on my mind monday 2.20.12

newspaper | photo:  mconnors

It's never the same two weeks in a row.  My snapshot of what I find interesting.  Information and news about health, nutrition and/or holistic living.  Here's what's on my mind.

Walmart 'Great For You' Healthy Labels - While I think we need to have appropriate labeling for food I'm not so sure who is the best organization to create it.  As proven by the Smart Choice label fiasco manufacturers are certainly not a good choice.  But are retailers any better?  Considering that they have a vested interest in selling product and that their shelf space and advertising efforts can be bought, I'm not so sure this is a winning scenario for the consumer.

What's In Your Food: Weight Watcher's Blueberry Muffins - the usual suspects of bad food, artificial ingredients, chemical additives, and far too much sugar.  Read the label, not just the front of the box.  Unfortunately many people assume that the front of the box tells the whole story when it comes to health and nutrition information.  Not true, that's the marketorial space that producers use to try to convince you that you want to buy their product.

Bright Farms - this is an organization that is bringing hydroponic greenhouse farms to grocery stores.  I think this could potentially be a great idea.  One issue is getting grocery stores to consider buying in to the concept of truly local sourcing.  Another is the strategy of growing what/enough for consumer preferences.  But it could potentially be a fabulous idea, especially in urban areas.



Wow!  The Discover High School Farm.  This is another twist on the education/food concept.  This effort is really spreading in a variety of wonderful and creative ways across the country.  Starting with Alice Waters' Edible Schoolyard to the Real School Gardens and more, kids are learning about their food, where it comes from, and making great choices because it's easily available.  Now we have this high school connecting their kids to food in a meaningful and productive way.

Raw Milk Debates - As I've written about here and here,  raw milk is in the news.  There are many people who prefer raw milk.  And both the Raw Milk Institute and the Weston A. Price Foundations Campaign for Real Milk support those consumers who want raw milk and those farmers who want to provide it.  Here is a great blog post by someone who drinks raw milk.  This issue seems to be getting more and more attention in the news and in legislative issues.  On a personal level, in case you are wondering, yes, there is a raw milk dairy about 45 minutes from my house.  Yes I do occasionally drink raw milk, but only when it is convenient for me to go that way and get it.  I'll also share that my husband and teen daughter are not willing to drink it, so I don't force them.  But I find it to be delicious and if it were more easily available I would consume more of it.

Arsenic found in infant formula - I am once again very upset to find such serious problems in the food supply.  The arsenic is found in rice which is a very efficient at uptaking it from the soil.  Apparently even if the field is now organic (a process which takes three years to achieve) if there is significant arsenic in the soil it will still find it's way into the rice.  Where did the arsenic come from?  It's being used as a pesticide.  We need to stop dumping toxins on our food and to stop poisoning our soil.

are trans-fats shrinking your brain?

trans-fat - fish and chips | photo: BrokenSphere

It happens all the time.  You're out and about, after a soccer game, running errands, running late for a meeting, and you decide to stop for a quick bite to eat.  More often than not it's probably fast food.  We all know fast food isn'ty really good for you.  Now, aside from the poor quality meat, high levels of fat and sodium, and low nutrient density, it looks like there's even more reason to avoid that drive-through window.

A recent study run by Dr. Gene L. Bowman, an assistant professor of neurology at the Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center at the Oregon Health & Science University, found that people with high levels of trans-fats in their blood had lower cognitive performance scores as well as lower brain volume.  While the study was admittedly small and homogenous (100, elderly Caucasians living in Oregon), Dr. Bowman notes that the results of the testing were so clear that this particular pattern should not be ignored.  Testing looked at nutrient levels in the body, cognitive function and included MRI studies.  What does this mean?  In plain English, there was a positive correlation between higher levels of trans-fats and lower brain function and smaller brain size.  That's a scary thought.

Because we know that trans-fats are bad for our heart one would think that would be enough to convince people to avoid them.  However that is not the case as evidence by how many products still contain them.  Now it looks like trans-fats are also bad for your brain.   Even more reason to avoid them.  Since it's difficult to identify trans-fats in fast food, and truthfully most people don't take the time to look it up on those posted-near-the-bathroom menu charts, it's best to avoid fast food altogether.  A quick run-down of some popular fast food items that contain trans-fats includes:

• KFC - chicken pot pie 
• Burger King - large hash browns
• Jack in the Box - large fish and chips
• Dairy Queen - 4 pc chicken strip basket
• McDonald's - baked apple pie

This information is correct to the best of my knowledge.  It is important to note that although many fast food restaurants are proudly touting no trans-fats in their food, they still have them in the ingredients.  This is due to a Federal ruling that allows them to claim no trans-fats if there is less than .05 per serving.  However it adds up pretty quickly.

