Research Progress Blog #5

     Coming into this week my paper was pretty close to being done. I decided I didn't want to rush myself into finishing it early and just took an hour with it each night. By Thursday night all I did was a read through for flow and making sure my paper followed the checklist we were given last Friday. Even though doing it this way kept the stress of the paper on me it also gave me the opportunity to sleep on it and re-read it with fresh eyes. I changed some things on Thursday night and if I had the chance to read it again I would probably change more. What's written is written though and now it is out of my hands.

     Along with editing my paper I started to brainstorm ways to make my presentation effectively cover my topic without being boring. I decided that there is no better way to keep teenagers attention than with food! Since this class is in the morning I decided I wanted to find a muffin recipe that used a few of the substitutions I mentioned in my paper. I found these blueberry oatmeal muffins that actually use a lot of the substitutions I mention in my paper. Because of this I think for my presentation I will start with the muffin then use it as an example to guide me through my paper.

     I'm a little nervous about baking something for the presentation because you never really know how a baked good is going to turn out. This is a popular blog so I trust that they turned out good when she made them but me making them is a different story. I've baked plenty of things before but when things aren't definite they worry me. I am going to make the muffins Sunday night so I know I have enough time to focus on the cooking. Since I'm presenting on Tuesday I think leaving them in an air tight container should keep them fresh (fingers crossed!).

     I'm really excited to make these muffins. Like super excited (probably too excited). Its just I've been reading about these substitutions and how awesome they are for months and I haven't had an excuse to try them. I mean if its for school my dad has to let me buy these ingredients. The cool thing is though I already do have most of the ingredients so if these turn out they really could become an everyday breakfast.

     I have my presentation outline sketched out and now I just need to add in the wording and more details. What I found though was I know a lot about my paper. Like I'm not going to have to memorize facts to present I'm just going to need to memorize the order. I get anxiety about speaking but by going on a day with only half the class and feeling comfortable with the people in the half I think I'll have just enough nerves to give me the energy for a good performance.
 

Motivation

     To me this video felt like an animated TED talk. TED talks are always interesting but because of the animation I couldn't stop watching and listening to this video. The color scheme of simple black and red kept me focused on the words being said more so than the pictures. Another thing the animation did was very quickly reinforce what Pink was saying. If I didn't catch a word or missed a point the illustrations were a fun way to catch me back up.

     Obviously for a teenager school is going to be one of those things that you need motivation for. Its not something you roll out of bed in the morning longing to do. In school I think we can equate money to grades and purpose/mastery to how your teachers feel about you & you feel about yourself. There are definitely some  classes where I could get an 'A' without really understanding what I'm doing. If the class is gym and I feel like I'll get nothing out of it or I don't respect the teacher I might take that path. One of my main motivators though is not disappointing myself or my teachers when I know I can do better. The last day of third quarter I had three tests. In all of those classes I had at least a 98%. I could've not studied, bombed them all, and still kept my 'A'. But then I started to think about my teachers grading those tests. They would know I didn't study. I would feel like I let them down. I mean they spend their whole day teaching and I can't even try on a test? So, I studied for them all and got A's. Now semester exams were a different story. My motivation every year to get A's on my exams is that I get exempt from the final. Well this year since I don't have to take any my goal was to get the grade that could still give me an A for the year. The only class I was worried about not even being able to get a C on was AP Bio. So I studied for 12 hours and ended up getting a A. Maybe if I had put that much effort into my other classes I could have gotten all A's. But what I lacked was the motivation for that. I think this is because semester exams are supposed to be hard. Teachers understand that you have 6 others to take and that you probably won't perform to your usual caliber.

     Throughout the video I think Pink made very good points and backed them up with a lot of evidence. Its hard to argue against someone when you don't know much about the field and they are providing study after study in their favor. It makes sense to me that simple tasks can be improved upon when you are given a money incentive. These tasks are usually accomplished best by the hardest worker, not the most skill. One thing I wish he did more was go into more detail about why more money made you worse. I get that it does but are there any reasons why? I'll definitely have to look that up soon.

