Entry # 10- Healthy food from my country of origin. Bulgarian Cuisine

The unmistakable taste of Bulgarian food

Why does the Bulgarian cuisine taste so good? Bulgarian food is organic food. The dishes are prepared using natural products which to a great extend brings the unique taste of the Bulgarian meals. There are also many distinctive features of the Bulgarian cooking that contribute to the exception taste. When preparing meals with meat for example, Bulgarians start with cooking of the meat and gradually add the rest of the ingredients. In this way in one meal we have a mixture of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, and minerals.

The combination of milk or yogurt with other products is also very typical for the Bulgarian national cuisine. It enriches the technology of food preparation and makes the dishes healthier. Another distinctive feature is the thermal processing of the products - they are simmered slowly on low heat which enables their nutritive qualities to be retained and, again, make the food taste much better.

Bulgarian cuisine is exceptionally diverse and delicious, consisting of various salads, breadstuffs, stews, and other local dishes. Many of the dishes are prepared according to traditional recipes handed down from generation to generation over the centuries. The traditional Bulgarian cuisine is a mixture of classic Bulgarian meals, intertwined with heritage from Slavonic, Greek, Turkish, and lately, other central and western European cuisines.

The most products for which Bulgaria is internationally known are yogurt and white brine (feta) cheese. These are almost always present on Bulgarian tables in one form or another. For centuries they are considered to be reason for the good health and the longevity of Bulgarians. We have a scientific explanation for this now. Yogurt is rich in probiotics, which help the good bacteria in our gastrointestinal system to bring more nutrients for our bodies. Probiotics are also important in maintaining our immune system and metabolism of calcium and minerals.

People usually grow their own vegetables that are exceptionally tasty, which is why salads occupy a central place in our culinary tradition. 

Some of the most popular Bulgarian dishes are grilled – meat balls, kebapches, grilled meat pieces, grilled sausages, and others. Various stews and dishes in clay pots are also a regular part of the Bulgaria cuisine (hotchpotch and casseroles). One of the trademarks of the Bulgarian cuisine is Cheverme – an entire lamb roasted on a spit. This dish is typical for the Rhodope region, but it is also served throughout the country.

Bulgaria’s cuisine also consists of various cold cuts and other meat delicacies. Flat sausage is the most famous. Such delicacies are usually accompanied with a Bulgarian wine, since Bulgaria is justly famous for its wines.

This brief introduction only touches on the diverse Bulgarian dishes and drinks. To fully know the culinary magic of the country, it is necessary to visit all of the regions where the traditional recipes are proudly maintained and culinary delights are constantly on offer.

Bon Appétit!

 

Entry #9: Food Perspective Video: Pink Slime

More than 15 years ago the first Mac Donald’s was open in my hometown in Europe and my family decided to visit it. We were very excited because of the big reputation of Mac Donald’s in the world and the fact that we just received our visas to immigrate to USA. We had hamburgers and Coca Cola. The food was great! It was very tasty!  

After couple of months we came to USA and were very excited to visit the real, American Mac Donald’s this time. We ordered the same menu we had back home-hamburgers and Coca Cola. I will never forget my disappointment when I had the first bite from that “original” hamburger. The taste was soar, bitter, and very different from what I tasted in Bulgaria. My family shared with me that they were disappointed too. We were wondering what were we actually eating. We were sure it was not meat. As a result, we decided to never eat hamburgers from Mac Donald’s any more.

Watching the video “Pink Slime", I finally received an answer to the question, what was in the hamburgers in our first visit to MacDonald’s in USA. It was a gooey, pink slime, mixed with ammonia hydroxide. I was glad that we never had some of this disgusting staff any more. 

From the movie I also learn that the beef in the supermarkets has that “lean, finely textured beef." It is in almost every product that contains ground beef. I can’t believe that USDA "did not think" to include this information in the label. On the top of this the food industry adds ammonia hydroxide to kill bacteria. I wonder if they could not find less dangerous for our health way to prevent the contamination of food, instead of using toxic chemicals.

The most outrageous for me is the fact that our children have been fed the “pink slime”. In the schools, our children are fed with something they want to convince us is a protein. As a person who has been in the medical field all my professional life, I can say for sure that cartilage is not an easily digested protein that can be utilized from the growing bodies of children. As a mother and a clinician I think that our children need to be fed soluble, easily digestible proteins, like the ones found in real beef meat, not in "pink slime". 