Fast food is not, alas, the only place that one finds trans-fats.  There are plenty of items on the grocery store shelf that contains them as well.  Look for the words hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated to see if there are any trans-fats in that food item.  These trans-fats are not from natural sources (there is a small amount that occurs in beef, lamb, and dairy) but from forcing hydrogen into liquid fats to make them solid at room temperature.  Not a healthy option.

Why are trans-fats bad for you?  For one they raise the level of LDL or "bad" cholesterol in your system.    Unfortunately they also lower the level of HDL or "good" cholesterol.  Not a good combination.  Avoiding them is important not only for your heart, but now, we find out, for your brain as well.

So what should you do when you are out and about and need a snack?  There are a several options available.  

1. Have a protein bar available - I almost always have a healthy protein bar in my glove box for an emergency snack.  
2. Stop at a grocery store and buy an apple and some raw nuts.  It's a delicious and healthy snack.  Often it costs far less than that drive-through meal.  The trick is not to get side-tracked in the grocery store and start to shop for other things.  Treat it like a fast food run, you can always do your grocery shopping later.  
3. Plan ahead.  If you know you are going to be out and about you can plan ahead and bring food with you.  Using a handy snack container, such as a Laptop Lunchbox, you can pack a healthy snack and skip the trans-fats.

world food day

genetically modified food

Today, October 16, is World Food Day.  There are many issues that can be related to our food and it's relationship to our health.  The biggest one at the moment is that of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).

For many years a controversy has raged about GMO.  I will admit that I am not impartial on this issue and I stand firmly opposed to the idea of GMO foods.  I do not believe we need them, I do not believe they are harmless to the environment, and I do not believe they are healthy for us.

However, leaving all of that aside, what I want to bring to your attention on World Food Day is that, for those of us living in the United States, we do not know if our food contains GMOs.  The only way to avoid them is to purchase organic products for those items that are most likely to be contaminated.  Currently the most likely contaminated foods are corn, canola, soy, cotton, alfalfa, papaya, sugar (both cane and beet sugars), and zucchini.  Currently coming to market are GMO rice, and sweet peppers.  There is also serious talk about a GMO fish and GMO apples.  Purchasing organic varieties of these foods is currently the only way to avoid GMO products.  But it extends beyond those products.  Any animal that is fed corn or alfalfa, unless it is organically raised, is in all likelihood being feed GMO versions.  That would include beef, chicken, and pork.  Any products that come from GMO-fed animals is contaminated with GMO, such as milk and eggs.  It can get very difficult to stay on top of what is being added to our food chain without our permission.

At the very least I believe we all have a right to know what is in our food.  For companies to be required to disclose the presence of GMO in their products.  At the present time there is no such requirement.  Many other countries around the world prohibit or label GMO foods, and I feel that the US should do the same. There is currently a petition circulating to let the FDA know that people want this label.  It's an important step toward preserving control over our food and our food choices.  I've signed it and I hope you will consider doing the same http://justlabelit.org/takeaction.

grocery store flow chart

Remember my motto:  Eat well to be well?  Obviously a lot of what we eat has to come from somewhere and for most of us that starting point is the grocery store.  A lot of people have sent me this very funny flow chart "How To Find Real Food At The Supermarket" by Darya Pino of Summer Tomato .  I love it and am taking her permission to "feel free to share this with friends" by sharing it with all of you.

While written in a humorous vein it certainly isn't too far off the mark.  If it's not whole food don't eat it.  Too many ingredients?  syllables?  vague claims about health?  It's probably not healthy.

what's in your water?

Water | Abhijit Tembhekar | Wikimedia Commons

Everyone seems to be drinking more water these days, that's a good thing.  Unfortunately though many kids are drinking flavored water drinks that are presented as healthy.  You know the ones I'm talking about.  They come with names like Vitamin Water and Fruit2O.  Let's not even start with the whole sports drink issue.

I was horrified when the pediatrician told my daughter that she needed to add more water to her diet, suggesting that she start drinking Propel.  My daughter was thrilled and turned to me with a gleeful look on her face that faded when she saw my expression.

