Food And Related Products | valshealthblog.com

Attacking the Junk Food Industry

August 11, 2010 admin No comments

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Hi,

Whoa be it the person that tries to attack the junk food industry.

Remember Marion Nestle, the author of Food Politics I mentioned in a previous post?

You can go to this link to see what the Center of Consumer Freedom thinks about her:
http://activistcash.com/biography.cfm/b/3381-marion-nestle-dr

This website calls her one of the country’s most hysterical anti-food-industry fanatics.

Wow, pretty strong stuff. So just who is the Center of Consumer Freedom?

Turns out it is a front for the junk food industry. Its main purpose is to lobby against obesity related public health campaigns.

This would include things like lobbying against removing junk food from the schools.

The CCF is funded with donations from Coca-Cola, Wendy’s, Tyson foods and Cargill. None of these companies is too high on the healthy foods list.

The other purpose of the CCF is to discredit anyone that is publically against junk food. “We have to attack (activists’) credibility as spokespersons” is the stated strategy of the CCF.

Okay, you might think this little series of articles on the junk food industry was interesting.

But, the bottom line is what are you going to do?

When I started this article I told you I eat junk food occasionally.

Occasionally is the key word.

But, I used to eat a lot more. I used to eat it every day. Now I am down to eating it a couple of times a month.

I did not make the mistake of trying to cut all junk food out of my life overnight.

I say mistake because your body is based on homeostasis. This means the same old, same old. Or don’t upset the apple cart.

If you go on a strict healthy diet and reduce your calories quite a bit, you are going to have one hell of a time losing weight and keeping it off.

Your body (and your mind and spirit) does not mind slow moderate changes. It does mind drastic changes.

So make it easy on yourself. Start by eating an apple a day, or whatever fruit you like.

The next week reduce 1 sugary drink a day.

The next week maintain this level. The next week cut out something that you know is bad for you. Maybe it is skipping a candy bar for your afternoon snack, or not eating ice cream right before bed every night.

Keep making these small changes over 4-6-12 months. You will start to notice positive changes in your appearance, your energy levels and the way you feel within this time frame.

Before long you will wonder why you ever ate so much of that junk food.

Thanks,

Mike Val

Food Labels and Junk Food

August 10, 2010 admin No comments

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Hi,

The junk industry has come up with a two prong attack regarding food labels.

The first is to make distracting claims on the label so that you don’t read the food label.

Such statements like reduced fat, zero trans fats, contains real fruit juice are plastered all over the front of the container.

These statements are designed to create the impression that the product is healthy.

And the statement is usually true. You can reduce a fat in a product by 1/2% and claim it has reduced fat. But, is it healthier for you.

Maybe they also increased the sodium content of the product by 50%, but they sure aren’t going to tell you that.

You are at the grocery store, picking something up on your way home from work. You are in a hurry and just want to get in and out of the store. You see some deli meats and one says reduced fat.

Hey, reduced fat is good, You are going to get that. So you throw that in the basket and move on without even bothering to compare that products protein, fat, salt or sugar contents with other products.

And maybe the reduced fat product still has twice as much fat as another product that didn’t label their product as reduced fat.

Or let’s use my favorite – contains real fruit juice. If you read the label you will see that it is almost always less than 20% real fruit juice and I have seen it as low as 2% real fruit juice.

Of course having real fruit juice sounds good and the costs are usually a little more.

What these labels do is make the consumer forget about really comparing the value of the product with other hopefully more nutrient products that you could be eating.

Okay, the second thing the junk food industry does is to go all out to comply with labeling requirements. In fact they go overboard to satisfy the requirements.

They do this to keep you confused and bored. Have you ever tried to really figure out those labels? If you can get by all the technical and scientific jargon, then you have to have a calculator in your head to figure out what you are really getting.

The real big gotcha is the serving size. Most people look at a product and if they look at the amount of sugar and see only 17 gms of sugar they think, well that is okay.

