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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.
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.
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.
According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, people living in walkable, older neighborhoods with businesses and stores within walking distance are less likely to be overweight or obese. According to the New York Times:
With each extra decade of a neighborhood’s age, the researchers said, the risk of obesity was 13 percent lower for men and 8 percent lower for women.
There are several reasons older neighborhoods are more walkable, said the lead author, Ken R. Smith of the University of Utah: better sidewalks, trees to provide shade and intersections at shorter intervals.
But older neighborhoods have something even more basic when it comes to luring someone into heading out on foot.
“You always want to have something to walk to,” Dr. Smith said. And unlike many modern residential areas, older communities may have stores and other businesses near houses.
We’re sort of lucky in that regard: we don’t live in an old neighborhood, but we’re close to a main drag, so we have a number of stores and services in walking distance. In addition, our neck of the world is reasonably pedestrian and bike-friendly. As a result, I see a lot more people out and about on the streets during the day than I used to when we were living in Ohio.
Even if it didn’t help reduce excess weight/fat, walking is healthier for both walkers and the environment. The fact that it does, is an added bonus.
Sorry, but the popular press sometimes gets on my nerves…such as this article on the ABC News site:
Don’t expect to find irradiated spinach and lettuce in your supermarket any time soon, even though federal regulators have given the food industry permission to sell it.
Several hurdles will discourage immediate widespread adoption, including cost, lack of irradiation facilities, concerns about how well it will work and whether consumers will buy produce that’s been irradiated to kill dangerous bugs such as E. coli.
“Right now, it’s not cost-effective,” says David Gombas, senior vice president of the United Fresh Produce Association. “It’ll take time and money to make it practical.”
So they put a “scare” headline over an article about something the food industry ISN’T going to do??? Why they figured this rated a three page article is anyone’s guess.
Personally, I’d prefer to take my chances with “mutant” spinach in my salad, rather than E. coli 0157:H7, but hey, that’s me. It’s a moot point for now, at any rate.
“100 Ways to Cut 100 Calories” is a list from America On The Move, a non-profit educational foundation dedicated to improving “…health and quality of life by promoting healthful eating and active living among individuals, families, communities and society. ” As they put it:
Our research shows that small, specific changes in food and physical activity behaviors can have a positive effect on health and effectively stop weight gain. AOM provides free web-based programs, tools, and resources to individuals, families, groups and communities of all types and sizes.
As I’ve written before, a lot can be accomplished through small, progressive changes, vs. trying to overhaul an entire lifestyle overnight. Cutting a little here, and making small changes there can help prevent weight gain, as well as set the stage for future weight loss success. There are lots of tips and tools on the AOM site, so it’s definitely worth a look.
…in a new ad campaign by a vegetarian-oriented research group, The Cancer Project.
According to the Associated Press, the ad has touched a lot of nerves, from the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council to the American Cancer Society, which beat a quick retreat from the controversy.
A short while ago I received an e-mail offering an invitation to purchase one or more of a small number of remaining bottles of BetaFuel. BetaFuel is distributed by MarqiLife and Brock Felt (who appears as an “unbiased customer” in the before and after shots featured on the BetaFuel web site. You can also see Brock’s pictures featured on the NiteTrim product site as well).
BetaFuel happens to be an ephedra-based product, containing 10 mg of ephedra derived from Ma Huang.
This is the subject of a nice little article over at WebMD.
Now, I like a good pre-workout booster - which is usually some combo of caffeine with nootropics (heck, even a stiff shot of coffee and a couple tyrosine caps will do in a pinch). I think they really do help with focus, and the ability to dig just a little bit deeper to get that last rep or two out. The bottom line, however, is that the best general energy booster I know of, is activity. I sit at my computer for long hours each day - and there are times when I find my forehead sinking towards the keyboard. When that happens, a brisk walk, or a few short minutes of more intense exercise (i.e., wall squats, pushups, rope jumping), perk me right back up again.
I have to admit, this New York Times article made me want to bang my head my head against my keyboard.
So it stands to reason that weight-loss shows are now a part of the television landscape, spanning NBC, the Style Network and Discovery Health, as common as crime procedurals, soap operas or talk shows. (All television genres have signature moments. On westerns it’s the cattle stampede; on weight-loss shows it’s the weigh-in, presented in slow motion and in black and white.)
These fat-reduction spectacles are embedded in a mixed message that mirrors a broader cultural clash of appearance and appetite — and our obsession with both. Against a loop of talk shows and made-for-TV dramas about eating disorders, Americans are goaded into ever more drastic and extreme expectations of physical perfection on prime time, while their path is mined with Double Croissan’wich specials at Burger King and Olive Garden “Tour of Italy” triptychs (lasagna, chicken parmigiana and fettuccine Alfredo). On “Today” a homily on sensible dieting from the Joy Fit Club is followed by instructions in a following segment for hibiscus margaritas and churros — deep-fried, sugar-dipped Mexican crullers. On the WE network’s show “The Secret Lives of Women,” a tribute to three women’s hard-won journey to extreme weight loss is interrupted by an ad for Baskin-Robbins Oreo sundae.
I thought this BBC article was extremely cool.
Exercise classes keep Flo fit at 100.
Flo Harmsworth is a good example of the old adage, “It’s never too late to get fit.”
At the age of 90 her doctor prescribed exercise classes to help combat the painful effects of peripheral vascular disease - narrowing of the arteries.
Her legs were aching and, despite having a very active life, she was starting to find it too painful to walk.
Now a decade later the centenarian is still taking part in the Royal Free Hospital weekly classes and loving them.
Back when we lived in Ohio, I worked out at the gym operated by the City of Kettering Parks and Rec. Dept. The main facility was in the same building as the senior citizens’ center, so it wasn’t unusual to see older people there, too. A couple of standouts were Millie, who - at 84 years old - participated in the regular aerobics classes and jogged on the indoor track; and my “boyfriend” Charlie, who still lifted weights at 92.
Unfortunately, most of the older folks I chatted with weren’t like Millie and Charlie: they were there because of health problems. Over the years, I heard a lot of sad stories about open-heart surgeries and osteoporosis. Several people had disabled spouses, and needed to improve their own fitness so they could be better caregivers. As one man put it to me: “If only I knew then what I know now.”
As Flo’s story proves, you’re never too old to get into shape…as far as I’m concerned, being in the gym beats the hell out of being in a wheelchair.
The US Presidential election is “on” in full force now…and both Barack Obama and John McCain are duking it out over who is the most “elitist” and out-of-touch with us reg’lar Murikans. The rationale is obvious: if you sling enough mud, some of it will stick. The idea is to create a negative “vibe” that will influence how people vote on election day - despite the fact that it’s unrelated to the administrative capacity of either candidate.
Supplement ads sometimes use a similar tactic. Often a case “for” a particular supplement rests on a case “against” a competing product (or product type). And - needless to state - the case “against” nearly always consists of some carefully cherry picked “facts,” combined with the use of descriptive terms designed to evoke a negative emotional response. Like I said, if you sling enough mud…
Paul sent me a perfect example of this today. It was part of the advertising for a pea/rice protein supplement, and the case “for” these proteins was made by slagging two popular alternatives: whey and soy.
I’m all for encouraging people to get in shape, but - in my humble opinion - this is the wrong way to go about it.
MONTGOMERY - Obese state employees and those who have high readings for blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose will have to pay more for health insurance starting in January 2011, unless they take steps to address those risks, under a plan adopted by a state board Wednesday.
Starting in January 2010, state employees will have to pay an extra $25 a month for health insurance unless they submit baseline readings for their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose.
Starting in 2011, they will have to pay the extra $25 a month unless a work site wellness screening shows their readings fall below certain thresholds or they consult with a doctor, participate in a wellness program or reduce their risk levels, perhaps by losing weight or lowering their blood pressure.
Both Paul and I have written before about Rebiana - the stevia-based sweetener that Cargill and Coca Cola are planning to introduce in the US. It’s currently going through the regulatory “hoops” needed to obtain GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status as a food ingredient. In the meantime, Cargill’s brand, “Truvia” is available online in the form of single serving sweetener packets.
Apparently, they aren’t the only ones: the Whole Earth Sweetener Company - in partnership with PepsiCo - is bringing out its own ”Reb A” sweetener called PureVia. Like the Cargill/Coke collaboration, PureVia is also awaiting FDA approval.
Other companies are champing at the bit, however. According a recent industry report, Blue California is also coming out with a purified, rebaudioside A product called “Good & Sweet“ with a “self-affirmed” GRAS status. Wisdom Natural Brands has taken the same route to market their “Sweet Leaf” product as a sweetener. And a stevia-sweetened soda, carbonated dietary supplement, Zevia, is already on the market.
It will be interesting to see if the FDA clamps down on the above products, given that the Cargill/Coke and Pepsi products are evidently on their way to regulatory approval and Truvia is already being sold in limited form. They went after the Hain-Celestial Group and their ”Zinger” line of teas last year, claiming stevia was an “unsafe food additive.”
We’ll see.
In the meantime, I ordered a sample 6-pack of Zevia. I’m not a diet soda drinker, but I’m curious to see how it tastes. Ditto the Truvia - I don’t sweeten many things, but I do take a packet of stevia in my morning jolt o’ coffee, and I’m curious to make the comparison.
For some reason I decided to go check out some of UltimateFatBurner.com’s competitors today; you know - the thinly disguised product promotion sites masquerading as unbiased “review” sites. Not really sure why I decided to do this; some perverse desire to raise my blood pressure, I guess.
Anyhow, if you’re subscribed to UltimateFatBurner.com’s newsfeed you’ll be aware that many of the products I have reviewed lately feature 1 or more patented weight loss ingredients in their overall formulas. Retailers are using these patented ingredients as part of their overall marketing strategy, capitalizing on the common misconception that “patented” means proven and effective (one product claims its blend of clinically proven and patented weight loss ingredients outperforms prescription weight loss drugs).
The new “Brinkzone Blog” is getting up and running…so I’ve contributed my first post: “Clueless in Seattle.” I’ll be weighing in over there periodically as well, from now on.
If you haven’t done so before, check out the “Brinkzone” - Will Brink’s personal web site. He’s got lots of good articles and other goodies on the site.
Michael Phelps eats 12,000 calories per day. But holy cow… it’s all calories, with an apparent minimalist approach to nutrition. Still, he’s got 11 gold medals more than I do…
… in THIS Olympics. :-)
I’ve just finished Steve Ettlinger’s “Twinkie, Deconstructed.” Its bright orange cover caught my eye a few weeks back in a local bookstore, and once I read the back cover, I was hooked (this, in large part to the influence of Elissa, who is a food scientist by trade).
The premise of “Twinkie, Deconstructed” is a simple one; explain clearly the origin and role of each and every ingredient in everyones favorite snack cake, the Hostess Twinkie (believe it or not, I’ve never actually had a Twinkie. After reading this book, I’m seriously considering buying some just to try one).
My response to this question would be: “Who the #&%!!! cares? Do the one you enjoy the most…it’s all good.”
Finally. Got. Through. An. Uninterrupted. Week.
It felt good, despite the fact that I had a major case of DOMS in my quads following the leg workout. And it’s not like I made any earth-shattering progress this week, either. It FELT like progress, however, given the general disorganization of the last 3 weeks. Being back on track and working hard was sort of its own reward…soreness was just a detail.
Looking ahead to Week 6: there will be some modifications to the schedule. Rather than a 5-day/week schedule with only 1 - 2 muscle groups per workout, it’s a rotating 3-days on/1 off schedule that goes:
