Thursday, April 26, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
my quest for health (part 1)
So I'm about two months into a healthy lifestyle, and the once chronic allergies are at bay. I thought I'd share a bit of what's been going on.
I've had allergies since I was a kid, developing asthma at age six. When the wheezing started I was brought by my mom to see the family allergist in Philadelphia, an elderly man named Dr. Tuft. He had treated my grandmother, who raved about him, and also saw my brother.
Getting pricked by a needle at this age was traumatic, though my mom tried to soothe me by reading me her own favorite children's book, Raggedy Ann. Early on I went often and the appointments were long. Everything in the office- the furniture, the equipment, (glass needles which were sterilized in house) the doctor and his nurse Muriel were from a bygone era. I can still remember the funky smell of that place. I grew up getting weekly shots from a neighbor who was a nurse, and checked in with Dr. Tuft every few months. He would ask a few questions, look up my nose, listen to my breathing, adjust my serums according to the season, ask about my grandmother and send me on my way. Despite the weekly shots, I still had periodic attacks which were treated with an inhaler and pills. They would always occur at 3am.
My nasal allergies weren't that much of a problem, and it's possible they were kept under control with the injections. I continued with the treatments through college, until I became an adult and starting seeing my own allergist. He lacked the gentle charm of Dr. Tuft. I began to question whether the shots were doing anything, and eventually stopped seeing the doctor.
When I returned to college to study art at the age of 25, I fell into a life that was riddled with allergens. I lived in Richmond, Virginia, which is hot and sticky, and thus thick with pollen and mold spores. Many of my friends smoked cigarettes and owned cats. During one night of socializing at a friend's apartment, my asthma got so bad that it was beyond the inhaler's control. I had to be taken to the emergency room for treatment. Fortunately the university I attended has a fairly progressive medical school, which runs the student health services. I was under the care of a female doctor who asked questions, gave advice and listened. I was given two inhalers- one as a preventative and one for symptoms. The doctor advised me to control my environment by avoiding cats, dusting often and ridding my space of rugs, curtains and other things which hold dust. She told me to get an air purifier and to stop using perfumed laundry detergent and cleaners.
Eventually I expressed my wish to get off the inhalers- I didn't like how they were making me feel. The doctor said she respected my choice and let me go. About the same time my nasal allergies started to get worse, and it was then that I began to explore so-called alternative methods. I got a job at Grace Place, a venerable vegetarian restaurant and health food store. I tried various supplements, very much experimenting at this time. Akili, who worked at the health food store, consulted Prescription for Nutritional Healing. The book recommended vitamin C, quercetin, acidophilus, pantothenic acid and adrenals. I tried everything but the adrenals since I was vegetarian at the time. The acidophilus pills were too powerful for me, causing my stomach to feel empty, like I was starving. I have continued to keep vitamin C in my arsenal, as it is effective during attacks. Working at Grace Place, I was surrounded by health enthusiasts and a wealth of natural foods, products and books. I read Beyond Beef, Diet for a New America (a gift from Michael, the owner) and Sugar Blues. The literature table in the front hall was filled with brochures from natural and new age healers. Looking back on what I ate, I can see how much of it- brown rice, beans, tofu, tempeh, veggies, fruit, and chef Michael King's delicious soups, was very healthy. On the other hand, I also ate lots of wheat bread, cheese, sweet desserts and drank coffee and beer. I was sneezing my head off, aware of the environmental triggers, but unaware of the dietary causes. (I should have taken Sugar Blues to heart)
Upon moving to Los Angeles in 1997 the dry climate abated my asthma, but my nasal allergies continued to worsen due to the poor air quality. I started getting acupuncture, which didn't seem to help. I recall that the practitioner never asked me about my diet. He did however introduce me to healing herbs, in capsule form. I then wandered into the massive and well-stocked Herb King in Santa Monica, where I started seeing Deborah, a practitioner of Chinese Medicine. She examined my tongue, felt my pulse and asked me questions about my digestion. Before devising a custom herbal formula, she gave me a list of foods to avoid: Wheat, Dairy, Caffeine, Sugar, Fried Foods, Processed Foods and Raw Foods. I made the tea in a large stock pot. It consisted of tree bark, seed pods, dried berries and the like. It smelled bad and tasted worse. I grudgingly drank the tea and (sort of) stuck to the diet. But still my allergies persisted.
