FDA Food Label Folly

The US FDA uses common words to mean something different. FDA evaluates certain terms with reference to a typical portion size known as an RACC (Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed). An RACC of eggnog, for example, is ½ cup. For croutons, it’s 7 grams, and for scrambled eggs, 100 grams. Many labels use artificially low or high portion size to reduce or increase the amount of calories, fat, etc. perceived by the consumer.

Imitation - A food only has to be labeled as “imitation” if it has a lower amount of protein or some other essential nutrient than the food it’s trying to look like.

Free -  To be labeled “free” of calories, the food must have less than 5 per RACC. For fat and sugar, less than .5 grams. For sodium, less than 5 milligrams. Also, the food must somehow be processed to be “free” of those things in order to get the simple “free” label. You can not have “fat free lettuce,” only “lettuce, a fat free food.”

Low - Low is also defined with respect to set portion sizes and varies with whether it refers to calories, fat, or sodium. For fat it’s less than 3 grams. For calories, it’s less than 40, unless it is a prepared meal, in which case it’s 120 per 100 grams.

Reduced/less - Sometimes manufacturers want to make a relational claim about a food—not just that it’s “low” in some substance, but lower than it usually is (which may mean it doesn't meet the standard for “low”). Relational claims are evaluated with respect to a reference food. A reference food should be the same type of food, as yogurt vs. yogurt. The “reduced” substance must be less than 25 percent of what it is in the reference food.

Light/lite - This is also evaluated with respect to a reference food, and a rather complicated set of conditions is taken into account for different substances. For example, if a “light” product has more than half of its calories from fat, the fat must be reduced by half per reference serving amount. If less than half its calories come from fat, it can be “light” if the calories per serving are reduced by 1/3. Sometimes foods that meet “low” requirements can also be labeled as “light.”

High - High means that the food has 20 percent or more of the recommended daily value for that nutrient per reference serving.

Good Source - “Good source of” is a little lower than “high.” A food with this label should have 10 to 19 percent of the recommended daily value.

 Lean - “Lean” applies to seafoods or meats that have less than combined specified levels of fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol (10g, 4.5g, and 95mg, respectively).

Natural - The FDA has not established an official definition, but endorses the general understanding that it implies nothing artificial or synthetic has been added that would not normally be expected to be added.

DNA Kit

Did you know you can have your DNA analyzed for just $99? It used to cost $10,000. The web site 23andme.com has the information. Interesting information about diseases you may be inclined toward, based on your DNA. It also has Ancestry information, risk for some genetic diseases, cancer, and some possible drug responses you may have.

It takes a week to get the kit and a few seconds to swab your mouth, then 5 - 6 weeks to get results. I sent for my kit this week.

Four Kinds of Irony

Verbal irony: This is when the speaker says one thing but means another (often contrary) thing. The most well known type of verbal irony is sarcasm. For example: “He is as funny as a broken rib”.

Tragic irony: Tragic irony occurs only in fiction. It is when the words or actions of a character contradict the real situation with the full knowledge of the spectators. For example: In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo mistakenly believes that Juliet has killed herself, so he poisons himself. Juliet awakens to find Romeo dead so she kills herself with his knife.

Dramatic Irony: In drama, this type of irony is when the spectator is given a piece of information that one or more of the characters are unaware of. For example: in Pygmalion, we know that Eliza is a prostitute, but the Higgins family does not.

Situational Irony: Situational irony is when there is a difference between the expected result and the actual result. Take for example this account of the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan: As aides rushed to push Reagan into his car, the bullet ricocheted off the bullet-proof car, then hit the President in the chest, grazed a rib and lodged in his lung, just inches from his heart. The bullet proof car was intended to protect the president, but nearly caused his death by deflecting the bullet.

Wordology, Cogitate

Here is a once common verb that seems to haven fallen from our language. It means to take careful thought or think carefully about. Also, to think earnestly or studiously; reflect; ponder; meditate: as, to cogitate a means of escape. In addition, to revolve in the mind; think about attentively; meditate on; hence, devise or plan: as, he is cogitating mischief (something I never did as a child).

