Rogue agency that doesn't comply with the law

On July 18, The Washington Times ran an editorial⁷ about the TSA's defiance of the courts. Remember, it's been over a year since the D.C. Circuit court ruled the TSA had to "promptly" comply with the Administrative Procedure Act, which requires public hearings and a 90-day public comment period. In a November 9, 2011 affidavit, TSA acting general manager James Clarkson responded that "While TSA has prioritized the rulemaking directed by the Opinion, TSA has many important rulemakings in progress, many of them required by statute," essentially telling the court and the rest of us that they're too busy to address it.

On July 17, 2012, EPIC again asked the D.C. Circuit court of appeals to compel the agency to comply with the law, and the court has now demanded the TSA respond by August 30.

"It's a widely held belief that the agency's hasty embrace of expensive, X-rated x-ray machines has more to do with closed-door lobbying efforts of manufacturers than a deliberate consideration of the devices' merits," The Washington Times states.⁸

"The last thing TSA wants is the public-relations disaster of having to collect and publish the horror tales from Americans subjected to humiliation from the nude photography and intrusive 'pat-down' groping sessions. Scanner manufacturer Rapidscan Systems, which has invested $2.2 million in wining and dining administration officials and lawmakers since 2007, probably isn't keen on broader public discussion either."

Tips for Reducing Your Cumulative Radiation Load While Flying

As in so many other instances, our legal and civil rights system is being willfully manipulated and trampled, and our health is put at risk, all for the sake of private and corporate profits. In this case, the former homeland security chief and co-author of the PATRIOT act, Michael Chertoff, is a primary promoter of full-body scanners, and is a paid consultant for the companies that sell them!

The mandate to use these scanners is yet another blatant conflict of interest that erodes personal freedom in the name of "security" and places corporate profits ahead of public health.Europe has already taken a strong stance against the use of these scanners, and in the United States if we have enough people objecting to this new technology we can get them to stop using it altogether. It is far too man-power intensive for agents to manually inspect everyone with the enhanced pat down. In 2010, when massive numbers of people were planning on opting out in protest, they shut all the X-ray scanners off that day and ran people through the older ones. If 10 percent of us choose to opt out regularly, my guess is that they will shut the machines off permanently.

Dr. Mercola states: Personally, as a very frequent air traveler, I ALWAYS opt-out of the x-ray scanner. Even if the radiation dose is minute (and that's a big IF), I'm not willing to risk my health by exposing my entire body to any avoidable dose on a regular basis. Fortunately, I fly frequently enough that in Chicago I am TSA PRE, which means I get to use a special security line and do not have to take off my shoes or belt, or take the computer out of my bag, and there is no total body scan or pat down done.

As for my experience flying to San Francisco from Portland and back In July this yr, when I told the TSA agent I opt out, he states "M'am you are not only using the wrong language but you have to proceed through the scanner, they won's hurt you, it only goes skin deep."

An interesting point you will want to consider is that in order to use the body scanner you must be able to raise your arms above your head. If you can't, then TSA has to send you through the FAR safer magnetic scanner and they typically do NOT pat you down. 

If you're exposed to other forms of radiation through CT scans, mammograms and other medical procedures, your exposure could easily reach dangerous levels, and this is why it makes sense to avoid unnecessary radiation exposures as much as possible. One of the strategies I use is to take 8-10 mg of astaxanthin regularly as it has been shown to lessen ionizing radiation damage.

If you opt out of the scanner and go for the pat-down, I also suggest you keep hygiene in mind. Make certain that TSA agents put on a fresh pair of gloves before touching you and your child.

As for the humiliation factor that these enhanced TSA security checks present, I would encourage you to contact your local government officials and state representatives, or join the "We Won't Fly" campaign, which also lists 24 additional ways you can make your voice heard on this issue.

Climate change causing farmer to feed cattle candy

Cows Fed Candy

With corn nearly $9 a bushel due to the drought, Nick Smith, the co-owner of United Livestock Commodities in Kentucky, said his farm had to come up with a cheaper way to feed his cattle. The remedy? A concoction of candy rejected for human consumption, an ethanol byproduct and a mineral nutrient.

Joseph Watson, also a co-owner of the farm, said, "Just to be able to survive, we have to look for other sources of nutrition."