     Since I am going to be in college next year I started to try and apply this video to how motivated someone is in college. After thinking for awhile it occurred to me that it is just a completely different idea. I think money is the number one motivator in college. You are not going to want to fork over thousands of dollars to just sit there and do nothing. I remember reading about one study where kids who paid their own admission to college did better. This makes perfect sense to me. It follows the phrase "get more bang for your buck." If it actually is your buck you're going to want to get as much out of it as possible! I'm just thankful my parents don't know about this study.

I'll leave you with my favorite motivational quote: "Failure doesn't come from falling down. Failure comes from not getting up."

Research Progress Blog #4

     Spring break went how I expected. We got home from our daily activities around 9, I would fire up my laptop, and just outline facts. By Saturday morning when we got home I had my organization down with my research but absolutely no flow. Realizing this made me very thankful that the due date was moved to Tuesday. That weekend I spent most of my time trying to make my sentences mesh and my paper feel less like a fact sheet.
  
     On Monday it actually wasn't freezing and if you know me then you know I can not stand the cold, so clearly I had to go outside. I live near Pioneer park so I walked to the park, ran around the track there, then walked back. Maybe it wasn't the most productive hour of my life but it felt good. It cleared my head and left me ready to get to work. The rest of my evening was spent trying to bulk up my now flowing paper with more research.

     When I went into my email to download my rough draft on Tuesday I saw I had an email from Cooking Light. I had messaged them the very first day we were asked to find someone to interview, so about a month ago. I received a response fairly quickly but it was just a sentence or two saying they just recommend everything in moderation. Well, the people at Cooking Light must forwarded my message directly to the chef because I now had this brand new source to use for my paper waiting in my inbox. As you can see in the photo pictured right she wrote a lot. I hadn't even asked an questions in my email; just a quick "Hello I'm writing a paper." Immediately I sorted through and added it to my paper. She covered everything from fats to sugars so I think it was really beneficial to not only my paper, but my understanding of how to change a preexisting recipe.
 
     One thing I've realized over the past few months is that this paper is always on my mind, in a good way. By that I mean in my free time, if I'm looking at recipes, instead of just getting ideas for my kitchen, I'm finding comments that lead me to research things for my paper. I never would've know to research about flax eggs if i didn't find myself casually scrolling through a vegan recipe blog. The research part has been so easy because I truly enjoy it. I said in my last post that I was worried I was going to be burnt out on my topic it and hate it by the end of this project but, just the opposite is happening. The more I find out the more I want to learn. When I learn about a new substitution idea I want to look into it more. Researching has also taught me tricks in the kitchen that I've been testing. One thing I've tried is replacing all-purpose flour with oat flour. To make the flour I took some rolled oats (like the kind you use to make oatmeal) added them to a coffee grinder and pressed go! I was left with a nice flour consistency that worked out perfectly in my muffins.

     The reason this paper has been tough for me is because I'm the type of person where if you give me an assignment that doesn't have an official 'end' I won't stop working on it. What I mean is that if I have 5 math problems for homework, I know once I get an answer for all five I'm done and can move on to the rest. Well with papers they never really have an end. You can't look at a draft and say its done, it could always use some editing. So Monday and Tuesday night I found my self constantly adding more and changing wording and by 11:30 on Tuesday night I was done. Done in every sense of the word. I had emailed it and never wanted to see it again. Because of this, on Wednesday I took a much needed break. I had already had all my sources in easybib so I created my works cited in seconds. After a days mental rest from working on this paper I took the comments made from onto my rough draft and put them into action. This weekend I am looking forwarded to starting my section five and tweaking sections 1-4 a little more.