As a working citizen, who works two jobs to be able to survive financially, I can understand the concern about the increasing prices of the meat. But we have to think about the future. Personally, if I have to choose between spending more money now on better quality food or later on treatment of diseases, I prefer to spend more money now. I understand that people, who can’t afford to buy more expensive meat, would not agree with this statement. 

At least, tell us, the consumers, what we eat and we will decide how to choose.

As a person who has both, an American and European citizenship, I keep asking myself, why American food is so bad. We, the consumers, started asking questions, how is our food made, and what is actually in our food. Then things, like “pink slime” started to come out in the news. I wonder what is next.

Why we, as consumers, have to pay with our health the price, so the food industry corporations would keep making billions of dollars. I think that we have been deceived. We, the American citizens, think that our government institutions would keep us healthy and safe. We trusted them. As a result we have obesity epidemics, and diabetes epidemics in adults and children. 

I have no doubt in the fact that, we, as consumers and citizens, have the right to ask questions, to ask for changes, to protect our health, and our children’s health.

EC  Food, Inc.

I just watched the whole movie and I am shocked. I can’t believe that people can be so greedy and cruel. The fast food industry controls not only the meat production, but also the production of food for the animals, the vegetable and fruits’ production. These businesses not only monopolized the food industry in USA, but they created the mentality of looking for convenient and easy way to eat. The package of the food showing the old ranch and a farmer is a lie. The food that is inside the package and we eat has nothing to do with a ranch, a farmer, and a rooster on the roof. The truth about how the American food has been produced has been hidden from the consumers. The farmers are not allowed to tell the truth about the way the food is produced. The purpose of the movie is to show the reality of the industrialized food production in our country.

I saw animal abuse in the industrialized farms for raising chickens, cows, and pigs. A chicken farm with thousands of chickens put in such a small space that they do not have a place to move. This is with a purpose. The chickens grow very fast from the food they eat, that their bones can’t bear the heavy weight. They make a few steps and plop on the ground, full with feces and dead chickens. The food the farmers are feeding the chickens is full with antibiotics. The farmer herself became allergic to all kinds of antibiotics. The workers of the company that picks up the chickens for processing are mostly illegal immigrants, so they would not have the rights to complain. They go at night, while the chickens are asleep, so they would not have to fight them. The workers throw them in the trucks like subjects, not caring if they are dead or alive.

The cattle farm is even more disturbing. Thousands of cattle put in very small space. They can’t even turn. I could not believe my eyes, when I saw a big hole in a cow’s body. A farmer put food and bacteria in the hole for faster digestion. When the reporter asked him if the cow doesn't suffer, his respond was that it doesn't feel a thing. How does he know that? The cows that could not walk were taken by the feet by a lift and bumped in the process machine still alive.

The pigs still alive are put in a compressor machine. Two thousand pigs are killed for a day in the slaughter house. The workers are mostly African-Americans, brought to the slaughter house by a bus. They are specialized to do only simple tasks for minimal wages. They get injured very often and infected, but they do not complain because they can be easily replaced.

The movie starts with the story of a family of immigrants which eats fast food every day. The parents work from 6 am till 9 pm, and they do not have time to cook. They buy for them and their 2 daughters the dollar menu food from Burger King. When they go the grocery store and look at the prices they realize that it is less expensive to buy soda and candy than fruits and vegetables. The father is already diabetic, and there is a fear that the youngest child might be diabetic too. The family is facing the dilemma: should they buy the diabetic medications which cost $200-330 a month, or spend the money for healthy food.

The movie talks about the health risks of eating fast food. It shows statistical data for increasing diabetes in adults, and especially children. For me the most shocking fact was that 1 in every 3^rd American born after 2000 will be diabetic. The numbers change to worst for minorities -1 in every 2^nd American.

The factories for processing the food look like big factories for making cars. Most of the processes are automated and done by machines. The processed meat is bathed in ammonia to kill the E. coli bacteria. This made me sick to my stomach. I would not be able to eat meat for a while.

The food industry is ruled by a couple of big corporations. These corporations have their representatives in the congress. They make the laws in a way to serve them, not the consumers. The movie shows a heartbreaking story of a mother who lost her two years old son, Kevin, because of E. coli infection. The child went from healthy to dead in 12 days. There is video of Kevin playing on the beach, while the mother was telling how he got bloody diarrhea after eating a hamburger. Then he went into kidney failure and was put on dialysis. Kevin was begging for water before he died and they were not allowed to give him. Kevin’s mom and grandmother are republicans. They are sewing the big corporation that sold the diseased meat for 7 years with no result. They are trying to pass a law, called: “Kevin’s law”, which will require is a case of contamination, the selling company to stop distributing the contaminated meat in the market. They do not have approval from the government to pass that law yet.

