Source: http://www.healthzone.ca/health/dietfitness/article/783496--caffeine-gets-okay-in-non-cola-drinks
I was reading the newspaper yesterday morning, and stumbled upon the above article. In accordance to this article, Health Canada has deemed the use of caffeine as a food additive in all carbonated beverages (not just colas) acceptable if their concentrations do not exceed 150 parts per million, as no health concerns has been detected at such levels of consumption. The article also notes that the maximum caffeine concentration in colas is 200 parts per million, thus allowing beverage companies to fall only slightly behind cola companies in terms of their caffeine concentrations. Furthermore, the article states that although consumption at 150 parts per million is usually of no concern, the consumption of caffeine at exceeding levels (above 400 milligrams of caffeine per day) can cause symptoms such as insomnia, headaches, irritability, dehydration and nervousness. Pregnant women are also not encouraged to consume a high level of caffeine containing beverages, as caffeine can actually lead to miscarriages and low birth weight infants. In terms of children and adolescents, depending on their weights, they too are not recommended to consume caffeine at specified high levels. Lastly, the article notes that Health Canada is urging soft drink manufacturers to voluntarily list the total caffeine contents in their products so that consumers can make informed decisions when purchasing beverages, and manage the amount of caffeine consumed.
After reading this article, I was a little shocked to say the least, and not in a good way either. I could not believe that Health Canada, one of the supposedly most trusted sources of information related to healthcare in Canada, deemed the caffeination of all carbonated beverages as acceptable. I mean sure, I am glad that there is a limit on exactly how much caffeine is allowed to be added to these beverages, but with all the health concerns related to caffeine consumption (i.e. in pregnant women), why are they still allowing other non-cola beverage companies to add caffeine to their drinks? Yes, only approximately 400 milligrams of caffeine a day would truly cause health concerns, but with caffeine being added to almost every single beverage that many of us consume on a daily basis, it could quite possibly add up to dangerous levels. What is even funnier is that they are “urging” beverage companies to “voluntarily” state the caffeine concentration of their products on their labels so that consumers can make informed decisions. Do they honestly believe that just because they “urge” the beverage companies to state the caffeine concentrations of their products, that they will actually do so? Most of the companies will probably just ignore this and continue on with their daily operations, especially since this action is completely voluntary. No regulations have even been passed controlling caffeine labelling on products, which means that consumers most likely will not even know how much caffeine they are truly consuming on a daily basis, allowing caffeine consumption to reach dangerously high levels even more readily. I feel like they are not truly trying to assist in the prevention of health-related issues, but more so waiting for some type of mishap too occur before they are willing to actually do something about it.
Furthermore, I find it interesting that they would first state caffeine consumption below a certain level as being acceptable, yet also tell the public that caffeine consumption can cause harm if consumed in excess (above 400 milligrams). At the same time, Health Canada has also consistently discouraged the consumption of soft drinks because of the added sugars and calories found in such beverages. I feel like they are sending the public mixed messages because they appear to be saying that the consumption of soft drinks below a certain level of caffeine is okay, but the consumption of soft drinks is not encouraged anyways because of the added calories and sugars found in them. Confused yet? I know I was, as I soon found myself wondering whether consuming soft drinks is okay or not. At this rate, I think I will just stick to drinking water all day, as it seems like the safest and healthiest thing to do.
My friends and I were out studying the other night, when we realized that it was nearing dinner time. We were all hungry and needed to grab something quick to eat so that we could get back to studying as soon as possible. One of my friends suggested that we go to Harvey’s for dinner because they were apparently having some sort of promotion. I was a little curious, so I decided to go to their main website to search up exactly what this promotion was. It turns out that Harvey’s was having a promotional deal where one could purchase an Angus Burger and receive another Angus Burger of equal or lesser value for free. Personally, I did not see what the big deal was. I purchase a burger and I get another one for free, but why would I need to consume two burgers in one night? I would much rather eat a salad or something healthier, just so I do not feel nearly as guilty for having just consumed a countless amount of calories and salt in one meal. My friends however, did not seem to understand my reasoning, as they quickly stressed the word FREE to me.
One of the main responsibilities of a community dietitian is to promote the development and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle by helping community members make more nutritious eating choices on a daily basis. Whenever I see promotional deals, such as the ones displayed by Harvey’s however, I begin to question how it will ever be possible for health promoters and community dietitians to change the current consumption patterns of our communities; especially since such promotions are consistently and regularly being created. For instance, I am almost 100% certain that my friends have been told an innumerable amount of times that eating fast-food can be detrimental to one’s health. Yet as soon as they hear the word free, they do not really seem to care much about the health indicators that accompany eating such food items. It almost appears as if it does not matter how effectively health promoters and dietitians attempt to promote healthier eating choices, because the fast-food industry will always create something else that works against what has previously been promoted. I actually had a friend that once worked at a Harvey’s, and she told me that whenever deals like these are launched, the lines become so long that they go around the entire store. This then makes me wonder, what is so captivating about these fast-food restaurants that prompt so many of us to line up for hours, just for a free burger? What do such promotions say about the future of our communities and their health?
