Motif

Author: Cathren Housley

  • Pleasing Everyone’s Palate

    There’s at least one among every collection of family and friends: the vegetarian, the cousin with the peanut allergy, the girlfriend who’s gluten intolerant. In the past, the dietary impaired were regarded as strange, perhaps even mentally ill, and there were few options for them at the traditional feast other than to sip water, nibble lettuce leaves and regale the other guests with dire warnings of disease and damnation. Thankfully, today there are holiday options for even the pickiest of vegans that will also appeal to your most die-hard carnivores and gobblers of gook.

    First, it’s good to know some basic substitutions.

    * Trade your tub of Land o’ Lakes for buttery vegan spreads by Earth Balance or Spectrum.

    * For a gluten-free thickener of gravy, sauces or soup, just whisk in some rice flour or an arrowroot or corn starch slurry. For fried foods, roll in crunchy corn meal. Traditional bread stuffing can be swapped for a gluten-free cornbread or rice version steeped in sun dried tomatoes and spices.

    * Stick to premium nuts and mixes sans peanuts to avoid the possibility of allergic reactions.

    * Never try to fool the cheese lovers in your group with vegan imitations. There’s no replacing honest, unadorned cheese, although I’ve found some mozzarella and pepper jack vegan versions that will melt nicely into a casserole or soup. To replace milk in recipes, soy, coconut and almond milk can be credible stand-ins.

    * Ener G makes a good all-around egg replacement that stays fresh holiday to holiday in a shelf stable box.

    As for recipes? Today, all you have to do is Google. For anyone who is bored with the same old Thanksgiving fare, this is an exciting new world of recipes.

    Let’s start with appetizers. A bite-sized assortment of savory hot morsels is a great way to pique your guests’ taste buds. Who could resist crispy smashed potatoes with avocado garlic aioli or tempura artichoke hearts with sesame dipping sauce? Some of the better sites I found are ohsheglows.com, Buzzfeed’s vegan Thanksgiving recipes and foodandwine.com/ultimate-thanksgiving/vegan-thanksgiving. Looking through the foodie photos to find one that makes your mouth water is half the fun. You’ll see vegetables in a whole new light. Just try to gaze through the goodies at thrillist.com/recipe/nation/cauliflower-recipes-roasted-riced-fried without drooling.

    When it comes to the main meal, everyone knows about Tofurkey and I have to say that it’s not half bad. I was surprised at how moist and tender the loaf is. But a better tip? Don’t try to fool your guests with imitations of the real thing. It’s better to find gourmet recipes that will excite them to try something new. Click onto greatist.com/health/vegetarian-maindishes-for-thanksgiving to find main course recipes such as roasted butternut squash risotto and savory pumpkin pot pie with a rich, crumbly gluten-free crust. After tucking into some juicy grilled portobello mushroom caps stuffed with pecans, celery, garlic and peppers, you won’t give the turkey a second glance.

    Desserts! One of the biggest challenges with gluten-free baking is that it often requires guar or xanthan gum, gelatin or agar-agar to give baked goods the same fluffy texture that wheat doughs yield. You also need to blend flours to get the right texture. Cookies made with pure rice flour turn into flat, chewy gumdrops. For a thorough listing of gluten-free flours and their uses, try wholeintentions.com/2009/02/gluten-free-flours. But a real time saver is Pamela’s Baking Mix, an all around blend that offers an online recipe site featuring melt-in-your-mouth scones and biscuits and an impressive array of cakes and cookies. Many commercial store brands now offer gluten-free versions of your old favorites, but beware! Betty Crocker’s brownie mix is positively orgasmic, but it’s also packed with SUGAR. Read the labels! Commercial brands tend to bolster flavor by upping the sweeteners.

    If you want to create your own desserts, you’ll find literally hundreds of delicious recipes online. And if you stay true to the ingredients, I guarantee that your guests will sigh with pleasure at every mouthful. At organics.org/18-tastiest-vegan-and-gluten-free-thanksgiving-recipes, the pecan pie bars and pumpkin pie with praline and coconut almond crust are to die for.

    And don’t forget that your health conscious friends may prefer non-alcoholic beverages as well, so stock up on seltzer and juices. For exotic mocktails, check out the recipes at bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshow/nonalcoholic-cocktails. The maple ginger spiced cider is good enough to make you consider going through the holidays sober.

    Just kidding! Enjoy.