The environment is polluted with pesticides and herbicides. There is a big corporation company for producing seeds for soy beans. It is the same company that produced Round up. It manufactured genetically modified seeds (GMOs) and now 90 % of the produced soy been in USA is from that brand of seeds. I could not believe the story about the punishment of the farmers who dared to gather the seeds. They were prosecuted like criminals. I did not know that there are laws in some states that you could be prosecuted for saying in public something against the food certain corporation produces. This is such an injustice!

I did not know that corn can be transformed into so many products, even dippers. The movie shows how the low price of our corn ruined the farmers in Mexico. The Mexican farmers came to USA to work in the slaughter houses of these same companies that ruined them. After fifteen years of working very hard and dangerous jobs for minimal wages, the monopoly company that employed them, called the immigration services and the immigrant workers were send to jail or extradited. There were no legal consequences for the employer of the Mexican illegal workers. As an immigrant this injustice brought me to tears. I think that most of the immigrants come to our country to find a better life for their families, not to be abused.

    

The movie introduces to the viewers local farmers, who refuse to work in industrialized corporations. Some of them agreed to work with big corporations like Wal-Mart, some refused. They are doing everything in their power to survive financially. The movie is asking the consumers to think when they purchase food where they want to send their money-to local farmers or the big corporations. 

The message of the movie is to help our environment, our local farmers, our children and our future by taking actions. We, as consumers, have the power to choose what kind of food we want to eat, to ask our government for information, for laws that will protect our rights, not the rights of the big food industrial corporations.

Entry # 8  What Are Probiotics?

I would like to pay our attention to Probiotics. They are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for our health, especially our digestive system. We usually think of bacteria as something that causes diseases. But our body is full of bacteria, both good and bad. Probiotics are often called "good" or "helpful" bacteria because they help keep our gut healthy.

Probiotics are naturally found in our bodies. We can also find them in some foods and supplements.

It's only been since about the mid-1990s that people have wanted to know more about probiotics and their health benefits. Doctors often suggest them to help with digestive problems. 

How Do They Work?

Researchers are trying to figure out exactly how probiotics work. Here are some of the ways they may keep us healthy:

• When we lose "good" bacteria in our body (like after we take antibiotics, for example), probiotics can help replace them.
•  They can lower the amount of "bad" bacteria in our system that can cause infections or other problems.
• They can help balance our "good" and "bad" bacteria to keep our bodies working like they should.

Types of Probiotics

Many types of bacteria are classified as probiotics. They all have different benefits, but most come from two groups.

• Lactobacillus. This may be the most common probiotic. It’s the one we’ll find in yogurt and other fermented foods. Different strains can help with diarrhea and may help with people who can’t digest lactose, the sugar in milk.
• Bifidobacterium. We can find it in some dairy products. It may help ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

What Do They Do?

Probiotics help move food through our gut. Researchers are still trying to figure out which are best for certain health problems. Some common conditions they can treat are:

•      Irritable bowel syndrome
•      Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
•      Infectious diarrhea (caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites)
•      Antibiotic-related diarrhea

There is also some research to show they ease the symptoms of non-stomach-related problems. For example, some people say they have helped with:

•      Skin conditions, like eczema
•      Preventing allergies and colds
•      Oral health

How to Use Them Safely?

The FDA regulates probiotics like foods, not like medications. Unlike drug companies, makers of probiotic supplements don’t have to show their products are safe or that they work. 

Entry # 7: Fresh

I think the purpose of the movie “Fresh” is to be an eye opener for the viewers. It shows the truth about the food industry in USA without cover ups. For me personally the movie is a confirmation of the theory that the health issues in our society start with the way our food is produced. We have obesity epidemic, diabetes epidemic, and nutrient deficiencies. 

The movie "Fresh" is an honest cry for help to the American society. The audience of the movie is farmers, doctors, politicians, teachers, consumers and business people across America. The tone is sometimes depressing, when the movie shows the sick, killed animals, and sometimes comical when a farmer talks to the hens: “Good morning, ladies!” It is very engaging for the viewers. The movie as a whole is full with emotions. We can see the sadness of the farmers when they were made to go through years of struggle and some of them still struggle to survive the high prices. We can see their enthusiasm in forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, offering a practical vision for the future of our food and our planet.

