on my mind monday 3.19.12

newspaper | photo:  mconnor

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

A soda a day may increase heart attack risk - in men.  Of course we all know that soda is bad for us.  Those empty calories and negative ingredients are not good for anyone. Now there's another reason (as if you needed one) to give it up.

UN supports taxes on junk food - as a way to control how much junk food people eat, I think taxes fall far short of the bar.  Unfortunately this is also a disproportionate tax as the population most likely to eat junk food are usually shown to be those of lower income and lower food availability.  They aren't going to stop this habit just because there are taxes.  What I believe is really needed is a education about whole food nutrition and about how to eat well for health.  Many people do not understand that junk food doesn't nourish your body and how much damage it actually can do.  Until that fact is fully understood junk food consumption will continue to be a problem.

Pink Slime - This stuff has been in the news for quite some time but now, for some reason, it has taken off with the general public and there is a huge outcry.  What is it?  It's the waste trimmings and leftover bits all mulched together, treated with ammonia hydroxide and sold as meat.  Banned for human consumption in other places (where it is used in pet food) it is legal for human consumption here in the US.  A short time ago McDonald's announced that it would stop using pink slime in it's restaurants.   Other big chains followed suit.  What to do with all that pink slime?  Why sell it to school cafeterias instead.  People this stuff is GARBAGE.  It is not food.  Ammonia hydroxide is a poison and it is used to mask potential pathogens in the garbage that is masquerading as meat.  I find it astounding that some food safety experts are claiming that it is okay to eat this.  Everyone that I spoke to, once they knew what it was, said that they would not knowingly choose to eat this product.  Some said that they were highly upset at the thought that they had been eating it unknowingly.  If the thought of this product upsets you consider signing the petition against it.

DIY Yogurt - yogurt is becoming popular again.  And more people are finding out just how easy it is to make your own at home.  You can use some yogurt that has already been cultured or purchase a culture of your own from Cultures For Health.

Grapefruit is in season here in my area of the country.  I have friends who have grapefruit trees who generously share with me and I have to say there is nothing better than a tree-ripened grapefruit.  Juicy, flavorful, and just amazingly delicious.  In addition to a whopping dose of vitamin C, grapefruit can also deliver a lot of vitamin A and fiber.  It also helps to alkalize the body, believed to help reduce calcium oxalate type kidney stones.  Now I've learned that grapefruit also has narinigenin.  This flavonoid appears to support liver health, reduce triglycerides and cholesterol, and inhibits Hep C viral activity.  Rather interesting when you consider that if you are told not to consume grapefruit if taking statin drugs.


Are You A Nutrition Rockstar?

What Am I Reading? The Whole-Food Guide for Breast Cancer Survivors: A Nutritional Approach to Preventing Recurrence.  This is an amazingly informative book by Dr. Helayne Waldman and Dr. Ed Bauman.

disclaimer:  cmp.ly/5