Research on portion size growing from what it used to be. How the average American is over weight because they 'don't eat right' or 'don't pay attention' to what they're eating and so on.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/wellbeing/8289028/Why-are-you-eating-that.html
This article is basically saying that the reason people are obese or over weight is that there are so many other things to focus on; phone, television, other people, ipods, late for work/school, etc. And that if people were to sit down to a meal with no other distractions, just in silence, then they would eat less, and they wouldn't be gaining more weight.
Dr. Brian Wansink is a food psycologist at Cornell University, and he's devoted just over 25 years of his time into researching how people eat and why they're overweight.
I think there are some situations he hasn't accounted for, like if someone has an illness that contributes to them being over or under weight and so on, but for the most part he's pretty on topic and covering everything there is.
http://dailytrojan.com/2011/01/19/starbucks-adds-to-portion-problem/
This is an article about Starbucks, and it talks about how they're releasing a new 'trente' size that is 31 ounces of coffee. It will be limited to only iced drinks and teas, but it's still 916 mL which is bigger than the stomach is.
The article is very much in the middle ground, not swaying either way really, not towards this being a good thing, or a bad thing. It's just informative.
It was really interesting to know that the average drink size in the past has been 8 ounces, but now, the average drink is at least 20 ounces.
I wonder if the rest of the world is going to go through a sort of 'supersized' food stage, where things just start getting bigger and bigger. I wonder if they'll accept the change, or if they'll try to stay with a smaller portion size.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Garden; Narrowed down seed choices
Organic Gourd, Bottle (1/4 lb) [$24.99]Gourd - Bottle - Lagenaria siceraria
I think it would be really neat to grow gourds in the garden. We could harvest them and use them for projects in Environmental Science or Engineering. Make musical instruments out of them, paint them, use them as bowls, you name it. Gourds are pretty versatile and fun to work with.
Purpose:
Type: Vegetable
Companion plants: Radishes, catnip
Pollinators: Bees and beetles
Tender Annual This gourd variety produces large, bottle-shaped, attractive green and tan gourds 12"-14" high and 5" wide. They're great for crafts, rattles, bowls, and birdhouses. This is a long-season species.
Soil & Water: Gourds prefer rich, fertile soil with plenty of added organic matter. Water moderately early in development and heavier after fruit forms.
Planting & Growing: Start seed indoors 3 weeks before the last frost. Sow directly outdoors only in warm climates after the last frost. The vines are best grown up a strong support such as a fence or sturdy trellis. Use row covers over young plants to protect them from pests and to provide additional warmth.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest when gourd turns pale, gently cutting the stem. Carefully rinse in a 9:1 bleach solution and hang in a warm, dry location until the seeds rattle, usually 3-4 weeks.
This gourd was cultivated before 10,000 b.c. to use as drinking vessels!
Soil Temperature: 75-90F
Planting Depth: 1"
Germination: 4-12 Days
Height At Maturity: Vining
Days To Maturity: 120 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 2'
Approx Seeds per 1/4 lbs: 493
Organic Watermelon, All Sweet [$2.49]Watermelon - All Sweet - Citrullus lanatus
I love watermelon, and I’ve always wanted to grow it in a garden. I had started a garden about a year ago, and the seeds grew to the point where they were just about to start giving off little watermelons, but then the heat just wiped them out up here in Alpine. Starting to grow them down in Point Loma might prove to come to a different outcome.
Purpose: I haven’t noticed any watermelon or melons planted in the garden so far, and as far as I know, it’s always nice to have a good watermelon on a hot day, so watermelon could be a nice addition.
Type: Vegetable
Companion plants: Corn/Pumpkin
Pollinator: Bumble bees
Tender Annual All Sweet has a yellow-green rind, with dark-green broken stripes. It's flesh is reddish in color with few, small seeds. It grows 17"-19" long and up to 7" in diameter and averages 25-28 lb. This melon stands long in the field without becoming overripe.
Soil & Water: Watermelon prefers light, loamy, fertile, deep, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Add plenty of organic matter. Water plants amply until setting out, then water more sparingly. Mulch to prevent weed competition.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost or sow seeds directly after frost. Set out 3-4 transplants per hill, selecting the strongest two when vines are 1'-2' long. Watermelons are large vining plants that can take over an extensive garden space. They can be trellised, but use slings to support the developing fruit.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest melons when the tendril closest to the stem turns dry and brown and the stem becomes brittle. Eat fresh, freeze flesh in a honey-based syrup, or pickle the rind.
Watermelon is low in calories and is very nutritious. It is high in lycopene, second only to tomatoes!
Soil Temperature: 75-95F
Planting Depth: 1/2"
Germination: 3-9 Days
Height At Maturity: 18"-24"
Days To Maturity: 80-97
Days Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 4'-6'
Approx Seeds per Pack: 25 Seeds
Monday, January 17, 2011
Garden; Initial seed research
Organic Pepper, Sweet Chocolate (1 oz) [$29.99]
Pepper - Sweet Chocolate - Capsicum annuum
Tender Annual This rare, early bell pepper ripens from glossy green to dark-brown chocolate. Its mild taste and unusual color are a great addition to salads or stir fries. The fruit has blunt ends, thick flesh, and is medium in size.
