Ben & Jerry's "fake" All-Natural says CSPI...and I agree!

Here I am on FOX Business today with Charles Payne talking about synthetics in food... And are they "natural?"

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream--the Vermont, frozen treat, cowmobile, institution founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in 1977--has been a Unilever company for a decade now. And as part of the soap and food conglomerate, can Ben & Jerry's legitimately claim "all-natural" on their packaging when in fact, 90% of the ice cream flavors include fake food?

Chemically engineered synthetic ingredients including corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and alkalized cocoa appearing in 48 out of 53 Ben & Jerry's offerings are NOT natural says the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and CSPI is pushing for Ben & Jerry's to change their packaging, removing the misleading and arguably false "all-natural" claim...

If it's fake, it's not really food. Period. Obviously this is not just a problem with Ben & Jerry's... And all of the above calls into question the fact that the USDA/FDA has no legal definition for "all-natural." That has to change. One hint: How 'bout the definition of "natural" for starters..? "existing in or formed by nature..."

Want your food from the farmer or the chemical engineer?? Either way, industry must be 100% transparent about what's in our food and the associated risks.

Wedding Gown Challenge 2010- Does Your Gown Still Fit?? Of Course It Does!!

Look, you go into adulthood at a healthy weight and then you maintain that healthy weight. Period.

This little Wedding Gown Challenge isn't about the gown or marriage even. Feel free to find your own symbol or item that fits throughout adulthood. For me, it's been my Wedding Gown year after year.

I'd never use my marriage or my children or this obesogenic American junk food culture as an excuse to forfeit my health. I eat within my means, exercise daily, and exercise enough that I even have room for plenty of tasty indulgences..! Each of us has to figure out our own rhythm, nourishment needs of our body and exact food choices, but we also must take responsibility for our weight and our health.

And please don't email me about exceptions. If you have Prader-Willi or Pica or are on Prednisone, I'm not talking about you... And certainly not if you're suffering from Cushing's Syndrome either. And for those struggling below the poverty line, there are special circumstances at play and special programs necessary.

I'm talking to the 85+% of us who have what it takes to eat right and exercise daily.

Happy Wedding Gown Challenge..! I took fun professional photos in my gown, but my favorite is this snapshot just afterward in the elevator with my precious daughter...

Notes:
Great article from Abby Ellin of the New York Times re: post-nuptial weight gain...
Great study reinforcing the fact that maintaining healthy weight (no more than 9lb weight gain for women after age 18) gives you much better odds of healthy aging...