I've had allergies since I was a kid, developing asthma at age six. When the wheezing started I was brought by my mom to see the family allergist in Philadelphia, an elderly man named Dr. Tuft. He had treated my grandmother, who raved about him, and also saw my brother.
Getting pricked by a needle at this age was traumatic, though my mom tried to soothe me by reading me her own favorite children's book, Raggedy Ann. Early on I went often and the appointments were long. Everything in the office- the furniture, the equipment, (glass needles which were sterilized in house) the doctor and his nurse Muriel were from a bygone era. I can still remember the funky smell of that place. I grew up getting weekly shots from a neighbor who was a nurse, and checked in with Dr. Tuft every few months. He would ask a few questions, look up my nose, listen to my breathing, adjust my serums according to the season, ask about my grandmother and send me on my way. Despite the weekly shots, I still had periodic attacks which were treated with an inhaler and pills. They would always occur at 3am.
My nasal allergies weren't that much of a problem, and it's possible they were kept under control with the injections. I continued with the treatments through college, until I became an adult and starting seeing my own allergist. He lacked the gentle charm of Dr. Tuft. I began to question whether the shots were doing anything, and eventually stopped seeing the doctor.
When I returned to college to study art at the age of 25, I fell into a life that was riddled with allergens. I lived in Richmond, Virginia, which is hot and sticky, and thus thick with pollen and mold spores. Many of my friends smoked cigarettes and owned cats. During one night of socializing at a friend's apartment, my asthma got so bad that it was beyond the inhaler's control. I had to be taken to the emergency room for treatment. Fortunately the university I attended has a fairly progressive medical school, which runs the student health services. I was under the care of a female doctor who asked questions, gave advice and listened. I was given two inhalers- one as a preventative and one for symptoms. The doctor advised me to control my environment by avoiding cats, dusting often and ridding my space of rugs, curtains and other things which hold dust. She told me to get an air purifier and to stop using perfumed laundry detergent and cleaners.
Eventually I expressed my wish to get off the inhalers- I didn't like how they were making me feel. The doctor said she respected my choice and let me go. About the same time my nasal allergies started to get worse, and it was then that I began to explore so-called alternative methods. I got a job at Grace Place, a venerable vegetarian restaurant and health food store. I tried various supplements, very much experimenting at this time. Akili, who worked at the health food store, consulted Prescription for Nutritional Healing. The book recommended vitamin C, quercetin, acidophilus, pantothenic acid and adrenals. I tried everything but the adrenals since I was vegetarian at the time. The acidophilus pills were too powerful for me, causing my stomach to feel empty, like I was starving. I have continued to keep vitamin C in my arsenal, as it is effective during attacks. Working at Grace Place, I was surrounded by health enthusiasts and a wealth of natural foods, products and books. I read Beyond Beef, Diet for a New America (a gift from Michael, the owner) and Sugar Blues. The literature table in the front hall was filled with brochures from natural and new age healers. Looking back on what I ate, I can see how much of it- brown rice, beans, tofu, tempeh, veggies, fruit, and chef Michael King's delicious soups, was very healthy. On the other hand, I also ate lots of wheat bread, cheese, sweet desserts and drank coffee and beer. I was sneezing my head off, aware of the environmental triggers, but unaware of the dietary causes. (I should have taken Sugar Blues to heart)
Upon moving to Los Angeles in 1997 the dry climate abated my asthma, but my nasal allergies continued to worsen due to the poor air quality. I started getting acupuncture, which didn't seem to help. I recall that the practitioner never asked me about my diet. He did however introduce me to healing herbs, in capsule form. I then wandered into the massive and well-stocked Herb King in Santa Monica, where I started seeing Deborah, a practitioner of Chinese Medicine. She examined my tongue, felt my pulse and asked me questions about my digestion. Before devising a custom herbal formula, she gave me a list of foods to avoid: Wheat, Dairy, Caffeine, Sugar, Fried Foods, Processed Foods and Raw Foods. I made the tea in a large stock pot. It consisted of tree bark, seed pods, dried berries and the like. It smelled bad and tasted worse. I grudgingly drank the tea and (sort of) stuck to the diet. But still my allergies persisted.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
unearthing the past
Here is the video Brooklyn Independent Television (part of BRIC Arts) did on our store, back in October. Note the sidewalk chicken. Good Times!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Are You Prepared for Allergy Season?
