This is probably one of the wildest things I’ve heard yet – and we do hear a lot of them lately, don’t we!
Here’s the scoop: A Maryland Blogger reports that at a late dinner in a restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland, one of the diners ordered a piece of banana pie for dessert. Apparently this was the diner’s “usual self treat” and he is still alive and well…
In any event, he was told he could not have his piece of banana pie because it was banned due to trans fat.
Montgomery County outlawed Trans-Fats and such pies are now contraband.
The restaurant can make their own pie(s) without using trans-fats or they can buy banana cream pies with any amount of trans-fats and sell them in the packaged container that says the product contains no trans fat. They opted to simply stop selling the pie.
This is just the beginning of this kind of thing, I fear. Unless “we, the consumers/eater’s” put a stop to this nonsense and let elected officials know we really would prefer they just stay out of our kitchens and the foods served at restaurants. We live in a time when America is more versatile than ever, and that means food, too is more versatile. Start banning this, that and the other thing and soon and all we’ll accomplish is to hurt the food and restaurant industry. This will have a ripple effect that will affect everyone – and will also have an effect on food prices both in the supermarkets and in restaurants. Too much regulation is simply not a good thing.
As one commenter said, “A well-staged viral opposition is called for.” I agree…let’s spread the word. Then how about a nice piece of Banana Cream Pie for our efforts? Or how about some Triple Layer Banana Cream Pie Bars – and this recipe is even diet friendly if you choose to make it that way!
Yes, you can even make M&Ms healthy! First, chocolate does have vital nutrients. Peanuts contain healthful plant protein (see Peanut Power) and raisins are low in fat and sodium and pack a nice energy punch!
Ingredients:
1 part M & M’s
1 part raw peanuts or assorted nuts
1 part Sunkist raisins
Directions:
Mix ingredients well in a zipper-lock bag.
Note: If you keep this sealed in a zipper-lock bag, it lasts a year or more.
August recess begins next week, when members of Congress leave town to touch base with folks in their home districts and mend whatever fences need mending.
In these last days before adjournment, the Obama administration has been applying serious pressure on lawmakers to get its priority bills passed by at least one house. But while the media and general public focus on the politically charged bills dealing with health care, climate change and hate crimes, less attention-grabbing proposals have been moved along in a series of congressional sneak attacks.
One of these — H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act (FSEA) of 2009 – is scheduled to be voted on by the House today.
Opponents hoped it would be voted on later this week, but the House Leadership is determined to push it through and the bill has been placed “on suspension,” meaning that debate will be limited to just 40 minutes and no amendments will be considered. A two-thirds vote will be required for HR 2749 to pass, instead of a simple majority.
“This bill would impose extensive fees and regulation on anyone processing food, including those selling at farmers markets and other local venues,” the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance warns. “H.R. 2749 also directs the Food and Drug Administration to regulate how crops are raised and harvested, putting the agency directly on the farm.”
Introduced early last month by Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., the FSEA is similar to the Food Safety Modernization Act (H.R. 875) and six others on the same subject that created a huge furor among bloggers on the Internet this past March. Supporters said that some kind of measure was needed to protect consumers from food-borne illnesses, but critics claimed it would saddle farmers and small food producers with unnecessary and costly paperwork and put the federal government in charge of American farming practices and food production, without making food any safer.
Letters were written to Congress, faxes and e-mails sent, and the blogosphere buzzed with discussions. But when no committee hearings were held on any of them or even scheduled, the bills apparently faded from public awareness. As reported on News with Views
The article goes on, but bloggers, etc. do you really want to see people who just want to participate in their local farmer’s markets be hurt by this excessive and unnecessary legislation? If not, please consider contacting your local Senator and Representatives and tell them you cannot support H.R. 2749, the Food Safety Enhancement Act. Do it for yourself, for your neighbor and for those who depend on farmer’s markets so much.
According to a write-up on Insurance.com, 80 percent of auto accidents take place because of distractions. This information, they say, is from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, along with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, who released a study the that states 87% of all rear-end crashes and 42% of near-crashes involve some form of driver distraction.
The study, however, does not specifically state eating or food as a distraction. Nonetheless, they feel strongly enough that such is the case that they made up a list of the top 10 “food offenders” – foods you should never eat whilst driving.
Those foods, along with their reasons are:
Coffee (because you could hit a bump causing it to spill).
Hot soup (same as coffee).
Tacos (could leave your car “looking like a salad bar”)
Chili Dogs (can drip down the front of your clothing)
Hamburgers (grease, ketchup and mustard could end up on your hands and the steering wheel, causing you to need to wipe your hands or the wheel)
Barbecued food – (same as hamburgers)
Fried chicken – (same as hamburgers)
Jelly donuts – (center can ooze out – again, causing a mess which causes a distraction)
Soft drinks – (spills and carbonated fizz as you’re drinking can result in sudden movements)
Chocolate – (chocolate coats the fingers as it melts; you try to clean it up and are likely to end up swerving)
I see an opportunity here to help with your diet, too. You could make one change by getting into the habit of avoiding food while driving. I think a lot of us eat mindlessly and out of habit behind the wheel. If munching on a particular food item while in the car becomes a habit, you tend to associate that drive along with the food, and a calorie-laden habit is born.
