#do you know what thiamine mononitrate is? i do.

[scolek]

someone: "you shouldnt be putting chemicals you cant even pronounce into your body!!"

the one guy whos really good at pronouncing things:

[jmtorres]

how to math foods from their nutrition info and ingredient list:

in the US, ingredient lists have to be in order from largest to smallest amount. so like I'm looking at these chicken gyoza I get from Sprouts:

nutrition label:

serving size: 7 gyoza, or 140g. This is slightly complicated by the fact that the ingredients list (below) is divided into filling and wrapper, but I'm mostly interested in mathing out the filling anyway. by looking up gyoza wrappers separately I have determined 7 wrappers is around 39-40g. (fodmap app says I'm good up to like. 30 wrappers. yay I don't have to worry about the wrappers.)

So I'm looking at a serving size of 100g for the filling.

the ingredient list looks like this:

Ingredients: Filling: Boneless Chicken, Cabbage, Sugar, Salt, Onion, Soybean Oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Ginger, Garlic, White Pepper. Wrapper: Unbleached And Enriched Wheat Flour (Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Food Starch, Salt, Soybean Oil.

Because the ingredient list is by amount, I know that chicken (the first ingredient) could be almost all of that 100g, but the most cabbage (second ingredient) there could be is just under 50g, because there has to be more chicken than cabbage. and the same applies down the line. so the list is:

chicken - less than 100g

cabbage - less than 50g (half)

sugar - less than 33g (one third)

salt - less than 25g (one fourth) 1.6g (see below)

onion - less than 20g (one fifth) 1.6g

soybean oil - less than 17g (one sixth) 1.6g

sesame oil - less than 14g (one seventh)1.6g

ginger - less than 12.5g (one eighth) 1.6g

garlic - less than 11g (one ninth) 1.6g

white pepper - less than 10g (one tenth) 1.6g

and likely everything from sugar down is actually much lower -- you don't have your seasonings take up a third of your material. but those are the greatest amounts a serving could contain based on this nutritional label. and in fact, I can look up what the sodium content is--650mg, or less than a single gram, according to the nutrition label. sodium is about 40% of salt's mass so call that 1.6g salt, and then figure out that everything lower on the list than salt (4) has to also be less than 1.6g. (and. salt is also in the wrappers. so this is more salt and more subsequent seasonings than is in the fillings. 1.6g is our high safety estimate.)

so, what does my fodmap app say about these ingredients?

chicken's fine, don't need to worry about my meats pretty much.

cabbage: safe serve is 75g. I'm good.

sugar: safe serve is 50g. I'm good.

salt: does not contain fodmaps

onion: 12g is a yellow serve. but since we know onion actually has to be less than 1.6g, I think this is safe.

oils: no fodmaps

ginger: 5g is a safe serve, since we're under 1.6g we're good.

garlic: I had to look up a bunch of stuff to figure out what qualifies as a safe serve of garlic, because it's miniscule. but it's like 1.46g. that's close enough to 1.6g (and garlic is enough ingredients down from that salt) that I think this is probably safe.

white pepper: not sure, but black pepper would be fine?

Yay, I can eat a serving of these gyoza! my tendency to eat two servings for a meal might be pushing things but like. overall. safe food despite inclusion of fodmap ingredients due to how little of those ingredients are actually in there.

I do shit like this in my head like all the time. like when I'm trying to figure out how much lactose a cheese has, I'll check its sugar content. regular milk runs at about 4% lactose but I know 1-2% is generally safe for me to consume, so if the g of sugar in a cheese is less than 2% of the serving size I'll know it's okay for my level of lactose intolerance. (although there's a complication on sugar! if the amount of sugar in a serving is less than 5 calories - less than about a gram - the label does not have to report it! which is why tic tacs are listed at 0 calories and 0g of sugar even though their primary ingredient is sugar. because a serving size is less than half a gram. anyway this means that if i'm looking at a label that says 0g sugar and i want to be sure the percent of sugar (that is potentially lactose) is less than 2% of the serving, that serving size has to be at least 50g for me to be sure the "rounded down" to zero sugar is still at a safe amount. tricky with cream cheese where they set the serving at 30g.)

anyway shoutout to the gnocchi company (Del Cecco ftw) that put on the ingredient list that the first ingredient (mashed potatoes) comprised 80% of the gnocchi and the second ingredient (potato starch) comprised 15%, you made my life so much easier.

[milkytheholy1]

Sitcom Reality: Part 2

Star wars masterlist. Ultimate masterlist. Part 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Walking to the supermarket was harder than expected, Tech couldn't use his datapad for fear that others would stare and signs seemed too complicated for you both. Tech had stood at one of these signs for over twenty minutes trying to crack it, he had got some of it but the sign was clearly homemade and therefore used a lot of terms non-locals couldn't decipher.

"Why don't we ask someone?" you threw out, knowing Tech would bat the idea away and insist he could do it. You grew bored of him very quickly, knowing this to be typical Tech behaviour. Instead, you began pacing around the street, heels clacking against the concrete and dress swaying in the cool breeze. You had to admit this place was beautiful, it almost looked fake with the well-kept lawns and t.v show house exteriors.

"Aha, got it!" Tech announced finger pointed towards the sky. He began to walk away from the sign and further down the street, completely lost in his mind as he strolled away. You had to do an awkward run to catch up with him, passing by people with cumbersome smiles as you panted beside him. You slipped your arm into his, a bright, fake grin on your lips to cover your panting, "You could have waited for your wife, my dear husband." you practically growled out to him.

Tech flicked his attention to you briefly, he looked confused by the sentimental term, watching you silently until you squinted at him and it finally clicked. You were meant to be a married couple, yes how could he have forgotten, "Apologises, I was rather determined to find our location."

You looked away from him with a grimace, pinching his arm lightly as punishment. He let out a small yelp, glaring at the back of your head, "I understand my error, my dear, but surely that was uncalled for, childish even."

"Oh, I'll show you childish." you threatened. But before you could even begin to lay a hand on him, the supermarket came into sight, you could feel Tech sigh out of relief. One could say you had a bit of a temper, not as bad as Crosshair's or Hunter's, but enough that everyone on the batch knew not to press any more buttons if you were already steaming from the ears.

The sliding doors swooshed open, the cold air conditioning raising goosebumps on your arms and legs, "Phew, they really like to keep their supplies cold, huh?" you shivered. Tech shrugged, relishing in his long-sleeved shirt, "Quite, though I suppose it's to keep the produce in a greater condition. It appears as though the food on this planet has a smaller shelf life than that on Coruscant." Tech noted, prodding his finger against the side of a watermelon.

You walked up and down the aisles, Tech pushing the trolley while you plucked things from the shelf and threw them in, "Do we need all this stuff? What even is Girl Scout Cookies?" he held the product close to his face as he read the ingredients to himself, shuffling his glasses for further focus. You shrugged your shoulders and continued to peruse, "I don't know, cookies with girls who scout in them?" you laughed, ignoring his widening eyes.

"Ingredients: enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, vitamin b1 [thiamin mononitrate], vitamin b2 [riboflavin], folic acid), sugar, vegetable oil (partially hydrogenated palm kernel and/or cottonseed oil, soybean and palm oil), cocoa, caramel colour, contains 2% or less of leavening."

You stopped reading the labels on the shelf and turned to Tech with a look he couldn't really describe, it wasn't so much a glare but that didn't mean you weren't staring with a look to kill. He slowly placed the box of cookies back into the trolley and held your gaze with his own, much less confident one, "Sounds divine?" he nervously laughed.

You diverted your attention back onto the task at hand and soon found yourself at the tills. Tech handled all the talking, he seemed much more confident in that category than you did. He slipped his hand into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, always one to be correct, he handed the teen the right amount of change and plucked the receipt from his hands.

You swiped up as many bags as you could, knowing if Wrecker were here he could probably carry all of them in just one hand. Tech took up the others, looking as though the weight of all the frozen meat you brought meant nothing to him, and it probably didn't to be fair. There were many times you had walked around the ship to see Tech handling repairs, lifting large pieces of sheet metal, heavy engines, it amazed you to no end; especially when he looked like a twig.

You emerged back out into the sunny heat, feeling the sun's warmth burn away all the goosebumps, "Feeling better now, dear?" Tech asked, giving you a side-glance. You hummed in delight, but the tiredness in your arms dawned on you quite suddenly, you picked up your pace, quickly overtaking Tech with ease.

"C'mon, this stuff isn't going to get home by itself." you huffed out, determination running through your blood. Tech sent you a quizzical look, of which you couldn't see, but carried on by your side.

----

You had made it home without any more trouble, like clockwork, Tech had unlocked the door and you had immediately unloaded all the shopping then proceeded to collapse against the plush couches. Tech stood in front of you with his arms folded over his chest, "I hope you don't plan on staying there while I put away the shopping, some assistance would be nice."

His tone left no room to discuss or argue, with an outstretched hand, Tech heaved you up from the couch and led you back into the kitchen where the shopping bags looked significantly deflated. One by one you emptied the bags and found the right places for them in the kitchen, with supplies like this and years of using rations this stuff could last you months!

A sweet sound flowed through the house, coming from the front door, Tech left you to it to see what the tune was about. Through the glass embedded into the door, Tech could see the giddy smiles of another couple waving at him. He opened the door with caution, unsure who and what their motives were.

"Howdy neighbour, glad to finally meet you!" the woman beamed, grabbing at one of Tech's hands and bringing it into a firm handshake; he felt his whole arm be put into motion. Pulling back, the man beside the lady stepped forward and did the same, albeit with a tighter grip, "Pleasure to meet you, son."

"Son? I'm afraid you must be confused, I do not have a father, I'm a combination of DNA from Jango-"

"Well who's this, dear?" you cut Tech off before he could ultimately unveil your true identities. You heard the commotion from the kitchen and decided to save your sweet husband from whatever it was that he got himself into. The woman looked you up and down, her smile getting even larger if that were possible, "I'm (Y/N)," you grinned back. The lady wrapped her arms around you, practically dragging you from your doorstep into a hug, "Charmed, I'm Monica and this is my husband Ralph."

