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Remember Dr. Lustig from the sugar lecture I posted earlier? Well, Stephen Colbert has now nicknamed him “Dr. Buzzkill.” I love it. Watch the video below for more ironies of our American food culture:
This should be worth a watch:
Learn more from the PBS website and watch the piece April 7th, 8/7C on PBS.
I am so hooked on these Zico drinks. They are especially enjoyable after a heated yoga class. Or while laying on a beach somewhere… The best part about Zico is the nutrition label; basically just some coconut water and fruit (in the flavored ones). Zico also offers electrolytes, a potassium boost and has low-acidity. Compare that to Gatorade products which contain artificial flavors and colors and cheap sweeteners or artificial sweeteners. As much as Gatorade brags about the “science” behind their beverage, they could create a much healthier and more effective product by using natural ingredients. A Zico hit is not the cheapest though–I’ve found them for about $1.80 each. The price is worth it, but I’m frugal and also love a DIY challenge. So, my goal before summer is to make my own Zico drinks. Any suggestions or tips would be much appreciated… I’ll let ya know how it goes!
A friend led me to a very interesting lecture about sugar… and I’m not gonna lie, it’s hard to watch– it will make you question what you’re eating. Here’s a quick summary about the video from UCSF:
And the lecture (which is actually pretty entertaining– I watched it in 2 parts):
The convincing research on the negative health consequences of excess sugar in the diet and my own personal experiences have made me a believer. About four years ago, I began experimenting with the elimination of sugar from my diet. After only a few days of eliminating sugar, I noticed positive changes in my eating patterns, mood, mental clarity and more balance in my energy levels. This was enough evidence for me to remove all white sugar and artificial sweeteners from my diet at home. We now use small amounts of maple syrup, honey, fruit juices, pureed fruits and sometimes agave to sweeten our food. Of course, I still need my local ice cream shop fix and an occasional dessert when I visit one of my favorite restaurants (Birchwood Cafe, Sen Yai Sen Lek, Spoonriver, Red Stag… I could go on). Oooh, I also have a hard time passing up a pumpkin bar… and a freshly baked cookie… :) How about you? What are your beliefs about sugar? Do you have any tips to sweeten foods in a more healthy way? I absolutely love this. Yet another example of the ignorance and fear-mongering that is permeating this debate:
Costa Rica has had a universal health care system since 1941. Compared to the U.S., Costa Rica spends at least 6% less of their GDP on health. And they ranked one above the U.S. in the WHOs overall performance ratings for 1997. So yeah critics, prove your point of fighting “a government takeover” of medicine by threatening to move to countries that have systems even more “liberal” than what is being proposed for the U.S. (and systems that have better health outcomes than the U.S.). Read Atul Gawande’s article, “The Cost Conundrum: What a Texas town can teach us about health care.” And if you haven’t seen Frontline’s “Sick around the World,” it’s time to watch it.
The push to clean up the crappy school lunches that assault the bodies of our kids is on. And thankfully, kids are guiding some of these changes. Check out what the Healthy Schools Campaign is doing:
Check out the Healthy Schools Campaign for more info and to get involved.
I’m getting amped for this event:
And I’m not just amped up because I’m one of the directors and a sponsor for the event. I volunteer my time (as does the founder of the event and all of the other directors) because we are so passionate about empowering individuals in their own health. The event is an invitation to explore what true healing can really offer. Check out the Restore website for more info and be sure to purchase your tickets ASAP to save some money.
I’m sorry, I had to post this. I have no words…
I’m lovin Michelle Obama’s new initiative to improve the health of our kids:
Yesterday, I had a conversation with a friend about the cutting of music, art and physical education in schools. We started to talk about what we remembered in grades K-12… I remember paper-macheing my face in 1st grade to make a mask that we later painted and bedazzled– and I’ll never forget the poor kid who forgot to put the vaseline on his face before the paper mache– that stuff seriously dries like concrete. I also remember playing TV tag in gym class, having jump rope contests, running around crazy in recess… I remember playing a recorder and a ukulele in music class. I can’t say that I remember anything about my geometry or calc classes… physics was a blur… I hated civics and social studies during those years… typing class was a complete joke… The impersonal, sedentary, emotionally-devoid style of education we are pressing on our children is likely sucking away much of their later passion for learning. This stage of life should be an opportunity to enliven and enrich the many ways of knowing, begin healthy lifestyle behaviors, develop a passion for learning and an ability to think diversely and compassionately about our life on this earth. Sorry, that was a tangent. What I love most about this campaign is its focus on attending to the real issues that are contributing to childhood obesity. This isn’t some lame “Exercise More!” campaign. Part of the mission of the campaign is to actually improve the quality of food served in schools, create more opportunities for physical activity in schools and to make healthy foods more accessible and affordable to families. Right on. Check out the campaign website for more info. I’m curious to know… what classroom experiences do you remember best from your K-12 days?
