Monday Moaning

The world is slowly waking up.

Realising the major causes of obesity; organisations are trying to get the governments to listen.

But the governments don’t want to listen, there’s too much lobbying and money involved.

One article I read:

Shoppers ‘misled’ over level of fat, sugar and salt in food

Call for ban on promoting foods claiming to be healthy but which actually contain high levels of sugar, fat and salt – The Guardian Recommended reading

Is on the right track.

Another:

Health group calls for ‘sugar tax’ to cut child obesity

– BBCNews More recommended reading

Is barking up the wrong tree, close to the right one, but not close enough.

The blame is put on sugar, maybe true, but the real culprit is High Fructose Corn Syrup that is replacing true sugar in the majority of sodas and prepared foods.

Generally, the public, and these do good organisations are unaware of HFCS; and the industries want to keep it that way.

Instead of a sugar tax, although it’s a good idea, they should be calling on a double or triple tax on any product that contains HFCS. Better still they should be calling for a complete ban on the poison.

HFCS is cheaper than true sugar, ergo more profits.

What is the problem?

As I see it, supported by reading many sources, sugar is 50% sucrose & 50% fructose.

HFSC is 55-60% fructose and correspondingly less sucrose.

Doesn’t sound too bad…

But this imbalance, however it appears slight is the problem. Our bodies cannot process the excess fructose, it goes straight to the liver and becomes fat.

Therefore, an increase in obesity.

Everybody is clamouring about the obesity epidemic, but nobody is putting the blame where it belongs.

Which foods contain HFCS?

These…

And these…

And these…

And nearly every other product you buy at the supermarket or fast food outlet.

First introduced into the American food industry in the 1970s, HFCSs were used in sodas from 1984.

Looking at this graph can you see the rise in childhood obesity beginning in 1980s?

And, continuing to rise rapidly since then.

It’s only in recent years with a little awareness that there has been a slight dip.

The rapid rise in obesity in the U.S. correlates to the introduction of HFCS into processed food. – Source

There’s another issue:

As Addictive As Cocaine: HFCS – America’s Most Deadly Addiction?

– From the Trenches well worth reading because it contains info about bees too.

Much has been said on both sides of the Atlantic about declining bee populations.

If you don’t have bees, you don’t have pollination; you don’t have pollination, you don’t have food.

Sugar is a problem, but nowhere near the problem of HFCSs

We have to get the governments to put the blame where it belongs; instead of saying kids need to exercise more, sure they do, BUT THAT’S NOT THE PROBLEM! That’s just passing the buck.

We have to take personal responsibility and shun these products.

We have to send a strong message, because if we don’t, we’ll have more cases

Do you want this…

…as the future for your kids?

 

 

Change the World Wednesday – 23rd Apr

Update

A month ago in my Monday Moaning I wrote of the plight of São Paulo, Brazil’s biggest city.

They didn’t have water. The reservoirs that supply the city were down around the 30% mark.

Jaguari Dam – Responsible for 45% of Saõ Paulo’s water – image: Diario Central

A month later and the plight has become critical, the reservoirs have fallen to 11.9% of their capacity (last night’s news).

Now literally, they don’t have water.

The water company is pleading with people to save water, substantial discounts are being offered to those who reduce their usage by 20% from their previous average, those who use more than their previous average will be fined heavily.

Don’t say, “But that can’t happen here!” Because it is happening! NOW!

In some areas of the world the water situation has become serious, it’s up to you to see it doesn’t get worse.

Back to our regular programme…

The problem with rabbit food is that one good fart and I’m hungry again

The BIG question!

Did I go vegan for a day? The answer is no… I did two days. Nothing fancy, just simple salads and a home made garlic and herb vinaigrette.

I did it this time just to show you I could, normally I don’t plan them, they just happen, and normally they are more vegetarian than vegan; I do like eggs and cheese with my salad.

In my perambulations for last week’s post, I did fine this. Grateable and meltable vegan cheese on Bunny Kitchen. Just thought I’d say.

Without this fellow and his ilk, there wouldn’t be life on the planet

 Bees…

Yes, this week’s CTWW is about bees.

Click the banner for the full post

We’ve all heard that Bee populations are declining. Since bees pollinate the majority of our food crops, worldwide, their decline is a cause for great concern. Why are they in trouble? Research points to GMO agriculture and the use of pesticides. It’s time to take action! Here’s your challenge …

This week, take action to protect honey bees. Please choose at least one action from the following list:

• Plant at least one native, flowering plant in your yard. Avoid hybrid plants … they don’t produce enough nectar or pollen and are useless to bees and other pollinators.
• Plant a vegetable garden.
• Let pests live (natural pest controllers, like Lady Bugs, need them for food).
• Keep your lawn and garden pesticide-free.
• Eliminate chemicals in your home.
• Provide a year-round, clean source of water for bees (rainwater collection, a small garden water feature, bird bath, etc.).
• Leave some dead trees or plants in your yard … bees will nest in them. Or, place a bee house in your garden.
• Buy organic food.
• Take up beekeeping.

Well, let’s see how I stack up with that lot.

Attracts big black bees in the late afternoon. Honey bees are too small to pollinate these

My most prolific flower is the passion fruit; I currently have three that I am training along the house, fence and garage, and more in the plantling stage, three in the ground and about twenty saplings in a planter as standbys.

I have a few tomatoes and garlic around, mainly I have herbs and fruit.

The gulf fritillery caterpillars must be destroyed, or they eat the passion fruit vines to death. Other than that, insects are free to roam.

My lawn is pesticide free, in fact, my lawn is lawn free… I don’t have one.

We talked about harmful chemicals a couple of weeks ago. I am experimenting with orange and vinegar air freshener so that I have one less chemical.

Aedes aegypti plays Dengue once you’re sick, dengue twice you’re dead

Now the water feature here is a no – no.

Standing water is used by the Aedes aegypti mosquito to produce larvae, Aedes aegypti is the source of dengue fever, which is deadly, and seriously prolific here in many city areas.

Yes, lots of dead material around here, but not enough for natural beehives.

Buy organic, when I can.

Oh, the neighbours would be up in arms if I did that. My area is urban, the houses very close together. The authorities would pounce with a heavy pounce.

Well, there’s my summary.