Speaking in Code

 Walking up and down the supermarket aisles we, as consumers, are bombarded with a plethora of words and phrases, designed to grab our attention.  Its becoming more and more commonplace to see words like "all-natural" on product packaging, typically designed to evoke a sense that what you are buying is good for you and good for the earth - which unfortunately, is not always the case.  On the other side of the coin, ingredient labels are often filled with long words that some of us can't even pronounce, with the opposite intent of masking the identity of ingredients which are less than desirable.  Very minimal regulations surrounding the use of these terms on food labeling exist, so it is up to us - the buyers - to crack the code and realize what we are actually buying and consuming.
Here are some commonly used terms and their meanings, clarified:

1.  "Natural" -  This word is likely used by companies in an attempt to convince you that their product is made of natural ingredients, as compared to other products which are "unnatural" or artificial.  Unfortunately, companies have almost complete leeway with using this term, with very few restrictions.  Currently the only FDA restrictions that exist on using the word natural are:

   - natural flavor can only be used to describe flavorings that are derived from from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant (or even animal) material

- Meat products can be labeled as natural only if they are minimally processed (of course, this term is left up to the meat producers to decide what "minimally" means) and free of artificial ingredients or colors.  Please note that this is regarding added ingredients, and means nothing about what the animal consumed, was fed, or hormones or antibiotics that it may have ingested during its life

 Other than these two restrictions, companies are pretty much free to slap the word "natural" on their box without consequence.  Most of the time common sense can come into play here - "natural" or not, a pop tart will never be "healthy".  It is important that we do not confuse "natural" with "organic".  Which brings me to my next term...

Meatless Monday

 An extraordinary  movement - "Meatless Monday" - is gaining momentum and press at astounding rates.  The practice, which involves avoiding all meat-based products one day per week,  is being promoted by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health with the goal of reducing individual meat consumption by 15% simply by eliminating it from our diets one day per week.  The introduction of the concept can be traced back way before our time, however, as Presidents Wilson, Truman, and Roosevelt all suggested the novel concept of meatless days during the world wars and the Great Depression.  (I can only picture my Great Grandmother's face, filled with shock and horror at the thought of a day without meat, and imagine it was followed with something like, "Whatdoya meanna no meat? How you gonna grow without meat, eh?")
  The "Meatless Mondays" website has a plethora of information about the theories behind lowered consumption of meat, both financial and nutritional.   Here are some of the take-home points behind the practice:

Hungry Munchkins?

  Nowadays its becoming borderline impossible to get through a day without hearing or seeing some sort of healthy-eating message, designed to promote health and wellness strategies for anyone who's paying attention.  This broadly represents a very positive trend with the immense potential to positively impact the health of our society as a whole.
   Some experts are beginning to speculate, however, that these messages are being translated into suboptimal nutrition practices for those who, arguably, need it most - our growing infants & toddlers.  A recent government-run study in London found that many nursery-school type programs were insufficiently meeting the nutrition needs of children enrolled, despite seemingly thorough efforts to provide balanced menus.  Some of the common problems were high levels of salt, portion sizes, and a lack of carbohydrates in the daily diet. 
It is important for parents and caregivers to be aware that children have unique nutritional needs, which vary greatly from those of adults.  Some key diet notions for aduts can be counterproductive in chidren - even harmful.  Here are some points to remember when considering nutrition for infant's and toddlers:
- Keep it whole.  Most adults have the tendency to reach for low-fat or non-fat milk due to the potential health consequences of ingesting high levels of the saturated fat that's found in whole milks.  This is not okay for infants and toddlers!  Kids tend to burn more fat than adults, as they are rapidly growing and need many types of fats to build new thoughts, skills, muscles, and cells.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children not be given low-fat milk until age 2.  Note:  If you choose not to give your child cow's milk, other options (soy, almond, rice) can be substituted - talk to your pediatrician about finding the right balance of protein, vitamin D, and calcium within these products so you can figure out which brands and serving sizes are right for your child. 
-  Keep the fiber for yourself.  A high-fiber diet is recommended for adults for optimal gastrointestinal function, prevention of colon cancer, and keeping our bellies full and our blood sugar stable.  However, young children who consume too much fiber may be at risk for getting full too quickly, leaving less room for the calories and nutrients they require from other sources.  The study (above) showed that children were often overloaded with fruits and vegetables - with the best intentions. Kids this age should adhere to the 5 fruits and vegetable servings per day recommendation, but their portions should be much smaller than an adults.
- Avoid the fake stuff.  Sometimes low or non-fat products are reflavored with artificial sweetners in order to make up for the lost fat.  In general, artificial sweetners should not be part of a child's diet, especially in the infant and toddler years.  Carefully monitor the ingredients list on any purchased products, avoiding ingredients like aspartame, nutrasweet, sucralose, and neotame. 
-  Red meat deserves a chance.  If your baby is a practicing carnivores, red meat is not always a bad idea.  While we adults should, in fact, limit our consumption of red meat for various reasons, it can be the primary source of iron for an infant or toddler.  Iron-deficiency anemia is relatively common in this age group and needs to be prevented through diet.  Vegetarians and vegans will need to carefully monitor their children's iron intake in order to establish appropriate diets and supplementation (if needed). 

  With the recent surge in childhood obesity, it is equally important to be sure our attention remains balanced between these children and those who may be on the other side of the spectrum of adequate nutrition.  For more information on infant and toddler nutrition requirements, check out the NIH recommendations here. 

How Much Mercury is in Your Tuna?

Source: ABCNews.com

Amazing Ash

Source: The Boston Globe  April 19, 2010

As ash from Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano continued to keep European airspace shut down over the weekend, affecting millions of travelers around the world, some government agencies and airlines clashed over the flight bans. Some restricted airspace is now beginning to open up and some limited flights are being allowed now as airlines are pushing for the ability to judge safety conditions for themselves. The volcano continues to rumble and hurl ash skyward, if at a slightly diminished rate now, as the dispersing ash plume has dropped closer to the ground, and the World Health Organization has issued a health warning to Europeans with respiratory conditions. Collected here are some images from Iceland over the past few days.

Lightning streaks across the sky as lava flows from a volcano in Eyjafjallajokul April 17, 2010. (REUTERS/Lucas Jackson)

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The volcano in southern Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull glacier sends ash into the air just prior to sunset ON Friday, April 16, 2010. Thick drifts of volcanic ash blanketed parts of rural Iceland on Friday as a vast, invisible plume of grit drifted over Europe, emptying the skies of planes and sending hundreds of thousands in search of hotel rooms, train tickets or rental cars. (AP Photo/Brynjar Gauti).  [Click "read full post" below to see all 35 photos.]

The Safe Chemicals Act

 Legislation to overhaul the nation’s failed chemical law has been introduced in Congress by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Congressmen Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Henry Waxman (D-CA). The Safe Chemicals Act is landmark legislation that will overhaul the way the government protects people from toxic chemicals. The Safe Chemicals Act puts our health first, provides better information to businesses, and helps the average consumer avoid toxic chemicals in every day products.

Send a message to your Congressmen and Senator, urging them to support this crucial act here.

Child & Teen BMI Calculator

The CDC has a user-friendly child and teen Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator which can give you a clearer picture of where your child falls compared to other children of his or her age. The website also offers continued guidelines based on the result of the BMI calculation. This is a great resource, and often the first step in identifying and preventing childhood obesity-related consequences.

To try out the BMI calculator, click here.

"Lets Retake Our Plates"