Arbor Day

I took this last fall but it's one of my favorite (click pic for larger). I think the red ones in the foreground are dogwoods, the rest we call tulip poplars - they can get mighty tall.

The Fatty Stools Diet

While browsing Xenical's site, I wandered across their sample menus. At right you see a 2000-calorie diet menu for a day I picked at random (honestly).

Xenical® (orlistat) is a prescription medication that assists weight loss by blocking some of the fat you eat from being absorbed. The FDA is very, very close to approving a lower-dose, non-prescription version of it, which would make it the only FDA-endorsed weight-loss drug available over-the-counter.

What this post is not - An endorsement for Xenical, for a few reasons:

• It shows only mediocre benefit in weight loss trials.
  
• Since it requires no lifestyle changes other than popping a pill, any weight lost is likely to return when the (costly) therapy is ended.¹
  
• Some people taking it developed hepatitis, gall stones or kidney stones - for reasons unknown.
  
• It may increase cancer (breast, colon) risk.
  
• It blocks absorption of fat-soluble nutrients, including vitamins A, D, E, K, the carotenoids, and the much-discussed omega-3 fatty acids.
  
• As if Americans don't have enough non-solicited gastrointestinal distress, the FDA lists Xenical's most common side effects as:
  • Oily spotting
    
  • Gas with discharge
    
  • Fecal urgency
    
  • Fatty/oily stools
    
  • Frequent bowel movements

What this post is - A brief discussion of that 1-day menu I posted, because I get my jollies analyzing diets.

Ready? Go:

1. I come up with 2182 calories, not 2000. You might think that 182 extra calories/day is a drop in the bucket, but it adds up. It's a real downer to see a devoted soul struggling to lose weight and not experiencing significant displacement of the needle on the scale. Also, I held my analysis tightly to the letter of the menu, while in reality, unless measuring instruments are used, I suspect lots of people would have difficulty eyeballing 2/3 cup frozen yogurt.

2. Who eats 1/2 banana? What do you do with the other half?

3. While I'm at it ... 6 slivered almonds? Not 5? Not 7? I wanna watch Dick Cheney count his almonds.

4. Men should be eating about 40g fiber/day, women a little less. This diet supplies around 25g fiber. That a diet well-strewn with fruits and vegetables (such as this one) still might not meet the daily recommended intake speaks to a need for more intense fiber-diligence. Skins, seeds, husks, pulp, wood shavings, textile scraps - throw 'em in there! Not enough good can be said about fiber, all sorts of fiber. Maybe I'll attempt to say enough good in another post. All I'll say now is ... Fiber is good stuff. Try for the 40g.

5. Where are the beverages? No fruit juices. No Starbucks, Guinness, or Zinfandel. I see they didn't fail to add a glass of cold milk for breakfast and lunch. On Thursday's menu they include some animal crackers with the milk as a bedtime snack. I'm getting a feeling someone under the age of 10 assisted in these menus.

6. The diet supplies less than 30% of calories from fat, actually 23.8%, even with that 7 oz. steak. Not bad, not bad at all. But I can see their motivation here. The more fat you eat while taking Xenical, the greater your fecal urgency, bowel accidents notwithstanding. (This is, in fact, a criticism of the drug - that it works more by discouraging fat consumption, thereby avoiding side effects, than it does by actually blocking absorption of significant fat calories.)

7. Technically, this is a good eating plan. But as with many of these stock, idealistic menus, they require you to hit the grocery store almost daily, have the time and know-how to cook, the availability of a kitchen in the middle of the day, and enough financial resources and moral numbness to buy yet throw away that portion of the apple, banana, etc. that is not sanctioned on the menu. Still, if you're scrounging ideas for how to eat within a calorie limit, Xenical.com's menus are worth a look. If you're drawn to experiment with their fat blocker, keep in mind the above side-effect laundry list. It's sure to increase your laundry load.

Update: Click here for a status on Xenical's new over-the-counter version, Alli™.

~~~~~~¹ This concern was kindled by 2 recent clinical trials which showed only a 2.8% difference in weight loss after four years between those taking orlistat vs. placebo.

It Bee Spring

"The gravitational attraction of the Earth endows objects with weight and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped."
- Wikipedia

So, can someone tell me how this little guy gets airborne? Look at those tissue wings on that big hairy body. It's like sewing candy wrappers onto a bear and expecting it to pull flight maneuvers. Smokey the Bear should be so endowed.

I'm also at a loss to say what kind of bee this is. They're pretty docile. Sometimes they fly into you with a thud. I think they're responsible for the perfectly round, 3/8 inch diameter holes drilled randomly into our mailbox post, but I can't say for sure.

"It's Like No Cheese I've Ever Tasted"

- Wallace, to Gromit, from A Grand Day Out. Visit the official Wallace & Gromit site for the sound clip. Or try here.

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) is meeting today at the Ramada Inn in State College, PA. They're fielding comments about organic dairy production for their pitch to the USDA. Here's their agenda.

The NOSB is a 15-member group that came into existence in 1992 by way of the 1990 Farm Bill. It is this group that makes recommendations to the USDA regarding organic food production. The USDA is not compelled to follow the advice of the NOSB, but it at least listens.

In a few hours, The Cornucopia Institute (among others) will present their Organic Dairy Report and Scorecard to the NOSB at their meeting. You can bet your clotted cream that Horizon and Aurora, two of the largest organic dairy companies in the US - who, according to the Organic Consumers Association, together control 65% of the organic dairy market, who purchase the majority of their milk from feedlot dairies where the cows have little or no access to pasture, and who import calves from conventional farms where animals have been weaned on blood, fed slaughterhouse waste and genetically engineered grains, and injected or dosed with antibiotics - will also be represented.

But the NOSB is also looking for comments from the public. You don't have to travel to PA, you don't have to have slaved over a PowerPoint Presentation, you don't have to dress in coordinated business attire or employ any public speaking skills. No, if you'd like the NOSB to consider your comments, all you need do is fill out this form:

SIGN PETITION TO THE NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD TO STOP FACTORY FARM ORGANICS

