The use of probiotics in treating critically ill individuals is a focus of much attention. In this article, Promising Potential, I review the latest research findings on this widely-debated topic. Read the article here.
What does Kombucha tea have to do with this post? Plenty, but I’ll explain in a bit. First things first. Last September of 2009 I stumbled upon an opportunity to write health and nutrition-related columns for a popular website known as Chicagoist. While I myself was not a regular Chicagoist reader, I was familiar with its “cool” factor from my friends who read it. The opportunity to write about nutrition for a large audience was terribly compelling to me. So I sent the Chicagoist editor a few samples of my writing, and a link to my personal blog (as in, this very blog you are reading), and sort of assumed I would never hear from them. Surely there would be an abundance of more qualified writers that would land the gig. But of course I was mistaken. Just about one month and three try-out posts later, I was officially welcomed to join the Chicagoist staff. Thank you, Chuck Sudo. “Thrilled” is the only word to describe how I felt when I saw my photo and bio on the Chicagoist Staff page. Pretty awesome, if I do say so! Although unpaid, writing for Chicagoist had plenty of rewards. One prime example being the opportunity to cook for Soup and Bread and the Hideout, alongside the chef of one of my favorite Chicago restaurants, Treat. That was truly a highlight of my year! And writing for Chicagoist was relatively low stress. Aside from weekly deadlines to get my stuff turned in to the editors, I was basically given liberty to write about anything I wanted and had the satisfaction of knowing that a LOT of people were reading and commenting on my articles. Initially, I even welcomed being chastised by readers. Comments like, “the author’s advice is hilariously awful” were no skin off my back. Heck, I was elated the readers cared enough to write any comments at all.
But the initial thrill eventually waned. The negative comments, that simply come with the territory of writing for a website like Chicagoist, began to seep under my skin. Even worse, I allowed the comments (or fear of them) to control my writing. No longer did I feel the freedom to write candidly, but instead determined to write safe and tidy, and often boring, posts in order to avoid stirring the pot.
Which brings me back to Kombucha. What used to be just an effervescent beverage I enjoying sipping once in a while, Kombucha now conjures anxiety in me. A couple months ago I innocently wrote a post for Chicagoist about the potential health benefits and harms of drinking Kombucha tea. At least I thought it was innocent, until I was met with a slightly vicious personal attack by a few readers. Some examples of the reader’s comments to my Kombucha post include…
“Seriously, Chicagoist, this is the second posting by this author that’s pushing pseudo-science. Does the internet need more quackery? Really, there’s enough BS out there”
“I’d prefer if Chicagoist didn’t turn into the next HuffPo were any quack with a book or product to sell gets their own blog indistinguishable from the rest of the content on the site.”
“Now, I’ll point out that I’ve defended some of Megan’s pieces in that past, but on this you’ll have to put me with the earlier skeptics. This is hokum and a bad use of Chicagoist space.”
You’d think I had gone and written about a topic of grave importance. Nope, just a drink. The comments were no doubt laughable at times, but also hurtful. And while my distaste of writing for an online blog has been building, the Kombucha incident tipped me over the edge. I was done. I deeply missed writing casually, about anything my heart desires, for my own little blog, Tempted. I was fed up getting emails at work notifying me that a Chicagoist reader had left a comment about my post. Those messages were a real buzz kill in an otherwise happy day. And coincidentally, right around that time, my life suddenly pointed to planning my wedding and a cross-country move to Colorado…thus a reason to quit Chicagoist. Phew. It was an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything, not in a million years! But 10 months was plenty of time to enjoy the glory of being a Chicagoist staffer. I learned a lot from my gig as their “health and nutrition” correspondent. And now I know what I DON’T want to do again.
-Megan
p.s. Nessalla kombucha is soooo fanastic.
On Chicagoist, How to Eat Right at Taste of Chicago: http://bit.ly/9B60ql
Many of us have turned up our nose at “healthy comfort food”, dismissing it as an oxymoron. Myself included. Until I discovered this meal from my most-frequently-used cookbook, Veganomicon. These “Snobby Joes” are made with lentils and veggies and, with a little tomato paste, seasonings and fluffy white buns, taste remarkably like their beefy ancestor. Eating these brought me back to summertime visits to grandma’s house as a kid, when I would enjoy meals made of nothing but pretzel rods dipped in A&W Root Beer. We paired our sandwiches with a dairy-free version of macaroni and “cheese” that is rich, creamy, and incredibly satisfying. All around, this was heart-warming comfort food that didn’t leave us missing a thing. Check out this meal in the making below (and to exit the photos, simply click right on the photo).
Have you heard about this controversial “sandwich” known as KFC’s Double Down?
Nutritionists Plea to KFC: http://bit.ly/bPDMlY
Today on Chicagoist I discussed a few (certainly not all) environmental benefits of choosing grass-fed animal products. Read my post here: http://bit.ly/bv3LNg
Study shows calcium may have significant cancer-prevention benefits, as I reported today on Chicagoist. http://bit.ly/91lZpz (that’s calcium-rich kale to the left…dairy-free!)
See pics from my weekend trip to Traders Point Creamery: http://bit.ly/aFzWum
Last week I shared this homemade version of seitan on Chicagoist. The recipe is from my recently-acquired copy of Veganomicon, a book I’m not sure how I previously lived without. I initially tried store-bought seitan back in my food-experimental days, when I was a confused vegetarian, then lazy vegan, then self-righteous macrobiotic, then a relieved omnivore, then back to “flexitarian”, and on and on. While I annoyed my family and friends to no end, I tried a lot of new foods! Seitan secured place in my heart. I truly enjoy eating the homely “wheat meat”, and the fact that it’s healthy is just a bonus.
Here’s the post from Chicagoist:
Fondly known as “wheat meat”, seitan (pronounced say-TAHN) is made from wheat gluten, the protein portion of a wheat kernel. Containing about 30 grams in a 3 ounce portion, it’s nearly pure protein. The same amount of tuna, pork, or sirloin steak each contains roughly 25 grams of protein. Keep that in mind next time mom gets worried that your vegetarian food doesn’t give you enough protein. Seitan is a healthy, cholesterol and saturated fat-free, addition to stir fries, sandwich wraps, salads, soups and any dish in need of some meaty texture.
Ingredients
1 cup vital wheat gluten flour (available at Whole Foods and most natural food stores)
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ cup cold vegetable broth
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated on a microplane grater
Broth:
8 cups cold water plus 3 vegetable bouillon cubes, or 4 cups broth plus 4 cups water
¼ cup soy sauce
To prepare: Mix together the gluten flour and yeast in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together the veggie broth, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic. Pour the wet into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until most of the moisture is absorbed. Use your hands to knead the mixture for a few minutes; until the dough is elastic (this happens pretty quickly!). Divide with a knife into three equal pieces and then give those pieces a good knead to stretch them out a bit.
Prepare the broth:
Fill a stockpot with water, bouillon cubes, and soy sauce, and add the wheat gluten pieces. Cover and bring to a boil. Try to catch it just as soon as it boils and then lower the heat as low as it will go so that becomes a low simmer. Partially cover the pot so that steam can escape and let simmer for an hour, turning the seitan occasionally.
Turn off the heat and remove the lid, then let sit for 15 minutes. Remove the seitan from the broth and place in a strainer until cool enough to handle. It is now ready to be used. Our preferred method of cooking seitan is to slice it, dredge in flour, lightly pan-fry it in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and serve atop steamed vegetables. “Fried” seitan is also absolutely made for kids who love chicken nuggets (therefore all kids).
