Tag: lifestyle

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Food Inflation in America – Scary Charts 03.14.26

Food Inflation in America – https://wolfstreet.com/2026/03/11/food-inflation-in-america/

As one reader commented “learn to grow your own veggies and do community chickens
otherwise learn to eat soy products.”

I Googled “community chickens” and found this:

Must be getting rough out there. Health insurance companies are offering mental health counseling to their customers free of charge.

Funny thing is my health insurance company isn’t Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma but somehow I’m on their email mailing list.

These services are probably useful but you have to have health insurance to use them.

One-Third of Americans Cut Back to Cover Healthcare Expenses – https://news.gallup.com/poll/702596/one-third-americans-cut-back-cover-healthcare-expenses.aspx

I’ve noticed some food blogs I follow are posting recipes focusing on using up leftovers. https://www.budgetbytes.com/leftover-rice-recipes/

Maybe I need to start a struggle meal post series.

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Common Food Preservatives Linked to Higher DM2 Risk

Over the study period, 1,131 cases of type 2 diabetes were identified among the 108,723 participants. Compared with people who consumed the lowest levels of preservatives, those with higher intake showed a markedly increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Overall preservative consumption was linked to a 47% higher risk. Non-antioxidant preservatives were associated with a 49% increase, while antioxidant additives were linked to a 40% higher risk.

INSERM (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale). “Common food preservatives linked to higher risk of type 2 diabetes.” https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260109080211.htm (accessed January 10, 2026).

Type 2 diabetes has a stronger link to family history and lineage than type 1, and studies of twins have shown that genetics play a very strong role in the development of type 2 diabetes. Race can also play a role. Yet it also depends on environmental factors. Lifestyle also influences the development of type 2 diabetes. Obesity tends to run in families, and families often have similar eating and exercise habits. Genetics of Diabetes – https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/genetics-diabetes

Remember this:

Stay as thin as you can as long as you can – https://lifeunderwriter.net/2022/04/05/stay-as-thin-as-you-can-as-long-as-you-can/

And watch out for those preservatives.

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Eat More Beans, Peas and Lentils

The scientific report has some positive recommendations. It recommends that Americans eat more beans, peas, and lentils and eat less red and processed meat. It recommends that Beans, Peas, and Lentils move from a subgroup of the Vegetables Food Group to a subgroup of the Protein Food Group. When listing foods in the Protein Food Group, Beans/Peas/Lentils should be listed first, followed by Nuts/Seeds/Soy products, then Seafood, and lastly Meats/Poultry/Eggs. – 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s Scientific Report Recommends Eating More Beans, Peas, and Lentils and Eating Less Red and Processed Meat – http://www.vrg.org/blog/2025/01/31/2025-dietary-guidelines-advisory-committees-scientific-report-recommends-eating-more-beans-peas-and-lentils-and-eating-less-red-and-processed-meat/

If you want to geek out on the full report here’s the download link – https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/2025-advisory-committee-report

U.S. rates of nutrition-related chronic health conditions are high, and data show significant differences in prevalence across socio-demographic groups. For example, the prevalence of obesity is lower among non-Hispanic Asian children compared to all other race and/or ethnicity groups examined, and the prevalence is lower in non-Hispanic White children compared to non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic and/or Latino children. Obesity is significantly lower among children with higher family income compared to those with lower family income. Among adults, the prevalence of obesity is lower among non-Hispanic Asian adults and higher in non-Hispanic Black adults. Prevalence of hypertension is higher in non-Hispanic Black adults than adults of all other race and/or ethnicity groups examined. Diabetes is lower in non-Hispanic White adults compared to all other race and/or ethnicity groups examined, while gestational diabetes is highest among non-Hispanic Asian adults and lowest among non-Hispanic Black adults. Income data show that among adults, the prevalence of obesity, of hypertension, and of diabetes are higher among families with lower incomes compared to higher incomes.

I’ve not read the entire report but judging from what I’ve read so far it is definitely Geek Paradise.

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Eat Less Processed Red Meat

Yikes

To examine the risk of dementia, researchers included a group of 133,771 people with an average age of 49 who did not have dementia at the start of the study. They were followed up to 43 years. Of this group, 11,173 people developed dementia. Participants completed a food diary every two to four years, listing what they ate and how often. Researchers defined processed red meat as bacon, hot dogs, sausages, salami, bologna and other processed meat products. They defined unprocessed red meat as beef, pork, lamb and hamburger. A serving of red meat is three ounces, about the size of a deck of cards. Researchers calculated how much red meat participants ate on average per day. For processed red meat, they divided participants into three groups. The low group ate an average of fewer than 0.10 servings per day; the medium group ate between 0.10 and 0.24 servings per day; and the high group, 0.25 or more servings per day. After adjusting for factors such as age, sex and other risk factors for cognitive decline, researchers found that participants in the high group had a 13% higher risk of developing dementia compared to those in the low group. Is Eating More Red Meat Bad for Your Brain? – https://www.aan.com/PressRoom/Home/PressRelease/1082

This large study is a collaboration funded by the National Institutes of Health to NYU Langone Health and includes authors from Johns Hopkins University and other U.S. institutions. The new study relies on information gathered from the ongoing Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS), which since 1987 has closely tracked the vascular health and cognitive function of nearly 16,000 participants as they age. ARIC-NCS is also, the researchers say, the longest-followed cohort of African Americans for researching cognition and heart health. Published in the journal Nature Medicine online January 13, the study concludes that from 1987 until 2020, there were 3,252 study participants who were documented as having developed dementia. This translates to an overall lifetime risk for dementia among middle-aged Americans of 42 percent, which is an average of the 35 percent risk in men and the 48 percent risk in women. The excess risk in women was largely due to their lower death rates. United States Dementia Cases Estimated to Double by 2060 – https://nyulangone.org/news/united-states-dementia-cases-estimated-double-2060

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The Best Replacements for Meat and Milk (no, it’s not plant milks, veggie burgers or tofu)

Beans and peas are the best meat and milk replacement from nutritional, health, environmental, and cost perspectives.

