Looking once again to words for clues about our long-time relationship to food prior to the dramatic changes of the past one hundred years or so, I thought it would be interesting to look at the words associated with harvesting grain.

I’ve written about how people’s characterization of low-grain diets as “low-carb” demonstrates some confusion about carbs in general. But I think it also displays a vague recognition that grains are somehow different from the rest of the carbs (fruit, vegetables, beans). Too many people have noticed for themselves that decreasing their intake of grain often makes their pants fit better. And rather quickly at that. Why would that be, and what does it mean?

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The institution with which I am affiliated just sent me a Pebble® with which to track my daily steps, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Attached unobtrusively to an elastic band or strap, it ventures forth with me every day as I plot my path, set my course, walk my steps and take my hike.

Now I happen to be the sort of person, with clothing for every sort of weather, who is not usually bothered much by rain or snow or heat or cold. In fact, I especially love to walk in the falling snow. In the summer I sometimes walk at sunrise or late in the evening to avoid the heat of the day. There’s also an elliptical in the basement just in case it’s absolutely pouring, but to me there’s no substitute for fresh air. So my Pebble® and I are planning to get out pretty much every day no matter what. Continue reading →

Have you ever worked with someone whose actions caused you to hear your mom’s voice inside your head saying things like “everyone gets a turn,” or even “let’s be nice”? When my friend Dee heard her kids complain repeatedly about the frustrating behavior of certain adults in their lives, she used to suggest to her kids that they think of them as “negative role models.” She said that just as it’s important to have good examples of how you would like to behave, it’s also valuable to have examples of how you would NOT like to behave. Continue reading →

Many years ago my husband and I, in different fields, nevertheless found ourselves at the same conference in San Francisco. Afterward, we rented a car and took a lazy drive up the coast. The Pacific backdrop was beyond spectacular; we had never seen anything like it. From time to time we drove past small herds of contented, unimpressed cattle resting on bright green grassy knolls. “Lucky cows,” muttered my husband. Continue reading →