Food for Thought (Nov. 26 – Dec. 2)

Food and Health

To help African Americans improve their health, eating habits and oldways, a nonprofit food and nutrition education organization along with an advisory team of experts, recently unveiled The African Heritage Diet Pyramid. http://www.wfsb.com/story/16134832/african-americans-receive-their-own-food-pyramid?clienttype=printable

Heart disease, diet and activity play a significant role in the healthy lives of teens today. http://diabeticgourmet.com/bin/dgm.cgi?ID=1821

Athletes see food as fuel. You eat to get faster, stronger, to recover better, to increase your power-to-weight ratio (more muscle, less fat). How do you do that? Sports nutrition is constantly evolving as we learn more about how biology works. The current trends are toward whole foods, especially protein and vegetables, and away from processed foods and empty calories. http://www.culinate.com/columns/spaghetti_on_the_wall/food_for_athletes

Should we all go gluten free? A key protein in wheat is being questioned whether it is better to do without. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/magazine/Should-We-All-Go-Gluten-Free.html?pagewanted=all

Food Safety

Studies show that continual exposure to arsenic and lead, even at low levels, can result in serious long-term health problems, particularly for the smaller, developing bodies of children. Apple juice, one of the mainstays of kids’ fare in the US, has come under fire lately due to testing that found high levels of arsenic. http://buysafeeatwell.org/posts/2889-consumer-reports-finds-arsenic-lead-in-apple-and-grape-juice

FSIS should consider making certain regulatory information public, so says a leading non-profit organization on Nov. 30. The highly respected National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences issued its findings during an hour-long public teleconference in a report, The Potential Consequences of Public Release of Food Safety and Inspection Service Establishment-Specific Data. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Const_Update_120211/index.asp

Chipotle sources its meat with certain standards with no hormones or antibiotics. http://www.chow.com/food-news/99834/chipotle-were-conflicted/

Food Assistance

It is true that the number of Americans who rely on food stamps is at a record high. Nearly 46 million Americans received benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — better known as food stamps — this year, the highest number in recorded history. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/fact-checking-newt-gingrichs-food-stamps-claims/

Families in need of food are invited to pick up food at the food pantry at Loch Raven Technical Academy, at 8101 LaSalle Road, Baltimore, MD, on Saturday, Dec. 17, between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. This program is sponsored by the school and the Maryland Food Bank.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/baltimorecounty/neighborhoods/lutherville-timonium/ph-tt-neighbor-loch-essen-1207-20111202,0,3996603.story

People who are well aware of the extent of food insecurity in the United States – roughly 50 million people currently self-report that they are not sure they can get enough to eat on a regular basis – may still wonder whether government programs are really needed.
http://notes.bread.org/2011/11/government-food-assistance-why-its-needed.html