Thursday, March 22, 2012
New look, New URL
wow, it's been a while since I've had my hands on this blog. cleaning things up a bit, and I was finally able to change the url. please note the new one:
molliedash.blogspot.com
that's all!
molliedash.blogspot.com
that's all!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Three Part Compost
a couple of weeks ago I started a third compost bin. the main bin was getting too full, and was too heavy on the food scraps. ideally the bin should be equal parts scraps, green clippings and brown matter such as dry leaves, grass or sawdust. I started my compost two springs ago, when we first moved into the apartment. the first season in the garden was glorious- so much learning and even a few successful crops. last summer was a wash with the running of the store. didn't have time to plant much beyond herbs, and the compost got neglected too. so now I'm back with a vengeance and much appreciation for the time to be able to do this.
last year I did separate some of the compost out into a second bin. here is that one, finishing up nicely. I added some more green/brown to it recently and it has a couple of worms to help it along. Compared with the bagged compost I have it's softer and lacking in wood chips. I might add some chips in a few weeks if it needs it.
Here is the bin I started most recently. I separated a much larger portion out of the main bin this time, layering it with green and brown. It's been sitting inside the dark colored bin with a tight fitting lid getting lots of heat from the sun, and man is this compost active! It has many worms, but also lots of fruit flies and fleas. I stirred it well today and let it sit open for a while- the more air, the fewer bugs. I think I will drill some more holes in this one for better ventilation.
See the white spots all along the edge? those are fruit flies flapping their wings.
worms! these guys are hard to photograph- they burrow back into the compost just as soon as you uncover them.
and here is compost #1. the main bin where the fresh food scraps go.
I've been keeping it covered with white plastic mesh. It works well for keeping out excess sun and rain, while providing air flow. its one drawback is that squirrels and raccoons can lift it up or chew straight through it. not that I mind sharing my compost with them.
I have to say that composting is pretty darn easy once you get the hang of it. since we've been living in a garden level apartment, I can't imagine not having a back yard. there are methods for composting indoors, but you do need space. my red worms found their own way to the compost, but they are the same worms you will use if you do an indoor bin. in nyc the lower east side ecology center provides instructions and resources for crafting your own. it's no harder than drilling holes in the giant bins you see above! as for the electric powered composters, we had one for a short period of time. although it broke down the food pretty quickly, it had a tendency to get jammed. I was forever untangling things from the churner, and ultimately I couldn't get the motor to reset itself.
the end!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Museiam @ The Muse
heya! the great and powerful diane tomasi is co-curating a monthly series called the museiam, at the muse in williamsburg. and you thought williamsburg was OVER!
b and I attended the march installment and it was great fun- a mixed evening of comedy, modern dance and aerial work. if you have something you'd like to present, contact diane.
info@dianetomasi.com
if you'd like to attend, the next museiam takes place thursday, april 5 at 8pm.
the muse
32d s. 1st st.
brooklyn, ny
Saturday, March 3, 2012
aboard the mary whalen
on saturday b, pamela and I had the great fortune to tour the retired oil tanker mary whalen, which is docked in red hook. carolina salguero, who conducts the tours, is the ship's caretaker and founder of its corresponding nonprofit portside ny. her goal is to educate people on the important role shipping has played in the shaping of nyc, and how it's still a vital part of everyday life here. while on deck carolina pointed out two types of barges as they were tugged by. one was carrying waste to one of the city's many sewage treatment plants. the other transported cement. the mary whalen herself carried fuel up and down the atlantic coast and around nyc from the 1930's until 1994. b and I had visited the mary whalen in 2010, but this was the first time we were treated to a tour of the entire ship, including the engine room below deck.
click here to see the full set of photos on my flickr page.
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