Nutrition: Carbs and Fried Foods

The title of this blog will resonate with anyone who has lived in the campo in Panama. Today we had a presentation with the medical office about nutrition here in Panama. The first slide said something to the effects of the average Panamanian food being carbs and fried foods. For instance, as we have all experienced, it's not uncommon to sit down for breakfast to a plate of fried bread called hojaldre and a fried hotdog called salchicha. We don´t even wince anymore... its common. Nor do we wince when we are presented with a plate of spagetti with a side of rice. Food is food, right? Don´t get me wrong, I still manage to get through it by eating as little as possible. All of my host families that I have lived with stare at me with wonder as I serve myself half a serving of rice after they have all covered their entire plate with it. Here in Panama, rice is not a side, its the basis and staple of the entire meal. When I get back to the states, I don't know if I will ever eat rice again. I will also probably eat salads for a good couple of months after I get back as well because salads are not easy to come by.

Okay enough about me complaining about my lack of a well rounded diet here on to business...

So I have visited the place where I will be living for the next 2 years. I will be working with different community organizations but first of all I will be working with a youth cooperative. The way I describe a youth cooperative is like a student organization. By next April there should be about 70 youth cooperatives in Panama. They teach young Panamanians all about leadership, managing money, life skills, self esteem, project management...basically skills that they otherwise wouldn´t be learning in school. It also gives them an outlet to be creative and keep them from negative influences that could exist in their communities. The coop that I will work with has many different projects going on including mangrove reforestation project, a computer center (that needs a lot of work), and a small store (also a lot of work needed). I met with them this weekend and its pretty apparent that they all need motivation and a breath of fresh air in this coop. A lot of them are excited that I´m there to work with them and I really am too. I´ll keep you updated on other projects as they come up. I also plan on teaching Junior Achievement at the local school.

On another note, I got updates on the UT OU game this weekend... Hook 'em Horns!