Sugar, heavy metal and a dinner

3 June 2012

Sunday again ... Jan is still in hospital and more getting fed up by the day.  Her tummy is swelling a lot and she might need to go back to theatre to get it sorted.  At least today she managed to keep her pills down.  That should help with the pain levels too.  We live in a house that is far too large for just us two; but with Jan being in hospital it seems even bigger now.  And it's full of rubbish too.  I'll be making an effort to get rid of some of it.  By rubbish I mean two extra wardrobes, three computer desks that are not needed; a few remaining items from our camping kit we sold last year; two extra book cases that are full of stuff other books ... and so the list goes on.  Mind you, when it's all gone the   house will seem even bigger with all the extra space ;-)))

Sunday Express today carries a story that is a lead in to a BBC 2, The Men Who Made us Fat, to be broadcast on 14th June at 9pm.  Top and bottom if it all is the Tricky Dicky Nixon was desperate to get votes in the 1970s so he gave large subsidies to the farmers and production grew.  They produced far too much so the lab-techs get to work and found they could produce a sweetener, High Fructose Corn Syrup, HFCS.  They are still over producing and still making HFCS with the surplus.  Most of it ends up on process foods.  There is then a link between this sweetener, our liver and our brain.  The liver doesn't send the signal to the brain to say that the stomach is full and to stop eating; that leads to many of us over eating and becoming far too fat.  The food industry of course poo poos the basis of it - but seeing as in Britain they make massive profits on our snack eating.

So while the kettle has been boiling for my morning coffee I had a look at some of the labels on the baked beans and so on in our cupboard.  There is no clear reference to HFCS but is mention of modified maize starch or to sugar syrup.  Even my four morning coffee biscuits have the stuff in them.  My usual 4 mc's give me 80 calories would you believe?  I do like them though so I shall keep on having them but will not be having any more nicey things.

I've been watching Dom Littlewood (?) Fake Britain this last week.  Most people are aware of fake handbags, shoes, cosmetics and clothing.  Most of us I would suggest are aware that a large amount of cheap tobacco products are slipped into the country too.  A lot of importance is placed on stopping this smuggling because of the to the Treasury.  But that is not what alarmed me though.  A batch of some of smuggled tobacco was sent for analysis.  Did you know that   75% of the UK population are now none smokers?  That shouldn't really be an issue but we non-smokers still end up inhaling second hand smoke as we walk down the street.  In a number of places smokers stand around the door way to various venues, especially pubs.  There we have little choice in breathing in their second hand smoke.  Now here's the rub ... the analysis done on the tobacco intercepted at Felixstowe showed various levels of heavy metals like mercury, lead and arsenic in the samples.  And that should be of concern to all of us.  Those heavy metals are killers if taken in large enough amounts.  But I would prefer not to breath in any second hand smoke no matter where the smokers bought their fags from!

Today's photo ...

I took this one cos I found rather comical the way he was holding the helmet and looking at it, as if wondering what is was and what it is used for.  Well, it amused me anyway ... ... ...

And today's funny ...

Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors and
lawyers and prospered.  Some years later, they chatted after having dinner together. They discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother who lived far away in another city.
The first said, "I had a big house built for Mama."
The second said, " I had a hundred thousand dollar theatre built in the
house."
The third said, "I had my Mercedes dealer deliver an SL600 to her."
The fourth said, "You know how Mamma loved reading the Bible and you know
she can't read anymore because she can't see very well. I met this preacher
who told me about a parrot that can recite the entire bible. It took twenty
preachers 12 years to teach him. I had to pledge to contribute $100,000 a
year for twenty years to the church, but it was worth it. Mamma just has to
name the chapter and verse and the parrot will recite it." The other
brothers were impressed.
After the holidays Mom sent out her Thank You notes. She wrote:
"Milton, the house you built is so huge. I live in only one room, but I have
to clean the whole house. Thanks anyway."
"Marvin, I am too old to travel. I stay home, I have my groceries delivered,
so I never use the Mercedes. The thought was good. Thanks."
"Michael, you gave me and expensive theatre with Dolby sound, it could hold
50 people, but all of my friends are dead, I've lost my hearing and I'm
nearly blind. I'll never use it. Thank you for the gesture just the same."
"Dearest Melvin, you were the only son to have the good sense to give a
little thought to your gift. The chicken was delicious. Thank you."