Wednesday, May 28, 2008

When Life Hands you Lemons, Eat Miracle Fruit?

by Teresa

I read a story in the New York Times today about a strange little fruit that, when eaten, alters a person’s perception of taste.  Apparently, a small number of people are paying money to attend parties where they eat the so-called “Miracle Fruit,“ and then taste other foods, to test the effects.  Who knew such a thing existed?
The little berries reportedly make sour things like lemons taste sweet as candy.  They supposedly make vinegar taste as good as apple juice (personally, I don’t care what anyone tells me; I’m not drinking vinegar, for any reason).  The effect lasts about an hour.
You can click here to read the whole article.

Now, if only someone could go deep into the rainforest, or high up on a mountain somewhere, and discover a berry that would make “new” foods taste good to kingergarteners!  THAT would be a big help around my house!  My daughter will try just about any food, and she likes most of what she tries.  My son is tougher; we’re mostly limited to a small number of foods that he knows he likes to eat.  Any food that he hasn’t tasted before makes him wary, and he’ll make utterly unbelievable faces if I tell him he has to try just one bite.  You’d think I was making him eat lemons… WITHOUT the magical power of any “Miracle Fruit!“  The Times says the berries cost $2 each, but I have to admit, that price might be worth it to get this kid to eat some lasagna, or chicken-not-in-nugget-form, or even just oatmeal once in a while.  (Lest anyone worry that my boy is malnourished, I will say this: we’re lucky that he likes almost every fruit and vegetable; it’s the MAIN dishes we can’t get him to try, for some reason.)

*Note to my mother, if she’s reading this: I know you’re probably smiling at this story, and recalling that I used to behave exactly the same way, if not worse, when I was a child.  Let’s just say, I freely admit that my son’s picky eating habits are probably genetic.

Monday, May 19, 2008

(Wasted) Food for Thought

by Teresa

Like many moms these days, I spend a fair amount of time thinking about the environment and ways to run a “greener” household.  I’m far from alone in this concern; to read a recent article about so-called “Green Guilt,“ click here.

I’m also careful to keep an eye on the amount of money I’m spending on food for my family.  When I was single, and even in my early married days, I’ll be honest: I didn’t give a lot of thought to grocery bills.  Now, I watch for specials, comparison-shop, and I clip coupons like crazy. 

In the New York Times, I’ve just read an article that talks about something that happens in this country—something that’s not at ALL “green,“ something that actually drives UP food prices.  It saddened me, and it surprised me.  It’s about the staggering amount of food that gets wasted in this country.

Here’s a quick quote from the article by Andrew Martin:
“Americans waste an astounding amount of food — an estimated 27 percent of the food available for consumption, according to a government study — and it happens at the supermarket, in restaurants and cafeterias and in your very own kitchen. It works out to about a pound of food every day for every American.“

27 percent.  A pound of food per day.

It’s a very interesting piece.  You can click here  to read the whole article (and check out the graphic they put together illustrating how much food is wasted).

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

How About “My Self-Actualized Mommy?“

by Kelly

For weeks now I’ve had this need to say something about a certain book but none of my thoughts were suitable for family-friendly reading. I don’t know why “My Beautiful Mommy” (click here to read about it) has struck such a chord with me. This book is aimed at kids who have mothers going in for plastic surgery to modify their appearance to that of an American teenager. The “mom” in the book gets a nose job, a boob job, and a tummy tuck. It explains her recovery and how she’ll become “the most beautiful butterfly in all the world.“ Although the breast augmentation isn’t mentioned in the book, the illustrations confirm it. It all makes my skin crawl.

Don’t get me wrong. Plastic surgery is a noble part of medicine indeed. It allows some people to function in society. Burn victims, cancer survivors, people with certain deformities, and many more, have benefited from a skilled plastic surgeon. Their lives are given degrees of normalcy which spare them the emotional turmoil and physical pain they would suffer without this help. 

My issue is with physically healthy people feeling they need surgery to be accepted by society. As with any surgery, there is always the risk of death. Complications are always possible no matter how “small” the procedure. I simply don’t understand how someone can risk their lives to “fix” something that simply isn’t “broken” to begin with. I have a particularly hard time understanding this from mothers. As a friend of mine so eloquently puts it, “Mommy hates her (insert body part) more than she loves me.“

Maybe it’s my age – or more specifically, the time when I grew up.

