Exercise in America? Grasping at Straws

This item was celebrated with headline coverage in today's NYT: "A Centers for Disease Control survey found that 62 percent of American adults took a 10-minute walk at least once a week in 2010, up from 56 percent in 2005."  FULLY  sixty-two percent! Went for at least a ten minute walk! Once a week! Well, we can confidently say that our long dark night of obesity, poor fitness and a health care crisis is COMING TO A CLOSE. As Richard III said (with similar irony): "Now the winter of our discontent is turned to glorious summer by this Son of York!"

Natural yoghurt

Ned's friends will no doubt share his delight at discovering an unflavored yoghurt, which described itself on the label as "naturally unflavored!" Is this a great country or what?

The food "crisis"

Ned notes with disdain the Chicken Littles prattling on in the NYT and elsewhere, about their "food crisis," when what we actually have is an agricultural subsidy crisis. The so-called foods that are at "risk" in the drought are things that are fed to animals for slaughter--corn and soybeans. We also may have milk "shortages" but since no human needs milk after the age of 2 that's no concern either. Ned advises his many friends to cut WAY back on chicken, pork and beef (which he has been doing for decades) and eat more vegetables and fruit, not to mention seafood (sustainably caught or raised of course). And agitate against ethanol!
Ned wishes his friends bon appetit!

Junk Food Redux

Ned's friends know that he has pounded junk food with righteous fury since this meagre effort was commenced. Comes word today that 'researchers' in the U S and Sweden have found that benighted losers who consume 4 or more 'fast food' meals a week have an 80% greater risk of heart trouble than those who abstain.  Now Ned can already hear the bleating, to wit: 'somethings gotta kill ya!' To whom Ned would suggest that they just step in front of a bus now and save us all a lot of bother.

Correcting the "American Diet"

Ned's friends will be glad to know that Americans consumed more toxic junk food on the 4th of July than any other day of the year, according to Bloomberg. Here's the loathsome lineup:  'lean' ground beef, WHITE bread, American 'cheese,' iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, ice cream and potato chips. Only tomatoes are nutritious and most of them will no doubt be conventional, slathered with pesticides, and eventually thrown away anyway.

Health care debate, anyone?

Now, let's fix this by substituting real food for the crap that most people ate on the 4th.

Old Crap                                                   Substitution

ground beef                                              buffalo or veggie burger

white bread                                              whole wheat bun, or sprouted grain bun

American 'cheese'                                   organic gorgonzola or other sheep's milk cheese

iceberg lettuce                                         spinach or arugula

tomatoes                                                 (organic) heirloom tomatoes

ice cream                                                nothing

potato chips                                             wholegrain chips (NOT multigrain), or beanitos

Reconsidering the steam room

Ned's many friends may recall that he mused recently on the possible health benefits of regular visits to a steam room, since research has shown that breathing in a salty mist is good for one's sinuses. However, recently Ned has come down with two annoying minor sinus infections (here he is practicing medicine without a license, since he would never put his health in the hands of the medical cranks for such a minor complaint). He is now moved to wonder whether in fact the steam room may not be an incubator for germs of all stripes and persuasions, given the wet conditions and warm temperatures. Therefore, from now on he will confine his (all too few) leisurely moments at his gym--er, health club, to the salt water hot tub.
He will report on his findings at a later date.

Dental health

Ned had his biannual cleaning (that is, once every two years--of course the quacks tell you to do it twice a year because of $$$). The hygienist said, 'if everyone had gums and teeth like yours I'd be out of a job.' Here's why: Ned does not drink colas, nor fruit juices. Colas especially are deadly to one's teeth, whether sugared or not, because of the carbonation and the phosphoric acid. These two substances render the pH of the diabolical stuff down around 2.5 or so--highly acidic, which eats away at one's teeth. Moreover, the sugar provides food for bacteria. Bad combination.
So eat fruit, don't drink juice. Brush twice a day, and swish water around in the mouth regularly to keep those bacteria unhappy. Floss also. Gum chewing is OK, especially xylitol gum which the bacteria don't like. And the chewing generates saliva which adds minerals back to teeth.
Happy dentine.