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Scott Norgaard

NEWS 4/15/10 7:00pm

Eater's Digest: The 'whole' story

By Scott Norgaard

If you're looking for guilt-free food, chances are you've stumbled across whole-grain options. Nutrition experts often laud whole grains, but do most of us know what grains are considered whole grains? What does this label mean?Grains are the seeds of grasses and are typically composed of three parts: an outer bran that contains a lot of fiber, a starchy endosperm and a germ, which is a concentrated source of nutrients. According to the FDA, whole grains are "cereal grains that consist of the intact, ground, cracked or flaked kernel, which includes the bran, the germ and the inner most part of the kernel (the endosperm)."

NEWS 4/8/10 7:00pm

Eater's Digest: FDA Claims

By Scott Norgaard

Food manufacturers are keen to make their products seem appealing, giving the impression that their products not only taste great, but are good for the body too. On an average trip to the grocery store, shoppers walk by hundreds of food items proudly displaying healthy claims, like "made with whole grain" or "light" or even "calorie free."The Food and Drug Administration regulates some of these claims, and asserts that these labels give customers more information to make healthier food choices.But are these labels helping us to become healthier, or are they just making us more confused? Is it really possible to lower your risk of heart attack simply by switching your cereals?

NEWS 3/25/10 7:00pm

Spirituality poll gauges religiosity

By Scott Norgaard

The Student Association put faith in its most recent poll, which opened March 8 and surveyed students about perceptions concerning the availability of spiritual resources on campus.Fifty percent of the poll's 250 respondents said they felt spiritual resources at Rice were sufficient, and 40 percent said that they had no problems fulfilling their spiritual needs. However, 80 percent said they would like more online resources available. Currently, there is a database of books and Web sites students can refer to for guidance, but SA Internal Vice President Selim Sheikh said he would like to see these resources expanded.

NEWS 3/25/10 7:00pm

Eater's Digest:Vegging out

By Scott Norgaard

There are many reasons people may choose to become vegetarian. They may become vegetarian for health-related reasons, for animal rights, to protest practices in the farming business or simply to try something new. This week, we'll focus on whether or not being a vegetarian is healthier than an omnivore's diet. Although there are different types of vegetarians - pescatarians eat fish, pollo-vegetarians eat chicken, and even so-called "flexitarians" occasionally eat meat - the most common form of vegetarianism is lacto-ovo-vegetarianism, which allows eating eggs and dairy, but no animal protein. This type of vegetarianism will be our focus.

NEWS 3/18/10 7:00pm

Debate team remains sharp, looks to future

By Scott Norgaard

Not up for debate: Rice Forensics has once again succeeded in qualifying students for national competition. The George R. Brown Forensics Society, Rice's speech and debate team, is fresh from recent successes in its two past tournaments, the Sunset Cliffs Invitational and the American Forensics Association District III Invitational, where it qualified to move on to nationals April 2-5.

NEWS 3/18/10 7:00pm

Eater's Digest: Managing common metabolism myths

By Scott Norgaard

We all envy people who can eat whatever they want without gaining weight. How do such people maintain their physiques? This week, we'll delve into some of the questions surrounding metabolism. What are some factors that influence our metabolisms, and how much control do we have over them? Several scientific-sounding myths claim to have all the answers regarding this process, but in how far should we trust them?

NEWS 3/11/10 6:00pm

Eater's Digest: Lamenting restaurant labeling

By Scott Norgaard

The good news is, grocery store consumers are pretty well informed about what is actually in their food. Because most foods on grocery shelves come equipped with nutrition labelsmandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, one can easily reference the calorie count, sodium and sugar content and other important considerations when purchasing packaged foods.But what about restaurants? According to the National Restaurant Association, Americans spent 26 percent of their wages on eating out in 1970. In 2006, this percentage shot up to 48 percent. And on to the bad news: Nutrition information is not very easily accessible in restaurants. Most are mysterious about the contents of their dishes, leaving customers merely to guess at their nutritional content and value. How much salt is actually in this cheeseburger? What type of oil is used to fry these potatoes?

NEWS 2/25/10 6:00pm

Eater's Digest: Unconscious overeating

By Scott Norgaard

For most of us, it's a simple premise: You eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. Right? Wrong. It turns out our stomachs are terrible indicators of satiety. Current scientific studies show that our sense of "fullness" is more affected by environmental cues than by our bodies' need for energy. It's not that your stomach lies - it's just that it's pretty susceptible to peer pressure.

NEWS 2/18/10 6:00pm

Eater's Digest: The American Food Fight

By Scott Norgaard

Why has food become such a concern for the modern American? How did this basic human requirement transform into something so much greater? Today, the question of what to eat fails to suggest a simple solution, and purported experts in the subject provide no reassurance. Dietitians, nutritionists, food salesmen, those in agribusiness, the government and the media offer us different, often contradictory advice about what we should and should not eat.

NEWS 2/18/10 6:00pm

Online only: Crowning Mr. Rice Asia

By Scott Norgaard

It might not warrant a television contract, and the winner might not receive nationwide recognition, but this weekend, a new Mr. Rice Asia will be crowned.Rice Microfinance, the Vietnamese Student Association and the South Asian Society are teaming up to host the Mr. Rice Asia pageant tomorrow night at 6 p.m. in the Brown College Commons. Admission to the show is $7 and comes with an Asian-themed dinner. The first 100 guests will receive free boba drinks. Proceeds from the dinner will benefit four microfinance institutions determined by RMF, SAS co-President and RMF Vice President Karthik Soora said.

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