Watson claims the cows seem to be doing okay. But since cows are designed to eat grass — not corn, and certainly not an expired candy and ethanol mixture — the sweet mixture probably won’t be promising. And there are human side-effects, too: cows that don’t eat grass are more prone to developing E. coli, which can infect various types of food we eat.

Just this past week, a produce supplier in California recalled its romaine lettuce in fear of possible E.coli contamination. So vegetarians, don’t think we’re in the clear. Nobody is safe from these terrible climate change consequences that are affecting people -- and animals -- worldwide.

Another benefit of Whey Protein: Helping your immune system in reducing Rheumatoid Arthritis

Important Fact:
Whey Protein Concentrate Reduces Rheumatoid Arthritis

At any time your intestines house about 100 billion bacteria. Mostly they are rendered harmless by your immune system. Some of the more aggressive of these bacteria are now linked with development of rheumatoid arthritis. Undenatured whey protein co

ncentrate contains natural antibodies against a wide array of pathogenic intestinal bacteria.In this new research 18 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, whose disease activity was out of control by medications due to drug resistance, complications and/or risk factors, were treated for 3 months with a daily drink of whey protein concentrate containing high levels of natural milk antibodies. Eighteen matched rheumatoid arthritis patients, were used as controls.The patients receiving whey protein concentrate showed significant reductions in arthritis symptoms and significant improvement in intestinal disorders. This disease reducing ef
fect of the whey protein concentrate disappeared upon cessation of treatment, but reappeared again upon reintroduction of it. The researchers concluded that whey protein concentrate “deserves more attention as a potential adjunct in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis”.

(2)2. Katayama K, et al. Supplemental treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with natural milk antibodies against enteromicrobes and their toxins: results of an open-labelled pilot study. Nutr J. 2011 Jan 6;10:2.

To learn more about obtaining the best whey shakes on the planet:

www.fatbgone.org

To Whey or not to Whey...

Garlic is just not to keep the vampires away!

Eat these veggies for better abs

3 Unique Veggies That Fight Abdominal Fat?

A surprising way that a few specific vegetables can actually stimulate the burning of abdominal fat...

Article by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist, and Author -- The Truth about Six Pack Abs

I bet you didn't know that there is a specific class of vegetables that contain very unique phytonutrients that actually help to fight against stubborn belly fat.

Let me explain what these unique vegetables are and why they help to burn stomach fat...

Chemicals that force your body to hold onto belly fat

Something you may have never heard about is that certain chemicals in our food supply and our environment, such as pesticides, herbicides, and certain petrochemicals from air and water pollution, household cleaners, plastics, cosmetics, etc can react with your hormones and make your body store excess abdominal fat.

These harmful chemicals are known as xenoestrogens.

Xenoestrogens are chemicals that you are exposed to (and are hard to avoid in the modern world) that have an estrogenic effect in your body.  Excess exposure to these can cause hormone balance disruptions for both men and women. So if you thought this article was just for the guys, these chemicals can wreak havoc in the body for both guysand gals.

These estrogenic chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis can stimulate your body to store belly fat, along with many other problems (including cancer risks in the long term).

So here's where this specific class of vegetables comes in handy...

One of those cool tricks that I teach my clients that hire me for nutritional counseling is the use of cruciferous vegetables to help fight against stomach fat.

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy, cabbage, etc. contain veryspecific and unique phytonutrients such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C) that help to fight against these estrogenic compounds...

And by fighting against these belly fat stimulating estrogenic chemicals, this is just 1 more step in helping you to win the battle against abdominal fat!

So there you go... just another excuse to do what mom always told you and eat more broccoli and cauliflower!

I've really learned to like brussells sprouts in the last year too... Melt a little grass-fed cheese on them and some garlic and they're great! Or another way is to toss with Himalayan salt and pepper and olive oil and roast...yumm!

How long commutes affect your health

How Your Commute Affects Your Health

From lifeinsurance quotes

If you’ve got a long drive to work, you may come home every day and exclaim that your commute is killing you. You could be closer to the truth than you think. Commuting helps you get to work and put food on your table, but it could actually be harming your health in a number of ways. Any chance your boss will let you work from home? After reading these health effects, you’ll probably want to double-check.