Research Progress Blog #3

     At the beginning of this week I went through my draft of sections 1-3 and tried to edit & add the things we talked about. After going back through it again I definitely feel it is stronger than before. Then I started to organize my research & layout what the paragraphs of my section four were going to be about. I've decided that I want to do a paragraph or two about each ingredient that goes into baking. I'll have one about sugars, flours, eggs, etc. Then I went back through my 25 questions blog post and grouped them by ingredient.

     My first chunk of questions are going to be about flours. I didn't have any difficulties finding out about different types of flours & the nutrients they supply but it was hard to find studies about how they effected the chemistry and taste of the baked good. To find this out I went to the comments section of blogs with recipes that used these replacements and checked what people said about how it worked for them.

     My next section will be about fats used in baking. There are many different routes I have explored to get the same effect as vegetable oil. One way is to just choose a healthier oil, such as olive. This isn't a neutral oil though so taste is affected. I have also found that people will use vegetable or fruit purees in order to keep the baked good moist. The most common (and the one with the most research on it) is apple sauce. I have seen people use pumpkin, banana, and zucchini as well.

     The main thing I want to focus on with sugar is the fact that, yes artificial sweeteners may have "zero calories", but the chemicals in them may be worse for you. Since these sweeteners have become so popular I was able to find a book and a study that covers the dangers. Another thing I want to look at is stevia. Stevia is one of those "zero calorie" sweeteners but it is naturally extracted from a plant so it might not be harmful to your health. I found this book last night on stevia in baking. Since I just found it I've only had time to skim it but so far the information has been really interesting and helpful! It was written by Rita Elkins who is the author of over 40 natural health books. With 15 years of experience in the health world she is widely respected. (Source)

     I have been emailing back and forth with the dietitian quite a bit lately. She has been really helpful but we haven't had the chance to talk on the phone since she has been away on vacation  I sent her a list of the questions I wanted to talk to her about and she was excited to answer them. I'm going to try and set up one more phone interview for this weekend and if that doesn't work I will take the info she gave me through text. I would still like to talk to a dietitian or nutritionist so I am looking for a local one that I could meet with face to face.


     It makes me nervous/anxious that in 10 days I'll have a big chunk of my paper done. I've been working everyday at home or in class its just that I've known about this paper since sophomore year and now that the end is rapidly approaching its scary. I am going to Minnesota with my friend over spring break but I still should be able to easily get the paper done. She has to write it as well & this is more of a chill vacation so we aren't slammed with activities. I think I will actually do better having her writing right next to me. If we go to a coffee shop to work for an hour a day I'll be motivated because there is a time limit and I won't be alone to get distracted.
   
     I have also come to really love my diigo account! If I'm in a rush I can save a source I've found in five seconds and then go back through it more carefully later. I also love the feature that lets you title it. That has helped me in my organization so much!

     What I hopes stays the same for fourth quarter is how much I am enjoying learning more about my topic. I am a little nervous that since I won't be focusing on researching and just going back through what I've already read that I'll get sick of it. This topic is so information rich though that I don't think that'll happen!


     I'm also pretty nervous for presentation night. This cartoon describes my exact feelings towards public speaking. Having all eyes on me is not something I am a fan of. The one thing I have found out about myself through high school though is that the more confident I feel in my knowledge about a topic the less my legs wobble and the smaller the judging audience gets. Since I know this about myself I feel like after finishing section four I will have a good grip on my topic and be able to present with confidence (at least I hope!).

Response to Egan

     In the book The Skilled Helper Egan lays out 6 steps he believes once achieved make you a mature adult. I agree with Egan that if you accomplish these 6 steps you will be a pretty mature adult. I also believe that there are many other things that make you mature that he didn't mention. I feel another big part of being mature is being the bigger person. Knowing that just because you are right the argument isn't always worth fighting. In my life I am about two thirds way through this list. I think numbers 4 & 5 need the most work while I've done the others. It is hard for me to view myself as an equal to adults while I'm still in school and at home where it is obvious adults run superior. Though I do believe when I am out running errands and such I don't feel below the other adults around me. With that said I think once I've been living on my own for a little next year I will definitely feel on the same level as most adults. I also do have interests but some do come and go fairly quickly. As I get older I will have had the time to try out different hobbies and find on I enjoy a lot and that one will endure.