Soil & Water: Peppers require deeply-worked, well-drained soil with plenty of added organic matter and a pH of 6.0-6.8. Water deeply, but don't over water.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 8 weeks before the last frost. Direct seeding is not recommended. Stake to keep fruit off the ground and mulch for disease and weed control.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest the first fruits early to encourage continued production through the season. Cut (don't pull) the fruit from the stems. These peppers may be harvested from the green stage through the color changes. This variety is good frozen whole.
Did You Know? Sweet peppers are loaded with vitamins C and A. Red peppers contain twice the vitamin C and eleven times the beta carotene of green peppers.
Soil Temperature: 75-85F
Planting Depth: 1/4"
Germination: 6-15 Days
Height At Maturity: 24"-28"
Days To Maturity: 58-86 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 12"
Approx Seeds per oz: 4,688
Organic Watermelon, Early Moonbeam [$2.49]
Watermelon - Early Moonbeam - Citrullus lanatus
Tender annual Heirloom. Yellow-fleshed with a thin rind from 5-8 pounds. One of the best melons for northern climates. Flavor your summer with this sweet, early, and productive watermelon.
Soil & Water: Watermelon prefers light, loamy, fertile, deep, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Add plenty of organic matter. Water plants amply until setting out, then water more sparingly. Mulch to prevent weed competition.
Planting & Growing: Seed directly in rows 4'-6' apart. Grow in hills with 3-4 plants/hill.
Harvesting & Storage: Ripe when the second tendril closest to the fruit withers and turns brown and melon sounds hollow when tapped.
Did You Know? Watermelon is low in calories and is very nutritious. It is high in lycopene, second only to tomatoes!
Soil Temperature: 75-95F
Planting Depth: 1/2"- 1"
Germination: 3-8 Days
Height At Maturity: 18""-24"
Days To Maturity: 80 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 4'-6'
Approx Seeds per Pack: 25 Seeds
Organic Watermelon, All Sweet [$2.49]
Watermelon - All Sweet - Citrullus lanatus
Tender Annual All Sweet has a yellow-green rind, with dark-green broken stripes. It's flesh is reddish in color with few, small seeds. It grows 17"-19" long and up to 7" in diameter and averages 25-28 lb. This melon stands long in the field without becoming overripe.
Soil & Water: Watermelon prefers light, loamy, fertile, deep, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Add plenty of organic matter. Water plants amply until setting out, then water more sparingly. Mulch to prevent weed competition.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost or sow seeds directly after frost. Set out 3-4 transplants per hill, selecting the strongest two when vines are 1'-2' long. Watermelons are large vining plants that can take over an extensive garden space. They can be trellised, but use slings to support the developing fruit.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest melons when the tendril closest to the stem turns dry and brown and the stem becomes brittle. Eat fresh, freeze flesh in a honey-based syrup, or pickle the rind.
Did You Know? Watermelon is low in calories and is very nutritious. It is high in lycopene, second only to tomatoes!
Soil Temperature: 75-95F
Planting Depth: 1/2"
Germination: 3-9 Days
Height At Maturity: 18"-24"
Days To Maturity: 80-97 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 4'-6'
Approx Seeds per Pack: 25 Seeds
Organic Watermelon, Crimson Sweet (1/4 lb) [$12.99]
Watermelon - Crimson Sweet - Citrullus lanatus
Tender Annual Heirloom. Crimson Sweet has a tough, medium-thick, light-green rind with small, dark-green stripes. Its shape is blocky at 12" by 10" and weighing up to 25 pounds. Its bright, deep-red flesh is high in sugar content and has few, small seeds. It was an All-American Selections winner in 1964.
Soil & Water: Watermelon prefers light, loamy, fertile, deep, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Add plenty of organic matter. Water plants amply until setting out, then water more sparingly. Mulch to prevent weed competition.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost or sow seeds directly after frost. Set out 3-4 transplants per hill, selecting the strongest two when vines are 1'-2' long. Watermelons are large vining plants that can take over an extensive garden space. They can be trellised, but use slings to support the developing fruit.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest melons when the tendril closest to the stem turns dry and brown and the stem becomes brittle. Eat fresh, freeze flesh in a honey-based syrup, or pickle the rind.
Did You Know? Watermelon is low in calories and is very nutritious. It is high in lycopene, second only to tomatoes!
Soil Temperature: 75-95F
Planting Depth: 1/2"
Germination: 3-9 Days
Height At Maturity: 18"-24"
Days To Maturity: 88 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 4'-6'
Approx Seeds per 1/4 lbs: 1,563
Organic Gourd, Bottle (1/4 lb) [$24.99]Gourd - Bottle - Lagenaria siceraria
Tender Annual This gourd variety produces large, bottle-shaped, attractive green and tan gourds 12"-14" high and 5" wide. They're great for crafts, rattles, bowls, and birdhouses. This is a long-season species.