1. You get less sleep:

   
   If you’ve got a long commute, you have to wake up earlier than you would if you lived closer to work. You’ll also get home later, which means you probably won’t want to go to bed as early as you would otherwise. A Brown University study found that people who commute an hour every day get 30.6% less time for sleep on average. This means you’re missing out on an activity that can help prevent heart attacks, improve brain performance, and potentially stave off cancer.

2. You have less time for healthy habits:

   
   The same Brown University study found that commuting 30 minutes each way gives you less time for healthy activities. Commuters on average have 16.1% less time for exercise and 4.1% less time to prepare food, a lethal combination for maintaining a healthy weight. Hour-long commutes also take away from time spent eating with your family, which could affect your relationships and overall mental health.

3. You get fatter:

   
   A study in two Texas metropolitan areas found that people with long commutes tend to have higher BMIs (an indicator of body fatness) and larger waist circumferences. This may be caused by the lack of physical exercise and healthy foods discussed above. Obesity can put you at a higher risk for gallstones, diabetes, heart disease, and many other conditions. Are you sure you can’t bike to work?

4. Your blood pressure rises:

   
   Related to your weight is your blood pressure. High blood pressure can contribute to heart disease or failure, kidney problems, or a stroke. The study of commuters in Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin, Texas, found that longer commutes were correlated with higher blood pressure, regardless of how much physical activity a person engaged in. If your work is flexible about when you arrive and leave, try driving at off-peak hours so you aren’t in the car longer because of rush hour traffic.

5. Your back and neck are more likely to hurt:

   
   Sitting in a car isn’t exactly comfortable. You can’t stretch your legs, the support’s not great, and you’re likely a little tense as other commuters weave in and out of lanes. This can have an effect on your neck and back. Gallup found that one in three people with commutes of 90 minutes or more have a neck or back condition that causes them pain.

6. You’re more stressed:

   
   Who does that jerk think he is, cutting in front of you like that? How are you possibly going to make it to your kid’s school play with that accident shutting down three lanes? Can you believe you have to do this all again tomorrow morning? Commuting can make your stress levels skyrocket; more than half of participants in an IBM commuter study said that they had anger and sleep problems caused by the stress of traffic. And some drivers have stress levels similar to those of a fighter pilot or riot police officer, according to an International Stress Management Association study. Stress can cause headaches, muscle and chest pain, stomach troubles, and even a change in your sex drive. So the next time you’re fighting the 5 o’clock rush, take a deep breath, put on some music, and relax if you can.

Countries that do better than US without having them work themselves to death

Which countries fare better than ours in helping citizens survive without working themselves to death? Of course, it’s hard not to respond to this question: “hmmm anywhere without child labor and a two-day weekend!” After all, not only do we rank among the worst in terms of paid leave for parents or family sickness and have zero mandatory vacation hours, Americans often don’t even take the vacation we’ve got!

Tthe Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) makes a stud y of this sort of thing, ranking countries on quality of life  -- the “Better Life Index” -- based on a number of factors, including work-life balance, safety, health, longevity, and more. Based on that series of data as well as other information, here are some countries that have better work-life balance--either overall, or in individual categories--than we do. And yes, though the Scandinavian countries basically kick everyone else’s ass in this category, for instance Denmark: Overall champ. This  little Scandinavian country comes out on top of nearly all these sorts of rankings. Less than 2% of its workforce work those extra-long hours, and it is closest to gender parity of any country. Each day, Danes are able to spend about two-thirds of their hours sleeping, eating, taking care of themselves and chilling out--not bad at all. In fact, it's also number one in global happiness by some measures.but here are a few others:
 Canada: Not perfect, but better than the US. 

It's not light years ahead of us, but it's still ahead. One thing that puts our neighbors to the north over the top in the head-to-head race, besides the requisite jokes about ice hockey and maple syrup? The men do a lot of the household work--although there’s still disparity between men and women:

Men in Canada spend 146 minutes per day cooking, cleaning or caring, higher than the OECD average of 131 minutes but considerably less than Canadian women who spend 248 minutes per day on average on domestic work .

