Thursday, December 19, 2013 21
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biz briefs
Chamber welcomes trio of new members
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With a snip of the giant scissors, Gold Coast Fabrics and the Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce announced the new membership of the Casitas Plaza store on Dec. 7. Located in the former home of Curves gym, Gold Coast Fabrics offers discount designer fabrics, trims, pillows and drapery hardware.
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Carpinteria Skate Foundation, a new Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce member, held a ribbon cutting on Dec. 14. The local nonprofit, whose mission is to bring a skatepark to Carpinteria, has its sights set on the city-owned property adjacent to the train station on 5th Street for a community garden and skatepark combo.
Holiday jeer for the health of it! ALI JAVANBAKHT, MD The holidays are a time of renewal and rebirth. Celestially, the days start to get longer and thus, in many cultures, the winter solstice represents the victory of light over darkness. For some it is the birth of a prominent religious figure (who shall remain nameless, but suffice it to say that his dad was probably harping on him to “get a haircut!”). For other religions, it is a Festival of Lights. But the one thing we all agree on is that the holidays are a time to tolerate family to the extent humanly possible and to be outraged at how many old ladies people will punch for a good deal on personal electronics. The holidays are also a time to tend to people in need. Homeless shelters offer meals and housing to people who have neither. During my psychiatry rotation in medical school, we were shipped off to a homeless shelter during the holidays to serve a meal to the homeless. Our instructor told us we had to eat said meal with the homeless. While this seemed like a noble endeavor at first, it quickly lost much of its luster when the instructor himself did not join us on the outing. Maybe there was a day spa retreat with hospital executives that he “had” to attend. So us scared medical students huddled together amidst a sea of people in heavily layered clothing who didn’t seem to be feeling much holiday cheer. As I worked my way through the meal, I was struck by how rich it was—even by Wisconsin standards. Later, one of the regular workers at the shelter told me it was because they didn’t know when the homeless would get their next meal. While many of us may never know what it’s like to be homeless during the holidays, our bodies will still behave as if they don’t know when our next meal will be coming because for tens of thousands of years, that’s how life was. So we are driven to seek out high calorie foods. Our taste buds urge us to eat sweet, starchy and greasy things. Our stomachs feel fuller and our brain’s pleasure centers are tickled when we load up on sugar and fat. If this is the case, then what chance do we have at eating well through the holidays? Thankfully, there are many strategies to give us a chance. First is access. If a food item is within
reach, it will likely get eaten whether or not we are hungry and regardless of how much we like the food item. So, having better foods at hand and within sight, and keeping heavier foods out of sight and out of reach is one step. Second is mindfulness. Mindfulness basically means being aware. Too often food is consumed without much thought. Eating is one of the very few activities that engages all five senses. So eating a high calorie item with full awareness, experiencing its sight, sound, smell, taste and feel can make the experience of eating such things more enjoyable. As an added benefit, it slows down the eating rate. And third is structure. Planning the enjoyment of treats can help reign said enjoyment in. This can be as simple as scheduling the time when treats are to be consumed. Knowing that there is pleasure to be had can sometimes calm the brain from driving us to incessantly seek and consume high calorie foods. But most importantly, let’s keep in mind that the holidays are only once a year. If our routine during the rest of the year is consistently good, it still can help keep our bodies and minds healthy despite lapses in diligence for a few weeks. So as we all enjoy the company of family and form new lifelong memories this holiday season, let’s celebrate with that food-insecure beast inside us. Pour it a drink and give it a meal. After all, it, too, just like family—can be tolerated to the extent humanly possible. Dr. Javanbakht is a Board Certified Family Physician practicing at the Carpinteria Branch of Sansum Clinic. His column won second place for best original writing at the 2010 AFCP awards. A collection of his columns has been compiled into a book entitled, “For the Health of It!” available at Xlibris. com. Read more of his work at his website, healthcrap.com.
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Carpinteria’s newest little gem of a shop, 919 Boutique in the Alley, opened on Dec. 6 and celebrated with a Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on Dec. 13. The shop, located at 919 Linden Ave. and accessed through the alley by the city’s 9th Street parking lot, contains whimsical home décor.
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THAT’S A WRAP: This year, before you ball up the wrapping paper and toss it, consider the whales. The Origami Whales Project, which uses origami whales to symbolize the tens of thousands of protected whales that have been illegally killed, will accept donations of wrapping paper to be repurposed. Paper should be dropped off at Curious Cup, 5285 Carpinteria Ave., by Dec. 31. HAULERS CELEBRATE HOLIDAYS: For the next two weeks, E.J. Harrison & Sons will pick up residential waste in Carpinteria on Fridays rather than Thursdays. Employees will have Christmas and New Years off, and trash will be picked up Dec. 27 and Jan. 3 to accommodate the holidays. SCAMMER’S DELIGHT: The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office recently warned internet shoppers to be wary of cybercriminals this time of year. A particularly devious email advertising UGG boots at 65 percent off has been circulated, and law enforcement confirmed that the site uggfrom.com is not legitimate.