There’s been no real bad news about coffee consumption if you keep it in the 2 to 4 cup range each day. If you go over that though, some studies have shown a rise in blood pressure and cholesterol.
It might not be worth the risk unless there was some higher purpose tied to your coffee drinking.
For example, what if you had a dream to drink one cup of coffee in every Starbucks on the planet? Well, for Winter (that’s his legal full name), that dream might actually become a reality.
Winter's tale has been made into a documentary film called Starbucking, which has played small festivals and will be released on DVD next year. During one day of shooting, Winter set a new personal best by visiting 29 different Starbucks in a single day. When the sun set on that jittery occasion, extreme nausea was only one of his many concerns.
The Sage of Starbucks – RadarOnline
[via Boing, Boing]
Kyle Algood, Age 2 - E. Coli Victim
Back in the 60s, when Alice Waters started Chez Panisse in Berkeley, if you got a bunch of bad lemons or radishes, you could pinpoint the source. It was usually from a local resident’s backyard. That’s how small the organic movement was in those days.
Now that organics are taking on the scale of traditional farm markets with companies like Earthbound Farms and Whole Foods, it becomes more important than ever to have the ability to track food back to it source.
The sophistication of computers over that same time period should have made that job easier.
How is it that something like the E. coli spinach scare can happen, weeks having gone by without definitive information? Why do we have to settle for a statement from the California Department of Health that says, “the tainted spinach has most likely worked its way out of the food supply”?
I hear the ad for V8 all the time. They say there’s three servings of vegetables in every bottle. (CSPI says it’s more like two but who’s counting.) But it also contains half of your daily allocation of sodium. You can buy the low sodium version in the supermarket but you rarely find it in the local delicatessen.
And did you know when a product days “whole grain” it doesn’t mean “100% whole grain”?
Food labels can be a diet trap – Detroit Free Press
[thanks, Jeff!]
To date, 175 cases of illness due to E. coli O157:H7 infection have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including 28 cases of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), 93 hospitalizations and one death.
Link to FDA press release here.
[thanks, Jeff!]
In defense of cats and dogs, even the ones that cause allergic reactions, it looks like they may offer more than love and affection (as if that was not enough) to their owners.
"Jane Heyworth at the University of Western Australia in Crawley, and colleagues found that incidences of gastroenteritis – commonly called stomach flu – were significantly lower in young children living in homes with pets, than those living without."
Cats and dogs protect kids from stomach bugs – NewScientist.com
Leave it to the Americans to improve on Mother Nature. California-based biotech firm Allerca looked at thousands of cats and found the ones that did not have the glycoprotein Fel D1, which produces allergies. Then it was a simple matter of breeding.
Allergic reactions to animals are caused by a protein that is excreted in saliva, skin glands and urine. The special felines were selectively bred by reducing this trigger protein.
But don’t expect these elite cats to come cheap. Somebody has to pay for the research.
Allergy-free cat goes on sale for £2,500 – Daily Mail
Hypoallergenic Cats Now Being Sold in US – DogFlu.ca
The other day, we had a party to celebrate American Feast. Not only the American Feast blog, but also the imminent opening of the American Feast website. (More on that to come shortly!)
I decided to make a fresh salsa for the occasion. I cut the tomatoes. I chopped the onions and the cilantro and the jalapenos. I squeezed fresh lime juice. I added salt, pepper, sugar. I figured I logged a good 2 hours into that recipe.
American Feast President and CEO, Jeff Deasy, told me that if I valued my time at about $100 per hour, that was some mighty expensive salsa we were going to eat!
Well, I don’t know if it was worth $200 but it did turn out perfect, if I do say so myself! (The secret is letting the chopped tomatoes drain for about an hour before using. I didn’t count that time in preparation.)
But figuring out the pecuniary value of a bowl of salsa goes against the grain of the SLOW MOVEMENT. And it goes without saying that the practitioners of the SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT would be appalled.
But there is room for the concept of time in the slow movement as self-proclaimed “minimalist-in-the-making”, Suzanne Robicheau explains.
It’s about time retro returned – The ChronicalHerald.ca (Halifx)
Richard Branson is promising to invest $3 billion over the next 10 years to combat global warming.
Branson, the billionaire behind the multi-platform Virgin brand, said the money would come from 100 percent of the profits generated by his transportation and airline sectors. It will then be invested in efforts to find renewable, sustainable energy sources in an effort to wean the world off of oil and coal.
Branson to invest $3bn in climate fight - FT.com
British Billionaire Makes Global Warming Pledge - abc news
You know, nothing is simple. People spend their whole lives trying to find the SECRET to doing this or doing that. But, eventually, the smart person realizes there are no SECRETS to accomplishing anything. Oh wait, I forgot. There is one SECRET . The one to getting rich. Win the lottery. Other than that, there are no secrets.
As you probably know by now, when it comes to weight loss, you can’t just diet, just exercise, just join Weight Watchers or Atkins. You have to do many things, all at once, to culminate in success.
Chris Pirillo, in case you don’t know him, is the ultimate computer geek with many websites designed to help you get the most out of you computer, the Internet, computer programming, and now, weight loss.
"I lost 30 pounds in three months. If you wanted to know how I did it, and how I intend on maintaining my current weight, then these 50 weight loss tips are for you. I’m not an expert, but I do speak from experience. If it helps you attain your own weight loss goals, then I’m happy to have helped (if only to serve as a reinforcement of knowledge you already possess). Most of this, I learned on my own or through close friends and family members. Ponzi’s been a great help through the entire process, being a model partner in the weight loss process. Feel free to add your own tips to this list, too! If someone wants to help me extend these points into a full-on eBook, I’m all ears."
Read his 50 (I told you that you have to do a lot of things!) tips:
50 Weight Loss Tips - ChrisPirillo.com
[via boing boing]
More evidence that if you can choose fish that aren’t polluted (see A Guide to Guilt-Free Fish – American Feast), it’s a good thing!
A preliminary study found that women who consumed one or more servings of fatty cold-water fish per week during an average of 15.3 years had a statistically significant 44% decreased risk of renal cell carcinoma compared with women who eschewed fish, according to a report in the Sept. 20 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Eating Fatty Fish May Cut Women's Kidney Cancer Risk – MedPage TODAY
Fatty Fish Fight Kidney Cancer In Women – WebMD via Fox News
Diet rich in fatty fish cuts kidney cancer risk: study – EARTHtimes.org
Added bonus from American Feast Blog - You can print out and color the picture!
Here’s a good high level discourse on how the farm-to-store supply chain can be compromised and some ideas on how to prevent something like this spinach scare from happening again.
Contamination a farm-to-store threat – Houston Chronicle
Here are two stories that just happened to show up on the same day. Both are reminders of a valuable lesson taught by our teachers and parents years ago. (Do you wanna smack?) Pay attention!
Activist's yard sprayed with chemicals – boston.com
Woman spends $14,000 for rotary phones from AT&T - c/net
Unlike most men, I love to shop. Not for clothes or shoes but point me towards an electronics store or cd/dvd stash and I can spend hours.
Now that I’m trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, I find myself stopping at little roadside stands looking for fresh produce for a salad or to make stir-fry.
Recently, I visited the Farmers’ Market in Dallas. One of the best I’ve seen, full of color and fresh smells. But more than ambience, there are plenty of reasons to visit your local farm stand or farmers’ market.
… when you shop at a farmers' market you can pretty much be assured that the food you purchase hasn't traveled long distances and undergone lots of packaging. In the United States today, a majority of the produce in a supermarket was picked almost a week before it hits the shelves and probably traveled many, many miles before being sold. When you buy locally at a farmers' market, you're doing your little part in reducing the energy consumption needed to support large-scale food systems. You're also helping to put money directly into the pockets of local farmers who don't or can't produce supermarket quantities. And you're buying recently harvested produce—cutting down the time between the harvest and consumption means more nutrients are preserved.
If you need more reasons, see:
4 Reasons to Buy Local Produce - MSN
Here's 10 more:
10 Reasons to Eat Local Food - life begins at 30
And, if you’re not sure where to find a local market, here’s a link to the USDA site which lists them by State. Link.
[thanks, Doug]
Former McDonalds enthusiast sees the light.
• Each hamburger includes fecal matter, antibiotics and anabolic steroids.
• The vast majority of its workers are part-time, lack benefits, and quit after a few months.
• The average American now consumes three burgers and four orders of French fries a week.
• The industrialization of agriculture by the fast-food industry means that the U.S. now has more prisoners than farmers, who have been replaced by machines.
• McDonald’s is the largest purchaser of beef in the world. It buys from five large meatpackers. Over the past 20 years, 500,000 cattle ranchers have gone out of business and a rancher’s share of every beef dollar has fallen from 63 cents to 46 cents.
EnergyBulletin.net article here.
And according to Japanese scientists, that’s not all. They also cut the risk of hardened arteries and insulin resistance. There’s no clear indication of who funded the study but it just “feels” right, doesn’t it?
Mandarins’Cut Liver Cancer Risk - BBC News
Mandarins include a diverse group of citrus fruits that are characterized by bright peel and pulp color, excellent flavor, easy-to-peel rind and segments that separate easily. Because all tangerines are mandarins but not all mandarins are tangerines, mandarins are commonly separated into four groups: Mediterranean, king, satsuma and common tangerines.
From HOME FRUIT PRODUCTION-MANDARINS, Julian W. Sauls, Professor & Extension Horticulturist, December, 1998 – Texas A&M Link to full article here.
[thanks, Jeff!]
If you have been paying attention to what’s going on around you, you don’t need to be told about the premise of the new book, The Hundred-Year Lie. If you haven’t been paying attention, you’d better wake up.
It was written by former Wall Street Journal investigative journalist Randal Fitzgerald and whether you’re looking for the details or you’re hearing about this for the first time, this book delivers.
This provocative and frightening look at the synthetic chemicals used by the processed foods, pharmaceutical and chemical industries delivers an excellent, up-to-date summary of "what is really in our food, water, vitamins, prescription drugs, childhood vaccines, cosmetics, and in our homes." - Publishers Weekly
Not to mention our bodies.
"The Hundred-Year Lie" – Official Book Site here.
Recently I was in New Orleans which, a year after Katrina, is starting to see many of the French Quarter restaurants reopen. The food in New Orleans is “out-of-this-world” delicious in the expensive restaurants as well as the regular eateries.
But, gotta be honest, not a vegetable in site. Seafood, sausage, chicken all deep fried or covered in heavy creams. Or deep fried and covered in heavy creams! One sandwich, which the city is famous for and can be found all over, is the “muffaletta”, made with fresh bread, salami, cheese. Yummy!
This is fun and not unhealthy if you eat like this once in a while but if this is your everyday fare, it won’t be long before you look like Paul Prudhomme! (No offense, Paul).
Which is why this story is not surprising.
Americans getting fatter; South leads the way – LA Times via azcentral.com
[thanks, Jeff!]
According to the ASPCA, the sweetener xylitol which is found in many sugar-free gums and candies can be harmful to your best friends. I wonder what it's doing to your kids.
Dogs ingesting significant amounts of items sweetened with xylitol could develop a fairly sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures. Signs can develop quite rapidly, sometimes less than half an hour after ingestion.
PET SAFETY ALERT: PRODUCTS SWEETENED WITH XYLITOL CAN BE TOXIC TO PETS - ASPCA
[via slowdown blog via adbusters]
We may have been going to fast to notice "Slow Down Week" (January 15 thru 21), but you can still see the short video. Well worth the time and if it doesn't get you to think about what we're all doing to ourselves, I don't know what will!
This was the personal motto of research chemist Dr. Forrest Shaklee of the well known MLM (multi-level marketing) company Shaklee Products. Back in the 60s he blazed a trail with Basic-H, the first mass-marketed biodegradable household cleaning product.
Many new MLM companies are starting to appear on the scene today taking advantage of renewed interest in environmental issues. These companies sell everything from herbal remedies to products that will help you get more fuel efficiency from your car.
But how do you know which ones are legitimate and which ones are pyramd schemes?
According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the key difference between legitimate MLM companies and so-called “pyramid” scams is on what basis distributors are compensated. Legitimate MLM companies pay based on the volume of products an individual distributor sells directly and through his or her network of sub-distributors. Meanwhile, illegal pyramid schemes compensate distributors merely for recruiting others into the company’s fold, and also tend to charge new recruits high fees just to join.
Greening Up the Downline, Multi-Level Marketing Comes of Age – emagazine.com
According to a study published in the American Journal of Medicine today, consuming 3 or more servings of fruit and vegetable juices per week could cut your Alzheimer’s risk by as much as 76%.
A researcher said that the high concentrations of polyphenols found in fruit and vegetable juices were likely the main contributors to the reduction in Alzheimer's cases.
Of course, those polyphenols are in the original fruit and vegetable so I guess it couldn’t hurt eating those as well.
Veggie Juice Reduces Risk Of Vegetative State – Science a Go Go
While tobacco companies have been forced to spend millions by courts on anti-smoking advertising campaigns, they have been furtively increasing the nicotine content of cigarettes to keep smokers addicted. According to a study by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, nicotine in the average cigarette has gone up 10% since 1998. Experts warn that cigarettes with high nicotine content are the easiest to become addicted to and the hardest to stop using.
Link to audio report from the BBC here.
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