WW gives a point value of zero to fruits and vegetables.

And Weight Watchers, your point is? 

Anyone who lives a healthy lifestyle consumes a tremendous amount of fruits and veggies. We already get the point. 

I guess; better late than never.

Living a healthy lifestyle ain't that difficult. You just have to want to do it. As I advise people in my book, ignore the study of the day. Frequently, the studies are contradictory and confusing. Thus, if you ignored the research of the day, you would not have been taking vitamin D supplements*.

The latest and greatest: As of today, we are being advised that we do not need vitamin D supplements. We, in fact, get enough from our wonderful Sun. 

This cartoon appears in my book. Once again, point made!

This article states:The very high levels of vitamin D that are often recommended by doctors and testing laboratories — and can be achieved only by taking supplements — are unnecessary and could be harmful, an expert committee says. Read on.

Here's another interesting article by Marion Nestle. Wise advise almost two years ago.

In this article, Dr. David Katz responds and sheds some light on the vitamin D hoopla.

I also recommend reading: Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science (not about vitamin D).

*My multivitamin contains 1,600 IUs of vitamin D and since I love nature, I am outside frequently. Thus, I get plenty of vitamin D.

This is my favorite quote. For me, it's a reminder to eat properly and exercise frequently. This is a photo from a t-shirt. I have many of them. I also have it on a wristband. I want a constant reminder to always be in training. With all the temptations, in our society, it's difficult to lead a healthy lifestyle.

There are thousands of diet concepts on the market. I call them "diet camps". This is not a camp that you attend. It's a belief system. And, people in these diet camps do not budge from their respective camp. In fact, they will present all types of research that demonstrates "how right they are".  They will also tell you what's wrong with all the other diet camps.

The spectrum runs form vegan (if it has a mother or a face, do not eat it) to paleo (meat eaters - fat ain't the villian). Interestingly, all of these diets work. That's the good news. 

However, all of them are partially correct. Because,interestingly each and everyone omits these types of foods and throws in a good dose of exercise. So, if you ...

omit this:

1. Fast Food
2. Junk Food
3. Candy
4. Soda
5. Highly Processed Food

add this:

1. Exercise
   

You will not be overweight and you will be outside the circle of disease. 

I'm reading the book All the Devils are Here. It's about the financial debacle of 2008. 

One, among many, of the reasons for the collapse as stated in the book: 

But the idea that the mortgage-backed securities would also lead inexorably to the rise of the subprime industry, that would create hidden, systemic risks the likes of which  the financial world had never before seen, that they would undo the connection between borrowers and lenders in ways that were truly dangerous--that wasn't even in their frame of reference. 

Now change out a few words and see what happens:

But the idea that the fast food, junk food, and highly processed foods would also lead inexorably to the rise of the an obese and unhealthy nation, that would create hidden, systemic risks the likes of which  the medical industry had never before seen, that they would undo the connection between consumer and farmer in ways that were truly dangerous--that wasn't even in their frame of reference. 

About an hour before the eating frenzy, eat a protein bar. My favorite is Pure Protein. It comes in many different flavors. 

Feeling hungry? Have a sweet tooth? Try this Pure Protein bar. What are the benefits? It taste great. It has very little sugar. It has 20 grams of protein. It has about 190 calories and unlike candy bars - it will make you feel full. 

Here are a couple of tips 
 - Put them in the refrigerator 
- To save money, purchase them at Target or Costco. At those locations, the bars are about $1 each. However, they are available everywhere.

Disclosure: I have no financial relationship with this company or product. I just know it works.

* Oh yeah, it works year round!

By the way, if you want more incredible tips and information, you can purchase Feed Your Head ... here.

Whether you drink diet soda or the sugared stuff, replace it with sparkling water. Believe it or not, other than the high-intensity of the sugar or artificial sweetener, it will taste very similar.

Try it for a week. Most likely you won't miss the other stuff. In the past, I was a Diet Coke drinker. For the most part, I drink "plain old water", however, if I want the taste of carbonation, sparkling water "hits the spot".

This article is from the Huffington Post.

While I do not agree with the entire article, I do agree with this statement: "Americans (still) rule the world. They can stroll on the moon, influence global diplomacy, finance unstable countries around the world…yet they cannot keep their own people relatively healthy? Of course they could, if it were actually desired. Unfortunately, for the world’s most powerful companies, an unhealthy America is, perversely, a very profitable America."

On the main street near my home, there's a tremendous amount of junk food and fast food available. As well, there are three CVS pharmacies on that same strip ... about two miles. Yes, crap food delivers patients to big pharma. No doubt about it. 

During this time of thanks, I am thankful that I have avoided the medical industrial complex.

