23. I want to eat right...now what do I do?

I’m happy that I can put what I've been learning in class to some good use by helping you with your desire to eat healthy. Whether you have tried managing your diet before or not, I'd like to help you derive satisfactory results. Both peer pressure and poor nutrition results can lead people to give up. Many people have an intolerance for soy, dairy, or wheat, so we will leave it out.  I hope to explain the concept of metabolism and how your body utilizes what you eat, and I’ll make some recommendations for ingredients to use in your meal planning so you can  maintain a healthy weight.

Let’s start by explaining the concept of nutrition. We have all heard the phrase “balanced diet,” but what does that really mean? According to Princeton University, a balanced diet is one “that contains adequate amounts of all the necessary nutrients required for healthy growth and activity, (Princeton, 2013).” Nutrients are the essential substances we get from our food, and can be described in three categories: macronutrients, which are carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins; micronutrients, which are vitamins and minerals; and water, which is able to dissolve solutes in the body (Haas, 1992). Your body needs all of these things, and each is used differently.

When you understand more about how the body functions, it is easier to understand how to eat for better nutrition. In the simplest terms, the reason we eat is so that our bodies can convert chemical energy contained in food into mechanical, electrical, or thermal energy. Energy can be defined as the capacity of a physical system to perform work (Jones, 2006). In this case, “work” is anything your body does, from simply drawing breath and having a heartbeat to walking to class or even playing sports. Therefore, food can be thought of as the fuel your body needs to live.  

How the body converts this fuel into energy is defined by the concept of metabolism. “Energy metabolism includes all the reactions by which the body obtains and expends energy from food, (Whitney, 2011).” Although we are only discussing nutrition right now and not exercise, it is important to consider the concept of metabolism when designing a diet plan. We need to ensure that your diet contains the correct quantity and balance of nutrients to sustain your body’s systems for optimum health, but we also want to encourage your body to use its stored energy (fat). There are two types of metabolic reactions. Anabolic reactions are those in which simple compounds are used as building blocks to form larger, more complex compounds, while catabolic reactions are those in which body compounds are broken down to release the energy in their chemical bonds (Whitney, 2011). These reactions take place primarily in your liver.

The amount of energy derived from a nutrient is expressed by the term calorie. Many people are confused by the concept of calories, but keep in mind that calories only represent the amount of energy in the food, not the quality of nutrition. A food could be high- or low-calorie with a high- or low-quantity of nutrients. The goal of balanced nutrition is to get enough nutrients without eating too many calories (USDA, 2011). We can do this by eating foods that are nutrient-dense: this means they are high in nutrients without being high in calories. If you do not consume the correct balance of nutrients in your diet, then your body will signal you to continue consuming, regardless of how much you actually eat. Additionally, if you consume more nutrients than your body can use, your body stores the excess as fat. Vitamins, minerals, and water do not contain any calories. However, protein and carbohydrates each contain 4 calories per gram and lipids contain 9 calories per gram; it is on these macronutrients that we will focus, because they make the “gasoline” that fuels the metabolism of your body.  Each of these are converted into AcetylCoA for energy (Whitney, 2011).  

It is important to mention that losing weight is not as simple as just cutting calories. Your body needs calories (remember, calories are a measurement of energy, or fuel) to survive, and prolonged energy restriction will effect negative consequences. To burn fat, we want to increase your metabolism (the rate at which your body burns calories). One way to do this is by building muscle. If you do not eat enough calories, your body will actually slow down your metabolism in order to conserve energy for basic necessary functions. Additionally, in a calorie-deficit situation, your body will look to eliminate the most calorie-intensive tissue to maintain, which is muscle. Therefore, if you restrict your intake of calories too much, your body will conserve fat and burn muscle, which is the opposite effect you are trying to achieve!  

Additionally, overly restricting calories has a deleterious effect on hormones and neurotransmitters in the body and brain. Your body slows down production of thyroid hormones, testosterone, leptin, and serotonin, among others. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood as well as appetite and sleep. When you don’t eat enough, serotonin levels drop; this causes mood swings and feelings of depression or even anger. "Changes in brain chemistry that can affect your mood occur when you restrict calories," says Gary Wenk, PhD, in Your Brain on Food (Wenk, 2010). These unpleasant feelings can contribute to emotional eating that can sabotage a healthy diet. Decreasing thyroid levels also contribute to the slowing down of you rmetabolism. When testosterone levels drop, it becomes difficult for the body to maintain or grow muscle. Leptin is a hormone released from adipose (fat) tissue; if leptin levels are too low, the brain receives the “I’m hungry” message to consume more fuel (Marieb, 2010; Drent, 2007). All of these effects will hamper your efforts to lose weight. Therefore, while the amount of calories you eat is important, focusing on the quality of nutrients you are eating and not just on the number of calories will help you achieve your goals. 

So let’s discuss exactly how many calories you should be eating, of what they should consist, and how they will react in your metabolism. The USDA has set up daily nutrient recommendations based on the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) by age and gender (USDA, 2006) that will define exactly how many grams of each nutrient you need to eat. Look at the interactive DRI to find out your recommended consumption based on your age, height, weight, and gender: Interactive DRI (Enter your information and select "daily calorie needs".

 

For example, my results reccomend 2500 kCal (calories) a day. Based on Harvard’s “Healthy Eating Plate,” which is actually the best dietary recommendation available, we will increase the fiber to 35g since more of your foods will be coming from vegetables than from grains (Harvard, 2011). Let’s break down your plate contents by each macronutrient category.

 

o   Carbohydrates: 270 - 395 grams; 35 grams total fiber

o   Lipids: 50 – 90 grams; 1.1 g alpha-linoleic acid and 12g linoleic acid

            Note: Saturated fats and trans-fats as close to 0g as possible.

o   Protein : 91 grams

As we stated earlier, carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram; this means that 1080-1580 of my 2500 daily calories will be carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid starches like corn and potatoes, and make sure you read the label on any bread you purchase to ensure it’s really made from whole grain instead of processed white flour that’s been “enriched” and dyed brown. Carbohydrates are polysaccharides, which are broken down during digestion in the mouth, stomach, and small intestine into glucose and other monosaccharides. Glucose, a six-carbon chain, is absorbed in the small intestine and stored in the liver for future use in glycolysis. Glycolysis is also known as anaerobic cellular respiration, which is a way the body can synthesize energy, known as ATP, without oxygen. Your body has to use some ATP to make ATP. Glucose is split into smaller three-carbon compounds (Whitney, 2011). These compounds are able to release 1ATP during a series of conversions, which also release 1 more ATP before finally converting to pyruvate. During aerobic cellular respiration, the body is able to most efficiently create ATP. In the mitochondria of cells, pyruvate combines with the fatty acids derived from lipids, the amino acids derived from proteins, and oxygen from respiration to form ATP (Mareib, 2010). This is referred to as the Krebs cycle or the TCA cycle. The by-products of this metabolism are water, which you excrete in urine; carbon dioxide, which you exhale; and 32 ATP, which your body uses for energy.