"Afternoon," he hummed, nodding his head towards you. The couple looked expectantly at Tech, the air going awkwardly quiet. You jabbed an elbow into Tech's side discreetly, jumping him into action, "Oh, I'm, erm, Tech."

"Tech, why that's such a bizarre name?" Monica gasped, holding a palm to hide her open mouth. You and Tech began to panic, your only saviour was a quick throwaway line, "It's foreign!" The couple stood in silence processing the new information, but they soon erupted into fits of laughter, "Foreign, how swell, I should've known with that accent of yours. Welcome to our country." Monica clarified, coming across as a bit more offensive than she maybe intended to.

Tech seemed uncomfortable with the situation so you decided to take over, "So how can we help you, neighbour?" the word sounded alien in your mouth. Monica shook her head with a light giggle, "Oh don't be silly and tell me you've already forgotten."

You turned your head to Tech to gauge his reaction but he seemed equally as confused as you were, "Forgotten what, exactly?" you asked, becoming nervous. "Why the BBQ, of course." Ralph spoke, as though it was common knowledge, "BBQ?" Tech questioned, his head tilting.

"Yes, we left a message on your answering machine this morning, everyone knows everyone here, silly goose." Monica laughed, hands clutching the tiny purse she carried. You opened the door wider, and waved them in with your hand, "Oooh that BBQ, yes, I know what you mean now."

"You do?" Tech whispered to you over your shoulder, you shook your head "No." you huffed out. "Right this way," you lead them to the outside garden, glaring daggers at Tech who remained in the kitchen. Now you knew what that beeping machine was, life support system my ass you groaned mentally.

Leaving the duo to marvel at your cut grass, you waddled back to Tech and shoved him to the front door, "What are you doing?"

"You need to go back to that supply place and get us stuff for this BBQ!"

"I don't even know what a BBQ is, how am I meant to get the right things for it?"

"I don't know, you're smart you'll figure something out." you groaned, waving your hands in front of you, a very Tech thing to do.

"What will you do while I'm gone?"

"I'll entertain our guests, just don't be long, I don't want to blow our cover. For all we know this could be a test to see if we fit in and we need to pass if we want to continue our mission!"

"Then it is imperative that I return with the correct supplies for a...BBQ, I already know you hate their company so I promise to be back in ample time." Tech hummed, stepping foot outside the door.

"How'd you know I already hate them?" you mused, leaning against the pine. Tech turned back around with a smirk of his own, "I've known you since the early years of the clone wars all the way to the fall of Kamino, I like to think I know how you act during those years spent together."

"It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"Hmm, be good." Tech hummed, spontaneously leaning closer to you and pressing a light kiss on your cheek. Your skin immediately blossomed a bright pink, only a shade lighter than Tech's. He turned back around and essentially sprinted to the grocery store, trying deep down to ignore the burning feeling in his heart and on his skin.

"Aw, you guys are so cute, like two peaches in a cherry tree." Monica teased, hands clasped together as she let out another loving sigh. You jumped at her presence, shutting the door until the light grew dull and faced her with your own forced smile.

"We've just known each other for a long time, is all."

"Must be destined to be together then." Monica grinned, wandering back into the garden to join her own husband. You stood there watching her leave, her comment swirling around your head, "Yeah, destined.." you whispered out.

[justanalto]

fic writer review!

finally getting around to this fun game -- thanks for tagging me @ussjellyfish @aleksandrachaev @daisy-appreciation-week @a-biochemist-not-a-bird :))

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

74 lovely works and counting :)

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

469,728. a lot of words, actually, considering.

3. How many fandoms have you written for?

four — mcu, aos, star trek: discovery, and supergirl :)

4. Top 5 fics by kudos?

1. may's golden dragon — aos, philinda chinese restaurant au that i probably should update sometime soon

2. thiamine mononitrate and monosodium glutamate - aos, a bon appetit dousy soulmate au where everyone works in the test kitchen

3. this is my home (you are my home) — aos, where dousy get trapped in a shed and play the 35 questions that lead to love

4. move on the path, but keep the flame — aos, where sousa gets a shovel talk

5. black coffee mornings — aos coffee shop dousy au

5. Do you respond to comments? Why/why not?

I do! I think it's always fun to interact with the people who take the time to write a comment <3 they always have the best insight and the best input :))

6. A fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

*laughs* either haven't met the new me yet (but i will) or i never meant to be the one to let you down

ooh, or the words we used to say

7. Do you write crossovers?

I haven't in a really, really, really long time, but I'd be down to!

8. Ever received hate on a fic?

Somewhere in there. I've blocked it out, though.

9. Do you write smut?

nope!

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

yes. someone thought it would be so cool to pass off may's golden dragon as their own on wattpad. did march in there passive-aggressively and they seemed to stop, though i'm not above filing a DMCA complaint if i can

11. Ever had a fic translated?

no :(

12. Have you ever co-written a fic?

yes but it's never going to see the light of day because i did it when i was ten.

13. All time fav ship?

bones' hodgela (jack hodgins x angela montenegro)

14. WIP you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

i can feel @aleksandrachaev staring virtual daggers at me as i write this so i'm gonna plead the fifth

15. Writing strengths?

sometimes the words magically put themselves together to make something funny lmao

16. Writing weaknesses?

consistency. that and, well, you know, writing

17. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

if it's in a language you're comfortable writing in, go for it! but also make sure you provide your language translations somewhere. and if it's a language you're using translate for, make sure you acknowledge that you are, in fact, using google translate. but i think in some cases it can really add another layer to the character!

18. First fandom you wrote for?

technically...high school musical

19. What’s your fav fic you’ve written so far?

i can't answer this question in general, so by fandom it is! well i mean actually it's really between disco and aos, so:

aos: may's golden dragon

disco: a tie, probably, between i haven't met the new me yet (but i will) and scuttlebutt squad. mainly because i haven't released my favorites yet :))

tagging: @angry-slytherin @ohwriteiforgot @apathbacktoyou @libbyweasley and anyone else that wants to do this! :)

[codsilk80-blog]

The Healthiest Children’s Vitamins: 2018

Note: I update this post monthly to ensure all of the information is accurate! The original post was created in 2017, but the most recent update has been done as of August 2018. If you’re looking for the best adult vitamins, go to this post.

 Kids Vitamins can be confusing. There are so many questions: Is there a such thing as an “unhealthy” kids vitamin? Do you need a vitamin with iron? Which vitamins are the best? Do kids even need vitamins at all?

.

Recently, I was talking with a friend and realized that a lot of these questions can be really overwhelming because there is so much information out there! So I did a bunch of research and found the healthiest kids vitamins out there today. This is your guide to multivitamins for kids: what to buy, what not to buy, and what to look out for!

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So first of all, do kids even need vitamins to begin with? 

Most pediatricians will tell you that it’s not necessary for most healthy children who are growing normally (source). For kids who eat well and eat a variety of food, they can get all of the nutrients they need from whole foods. But many kids are very picky, or don’t eat a lot of food, or aren’t growing well, and that makes a lot of parents worried that they aren’t getting the nutrients they need! In those cases, I’d recommend talking to your pediatrician, and if they suggest giving your child a multivitamin then definitely do so.

.

When buying a multivitamin, what should you look for? 

So to start, kids multivitamins generally come in two groups: 1) With Iron and 2) Without Iron. You should buy a multivitamin that doesn’t exceed 100% daily value of most of the vitamins for your child’s age group – primarily Vitamins A, E and K (that will be indicated by the label on the back). The exception here is for Vitamin C and other water-soluble vitamins. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin but is ok to have at more than 100% of the daily value because most people are deficient (including kids) and Vitamin D isn’t toxic unless it’s in exceptionally high doses which wouldn’t be in a daily vitamin. If the vitamin does have more than 100% of A, E and K then I would just give your child half the dose on the bottle.

It’s also important to look for the ingredients that are added to the tablet that aren’t vitamins. Ingredients like: Sorbitol, carrageenan, artificial colors and flavors (Red #40 anyone?), aspartame, sucralose, to name a few! You definitely don’t want to be dosing your child with these ingredients on a daily basis along with their multivitamin.

.

So let’s start with what not to buy:  The answer here is most of the commercially available, leading brands of multivitamins. The biggest offender of which is Flinstones Chewable Vitamins. 

What’s crazy is that on the label, Flinstones calls out that they are “Pediatrician’s #1 Choice.” And most people do buy Flinstones vitamins! I even remember eating them when I was a kid. They tasted so good! It was like a treat every morning. And if you are giving your kids Flinstones vitamins right now, don’t feel bad! You are not alone, and thanks to all of the deceptive marketing out there, there’s no way you’d know that Flinstones isn’t the best choice for any child. Before doing all of this research I didn’t realize how problematic they were, and why it’s important to switch away from them.

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The reason they are problematic, is because there are a ridiculous number of offensive ingredients in Flinstones Vitamins that truly, should not be there at all, and are not necessary. Take a look at two of their best sellers (I’ve highlighted in red all of the ingredients to avoid):

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Sorbitol, Mannitol, Fructose, Sodium Ascorbate, Ferrous Fumarate, Silicon Dioxide, Carrageenan, Natural and Artificial Flavors, FD&C Red #40 Lake; Less Than 2% Of: Aspartame†, BetaCarotene, Cholecalciferol, Cyanocobalamin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, FD&C Blue #2 Lake, FD&C Yellow #6 Lake, Folic Acid, Magnesium Stearate, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Soy Lecithin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate.

