23. Your lack of knowledge about the MSC might also have to do with the fact that there isn’t much information about the history of the organization itself available anywhere on the internet besides that it was founded in London in the late 1990s (seriously, MSC! I spent a good 30 minutes trying to learn about your history to write this post, to little success). In any event, the MSC does good work in the fishing industry. Its goal is to make sustainable seafood more available to the world by making the sustainable options easier to recognize.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/eb/Marine_Stewardship_Council_Ecolabel.jpg

Have you ever seen this label before?

It means the fishery that your seafood came from has been certified by the MSC because it meets MSC standards. What are those standards, you might ask? Here are the three basic principles they base fishery certification on:

  • “Principle 1: Sustainable fish stocks”
    • Basically, make sure the fishery isn’t overfishing.
  • “Principle 2: Minimizing environmental impact”
    • Make sure they don’t harm the ecosystem in the process of fishing.
  • “Principle 3: Effective management”
    • Make sure they are effectively managed to uphold sustainability and adhere to all fishing laws.

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/ecologic/files/2011/11/Marine-stewardship.jpg

Each principle is built upon a long set of more detailed measurements, but who has time to go into all that (I mean really, I already wasted 30 minutes just trying to figure out when the MSC expanded into the U.S...). If you really want to know more about their certification process, check it out here.

One of the cooler aspects of the MSC is that it’s a global organization. There are 200 fisheries around the world already certified by MSC, and you can find MSC certified products in 97 different countries.

I’m sure all my fellow sustainability-lovers find this post riveting so far, but for those of you who have stuck around even though you really couldn’t care less about maintaining the world’s current fish population, I’m going to talk about a cool website application now, so keep sticking around.

Let’s say it’s three in the afternoon and you’re thinking you want seafood for dinner. You know you’re going to have to stop by Shaw’s on your way home from work anyway because you forgot to pick up a new tube of toothpaste yesterday--for the third day in a row--so you might as well pick up some dinner fixins while you’re there. BUT WAIT! How will you know that your seafood was fished humanely?! (Because you totally think about this every time you buy seafood…). You can hop over to the MSC website and check what products are available at Shaw’s that have been MSC approved!

http://www.msc.org

http://www.msc.org/where-to-buy/product-finder/product_search?country=US

Just hover over the “Where to Buy” tab and click on “Shopping: Sustainable Seafood Product Finder.” Enter your country and hit go. Then, on the left hand side, choose a retailer or brand, what type of fish, and what type of product. So if I choose “Shaw’s” as my retailer, “cod” and “haddock” as my type of fish because I’m indecisive, and “Fish counter” as my product type, then the finder will show me that I have four options for MSC certified fish with the specifications that I listed.

Pretty cool right?

Make sure you check out their website for yourself to learn more about sustainable seafood, about where to get it, and about the great work MSC is up to. Stay up to date by checking out their social media.

 

 

 

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content.  Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk.  Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website

Sargent Choice

By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Web | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (3)

Best of the Food Web: Eating Well

July 25, 2013 at 12:34 pm

By Ellie Schulman, Film and Television student, College of Communication

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HnYD9bH4gj4/Ucbgd9I58tI/AAAAAAAADFg/4jfZ_slaEZ4/s400/EatingWell+-+August+2013.jpg

I was asked to write a review of EatingWell.com for this blog, but every time I tried to focus on checking out the specifics of what the site has to offer, I would end up watching 20 minutes of cooking videos and making lists of what I want to try out. Kind of like what always happens when you go on YouTube—you go to find a live performance of the Spice Girls and next thing you know you’ve watched an hour’s worth of funny cat videos.  Of course, because this is a review post, I will highlight things that I discovered that I really like for those of you who want specifics. Otherwise I suggest you just go to their site to do some virtual wandering.

Before I get to the good stuff, I’ll give you some background about Eating Well. They are more than a website; their electronic media, in addition to their site, also includes an emailed newsletter. Outside of the virtual field, they have published several recipe books and continue to publish a monthly magazine, which is what started it all in 1990. The Eating Well Company works with the Nutrition Department at the University of Vermont to ensure that every recipe developed by their team is reviewed and approved by Registered Dietitians (RDs).

http://www.eatingwell.com/videos/video-index

Now, on to the interesting stuff. First, as I mentioned, I love their videos. None of them are so long that I get bored, but they do provide a quick idea of how much of what ingredients you’ll need, unlike other short cooking videos that skip over the necessary information. Not to mention that their recipe articles and videos are often similar to our Test Kitchen blog posts (self-promotion what what). As Sargent Choice Nutrition Center RD Sarah Butler says, “Eating Well recipes are generally in line with our Sargent Choice Principles…[so you] don’t have to make modifications to improve the nutritional quality of the recipe yourself.”

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus

Second, they have so many specific categories for recipes that you won’t have any trouble finding something you’d like to make. Click on the Recipes & Menus tab and when it takes you to the new page, you’ll see a bunch of specifications right under the tab. For those of you like me, you’ll probably first click on the “Easy Recipes” link because, let’s face it, who’s got the time or expertise in college to prepare a four course meal?  You might also choose to click through to the “Recipes for Two” link which I highly recommend if you have a significant other or a roommate who might as well be a significant other. Or, again, if you’re like me and you’re actually cooking for yourself twice—Present You and Future You. Trust me, Future You will thank Present You for making enough food for leftovers so he/she doesn’t have to cook that night (or would it be Past You by that point?). In any event, you’re killing two birds with one stone.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/eatingwell_flag_cake.html

They also have a bunch of other helpful recipe links, like Vegetarian Recipes, Kids Recipes (“Kids recipes = easy and simple recipes,” says Butler), Drinks, Desserts, Seasonal, and Festive! I was just on there before the Fourth and saw a delicious looking red, white, and blue Berry Cake recipe which I totally would have made if I didn’t have to catch a plane the next day (and if I owned a cake pan…).

If you click over to the Healthy Cooking tab you’ll find a few of the same categories and a few new ones. My favorite (and I’m sure yours will be too) is the Budget Cooking link, because who’s got the money in college to be making expensive meals? If you like this tab but feel like you’re lacking some basic knowledge on the subject you definitely need to sign up for the SCNC’s Healthy Cooking on a Budget class offered through the PDP program at FitRec each semester (self-promotion round two what WHAT).

The Diet & Health tab offers a lot of links pertaining to certain dietary concerns and health issues. Do you need to eat Gluten Free? Do you have a Diabetes concern? This tab makes it easy to view recipes with ingredients in keeping with your dietary needs.

That about wraps up what I wanted to highlight. Go to EatingWell.com, and you’ll see for yourself why it’s so helpful. You’ll fall in love with it, just as I did, because they have a bunch of recipes and tips for your specific cooking needs. And if nothing else, you’ll have a blast looking at pretty pictures of food.

Disclaimer: The Sargent Choice blog includes links to other websites only as information to consumers, not as medical advice. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Sargent Choice has no control over its content. Sargent Choice is not responsible for the content found at any of the sites, nor do any links imply endorsement or promotion of the company/organization, its content, services, therapeutic treatment options, or products. Accordingly, you visit any site at your own risk. Sargent Choice is also not responsible for the policies and practices of these sites, such as their Privacy Policy, use of “cookies”, etc. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site that you visit through a link on our website

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By Sargent Choice Nutrition Center | Posted in Best of the Food Web, Cooking Basics, Cooking Vidoes, Nutrition News, Recipes | Tagged , , , | Comments (4)