Your body gets 9 calories per gram from lipids; they are an important source of fuel but not nutrient-dense. While they do not contribute vitamins or minerals, the body has a vital need for unsaturated or polyunsaturated lipids such as omega 3 fatty acids,  linoleic acid, and alpha-linoleic acid. According to the University of Maryland, “Alpha-linolenic acid is a kind of omega-3 fatty acid found in plants. It is similar to the omega-3 fatty acids that are in fish oil, called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA),” (Ehrlich, 2011). The body is able to convert alpha-linolenic acid into EPA and DHA, which is especially important to note for vegetarian diets. Flaxseed oil, canola, and walnut oils are good sources of alpha-linolenic acid, and linoleic acid is easily obtained from olive oil, canola oil, and safflower oil. Ensure you consume these essential fats for your 450-810 fat calories. In the liver, these fats will be broken down into glycerol and fatty acids. During the process of fatty acid oxidation, fatty chains (triglycerides, phospholipids, and cholesterol), which typically have 16 or 18 carbons, are broken down 2 carbons at a time into actylCoA for the TCA/Krebs energy cycle.

Proteins, with their 4 calories per gram, have been referred to as “building blocks” because, literally, 50% of the dry weight of every cell in the body is made of protein (Carter, 2004). The importance of protein is that it contains amino acids, which, as you now know, are important in metabolism. All amino acids feature a central carbon atom with a hydrogen atom, an amino group, and an acid group; however, the type of “side chain” each has for its fourth bond on the carbon atom is what differentiates them (Whitney, 2011). There are many different types of amino acids, but some of them must be provided by the diet because they body cannot synthesize them. These are termed “essential” amino acids. Most of these are available in animal proteins; some vegetarians are deficit in the essential amino acid lysine and therefore take supplements. The best sources for the essential amino acids in plant sources are almonds, avocados, lentils, peanuts, mushrooms, whole grains, spinach, green beans, and bananas (Geotextiles, 2013). Tryptophan, one of the essentials, is also found in chocolate! If you are consuming a balanced, nutrient-dense diet that contains enough essential amino acid-containing protein, it is not necessary to take supplements, and you should use caution and consult with a physician before taking any supplements. You may be surprised at how little protein you actually need...the myth of protein is part of why Americans have such a problem with obesity, cholesterol, heart disease, and kidney disease. 

I have tried to explain a lot of complex biological processes in a simplified way so that you can really understand your body’s needs. I have avoided making specific meal plans because I think that it is more beneficial for you to understand how the body works and  in what foods you can find the elements it needs. You can combine this knowledge with the Healthy Eating Plate recommendations to plan your own meals day-to-day. I am always available should you have further questions. I encourage you to consider adding 20 to 30 minutes of exercise to your routine three times a week. This will enable you to build more muscle and thus burn more fat. However, if you should substantially increase your activity, we may need to revisit your caloric needs to ensure proper nutrition. Please write to me if you need more help or resources.

22. The Skinny on Fats

Fat: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Truth

(or...more than you want to know, but everything you need to know)

(or..."How to Kick Your Fried Food Addiction)

(or..."Come with me if you want to Live!")

          The word “fat” is a generic term referring to hydrophobic chemical compounds that break down into fatty acids and glycerol. The word “lipid” is often used synonymously with “fat”; however, “lipid” refers more specifically to biochemical molecules. Dr. William Christie of the American Oil Chemists Society defines lipids as“… fatty acids and their derivatives, and substances related biosynthetically or functionally to these compounds,” (Harwood, 2012). This definition is probably the most accurate for our purposes in studying nutrition because the chemical relationship between the fatty acids and their glycerols or hydrocarbons in addition to how the body reacts to these chemicals is what makes a lipid “good” or “bad”. Triglycerides, or more appropriately (according to Dr. Christie), triacylglycerols, are the form lipids usually take; this is the molecule formed by three fatty acids (which may or may not be the same type of fatty acids) attached to a glycerol (Whitney, 2011). Triglycerides are essential to human functioning; what makes them good fats or bad fats depends on the quality and quantity consumed.

            “Good fats” and “bad fats” are relative terms that instead should be thought of as lipids that have a positive effect on health or lipids that have a less healthful effect. Most of us have been conditioned to avoid “fats” because we’ve been taught that consuming them will make us obese and put us at risk for heart disease; a nation obsessed with “lowering triglycerides” only resulted in an increase in obesity and diabetes (Cheung, 2012). The truth is, the body does need lipids (Balch, 2000). According to the American Heart Association, lipids are indispensable to body functions. They are an important energy source, support cell growth, protect and cushion the body, provide warmth, aid in nutrient absorption, and even secrete hormones (Fats 101, 2010). However, there are several different types of lipids with a variety of chemical and physical properties; it’s the type of lipid in the diet that makes all the difference.  

            Lipids are so important to life that even “fat-free” foods like vegetables contain trace amounts (Cheung, 2013). If all lipids have the same amount of calories, what is the difference between a beneficial lipid or an unhealthy lipid? The answer is in the chemical structure of the lipid itself. We already established that lipids are carbon and hydrogen molecules. Columbia University’s health-advocacy program, “Go Ask Alice,” explains saturation as “…whether all the available spaces on the carbon chain are bonded to hydrogen atoms, or if there are any hydrogen atoms missing,” (McNeil, 2012). This chemical structure relates to how the body deals with cholesterol. There are four categories of lipids: Saturated, Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, and Trans-Fats (USDA, 2010). The degree to which a lipid is “saturated” is directly related to the degree of viscosity at room temperature (Whitney, 2011). In chemical terms, this means that longer carbon chains make “firmer” lipids. 