Granulated Calcium Carbonate (Calcium Carbonate, Dextrose Monohydrate, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Microcrystalline Cellulose), Sorbitol, Sodium Ascorbate, Ferrous Fumarate, Natural and Artificial Flavoring, Pregelatinized Starch, dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate; Less Than 2% Of: Beta-Carotene, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Cholecalciferol, Cupric Oxide, Cyanocobalamin, FD&C Blue #2 Lake, FD&C Red #40 Lake, FD&C Yellow #6 Lake, Folic Acid, Gelatin, Magnesium Oxide, Magnesium Stearate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Niacinamide, Potassium Iodide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Phytonadione, Riboflavin, Silicon Dioxide, Soy Lecithin, Sucralose, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Acetate, Zinc Oxide.

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Let’s take these one by one:

Sorbitol and Mannitol are sugar alcohols. They have been known to cause digestive issues and discomfort in some people because they can’t be digested properly by the body.

Carrageenan is an emulsifier that thickens products, but it has been linked to high levels of inflammation in the body, digestive issues, etc.

Maltodextrin: this is an indicator that the food is highly processed. It’s used as a thickener, filler, or preservative in many processed foods, and it can cause spikes in your blood sugar because it has a high glycemic index.

Natural and Artificial Colors – Red #40, Blue #2, Yellow #6. I mean, #wtf. What are these doing in a kids vitamin? These are so problematic and have been linked to all kinds of health problems including allergies, hyperactivity, learning impairment, irritability and aggressiveness.

Artificial flavors – also highly processed and unnecessary in a kids vitamin.

Aspartame and Sucralose – this is what diet sodas are sweetened with, and are highly controversial. Research hasn’t proven one way or the other whether they lead to long term health issues, but it has been proven that they cause an insulin-response by the body (because your body thinks you are eating sugar when you are not – source). If you wouldn’t give your child a diet coke, you shouldn’t give them a vitamin with this in it!

Mono- and Diglycerides is one of the most widely used emulsifers to keep oil and fat from separating. It’s just an indicator that the food is processed.

Oh, and gelatin. While this isn’t a harmful ingredient, it kind of sucks for any vegetarians or vegans out there who are giving their kids this vitamin without knowing that it’s not actually veggie-friendly.

So what should you buy instead? What’s the healthiest multivitamin out there? 

Luckily there are tons of options! Below is a list of my favorites: they all are made with natural ingredients, have no weird preservatives or any of the ingredients above added, and some even derive the vitamins from organic food sources which I absolutely love because they are better absorbed by the body that way. Most of these will have a tiny bit of cane sugar or fructose added, but as long as it’s less than 4g per serving it’s not a huge issue.

Note: ALL of the vitamins I recommend below do NOT contain gelatin. They are all vegetarian friendly!

With Iron:

Without Iron:

Garden of Life – While it doesn’t have iron, I do love this brand. I take their women’s multivitamin daily and I love it. All of their vitamins come from organic whole foods, and they don’t have anything weird added to their vitamins. They are organic, clean, and healthy. There is stevia added here, but it’s listed as “Organic Stevia Leaf” – which is the only form of Stevia I’m ok with. What I do avoid is “stevia extract” could literally mean anything and have anything added to it.

Garden of Life Gummy Vitamin

MegaFood – This is another brand that I love for vitamins. It doesn’t have iron but if you decide to go with this or Garden of Life, there is an iron-only supplement you can add to their diets!

Mega Foods Kids Daily Multivitamin Booster – a powdered form of their vitamin.

OLLY Kids Super Foods Multivitamin

Zarbees Toddler Multivitamin

Pure Encapsulations

Liquid Vitamins Without Iron:

ChildLife – it’s a little higher in sugar than I’d like, but you can start using it at 6 months of age (the other two options are for older kids)

Children’s Advanced – no sugar added and you can use it starting at 1 year of age

Premium Children’s – no sugar added and you can use it starting at 4 years of age

Iron Only Supplement: This is a good option if you decide to buy Garden of Life or MegaFood, because it will add the iron missing from those vitamins back into your child’s diet.

For Omega 3s: The only Omega 3 supplement I’d recommend for kids is Nordic Naturals. They have an infant DHA supplement and a children’s DHA supplement – both of which are extremely pure, has no added preservatives or sugar, and are in liquid form so they can be added to just about anything!

For Vitamin D: If you’re just looking for a Vitamin D supplement – e.g. in the winter, I love (and use) these Vitamin D Drops. There is literally nothing added to them (no flavors, colors, etc.). They are liquid and you only need one drop in your child’s milk per day. They’re marketed for infants, but you can use them for any age. Super easy, tasteless and pure. For another great option, UpSpring makes a pure vitamin D with only coconut oil added.

For Probiotics: I love Garden of Life’s line of probiotics – they are shipped cold and their powdered kids probiotic can be added to your child’s drink (milk, water, etc.). They also have a kids’ chewable probiotic if you need an option that doesn’t require refrigeration (but it does have maltodextrin).

Runner Ups:

Solgar. This is one I’d get only if you can’t find any of the other ones on the list above, because while most of the ingredients are good, it does have carrageenan which – as I mentioned – it’s better to avoid.

YummiBears Organic Multivitamin (note: this vitamin does have cane sugar added – if you give your kids the full dose then it’s 6g sugar which is more than I would like in a vitamin)

Seeking Health (Note: The link may say women’s/mens but the label indicates this can be used for kids aged 4 and up. It’s also good for kids with MTHFR mutations. But I am waiting for a response from the company on the prop 65 warning on its label, so I’ve moved them down here for now!)

I hope this helps you in navigating the world of kids’ vitamins!

Source: https://pickyeaterblog.com/the-healthiest-childrens-multivitamins-in-2017/

[centralparkpawsblog]

Taste of the Wild Dog Food Review

https://www.centralparkpaws.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/51EkXi9vOeL.jpg Our German Shepherd, Amber, began having some problems a while back.

Problems all over the house and yard.

Problems I had to clean up with bleach and lots of it.

And it didn’t stop there. Amber turned into the itchiest dog I’ve ever seen. Fur flying everywhere (yes, even more than usual).

Grinding my dog’s nails to the smoothest possible tips didn’t stop her from nearly scratching her skin raw. Everyone around her was afraid she had fleas. It was a nightmare.

It didn’t take a whole lot of that before I called and made us an appointment to go pay a little visit to our vet.

After checking everything out with her (a process that took quite a while), she suggested we try switching brands of dog food.

She suspected Amber was experiencing a food allergy and advised us to look for a new food that doesn’t include any kind of grain as an ingredient.

She recommended we look into brands like Taste of the Wild or Blue Buffalo. These brands have a grain-free list of ingredients.

Switching Our Dog Food Brand to Taste of the Wild

My husband took one look at the bag and said, “Wolves and buffalo? Seriously? What kind of bada** dog are you trying to feed? We’re talking about food for Amber here, right? It’s the same dog that pees herself a little whenever she hears thunder, for crying out loud!”

I reminded him that was the cheaper of the two brands that our vet recommended, and I love and trust our vet. Into the shopping cart it went.

Reasons to Switch Your Dog’s Food

Aside from trying to introduce a little variety into Spot’s life, there are a variety of reasons for making a change in your dog’s diet.

Age – As a pet ages, their dietary needs change.  Puppies need need more protein than a dog higher up in years does. Ailments like arthritis in dogs can cause them to require a different variety of vitamins and minerals than that of a younger pup.

Medical Conditions – This was the case for us. Things like allergies or illness can cause a need for a new type of dog food to arrise.

Weight – If your dog is over or underweight, a new dietary regime may be in order.

How to Safely Switch Your Dog’s Pet Food

Consumer Affair’s website rates Taste of the Wild Dry Dog Food four out of five stars.

I personally suspect that many of the one-star reviews I’ve seen can be attributed to the same reason. It looks like many of the owners didn’t switch their dog’s food over the right way. Check out the reviews for yourself and you’ll see what I mean.

Easing Into It

Changing dog food brands safely is a fairly simple and straight-forward process.

Things to Watch Out For

Sometimes even using a gradual method for changing dog food brands doesn’t work out. Symptoms to watch for when trading one kibble for another include:

Vomiting

Diarrhea

Constipation

Lack of appetite

Speak to your vet if your dog has any issues with any of these problems.

Ingredients

The quality of the ingredients is the main reason we chose this brand of dog food.  Taste of the Wild is not made with grains or other fillers, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

We’ve broken down some of the kibble’s main ingredients into three categories: Protiens and Meats, Fruits and Veggies, and Vitamins and Minerals.

Proteins and Meats

Buffalo

Lamb

Chicken

Egg

Bison

Venison

Beef

Fish

Fruits and Veggies

Sweet Potatoes

Peas

Potatoes

Dried Chicory Root

Tomatoes

Blueberries

Raspberries

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamin E

Iron

Zinc

Potassium

Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1)

Vitamin A 

Biotin

Niacin

Calcium 

Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6)

Vitamin B12 

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)

Vitamin D

Folic Acid

What We Liked

Better Poop – And that, after all, was our main goal.

Cleared Up Skin Condition – The allergic reaction that had Amber scratching to high heaven and sending even more of her long fur flying in the air is a thing of the past now.

Meets AAFCO Nutritional Levels – Taste of the Wild’s High Prairie recipe is up to AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Official) nutritional standards.

Quality Ingredients – They have made sure my dog is eating better than I am. No grains or other fillers, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

Made in the USA – And by a family owned company!

Protein – Real Buffalo is the first ingredient along with other great sources of protein such as bison, venison, and beef.

What We Didn’t Like

Food Stinks – If you think it stinks, don’t put your face in it. My dog could not be more thrilled to shove her snout deep into the bowl. The aroma isn’t supposed to entice us. We aren’t the intended audience.

Bad Breath – But when do they NOT have bad breath?

Price – It’s certainly not the cheapest food on the market. But for the type of special ingredients this dog food boasts, I’d have to say it’s definitely more than fair. It is also better priced than others on the market that fall into the same category. The relief it provided Amber (and me!) was more than worth it.

Nutrition Info and Feeding Guide

Crunch time…

I know, I know. I’m super hilarious.

