Tellin' on Nutella

Nutella ("Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa") advertises itself as a nutritious alternative to butter. Most nut butters are, in fact, good nutritional choices, including hazelnut butter. But Nutella is not that. It is far more palm oil and added sugar than hazelnuts.

Here is how it compares to Butter (basically pure fat) and Adams 100% Natural Peanut Butter (Creamy).

                                    Nutella           Butter                  Adams

Calories (2tbsp)            200                 200                       190
Saturated Fat                4g                   14g                        3g
Total Carbs                   22g                   0g                         7g
Added sugar                 19g                   0g                         0g
Total sugar                    21g                  0g                         2g
Sodium                        15mg              180mg                  105mg
Protein                          2g                    0g                         8g
Fiber                             1g                    0g                         3g

So while spreading your toast with Nutella is probably a better alternative than using butter in some respects, don't confuse it with a healthy nut butter. It is closer to cake frosting.

 

Facemask Exemption Card Scam

Not ones to ever overlook an opportunity, the internet is flush with scammers selling fake pandemic "face mask exemption cards". For around $10, you too can own your own Face Mask Exempt Card with an official Department of Justice Seal and citation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. You card will feature a prominent warning to businesses not to deny you service for refusing to wear a mask.

The only problem is, the card is a complete fake. The Department of Justice denys any involvement and the Federal Trade Commission points out that no Federal Agency issues or even endorses them. Its all a scam.

Google "face mask exemption card" and prepare to be amused.

Some people are just so low they would have to look up to see a snake's belly. Still, there is a certain irony to watching conspiracy theorists being bilked out of their money using their own conspiracy theory against them.

 

OK, Listen Up - The New Nutrition Labels are Here

As imperfect as they admittedly are, the nutrition labels on the foods we buy are our best quick and easy guide to what we are getting. And these have recently gotten a significant update. Effective January 1, 2020, large food manufacturers were required to change to the new labeling. Smaller producers have until January 1, 2021 to make the switch.

 Here is what you really need to know about the new labeling.

1. Everything is much easier to see. Larger type and bolding of key information means that you no longer need a magnifying glass to read everything.

2. Serving sizes have been adjusted to better reflect what actual people actually eat, instead of some fictitious number that often made little sense, and are given in both grams and some other common measurement (cups, ounces, etc.). 

3. Calories are much more prominent. In addition to calories per serving, packages containing 1 to 3 servings of product will also provide a calorie count for the entire package. Now you do not have to do the math to discover that the can of chili you just ate was 1,100 calories and not 370.

4. Perhaps the most important change was that the new labels now show not only the total amount of sugar in the product, but how much of it was added by the manufacturer (vs naturally occurring). Current guidelines are to limit added sugar from all sources to 50g per day (on a 2,000 calorie diet).

5. The old labels listed vitamins A and C, while the new labels show vitamin D and potassium instead. Most people get plenty of vitamins A and C, while vitamin D shortages are common and over 95% of Americans do not have enough potassium in their diets. The labels also now show the actual amounts as well as the percent daily values.

6. The "Calories from Fat" listed on the old labels has been omitted on the grounds that it provided no useful information. It is not simply the amount of fats consumed that is important, but the type of fat.

This is the first major update to nutrition labels in over 20 years. The refreshed design and updated information should make it easier for you to make informed food choices that contribute to lifelong healthy eating habits.

Imported Foods Bring Hidden Risks

The regulations that govern the production, processing and export of food products in China fail to address important problems, even after a 2019 update intended to resolve US concerns. Heavy metal pollution of soils, overuse of pesticides, antibiotics and additives are all common in food products imported from China. The risk is especially high with fish, vegetables and fruits.

The FDA has no authority to conduct random inspections of producers in China as they do in the US. Inspections must be scheduled in advance, often months ahead of time. Manpower shortages allow inspection of only about 2% of Chinese sourced food products at ports of entry.

Compounding the problem, our country of origin labeling laws do not require such labeling once a food has been processed, so whole, fresh foods are safest. A product labeled as Organic is no guarantee of safety either. Some foods labeled organic from China are not.

Other countries that have a high number of shipments refused by the FDA include Mexico (primarily vegetables) and India (mainly spices and shellfish).

As imperfect as our own food safety systems may be, they are far better than in many other countries. Unfortunately, we consume a lot of the food that they produce. As always, buyer beware.

Televangelist Tries to Cash in on Covid

Televangelist Jim Bakker (yes, that Jim Bakker) is being sued by the State of Missouri, is under threat of an additional lawsuit by the State of New York and has a desist warning in place from the FDA over his promotion of an $80 "silver solution" cure for Covid-19.

Silver Solution "has been proven by the government that it has the ability to kill every pathogen it has ever been tested on, including SARS and HIV." Four 4-ounce bottles could be yours for just $80.

Unfortunately for Bakker, there is no such proof.  For the past two decades, the FDA's message has been clear: silver does not work to combat serious diseases. Over-the-counter drugs that contain colloidal silver ingredients "are not generally recognized as safe and effective," it says. According to the National Institutes for Health very little evidence backs up the health-related claims of silver. "Colloidal silver can be dangerous to your health," the NIH says.

But, hey, what is a little risk to your health compared to the benefit to this man of the cloth's bank account right?

To add insult to injury, the good media pastor received over $650,000 in Payroll Protection Program money. On April 28, the pastor received approval for an amount between $650,000 and $1.7 million in Paycheck Protection Program funds despite the fact that the program requires that applicants not be "engaged in any activity that is illegal under federal, state or local law". Selling a fake "treatment" for the COVID-19 disease violates state and federal law.

Perhaps the scariest part of this entire episode is that there are still people who listen to and follow this disgusting parasite.