  • Advice from the Trenches: Learning to Love Sugar

    Advice from the Trenches: Learning to Love Sugar

    sugarDear C:

    I read an article on diabetes in the last issue of Motif that really got me thinking. My son goes to a school that feeds the kids breakfast in the classroom every day. He can’t avoid it; not that he wants to. You wouldn’t believe what they give these kids! Everything is packaged and full of sugar, except for the occasional piece of fruit. And then they ask these tiny little people to sit still for hours! It’s infuriating.
    There is a national concern about overweight kids, but in the schools, where kids learn habits that could last a lifetime, they are shoving nothing but sugar at them in a school breakfast program.
    Is there anything I can do?
    Mad Hattie
    Dear Hattie,
    I feel your pain. I do believe there’s enough scientific evidence regarding the health dangers and addictive qualities of sugar that school administrators should have better sense. But the fact is, the funds available for free breakfast programs are meager, and it seems much easier  to do what is fast and cheap. A little research could turn up some comparably priced whole food options,  but low-income schools are overburdened with problems and have inadequate budgets. They are not likely to give the sugar issue priority. If you want the breakfast program to be better, you are going to have to do more than complain about it.
    There’s several approaches you could take. If you want to be immediate, you could send a breakfast you’ve made yourself in with your son and tell administrators that your doctor discovered a food allergy and your son could have a seizure if he doesn’t stay away from sugar and food additives. Unfortunately, this could also embarrass your kid, and he might trade with a friend. Giving your son his own lunch also doesn’t solve the problem for any of his classmates.
    A better approach might be to take it upon yourself to find out who does the meal planning for the breakfast program and ask why they have made the choices they have. Some people don’t know any better and don’t even read labels. If their budget is the big problem and they are willing but don’t feel that they can afford better nutrition, see if you can find healthy alternatives for them. You’ve got a computer — if you take the time, you can find solutions.
    The fact is, it’s not always cheaper to turn to sugary processed food. Oatmeal is far cheaper than prepared box cereal, and cooked oatmeal with fruit is delicious, sugar-free and has tons of protein. If prep time and cooking facilities are an impossible dream, instant can be made with nothing but hot water, using disposable paper cups. Quaker makes a blueberry instant oatmeal that is very low in sugar. Even if cold cereal is the only option, read the labels! Gluten-free Cheerios have almost no sugar, while Captain Crunch is sweeter than some cookies. If you want to go a step further, with some volunteer effort you may be able to add nutritious cooked food to the mix. Low income working parents seldom have time to help out, but grandparents do. Grannies often yearn to feel useful and it’s actually good for their health and mental well-being to feel they are making a contribution. Maybe you could get seniors from the community involved.
    These are just a few thoughts. The point is, that if you don’t do something, no one else will. If this is important to you, and it should be, then don’t let poor nutrition thrive by remaining silent. The administrators of our schools need to realize that whatever they save on their food budget for breakfast is going to be swallowed by the repercussions these kids will face later on. Childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes are reaching epidemic proportions, and the cost to our society adds up to millions of dollars a year.
    This is important work you could do to help improve the future of health in America. Don’t wait for change … create change. It’s the only way change will ever happen.

  • Alt-Health: Death by Chocolate

    Today, a friend of mine was told that he has diabetes. It’s a story that is becoming all too familiar. For perspective on this creeping plague, I went browsing in the Diabetes Atlas. It was a real eye opener. I had no idea diabetes was such a global killer.

    In 2015, AIDS-related illnesses killed 1.2 million people. This number seems huge until you look further up the list; in that same year, diabetes killed FIVE million. There are now an estimated 415 million adults with diabetes worldwide, along with 193 million who are undiagnosed and 318 million adults who have impaired glucose tolerance and are at high risk. If the momentum isn’t slowed, by 2040 there will be 642 million people affected.

    So, what exactly IS diabetes? Simply put, it’s a metabolic disorder in which the body can’t process and store food as energy. There are three major types.

    Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the immune system misreads and subsequently attacks the pancreatic cells that produce insulin. The result is little or no insulin production.

    With Type 2 diabetes, the body often still produces insulin, but it can’t trigger a response from metabolic cells. This is insulin resistance, caused when constantly elevated blood glucose levels overexpose cells, making them sluggish or inert. A third type, called gestational diabetes, occurs in pregnancy and often recedes after childbirth. There is, however, an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later on.

    The social and economic impact of diabetes is enormous. The cost in healthcare spending alone is between $673 billion and $1,197 billion a year worldwide. The damages it causes go far beyond high blood sugar.