~~~~~~Or for that personal touch, you can submit comments to NOSB by:

Mail:
The National Organic Standards Board
c/o Katherine Benham
Room 4008 - South Building
1400 and Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-0001

E-mail:
Katherine.Benham@usda.gov

Fax:
(202) 205-7808

Salmon Today, Serenity Tomorrow

Much of the attention omega-3 fatty acids are receiving of late is related to their benefit for the heart - their reputation for reducing triglycerides and limiting production of compounds involved in inflammation.

But those weren't the effects that compelled me to study these fats years ago. It was omega-3's impact on mood and mental state that had me pouring over the research. And what a heap of mood research has come to pass since then.

Here's a nice synopsis, by Alan Logan:

Omega-3 fatty acids and major depression: A primer for the mental health professional
- From Lipids in Health and Disease, 2004

Which concludes:

"... there is enough epidemiological, laboratory and clinical evidence to suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may play a role in certain cases of depression."

Mr. Logan's report contains references not just to depression, but to a variety of studies involving omega-3 and the central nervous system. They address the fat's relationship to:

• Aggression
  
• Anorexia nervosa
  
• Antisocial behavior
  
• Anxiety
  
• Bipolar disorder
  
• Feelings of guilt and worthlessness
  
• Insomnia
  
• Libido
  
• Post-partum depression
  
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
  
• Suicide
  
• ... and one he didn't reference but has been linked to omega-3, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD)

So I was excited to see this particular facet of omega-3 research gain some headway in the press with yesterday's NYTs Magazine article Does Eating Salmon Lower the Murder Rate? What Omega-3 Fatty Acids Might Do for Violent Behavior ¹

In light of the nuclear one-upmanship taking place among the world's sovereign states, I recommend the next time Condi goes calling overseas, she does so bearing gifts, particularly some of our tasty omega-3-rich Wild Alaskan Salmon. Yessiree Bob, a little salmon today, a little less violent antisocial behavior tomorrow. Heck, let's make it a regular menu item at the White House.

~~~~~~
¹ Thank you, Jim, for the heads-up.
Photo by Kent Lacin.

Organic Milk - Private Labels' Anonymous Suppliers

About midway through the Cornucopia Institute's Organic Dairy Scorecard you'll see "private-label" or store-brand dairy products ranked.¹



A private label, such as Harris Teeter, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods 365 Organic, etc., by definition, refrains from divulging its sources. Granted, those sources don't remain static, allowing private-label companies to maintain a competitive edge. But anonymity places store brands in a precarious position. They want to assure consumers that their dairy products meet organic standards, yet they're apparently unwilling² to tell consumers where their dairy products are purchased.

I don't know about you, but I get antsy when I hear in effect, "Just trust us."

It's not as if they can't divulge this information:

"If these companies want to truly express a commitment to organics, and communicate this tangibly to their customer base, we would encourage them to specify on their label what dairy farmers and cooperatives they are "partnering with."
- Cornucopia Institute - Private Label

Regrettably, they depend on the controversial USDA Organic Label to communicate a products' organic worthiness. Why is that regrettable?:

"Mostly, the [USDA] has resisted or ignored the pleas for enforcement of federal organic rules, even sitting on recommendations from their own citizens advisory committee, the National Organic Standards Board."
- Cornucopia Institute - Organic Dairy Report (pdf)

Of course, that begs the question (from the Cornucopia's Report):

"Why hasn’t the USDA been strictly enforcing the regulations that are on the books? Curious readers can find documentary evidence of the incestuous relationship between the USDA, corporate lobbyists, and large political contributions in two reports:

USDA Inc.: How Agribusiness Has Hijacked Regulatory Policy at the US Department of Agriculture

A Matter of Trust: How the Revolving Door Undermines Public Confidence in Government—And What to Do About It

I guess I'll stick to name-brands for now:

"The bottom line for private-label organic products, whether a dairy item or any other commodity, is "buyer beware." We encourage consumers to be vigilant and contact stores to confirm who is supplying their private-label milk or to just pay an extra quarter or two for name-brand milk from farmers and brands that are willing to be open with them and who share their values."
- Cornucopia Institute - Private Label

One more point - Take note that all of the dairy products discussed here and in Cornucopia's Scorecard are "organic", and organic milk accounts for only about 1% of the milk market. Most milk out there is non-organic, or conventional, and is required to hurdle a much lower standards bar.

