Cauliflower & Brussels Sprouts Pizza

My official inaugural food blog post happens to coincide with my asian food phase.  Every time I go to make one dish, I feel compelled to add asian flavors.  Who knows why. I've had some hits and some misses, but it seems to work out really well most of the time.   Either way, I'll be sure to share my 'hits' with you.

Props to the person who goes through all of the extra efforts to make your own pizza dough.  Really, though, good for you.  Having made my own and tried various store bought alternatives, however, I have decided that Trader Joe's garlic-herb pizza dough does the trick.  In my tiny nook that resembles a sorry excuse for a kitchen, I simply don't have the space to make my own dough even if I had all the time in the world.  Unless you are an avid baker with all the accouterments that entails, store-bought is the most practical option for a busy college kid.  Quick side note: as I so often stumble across trends long after they have been plastered on everyone her mothers' pinterests, I recently discovered the phenomenon that is the cauliflower crust.  As I say to my mother nearly every time she calls me, Google it.  I haven't tried it yet, but I look forward to doing so this Christmas break!

With that said, I improvised a yummy pizza last Friday for my brother's holiday fiesta.  I wanted to jot this down somewhere before I forgot what I did!  

Ingredients:

1-2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed outer leaves removed, and sliced thinly into shreds

2-4 shallots, thinly sliced

1/2 head cauliflower florets

4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

1/2 container Trader Joe's Bruschetta

1 round fresh pizza dough

Salt & Pepper to taste

Mozzarella cheese (or any other shredded cheese you like on pizza)

3 large garlic cloves (left in paper)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Feta cheese (crumbled on top of pizza)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 large handful fresh cilantro

Procedure:

1) Roast garlic cloves and cauliflower with some salt, pepper, and olive oil at 425 degrees until lightly browned.  Time can vary depending on how you much crunch you want in your cauliflower at the end.  I don't mind it being pretty soft by the time the pizza is done baking. NOTE: remove garlic after a few minutes once it's softened.  DON'T LET IT BURN!  Mince/mash removed garlic cloves

2) In a mixing bowl, combine roasted cauliflower, shallot, brussels, herbs, roasted garlic, and 2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce.  Get yer hands dirty here and really mix it all up!

3) Flour a baking sheet or pizza stone and roll out pizza dough.

3) NOTE: I used the Trader Joe's Bruschetta because I had some handy, but I also like using fresh thinly sliced roma tomatoes as a base.  However, because tomatoes aren't in season (and the produce at my local grocer in South Central LA is piss-poor) in the winter, I might also try canned tomatoes (try to get rid of as much juice as possible) as the tomato-y base. 

*So I started by spreading the remaining 2 Tbsp chili sauce to coat the pizza dough, then I added the tomato base (bruschetta, getting rid of excess moisture by gently wringing it out with my hands--it's fun to get messy, folks).

4) Sprinkle thin layer of mozzarella cheese.

5) Spread your toppings to cover the whole pizza.  It will seem like a lot, but just go with it.  

6) More shredded cheese & feta to your liking

7) Bake at 425 for around 15 minutes or until crust is nice deep brown (however you like your crusts).  Might want to finish it with a little kosher salt.

ENJOY!

On a completely separate note, I tried making these Apple-Kale Muffins and they are a surprisingly delicious way to incorporate more Kale into my diet.  Some modifications I made/would make in the future: 

-1-2 tablespoons brown sugar (she says she doesn't like her stuff as sweet)

-I used 3 small fuji apples and 6 babe carrots, but I would add more apple

-I added a little extra cinnamon

-I used frozen (defrosted) Kale b/c it's what I had, but I would wring out a little excess water or use fresh Kale if possible

-Add streusel topping

-I added frozen berries, but I would stick to dried berries (fresh/frozen imparts a little too much moisture for me)

-Added 2 Tbsp each of pepitas & sunflower seeds, plus 1.5 Tbsp flaxseed

Coming next: I think I might be developing an obsession with rutabagas (and not just because the word "rutabaga" is fun to say).  Also, chicken-tortilla soup, turkey burgers with beer-carmelized onions, turkey meatballs, and my asian thousand-island!