            Before we discuss these lipids and how they are classified as “good” or “bad”, we have to pause a moment and discuss cholesterol. Neither fat nor cholesterol are water-soluble, yet our blood (and the body in general) is mostly made up of water (Good Vs. Bad Cholesterol, 2012). Until the body can break down the lipids and esters for use, they have to be transported around the body, so they get bundled into lipoproteins that can flow in the vascular system. Small and dense lipoprotein packages are referred to as high-density lipoproteins (HDLs), while large and less-dense packages are called low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) (Cheung, 2013). LDLs transport cholesterol from the liver to the body, whereas HDLs transport unused cholesterol from the body back to the liver for elimination. When there is too much LDL in the body, it tends to stick and form plaque, which can narrow arteries and inhibit blood flow. Accumulated LDL leads to atherosclerosis, a form of arteriosclerosis, which is a cause of hypertension and heart disease (Marieb, 2007). HDLs have been referred to as the “garbage trucks” of the vascular system because of their ability to remove cholesterol from vessel walls and take it back to the liver. Now, let’s look at lipids again. 

            Saturated Fats (SFs) are called as such because all of the available carbon atoms have reached their capacity to attach to hydrogen atoms (Haas, 1992). These lipids are found in animal products like meat, cheese, and dairy, as well as the “tropical” oils, coconut and palm oil (Kennedy, 2013). Consumption of these should be limited to 20g a day; eating more than that leads to negative health effects. These lipids are solid at room temperature and are the most stable, but their presence results in elevated LDLs. 

            Monounsaturated Fats (MUFAs) have a double bond between two carbon atoms because they are missing a hydrogen atom. MUFAs are vegetable oils; the plant keeps its most concentrated energy source in its seeds to promote the growth of its offspring (Biofuels Quick Guide). Therefore, MUFAs, which are HDLs, can be found in nuts and seeds such as olive, canola, sunflower, safflower, peanut, hemp, and soy (Kennedy, 2013). It is easy to see how vegetarians have a significantly lower rate of heart disease and cancer because of their high intake of HDLs and extremely low intake of LDLs, and in fact studies have shown this exactly (Huang, 2012). We can extract and consume MUFAs from plants, which exist in a liquid state at room temperature. 

            Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs) are missing more than one hydrogen atoms; consequently; they have multiple double carbon bonds. Omega-3s (linolenic acid), Omega-6s (linoleic acid), and Omega-9s (oleic acid and others) are all PUFAs that express this double bond in the third, sixth, or ninth space from the end of the carbon chain; the lower the number, the less stable and more delicate the oil. Omega oils are especially beneficial because they can help in reducing inflammation (Lee, 2012), lower triglycerols, and aid in preventing heart attacks (McNeil, 2012). Omega-3s and omega-6s are referred to as “essential fatty acids,” or EFAs. Dr. Andrew Weil succinctly explained EFAs when he said, “The body needs omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids but can't make them, which is why they're termed ‘essential’," (Weil, 2012). Other omega fats are not “essential” because our bodies can make them from what we eat, if we eat the right balance of foods. The omega-3s eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) are vital for the body to manufacture certain hormones. If one fails to consume enough omega-3s, the body will experience a deleterious effect on the immune system, the ability to clot (blood), and the ability to grow cells and maintain cell membranes (Weil, 2012). Omega-6s proliferate in American diets, as they are found in seeds, nuts, and grain-fed meats. The concern with omega-6s is not in getting enough, but in overconsumption. Omega-3s and -6s seem to be antagonistic in a synergistic way – they perform opposite functions but both must be present for body systems to work properly; balance is the key. PUFAs are most commonly found in fish such as salmon, halibut, mackerel, tuna, sardines, herring, and lake trout, but they are also found in olive oil, flax seeds and walnuts (Kennedy, 2013). PUFAs also form HDLs that exist in a liquid state at room temperature. 

            Trans-Fats (TFs) are totally unnatural, which is why they are some of the most unhealthy lipids. Chemists form TFs by breaking the carbon bonds of PUFAs and forcing hydrogen atoms to bind, thus deriving the term “hydrogenated.” Dr. Elson Haas describes a characteristic of MUFAs and PUFAs: “Unsaturated fats are unstable at room temperature and sensitive to interaction with oxygen, light, and heat,” (Haas, 1992). This means they spoil easily, and manufacturers of processed foods solved the problem with hydrogenation. This process involves the use of heat, which destroys fatty acids and the positive characteristics of PUFA (Balch, 2000), but the result is a product with a longer carbon chain and a longer shelf-life. It enables manufacturers to makes the lipid into a solid at room temperature, but it turns a perfectly good PUFA into essentially a SF. Hydrogenated oils are found in commercially prepared foods, such as margarine and shortening, and are often used as fry oil in fast food restaurants (Kennedy, 2013). The main reason that TFs are so unhealthy is because they increase LDLs and actually decrease HDLs (McNeil, 2013). Here’s a tip: don’t eat anything that’s described in terms of “shelf-life;” nutritious and healthy food wasn’t meant to sit around, it’s meant to be eaten fresh. Avoiding processed foods, fried foods, and commercially-prepared foods is a great way to ensure TFs stay out of your body. 

After examining lipids, it seems clear that, as Dr. Joel Furhman says, “[Nutritious food] in the diet [has] dramatic effects at reducing the risk of both heart disease and most cancers…(and) animal products increase…the risk of both heart disease and cancer,” (Furhman, 2004). The good news is that in many ways, the vegetarians got it right, because the most beneficial fats are found in plants. The bad news is that many foods we over-consume due to tastes and habits, such as meats and dairy, contain lipids that are desirable only in small quantities. The ugly truth is that artificially created anything should not be consumed at all, and the only way to manage a healthy diet is to eat the right balance of natural fats. The beautiful truth is that the body has an amazing capacity to heal, and it’s never too late to make changes that encourage it to do so. Researching this topic has completely eliminated any desire I have to eat hydrogenated oils, and it illuminated the necessity for balance in lipid consumption, both with regard to quantity and constitution.    

 

Watch this video to see exactly how fats can kill you.

        

  There is hope for you, though. Stop eating as much bad fats and read the Wikipedia section on Atherosclerosis/Diet and Dietary Supplements here: Atherosclerosis. It's a good starting point. Exercise. Eat plants. Drink water. Be happy :)

Bibliography

 

Balch, CNC, Phyllis A., and James F. Balch, MD. Prescription for Nutritional Healing.3rd ed. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam, 2000. Print. Pg 68.
 

"Biofuels Quick Guide." Optimus Technologies. Penn State University, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. http://optimustec.com/Documents/Biofuels%20Quick%20Guide.pdf.

 

Cheung, D.Sc., Lilian, ed. "Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, In with the Good."  The Nutrition Source. Harvard University School of Public Health, Jan. 2012. Web. 23 Jan. 2013. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fats-full-story/.