I am continually amazed at how manipulated we are by manufacturers.  There is no other way to say this other than to just say it.  Water is water period end of story.  Why are they trying to fancy it up with all sorts of chemical additives for color and flavor, and why are they adding preservatives.  Preservatives?  What's in water than needs preserving?

Are many of us dehydrated?  I believe the answer is yes.  Do we need 8 glasses of water per day?  That depends on what your bio-individual needs are.  If you live in a climate that causes you to lose a lot of moisture or you exercise a lot or you don't eat high moisture foods and take in other liquids it all adds up.  However I also believe that by the time we feel thirsty we are generally more dehydrated than we realize.

Dehydration is known to cause headaches, can lead to worsening asthma, hypertension and other health issues.  Proper hydration is also key to helping the body eliminate toxins.  That is why it's important to make sure that we are getting enough fluids to stay well hydrated.  Breathing, digesting, sweating, and excreting all cause us to lose fluids.

If what we need is to stay well hydrated what we do not need is all of the extra chemicals that come with most packaged water drinks.  Not only that if you look at the label you will see that they are misleading you by claiming to only have a certain number of calories.  What you need to remember is to look at the label and see how many calories are in a serving and how many servings are in a bottle.  One bottle of VitaminWater has 50 calories and 13g of sugar per serving.  The label purports to contain 2.5 servings per bottle.  Most people I know drink the whole bottle; that means 125 calories and over 32g of sugar per bottle.  And those are empty calories.  Providing no nutritional value and not filling you up at all.

Let me give you a hint, there are no calories in water.  If you are looking for a little flavor in your water consider adding a slice of fresh fruit, a squeeze of citrus, a slice of cucumber, or a sprig of mint.  These all add a lot of flavor without adding sugar, calories, "natural flavors", or other chemicals.  Just drink water.  It's what your body needs.

okra and remembering to read the labels

I have a confession to make. I don't much like okra. Maybe it's from growing up in the northeast where I was not really exposed to it much as a child. Whatever the reason I mostly find it unappealing. I have discovered that I can tolerate it steamed, I despise it cooked, boiled, or fried. However, it's not half bad when it's pickled. It's a pity that I don't like it more because it's low in calories, high in fiber, has a modest amount of protein, and provides vitamins A and C as well as iron and calcium.

Okra also has a mucilaginous quality that helps to escort cholesterol and bile acids out of the body. As an alkaline food it is also believed to help heal intestinal ulcers and be useful in the treatment of IBS.

When I was at the grocery store today I happened to spy a jar of pickled okra on the shelves. Since this is my least objectionable way to eat it I decided to try it again, scooped up a jar and finished my grocery shopping.

Unfortunately I ignored my own advice and I did not stop to read the label. After getting home I did read the label and it turns out these pickles contain polysorbate-80. I refuse to eat any ingredient that has a number (nature doesn't number food). According to my Consumer Dictionary of Food Additives polysorbate-80 is an emulsifier "associated with the contaminant 1,4 dioxane, known to cause cancer in animals." It is also "widely used in baby lotions, cold creams, cream deodorants, antiperspirants, suntan lotions and path oils."

I'm not sure why these pickles need to be emulsified but I certainly don't care to eat an ingredient also used in lotions and potions like cold cream. This serves as a personal reminder to ALWAYS read the label.

Needless to say I will be returning this to the store. I wonder what the counter clerk will say/think when I explain why I'm bringing it back.

photo courtesy of: Gerard Cohen | Wikimedia Commons

horrible commercial

The more this commercial comes on the more I don't like it. It's the one with the fish sticks where the little girl is talking negatively to her mother about the minced fish in her fish sticks.

I know that the little girl is cute and that the commercial is, at first glance, intended to be humorous. So what bothers me about it? Several things really. There's the attitude of the child, the shocked expression of the mother and the mother then soothingly capitulating to the child by offering her the brand being advertised. Finally the little girl chortling about how flaky her new fish fillet is.

I've been reading "Born to Buy" by Juliet Schor. In it she talks about the vast majority of food purchases being driven by children. How the manufacturers are deliberately pushing the idea of stupid parents, promoting the idea that the children need to be in charge, and spending enormous amounts of money on psychologically marketing to the children. This commercial embodies everything that the book is talking about.