Yogurt Debate

Almost 28% of Americans eat yogurt on a daily basis.  Yogurt comes from milk that has healthy bacteria added for fermentation. During this process, yogurt thickens and takes on a slightly tangy taste. Yogurt is then strained through a cheesecloth, which allows the liquid whey part of milk to drain off. Regular yogurt is strained twice and Greek yogurt is strained three times to remove more whey, making it thicker.

Greek yogurt has almost double the protein of regular yogurt. Eight ounces of Greek yogurt has about 20 grams of protein and regular yogurt 11-13 grams. Greek yogurt has fewer carbohydrates than regular yogurt. Regular yogurt has about three times the calcium of Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt has half the sodium of regular yogurt. Plain, nonfat versions of Greek and regular yogurt have a similar calorie count per serving. Greek yogurt does not curdle when heated like regular yogurt. Greek yogurt, on average costs twice as much as regular yogurt. Bottom line, for one serving a day, not much difference, except a little texture, maybe taste, and a much higher cost.

Happy Friday

"The best things in life aren't things."

You do not need things to have a Happy Friday!

Granny Smith Apples

Fall is the perfect time of year to enjoy fresh apples and apple cider. While working on her farm near Sydney, Australia, Maria Smith found a small sapling growing where she had discarded some rotten apples. She replanted the tree and it eventually bore fruit, green apples with a tart flavor. She shared these apples with her friends and neighbors and they grew in fame. Maria died in 1870 but her “Granny Smith” apples are still popular around the world.

US National Weather Service

It has its beginnings in the early history of the United States. Weather has always been important to the citizens of this country and especially during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The beginning of the National Weather Service we know today started on February 9th, 1870, when President Ulysses S. Grant signed a joint resolution of Congress authorizing the Secretary of War to establish a national weather service. This resolution required the Secretary of War "to provide for taking meteorological observations at the military stations in the interior of the continent and at other points in the States and Territories... and for giving notice on the northern (Great) Lakes and on the seacoast by magnetic telegraph and marine signals, of the approach and force of storms."

It was decided that this agency would be placed under the Secretary of War, because military discipline would probably secure the greatest promptness, regularity, and accuracy in the required observations. Within the Department of War, it was assigned to the Signal Service Corps under Brigadier General Albert J. Myer. General Meyer gave the National Weather Service its first name: The Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce.

Later that year, the first systematized, synchronous weather observations ever taken in the U.S. were made by "observing-sergeants" of the Army Signal Service at 22 stations and telegraphed to Washington. An agency was born which would affect the daily lives of most of the citizens of the United States through its forecasts and warnings.

The National Weather Service, once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government. It is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The Climate Prediction Center is responsible for all of the NWS's climate-related forecasts. Their mission is to "serve the public by assessing and forecasting the impacts of short-term climate variability, emphasizing enhanced risks of weather-related extreme events, for use in mitigating losses and maximizing economic gains." Their products cover time scales from a week to seasons, extending into the future as far as technically feasible, and cover the land, the ocean, and the atmosphere, extending into the stratosphere. Most of their products cover the Contiguous U.S. and Alaska. Additionally, Weather Forecast Offices issue daily and monthly climate reports for official climate stations within their area of responsibility. These generally include recorded highs, lows and other information. This information is considered preliminary until certified by the National Climatic Data Center.

Naked and Nude

Naked implies that a person is unprotected or vulnerable. It also describes something that is unadorned or without embellishment, as in the naked truth. Nude, on the other hand, means one thing: unclothed.

Think of it this way: if you doff your duds to pose while descending a staircase for a tasteful painting done by a respected artist, then you are nude. If a bunch of paparazzi suddenly burst in through the studio door and take your picture without permission, you are naked.

Cracking Another Egg Myth

The nutritional value of the egg and its yolk has been debated by nutritionists for years. Years ago, the egg received a bad reputation with regard to cardiovascular health, as one large egg contains approximately 187 milligrams of cholesterol. However, most research has shown that cholesterol found in foods isn't fully to blame for increased LDL cholesterol in the body.