"Fats 101." Getting Healthy. American Heart Association, 5 Aug. 2010. Web. 24 Jan.             2013.http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/FatsAndOils/Fats101/Fats-101_UCM_304494_Article.jsp.

Fuhrman, MD, Joel. "What You Need to Know About Vegetarian or Vegan Diets." Dr.             Fuhrman: How to Live for Life. Dr. Joel Fuhrman Library, 2004. Web. 24 Jan.2013. .

"Good vs Bad Cholesterol." Conditions. American Heart Association, 5 Sept. 2012. Web.   24 Jan.2013.  http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/Good-vs-Bad-Cholesterol_UCM_305561_Article.jsp .

Haas, MD, Elson M. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. Berkely, CA: Celestial Arts, 1992.   Print. Pgs. 65-71.

Harwood, PhD, John L., Randall J. Weselake, PhD, and William Walker Christie, MBE, PhD, eds. "A Lipid Primer; Oils and Fats." The AOCS Lipid Library. American  Oil Chemist's Society, 15 Aug. 2012. Web. 24 Jan. 2013.   .

Huang, T., et al. "Cardiovascular disease mortality and cancer incidence in vegetarians: a meta-analysis and systematic review." PubMed.gov. National Institute of Health,1 June 2012. Web. 24 Jan. 2013.  .

Kennedy, MD, Martha Nolte, et al. "Good Fats, Bad Fats." Diabetes Education Online.             University of California, San Francisco, 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2013.             .

Lee, H. N., and Y. J. Surh. "Therapeutic potential of resolvins in the prevention and treatment of inflammatory disorders." PubMed.gov. National Institute of health, 15 Nov. 2012. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. .

Marieb, E. N., RN, PhD, & Hoehn, K., MD, PhD. (2007). Chapter 19: the Cardiovascular           System. In Human Anatomy and Physiology (9th ed., pp. 700-701). Glenview, IL:Pearson.

McNeil, CHES, EdD, Michael P., ed. "Good Fats Vs. Bad Fats." Go Ask Alice. Columbia University, 9 Aug. 2012. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/good-vs-bad-fats

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 7th ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Government  Printing Office, 2010. Print.

Weil, MD, Andrew. "Q & A Library: Need Omega 9 Fatty Acid?" Dr. Weil.com. Andrew           Weil, MD, 20 Dec. 2012. Web. 24 Jan. 2013.             http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA401214/Need-Omega-9-Fatty-Acid.html.

Whitney, E. & Rolfes, S. (2011). Understanding Nutrition. 12^th Ed. Ch.5, p. 133-171. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning

21. What's On My Plate?

According to the USDA, MyPlate became the US government’s primary icon of food groups and recommended diet in June of 2011. MyPlate replaced My Pyramid and the food pyramid concept in general. It is supposed to provide a simple way to help people create healthy eating habits that are “consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans” (USDA, 2013) by using the “visual cue” of the plate icon. I agree that the new icon of the plate symbol is an advantage in practical application to building a meal, but I find it lacking in some important information. There are a lot of changes and not all of them are good, in my opinion.

First of all, one thing that seems to be an egregious omission is the entire concept of fats and sugar from the My Plate picture. I think we can all agree, after last week’s research, that consuming a healthy quantity and quality of lipids is vitally important. Since 1979’s “Hassle-Free Daily Food Guide,” Americans have been given information on how much fat or oil was acceptable in our diet (USDA Center for Nutrition, 2011, June). Information on fats was included on the 1992 Food Pyramid and the 2005 My Pyramid models, both of which clearly demonstrated that fats and oils should be consumed in small amounts. Annual statistics compiled by the US Centers for Disease Control show that more Americans die from heart disease than anything else (US CDC, 2013). Strokes and Diabetes are also in the top ten. Since diet and the consumption of lipids is a huge factor in these illnesses, it seems that dietary reccomendations should provide more information on lipids, not less (like the difference between LDLs and HDLs, which I myself didn’t even know until last week).

Now, it’s clear that the My Plate program was meant to be accessed online (the icon says ChooseMyPlate.gov) and the icon merely references the 2101 Dietary Guidelines for Americans which does include all the information about how much fat is acceptable in a healthy diet. “Getting Started with My Plate” tells users to reference the Guidelines and to look online for more information, such as how to balance calories, foods to increase, foods to reduce, and what to drink. I think having more detailed online data is great, but to me it seems a travesty that the information about fats is eliminated from the icon because I don’t think a lot of people read the entire guideline and not everyone has internet access or even a computer.

Another thing that is missing from the MyPlate icon that was included on the MyPyramid icon is the encouragement to exercise. The MyPyramid stressed the importance of exercise by including a figure climbing the stairs of the pyramid (USDA Center for Nutrition, 2011). Again, the importance of exercise is mentioned on the website and the pamphlet, but it seems that the message is demoted in importance when it gets removed from the icon.

These differences are just what I observed from the visual icons. What’s different about the actual plans?

First of all, the MyPlate places less emphasis on grains, while the Food Pyramid recommended grains as the largest food group. MyPlate shows only ¼ of the plate for grains, emphasizing whole grains, and shows ½ the plate dedicated to fruits and vegetables instead. This is a positive change since many Americans were not getting enough fruits and vegetables (and fiber!) (Anderson, 2009), and as we just learned, an overconsumption of grains can lead to their storage in the body as fats after the saccharides are broken down. But if consumers replace grains with too many starchy vegetables or fruits high in sugar, they will risk the exact same situation.

Another change is the elimination of serving size information. The food pyramid informed us how many servings of each type of food to eat and what a serving size was defined as, whereas MyPlate doesn’t show or talk about number or size of servings. Apparently, nutrition professionals thought this was too confusing and recommended the changes, the assumption being that if consumers eat from a plate nine inches in diameter and don't make huge piles of food, then they are eating a healthy amount of food. It is thought that eliminating serving sizes makes MyPlate simpler to implement and understand, but I measured my “standard” dinner plate and it was 9 ¾ inches. The size of the plate is going to drastically affect the amount of food being eaten, and consumers have to be vigilant in order to be accurate. This seems confusing for a program whose goal was to reduce confusion.

The last change I will discuss is the use of the word “Protien,” which is a nutrient, not an actual food group, and seems out of place. Apparently, the USDA felt that enough people recognized what constitutes protein and knew how to get it in their diets, whether it came from animal sources such as beef or fish, or plant sources like legumes or nuts. The goal was to create something simple that people could interpret according to their own tastes and incorporating all sources.

