I occasionally enjoy a can of Diet Dr. Pepper at work. I began to notice some very strange behavior if the cola was not chilled in the fridge (i.e. taken directly from the case under my desk). I don’t shake it up, the cans are at room temperature, and no mentos are involved. I give you Exhibit A:
Anyone else notice Diet Dr. Pepper acting strange at room temperature?

After checking with the pediatrician yesterday Shannon and I (and Susan) decided that it was time to try feeding Libby some rice cereal. Can you tell how much she liked it:

Her reaction in the first picture only lasted for the first few spoonfuls; after that she seemed to really enjoy pushing the rice cereal out with her tongue and letting it slide into the many creases of her neck.

She’ll need to learn swallowing eventually, but overall Libby did a very good job for her first time eating.

Looks like Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream has created a new flavor for Stephen Colbert called “AmeriCone Dream”:

“I’m not afraid to say it. Dessert has a well-known liberal agenda,” Colbert said in a statement. “What I hope to do with this ice cream is bring some balance back to the freezer case.”

Taste’s like freedom!

Recently I spoke with a friend who had fasted with his girlfriend for approximately 5 days, consuming only water during that time and reducing his weight by approximately 12 pounds. I began to think about doing this myself: I am not at my ideal weight and fasting would be an interesting test of my will power (as I simply adore food).

In doing some research on the health benefits/drawbacks for fasting I came across an interesting National Geographic article called “The Pollution Within“, about the increasing number of chemicals we are being exposed to:

The classic example is lead. In 1971 the U.S. Surgeon General declared that lead levels of 40 micrograms per deciliter of blood were safe. It’s now known that any detectable lead can cause neurological damage in children, shaving off IQ points. From DDT to PCBs, the chemical industry has released compounds first and discovered damaging health effects later.

A recent example of how complicated (and delicate) the chemical ecosystem in our bodies really is comes from a woman in California who learned the hard way that extremes are not a good thing for the body. She died from water intoxication (where water dilutes enzymes enough to disrupt normal body operations) while trying to win a Wii by drinking the most H2O without peeing. While it’s sad that she died, at least she might become a candidate for this year’s Darwin award.

I’ve seen simple baskets and bowls made from carved watermelon, but these examples really take the craft to an art form. My favorite is the old man’s face.

Mmm… they look good enough to eat. As much as I like the cold nip of winter (which still hasn’t shown it’s face yet this year), I love eating a big dripping chunk of watermelon on a warm summer’s day.

Taco Bell must have a clever marketing team. No, I’m not talking about that damn chihuahua. I’m referring to their funny “fortune cookie”-like messages on their sauce packages.

The food at Taco Bell can only be described as edible “crack-cocaine”. Just talking about it stirs strong cravings in my belly for a crunchy gordita and a chili-cheese burrito (which were, tangentially, originally introduced to me by Mike V).

Can you tell it’s lunchtime?

(via ljc fyi)

Shannon and I try to drink milk instead of pop (or soda, or cola, or whatever you want to call fizzy sugar drinks); we typically go through about 2 gallons/week of skim milk. I do it more out of habit, as I drank a lot of milk growing up, but it also has health benefits. Here are some facts for you:

• The average American drinks 18 oz. of soda per day (about 1.5 cans). That adds up to about 216 calories/day for regular soda.
• Soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks have become the largest source of calories in the American diet, replacing white bread.
• 450 different varieties are sold in the U.S.
• Soft drink sales reached $68.1 billion in 2005.
• Sports drink sales increased 19.3% to $1.5 billion in 2005.

That 216 calories per day in soda consumption may not seem like a lot, but over a month it all adds up to nearly 7,000 additional calories which could result in a 2 pound weight gain. Over a year, that translates to 24 pounds. Ouch.