As someone who came into young adulthood in the 80s, I have lived through the movement of “Self-Actualization.“ This is the idea that you strive to become totally comfortable with everything about yourself – as you are. I still hold this ideal in high regard. It’s harder than it seems. I personally know only one person who is truly self-actualized and she is the most beautiful woman in the world to me. She’s my mother-in-law. She is not a “classic” beauty, but she is simply not affected by criticism of her appearance. She swims in the ocean without a thought to anyone else on the beach. Her bathing suit is a ticket to an activity she enjoys, not an instrument of torture, self-doubt, self-criticism, or shame. Her energy is infectious. Her joys are genuine. Her life is true. She is smart and funny and thoughtful. She is a wonderful role model for my husband, me, and my kids. We devour every moment we are with her and I am truly lucky to know her.

There’s also a celebrity I admire for her willingness to age naturally: Jamie Lee Curtis (click here).

Maybe the reason “My Beautiful Mommy” bugs me so much has to do with my geography. In the Northeast, cosmetic surgery is a big deal. I understand that in other places like LA or Miami, this practice is commonplace, everyday, or even expected. But even in these places where surgery is routine, things can go so wrong. Take the case of the Florida teenager this past March (click here), or Kanye West’s mother last November (click here). They were truly lovely ladies taken from this world because they felt something wasn’t “right” with their appearance. And that’s just wrong. 

What kills me is the simple fact that these tragedies could have been avoided. These women obviously have families who love them and miss them and I certainly don’t mean to come off as callous or unsympathetic here. It’s just that, as a mother, I personally cannot risk my not being here on this planet for my kids, for the sake of vanity. Were these women not told this is not a 100% safe option for self-improvement? Did they not sign a waiver before their procedures? (NOTE: A waiver means something can go wrong and probably has in the past!!!) Maybe the thousands of dollars spent on the procedures would’ve been better spent on a psychotherapist with the goal of self-actualization?

Have you ever asked your own kids who they think is beautiful? Every kid I know ranks their own mother in the top 3. Think about it from your child’s perspective: why would your child want you to change the face they have seen every day since day one? It doesn’t matter how old the kid, or the mother for that matter, the simple fact is: if you have a child and raise them well - you have an automatic admirer for life! You’ll have the kind of beauty a goddess longs for. You will forever be beautiful - without the scars!

I cannot grasp the idea of risking not dancing at my children’s weddings to get rid of the post-C-section flab. I cannot gamble my attendance at their high school graduations for a “perkier set.“ This seems like a bad deal. Plain and simple. 

I’ve come up with so many alternate titles for the book “My Beautiful Mommy.“ Most I cannot post here. But here are some prospective books that sadly, will never be written:

“My Smart Mommy”, “My Self-Confident Mommy,“ “My Self-Assured Mommy,“ “My Stable Mommy.“ You get the idea.

If you have more you’d like to add to the list, let me know!

In the meantime, I’ll be at the beach with my mother-in-law, learning how to let this book roll off my back.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

More from Lenore Skenazy

by Teresa

The woman I wrote about recently, who let her young son ride the subway alone in NYC, has parlayed her newfound claim-to-fame into what she describes as a full-scale “movement.“  It even has a name: “Free Range Kids.“
Here’s a quote from Lenore Skenazy about this philosphy, from her new blog: “Do you ever let your kid ride a bike to the library? Walk alone to school? Take a bus, solo? Or are you thinking about it? If so, you are raising a Free Range Kid! ... We believe in helmets, car seats and safety belts. We do NOT believe that every time school age children go outside, they need a security detail. Most of us grew up Free Range and lived to tell the tale.“
No one could deny that she’s committed to her ideas and she’s very enthusiastic, I’ll give her that.
And there are some spirited comments being submitted to her page that you can read, if you’re into that sort of thing.
To check out her blog, click here .
She wrote a piece about germs in snow (yes, apparently some people believe you shouldn’t let kids eat snowflakes because they have germs.  Not kidding).  The snow article is an example of what I like, about what she’s doing.  You can click here to read it. 
I do agree with Skenazy that parents need to question some of the craziness that happens when people begin to OVER-protect their children.  But for me, the key is finding a balance between allowing them to experience life, and taking sensible measures to keep them from harm.  I may let my kids go alone to the park someday, but definitely not now when they’re so young.
So, I guess I have to say I’m not ready to “join the movement” yet.  But I certainly appreciate Skenazy’s well-intentioned efforts to get people thinking about how we’re all raising kids these days.