But the primary thing that puts Canada ahead of the US? Only about 4% of its workforce works “very long hours” compared to 11% here in the States. Canadians also benefit from a mandated  paid vacation policy in every province , although it varies from place to place.

Brazil: Vacation heaven .

Brazil may not outrank the US overall because so many of its workers work long hours, but get a load of their vacation policy. The outward view of Brazilians is that they like to have a good time whether it’s dancing or at the beach or just barbecuing with the fam, so it’s no wonder that according to this CNBC piece,they have a ”minimum of 30 days for vacation and 11 days for public holidays.” How lovely does that sound?

Sweden:     World leader in paternity leave. Actually, in Sweden there’s a total of 13 months of leave that has to be split by two parents. Even the conservative party, which thinks the leave shouldn’t be mandated by gender is in favor of expanding parental leave.

France: Lavishing love on moms. France’s great parental policies belie the fact that gender equality is still not the norm here. But what they do have makes life a lot easier for new parents: subsidized daycare, easy-to-afford healthcare, and lengthy periods of paid and unpaid--but with job guaranteees--parental leave and home nurse visits.

No other place is perfect, but as I learned through my research, each of these countries has something unique to offer its citizens. 

Here in America, this issue is on the radar in a way it hasn't been before, evidenced by the fact that companies continue to pioneer interesting vacation solutions to prevent burnout and their ideas are getting play in the national media ( check out this place, which tailors its schedule to the seasons ).

Sarah Seltzer is an associate editor at AlterNet and a freelance writer based in New York City. 

Whey to go for your heart

Peptide in Whey Boosts Heart Health

July 11, 2012

Study shows peptide in whey protein helps reduce arterial stiffness.

A whey-derived bioactive peptide promotes more blood vessel relaxation, a new study finds.

Researchers from the University of Connecticut found that a peptide extract from undenatured whey protein improved endothelial function in middle-aged adults, thus reduced the burden of blood flow on the heart.

Measuring flow-mediated dilation (FMD), an indicator of arterial stiffness, the authors reveal that a whey protein extract successfully reminds arteries to relax. Noting that previous studies have found that dairy proteins support healthy blood pressure, this is the first research documenting a direct benefit of whey protein on endothelial function in an elderly, at risk, population.

Researchers dosed 21 men and women between the ages of 45 and 65 with a 5 gram supplement of whey protein extract or a placebo. Amino acid concentrations, FMD, insulin, and compounds known to act on the blood vessels were measured for 2 hours after ingestion.

The authors reported an increase in vasodilation (vessel relaxation) by 1 to 1.5 percent. Although a small number, the researchers emphasize that this change packs a big punch. A stiffer artery accompanies a low FMD. Boosting arterial elasticity by just 1 percentage point, the researchers explain, cuts potential perils to the heart by a factor of 12.

“The findings of the present study indicate that acute ingestion of an extract derived from whey protein was rapidly absorbed and improved endothelium-dependent dilation in older adults with vascular endothelial dysfunction,” the authors report.

Whey’s benefit on blood pressure, the authors suggest, may be explained by this relaxation of the vessels, allowing for easier circulation throughout the body. According to these findings, the rapidly absorbed amino acids found in whey protein promote vasodilation—a likely explanation for the decreases in blood pressure reported in other studies.

The jury is still out on how the composition of whey protein, and this whey protein extract, enables arterial release. For example, two important factors in vascular health are nitric oxide—a potent vasodilator—and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), an important enzyme in blood pressure regulation. Interestingly, however, the whey protein supplement failed to effect levels of either nitric oxide or ACE, suggesting other likely ways may be responsible for whey’s benefits on circulation.

The researchers used a bioactive tri-peptide—a short protein chain consisting of three amino acids—derived from whey. Maintaining the integrity of this protein chain, from milk, in processing, and through the gut, may be the key to explaining how this extract boosts endothelial function.

Amino acids are used to build body proteins; peptides, on the other hand, are used to communicate, interact with, and direct the functional responses of cells. Undenatured whey protein undergoes less processing and is more likely to retain these bioactive peptides—preserving the small protein during absorption is the tough part.

This research suggests that the hearty benefits of this tripeptide may come from the nature of the structure, not just the amino acids that it is composed of. Further investigation, the authors write, is required to confirm that this peptide retains its structure during absorption and goes on to act as a signaling molecule in the body. In this case, the tripeptide’s signal is acting on the arterial walls.