    Skin problems can be one of the first symptoms to herald diabetes. Diabetics are extremely susceptible to styes, boils, carbuncles and fungal infections. Wounds are slow to heal or don’t heal at all. Diabetics are 40% more likely to suffer from glaucoma than people without diabetes, and 60% more likely to develop cataracts. If diabetes is not managed, complications can lead to blindness.

    Nerve damage from diabetes lessens awareness of pain so even ordinary foot problems can worsen and develop serious complications. Diabetics have been known to develop gangrene and undergo amputation. And the list goes on — kidney disease, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, depression — the toll that diabetes takes drifts into the death rates of myriad other serious conditions. Mismanaged blood sugar levels can wreak havoc on every system in the body, placing patients in the position of chemical imbalance, lowered immunity and exhaustion.

    The sad thing is that so much of this suffering is entirely preventable. Type 2 diabetes, which is spreading the fastest, can be avoided through proper diet and exercise. People know more than ever about prevention measures they can take … yet they don’t. On the level of pure logic, it doesn’t make sense. But when it comes to sugar, people don’t use logic. Sugar is not just a physical need, it’s become an emotional need. We learn at a very early age that sweets and indulgences are a treat and reward, invoking special memories of shared pleasure. Cake is a featured event at occasions from kiddie parties to wedding celebrations. We are led toward sugar by the very language we use: “How sweet it is!” “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down;” “I love you, honey.” Lollipops are dispensed at doctor’s offices and bank teller’s windows. Halloween and Easter are overflowing cornucopias of sweets. And even if you try, it’s nearly impossible to avoid the stuff — it is slipped into our processed food, even our table salt. It’s left on our pillows at swanky hotels.

    So how do we fight back? It starts with a personal decision. We can’t really trust our instincts. Our pressured lives make it too easy to fall back on caffeine and carbs to get through the day. And it goes against our natural desire for comfort to launch ourselves into exercise when all we want to do is drop. Our TV sets are not going to encourage us to get up off our butts; there’s no money in it for either the Sugar Association or the pharmaceutical industry. If you want some solid advice about building a better lifestyle, I suggest visiting the Diabetes Foundation site and perusing every other reputable medical site that features the facts. They are easy to find.You just have to look.

    There are factors in our health we can’t control: ethnicity, family history of diabetes and advancing age. But we CAN control the most important risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. The cornerstone of treatment for Type 2 diabetes is a healthy diet, increased physical activity and maintenance of a normal body weight. The healing power of the human machine is awesome to behold. With effort, it’s something we can all achieve; and it doesn’t cost a thing.

  • Advice from the Trenches: Neighborhood Stalker

    Advice from the Trenches: Neighborhood Stalker

    stalkerpicDear C;

    I have a stalker. Don’t laugh, I really think I do. It’s a guy on my street.

    I’ve lived in this neighborhood for almost five years now, and I’ve been going for walks since I moved in. Lots of people around here wave when they see me, probably because they see me so much. I’ve talked briefly with a few of them, mostly people out with their dogs.

    This stalker guy seemed friendly and normal to me at first, like anyone else in the neighborhood; maybe a little lonely. He did seem to be home most of the time. I think that he’s on disability or something, because I noticed him occasionally limping past my house on the way to the bus stop across the street. The only reason I ever even exchanged words with him was because he has a cute little dog he takes out a lot. The dog always runs up to me.

    I never gave any thought at all to the guy, but then, about a year ago, he started making occasional comments that seemed a bit odd. He’d notice that I cut my hair, or comment that I hadn’t been by in a while. Once he even asked me if I’d lost weight. This made me feel like he was … I don’t know … watching me or something.

    Then I started noticing him sort of lurking more often near the house. At first, I thought he was just going for the bus like he sometimes did, but then I realized he wasn’t getting on the bus. He was just going back home.

    So now I’m getting nervous. Every time I see him and his dog, I cringe inside, but I can’t just walk by, because the puppy runs up to me. I want to simply avoid his street, but then I’d feel like I was letting him dictate where I can and can’t go. So I act like nothing’s wrong. But I feel creepy and weird and I wonder what is going to happen next.

    Am I nuts? Am I worrying for nothing?

    Intended Prey

    Dear Prey;

    Of course you aren’t nuts. The guy is watching you. He’s noticing details. There’s only two reasons he would do this — 1) he’s a private investigator working a surveillance job, or 2) he’s checking you out as a potential target. Target of what? That is the big question. And I doubt very much that you want to find out.

