Health for life

Man. If the links are any indication, its gonna be a good weekend. I can feel it, folks. Happy June.

1) stonesoup: the absolute beginners guide to the art of seasoning [5 ingredients | 10 minutes]
Man, this blog just keeps getting better. Today, it’s on seasoning your food well, and what to do if you under- or overdo it.

2) NY Times: Saving Time and Stress with Cooking Co-ops
Oo! I love this. It’s like a potluck, but in take-home Tupperware. Sure, there are drawbacks (one dastardly participant relied too much on Hamburger Helper), but cooking one meal for many, and then getting six meals back, seems like an all-around win. (Photo is from the piece.)

3) Casual Kitchen: On the Benefits of Being a Part-Time Vegetarian
The CK household cut their meat intake by a few meals per week, and the benefits have been totes faboo. Here, Dan explains why, what happened, and how you might embark on the same glorious path.

4) NY Times: Food is the Thrill at Some Bachelor Parties
Move over strippers, here come Bruschetta Chicken Dippers. Or something. Point is, engaged peeps are apparently forgoing traditional bachelor and bachelorette parties for full-on gourmet experiences. Is it because Americans are getting married at more advanced ages, thus reducing the demand for some chick/dude in spangled undies to flash her/his bosoms/pecs? Beats me. I just want some pork belly.

5) Get Rich Slowly: The Battle of the Bulge, and the Battle of the Budget
On the link between debt and fat, and how going cold turkey may not be the best approach for either. You’ve heard the message before, but never in so entertaining and thorough a manner.

6) Salon: The dark side of the farmers market boom
Are farmers heading to cities to sell their food, leaving their less affluent neighbors to make do with Wal-Mart tomatoes? Sounds nefarious. Salon explores.

7) Consumerist: Restaurants Want You To Spend More, But Wont Stop Selling Cheap Food
Oops. You know all those dollar menus and special deals that fast food joints offered during the recession? Now that our collective money situation isn’t quite so dire, restaurants are having problems weaning customers off the bargains and on to more profitable meals. Not so good for business.

8) CNN: McDonald’s Warned: Drop the Toys or Get Sued
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (or CSPI, presumably) might/is sue/suing over the inclusion of toys in Happy Meals. They claim tiny Buzz Lightyears and Shreks entice kids to choose unhealthy food. As an ex-McDonald’s employee, I can only say … I guess? I don’t recall. It was 1996. Bringing them up from the basement was a big pain in the tuchus, though.

9) Food Politics: Alaska Fishing Politics – Fish Processing
Marion Nestle is doing a blog mini-series on the fishing industry in our northernmost state. It’s more complicated than you think, and an interesting microcosm of our issues in the lower 48.

10) Chow: 9 Cooking Apps Worth Downloading to Your iPhone
Dunno if this applies much for the frugalists out there, but Husband-Elect would become Ex-Husband-Elect if I didn’t link to these apps. (He loves apps. Apps, apps, apps. It’s all I ever hear about. “Hey honey, did you get those apps?”)

HONORABLE MENTION

Eatocracy: 5@5 - Chef Eric Ripert
See? Hot, world class French seafood chefs make mistakes, too. (Photo from site. Also? Humina.)

Epi-Log: Volunteer Options for Food-Loving Teens
Hey kids! How are you spending the summer? Here are four food-type volunteering organizations that could use your free time.

Hillbilly Housewife: Spring Cleaning One Room at a Time – the Oven
I move to a new apartment every year specifically so I don’t have to do this. Then, last month, it caught up with me. The experience was … I don’t remember. I blocked it out.

The Kitchn: 10 Ways to Use Pesto Besides Pasta
You knew “sandwich spread” was gonna be in there, but the rest are pleasant surprises.

Serious Eats: Supreme Court Makes its First Ruling Genetically Engineered Crops
It’s a strike against Monsanto … I think.

Slashfood: Throw That Wrapper Away or Pay
Lawmakers in San Francisco might start taxing fast food customers for garbage disposal. It’s half environmental measure, half fundraiser for the city. But is it right?