 

 

Five Ways to Fight Chronic Inflammation

Cellular level inflammation underlies many health problems, both serious and merely annoying. Long term, chronic inflammation underlies cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes, asthma, and a long list of autoimmune diseases. It also makes you more vulnerable to less threatening illnesses such as colds and flu.

Here are five lifestyle steps that you can take to combat chronic cellular inflammation. And none of them require a prescription.

1. You Are What You Eat

It should be no surprise that a healthy diet leads the list. Not only does a healthy diet reduce inflammation but a poor on exacerbates it. To make this as simple as possible, fresh, whole foods are good and refined, processed foods are bad. This is problematic because refined, highly processed foods also tend to be tasty, convenient and, cheaper than fresh foods. But there is no free ride. You pay now, or you pay later.

Don't make this complicated, it doesn't need to be. Start out by increasing the amount of fresh produce, seafood, nuts and whole grains that you eat each day. Even a dozen blueberries on your morning cereal or having salmon or tuna once or twice a week will make a difference.

At the same time, begin to reduce the refined white flour, sugar and trans fats you consume. The sugar, especially, promotes inflammation and it is hidden in every processed food you eat.

Preparation method also matters. Fast food and fried foods, even prepared fresh, incite inflammation. If you must fry your food, pay attention to the type of oil you use and be sure to fry at a high enough temperature.

2. Get Enough Sleep

You already know that you should be getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. But are you doing it? Even a few days of getting less sleep than you need increases inflammation in your body.

Decide what time you need to be up tomorrow morning. Subtract 8 hours. That is the time you need to get to bed. Yes. Weekends too.

3. Step On Out

Start walking. You don't have to set aside an hour for an "official" walking session (although there is nothing wrong with that at all). Take the stairs. Park far out in the lot. Use part of your lunch break to take a stroll. Bring your dog to the dog park. Get out of your chair and stroll around for 5 minutes every hour. Just build more steps into you day. 

If you can, spend some time outdoors. The sunshine and fresh air will revitalize you as well as an afternoon coffee. 

4. Have a Talk with Mr Stress

Stress in itself is neither a good thing or a bad thing. It is your reaction to stress that matters. It is also pretty much impossible to live a stress-free life. So you need to take charge of your relationship with stress.

Stress is your body’s reaction to pressure from a situation or event. It can be a physical, mental, or emotional reaction. Sometimes you feel stressed for a short period of time in reaction a a specific situation. Usually this nothing to worry about. This type of stress is short-lived, and your body’s way of helping you get through what could be a tough situation.

But if you let your stress continue on for too long, it can have damaging effects on your physical, mental, and emotional health. Chronic exposure to the hormones released when under stress, principally cortisol, is a primary driver of cellular inflammation.

Exercise is a very effective way to reduce stress (and better than punching your stressor in the nose). Take a breath. Take several. Confront the source of your stress. Focus on what is really important and let the other stuff go, even if just for a while. Learn to manage your time effectively (this includes learning to say "No" at times).

Try to remember what you were stressed out about last week or last month. If you can't, remind yourself of that when facing your current problems.

5. Reduce Your Chemical Load

Preservatives in our foods, chemical cleaners, contaminants in our water, soaps, shampoos and toothpaste, industrial pollutants, air pollution, plastic residues. The environmental sources of toxins are legion and many of them end up in our bodies. A good rule of thumb is, "When you are in a hole you want to get out of, first stop digging."

Switch to natural cleaners and household products, or make your own. Google makes it simple. Reduce your use of plastics as much as practical (this is a tough one, everything contains or comes wrapped in plastic but you can use refillable water bottles and buy foods in glass or cardboard containers that can be easily recycled). Buy organic fruits and vegetables (at least if you consume the rind or skin). Use the unscented versions of products such as dryer sheets, soaps and toiletries. Avoid using air fresheners.

 

And remember, even a few small changes matter. You do not need to change everything all at once. Just take a step. The second step is easier than the first.

Clinically Proven! (Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge)

 "Clinically proven!" shouts the add.

Sort of conjures up visions of scientists in lab coats pouring over carefully measured results, doesn't it? It is far more likely that the "proof" is a flawed study specifically pre-designed to show a desired result. 

"Whatever your product does, PCR is here to provide your brand with the appropriate efficacy testing to make your claims a fact by proving their legitimacy," says the web site of Princeton Consumer Research, a New Jersey based company that does product testing for its clients. Sounds objective and clinical to me! Why bother going to the expense and effort of an actual study when you can outsource the work to a company that will concoct a study that will "make your claims a fact"?

Here are some other tricks of the clinically proven trade.

Don't use a control group.

One of the cornerstones of clinical research is incorporating a control group into the study. Any real trial requires one group using the product being tested and another, essentially identical, group taking a placebo. "Clinical studies" that omit this step are basically worthless.

Measure Something Impressive that Doesn't Matter.

A test can be perfectly valid and accurate without proving what the study is intended to show. A long running television ad for Lipozene (Lose weight without changing your diet or lifestyle!) claims the product is "clinically proven" to "help you lose four times more weight". Uhm, four times more weight than what? And does the product do the job, or only "help" you to do it? The commercials do not say.

Ignore the Statistics.

One of the favorite ways to fudge your results is to ignore statistical significance. If the margin of error in a study is, say plus or minus 10% and the difference between the study and control groups is less than that, it proves nothing. But that often doesn't stop a company from claiming "clinically proven".

Publish in Poorly or Un-refereed Journals.

Not all publications are alike. JAMA is one thing. The Journal of Society for Development in New Net Environment in Bosnia Herzegovina is another. (Yes, its a real thing.) But companies will use either to claim "clinically proven".

 

Something may indeed be clinically proven. Or not. One thing that is well proven is that you can not rely on a company's marketing to learn the truth.