On October 11, 2013, the beautiful, enclosed, outdoor porch at the home of Evelyn Brown was the setting for the 2nd nutrition class in a series of four. Evelyn lives on the outskirts of Auburn, Alabama, just far enough out to feel like real county living. Upon turning onto her beautiful tree lined private drive, such a sense of peace and relaxation sets in, and the first thing that is noticed is her garden on the left side. It contains well supported trellises and the soil is bathed in wonderful, organic rich mulch. Evelyn tells me that the deer love her garden too, and that they will have to build a higher fence. Deer know what's good for them, and so should we, thus the reason for the series of nutrition classes.
Upon arrival, the nutrition class members were greeted with homemade snacks made with organic, chemical and preservative free ingredients that included coconut macaroons from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook, and several dried fruit balls made with apricots, cranberries, dates, almonds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut, and spices. Staying with our beverage theme of "How about a Nice Cup of Herbal Tea," everyone was offered a hot cup of Firefly Chai tea containing organic ingredients of ginger, cinnamon, cardamon, red rooibos tea, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla beans.
After a review of previous material, handouts were given, and several topics were focused on. Some were: how to get the most nutrition out of the foods we eat - how to store them, and how to cook them for optimal nutrient retention, a look at food labels, and the topic of fatty acids in foods - especially focusing on the essential fatty acids - Omega 3 and Omega 6. Most of the time, we can all remember that a certain fat is better for us than another, but we don't always remember why. I think the reason that we can't always remember why, is because the explanation is quite complicated, as is the case with fatty acids. So the class endured a little chemistry and molecular structure, and even learned how to name a fatty acid. All in all, I hope it was as fun for them as it was for me. And many thanks to Evelyn for hosting this class. Our next class will be on November 1st beginning at 9:30 at the Auburn Parks and Rec. on Dean Road.
After a review of previous material, handouts were given, and several topics were focused on. Some were: how to get the most nutrition out of the foods we eat - how to store them, and how to cook them for optimal nutrient retention, a look at food labels, and the topic of fatty acids in foods - especially focusing on the essential fatty acids - Omega 3 and Omega 6. Most of the time, we can all remember that a certain fat is better for us than another, but we don't always remember why. I think the reason that we can't always remember why, is because the explanation is quite complicated, as is the case with fatty acids. So the class endured a little chemistry and molecular structure, and even learned how to name a fatty acid. All in all, I hope it was as fun for them as it was for me. And many thanks to Evelyn for hosting this class. Our next class will be on November 1st beginning at 9:30 at the Auburn Parks and Rec. on Dean Road.
