Protect Your Feet: Ever notice people’s feet when they are wearing sandals? Well, you will now. Some people have very smooth looking feet while others have white looking dry skin, especially at their heels, layers of it really. I first began to notice this some years back and quickly changed my routine to prevent such an outcome for me. My Mom had always told me to apply lotion after a shower and I have done so, for years and years. I used to not apply it to the bottom of my feet, but as I said, once I noticed how bad feet could look, I made sure to go from face to feet with my lotion, EVERY day. Here is a tip for you. Have a bottle of lotion by your bed and apply to feet at night. Make this a routine, like brushing your teeth. Trust me on this one. Actually, you should trust me on all of this!
What People Will Say: I was out and about doing my paid job this week when an older person, a hospital volunteer actually, said quite loudly to me, “You are so little. What are you a zero?” I replied that I was, but only because they make clothes bigger than they used to so that heavy people don’t feel so bad. But her question, which didn’t really offend me, begs this question, “Why is that okay to ask?” Had she seen an overly large person would she have said, “You are SO big, what are you a 24?” Likely not.
Pfizer’s Trickle Down Effect: I didn’t think of this until my Mom mentioned it to me as we strolled along the beautiful Florida gulf beach this weekend. When Pfizer was at its most aggressive marketing and drug promoting, it often brought health care professionals to restaurants or brought food from restaurants to the hospitals and clinics. My mother said that some waitresses or cooks really began to rely on the 25 dollar tips and that since then some have actually had trouble paying their bills. I absolutely think Pfizer should pay up the 2.3 billion in settlement fees, but this shows how much of a ripple effect the behavior of one company can have.
Joints and Exercise: I heard a report on NPR this past Friday that supports previous research that the use of our bodies is a protective factor against arthritis. And again, injury of knees or ankles and such are the biggest cause of later life arthritis. IN other words, highly active people, even life long runners, do not develop arthritis from activity unless they have had injuries in certain joints. You can read about it here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112556135
My last odds and ends have to do with some foods I recently saw advertised. The first I have noted before, OJ. I cannot find the ad online but suffice it to say, OJ is not the best way to get the nutrients that an orange offers because the juice is concentrated and thus high in sugar or fructose and low in fiber.
Things get worse from there. The other two food items that I became aware of this week are from IHOP and Bob Evans. I saw a mention of the IHOP NFL promotion of AFC and NFC stuffed French toast in the WSJ. The bit in the paper just noted that there was a 50 cent price difference between the two. IHOP’s website notes that it is their classic stuffed French toast but shaped like a foot ball and served either over some strawberry or blueberry concoction, not fresh fruit. IHOP doesn’t say, but other websites state that the meal has about 1500 calories, not counting orange juice (kidding). That is just about my entire calorie need for the day! http://www.eatmedaily.com/2009/09/football-shaped-stuffed-french-toast-at-ihop/
And lastly, I saw a commercial for a Bob Evans dish. I knew it was bad before I even looked it up. It is called a knife and fork sandwich. There are several varieties but I saw the ad for the meatloaf one. This is what I saw; meatloaf with a slice of cheese, on top of mashed potatoes, on top of a thick slice of bread, covered in gravy. That comes in at 820 calories and 37 grams of fat. http://www2.bobevans.com/WebSite/Nutritionals.nsf/$$TemplateforNutritionals?OpenForm&category=SANDWICHES
Oh and I should add this last thing that I heard. Frito Lay has decided to put MORE chips in its bags.
All this being said; who is it that thinks that the food and restaurant industries are going to voluntarily make their items healthier? And who doesn’t think having calorie info on the menu when you order is a good idea?
I believe this post might last two days with tomorrow being Labor Day so enjoy your picnic and remember those not cheeseburger salads on You Tube.
