on my mind monday 08.13.12

news | photo: mconnors

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

Is Sugar Toxic? - Short answer?  Yes.  It's also highly addictive.  This 13 minute video is very much worth watching to better understand the impact of sugar on our bodies and our health.

Violent TV keeps kids awake - The definition of what qualifies as violence on television has become blunted over the years.  What we've failed to realize is that this increased tolerance for violence IS having an effect.  I personally believe that it may very well prove to have an effect on older children and adults as well.

Number of Farmer's Markets Up Almost 10% - This is an encouraging sign.  Supporting the livelihood and growth of small farmers, but also connecting people to their food and their farmer.  Given the drought conditions that are currently ravaging the country, combined with the negative impact to certain crops (due to monocropping) getting back to basics and small farm industry is, I believe, a good thing.

Your Cookies (Probably) Won't Explode - This article talks about the effects of sugar and salt (among other things) on the taste buds.  How the more we get the more we want.  And yes, it is possible to re-train your tastebuds.  I have a number of clients who, as we begin to make dietary changes, realize how much more flavorful their food seems to be when it's not overpowered by the unnecessary addition of sugar hidden in many foods.  Try reducing how much you use and you may find you need less than you thought.

Downsizing Supersize - Bloomberg's soda ban is still in the news.  As this article points out however, it's not a s straightforward and simple as manufacturers would like us to believe.  They have been surreptitiously upping our intake by increasing portion sizes.  And contrary to what we like to believe, the more we are served, the more we eat.  In the 1950's a soda was approximately 7 ounces.  These days a 12 ounce soda is considered small and you can purchase big gulps all the way up to 64 ounces.  That's a pretty big gap and a huge increase in consumption.  While limiting the serving size won't stop someone who really wants that 64 ounces, limiting how much they can buy at one time may at least make them think about it.  Presumably that means that some people will choose not to drink the extra ounces.