Month: May 2011

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What's In A Name?

For some time I have been mulling over how better to communicate to others the value and health benefits of good nutrition versus empty calories. This morning part of the solution hit me like a ton of bricks. Most people are in confusion on the subject of nutrition.
Part of the reason for this confusion is lack of explanatory labels.
You cannot call two completely different things by the same name and not be confused!
One fat is not the same as any other fat.
A trans fat can be deadly whereas coconut oil can be life saving.
One carbohydrate is not the same as any other carbohydrate.
Sugar is deadly whereas broccoli is nourishing and cancer fighting.
This is like calling a go-kart and a semi-trailer by the same name – vehicle. True but woefully inadequate to full understanding.
This is why some people have taken to calling carbs either bad\simple (bread, sugar, grains) or good\complex (vegetables, fruits).
Another reason for the confusion is the absence of all the data. We have the term “macro nutrients” to describe protein, fat, fibre and carbs and it’s those that are on food labels and on which we partially base our purchasing choices. But there is no labelling requirement for the nutrients present in foods below the level of macro nutrients, so it’s that on which the consumer focuses.
We have the label “micro nutrients” under which we lump vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals but many have never even heard of phytochemicals let alone the fact that food labels tell you diddly squat about them.

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The Small Group of Thoughtful, Committed Citizens Has Been Drugged

Movements for justice have historically been driven by a small percentage of any population. One percent of Americans nonviolently occupying Washington, D.C., could make Cairo and Madison and Madrid look like warm-up acts. It is certainly true that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens is the only thing that ever has changed the world for the better. http://www.cchrint.org/2011/05/24/small-group-drugged/

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Why Your Donation to a Cancer Appeal Will Not Help Find a Cure

For a start, there has never yet been a cure found by a foundation set up to raise funds for a disease on which their livelihood depends. This researcher found criminal indifference to cancer prevention and conflicts of interest.

A 1992 article in the Wall Street Journal, by Thomas DiLorenzo, professor of economics
at Loyola College and veteran investigator of nonprofit organizations, revealed that the Texas
affiliate of the ACS owned more than $11 million of assets in land and real estate, more than 56
vehicles, including 11 Ford Crown Victorias for senior executives, and 45 other cars assigned to
staff members. ACS chapters in Arizona, California, and Missouri spent only 10 percent of their
funds on direct community services. Thus for every $1 spent on direct services, approximately
$6.40 was spent on compensation and overhead. In all ten states, salaries and fringe benefits
were by far the largest single budget items, a surprising fact in light of the characterization of the
appeals, which stressed an urgent and critical need for donations to provide cancer services. http://www.preventcancer.com/documents/ACS.pdf

Never is there a more appropriate example of the old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” A great site to visit to learn the specific causes of different types of cancer so you know what to avoid: http://www.preventcancer.com/avoidable/

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Seen on a t-shirt on Facebook

“I take Asprin for the headache caused by the Zyrtec I take for the hayfever I got from Relenza for the uneasy stomach from the Ritalin I take for the short attention span caused by the Scopederm Ts I take for the motion sickness I got from the Lomotil I take for the diarrhea caused by the Zenikal for the uncontrolled weight gain from the Paxil I take for the anxiety from the Zocor I take for my high cholesterol because exercise, a good diet and regular chiropractic are just too much trouble.”
I don’t know whether to categorise this as horror, comedy, tragedy, health advice or as evidence of insanity\crimes against humanity in a law suit against the drug companies.