Hey everyone!
I suppose you might be asking where have all our posts gone? Well, we've move our blog.
You can now follow us over at our new 21st Century Food Blog. It's still slightly under construction, but all our great posts are now over there!
Hope you enjoyed things so far!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Problems with the Agricultural Industry of Today
The food chain is a little bit out of whack these days, notably with fruits and vegetables. Ideally, crops would be grown, harvest and then shared or sold and eaten. It starts at the farm, and gets to your dinner table in maybe two steps. However, that is hardly the case these days with the way the agricultural industry is run in the Western world.
The sad truth of the matter is that the cozy little image of a small family running a small farm is quickly becoming an antiquated concept. Every day there are fewer and fewer farms run by actual people and more and more run by enormous companies. Where people can give their product a human touch and pride themselves in their work, mega corporations are normally more concerned with volume of produce and making money.
One of the main problems with this line of thinking is that once corporations begin buying up farms and land, they eventually gain control of massive holdings that are well beyond their reasonable scope of being able to manage and overview every holding effectively.
It has taken a recent massive outbreak of E-Coli in Europe for officials to admit that the way the agricultural industry is set up doesn't work. Because such a massive volume of food is produced by only two or three corporations, they are having a hard time tracking the source of the outbreak because there is simply too much going on.
The food could come from dozens of farms in an area, which all grow the same crop and ship it to the same distributor, who then mingles it will all the other food and sends it out to various locations, and then to grocery stores and markets and so forth. Because of this, tracking the origins of an outbreak is a nightmare, become too much food comes into contact with it and ends up in too many areas.
If farms were more localized, an outbreak of E-Coli wouldn't spread across the continent, and would be easy to contain because the crop could be identified immediately.
One of the reasons small local and organic farms are so important is that they are actually accountable for the crops they produce. Unlike in the system of corporations where farms just produce and send the crops away and out of their hands, smaller farms tend to take pride in their work and remain local and visible. As well, there is much smaller chance that dangerous food bacteria will emerge and spread from these locations.
It also helps that organic farms do not use pesticides and other toxic chemicals to protect their crops from insects, considering that there are plenty of natural and safe to humans ways of fighting off insects and other ills from their crops.
The sad truth of the matter is that the cozy little image of a small family running a small farm is quickly becoming an antiquated concept. Every day there are fewer and fewer farms run by actual people and more and more run by enormous companies. Where people can give their product a human touch and pride themselves in their work, mega corporations are normally more concerned with volume of produce and making money.
One of the main problems with this line of thinking is that once corporations begin buying up farms and land, they eventually gain control of massive holdings that are well beyond their reasonable scope of being able to manage and overview every holding effectively.
It has taken a recent massive outbreak of E-Coli in Europe for officials to admit that the way the agricultural industry is set up doesn't work. Because such a massive volume of food is produced by only two or three corporations, they are having a hard time tracking the source of the outbreak because there is simply too much going on.
The food could come from dozens of farms in an area, which all grow the same crop and ship it to the same distributor, who then mingles it will all the other food and sends it out to various locations, and then to grocery stores and markets and so forth. Because of this, tracking the origins of an outbreak is a nightmare, become too much food comes into contact with it and ends up in too many areas.
If farms were more localized, an outbreak of E-Coli wouldn't spread across the continent, and would be easy to contain because the crop could be identified immediately.
It also helps that organic farms do not use pesticides and other toxic chemicals to protect their crops from insects, considering that there are plenty of natural and safe to humans ways of fighting off insects and other ills from their crops.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
A drug to erase bad memories?
Here's some odd health news: researchers believe they have developed a pill that can erase bad memories.
When we are experiencing high levels of stress our anxiety, our bodies produce a hormone called cortisol. Researchers at a clinical study realized that the hormone remains with us when we recall the memory and once again feel stressed out, and hypothesized that the hormone itself was tied to reproducing the memory.
By giving volunteers a cortisol-dampening pill after having exposed them to a stressful short film, researchers discovered that patients had difficulty in remembering the film and what it was about it that caused them anxiety in the first place.
This research honestly feels like something out a science-fiction, and eerily close to what happened in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind where the main characters both had their memories of each other erased after their relationship grew painful.
While this new pill sounds like it good have positive benefits, such as soothing people haunted by a traumatic event, it also has the potential to be abused. People might see the pill as the solution to minor problems and heart aches, rather than coping with them. Imagine taking a pill to erase your memory every time you make a mistake; you will only end up repeating that mistake over and over.
Our memories and experience make up who we are, without them we would be much like goldfish circling forever in our fish bowl, not realizing how we got there or where we are going. Bad memories are as important as the good, because without them we would never learn from past mistakes or become stronger human beings.
What do you think? Can having some of your memories erased be a good thing, or should we go on living?
When we are experiencing high levels of stress our anxiety, our bodies produce a hormone called cortisol. Researchers at a clinical study realized that the hormone remains with us when we recall the memory and once again feel stressed out, and hypothesized that the hormone itself was tied to reproducing the memory.
By giving volunteers a cortisol-dampening pill after having exposed them to a stressful short film, researchers discovered that patients had difficulty in remembering the film and what it was about it that caused them anxiety in the first place.
