Not Lovin' It

Anyone who knows me well has to be utterly shocked that I have waited this long to post about fast food. With the other blogs that I read are currently filled with heavy (and quality) discussions on church and faith, I figure it might be a good time for me to indulge in one of my far-too-frequent tirades against those who would control our taste buds, wallets, wastelines, and children if at all possible.

What triggered this was an event in my office yesterday. I dropped by to do a little work with my 5-month-old son in tow. I happened to mention that we were going to a birthday party tonight for a little friend who is turning one year old. The first question from our departmental office associate: "Are you going to McDonald's?" This is not solely about how bad the food is for us. It touches many parts of our lives and serves as an indicator of larger cultural trends.

The long arm of fast food extends FAR past the drive-thru window. Unlike other aspects of popular culture like music, fashion, film, or sports, food culture becomes a part of us physically. We ingest it and it goes into our bloodstream and organs. Listening to Flock of Seagulls in the 1980s may have prompted you to get a weird hair cut and now serve as the butt of jokes at current family reunions or when old pictures are reviewed, but it did not affect your cholesterol, clog your arteries, or make you obese. Overindulgence in fast food culture may have done (and may do) just that.

So, here are some reasons to limit your trips to the drive-thru.

1. It's bad for you. Have you ever cooked a hamburger at home on a grill? Does it look, taste, or feel like a McDonald's hamburger? How does Mickey D's get their burgers to taste the same in Miami, Florida, as in Seattle, Washington? How come they do not shrink when cooked? It is mainly because what you are tasting is not a hamburger at all. What you are tasting are chemicals. Leftover meatish parts from hundreds of slaughtered cattle thrown into a hopper, ground up, and fashioned into a uniform, bun-sized patty. The flavor largely comes from IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances). Eric Schlosser has this to say in his 2002 book Fast Food Nation:

In addition to being the world's largest flavor company, IFF manufactures
the smells of six of the ten best-selling fine perfumes in the United States,
including Estée Lauder's Beautiful, Clinique's Happy, Lancôme's Trésor, and
Calvin Klein's Eternity. It also makes the smells of household products such as
deodorant, dishwashing detergent, bath soap, shampoo, furniture polish, and
floor wax. All these aromas are made through essentially the same process: the
manipulation of volatile chemicals. The basic science behind the scent of your shaving cream is the same as that governing the flavor of your TV dinner.

The taste does not come from just the food. So, not only is it high in calories, fat, trans fat (in some cases), salt, and mostly devoid of nutrition, but the taste comes from the same folks who give Pert Plus it's smell.

2. It hurts local businesses. It's tough enough for small sandwich and coffee shop owners to make it. It's nigh impossible when a fast food restaurant sets up shop across the street or next door. Is Subway cheaper than Bread and Bagels (a local sandwich shop in Bowling Green, KY)? Yes, it is. Which one has higher quality food with better ingredients, an infinitely better atmosphere, works with local farmers, and has a vested interest in Bowling Green? B&B. All that for a dollar more at lunch time! What a bargain!

Do you enjoy drinking coffee and seeing bands at Spencer's? Do you like the excellent sandwiches at B&B? Support them.

Some argue that dollar menus appeal to those with little money. I would argue that they should not be eating at a restaurant at all, and even if they do...

3. It is expensive. One of the greatest tricks of the fast food industry is proclaiming it's economic value, especially through "value menus" or "dollar menus." A sandwich, fries and a drink from the dollar menu will still cost you $3.15 in Kentucky. That works out to a cost of $9.45 per day or roughly $70 per week. I can buy high-quality, organic food for two people with $70 per week. Further, a pound of turkey ($5), 1/2 pound of cheese ($2.50), a loaf of bread ($2), six or seven bananas ($2) and drinking water costs about $11.50--and I'm talking about the good stuff here. One could make at least six meals from these groceries. That's less than $2 per meal.

Fast food is not cheap. I understand that some folks in dire financial straits without a stove at home can enjoy a hot meal at a fast food restaurant for $3-4, and that is understandable. But, if you are reading this blog, this probably does not apply to you.