Many people think MyPlate is an improvement over the pyramids; nutrition experts like Registered Dietitian Becky Hand are thrilled. She says. "If your dinner plate matches up with the four quadrants and one circle, then you’ll have a great start to a balanced and nutrient-filled meal!" (Hand, 2011). I think that the actual plan is great, and a huge improvement (especially in the reduction of grains and increase in fruits and vegetables), but the icon leaves much to be desired and leaves out too much vital information. I understand that it must have been a huge challenge to come up with a picture that represents the plan and is easy to understand, and I think using a plate is a great idea, but I think they left out too much important information. The effectiveness of the plan hinges on two crucial factors: the size of the plate and the ability of people to get the complete information from the internet (or library), which is a huge flaw in my opinion.

Oversimplifying what constitutes a balanced meal can lead consumers to make poor choices. For example, let’s say someone chooses chicken fried steak for their protein, mashed potatoes with gravy and corn for their vegetable, marinated tomatoes for their fruit, whole wheat roll with butter for the grain, drinks a glass of water and has ice cream for their dairy. Since the MyPlate icon doesn’t address fats or sugar at all, the person might think this is a healthy meal, but there is fat or oil in every single item. The potatoes and corn have a high glycemic index and will convert to stored sugar. This person would probably gain weight and be at risk of heart disease before long.

The MyPlate program and icon are supported and endorsed by the American Heart Association and the American Dietetic Association (Hand, 2011) as well as the Journal of the American Medical Association (Mitka, 2011), but Harvard University agrees with me. Harvard’s School of Public Health  (HSPH) published its own “Healthy Eating Plate” because, as their website states, the MyPlate program “still doesn’t go far enough to show people how to make the healthiest choices” (HSPH, 2011). It was no surprise to me to see that HSPH included information on how to use fats and oils, lowered the amount of fruit and raised the amount of vegetables, addressed excluding potatoes and French fries, defined healthy protein, limiting sugar, processed meats, dairy, and sugary drinks. They completely eclipsed the USDA and created a plate-based icon that actually makes sense, and it’s extremely simple to understand as well as being easy to implement. You don’t even need a computer to access extra information, and it clearly states “stay active” at the bottom. Faculty at HSPH even went so far as to “fix” the flaws in the now out-dated Food Pyramid so that people who are used to the old familiar model can receive the most correct information in a format with which they can identify. Instead of overwhelming consumers with a complicated website, the Healthy Eating Plate and Pyramid comes with five “quick tips”: stay active, eat a plant-based diet, pick healthy protein sources, make your grains whole grains, drink water, coffee, or tea, and drink alcohol in moderation, if at all (HSPH, 2011). This seems so simple, surely Americans could all benefit from the HSPH version of a plate-based model.

Since this seems pretty obvious to me, I wondered if any special interest groups had played a role in influencing the structure of MyPlate. Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at HSPH, said, “Unfortunately, like the earlier U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pyramids, MyPlate mixes science with the influence of powerful agricultural interests, which is not the recipe for healthy eating. The Healthy Eating Plate is based on the best available scientific evidence and provides consumers with the information they need to make choices that can profoundly affect our health and well-being” (Datz, 2011). The food group that seems to be really overemphasized is dairy, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed it. “Calcium is the primary justification for the importance of dairy, but many green vegetables offer just as much calcium as milk, and in a more absorbable form… If science and health were calling the shots, then milk products would simply be absorbed into the protein category as one of many ways to get your essential amino acids, or perhaps into a “calcium” group that would also include dark-green leafy vegetables and fortified dairy alternatives,” reported Ari Levaux in his criticism of MyPlate for a northern Californian newspaper (Levaux, 2011). If our government is so beholden to special interests as to deliver a dietary recommendation that doesn’t give consumers the whole picture and clearly is not an unbiased approach to eating, even while heart disease is the number one killer of our citizens, it does make me fearful as to what else is being perverted by special interests and what else we are not being told. If I’m just a college student and I can see the inconsistencies, how do our leaders account for the limitations of MyPlate? I feel bad for people who aren’t getting the opportunity to learn about things such as the Harvard Healthy Eating Plate. In conclusion, I do not think MyPlate is the “full meal deal” and as per usual, an educated consumer is the best customer.

In the future, I plan to refer to the Healthy Eating Plate in addition to the model I had been following. Up until now, I have been using the food pyramid model designed by nutrition expert Dr. Joel Fuhrman, a doctor who specializes in nutrition-based treatments for obesity and chronic disease (I suffer from a chronic disease related to eating wheat, and Dr. Fuhrman's diet was the first I found that did not feature grains as the most significant food group) . He serves as Director of Research for the Nutritional Research Foundation, and he is the authour of "Eat To Live", a book about nutrition origianlly published in 2003. Dr. Fuhrman’s Nutritarian Pyramid is based on nutrient-dense foods that have shown consistent health benefits in scientific studies (see picture, attached)(Fuhrman, 2004). His concept vastly predates both the USDA and the HSPH models (and was not influenced by agribusiness, either). After they were relased, he updated his pyramid to reflect the popular plate-based format. You can see that his version and the HSPH version are quite similar with regard to plate content, although Dr. Fuhrman does not specifically address exercise or drinks on his plate.

How do you think exploring this topic will change the way you eat? Do you think any of this will have an impact on the average American? Do you think you would try to educate your peers? How?

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

USDA. (2013, January 30). My Plate. Retrieved January 30, 2013, from USDA National Agricultural Library website: http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/dietary-guidance/myplatefood-pyramid-resources/ usda-myplate-food-pyramid-resources

USDA Center for Nutrition. (2011, June). A Brief History of USDA Food Guides. Retrieved January 30, 2013, from Choose My Plate website: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/MyPlate/ABriefHistoryOfUSDAFoodGuides.pdf

US CDC (Ed.). (2013, January 11). Leading Causes of Death. Retrieved January 30, 2013, from Centers For Disease Control and Prevention Fast Stats website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm

Anderson, J., Baird, P., Davis, R., Jr., Ferreri, S., Knudtson, M., Koraym, A., . . . Williams, C. (2009). Health benefits of dietary fiber. Retrieved January 30, 2013, from National Fiber Council website: http://www.nationalfibercouncil.org/pdfs/Fiber_Review_Paper.pdf

Hand, B., & Nichols, N. (2011, June). Out with the Pyramid, In with the Plate. Retrieved January 30,2013, from Spark People website: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=425

