on my mind monday 12.3.12

It's never the same two weeks in a row.  A collection of what I find interesting in the world of food, nutrition, and holistic health.  Here's what's on my mind.

The Economic Cost of Food Monopolies - Our food system is broken/breaking down as corporations pursue ever greater consolidation in the race toward profits. This however squeezes out the farmer and isolates us further from our food. I believe everyone should read this report. It's important that we understand where our food comes from, why costs are rising, and why we need to know our farmer.

Changes ahead for sugar - (starts at 2:40 on the video) US prices 50-70% higher than the rest of the world? Wow that's a huge jump. Combined with the fact that processed sugar can be as much as 4 times more addictive than cocaine and we have a very expensive health crisis on our hands (in more ways than one). We could all pay attention to the label and eat less sugar.

eFarmony - I love this idea...putting those with land together with those who want to farm it. Sounds like a win-win-win with consumers getting more fresh local produce.

Allergic to spice - We hear a lot about the common food allergies, dairy, peanuts, shellfish, etc. We also hear about food sensitivity conditions the severe celiac disease to a less harmful but still challenging lactose intolerance (a lack of the digestive enzyme lactase). But many people tend to forget that food sensitivities can be to any food substance. While food sensitivities are different than a life-threatening allergy, they are no less severe for their impact on health. If you think you have food sensitivities consider working with a nutrition professional to see how you can identify what may be overwhelming your system.

Horrible Diet Ideas - With the New Year just around the corner many people begin to resolve to lose weight. Unfortunately many of them are seduced by fad diets and celebrity endorsements. Just because someone is famous does not make them an expert on nutrition. Many of these ideas are highly dangerous. If you want to lose weight it needs to be done in a healthy, supportive fashion.

Asparagus for blood sugar control? - Like asparagus? It turns out that asparagus may be useful in stabilizing blood glucose levels. More and more readily available at the grocery store it's tasty and easy to cook.  I love the fact that I've got some in my garden, we just finished moving it to it's new dog-free garden bed. Now to wait and see if it transplanted well.

Looking for a good gentle yoga routine?  Here's one I like that's very relaxing and, most importantly, reminds you to breathe deeply.



What am I reading this week?  Truthfully, nothing because I'm still busy at work on my book, The Pantry Principle: how to read the label and understand what's really in your food.  Want to learn more about the book?

Head on over to Facebook and join The Pantry Principle page.  You'll be able to stay in touch as I start posting healthy tips and news articles.