Balance of Food

French fries bad for potential diabetics

I often joke that if it weren't for potatoes, I would be a lot thinner. Especially when those potatoes are sliced and deep-fried with a little salt and ketchup. Now in a long-term study of nearly 85,000 U.S. women, researchers at Harvard University found those with the highest potato intake had a modestly elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

It should be pointed out that the link was strongest among obese women. The findings are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Women with the highest potato intake were 14 percent more likely than those with the lowest intake to develop diabetes over 20 years. And women who ate the most French fries had a 21 percent greater risk of diabetes than those who ate the fewest.

If only they weren't so tasty. . .

Start of the eating season

In the United States, Memorial Day weekend is the time where the official eating season begins. It's not quite the Barbecue 500 (pounds), but summer time is the time Americans think to eat.

I need to be better in resisting temptations. I think of summer as the time to lose weight, since there is more chances to exercise. If you are good in exercise, you can squeeze out a little summer food fun.

All in all, nice to have summer back.

The naturalness of 7UP

When 7UP decided to go "natural," my cynicism radar went into high alert. If one can feel sorry for any soft drink these days, it's 7UP.

The bubbly formula you may remember helping you with the flu during childhood has gone through a few changes. Of course, if you are of a certain age, you remember 7UP with sugar before the high-fructose corn syrup horror. On top of that, 7UP changed its formula a few years back.

Now, 7UP changed it again to be natural. The ingredient list is filtered carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, natural citric acid, natural flavors, and natural potassium citrate. The sodium got reduced from 75mg to 40mg per 12 oz. can with the substitution of potassium citrate for sodium citrate.

I debate whether HFCS is natural, but it is an intriguing step. The issue of soft drinks and benzenes has been high in the news chain lately, so the timing is also good. It does make you wonder why benzenes need to be in soft drinks.

Whether it will be successful marketing-wise is debatable. Mountain Dew had similar image problems many years ago, and is now one of the hottest soft drinks. If 7UP really wants to be different, it will go back to the original formula with natural ingredients and cane sugar. The Baby Boomers alone could give 7UP real market share growth.

Here comes the part where I say "should I taste this?" If 7UP in Canada or Mexico does the same thing, I will try that. But my days of drinking HFCS in a pop can are over. But if you have tried it, please let me know.

KFC ritual gone

There is this idyllic picnic/music setting not too far from the headquarters of the blog. My tradition was to walk down to the KFC, get the chicken and cole slaw, walk to the train that takes you there.

The key word is WALK. It's a difficult transition with a car, and since I don't have a car, that's a new problem. Now, the KFC is closed for good; they want to build a drive-thru bank.

I don't eat much KFC anymore, but that was a nice tradition. Unfortunately, that tradition is gone. A sad tear from me.

Now, I will have to find a new tradition for the picnic/music setting. I'll let you know what that is when I do it, which will be soon.

HFCS tax

Mexican President Vicente Fox wants the Mexican Congress to eliminate a 20 percent tax on corn syrup sweetened soft drinks to go along with a World Trade Organization ruling. Needless to say, I don't want that to happen.

The tax actually stems from a trade dispute over Mexican sugar into the U.S., but it creeps up on one major issue here at The Balance of Food: why is the U.S. exporting high-fructose corn syrup to Mexico?

The AP reported that in March, a WTO panel rejected an appeal by Mexico, and supported the U.S. in that Mexico violated international law with its 20 percent tax on drinks sweetened with anything other than cane sugar grown in Mexico.

All creatures should have the right to not have high-fructose corn syrup into their bodies. The U.S. shouldn't force-feed anyone.

If you taste Mexican soft drinks alongside U.S. soft drinks, the quality isn't even close. Mexican soft drinks is the way to go. I would put Mexican soft drinks ahead of Canadian soft drinks, and that says something. I would even go as far as to say a Mexican Pepsi tastes better than an U.S. Coca-Cola.

Bringing back food from Canada

I just finished a long weekend in Canada, Windsor to be precise. Even at a Shoppers Drug Mart (major drugstore chain), the selection was enough to keep me satisfied.