Mitka, M. (2011, June 2). New Nutritional Icon Steps up to the Plate. Retrieved January 30, 2013, from News@JAMA website: http://newsatjama.jama.com/2011/06/02/new-nutritional-icon-steps-up-to-the-plate/

Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)(Ed.). (2011). Healthy Eating Plate and Healthy Eating Pyramid: The Bottom Line. Retrieved January 30, 2013, from Harvard University: Nutrition Source website: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/pyramid/

Datz, Todd. (2011, September 14). Harvard serves up its own "Plate". Retrieved January 31, 2013, from Harvard Gazette website: http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/09/harvard-serves-up-its-own-plate/

Levaux, A. (2011, June 16). Got special interest? Retrieved January 31, 2013, from North Coast Journal website: http://www.northcoastjournal.com/food/2011/06/16/got-special-interest/

Fuhrman, J. (2004). Dr. Fuhrman's Nutrition Pyramid. Retrieved February 1, 2013, from How To Live For Life website: http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/foodpyramid.aspx

 

20. The Choices of a New Generation

For my twentieth blog here, I thought I'd write something substantial.

So, let me ask you...

Do you feel as if your vote really matters?

Recall Tuesday November 7th, 2000. Americans were voting in a hotly contested presidential election between Republican George Bush Jr. and Democrat Al Gore. But they were not the only candidates; Ralph Nader was the Green Party candidate. 

 

In the end, Al Gore won the popular vote, but George Bush won the presidency because he won more states. In the crucial state of Florida, for example, Bush defeated Gore by only 500 votes, but Nader received 100,000 votes. Pundits claimed that Nader’s candidacy split the voters and allowed Bush to win the election. In the ensuing political bloodbath, fingers were pointed, voters became distrustful, and the term “hanging chad” entered the public lexicon.

But what if we had a system of electing our officials that actually encouraged diversity among candidates and allowed multiple parties to flourish? What if officials were forced to work together in coalitions, instead of constantly fighting and getting nowhere? What if voters could truly vote their conscience? Our current two-party system has become an impediment to progress which can be alleviated by evolving a multiparty system. 

As a concerned citizen, I have spent a great deal of time researching the benefits of encouraging a multiparty system in America, and I would like to ask all of you to join me in supporting electoral reform to provide voters with more choices, force elected representatives to cooperate, and diminish ineffective centrist politics.

Did you know that in the 2000 election, only ½ of eligible voters participated in electing the president? 100 million voters did not cast a ballot, but if they had, there could have been a very different outcome. Voter apathy is caused by many things, including voters feeling like none of the candidates represent their needs or that it doesn’t matter who gets elected. However, as Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker famously quipped,

“The most common way
people give up their power

is by thinking they don’t have any.”

Regardless of the reasons, the problems remain the same. Because each party must reach towards a majority, neither can take extreme views. The result is two parties who are very similar. The policies and the government change very little over time, and politicians from different parties cannot work together to solve problems without appearing turncoat.

Any new ideas get watered down so as to be ineffective, or thrown out altogether. Worst of all, this system does not provide the best leaders, it only provides the most electable leader. Each party wants to win, so the person who has the best chance of winning is the one selected to run. These days, that is often the person who can get the most financial support, which means the person we put in power is the one most beholden to special interests and corporations instead of the American people.

In October 2012, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Christ Hedges wrote in his regular column for Truthdig.com that,

“The corporate state has successfully waged a campaign to disempower voters and citizens. By intimidating voters with the message that Americans have to vote for the lesser evil and that making a defiant stand for justice and democracy is counterproductive, it cements into place the agenda of corporate domination.

 

This campaign has silenced real political opposition. It has turned those few politicians and leaders who have the courage to resist into pariahs.”

If we as citizens don’t do something to take back control of our political system, we will continue to be governed by talking heads bought and paid for by corporate sponsorship.

“But Angela,” you ask, “how do we do that?”

"Think globally, act locally" is an idea attributed to Scottish social activist Patrick Geddes from his 1915 book "Cities in Evolution.” Although that exact phrase does not appear, the concept is evident in his work. Supporting electoral reform at a grassroots level is the first step towards political change. In his 2001 manifesto, “Toward Multiparty Democracy in the U.S.,” Matt Grossman lists ten steps to effect reform:

· participate actively in local elections

· convince local officials to support electoral reform

· pursue voting rights cases

· work at state level to strengthen third parties

· convince financial donors that electoral reform deserves their support

· pursue voting equipment modernization

· support the instant-runoff voting ballot

· legislate returning control over voting systems to each state

· use the example of the 2000 election to build an electoral reform movement, and

· advise prospective independent presidential candidates to create long-term strategies for third-party viability.


These steps are not simple or easy, but this plan will work because it builds a multi-level movement for electoral reform that includes everyone willing to participate, including people from all ideological perspectives. It does not attempt to enact reform through some new party because we already have several active parties besides Republicans and Democrats, such as the Green Party, Libertarians, Socialists, or even the US Pirate Party. Instead, this plan organizes activists such as the Tea Partiers and the Occupy Movement and other interest groups working for electoral reform. The goal is to give the tertiary parties that already exist a legitimate chance at promoting a candidate so that supporting someone other than the Republican or Democratic candidate is not splitting the voters in favor of the opposing party.

Some coalitions might eventually support a particular candidate or party, but initially, in order to begin the reform process, the goal is to act as a coordinated movement rather than a party.

Can you imagine what we can achieve when our political leaders are working together instead of constantly fighting? What would that even look like?

Well, what are some characteristics of a successful government and how might you measure it? Created by economist Mahbub ul Haq in 1990, and published annually by the United Nations, The Human Development Index is a composite statistic of life expectancy, education, and income indices to rank countries into four tiers of human development. Not surprisingly, according to the current report released in March 2013, 8 out of the top 12 countries on the list effectively use a multiparty electoral system, including Sweden, Japan, The Netherlands, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Canada, and Ireland.

In these countries, no single party enjoys a majority; instead, multiple parties form coalition governments. Voting can take the form of an instant run-off ballot in which voters rank the candidates in order of preference rather than simply selecting a single candidate.


Because this type of system forces elected officials to work together, politicians can stay busy doing their jobs instead of always campaigning or fundraising to keep their jobs. Citizens enjoy things like universal health care, high standards of living, high rates of employment, excellent public education, low crime rates, few homeless, and most importantly, peaceful and safe living conditions.

Doesn’t that sound more like
the American dream

instead of the nightmare we currently face?