It was tough to watch Amber going through the reactions, and it was no picnic cleaning up the results either. Several weeks into the new diet and there was quite a turnaround.

Grain-free dog food was the solution for us. There are several good brands on the market, but in the contest of Taste of the Wild versus Blue Buffalo, my conclusion is definitely TOW for the win.

Taste of the Wild’s bison dog food is of comparable quality but at a more reasonable price. Winner, winner, bison dinner.

Check Price

Read Reviews

Alternatives

A few years ago, I made a friend at a dog park near my house who also has a german shepherd.

A while back she messaged me and mentioned that her Bambo (don’t ask) was having some of the same problems as my Shepherd. It was very similar to our story. Same fix, too.

Not sure if it is a common ailment in German Shepherds or if bad luck is just something else we have in common.

The only difference major difference in our stories is she went with the Blue Buffalo brand. It solved the issues Bambo had with his gluten intolerance but she’s paying more for that than I do for the Taste of the Wild.

Not that it’s a contest, but I totally win.

The post Taste of the Wild Dog Food Review appeared first on Central Park Paws.

from https://www.centralparkpaws.net/dog-food/taste-of-the-wild-dog-food-review/

[followtheruels-blog]

Over the years I have had friends tell me that my sugar cookies remind them of the Lofthouse cookies that we all know and love. The main difference is that the cookies that I make when I decorate cookies are not quite as soft and pillowy (otherwise, they wouldn’t be good for decorating). 

Since I hear that so often, I have long thought that I need to try my hand at making my own super soft sugar cookies, just like Lofthouse. There are lots of copycat recipes online, but none of them felt quite right.

First of all, a lot of them contain sour cream, heavy cream, shortening, etc. All things I do not normally associate with sugar cookies. 

Second, the ingredients are right on the package! So we know exactly what goes into making those super soft sugar cookies!

Let’s take a look, shall we?

(I feel a little bit like Alton Brown, right now, so forgive me a while I nerd out…or just skip ahead.)

Ingredients

A quick Google search of “Lofthouse Cookie Ingredients” will direct you to Walmart’s website where they list the very ingredients for the cookies we are trying to mimic. 

Ingredients: Sugar, Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Margarine (Palm Oil, Water, Soybean Oil, Salt, Mono- & Diglycerides, Annatto Extract Color, Calcium Disodium Edta [Preservative], Artificial Flavor, Vitamin A Palmitate), Eggs, Corn Starch, Contains 2% Or Less of: Water, Vegetable Oil (Palm Kernel Oil And/Or Palm Oil And/Or Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil [Cottonseed And/Or Soybean Oil]), Dextrin, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Natural & Artificial Flavors, Skim Milk, Confectioner’s Glaze (Lac Resin), Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Colors (Carmine (Color), Red 3, Red 40, Blue 1, Blue 1 Lake, Blue 2, Blue2 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 6 Lake), Carnauba Wax, Food Starch-Modified, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Propionate (Preservative). Contains Egg, Milk, Soy, Wheat. Manufactured In A Facility That Processes: Peanuts, Tree Nuts.

Ok, some of the ingredients look like things you would find in your high school chemistry textbook, but actually most of it is stuff you would probably already have at home. 

Sugar – well, that’s an easy one. Sort of….is it granulated sugar, caster sugar, or confectioners sugar? I am going to guess since it’s listed first (and ingredients are always listed in descending order by weight) that it is both granulated (for the cookie) and confectioners sugar (for the icing).

Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid) – This is actually cake flour. The cake flour helps make these cookies extra soft and light!

Margarine (Palm Oil, Water, Soybean Oil, Salt, Mono- & Diglycerides, Annatto Extract Color, Calcium Disodium Edta [Preser vative], Artificial Flavor, Vitamin A Palmitate) – Another easy one. I bet margarine is both used in the cookie and the frosting. However, I also bet that it is used instead of butter because it’s cheaper and more shelf stable. Butter will actually yield a more tender cookie, which is exactly what we are trying to achieve.

Eggs – Totally self-explanatory

Corn Starch – Another deceiving ingredient. Is it for the cookie or the icing? Since confectioners sugar is a mix of very fine sugar mixed with cornstarch, I am going to guess this is part of the confectioner’s sugar that goes in the frosting. 

Water – This one is tricky. I know I add a bit of water to buttercream to help loosen it a bit, so maybe that’s what it’s for. 

Vegetable Oil (Palm Kernel Oil And/Or Palm Oil And/Or Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil [Cottonseed And/Or Soybean Oil]) – This is another tricky one. Oil is sometimes added to cookies to make them a bit more tender. And since these cookies are definitely tender, I’ll bet it’s added to the cookie dough for that very reason.

Dextrin – This is a thickening agent that is probably used for the icing so that it stays on the cookie and doesn’t melt or slide off.

Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier) – If you read your labels carefully, you will realize that this ish is in everything! As you can tell by the parenthetical it is used as an emulsifier so that the water and fats stay together and don’t separate. Probably for the icing.

Natural & Artificial Flavors – While they don’t explicitly say what flavors (gotta keep some secrets), it’s almost certainly vanilla and maybe almond extract.

Skim Milk – The use of skim milk surprises me since I find that whole milk is certainly better for baking. But I am not exactly sure where it fits in. I’ll bet that it’s in the dough as another way to keep the cookies moist. If it were added to the frosting, it wouldn’t be shelf stable. 

Confectioner’s Glaze (Lac Resin) – This is a baking wax that helps certain ingredients set, like butter, margarine, or chocolate. I’ll bet this is used to help keep the frosting shelf stable.

Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Sulfate, Monocalcium Phosphate) – We all know what baking soda is, but what about those other two items? Guess what, that’s baking powder! Sodium Aluminum Sulfate and Monocalcium Phosphate are the compounds that make baking powder. And we know, specifically, a baking powder that contains aluminum. 

And that’s about where I am going to stop because the rest of the ingredients are just the colors to help the cookies look a certain way. 

But holy cow, that is a lot of ingredients for a simple cookie, right?

And you know what I didn’t see on that list? Sour cream, heavy cream, or shortening. Actually, most of the ingredients look like the very same ingredients in my favorite sugar cookie recipe. Shocking! 

(Note the sarcasm). 

How to Make Them

Okay, now that we know what ingredients go into the cookies we can figure out how to actually make them!

Lucky for you, I’ve already done that part.  

You’re welcome.

First, cream together the butter (or margarine) and sugar making sure to get the butter super light and fluffy because the air bubbles will help to keep the cookies pillowy soft. 

Next add in the oil, milk, and egg. The oil and milk add a bit more fat and moisture to the cookies so they don’t dry out as much. 

Then add in the vanilla and almond extracts for flavor. 

The last step is to mix in the flour. I strongly encourage you to use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour because it does make a huge difference. 

Regular all-purpose flour has a higher protein content than cake flour which means that it can become a bit tougher and crunchy. That’s perfectly fine for any other cookie, but not these. You want them to be super soft! So go with the cake flour!

(If you don’t want to go out and buy cake flour, here is how you can make your own substitute)

For even more airiness, sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder into the bowl then mix everything together until just incorporated. 

The best part about these cookies is that they require no rolling out or cutting. Just scoop out balls of dough, roll them between the palms of your hands, then press them down to flatten ever so slightly.

Bake the cookies at 325 for about 12 minutes, until they are just barely starting to brown around the edges. 

Now, resist the urge to scarf down a cookie immediately out of the oven. Actually, while they are warm, you may think they are TOO soft! They will just fall right apart. But once they cool, they will be perfectly soft and pillowy in the center, with a slight crunch around the outside. 

While you wait for them to cool, you can make your frosting. 

How to Make the Frosting

The Lofthouse cookie frosting is obviously made with lots of stabilizers and preservatives, as we can see in the list above. That is needed for those cookies since they sit on the shelf for God knows how long before we actually buy them and eat them.

Since I certainly don’t bake with dextrin and soy lecithin, and I assume you don’t either, we are just going to make a classic American buttercream to add to the top of our cookies. 

To make the frosting, beat together soft butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a bit of water until super creamy and fluffy. 

If it’s too dry or crumbly, add a bit more water.

If you want to add some color to your frosting, add a couple drops and mix in. 

Then spread the frosting over top of the cooled cookies and decorate however you like!

I like to top off my frosted sugar cookies with some sprinkles because that’s how you would find them in the store.

Now they are especially fun and festive. 

But more importantly, they are super soft, sweet, and delicious! Just like the Lofthouse cookies, I would find at the store.

Somehow, these taste even better because of that one secret ingredient…

…love.

Too cheesy?

I know, I rolled my eyes at myself.

The real secret ingredient, in my opinion, is the lack of additives and preservatives. There is just something about a cookie you know isn’t going to last for weeks that just tastes so wonderful! [show_shopthepost_widget id=”3057058″]

[yumprint-recipe id=’166′]

Super Soft Sugar Cookies (Lofthouse Style) Over the years I have had friends tell me that my sugar cookies remind them of the Lofthouse cookies that we all know and love.

[melissawsr]

The Problems with Nutrition Science

I know you might feel a bit hopeless after the last blog where I explored why we are all so confused about what to eat.

The bottom line: we are confused because we hear conflicting scientific reports, our government funds bad food and gives us corrupt advice, and the food industry benefits from keeping us confused.

I know this seems super depressing and we can be left feeling like what’s the point—I give up and I am just going to eat whatever I want because no one can agree on anything.

But don’t give in to that. That is EXACTLY what the food industry wants you to feel.

The good news is that the truth about nutrition, the basic guiding principles of how and what to eat to promote health, weight loss and longevity—AND to prevent, treat, and reverse most chronic disease is pretty simple.

I have read thousands of papers on nutrition and tried and recommended various ways of eating with tens of thousands of patients over 20 years. And I’ve seen the effects of food on weight, health, diabetes, gut issues, autoimmune disease, and lots more.