The American food system can be funny. Here's one example.

Like that one? Here are some of my favorites.

Rarely, do I recommend products. However, if you are an iPhone owner and you care about diet, health, and nutrition, this is an App that you must have.

All you do is scan the barcode of a product and it rates it. It gives you details and provides alternative products. 

I rate this one an A-plus!

What an extraordinary achievement for a civilization: to have developed the one diet that reliably makes its people sick. - Michael Pollan (Food Rules)

I am not someone who believes in long-term predictions. I am always skeptical, however, if this prediction is even close to accurate, our country will be in "a world of hurt". Currently, the statistic is 1 in 10.

For a moment, forget all the pain and misery that comes along with diabetes. Think about the health care costs. Currently diabetes costs $174-billion per year. Now triple it. Ut oh.

I certainly hope we can reverse this horrific trend. 

Source: ABC News Report

Before you believe all the research findings that you hear about, I recommend reading these articles:

Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science

Experts and Studies: Not Always Trustworthy

And, I subscribe to this blog: Health News Review.

Other interesting reads.

Dr. Dean Ornish shilling for Mars (the candy company). 

Nothing shocks me anymore, however, I must admit, that I was surprised to see Dr. Ornish associate himself with a junk food (M&Ms, Milky Way, Skittles, Starbursts, Twix, and more) company. No doubt, great candy, but a whole lot of sugar and empty calories. 

Dr. Ornish: I hope you got a great PayDay.

That's the title of this opinion piece at CNN. I recommend reading it because it perpetuates many myths that need to be debunked.  Read the article and then read my response.

Where to begin: Well, you, like many, give the impression that you must eat celery or other taste-less foods to lose weight. This is a myth. In fact, there are many delicious food items available for dieting and healthy eating.

You ask us to observe ten people we know. The problem with that is we are observing the wrong thing. I am a "professional" observer. Here's what I observe. Most people eat very poorly. We live in a toxic food environment and most people think it's normal. News flash: It's not.

You also give the impression that if you are older, it's hopeless to lose weight. Wrong. People who know how to eat properly and exercise can do it. And, it's not difficult. You just have to want it.

I wouldn't bestow too much praise on Mrs. Obama or any governmental action or agency. People need to take charge of their own lives and make change on their own. The toxic food environment we live in is not changing anytime soon. I, for one, certainly am not going to depend on the government to assist in this area.

You end with a punchline: "I still have my celery and my chocolate days, only now I do celery when the kids are around -- and chocolate cake when they are not."

This implies you're fooling the kids. Also, again you make a false choice between celery and chocolate cake. You don't have to eat celery to eat a healthy diet. In fact, I rarely eat celery. But I do enjoy many delicious food items.

This article just continues the wrong-minded myth about living a healthy lifestyle.

While I do not believe that training for triathlons is necessary for health and fitness, here's a 70-year old neurosurgeon who finds time to run, bike, and swim. No excuses, start exercising. It does a body good.

There are many ways to lose weight. However, this is not one of them.

I recommend reading Dr. David Katz's "review" of this "diet".

I grew up in West Orange, New Jersey. I don't go back too often. However, I was there this weekend. I decided to go for a run past my old neighborhood. One stop (not to eat) was this Burger King. Since I used to walk by BK all the time, I assume this was where I munched on my first fast food fiasco. Oh, about 45 years ago.

Since I moved, a new establishment was built next door ... Dunkin' Donuts. Surprise, surprise.

While this video isn't a cure-all, it does offer some good tips. I'm not too sure about the "blue-light" special it discusses.

This article that appeared in the New York Times illustrates beautifully the reason that I will not wait for the U.S. government to assist with our obesity epidemic.

I've met the enemy and unfortunately ... it's Uncle Sam.

There's been an experiment(s) floating around the Internet demonstrating how disgusting a McDonald's hamburger is ... it doesn't get moldy or rot ... ever. Well, here's a gentleman who decided to do a scientific study of the never-rotting hamburger. I won't spoil the story. Check it out here.

It's interesting to me that people are spending all this time on these experiments. The one conclusion that I have come to -- didn't need any of these experiments to sway me -- do not eat fast food. And, I do not. However, whenever I pass my local McDonald's, it's always crowded. Yes, America is lovin

When I purchase clothes, I am used to seeing them made in Vietnam, China, Honduras, and many other countries. However, I was surprised to see the label: Made in Mauritius. Where in the world is that? Basically, it's a tiny island in the "middle of nowhere".

I went to Sports Authority to purchase some running clothes. Upon checking out, I was confronted with this rich array of candy. It looks like they are the authority on junk food too.