Armed and Dangerous

I am seeing young probation violators getting 3 to 4 month prison sentences , giving them their first look at prison and thus a "prison prior". Many of these kids are using this opportunity to get prison tattoos which many consider a badge of honor back on the streets.  Some do just their arms, many do backs and chest as well. Tattoos are much cheeper in prison and have a distinctive look due to the prison inks made from chess pieces, shoe polish, etc. Money sent in by family for TVs and other appliances is being spent on tattoos instead. $100 can get both arms done, another $100 on your back and so on. Prices may vary but someone is always willing to put ink on you. The risk factor is high. Money is sometimes more important than safety. Obviously we dont have clean supplies for every use. Bleach can be used as a weapon so many prisons use "bleach substitute" which is less effective for cleaning needles. Bleach and bleach substitute are locked up and carefully managed by staff. Although bleach can be smuggled, it isn't easy to get. In a pinch when someone needs the money, they may not be honest about the cleanliness of their tattoo gun.
I had a youngster tell me he had only 3 months so whatever he didn't get completed before release he'd finish when he comes back.

Choosing your menu

Once again every situation is different but most institutions serve a lot of processed foods and foods high on the glycemic index. These are a few food rules I follow:

• Lots of fiber. Vegetables, beans, apples, citrus fruits, etc. When you eat fiber it will help you digest your foods and thin your waist.
• Carbs. Everyone's bodies react differently to carbs. I eat lots of oatmeal, brown rice, wheat bread and rolls. I don't eat white bread, white rice and pasta. Prison pastas aren't wheat pasta. Remember that many breads are colored to look like wheat. I reduce my daily bread intake anyway so I only eat one sandwich at lunch. 
• Protein. Protein improves your immune system. It also makes you big and strong so it is kept to a minimum needed in you meals and protein powder, not longer sold in most commissaries. You can get extra protein by getting extra meats at meals. Buy tuna at commissary, it also has omega-3 fatty acids which lower cholesterol. Also eat extra eggs, beans, and other fish products.
• Glycemic index. Try to familiarize yourself with them. They are very important but to complicated to go into now. Here's the short and sweet: 55 or less is low, med is 56-69, high is 70 or higher. Kitchen and commissary staff can give you the glycemic index of each food item. Avoid cherios, saltine crackers, corn chips doughnuts, raison bran, corn flakes, bagels, baked potatoes, pretzels, gatorade, table sugar, potato chips, baked beans, oatmeal, cream of wheat, grits, etc. As you can see, some of the foods you thought were healthful may be causing you to hold extra weight.

Clean up your eating habits. Eat a variety of foods, put more focus on vegetables, add fiber and watch glycemic index. Have fun with it.