I have read between the lines, not just the headlines in the media, which are wrong about half the time, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.

That’s why I wrote Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?—to help you become empowered and intelligent about food, and to finally be able to answer the question, what the heck should I eat?

There is one more thing I want to cover about why we are so confused: the study of nutrition.

Nutrition science is a very tough field to study. The best study would be to take 10,000 people, randomize them, put them in a controlled environment, provide the food, feed them different diets, and follow them for 10 to 30 years.

That ain’t happening so we have to rely on basic science, smaller, shorter term studies, or population studies, which can’t prove cause and effect.

For example, when you look at meat studies, they seem to show that people who eat meat are sicker and at a greater risk of heart attacks and cancer. But those studies are done by asking people to fill out a food frequency questionnaire every year—what they ate yesterday or last week. Good luck if you can remember. I cover all of this in my book Food, What the Heck Should I Eat?

There’s another problem that makes it hard to interpret the population studies—it’s called the healthy user effect.

During the time of the studies on meat, the prevailing wisdom was that meat was bad for your health. The people who didn’t eat meat were typically more health conscious—they exercised, didn’t smoke, ate lots of fruits and veggies, and stayed away from sugar and processed food.

And people who ate meat didn’t really care much about their health, smoked more, ate 800 calories more a day, weighed more, ate less fruits and veggies, more processed food, and didn’t exercise.

Is it any surprise that they were sicker than the non-meat eaters? Not really!

In my book, I give you the take home, take it to the bank (or take it to the fridge) lessons I have learned the hard way. I wrote the book to help you to become empowered and intelligent about food.

To finally be able to answer the question, what the heck should I eat?

If our government policies, the food industry, the challenges of nutrition science, and the media make us confused and misinformed, how do we get to the truth about food and how do we answer the question nagging all of us:

What should I eat?

Is there a way of eating that will help us feel better, lose weight, have more energy, prevent and treat and even reverse most chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia, autoimmune disease, and more?

This is a high stakes question—it’s not like picking out your bathroom tile. I have come to the conclusion that the answer is pretty simple.

It is based on a few key principles that almost everyone can agree on. I jokingly call it the Pegan Diet—poking fun at the extremes of Paleo and Vegan.

Both camps claim that if you eat what they recommend you will be healthy, thin, and live forever. And if you eat what the opposing camp recommends you will get fat, sick, and die early.

Clearly, they can’t both be right.

Surprisingly, there is a lot in common between the two extreme ways of eating. If we focus on what’s in common, then we can at least set some ground rules and agree on basic principles.

But before we get into WHAT to eat and the controversies about food, I want to ask you a simple question.

What is food?

Check out this label. Can you guess what it is?

Ingredients: Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour [Flour, Reduced Iron, B Vitamins (Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid)], Corn Syrup, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable and/or Animal Shortening (Soybean, Cottonseed and/or Canola Oil, Beef Fat), Whole Eggs, Dextrose. Contains 2% or Less of: Modified Corn Starch, Glucose, Leavenings (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate), Sweet Dairy Whey, Soy Protein Isolate, Calcium and Sodium Caseinate, Salt, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 60, Soy Lecithin, Soy Flour, Cornstarch, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sorbic Acid (to Retain Freshness), Yellow 5, Red 40.

It’s a Twinkie.

Is it food? No. It is a food-like substance with 37 different ingredients, most of which are not food, like calcium sulfate, which is plaster.

What about an avocado?

It’s just an avocado. It doesn’t come in a box, package, or can, and it doesn’t have an ingredient list or a nutrition facts label. It is just an avocado. The avocado is not a man-made processed, colored, extrusion of refined oils, sugars flours, and a host of chemicals.

These are distinctions even a five-year-old can make. Why is so hard for us to figure out? The sad thing is we feed our kids things we would NEVER feed our dog. French fries and soda for your puppy anyone?

Why Food Quality Matters More Than Quantity

We have ALSO been taught that all calories are the same. It’s what our government tells us, what nutritionists and doctors tell us. It’s what the food industry tells us.

All calories are the same—it’s all about moderation.

Nonsense.

The science shows that food is not just energy or calories but information that regulates almost every function of our body.

In a lab, all calories are the same when you burn them. But not when you EAT them. Your body is a complicated biochemical, hormonal soup controlled mostly by what you eat.

Our gene expression, our hormones, our immune system, our gut flora, our brain chemistry, our muscle mass, our metabolism, and more are all changed with EVERY single bite of food.

Food is the code that programs your biology. You can literally upgrade or downgrade your biological software with every single bite.

It turns out the QUALITY of our food matters more the QUANTITY of the food we eat. And it’s a lot easier to control WHAT we eat than HOW MUCH we eat.

The QUALITY of the proteins, fats, and carbs is super important.

Sure, you are getting protein, fat, and carbs if you eat factory-farmed feedlot hamburger full of hormones, antibiotics, along with fries and a soda. But is that the same as eating grass-fed beef, olive oil, and broccoli? Those are also protein, fat and carbs.

Of course not!

If you live on soda and donuts, it will send a very different set of instructions to your body than if you eat real, whole foods and lots of fruits and veggies.

Another simple principle is to ask yourself the question: is this man-made or nature-made? It doesn’t take a nutrition PhD to figure that out.

Is a pop tart nature-made or man-made?

Here’s my rule: If nature made it, eat it, if man made it, leave it.

Before you stick something in your mouth ask yourself:

Is this food? Or is this a food-like substance?

You should NOT eat foods containing ingredients you wouldn’t find in your cupboard.

Anyone have Polysorbate 60, or Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate or Yellow dye 5 and Red dye 40 hanging around in your house? How about butylated hydroxytoluene? Yum!

Didn’t think so.

Every day we find out more about the toxicity of these additives, yet they stay in our food.

There are 3000 food additives on the market. The average American eats 5 pounds of additives a year.

It Matters How Our Food is Grown and Raised

Whether you are vegan, paleo, or just believe in eating healthy, we can all agree we should be eating whole foods, that we should avoid processed foods, sugars, refined oils, food additives or foods laden with antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides.

We can also agree that we should be eating foods that don’t destroy the environment by depleting the soil, draining our aquifers and water reserves, or poisoning our waterways with fertilizers and pesticides.

And that we shouldn’t be eating factory farmed animals because it is one of the biggest contributors to climate change. In fact, our current food system is the number one contributor to climate change.

Not to mention the horrors of animal abuse and the overuse of antibiotics that leads to the development of superbugs killing humans because no antibiotics work.

We also need to ask ourselves—Do our food choices pass the sniff test? In other words, do our food choices make common sense?

Should we really be eating 5 pounds of food additives a year?

Or 133 pounds of refined flour and 152 pounds of sugar a year per person? These are pharmacologic doses of proven addictive substances we never ate 200 years ago.

Should we consume 10 percent of our calories from refined GMO soybean oil—something that didn’t even exist 150 years ago?

Should we really be feeding our kids sugary cereal full of dyes that turns the milk funny colors?

You don’t need an advanced science degree to understand that our bodies did not evolve on this stuff.

Or know that the scourge of chronic disease, which now affects one out of every two Americans could be related to the radical change in our diet in the last 100 years from whole real unprocessed food to our current toxic diet.

And the products of our industrial food system don’t just make us fat and sick. It also damages our brains and robs us of our ability to live full and happy lives.

Kids who go to school with chips and soda for breakfast can’t focus, concentrate, or learn. This creates an achievement gap, which is one of the reasons why the US is 38th in math and 24th in reading in the world.

Those kids end up not going to college and having lower paying jobs and struggling their whole lives.

So, what am I saying?

By eating the right food, we can not only get healthy, lose weight, and live longer but we can reverse climate change, save our scarcest resource—water, and end desertification.

We can reduce poverty and violence, make kids smarter and more successful, and even save our government and economy by reversing the economic burden of chronic disease.

That’s right—it is because food is the nexus where everything comes together.

So then what ARE the basic principles of eating well?

We should not eat processed industrial food and we should eat real whole food that doesn’t harm us, the planet, or the economy.

In my new book Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? I delve into all the categories of real food, because there still is so much confusion about it.

Anyone switching from the typical American diet where 56% of our calories come from processed foods, where the average American consumes 44 gallons of soda a year to a diet of real food—whether it is vegan or Paleo or anything in between—WILL get healthier.

But that begs the question, “What is the best diet for us humans?”

Keep in mind that we are all genetically unique and need to find a way of eating that matches our needs.

But at the end of the day, your body is the smartest doctor in the room—it will tell you what works and what doesn’t—by what happens to your weight and how you feel.

Now even though we’re all unique, there are still some basic guidelines we can follow to achieve our best health.

In my book out February 27, 2018, Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? you will learn exactly what to eat, how to shop and cook, and have all the tools you need to live a long and healthy life.

I uncover the truth about the food we actually eat—what is healthy and not in each group of foods we eat—meat, poultry and eggs, dairy, beans, grains, veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds, beverages, and more and guide to you to a science-based, sensible way of eating for life that keeps you, our planet, and our society healthy. I also address the environmental and social impact of the food we eat.

If you have ever woken up wondering the heck you should eat, this book is for you. Check out the trailer and pre-order at Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, or get it at your local bookstore.

Wishing you health and happiness,

Mark Hyman, MD

[Read More ...] http://drhyman.com/blog/2018/02/01/problems-nutrition-science/

[easyweight101]

Arginmax For Women Review (UPDATED 2017): Don’t Buy Before You Read This!

Arginmax for Women is a female libido supplement intended to provide 4 phases of benefits for overall arousal enhancement. The natural formula is meant to first improve nitric oxide via 2 levels, and then boost circulation, which then leads to more arousal.

This is made possible via the 3 vitamins and minerals, as well as herbs that are intended to support reproductive health and overall sexual function. The calcium and iron in partially is used to help women better deal with low energy levels. Clinical studies are even cited to help show what this can do when regimented.

