Part 1

Part 2

Now, according to a study from researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California, that dogma is being questioned.

This study found that “the same family of chemicals that produces a buzz in marijuana users may be responsible for runner’s high.” According to the study’s principal investigator, Arne Dietrich, the body releases cannabinoids to help it cope with the prolonged stress and pain of moderate or intense exercise.

This may help explain why we cyclists are always hungry too!

See the full story here: http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/01/11/marijuana.exercise.reut/index.html

I bombed down Betty Heinous with Scott - super fun, especially with my new Marzocchi bomber MX-Pro fork – plush and oh so sexy.  I totally forgot my poison ivy troubles for the longest down hill I have done yet.  Looking for the shortest distance to the car, we ended up riding by the campground entrance, where I spotted a bottle of rubbing alcohol in the window of the registration booth (“eagle eye Sanborn”, that’s what they call me).  The wonderful attendants (who are getting homemade cookies tomorrow by the way) shared the alcohol, as well as paper towels, soap and a hot shower (I just jumped in with all my gear on and lathered up).  I was saved!

NOT TRUE!  This is where I eat MAJOR CROW.  This morning I went to the Internet and typed in “poison ivy” and turned up some wonderful websites.  I got a trouncing from the FDA (http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/796_ivy.html) and the American Academy of Dermatology (http://www.aad.org/pamphlets/PoisonIvy.html) totally schooled me.  Here is what I learned:

What we rode through may not even BE poison ivy, but Box Elder.  At the “Poison Ivy, Oak and Sumac Information Center” you can find a Q&A page – people have sent in pictures of what they think are poison ivy and an expert tells them if they are correct – it’s a great learning tool: http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/picqna.html

1. The person who suggested the cold water was RIGHT (oh why couldn’t I have been right???)  According to the FDA, bathing in cold water within 5-10 minutes after exposure will keep the oil from soaking into your skin.
2. You are only supposed to bath with hot water AFTER you wash with cold water. The hot water opens your pores and allows the oil to soak in more.
3. Soap and cold water is ideal, and isopropyl alcohol works great too.
4. If you can’t wash within 5-10 minutes, bath anyway, because even later, you can prevent the spread of the oil, reducing the amount of rash you experience.
5. There are some great products for sale that will prevent the oil from staying on the skin – you put it on before you ride (can I possibly remember to do this??? Maybe if I put it next to the chain oil….) – these products are available at your local drugstore.

The websites I mentioned will help you with identification, and with other facts about poison ivy, blowing away the common myth that the oozing pustules of gore will spread the rash…its only the original urushiol oil that causes allergic contact dermatitis – the true name of what I am hopefully not about to experience as I write this article.  One last note:  if you are allergic and you do get exposed, a physician can prescribe cortisone, which can be taken even before the rash appears (news to me, I usually wait till I am miserable before going in for the injection) to prevent itching hell.

One last site to check out (http://www.poison-ivy.org/) has incredible pictures of what you will experience if you don’t heed my warnings.  So sit down, check out the websites and eat some crow with me!

-Kristi Sanborn

If you want a winter soup that is inexpensive, easy to make, fantastic and incredibly good for you, AND its nearly meatless. (miso w/o the fish flakes ain’t miso. no way around it)  – try miso soup.  I have listed the ingredients and health information about each, as well as where to go to get some of the more unusual items.

You will need:
Miso paste
Wakame
Kombu
Bonito Flakes
Scallions or green onions
Mung bean sprouts
Firm tofu
Sesame seeds
Red Chiles (flakes, chopped, or sauce)
Cilantro
Udon or Soba noodles (Japanese wheat noodles)

Daishi stock:
1. Wipe 6×6 in piece of kombu with a cloth, but do not rinse.  Place it in a pan and add 3.5 cups water, gradually bring to boil over medium heat.  Remove kombu just when water starts to bubble, then bring water back to a boil.
2. Add 3 T bonito flakes, bring to boil again, then remove pan from heat.  Let stand for about 1 minute, or until the flakes sink to the bottom of the pan, then strain the stock through a cheesecloth lined strainer into a clean pan (I use a coffee filter – any fabric will do).  This is Daishi.