Our findings suggest that suitable alternatives to meat and milk exist and are available and affordable without necessarily requiring new technologies or product development. This contrasts with discussions in high-income countries on the needs to develop novel replacement foods, especially those that would completely mimic meat and dairy (18). Our nutritional, health, environmental, and cost analyses suggest that if one is prepared to consider foods for their properties instead of whether they are completely mimicking meat or dairy—and surveys suggest that consumers are (49)—then unprocessed legumes are, for the most part, superior to processed alternatives. This is also relevant for low and middle-income countries where legumes are readily available, but discussions on processed meat and milk alternatives are at an earlier stage, despite diets rapidly becoming similarly imbalanced as in high-income countries (1, 50). M. Springmann, A multicriteria analysis of meat and milk alternatives from nutritional, health, environmental, and cost perspectives, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 121 (50) e2319010121, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2319010121 (2024).

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Photo by Digital Buggu on Pexels.com

Keep it simple.

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Trouble in Paradise 2024 (it’s Weight Gain Season again)

I’ve been posting this chart for several years around the Holiday Season. The source has been attributed to the New England Journal of Medicine. but I could never find the original source article.

Obesity prevalence among older Americans has increased at an alarming rate. In a single generation—between 1988-1994 and 2015-2018—the share of U.S. adults ages 65 and older with obesity nearly doubled, increasing from 22% to 40%.13 – Fact Sheet: Aging in the United States https://www.prb.org/resources/fact-sheet-aging-in-the-united-states/

At the beginning of every month I record my weight in my personal journal. I started November at 176.2. I managed to survive two birthdays, one homemade Eddie’s Carrot Sheet Cake, a few cupcakes, and the recurring annual threat of Halloween candy. Two more months to go.

My doctor says I worry too much about gaining weight. But she’s a hell of lot younger so what does she really know about my aging metabolism?

Remember this from two years ago? Well the bakers showed up again this Thanksgiving.

It was so good we did it again.

This year’s Thanksgiving was wonderful and memorable in a number of ways. The first blessing of the season was I didn’t have to drive. Let’s just say The Boss wouldn’t let me drive.

The next blessing was spending time with relatives we had not seen in several years. We shared stories, made fun of one another and had a great time. Thanksgiving was different this year; neither of our kids and their families were with us. So we had to borrow a Tiny Human for the occasion.

One Tiny Human, a lot more aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents.

The best blessing was I managed to gain just two pounds from this year’s Thanksgiving food binge.

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Stay well. Stay slim.

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Boomers Worry About Moving to Senior Communities for One Significant Reason

A new survey, The Great Expectations survey by Age of Majority, a consultancy specializing in the 55+ market, found that when considering a residential facility, boomers prioritize their tummies. A whopping 71% say food quality is a “very important” factor when deciding on a move to a new community.

Source – Boomers Worry About Moving to Senior Communities for 1 Surprising Reason—but Would Thrive in These 10 Retirement Spots – https://www.realtor.com/news/trends/boomers-senior-communities-the-villages/

Second Source – The link in the quote takes you here – Here’s a surprising reason most boomers are worried about moving to a senior residence – https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-do-some-boomers-shun-living-in-senior-residences-theydontwant-to-eat-cafeteriafood

One senior community mentioned in the MarketWatch article has entrance fees starting at $285,740 and monthly fees on top of that starting at $3,980. Another senior residence rates start at $12,600 per month for one person in a studio unit.

I have to remind myself this is a food blog.

At these prices you can buy a lot of food and cook it yourself.

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Maybe

I write a phrase, then wait for what follows. Then hold still as nothing more comes. Then I delete the first words and fall back into silence.

Maybe all that has been written before is enough. Maybe it’s time to say less—time to hide quietly beyond words and positions and insights. Maybe it’s time to allow what has come before to be what has already happened.

Maybe it’s time to stop. Maybe just this morning or maybe tomorrow too. Maybe only occasionally. Maybe not at all for a long while.

We’ll see.

Blog post by David Rynick May 11, 2021 – https://davidrynick.com/blog/

I feel the same way today.

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Prioritize Protein, Polyphenols, Healthy Fats, Calcium and Vitamin D

Research suggests that those who consume more protein tend to live longer and stay stronger and healthier later in life than those who consume less. But where you get your protein matters. Plant-based sources like legumes, nuts and whole grains seem to be especially beneficial, whereas protein from red and processed meat has been linked with shorter lives, Dr. Lars Fadnes, a professor of global public health at the University of Bergen in Norway, wrote in an email. How to Eat for a Long and Healthy Life – https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/02/well/eat/foods-longevity-aging.html

Nice article. The last time I checked the link the NYT article was freely available and not sitting behind their paywall.

One key point was not covered in the article. Pizza! Tomato sauce for polyphenols and cheese for healthy fats and calcium. You already know what not to put on your pie to improve the health benefits.

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Blueberries Make You Smarter?

Half a cup of blueberries a day improved the average participant’s language skills, improved their short-term memory, and enhanced their decision-making, planning, and organizational skills. Scientists Just Discovered That Eating Blueberries Will Make You Smarter and ‘Significantly’ Improve Your Memory — https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/scientists-just-discovered-that-eating-blueberries-will-make-you-smarter-significantly-improve-your-memory.html

So I suppose not eating blueberries for most of my life was the main driver behind my impaired language skills, memory and decision making.

I wonder if the effects are dose dependent?

Sorry Hon, I ate all the blueberries. Again.

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