"No Consumer Could Reasonably Be Misled Into Thinking Vitaminwater Was a Healthy Beverage?"

　

“No consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking Vitaminwater was a healthy beverage.”

 

Straight from the legal briefs penned by parent company Coca Cola’s legal team.

When Energy Brands became a subsidiary of Coca Cola, Glaceau founder and CEO J. Darius Bikoff commented, “It’s a perfect match connecting the hottest active lifestyle brand with the full resources of the world’s best beverage company. To best understand today’s announcement, you really need to go out, buy a bottle of Vitaminwater and try it for yourself to see how well it works.”

 

Of course, we are judged by the company we keep. Or in this case, the company that signed on to help Biskoff expand his empire on a global scale.

 

Vitaminwater was in the news this week after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Levy gave the go-ahead for a class action suit brought by the Center for Science in the Public Interest back in 2009. The CSPI suit alleges marketing Vitaminwater as a "healthful alternative to soda is deceptive and violates FDA guidelines. Per CSPI nutritionists, "the 33 grams of sugar in each bottle of Vitaminwater do more to promote obesity, diabetes, and other health problems than the vitamins in the drinks do to perform the advertised benefits listed on bottles."

 

So, what's the scoop behind the popular thirst quencher?

 

I looked at the label for XXX, which I admit was my Vitaminwater Zero of choice before I got hip to the pitch. The "acai-blueberry-pomegranate" label announces the "power of triple antioxidants to keep you healthy and fight free radicals."

 

Sounds good. Except the ingredient list notes, "contains less than 1 percent juice. No acai. No blueberry. No pomegranate. The berry and fruit extracts may account for the vitamin C and polyphenols but enriching foods or beverages with supplements has not been proven to boost immune systems or much of anything else.

 

Nutrition experts note the benefits of antioxidants come from the thousands of compounds present together in a single peach or carrot. Not from a vitamin pill or fortified and enriched food.

 

Vitaminwater follows the sketchy path of a myriad of pharma-foods like the "cholesterol fighting" margarine and health food chocolate sandwich cookies posing as a fun substitute for a stalk of broocoli or bowl of steel cut oatmeal.

 

Processed foods and drinks won't provide the same bang as you'll get from eating a juicy summer peach from the farmstand or jewel-hued beets from the farmers market.

 

Follow the advice of Michael Pollan.

 

Eat food.

 

Mostly plants.

 

Not too much.

 

A health coach can help you transition from a diet of processed foods and takeout to meals highlighting whole foods. For more information, contact me at info@bethckramer.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A health coach can help you transition from a processed diet to one focused on whole foods. For more information, contact me at

info@bethckramer.com.

Boca Burgers, Chik'N Nuggets, and Corn Dogs, Chased by a Soy Latte: Healthy Options or Risky Choices?

Start your day with a bowl of Kashi GOLEAN cereal.  Twenty percent of your daily protein requirement.  Top with 1/2 c. of soy milk.

Starbuck's break.  Grande Vanilla Soy Latte.

Lunch on a Boca Burger with the works.  Steal a few fries from your friend's plate.

Grab a Luna Bar to fuel before your workout.

Dinner? Comfort food, millenium style.  Nuke some soy Chik'n Nuggets, barbecued ribs, or chili. 

Dessert? A bowl of soy ice cream.

A healthy day?  It's not like you're eating a quarter pounder or Haagen Dazs.  People in Japan and China eat lots of soy.  Incidences of breast cancer and other western diseases are lower there, right?

Well, yes.  And no. 

See, the traditional Asian diet includes small amounts of fermented soy from sources like miso, tempeh, soy sauce.  More infrequent servings of tofu or edamame, those fuzzy green pods you snack on at the sushi bar.  Not the ubiquitous amounts of processed soy that has made its way into our food supply. 

Soy protein isolates, TVP or texturized vegetable protein, and soy derivatives are present in over sixty percent of the processed foods found in the typical grocery cart. 

Soy is big business. Between 1996 and 2006, soy has gone from a $300 million to $ 4 billion industry.  Our goverment, through the Farm Bill, subsidizes soy crops, making soy a cheap source of protein, oils, and even animal feed.  The company that produces Boca Burgers is now owned by Kraft Foods.  Or more specifically, the Oscar Meyer division.  As in B-o-l-o-g-n-a.  The proud inventor of the nutritional nightmare, Lunchables. 

The commodity and food corporation PR machine relied on pseudo-science to convince us soy isaflavones and phytoestrogens protect us against breast cancer and other diseases. 

Is soy a safe and health-promoting substitute for meat and dairy?  I'll give you the scoop. 

Just two glasses of soy milk a day can cause disruptions to the menstrual cycle. 

