Schools Are Stepping Up To A Healthier Plate by Dena Ventrudo

As a recently diagnosed Type 1 Diabetic, I’ve had to make quite a few serious adjustments to my diet and lifestyle. When I was diagnosed, I was a 21 year old college student and I was devestated. My diet consisted mostly of Dunkin Donuts, fast food, candy, and the Friday night beer. While that ultimately did not affect why I was diagnosed, because Juvenile Diabetes is a genetic illness, I began to see why Type 2 Diabetes was rising so quickly among younger children and some adults. Our society has integrated fast food restuarants like McDonalds into pop-culture as trendy and convenient.

I must confess, being raised in a McDonalds generation makes it difficult not to cheat and indulge in their dollar menu every so often, but I now recognize how awful it makes me feel immediately after eating it and how unhealthy it is in the long run.

There is hope for the younger generations, however. School districts across the country are revamping their menus with healthy items, as is now required by law. This new federal law took effect on July 1st and required public schools that receive government subsidies for meals to create “wellness policies” that outline nutrition and exercise goals before classes began this fall.

Connecticut has banned sugary drinks from cafeterias and vending machines in kindergarten to grade 12 school buildings. New Jersey will be following suit by next fall, as well as forbidding the sales of anything listing sugar as its main ingredient.

French fries are now baked and vending machines are restocked with water and juice. Baked soy and fruit chips are replacing fried potato chips and doritos. The size of pretzels have been reduced and fruit bars are replacing ice cream sandwiches. Snacks of old are being replaced by healthier options.

John Jay and other Katonah-Lewisboro schools have gone as far as substituting vegie frittatas and whole wheat vegie lasagna for hamburgers and french fries. John Jay’s cafeteria has also ditched processes foods, trans fats, and high fructose corn syrup. They have a salad bar with beans, nuts, and low fat dressings.

Katonah-Lewisboro hired a chef from the Culinary Institute of America to help introduce the changes there. But few districts have done as much as this one. There are many interpretations of this federal mandate.

So how do parents and teachers monitor what their kids are really eating? The district uses an automated system that allows the school and the parents to track what the child is eating. Parents deposit money into an account, indicating whether it is to be used for meals, snacks, or whether the student has dietary restrictions. Children enter a PIN at the cafeteria checkout counter. A red box flashes on the checkout screen if a child is a diabetic, for example, to alert the cashier to check if the meal is safe.

The school food changes was spurred partially from reports by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta that estimate one in six school age children are overweight (three times the statistic in 1980) and that Type 2 Diabetes will reach epidemic proportions among children if current trends continue.

In towns such as Elwood, Chappaqua, NY and Greenwich, CT, using food as an incentive or reward is forbidden.

Its great that this country has finally woken up a little bit. America has the highest rate of obesity in the world right now. We simply do not know how to eat properly as a majority. And while I think the enforcement of the new menu’s in schools is a little agressive, it does need to happen. I think as long as they are teaching why it is so important, and the realistic dangers of Type 2 Diabetes, it could be the best thing that ever happens to these children during their education. If I knew how to eat properly prior to my diagnosis as Type 1, it would not have been nearly as devestating as it was. I initially cried over not being able to drink Coca Cola and Mountain Dew- now I live on green tea and don’t miss a thing.

My prediction: There will be a huge outcry at first from students, but after a few months to a year, they’ll get used to it and realize its not so bad afterall.

For more information on Diabetes and healthy living please visit www.diabetes.org


Return To Eternity: New C.D.’s by Peter Kingsley

| by Maria Kingsley

This set of four CDs represents a major step in Peter’s work of bringing back into awareness the spiritual wisdom that originally gave rise to our Western world. They have been specifically designed to recreate the experience of a whole-day workshop in the comfort and convenience of your own home. “Return To Eternity” goes into many aspects of Western sacred tradition which have not been made publicly available before in the modern world. The CDs contain detailed guidance in ancient forms of meditation practice, along with discussion of numerous subjects such as the nature of prayer.

Read More.
Filed Under:

Peaceful Warrior

“For those of us humble enough to acknowledge that we’re growing and learning, “Peaceful Warrior” reflects and expresses an unspoken yearning for higher wisdom. And the scope of this audience includes all human beings searching for a saner, more peaceful way of life for themselves, their nation, their world. We are only just beginning to grasp the size and significance of this awakening humanity. ” Dan Millman

Read More.
Filed Under:

Looking At Candidates from the Inside Out by Dr. Nancy Rosanoff

| by Dr. Nancy Rosanoff

***image1*** Dr.Nancy Rosanoff talks about how our responsibility is to discern who is capable and willing to listen deeply, not just to the special interests demanding attention right now (even our own), but for the creative, inspired idea that will uplift us all and lead us into a future we want to live in.

Read More.
Filed Under:

Cosmos in a Carrot: A Zen Guide to Eating Well by Carmen Yuen

| by Donna Baker Church

Whether a meat eater, vegetarian or vegan, Yuen’s suggests “our patterns of consumption should be inspired by” balance and moderation, as well as individual needs… Peanuts and other nuts may be highly nutritious, but for those with food allergies, “they could be deadly.” Yuen emphasizes that “our bodies and metabolisms are unique, and our diets must reflect our needs.” Following the Buddhist philosophy known as the Middle Way allows us to “eat in a way that is best for us.”

Read More.
Filed Under:

Merlian News Welcomes Back Robert Moss For A Second Podcast Interview

In this Podcast Robert Moss discusses with Merryn Jose more fascinating topics such as Shamanism and Healing. Robert Moss, a lifelong dream explorer who survived three near-death experiences in childhood. He is the creator of Active Dreaming, an original synthesis of dreamwork and shamanic techniques for empowerment and healing. Robert is a former university professor of ancient history at the Australian National University, also a bestselling novelist, shamanic counselor, and the author of five books on dreaming.

Read More.
Filed Under:

Sounds Divine, by Sahar Huneidi

All information we take is inputted through our five senses, hearing, tasting, seeing, touching and smelling. Through those senses we compile a ‘data bank’ of experiences (whether good or bad), which when recalled, can sometimes be re-triggered awakening a multitude of emotions connected to them. When an experience is traumatic, our body mind system is thrown out of balance, and healing may be required to bring the mind and the body to a state of harmony once more. “

Read More.

October 2006 Merlian Newsletter

| by Merryn Jose & Team

Halloween is celebrated on the night of October 31st. Halloween originated in Ireland as “Samhain Night”. The Celts celebrated Samhain, “End of Summer,” a festival of fire. In this newsletter we bring you new Podcasts, new book reviews, an environmental article, and much more.

Read More.
Filed Under:

Merlian News Podcast Interview with Jane Bay

| by Merlian News

In this podcast, author Jane Bay talks with Merryn Jose about her latest book Love & Loss. Inside are excerpts from her extraordinary biography. Jane Bay lives in Marin County, California where she has worked at Lucasfilm for nearly three decades. Author of Love & Loss, she is currently working on two other books, a memoir entitled Growing Up Southern, and an anthology of short stories called The Magic of New Mexico about her experiences on the Navajo and Hopi reservations. She is also active in the campaign to save Tibet.

Read More.
Filed Under: ·

Finding Your Inner Athlete

| by Ravi Singh & Ana Bret

Destiny over a fate being our focus this month, we can apply this concept to our workouts as well. Rather then doing an exercise by mindlessly approximating a pose, flinging our limbs about any old way and hoping we will get all the benefits, we can set our intention and stay present to insure we reap the rewards by keeping an eye on certain alignment principles.

Read More.
Filed Under: