Energy drinks have come under a lot of fire recently…some of it – like the obsessive hand-wringing over Red Bull – is simply goofy, but some is perfectly legit. Red Bull itself doesn’t contain massive amounts of caffeine, but there are a number of drinks and “shooters” on the market now that pack quite a whallop. And – the reality is – lots of people (not just kids), don’t bother to read labels before slugging down something that tastes good. For some folks, “stimming” is a way of life – their posts on bodybuilding message boards (including the ones I moderate) confirm this.

Acute high consumption of caffeine can cause caffeine intoxication. Likewise, chronic intake can induce tolerance – and subsequent withdrawal symptoms. Thus, a little more awareness and common sense needs to be applied to the debate over energy drinks and overall caffeine consumption.

Which brings me to Energy Fiend – a caffeine database created by two self-described “caffeine addicts,” James “Caffeine Fiend” Foster and Garrett “The Energy Drink Connoisseur.” Energy Fiend lists the caffeine content for over 300 popular/commercial drinks and foods – so if you’re not sure about your caffeine intake from various sources, this is an excellent resource.

I have to admit, I found this bit of idiocy rather amusing…

The owner of the Storchen restaurant in the exclusive Winterthur resort will improve his menu with local specialities such as meat stew and various soups and sauces containing at least 75 per cent of mother’s milk.

“We have all been raised on it. Why should we not include it into our diet?” Hans Locher, who has become Switzerland most controversial restaurant owner, said.

Mr Locher attracted the attention of the leading media of the German-speaking world this week after he posted ads looking for women donors, who will receive just over three pounds for 14 ounces of their milk.

He said: “I first experimented with breast milk when my daughter was born.

“One can cook really delicious things with it. However, it always needs to be mixed with a bit of whipped cream, in order to keep the consistency.”

The food control authority in Switzerland was initially confused by the apparent loophole in local legislation regulating the use of human milk and it was not clear whether Mr Locher could actually be banned from serving his specialities.

“Humans as producers of milk are simply not envisaged in the legislation.

“They are not on the list of approved species such as cows and sheep, but they are also not on the list of the banned species such as apes and primates,” Rolf Etter of the Zurich food control laboratory said.

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There are times when studies get over-interpreted.  I think this is one of those times.

With food, temptation may be a good thing

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – While dieters often banish tempting foods from their kitchens, a new study suggests that keeping some sweet treats around might be a good way to build willpower.

In three tests that presented female college students with tempting foods, researchers found that the women exerted greater self-control when they had previously been confronted with a sweet treat they had access to — rather than just pictures or smells.

The implication, say the researchers, is that challenging yourself to resist temptation may be more effective than banning all sweets and snack foods from the house.

“The main message is that banishing food temptations may not be the best way to limit the amount eaten. Tempting foods can actually increase willpower,” explained lead author Kelly Geyskens, an assistant professor of marketing at the Lessius Hogeschool in Antwerpen, Belgium.

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You’ve undoubtedly seen them…different brands of eggs that are “organic,” ”omega-3″ enriched, or from “cage free” or “vegetarian fed” hens.  Confused about which ones are the best?  This article in the New York Times does a pretty good job of explaining what the different marketing terms mean, and whether they’re legit, or just meaningless marketing jargon.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a joke…

My First Treadmill – Fitness Fun for Kids by iPlay
Exercise—just my size! Fitness Fun is a range of fitness equipment for ages 3 and up. Each of our pieces is constructed of sturdy steel frames and features foam padding for safety and comfort. Whether burning off extra energy or pretend playing “just like Mom and Dad”, there’s no better way to show kids how fun it is to be fit!

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According to a recent industry survey, fewer people are dieting now than they were two decades ago.

When it comes to dieting, Americans put on a good show, buying millions of diet books, watching TV programs about weight loss, obsessing over celebrities and their baby weight. But in the end, that may be all it is: a show. The number of people on a diet – 26 percent of all women in the United States and 16 percent of men for the year ending February 2008 – is the lowest it’s been in more than two decades, according to a soon-to-be-released survey.

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As I mentioned in an earlier post, I ordered one of the new stevia products, Cargill’s Truvia, which is sold in single serving packets.

It’s not bad.  It actually physically resembles table sugar: it has the same crystalline appearance and bulk, and the same slight crunch (if you put it in your mouth, undissolved).  It’s quite as sweet, too, although there’s a slight bitterness associated with it…the sweetness isn’t as “clean” as sucralose (Splenda) – it’s more reminiscent of saccharin.  It’s better than stevia (which has an aftertaste some describe as “anise-like”), I think, but not quite as good as Cargill/Coke make it out to be.

As noted in the linked post, I also gave Zevia a try…but will be formally reviewing it on the site in a new section dedicated to fat-loss/fitness-oriented functional food products, so stay tuned…

Eat at Your Own Risk is a little slideshow presentation over at MSN.com on the food poisoning risks associated with 10 common foods.  Thought I’d post a link to it here, as the captions offer some good reminders about basic food sanitation and hygiene.  It’s a timely subject, as food poisoning has been in the news A LOT these days.

No, you can’t always protect yourself against contaminated commercial foods that are supposed to be safe, but a few basic precautions can save you a lot of grief.  If you’re interested, there are additional tips and advice at fightbac.org and the Centers for Disease Control. 

You may have already heard of bisphenol A – a compound used in the creation of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins (used to line metal cans). Bisphenol A has been a concern for many years, as it can migrate into foods. Although direct toxicity is low, it’s an endocrine disruptor with estrogenic effects.  It’s a controversial chemical, as evidence of human health hazards is inconsistent…thus, beyond some concern over neural/behavioral effects in infants/very young children, the FDA considers it to be relatively safe.

A newly published study, however, has found a correlation between urinary levels of bisphenol A (a measure of intake) and increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.  According to a synopsis by Wall Street Journal writer Jacob Goldstein:

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Just because you feel like coughing up a lung doesn’t mean you can’t look great!  

No…seriously.  Check out these excerpts from “Feverish to Fabulous: Beauty Tips for Cold and Flu Sufferers: Quick Tips for a Flawless Face, Even When You Have the Flu.”

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There are various odd-ball food festivals around, like La Tomatina in Buñol, Spain (billed as “The World’s Largest Food Fight“) and the “Testicle Festival” in Missoula, Montana…but I think the World Black Pudding Throwing Championship easily rates an “11″ on a 1 – 10 scale of weirdness.

A while back, Paul wrote this post, about the all-too-common belief that “all natural” = good, and “Big Pharma” = bad.

Of course, we’re all aware that Big Pharma has dropped the ball numerous times, and that yes, they are definitely in business to make a dollar (in my opinion, that doesn’t diminish the good they do, and continue to do. And as a cancer survivor, I can tell you the only reason I’m lucky enough to be typing these words onto this screen right now is because of the chemotherapy drugs designed by Big Pharma).

Nonetheless, this “negative perception” of the drug companies is often accompanied by a another one, no less counter-intuitive…   

That those who sell and formulate “all natural” products are on the “side” of the good and just. Since their products are “all natural” and delivered from the earth as God and nature intended them, their motives are pure and untarnished.

This belief is not harmless, as this story from The Guardian makes all too clear:

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Is this a great idea, or what?

Chef Phil Vickery, who wrote the foreword to the book ‘Real Meals’, said teaching children to cook was the best preparation they could receive for adulthood.

‘Cooking is a skill and often it is not learned at an early enough age,’ he added. ‘Once you can cook the basics you will have the best survival tool in the box to take you into adult life.’

The cookbook is available online and secondary heads will be able to order copies for their Class 7 pupils.

Schools secretary Ed Balls’ aim is to check fast food and tackle obesity by encouraging children to make their own meals, not only in schools, but even at their homes.

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And no, I don’t mean the peace group…

It’s just when I see a pink supplement package or container, I cringe…the product is targeted for the women’s market, and – to me – it’s “code” that means the supp is a) underdosed; b) overpriced; or c) both.

For example, I had a question on the “Fat Loss Revealed” forum the other day about a supp called “Kre-Fem” – which is a Kre-Alkalyn-based supplement with a little added iron, isoflavones and a smidge of minerals.  It contained all of 600 mg of Kre-Alkalyn - less than half of the minimum recommended dose (1.5 grams).  Now, I don’t think all that highly of Kre-Alkalyn anyway, so seeing it underdosed like this was irritating (an average woman isn’t THAT much smaller than an average man).

“Tight Curves” is another one of the pink brigade that makes me grit my teeth: it’s soy protein isolate (SPI) with added calcium and a few shavings of Pepto Pro, black cohosh and St. John’s Wort.  One pound is $40.00 – and that’s the discount price! 

For the record, I can buy high-quality bulk SPI for less than $6.00/pound at Protein Factory.

And of course, there are always the real rip-offs, like the “Pink Diet Patch.”  The sweet young thing in the photo didn’t exactly get that way wearing the patch on her arm, either.  She’s from a stock photo archive, and it’s obvious the patch was just drawn on in Photoshop.  Needless to state, there’s only one ingredient in the patch (5-HTP), that has any scientific support for fat loss, and there’s zero proof it’s effective transdermally.  It’s utterly worthless.

For general health, fitness and/or leanness, special “women’s” supplements simply aren’t needed.  The pink stuff is just a marketing gimmick…and should raise a red flag when you see it.

Color me skeptical, but I have a hard time believing this:

Angelo Tremblay noticed something odd every time he worked up a grant application for his research program in a Quebec university. He had a craving for chocolate chip cookies.

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Hot off the presses: “Exercise blunts fat gene effect”

A number of studies have linked variants in a particular gene, FTO, with obesity risk.  New research suggests, however, high physical activity could blunt the effects.

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As noted here, the Corn Refiners Association is riding high over the AMA’s decision to exonerate high fructose corn syrup as a cause of the obesity epidemic. So high, they’ve gone from playing defense to offense:

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This article from the LA Times left me shaking my head in disbelief…

When I read about the founder of Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals being sentenced last week to 25 years in prison for defrauding customers with dubious herbal remedies, I asked myself yet again: Why doesn’t the government regulate this stuff?

Oh-oh, here we go again: ”there oughta be a law…”  Especially because everyone knows all dietary supplements are as bad as this – or worse.

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According to this BBC report:

A University of Melbourne team tested the impact of a home-based physical activity programme on 138 volunteers aged 50 and over with memory problems.

…Some volunteers were asked to complete three 50-minute sessions a week of moderate physical activity, such as walking, for 24 weeks. Others were not asked to increase their exercise levels.

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FYI: this post from Denialism Blog is satire.

Over-the-top? For sure. Nonetheless, it’s a perfect illustration of a tactic used in a lot of supp company ads.  All you have to do to mislead people, is cherry-pick a few facts, and add some “warm and fuzzy” spin with adjectives like “natural,” “balanced,” “holistic” and “elemental.”  If you can work in a little paranoia about the “establishment,” so much the better.

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