Is it Possible?

have you eaten a nicely grilled burger this summer? Impossible Foods wants to do the impossible by creating a totally plant based burger that has the texture and taste of the real thing. the california based company was started in 2012 by a stanford university biologist/physician. the company, one of several in this growing field, has so far raised over 74 million dollars. it aims to create meats and cheeses totally from plants with their "impossible burger" to debut next year.
    so how will they do it? their scientists break down animal nutrients, fats, etc. to their molecular level and create plant based copies that mimic the real thing. of course, by using only plants the food products then have the benefits of no cholesterol, hormones, antibiotics or other contaminates. the other big word heard around this is "sustainable". but the products being created are- to put it mildly-highly processed-usually not a good thing.
    will these foods be as good as their companies claim? will they have the same or more protein than the foods they would replace? will consumers embrace them as healthier and buy them even though they are likely to have a high cost? right now its just impossible to predict.

for further information: impossiblefoods.com or hello@impossiblefoods.com

Sugar, Sugar

i hope you read food labels but many people don't take the time. the FDA has been trying to improve food labels in order to make this information easier to understand. currently they propose to include the percentages of the amounts of added sugars on labels-manufacturers have already rallied against this proposal. it seems they feel that percentages will confuse us consumers more than we already are.
    it is thought on average that most of us consume approximately 30 teaspoons (120 grams)  of sugar a day-this is added sugar, not an apple. the  government suggests that no more than 10% of daily calories should come from added sugar although many health professionals feel that 6-7% is a much healthier target number.
    so how much is that? if you are eating 1500 calories a day the suggested percentage would equal 6 teaspoons (24 grams) of added sugar a day. a 16 ounce can of soda usually contains about 12 teaspoons (50 grams) of added sugars! at least most people have gotten the message about soda and the consumption numbers are finally falling.
    here are some of the other  products  that often contain high amounts of added sugars- try to limit or avoid completely your consumption of them:

• many instant oatmeals that are flavored, cereals
• granola and granola bars
• bottled salad dressings, ketchup, tomato sauce, bbq sauce
• frozen meals
• fruit juices that are not 100% fruit juice
• energy drinks
• canned fruit in syrup

    this is obviously just the tip of the iceberg. try and take the time to  read labels and you will be making healthier food choices for you and your family.

Time Line

     it happens to almost everyone-over time we tend to gain weight and that is not good. this is just a partial list but these 4 items are considered to be the most common causes of that sly weight gain that happens as we age. if any apply to you please think about where you can make improvements....

1. eating high calories foods such as potatoes (of course a baked potato is better than chips but it also depends on what is added on top), white rice, anything made with white flour. sweets and desserts too often. processed meats and too much red meat in general. when eating red meat remember portion control and if possible buy grass fed.
2. drinking your calories. soda-not good. either you are getting high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners*. there is a difference in the body's response to carbs in liquids compared to in solid food even with the same number of calories. the carbs in liquid form will add to more weight gain. so this leads to...alcohol. moderation is the key. many people tend to eat more as they drink more.
3. too little or too much sleep. this is primarily due to how our hormones activate during sleep. most research indicates that 7-8 hours a night is best for most people. you should be in a completely dark room.
4. too much screen time means too much sitting and often the snacking that goes with it.
5. not moving enough, i.e. walking. and we need to do more as we age not less in part because our metabolisms go down.

     an extra 100 calories a day without burning them off adds up to a weight gain of 10 pounds per year. if that starts in ones 40's or even 50's just think what that means if like predicted, many of us  reach 100.

*in last week's post are details about what is actually in coke besides what is used for sweetness.