As a Nutrition Educator I also look at the fact that this is a really unhealthy product. According to information I found online (since I can't bring myself to buy a box just to have the ingredients and nutrition facts) one serving has 250 calories with a fat content of 15 grams and a very high sodium content of 350 mg plus sugar -- who eats sugar with fish? The ingredients list has pollack, enriched flour breading mixed with hydrogenated oils, TBHQ, MSG and other chemical ingredients. If you want to feed your child fish buy fresh cold water fish for them; it's far healthier and will provide more essential fatty acids to help their development. If they insist on breaded fish you can bread it yourself at home without all the chemicals and make a far healthier version.

If they eat over-processed, junky fish they'll have a harder time learning to eat healthful, whole food style fish. Do your kids a favor and buy them the real thing.

cherries are drugs!

The above statement seems startling. But if you think the same way the FDA does, cherries are drugs and therefore will need to be regulated by the government.

If you think this sounds like a joke. It's not.

The whole issue started with cherry makers sharing research that showed the healthful, antioxidant effects of cherries and cherry juice. This research, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, makes statements such as "supports the reputed anti-gout efficacy of cherries" and "compounds in cherries may inhibit inflammatory pathways." Another study, also by the UDSA stated, "[Results] suggest a selective modulatory effect of sweet cherries on CRP (C-Reactive Protein), NO (Nitrous Oxide), and RANTES (T-Cell indicators). Such anti-inflammatory effects may be beneficial for the management and prevention of inflammatory diseases." There is more research indicating other health benefits of cherries and cherry juice.

Strangely when cherry growers began to promote this information in marketing their product it caught the attention of the FDA. Mind you this is the same agency that is failing at food safety. Responsible for under-inspecting food production facilities and imported food, unreliable in Pharmacolocial oversight, the FDA has nonetheless opted to go after whole food. While I'm not sure how the government would intend to regulate the sale of cherries if it were somehow indeed cast into the category of a drug, it seems bizarre and completely the wrong direction. The FDA should be keeping BPA out of our plastics, melamine out of our food supply, inspecting plant safety according to their mandate, and making sure that the drug manufacturers are responsible for their products (so that drugs are not released early before all symptoms are known, such as Vioxx or Accutane).

As part of the public record you can see that this letter was sent to these companies telling them that they are no longer allowed to share government research showing the health benefits of consuming a natural, fresh fruit. Shouldn't we be encouraging people to eat more fresh foods? Another thought that occurs to me is that if the FDA already can't meet it's mandate for public safety what the heck is it doing attempting to regulate a whole food?

My suggestion? Eat cherries, they're a tasty, whole food that is good for you. Drink cherry juice, it's also tasty and good for you.

Be well.

photo courtesy of clayoquot : commons.wikimedia.org

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12771324?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_TitleSearch&linkpos=1&log$=pmtitlesearch4
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16549461?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.

Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed

chemicals are touching the food

I just got back from the grocery store and once again I find myself very frustrated by many of the products in the aisles.  I teach a class called "Poison Pantry" where I talk about some of the ingredients that are in the pantry that shouldn't be there.  As I tell folks, "Notice I said ingredients, not food."  That's because this stuff isn't food and shouldn't be part of our diet.  It's there either because it's easier for the manufacturer or because it extends the shelf life.  And just because it's in our food doesn't mean we have to eat it.

The latest example of my frustration lies with a preservative called BHT,  butylated hydroxytoluene.  Along with it's counterpart BHA (butylated hydroxianisole) it is used as a preservative.  According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) there is evidence that these phenolic compounds may cause cancer and both substances are considered to be "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."  BHT and BHA can both be replaced by vitamin E or are not even necessary in products, however the USDA allows their use anyway and so they are still part of the manufacturing process.

  

Because of consumer resistance, I am assuming, some manufacturers are not using these products in the food they produce.  Today I got quite a shock when I read the side panel of a box and discovered that although there was no BHT in the food itself it had been added to the packaging as a preserving agent.  Okay it's not in the food but, hello folks, it's TOUCHING the food.  And am I going to be upset about that?  You betcha.  These products are not good for our health, are not required in many cases, don't use them.  Use something else that is not "reasonably anticipated" to make me, my family, or anyone else ill.

The lesson here?  Read all the way to the bottom of the label.  It may take longer but it really is important.

Be well.

eggs

A friend of mine recently asked me a few questions about eggs and I thought I would share them here.

1.  Are brown eggs healthier than white eggs?

No.  The color of the eggshell depends on the breed of chicken.  There is even a breed of chicken called araucana that produces blue shells on their eggs.