    I taught self defense and there is something that I picked up from studying police statistics and victim accounts: In 99.9% of incidents reported, the attacks were not random. Every victim was watched first, whether for five minutes or five years. The victims often knew their attackers by sight. This guy is paying close attention to you. He could even know that he’s making you uncomfortable and he uses the dog as an excuse to see how close he can get despite your nervousness. It’s one way potential victims are tested.

    Of course, he could be just a lonely guy who thinks he’s saying something nice to the woman who walks in his neighborhood. But the lurking? That’s not the behavior of a normal lonely guy. That’s the behavior of a stalker.

    Here’s what I recommend: Stop letting this guy near you and do not walk anywhere near where you might run into him. It sends the wrong message. It says, “I want to keep seeing you.”If you don’t want him near you, then don’t let him near you. That’s what victims do. They sense danger, but don’t trust their own judgement. Afraid you’ll hurt his feelings? Please! This is some guy you don’t even know, and that comment about your weight? That is too personal. You have every right to nip this in the bud, and you don’t do that by smiling and playing with his dog.

    If you see him hanging out near your house again, call the police. Tell them the situation and tell them that you feel uncomfortable. Ask them to check him out. That is their job. They are trained to deal with situations like this.

    This protects you in two ways — 1) you are not subjected to more contact with someone who makes you feel creepy, and 2) now the guy knows that the police are watching him. If that’s not enough to keep him away from your house, I’d seek advice from both the police or an attorney. Does this seem unfriendly? Too freakin’ bad.You are not, as a woman, obliged to be friends with every guy who wants something from you.You have a right to your own boundaries. It’s time you drew the line.

  • Alt-Health: Election Infection?

    It’s getting harder and harder to tell the difference between the real presidential debates and “Saturday Night Live’s” satirical version of them. The election has crossed a line. We are not watching a political exchange any longer; we are watching a new reality show that has somehow managed to carry a braying donkey into the final round of contestants for our nation’s most coveted prize: the Oval Office.

    It is attention grabbing and it keeps us tuned in, but the drama is beginning to exact its toll. The respective campaign committees are not the only ones biting their nails over this see-sawing media frenzy; therapists have also taken notice. Over half of their clients now cite the upcoming election as a major source of anxiety. A new term has even been coined for this widespread angst: “election stress disorder.” People have come to feel like children trapped in their bedrooms while down the hall, mummy and daddy fight and scream.

    Like disturbed children, we are acting out in reckless ways. Therapists are seeing an alarming shift in people’s idea of what constitutes normal behavior. There’s been an increase of belligerence and bullying in classrooms nationwide. The number of fights that start up around rallies and events is both disturbing and unprecedented. Some psychologists fear we are just seeing the tip of a developing iceberg.

    I think what it comes down to is acceptable standards. When politicians reach a level of fiduciary power such as the presidency, they position themselves to set the tone for a nation. Their behavior gives permission to our behavior. And what is the 2016 election is giving permission to? Blame and self-aggrandizing. Ranting and rudeness and a swaggering dismissal of inconvenient facts. We are being shown the very behavior that therapists have long worked to overcome in troubled patients. We witness Twitter tirades and the sort of badgering in social media that one might ordinarily expect from a vicious teen. None of it can be considered any kind of role model for a healthy personality.

    Every morning the news is plastered with yet another blaring headline about the disintegration of the Republican party, or a slurry of dirt tossed at the Democrats by WikiLeak. No matter which side you take, there are attacks going on and futures teetering at the edge of a yawning abyss … political platforms could collapse into tinder or revolve full circle at any moment like demonic heads. Is it any wonder that we are all beginning to cringe and clench our teeth in anticipation of what fresh hell each day may bring?

    For the sake of our own sanity, it may be time to just turn off the news. All this back and forth and up and down has turned into little more than a volley of vitriolic ping pong. We needn’t watch every move. Let’s give it a break for god’s sake. If some earth shattering revelation is unveiled that changes everything, don’t worry — we will undoubtedly hear about it. In the meantime, it would do us a world of good if we could take a deep breath and seek out pleasantries for a change, share warm feelings with loved ones or do something kind for a stranger. We need to change the mood of the country.

    America was terrorized for the first time when the Twin Towers fell. We’ve become increasingly jumpy and jittery with every disaster or senseless attack that has since come our way. Our singed nerves are near fraying and the incendiary style of the election is making things worse. Our knuckles collectively whiten as we watch and we wait.

    The moment of truth is now just days away. This suspenseful mini drama that has been unfolding across the channels is coming to its conflagratory end. On November 8, our lives as Americans will change forever. We can’t stop the machine, and even our choice of candidates is not what the majority wishes to be choosing from, so perhaps it is our incredulous helplessness that fuels our national desperation. But as we step into that quiet and sequestered polling booth, let us remember that it IS our place of power. The vote we cast is the one choice that is still ours to make.