The movie is wonderful. It raises awareness for very important issues for our society. I will never forget the words of one of the farmers: “I am a caretaker of creation. What I am supposed to do is leave it in better shape for the next generation than I found it. Part of our responsibility is to respect the design of nature.” The farmers that the movie features are responsible, honest, decent people of our society. They do not want to grow animals in bulk, to feed them with food full with hormones, antibiotics, and GMOs. It will make the animals grow fast, but unhealthy. They do not want to feed the cows dead cows. It is not only outrages for the nature, but it brings mad cow disease, salmonella, antibiotic resistant infections to people. The movie shows the consequences of industrialized agriculture for our environment. It is a 90% lost of diversity in nature. This is a disaster for all of us. The farmers from the movie realize that if they want to grow healthy food, they have to mimic nature. 

The part that impressed me the most is where Will Allen was telling the story how he realized the difference between the American and the European food, while living in Europe. When I was listening to him, I was thinking,” I am not the only one thinking that there is a huge difference between the food in USA and Europe.” I was watching the movie and thinking, “Why people do not think like him?” Then I remembered all the commercials, the food in the cafeteria at my work, the stores, and fast food stores at every corner. I realized that it is about money. The food industry is making a huge amount of money through the processed food and fast food industry. The problem is that we as consumers pay for eating full with pesticides, antibiotics, and GMOs food. We will be the ones paying for treating gastrointestinal, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity.


The purpose of the movie is to show how some farmers manage to produce healthy food by combining best of the technology with the practicality of nature wisdom. I like that the movie shows statistical data to the viewers. One example is that the industrialization of our food made it cheaper, but at the same time diminished the food of vitamins and minerals by 40 %. The producers of our food tell us that the more processed the food is, the less nutritious it is. We do not pay at the cash register now, but it will be charged at our health and the environment. The leading blocks of processed food are corn syrup and hydrogenated oil. Corn syrup brought to Americans diabetes epidemic. Hydrogenated oil consumption increases the risks of development of heart disease, strokes and diabetes, according to the American Heart Association.

 

The farmers from the movie used their abilities to start a new movement in America. “Growing Power” and “Good Nature” family farms supply consumers with healthy food, produced from small farmers. Local farmers’ organizations try to help independent farmers to survive financially. They ask us when we make decisions at the supermarket to think, because the future of local farmers depends on us, consumers. I like the optimistic tone of the movie at the end. The future of our environment is in our hands. We can transform the whole food system one person at a time. It is not an impossible dream.

Entry#6 - GMOs pro and cons

I would like to raise awareness about the food we eat, which brings nutrients to our bodies. Our health and the health of our children depends on that. 

What are GMOs?

GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding. According to the nonprofit Center for Food Safety, GMO seeds are used to plant 90 percent of corn, soybeans, and cotton grown in the U.S. These products find their way into many of our foods, from our morning toast, to our salad, to the cookies we snack on at night.

Why Change Seed DNA?

Seeds are genetically engineered for many reasons. Sometimes, it’s to boost seed resistance to insects or to grow hardier crops. They can also be engineered to give foods stronger colors, longer shelf life, or to eliminate seeds, so that we can buy seedless watermelons and grapes. Supporters of genetic engineering say that this technology provides a sustainable way to feed people in countries without access to nutrition-rich foods. Some GMO foods have higher levels of nutrients, such as protein, calcium, and folate. The longer shelf life of some GMO foods means that they can reach remote areas. Supporters also note that GMO corn requires less insecticide, although herbicide use on GMO corn has risen, according to the Economic Research Service.

Why Should We be Concerned About GMOs?

Human Health Risks: More and more studies point to the idea that there’s grave cause for concern about the health effects of consuming GMOs and the chemicals they are sprayed with, including food allergies, irritable bowels, organ damage, and cancer.

Environmental Risks: Seventy-two percent of US GMO crops are engineered to tolerate a certain type of herbicide. But the weeds that these herbicides used to kill are coming back bigger and stronger, creating herbicide-resistant “super weeds” that require greater quantities of more toxic pesticides to eradicate. Even when a farmer isn't growing GM crops, contamination can easily occur—through seed mixing or pollen drift from neighboring GM fields. It can be an economic disaster for organic and family farmers.

I would like to make a comparison-several organizations in Europe have to approve a food before it comes out in the market, while in USA the GMO food has been produced for years without even informing the consumers. Unlike Europe, there is no federal mandate that requires GMO foods to be labeled so that consumers know what they are buying and eating. 

