Food Safety Bill Getting Closer to Reality

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill this week to improve the standards of food safety. The bill reached support from both consumers and industry.

A few points of the bill include:

• Permitting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to order food recalls versus the current law of the FDA requesting them.
• Setting science based standards for the manufacture and handling of foods, with manufacturers being required to provide information as to how the particular standards are met. Failure to do so would result in penalties.
• More frequent FDA inspections. Higher risk facilities would be inspected once a year; others would be every three years. Currently, inspections occur on average once every ten years.
• "According to government figures," states writer Caroline Scott-Thomas, "...a quarter of Americans are sickened by foodborne illness each year, and 5,000 die."
• The bill still needs to be passed by the U.S. Senate to become law.


• For more information, check out http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/01/health/policy/01food.html , http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=133236&catid=3

Positive Risk Factors for Your Heart

Seems like we hear a lot about the negative risk factors for our heart and cardiovascular system.
How about some good news?

A review of a few ways to improve blood pressure and relax those blood vessels included listening to music, laughter, and prayer. Most people can attest that at least one of these does improve our mood and make us feel more relaxed.

Chances are, when we are relaxed emotionally, our arteries and blood pressure can potentially follow suit. A small study observed the effect relaxing music, humorous video clips, and relaxation audio tapes had on brachial artery flow. Those listening to the relaxing music showed a 26% increase in brachial artery flow (which is a positive) and a 6% decrease while listeneing to anxiety producing music. According to Dr. Michael Miller, director of the Conter for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, MD, the effect relaxing music has on brachial dilation (blood flow) is "about the same level we see after someone does aerobic activity. It's also similar to what we see after taking a statin medication...the effect lasts for about an hour." This effect may be due to release of endorphins, which promote a sense of well being and anxiety reduction, believes Miller.

So, next time you feel overhwhelmed or stressed, think music, laughter, or prayer--which ever you find helps you decompress.

Time To Wash Those Recycled Grocery Bags

Ever thought that your washable shopping bags could have the potential to make you ill? Think again.



A study by the Environment and Plastics Industry Council in Vancouver, B.C. revealed that reusable bags "pose a public health risk" because of the amount of yeasts, molds, and bacteria in dirty bags. However, Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C. provincial health officer, stated reusable bags, if treated similarly to cutting boards or food preparation surfaces (meaning regular washing and drying well), would not pose a health risk.



This particular study was performed on a random basis in Toronto, Canada on 24 material neutral bags. Results revealed that, "...64% were contaminated with some level of bacteria, about 30% had elevated bacterial counts higher than what is considered safe for drinking water, 40% of the bags had yeast or mold, and some had an unacceptable presence of coliforms," stated author Denise Ryan.



A few points to remember when using washable type shopping bags:

• Have one use for each bag. Make one bag for produce, one for meats, one for paper goods. This can reduce the potential for cross contamination. For example, if blood from meats leaks into the bag and is mixed with raw produce, this can lead to cross contamination and growth of pathogens.


• Store bags flat and in a ventilated and well lit area where they can dry thoroughly between uses. Darkness and moisture (such as in a closed car trunk) can lead to growth of bacteria, molds, and yeast.


• Wash and dry bags on a regular basis.

Less Sugar, Less Wrinkles?

A recent article revealed that eating sugary foods can lead to wrinkles. Leslie Baumann, M.D., author of "The Skin Type Solution," stated that "Sugar triggers a natural process called glycation, which is the same chemical reaction that turns meat brown when you cook it. The sugars bind with tissues to form harmful molecules, called advanced glycation end products (AGE's), which damage elastin and collagen-two substances skin needs to stay supple and elastic."

The effects of sugar on the skin start to show around age 35 and appear to become more apparent over time, according to a 2007 study in the British Journal of Dermatology. Foods with a high glycemic index, such as white potatoes, pasta, along with candy and sugary foods and beverages contribute to the process.

What to do? Think antioxidants and color. Enjoy foods with color, flavor, fiber and skin protecting ingredients, such as tomatoes, berries, acai, pomegranate, grapes, green vegetables, and orange fruits and vegetables.