Tight blood vessels counteract cardiac health, an effect common in aging. With room for more research, the authors write that older individuals experiencing impaired endothelial function could release some strain in the arteries by eating these bioactive peptides sourced from whey protein.

Reference

Ballard KD et al. Acute effects of ingestion of a novel whey-derived extract on vascular endothelial function in overweight, middle-aged men and women. British Journal of Nutrition 2012.

Health benefits of walnuts

Bananas are not just for monkeys!

need calcium, eat this

Corporation control and GMOS-another re-post

Biotech Giants Are Bankrolling a GMO Free-for-All

—By Tom Philpott

| Mon Aug. 6, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

17

Oculator/Flickr

The so-called "Big Six" agrichemical companies—Monsanto, Syngenta, Dow Agrosciences, BASF, Bayer, and Pioneer (DuPont)—are sitting pretty. Together, they control nearly 70 percent of the global pesticide market, and essentially the entire market for genetically modified seeds. Prices of the crops they focus on—corn, soy, cotton, etc.—are soaring, pushed up by severe drought in key growing regions. Higher crop prices  typically translate to increased pesticide sales as farmers have more money to spend on agrichemicals and more incentive to maximize yield.

The companies operate globally—and have gained a stronghold in that emerging center of industrial agriculture, Brazil—but the biotech-friendly US is their profit center. They've got a big chunk of US agriculture pretty well sewn up—their GMO seeds dominate our corn, soy and cotton crops, which account for more than 53 percent of US farmland, and have won approval for GMO alfalfa (hay), which accounts for another 19 percent. The vast annual US corn crop—which accounts for 40 percent of the globe's corn most years—is a particular bonanza, not just for GMO seeds but also a stunning amount of insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides.

But two things could mess up the Big 6 here in the US: 1) any delay in the regulatory process for a new generation of seeds engineered for resistance to multiple herbicides; and 2) any major move to require labeling of foods containing GMOs, a requirement already in play in many other countries—including the European Union, China, Japan, and South Korea—and one for which the US public has expressed overwhelming support. Unsurprisingly, the Big 6 are investing millions of their vast profits into forestalling both of those menaces.

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Speedy deregulation of the new-generation herbicide-tolerant crops is important for a simple reason: Monsanto's blockbuster Roundup Ready technology—featuring corn, soy, cotton, sugar beet, and alfalfa (hay) seeds engineered to resist Monsanto's Roundup herbicide—is failing. Roundup-resistant superweeds are galloping out of control throughout big-farm country. The industry's only solution to the problem is to roll out seeds resistant to multiple herbicides at once, adding old, toxic ones like 2,4-D and dicamba to the Roundup mix. (Roundup itself, now the most widely used herbicide in the US by a wide margin, has long enjoyed a reputation as mostly harmless chemical, but that status has been quietly crumbling in scientific circles.)

In a paper released in January, a team of Penn State scientists assessed the biotech-industry's strategy, and its conclusion was stark:

First, crops with stacked herbicide resistance are likely to increase the severity of resistant weeds. Second, these crops will facilitate a significant increase in herbicide use, with potential negative consequences for environmental quality. Finally, the short-term fix provided by the new traits will encourage continued neglect of public research and extension in integrated weed management.

In other words, the strategy will work brilliantly to sell more herbicides and burnish the bottom lines of the Big 6, but it will only put off a reckoning with the problem of resistant weeds while simultaneously harming the environment. Approaches that would work—such as growing more crops than just corn and soy year after year and planting winter-season cover crops that would help suppress spring weeds—wouldn't make the Big 6 any money.

So Dow, Bayer, and Monsanto all have applications into the USDA for novel crops resistant to multiple herbicides. While their approval is essentially a formality—I've written before about how the US regulatory system has no real mechanisms for seriously vetting the environmental impacts of GMO crops—the current system takes takes time, sometimes years, to move crops through the application process to fields. And once the companies manage to push their crops through, the approvals remain vulnerable to lawsuits from environmental NGOs like Center for Food Safety.

One rider would allow farmers to plant seeds even if a federal court orders a stoppage.

