Fresh Local Foods Obtained with Food Stamps

Fresh Local Food with Food Stamps

How and where we as consumers use our food stamps could be used as a tool in our treatment and sense of wellness. Processed foods usually are the least expensive and low in nutritional value. Many of us are also on medications that may be effected by poor eating.  Some may not know that if you have EBT/Food Stamps you can utilize them at some Farmer’s Markets. The process is easy and there are people at the Farmer’s Market to help consumers utilize the market to the fullest; even if you do not have food stamps there will be a bilingual case worker to sign consumers up for food stamps and file the paperwork.

The key word in describing the health benefit of locally grown is “fresh.” Since the produce is local, it is fresher than produce that has come from the mainland. Fresher produce means better and more nutritious. How? Fruits and vegetables lose their optimal nutritional value as soon as they are picked. When picked, vitamins such as C, E, A, and some B vitamins begin to deteriorate and thus decrease. Other factors such as the exposure to air, artificial lights, and temperature changes can also contribute to the decrease in nutritional value. Thus, the longer the food sits the more it decreases in nutritional value. That is not to say that you will not get much out of eating fresh produce even if it was picked a week or two ago. It still provides a lot of nutrients but it just won’t be as optimally rich as when first picked. Another health benefit to buying locally grown is that you are getting produce at its peak state. Local farms can allow their fruits and vegetables to ripen longer or even fully ripen, which also adds to nutrition.

Tandis Bishop DTE Nutritionist

The two Farmer’s Markets closest to St Luke’s are in Bethesda and Silver Spring. I have been to the Silver Spring Market and found the experience pleasant. Located between Ellsworth Dr. and Fenton St. and Georgia Ave., the Nearest Metro is Silver Spring Metro (Redline) and the Public Garages are free on the weekends, the Market is open Saturdays 9am-1pm (April to December) and Saturdays 10am-1pm (January to March). 

                To redeem food stamps go to the information booth located at the middle of the market. At the information booth you swipe your card and tell them how much you want to spend. You will be given $1 tokens to use at the booths and receive your “Double Dollar” coupons to match your EBT dollars up to $10. They will also provide you with a tote bag to collect your food if you ask. I had brought my own bag but accepted the extra because I realized I would be buying produce and meats. I bag them separately to avoid cross contamination. I also learned to bring a special small bag to hold the tokens. They are wood and the little larger than a quarter. At the Silver Spring Market I found cheese (goat’s milk cheese), tree and field fruits (apples= tree/ raspberry= field), vegetables, honey, eggs (fresh eggs vary in color, don’t let the shell colors through you off), meat (frozen and packaged well), pies, preserves, salsa, breads and much more. I walked the market first to see all the venders and if anything caught my eye. Many of the booths provide easy recipes for the products they are selling.  I then sat down and made a list of what I wanted and what was on my list (that I had made prior so I would not get too overwhelmed) and compared them. I had withdrawn $40 of food Stamps and had received the extra $10 from the Double Dollar coupon resulting $50 to spend. The vendors were courteous and informative about the products. Have you ever tried purple cauliflower or squashes that don’t look like zucchini? This way you try new foods and learn the wide varieties without the Balducci price. I bought bison meat (buffalo) because it is leaner than regular red meat (usually cow) and was raised in a humane way. The vendor had recipes and information about bison. One tip is to do a long marinade and watch the meat closely because it cooks faster and can dry out. The recipe she gave me was for a root beer glaze that made the meat tender and flavorful. There may be long lines; be patient and use your skills for calmness during the wait.

The Farm Fresh Markets have 11 locations in the Chesapeake Bay region. The Farm Fresh Markets are known as producer-only. This means that the farmers can only sell what they grow, raise or make on their farms. The farms are within a 150 mile radius of Washington, DC. Fresher foods and lower carbon footprint is the result.

What is a carbon footprint - definition?

A carbon footprint is defined as:

The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).

In other words: When you drive a car, the engine burns fuel which creates a certain amount of CO2, depending on its fuel consumption and the driving distance. (CO2 is the chemical symbol for carbon dioxide). When you heat your house with oil, gas or coal, then you also generate CO2. Even if you heat your house with electricity, the generation of the electrical power may also have emitted a certain amount of CO2. When you buy food and goods, the production of the food and goods also emitted some quantities of CO2.

Your carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO2 (carbon dioxide), which were induced by your activities in a given time frame. Usually a carbon footprint is calculated for the time period of a year.

The best way is to calculate the carbon dioxide emissions based on the fuel consumption. In the next step you can add the CO2 emission to your carbon footprint. 

n  Time for change website

n  For more info about carbon footprints  and other environmental information go to:

n  http://timeforchange.org/what-is-a-carbon-footprint-definition

The other locations in the Washington DC area are:

Annapolis/ Bethesda/ Ballston/ Crystal City/ DuPont Circle/ Foggy Bottom/ H street NE/ Penn Quarter/ St Michaels/ Silver Spring/ by the White House.

