Energy Drink of the Month - December 2013

We all have a love/hate relationship with December. It's the beautiful lights and the days off work/school. It's the holiday traffic, the family gatherings that test your patience, the way your chest tightens when you go to swipe that credit card (just one more time), or the panic that sets in when it's 11:50pm Christmas Eve and you calculate one of your children has more presents than the other. I confess I'm friends with the Monster, and I may or may not party like a Rockstar on New Year's Eve. But making it through the holiday season requires a special energy drink. How special? Special edition…

The Energy Drink of the Month for December 2013 is a 3-way tie for the Red Bull Editions, Red, Blue and White. These products beat the competition in 5 categories: color, size, content, availability, and inspiration. Due to the time-crunch of the holiday season, this post is short and sweet, like the products themselves.

Food Allergies and Murder? What You Need to Know About This New Study.

As reported by multiple news outlets, a person with food allergies is more likely to be murdered than to die from a severe allergic reaction. This claim comes from a study by researchers at Imperial College London, who calculated the risk of dying from a food allergy is 3.25:1 million for those age 0-19 years old. I don't have a food allergy, and I can't speak for those I know who do, but does anyone else find this comparison unsettling?  As a food scientist, there are three points that concern me the most: the comparison, the goal and the story untold.

Green-Eyed Insight – Food Allergies and Murder

Long Beach Local Aids Black Friday Shoppers

For Immediate Release

As many shoppers rush through Thanksgiving dinner to make the Thursday night sales, one young woman from Long Beach is on a mission to help those in line.

“I feel bad for the people that have to work on Thanksgiving, but I also feel bad for the people who feel pressured to shop that night and on Black Friday. I just thought maybe I can do something to help,” says Danielle Robertson, food technologist.

Energy Drink of the Month - November 2013

There's something magical about the color pink. Just the word "pink" brings to mind several connotations from princesses and Victoria's Secret merchandise to breast cancer. Unfortunately, the football players have ditched their pink attire and the yogurt lids will soon return to their normal colors, but there is an easy way to support breast cancer research and awareness year-round.

The energy drink "her" ("healthy energy revolution") was the first energy drink I came across that indicated a charitable donation on their label. The label indicates, "5% of net proceeds will be donated to charity" but it's unclear exactly which charity. If we trust Wikipedia (and I never let my students use this free encyclopedia as their primary source), her energy donated to numerous organizations including the Susan G Komen foundation and MADD. Then again, they also tried to get Lindsay Lohan out of jail using signs that stated "Free her". I almost want to give them points for being clever. Almost.

H.E.R. on Wikipedia

The whole scenario is a bit sketchy and since that drink's website has been replaced by a site that reminds me how much Japanese I can still read, let's discuss a different energy drink. 

You'll get another one. A better one. That one. 

[Ten points and a free gift if you can tell me what movie that quote is from.]

Go Girl trumps h.e.r. energy

Green-Eyed Insight on Go Girl Energy Drink

There are some women who aren't so pleased with this energy drink, like this sarcastic blogger here (Ms Magazine's sarcastic blogger) but allow me to address some of the points of contention and highlight why I've chosen Go Girl Energy Drink as the Energy Drink of the Month for November 2013.

New Notable Quotable and Recommendations

Posted on every 7th of the month, a new "Notable Quotable" for you to borrow when you can't find the right words of your own, and a new Green-Eyed Guide recommendation.

Notable Quotables Page

 Green-Eyed Guide Recommends...


You can see the other books I've read/enjoyed on Goodreads:
My Goodreads Bookshelf

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Want to keep your eyes on the Green-Eyed Guide? Follow on Twitter

How Activation Energy, Fear and Failure are Pivotal to Success

Part Three of the Green-Eyed Perspective on Goals

In Part One, we discussed the risks and rewards of aiming for the moon. Sometimes setting a grandiose goal can be inspiring but other times it can be daunting and demotivating.

In Part Two, we discussed what to do if you aren't sure what your goals are, what you truly want to do or who you're supposed to be. Thus far we've identified the undesirable situation we'd like to change. That was Step One. Step Two begins when we are ready to ask the question, "What am I going to DO about this situation?"

Read the rest at:
GreenEyedGuide - Part Three

I'm not ready, I'm not ready...

Caffeine Safe Limits: How to Determine Your Safe Daily Dose

This article by Caffeine Informer does a phenomenal job breaking down caffeine safety by consumer demographic. I've been shouting from the rooftops for years now that all caffeine safety is a matter of dose. The dose makes the difference between safe and hazardous, or, as Paracelsus (the "Father of Toxicology") pointed out, the dosage makes the difference between a poison and a cure.