4. It is not faster. Time yourself. Make a sandwich at home and eat it. Then, one day, drive to a fast food restaurant at lunch time, order, get the food, and eat it. I'll go 10-1 that the homemade lunch is faster. If you have leftovers from dinner the night before, that's even better!
5. It is aimed at kids. "Brand imprinting for later actuation in life." That is what McDonald's brass calls it according to Morgan Spurlock's documentary, Supersize Me. In other words, a seven-year-old has more lifelong buying power than a 70-year-old. So, it's clowns, playgrounds, birthday parties, coloring and legos. It's happy meals gift-wrapped in colorful boxes and pseudo-hamburgers wrapped in fun paper, and it all comes with the latest California Raisin figurine (1980s), beanie baby (1990s), Incredibles (2000s), or (insert new Disney movie here) toy. The nation decried Joe Camel and had him axed, yet Ronald McDonald is something of a hero and more first-graders can correctly identify Ronald than they can common portrayals of Jesus in a picture lineup. To me, Joe Camel and Ronald are two sides of the same coin; they get the hooks of addiction in into kids at an early age. That may sound strong, but no six-year-old brain is a match for the salty, cheesy, sugary, caffeine-laced concoction of the standard McDonald's meal. Heck, it hooks adults fairly easily. Couple that with the toys, parties, playgrounds, and general good-feelings, and the psychological impact is massive.

6. It reduces small-town character. Most people probably care less about this than I do, but it pains me to drive through the South and see that the interstate exits at all of the small towns look the same: Cracker Barrel, McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Subway. Lather, rinse, repeat. I enjoy an occasional blueberry pancake overload at Cracker Barrel as much as the next guy, but basically what CB has done is taken the idea of the hometown country store/restaurant and replicated it on a massive scale. The irony would be funny if not so sad. It is an imitation of the real thing (like say, Teresa's or Judy's Castle or Murray's...).

And that is ultimately the crux of the matter. The continuing explosion of fast food serves as an indicator of a larger trend. It's megachurch for our diets. It's Duke and North Carolina on ESPN, replacing attendance at a local, real, live college basketball game with a slick, marketed product of hype. It's Wal-Mart for our restaurants, enormous and replicating at an alarming rate...actually McDonald's IS inside many Wal-Marts. It's "convenient" and "time-saving" so that we can get on to more important things like hurrying home to watch hours of television so that they can market more fast food to us during the commercial breaks. Eating meals is what sustains our physical body. I think that is pretty important stuff.

The worst of it is that we say that we value education in this country, but the food that is available in schools is some of the worst out there. We spend resources on education and preach the value of it to kids while sending them to a lunchroom filled with low-grade food. Many college campuses' food courts are dominated by fast-food chains. Why are we not educating students on the value of taking care of their bodies? Our intellectual capacity and knowledge suffer if the body that houses them is compromised.

We often cannot see the cumulative effects of what we do to our bodies during our youth until a little later in life. Before we get older or get sick, our time, convenience, and tastes drive our actions. Eventually, when we get sick or break down, THEN we make changes to control our cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, weight, etc. How about a little preventative maintenance? Do we want to reform health care in this country? Start at the front end and taking care of ourselves by eating well and exercising. Of course, all of us are going to break down and need medicine at some point and some of us are predisposed to certain ailments, but Americans as a whole can certainly do more on the front end.

We marvel at the soul and human mind that God created in His image. What about the human body that is also made in his image? Why do our bodies look the way that they do? We hear lots about being good stewards with what we are given. Does this not apply to our physical body as well? Or maybe it's more what kinds of abuses we will tolerate. For many Christians, drinking alcohol, even an amount that might be physically beneficial, is frowned upon, but gorging on fried foods, ice cream, or pies on a regular basis is perfectly acceptable. Why?

I am not advocating a workout regimen in order to be a "better Christian." But, maybe we should examine the motivations and reasons for the status of our health both individually and collectively in this country.