    So, America. As never before — choose wisely

  • Advice from the Trenches: Drop-Out Drudgery

    Advice from the Trenches: Drop-Out Drudgery

    dropoutDear C,

    I am trying to decide if I should stay in college after this semester. I just don’t feel like I need a degree in order to do what I want to do, which is pottery. I love being creative. I am happiest in my space at a local share studio. I think I could sell what I do. And if it doesn’t work out, I’d rather work for a nonprofit than some corporation anyway. Also, I don’t have much money and running up my student loan isn’t going to help anything. I feel that the best way to develop as an artist is to work.

    I remember you said that you dropped out of four colleges and freelanced for years without a degree. Doesn’t it seem like a reasonable move?

    Stellar Stella

    Dear Stella,

    I never said dropping out was reasonable. I just said I did it. I used to do a lot of dumb things.

    I have a question: Does “I think I could sell what I do” mean that it’s still just a theory? Have you tried selling your work yet? If you want to pay the bills with it, you really need to know more. I understand that you love being creative. I love being creative, too. But if you make a living off your art, it becomes less of a creative exploration and more of a business. You aren’t just doing pottery, you are chasing down jobs, meeting deadlines, pleasing clients, considering market trends, attending conferences and trade shows, developing promo materials, etc, etc. And all of it costs money. Most small businesses have to start with a loan. And it’s gotta be paid back, with interest. Suddenly art becomes something you HAVE to do. It stops being fun. Especially if you don’t know what the hell you are doing.

    So, let’s say you go under. No problem, you say, you’ll work for a non-profit. Why on earth do you think you don’t need a degree to work for a non-profit? They are real businesses. Do you read the job postings? You need a degree for almost everything these days. I am not saying it’s right. I’m just saying it’s true. Back in the 1970s, you could go to trade school and get hired anywhere as a computer technician. Today, with so much competition, you need at least a degree from a technical college. True, you don’t need a degree to be an artisan with your own shop, but you will be competing with people who take business very seriously. Either they really know what they are doing or they have an agent or partner who does.

    Here’s what I think: I think that if you were ready to drop out and make your own way, you wouldn’t be asking me. So, in answer to, “Is this a reasonable move?” I gotta say — maybe later … but not yet. If you are smart, you will test the waters before jumping off the deep end. Talk to people who make a living selling their work. Take notes. Observe trends. The market is constantly changing and different for everyone.You don’t all have the same style or the same audience. Identify yours. Get a booth at some art fairs and see how people respond to what you do. Learn as much as you can about this world you want to live in and see what opportunities are out there.You may find someone who wants to invest in you. You might realize you were out of your mind to even think about it. But you will know something. Right now you don’t.

    As my Sensei always said, “If you don’t know what to do, don’t do anything.” So I say, stay your course, Stella. When the time comes to jump, you won’t need to ask anyone.You’ll just sail off that cliff with a smile on your face and a carefully packed parachute on your back.

  • Alt-Health: Continuing Addiction

    Every 19 minutes, someone dies in this country from an opioid overdose. Many of these are from prescription pain medicine, but overdose deaths have also soared among users of psychiatric sedatives such as Xanax and Klonopin. Far too many people stumbled into their addictions unintentionally — just average citizens who initially got hooked on medicine that their own doctors prescribed. Mix this prescription abuse in with the rising heroin epidemic, and you’re looking at a storm gathering force to become a hurricane.

    In the mid 1990s, America decided it was unacceptable for patients to suffer with chronic pain. Doctors began dispensing prescriptions like Pez dispensers. What followed was a tidal wave of misuse that resulted in the necessity of government intervention — a new, more restrictive set of laws was put into place.

    Ironically, stronger pharmaceutical control had the effect of throwing oil on a fire. Heroin vaulted to new popularity, cheaper than prescription pain relievers, and more readily available. A surge of middle class junkies began to spread, from the Appalachians to the rural midwest. West Virginia now has the highest rates of overdose deaths in the US.

    The media does nothing but encourage us to self-medicate. Every cold commercial on TV shows someone with a runny nose and rheumy eyes popping a pill and heading back to the office. We are sent a repeated message: Don’t let illness or pain stop you. Cover up those symptoms, down a double espresso, and get back to work, y’all.

