Views and Perspectives Articles

Nutritional data is deceptive, because the food market depends on the packaging to sell their products. The sales pitch has to be on the carton. The consumer friendly pitch has to be on the label. When competing for shelve space labeling is more important than contents.

Pre-packaged Foods

Pre-packaged food has raised the bar, now their packaging will deliver health messages. Retailers will be able to pack their shelves with ready to go meals, with brands, which will promote their product as low calorie, low sodium, lactose free, vegan low sugar, no artificial flavors and high fiber.

Nutrition

The key nutritional benefits on package fronts are going to capture a loyal following. This strategy will be geared to the health conscious consumer. It will also fool many people into incorporating more packaged products into their diet. It will make eating healthy appear very simple. These will be wallet friendly and quick to make and serve, think microwave and easy to pour.

When shoppers look for products from boxed cereals with heart healthy symbols, frozen meals or snacks with the number of calories on the label or the vitamins per serving, they are being misled. Vitamin A or C means nothing since these are gong to be in products which are fortified with vitamins and minerals that come out of a lab.

Labels

As these brands capture the imagination and continue to expand, the line between real food and faux food are going to blur. All the rationalization in the world can’t position these products as food. Not only do they not mimic a whole food diet, they are emerging as a new and dangerous eating pattern for Americans. 

The deceptive wordings on these items are attracting devoted fans. Confectionery items are transforming sugary treats to a fiber source. Sodas sport photos of passion fruit, mandarin and citrus fruit to impart the image of natural goodness.

Marketing

Marketing a wide variety of packaged food to compete with produce, fiber, and protein is designed to increase brand value and strengthen market position. The aim is higher profit margins, and the only way to do that is to offer significantly less nutritional value. It is highly unlikely that the ingredients can be improved when price is the object. The facelift that is transforming the food industry is in the carton or carrier of their product.

Creating beverages, freezer pops, and meals with significant market power means to package these to imply a host of health benefits. Fresh food it isn’t and the shelf life doesn’t mean that the food is anywhere near fresh even with a good expiration date.  Because the contents is aseptically packed doesn’t mean its safe. For example, cans are lined with cancer causing material. There is a reason that things like genetically modified ingredients and high fructose corn syrup is used and that is price.  The health and wellness initiatives over the past years have gone into advertising and packaging not quality.

Health

Lite and healthy food may seem to be evident by the logo, carton, and label. The visible sign of health may be on the carton, and that may be more than a simple deception. Manufactures know how to hide the true ingredients in very deceptive ways. .Mum’s the word as far as the way food is manufactured. In fact the product isn’t even close enough to the natural source to be a ringer for the real thing.

More choices in pre-packaged breakfasts, snacks and dinners means that corn chips, tortilla chips, extruded puffs of crunchy cereals will begin to fit the customers’ requirements for sustenance. For the consumer it is lower costs, for the manufacturer it is bigger margins. Nutritional data deceptive practices have a real cost, which the consumer is paying for.

Type 2 diabetes treatment failure is distressing to say the least. Doctors’ diabetic care seems to accelerate the growth of both the pharmaceutical industry and the medical supply business.

Doctor’s Advice

The doctor’s advice is oddly consistent with the American dietary approach. Eat everything in moderation. That advice hasn’t paid off.  Their solution to the problem is an insulin injection or a pill along with a jab of the finger a few times a day.

Their cash flow isn’t hurt, but the potential for a full recovery isn’t anywhere to be seen. What are the medical community’s benchmarks for successful disease management?  Well it seems the simple trick to success is not to challenge the patient to change their lifestyle, but to just comply with the drug schedule, and adjust medication with glucose monitoring.

The treatment isn’t about science; though that is what it is suppose to be about. The medical system is about care not cure. That is the real problem. Doctors support a system that is about volume, and what works best is maintenance.

Here is some advice from a pediatric endocrinologist and senior scientist in the UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center. For Halloween he gave parents three options.

Counting Carbohydrates

By counting carbohydrates, kids can enjoy some of the treats that Halloween has to offer in moderation. This option allows the child to keep up with how many carbs they are eating: the example is one unit of insulin for every 15 or 20 grams of carbohydrates.