To speed things up and eliminate the inconvenience of lawsuits, the agrichemical lobby has pushed House pols to sneak in industry-friendly  provisions to two recent House agriculture-related bills, as I reported here and here. One would streamline and limit the USDA's process for assessing new crops; another would allow farmers to plant seeds even if a federal court orders a stoppage pending more environmental rule. Sourcewatch researcher Jill Richardson has dug up the details into just how much cash the Dow and Monsanto shoveled into the Hill to lobby on the (de)regulatory issue.

In the first quarter of 2012, Monsanto spent $1.49 million while Dow spent $370,000 hectoring Congress on the Plant Protection Act, which is the law under which the USDA regulates new GMOs. The American Farm Bureau Federation, long-time ally to the Big 6, added a total of $640,000 in lobbying that quarter at least some of which went to biotech regulation. In the second quarter, the cash continued flowing, with Monsanto dropping $1.6 million and Dow chipping in $220,000.

These particular efforts may end up being in vain; the two House bills in question are in limbo for reasons completely unrelated to the industry-friendly provisions the lobbyists rammed in. But there's no reason to expect that the Big 6 will stop using Congress as a whip with which to tame its putative watchdog, the USDA.

Tomorrow, I'll look at another front in the industry's war against regulation—the California ballot initiative on GMO labeling.

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worth re-posting:Obesity and health-what the numbers don't tell you

America's 12 Most Obese States (And What the Numbers Don't Tell Us)

Our nation suffers from a terrible relationship with food and our bodies. Where is it worst? And do the numbers tell the whole story?

August 15, 2012  |  

 

US regulators on Wednesday approved the first drug to treat obesity in 13 years, a drug called lorcaserin, marketed as Belviq and made by Arena Pharmaceuticals.

 

 

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America! Where we love to watch toned, determined athletes strive for new heights at the Olympics while we sit on the couch (guilty as charged); where Coke and McDonald's, sponsors of noble athletic events, try to woo us with seductive spots highlighting their fat-laden products; where food is marketed like porn and diet companies feed our guilt; where the numbers say that we're more obese than ever while eating disorders continue to plague us.

No, our country does not have a healthy relationship with nutrition and health. But where is that relationship the worst? Well, figures released Tuesday by the CDC broke down self-reported obesity by category and it turns out that many of our reddest states--and states that suffer from poverty-- also score highest on the percentage of obese residents.

But here comes a major caveat. Overall health and "obesity"--as determined by Body Mass Index--are not necessarily as directly correlated as we think. Kate Harding, a blogger who writes about "fat acceptance," puts it this way:

Poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle do cause health problems, in people of all sizes.  This is why it’s so fucking crucial to separate the concept of “obesity” from “eating crap and not exercising.”  The two are simply not synonymous — not even close — and it’s not only incredibly offensive but dangerous for thin people to keep pretending that they are. There are thin people who eat crap and don’t exercise — and are thus putting their health at risk — and there are fat people who treat their bodies very well but remain fat. Really truly.

In other words--the obesity numbers are not equivalent to the general health survey. Even the CDC acknowledges this:

BMI is just one indicator of potential health risks associated with being overweight or obese. For assessing someone's likelihood of developing overweight- or obesity-related diseases, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines recommend looking at two other predictors:

• The individual's waist circumference (because abdominal fat is a predictor of risk for obesity-related diseases).
• Other risk factors the individual has for diseases and conditions associated with obesity (for example, high blood pressure or physical inactivity).

And though much of the "obesity epidemic" may indeed have to do with a lack of access to nutrition, sedentary lifestyles, Americans being too busy to cook and so on, these factors are not inexorably wedded to one another. There's also the influence of genetics, there are different body types and there are, as Harding notes, thin people who smoke and eat chips all day.

Furthermore, the diet industry and food industries--many of which are run by the same parent companies-- tend to make things worse by attaching both positive and moral value to food and keeping Americans from intuitive eating. I recommend clicking on links at Harding's site if you're unfamiliar with these basic concepts of fat acceptance and Health at Every Size  (HAES).