    To be fair, doctors do not tell patients to abuse their prescriptions, and when taken as prescribed, opioids don’t lead to addiction. But I must point out — when properly used, matches don’t set the curtains on fire either. One must be careful as to whom those drugs and matches are given to. Some of us are children who don’t understand what the danger is, and some of us know, but really like to watch things burn. And there are far too many who have simply ceased to care.

    CNN has some great advice on their opioid info site: “Don’t take more than prescribed; never mix opiates with alcohol. Try over the counter pain relief and good old fashioned exercise.” But that advice is being given to people who are too tired to bother with alternatives and too trapped by debt to consider life outside the cage. They just want to take the pill and get on with it. Affordable Care insurance, with its emphasis on symptom suppression, has not necessarily dampened this fire.

    Right now, America is a damaged nation. We are in pain in ways we don’t understand, stranded in lives of chronic disability and low-income jobs. Too many of us are working overtime to meet bills and take care of endless errands. We can’t stop to heal, or find the time for workouts that trigger our natural pain relieving endorphins. We want to get back to work. Many of us have become addicts just waiting to happen, and we don’t know it until we feel that first sweet rush of opioid euphoria.

    In all honesty, we ourselves are ultimately to blame. We don’t HAVE to take more than we should or keep pushing ourselves when we want to stop. But what you have to remember is that humans are, above all, creatures of habit. Once we become accustomed to something, we do not want to change. We are forced onto this consumer track early in life, and the way is lit with screen after flickering screen. It may be the road to hell, but it is usually the only road we are shown.

    This summer, the RI State Legislature made a decision to cut funding to AIDS Care Ocean State. The result was the elimination of $65,000 worth of funding towards HIV prevention. This was the end of the only needle-exchange program in the state, and of comprehensive harm reduction services for intravenous drug users. RI now has a collection of HIV positive heroin fueled citizens who have been cast adrift to fend for themselves AND a gaggle of pill poppers that is growing by the day.

    What is the answer? The only answer I can see if for all of us to take more responsibility for our own lives. But who is going to show us how to do it? The government will fund expensive procedures to extend a terminal cancer patient’s life for three months, but won’t raise a finger to educate the public in prevention.

    A friend of mine is raising his son alone. Last year, his wife died of an accidental fentanyl-related overdose. She was fully insured and under a doctor’s care the day her heart stopped beating and 6-year-old Domenic sat by her body for five hours until the babysitter came. Just another day in America.

    This has got to stop.

  • Advice from the Trenches: Urgent Care

    Advice from the Trenches: Urgent Care

    urgentDear C,

    I had a persistent rattling cough that wouldn’t go away and was so exhausted I could barely move. My primary care doctor was on vacation, so I went to an urgent care. The doctor there ordered a chest Xray and blood work, but before I even got the tests done, he tried to prescribe antibiotics, and then Prednisone. When I protested against both due to side effects, he said “no one would take anything if they read all the drug warnings” and sent me away with two kinds of asthma medicine. I don’t have asthma.

    I brought the prescriptions home and put them on my shelf. I’ve been looking at them for a week and a half while my cough improved on its own. WTF?

    Miss Gruntled

    Dear Gruntled,

    Is that a question or are you just bitching?

    Let’s face it: The whole purpose of urgent care is to provide quick, standard treatments for a limited number of relatively simple problems that might otherwise send a patient to sit in the reception area of a local ER all night. These walk-in medical clinics have their place in crisis intervention. But if you expect personalized, holistic care, you be barkin’ up the wrong tree. What you get at urgent care is wham bam, thank you ma’am, “slap a bandage on it” treatment. If you have a more serious problem, they will refer you to the nearest hospital emergency room.

    Urgent care has its pluses and minuses. On the plus side, you don’t have to sit in an ER all night. And you don’t face the prospect of losing your house over a minor case of strep throat. On the minus side, you will probably never see this doctor again, and the attitude that UCs take toward drugs can be somewhat cavalier. If you come in with a slip and fall injury, there is a strong likelihood that the attending physician will dispense Vicodin like M&Ms, without bothering to ask about alcoholism or drug addiction in your past. The idea is to make you feel you have been “treated.” I’ve known urgent care doctors to misread x-rays, overlook allergies and overtreat with antibiotics. However, they are not promising much more. They promise to be friendly. They usually are. They promise to be fast, and they often are (comparatively speaking.) They promise to be cost-effective, and if you weigh their average charge of $155 a visit against the average ER cost of $700, there’s no argument. And let’s be honest — urgent care doesn’t promise to be the Mayo Clinic. So, to a certain extent, I can excuse their generalized indifference to the finer details.