This research honestly feels like something out a science-fiction, and eerily close to what happened in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind where the main characters both had their memories of each other erased after their relationship grew painful.
While this new pill sounds like it good have positive benefits, such as soothing people haunted by a traumatic event, it also has the potential to be abused. People might see the pill as the solution to minor problems and heart aches, rather than coping with them. Imagine taking a pill to erase your memory every time you make a mistake; you will only end up repeating that mistake over and over.
Our memories and experience make up who we are, without them we would be much like goldfish circling forever in our fish bowl, not realizing how we got there or where we are going. Bad memories are as important as the good, because without them we would never learn from past mistakes or become stronger human beings.
What do you think? Can having some of your memories erased be a good thing, or should we go on living?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
San Tropez Latin Dance Studio
Looking for something to do this summer that will also help you get moving? How about some feisty latin dance courses offered over at the San Tropez dance studio, based right here in Montreal.
The studio has two locations, one in the West Island and the other in the Downtown Core, which both offer a wide range of fun classes which both enthusiasts and amateurs can enjoy. They offer classes in Salsa, Bachata, Ballroom dancing and even Zumba, which pretty much means that anyone who attends a few lessons can abandon the shy feeling that dancefloors often give us.
The studios can fit about 20 people per class, along with a helpful and courteous staff that is there to help you get into the rhythme and feel at ease learning something new. Show up wearing comfortable clothing and running shoes, and you and your dance partner can expect a decent workout as well as learning something exciting and new.
San Tropez also hosts and organizez to the Montreal Salsa dancing convention, an event where a certain member of the 21st Century Food team had the privilege of attending. This event is no small time competition but a full on gala, with professional dancers and talented dance enthusiasts competing in front of large crowds on an elegantly decorated stage.
Honestly, some of these couples could put the people from So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars to utter shame. Talk about wonderful outfits and routines, all set to feisty summer music.
It was really something special, and a great way to spend the evening. Judging by the success of these events (the place was packed!), you can expect them to be a regular occurence here in Montreal.
So if you are looking for a way to get the most out of this summer, perhaps learning Salsa is the thing for you.
The studio has two locations, one in the West Island and the other in the Downtown Core, which both offer a wide range of fun classes which both enthusiasts and amateurs can enjoy. They offer classes in Salsa, Bachata, Ballroom dancing and even Zumba, which pretty much means that anyone who attends a few lessons can abandon the shy feeling that dancefloors often give us.
The studios can fit about 20 people per class, along with a helpful and courteous staff that is there to help you get into the rhythme and feel at ease learning something new. Show up wearing comfortable clothing and running shoes, and you and your dance partner can expect a decent workout as well as learning something exciting and new.
San Tropez also hosts and organizez to the Montreal Salsa dancing convention, an event where a certain member of the 21st Century Food team had the privilege of attending. This event is no small time competition but a full on gala, with professional dancers and talented dance enthusiasts competing in front of large crowds on an elegantly decorated stage.
Honestly, some of these couples could put the people from So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars to utter shame. Talk about wonderful outfits and routines, all set to feisty summer music.
It was really something special, and a great way to spend the evening. Judging by the success of these events (the place was packed!), you can expect them to be a regular occurence here in Montreal.
So if you are looking for a way to get the most out of this summer, perhaps learning Salsa is the thing for you.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
British Columbia's Bike to Work Week
Beginning next Monday is the province of British Columbia's "Bike to Work Week". Celebreated in 15 municipalities, including Victoria, participants are encouraged, well, to bike to work.
This May will mark the 17th year that the event has taken place. Close to 10 000 participants are expected to participated across the province, with as many as 6000 people in victoria abandoning their cars for a bicycle that week.
The purpose of the event is two fold fold.
In one sense it acts a way for people to see that biking is actually a viable mode of transportation in cities. With up to six thousand less cars on the road every day for a week, that creates a whole lot of space for people to get around. People are often frightened of biking in cities due to the lack of proper bike paths and aggressive drivers and this serves as a way to encourage people to go biking, and feel how much more enjoyable it is than driving.
Once people actually get on their bikes, the benefits they can enjoy are immediate. Biking is great exercise, far more engaging than walking or running. You get to work a ton of muscles, and not worry about hurting or damaging your knees. At the same time, you get to enjoy fresh air, feel the sun on your shoulders, and arrive at work awake and exhilerated.
Also important, it cuts back on emissions (not to mention saves you from spending gas money!). If 10 000 cars are off the road for the whole week, thats a whole ton less fumes going into the air. While I doubt that BC has a problem with smog, it's something that Montreal certainly faces from time to time from way too much air pollution. Your lungs and the planet will thank you.
Unfortunately, this trend hasn't really caught on to the same degree here in Montreal. We have car free day once a year, where around 6 blocks of city are closes off, which is nice but it only lasts around half a day. Perhaps because our city has the stigma for terrible drivers that people tend to see cyclists as diehards or lunatics. Luckily though, bike lanes are constantly being added to busy streets to protect and encourage cyclists and the Bixi service is expanding every year. I even noticed some down on Monkland Avenue in NDG the other day! Small steps, but all in the right direction.
