USDA is Slacking-Find Out What's in Your Meat

USDA's Office of Inspector General issued a report on the department's "National Residue Program for Cattle." It found gaping holes in the safety of American beef production, including residue of drugs, poisons and heavy metals in the meat we eat.

Information from: Audit Report 24601-08-KC

"Based on our review, we found that the national residue program is not accomplishing its mission of monitoring the food supply for harmful residues." The audit revealed that USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), along with the FDA and EPA, "have not established thresholds for many dangerous substances (e.g., copper or dioxin), which has resulted in meat with these substances being distributed in commerce." Even worse, the federal government does not attempt to recall meat, "even when its tests have confirmed the excessive presence of veterinary drugs," the audit said.

Currently regulations allow the feeding of beef products to cattle (a potential way to transmit "mad cow disease") in three ways: calve formula containing bovine blood, restaurant scraps in cattle feed, and the feeding of chicken manure to beef cattle - the manure contains spilled pieces of chicken feed, which can include beef byproducts.

And now we learn that some US beef is contaminated with heavy metals like copper and arsenic, antibiotics like Flunixin, penicillin, and Ivermectin, and a host of pesticides - all of which are used in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), better known as factory farms.

What is Pilates?

Perhaps you've heard of or wanted to try the Pilates Method (now often referred as Pilates). Pilates, for those properly able to participate, has tremendous physical and mental benefits: stronger muscles, more flexibility, better posture and balance. Through Pilates, you can experience a stronger abdomen, back, neck, shoulders and pelvic region, to name a few—not to mention the improved mobility and flexibility reported often from participants.

Pilates combines both eastern and western thought toward a program that delivers great overall results without all the repetition of weight training, sit-ups, etc. And with the focus of Pilates on proper mental focus, technique and breathing, it's a great workout for reducing stress and anxiety, while increasing an overall sense of wellness and well-being. All in all, Pilates is very effective overall in terms of its mind-body benefits.

And like walking or running, Pilates done on the mat can be a great " anytime, anywhere" exercise—all one needs is comfortable clothing and a soft surface (carpeting works just fine). Many people practice Pilates in their hotel room on a business trip. Finally, there are simply a great variety of exercises that form Pilates, and they can easily be utilized and modified for a range of experience and challenge, from beginner to expert.

Some principles of Pilates:

In Pilates, the focus is on " the core"—your trunk, including the abdomen and pelvic region. A variety of generally slower, deliberate movements are performed (not unlike yoga, but the "poses" are performed in very different ways). The movements in Pilates are done in a very controlled fashion. There is an emphasis on entire body movements, but Pilates will often emphasize and isolate particular groups of muscles: the abdomen, glutes and thighs, shoulders and triceps.

The controlled movement is key, and proper breathing is essential. It requires concentration, and in an on-the-mat class, this is often helped and encouraged by an instructor who gently reminds participants of proper alignment, breathing, and focus. Some Pilates classes will include or utilize a stretchband in some portions of the class or a video for added variety, stretching or resisistance.

For more information about Pilates or how to integrate it into your workout routine feel free to contact me: jldowd@gmail.com

Another Reason Flexibilty is Important

The flexibility of your body correlates with the flexiblity of your artieries. Flexibility is one of the main aspects of physical fitness along with cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance. As we get older it is normal for our arteries to begin to become stiff. No one knows the exact cause of this stiffening but it begins to occur in middle age. It has been shown that higher levels of physical fitness seem to delay the the development of the age-associated stiffening of our arteries. We know that this stiffening of the walls of our arteries has been found to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease like heart attack and strokes as well as death. None of us want stiff arteries for it is just logical that blood will not flow as well in a stiff artery. It is also shown that people with lower flexibilty have higher blood pressure.

A recent study found that stretching exercises, but NOT strength training or aerobic exercise, improved (by 23 percent) the flexibility of the carotid artery, the main artery in our neck that carries blood to our brain. These are some of the first scientific studies I have seen that actually shows that flexibility exercises, such as yoga and/or pilates might help keep us healthy longer and reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. This is very exciting information! Since heart disease is the number one cause of death in our country, this could be life-saving.

For more information click here

Floating Garbage Found in the Ocean

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Researchers are warning of a new blight at sea: a swirl of confetti-like plastic debris stretching over a remote expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. The debris is harmful for fish, sea mammals – and at the top of the food chain, potentially humans – even though much of the plastic has broken into such tiny pieces they are nearly invisible. Since there is no realistic way of cleaning the oceans, advocates say the key is to keep more plastic out by raising awareness and, wherever possible, challenging a throwaway culture that uses non-biodegradable materials for disposable products. Plastics have entangled birds and turned up in the bellies of fish: A paper cited by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says as many as 100,000 marine mammals could die trash-related deaths each year.