 

I implore you to become active in your local elections, support candidates who promote electoral reform, share these ideas with your friends, and most importantly, VOTE!

In conclusion, the current two-party system has become an impediment to progress which can be alleviated by evolving into a multiparty system. In order to heal the division caused by polarized politics, we must support electoral reform together! Your vote does count, honor the work that was done to get it for you and use it! After all, to paraphrase Plato, the chief penalty to someone who is too smart to engage in politics is to eventually be governed by his inferiors. Vote to make multiparty elections the choice of a new generation!

Bibliography

Frey, W. H. (Ed.). (2012). Voter Turnout. Retrieved June 8, 2013, from Social Science Data Analysis Network website: http://www.ssdan.net/content/voter-turnout

Geddes, P. (1915). Cities In Evolution. London, UK: Williams.

Grossman, M. (2001). Towards Multiparty Democracy in the U.S. Retrieved May 25, 2013, from Multiparty.org website: http://www.matthewg.org/multiparty/ch7.htm

Hedges, C. (2012, October 29). Why I'm Voting Green. Retrieved May 26, 2013, from http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/why_im_voting_green_20121029/

Lindley, C. (Ed.). (2001). Sweden; Japan; Denmark; Germany; Finland; Norway; Ireland. Retrieved May 26, 2013, from World Audit website: http://www.worldaudit.org/aboutus.htm

Martin, W. (2004). The Best Liberal Quotes Ever: Why the Left is Right. Sourcebooks.

Plato. (380 BC). Republic (Vols. 1; 347). Athens, Greece.

United Nations Development Program. (2013, March). Human Development Report 2013 (K. Malik, Author). Washington, DC: Gilmore.

US Gov. (2011, December). 2000 Official Presidential Election Results. Retrieved May 24, 2013, from Federal Election Commission website: http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/2000presgeresults.htm

 

19. The 40 Year Old Virgo

Top Ten Reasons I am a Good Woman to Date:

10. I don't have any children that my life has to revolve around, but I love kids and I'm very happy if you have some...or not. Additionally, my "biological clock" isn't ticking; I'm not looking for someone to make a baby with. However, nothing is ruled out. I am still viable. If we decide we want  a baby, I can make one, or we can adopt. I don't have any attachment to either outcome, since I think it's a choice two people have to make together.

9. I am financially responsible and stable. I have my own resources and I am not looking for a man as my means of support.

8. I Love to Cook and I am Good at it. Take me out to dinner occasionally, but cook with me in the kitchen regularly. We will eat well and healthy.

7. I am aging very well. I look ten years younger than my age. Plus, I understand that in order for me to continue enjoying youth and vitality as long as possible, I have to take care of my body. So, I eat right, exercise, and take care of myself.

6. I like my life. I am emotionally intelligent, mature, and stable, not depressed and looking for a man to make my life perfect. I won't be depending on you to fulfill my every waking moment. I'd enjoy spending a lot of time with a partner, but I'm sure that we'd both have some things that we like to do alone or with friends. I won't be upset or jealous that you want a boy's night or a regular basketball game or something like that. We both had lives before we met, I expect we'll enjoy keeping our relationships and social activities as well as co-creating some together. Not co-dependent, but inter-dependent.

5. In fact, I won't get upset or jealous at all. I'm confident enough to speak my mind. If I need to communicate with you, I will. I trust that you will act appropriately when we are not together, and if you don't, I won't make a scene or a fuss...I'll just say, Thanks, and good luck elsewhere. On the flip side, I will always conduct myself in a way that reflects positively on you and our relationship.

4. If we decide to date, it will be because I like you the way you are. Please, make sure you represent yourself honestly, so I can fall in love with your true self. Then you can be sure I won't be trying to change anything about you. If you want help, I'll support you, and I'll encourage you to achieve your goals and dreams. Isn't that what partners are supposed to do?

3. I don't have any crazy exes or crazy family that will disturb our bliss. I only have a sister in Texas and we get along very well. I have two cats and a dog that are my fur children. There will never be an issue as to whose family we will visit because I don't have any. There's no Mom to impress or Dad to worry about, and no aging parents or grandparents to consider.

2. I am open minded, intelligent, and worldly. I have travelled to over eighty countries and have a genius-level IQ. I am educated and erudite. I am a good conversationalist and will keep you interested. I will be a good companion as we journey through life. Professionally, I have been a massage therapist for ten years and I am studying to become a nurse, so I have a good skill set. Personally, I want to enjoy intimacy with you on a regular and frequent basis.

1. Most important: I am fun! I have a positive attitude and I have a good time no matter what I am doing. I have a wide variety of interests and I am very versatile. I can get down and dirty, but I clean up well. I enjoy going out, but I look forward to quality time at home with you. I expect we won't have 100% in common, so I will enjoy being exposed to your favorite things much like I will enjoy sharing mine with you. Whatever it is, I will look forward to having a good time with you.

I just want to find a nice available man +/- 5 years of my age who can appreciate the benefits of everything I bring to the table and who bring a few bennies of his own. Bring it on, dudes!

18. The Moral of the Story is...

I am sick to death of people talking about "morals" without further defining exactly what they are talking about. I have morals, but they may not be your morals. And to say I disagree with part of your moral system does not make me amoral. Stop proselytizing about absolute morality and assuming the Judeo-Christian definition is the only definition. I think it's high time for a discussion on absolute vs relative morality. Luckily, I didn't have to reinvent the wheel on this one, because Adam Kemp already said exactly what I was thinking. I want to post this for now and hope to discuss it further.

Absolute vs. Relative Morality
By Adam Kemp
http://adamkemp.newsvine.com/_news/2006/04/23/175591-absolute-vs-relative-morality

The basic definition of absolute morality is that there is some set of moral rules which are absolute and universal. Relative morality takes the other stance: that morals are not absolute; they depend on the situation.

A problem arises when one tries to define exactly what morals are. After all, by explicitly defining what you believe is moral and immoral, you are deciding for yourself whether someone else is moral or immoral, according to your choices. I could declare that eating broccoli is immoral and that you are immoral if you eat broccoli. You wouldn't have any choice in the matter. This is hardly a useful method of determining morality.

This, in essence, is the problem with the belief in absolute morality. If one believes that there is a global set of absolute morals which everyone must follow, then the immediate questions arise: what are those morals, and how do we know? Since no religion in history has every agreed on a set of absolute morals, and even members of the same religion often disagree as well, we think that the concept of absolute morality is useless. Since anyone could declare that their particular moral beliefs are absolute (and many do), and no one can demonstrate the validity of those claims, the whole thing is arbitrary. Anything goes in that system of belief, for any rule can be declared absolute.