AND ALSO

Cracked: The 10 Most Important Things They Didn’t Teach You in School
For MADs snotty younger brother, Cracked sure has some spectacular web pieces. This one is no different, with #10 and #9 being must-reads. (Due warning: Theyre profane must-reads, but must-reads nonetheless.)

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This isnt going to surprise anyone: Diabetes is getting more costly to treat, both for individuals, and for the nation as a whole.

A study last month in the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that drug costs for type 2 diabetes just about doubled in the six short years between 2001 and 2007 (from $6.7 billion in 2001 to $12.5 billion in 2007).¹

The costs are increasing because more people are being diagnosed with diabetes, and because the cocktail of drugs patients are being prescribed is getting more complex. In 1994, 82% of patients were being treated with just one diabetes drug. In 2007, only 47% received one diabetes drug.

The cost of the drugs is rising too. The average price of a diabetes-related prescription rose from $56 in 2001 to $76 in 2007. Keep in mind, thats $76 per prescription and by 2007 more people were being written more than one prescription. (Those are averages. Many drugs are more costly, e.g. a one-month supply of Januvia is going for $181 at Drugstore.com.)

This study just looked at drug costs. According to Merck spokeswoman Amy Rose, drug costs represent less than one-fifth of the total public health costs of diabetes. The bulk of costs, more than 80%, were due to hospitalizations and outpatient care - areas of treatment that are also experiencing price increases.

Theres an alternative, but according to Dr. Stuart Weiss, an endocrinologist at New York University Medical Center, its not being embraced:²

"Diet and exercise is the best thing we can do for our diabetic patients, but they are not very comfortable accepting diet and exercise as the treatment for diabetes."

"There is no medication that cant be overwhelmed by a bad diet."

The findings in this report beg the question:²

"Are these changes going to lead to overall significant improvement in the outcomes that matter to patients and their doctors?"
- G. Caleb Alexander MD, lead author and associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago

The jury is still out on that.
________
¹ National Trends in Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, 1994-2007, Archives of Internal Medicine

² Cost of Diabetes Care Has Doubled, Washington Post, October, 2008

You guys? I think this is the strongest link roundup ever on CHG. Everybody (EVERBODY), all across the internet (EVERYWHERE) was totally on their games (GAMES). Read on, and have a lovely weekend.

1) New York Times: 101 Fast Recipes for Grilling
Just in time for Independence Day, Mark “The Minimalist” Bittman comes through with a barbecue brainstorm of epic proportions. Read it and weep. Or eat. Or weepeat, which is when you eat and cry at the same time. I’ve done it with blueberries. It wasn’t pretty.

2) Money Saving Mom: How to Start Your Own Produce Co-op
Guest poster Deja Armstrong smashes a home run with this fab post about families going in together to save on produce. Her plan is logically laid out and looks to be quite the money saver. If you have a craving for bananas and a willing neighborhood, it’s a must-read.

3) Casual Kitchen: Why Reducing Food Waste is Harder Than it Looks
Super-interesting take on the relationships between ood borne illness, sell-by dates, and the sheer quantity of wasted food in America. Just a great piece, with a neat follow-up: When Do You Throw Out Food?

4) Lifehacker: Low or No-Heat Meals for Easy Summer Cooking
This tip-and-link-filled post ties in beautifully with CHG’s No-Cook Month. Um, seriously, we might not even need to have it now.

5) Surviving and Thriving: Don’t Hate the Payer, Hate the Game
First, mad props for that title. Second, Donna’s using her coupons, AND she’s going to call the cashier out if the register makes an error, AND she’s occasionally using change to buy something. If you don’t like it, get delivery at home, yo. (Note: I agree with her on all of this.)

6) BuzzFeed: 12 Terrifying Jello Recipes
AUGH! What is this horror? NOOOOOOOOO. Wait. Huh? Oh. Mmm … Tongue Mold.