HAES encourages people to declare a truce with their body angst, detach themselves from socially imposed ideas about food, and start exercising and moving their bodies for fun. These are admirable goals. But whether you term it combating obesity or HAES, there are important policy changes that could help improve health: improving access to nutritious food in poor neighborhoods; better school lunches for kids; safer places to play, like walking paths and public parks; urban gardens and farms; and mandatory physical education classes and better facilities in public schools.

So there are many things the obesity prevalence numbers absolutely cannot tell us. But, since you still want to see those numbers, here's what they do say. The CDC zeroed in on 12

Help with rising food prices

Cut back on meat. Sure, going full-out vegan could be a money saver, but even cutting back and serving a few more meatless meals a week can do wonders not just for your bank account, but for your body, too. Learn to cook with non-meat protein complements, such as dried organic black beans and hemp seeds, for potent protein sources that cost pennies per serving.
Read More: 9 Super-Healthy Vegetarian Protein Sources
Turn your waste into healthy meals. Poultry bones and vegetables scraps and peels usually destined for the garbage can be turned into nutritious stock for soups. Bones from grass-fed animals raised on pasture and produce grown organically are your best ingredients because the peels and bones will be less contaminated with chemicals. Read How to Make Homemade Soup Stock for directions on how to concoct a delicious broth base from scraps.
Stock up in season. Visit LocalHarvest.org to find sustainable farmers in your area, and then buy directly from the farmer in season to save cash by cutting out the middleman. You can also buy larger quantities of quality meat by buying a whole, half, or quarter part of an animal and freezing it or splitting it with friends.
Hunt invasives. Want to really take matters into your own hands? Start hunting and foraging for some of your own food. This wild food won't just entertain your palette, but will also help restore your local ecosystem to a more balanced state, too. Experts recommend hunting and foraging invasive species to create meals like zebra mussels, Chinese mystery snail fettuccine, Himalayan blackberry smoothies, crayfish-spinach-artichoke dip, and "Cossack asparagus" made with shoots of phragmites.
Whey Protein. Whey protein is the best protein on the market. At approx $3 a meal, you can have superfood with whey protein, check out: 
www.fatbgone.orgThe best whey protein comes from New Zealand happy cows

Artificial Food Coloring

 

Cow meets food dye

Some "fruit" juice contains to fruit at all...the color comes from cheap artificial food dyes, not berries.

BY LEAH ZERBE

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Those "fresh" pickles may have been sitting on the store shelf for months, thanks to Yellow No. 5.

You may have heard that food coloring chemicals are bad for health, toxic to brain cells, and culprits of sparking hyperactive fits in kids. While there do appear to be health risks associated with certain artificial coloring agents, scientists are still trying to definitively figure out exactly how these petroleum-derived chemicals affect our bodies. But there's another reason to avoid fake colors in food—colors are used in everything from salad dressing and bread to pickles and mayonnaise so industrial food corporations can rip you off and trick you into thinking you're getting something you're really not.

Here's how food companies trick you with food coloring:

• Food dyes are a replacement for actual healthy ingredients because they are cheaper than the real thing. The Center in the Science for Public Interest points out that Tropicana Twister Cherry Berry Blast contains 0 percent berry and cherry juice, despite the name of the drink. The color of the nutritionally-defunct product comes not from healthy fruit, but the artificial dye, Red 40, which has been linked to hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in some kids. CSPI recently filed a regulatory petition urging the Food and Drug Administration to require front-of-label disclosure of food colorings, a labeling move that 75 percent of the population wants, according to a 2010 CSPI survey.

Another example of food color fraud? Betty Crocker Carrot Cake Mix (a product of General Mills) is actually a carrot-free product, with "carrot flavored pieces" cooked up from corn syrup, flour, corn cereal, harmful partially hydrogenated cottonseed or soybean oil (likely from genetically engineered crops), and artificial colors Yellow 6 and Red 40. "Companies substitute color additives for real food ingredients to lower their costs at the expense of consumers’ health and pocketbooks," says CSPI litigation director Stephen Gardner. "We hope that the FDA requires companies to label artificially colored foods honestly."

