This semester has proven to be a very interesting one. After choosing a Microbiology LC as my first choice, and then being put into LC 13, I was extremely nervous for my first semester of college. I was not sure what to expect. Wanting to become a nurse, I’m not sure what the food history of New York City would provide me with. However, the semester has deemed itself very insightful. I am grateful for all of the interesting things that both the Psychology class, and the history class has taught me. I was fascinated to learn why we eat and drink the things we do, and how eating disorders come about. Being a native New Yorker, I was shocked to learn how vital oysters were in New York City’s food and goods exchange. If it was not for oysters, New York may not be as popular as it is today. I am extremely grateful for all of things I have learned this semester, and now I can learn ways to apply them to my everyday life. Thank you LC 13!

Recently for a paper that I wrote in psychology class, I studied the plant, Garcinia Cambogia. I chose Garcinia Cambogia because of how popular the product is in the media, in health food stores, and how heavily promoted it is by celebrities. I thought that this product had to work due to its popularity or “hype” by the media, and brand names like GNC Health store, and the Dr. Oz Show.  I even considered buying the product at some point to help me lose those extra five pounds I have been struggling with losing. So, I thought it would be a great product to research, potentially finding a resource to help me lose some weight!

So I began to search for some information and I what I found was very disappointing. Using Medline and PsychInfo databases, instantly several articles came up on Garcinia Cambogia’s ineffectiveness. it is astonishing how the media could portray this plant as a weight loss god meanwhile it may even have terrible side effects to your health. Although some research came up that Garcinia Cambogia may hinder obesity-promoting genes, it is  not true as the media promotes that it will make you lose all of your excess fat.

After listening to the rest of the classes projects on “super foods” (for those of us who are trying to lose weight) I have come to the conclusion that no food, or diet plan will make all of the fat disappear! Rather, in order to lose weight we need to eat a balanced diet, and exercise daily.

Being a native New Yorker, I have always heard about the famous Halal Guys and how great their food was. However, I never actually experienced or tasted their food. After recently having a history paper where we had to look into the changing food ways of New York City, I looked into the history of the Halal Guys and realized that they have truly influenced and changed the food industry not just in New York, but nationwide. A New York Times article, states that these three Egyptian immigrants who started the Halal Guys initially started their food cart as a hot dog stand. Yet once they discovered the demand for good halal food from the immigrant cab drivers, they began a new revolutionary business. These three men created a small food cart and have turned it into a huge franchise that is going to be available in parts all around America and even in European countries. What most amazed me the most about the history of the Halal Guys was the role of immigration and how much it impacted this business. The migration of all the Egyptian, Bangladeshi, and Afghan people into New York can be seen as an influential factor in the success of these food carts. The Halal Guys cater to this specific group of people because of the way they cook their food. Another New York times article says that they use halal cooking methods which means that they cook their food in mannerisms that follow the Muslim Koran. Although, when this business began they initially targeted those immigrant cab drivers, it became something that was desired by all kinds of people. These halal food carts are infamous for having their longest lines late at night serving all those young people who spent their nights partying in New York City clubs. Their huge success depicts a change in New York City food ways. We embrace a more ethnic food culture and that is something that I find truly great about living in New York. In my opinion I love living in a place that is a known as a huge melting pot that allows for any one and everyone to make something of themselves no matter where they come from.

(I originally wrote this as a comment in response to a few other’s posts about this discussion, but I could not post it.)

The conversation from our history class about the Paris attacks also shook me. But in a different way. I’ve always been a little scared that something was going to happen again, but I always hoped it wouldn’t happen to me. The other night I was in a movie theater seeing the new Hunger Games movie, and I got scared whenever I saw movement around me. Ever since the movie theater shootings in the past few years I’ve been a little afraid of a shooter, and ever since I can remember I’ve been afraid of violence due to the 9/11 attacks and the many mass killings in America. I thought that this conversation was kind of enlightening because we pointed out to Dr. Smith that we’re almost a little conditioned to this violence. She had no idea, and was a little horrified to find out, that we grew up having “intruder drills.” Some kids said they started them in middle school, but I remember them as far back as kindergarten. We would lock the door, turn off the lights, pull down the shades, and huddle in the corner away from the door and windows, or at least that’s how my school district did this. My school had a lot of exchange students go through, my family housed three from Germany, and I know for a fact none of them have experienced this. Other countries don’t do this. And our generation thinks it’s normal.

As this semester is coming to a close, I have been reflecting on all I’ve learned, especially from my experiential learning at Port Richmond. Through the high school students, I’ve learned more than how to cook knishes, chili or chicken stir fry. I’ve also learned to be appreciative for what I have and my education at Wagner. Many of the students do not come from good homes and do not take their education seriously. I am glad I was able to meet them, talk to them, and hopefully make a small difference in at least one of their lives.

I’ve also learned through my RFT class that through experiencing new places, such as Flushing, Queens, you can learn about yourself. Meaning, through experiencing Flushing I was able to acknowledge the benefits I have by living in Dyker Heights as well as see the problems of both neighborhoods. I hope to visit Flushing again and experience further into what it has to offer, especially in the food.

Also, after attending the presentation when the chefs of Wagner’s dining hall explain all that goes into the food preparation, I felt even more appreciative. Even though I do not eat in the dining hall, it was nice to hear the hard work that is put into the food served each day. I am definitely getting a meal card for next semester so I can enjoy all the good food in the dining hall. I am also very happy to hear about the great things Wagner does to help the hungry with all the leftovers.

I had never met someone with celiac disease before. Sure, I had met the many who avoided gluten on their own terms, but I had never met someone who had the same struggles I did. But then a few weeks ago I overheard Lauren say how she was diagnosed with celiac disease. I felt bad for being so happy, but I now had someone I could now bond with.