Perhaps communities are so drawn to these fast food restaurants because they have become so readily available. For example, one can acquire a McDonald’s or Harvey’s value meal effortlessly, seeing as there is likely an abundance of McDonald’s and Harvey’s located around the community. This relates to the topic of building healthier communities that we discussed several weeks ago in lectures. In order to change the eating patterns of our communities, we first need to build healthy communities that promote a healthy lifestyle. For instance, by offering healthier food choices within the communities more frequently, perhaps an overall healthier community can be created. I hence recommend that one way of combating such promotions in fast-food restaurants, is to offer healthier food options for communities to choose from at an equivalent or lower price. This is evidently just my opinion on the matter, so what do you think? Are there other ways of motivating communities towards eating healthier? Have you ever been tempted by the promotions offered by fast-food restaurants?
As many of you may (or may not know), I work part-time at a real-estate office as a receptionist. This would therefore mean that I spend a countless amount of time sitting in front of a computer while answering phone calls. Being a Saturday afternoon, where the phone lines are pretty much dead, I’m left sitting here with nothing much to do but to surf the internet. That’s when I came across this store called “MXYPLYZYK”, which is a specialty store that features unique items from around the world, where many of their pieces are inspired by early superman comics. Among the numerous quirky items on their website, what really caught my attention is their interesting selection of kitchen-ware. I was immediately drawn to them because they just looked like so much fun to cook with. Imagine cooking with a cheese grater and veggie peeler that is shaped like an action figure!
I think that products like these are great because it turns cooking into a fun and enjoyable experience. Being in Toronto, where many lead a hectic and busy schedule, cooking at home may not exactly be considered something that is enjoyable. For instance, why else would there be so many restaurants offering take-out menus? Or aisles and aisles of convenience food items sold at the supermarket? There is evidently a market for these cooking options, which is why they have become so popular today. Even being a Nutrition and Food major myself, I often find myself eating instant noodles for lunch whenever I am at home because I simply do not have the time to cook myself a nutritious meal. On the contrary, if I were at home with fun cooking gadgets to cook with, I would most definitely be more willing to spend some time in the kitchen cooking myself a wholesome meal.
Of course, cooking at home does not necessarily need to involve nicely decorated products like the ones I just mentioned, to make it a fun and enjoyable experience. For instance, I would be more than happy to cook if I were in the kitchen with just my mother or some friends. This would allow me to spend quality time with them just chatting and catching up with one another. I just feel like situations like these rarely happen because everyone has become so busy. I think that it is important for health promoters to promote and encourage the concept of social cooking more often because it is something that is often regarded as being irrelevant to health. For example, I often see advertisements or announcements about reducing sodium intake, or limiting the amount of fat in one’s diet, but very rarely do I notice one that advocates for eating and preparing meals together with family or friends. As discussed at the beginning of the semester, social wellness is a very important component to health. I think that not a lot of people know about this however, because health promotion is more often centered on the clinical aspects of health rather than the social aspects of health. This does not mean that it is not important however, which is why I feel that communities need to be further educated about the benefits of eating and preparing meals together, and further encouraged to participate in community programs which allow for social cooking to occur (i.e. baking together at the community bake ovens found at Dufferin Grove Park). After reflecting about this matter, I have decided that I will make a greater effort to eat and cook together with my family because not only is my health benefitting from this, but my family’s health as well.
Source: https://www.mxyplyzyk.com/v03/index2.php?cat=100
When you’re going to a restaurant with a couple of friends and aren’t sure how to split the bill, there’s an App. for that. When you’re in the dark and am in need of a flashlight, there’s an App. for that too. When your younger sibling is sick and you’re in need of some advice or information, there’s an App. for that? It appears that there is indeed an App. for this, as a free iPhone application was launched, which allows for one to have quick and easy access to information about childhood emergencies, medical conditions, and information about general health. In addition to these interesting features, the application can also provide maps and directions to the nearest doctor’s office or clinic.
I was greatly intrigued when I first read about this in an article, as I’m sure many of you are iPhone users, and I thought that this application would be fairly helpful for parents. For instance, I initially thought that if someone’s daughter or son became sick in the middle of the night, maybe this application would come in handy, just as a quick way to search up some information about the symptoms that the child may be experiencing. As I reflected deeper however, I became less convinced that this application is such a good idea. I mean yes, I’m sure that it would be nice to have convenient access to healthcare information via a mobile device, but how truly credible is this information? What if a child is seriously sick and the application says that it is nothing to worry about? In using this application, it would be just be too easy for parents to overlook their children’s symptoms and not seek for professional advice when it is seriously needed. I suppose that the overall concept of this application is great, since I can see that the creators of this application are just trying to use the newest technological advancements to connect people with updated healthcare information. At the same time however, the application should be used with caution, as it can lead to some serious problems if taken too seriously.
After reading this article, it also made me realize how easy it truly is for one to spread incorrect healthcare information to people and towards communities. For instance, by simply uploading inaccurate information onto a website or iPhone application, millions of people can gain access and become misinformed with the blink of an eye. No wonder there are so many misconceptions within the field of nutrition today, seeing as it has become so easy for information to become dispersed. On the flipside, it can also be easy for health promoters to use technology towards their advantage. For example, maybe future nutrition health promoters can use mobile devices in their favour by creating an iPhone application as well, one that features free credible nutrition information towards communities. Now THAT would be an application that I would surely use!
Source: http://www.healthzone.ca/health/parentcentral/familyhealth/article/774328--sick-child-there-s-an-app-for-that
