Active ingredients may perform differently depending upon context. I live in a high altitude setting in the Mountain West. My town’s elevation is closely 7,200 feet above sea level. To give you an idea of the altitude, that is about 2,000 feet above the mile-high city of Denver, Colorado. Almost everyday I think about what and how to make meals for my family at this elevation. I’ve been using a cookbook entitled, “High Altitude Baking.” Yeast is an active ingredient in some of the things I like to bake, and yeast can perform differently at this altitude.

I’ve been learning about cooking with ingredients at this elevation. I also wonder about active ingredients in life and work. I had a conversation on the podcast about how our work in the helping professions uses active ingredients in the workplace.

He too wonders about active ingredients. In a conversation we had on the BUTTERCUP podcast, Harvard researcher and educator Dr. Junlei Li shared how he was helping his daughters brush their teeth when he noticed that there is one active ingredient in toothpaste. It lead to some of his research questions about the power of active ingredients. Dr. Li examined how simple interactions and human connections play a powerful part in the helping professions (e.g., teachers, social workers, allied health fields, health care providers, etc.).

What is the active ingredient(s) in the work you do?

How do active ingredients perform differently depending upon context?

Do active ingredients change over time?

Wyoming

References:

Macy, M. (Host). (2024, November 21). Simple Interaction with Dr. Junlei Li [podcast]. BUTTERCUP. https://youtu.be/sQ9i09beNTE?si=rSkRErBI0MiAneRf

Miller, S. & Shockley, K. (Eds.) (2022). High altitude baking. University of Wyoming Extension.

Simple Interactions Website ~ https://www.simpleinteractions.org/