Jan 12, 2018
New Winter Olympic Sports
Next month we will be treated to the Olympics
with four new events during this Winter Olympics: big air
snowboarding and freestyle skiing on the slopes, and mass start
speed skating and mixed doubles curling on the ice.
Artificial Sweeteners Compared
All sugar substitutes are not
created equal. Here are a few facts about the most widely known
sweeteners.
Equal (Aspartame) was discovered in 1965 and first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1981. It is the only FDA approved nutritive sweetener, meaning it adds caloric value to a meal. It loses its sweetness when heated and therefore is not used in baked goods. It is a mixture of aspartic acid and phenylalanine) that is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Newtame - (Neotame) It was approved by the FDA during 2002 and is 7,000 to 13,000 times as sweet as table sugar.
Splenda (Sucralose) was discovered in 1976 and first approved by the FDA IN 1998. It is molecularly bonded sucrose molecules with chlorine and is 600 times as sweet as sugar by gram. It is chemically modified to have zero calories. It keeps its sweetness when heated and therefore is used in baked goods.
Sweet’N Low (saccharin) was discovered in 1879. It was removed from the FDA’s caution list in 2000. It is made from benzoic sulfimide, a coal tar derivative that is approximately 300 times sweeter than sugar and also contains dextrose and cream of tartar. It contains 4 calories per packet, but the body cannot metabolize it, so it adds no caloric or nutritional value to a meal. Cyclamate was the original ingredient in Sweet’N Low. It is a chemical 30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar. By 1963, cyclamate was America’s favorite artificial sweetener, then the sweetener was proven to cause bladder cancer in rats, resulting in an immediate ban by the FDA that is still in effect. In response, Sweet’N Low swiftly became a saccharin-based product.
Stevia is a sweetener and sugar substitute marketed most familiarly as PureVia and Truvia, extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana. The active compounds of Stevia are steviol glycosides, which have up to 150 times the sweetness of sugar. It is heat-stable, pH-stable, and not fermentable. The legal status of Stevia as a food additive or dietary supplement varies from country to country. In the United States, high-purity stevia glycoside extracts are generally recognized as safe and allowed as ingredients in food products, but stevia leaf and crude extracts do not have FDA approval for use in food. The European Union approved Stevia additives in 2011, and in Japan, Stevia has been widely used as a sweetener for decades.
Sweet One - (Sunett) was discovered during 1967 and approved in 1988. It contains Dextrose, Acesulfame-K, Cream of Tartar, Calcium Silicate (an anti-caking agent), and natural flavors and is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is soluble in hot and cold beverages and remains stable when heated, so it can also be used in cooking and baking. It adds no caloric or nutritional value to a meal.
According to the FDA, high-intensity sweeteners add few or no calories to the foods they flavor and they generally do not raise blood sugar levels.
The FDA during 2014 approved a new high-intensity sweetener called advantame, which does not yet have a brand name. It has been approved as a new food additive for use as a sweetener and flavor enhancer in foods, except meat and poultry.
Incidentally, notice how many months/years it takes for FDA to approve.
Equal (Aspartame) was discovered in 1965 and first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1981. It is the only FDA approved nutritive sweetener, meaning it adds caloric value to a meal. It loses its sweetness when heated and therefore is not used in baked goods. It is a mixture of aspartic acid and phenylalanine) that is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Newtame - (Neotame) It was approved by the FDA during 2002 and is 7,000 to 13,000 times as sweet as table sugar.
Splenda (Sucralose) was discovered in 1976 and first approved by the FDA IN 1998. It is molecularly bonded sucrose molecules with chlorine and is 600 times as sweet as sugar by gram. It is chemically modified to have zero calories. It keeps its sweetness when heated and therefore is used in baked goods.
Sweet’N Low (saccharin) was discovered in 1879. It was removed from the FDA’s caution list in 2000. It is made from benzoic sulfimide, a coal tar derivative that is approximately 300 times sweeter than sugar and also contains dextrose and cream of tartar. It contains 4 calories per packet, but the body cannot metabolize it, so it adds no caloric or nutritional value to a meal. Cyclamate was the original ingredient in Sweet’N Low. It is a chemical 30 to 50 times sweeter than sugar. By 1963, cyclamate was America’s favorite artificial sweetener, then the sweetener was proven to cause bladder cancer in rats, resulting in an immediate ban by the FDA that is still in effect. In response, Sweet’N Low swiftly became a saccharin-based product.