            So if you want an interesting day trip go to the White House Market(located 810 Vermont Avenue- McPherson Square metro blue and orange line)  and take pictures of the White house or take a tour of the mall(before the market, so you won’t be weighed down with bags). To get more information about the different markets and information go to www.freshmarket.org.

 Article by Nicole Black

                                                                 

 

The Differences Between the American and National Leagues in Major League Baseball

The only rule difference between the American League and the National League is that in the National League the pitchers must bat like the position players and in the American League a designated hitter may bat for the pitcher or for a position player.  The designated hitter does not play the field like all other position players, as well as the pitcher.  This one rule difference results in many differences between games played with American and National League rules. 

In the National League, pitchers take more batting practice than in the American League.  Pitchers are trained to bat in the National League; particularly to advance base runners with a sacrifice bunt.  Still, to some extent, American League pitchers practice batting since they are forced to bat in road interleague baseball games and in road games during the World Series and All Star Game; should they be lucky enough to play in these games.

Furthermore, offenses are more potent in games played with American League rules, because the designated hitters are almost always better hitters than the pitchers. Even if they are not, a team can either choose to utilize a designated hitter for a weak hitting position player or to decline to utilize a designated hitter; should all of the fielding players be better batters than the bench players. This last option always rules out the possibility that a team can benefit offensively without the installation of a designated hitter in the line-up.

Also, an American League team generally plays better defensively than a National League team; because an American League team may utilize a poor fielding but strong hitting position player as the designated hitter; therefore, improving the team’s defense as well as the team’s offense.  This overlooked point might actually lead to reduced scoring in an American League game respective to the scoring in a National League game. 

Another difference that increases the average scoring in games played with National League rules relative to games played with American League rules is the reduced effectiveness of a pitcher’s pitching resulting from the fact that a pitcher pitching with National League rules must concentrate on hitting as well as pitching.  This leads to an increase in the number of runs scored in a game played with National League rules relative to the number of runs scored in a game played with American League rules.

Still, in reality, there is on average more runs scored with the existence of a designated hitter. The improvement in a team’s offense that occurs in a game played with American League rules outweighs the other two less obvious results that lead to lower scoring games with American League rules.  Furthermore, the role of the manager in games played with National League rules is increased relative to the role of the manager in games played with American League rules; because the manager must decide whether or not to pinch hit for the pitcher and when to utilize a double switch; in games played with National League rules.  Furthermore, one reason why starting pitchers on average pitch less innings in games played with National League rules than starting pitchers in games played with American League rules, because pitchers pitching with National League rules may be lifted for a pinch hitter or pinch runner prematurely if his team is losing late in a baseball game.  However, American League pitchers on average pitch fewer innings than National League pitchers due to the fact that the average offensive production in games played with a designated hitter is considerably greater than the average offensive production in games played without a designated hitter; resulting in longer innings on average in games played with American League rules as opposed to games played with National League rules.  Consequently, starting pitchers in games played with National League rules pitch fewer pitches on average per/inning than starting pitchers in games played with American League rules. The total number of innings pitched by a starting pitcher pitching with National League rules relative to the total number of innings pitched by a starting pitcher pitching with American League rules is unpredictable.  It depends on the existing circumstances other than the difference in rules.

There are other hidden facts that result from the existence of American League rules.  The defensive advantage of a team playing with American League rules that lowers the total scoring of teams playing with American League rules relative to the total scoring of teams playing with National League rules is irrelevant on the number of Home Runs hit by all of Major League Baseball.  “It is impossible to defense power.”  Furthermore, fewer errors are committed in games played with American League rules than in games played with National League rules, because of the improved defenses in games played with American League rules. 

Furthermore, there are multiple factors to be considered that can lead to a decrease in the ratio of position players to pitchers that a team chooses to maintain on its roster.  Two reinforcing factors that affect the ratio of position players to pitchers in Major League Baseball include:  There is a reduced need for pinch hitters on American League teams leading to a lower ratio of position players relative to pitchers in the American League, and there is a greater need for pitchers relative to position players in the American League due to the longer length of the innings in games played with a designated hitter.  Oppositely, more pitchers are needed relative to position players in games played with National League rules than in games played with American League rules due to the fact that more pitchers are removed from a game when the pitchers are pinched hit for or pinch run for.  However, pitchers can pitch more often in the National League than in the American League, because National League pitchers on average pitch shorter outings than American League pitchers.  Evidence seems to indicate that the ratio of pitchers to position players is relatively equal for most teams during most time intervals.  Furthermore, the fact that each team plays eighteen interleague games prevents a team from significantly changing the composition of the team in terms of position players and pitchers.  Injuries to key players have a larger effect on the composition of a team than the difference in the rules. 