If I brought back all I wanted, I would have had to carry a hernia as well. And I should have bought Twinkies.

Canada, like the rest of the world, doesn't use high-fructose corn syrup. So food tastes like it's supposed to taste. I could order a Coke in a restaurant. I bought ketchup and breakfast bars. I even got a bottle of Coca-Cola with lime.

Things are less sweet in general in Canada, which appeals to my taste buds.

When I crossed back across the border, I explained why I bought ketchup. She was surprised, having never heard that before. Hopefully, one more person is educated.

I don't drink American pop anymore, but in Windsor, I ordered it a couple of times. At the Hardee's on the way back, I ordered a meal. I almost got ready to order a Coke, and stopped myself. "Sorry, back in the U.S. The regular rules apply."

After traveling via Megabus.com, I may take more trips to Detroit/Windsor, and bring back more food from Canada.

Should I have had the Monsterburger?

For all the gleeful stories I told about the Monsterburger, I had not been face-to-face with one since I wrote about it. Well, coming back from Canada, our bus stopped off at a Hardee's.

If it had been at the beginning of the trip, I might have been more likely to do so. But I had eaten a lot of crap on this trip. I didn't even want Hardee's at that point, but I had no choice.

I started at the Monsterburger on the signage. It was impressive. But I couldn't do it, especially after we were warned not to go "number 2" in the bathroom on the bus. I certainly couldn't hold in what a Monsterburger would do to my intestines.

I opted for the bacon sourdough burger, a popular choice for me back when I had regular access to Hardee's. It was a lot healthier since I remember it last. It had real lettuce and red onion. And it didn't seem as greasy as I remember.

I also had to wait for the food to come up. During a brief bus stop, that could be bad. But we had time, so I didn't mind waiting. The woman behind the counter pointed out that "we make everything fresh when you order it." Amen to that. It did taste better than way.

Don't give up to be thin

I know obesity is the "in-thing." But a Yale University online survey takes things to a few extremes.

In the survey, 15 percent of the roughly 4,300 people said they would trim a decade off their lives for a thinner waistline. Runners-up included losing a limb (5 percent), or going blind (4 percent).

I realize the objective is measuring bias against obesity perception. There are ways to lose weight without having to think about lost limbs, decades, and eyesight.

Try to eat better. Try to exercise more. That's it.

Official Dagwood sandwich coming soon

UPDATE: I found something close to what I remember. This is a little more elaborate than the unofficial Dagwoods featuring a bunch of different cold cuts. The implication as I remember is that odd leftovers were a signature of the true Dagwood sandwich. Some a fried egg, the lobster tail, and cold spaghetti seems appropriate. I can't vouch for the eagle talon.

For those who have made Dagwoods in your life, there is finally a chance to have someone make it for you. Coming to Clearwater, Florida, in August is "Dagwood's Sandwich Shoppe."

Dean Young is one of the guys behind the company. Young inherited the job of drawing Blondie from his father, creator Chic Young, in 1973.

Besides a signature Dagwood at a pound-and-a-half and several inches tall, the menu also includes Cuban sandwiches, New Orleans-style roast beef sandwiches as well as traditional sandwich makings such as corned beef pastrami, other cold cuts, and cheese. New Orleans will also be a center for the company.

The only surprise I have is that it didn't come sooner. I know Blondie isn't as hip as it once was, but the Dagwood is a classic idea.

Years ago, I found an actual Dagwood sandwich recipe. If I find it, I'll post it. If you have one, leave a comment.

Ending almost all soda sales in public schools

I can't believe that nearly all soda sales will be stopped in public schools.

According to the news release, nearly 35 million students will be affected. The group that helped to broker the deal was the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association. For all the jokes about former President Clinton jogging to McDonald's, he has done a lot of good on improving the way people eat, especially children.

There are exceptions in high schools such as diet and unsweetened teas, diet sodas, and sports drinks, but this is still a big deal.

Soft drinks every once in a while is fine, but the systematic endorsement of the schools was a wrong way to go. Think back if you are old enough to remember cigarette vending machines. You can't make it impossible, just don't make it easy to get.