~~~~~~¹ Admiration and thanks goes out to reader TK who exercised her consumer power by contacting a private label and sharing her experience with me.

² No private label that was contacted by the Cornucopia Institute - via certified letter - agreed to participate in their comparative analysis. That's a 0% response rate, compared to an 81% response rate for name-brands.

Nativity

A crocus pushing through yesterday's early morning snowfall.

Omega-3 Pigs, the Genetically Modified Version

I have to disagree with Dr. Autumn Fiester¹ (and also mattmills, or is it tomato boy, at the Sustainable Table Blog and Kevin at the Question Technology blog who seemed to agree with her).

Dr. Fiester was responding to recent news of a brood of cloned pigs whose DNA had been altered to contain a gene that can manufacture omega-3 fatty acids.

The original cloned-pig research, due in an upcoming issue of Nature Biotechnology:
Generation of cloned transgenic pigs rich in omega-3 fatty acids

A NYTimes summary:
Cloned Pigs Could Provide Meat That Benefits the Heart

In her post How the Biotech Tail is Wagging the Pig Dr. Fiester said:

"... the one problem we don't have is a shortage of omega-3. Not only is it found naturally in readily available foods like walnuts and fish, but it can be found in supplements and nutritionally supplemented foods like Smart Balance Peanut Butter."

I don't agree that "we don't have a shortage of omega-3". We do. Walnuts, flax seeds, and foods that contain flax seeds, e.g. Smart Balance Peanut Butter, provide the shorter-chain omega-3s² (n-3s) which, as I've spoken about, must be converted in our bodies to the longer-chain variety³ before they reach their health-laden potential. Our bodies don't do a lot of that converting. Thus, we depend on eating the longer-chain variety of n-3s directly. Those longer-chain n-3s are found in animals, not plants⁴, that do the converting for us. Fish have a lot of longer-chain n-3s. But fish also have increasing levels of mercury, PCB's and other contaminants. Livestock have a little bit of n-3 naturally; they used to have more before we farmed them.

Elsewhere in her article she notes:

"The omega-3 pig represents the worst type of “research waste:” precious scientific resources of time, mental energy, and money that could be used to tackle serious human and environmental threats are being devoted to frivolous causes. The list of devastating problems begging for a scientific solution include: chronic, genetic, and infectious diseases ..."

I don't understand her contradiction here. The chief advantage seen with consuming more n-3 (actually reducing the omega-6/omega-3 ratio) is the reduction in chronic diseases.

So, Contrary to Dr. Fiester, I believe we do have a shortage of n-3 in our diets. And, rather than poo-pooing it, I laud research that could result in livestock with higher levels of n-3. Research that could result in returning healthy levels of these fats to our animals is neither "frivolous" nor "research waste".

I don't however support genetic engineering as a means to that end. We already know that allowing an animal to pasture increases its levels of n-3 (and reduces the omega-6/omega-3 ratio). Let's research that.

~~~~~~¹ Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics
² Alpha-linolenic acid
³ EPA, DHA
⁴ There are a few rare exceptions.

Picture thanks to the Teaching Animal Unit at the NCSU Veterinary Medicine College.

Organic Milk Ranking

The Cornucopia Institute* has ranked 68 "organic" dairy companies, on a scale of 1 to 5, based on their adherence to organic standards. You may view their scorecard here.

The rankings were determined by a point system. Companies scored from 0 to 1200 points based on the following criteria:

• Ownership structure - More points for family- or farmer-owned businesses.
  
• Milk supply - Fewer points for supplementing with questionable outside sources.
  
• Disclosure - Fewer points for partial disclosure.
  
• Farm Certifier - More points for using a reputable certifying organization.
  
• Pasture - More points for higher acreage and more time spent pasturing.
  
• Cull rate - More points for low slaughter rate.
  
• Replacement animals - Fewer points for using milk from non-organic replacement animals.
  
• Antibiotics - Fewer points for use of antibiotics.
  
• Hormones - Fewer points for use of hormones.
  
• Farm oversight - More points for direct vs. outsourced herd supervision.
  
• Outside ingredients - Fewer points for supplementing with questionable outside products.

Except for cultured milk products like yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk, and a spit of cheese and butter, I'm not a big dairy consumer. Still, this scorecard is about to change my buying habits. No more Lifeway kefir, shucks. And I'm sorry to see Whole Foods' milk products ranked at only 2. I don't buy their milk, but I'll be disinclined to purchase any dairy product from them based on this. Thank goodness Stonyfield yogurt came in at a 4.

* The Cornucopia Institute is a progressive farm policy research group based in Wisconsin that promotes sustainable and organic agriculture.