Remember Chia pets? Those terracota animal figurines that you plant chia seeds in, and the sprouts look like green fur? Well, it turns out that you can eat another version of the chia seed, and it is extremely healthy, full of Omega 3s, calcium and magnesium. For a description of its benefits, you can look here. One of my friends has become vegan, and reported that she had chia pudding. Chia seeds come in various shades of white and black/grey, with black indicating the wild version, and white chia seeds occurring naturally and being cultivated to increase the percentage of white seeds. There is a designer white seed sold under the brand name "Salba." Virtually the same nutritionally, but if you're into style and not substance, you might be inclined to spend the big bucks and spring for designer Salba!
These seeds don't have much taste, and they have an interesting gel type form when they meet water. They're used as egg substitutes in vegan cooking, for thickening, and in baking, among many uses. If you eat a seed, it becomes gel like--pretty cool.
Apparently, you only need about 360g (0.8lb) for a month's supply. The other touted characteristic of chia is that it has a long shelf life, so it is safe to buy in bulk. You should grind it yourself instead of buying it ground, if you want it in that form. The white seeds seem to be more expensive than the black seeds--more of an aesthetic than nutritional concern.
As always, it was easy to find cheap sources of chia seeds in the U.S. online. The lowest price I found for chia seed was at Natural Remi-Teas, for $5/lb ($25 for 5 lbs). Shipping is $37.50 for 10 lbs, so total cost is $8.75/lb. The white seed is also available at the site for $5.50/lb. Swanson Vitamins, a company I have purchased from before with great success, sells their house brand "premium" (!) white chia seed for $10/lb. Shipping to Canada amounts to $25 for 10 lbs, so total cost is $12.50/lb.
As for Canada, Cureself sells Natural Traditions white chia seed for $12/lb (free shipping over $100), and Aviva sells a 3 lb bag of black for $35 ($11.67/lb), free shipping for over $100. Superseeds sells the black chia, $67 for 5lb, shipping included, for $13.40/lb. Upaya Naturals sells 10lb (2x5lb) of black for $10.92/lb ($17 shipping included).
Salba from SourceSalba sells 360g for $20, which works to $25/lb. You can buy Salba in local health food stores like Choices Market in Vancouver for around $24 for the 360g package. Currently, Whole Foods does not carry chia seed in B.C. Bulk Barns in eastern Canada sells Salba in bulk. Costco carries Webber Naturals brand which sold in the past for $14/lb. Donald’s Market (2279 Commercial Drive and 2342 East Hastings Street) also carries chia for $9-10 for 330g, or about $13.74/lb
There is a recipe for chia seed pudding here, a possible breakfast food! Here's one for Blueberry Chia Seed Pudding. Bon appetit!
(Where to buy chia seeds in Canada)
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Two Ways to Die While Driving
Much of my bicycle travel is by bicycle routes snaking through the city's quiet residential neighbourhoods. When I see a driver pulling out in into traffic in front of me, oblivious to my presence and causing me to apply my brakes violently, I can be sure that the driver is on his cell phone. This occurs despite the standing ban against cell phone use while driving in this province, unless the driver has a hands free unit.
By coincidence, as I blathered on today about my peeve against distracted drivers endangering cyclists, I found validation. Finally some solid numbers on the effects of using a cell phone and texting while driving. It seems that 16,000 people died as a result of cell phone or texting while driving in the US from 2001-2007.
As cell phone use and texting volume continue to rise, I hope that police take a more active stance in ticketing law breaking drivers. Currently only 30 states have legislation banning these distractions. In Canada, seven of 10 provinces have or will soon be enacting cell phone bans: BC, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.
Well, it's about time.
By coincidence, as I blathered on today about my peeve against distracted drivers endangering cyclists, I found validation. Finally some solid numbers on the effects of using a cell phone and texting while driving. It seems that 16,000 people died as a result of cell phone or texting while driving in the US from 2001-2007.
As cell phone use and texting volume continue to rise, I hope that police take a more active stance in ticketing law breaking drivers. Currently only 30 states have legislation banning these distractions. In Canada, seven of 10 provinces have or will soon be enacting cell phone bans: BC, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.
Well, it's about time.
