Another reason why America is so unhealthy

I noticed today that Coca-Cola says it has "no artificial flavors" even though the second ingredient is High Fructose Corn Syrup. Well, to my amazement, they can say this because the FDA does not object to calling HFCS natural because it is a "product of a vegetable". Riiiiight.

I think almost everyone would agree that honey is a natural sweetener. Now, to include HFCS in the same category as honey is beyond comprehension. Anyone can go out and find honey in nature. Nobody can walk through a corn field and start collecting corn syrup! HFCS is a man made concoction. Period. End of story. The most frustrating part is that the FDA is supposedly around to help inform and protect the public about health and food. But because of a technicality they allow people to call HFCS natural. This is just another example that the FDA has no clue what they are talking about. High Fructose Corn Syrup is not "natural". How ridiculous.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-fructose_corn_syrup#Labeling_as_.22natural.22

Moving Beyond the Automobile: Highway Removal

Moving Beyond the Automobile: Highway Removal from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Tragedy to triumph

This story is pretty amazing. To say all of this just happened by pure chance is choosing to ignore the elephant in the room. Better have some tissue on hand, you just might need it:

http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-football/from-never-to-walking-brock-mealer-will-lead-michigan-football-team-onto-field-saturday/

We don't have cable/satellite anymore, so I'm not sure if any network picked this up. It would be a shame if they didn't. Stuff like this should dominate the headlines, not all of the other crap that is usually reported on.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

I don't know if you've seen them, but there are now commercials on TV promoting the use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). I find this disturbing, at best. The problem isn't necessarily with HFCS itself (though, there is evidence that suggests your body is negatively affected by how it processes HFCS); the problem with HFCS is that it is almost exclusively found in processed foods. Many beverages and other processed foods made with HFCS are high in calories and low in nutritional value. Regularly including these products in your diet has the potential to promote obesity; which, in turn, promotes conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

The commercials that I've seen are no doubt trying to make a correlation between HFCS and eating foods containing it as being "healthy". Their main argument: it comes from corn. Using that argument, manure must be good to eat too...it comes from a cow!

True, if you look it up there will be "studies" that show HFCS is no more dangerous than natural sugar. First of all, as mentioned above, HFCS alone isn't the entire problem. Second, these studies are heavily sponsored (i.e., influenced) by the HFCS industry. If I want to know the risks/benefits of snake oil, I surely won't be asking scientists that are sponsored by snake oil salesmen.

To wrap it up...please don't fall for the hype. High fructose corn syrup is primarily used in processed foods. Processed foods are bad for you. The rest should be easy to figure out!


Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

San Luis Obispo expands tobacco laws

Give one up for fast moving government! (For once.) In December, the city council unanimously voted to adopt new no smoking and tobacco use laws. January 15th was the frist day that the expanded laws took effect within the city limits of SLO.

"The law bans smoking in any city park, all open spaces, and at sporting facilities. It also applies to dog parks, public transportation facilities, Mission Plaza and the creek walk."

The law mostly targets smokers, but also applies to any tobacco product, including chewing tobacco. (Not mentioned in the source link.)

Fines start at $100 for the first offense; $200 for the second; then $500 for each additional offense within a 12 month period.

Fun fact: In 1990, San Luis Obispo became the first municipality in the world to ban smoking in all public places. (Allegedly.)

Fun fact #2: SLO also has a "no drive-through" ordinance. Fast food, banks, ATMs, etc., are not allowed to have drive-throughs. That's right, your lazy butt has to walk if you want your double cheeseburger to-go in SLO.

Supposedly, there is going to be further consideration to expand the no smoking/tobacco use laws even more. There's talk that the entire downtown area (or even the entire city limits) could become a no smoking zone outside of private property. I'm all for no smoking, but this is a free country after all. I feel like these most recent laws are a good thing. But, expanding much more than this might be going too far. If you say it's illegal to walk down a public sidewalk and smoke at the same time, what's next? No bubble-gum chewing in public places? I guess we'll see what city council decides on. What do you think? Do these current laws go too far? Not far enough?

Original Source
Fun Facts Source