I am also not trying to suck the fun out of eating. But, do we think of food as fuel or as fun? Hopefully, it can be a bit of both, but when food becomes a hobby it also becomes a danger.

Rapture Ready

My primary job this summer is to bond with and take care of my 5-month-old son. As I rocked him to sleep yesterday afternoon, I turned on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) to see what the face of Christianity looks like to the millions at home watching TV and happening upon this giant Christian network.

What I got was "Rapture ready." This is the calling card of TV preacher Rod Parsley on his program, Breakthrough. In the future, maybe a long post on the idea of the Rapture can happen, but for today let's simply think about where this puts the focus of our faith: the end of time. It seems to me that a lot of TV preachers have two foci: earthly material wealth and "being saved" from hell. Where do these ideas put the focus of our faith? MY material wealth in this life and MY personal salvation are right up front. Of course, most preachers also focus on converting others so that they can have wealth and be saved, but the engine that drives all of this is self-aggrandizement and self-preservation.

I am not degrading the value of a good life or eternal life, but were these the greatest concerns of Jesus? Of Paul? I would argue that they were not. In fact, the focus of Christ seemed to be giving up material wealth. Certainly, personal salvation was extremely important, but personal salvation in the context of how that transforms our lives and our priorities, not simply how it saves us from hell.

Are we saved? If so, praise be to God for eternal life. But, does that not have a massive impact on how we live NOW?

I believe it does, and it has little to do with accumulating cars, houses, or blessing me with $35,000 if I pray for 10 people. There is a good deal of patient endurance in Christ, of struggling with brothers and sisters in Christ, of showing Christ to others in word and deed, and of constantly challenging ourselves and others to conform more to His likeness.

More on the (lack of a) Rapture (a word that does not appear in the Bible, and a word that is rooted in Latin, not Hebrew or Greek) another day.

Oh, and today, make sure you are Rapture ready.

Springtime Joy and Hydration

Out of the cold depths of winter comes days like Sunday and Monday. Beautiful, cloudless, glorious spring days illuminated with the orange-warm rays of that giant mass of incandescent gas (apologies to They Might Be Giants) above. The thought of hats, gloves, and scarves seem far away. The first hints of the coming brutal heat are felt when the sun peaks in the afternoon, but quickly fades away into cooler evenings. This is a good time of year.

Keeping with the theme of my previous "Speed Kills" post, please take the time to enjoy May. It's Derby, flowers, soft winds, and warm weather. Notice how the sky lightens a bit earlier and darkens a bit later. Notice how the shadows of the buildings are getting shorter when you arrive at work or go to lunch. Notice how the trees plump their leaves to provide maximum shade for us in preparation for the coming heat of June, July, and August.

As a runner, I must remind everyone to stay hydrated. I'm no dehydration alarmist, but we do require more H2O as temperatures climb, especially those of us who exercise outside. The "8-8" rule (drink eight glasses of 8 oz) is a bit of a myth. Not everyone requires the same amount. We get a considerable amount of water from our food (up to 32 oz depending on what one eats). If you feel thirsty, drink. If you feel bad or hungry during the day, try water first. Beyond that, the best indicator of your hydration level is the color of your urine. If it's darker than a pale, yellow straw color, you probably need more water.

As readers already may have gathered from previous posts, I believe our bodies can tell us a lot about our general health if we listen to it. Hydration level is a perfect example of this. We have a thirst mechanism and what we expel from our bladder is like our fluid guage. Simply listen and observe.

Are You Ready for the Country?

One of my creative outlets is a post-country/folk band called Redfoot. You can hear rough cuts of two songs from our upcoming album here if you are interested.

Lately, I have been combing my memory (and the internet) for old songs that impacted me or songs that my parents/grandparents held dear. This process has yielded some old gems that you might hear occasionally, but really should be songs that are part of your library if you currently do not have access to them. Most of these are from a land far, far away from Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood.