Shopping for Bicycle Insurance in Canada
On my first break from a busy week, I decided this morning to waste some time on the computer, reading the newspaper. This is when I came across the first title I've read in local newspapers that seems to be pro-cycling in this article
My husband and I cycle to work and also take the kids by bicycle to their activities. We spend a lot of time on our bicycles.
It led me to think about bicycle insurance. I don't mean insurance to cover motorist-caused accidents with bicycles, which is virtually all of the time. What about cases when bicycles cause injury to people or damage property? Maybe the cyclist is on her cell phone and wildly slams into a car a while she wasn't looking. I am being sarcastic here. This is a reaction to the suggestion in the article that cyclists purchase insurance. Cyclists don't use cell phones while driving; drivers do, despite laws against the practice. Personally, it seems that each time a driver cuts me off as if he or she didn't see me, I see that they are on the cell phone. In the first few weeks after the anti-cell phone law was enacted, I did see a reduction in driver cell phone use. But that period of romance is long over, and drivers are back at it. Putting my life at risk.
I digress. Curious about whether other countries require cyclists to take out insurance in accidents they've caused that do not involve automobiles, I found that the UK, Australia, and the US offer some options.
In the UK, there is CycleGard Road Care. It provides personal liability coverage for cyclists for $44 a year. With the cost of the insurance so low compared to cars at thousands a year, you'd really have to question how often bicycles cause accidents that require insurance coverage, as insurance costs are based on a sophisticated system of number crunching that guarantees that insurance providers come out ahead.
But what about Canada? Google led me to Bicycle Insurance Canada, a sad one page writeup which said, "Below is a list of providers we are aware of , that will provide bicycle insurance cover. You will need to ring them because their websites don’t offer a standard option online for bicycle insurance." It listed three mainstream insurance companies. I clicked on the one which happens to provide my home insurance.
I typed in my question: "Do you have bicycle insurance (collision, 3rd party)?" and the automated computer responded with links pointing to rental car insurance! That's artificial intelligence for you, that! I tried taking out the terms in brackets, "collision, 3rd party" that were confusing Robbie the Robot, and this time I was told that the question I really asked was "What types of insurance do you offer?" Ah, that's better. In the list that followed, bicycles were not mentioned. Time for the 1-877-777-7136. This led to the general line for Client Services.
Can I help you? "Yes. Do you have bicycle insurance? I don't mean insurance for when a bicycle is stolen, but do you have insurance if I am riding my bicycle and I hit a person or a parked car?"
She did not know of any particular bicycle insurance. Luckily for me, I have an existing policy with this company. The operator looked into my home insurance to find if I was covered. She suspected I was. She read out a portion to me over the telephone: "...Personal liability, to accidents or occurrences, unintentional bodily injury or property damage arising due to personal actions anywhere in the world." $1M in liability. There is $6000 for voluntary medical and $6000 for voluntary property damage. What, you ask, is voluntary property damage? If I was at someone's home and decided to, say, pick up their Stradivarius and smash it on the hardwood floor to make a point while telling a story about how a driver was on his cell phone when he smashed into me, yes, I would be covered. But only in the amount of $6000. Dommage. Similarly, if I do decide to take my tire pump and smash in the headlights of a driver who cut me off, I would be covered.
To make certain, I ended the call with this: "So, are you sure I'm covered?" Yes. "What about my husband and my children?" Yes, everyone in the household. Excellent. Now I can text while riding again! No worries!
I did not call the other two companies that might offer bicycle insurance. One only offered service in Alberta, New Brunswick, and Ontario. So I wrote an, out of curiosity. Question to be resolved: "Does bicycle insurance exist?" That question to be answered when I hear back from them.
Then the bigger question: How often do cyclists cause accidents that require insurance coverage? I think the answer is obvious, from the $44 a year insurance premium for Brit cyclists.
My husband and I cycle to work and also take the kids by bicycle to their activities. We spend a lot of time on our bicycles.
It led me to think about bicycle insurance. I don't mean insurance to cover motorist-caused accidents with bicycles, which is virtually all of the time. What about cases when bicycles cause injury to people or damage property? Maybe the cyclist is on her cell phone and wildly slams into a car a while she wasn't looking. I am being sarcastic here. This is a reaction to the suggestion in the article that cyclists purchase insurance. Cyclists don't use cell phones while driving; drivers do, despite laws against the practice. Personally, it seems that each time a driver cuts me off as if he or she didn't see me, I see that they are on the cell phone. In the first few weeks after the anti-cell phone law was enacted, I did see a reduction in driver cell phone use. But that period of romance is long over, and drivers are back at it. Putting my life at risk.