A further complication is that people drinking 250 calories do not feel as full as a person eating 250 calories of solid food. The type of sugar in most soda is man-made high fructose corn syrup. It fails to suppress the production of ghrelin which is a hormone made by the stomach to stimulate appetite. Drink a six-pack of cola which is 900 calories and your body feels no fuller than if you had just swallowed water (ref).

Sipping on cola is like bathing your mouth in corrosive acid. Soda can (and does) dissolve tooth enamel. A series of studies have tested and compared the pH of various sodas. Consider the following:

As soon as you take a sip it acidifies the saliva, which the body then works to neutralize. If you were to gulp your soda the saliva would return to normal in 20 minutes. But most people sip sodas for an hour or more and the mouth stays acidic the entire time. Multiply that by several sodas a day and you know why the dentists often say “Lay off the soda”.

In the 1950’s, children drank 3 cups of milk for every cup of soda. Today that ratio is reversed. Osteoporosis is a threat for 44 million Americans. Most experts say the real culprit is the displacement of milk in the diet, but some believe that the acidity of colas may be weakening bones by promoting the loss of calcium. One recommendation is to drink a glass of low-fat milk or have some type of low-fat dairy serving for each soda you drink.

A can of diet soda doesn’t contain 10 teaspoons of sugar, but many do contain caffeine (mildly addictive), acids that promote dental erosion, and artificial sweeteners, which have raised small safety issues. It’s still not certain whether or not diet sodas ward off weight gain. Researchers at Purdue University found that artificial sweeteners can interfere with the body’s natural ability to regulate calorie intake.

Shannon and I drink a lot of milk; it’s not uncommon for us to go through two gallons a week. So when Heather mentioned how much she enjoyed Oberweis chocolate milk we had to see what all the fuss was about.

The three of us stopped by an Oberweis store on the way home from Swedish days this past weekend and picked up a half gallon of chocolate and regular skim:

Regular Skim Milk
Shannon and I started with a blind taste test between our regular milk and Oberweis skim. While Oberweis doesn’t contain any additives or hormones, and it appeared to be a slightly whiter-white, I could not distinguish a difference between how they tasted. The verdict: not worth the extra $2/gallon, by a long shot

Chocolate Milk
The chocolate milk is absolutely divine; it tastes like a very low viscosity chocolate milk shake, but better. It’s been four days and already we had to run to the Jewel/Osco to pick up more (check out the empty bottles in the picture). That’s how good this chocolate milk is. The verdict: Oberweis chocolate milk is worth every penny

So, my advice to you: when drinking their chocolate milk always mix it half-and-half with regular skim milk. You still get that great flavor, but the bottle lasts twice as long

final twc: 21,569

Geneva holds an annual Swedish Days which Shannon, Heather, and I visited late Saturday afternoon. While the festival started as a celebration of the community’s Swedish roots it has since grown to become a simple celebration of summer.

There was a carnival (small-handed people who smelled like cabbage), arts & crafts, and many tents that sold a variety of food-on-a-stick. A live band, playing some classic CCR, accompanied us as we strolled around and enjoyed the following food:

• Steak and cheese sandwich
• Bratwurst with sauerkraut
• “Lemonade” (water + half lemon + ice != lemonade)
• Chocolate gelato & a lemon bar for dessert

Shannon and Heather also befriended some rookie firefighters, who readily gave their helmets to the girls for the sake of cute pictures.

current twc: 19,483

Shannon & Me, Carrie & Eric (pictured), and Melissa & Brian all met up for a quick Friday lunch at the scrumptous Lou Malnati’s in downtown Naperville. Carrie & Eric brought along their brand new beautiful baby girl Ava (pic of Carrie and Ava).

Everyone had pizza, of course, but oddly the rest of the meal split along gender lines:

• Men: Goose Island Beer and cups of clam chowder
• Women: Iced Tea and a house salad

We all finished off the meal by sharing two cookie-pizzas (baked cookies topped with Oberweis ice cream, whipped cream, and a cherry). It was great to see everyone and to enjoy a nice Friday afternoon lunch.

current twc: 20,991