Our experts pick as the best natural female libido enhancing supplement is Libitrinex. There are glowing testimonials from users who had notable changes in their sexual drive, mood, and energy. To further understand what is inside Libitrinex and to see what it can do click here.

Do You Know the Best Female Libido Enhancers of 2017 ?

ARGINMAX FOR WOMEN INGREDIENTS AND SIDE EFFECTS

The full ingredients include:

Retinyl Palmitate Ascorbic Acid D-alpha-tocopheryl Succinate Thiamin Mononitrate Riboflavin Niacinamide Pyridoxine Hydrochloride Folic Acid Cyanocobalamin Biotin Calcium d-pantothenate Calcium Carbonate Ferrous Gluconate Ferrous Gluconate Zinc Gluconate L-Arginine Korean Ginseng Root Extract Ginkgo Biloba Damiana Leaf

D-alpha-tocopheryl Succinate: A version of vitamin E which is specially formulated. This has antioxidant properties and can help protect against oxidative damage.

Read more on what made our list for the top ranking female libido supplements.

Calcium d-pantothenate: Vitamin B5 that is found in almost all foods. This is important for the sending of signals in the body and for the activation of enzymes. This specific version of its known as panthenol is considered more stable and easier to absorb.

It’s actually quite rare to have a deficiency in this because of its appearance in virtually all food.

Calcium Carbonate: This provides the mineral calcium and it can be found in things such as snails, eggs, and rocks. It can have antacid benefits but when overused it has a possibility for side effects. Certain symptoms may require medical attention such as:

Wheezing, coughing, and swelling.

L-Arginine: An amino acid that is abundant in protein rich foods. It has been used for its ability to produce nitric oxide, which can help improve blood flow in the body and therefore make it easier to stay stimulate during sexual activity.

Korean Ginseng Root Extract: Used for overall wellness benefits this herbal ingredient also has been used to prevent low libido.  This has also been used to help reduce stress levels and to support energy levels.

Ginkgo Biloba: Taken from a historically used tree, it has been supplemented for multiple purposes. This is often added to libido enhancing supplements in order to prevent low energy, and to increase circulation for improved arousal.

Damiana Leaf: The chemicals in this plant are used to help stimulate the nervous system and brain. This is sued to treat mood issues and sexual disorders, particular by effecting physical stamina. It is even used as an aphrodisiac.

When consumed there is a risk for some side effects noted by Web MD as being:

“Convulsions and other symptoms”

Strychnine poisoning has also been a potential side effect from this which can be very dangerous. This side effect would require strict medical attention.

We’ve researched many female libido supplements and linked here is our top picks for the top 10 of the year.

ARGINMAX FOR WOMEN QUALITY OF INGREDIENTS

Most of what is added here can be beneficial, but it’s unknown why they have added so little of it and made it necessary to use 6 capsules a day. Furthermore the formula is quite basic and seen in many other brands. The main proprietary formula is standard to many generic female libido supplements and while potential effective, it’s not unique.

It then makes it impotent see if it is actually better than similar other supplements, and judging from the heavy supplementation needed and the price it’s not superior to similar brands.

It’s good that they only use natural ingredients and those they do not add any preservatives or flavors however.

Determine what top quality female libido supplements are best for your needs; our experts have made a top 10 list.

EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this supplement with a proven female libido enhancer such as Libitrinex for better results.

THE PRICE AND QUALITY OF ARGINMAX FOR WOMEN

A monthly long supply of 180 count capsule sells for $115 from the official website. This is exceptionally costly in comparison to many other brands which have almost the exact same formula. While there are some additives in this which can support libido, much of it is vitamins and minerals which are easily replaced elsewhere.

This leaves their proprietary blend with ginseng, damiana, ginkgo, and L-Arginine. Most of this can help support blood flow and overall arousal and wellness, but altogether this is still far too costly. Damian in particular has a possibility for some serous poisoning side effects which should be looked out for.

The price is far too much for this formula and it’s not justified by any of the ingredients. There is no reason why it should be this high of a cost, and in particular why it should take so many capsules to supplement with.

There are many options for female libido enhancement and to simplify the search for the best ones, our experts have crafted a top 10 list here.

BUSINESS OF ARGINMAX FOR WOMEN

They go by the name of the Daily Wellness Company and their contact information is:

Phone Number: (800) 988-4869

Address: 1750 Kalakaua Avenue Suite 2601

Honolulu, HI 96826

Email: dwcservice@dailywellness.com

They do offer a 60 day money back guarantee but they fail to mention the specifics of this policy, and whether or not one can actually open and use the bottles. They did perform some clinical studies as well on Arginmax For Women. One study had 55 women try t, with another 53 using a placebo. This study was held for a 4 week period and while there was an improvement, its unclear this study can be trusted as it was funded by the company.

It’s also important to be able to determine whether or not the test subjects had any deficiency in the added vitamins and minerals, which could be a major reason why they experienced sudden improvements in their sex lives. Many factors come into play when looking at clinical studies and the ones provided are lacking sufficient details to determine under what circumstances they were operated under.

It’s also very fault to try and get any information about the company as they do not have much on their background on any other website. It does appear that they have not had any issues with recalls or any lawsuits though,

Examine the end of the year top 10 list for female libido supplements which our review experts determined were the best.

CUSTOMER OPINIONS OF ARGINMAX FOR WOMEN

Featured are some select user opinions which were found online:

“I think the 6 capsules is asking for a lot but it does work when you use it in full”

“Took the full dosage strength and I read the reviews but it just didn’t work. No changes at all in my sex life though my energy was improved I think.”

“Not cheap and for what t can do it’s not worth it”

“Stated off with some headaches and stomach cramps which made it unusable”

Their Amazon.com page has a majority of complaints from users who said they didn’t like the fact that they had to use so many pills. Some did see an improvement in energy and libido, though there were others who said it only improved energy but did not enhance their sex.

Price was a repeat issue as some customers felt it was not worth it for the effects experienced.

The top 10 female libido supplements can help support many determining factors which can improve the quality of sex you can have.

CONCLUSION – DOES ARGINMAX FOR WOMEN WORK?

Much of this formula is vitamins and minerals which can be healthy, but you do have to supplement with a lot of capsules to get the full effects. There are also more unique ingredients such as hers and an amino acid which also can be useful, but at this price it’s too basic to consider it better than standard libido supplement. Some customers were also unimpressed and felt that for the price paid it should deliver a lot more benefits. There were issues with supplementation as another repeat complaint is that you had to take far too many capsules.

We’ve determined that the very best female libido supplement of the year is the natural Libitrinex. It was rated favorably due to its ability to deliver a wide array of benefits including supporting mood, energy, libido, and sexual satisfaction. Users have also left opinions stating that it made their sex drive noticeably more satisfying.

There are only natural ingredients added which have been looked at by 3rd party clinical studies. Read more on the benefits, the formula, and examine reviews from the official Libitrinex website linked here.

from Easy Weight Loss 101 http://ift.tt/2hgGSzY via The Best Weight Loss Diet In The World

[fitnesstwister-blog]

New Post has been published on http://www.fitnesstwist.org/top-ten-multivitamins-for-women/

Top Ten Multivitamins for Women

McDonald’s started as a sturdy hamburger joint back in 1948, however the world-famous fast-food chain has actually been supplying an additional high-protein meat – poultry – given that the specifically built McNugget made its launching in 1983.

Probably currently as renowned as the Big Mac or Quarter Pounder, these little deep-fried portions appear safe externally. And also for many years, McDonald’s has actually included dipping sauces that make these bite-sized little bits interesting the preference of nearly any person – grownups and also youngsters alike.

Breast meat from fowl has much less hydrogenated fat compared to red meat. While that may seem a healthy and balanced benefit, the various other active ingredients McDonald’s includes make its dietary worth doubtful. If you’re not also squeamish or as well hen to listen to all the information, continue reading to obtain some nuggets of fact regarding these little gold deals with.

So while McNuggets are “made with 100-percent USDA Grade-A hen,” as McDonalds.com states, there’s no chance of recognizing just what percent of the entire nugget is in fact poultry.

Christopher Ochner, Ph.D.

. THE SUSPECT: McDonald’s McNuggets (6-piece offering dimension, 3.4 oz)

THE DETECTIVE: Christopher Ochner, Ph.D., a study affiliate at New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center. Ochner is extremely knowledgeable about McDonald’s food selection. A couple of years earlier, he performed his very own “Super Size Me”-kind diet regimen experiment: Every day for 2 months he consumed one dish at the convenience food dining establishment as component of a research study.

NOURISHMENT LABEL:

Without sauce: 280 calories, 18 grams fat, 18 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams healthy protein, 0 grams sugar, 540 milligrams salt, 1 gram nutritional fiber.

With bar-b-que sauce: 330 calories, 18 grams fat, 29 grams carbohydrates, 13 grams healthy protein, 10 grams sugar, 800 milligrams salt, 1 gram nutritional fiber.

NOTED INGREDIENTS:

Chicken McNuggets: White Boneless Chicken, Water, Food Starch-Modified, Salt, Seasoning (Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Salt, Wheat Starch, Natural Flavoring [Herb Source], Safflower Oil, Dextrose, Citric Acid), Sodium Phosphates, Natural Flavor (Botanical Source). Damaged and also Breaded with: Water, Enriched Flour (Bleached Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Yellow Corn Flour, Bleached Wheat Flour, Food Starch-Modified, Salt, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate, Calcium Lactate), Spices, Wheat Starch, Dextrose, Corn Starch. Has: Wheat.

* Prepared in grease (Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil with TBHQ and also Citric Acid included in maintain quality). Dimethylpolysiloxane included as an antifoaming representative. Prepared in grease (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ as well as citric acid contributed to maintain quality). Dimethylpolysiloxane included as an antifoaming representative.