The Israeli Health Ministry issued an advisory against infant soy formula and the use of soy products for children under 18.  Australia and other countries have followed suit.

Soy's disruption of hormones, specifically estrogen, testosterone, and thyroid hormones, is particularly dangerous during infancy and puberty.  Because of infant's low body weight and other factors, soy formula provides the infant with as the effect of estrogen in five birth control pills.  The tremendous increase of soy in the typical American diet has been suspected of lowering the age of puberty due to hormone disruption in both girls and boys. 

According to OncoLink, the website of the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center, breast cancer survivors should limit soy intake to three or fewer servings daily.  The concentrated levels of isolflavones in processed soy, protein powder, and supplements may fuel the growth of breast cancer cells and may interfere with the effectiveness of drugs like Tamoxifen. 

In addition to isoflavones, processed soy contains a number of other potentially harmful substances.

Glyphosate: Or Roundup.  Toxic weed killer.  Over ninety percent of non-organic soy crops in the US are genetically modified to withstand high amounts of herbicides and pesticides.  Animal studies and statistics have linked GMO crops to an increase in a number of health conditions from dietary problems to autism, infertility, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and a number of other health problems.

Phytic Acid: Interferes with absorption of calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc.

Trypsin Inhibitors: May cause problems with protein digestion and pancreatic issues.

Goitregens: Interferes with thyroid hormones, possibly linked to hypothyroidism and thyroid cancer. In infants, may be associated with autoimmune thyroid disease.

Hemagglutinin: May cause changes in red blood cells, which can interfere with oxygen absorption.

Synthetic Vitamin D: Soy milk is generally forified with the toxic Vitamin D2.  The synthetic Vitamin D increases the required amount of Vitamin D needed to promote health.  Many Americans are deficient in Vitamin D due to decreased exposure to the sun, in part due to increase use of sunscreen.

B 12: The B12 present in soy products is not absorbed by the body, increasing the required amount required for optimal health.  Many vegans with soy-based diet are B12 deficient.

Protein Denaturing: High temperatures present in soy processing create toxins such as lysinoalinine and nitrosamines.  Nitrosamines or nitrites are a highly carcinogenic compound found in processed meats.

MSG: Commonly associated with Chinese food, MSG is a neurotoxin linked with many medical problems in those who with a sensitivity.  MSG is a byproduct of soy processing.  Additional MSG is added to processed faux meat products to mask soy's taste.

Aluminum and Manganese: High levels of aluminum in soy left over from the processing are toxic to kidneys and the nervous system.  Manganese is associated with metabolic problems in infants.

The bottom line?  Avoid soy in its processed state.  The further foods appear from their natural state, the more processed they are. Fortifying processed food to return some of the nutrients found in the natural state does not positively impact health.

Filll your plate with a variety of vegetables and fruits, lean proteins.  If you're a vegetarian, choose protein sources like legumes, seeds, eggs, and dairy. 

A health coach can help you develop and follow the optimal diet for your body type and needs.  Contact me at info@bethckramer.com.

French Fries of Summers Past: Seasonal Food Cravings

That tangy and smokey whiff of barbecued chicken wafting from your neighbor's grill.  A thick, juicy cheeseburger with a slice of tomato, avocado, and Thousand Island on a pillowy bun.  Corn on the cob, dripping with butter.  This year's fried favorite from the county fair.  A double scoop of your favorite flavors dripping down the cone or a chocolate-covered treat from the Good Humor Man, if they still exist!

Summer brings nature's bounty of fruits and vegetables.  That perfect peach or handful of cherries.  A tomato fresh from the vine.  Watermelon juice dribbling down your chin.

Along with the variety of fruits and vegetables, summer's less healthy temptations lure us with memories of carefree days spent at the beach, pool, or lake.

For me, the smell of french fries brings me back to an afternoon treat at Preakness Valley Swim Club.  Flank steak on the grill reminds me of family barbecues.  What's your favorite summer treat?

Whether during  the dog days of summer or the Thanksgiving through New Year's feasting season, you can fit in indulgences while still fitting into your skinny jeans.  A number of dietary studies point to overly restrictive dieting leading to binges.  Anyone who has ever followed up an extreme weight loss diet with a pint of Ben & Jerry's, pan of brownies, or pizza with everything can attest to that.

So, this summer, enjoy that hot dog or burger and a beer at a friend's barbecue.  Choose a kids size scoop of your favorite ice cream.  Balance your favorite indulgences with plenty of salad, lean protein, and a piece of summer fruit. 

If you're caught in a diet/binge cycle, working with a health coach can help.  Contact me at info@bethckramer to set up a consultation.