Mark’s Daily Apple

Looky Loo!0

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Popping up near you!

It’s not just gas stations that are increasingly difficult to find in urban areas. Bathrooms have also become a hot commodity requiring all manner of quarters, tokens, and nervous breakdowns. We’ve got the CIA, the IRS, the FBI, and your friendly neighborhood traffic cop ever at the ready to fine you $168 for daring to turn right on a green light going five miles an hour in Santa Monica (hypothetical, clearly), but heaven forbid we have access to urinary relief. It would seem municipalities are on a mission to ensure widespread micro-discomfort. Because when you’ve got a populace in need of a piss, you’ve got ‘em by the…well, you get it.

Enter innovation. Civil engineers, governments and retail outfits may not find your bladder to be of any pressing matter, but the geeks are ever sensitive to room for innovation. Following that, room for a relaxed gait.

For a small sum of 50 cents, you can now ping your mobile to alert you to the nearest toilet in cities hard up for potty pots. Thanks to new technology, your phone can find out so much more than movie times! Texters, prepare thy thumbs and water your closets. London is all over it, which obviously means San Francisco will be next and New York will be never.

Experts predict quite the revenue stream. You can’t stop the flow of technology. A flood of information will…

Further Reading:

10 Kick-Butt Fitness Gadgets

In Search of a Good Poop (or Sh*t Happens)

Learn about urinary tract health!

Photo Credit: Photocapy on Flickr

Technorati Tags: loo, urinal, public, toilet, bathroom, technology, search, mobile, pda

Posted: Humor, Worker Bees' Daily Bites

Healthy Tastes Great!0

Mache Salad with Grapes and Almonds

More great salad recipes:

Chickpea Salad with Purslane and Arugula

Fennel and Avocado Salad

Simple Fruit Salad

Technorati Tags: grapes, salad, almonds

Posted: Health, Healthy Tastes Great!, Nutrition, Recipes

The Fountain of Youth, Coming to a Drug Near You11

Old grapes.

The anti-aging drug movement is upon us.

News reports out today inform us that Sirtris, a drug based upon the antioxidant resveratrol (found in red wine), will enter human drug trials as soon as next year. Aging - and so-called diseases of aging - is thought to be caused by cellular breakdown. And fundamental to the proper operation of a cell are the mitochondria. These “engines” of our cells are the key to disease prevention and longevity. From the article - which brings out the glamorous “Lance Armstrong has more powerful cells” example, naturally - we learn about the future of aging pharmaceuticals:

“The new molecule is 1,000 times more potent than the wine derivative, resveratrol, and could lead to solutions for diseases of aging, including cancer and diabetes, according to authors of a study in today’s issue of the journal Nature.

Researchers tested about 500,000 molecules for abilities to activate the immune-system booster SIRT1, the enzyme credited with resveratrol’s ability to extend lifespans 30 to 70 percent in organisms from yeast and worms to flies and mice.”

I subscribe to the cellular theory of aging and I absolutely support the prudent use of antioxidant supplements such as resveratrol. So, I suppose it was only a matter of time before Big Pharma got in on the act. (I do find it entertaining that drug companies are quick to undermine the value of any natural therapy until they find it may benefit their bottom lines.)

While I support antioxidant therapy, I’m also in disagreement about the article’s assertion - and the common belief - that diseases such as diabetes and cancer are due to aging and not simple lifestyle factors. These aren’t diseases of aging, they’re diseases of bullsh*t. We have this deeply ingrained belief, it seems, that aging inherently comes with disease and we’re all just, well, screwed. Watch drug commercials and it would seem that once we hit 55, all that’s left to do is retire, bicker about leftovers with the old ball and chain, and apparently settle in for a few decades of drugs, walkers, pee bags and pain prescriptions. But aging doesn’t have to mean - and shouldn’t mean - wrinkles, broken hips, weakness, and disease. Far from it. There’s no reason you can’t be as lean, strong, and energetic at 50, 60, 70, and even 80 as you were at 25. The key is not a drug, but a healthy, preventive lifestyle.

Also today: grapes are evidently the elixir for all that ails. Another news report out today reveals that grapeseed extract is a safe, natural alternative to the harsh preservative chemicals used in grocery store meat (no word on the pouring of blood to keep the meat looking fresh). BHA and BHT have been used for decades to slow down the deterioration of meat. Meat goes bad because the fats oxidize. So it makes sense that a natural antioxidant would do the job of chemicals, and quite naturally to boot. I’m looking forward to manufacturers making the switch. Still, truly fresh, free-range, grass-fed meat is a far cry better than preserved luncheon meats and deli offerings. But I’ll pick my battles.

Further reading:

Don’t fall for the colloidal silver scam

Top 10 health product scams

Top 10 most worthless drugs

Photo Credit: Martin LaBar

Technorati Tags: anti aging, aging, fountain of youth, grapeseed extract, chemicals, preservatives, meat, lance armstrong, sirtris, mitochondria, cell, cellular

Posted: Aging, Big Pharma, Prevention

New Nutrition Labeling System Still Has Flaws4

I can haz carbs? 

New nutrition labels are in the works for a 2008 unveiling. There are some terrific improvements over the current labels. A particular problem I’ve long had with the existing labels is that the numbers are based upon the assumption that you’re following a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet. That’s too much for many women, not enough for many men, and irrelevant for many growing kids. And yet nearly every food and food product in America is measured and judged as if we were all virtually identical and weighing in at 150 pounds. Who actually takes time to adjust the nutritional values for their particular weight, BMI, and body fat percentage? Moreover, how many Americans are even aware that when they see “15% fat” on a label, the food carrying this label is not 15% fat? It seems, in fact, to be the perfect recipe for ambiguity - and obesity. If I wanted to obscure accurate nutrition information - because why would we ever want to present what’s inside on the outside - I’d come up with some imaginary standard and convoluted comparisons, too.

O.K., Mark, we get it. Now that I’ve dispatched with my preliminary rant, let’s take a look at the changes. The label is getting an overhaul, and here is what you can expect:

First, what we’re talking about here is a system called the Overall Nutritional Quality Index. Foods will be judged, measured and marked based upon comparisons to other foods. “Overall Nutritional Quality” sounds like a sensible approach that prioritizes quality over arbitrary numbers. I do like this aspect of the new label. For example, a bag of broccoli will offer nutritional comparisons to other vegetables so you get an idea of the value of the green you’re about to eat. (This will apply to candy, drinks, and all processed foods, as well. Not sure how helpful “this refined bread is better for you than that donut” is going to be, but we’ll have to see how it all shakes out, I suppose.)

Second, the labels will be more positively focused. I like that intent. Rather than simply including the “bad” information, the labels will also point out the good nutrients, proteins, fats, and fiber. The obvious problem with this, however, is that what’s considered “bad” and what’s considered “good” is flawed. Saturated fat and cholesterol are - as usual - undesirable, while carbohydrates (excluding sugar) are considered desirable. Same box, new, shiny wrapper. All this amounts to a new labeling system that forgos the arbitrary numbers but makes comparisons - and recommendations - based upon flawed evidence and deeply misguided nutritional understanding.

Third, I can’t resist sharing a few quotes from the article that don’t need my help:

- “You really shouldn’t need a PhD in nutritional biochemistry to figure out which kids’ breakfast cereal is healthier.”

- “The scoring system will let consumers compare different types of the same food, so they will be able to tell not only that fruit is healthier than candy, but which fruits or candy are more or less healthy.

‘It’s all candy, none of it is going to compare to broccoli,’ Katz [spokesperson] said. ‘But face it, when you want candy, broccoli isn’t going to do the job.’ ”

Pardon me while I go bang my head against the wall. Have fun in the meantime.

Photo Credit: Arimoore

Further Reading:

Why the Atkins Diet Works

Yet Another Half-Baked Grain Study

King Corn: Don’t Miss This Movie!

LOLcats are addictive and sugar-free

Technorati Tags: nutrition, label, food, Overall Nutritional Quality Index

Posted: Announcements, Big Agra, Carbs, Diet, Hype, Nutrition

How Safe Is Our Food?2

Cracks in the system.

Big Agra has gotten us into an interesting (and sickening) predicament. In light of a solid year of squeamish food poisoning issues, there are clearly some chinks in the armor of food safety. But is it really the government’s role to step in and regulate food safety further? Unfortunately, regulation tends to harm the good guys - raw almonds today, organic spinach yesterday, dairy for far too long now - and effectively underwrite large corporate agricultural interests. And yet. And yet. Currently, testing outfits that monitor food safety so our beef, lettuce, eggs and chicken are ostensibly edible are paid for by the very agricultural interests they test. In other words, it’s a recipe for corruption. While labs may be impartial, the results they gather when testing at-risk foods (such as meat and imported goods) are given over to the company and it’s on the company to report anything to the FDA. That is, the labs don’t have a way to send results directly to a presumably - and I realize the generosity of this idea - impartial guardian of public health. If one lab doesn’t “find” the “right” results, it’s fairly easy for the food company to find another, more affable laboratory. Still, I’m not sure that introducing increased FDA regulation or oversight is the solution here. But since I can’t even keep up with all the burgers that have been recalled since the summer, I feel compelled to ask you:

What do we do? 

Osi Flickr Photo (CC)

Further Reading:

Would Grok Chow the Cheese Plate?

My Beef with Grains

What I Eat in a Day

Technorati Tags: New York Times, food, contamination, poisoning, safety, FDA

Posted: Big Agra, Diet, Marketing, Prevention