    What I have a harder time forgiving are the ERs that charge $700 for the same generalized indifference. “One Pill Fits All“ is pretty much the theme, whether you go to the biggest hospital in the state or the urgent care that sits next to a Taco Bell in a shopping plaza. And most people don’t really ask questions. They want a quick fix, so they take the pills. “The doctor told me to” is a phrase repeated ad nauseum from the mouths of consumers everywhere. But with the number of deaths and injuries from standard medical treatments rising every year, I have to ask: If your doctor told you to jump off a cliff would you do that too?

    Many people would. Their health insurance covers it, after all. And what doesn’t it cover? Well, despite the fact that there was great speculation that the new Affordable Care Act would address the need for alternative therapies, neither acupuncture, chiropractic nor any other type of alternative care is available to those with income levels too low to afford co-pays. And the co-pays that accompany additional riders on policies with better coverage are unattractive when compared to standard western treatments.

    What is the alternative? Move to a country with social medicine? People in Canada and England bitch about their healthcare too. The problem is, it’s all the same western medicine. If you want coverage for something outside the box, like traditional Chinese medicine or acupuncture, go to Taiwan. A standard health insurance policy for, say, a middle school teacher, costs about $9 a month and covers everything.

    My advice to you is to follow the same instincts that led you to shelf your prescription. Remain aware. Don’t ever just take the pills. Do some research. Take care of as many of your own problems as you possibly can. In the United States of America today, it is not safe to close your eyes and sleep. At least, not in a hospital bed.

  • Beer Does a Body Good

    Beer Does a Body Good

    healthybeerThe next time your partner, roommate or mother starts bitching about the bottles piling up in your recycle bin, here’s a whole new belt load of ammunition to defend your love of beer.You have the researchers at the Mediterranean Neurological Institute in Italy to thank for these recent findings. They devoted themselves to reviewing over 150 studies on ale, stout and lagers. Their conclusion? Beer is good for you.

    Of course, there’s a caveat. There always is. I’d love to give you free license to drink ‘til you drop, but I must regretfully break the news that less is more. The recommended limits are up to 2.8 pints a day for men, and half of that for women, depending on size. Drinkers who binge or regularly consume large amounts of alcohol put themselves at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer and cirrhosis of the liver. So bring your common sense, and come discover…

    The Wondrous Miracles of Beer

    Help out your heart! Moderate beer drinkers had a 42% lower risk of heart disease compared to non-drinkers. In fact, beer may cut your risk of atherosclerosis by as much as half. When your arteries feel that pleasant beer buzz, they relax and become more flexible; blood flow improves significantly. Dark ales and stouts are particularly beneficial.

    Prevent kidney stones! Having to pee more often has surprising benefits. While admittedly annoying in the middle of the night, increased urine flow, along with more diluted urine, reduces the risk of stones forming.

    Boost your creativity! You’re probably not as clever as you think you are, but you might actually be a bit wittier after a draft or two. Men in a study also solved puzzles a few seconds faster than their sober test partners.

    Improve your vision! Canadian researchers found that one beer a day, especially lager or stout, increased antioxidant activity that helps prevent cataracts from forming. Unfortunately, they found exactly the opposite effect in subjects who had three or more drinks a day.

    Chill, bro! Beer drinkers are far less prone to develop high blood pressure.

    Bounce back faster! In one study, people who had a post-workout beer were slightly more hydrated than those who had H2O. However, considering the narrow margin of difference, I suspect that this study was conducted by people who really like beer.

    Prevent a fracture! One to two beers a day could actually strengthen your bones. It is known to contain high levels of silicon, an element that promotes bone growth. According to a study at Tufts University, moderate drinkers had 4.5% greater bone density than non-drinkers — but more than two beers caused up to 5.2% lower density.

    Reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes! A study at the Harvard School of Public Health found that the alcohol content in beer increases insulin sensitivity, which helps prevent diabetes. Beer also provides soluble fiber — a nutrient that helps to control blood sugar.

    Sleep like a baby! As if you haven’t noticed, beer helps put you to sleep. It stimulates the production of dopamine, which is often prescribed for insomnia. In fact, just one sip of beer increases levels in the brain — a mere 15 millilitre serving is all you need to calm you right down. It doesn’t take a six pack. Binge drinkers, take note.

    Boost your immune system! According to an Oregon Health & Science University study, one or two beers a day might help you fight off infections. However, drinking heavily has the opposite effect.

    Beer improves digestion! Those bitter hops help release gastric acid, break down food in the stomach and assist your gut in fighting off harmful bacteria.