Blogging in the Humanities—A Retrospective

As the semester comes to a close, I would like to address blogging.  Before this semester, I hated blogging.  I kept my facebook strictly for keeping up to date with organizations of which I am a part.  I had vowed never to let myself get a twitter, instagram, pinterest, or foursquare.  Look at me now, though.  Although my blog's focus strayed from music, for which it is aptly named, I am now addicted. I unabashedly check facebook regularly, I have an instagram, and am considering making a foray into other social media networks.  Why?  Whereas before I thought these endeavors would be pointless because not enough people would "follow me" or "care" to read/see what I'm doing/seeing, I see these devices as ways to connect with both people I care about as well as myself.  There is something cathartic about venting your opinions in a space that can be so intertwined with other forms of media. Assuming that my few commenters actually cared about what I was writing, it felt satisfying to know that my voice, my research, and my opinions intrigued people.  Perhaps this is something innately selfish about me or about people in general.  I suppose my becoming more vocal on the web was sparked by the election, during which it was very hard to keep quiet.  Whereas I looked down on people who "wasted their time" on social media, I now appreciate its interconnectedness.  I appreciate the way it has enabled me to express myself, to get to know classmates through their blogs, and convey topics that I find genuinely interesting to the world.  I will definitely be keeping tabs with food addiction research and government nutrition regulation, as these things have fascinated me for years.  I like my blog title, so I look forward to repurposing this blog to encompass more of my interests such as cooking, backpacking, music, and dentistry.  I will leave you with one last delightful video that has helped me through this rough semester.  I had the privilege of seeing the private screening of this documentary, and it was absolutely amazing.  Definitely check out The Muir Project.  Thank you for a wonderful semester, blog!

Best wishes,

Graham

The Public Health Side of Things

I spent a sizable portion of my previous post discussing the more biological aspects discussed in my paper, so I've been looking forward to also getting to the public health side.  Don't worry, as promised, I'll let you know all about Sensa at the end.

I was a little bit discouraged when a classmate remarked that graphic anti-smoking ads simply infuriate her.  She highly doubted their effectiveness in getting people to quit smoking.   I would just like to report that extensive research has shown that graphic ads, in fact, do have a noticeable effect on quitting.  As this article points out, although these ads are controversial, the CDC has confirmed that they work.  Though, this success could have as much to do with the sheer number of ads (money being spent) and exposure these ads get as it does with the actual graphic content.  If you just wanna watch the video:

I have found further support for the effectiveness of graphic ads in a public health paper that confirmed the strength of fear appeals.  The link I provided will take you to the abstract, but if you would like to read the full-text, just look up the paper from that link in the USC libraries search section.  The paper, titled "Lessons Learned from Public Health Mass Media Campaigns: Marketing Health in a Crowded Media World," also discussed the framing of messages.  Framing, as discussed here, can take the form of gain-framed or loss-framed.  Gain-framed messages portray the benefits of a particular scenario, while loss-framed messages depict costs.  Results from various studies have concluded that gain-framed messages promote prevention more effectively, while loss-framed messages promote early-detection.  This makes sense in light of the video above.  By showing the costs of smoking, many are encouraged to seek "early detection" and the urge to quit increases.  I thought this would be interesting in relation to obesity because the framing could vary depending on the target audience.  To emotionally appeal to adults whose lifestyles are largely unchanging, perhaps a loss-framed message that depicts the adverse effects of obesity on their children would be helpful.  For impressionable children, perhaps a gain-framed message that depicts the positive effects of healthy eating habits would discourage bad ones from forming.  Anyway, this is the gist of what I discussed in this part of my paper for those interested.  

I would also like to take a moment to address a comment left on an earlier post.  For all of the people out there interested in everything to do with politics and food, check out this awesome blog!  FoodPolitics has a really good health-ranking among blogs, according to Technorati.  Anyway, the post I linked echoes my research and suspicions that politicians DO NOT CARE about children's nutritional health if it conflicts with their political agendas.  Just some food for thought for you, as many commenters after my presentation asked about economic effects of my food research (which I eventually considered beyond the purview of my paper).

And now, after ALL that blabbering: SENSA.  I'll start off by saying that because there are no studies about Sensa published in any peer-reviewed medical journals, you are better off staying away from it.  However, Sensa's creator, Alan Hirsch, claims that it enhances the sensory components (taste and smell) of food.  By heightening these senses, it takes less of the food to initiate what sensory-specific satiety, which I discussed last blog post.  As I mentioned there, the effects of this phenomenon in dieting are controversial.  So, in summary, sprinkling little synthesized food crystals into your food is supposed to make you think you're full.  I wish I could talk about this more, but there simply is not enough (or any) scientific data I could find to review.

Anyway, I hope my blog has provided you with some unique points of view on obesity.  To show you all that I am not a food-hating, calorie-counting, judgmental person, here are my food highlights from 2012: pizza with feta, peppers, and onions, butterflied roast chicken with mustard-thyme butter, homemade oreos, chocolate croissants, and a crepe cake.  Oh, how I'm looking forward to the holidays!

