Category: UHDS Staff Blogs
This article marks the end of my first term as a Community Relations Facilitator for the residence halls. Although, with the help of the RA’s great programs have been done within the residence halls, I can’t help but wonder what the rest of my year will look like. Social Justice is not something I can’t just learn or teach and then move on to the next thing in life; it is a process. Read the rest of this entry »
My battle for the last couple of weeks has been around my social class. Looking back on my past, I realize that my experience growing up contains polar opposite dimensions of social class. I grew up with a family that consisted of a mother, brother, and stepfather. All of us lived in a manufactured home park. We seemed to barely scratch by every week. There were a couple of times that we couldn’t afford electricity or water and would have to go to the YMCA to take a shower. Read the rest of this entry »
The Holiday season is upon us and for many, this is a season of giving….and eating. 🙂 For my family, the Holidays are a time of year to enjoy the company of family and friends and share treats like pumpkin pie, frosted cookies, peanut brittle, and (one of my favorite’s) Aunt Julie’s Rocky Road fudge. Although we celebrate different holiday traditions, for the most part, we share the experience of enjoying special foods and treats. Food is a vital part of the Holiday experience and helps “amplify” the spirit of the season.
However delicious, many of the Holiday treats are sweet and based in refined carbohydrates and sugar…and over-indulgence of these goodies can send our bodies on a roller coaster ride of sugar highs and lows.
It is interesting that in nature you hardly ever find a carbohydrate that is not protected by a covering of fiber. Even the sugar in sugar cane is protected by a dense husk that (once upon a time) we had to chew on to break down the fibers to get to the sugar. Fiber protects the plants grains from nature’s elements, and it also protects our bodies. Minimally processed carbohydrates such as whole grains break down slowly in our bodies and help us maintain more stable blood sugar levels.
“Are Carbs Bad For Me”?
As UHDS’ dietitian, this is definitely one of the top ten questions that I hear. The answer? No (they’re not bad for us), in fact they are essential. Carbohydrates are our bodies’ most efficient fuel source. On average, carbohydrates account for 50-60% of our daily calories. Our bodies’ process carbohydrates differently depending on how “refined” they are. Refined carbohydrates have been processed to remove the bran or fiber, leaving smaller chains of sugar that the body can easily break down into simple sugars (our cell’s #1 energy choice).
So eating more refined carbohydrates (such as candy, sugary treats, soda, white rice, white flour) can cause blood sugars to spike and consequently, cause spikes in insulin to allow the our cells to take in the sugar. These sugar “highs and lows” can be taxing on our body and sometimes people feel a “sugar crash” (tired, lack of focus) after eating too many refined carbs.
Veering from the Sugar Crash
Here a few simple strategies to keep from the “sugar crash” over the holidays:
“Eat-Less-Meat-ism”.
I recently had the opportunity to meet Mark Bittman, author of Food Matters. Mark suggested (to an audience of college and university food service operators) that if we want to practice environmental sustainability, we ought to encourage our customers to eat more plant based foods . He explained that he wasn’t here to promote veganism or vegetarianism per se, but rather, “eat-less-meat-ism”.
According to the American Dietetic Association, appropriately planned plant based diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.
A plant based diet is associated with lower: risk of death from heart disease, LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, blood pressure, rates of hypertension ,type 2 diabetes ,body mass index overall cancer rates. However, plant based diets can be unhealthy too if they are not based in fruits, vegetables and whole grains and if they are lacking in nutrients typically found in animal products such as protein, calcium/Vitamin D, zinc, iron, B12, and omega 3 fatty acids.
Whether vegan, vegetarian, semi vegetarian or omnivore, the texture and flavor packed in bean and legume dishes can please all palettes…. and the planet. The indigenous Mexican diet and agriculture history has been comprised of the “Three Sisters” (corn, beans and squash) because of nutrition and environmental sustainability attributes. Beans put nitrogen back into the soil, reducing the reliance on chemical fertilizers.
Beans and legumes have been a culinary staple for centuries for many cultures in South America, Africa, Mediterranean, Asia, and India. For many of these regions, beans and legumes in combination with grains are the center of the plate and meat is viewed as a garnish or accent to the dish.
The Benefits of Beans and Legumes
Interested in some exciting UHDS vegetarian options? Here’s a few highlights that feature beans as the main fare(check out links for a complete list): Arnold Bistro’s Global Fare offers daily beans and whole grain specials ranging from Ethiopian Lentils, Persian Kidney Beans and Brown Rice with Dates and Walnuts. Marketplace West’s Serrano’s grill serves up a black bean burrito stuffed with veggies and smothered with mole sauce. Boardwalk Deli specials include Falafel (seasoned garbonzo bean patties) on fresh pita and Moroccan Vegetable Stew.