The alternative to absolute morality is relative morality. Unfortunately, this phrase is often mischaracterized and misunderstood. Relative morality does not mean that "anything goes"; it does not mean that any action may be justified; it does not mean that you can't judge anyone for their actions just because you don't know that they're wrong. Rather, relative morality simply takes the stance that no single set of moral rules can possibly account for every situation. Instead, moral decisions should be made rationally, taking into account the consequences of each potential choice.
Relative morality, which I prefer to call rational morality or reason-based morality, can be used to derive a set of basic moral guidelines, such as "don't kill" or "don't steal" or "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". The difference, though, is that each of these morals must have a rational basis. They must, in other words, be shown true in most cases, either logically or perhaps from past experience.

Another important difference is that these morals are general guidelines, but not one-size-fits-all mandates. This is the part of relative morality which bothers many people, but this is usually due to a misunderstanding in what is meant when we say that the rules can be broken. Relative moralists do not arbitrarily choose to break the rules to suit their needs. The rules are broken when the positive effects of breaking the rule outweigh the positive effects of following it. For instance, killing a man may be justified if it would save the lives of other people.

This is what is meant when we say that the morals are not absolute. Morals are tools to help us make decisions which will improve our lives and society. An inflexible mandate would fail to serve that purpose, especially when that mandate is arbitrary and irrational.

Relative morality is often accused of being arbitrary or allowing for anything, but in reality the opposite is true. It is absolute morality which is arbitrary. Sure, absolute moralists have a definite, unchanging set of moral rules, but those unchanging rules change from person to person, religion to religion. One person's mortal sin is another's harmless act. That shows the brutal truth: there is no such thing as absolute morality. All morality is relative. Once we acknowledge this, we can start the real debate about what the rules should be, and that debate can be properly based in reason and fact.

----

So, the moral of the story is, all morals are relative.

17. Mr. Obama Goes to Washington

If you are feeling, as I have been, disenfranchised by our political system and the state of our country and its economy, please reflect, as I have, and realize that whether we choose to participate in it or not, it WILL continue to function (in some degree) and produce an elected president in November.

If you fail to make a choice between the candidates and cast your vote, your lack of participation does have an effect. Plato said, “The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” And in The Republic, he also said, “One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”

Additionally, you must agree that change takes time. Our country did not wind up in an economic crisis overnight and it will take some time to effect change. “Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.” ...Plato again. But how about this: "No president -- not me, not any of my predecessors -- no one could have fully repaired all the damage that he found in just four years." That was Bill Clinton, arguably one of our better leaders, defending Obama in a speech he made to the DNC (9/5).

I don't much care for the current political system and I have no deep love for Obama. I was pleased that he was elected, but deflated when I discovered some detestable people from the Bush regime retained their positions in the Obama administration...it seemed like "business as usual", or "new president, same BS". I'm not even really stumping for Obama here as much as against Romney/Ryan.

I don't agree with everything the Democratic Party pushes for, but I have to say that the idea of being governed by a group of people who actively pursue limiting our personal freedoms is something I cannot abide. Mitt Romney seems out of touch with what most Americans are dealing with on a day-to-day basis, and Paul Ryan is pretty much the opposite of everything I personally believe in. But here's where Ryan and I differ the most: I respect his beliefs and viewpoints and his right to have them and act upon them. However, he wants his view made into laws that would affect others' rights to pursue their own happiness.

I can't be the only person who feels that creating legislation based on religious principles is contrary to the intent of our constitution and the opposite of why our founding fathers ever even came to America! Our country may not be perfect, but one thing we have that is special is the way our citizens have protected rights. This means that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan get to say and do whatever they want in any consensual situation...burn books, teach creationism to their children, dislike gays and women, glorify war, practice Mormonism or Southern Baptist or any other religion, or pretty much do anything else they want that they both consent to doing (secretly boffing each other after political strategy sessions?)...because our laws protect their freedom to choose what they decide is best for themselves. It does NOT give them the right to decide what's best for ME or anyone else.
Why they want to change that is beyond me. Why they even care who's having sex with whom or why anyone wants to get married anyways is just crazy. Let the gays be as miserable as the straights!

And c'mon folks, didn't we learn anything from Prohibition? Do you have ANY idea how FAST we'd get out of an economic crisis if we legalized drugs and taxed them instead? A drop in crime (no drug murders or gangs) and a spike in revenue (stop sending all that illegally obtained cash to drug lords) would be exactly what we need. Plus, all the money we'd save from releasing all non-violent drug offenders from the penal system could help fund awareness, education, and rehabilitation programs instead. And all the money we spend on the DEA could be used to help enforce regulations that make sense instead of wasting taxpayer dollars. And I don't even do drugs! But dammit, I took Economics 101and even I understand the basic concept of supply and demand. And PS: by the way, prisons for profit creates a demand for prisoners.

Right now, I demand that my rights be upheld. I demand that my president tries to understand what I'm dealing with and cares enough to try and help me. I demand that my leaders protect my rights even if they disagree with how I choose to live my life because that is my right as a citizen and their duty as my elected official. I demand accountability for the way my tax dollars are spent and I demand a president I can believe in and trust to have my best interests in mind every time he makes a presidential decision. I don't expect my president to be perfect, I expect him to be human...just like me.

That is why I am casting my vote for Barak Obama. I hope you will join me in supporting his campaign, because I think we make a difference even with just $1.00 donated towards his campaign. If you would like to join me and Bill Clinton in supporting Barak Obama, please click here to donate to his campaign in my grassroots fundraiser.

 Oh yes, we can! Again.

If you are not sure what to believe or who to agree with, please do a little research on some facts and don't listen only to sound bites delivered by talking heads on the news. Every news agency has a slant, nobody is unbiased anymore. To find facts you have to use some critical thinking skills, and I have faith in you. If you're going to be lazy and listen to someone else instead of doing the work for yourself, then listen to me and vote for Obama. If you don't care who wins, then vote for Obama, because I care. And whether you believe in our political system or not, you will continue as a citizen to be subjected to the outcomes of its elections. It is your civic duty to cast your vote. So whether you choose Red or Blue, please, just VOTE!

At least that will give you the right to complain about whoever winds up in the Oval Office.

...and, if you are the enterprising sort, I invite you to read my Blog #12, about politics and fascism, which I wrote almost exactly four years ago.