Stevia is a sweetener and sugar substitute marketed most familiarly as PureVia and Truvia, extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana. The active compounds of Stevia are steviol glycosides, which have up to 150 times the sweetness of sugar. It is heat-stable, pH-stable, and not fermentable. The legal status of Stevia as a food additive or dietary supplement varies from country to country. In the United States, high-purity stevia glycoside extracts are generally recognized as safe and allowed as ingredients in food products, but stevia leaf and crude extracts do not have FDA approval for use in food. The European Union approved Stevia additives in 2011, and in Japan, Stevia has been widely used as a sweetener for decades.
Sweet One - (Sunett) was discovered during 1967 and approved in 1988. It contains Dextrose, Acesulfame-K, Cream of Tartar, Calcium Silicate (an anti-caking agent), and natural flavors and is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is soluble in hot and cold beverages and remains stable when heated, so it can also be used in cooking and baking. It adds no caloric or nutritional value to a meal.
According to the FDA, high-intensity sweeteners add few or no calories to the foods they flavor and they generally do not raise blood sugar levels.
The FDA during 2014 approved a new high-intensity sweetener called advantame, which does not yet have a brand name. It has been approved as a new food additive for use as a sweetener and flavor enhancer in foods, except meat and poultry.
Incidentally, notice how many months/years it takes for FDA to approve.
Improbable Research
YouTube shows a fun look at the world around us, including the
Ig Nobel awards. It is even more entertaining if you watch it on
your TV. LINK
Size Envy
For
those who like things bigger, this week Samsung announced (with
a demo screen) an enormous 4K TV it is calling The Wall. The
Wall measures 146 inches and uses MicroLED technology to produce
its picture. The set compares to regular size TVs in quality and
color. Luckily it is not available in stores yet, or I might
need to consider re-mortgaging my house.
Alexa, Flush My Toilet
The annual CES show is in full swing with new
technology that will surprise many. Filed under the "I never
knew I needed that" is new Kohler and Moeller lines of bathroom
appliances that include smart shower heads, toilets, faucets,
and a smart mirror powered by Alexa.
You can monitor your water usage, set a certain lighting profile on the mirror, fill the bathtub to a specific level, warm the toilet seat, and ask the toilet to flush itself. All this 'must have' stuff will be available this year. Cost is estimated in the thousands of dollars.
You can monitor your water usage, set a certain lighting profile on the mirror, fill the bathtub to a specific level, warm the toilet seat, and ask the toilet to flush itself. All this 'must have' stuff will be available this year. Cost is estimated in the thousands of dollars.
Red Hair Trivia
Lucille Ball was born a brunette, but dyed her hair blond for
her early days in Hollywood. When she was about to make her
first film for MGM in 1942 (“Du Barry Was a Lady”), Sydney
Guilaroff, the studio’s chief hair stylist, made a discovery
that would change her for the rest of her life. “The hair is
brown,” he said after looking at the 31-year-old rising star,
“but the soul is on fire.” So he dyed Ball’s hair Tango Red (a
shade between carrot and strawberry), which it remained until
she died.
Incidentally, Betty Boop's original hair color was red.
Incidentally, Betty Boop's original hair color was red.
Jan 5, 2018
New Best Friends
Here are the
countries that visited my blog last month. Welcome to all my
new BFFs around the world.
United States, France, United Kingdom, Canada, South Korea, Seychelles, Russia, Norway, Israel, India, Hong Kong, Australia, Brazil, Ukraine, Spain, Philippines, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Romania, Netherlands, Indonesia, Turkey, Tanzania, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Lebanon, Japan, Iceland, Finland, Belarus, Bahrain, Austria
United States, France, United Kingdom, Canada, South Korea, Seychelles, Russia, Norway, Israel, India, Hong Kong, Australia, Brazil, Ukraine, Spain, Philippines, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Romania, Netherlands, Indonesia, Turkey, Tanzania, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Lebanon, Japan, Iceland, Finland, Belarus, Bahrain, Austria
Happy Friday
“Sometimes your joy is
the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the
source of your joy.” - Thich Nhat Hanh
It is always good to share your joy and smile, especially on a Happy Friday!
It is always good to share your joy and smile, especially on a Happy Friday!
Happy New Year
So we begin a new year,
full of anticipation and hope. It is my desire to have
everything good come to you this year.
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