• Don’t sweat the small stuff when counting carbs
• Should I count up my GI values each day?
• So you think you can dance? So what should you eat?
  
• Do calories on menus help us make better food choices?
• How accurate are calorie and carb counts on labels?
• Low GI diet improves insulin sensitivity in women with PCOS

Most of us have great faith in numbers, especially ones that are boldly printed in black and white on labels and in books. But a number of studies suggest that if you want to count calories (kilojoules) or need to count your carbs, you also need to be aware that the numbers you see printed aren’t precise figures at all. They are just ballpark figures. ‘It’s a fact of life that even the most processed of foods never contain the exact amount of carbohydrate in a serve that the label says while the figures given in food tables will be average or typical not precise amounts. So, don’t get too carried away thinking that by counting every gram of carbohydrate you eat or drink and every 0.05 of a unit of insulin you take your blood glucose levels will be perfect,’ writes Dr Alan Barclay in Food for Thought. ‘It just doesn’t happen like this.’

Good eating, good health and good reading.

Editor: Philippa Sandall

Web management and design: Alan Barclay, PhD

Baby Milk Action is suggesting the Government simplify the Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations. You can support this suggestion by clicking on the 5th star under the heading ‘Add a Rating’ and leaving comments on the Government website – click here.

The regulations in their current form place an unnecessary burden on business, the public and enforcement authorities by treating infant formula and follow-on formula differently. When the last government was revising the Regulations, public bodies such as Trading Standards and the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition called for the ban on promoting infant formula to all breastmilk substitutes, including follow-on formulas. This was not done. In a review commissioned by the last government, Trading Standards and the umbrella body submitted evidence and stated: “One of the major problems for enforcement officers is the use of advertising and promotional material which blurs the distinction between follow-on formula and infant formula.”

Health experts, including the Baby Feeding Law Group, a coalition of 23 health worker and mother support organsiations, called for the law to be brought into line with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent, relevant Resolutions of the World Health Assembly. Baby Milk Action prepared a report (left) that was submitted to the consultation on the law that took place in 2006 that sets out the changes required (click here to access). This references studies by public bodies such as the National Institute for Clinical Excellence that show savings that could be made to the National Health Service by small increases in breastfeeding rates. Simplifying the formula marketing regulations in the way we are proposing, would help to achieve this.

Prohibiting the promotion of breastmilk substitutes does not prevent them being sold. Formula will still be available for those that need it and our proposals will ensure those who use formula have the information they need to reduce risks.

In the General Election in May 2010, the Liberal Democrats, who are now part of the coalition government, supported our pledge saying they will work for the International Code and Resolutions to be implemented in the UK and elsewhere. Now it is time to act on this pledge.

Click here to give your support to our proposal for simplifying the law by clicking on the 5th star under ‘Add a Rating’ and leave a comment.

Promotion of artificial feeding takes many forms. Our partner in the BFLG, the National Childbirth Trust, is currently highlighting how exam bodies are even playing a role in promoting formula and attacking those who call for companies to abide by the international marketing standards. See the NCT press release at:
http://www.nct.org.uk/press-office/press-releases/view/224

The Nestle Press Release says

“Nestlé is offering families the chance to try out one of 37 different activities for free at more than 4,600 venues. With activities ranging from martial arts, swimming, dancing, paint–balling and scuba diving, the Get Set, Go Free promotion gives families the opportunity to attend a free activity session or lesson. Since 2006, 1.6 million activity sessions have been given away. Families can take part by collecting points on a wide range of Nestlé family favourites, including Kit Kat®, Cheerios® and Nesquik® on promotional packs available in July and August”

London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston says “That would all be great were it not for the fact that unsurprisingly you can only get the points by eating sweets that are full of calories but practically empty of any useful amounts of nutrients. That’s the real cause of the obesity epidemic, food rich in calories rather than food rich in nutrients. It would be interesting to calculate how many nutrient depleted Nestle calories you have to consume, and the relevant extra body fat that would result in , to entitle you to an activity and then compare it with calories burnt up by the activity. I strongly suspect the nation is being duped into thinking that Nestle are trying to help and that the net result of this marketing campaign will be net weight gain and add to the childhood obesity problem not alleviate it.”

Nutritionists London

.:CAMELICIOUS:.:

Dubai is apparently about to try not to flog us a dead horse but flog us healthy camel milk.

Apparently it has half the fat of normal cows milk, up to 5 times the amount of vitamin C and more unsaturated fatty acids than cow’s milk too.

The Arab Emirates company also claim it’s much more digestible than normal milk and suitable for people with lactose intolerance.

Apart from the allergenic benefits it is also alleged to be free from some of the other problems that cows miolk is linked to such as aggravating ( some say cause) Chrone’s disease, diabetes, rheumatoid and osteo arthritis
Camelicious also claim it’s good for babies being much more similar to human breast milk than cow’s milk but considering the UK and EU wouldn’t even accept Goats milk Dubai are going to struggle to get Camel milk past the food industry controlled food police.

London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston says “Is it healthier than normal cow’s milk? – Probably! It would have to try hard not to be! There are bottles of water out there that are better for you than normal cows milk. Cow’s milk is essentially saturated animal fat, sugar (lactose) , animal protein and water – there are many better forms of protein, fat, carbohydrates and water for sale than normal cow’s milk.

Does camel milk taste nice? Raj in our local shop the wine spot says it’s delicious but I’m not tempted to find out and I worry about the poor baby camels, what are they drinking instead? Cow’s milk? Poor things! “

Nutritionists London