Author Archives: Nicole Delengos

Are Chia Seeds a “Superfood”?

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Often advertisements, social media, and talk shows create myths and claims about superfoods and their nutritional value. A “Superfood” is a non-medical term used in the media to refer to foods that can have health promoting properties. Chia seeds are tiny black edible seeds that come from the desert plant, Slavia Hispanica. The media claims that chia seeds aid in weight loss because of the high fiber and protein content. Is this true?

Chia seeds have a lot of vitamins and nutrients that are essential to the human body such as omega-3, fiber, and protein. The media claims that chia seeds aid in weight loss because of the high contents of fiber and protein, making chia seeds very satiating causing you not to be hungry. This would then lead to weight loss

imagesScientific studies were performed to see if these claims are true or false. The research that was done shows that there was no change in body composition or body weight concluding no weight loss. Enough research has not been done because most of these results are unclear or are combined with other types of seeds.

The media comes up with all sorts of crazy claims sometimes. It is highly important to research actual scientific studies to make sure it is true or false before automatically believing the media.

Oxfam Hunger Banquet

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Yesterday, my LC and I attended the Oxfam Hunger Banquet. Attending this Banquet I did not know what to expect really. When we first entered, we were handed a card and were seated randomly. The people that were told to sit on the floor were the low-income families, and the middle class and the upper class were seated at tables. This banquet was held to raise awareness of world hunger and bring it to perspective.

I liked how this banquet was almost a week after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful for everything we have because on an everyday basis we are too busy to even stop and think for a moment. Yesterday, attending this banquet really brought world hunger to perspective for me. During the discussion, the speakers told us how every 11 seconds a child dies in the world because of malnourishment is heartbreaking. I am grateful to be born in a middle-class family where I am not deprived of food, but there are children out there that are fortunate enough. We do not choose what class we are born into, unfortunately.

Towards the end of this banquet the low incomce families were asked to stand and get food, their food was rice and beans. This is what a low-income family was able to afford to eat. The middle class family was then asked to stand, and they were served plain pasta with a piece of bread. The upper-class family was then served chicken. This is what these family’s ate on a daily basis. It is extremely sad, and it is amazing how this Oxfam banquet tries to raise awareness.

Thanksgiving Dinner

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In last week’s history and RFT class, we discussed Thanksgiving and how differently foods are prepared. I never spent the time to think about Thanksgiving and how my family prepares for this Holiday. Every year my family alternates on who is going to cook for Thanksgiving. Last year, Thanksgiving was at my house so this year my aunt decided to celebrate it at her house. We are a big family and every year we there is always a new addition. Our immediate family is over thirty people not including all our close family members in Greece.

Each family member cooks and brings something homemade. My mom made pecan pie and her famous tiramisu, my grandmother made the stuffing, etc. We always make the typical Thanksgiving dinner, turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries, corn, and gravy, but we always add a Greek twist to it. We always make our signature spinach and cheese pies that everyone loves. My family, especially the guys, can eat lamb every day. So on Thanksgiving in addition to the turkey we also make lamb. I am not a big fan of turkey, so I get incredibly happy that we incorporate some Greek foods.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because it is a day I sit back, look around, and take a moment to be thankful for everything I have and how fortunate my siblings and I are. We never know what we are going to wake up to so we should appreciate and be thankful every day.

The Tragic Attack on Paris

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In my previous history class, Dr. Smith devoted the class to discussing the recent attack on Paris. Paris was recently attacked by a terrorist group called ISIS. ISIS managed to bomb small restaurants, cafes, etc., killing approximately 130 people in there mid 20’s and 30’s. These people were innocent and were just enjoying themselves on a Friday night and in a matter of seconds their world came crashing down on them. This attack has brought about a lot of questions and concerns about our safety and as to why this is all happening.

ISIS has brought a lot of panic all over the world. People are scared to leave their houses. Parents are scared to leave their kids alone due to all of these crazy things that go on in this world we live in today. Why should we be living in fear? Living in New York, i always believed I was safe but after these bombings and hearing how ordinary people like me got killed while innocently drinking coffee, seriously concerns me. It concerns me even more knowing that ISIS is now targeting us. We can not stop our lives because of what is happening, and I do not believe we can do anything because it’s in the hands of ISIS and our government. It is our governments job to protect us and keep us safe. There are some things that we can not stop because it is not in our hands, but I do believe we should be on high alert and have extra security until this issue is resolved. ISIS is succeeding in making us feel afraid and fear what’s to come with all the videos they are releasing throughout the media.

It deeply saddens me to know what our world has come down to. These attacks and bombs should not be okay. New York City has experienced a terrorist attack once before, the falling of the Twin Towers, and since that devastating day we have picked ourselves up and have become an even stronger nation. This Paris attack was a sign for us to be careful and take ISIS more seriously.