Hey friends, It has been a wild couple of months for me and I’ve definitely been MIA on the blog lately. Lots of changes and shifts in my world. On a good note, I was accepted into the PhD program that I had my heart set on. So, 90% of the time I’m really ecstatic about this and the other 10% I switch back between exhaustion and disbelief (seriously, 4 more years of school?). I have found that the perfect academic respite for me is maintaining this blog (even if I’m just talking to myself). It keeps me sane as I vent my frustrations and passions for everything health. So, looks like 4 more years of WG! And hopefully more frequent updates And for those of you reading this, thanks for reading this far down. I want to send my most sincere thanks to you. It’s so fun to have comments and discussions with so many amazing people. Thanks for reading, contributing and sharing your wisdom. On a completely unrelated note, I saw Avatar today and was blown away. The movie is amazing. The integration of Gaia theory was brilliantly communicated. And the social metaphors are so relevant and powerfully depicted. Props to Cameron for his film genius. Anybody else seen the film? Thoughts on it? There’s a new documentary about bananas. Well, more like conspiracy-deadly-fraudulent bananas. Here’s the quick summary: Check out the trailer for the film:
The chemical pesticide used on the bananas is Nemagon. There are valid concerns that this pesticide may cause reproductive issues and increase cancer rates. The film’s website also writes: Obviously, Dole said the whole lawsuit was bananas. AND THEN, the attorneys for the plantation workers and other plaintiffs were charged with fraud. Watch Dole’s response video to all of this:
If you have time, also check out “The Facts” section from the film’s website and “The Timeline” to learn more of the sordid details. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dole was being “loose” with the use of the pesticide. I mean really, we see this with TONS of other chemical and food companies. Unfortunately, the fraud charges are making the truth pretty impossible to reveal. What do you think? Is Dole in the wrong? Could they have influenced the fraud charges? Or, are the plantation workers trying to take advantage of Dole (and wouldn’t that be horrible since I’m sure Dole has paid and treated them so well throughout the years)?
I posted about the NYTs article The Americanization of Mental Illness not long ago. Fascinating read BTW. The article was adapted from Ethan Watters book, Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche. The book is now out in stores and is on my spring break reading list. If you check it out before then, let us know your thoughts. Watters was on the Daily Show last night to discuss his book. Check out the video below for some entertaining discussion on the issues. In my opinion, Watters is right on (and Stewart). Our narrow mental health perspective and care [AKA pharmaceutical profit plan] are already damaging our own citizens. Why spread the destruction to others?
The Mayo Clinic released their Meditation App for the iPhone and iPod Touch… and the reviews that I’ve heard haven’t been so hot. Some of the complaints are that the App is overpriced and too simplistic. The expensive complaint I get, but let’s be serious, how complex should something be if its purpose is to calm the mind? I think the idea of a meditation App is fantastic– likely great for short breaks at the office, long waits for a doc appointment or while taking the bus home from work. But for a relaxing home practice, I would prefer to escape from technology. You can get the App here. If you have the opportunity to try it, let us know your thoughts. Or if you’ve used other healthy Apps, please tell us about those Here is a video of the Mayo App in action:
I think we often make this life overly-complicated and destructive (I know I do). In effect, we invite more suffering into our own everyday existence and that of others. The clips below are from the documentary Beyond our Differences. I think the film addresses the repercussions of our destructive thoughts and actions very well and also touches on our true purpose on this earth and our innate [divine] nature as humans. Visit the film’s website for more.
FASCINATING article from the NYTs: The Americanization of Mental Illness. If you read it, please comment back here. I would love to hear more opinions on this one… |
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