    Beer might even cure cancer! A chemical in beer, Xanthohumol, was successful in halting cancer growth in test rats. If you have rats, you may have to fight them for your beer.

    So there you have it! A dozen arguments lauding the virtue of beer. Whether your pleasure is German Bock, Japanese Rice Lager or good old Bud, savor the flavor and ditch the guilt. Life is meant to be enjoyed, not endured. However, neither is life meant to be spent in an alcoholic daze. You can choose to drink to your health or drink to your own early demise. The choice, as always, is entirely up to you. But please … choose wisely. Your beer buddies will miss you.

  • Film Review: SEED, the Untold Story

    Film Review: SEED, the Untold Story

    seedfilmSEED, the Untold Story would be worth watching if only for the lush beauty of its visuals; the opening sequence is pure art, glowing and smoldering with fecund life. Jewel-like ovules and whirligigs pour into the viewer’s eyes in a hypnotizing swirl. But behind the colors lurks a dark cloud, and this story, like the germ of a seed, carries a truth that is being played out behind our backs while we sleep: Something valuable is being taken away from us that we may never get back.

    Until watching this film, I was blithely unaware that in 2016 we have the largest seed shortage in known history. We’ve lost at least 94% of Earth’s original seed varieties. Why does this matter? Because, as much as we have developed our technology, electronics and communication satellites are not something we can eat. Genetic diversity in plants is the only thing that stands between us and global famine; and when the seeds of a plant are lost to history, they are gone forever.

    SEED introduces us to a subculture of souls who work to keep the biodiversity of seeds alive. These people do not stare into their handheld devices or media screens. They are watching something else: the earth, the sky, the corn that grows and the seeds that can, from a single kernel, unfurl a tree that takes root, living through generations of men who are born and die. A single seed can produce a plant that multiplies and feeds a village. Far behind the stage of high-tech life, these dedicated guardians hold a line that most of us don’t know exists, against the forces that are quietly moving to corral and control the very resources of life.

    What disturbed me while watching this film is that I know this is not some dramatization of a conspiracy theory. Every fact presented checks out as true. Dow Chemical really did knowingly test poisonous chemicals next to children’s schools in Hawaii, Monsanto actually did run farmers out of business who would not knuckle under and buy their genetically modified seeds. It is a dark awakening. While consumers across the planet are preoccupied with the drama of war, politics and violence on the streets, behind the scenes, an erosion far more insidious is taking place. Today, in 2016, chemical corporations have literally taken control of the future of our world.

    SEED makes itself a lucid voice that brings to light the true weight and meaning of the corporate manipulations of land and chemicals. These companies are now meddling with the very hands of creation: Welcome to the world of GMOs (genetically modified organisms).

    If you go on the internet, you can find hundreds of testimonies from corporations lauding the virtues of GMO products — they produce bigger crops, use less water, feed more people. It is not coincidence that these businesses stand to profit most generously from the GMO industry. But the actions of the chemical conglomerates speak clearly of their hidden motives; this film need not exaggerate to prove a point. Rather, SEED seeks to reconnect us with a side of life that we in America have all but forgotten — our heritage, our authentic origins and the people who unassumingly go about the business of saving the world without fanfare or special effects.

    Fortunately, the importance of preserving of heirloom seeds is not entirely unrecognized. There are global banks, in England, India, Norway, Russia and other countries. One of the least known but most irreversible atrocities committed by the US in the Iraq war was when we destroyed their National Seed Bank, a collective that had been gathered to benefit not just Iraq, but all of mankind. This film is a wake-up call on American’s priorities.

    Currently, 64 countries around the world require labeling of genetically modified foods. Unlike most other developed nations, the US has no laws requiring such measures. In fact, in 2015 the US House of Representatives passed a bill that prevents any mandatory GMO food labeling. Legislature does, however, have measures in place to assure the public that it is safe for them to consume these foods. It gives one pause.

    Last week, workers in Hungary, in defiance of the biotech monolith, Monsanto, set fire to thousands of acres of corn. Why? Hungary is one of the few countries that has an outright ban against GMOs and the crops had been grown with contaminated seeds. In May of this year, the people of South Africa united as part of the March Against Monsanto, a campaign that stretches around the globe. Why is the United States, a self-proclaimed leader in the world, making such a weak showing against a danger that so many others see quite clearly?

    Watch this movie, please. It will open your eyes and leave them aching.

    SEED: The Untold Story will premiere at the Cable Car Cinema in Providence on Sunday, September 25.