Caveat Emptor...let the buyer beware

                          http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/arsenic-in-chicken/

     Here is another interesting research study, this one is in regard to the presence of large amounts of arsenic in meats, especially in chickens.  Three fourths of the arsenic in the American diet comes from animal products.  The worst source is the poultry industry as they feed arsenic products to the flocks to increase the rate of weight gain.  Due to crowded filthy conditions, chickens are infested with internal parasites and arsenic poisons these parasites.  It also gives the carcasses a pinkish color which consumers prefer.  Arsenic is a poison and having it in our diets is not a good thing.


     The days are definitely getting shorter and cooler.  The average person gains 1-2 pounds every autumn and winter, and those pounds are generally retained.  Over ten years you can easily gain ten pounds.  When the weather is cold, we stay inside, our metabolisms decrease, and we turn to comfort foods which are generally higher calorie.  In the distant past with no reliable winter heating, weight and fat gain over the winter may have meant the difference in whether we survived or not. Now with our easy access to forced-air heating we no longer need or want the genetic tendency to gain those pounds.   It is too easy to curl up under blankets and just "veg" out.
     It is time for me to develop my battle plan for the winter months and holidays.
          1.  Get some sunshine every day.  Keep more lights on indoors in the room I am occupying.  
          2.  "Just do it."  I hate indoor exercise and using the treadmill,  but need to plan for it on those icy days of winter.  I need to change my attitude.   I will search for some good exercise dvds from the library to try, as well. 
          3.   Do a recipe search for healthy comfort food...baked apples,  air-popped popcorn, etc...to replace all the fresh fruits of summer that we love so much, and to keep healthy treats on hand.
          4.  Turn on lively music to liven my mood and increase the likelihood of dancing around and burning a few more calories.
     Those sound easy enough.