Here are a dozen classic country tunes that hold a soft spot in my heart (in no particular order):

"Cool Water." Sons of the Pioneers (1947). The Pioneers possess watertight harmonies and a sound that is truly from another era. This is one of their best selections.

"He Stopped Loving Her Today." George Jones (1980). Simply the saddest song ever written delivered by a singer who can crank up the emotion to an incredible level. Also, it's one of the top country songs of all time according to just about anyone's list.

"Devil Went Down to Georgia." Charlie Daniels Band (1979). Horrendous theology; mighty fine fiddlin'. And, one of great choruses of all time.

Fire on the mountain! Run, boys, run!
Devil's in the house of the risin' sun.
Chicken in the bread pan pickin' out dough
Granny does your dog bite? No, child, no!

What does this mean? I have no idea. But, it sure does work.

"El Paso." Marty Robbins (1959). Robbins' soaring vocals only add to a great story. My pick for the top cowboy song ever. That wicked Feleena...

"Lucille." Kenny Rogers (1979). I am not a huge fan of The Roaster, but he did have a great run in the early 80's. This is a great tune about heartbreak.

"Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?" Waylon Jennings (1973). Few left a mark on music like Waylon: played with Buddy Holly, negotiated a "rock 'n roll" contract with much artistic freedom in a Nashville-dominated country world in the early 1970s, and kicked off the Outlaw Country movement. Currently, this is my favorite of his tunes.

"Flowers on the Wall." Statler Brothers (1966). It was a big hit four decades ago, and then was revived by Pulp Fiction in 1994. Sadly, it is known more for the Bruce Wills/Ving Rhames scene in Quentin Tarantino's movie than for what it truly is: a darkly comedic song about a man in total isolation (institutionalized?) after a rough break up.

"Coat of Many Colors." Dolly Parton (1971). I cannot take too much Dolly in one listening session, but she is fine sprinkled in here and there. This song is one of her best.

"Boy Named Sue." Johnny Cash (1969). This Shel Silverstein poem is brilliantly retold by Cash on the San Quentin album.

"Coal Miner's Daughter." Loretta Lynn (1969). Straight from the poor, hillbilly gut and proud of it. Loretta's voice and delivery are so genuine, and this song is basically her three minute biography.

"Your Cheatin' Heart." Hank Williams (1952). It's Hank Williams.

"Sixteen Tons." Tennessee Ernie Ford (1955). "Muscle and blood, skin and bones, a mind that's weak and a back that's strong." There are lots of songs that capture the hopelessness of coal mines, but owing your soul to the company store takes the cake. Johnny Cash's rendition of Merle Travis' "Dark as the Dungeon" is a dandy, too.

These are just a dozen songs I've been thinking about and listening to lately. I just noticed that they were all released in 1980 or earlier. Hmmm...maybe a post-1980 list can happen in the future.

Marathon Recovery and Twitchy Fibers

MILEAGE LOG:
Monday: Off
Tuesday: 3 miles
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: 5 miles
Friday: Off
Saturday: 8 miles (projected)
Sunday: Off

Marathon recovery is a bit like a big dessert. Months of sweat, miles, and considerable pain culminate into one race. Hopefully, that race produces a desired result. If so, the recovery can be an enjoyable time of easy miles and loads of food. That is precisely what I have been up to this week in regards to training: resting sore muscles and weakened tendons along with consuming ridiculous amounts of high-carb, high-protein recovery foods.

The next race goal will likely be the Memorial Day 3k, which is three weeks from Monday. That will give me another 1-2 weeks of recovery, then 1-2 weeks to sharpen up with a few speed sessions and see how much my marathon training impacted my speed in shorter races. Certainly, all that running would make a runner faster at any distance, right? Well, that's not quite the case, biologically speaking.

A person has two general types of muscle fibers: "fast-twitch" (better for sprinting and shorter races) and "slow-twitch" (conducive to distance running). For most, the ratio is about 50/50, but elite sprinters could have as high as an 80/20 fast/slow twitch ratio. Conversely, some elite marathoners have 80/20 slow/fast twitch ratio. This seems to be determined genetically.

