I'm still here

Hi everyone! Life seems to be a little busier than usual! How did that happen??? Hmm . . . let's see three kids, homeschool group pres, watching my niece daily, trying to keep a tidy house . . . Anyway, we are getting ready to leave for vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina . . . in like an hour and here I am blogging!! I will try to take some time while on vacation to do some REAL blogging and let ya know what the we've been up to!! Thanks for checking in on me!!

Food that Makes People FAT!!

I get so mad when I hear that Americans are letting the food industry exploit them!! This article (Which I have put down below) is more of what I have already been doing lots of research on. There are people making money off the fact that most people don't read labels and frankly don't care what is in their food. UGH!! We need to stand up to these big companies and let them know that we are much smarter than they give us credit for. I don't want to be obese and I don't want my kids or grandkids to suffer with obesity. It can be avoided by eating nutrient dense foods that have not been processed. Read the article! I hope it makes you made enough to check out alternatives for your family!!

Two nutrition experts argue that you can't take marketing campaigns at face value
With America's obesity problem among kids reaching crisis proportions, even junk food makers have started to claim they want to steer children toward more healthful choices. In a study released earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 32 percent of children were overweight but not obese, 16 percent were obese, and 11 percent were extremely obese. Food giant PepsiCo, for example, points out on its website that "we can play an important role in helping kids lead healthier lives by offering healthy product choices in schools." The company highlights what it considers its healthier products within various food categories through a "Smart Spot" marketing campaign that features green symbols on packaging. PepsiCo's inclusive criteria--explained here--award spots to foods of dubious nutritional value such as Diet Pepsi, Cap'n Crunch cereal, reduced-fat Doritos, and Cheetos, as well as to more nutritious products such as Quaker Oatmeal and Tropicana Orange Juice.
But are wellness initiatives like Smart Spot just marketing ploys? Such moves by the food industry may seem to be a step in the right direction, but ultimately makers of popular junk foods have an obligation to stockholders to encourage kids to eat more--not less--of the foods that fuel their profits, says David Ludwig, a pediatrician and the co-author of a commentary published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association that raises questions about whether big food companies can be trusted to help combat obesity. Ludwig and article co-author Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, both of whom have long histories of tracking the food industry, spoke with U.S. News and highlighted 10 things that junk food makers don't want you to know about their products and how they promote them.
1. Junk food makers spend billions advertising unhealthy foods to kids.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, food makers spend some $1.6 billion annually to reach children through the traditional media as well the Internet, in-store advertising, and sweepstakes. An article published in 2006 in the Journal of Public Health Policy puts the number as high as $10 billion annually. Promotions often use cartoon characters or free giveaways to entice kids into the junk food fold. PepsiCo has pledged that it will advertise only "Smart Spot" products to children under 12.
2. The studies that food producers support tend to minimize health concerns associated with their products.
In fact, according to a review led by Ludwig of hundreds of studies that looked at the health effects of milk, juice, and soda, the likelihood of conclusions favorable to the industry was several times higher among industry-sponsored research than studies that received no industry funding. "If a study is funded by the industry, it may be closer to advertising than science," he says.
3. Junk food makers donate large sums of money to professional nutrition associations.
The American Dietetic Association, for example, accepts money from companies such as Coca-Cola, which get access to decision makers in the food and nutrition marketplace via ADA events and programs, as this release explains. As Nestle notes in her blog and discusses at length in her book Food Politics, the group even distributes nutritional fact sheets that are directly sponsored by specific industry groups. This one, for example, which is sponsored by an industry group that promotes lamb, rather unsurprisingly touts the nutritional benefits of lamb. The ADA's reasoning: "These collaborations take place with the understanding that ADA does not support any program or message that does not correspond with ADA's science-based healthful-eating messages and positions," according to the group's president, dietitian Martin Yadrick. "In fact, we think it's important for us to be at the same table with food companies because of the positive influence that we can have on them."
4. More processing means more profits, but typically makes the food less healthy.
Minimally processed foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables obviously aren't where food companies look for profits. The big bucks stem from turning government-subsidized commodity crops--mainly corn, wheat, and soybeans--into fast foods, snack foods, and beverages. High-profit products derived from these commodity crops are generally high in calories and low in nutritional value.
5. Less-processed foods are generally more satiating than their highly processed counterparts.
Fresh apples have an abundance of fiber and nutrients that are lost when they are processed into applesauce. And the added sugar or other sweeteners increase the number of calories without necessarily making the applesauce any more filling. Apple juice, which is even more processed, has had almost all of the fiber and nutrients stripped out. This same stripping out of nutrients, says Ludwig, happens with highly refined white bread compared with stone-ground whole wheat bread.
6. Many supposedly healthy replacement foods are hardly healthier than the foods they replace.
In 2006, for example, major beverage makers agreed to remove sugary sodas from school vending machines. But the industry mounted an intense lobbying effort that persuaded lawmakers to allow sports drinks and vitamin waters that--despite their slightly healthier reputations--still can be packed with sugar and calories.
7. A health claim on the label doesn't necessarily make a food healthy.
Health claims such as "zero trans fats" or "contains whole wheat" may create the false impression that a product is healthy when it's not. While the claims may be true, a product is not going to benefit your kid's health if it's also loaded with salt and sugar or saturated fat, say, and lacks fiber or other nutrients. "These claims are calorie distracters," adds Nestle. "They make people forget about the calories." Dave DeCecco, a spokesperson for PepsiCo, counters that the intent of a labeling program such as Smart Spot is simply to help consumers pick a healthier choice within a category. "We're not trying to tell people that a bag of Doritos is healthier than asparagus. But, if you're buying chips, and you're busy, and you don't have a lot of time to read every part of the label, it's an easy way to make a smarter choice," he says.
8. Food industry pressure has made nutritional guidelines confusing.
As Nestle explained in Food Politics, the food industry has a history of preferring scientific jargon to straight talk. As far back as 1977, public health officials attempted to include the advice "reduce consumption of meat" in an important report called Dietary Goals for the United States. The report's authors capitulated to intense pushback from the cattle industry and used this less-direct and more ambiguous advice: "Choose meats, poultry, and fish which will reduce saturated fat intake." Overall, says Nestle, the government has a hard time suggesting that people eat less of anything.
9. The food industry funds front groups that fight antiobesity public health initiatives.
Unless you follow politics closely, you wouldn't necessarily realize that a group with a name like the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) has anything to do with the food industry. In fact,Ludwig and Nestle point out, this group lobbies aggressively against obesity-related public health campaigns--such as the one directed at removing junk food from schools--and is funded, according to the Center for Media and Democracy, primarily through donations from big food companies such as Coca-Cola, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and Wendy's.
10. The food industry works aggressively to discredit its critics.
According to the new JAMA article, the Center for Consumer Freedom boasts that "[our strategy] is to shoot the messenger. We've got to attack [activists'] credibility as spokespersons." Here's the group's entry on Marion Nestle.
The bottom line, says Nestle, is quite simple: Kids need to eat less, include more fruits and vegetables, and limit the junk food.

MOPS Meeting

I was asked to be a guest speaker . . . that is exactly what I did . . . I almost spit out my coffee in SHOCK!!! The MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Director at the church called to ask me to speak about time management, organization, and finding time to spend quality time with the munchkins! She told me that I just seem to have all those areas under control in my life!!! BOY have I got her fooled!!!! And you too if you think the same thing!! So, today was the big day and I was up on the stage as Me*i*sA interviewed me. I am not sure what came out of my mouth, but the message I wanted to get across was this:

I am a simple ordinary mom of 3. I wish my house was cleaner and my cabinets more organized and I had time to clip coupons, but life is too short to worry about EVERYTHING!!! So I only worry about a few things!! I concern myself with people because they are the ONLY thing that last forever! My relationship with Christ, my husband, and kids are my main concerns. There is no "super-mom" in this family. Just a forgiven, simple, hopeful, faithful, passionate, mommy that is surrounded by loving people. I make mistakes! I yell at my kids sometimes. I don't always do the dishes before I go to bed at night! I am just like YOU in so many ways.

I am not sure that all of that came across because time was short. BUT if this is your first visit to my blog and you were at the MOPS meeting, let me know you stopped by.

Achieving

Recently my big kids, Carley and Camden, are so driven to achieve! All kids like a pat on the back or words or praise. They like that too, but this seems a little different. They don't just want to do a good job, they want to do an excellent job!! It is so exciting to see them do something that they excel at.

Carley is doing Junior Bible Quiz (JBQ) and she has her first match this weekend. She is so excited!! She practices everyday and she wants to do her best!! In practice matches she does really good and she feels confident! The only problem is that in the matches parents can's say a word . . . no cheering . . . nothing. If you do, it is a foul on your team and they loose points!! It is going to be so hard to sit still!!!!

She is also taking piano lessons and the piano teacher says she is gifted, musically. I am a mom with NO musical talent whatsoever and I loved hearing those words. She picks things up so quickly and she will be performing in a Christmas recital in December. I can't wait to watch her perform!!

Camden is memorizing stuff like crazy! He memorizes about one verse a week as well as a poem and sometimes more stuff for his Wednesday night class at church, Ranger Kids. He has all the poems and verses still memorized from the beginning of August. He loves to stand up and say all his poems or all his verses. It's like he glows with excitement about his achievement!!

I am so proud of them! There were days when I heard both of them say . . . "I am not doing this!! It is WAYYY too hard!" They have said it about reading, writing, sports, JBQ, poem memorization, and lots of other hurdles that they have reluctantly but gracefully overcome! I am so glad they have found things that they love to do! I know they are young and there is a lot more world to explore and I can't wait to see what else lies on the path ahead!

Bogus Scams

Subject : Bogus inspectors & your safety!!!!!

I hate it when people forward bogus warnings, and I have even done it myself a couple times unintentionally...but this one is real, and it's important. So please send this warning to everyone on your e-mail list, or post it as a bulletin so all of your friends will know..........

If someone comes to your front door saying they are checking for ticks due to the warm weather and asks you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up, DO NOT DO IT!! THIS IS A SCAM!! They only want to see you naked.


**I hope I didn't offend anyone!! I laughed so hard when I read this that I just HAD to share it!! It's a joke!!