     I don't quite get number six on the list. I understand how it makes you mature to control your own destiny but I don't get how that has anything to do with understanding yourself. You can make a decision of where your life is going to go with or with out a deep understanding of yourself. I wouldn't say I exactly understand myself just yet but I have definitely taken steps controlling my destiny. Choosing a college and a major for instance will greatly effect the path my life takes.
   
    A huge example of task 2 in my life is the class AP Biology. In biology most of our learning is done by ourselves. We have a giant textbook, he tells us what we have to have read for the test, and it is up to us to actually read it & learn it. Most of the class time is spent focusing on labs and not what we read. If you want to succeed in this class then you need to be self-motivated to learn.

    The catch phrase "Try Something New Today" by Sainsbury's is one of my favorite quotes. I know it being the tag line for a grocery store makes it seem weird to follow in everyday life but I think following this will keep life fresh. In his 4th statement Egan says that you need to develop interests that are strong and last longer. I understand how it could be immature to change your 'passion' every week and blow a ton of money on a short lived hobby. But I feel like as an adult you should still explore all aspects of life. Even if you really like baking and want to stick with it I still think going and checking out new things is an important part of life. Having a routine does seem more mature but you also don't want to get bored by doing the same things over again. You may hate a new thing you try and stop after a week but it could also become a new passion. So I think everyone should try something new today.

     I believe in some aspects Sycamore allows students to follow these paths, in someways it pushes you to follow and in other aspects it holds you back. A lot of times teachers do give you the freedom to make your own choices; this class as an example of that. We were given a general assignment and we're able to take it wherever we want. This leads to maturity because we have to take responsibility for producing a good final product without specific guidelines. Sycamore can hold us back though in feeling like we are equals to other adults. I don't think this is a bad thing. Without knowing that teachers and administrators are above us, some students aren't capable of keeping themselves under control. Heck, some students still can't keep themselves under control when teacher is giving rules. Some of the other tasks that Egan stated are more for outside of school so Sycamore doesn't have much effect on that. Other than the fact that you have less free time to have solid interests, a lot of these steps are for the real world.

Research Progress Blog #2

     Even though we didn't have that much time in class this week I feel like that made me work more diligently because I was under a time crunch. I mainly used Google scholar this week for my research and I really liked it! It brought me to more credible sources and actual studies. This week has been a little discouraging though because most of the things I'm finding say that the healthier alternative tastes worse or changes the chemistry of the recipe too much.
   

     One of the best sources I found was one that compared bread made only with all-purpose flour and a loaf made with half almond and half all purpose flour. Almond flour is groud sweet almonds. It usually adds moistness and a nutty taste to baked goods. It is calories dense but it has more nutrients than regular flour. The goal of this study was to figure out that effect on the yeast. So after both loaves were cooked they checked for texture, volume, and overall appearance  Another thing learned from this is that with leavening agents it is best to try a healthier brand but not to replace the ingredient with something different because it is a specific chemical reaction you are looking for.


     Another substitution I found through my research this week was using olive oil instead of vegetable oil or butter. Olive oil is a mono-unsaturated fatty acid so it falls into the healthy category. Butter and other oils contain trans and saturated fat, both of which are bad for you. MUFAs can help lower your risk of heart disease by improving related risk factors. An example is the Mediterranean diet which has most fat coming from olive oil and has resulted in people with a reduction of inflammation & improved vitality. Since olive oil isn't a neutral oil it can add a little but of a fruity taste to baked goods but some prefer that anyway.