Since the study doesn’t specifically state food as a distraction – and since people have been eating behind the wheel since cars were invented, perhaps they’ve gone a tad on the over-paranoid side, in addition to not giving us mere human beings enough credit for knowing when to be careful. However, using our sensibilities, we know that being aware of potential problems is also a great way to avoid them. So it could behoove everyone to look the list over and keep in mind the potential for distraction when driving.
Avoiding an accident will keep your rates down, too. The average auto insurance rate increases 25% following a first accident. Plus, fast foods are the most commonly eaten food while driving, therefore you could also save a few dollars by avoiding that drive-through snack while on the road.
We just have to be careful not to allow this to become some over-the-top alarmist hype… or worse, an excuse for insurers to raise rates.
People are overwhelmed with the vast array of diet pills and/or supplements available. But there is no doubt, on today’s market there are 3 top, clincially tested diet supplements that far exceed the others; however, there is some confusion as to just what the differences are and how to choose which is best for you. Let’s see if we can clarify for you…
Proactol
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Very cost effective; available online only
You can continue to eat the foods you love
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Flexible – take 1 or 4 pills depending on your diet
Hoodia has become controversial because of many dishonest products marketed since the news of its amazing weightloss abilities hit the market. You need to know you are purchasing the REAL thing – and enough unique hoodia in each tablet for optimum results while using hoodia. Some may find Proactol just isn’t quite what they’re looking for – in that case, we strong recommend considering Unique Hoodia. Who is a great candidate for Unique Hoodia?
Those looking for the following Hoodia Benefits should know why, if you choose to try Hoodia, Unique Hoodia is by far the best choice:
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You only need to take 3 pills per day
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You will lose weight because you’ll eat less food
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Are you a Snack Addict? Zotrim Benefits to the rescue! What is it? Zotrim – see banner to the right – is a natural dual action weight loss aid which makes you feel fuller and fills you with energy.
Zotrim will help you feel full longer so you won’t snack between meals! Zotrim:
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Your energy levels will increase as your weight decreases
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The Always Fresh Container™ system is a handy new kitchen product at the forefront of the food storage frontier. These smart storage containers are made with a natural and environmentally friendly material that helps extend the lifespan of edibles by absorbing and removing food-spoiling ethylene gas released during the natural ripening process. Always Fresh Containers™ also help prevent vitamin loss without the use of harmful toxins.
In a nutshell: Because of food safety concerns, the U.S. is worried about Chinese chicken imports and may extend a ban on the importation of Chinese chicken products - specifically, chicken feet.
In retaliation, China has stopped issuing import permits for American chicken. And that means America has an oversupply of chicken feet. Yes, chicken feet. More than half of our Chinese chicken exports are in the form of chicken feet. The creative cooks of China apparently transform these feet into tasty soups, stews, and snack items.
China is a huge market for U.S. chicken feet, commonly called paws, and bought 421,000 tonnes, or $280 million worth, in 2008, according to the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, a trade group.
In China, paws are popular in soups, stews, and as snack items, but very few are sold in the United States.
In April, China launched a dispute with the World Trade Organization against the United States over the Congressional measure.
So the U.S. continues to have problems with China, only this time its over chicken feet. Makes a person wonder if our foods here in the U.S. are using chicken feet so out of curiosity I did a quick search. Apparently this is not a new concept; in fact, there are recipes to be found just for the use of chicken feet, from soup stock to fried snacks.
I also found a list of “uses for chicken feet” – which sound more sensible, don’t you think?
Morning breath can be pretty gross. What causes it and what can be done to prevent it? Dr. Harold Katz, America’s Bad Breath Expert, explains it in simple terms. You don’t have to have morning breath any more.
And something else that’s gross…
In this eye opening segment, Dr Katz points out some things in your mouthwash and toothpaste that can at times be considered harmful. It’s amazing what some manufacturers will put in their products – stuff like alcohol, soap, even ground up bug parts for coloring (I’m not kidding… google “Cochineal Extract and listerine orange”, then try “What is Cochineal Extract” and see for yourself!)
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Parsing the subtle differences between foods labeled “organic” and “natural” is an interesting exercise, but both categories are identical where it counts: nutrition…
The fact that organic food companies and their non-profit defenders are attacking their “natural” competitors so aggressively is a good sign. So is consumers awakening to the fact that organic is “just a fancy way of saying expensive,” as quoted in your story. As the market for misleading health gimmicks shrinks, so will Americans’ grocery bills.
The truth is spreading that organic foods are no healthier than what our parents fed us. And as more and more scientists are pointing out, paying double for tomatoes isn’t going to stop climate change either.
A direct correlation between sugared beverages as a single source and obesity has been dismissed. Caloric consumption without exercise increases the likelihood of obesity, not sugary drinks on their own. In fact, as obesity rates have risen over the past decade, sugared beverage consumption has fallen.
Yogurt is an excellent source of protein and calcium, and famed for its friendly bacteria (the “probiotics” which promote good digestion and boost immunity). Yogurt may be good for your waistline, too. New research links dairy foods to reduced body fat.
The best and most nutritious choices in yogurt are an 8-ounce yogurt with two grams of saturated fat, 240 calories, and 40 grams of sugar and a quarter of a day’s calcium. In addition, they should be free of candy, cookies, sprinkles and artificial sweeteners.