However, if they looked at the serving size and saw that there were 2.5 servings per bottle, then they are really getting 42.5 gms of sugar. That is a big jump.

But, this info is hard to find and because they try to put so much info on the labels it is hard to read for us that need reading glasses.

I am one of those people and I never take my reading glasses to buy groceries. So I am always squinting at the labels or asking someone to read them for me.

Most people won’t take the time to do that.

Will you?

Thanks,

Mike Val

What is Junk Food?

August 5, 2010 admin No comments

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You would think that with 300+ million people in the US that there would be enough money made by the food industry in just feeding all of us 3 meals a day.

Turns out that is not correct. The food industry thinks we need junk food.

There is not enough money to be made in actual fruits and vegetables then there is to be made in fruit and vegetable juices, or fruit and vegetable flavored drinks, or fruit and vegetable chips, or fruit and vegetable syrups or fruit and vegetable candies, fruit and vegetable flavorings or to make a long story short just about any fruit and vegetable snack.

Eat an orange and the food industry can only be paid for the orange. Squeeze the orange and use all the parts and it can really jack up the profits.

Now add all those profits up and it barely even covers what these food giants make in government subsidized commodity crops.

Oh yes, you and I are paying these food giants millions and millions of dollars to grow corn, wheat and soybeans (for just a few examples) with our tax dollars.

The byproducts are in turn used to make fast foods, snack foods and beverages which are very high profit,very high caloric and very low nutritional value food items.

Isn’t it nice to know our tax dollars are going to work for us to make us fatter and less healthy.

At least it keeps the medical and pharmaceutical industry hard at work developing medicines and supplements to keep us healthy, trim and fit.

What a great Catch-22. Even though it is a negative Catch-22, it works like a charm.

Don’t you think it is time to get off this bandwagon and take charge of your own health and fitness?

Junk Food Science

August 4, 2010 admin No comments

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Hi,

In the last post, it was mentioned that the junk food industry sponsors its own studies showing how their junk food products are “healthier” than anybody else’s.

Legitimate studies have never shown this correlation, but they don’t have the money to do the studies and if they do get some money they never have enough left over to publicize their results.

Now you might have read where some legitimate organizations do some studies and publicize their results.

What you might not realize is who is behind the supposed legitimate organization.

Some junk food companies actually start legitimate sounding organizations and fund it entirely to publish “legitimate” studies showing the benefits of junk food.

Other quasi-legitimate companies claim they are entirely independent of any influence yet they accept money from the junk food companies.

So again we come back to where can you go to find correct information?

It seems like you can’t trust anyone. And this might just be the attitude that saves your life and your family’s life.

And that goes for even my information. Everything you read, hear about or see on television or the internet should be sorted through your own filters.

If it makes logical sense then you can follow through. This does mean you do have to do some work. You have to find out what is really true.

You have to do your own research.

Now I realize this can be hard to do and that a lot of you don’t have time to do this.

That is why I and a few other legitimate health and fitness professional educators do what we do.

I love to research and separate the bull from the legitimate. And I love to be fit and in great health.

I get a kick out of running up stairs at work while the younger kids have to take the elevator.

But, that is just me. You have to live your life the way you feel is right for you.

I do know if you pay attention to what you eat, don’t eat too much and get some physical movement every day, that you will feel like Tony Tiger – “GREEAAAAATTT!
If interested in more information on this subject check out
Food Politics by Marion Nestle

Thanks,

Mike Val

Junk Food Research

August 3, 2010 admin No comments

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Hi,

Last post we talked about the junk food industry and how much they spend on advertising their products – especially to children.

Some of them get creative and say they have research and studies proving that their products, juices, burgers, fries, milk shakes and so on are healthier.

Now this junk food research is a lot of studies that were paid for by the very companies that are selling you these “healthier” alternatives.

What they don’t bring up is the fact that any independent studies on the same products never seem to find these same supposed healthier benefits.

Gee, I wonder why that is.