 

 

-Graham

Assignment 4 Exploration

The deed is done: I have submitted Assignment 4.  What a fascinating journey it's been.  I would like to start off this post by answering some more questions (as promised to my faithful readers in a previous post) from the oral presentation feedback.  I am not just saying this to be polite—that there were some very thoughtful comments that I tried very hard to include in my final paper.

I was asked whether the inclusion of Food Addiction in the DSM would encourage people to seek treatment because it could be covered by insurance that way.  For those who missed my presentation (of which, there were many), the DSM (Diagnostic Statistical Manual) is essentially the most widely accepted, universal handbook for psychological disorders.  I searched and uncovered numerous requests for such an inclusion.  Although the reality of food addiction has gained considerable traction in people accepting its validity recently, what I have found is that it is fairly easy for someone with food addiction to be diagnosed with another disorder that is contained within the DSM.  As I discussed in my presentation and my paper, food addiction has an extremely high comorbidity with myriad other disorders such as Binge Eating Disorder and Depression.  For these reasons, I don't believe insurance reasons are a primary barrier to people seeking treatment; if anything, the barrier lies in the stigma associated with obesity—which I argue could be alleviated by adopting the addiction model for obesity.  Critical and academic sources on this topic of including food addiction in the DSM are scarce, so I was unable to include it in my paper unfortunately.  I hope this information helps!

Another question I received whose content I was able to include in my paper concerned the brain's pleasure center.  In class, I showed a video (see earlier post) that described food's activation of the brain's pleasure center.  Someone asked if there was a way to simply turn the pleasure center off.  To answer this question, I can say: sort of.  Here is a picture of brain cell, or neuron connecting to a bunch of other neurons (see right).  Whether they are gustation chemical receptors in the taste buds or olfactory receptors in the nasal cribiform plate, these receptors begin a cascade.  When neurotransmitters transmit impulses, the pathways travelled by the electrical signals are known as signal transduction pathways.  All drugs that affect the brain act at one or various places in the brain's signal transduction pathways.  This can include messing with neurotransmitters or receptors in depression, anxiety, insomnia, and numerous other disorders.  I have found that pharmaceutical treatments have, in fact, been administered to affect the signal transduction pathway associated with overeating.  Specifically, I came across a patent designed to block odorant molecules from ever triggering the pathway stimulated through our sense of smell.  When calcium channels are blocked in these receptors, food moderation can be achieved.  There are numerous other ways to affect the pathway, but I stuck with one that seemed most prominent and interesting to me.

Another question I had was regarding confusion during the aforementioned video.  The video states that as one eats the chocolate milkshake, pleasure decreases.  This phenomenon, as I have come to learn, is known as sensory-specific satiety.  Essentially, it demonstrates the law of diminishing returns, in which each subsequent bite of the same thing yields less of a reward than something novel would, which leads people to eat less.  This could prove fruitful in studying if following a food with monotonous diet caused people to feel less of the rewards from food.  An adverse effect, however, may occur in which people's cravings for novel food stimuli increase and cause binge eating of new food if forced to eat the same food for long periods of time.  I did not focus on this very much because little to know significant differences have been found between obese and not-obese people when it comes to sensory-specific satiety.  The topic, though, is very interesting and has garnered quite a bit of attention, as evidenced by the Sensa fad. Basically, you pour Sensa, whose method of action I have yet to really explore, on food, and it makes you feel full.  Although this did not make its way into my paper, I would love to look into this and discuss it in my next blog post!

Those were the primary new additions to my paper that had to do with class questions.  In my next blog post, I would love to tell you all (however many of you there are still reading) about the ideas of "framing" campaign ads and how they may help in public health campaigns.

Hope you're all getting through finals okay!

Best wishes,

Graham

Extra Credit Review: The Interrupters

I would have written this review sooner, but I have been driving back and forth from Glendale to Whittier to Pasadena to Santa Monica all weekend tending to ailing family members.  I had the fortune, however, of seeing the screening of The Interrupters on Friday night after my a cappella rehearsal.

QUICK PLUG: I am a member of USC's all-male a cappella group, The Trojan Men.  We are holding a holiday concert in Bovard Auditorium this Friday, December 7th at 7pm.  For tickets, come see me after class or go to www.thetrojanmen.com.  It's going to be a great show, and I really hope any of you guys can come see it!