This is the doctor’s quote: “This is an easy option for kids on an insulin pump because they can just dial in an extra dose of insulin to compensate for what they are about to eat. But for kids that take shots, this could prove to be more difficult or inconvenient if they have to go to the school nurse for an extra dose,”

What is wrong with this solution is that everything can be solved with a shot of insulin. This message sets the stage for life, with using insulin as the fix for poor dietary choices. Sometimes you need the insulin, but to use it as a springboard to survival is absurd. The next problem is the quality of the treats and the ingredient list. These treats will deplete the body of its store of vitamins and minerals, which are needed and used by the pancreas, liver, and all systems that support the body’s ability to deal with sugar and toxins, such as artificial flavor and colors.

This is considered a proactive approach by both the parents and physician. The child needs to feel part of the crowd, and enjoy the American past time of eating poor quality fuel for the body.

Exchanging Candy

The second solution suggested is that the parents can trade the child a gift, money, or low carb snack for their candy. Parents can also provide a substitute snack for their child if the class is holding a Halloween party at school.

I know as a parent that this sounds good and it may work.  However, to offer cash or a gift makes the candy seem to have a high value. What the problem is this is considered a practical solution, since we live in the real world. This approach doesn’t remove sweet treats but perpetuates its value.

The low carb approach is good and even better if it’s structured to be the desired item by the child. The way to do that isn’t mystical; it’s eating healthy while pregnant, and starting the baby on a good diet. The chances of having diabetes would be lower with this approach.

Dessert

kids can savor their Halloween treats without an extra shot or dose of insulin by having them for dessert after dinner. The quote “By incorporating a sugary treat into meal time, when a child would normally get a dose of insulin, it eliminates the need for adding doses to their regimen.”

Another idea I am not fond of and the reason is there is an aticipation of a reward. It takes sweets and holds them in high esteem. Protecting health and remaining safe from disease is the main goal, not building deals around things that aren’t good for diabetes.

Removal of harmful substances is a necessary tool for the parents of diabetic children. Avoiding the American way of eating will enable diabetic children to achieve a long and healthy life.

There is plenty of finger-pointing when it comes to what people eat. There is very little said about muscle strength. The fact is muscle strength combats aging. Science is discovering the unique health benefits to being fit. From diabetes management, cancer risk reduction,  cardiovascular health, and cognitive abilities exercise offers a multitude of benefits.

There is a harmonic relationship between muscle power and health. Muscle strength makes life a whole lot easier. As one gets older and slower, the size and strength of the muscles are the deciding factor in the rate of decline in aging. Muscle volume supports your daily activities. To have stronger muscles means that size is important. You need enough to support daily activity, and slow down age related changes.

Physical Performance

Physical performance is dependent on muscle strength. Muscles are a necessary tool for being able to engage in daily activity. The first through people have at times: is it worth the sweat to maintain a high level of strength. This isn’t about flexing or building hard as rocks muscles. This is about unleashing enough strength to make life easier, and not miss out on the senior years.

Age-defying looks and vitality depend on muscle power. There are many concrete ways to build muscles at any age. The sooner you make this a daily goal the better. What build muscles are the same things that keep you fit and active.

The way to stay fit is to feel the clay of the tennis court against your feet, or the grass on a golf course. Taking up running, jogging or walking, or just getting your feet wet jumping into the pool for a swim.

To really outsmart father time means to take steps to ensure you reach the goal of maximizing your performance. This means anything from yoga to strength training. There is nothing like working out to meet your goal using anything from aerobics to Pilates.

 Repetitions

Working our isn’t what you did last week, last month, or last year it is what you are doing currently. Small daily goals become the motivation for more movement.

Hitting the gym is the best way to perfect all sport performances. What may seem like monotony becomes an inspiration as you develop a passion for fitness. What you hear from most people is a mixed message: they know they should workout, but they don’t like the work involved. When you are feeling really good you want to be moving and not sit glued to the couch. Any workout that you enjoy, from the Asian healing arts to the modern day Zumba classes will optimize your health. 

Fuel Sources

Exercise takes endurance, and to most fitness experts’ food is part and parcel of training. Foods need to provide an energy boost, and a means to a fast recovery. In real life the only thing that provides energy is good nutritional practices.

Recommendations run far and wide. Every whole food has its place from organic superfoods to good enzymes. Amino acids are important as are all vitamins and minerals. Good sources of protein work well. There are vegetarian athletes who have learned what works for them. The most important factor is to be aware of what you put into your body. Sugar along with processed foods will not supply your body with sustainable energy.

Everyone deserves a body that is trim and fit. There are limitless possibilities to make your body into a fine tuned instrument. Small steps will pay off big time in helping you unleash the power you already have. Exercise is an investment in the future, which can make prime time anytime, from youth to the senior years.