Oysters

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This past weekend my family and I, went for a mini getaway to Atlantic City for the weekend. Once we arrived, we were all so hungry so we rushed to the first restaurant we came across. This restaurant was called Izakaya, and it had a modern Japanese cuisine. We were seated and one by one we began to order. When it was my mom’s turn to order she asked for oysters, I immediately looked at her like she had ten heads.  I had never seen my mother order or eat oysters, and I had no idea she even liked oysters. When the waiter brought the oysters out my first response was “Oh my god these are gross”. Theses oysters looked so slimy that I was skeeved out just by looking at them. As gross as they seemed, in the back of my head I kept hearing Dr. Smith’s voice saying how delicious oysters are. My parents and siblings were begging me to try them aimagesnd so I finally gave in. I was so confused as to how one eats Oysters. So I decided to use a fork instead of slurping it out of the shell, yes I was the only one in the whole restaurant using a fork to eat oysters. After trying oysters for the first time, I could not believe how good they tasted. I’m happy I was open to trying them and learning how delicious they are. I forgot to take a picture of the actual oysters I ate, but I found an image that looks exactly like them. I highly recommend anyone who has not tried oysters to go out and order some and give it a shot because I can guarantee you will love them.

Sunset Park

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This past week my two teammates, Olivia and Vincent, and I visited Sunset Park for our neighborhood project. Living in Bay Ridge I’ve been to Sunset Park many times, but I never actually paid attention to my surroundings. I was too busy screaming and yelling about all the traffic. Sunset Park is located between Bay Ridge and Gowanus. This neighborhood is home to a large Chinese population. From visiting this area, I realized it is extremely overpopulated and congested but what I found most interesting is that the people living there had no problem with this issue, it seemed normal to them. They had their cars double parked, and corners were overpacked; you could barely move. Besides all of these negative aspects, there were many positives. Chinatown is filled with a variety of food stands with fresh fruit and goods. These food stands were mainly on corners and outside that caused this congestion. Reading before visiting Sunset Park, I read that Chinatown is famous for its dumplings. Thanks to Dr. Nolan, he recommended a Chinese restaurant that served delicious dumplings. IMG_1254Once we reached the restaurant, I was a bit unsure. The restaurant from the outside did not seem very appealing. We proceeded inside and ordered dumplings. I was amazed as
to how delicious these dumplings tasted. They were so fresh and hot. It was an enjoyable experience visiting a new neighborhood and seeing how one culture can dominate an
area. I’m excited to visit Sunset Park again and learn more.

Port Richmond Highschool

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On October 8th, my classmates and I visited Port Richmond Highschool. Our learning community teachers have required us to be mentors to Port Richmond students. Arriving at Port Richmond Highschool we were taken on a tour of the school, mainly focussing on their culinary program. Students once a day have a cooking class where they cook various meals. Monday and Tuesday the students discuss the foods they will be making, Wednesday and Thursday they begin cooking and on Friday they all eat.  As a student coming from a private catholic highschool this was an extremely different environment. I never had the oppurtunity to be in a culinary program in my highschool. These students were able to make various foods that i can not even make, i find that amazing. My job as a mentor is to help these students and guide them into college and their future. Walking into the classroom i was nervous because i had no idea what to say to these students from the minute that i was in their shoes a couple of years ago. I found a group of students and i started a conversation with a girl named Allison. She was extremely welcoming and opened towards me. Im excited to mentor Allison to be able to guide her in her path to college because i know the process can be extremely stressful. I enjoyed my trip to port richmond im excited to go back.

What is Beauty?

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Watching the video  “Women’s Ideal Body Types Throughout History” on my own because I could not attend class led me to be greatly intrigued. Throughout the years, women’s ideal body type has changed in many ways. From plump, full-bodied, light skin Ancient Greek women to flat stomach, “healthy” skinny, large breast post-modern beauty. After watching the video, I was struck with a question of “Who determines in each of these eras what body type is beautiful?”. After reflecting on this question, I came to the conclusion that society bases beauty on physical features. For example women in 2015 want Kim Kardashians butt and Beyonce’s curves because that is what society considers beautiful. People began to go out of their way to buy waist trainers and get butt implants to look like these celebrities. I believe this is absolutely absurd. Beauty should not be based on what other people think of you. Beauty should be based on your inner beauty.

My Food Voice

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An important tradition in my Greek household that has been passed down from my grandfather is the preparation of the lamb. My parents immigrated to the United States years ago and brought this tradition from my small village in Greece all the way to my suburban home in Brooklyn. Before my parents left their homeland, their parents made sure to teach them all of the significant history and culture that was passed on from our ancestors to preserve our heritage. Lamb meat is widely used in the preparation of Greek foods but most importantly on Easter.

IMG_4425The night before Easter, my father with the help of his brother begin the preparation of the lamb. They season it with a mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano that is called “ladolemono”. The next day after morning liturgy they place the lamb on a large spit. The lamb takes approximately four hours to cook completely.

This day is very symbolic for my family and I because it’s the one day, since I was a little girl, that all my family members gather together to celebrate Easter. Even though many years have gone by this tradition is still alive in my family. The memories I have made, are memories that I would want to pass down to my future family to be able to carry on this tradition.