I digress. Curious about whether other countries require cyclists to take out insurance in accidents they've caused that do not involve automobiles, I found that the UK, Australia, and the US offer some options.
In the UK, there is CycleGard Road Care. It provides personal liability coverage for cyclists for $44 a year. With the cost of the insurance so low compared to cars at thousands a year, you'd really have to question how often bicycles cause accidents that require insurance coverage, as insurance costs are based on a sophisticated system of number crunching that guarantees that insurance providers come out ahead.
But what about Canada? Google led me to Bicycle Insurance Canada, a sad one page writeup which said, "Below is a list of providers we are aware of , that will provide bicycle insurance cover. You will need to ring them because their websites don’t offer a standard option online for bicycle insurance." It listed three mainstream insurance companies. I clicked on the one which happens to provide my home insurance.
I typed in my question: "Do you have bicycle insurance (collision, 3rd party)?" and the automated computer responded with links pointing to rental car insurance! That's artificial intelligence for you, that! I tried taking out the terms in brackets, "collision, 3rd party" that were confusing Robbie the Robot, and this time I was told that the question I really asked was "What types of insurance do you offer?" Ah, that's better. In the list that followed, bicycles were not mentioned. Time for the 1-877-777-7136. This led to the general line for Client Services.
Can I help you? "Yes. Do you have bicycle insurance? I don't mean insurance for when a bicycle is stolen, but do you have insurance if I am riding my bicycle and I hit a person or a parked car?"
She did not know of any particular bicycle insurance. Luckily for me, I have an existing policy with this company. The operator looked into my home insurance to find if I was covered. She suspected I was. She read out a portion to me over the telephone: "...Personal liability, to accidents or occurrences, unintentional bodily injury or property damage arising due to personal actions anywhere in the world." $1M in liability. There is $6000 for voluntary medical and $6000 for voluntary property damage. What, you ask, is voluntary property damage? If I was at someone's home and decided to, say, pick up their Stradivarius and smash it on the hardwood floor to make a point while telling a story about how a driver was on his cell phone when he smashed into me, yes, I would be covered. But only in the amount of $6000. Dommage. Similarly, if I do decide to take my tire pump and smash in the headlights of a driver who cut me off, I would be covered.
To make certain, I ended the call with this: "So, are you sure I'm covered?" Yes. "What about my husband and my children?" Yes, everyone in the household. Excellent. Now I can text while riding again! No worries!
I did not call the other two companies that might offer bicycle insurance. One only offered service in Alberta, New Brunswick, and Ontario. So I wrote an, out of curiosity. Question to be resolved: "Does bicycle insurance exist?" That question to be answered when I hear back from them.
Then the bigger question: How often do cyclists cause accidents that require insurance coverage? I think the answer is obvious, from the $44 a year insurance premium for Brit cyclists.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Starbucks Cupcakes
For many years, I was never really satisfied with the pastry offerings at Starbucks. I like my pastries to be good and evil, mostly made of fat and sugar. The biscotti, lemon loaf, oat bar or chocolate dipped pretzel just didn't do it for me. Recently, I was surprised when my husband brought me the Double Chocolate Cupcake with a Black Cherry Mocha. Starbucks had jumped on the Cupcake Bandwagon at last! Love at first bite! Today I fell out of love with it.
When I went to Starbucks today, there were no Double Chocolates, so I bought two each of the two types left, a Vanilla one and "Chocolate Bloom." Priced at four for $8, one for $2.25. I excitedly pulled the Chocolate Bloom out of its overpackaged home, took a loving bite, and... it was frozen, and I couldn't taste much. I mistakenly believed it was baked locally, fresh. How naive can you get?
Then, I noticed that it was "Manufactured exclusively for Starbucks, Seattle, Washington." Where was this thing baked? Finally, I perused the label, which looked alot like the labels you get on those cardboard cheap ingredient baked goods you can buy at Safeway. Ah yes. The delicious and essential ingredients of guar gum, xantham gum, propylene glycol, stearoyl-2-lactylate, and tricalcium phosphate. And that was just the yummy cake part.
