This month has been a busy one at Friedman: Between starting classes and studying for midterms, the intrepid writers of The Sprout have been hard at work bringing you the latest news on nutrition, agriculture, fitness, and… horror?!
First up: What is the deal with milk? Is it a natural superfood or something to be avoided? Disha Gandhi gives a roundup of the scientific research on potential benefits and downfalls of the milk in your pumpkin spice latte. But if milk isn’t your thing, would you consider MuuFri, a vegan milk alternative designed to be just like the original? Kathleen Nay provides the scoop on MuuFri and why soon, vegans might be able to have milk with their cookies!
If you’re interested in policy, Hannah Packman and Ally Gallop have news from the local and federal level. Did you know there is an animal welfare ballot initiative in Massachusetts? Hannah argues that it’s a good thing, but it may not go far enough. Meanwhile, Ally took a close look at the contentious findings of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. How much of the new guidelines will be based on the Committee’s scientific findings and how much will be influenced by politics and lobbying? Find out here.
Ashish Pokharel and Sarah McClung take on global nutrition. Ashish describes efforts to improve food security in light of the refugee crisis in the EU. Sarah addresses the potential for community based nutrition services in Pakistan.
Katherine Pett looks at very local nutrition; visiting an elementary school in Cambridge that’s teaching children to grow their own food! And Mireille Najjar and Micaela Young take skeptical looks at nutrition trends that never die. Mireille examines the “detox diet” while Micaela takes a magnifying glass to the supplement industry to answer the question: Do you really need that multivitamin?
October is the time for delicious food and terrifying movies and The Sprout is here to provide. First, Danielle Ngo, member of the Friedman Justice League, asks us to take a closer look at Friedman’s neighborhood, Chinatown. In addition to being an important cultural hub that we should participate in, she makes some recommendations for where to get food during study breaks! Brittany Hagan, chef-in-residence, shows us how to make our very own pretzels with cheese dip; the perfect accompaniment to a pumpkin beer. And Matt Moore provides the entertainment. He has created a master list of Agriculture, Food, and Environment (AFE)-based horror movies for your viewing pleasure.
As usual, Friedman students have plenty of ideas for how to get fit this fall. Julia Sementelli tells us all about the hottest workout that’s just hit Boston: SoulCycle. And Dr. Jaz, AKA Justin Zabinski, provides a killer “Double-Edged Sword” workout and playlist in time for Halloween.
Enjoy this issue of The Friedman Sprout. We wish you a great midterm season *cough* we mean October.
Matt & Katherine
In this issue:
Milk, What the Scientific Evidence Says
by Disha Gandhi
Disha had the opportunity to complete an internship with the National Dairy Council in Rosemont, IL. It was a wonderful experience and definitely opened her eyes about the dairy industry. Her project was to review the literature on milk and now she shares what she learned.
Moo Cows Make Milk — But Maybe Not For Much Longer
by Kathleen Nay
Two bioengineers are developing milk, minus the cow. Good for animal welfare and agricultural sustainability. But will lab-produced milk catch on?
Massachusetts’ Animal Welfare Ballot Initiative
by Hannah Packman
A new animal welfare bill in Massachusetts would improve living conditions for laying hens, veal calves, and pregnant sows, but is it enough?
Commenting on Our Food Future: The Ensuing Policy War Behind the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s Report
by Ally Gallop
28,643 comments. That’s how many were submitted during the 75-day public commentary period following the release of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s (DGAC) February 2015 report. And yet, when the 2010 report was released, only 2,186 comments were submitted. That’s over a one thousand percent increase! So why is it that five years later the public has become much more interested in the report that forms the basis for the dietary guidelines?
EU Refugee Crisis: The Food Security Dimension
by Ashish Pokharel
The refugee crisis is taking a toll on the EU nations. Even after arriving at the shores of Greece or Italy, they continue to travel inland in miserable conditions, future uncertain. From an administrative point of view, the EU is struggling to deal with the arrivals and travels of thousands of refugees in a short period of time. Many individual nations seem to be struggling; some unwilling to take responsibility for refugee’s arrival and relocation.
Community Based Monitoring of Nutrition Services
Sarah describes her experience helping to implement community based nutrition services in Islamabad, Pakistan.
CitySprouts: Garden with a Mission
by Katherine Pett
We know the benefits of providing schools with computers, books, and gluesticks, but should schools come with gardens, too? Katherine Pett visited The Haggerty School in Cambridge, which partners with the nonprofit organization CitySprouts to see a school garden in action.
Detox Diets: More Harm than Good?
From restoring energy to removing toxins, most detox diets claim to have some sort of beneficial
“cleansing” effect on the body. But are these liquid diets really that effective?
Dietary Supplements: Too Good to Be True?
by Micaela Young
How can the multi-billion dollar supplement industry grow exponentially while its consumers become more and more unhealthy? More so than not, the name of the game is money and they will do, and say, anything to keep you hooked. Toto, you’re not in Kansas anymore.
Gaining a Sense of Home in Chinatown
by Danielle Ngo
A little more than a year ago, I moved to Boston after a lifetime in California. I 
moved here by myself, without knowing any friends or family or tangential acquaintances to speak of. I’m a dual-degree UEP/AFE student, and just completed my first year out of three over in Medford/Somerville. Now in my ‘first year’ at Friedman, I’m feeling déjà vu.
Soft Pretzels with Mustard Cheese Dip
Every year as the Fall season begins to decorate New England with golden yellow and red leaves, everyone craves warm apple pie and pumpkin-spiced everything. I, on the other hand, can only think of soft, chewy pretzels dipped in warm, cheesy goodness to go along with my favorite Oktoberfest beers. Whether it’s game day, or the last of the season cookout, these pretzels with a mustard cheese dip are sure to be a favorite.
Load Your Queue with AFE-Related Horror Movies This October
by Matt Moore
I love horror movies. And it’s October, which means I am going to tell people what horror movies they should see. Coincidentally, from classics like The Birds to modern disasters like The Happening, topics related to Agriculture, Food, and Environment have served as a platform for scares and social commentary in horror cinema for decades. Here are seven movies to watch this month, in chronological order, that broach issues that are still contentious today, including GMOs, pesticides, climate change, and the American diet.
Find Your “Soul” with Boston’s Best Workout: SoulCycle
by Julia Sementelli
It was a cloudy afternoon in March when I attended my first class. As I walked into the studio, I was greeted by three smiling staff members, a bright space, and booming music. After strapping on my cycling shoes, and filling my water bottle, I stepped into the dark, candlelit room with inspiring quotes and words painted on its walls.
Double-Edged Sword Circuit
Pumpkin season is here, which means pumpkin infused lattes, pies, cereals, muffins, and bread are being consumed by everyone and his or her mom. This means added calories need to be destroyed, and what better way to do it than with another circuit?
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