7) Get Rich Slowly: Slow and Steady – More Thoughts on Physical and Financial Fitness
GRS Staffer April Dykman adapts JD’s 12 core beliefs about money to pertain to weight. And they fit beautifully. My fave: “It’s more important to be happy than to be skinny.” WORD.

8) USA Today: Native Americans embrace tradition to defeat diabetes
Here’s a shocking statistic: 16% of American Indians have diabetes.
Here’s an encouraging solution: A movement is starting. Many communities are changing their diets, buffets, and restaurants to include traditional, produce-heavy dishes. Awareness, she is being raised.

9) Wise Bread: How to Split Food Expenses With a Significant Other
Husband-Elect and I do this: I buy the groceries, keep a record of receipts, and send him an e-mail entitled “Billz” at the end of the month. Then he pays me and we drink wine. How do you guys handle food costs? (Actually, this may be a great post for a later date. What think you?)

10) The Atlantic: How Supermarkets Could Fight Obesity
Wow, this is neat. Grocery stores are starting to address how they can market healthier foods to potential buyers. The key issues: “How can we turn grocers considerable merchandising skills to help slim us down? With supermarkets arrays of sampling programs, displays, interactive shopping carts, and shelf signage, can we not more easily capture shoppers attention to purchase healthier foods?”

HONORABLE MENTION

The Atlantic: A Wild Foods Library – 11 Books for Foragers
From Hunter Angler Gardener Cook guru Hank Shaw, a collection of books for find-your-own foodies.

Consumerist: How Do UPC Codes Work?
The more you know.

Crop Mob
If you feed hipsters, they will help you harvest your food. (Related: If you build it, he will come.)

Health: The 50 Fattiest Foods in the States
New York is well represented by Nick Tahou’s Garbage Plate, boasting an astounding 93 to 203 grams of fat per order. Holla, Rochester!

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook: Dining on Daylilies
Did you guys know daylilies were edible? I didn’t. (P.S. This blog is generally incredible. If youve never been, make haste!)

The Kitchn
15 Fresh Picnic Salads for the 4th of July
A Roundup of Illustrated Recipes
How Should I Store Leftover Tomato?
Two recipe comps and a good answer to a nagging question.

Mother Jones: Is Washing Out Sandwich Baggies a Waste of Time?
MoJo concludes that it’s worth it, environmentally speaking. Calculations and reasoning inside!

Politics of the Plate: Recession Ends for Organic Dairy Farmers
Diary farmers were hurting badly a year ago. Now they’re on the rebound. Thanks, economy! (Scroll down to see.)

Serious Eats: How to Start Your Own Compost Pile
It’s a little more complicated than chucking food scraps into a big mound. But not much.

This Mama Cooks: Healthy summer salads for Fourth of July – eat your red, white and blues!
Look at all the pretty colors!

Time Out New York: Cheap Eats
My fellow Empire Staters! The issue is out. Grab a fiver and get chomping.

Urlesque
27 Pictures of Clothing Made of Food
Topless Jack Nicholson Eating a Sandwich, Sunning Himself, Becomes a Meme
Link #1: I wasn’t sure if this would be worth, but Cloris Leachman’s leafy green dress is genuinely beautiful, as are many of the following foodie fashions.
Link #2: You want the sandwich? YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE SANDWICH.

Village Voice: Susan Spicer, New Orleans Chef, Sticks It to British Petroleum
The oil spill is wrecking her business, and Chef Spicer wants retribution. Man, I hope she gets it.

Words to Eat By: Christine’s Asian-Inspired Noodle Salad
The recipe looks good, and so do the tips for feeding small children by guest writer Christine Gross-Loh.

Zen Habits: Eating Healthfully – A Long Term Vision
Leo’s site recently made Time’s Best Blogs of 2010 list. And while this is a guest post, it’s still a good example of why readers keep coming back. Thoughtful, calm, and measured, it’s whole-life-long approach to food should become a mantra.

AND ALSO

Hyperbole and a Half: This is Why I’ll Never Be an Adult
Suite Judy Blue Eyes, I love this blog. Another winnah from Allie Brosh, who describes my work tendencies exactly and hilariously.


Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!