As I stand each morning on the precipice of my spiritual terrain, expectantly overlooking the formidable field of my future hopes and aspirations sprawling before me (which include working as an Information Specialist or Librarian), I am saturated with the realization of how important it is to become fit, not just physically but mentally and spiritually – indeed, holistically. To work effectively, both competitively and collaboratively, in today’s information marketplace – I deduce that it is very important to have a healthy sense of self. What I’m getting at is the commonly widely accepted platitude that “IT IS IMPORTANT TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF”.
In the interest of balancing my self care and enhancing it with healthy nutrition, I have decided to frequently post a “brain healthy” recipe for librarians on the go. Nutrition can really impact the way you feel and improve brain function. If you don’t believe me listen to what Hippocrates, the father of medicine said in 460 B.C., approximately 2,500 years ago:
"Each one of the substances of a man's diet acts upon his body and changes it in some way, and upon these changes his whole life depends, whether he be in health, in sickness, or recovery." -Hippocrates
While working on my internship at Maine Media College I began to realize how important health is to a professional life – again not just physical well being but the mix of a well balanced life and outlook. Financial crisis was an almost overwhelming factor which I experienced throughout this semester, an ominous dark cloud looming over every day threatening to crash down upon me with bolts of lightning and sounding thunder, but I did not let this storm distract me and the courtesy and support of the staff at Maine Media College as well as the understanding and encouragement from my Professor Jodi Williams somehow pulled me through to the end of what is turning out to be a successful practicum. I was plagued with worries that impeded my level of functioning on some days, but my interest in the project and again, the encouragement and support of others, proved too strong a positive to allow any negative to win. Here follows a recipe for “Librarian’s Trail Mix” which is filled with brain boosting ingredients such as curry, a spice which, according to BBC News purportedly “appears to prevent the spread of amyloid protein plaques - thought to cause dementia - in the brain” as well as valuable omega 3’s from nuts such as cashews which according to Andrew Saul, author of “Fire Your Doctor! How to Be Independently Healthy” (2005) “.. a large handful of these tasty nuts provides one to two thousand milligrams of tryptophan which serves as a precursor for the syntheses of neurotransmitters (like serotonin)” . The inclusion of dried fruits such as cranberries and blueberries energize the mind and help improve blood flow which is essential to healthy brain function. To make “Librarian’s Trail Mix” start by roasting and seasoning pumpkin seeds and cashews by mixing the following:
2 large egg whites
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
juice of 1 lime
2 ½ cups cashews
2 cups pumpkin seeds
Generously coat the pumpkin seeds and cashews in the above mixture and roast in an oven at 350 degrees for approximately 30-45 minutes. After the nuts have dried and cooled, mix in some dried cranberries, blueberries, and sunflower seeds, Throw in some sesame stick crackers and voila! A healthy snack to nourish you throughout the roughest day. And remember: Take Care of Yourself!
“A study of one million students in New York showed that students who ate lunches that did not include artificial flavors, preservatives, and dyes did 14% better on IQ tests than students who ate lunches with … additives.”
(from: Nursing Assistant Central http://www.nursingassistantcentral.com).