All GMOs, along with irradiated food, are considered "new food" and are subject to extensive, case-by-case, science-based food evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA reports to the European Commission, which then drafts proposals for granting or refusing authorization. Each proposal is submitted to the Section on GM Food and Feed of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. If accepted, it is either adopted by the EC or passed on to the Council of Agricultural Ministers. The Council has three months to reach a qualified majority for or against the proposal. If no majority is reached, the proposal is passed back to the EC, which then adopts the proposal.

In USA some states do require labels. In May 2014, Vermont became the first to pass a law that requires labels on any foods produced entirely or partially with genetic engineering.  Maine and Connecticut are also on their way, but bills that mandate GMO labels can only take effect until related bills are passed, which could take years. GMO labeling legislation is pending in 28 other states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. 

While we wait for label laws to take effect, we should read food labels carefully. If food contains soy, corn, canola, or sugar — and it isn't organic — it is most likely made with GMO products. Look for the Non-GMO Project label, buy organic certified produce and packaged foods, avoid high-risk ingredients, be wary of non-GMO claims that lack certification, avoid processed foods, watch out for restaurants.

Food is very important contributor to our health. As American citizens, we would like to be informed about the food we consume. We would like to be involved in the decisions regarding the way our food is produced.

Entry #5: Wall-E

I have never watched the Disney movie Wall-E before, but now since I watched it, I am impressed. The message to us-humans is: If we continue with our reckless behavior towards our environment, we will destroy our planet. If we continue to rely on technology for our basic needs, we will not be able to serve our basic needs; we will forget to communicate, and we will lose the ability to see the world around us.
 The video clip about the robot Wall-E and the humans he is serving is very close to our reality. The humans are not talking, even sitting next to each other. They use their mobile devices’ screens to communicate. This is our reality of communicating with the cell phones. This reminded me of something that happened at my house not too long time ago. I have been sitting on the second level of my house and I received a phone call from my teenage daughter. When I asked her where she is calling me from, her answer was: “From downstairs”. She used the cell phone to communicate with me, instead of coming upstairs, because she thought it was more convenient.

The picture of the mall is the same as our malls. The commercial message: “Everything you need to be happy is very important to us” we hear every day in the media. There are big signs, “EAT”, “FUN”, “WIN” -the same we see everywhere in our malls. Then a voice is heard overhead: “Time for lunch in a cup” and then a line brings the food to the peoples’ mouths. The people do not even chew the food; they drink it with a straw. This reminds me of Starbucks, Dutch brothers’ slashes, smoothies, and all kind of “drinks” with 500-1000 calories in them that we consume. The beauty shop is not very different from our beauty shops. The robots that make peoples’ hair remind me of the machines we use in the hairdresser shops. 

The overhead announcement: “Attention, shoppers! Try the blue. Blue is the new red” and everybody changes its costume in blue color. This is nowadays psychology of the followers of Fashion. We would not be considered “cool” if we don’t follow what our fashion industry is dictating. The fashion models are much thinner than the people. This is our society and culture teaching that the beauty is being skinny, but at the same time convincing us to buy the double cheeseburger. This is our psychology of consumers, invented from our industry of making money no matter what.

     

The people forgot how to walk, because of the constant use of the mobile devices. This reminds me of us driving everywhere in our cars. We do not walk too much nowadays. The guy felt on the floor, he couldn't even get up. The people do not take care of the trash. They wait for the robots to take care of every need they have. Willie (the robot) had to do everything for people, even to lift the guy from the ground, when he felt. There is a robot teaching babies the alphabet. Robots have feelings, but people do not, because they do not have a real communication.

When Willie removed the screen away from one of the girls, she suddenly woke up, she get up on her feet and started seeing the real world around her. This is the same feeling we have when we have been on our cell phones, revolved in our own world of entertainment; concentrated on what we are watching, almost hypnotized and do not see the world around us; and suddenly get away from the cell phone and started seeing the world around us.

People on the beach are so lazy, that they clap their hands and a robot umbrella comes in to cover them from the sun. They are focused in their monitors that they do not see and enjoy the environment around them. They do not do any physical activities at all. They do not walk or play on the beach. The only thing they do is to watch the monitors in front of them. This is very similar picture to what we see nowadays. People prefer to play a video game or “chatting” on some of the social media instead of going outside to have fun with family or friends.

This movie is a wake-up call for our society. If we do not take any actions to correct the disconnected, not physically active, food consuming all the time behavior, we would end up like the people from the movie-car-ridden, obese, unable to talk, to communicate and to see and enjoy the world around us.