Back to the film screening.  I had no idea what this documentary was going to be about before I entered Norris Theater.  It was one of the most impactful, emotional films I have ever seen.  The arch of the film takes place starting in summer and progresses through each of the four seasons.  Focusing on the youth violence in the city of Chicago, director Steve James follows three main characters, Ameena, Cobe, and Eddie (pictured below), who belong to a group of amazing people known as Violence Interrupters.  Their mission is made clearer by the organization's name: ceasefire.org (we were notified after the screening that the name has changed to cureviolence).  The gang and non gang-related youth fatalities in Chicago and across the country are staggering, and Interrupters are on the front lines of stopping the violence before it starts.  Dr. Gary Slutkin, a researcher and executive director of www.cureviolence.org, explained in the movie that these killings occur in two steps.  Step 1 consists of a grievance; one individual disrespects another, which can consist of failing to pay off a debt, stepping on someone's turf, or verbal antagonism.  Step 2 consists of how to punish the offender, which leads to fights, and often murder.  The organization is composed of violence interrupters who have true street credibility.  At one point in the film, someone remarked that at one table with 20 or so people (mainly men), they had a combined 500+ years of prison time that should add up to a lot of wisdom to be bestowed on Chicago's young people.

I was shocked by the extraordinary lengths these brave individuals went to prevent escalation of altercations into murders.  I believe Slutkin mentioned in the film that violence has dropped 46% in areas where violence interrupters and ceasefire offices operate.  Slutkin also talked about violence being a disease; it is the disease that afflicts the impoverished inner city dwellers of Chicago.  On an analytical note, this comment relates perfectly to my topic of obesity and food addiction in that I am also trying to make the case that food addiction is a disorder unto itself.  The moment Slutkin made this appeal, my perception of violence completely changed to one that sees violence as the natural recourse for individuals who have inherited this set of cultural expectations.  It was interesting to see that there are those who likely have inherited a susceptibility to being more violent, volatile, and impulsive.  However, it struck me how there were many teenagers who conceded they didn't want to have to live the tough thug life.  These individuals cite that their survival depends on their willingness to retaliate and maintain a macho posture of strength in the face of threats.  To me these cases represent an example of what Richard Dawkins calls a meme, which is an element of culture or behavior that may be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means.

The film also follows the progress over the year of various at-risk people that are being helped personally by each of the violence interrupters.  Flamo, who offered a much-needed comic relief, was Cobe's 'project' and he transformed from on the verge to retaliate and murder four people for the handcuffing of his mother and brother to calmly holding a job as a train ticket operator.  Caprysha, the focus of Ameena's attention in the film, was slow-going in making progress in changing her attitudes and behaviors, but Ameena's persistence throughout the year and beyond is something to be deeply admired.  The goals of the violence interrupters are to stop escalating violence in extreme cases, and to work with at-risk kids to change how they perceive the supposed necessity to retaliate.

It was truly an emotional experience.  Everything from the music to the intimate confessions of both violence interrupters themselves as well as those they were mentoring made the captivating.  I was so thrilled to be able to talk to Ameena briefly after the showing and simply tell her how amazing and wonderful a person she is.  It made me wonder how a middle-class caucasian male like myself could make a difference like that.  Is it is, several violence interrupters have been shot at in the process of mediating conflicts; I cannot imagine what fate would await me if I tried to become a violence interrupter.  It was also great to hear Eddie talk about the art that he uses to inspire impressionable young kids to divorce themselves from the ways of thinking that involve retaliation and violence.  I tried to find an image online of Eddie's art that was shown in the film, but I had no in doing so.  I guess you'll just have to see the movie!  Regardless of the extra credit associated with this film, this was one of the best documentaries I have ever seen.

Oral Presentation Feedback and Highlight Photos

I know my last blog post left those who missed my presentation with a bit of cliffhanger by promising to recap so here it is.

I started off my presentation about obesity and food addiction by trying to put people at ease.  Whenever I tell people that I am working on a research project on obesity and food addiction, people generally don't know what food addiction is and/or immediately become defensive and assume I am about to launch a snooty attack on their eating habits.  Note: this is not at all what I am doing.  Food trucks, legend Bobby Flay, and social media like Yelp designed to help us seek out hot spots for great cuisine represent the thriving food culture in America that I absolutely love (and of which I can't get enough!).

But as I have discussed before, here is the problem: the prevalence of obesity is not only increasing, but it's costing our country a LOT of money.

But there are studies that I discussed that have yielded positive results for treating food addiction such as cognitive behavioral therapy, 12 step programs, and operant conditioning.

I also discussed briefly one of my favorite cookbooks that reflects the current directive of Michelle Obama's campaign to end obesity.  The first 40 or so pages of Food Matters, by Mark Bittman, discuss why we need to change how we eat as a nation.  The environmental and health impacts are staggering. His focus rests in changing the balance of proportions from 70% animal and processed foods eaten to 30%.  This implies making meat a garnish, rather than a side dish, as well as coming up with excellent, affordable ways to make healthy food delicious.  I highly recommend the book for those who might be interested in becoming a more knowledgeable cook.