Its Taxing!

     its april 15th and our 1040's are due. many of us find this annual chore taxing, to say the least and i know i do as did many of the people i encountered at the post office doing last minute mailing. of course those who file early and/or get a refund probably are feeling better about the entire experience.
     but if you are one of those feeling stressful here's a reminder about some of the foods that help reduce stress naturally:

• foods containing tryptophan such as turkey, pumpkin seeds and shrimp
• brussels sprouts, asparagus and broccoli are good for their high folic acid content
• especially if you live in northern states getting enough vitamin d along with some actual sunlight helps
• vitamin c such as in fresh fruits (avoid just juice) can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol 
• if stress increases your desire for crunchy snacks try carrot sticks with hummus or celery sticks with some almond butter. nuts are great for crunch but remember that a 1/2 cup has about 265 calories

     many financial advisers recommend that now is a good time to review our money matters for the upcoming tax year so that we have time to make any changes. my suggestion is to also review your stress level and see what changes  you can make in your life to reduce stress and improve your overall health during the year. remember "the first wealth is health"*.

*r.w. emerson

Fakes

     fake rolex, fake hermes, fake gucci-we've all heard about these and others but how about fake manuka. manuka? yes, manuka-manuka honey that is. maybe you have tried this very expensive honey that is so popular that fake manuka honey  is being sold.
     why all the fuss? manuka honey or as some like to call it-tea tree honey-is made by bees (of course) collecting nectar from the manuka plant that grows primarily in new zealand. the fuss is because it is said to have greater health benefits and anti-bacterial action than other honeys. other claims are that it helps with digestion, heals burns and improves our immune systems. the maoris have used and believed in its properties for many years before the scientific communities became interested.
     but so far, as much as i have been able to discover, many of these claims have not been tested and in at least one clinical trial the honey did not aid in digestion. ok but honey is a good thing overall.  the larger concern is the "fake" aspect. people are paying a lot more for this honey and may not be getting the real thing. the problem is in the amounts of this honey that is being sold-this number is much higher than the actual amount of manuka honey that is being produced. remember we are talking about honey bees here.
     it is a miracle to me that bees can produce honey and i can appreciate why certain honeys are more expensive than others. i like to buy local honey and it is more expensive than store brands. but i also feel that it is what it says it is. as it has  been said for a long, long time caveat emptor -buyer beware.
   

Additive Awareness

     ever hear of propyl gallate? or how about diactyl? i could list many more but i think your answer might be the same-no. these are some of the additives in our foods along with other chemicals, artificial colors and flavorings. it is big business. much of it is not good for us.
     a non-profit research group-EWG-is trying to educate us about the potential health concerns of these additives and that many of the additives allowed in the US are banned in other countries. as one of their senior scientists recently said "with thousands of ingredients lurking in food, EWG wanted to bring attention to additives that may have implications for human health, and we wanted to expose how the food regulatory system has failed us."
     if you believe that in part we are what we eat you might like further information and a list of their "dirty dozen" at www.ewg.org

goats head soup

vegans and vegetarians read no further but if you are paleo or just eat meat and/or care about the environment and sustainability then read on.

yes, i am a stones fan but no, their album titled "goats head soup" did not start me thinking about eating goat meat (history on the stones below). like many, my introduction to this meat (people here do consume goat cheese but little of the meat) was outside of the usa. this is not unusual as goat is the most widely eaten meat in the rest of the world. i had a tasty experience my first time with a goat meat stew-not head soup!- in the caribbean although many tourists get turned off by goat that is not  prepared well and ends up dry and tough.

but give it another chance. goats are not raised (yet) in huge factory farms and are not given growth hormones. it has more flavor, more protein and iron than beef (see the chart below), is low in calories and has less fat than chicken. sounds pretty good. but because of the low fat content it benefits from recipes that add moisture during cooking such as stews or curries.

with a little searching you can probably find goat meat in your locale. i'm actually searching right now and plan to experiment with some recipes. will let you know.

 comparisons:                 calories               protein
3 ounces of goat                122                   23 gr.
       "            beef               180                   22
        "     chicken               162                   21

so back to the stones. goats head soup was the stones 13th album and their 3rd number one album. we're way back in the 70"s here. they began recording in jamaica so it is thought that that is where the title came from. but i think there is a little more to the story as goat heads soup is thought by some to be an aphrodisiac.