After a short chat with Lauren I decided to help her out a bit. I made a list of all my favorite gluten free brands and products. I also tried to give her advice and tips. Plus, I gave her a few of the products I have in my dorm. I also gave her the tour of the dining hall and where to find the very small amount of gluten free products.

Overall, I hope that I have made Lauren feel less sad about having celiac disease. I know when I was diagnosed in 8th grade I felt like I would never eat good food again. And now I wish I could have told my past self that everything would be alright. Sure there were bumps along the way, but dietary restrictions should never make someone stop living their life.

Last week I went to the Oxfam Hunger Banquet. At this banquet I was placed in the lower class and was told to sit on the floor and would later be given rice and beans as dinner. Before the food was out, we discussed statistics and personal experience. It was weird considering myself as “upper class.” It’s strange to see how our ideas change when we think in terms of the whole world rather than just America. Owning just one car can put you in the upper class of the world. They told us how 50% of the world is low income. The average earnings in a day for someone in the low income group would be $2.

In psychology class, each individual was required to research the claims regarding the ‘functional food’ status of an allegedly health-beneficial food substance. The food in which I examined was the grain-like food crop: Quinoa. Quinoa is a pseudo cereal substance that is very similar to grain crops like wheat, barley, and corn. Quinoa is a very trendy food right now, receiving a lot of attention from the media in regards to its new “superfood status”. The terms like “superfood” and “functional foods” are “umbrella terms” that are used to describe substances that have “health-promoting benefits” and/or “disease-preventing properties over and above their usual nutritional value” (Lunn, 2006). Quinoa’s complete amino acid track record and numerous amounts of health-beneficial phytochemicals gives it the right to be called a very effective “functional food”. Other defining qualities of “superfoods” can be foods that are “particularly appealing and energy dense… that is especially rich in phytochemicals” (Lunn, 2006). Knowing that Quinoa is filled with beneficial phytochemicals, it is also very much energy dense, considering that one cup can amount to approximately 220 calories. It is a food crop that has been found all throughout the Andes (South America) region, and it has provided “subsistence, nutrition, and medicine… for thousands of years” (Graf et al., 2015). Quinoa has been found to exert “significant, positive effects on metabolic, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal health in humans, which helps Quinoa to be “nutritional superior to traditional cereals and grains” (Johnson et al., 1993). Every piece of evidence supports the alleged claims of its superfood status… but one. There are claims that contradict Quinoa’s natural pesticide, saponins, as they are seen to be very “anti-nutritious” (Grant, 2013).

Saponins in quinoa are under a lot of questioning about their potential toxicity. Saponins are claimed to be the natural defense mechanism of quinoa, which “punch holes” in the gastric mucosal lining, causing “an autoimmune response and systemic inflammation” (Grant, 2013). However, Graf et al. (2015) includes saponins in their list of health beneficial list of phyotchemicals. There is also scientific evidence pertaining to the health promoting components of saponins, which “affect the immune system in ways that help to protect the human body against cancers, and also lower cholesterol levels” (Shi et al., 2004). This information supports the inclusion of saponins in the list of health-beneficial phytochemicals, but this is just the beginning of the controversial evidence discovered about quinoa’s saponin content. Overall, there is an overwhelming amount of negative evidence, as almost every article stated “the saponin content must be removed because they impart bitter taste and are considered to be a main anti nutrient of the quinoa. Saponins are known to cause breakdown in the human small intestine cell membranes and also negatively affect the assimilation of some proteins” (Gianna et al., 2012). There is no question that the saponins need to be removed from the quinoa (just to be safe), and the evidence regarding the positive affects of saponins makes the evidence holistically contentious. However, it is likely that the specific saponins in quinoa are a “deleterious” type of saponin, especially because they are “not normally absorbed from the gut” (Johnson et al.,1993).

No public media can delude the fact that quinoa is superb in its genetic diversity and its nutritional sustainability, but there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that the quinoa needs to be mechanically abraded or washed in order to fulfill its healthy potential. It is not clear that all saponins are anti nutritious and harmful to humans, but it is clear that the deleterious type and excessive amount found on quinoa is toxic for the human body and must be removed.

Yesterday a woman named Annie Novak came to educate our learning community about rooftop gardens. Annie works in Brooklyn at the New York Botanical Garden and she is founder and director of many programs around the boroughs. She explained to us how rooftop gardening is extremely ecological beneficial. Her philosophy is to transform roofs into gardens or farms.

Rooftop gardens are found in urban environments and save a lot of space. They are also at less of risk of being destroyed by animals being that they are not on the ground. Fruits and vegetables are grown in these farms and gardens and they are all organic. Nothing is sprayed with pesticides and nothing is processed. She told the class that if they ever wanted to buy a product that was “healthy” they should look at the label and make sure it says “organic” that way you know what you are eaten and how your food was grown.

Annie also explained that she never knew anything about plants and wanted to know more about something she never knew about. She went to school for journalism and she wanted to be a writer, but she came across this career and decided it was a better path for her. She is extremely passionate about what she does and I admire her for that.

Annie also spends a lot of her time with bees. She told us that honey is actually bee throw up which I found to be interesting and disgusting at the same time. Having bees around the rooftop garden helps with the soil and helps the plants grow.

After this lecture, I was inspired to eat more organic and rich foods. I never really had the opportunity to appreciate plants and trees but now since I am educated about them, I can now appreciate them more. Fruits and vegetables are an important part of any persons diet and they provide the body with proper daily nutrients. I really appreciated Annie coming to our school and now I will always truly appreciate plants.