There is a tendency for a higher percentage of runs to be scored on Home Runs in games played with National League rules relative to games played with American League rules, because it is harder for teams in games played with National League rules to sustain a rally than for teams in games played with American League rules.  This is due to the fact that pitchers frequently reduce the quantity of sustained rallies with their ineffective hitting.  However, the very existence of a designated hitter greatly increases the ratio of runs scored on Home Runs relative to runs scored otherwise; because designated hitters are frequently power hitters with limited fielding ability.  Consequently, the ratio of runs scored on Home Runs relative to runs scored otherwise is not readily determinable by the rule change alone.  

Two additional points must be reconsidered.  It is a fact that most National League pitchers hit better than most American League pitchers.  However, is the added practice that National League pitchers receive batting that improves their hitting or is it their batting skills that cause them to settle in the National League.  Which came first, “The chicken or the egg?”  Furthermore, most designated hitters are poor fielders relative to position players.  Are they naturally poor fielders or does their reduced fielding under game situations that reduces their effectiveness in the field.  Which came first, “The chicken or the egg?”

Michael K.

HAVE YOU HEARD?

For those of you that may just now be joining St. Luke’s House and didn’t get the news from your fellow clients or your staff we have merged with Threshold Services.  The effective date was July 1^st and the new organization is known as ST. LUKE’S HOUSE/ THRESHOLD SERVICES UNITED (SLH/TSI United).  Craig Knoll is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Randy Lyon is the Chairman of the Board of Directors, and John McCutcheon is the Vice Chairman.  Combined, SLH/TSI United forms the largest behavioral health care provider in Montgomery County.  Together, SLH/TSI United has 68 residences that serve 1600 clients at 3 clinic locations.  SLH/TSI United’s 240 member full time staff will help support their clients.  Between SLH and TSI United there are 70 years of experience.  In Dwayne Johnson’s opinion, who is a Life Skills Counselor at St. Luke’s House, this move became necessary because in 2014 the smaller organizations will become non – existent.  However, St. Luke’s House Grants Manager Mark Foraker feels this merger became necessary so that SLH/TSI United will remain strong and competitive in the current health care environment.  The new mission statement for the joint organization will be “St. Luke’s House and Threshold Services United, Inc. empowers people living with mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder to live, learn, work, and participate successfully in the community, and to have a life of their own choosing, by offering integrated behavioral health services and facilitating access to community resources, and by promoting a caring community through advocacy and education.”

by Kris L.     

MY NIGHT WITH THE CAPITALS

On Wednesday May 2^nd I celebrated my 40^th birthday at the Verizon Center.  As a really awesome gift my parent’s next door neighbor took me to Game 3 of the National Hockey League (NHL) Eastern Conference semi finals between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals.  He picked me up at my house and we drove to the Glenmont Metro Station and went from there to the Gallery Place – Chinatown stop.  Upon arrival we were given red rally towels and went down behind the glass and the goal at one end and watched pre – game warm – ups.   Unfortunately, the Capitals lost in triple overtime 2 -1.   It was almost 1:30 on Thursday morning before I got back to my house and Metro was only going to stay open until 1 a.m.   If the game had gone to an unprecedented fourth overtime, my parent’s next door neighbor and I would have had to leave before the end!   Even though we sat in the upper deck at one end behind the goal in the very last row with a wall behind us, the atmosphere was really exciting and I took part in all the cheering.  For instance, one of the fans had a red horn and played “LET’S GO CAPS.”  Also, at one point during the game to get the crowd fired up the sound system blared “Welcome to the Jungle” to incite the rabid fans to “UNLEASH THE FURY!”   As my younger brother told me “there is nothing like playoff hockey”.  Other than the final score it was a very enjoyable evening.

Kris L. 

MY NEW HOME

On Wednesday, April 4^th I moved into a really nice townhouse off of Georgia and Arcola Avenues that is owned by Housing Unlimited, Inc. (HUI) and is considered supported living.  I am still a part of St. Luke’s House and continue to work with a Residential Counselor (RC) from the Bethington cluster.  Most recently I had been living in general housing with the Peppertree cluster at a place near Bel Pre and Layhill Roads.  At my new place there is a telephone in my room. I also hold on to my own medication and don’t have staff coming for med monitoring every day.  Also, now that I am my own rep payee it is my responsibility to write my own rent checks monthly.  The transportation is very close to my house and I only have to take two buses to get to and from work and Southport.  However, I only have to take one bus to get from work to Southport.  In conclusion, the increased independence has been a really good thing for me and every move has been easier.

Kris L.

Not Again!!!

