What's so "smart" about the TetraPak Brik?

Image by barely_legal via Flickr

Recently while discussing which kind of milk is good for you - a discussion that actually comes up a lot with me - I wandered off subject while looking for research and my thoughts came to the Tetra Brik, by TetraPak. Why I didn't see it before this, I'm not sure, but... these are essentially plastic bottles that are masquerading themselves as paper. The company specifically claims that the packaging is "consisting mainly of paper made from wood" yet inside and out, there are multiple layers of plastic and aluminum in addition to that paper.

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ABC's of the Food Industry

A is for Antibiotics; it's in what you eat, if you choose conventional dairy and meat.
(A's also for Aspartame, a sweetener to scare you. If you want some new tumors, go try it; I dare you.)
B is for Benzoate and the preserving of food. It's related to cancer and an A.D.D. mood.
C is for Calorie - each little one counts! Don't eat "heavy" foods - not even an ounce.

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"Save the Whales" and Be Healthy?

Image via Wikipedia

The Cove is a crucially-important documentary that will hopefully surface on your must-watch list. This is an exposé on the massive killing, nay, slaughtering of dolphins that happens on a regular basis in one small Japanese town. When considering the intelligence, compassion, and empathy shown by these creatures, it's unimaginable that people would actively hunt and kill them by the thousands, but there's a health-damaging result of hunting them as well.

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A Healthy Morning Routine

Image by [phil h] via Flickr

Starting a day off in a healthy way is important because it usually also sets up how you're going to feel throughout the day. If you wake up late, and skip breakfast - or eat an unhealthy one - for example, your motivation to reset back to healthy habits is often lost.  On the other hand, mornings are also often seen as the stepping-off point of the day and it's important to get through them with a good, strong pace. You'll need to balance ease and speed with health, so here are some tips to get you going.

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Did you take your anti-paranoia pill today? They'll know...

It feels a bit very weird to read that there is "eCare" technology in research and development. Mike Adams of Natural News brings us a frightening analysis of both the Senate's Special Committee on Aging and CNS News' article on health technology. What's interesting to me, besides the fact that it is happening, of course - you can read Mike's story for a more detailed summary - is the general reaction to this news.

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KFC Chicken Pot Pie. There are no words for this.

Image by hddod via Flickr

As a disclaimer, I apologize if this makes you lose your appetite. But then, if you were planning on going to KFC for lunch, I take that back.

Chicken Stock, Carrots, Potatoes (With Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate To Protect Color), Peas, Heavy Cream, Modified Food Starch, Contains 2% Or Less Of Wheat Flour, Salt, Chicken Fat, Dried Dairy Blend (Whey, Calcium Caseinate), Butter (Cream, Salt),

[much more after the jump]
 

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America and Sugar Sitting in a Tree

Image via Wikipedia

America (and other countries where a Western diet has taken root) is in a very abusive relationship with sugar. Wherever we go, sugar is there with us, trying to be part of everything we eat, and in more and more quantities. But like a textbook case of an abusive relationship, we take our beating and just keep clinging on to the abuser. We can't seem to let go. Even after Michael Pollan, a veritable Robin Hood of food, appears on Oprah, one of the most popular talk shows ever, to discuss what's wrong with the food we eat, people continue to turn a blind eye to what they're eating and then wonder why they can't lose weight, or why their kids are sick all the time. 

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What's the difference between a licensed doctor and a quack?

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It's hard to tell, sometimes. What does elevate doctors of modern medicine above those who make up medical treatment procedures willy-nilly? It seems that a lot of people believe the licensed doctor of modern medicine has more skill and talent for no other reason than that some accredited school said so.

But what is the solution to this kind of thinking? Should we go back to the days of snake oil and medical lies? Thinking about it that way, is "go back" actually an accurate term to describe where we're at now? It would imply that we're actually on the right track, and that life is good and everyone's either healthy or well cared-for. Even a quick glance around will tell you that's just not true.

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