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Read More: 67 Ways to Be Healthier in a Minute or Less!
The Truth About Canned Soup
11 Natural Cereals That Aren't

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• Food dyes make products appear fresher and more appealing. When given the choice, most people would choose fresh food over something sitting on a shelf for a few months. Many companies utilize food coloring as a workaround. Most varieties of Mt. Olive and Vlassic pickles are artificially greener and fresher looking than they really are, thanks to Yellow 5, a food coloring linked to hyperactivity, and one that's been found to be contaminated with carcinogenic material. While the perception of freshness may attract adults, food corporations use food coloring in many kids' food and drink products because the fun colors draw kids in. Ever find yourself trying to talk your kid into choosing bland-looking, whole grain cereal in the grocery aisle instead of the stuff that comes in a rainbow of colors? It's not pretty... you get the idea.

• Food dyes make products appear healthier. Some bread makers utilize food color additives to make white bread look more like whole wheat, and cereal, according to CSPI. Makers of Pepperidge Farm Pumpernickel Bread also uses fake caramel coloring to darken the bread, instead of natural ingredients found in traditional recipes. And who knows what color Kraft's Light Catalina Salad Dressing would be if it wasn't colored with artificial Red 40.

"Consumers shouldn’t have to turn the package over and scrutinize the fine print to know that the color in what are mostly junk foods comes from cheap added colorings," says said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson.

Remove these things from your bathroom

Did you know you could be shelling out extra money for bathroom staples that are actually making your life miserable? A common chemical found in soap, toothpaste, and mouthwash products could wreck your thyroid and cause congestion, itchy eyes, breathing problems, and even food allergies!

In the latest evidence condemning the synthetic germ-killingchemical triclosan, researchers from Johns Hopkins University found that children with higher levels of antibacterial chemicals and preservatives in their urine had higher levels of IgE antibodies, immune chemicals that are higher in people with allergy problems.

While researchers don't believe triclosan directly causes allergies, they say it appears to disrupt normal immune system functioning, partly because it kills germs children would normally be exposed to, which helps build a strong immune system. Known as the hygiene hypothesis, this means that kids who aren't exposed to common pathogens develop an overactive immune system that misfires against harmless things like food proteins, pollen, or pet dander, say researchers. Children with the highest urinary levels of triclosan experienced twice the risk of environmental allergies compared to kids with the lowest levels. "The link between allergy risk and antimicrobial exposure suggests that these agents may disrupt the delicate balance between beneficial and bad bacteria in the body, and lead to immune system dysregulation, which in turn raises the risk of allergies," explains study author Jessica Savage, MD, an allergy and immunology fellow at Johns Hopkins.

The research will appear in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Here's where triclosan's hiding:

#1: Toothpaste. Think about how many times you'll brush your teeth over your lifetime. Ideally, you brush at least twice a day. Cut out triclosan-laden toothpastes like Colgate 2 in 1 and Colgate Total to detox your dental routine.

Avoid it: Look for safer toothpaste brands, such as Solay and Tom's of Maine.

#2: Antibacterial soaps. Many researchers and even the Food and Drug Administration have found that antibacterial soaps work no better than regular soap and water, and they carry added risks. First, triclosan can harm humans and aquatic life after it goes down the drain. Beyond that, the heavy use of antibacterial products is thought to be a contributor to antibiotic-resistant infections.

Avoid it: Many Dial and private label antibacterial soaps contain triclosan. Forget them and instead look for natural, vegetable-based soaps that don't contain fake fragrances, either. We like Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild.

#3: Mouthwash. While certain alcohol-based mouthwashes have been linked to oral cancers, chemical replacements like triclosan probably aren't safe either. Avoid any mouthwash that lists triclosan in the name or ingredients list.

Avoid it: Brush and floss regularly, and chew on a sprig of parsley for a potent breath upgrade. You can even make your own mouthwash: Mix extracts of sage, calendula, and myrrh gum, all typically available at your health food store, in equal parts, and gargle with the solution four times a day.

#4: Other hiding places. Certain brands of deodorant list triclosan as an ingredient, including some Old Spice and Speedstick products. Gillette Complete Skincare Multigel Aerosol Shave Gel also lists triclosan as an ingredient. The chemical's a mainstay in certain cosmetics, as well: Triclosan lurks in some mascara, eye shadow, and even lipsticks, including Revlon ColorStay Overtime Lipcolor products. The same holds true for some skin cleansers and acne products.