Research has shown that by marathon training, some fast-twitch muscles fibers can be trained to take on the characteristics of slow-twitch fibers. They only way to know an individual runner's ratio is to have a cross-section of their muscled taken for research. Even at that, there is not much that a person can do about it.

All this to say that training for the marathon could conceivable make a runner slower in shorter distances. I will find out if I have been made fast or slower within the next month in the upcoming 3k and the Summer Classic 5k in Brownsville (Edmonson County) in June.

Speed Kills

My freshman classes gave their final presentations this week. One question served as the linchpin of our course this semester: "What does 'getting an education' mean?" Their assignment was to take a long view of the semester and think about how these last 15 weeks have helped (or not helped) to answer that question. Most came up with similar ideas, citing a better understanding of American culture, the world in which we live, how to ask good questions, and how to value and evaluate differing and opposing viewpoints. This is basically what I expected, and was pleased that these themes were identifiable.

But, I was surprised at how many specifically mentioned our conversation of "Time" as an important part of the course. We did this way back in early February, yet a number of students tagged those classes as the pivotal week of the course. Students were divided into groups of three of four and given a short chapter from Alan Lightman's wonderful little book, Einstein's Dreams. It is a fictional foray into Einstein's thoughts on alternative views of time (time flowing in reverse, eternal life, time as cyclical instead of linear, etc). What many students realized was that "Time" is merely a measurement of "Life." Time consists of human-made increments of life: seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, decades, centuries.

The question then becomes, "What is important in life?" If we live from point to point, checking off the list as we go, we eventually (and quickly) come to an ending point. This speeds up our lives. We are born, we grow into adults, we graduate high school and head to college, we find a partner, we get married, we establish a career, we have kids, we raise kids, we retire, and then we die. This pattern is not inherently bad, but it if we live each stage with blinders on, constantly looking to the next point, we fail to recognize what is happening to the left of us. We ignore the beauty to right of us. We might even forget what has happened behind us and got us to any particular "point." Our obsession with "the next level" speeds us up and hastens the completion of our "Time." Eventually, there are no more points to connect, and no more steps to climb. We spend our lives racing to the next point and forget to live while we are doing it.

In his book Faster, James Gleick notes how we maniacally hammer the "door close" button in elevators. Once we press it and it lights up, the doors are in the process of closing. Whether we press the button no more times or jackhammer it with 37 mini-punches with our index finger, the door close time will be the same. What's the rush? We feel that we are "wasting time," but where will this "saved" time go? For most, it will probably be frittered away flipping through one of their 500 television channels later in the evening.

For students, this time in college is not a four-year waiting room before they start their "real life." As John Cougar/Cougar Mellencamp/Mellencamp once sang, "Your life is now." Certainly, we should focus on studies, cultivate our marriages, raise our children, and look to the future. But, we must take off the blinders while we do these things. We must see the others to the left and right of us who are celebrating, hurting, striving, falling, living and dying. We must view our current "level" as where we are and not be solely focused on "what's next." We should slow down and savor the daily wonders that we enjoy. Savor the coffee. Stand in the burning sun and feel the brutal humidity if just for a moment. Allow the bitter cold to sting our skin before opening the door into a heated building. Pause and thank God for the work that we have to do today. Take the stairs instead of pounding the worn-out elevator button. Take a stroll (or run, of course) and leave our watches on the counter. This is not "wasted" time. This is life.

The supreme irony that a marathon runner, who has been so focused on a Boston Qualifying TIME of late, is writing about slowing down is not lost on me. But, what do I experience when I run? Is it a means to an end? No. My pursuit of "faster" will hopefully allow me to experience more "life" in a trip to Boston.

Savor your moments today and every day, and look behind, to the right, and to the left of you as you do so.

*Check out these two books...if you have "time," of course:
Alan Lightman, Einstein's Dreams, (New York: Warner Books, 1993).
James Gleick, Faster, (New York: Vintage, 1999).