Fun Friday

Hey guys! I just wanted to share a couple things that have caught my interest lately!

We’re doing presentations on different Food Systems and Health Groups in one of my classes, and the group that was presenting on Organic Foods showed this video that I thought was great. It’s a serious topic, but educated on in a fun, light-hearted manner, by a company that I respect. Besides – any "CE-Yo" that makes a video like this is pretty awesome in my book.

A couple articles I’ve recently read:

Bill Would Set Arsenic, Lead Limits in Juice (from Food Safety News)

• For anyone else who heard about the surprising amounts of inorganic arsenic found in apple juice that was recently brought to light by TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz, this article is a good read to see what’s being done. Essentially, the reason the arsenic found in juice was so scary was because toxins like arsenic and lead are known to affect children’s brain development. The government had previously set a limit for the amount of arsenic/ toxins that could be found in drinking water, but not juice. The "Arsenic Prevention and Protection from Lead Exposure in Juice Act of 2012" (or "APPLE Juice Act of 2012") is a bill that was introduced on Wednesday that proposes the FDA set limits on the amount of arsenic and lead in juice. If this bill goes through, these safety standards would be in effect within two years. 
• Food for thought: if the federal standards for arsenic in drinking water is 10 ppb (parts per billion) and 5 ppb for bottled water, why is it acceptable for "’the level of concern’ for heavy metals in juices is anything above 23 ppb"?
• Obviously, as a nutrition & dietetics student, I think this bill would be great. Yes, there are recommended limits on the amount of juice children drink, but as mentioned in the article, 35% of children consume more juice than this. I think the juice toxin standards should also be lowered to 10 ppb. Yes, it’ll be more difficult and expensive for the agricultural and juicing industry to produce more apples with less pesticides, but wouldn’t it be worth it for human health? Even if it’s just the 35% of children consuming more juice than recommended? (I say "just", but I do feel that 35% is a good-sized number.) Anything to cut down on potential development risk and toxins being put into our bodies is only a good thing.

Avoid the afternoon stress-eating binge (from CNN Health)

• Anyone who’s ever been a stress eater will probably find this to be an interesting read. I personally have to remind myself not to stress eat, and I’ve also personally been doing some research on the effects of things like excess simple carbohydrates on the hormones in your body.
• Feel like you can’t stop the coffee habit? There may be a couple things for you in this article, too!
• With the lifestyle I live, I’m always game to hear about anything that may lessen stress! My favorite tidbit from the article? The fact that ten deep breaths can lower cortisol levels. As someone who frequently practices my deep "yoga breathing" when I’m stuck in traffic or anxious before a big exam, it was fun to be reminded that lessening my stress in this way is also helping to keep my hormones in greater balance.

Any good reads anyone else has read lately? Leave a link in the comments, and I’ll check it out!