Tangy Barbeque Sauce: High-fructose corn syrup, water, tomato paste, grape vinegar, distilled vinegar, salt, soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt), food starch-modified, seasonings, dextrose, soybean oil, all-natural smoke taste (plant resource), xanthan gum tissue, sugar shade, garlic powder, cellulose gum tissue, dried out chili peppers, malic acid, all-natural taste (vegetables and fruit resource), onion powder, salt benzoate (chemical), succinic acid. Irritants: Wheat as well as Soy.

Just how much Actual Chicken Is in McDonald’s McNuggets?

It’s constantly great to see the real food noted as the initial active ingredient– white boneless hen.” The very first product on the nourishment tag implies the food has even more of that a person thing compared to other solitary active ingredient,”claimed Ochner. So while McNuggets are” made with 100 percent USDA Grade A poultry, “as McDonalds.com states (note it claims” made with”not”constructed from, “Ochner mentioned ), there’s no other way of understanding exactly what percent of the entire nugget is really poultry.

“White boneless poultry is practically a pure healthy protein, flaunting an amazing 0.2 healthy protein (grams): kcal proportion with much less compared to 20 percent fat,” clarified Ochner. “McNuggets, on the various other hand, have a really average 0.046 healthy protein: kcal proportion with 57 percent of kcal from fat. This appears to recommend that the various other active ingredients, besides hen, are the main vehicle driver of the macro-nutrient account,” he claimed.

With over 30 components detailed, it’s simple to see exactly how poultry might in fact play a bit part in this meal. It might likewise discuss why the poultry appeared to vanish in a worrying YouTube time-lapse video clip shot in March 2013 (see web link listed below in the “Resources” area of this post), revealing McNuggets left at area temperature level over a two-day duration.

When Ochner did this experiment himself (he left them in the refrigerator for 10 days), the supposed poultry in the McNuggets items continued to be undamaged. This troubling enigma continues to be unresolved.

Did You Know That McNuggets Are 57 Percent Fat?Holy cow, emergency room, poultry: McNuggets are 57 percent fat!

One huge fat factor might be hydrogenated soybean oil, which is filled with trans fats. “I do not believe there is a lots of it in there due to the fact that the hydrogenated fat is fairly reduced,” Ocher claimed. “However, a few of it is probably still partly hydrogenated, which additionally aids with conservation.”

Exactly what the Heck Is TBHQ (Tertiary Butylhydroquinone) as well as Why Is It In McNuggets?

You could acknowledge this hard-to-pronounce active ingredient (for this reason the phrase )from our” What’s Really Inside those McDonald’s French Fries”exposé(see web link listed below in the”Resources”area ). This effective petroleum-based chemical(which is likewise discovered in varnishes, lacquers, chemical items, cosmetics, and also fragrances) could be utilized to assist the hen and also various other components keep their distinctive forms.

Consumed in high dosages – and also it’s tough to establish specifically just how much is contributed to McNuggets – this chemical could be hazardous.

Feasible adverse effects consist of nausea or vomiting, ecstasy, collapse, ringing in the ears (buzzing in the ears) and also throwing up. Some researches have actually connected it to attention deficit disorder in children, bronchial asthma, rhinitis, dermatitis, intensified ADHD signs and symptoms and also uneasyness.

Moreover, pet researches have actually reported that it might create DNA damages. This placing clinical proof sufficed that McDonald’s totally eliminated this bad-news component from the variation of their McNuggets offered in the United Kingdom.

Oh America, can we please take a sign from the British on this set when it come to worry for our people’ wellness?

The British Won’t Stand for Dimethylpolysiloxane, But Americans Eat It in Their McNuggets

Right here’s an additional active ingredient the British will not mean in their McNuggets: Dimethylpolysiloxane. However Americans are still consuming it.

This silicone-based anti-foaming representative has actually been eliminated from the United Kingdom’s McNugget component listing – and also with excellent factor.

While McDonalds.com confesses that “a decrease of an additive in grease is contributed to just stop frothing externally that normally takes place in food preparation,” exactly what it isn’t really informing you is that this exact same chemical is located in foolish putty, call lenses, clinical gadgets, hair shampoos, lubing oils, heat-resistant ceramic tiles and also breast enhancement.

“No researches have actually recommended any type of hazardous impacts,” Ochner claimed, “yet it’s absolutely gross to think of.”

Autolyzed Yeast Extract, a.k.a. MSG in Your McNuggets

This sly component-Autolyzed Yeast Extract in the McNuggets ‘flavoring-consists of monosodium glutamate (likewise referred to as MSG) which permits McDonald’s to develop the impression that you’re obtaining extra healthy protein with each bite compared to you really are.

This economical, flavor-enhancing filler is FDA-approved (although roughly 15 percent of Americans have MSG level of sensitivity and also deal with frustrations, queasiness, and also heart palpitations when they eat it).

That stated, also if you’re not one of individuals impacted with MSG level of sensitivity, consisting of MSG in the McNuggets dish is still a sneaky means of dishonesty you the customer from genuine poultry (seriously, just how much chicken remains in those points ?!), reducing edges on prices and also staying clear of detailing words “MSG” on the tag.

Those McNuggets Contain Sodium Aluminum Phosphate Too

Keyword below is “light weight aluminum.” You recognize, the silvery metal you utilize to line your stove shelf prior to cooking or toasting?

Ochner described that this active ingredient is artificially created from light weight aluminum in addition to phosphoric acid as well as salt hydroxide.

While this audios extremely unsavory, its feature isn’t really to lure you however instead to function as a raising representative that’s typically made use of in flour blends, like the breaded component of the McNugget.

In regards to its security, the FDA enables a day-to-day light weight aluminum consumption that varies from 10 to 100 mg, so as lengthy as McDonald’s remains within that array, it’s within the lawfully appropriate restriction.

The Final Verdict on McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets

McNuggets are McNasty.

THE SENTENCE: Though they’re allegedly made from good-for-you lean breast meat hen, McDonald’s McNuggets are much from healthy and balanced as well as healthy. So, if your alternatives are about choosing whether to nibble a McNugget or otherwise, your best option is to fly the cage (much like the going away white things because now-you-see-me-now-you-don’t YouTube video clip you could enjoy by complying with the web link listed below in the “Resources” area listed below).

[justanalto]

I was tagged by the lovely @besidemethewholedamntime for some writing tags!

Name: Serena, or Re :)

Fandoms: AoS mostly,  but if you see some Star Trek: Discovery coming down the line, it’s because I’ve been kidnapped as of late. 

Where do you post: Just Ao3 for now! It used to be on fanfiction.net, though. 

Most popular one-shot: By kudos, I think it’s thiamin mononitrate and monosodium glutamate, which, given that I wrote it during season 7, makes sense :) 

Most popular multi-chapter: It’s always going to be May's Golden Dragon, LOL!

Personal Favourite: this one’s hard, so I’m going to take the hard way ‘round and do them by year ;) 2019 was probably wheel of fortune (but much better than tv), 2020 was probably beautiful stranger, there you are, and we’ll see what 2021 holds! :)

Work I am nervous about posting: I’m usually nervous about one of two things: posting something that’s really emotional, or something that’s out of my comfort zone. Currently, that’s the Disco fic I’m on (untitled boots fic in my wips) because it’s going to be right out of my comfort zone :0 

Method for titling fics: I use song lyrics whenever possible, but if something is especially eloquent, I don’t shy away from using it!

Outlining or wing it: I’m somewhere in a balance between these two? For longer fics, I’ll outline it (I have an outline for May’s), but most of the time I’ll just wing it. 

Excited about any upcoming works: Yes! I am very thrilled to stop being threatened by @aleksandrachaev for the untitled boots fic. It’s been a long time, and I know not of a life without threats.

AO3 stats: uh...I have a total of 94 works, 433,347 words, I have 236 bookmarks, and my inbox is currently sitting at 32, RIP. gotta go clean that out. 

tagging: the above, @the-9muses, @missinglittlebritishfriend, @daisylincs, @maos2013, @apathbacktoyou, @libbyweasley, @cassandracainns, @maybebrilliant, @sad-tunes, @nazezdha321, @browneyedgenius, and anyone else that wants to do it! my brain has shorted, sorry

[getoutoftheweeds-blog]

Reading Labels - A Basic Skill to Give Yourself a Nutritional Edge

I don't know if you saw this in the news recently, but you should know about it.  Ben & Jerry's "Natural" Ice Cream has been found to have measurable amounts of Glyphosate in it.  That is to say, their sweet concoctions have measurable amounts of a plant poison that is linked to many human diseases.  While this is just now making the headlines, there has been a clue about this on the back of those tubs for a long time.  This is why reading labels is so important.

The glyphosate most likely came from the genetically modified feed given to the dairy cows.  This poison often gets stored in fat.  What is cream?  Basically, pure milk fat.  Since a dairy cow's job is to make rich, luscious milk, the poison gets passed along.  That very same milk and cream is used to make conventional dairy products, including Ben & Jerry's beloved ice cream.  If you had known that conventional dairy products contained glyphosate, would you still buy it?  That choice is yours to make.  But, all the information about that choice has been on the ingredient list for years, if you were willing to do a little homework.

Without getting into all the controversy and politics that goes with food, I wanted to clue you in to some basic information we have learned about reading food labels.  You can use this to upgrade your nutritional skill set if you really want to know what you are eating.

My family loves to try new food.  But I also want to know exactly what we are stuffing in our mouths.  Whenever I go grocery shopping and find a new product on the shelf, I jump a little with excitement, and then I pick it up and look at the ingredients list on the back. I have learned to follow certain “rules” when I decide whether or not to buy it.  I would like to share with you some of my rules to help you make good choices when you go to the grocery store and buy food for yourself or your family.

There are a lot of options and information out there these days, and a lot of it is contradictory.  Manufacturers have learned to use certain buzz words to draw people in (i.e. all natural).  My hope is that my rules will help you avoid the tricky sales tactics.

