Choice Clippings no. 2
Here is a collection of articles that I enjoyed. Hope you do, too!
This is a curated collection of articles that inspire me, including some free links to pieces from Bloomberg, The New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. If you can’t access the full article, try copying and pasting the URL into your browser for direct access.
AGEISM
They’re Cover Girls. They’re in Their 70s.
Here’s to gorgeous women over 70 defying ageism with modeling even into their 90s. I love it. The heck with our culture’s youth obsession. All ages are beautiful. As the population ages companies are marketing to more seniors. Executives at large companies would be well served to include individuals whose profile reflects their customer buying base.
EATING OUT
Restaurant Portions Are About to Get Smaller. Are Americans Ready?
Thank goodness is all I have to say. I don’t think it’s healthy to gorge on food and I’ve been to more than one restaurant where the portion size has been gargantuan. It’s just not possible to digest that much in a sitting. I am all for shrinking serving sizes to something rational. Here’s a great fact from the article: restaurant dinner portions go from 900 to 1500 calories, but dinners shouldn’t be more than 700 calories.
For me, I like half the plate to be a vegetable, a quarter to be a lean protein and a quarter to a starch. Sometimes I skip the starch all together if we are having garlic bread on the side, or banana bread for dessert. I figure we’re capturing the starch a different way. Why double up?
These Seven Food Entrepreneurs Are Changing Eco-Conscious Dining (this gift link article will be valid for 7 days from 10/15/24)
If you care about the environment, there’s something for everyone in this article. From regenerative ocean farming – returning the shells to help rebuild eroding reefs – to zero waste cooking, these restaurants have come up with interesting ways to do good for the world while making food. On my list are Le Botaniste in New York City for its menu transparency and Krüs Kitchen in Miami for the conscious way it acquires vegetables and seafood.
Travis Barker Gave Up Drinking and Drugs for Run Club
What stood out for me in this Wall Street Journal piece was his smoothie mix. It had frozen fruit, avocado, coconut water, and other ingredients I thought I could find in the store. I asked ChatGPT if this was healthy to drink, and it said yes “very healthy” due to its nutritious ingredients. It offered a good balance of proteins, healthy fats, fiber, and essential vitamins. I’ll let you know what I think of this when I taste it though!
FOOD
Scientists See Hope in Race to Save the Banana
We make banana bread often so I read with interest this Wall Street Journal article telling me that two diseases, if not stopped, could kill off bananas. Oh no! Apparently, the Cavendish banana, which represents almost all the banana exports in the world, is under threat from Tropical Race 4 (TR4) and Black Sigatoka. Scientists are working on ways to make bananas more resilient and resistant to these diseases. There is a plan to test a banana like the Cavendish in the Philippines in 2024. If you care about bananas, this one is a very good read.
This Family Built a $1 Billion Tortilla Business
Have you tried Siete chips? They are light, airy and delicious. I was hooked on the first bite. It was fun to read their success story, from humble beginnings to being sold to Pepsi. I just hope Pepsi doesn’t change Siete’s “secret sauce.” However they make these chips, they are nearly perfect to me. And they are one of three brands of chips that I will eat. And by the way, the three I eat are not from major brands.
HALLOWEEN
Costco’s October 2024 print magazine featured an article about turning leftover gummy candy into jewelry. Essentially you can thread through them with a large plastic sewing need and make a necklace or bracelet. While the creation would be edible, and that’s mentioned in the article, I would have a few reservations. Rather, I think it’s a fun project for kids and then toss them. No need to explain why.
HEALTH
Biden Requires Lead Drinking-Water Pipes to be Replaced Nationwide
Clean water is fundamental to good health, but often unavailable in this country. Unfortunately, the technology was not well understood in previous generations. Replacing lead pipes is now essential. Yet, the cost of it is high for homeowners, especially in low-income areas. The article speaks to these challenges. Let’s hope corrective surgery on our pipes gets done soon so that everyone can have clean water.
Inflammaging Is Chronic, Stealthy and Can Be a Serious Threat to Your Health
Inflammation affects the body locally and as a whole—and worse we can’t see it. Its importance is beginning to be appreciated. Often, we can’t cure it, but we can manage it. That means good living habits, diet, stress reduction and treatment when necessary. This article has a great image of where in the body we can see the effects of inflammaging: brain, cancer, atherosclerosis, bone loss and kidney disease.
The end of the article says the Mediterranean diet can help protect against inflammation, and so can a good night’s sleep (That’s something I personally have to work on! Years of poor sleep with menopause continues to have me out of wack there! My readers know. It’s past bedtime but I feel I can go 24 hours at a clip. In the long run, I know that’s terrible. I hope your sleep is better than mine!)
A New Way to Protect Against Heart Attacks
Back to inflammation. Doctors have a new drug to treat this risk. Drugs are of course part of the treatment remedies. Whether we have this problem now or not, we can help ourselves by eating foods that have nutrients, antioxidants, healthy fats, and fiber.
Often recommended online are fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, legumes and beans, lean protein, herbs and spices as well as dark chocolate and green tea. But of course, always best to check with your health care provider as to what’s best for you! Everyone is different.
LONGEVITY
Can these ultra-exclusive luxury destinations help extend your life? They’d certainly like to try
It’s great to know that there are all kinds of ways to boost your life. The ones listed in this article don’t come cheap. But we should not overlook the obvious. The least expensive, and in many ways most beneficial life extenders you control directly by not doing bad things to yourself. Don’t smoke, don’t drink excessively, eat well, and don’t engage in obviously dangerous pursuits like drugs.
SALMON
The salmon on Daniel Boulud’s site is delicious. I’ve bought it before, and it was a hit at every holiday where it was served. There are a variety of salmon to choose from. They’re not inexpensive, but they can add some zing to a holiday or special occasion where you have guests you’d like to impress!
TRAVEL
France’s Most Exclusive Wine Region Is Now More Welcoming to Tourists (The gift article link will be valid for 7 days from 10/14/24)
This travel article transported me to France, which I haven’t been to in a long time. I’m long overdue to plan some adventure there and this piece gave me lots of ideas. The suggestions on where to eat can save a lot of time searching for great restaurants.