Many More Reasons to Get Moving: Part 2

Although the role of exercise in preventing various cancers is not clear, researchers have suspected the maintenance of a healthy body weight to contribute.  This reference to a healthy body weight relates more to the amount of fat (white fat to be exact, more on that later) that’s in the body as opposed to your actual weight.  It's now well-known that fat releases a host of hormones and what are known as cytokines.  In fact, in some circles, fat tissue is considered an endocrine organ, similar to your adrenal glands and reproductive organs.  Cancer development may be related to the release of these cytokines and hormones in excessive amounts.  Exercising and cutting back on the amount of white fat stored in the body therefore leads to the reduction in these circulating compounds.  

Many More Reasons to Get Moving: Part 1

It’s 4:30 pm and the countdown has begun until quitting time (only 60 min to go, 59 min, 58 min...).  For many, the idea of going to a gym or taking a brisk walk after work is the last thing on their mind after a long day.  Although physical activity has been engineered out of most of our lives, this does not disregard the fact that movement has historically been used for our productivity and survival (how else would we be getting our food!?).  It’s well-known that physical activity is beneficial for our health as seen by a host of studies showing a reduction in risk of disease with more exercise.

Food for the Soul: Service to Others

Today, Americans celebrate the national holiday dedicated to the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (well some may be catching up on sleep instead).  Most known for his work as a pioneering civil right’s leader and advocate for justice and peace, Dr. King also championed for overcoming poverty and education inequities for all people.  "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'" King once proclaimed. In line with this, President Bill Clinton established the King holiday as a national day of service in 1994, and dedicated it “a day on, not a day off.”  So the question lies in what are you doing to serve others in honor of Dr. King and beyond?  

Slipping Through the Cracks: GRAS 201

GRAS substances range from something as widely used as sodium and caffeine to more obscure chemicals such as theobromine and polyglutamic acid.  GRAS designations have been made since the 1950‘s and those reports from the late 50’s through the 80’s are based on data and research from these periods.  As you can imagine, research technology has advanced leaps and bounds since then.  What the research said back then and what it might say today is an interesting (and alarming) notion.  For example, the GRAS report for phosphate-containing compounds (see here) dates back to 1975.

Slipping Through the Cracks: GRAS 101

Up to this point, I‘ve made a few references to the Food and Drug Administration’s designation of some chemicals in our foods as “Generally Recognized As Safe” (GRAS).  Since 1998, the FDA reports that 410 substances have been determined to be GRAS, and this doesn’t include those submitted between 1958 and 1998. With this in mind and the host of GRAS substances used in processed foods, most of these food-like substances could easily be thought of “as generally safe to eat!”