I was so encouraged when I shared my “rules” with one of Dave’s co-workers and she told me: “I thought that my husband and I ate relatively clean, but you opened my eyes to reading labels.  I honestly had no idea Doritos were basically chemically made to taste good.  You’ve changed our decision making for sure on what we now buy at the grocery.”  I hope you have a similar experience!  Please read and share with others you think might be helped. 

TIPS FOR READING FOOD LABELS

AVOID:

·         Unpronounceable ingredients (Polydimethylsyloxane: filler used in processed “meat”)

·         Unfamiliar ingredients (If you don’t recognize it, chances are your body won’t either)

·         Too many ingredients (More than 6 or 7 should make you start to wonder/question)

·         Sugar Free (Translation: they added chemicals to make up for the lack of sugar)

·         Diet, Light, Lite (Harmful, artificial sweeteners likely used)

·         Low Fat or Non Fat (Don’t be afraid of good fats like avocado, coconut oil, grass fed butter. Sugar or chemicals are added to make up for lack of fat)

·         Food from a box or with a long shelf life (Uses preservatives, the food is no longer “alive,” and the nutrients have been diminished)

·         Enriched Wheat (Refined flour that has been stripped of nutrients and then had some synthetic nutrients are added back in)

PERSONALLY, I AVOID:

·         Canola Oil (Numerous studies show the consumption of vegetable oils, such as canola oil, increase the risk of heart disease)

·         Corn and Soy Products (Most US corn and soy is genetically modified, unless it is organic.  These also contain Glyphosate, which is a genotoxic endocrine disruptor to human cells and gut bacteria.  Glypohsate is linked to cancer and deadly kidney disease in humans)

BE CAREFUL:

·         All Natural (It’s become an overused buzzword, “a health claim on a food product is a good indication that it’s not really food”)

LOOK FOR:

·         Ingredients you recognize and can pronounce

·         Real food ingredients

·         Short list of ingredients

·         Food that expires/goes bad

CHOOSE:

·         Organic over Conventional (Fewer pesticides and toxins)

·         Grass Fed/Pastured over Grain Fed (Animals are healthier when they eat the diet they were meant to eat.  If you are eating a healthy animal, then you will be healthier.  Grass fed meat has about 50% more omega-3 fatty acids, is less likely to carry antibiotic resistant bacteria, and is one of the richest known sources of another type of good fat called “conjugated linoleic acid” or CLA)

COMPARE FOR YOURSELF THE INGREDIENTS LIST OF TWO CHOCOLATE TREATS: 

Nabisco Oreo Double Stuf Chocolate

Ingredients

SUGAR, UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), PALM AND/OR CANOLA OIL, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORNSTARCH, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA AND/OR CALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, SOY LECITHIN, VANILLIN - AN ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CHOCOLATE.CONTAINS WHEAT, SOY.

VERSUS: 

HAIL MERRY DARK CHOCOLATE MACAROON

INGREDIENTS

organic maple syrup, organic shredded coconut, dark cocoa*, organic virgin coconut oil, organic Madagascar vanilla, water, sea salt

*Fair Trade Certified by Fair Trade USA. 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

--“Real food doesn’t have ingredients.  Real food IS ingredients.”  Jamie Oliver

--“Don’t eat anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.”  Michael Pollan

Do you look at more than just the calories at the back of a food label?  Does reading a food label ever change your mind about buying a certain item?

Please leave us a comment with your thoughts or questions.  We look forward to hearing from you.  Also, consider signing up for our Newsletter.  We won't spam you.  It lets us know you appreciate our work and gets you on the inside track to all the new and exciting things we have going on around here.

Thanks,

Bekka

[centralparkpawsblog]

Can Dogs Eat Tortillas?

Technically, yes, dogs can safely eat tortillas, but there is no nutritional value or benefit to giving your dog tortillas.

Additionally, tortillas are full of unnecessary carbs and calories, so they could cause weight issues if fed in excess.

Can Dogs Eat Corn Tortillas?

Yes, dogs who do not suffer from corn allergies can eat corn tortillas, there is nothing toxic about them.

Corn tortillas are a slightly better choice for your dog than flour tortillas since they usually contain less[1]:

Calories

Carbs

Fat

Sodium

In fact, flour tortillas have 15% more sodium than corn tortillas.

Plus, corn tortillas have more fiber than flour, yet still not enough to make them a good choice for your dog.

But even though corn tortillas are healthier than their flour counterpart, it doesn’t make them the best treat for your pup.

What’s in a Corn Tortilla?

Most corn tortillas are made up of:

Corn Masa Flour

Water

Cellulose Gum – Thickening agent which is common in foods and medications

Propionic Acid – Preservative

Benzoic Acid – Preservative

Phosphoric Acid – Preservative

Guar Gum – Thickening and binding agent

Amylase – A type of enzyme that helps the transformation process of starches to sugar

Though none of the above ingredients pose any threat to your dog’s health, most of the ingredients carry no benefit to your dog’s health either.

Are Corn Tortillas Good for Dogs?

Corn tortillas are neither good nor bad for your dog.

Since they carry no nutritional value, corn tortillas are just fillers and serve no purpose when fed to your pup.

Can Dogs Eat Flour Tortillas?

Yes.

Like corn tortillas, flour tortillas are non-toxic, but also have no benefit either.

Flour tortillas may taste yummy to your dog, but there is no reason your dog needs to eat them.

Waffles also contain flour. Can dogs eat waffles?

What’s in a Flour Tortilla?

Most flour tortillas are made up of:

Enriched Bleached Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid)

Water

Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified And Hydrogenated Soybean Oils)

Salt

Sugar

Baking Soda

Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate – Common additive in processed foods

Distilled Monoglycerides – Commonly used in baking for improving product quality, crumb softening, extends shelf life, fat reduction[2]

Enzymes – Biological molecules that help chemical reactions[3]

Fumaric Acid – Additive for flavor

Calcium Propionate – Preservative commonly used in bread

Sorbic Acid – Preservative

Are Flour Tortillas Good for Dogs?

As you can tell from the ingredients listed in the above section, there is nothing of nutritional benefit in flour tortillas.

They lack any significant amount of healthy vitamins and minerals.

If you want to feed your dog nachos then go easy on the cheese!

What About Tortilla Chips?

Tortilla chips will not kill your dog; there is nothing poisonous about them.

However, they are worse than both corn and flour tortillas. Not only do they lack any health benefits, but they are also deep-fried and often high in sodium.

Plus, some tortilla chips have added seasonings such as garlic and onion, which are definitely not a good choice for dogs.

So though non-toxic, tortilla chips can add to other health issues such as obesity.

Possible Dangers of Tortillas

Though tortillas are technically not dangerous for your dog, there are a few negative effects of feeding your dog tortillas or tortilla chips, including:

Obesity

Because tortillas are higher and carbs, they can cause your dog to gain weight quickly.

And obesity is the cause of several health risks such as cancer, diabetes, and increased joint pain.

High Sodium Content

Though some sodium is required in a healthy dog’s diet, higher levels of sodium in your dog’s food may cause further complications if they suffer from liver, kidney, or heart disease

Allergies and Food Sensitivities

Dogs who suffer from food allergies and sensitivities should avoid foods containing gluten and grains.

Digestive Issues

Since grains are more difficult for dogs to process than humans, dogs who suffer from digestive issues should avoid tortillas

What to Do if Your Dog Eats a Tortilla

One tortilla or one chip isn’t going to kill or harm your dog.

Even if they have an allergy, food sensitivity, or digestive issues, your pup may experience some discomfort in the form of GI upset or itchiness, but that would be all.

However, if your dog eats a bag of tortillas or a bag of chips, you will want to contact your vet.

Dogs who consume excessive amounts of food may experience considerable discomfort, but more serious issues could arise as well.

Overeating can also be extremely dangerous since it can cause bloat[4], a condition in which a dog’s stomach twists.

Unfortunately, if a dog isn’t brought in for medical help immediately, bloat is often fatal.

“Whatcha got there? Is it for me?”

Why You Shouldn’t Feed Tortillas to your Dog

Feeding foods such as tortillas and tortilla chips can have more significant issues than the food itself.

Feeding human food to your dog can cause behavioral problems such as:

Begging

Counter Surfing

Begging is a bad behavior many of us have allowed and often encouraged.

However, many of us also become irritated when our dog begs from friends and family who are visiting. Your dog doesn’t know that begging is something that should only be done when company isn’t over.

Do your best to set your dog up for success and don’t feed them from your plate.

After dogs learn that mom and dad keep the salty, crunchy snack known as tortilla chips on the counter, they may be inclined to check things out for themselves.

Once a dog realizes and benefits from counter surfing, i.e., getting a yummy snack, they are more motivated to keep up the bad behavior.

Though tortillas cannot be blamed solely for these behaviors, feeding human food can create little monsters out of our furry angels.

Conclusion

In addition to lacking any nutritional value, tortillas can be difficult for some dogs to digest due to their high grain content.

And if your dog has food sensitivities or allergies, they are likely allergic to grains and gluten, making tortillas definitely off-limits.

I am always surprised at how much time dog parents, myself included, spend on finding the right healthy dog food, yet turn around and offer a processed snack like tortillas to our dogs.

If we looked at a bag of dog treats and saw the ingredient list for tortillas or tortilla chips, we would never buy them. (I am not judging. I too have been guilty of sharing a snack or two with my pups.)

Also, there are so many healthier treat options for your dog, such as most vegetables and some fruits like:

Green beans

Carrots

Cucumbers

Zucchini – One of Calvin’s favorite treats

Apples

Berries

Resources

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/corn-vs-flour-tortilla#4

https://www.dupontnutritionandbiosciences.com/products/dimodan.html

https://www.livescience.com/45145-how-do-enzymes-work.html

https://www.greenbrier-emergency.com/bloat-torsion-dogs/

from Central Park Paws https://www.centralparkpaws.net/faqs/can-dogs-eat-tortillas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=can-dogs-eat-tortillas