The icing only had a few ingredients that I wasn't familiar with in my baking at home. Soy lecithin, palm oil (yeah! trans fats!), and carmine (colour).
Here's a rundown on these special added ingredients:
Guar Gum: thickener made from guar beans, emulsifier, stabilizer. Okay, at least it's naturally obtained.
Xantham Gum: Made by fermenting glucose or sucrose (sugars). Purpose similar to guar gum.
Propylene Glycol: Industrially derived chemical used in automotive antifreeze and used to deice planes. A humectant food additive. Ah, to keep it moist? Also a solvent for food colourings and flavourings. Not toxic at low levels. Nice!
stearoyl-2-lactylate: Emulsifier and humectant. Common organic chemical additive in bread-type products.
tricalcium phosphate: Probably used as a raising agent. Various forms are found in nature. Pass.
Soy Lecithin: Soy-bean derived fatty acid. Another emulsifier.
In confectionery it reduces viscosity, replaces more expensive ingredients, controls sugar crystallization and the flow properties of chocolate, helps in the homogeneous mixing of ingredients, improves shelf life for some products, and can be used as a coating. In emulsions and fat spreads it stabilizes emulsions, reduces spattering during frying, improves texture of spreads and flavour release.
carmine: A bright red colour pigment, produced "by boiling dried insects in water to extract the carminic acid and then treating the clear solution with alum, cream of tartar, stannous chloride, or potassium hydrogen oxalate; the coloring and animal matters present in the liquid are thus precipitated." Yay! Get your daily dose of insect extract right here!
How sad it is when love affairs don't last.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Washing Workout Wear
Recently I cycled to a singing rehearsal, removed my jacket upon arrival, and was horrified to smell a distinct odour coming from me! It is not the familiar scent that you smell at the gym when there are men working out, but there was a distinctive odour that I found unpleasant. I wash all my exercise clothing after a single wear: not so good for the environment, but I have a sensitive nose and cannot stand the smell of prolific bacteria. Regular detergent is just not cutting it for me. Nor is it getting the sharp ammonia like smell out of my husband's polypropylene technical undershirts.
After some research, I found a range of options:
1. Soak in one cup of baking soda and some water.
2. Soak in Borax before washing.
3. WIN High Performance Sports Detergent. A US company designed a superoxygenated formula that works thus:
"Using a unique technology, Win Detergent's scientifically designed super oxygenated system directly targets offensive odors and stains. This powerful oxy cleaning technology eliminates the embedded sweat molecules and odors that overwhelm the fabric. Simultaneously, these same ingredients also react with soil and organic materials causing them to either decolorize or disintegrate. Once in a soluble form after oxidization, dirt and odors easily wash away." -- from its website.
This product is widely available in the US and online. In Canada it is only available at Shoppers Drug Mart for around $6 for 946 mL.
Bicycling Magazine reviewed the product in June 2008 and felt that the product removed smell no better than ordinary Tide, not justifying the cost. He recommends it conditionally: "If you want the highest level of performance out of your riding gear or have clothes that seem to always smell no matter what you do, WIN is a winner."
In October 2007, Runner's World briefly reviewed four different detergents.
The reviewer noted that while WIN detergent removed the smell at first, but after a short time, the smells came back.
4. No Sweat Activewear Detergent. A Canadian company, with the Bio Blast formula developed by an inventor in North York, Ontario.
According to its website:
"No Sweat 's unique active ingredient Bio-Blast ™ actually eliminates odor caused by bacteria and oil lurking beneath the surface." It also claims to be the first detergent to remove armpit stains and ring around the collar.
This detergent may be purchased directly from the manufacturer for sale in the US and Canada. The cost for their special promotion is $30 for 4x500 mL, or around $15 a litre, plus shipping costs. The cost for a larger amount is $70 for 4x4L plus $15 for shipping. This works out to $5.31 per litre. The availability in local stores was limited mostly to Hot Yoga establishments.
5. Assos Active Wear Cleanser. The eye popping price, $63 US for one litre was enough to stop me from further researching it. (Note, added January 2012: This was selling at West Point Cycles in Vancouver, $25 for 300 ml--sorry, I don't recall the exact size. This would last you about 30-60 washes). This wash is highly rated and prized by those who buy it to cleanse their top end kits, judging by the reviews on Wiggle. Since everything I own is not "top end" I don't need the Ferrari of sports detergents.