This May will mark the 17th year that the event has taken place. Close to 10 000 participants are expected to participated across the province, with as many as 6000 people in victoria abandoning their cars for a bicycle that week.
In one sense it acts a way for people to see that biking is actually a viable mode of transportation in cities. With up to six thousand less cars on the road every day for a week, that creates a whole lot of space for people to get around. People are often frightened of biking in cities due to the lack of proper bike paths and aggressive drivers and this serves as a way to encourage people to go biking, and feel how much more enjoyable it is than driving.
Once people actually get on their bikes, the benefits they can enjoy are immediate. Biking is great exercise, far more engaging than walking or running. You get to work a ton of muscles, and not worry about hurting or damaging your knees. At the same time, you get to enjoy fresh air, feel the sun on your shoulders, and arrive at work awake and exhilerated.
Also important, it cuts back on emissions (not to mention saves you from spending gas money!). If 10 000 cars are off the road for the whole week, thats a whole ton less fumes going into the air. While I doubt that BC has a problem with smog, it's something that Montreal certainly faces from time to time from way too much air pollution. Your lungs and the planet will thank you.
Unfortunately, this trend hasn't really caught on to the same degree here in Montreal. We have car free day once a year, where around 6 blocks of city are closes off, which is nice but it only lasts around half a day. Perhaps because our city has the stigma for terrible drivers that people tend to see cyclists as diehards or lunatics. Luckily though, bike lanes are constantly being added to busy streets to protect and encourage cyclists and the Bixi service is expanding every year. I even noticed some down on Monkland Avenue in NDG the other day! Small steps, but all in the right direction.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Watch out arteries: The KFC Double Down is coming back to Canada
Remembe that fried monstrosity that FKC released a little while ago called the "Double Down"? People's arteries the world over cringed the first time that "sandwhich" was released, and now it's bad with a "healthy" (notice the quotation marks!) spin to it.
First, the facts on these terrors:
Needless to say, anyone who cares in the least bit about their body should avoid these. In fact, even the people who eat poorly on a regular basis will want to steer clear for their own good.
When it was first released, FKC owners flaunted the fact that it was the single most unhealthy food out there on the market at the time. People eagerly crowded restaurant lines to find out what losing six years of your life tastes like.
Now, the new "healthy" spin on these things is that the makers decided to cut down the sodium by 10%.
That's it... really.
So instead of 1500 mg of sodium they now contain 1320 mg of sodium, which is still way more than should be in any thing other than a salt lick. Nevermind the amount of fat, calories and the damage that these thigns will do to your blood sugar levels.
It is honestly frightening to think that anyone in the right mind would willingly eat these.
So what does healthy food look like? Well for one, it's a lot more colourful.
I'll even say it: it's a lot more flavourful too. Don't believe me? Check out our lifestyle menu. Flavour, colour and healthy? Now there's a real combo.
- Made from two sides of deep fried chicken holding together strips of fried bacon, cheese and special sauce, the whole sandwhich sits hardly larger than your hand.
- Contains 32 grams of fat (probably not the good kind either... I'm guessing trans and saturated here)
- 1500 mg of sodium, or around a full day's worth.
- It's total calorie count sits around 540. That's roughly equivalent to a giant bowl of pasta with sauce, except in this case the pasta and sauce would actually fill you up and has nutrients in it.
- Nutritional value: none.
Needless to say, anyone who cares in the least bit about their body should avoid these. In fact, even the people who eat poorly on a regular basis will want to steer clear for their own good.
When it was first released, FKC owners flaunted the fact that it was the single most unhealthy food out there on the market at the time. People eagerly crowded restaurant lines to find out what losing six years of your life tastes like.
Now, the new "healthy" spin on these things is that the makers decided to cut down the sodium by 10%.
That's it... really.
So instead of 1500 mg of sodium they now contain 1320 mg of sodium, which is still way more than should be in any thing other than a salt lick. Nevermind the amount of fat, calories and the damage that these thigns will do to your blood sugar levels.
It is honestly frightening to think that anyone in the right mind would willingly eat these.
So what does healthy food look like? Well for one, it's a lot more colourful.
Monday, May 23, 2011
In Home Fitness, Physio and Personal Trainers
Here's something exciting: 21st Century Food has recently teamed up with the certified personal trainers of Be Training in order to better serve the needs of our clientele. Seeing a personal trainer can be an important step on the road towards a healthier happy you. Offering expert advice, recommendations and work outs, the good people over at Be Training can be the support you need to get moving!
What separates Be Training from most other excercise programs is the fact that instead of having to build up the will power to head out to the gym every evening, Be Training brings the training right into your home. Relying on largely equipment free exercises (because not everyone has their own home gym!) they offer simple, easy to follow routines.
This Summer they have several special programs going, such as Prenatal Fitness for expecting mothers and Stroller Fitness for new mothers, as well as Summer Bootcamp, a rigourous and intense outdoors physical workout.
Because fitness is not something you can afford to let go, BeTraining offers special discounts for students as well as couples and group rates. Their service is available and open to everyone on the island of Montreal and Ile-Bizard.
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