For the second straight year the University of Maryland Terrapins men’s lacrosse team came up one game shy of winning the Division 1 National Championship.  In the 2011 title game the University of Virginia Cavaliers defeated the Terrapins 9-7 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD.  This year it was the Loyola (MD) Greyhounds who dashed the Terrapins title hopes by the score of 9-3 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Memorial Day.  Just two days earlier the Terrapins had advanced to Championship Monday by defeating the Duke University Blue Devils by the score of 16-10.  This was also the second straight year that the Terrapins entered the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament unseeded.  After taking a 3-2 lead with 10:40 to go in the first half the Terrapins were held scoreless for the remainder of the game.  The drought lasted for the final 4:20 of the second quarter and final 30 minutes of the second half.  Meanwhile, the Greyhounds would go on a 7-0 run that put the game out of reach.  The Terrapins finish the year with a 12-6 record and still haven’t brought a national title to College Park since 1975.  In conclusion, this was the Greyhounds first Division 1 title in any sport.

Kris L.        

March Madness

Each year toward the latter part of the month of March, sixty eight of the premier college basketball teams square off in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.  In the first round, eight college basketball teams compete for the final four of the sixty four spots in the second round of the tournament.  After the first round, sixty four teams remain.  After the next round, thirty two teams remain.  Each successive round, half of the remaining teams are eliminated; whereas, the other half move on to the next round.   In each of the four different regions, the teams in that region are seeded from one to sixteen; one being the highest seed, and sixteen being the lowest seed.  Any team advancing to the fourth round is said to have reached the “Sweet Sixteen”; whereas, any team reaching the fifth round is said to have reached the “Elite Eight”.  Teams reaching the sixth round are said to have reached the “Final Four”.  The team that wins the tournament must win six games in succession (seven if that team played in the first round).

The higher seeded team is always given the privilege of being the home team, regardless of the location of the basketball game.  The home team always wears the light colored uniform.  The number one seeded team plays the number sixteen seed in each region in the second round of the tournament.  Obviously, the first seed would be the home team.  Similarly, the second seed plays the fifteenth seeded team; and the third seeded team plays the fourteenth seeded team in the tournament’s second round.  As long as the higher seeded team wins each game, the best team will always play the worst team in the next round.  However, when an upset occurs, this situation may no longer hold true.  For example, if the fifteenth seed defeats the second seed then the fifteenth seed might square off against a lower seed than the sixth seed.  In this way, there exists some unfairness to the fixed bracket structure of the NCAA Tournament.  However, in order that traveling time for all of teams is minimized, it is impossible to vary the bracket structure each time an upset occurs within a region.  In the NBA, traveling time is reduced automatically when a team plays multiple games against the same opponent.  In the NBA, the higher seeded team receives the home field advantage in the pivotal seventh game, should it occur.

On the positive side, the fixed bracket structure provides some unpredictability to the tournament results.  Unlike the professional playoffs, it is possible for a lower seeded team to advance, because it is always possible for a weaker team to beat a stronger team in one single game.  In professional basketball, to advance, a team must win four of seven games.  Weaker teams rarely advance.  Furthermore, the weakest team that advances must play the strongest team that advances in the NBA.  Therefore, the higher seeded teams have the best shot at advancing in each round in the NBA, even after an upset occurs.  The occurrence of few upsets in an NCAA tournament is one sign that the teams were seeded properly in the NCAA Tournament.  In professional basketball the seeds are determined strictly by their regular season record.  There is no uncertainty to the rankings of the professional basketball teams.  Despite the unpredictability of the NCAA tournament, a number one seed has never lost to a sixteenth seed. 

 There is no guarantee that the best sixty eight teams will play in the NCAA Tournament.  Some teams receive automatic bids into the tournament by winning their conference tournament.  Someday, the automatic bid might be given to the regular season conference winner rather than the conference tournament winner.  This would put more weight on the regular season conference schedule, which is more prolonged than the conference tournament.  When a team may or may not be ranked high enough to make the tournament, that team is said to be a “bubble” team.  Sometimes when a weak team receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, a bubble team is eliminated from competing in the tournament.  Bubble teams can also be chosen to compete in the NCAA Tournament based on their performance in their conference tournaments.  Their performance in these conference games will certainly affect their seeding in the tournament.  The criteria for choosing between bubble teams includes a team’s record, strength of schedule, top fifty wins, and a team’s injury status.  Sometimes the “eye test” is applied to two teams to choose the higher ranked team.  The eye test simply compares the two teams’ skill level.  Even when a bubble team loses a game to a high ranking team, it may improve the team’s probability of being chosen for the NCAA Tournament.  The best teams that are left out of the NCAA Tournament usually receive bids to the NIT Tournament.  The NIT Tournament is not as prestigious as the NCAA Tournament.