These junk food companies that can spend $10 billion a year on advertising are obviously raking in much more than that. So they can afford to throw some money on hiring these favorable studies. And on publicizing the results.

Independent agencies, when they have the money to do a study almost never have enough money left over to publicize the results.

So they publish their research in some obscure journal that a very large per centage of the population has never heard of or could find even if they were looking for it.

Bottom line is very few people understand the immensity of the problem

So it shouldn’t be any wonder that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 32 per cent of children in the US are overweight. Another 16 per cent are obese and another 11% are extremely obese.

That is over 59% of the children that have weight issues.

Don’t let yourself or your children be a statistic. Don’t let yourself or your children live a life of extra health problems throughout your lives.

Fight.

Mike Val

Your Brain on Sugar

July 9, 2010 admin No comments

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Hi,

Your brain on sugar is not a pretty site.

Most people think that too much sugar only affects their body. It might make you hyperactive and it can eventually give you diabetes. Those are common facts that most people are aware of.

But, most people don’t think it affects their brain. The brain, in turn, affects your actions.

Here are some of the actions of sugar. It causes blood sugar levels to spike and of course what goes up comes down just as fast, so you crash.

The crash drains you of energy and brain power. You actually are a little dumber after a sugar crash. You are also tired, irritable and feel like you are in a fog most of the time. Does the term “space cadet” ring a bell?

Eating too much sugar impairs your brains cognitive functions. This comes from Dr. Daniel Amen, author of “Change Your Brain, Change Your Body”.

If your brain is impaired even slightly, this also affects the rest of your body. If you are an athlete, you will not react as quickly and your mind will not be in the game.

If you are an engineer getting your mid afternoon candy snack, after your peak your brain will slow down and you will actually be more tired and less alert.

Yes, your brain does need sugar to function. Your body needs sugar to function. You just don’t need 14 pounds a day of it (a little exaggeration).

You can get all the energy you need from the food you eat. Natural foods. Foods like vegetables and fruits. Foods that have protein and a little fat in them.

Skip the candies, sodas, cakes and carb snack foods and you will go a long way to feeling better.

And your brain will thank you for it.

You don’t want your brain on sugar. Too much impairs it.

Thanks,

Mike Val

Want to Drink the Water?

July 2, 2010 admin No comments

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Hi,

Yesterday’s post was about 5 good foods ruined by man. After reading this you might never want to drink the water.

Seems the City of San Diego, CA are spending almost $12 million dollars on a study to see whether sewage can be turned into drinking water. (San Diego Reader 7/1/2010)

Let me save them some money. The answer is no. And no one will drink it either.

It is bad enough that the water that comes from our faucets can make you sick. But now they want to take sewage, add a bunch of chemicals to clean it up and then ask us to drink it.

That is our government at work. And please don’t think it is just the city of SD. The federal government, state governments and local goverments all have stupid proposals regarding our food and water.

Okay, I go that off my chest.

But, lets continue with what you do drink. And the answer is sugar.

There is sugar in your juice drinks, energy drinks, teas, vitamin waters, sodas, coffees, alcohol drinks and so on.

Is it any wonder that there is a diabetes epidemic in the US – and pretty much through all countries today.

Okay, you do need sugars to live. You just don’t need so much. And it is best to get natural sugars.

You can get most of your sugars from fruit. Make your own fruit juices if you want, but leave the processed stuff alone.

The processed stuff has all the fiber taken out, which allows the sugars to dominate and cause an insulin spike.

Leave the fiber in, by eating the fruit or leaving the skin on when making your own juices.

And drink lots of water. I use bottled water. Yes, it costs more and you have to make sure it is just water and not water with additives.

However, it is a lot better for you than most municipal waters. And if they do start making water from sewage I am sure bottled water will be 1000′s of times better for you.

Want to drink the water? My take – stick with bottled and buy it in bulk.

Thanks,

Mike Val

http://www.valshealthsite.com

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