Be Well!
I have been fortunate to have accomplished a lot in school and sports receiving many honors. Yet, none compare to how I felt when a younger student, who attended church with me in the past, told me that the work I am doing as a CRF, and the change I have gone through in my life helped him come out and express his gay identity openly. My mind was absolutely blown! Obviously, I wasn’t the sole reason for this individual to come out, but just to be a part of his coming out process was incredible.
I saw him at a party and he appeared awkward towards me at first. I could tell he felt uncomfortable, but I struck up a conversation with him anyway. He told me that he saw me in the Pride Center, but didn’t know what my job was. He said he hid so that I couldn’t see him and possibly, identify him as gay. He remembered me from high school as a person that would use the word “gay” as filler in almost every sentence that came out of my mouth. He knew me as a guy who sat at the table and threw food at the one or two openly gay students in my high school. It’s no wonder why this student would be terrified of me seeing his true identity, and hide from me.
Thankfully to the staff at the Pride Center he had several conversations about what I was doing on campus and that I was transitioning into becoming an ally to the LGBT community. He was relieved to find out that I have become an ally to the LGBT community over the last two years, and was completely shocked when I gave him a huge hug after he told me about his identity. He was almost struck speechless as I began asking questions about how his life has changed since he began to express his true identity. Finally after the initial shock wore off we had one of the most amazing conversations of my life, learning about how his family has reacted and how much happier he has been.
It was funny how even though he knew I was an ally, it still took him several minutes to be completely sure that I was an accepting person. He explained to me that he heard of my transition and that if I was capable of changing from who I used to be that it gave him hope that his dad might be accepting of who he truly was. When our conversation ended, I gave him another hug and warned him that I’ll give him one every time I see him on campus. I left that conversation with an excitement I haven’t experienced in a long time.
He gave me a sense of accomplishment, that the work I do and the changes I’m making in my life actually mean something. People around me are feeling more comfortable in expressing their true identities. I feel a stronger sense of comfort from my peers as they interact with me. I cherish my job for what it has done for me and my interaction with others. I may have only made a small impact on one individual that I know of so far, but it has made a enormous impact on me.
Kevin Rodemack
Community Relations Facilitator – Westside Quad
www.oregonstate.edu/uhds/diversity_initiative/crf
The comments shared by the Community Relations Facilitator program are strictly the point of view from the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of UHDS. If this article has inspired a desire to dialogue, the author, or another CRF and/or any Resident Assistant, Resident Director or CoOp Director would be happy to participate. Please contact Victor Santana-Melgoza (Victor.Santana-Melgoza@oregonstate.edu), UHDS Multicultural Resource Coordinator, to assist in making arrangements.
I must admit during the first few weeks on the job, I was curious to see how being the only woman and Latina would play out with the group I was working with. My curiosity developed as I had the opportunity to work with the rest of my team members and I began to realize how our attitudes and ways of thinking about issues were very different at times. Instead of letting these differences get in the way, I am learning how to make use of these differences in a positive way. Read the rest of this entry »
When I was in elementary school, there came a time in November when teachers would break out the finger paints and dried macaroni because Thanksgiving was coming up and we needed to celebrate. Like most, I subscribed to the traditional first Thanksgiving narrative of the pilgrims and Indians sitting down to a giant feast. However, in 6th grade I learned of all the events preceding that day, and was quite surprised. Read the rest of this entry »
On Wednesday, November 17th from 5:00pm to 8:00pm UHDS will host “A Taste of the Indian Ocean: A Journey through Culture and Cuisine at Marketplace West. A Taste of the Indian Ocean celebrates international week on campus and is one of several “Journeys through Culture and Cuisine” that UHDS has hosted over the last few years. It will feature foods from India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and East Africa.
Each of these cultural events is an outgrowth of our Diversity Initiative which is a multi-faceted approach to creating communities that are open, caring and supportive of students from all cultures. Read the rest of this entry »
Moving into the residence halls this year was a major turning point in my life. I never would have imagined that my skin color would ever be a thought in my mind when meeting new people. Although I have some Japanese ancestors, throughout my life, I have grown up primarily in a white family with white friends in a white neighborhood at a white dominated school. I considered myself a part of the pack. I assumed the role of a white person. I thought I fit in. Read the rest of this entry »
Several times throughout my life I have had an individual or a group become angry or displeased at me for no apparent reason. Most of the times this occurred it was from an individual who held different identities than my own. When I say identities I mean social identities such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and many others. These types of occurrences used to make me very upset at the individuals because I believed they had no right to act this way towards me especially since I hadn’t done anything wrong. Read the rest of this entry »
