Nutrition // Current

Why we're failing with nutrition, diets and what to do about it

Diana Raleva, the authority on how to use Superfoods to improve mental and physical... more

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Food lobby mobilizes as soda tax bubbles up

Washington lobbyists have been enjoying a multi-million-dollar sugar rush from the food industry.

Soft drink makers, supermarket companies, agriculture and the fast-food business have poured millions into campaigning against what they fear could be a burgeoning national movement to raise money for health care reform by taxing sweetened beverages.

During the first nine months of 2009, the industry groups stepped up their lobbying in Congress. They have spent more than $24 million on the issue of a national excise tax on sweetened beverages and on other legislative and regulatory issues, according to an examination of lobbying reports filed with the Senate Office of Public Records. The review shows that 21 companies and organizations reported that they lobbied specifically on the proposed tax on sugar-sweetened beverages - which among other things would include sodas, juice drinks and chocolate milk.

About $5 million of the money was spent on a national advertising campaign aimed at Capitol Hill lawmakers and promoting a newly formed coalition called Americans Against Food Taxes . The group bills itself on its website as a coalition of "responsible individuals, financially-strapped families, [and] small and large businesses" but its 400-plus membership list is dominated by industry heavyweights such as Burger King Corporation, Coca Cola, Pepsico and Domino's Pizza.

Many health officials and advocacy groups have argued for years that sugary drinks, particularly those with high-fructose corn syrup, have been key contributors to a rise in obesity rates in the United States, especially among children. Some argue that the time is right for a soda tax, which they say could not only cut consumption but also generate revenue to close state budget gaps and pay for new health care programs.

A proposal for a national excise tax on soft drinks surfaced in a May funding policy options paper during the Senate Finance Committee's deliberations on health care reform. Food lobbyists attacked then and continued their efforts in July when President Obama raised the possibility of a soda tax in an interview with Men's Health magazine. The proposal has not emerged in any of the health care reform bills still in play on Capitol Hill.

But the issue may be gaining traction in some key states. This week, California lawmakers are holding a high-profile hearing in Los Angeles to examine the link between childhood obesity and sugary drinks. In New York, Gov. David Paterson has revived the idea of a sugared beverage tax after a previous proposal was shot down by the legislature earlier this year in the face of industry opposition.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/04/soda-tax-mobilizes-food-l_n_345840.htmlWashington lobbyists have been enjoying a multi-million-dollar sugar rush from the... more

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Eat tomatoes to lose weight

http://www.ourvanity.com/wellness/diet-and-nutriotion/eat-tomatoes-to-lose-weight/... more

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101 Nutrition Tips for a Longer, Better Life

Here are some tips to help you embrace good nutrition and eating habits so you can... more

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The Parisian Love Crumble - A Quick Delicious Raw Vegan Dessert

(OrganicJar) This is a quick delicious dessert by Lisa Paris. She calls it the... more

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Fall Wellness Tune-Up

Wellness and Lifestyle Advocate, Terra Wellington, shares mom-to-mom tips on how to... more

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The Shocking Truth About Orange Juice – Must Watch!

(OrganicJar) One of the great scams of the industrial food cartel is the so-called... more

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23 days ago
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Why it’s NOT necessary to wear a bra

According to the survey, over 90% of North American women wear a bra, many without... more

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Immune Boosting Superfoods: Can the right diet bolster my body’s defenses?

Vitamin-Mineral Potions and Pills, A Cup (or More) of Green Tea and Probiotics

As with many label claims, Airborne’s current one begins with a kernel of truth: vitamins A, C, E, zinc, and selenium—nutrients in the supplement—are among the vitamins and minerals that our immune systems need to function efficiently. According to a 2002 report in the British Journal of Nutrition, deficiencies of any of these nutrients (or of vitamins B6, B12, folic acid, copper or iron) can depress immunity. But the key word is deficiency; most of us—save for smokers, pregnant and breastfeeding women and the elderly—meet our needs for these nutrients with the foods we eat. If you fall into any of those higher-risk categories, talk with your doctor before taking a supplement.

Glacéau’s Vitaminwater “Defense,” a drink with a label that claims it is “specially formulated with nutrients required for optimal functioning of the immune system,” doesn’t deliver the mega-high doses of nutrients that Airborne does. (A 20-ounce bottle of the water contains 150 percent of the DRV of vitamin C and 25 percent for four B vitamins and zinc.) But at 125 calories per bottle, I’d rather skip it.

My colleague Mingruo Guo, Ph.D., a professor of food science at the University of Vermont and an authority on the immune-boosting potential of foods, always has a pot of green tea brewing. He drinks five to six cups a day, convinced that it has immune-enhancing effects along with other health benefits. Guo, who grew up drinking tea in China, credits tea’s polyphenols, potent plant antioxidants. One laboratory study suggested that a particular type of polyphenols called catechins may kill influenza viruses. Although just how they work isn’t fully known, research suggests that catechins, a particular type of polyphenols in green tea, may stimulate production and activity of some immune cells and inhibit the production of disease-promoting inflammatory compounds. One laboratory study found that catechins can kill influenza viruses.

Probiotics, so-called “good bacteria” found in yogurt, sauerkraut and other foods, are touted as helping prevent the GI upsets many of us succumb to during the holidays. According to a recent review in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, regular consumption of probiotics may help your immune system work better, reduce the incidence of intestinal infections and improve digestion.Vitamin-Mineral Potions and Pills, A Cup (or More) of Green Tea and Probiotics As... more