Goodbye to Michael Jackson

I still can't believe the news about Michael Jackson. Like many in my generation, MJ's music seemed to be a part of every event I was a part of growing up. My friend and I even danced to Black or White as part of the 5th grade talent show at our elementary school. We practiced for weeks and we even had these matching outfits, they were both black and white of course. To this day, I still know every word to that song.

For those of you who were around in the 80's, you may remember the Pepsi commercial Michael did. Check it out below, it is great!

Diet Soda Maker Goes Green

Recently, the Coca-Cola Company introduced "PlantBottle," a plastic bottle that is made from 30 percent plant material. I was wondering how they did this so I checked it out. The bottle is made through a process that turns sugar cane and molasses into a component in the plastic (no, it does not contribute any calories)! The bottle is currently being used with Dasani and sparkling water and will be used with Vitaminwater beginning next year. Hopefully, the "PlantBottle" will be incorporated into the diet beverages as well. For more information, check out this link: http://www.livepositively.com/.

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It's easy for everyone to support sustainability. One small thing diet soda lovers can do it find innovative ways of recycling ca bottles by making a bottle terrarium! Check out the Terrarium Man Web site for all the details you need to build a terrarium out of recycled bottles.

Soda Tax...Say What?

Lately, it feels like finding the cause of obesity is like finding a cure for cancer. Almost everyone seems to be looking for the one thing that caused it and the one thing that will fix it. The blame recently has shifted to soda, not the diet soda that we all love, but the full calorie, non diet variety.



Consumer Affairs has reported that the Senate Finance Committee is now considering a proposal that calls for a federal excise tax on sugary sodas, energy and sports drinks and sweetened tea drinks. This may stem partly from the April New England Journal of Medicine article which stated that sugar sweetened beverages "may be the single largest driver of the obesity epidemic."



Really? I don't think so. In a society where calorie consumption has increased as quickly as waistlines, how can one food product or ingredient be "the single largest driver" in the obesity epidemic? Also, why is the New England Journal of Medicine publishing inconsistent studies? A study published in the February issue of the journal concluded, "diets that are successful in causing weight loss can emphasize a range of fat, protein, and carbohydrate compositions that have beneficial effects on risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes," meaning it is the calories that count when trying to lose or maintain weight and decrease risk factors for chronic disease. This is also supported by a new study recently presented to the European Congress on Obesity which reported that increased calorie intake is primarily responsible for the obesity epidemic in the US.



Normally, I wouldn't be so quick to defend beverages other than diet soda, but in this case I feel I have to. Requiring consumers to pay a tax on a particular food or beverage is not going to teach these same consumers how to make healthful choices. It is not going to foster healthful dietary habits and probably will not deter the many loyal soda lovers out there from buying these beverages.



To read more about the New England Journal of Medicine study which found "Calories Count" for weight loss, visit: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/360/9/859.

Sweet Soda Without the Sweetener?

To me, nothing will ever beat the clean, crisp taste of diet soda. However, I am aware that not everyone shares this opinion. Recently, I have been reading about "experts" who think that beverage manufacturers, the government, schools, work, homes etc. must take it upon themselves to see to it that Americans choose "healthier" drinks. Their suggestion is for manufacturers to create a new class of low and reduced-calorie beverages that have no more than one gram of sugar per ounce (which would be about 70 percent less sugar than a typical soft drink) AND do not contain low calorie sweeteners such as aspartame. They are also proposing that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) require beverage manufacturers to list calorie information for the entire bottle—not just for a single serving—on the front of drink labels with the intent to "re-educate the American palate to a lower expectation of sweetness, as well as to give consumers clear information to help them make healthier choices." What these "experts" don't seem to understand is that the desire for sweet taste is inborn and originates at birth, so you can not simply "re-educate" the palate regarding something that is an innate desire.

Personally, I feel that this is ridiculous and totally discredits the fact that many dietary and lifestyle factors contribute to obesity, not just one component. Also, what do these "experts" propose the manufacturers sweeten low and reduced calorie beverages with if they are not to use low calorie sweeteners?

Sometimes (like right now), it is simply my diet soda that gets me from 3:00 to 5:00 pm, and if that taste were to change in any way, I (and I am assuming many many others) would have a serious bone to pick with whomever was responsible.

March Madness

If any of you have ever filled out a bracket for the NCAA tournament, then you can definitely feel my pain! This is the first year I have done one and close games combined with my super competitive nature are not a good combination! It seems like everyone has an interest in the tournament this year, even the president has a bracket!