2.  What is the difference between cage free and free range chickens?  And are the eggs from one better than the other?  

Egg-laying chickens are usually raised in small cages stacked high called battery caging.  The cages are not very big, leaving not enough room for the chickens to spread their wings.  Cage free means that the chickens are not in cages but are in a large building free to roam around and spread their wings.  Free-range means that the chickens have access to the outdoors.  Unfortunately many times free-range chickens are raised indoors and not granted access to the outdoors until they are several weeks old, at which point they don't go outside anyway.  Although the consumer-intent for free-range eggs is that the chickens are living happy, pastoral lives, running around in the outdoors scratching and eating bugs I don't believe this always happens.  For me this means that cage-free and free-range are probably similar treatments for the birds and either one is preferable to raising them in small confined cages.  If you are certain that the free-range eggs are indeed from chickens who are running freely outside then those would be the best eggs.

3.  Is it worth it to buy organic eggs?

Buying organic eggs means that the chickens have not been fed any animal by-products, given hormones, antibiotics or eaten any genetically modified feed.  Additionally organic eggs are always from free-range chickens.  There are studies showing the organically raised fruits and vegetables have more nutrients than their conventionally grown counterparts. I have not seen any studies showing that the same is true for organically raised eggs but I feel that it is probably true.

4.  Why do they advertise omega-3 eggs and how do they do that?

I believe producers are advertising omega-3 eggs because there is a current trend or fad for foods that are enhanced with omega-3, or alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).  Most of us don't get enough of this important essential fatty acid in our diet so producers think (and sadly they're mostly correct) that by advertising in big letters that their product contains ALA will convince many of us to buy it.  How do they get the omega-3's in there?  They feed the chickens a diet that is very high in flaxseeds which are one of the natural sources of ALA.  Walnuts and salmon are two other very good sources.  I personally feel that I would rather eat foods that are naturally high in omega-3's than pay extra for enhanced eggs.

5.  Does the color of the yolk mean anything?

Free-range chickens who are scratching and eating bugs tend to produce richer colored yolks because of all of the greens they are eating.  However it is possible to get a more golden color yolk by feeding corn or alfalfa to the chicken; chickens fed wheat will have pale colored yolks.   It is even possible to get an orange-y color to the yolks by feeding marigold petals to the chickens.  I believe advertisement of yolk color on the package simply means the producer is counting on the consumer to this that this means the egg is fresher or better when what they have done is feed the chicken a diet that changes the yolk color.

6.  Why do they advertise vegetarian-fed on the egg carton?

I don't really know, since chickens are not vegetarians.  I assume that it is to assure the consumer that the chickens are not being fed any animal by-products.  By natural inclination chickens would eat bugs, worms and other small animals but if they are not free-range they do not have access the these.

Hopefully this will help you make the best egg choice for your family.

photo courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

knowing the numbers

"Consumers have the right to choose whether to eat genetically modified foods or not."

     Rockefeller Foundation Statement (cited in Kilman, 1999)

I agree with the thinking behind the above statement.  We should have the right to choose.  Unfortunately we do not because we don't know what foods are modified.  Some foods are pretty good guesses.  If it has corn, soy, or canola in it there is a better than average chance that it is genetically modified.  Because our food products are not labeled the only way to avoid genetically modified organisms (GMO) is to buy organic.  While that can get to be a very expensive proposition there is more and more evidence supporting the case for eating non-GMO foods, including these articles:

Latest GMO Research: Decreased Fertility, Immunological Alterations and Allergies

Monsanto tried to block Austrian research

Government Accountability Office finds unauthorized release of GM foods

Even fruits and vegetables are being genetically modified and that is one area where you can see what you are choosing to eat.  The Price Look Up (PLU) stickers have numbers on them which indicate the following:

most product numbers are 4 digits indicating that the produce was conventionally grown

5 digits starting with a 9 means it is organic

5 digits starting with an 8 means it is GMO

According to the International Federation for Product Standards there is a PLU for everything although not everything is labeled, nor it is required to be labeled.  This most likely explains why I have yet to see a 5 digit code starting with an 8.  

Dole has gone so far as to implement a program in which they put a three digit code on their organic bananas which you can look up on the Dole website and see which farm the bananas were grown on and read a little about the farm.

Within the confines of our budget I make the best choices I can for my family and encourage you to do the same.