6. Hydrogen Peroxide added to regular wash.
Products like Oxy Active are Hydrogen Peroxide in its chemically solid form after it contacts water.
7. Penguin Sport-Wash, Base Wash by Nikwax, and Granger G-Wash Cleaner were favourably reviewed by Runner's World, with no real differences noted between them. (January 2012 note: The Penguin Sport-Wash is selling at West Point Cycles in Vancouver for $14 for the 500 ml size. They also sell samples of Penguin if you don't want to commit to a large bottle).
[Update, January 2012:
8. Halo Proactive Sports Wash Laundry Detergent ($10.42 for 1 L). I found this on Wiggle, which ships free to Canada for a minimum order. It has great reviews on Wiggle. I included it here as a low cost alternative to the others.]
In the end, I chose to use Oxy Active. With a front loading washer, I have found that adding OxiClean, or an equivalent like Oxy Active, available at Zellers or Walmart, dissolved in warm water and added manually to the clothes before starting the wash with regular detergent, is effective enough. Problem solved.
After some research, I found a range of options:
1. Soak in one cup of baking soda and some water.
2. Soak in Borax before washing.
3. WIN High Performance Sports Detergent. A US company designed a superoxygenated formula that works thus:
"Using a unique technology, Win Detergent's scientifically designed super oxygenated system directly targets offensive odors and stains. This powerful oxy cleaning technology eliminates the embedded sweat molecules and odors that overwhelm the fabric. Simultaneously, these same ingredients also react with soil and organic materials causing them to either decolorize or disintegrate. Once in a soluble form after oxidization, dirt and odors easily wash away." -- from its website.
This product is widely available in the US and online. In Canada it is only available at Shoppers Drug Mart for around $6 for 946 mL.
Bicycling Magazine reviewed the product in June 2008 and felt that the product removed smell no better than ordinary Tide, not justifying the cost. He recommends it conditionally: "If you want the highest level of performance out of your riding gear or have clothes that seem to always smell no matter what you do, WIN is a winner."
In October 2007, Runner's World briefly reviewed four different detergents.
The reviewer noted that while WIN detergent removed the smell at first, but after a short time, the smells came back.
4. No Sweat Activewear Detergent. A Canadian company, with the Bio Blast formula developed by an inventor in North York, Ontario.
According to its website:
"No Sweat 's unique active ingredient Bio-Blast ™ actually eliminates odor caused by bacteria and oil lurking beneath the surface." It also claims to be the first detergent to remove armpit stains and ring around the collar.
This detergent may be purchased directly from the manufacturer for sale in the US and Canada. The cost for their special promotion is $30 for 4x500 mL, or around $15 a litre, plus shipping costs. The cost for a larger amount is $70 for 4x4L plus $15 for shipping. This works out to $5.31 per litre. The availability in local stores was limited mostly to Hot Yoga establishments.
5. Assos Active Wear Cleanser. The eye popping price, $63 US for one litre was enough to stop me from further researching it. (Note, added January 2012: This was selling at West Point Cycles in Vancouver, $25 for 300 ml--sorry, I don't recall the exact size. This would last you about 30-60 washes). This wash is highly rated and prized by those who buy it to cleanse their top end kits, judging by the reviews on Wiggle. Since everything I own is not "top end" I don't need the Ferrari of sports detergents.
6. Hydrogen Peroxide added to regular wash.
Products like Oxy Active are Hydrogen Peroxide in its chemically solid form after it contacts water.
7. Penguin Sport-Wash, Base Wash by Nikwax, and Granger G-Wash Cleaner were favourably reviewed by Runner's World, with no real differences noted between them. (January 2012 note: The Penguin Sport-Wash is selling at West Point Cycles in Vancouver for $14 for the 500 ml size. They also sell samples of Penguin if you don't want to commit to a large bottle).
[Update, January 2012:
8. Halo Proactive Sports Wash Laundry Detergent ($10.42 for 1 L). I found this on Wiggle, which ships free to Canada for a minimum order. It has great reviews on Wiggle. I included it here as a low cost alternative to the others.]
In the end, I chose to use Oxy Active. With a front loading washer, I have found that adding OxiClean, or an equivalent like Oxy Active, available at Zellers or Walmart, dissolved in warm water and added manually to the clothes before starting the wash with regular detergent, is effective enough. Problem solved.
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