 Caffeine Safe Limits: How to Determine Your Safe Daily Dose - by Energy Fiend


If you like this article and want MORE information like this...
In Are You a Monster or a Rock Star: A Guide to Energy Drinks these consumer demographics are discussed, as well as "Consumption Specifics" such as how dehydration and speed of consumption can affect how caffeine works in the body.

The Dark Side to Thylakoid Magic and Other So-called Appetite Suppressants

Thylakoids come from green leaves, not from outer space or from the lab of a mad scientist. Thylakoids are making headlines as a natural appetite suppressant, but before you buy into the idea that they can help you with your weight, wait – take a look at the fine print to Thylakoid Magic.

Green-Eyed Insight on Appetite Suppressants:Thylakoids

Food Science in the News - Oct 23rd, 2013

The Findings 

This is what you'll see in the headlines:

"Thylakoids are natural appetite suppressants; they promote weight loss by controlling hunger hormones"

 Natural Health Advisory article on thylakoids

"Eat greens and Lose Weight" 

Doctor in the Kitchen Blog - Thylakoids

The Research

Notice how scientific studies have very descriptive titles. That's pretty typical in the science-world because scientists know some people will only read the title of the paper it took them 3+ years to write and publish:

Supplementation by thylakoids to a high carbohydrate meal decreases feelings of hunger, elevates CCK levels and prevents postprandial hypoglycaemia in overweight women

Science Direct Access to this article 

The Details

Overweight women (not lean, healthy people with their appetites in check and no weight to lose) were given a high-carb breakfast. The women who had thylakoid powder mixed into their blackcurrant jam (henceforth "special jam") had decreased feelings of hunger and elevated CCK levels. CCK is the "satiety hormone" so an increase in CCK helps you feel fuller, longer.

This study was single-blind, meaning the scientist knew which women got the "special jam". This study was also randomized, meaning every patient got the chance to eat the "special jam" one morning and the normal jam the other morning, but not every women got the special jam first. This is important because it eliminates "First Position Bias". In other words, after you've been through Day One of the study, you know what to expect on Day Two. That might affect your answers on a "How Hungry Are You" survey or change your actions the night before you're supposed to report for the study.  

The Bad Assumptions

The following statements are common in studies like these, but closer inspection shows they are more flash than substance, leading to confused consumers and frustrated food scientists:

Energy Drink of the Month - October 2013

Name as many famous spiders as you can – GO.

Let's see, there's Charlotte, Aragog, the "her" from LOTR, the ones John Goodman had to fight in Arachnophobia, the one that freaked out Little Miss Muffet…What other spiders did you come up with? 

How about this one – Spider Energy. With a head nod towards Halloween, this month's pick is Spider Energy.

Other flavors are available but I prefer Widow Maker for its flavor, its tagline atop the can, and its colors scheme.

Anyone can review a beverage and tell you how they like the flavor, or how the ingredients affect them. I find these reviews helpful and steer you toward those reviews when I can. However, ultimately my goal is to give you the tools so you can go beyond someone else's review and determine, just by looking at a can, how the product might affect your own body in your particular condition of fatigue.

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. 

Green-Eyed Insight on Spider Energy

1 – Caffeine.

This product has 240 milligrams of caffeine per 16 ounce can, and this information is kindly included on the Nutrition Facts Panel. Keep in mind those under 18 should have less than 100 milligrams of caffeine per day, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, and those 18 and up should keep daily intakes below 400 milligrams, the maximum dosage considered safe by Health Canada and the US FDA. All of this assumes you aren't pregnant or nursing or have a pre-existing condition that makes you sensitive to caffeine. 

To see how this energy drink compares to others, Energy Fiend is ALWAYS a great resource:

Energy Fiend on Spider Energy (caffeine content is the same for all flavors) 

When ‘Like’ or ‘Share’ Isn’t Enough – 7 Ways to Support the Fight Against Breast Cancer

 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While October is also considered Energy Awareness Month, National Spinal Health Month, National AIDS Awareness month and Down Syndrome Awareness Month, this post is dedicated to my grandpa, Art Wallace, who is currently battling Breast Cancer.

I believe that when you want to show support for a cause, your support must be wholehearted – if you truly believe in something and want to show support or help those in need, the commitment of your actions must match or exceed the conviction of your words. While I recognize that “Liking” and “Sharing” on Facebook and other social media helps spread awareness and empathy, I personally do not feel that these actions are enough. This personal opinion is why I’ve compiled a list of Seven Ways to Show Support for Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention.