Before we get into the collection of news for this week I wanted to let everyone know that the Cookie Naming Contest is still going on. Naming suggestions have been collected for a week. It was great fun seeing all of the responses coming in. Entered in submission order they're available in the online survey for you to vote for your favorite cookie name which will go in my book, The Pantry Principle. The person who submitted the winning name will also receive a batch of this cookie personally baked by me.
Placebo or not acupuncture helps with pain - A lot of people turn to acupuncture for help with a variety of issues including pain. Because it is considered an alternative medicine practice it is not always well accepted. However in studies covering 18,000 people it appears to have a positive benefit. California is looking at passing legislation that would make acupuncture a required-to-be-covered health benefit. Stay tuned to see how this treatment option may become more accepted and more available.
The benefits of middle age fitness - Just as it is with dietary changes, when making changes to your physical activity level, it's never too late. Obviously the more you take care of your body, keep it active, feed it healthy choices, the better it will work for you. But if you've stopped those things and want to start again...right now is the best time. "Moving out of the least fit category [only requires] 20-30 minutes of walking on most days of the week."
Your Dental Hygienist Will Be Happy - It turns out that in addition to making them look good and helping us to have clean smelling breath, regular dental cleanings (or scalings) appear to help reduce the incidence of strokes and other heart diseases. Another study looked at regular brushing habits and found a positive correlation with reduced rates of dementia. Looks like keeping those pearly whites in good shape is a significant part of your self-care health plan.
Non-vegan Bananas? - It doesn't exist yet but there's a possibility that it will. Apparently a new coating has been developed which may extend the shelf life of fresh produce. It's made from chitosan which is a product from the shells of shrimp and crabs. For those people who have life threatening allergies to shellfish this is highly problematic. Not only will it remove their ability to eat anything coated with this product. I have to wonder about the transfer factor. If another shopper touches that product and then touches something else will there be a transfer of the coating onto the supposedly uncoated product? Chances are high that the answer is yes. Given that an allergy to shellfish is one of the most common allergies in the United States, this could potentially be quite problematic.
Fall is here and in many parts of the country that means apple picking season. Here's a fun video with a good looking recipe. Most people think of farm to table as meaning meat products. But it also applies to produce, herbs, and other foods. Anything that you take straight from the producer to your home and your table. I love the use of dates in the crust of the crumble.
Photo: mconnors
On the dental front - it is more about keeping your gums healthy by flossing then anything else. More heart issues can be traced to bad gums and plaque then we realize. So floss people, floss!
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