Soup:
3. Soak 2 teaspoons wakame in cold water.  Heat Daishi stock and stir in 3 T miso until completely dissolved (I like the white miso best).  Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Rinse 3.5 ounces firm tofu (bean curd) and pat dry.  Cut into cubes and simmer gently in soup for 4-5 minutes.  Rinse and chop 2 scallions (I use green onions) and add to soup.
5. Noodles (I don’t like noodles in my soup – but you can add them) – cook 7 ounces soba or udon (Japanese wheat noodles) according to package instructions, drain and rinse in cold water.
6. Place 1 ¾ cup bean sprouts in strainer and pour hot water over to blanch.  Heat 1 T oil and stir fry the sprouts, then add red chile to taste and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (I like a LOT more).
7. Divide the noodles, bean sprouts, wakame among four small bowls, pour hot soup over them and garnish with cilantro. -enjoy and breathe

Great Background Info on Miso:
Miso Paste: The written word, miso, first appeared around 800 AD. According to the Indiana Soybean Board (1997) “Miso is a rich, salty condiment that characterizes the essence of Japanese cooking. The Japanese begin their day with a fortifying bowl of miso soup and use miso to flavor a variety of foods in other meals throughout the day. Making miso is a household art in Asian countries, comparable to the American practice of canning foods. To make miso, soybeans and sometimes a grain such as rice, are combined with salt and a mold culture, and then aged in cedar vats for one to three years.”

“Miso is available in natural food groceries and in Asian markets. Store miso in the refrigerator, where it will keep for several months. The white mold that sometimes forms on miso is harmless. It can be scraped off or mixed into the miso.”

Two tablespoons of miso provide:
Calories 71
Protein (gm) 4.00
Fat (gm) 2.00
Carbohydrate (gm)
9.00
Calcium (mg) 23.00
Iron (mg) 1.00
Zinc (mg) 1.25

(Source: Composition of Foods: Legume and Legume Products. United States Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service, Agriculture Handbook, Number 8-16. Revised December 1986)

South River Miso (2002) goes on to say, “unpasteurized miso is a “living food” containing natural digestive enzymes, Lactobacillus, and other microorganisms which aid in the digestion of all foods, and which have been shown to ward off and destroy harmful microorganisms, thereby creating a healthy digestive  ystem.”

In traditional Japan, miso gained a special place in the minds and hearts of generations who came to rely on miso soup as an essential part of their daily life. In Physical Constitution and Food, Dr. Shinichiro Akizuki, director of St. Francis Hospital, Nagasaki, writes:
“I have found that, with very few exceptions, families, which make a practice of serving miso soup daily, are almost never sick…. I believe that miso belongs to the highest class of medicines, those which help prevent disease and strengthen the body through continued usage…Some people speak of miso as a condiment, but miso brings out the flavor and nutritional value in all foods and helps the body to digest and assimilate whatever we eat….
-The Book of Miso, page 25.”

Miso contains high amounts of Isoflavones (phytochemicals), which have been shown by recent research to be amazing antioxidants with immune boosting and cancer preventing
properties (Soyfoods Association of America, info@soyfoods.org).

Wakame: A seaweed that becomes slimy when soaked in water; but it’s the slime that’s so good for you!  Www.organichealthy.com (2002) tells us that alginic acid and fukodein, ingredients of slimy polysaccharide, decrease blood pressure, block stomach ulcers by preventing the growth of H. pylori (the bacteria that causes ulcers), and reduces bad cholesterol.

Kombu: Kombu is a type of brown seaweed that is widely regarded to have many health benefits. It is considered the most highly-mineralized food and increases the nutritional value and digestiblity of foods it is eaten with. According to Dr. Henry Han, OMD, kombu is “The strongest seaweed medicinally. Balances the absorbtion of minerals, detoxifies, protects against degenerative diseases, aids in weight reductions, aids in recovery from radiation. Softens and shrinks nodules, masses, or other abnormal growths.”  (http://www.blissbody.citymax.com/page/page/398358.htm).

Bonito flakes: Bonito is a type of tuna, which is a member of the mackerel family, and one of the most important fish in Japanese cuisine. Rarely eaten fresh, the dark, oily meat is dried into very hard cubes, which must be ground or shaved with a special tool before use. Bonito shavings form the base for many Japanese sauces and stocks (such as dashi, made with bonito and seaweed). It can be bought in flakes, also known as katsuobushi, which have a strong, salty flavor and a tan color. The flakes are frequently sprinkled over boiled or steamed vegetables and into soups. These items can all be found at any local Asian market.

-Kristi Sanborn