Soil & Water: Gourds prefer rich, fertile soil with plenty of added organic matter. Water moderately early in development and heavier after fruit forms.
Planting & Growing: Start seed indoors 3 weeks before the last frost. Sow directly outdoors only in warm climates after the last frost. The vines are best grown up a strong support such as a fence or sturdy trellis. Use row covers over young plants to protect them from pests and to provide additional warmth.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest when gourd turns pale, gently cutting the stem. Carefully rinse in a 9:1 bleach solution and hang in a warm, dry location until the seeds rattle, usually 3-4 weeks.
Did You Know? This gourd was cultivated before 10,000 b.c. to use as drinking vessels!
Soil Temperature: 75-90F
Planting Depth: 1"
Germination: 4-12 Days
Height At Maturity: Vining
Days To Maturity: 120 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 2'
Approx Seeds per 1/4 lbs: 493
Organic Melon, Honeydew Green Flesh (1/4 lb) [$11.99]Melon - Honeydew Green - Cucumis melo
Tender Annual Smooth, hard creamy white rind without netting or sutures. Averaging 8"-7" in diameter, and weighing 6 lb. Ripens to light gold, thick lime-green flesh, high sugar. Good for storage and shipping, small cavity. Good variety for the Pacific Coast.
Soil & Water: Melons like moderately rich, well-drained soils with plenty of phosphorous and potassium and a pH of 6.0-6.8. For flavorful fruits, melons need moderate water as seedlings, low water before transplanting, moderate water during growth, and low, even water during fruit development.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost or seed directly after the last frost. Melons need plentiful heat to develop; use plastic mulch and row covers in cooler climates.
Harvesting & Storage: Melons are ripe when the rind changes color to yellow and gentle pressure separates the stem from the vine. Melons can store in the refrigerator for about a week, if you can keep from eating them that long!
Did You Know? The first flowers to appear on the vines are male, and drop naturally. The female flowers, which open later, have a swelling at the base that forms the fruit. After bees pollinate these female flowers, the fruit develops.
Soil Temperature: 65-80F
Planting Depth: 1/2"
Germination: 7-12 Days
Height At Maturity: 12"-18"
Days To Maturity: 105-115 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 3'-5'
Approx Seeds per 1/4 lbs: 2,609
Organic Melon, Hearts of Gold (1/4 lb) [$11.99]
Melon - Hearts of Gold - Cucumis melo
Tender Annual Heirloom. Hearts of Gold has an aromatic, sweet, deep-orange flesh. The fruit is thick and firm with a small cavity. It is heavily netted with medium ribbing. The fruit grows nearly round to 6_" in diameter weighing up to 4_" lb. The plant is vigorous, extremely productive, and blight resistant.
Soil & Water: Melons like moderately rich, well-drained soils with plenty of phosphorous and potassium and a pH of 6.0-6.8. For flavorful fruits, melons need moderate water as seedlings, low water before transplanting, moderate water during growth, and low, even water during fruit development.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost or seed directly after the last frost. Melons need plentiful heat to develop; use plastic mulch and row covers in cooler climates.
Harvesting & Storage: Melons are ripe when the rind changes color to yellow and gentle pressure separates the stem from the vine. Melons can store in the refrigerator for about a week, if you can keep from eating them that long!
Did You Know? The first flowers to appear on the vines are male, and drop naturally. The later flowers are female and form the fruit.
Soil Temperature: 65-80F
Planting Depth: 1/2"
Germination: 7-12 Days
Height At Maturity: 12"-18"
Days To Maturity: 70-97 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 3'-5'
Approx Seeds per 1/4 lbs: 2,718
Sunday, January 9, 2011
6 Degrees of Separation Ideas
1. Make-up products (i.e nail polish, mascara, eye liner, lip gloss)
- I use mascara every day, and on occasion nail polish, so it would be nice to know how they're made and what goes into them, just so I know what I'm putting on my body. Especially since it's so close to my eyes, it's good to know how it's come to be.
2. Xbox 360
- I own one, use it quite often as well. Knowing where it was put together, how all the parts were made, what was all involved and everything with that would be very interesting.
3. Laptop
- Everyone probably has this on their list, haha, but I would like to research macs more, get to know about where and how they're made. They say they're American based, but they probably don't make it all in America, so further researching into that would also be interesting.
- I use mascara every day, and on occasion nail polish, so it would be nice to know how they're made and what goes into them, just so I know what I'm putting on my body. Especially since it's so close to my eyes, it's good to know how it's come to be.
2. Xbox 360
- I own one, use it quite often as well. Knowing where it was put together, how all the parts were made, what was all involved and everything with that would be very interesting.
3. Laptop
- Everyone probably has this on their list, haha, but I would like to research macs more, get to know about where and how they're made. They say they're American based, but they probably don't make it all in America, so further researching into that would also be interesting.
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