     A study I came across through Google Scholar was on buckwheat flours effectiveness in biscuits. Here is an excerpt from the study explain what buckwheat flour is: "Tartary Buckwheat is nutritious, especially of high nutrient content of rutin, and has many functions such as depressing blood fat, blood sugar and uric sugar. Tartary buckwheat also contains a lot of picrate so that it is considered to have the effects of antipyretic, lowering internal heat and recuperating stomach." They found that it only works in biscuit recipes with a lot of oil and sugar which cancels out the health benefits.

    I'm am excited to conference on my draft because I think it will help my paper and help me continue to write it. This weekend I plan on filling up my diigo account with more sources and then going through an organizing them into categories.

Research Progress Blog #1

     This week my main focuses were finding someone to interview, starting to answer my 25 questions, and working on my rough draft. I really wanted to interview someone creates recipes healthier than the original recipes. First, I went to Cooking Light's website to try and contact one of the recipe builders. I ended up have to contact the website as a whole and received an automated email back saying they sent my letter to an office and they answer all emails but in the order they get them. This leaves when I would hear back super open-ended so that was kind of disappointing.

     In the mean time I decided to try and contact a local nutritionist to help me decide what a healthy ingredient actually is. I found myself on the website for the Nutrition Council of Greater Cincinnati. While looking under the staff tab to pick who best to contact I found a recipe creator! Since it isn't likely that I'll hear back from Cooking Light I sent an email off to Suzanne Hooper. She is a dietitian who helped to write the cookbook More Nutritious Still Delicious, published in 2006. She responded promptly and was very excited to set up a phone call. Along with the email she sent two PDF's about recipe creation.

 
  This is the header for one of them. It focuses on all types of cooking not just baking but I still found it very helpful seeing as it addresses the health benefits of making each change. I still can't believe she took the time to respond & attach documents I might find useful. I'm super excited to get the chance to talk to her.

     I really wanted to start answering some of my guided questions because I think they will really help direct my research. The first question I answered was: Does applesauce work as a replacement for oil in baking?

This was a rough one to find a credible source. Most answers were on message boards with testimonials from people who have tried it. One of the big things addressed in these message boards was that applesauce works in cakes but isn't the best for making crispy cookies. Also, most people said it is best to do half oil and half applesauce. I used this information to refine my search and did find some useful sources. A website for an applesauce company said you could use up to a 1/2 a cup of applesauce to replace oil in a 1:1 ratio. If the amount of oil exceeds 1/2 cup use half oil and half sauce. I thought it might be bias because it is a company trying to sell their applesauce but they addressed baking on a very general level and didn't plug their specific applesauce throughout. They also added in the things you would have to change if you did make the substitution. Like you have to let your cake cool for and extra fifteen minutes and should use a plastic knife to prevent crumbling. Considering this substitution saves you 26 g of fat and 217 calories, waiting a few extra minutes to dive in doesn't seem like that big of a deal.

     The next question I've been looking into has been eggs vs. egg whites. I haven't looked that much into it but I have found that in some recipes the yolk is necessary fr binding and thickening. Researching this also lead me to some answers to my questions about using a flax egg so hopefully I can answer that one as well.

     I had started the rough draft over the weekend just because I knew I wanted plenty of time to reword and change up what I said. Wording has always been a struggle for me so when we wrote in class for the five minute segments it was a nice way to just get down words. Since I had a limited amount of time I focused more on getting information down and less on making it flow. Flow is a key part to a paper but you gotta have words to make flow first! The first two sections of the draft have not been too difficult. More struggles with wording than actual information. The third paragraph has been a bit tough because I'm not sure how to find people with good ethos on this topic. The people who got me interested in healthy baking aren't professional chefs or nutritionists. They have just been baking for a long time and figured out what works. I have been trying to find scientific studies on baking times and temperature but there isn't much out there. I hope that talking to a dietitian will help me get some valid information and maybe(hopefully) lead me to more credible sources.