“Eggs are an animal product, and they do contain cholesterol, but actually, cholesterol in foods doesn't affect our blood cholesterol as much as saturated fat does. Cholesterol in food, in general you do want to avoid, but it’s not necessarily the main culprit of high cholesterol." Lisa Cimperman, registered dietitian for UH Case Medical Center.

Compared to other animal products, the average egg actually contains relatively low amounts of saturated fats – approximately 1.6 grams per egg yolk. Additionally, various studies from the Harvard School of Public Health and the British Nutrition Foundation have found that eggs have clinically insignificant effects on blood cholesterol, and are not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Many consumers are still concerned over the yolk’s fatty content, so rather than eat the full egg, they often eat just the egg’s albumin, the egg white. However, some dietitians argue it is important to consume both the egg’s fat and protein, as the combination can have positive health benefits for blood sugar.

“You want the fat, because it not only satiates you, but also slows the absorption of your food, so you stay fuller longer, and it won’t increase blood sugar. A lot of people have toast with just egg whites, but it’s giving them a quicker rise in their blood sugar, but if you have the yolk with it or a different form of fat like avocado, your blood sugar won’t rise as quickly, because it takes longer to break the food down.” Laura Cipullo registered dietitian. Egg yolks are a good source of vitamin A and iron, along with a host of other nutrients. Eggs are also good sources of B vitamin, thiamine and selenium. Eggs also pair very well with bacon.

Wordology, Aptronym

Have you noticed that some people seem to have very appropriate and entirely coincidental names? Names such Usain Bolt (Jamaican sprinter), Lord Brain (brain surgeon), or Alto Reed (saxophonist). This is called an aptronym, as in 'aptly named'.

Some people believe that the name can influence life decisions leading a person to work in a field relating to their name. This is called 'nominative determinism'.

Five Household Uses for Tea Bags

Tea is a great, natural way to clean and polish wood furniture. Brew a full pot of tea and allow it to cool to room temperature. Then dip a light colored, clean towel in the tea and gently rub the wet end of the towel along the surface of wooden furniture. The tea removes light stains and scratches and leaves the furniture shining.

If you wipe mirrors down with room temperature tea, they will be clean and streak-free. A microfiber towel or newspaper both work well.

Empty wet tea leaves into a bowl and sprinkle them across the fireplace before cleaning. The wet tea leaves absorb the ash, making it easier to clean the fireplace and with less dust.

Add a few used tea bags to the bottom of a planter before adding soil. The tea bags absorb excess water.

Used tag bags actually absorb odors in small spaces, much like baking soda does. Let tea bags dry completely and add to sock drawers or toss a bag into shoes or sneakers. The bags soak up odors for a few weeks.

Henry VIII Wives

He actually had just two wives, not six. Henry’s fourth marriage to Anne was annulled, as the marriage was never consummated, also Anne was betrothed to Francis, Duke of Lorraine. At the time ‘betrothal’ would bar the individual from marriage. That leaves 5 wives. Henry’s second marriage to Anne Boleyn was declared illegal by the pope, because the king was still married to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. That brings it to four. Henry, as the head of the church of England, declared himself that his first marriage was invalid on the grounds that a man cannot sleep with his brother’s widow. Now down to three. He did the same with his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, leaving just two wives.

Close, But No Cigar

This  means to fall short of a successful outcome. It was first used in the United States in the early 1900s and is likely the phrase originated at fairgrounds.

Much like fairs today, booths would be set up and fair workers would host difficult to win games for fair goers to try. Games of strength, accuracy, and skill were played by men and women. Back then, prizes were for mom and dad, and cigars were a very common prize given out to winners. The phrase apparently originated when someone came close to winning one of the games, but ultimately lost and so did not win a cigar. Workers yelled it out out when people lost, trying to draw crowds and encourage the person to try again. As the fairs traveled, the phrase spread rapidly and it began to be used any time someone did not meet expectations.