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In an attempt to reassure consumers that drinking sugary, carbonated beverages is a-okay, Coca-Cola has released two new commercials highlighting the ways the company is helping to reduce obesity. ”Across our portfolio of over 650 beverages, we now offer over 180 low- and no-calorie choices,” says the narrator of one commercial, titled “Come Together.” The ad goes on to say that calories from soda are no different than any other calories we put into our bodies every day, and suggests that it’s the consumer’s responsibility to burn off what he or she takes in.
A second commercial says a can of Coke contains 140 “happy” calories that can be spent doing “happy” things, like walking your dog and laughing out loud.
(Source: theweek.com)
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PepsiCo has a new soda, Pepsi Special, and it’s being marketed explicitly as a fat-blocking health drink…
It remains to be seen just how effective Pepsi Special is at shrinking waistlines. But previous studies on rats showed that dextrin, a special ingredient in the beverage, can reduce the absorption of fat in the body and helps lower cholesterol levels. Scientists have also found evidence that the soluble fiber helps regulate the digestive system, increases nutrient absorption, stabilizes glucose levels, and could even prevent a variety of other gastrointestinal disorders.
The product will soon be released in Japan — Pepsi has not announced a U.S. release date. That doesn’t keep Amanda Kooser at CNET from wondering: “What would Michael Bloomberg say?”
(Source: theweek.com)
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California’s proposed proposition 37, or “The Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act,” would require that any food containing genetically modified ingredients be clearly labeled.
If it passes on Nov. 6, some of America’s most popular food products, from Coca-Cola to Corn Flakes, would have to be marked as “partially produced with genetic engineering” — a phrase that food companies fear could be as damning as a skull and crossbones. Similar labeling laws have been proposed in more than a dozen U.S. states.
(Source: theweek.com)
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“If you’re looking for a reason to quit buying those less-than-tasty fat-free salad dressings,” says Beth Fontenot at The Atlantic, “this could be it.”
Doctors may say that fat-free balsamic on your salad is better for you than something with more fat and flavor, but striking new evidence from Purdue University suggests that such thinking might be flawed. It turns out that fat-free dressings don’t maximize the nutritional firepower you get from eating veggies the way a regular dressing might.
Why fat-free salad dressings might actually be bad for you
(Source: theweek.com)
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Just in time for lunch: The healthiest meal ever. Food experts from England set out to determine what the healthiest, most nutrient-packed meal in the world would actually look like. 4,000 health claims later, they’ve boiled it all down to one simple meal.
The meal starts with a salmon terrine, which is smoked fish served with olive oil and a dusting of fresh herbs, alongside a mixed leaf salad with an extra-virgin olive oil dressing. Up next is a chicken and lentil casserole, accompanied by mixed veggies and a high-fiber multigrain roll on the side. Dessert is a vanilla-pudding-like blancmange, which consists of yogurt topped with walnuts and sugar-free caramel sauce.
Not bad. But what makes this meal so healthy?
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The newest crazy diet fad: eating like a caveman. Dieters eat mostly meat, but also vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Fatty cuts of red meat are encouraged, while processed foods like sugar, dairy, grains, and beans are all off-limits. A typical Paleo meal includes grilled steak on a bed of uncooked spinach, for example, with a few blueberries for dessert.
The movement is gaining momentum thanks to dedicated fans who swear by the diet’s steady intake of meat and veggies. Skeptics are wary, though, and research supporting so-called “evolutionary eating” is thin at best. Is this a passing fad or the diet of the future?
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Taco Bell is going gourmet. Seriously. The far-from-classy creator of the Dorito taco shell and notorious quasi-meat is launching a new upscale menu on July 5 that company executives are dubbing “gourmet Mexican.”
Dubbed the Cantina Bell menu, it will feature burritos and burrito bowls with new ingredients like fire-roasted corn salsa, cilantro rice, pico de gallo, and herb-marinated chicken. The shift is an attempt to compete with higher-quality Mexican-food chains like Chipotle.
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Walt Disney will no longer carry ads for foods that don’t meet strict requirements for sodium, sugar, and saturated fat content during its children’s programming. The company is the owner of ABC, ABC Family, the Disney Channel, and other TV outlets.
Disney Chairman Robert Iger said the move was part of an effort to combat childhood obesity. First Lady Michelle Obama, appearing with Iger, threw the White House’s support behind the deal, saying it was “truly a game changer for the health of our children.” However, while it’s assumed Disney will lose advertising dollars, Iger insisted that the initiative was also “smart business.”
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The latest disturbing diet trend: Feeding-tubes. The tube is inserted into their noses, which funnels a slow drip of liquid protein and fat (with no carbohydrates) through the esophagus into the stomach.
Satisfied customers — mostly brides-to-be — defend the tube, but critics say this is the grossest diet trend yet. Also, it costs $1,500.
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Each American eats, on average, 18 pounds of bacon per year. Now, the obsession is reaching a new level. Bacon lovers can be buried in their favorite cured meat. While J&D’s Bacon Coffin ($2,999.99) isn’t actually made of bacon, it’s painted with bacon and pork shading and comes equipped with a “bacon air freshener for when you get that buried-underground, not-so-fresh feeling.”
We thought this was the perfect opportunity to update our bacon slideshow. Here, 10 other bacon-inspired products:
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