As for your feedback...I would like to address a few questions and comments that people provided.  If I do not address yours, I apologize, but I will try to get to it in future posts.  If you're dying for an answer right this second, I hate to sound like I am talking to my mother when she asks computer advice: just google it.
Question: What is the source of other countries' lower obesity rates?
Answer: I have looked into this and have not been able to tie my findings into my research project (there are so many facets to obesity, that this project runs the risk of trying to accomplish too much).  What I have found, however, is that many European countries walk more.  There is much less of a reliance on car transportation, and many people must walk or bike to work and home.  Additionally, there is greater consumption of olive oil (a very good type of fat the improves HDL/LDL cholesterol levels) and red wine and cooked tomatoes have been studied to yield positive health benefits.  Also, I don't think it's much of a secret or surprise that America is generally more excessive in just about every category of consumption.  Also, there seems to be a misconception that America is the only country with this problem.  Although my focus relates primarily to the United States, the UK and other developed countries are experiencing alarming increases in obesity as well (this answers someone else's question too).

Comment: look at TV shows' effectiveness.
Response:  If there is one monumental disappointment I have come across in my research, it is that I cannot seem to find the effectiveness of certain media such as Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution or Supersize Me.  I have read various critiques of Supersize Me, which definitely created enough negative press for fast food companies (particularly McDonald's) that calorie counts were soon added to menus in all of their restaurants.  However, whether these calorie count lists are effective at dissuading individuals from eating unhealthy food, I have found very little information.  And what little information I have come across, it looks dismal in terms of the number of people whose minds are changed.  By this I mean that people who are already health-conscious see these numbers and internalize what they mean.  They respond to these numbers and behave accordingly.  As for those who have consistently unhealthy eating patterns, these figures tend to have little impact in decision-making so far as I can tell from my research.

There are several other questions that I will be addressing soon (fullness problems v. satiety; insurance & DSM, triggering pleasure center, anorexia v. obesity), so I will be back soon!  Thanks for the feedback everyone!

Best,

Graham

Oral Presentation Review

There is a reason behind why I am posting three blog posts in one day.  First of all, my computer saved the draft of this first entry, which was a review of my oral presentation that I wrote the day of my presentation (November 20, 2012).  I didn't realize the draft had been saved and not posted.  For this, I send my (not) plentiful readers my apologies, and I hope you understand.  And now, for your enjoyment: my oral presentation review.

I have yet to receive my feedback from classmates regarding my oral presentation, but I think it would be good to reflect on the process.  It's the day before Thanksgiving break, so, understandably, not very many students attended class.  For those who did show up, I would like to apologize for the graphic imagery related to smoking cigarettes that was in my powerpoint.  Some of you looked utterly appalled and disgusted by the image and one of you requested that I skip to the next slide.  I have been taking a human anatomy lab this semester in which I have dissected fresh cow brains, fresh pig hearts and lungs, and even poked around inside a human cadaver.  I find these things fascinating, and I think that over the course of the semester, I have become quite desensitized to these types of images.  I forgot to consider that many people are not as desensitized.  I apologize once again for the disturbing imagery.  For those curious people like me who missed my presentation, I'll post some of the image highlights of my presentation in my next blog post.  As for the gross picture, it can be found HERE

On a lighter note, I thought my presentation went pretty well insofar as I tried to make eye contact, speak clearly, and not stutter.  I tried my best to communicate that I wasn't attacking food, nor was I attacking eating a lot of food!  I don't want to be a fear monger, and I hope my message of research came across without sounding too...'preachy' from a skinny kid.  I hope you guys found it informative and I look forward to receiving your comments!  Choosing my topic has been an interesting road of discovery; I think food addiction is a concept that people have difficulty wrapping their heads around.  Many people casually toss around phrases like "oh my gosh, I am addicted to Reese's pieces."  In all likelihood though, no, you are not addicted.  This type of addiction to food is something so much deeper and more complex than anyone would suspect.  I hope public perception of addiction as it relates to obesity changes and that public officials take the necessary policy reform steps. Also, someone had a fantastic question about whether food addiction's inclusion in the DSM (diagnostic statistical manual—for psychological disorders) would encourage people to seek treatment for insurance purposes.  This is something I will most definitely research soon!  Thanks again everyone, and I look forward to the feedback!

Anyway, despite the fact that no one has commented on my blog (therefore, I assume I have but one lone faculty reader), I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels!

Graham