A recent discussion about glaucoma and other eye problems with Dr. Heidi* brought up the ingredient CamuCamu ( Myrciaria dubia ) where she comments,

Two of the ingredients in both Pops – Camucamu (source of Vitamin C) and alpha lipoic acid are said to help with glaucoma. The bilberries and blueberries in the Purples are known to support vision in general. Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables may help or prevent macular degeneration.

I though this was good news for me and anyone else with problems with their eyes. It also set me to wondering just what exactly is Camu Camu and where does it come from? According to Wikipedia, CamuCamu “is a small (approx. 3-5 m tall) bushy river side tree from the Amazon Rainforest vegetation in Peru and Brazil, which bears a red/purple cherry like fruit“. Cool, it’s always nice to know what it is, but why is such a popular ingredient in healthy foods?

The fruit itself has an extraordinarily high concentration of Vitamin C which of course we all know that our body needs. In addition to the high vitamin C content it contains the amino acids valine, leucine and serine, and is also rich in flavonoids. The problem is that over harvesting of wild camu camu is quickly make it an endangered species, but conservation efforts are underway according to the Rainforest Conservation Fund.

Sources of Camu Camu

So, other then an ingredient in my favorite whole food supplement, where else can a person find Camu Camu? Though the fruit is usually available as an ingredient in powered supplements, some suppliers are including it in teas, juices and even sour candies, though I still haven’t seen any of these at my local health food store – yet.

So why is it not more widely used?

Though Camu Camu is proving to be a very good source of Vitamin C and essential amino acids, it only grows naturally in Peru and Brazil and with the FOB prices in those regions, the price is nearly 4-5 times the cost of other sources of Vitamin C, including synthetic versions. Other natural sources are more easily attainable and are therefore used more often. Foreign import restrictions in some companies are also putting a strain on the use of Camu Camu.

Does all of this mean that Camu Camu is not a good ingredient to be used? Of course not, but less expensive sources for the fruit will need to be located if we are to see more expanded use of this natural source of Vitamin C. It’s just good to know that the creator of The Pops decided to use something that provides so many wonderful benefits.

* Dr. Heidi is the VP Product Development of Whole Food Nation

So the other day I stepped on one of those digital bathroom scales just for fun. It was quite surprising to hear the thing yell “GET OFF!” Ok, it wasn’t really a talking scale and it didn’t actually tell me to get off, but that’s the thought that went through my head when I read the scale – 245 pounds. What happened to 230? I am pretty sure that’s what I weighed a few months ago!

Problem is I started a new job back in November, and it has kept me so busy I haven’t had any time to prepare healthy lunches. I usually end up at Subway or Arby’s for lunch. I seem to recall a few months back I vowed not to eat fast food any longer. Guess I haven’t stuck to that much. Until now.

Starting on May 1st I have been having a salad for lunch. They generally consist of a leaf of Romaine lettuce, a generous helping of baby spinach leaves, cucumbers, tomatoes, a hard boiled egg and golden raisins – all of which are organic by the way. But that will quickly get boring, so I implore you to help me find other healthy items to add to my salad. I try to avoid bacon bits and croutons and those oily salad dressings and can usually tolerate my salad without them. But I feel the salad needs some protein – any suggestions?

I would love to build up my recipe collection and will be working on some fun salad recipes over the next couple of weeks. I have decided that I will only have a salad for lunch every day, including weekends, for the month of May and see how things go. I am hoping it will become a habit for me that I won’t break. I’ll even save a few bucks and maybe be able to put that savings towards a gym membership – if I can find one within walking or biking distance.

So today I had the van in to the shop for an oil change and routine maintenance. I drove the van over and the owner drove me home and took the van back to the shop. After the work was done I told him I would come over so he didn’t have to take time out of his busy schedule to bring it back to me. You see, the idea was that I would walk over for a little exercise. Then I had the bright idea to get my bike out and ride – it’s only 4 blocks so how bad could it be?

Well, it had been about a decade since I last rode a bike, so needless to say my legs were out of shape for pumping even that short 4 blocks. I’d like to say it was an uphill battle, cause it sure felt like it, but it’s a relatively flat ride up there, and some of it was even downhill. I didn’t feel too bad after riding the four blocks – in fact, I was feeling pretty good – I had finally gotten some much needed exercise. Then I got off the bike. The guys in the shop couldn’t stop laughing as I stumbled on what felt like newborn legs up to the office. It took about 10 minutes to walk what is essentially only 30 feet. I felt like an idiot.

So why am I telling you this? No reason really. It’s more for me to get this out into the world so each time I come to my blog for the next few days I get this reminder that I am out of shape. Maybe, just maybe that will encourage me to get out and ride a few blocks every day – and eventually build into a few miles. Now, I don’t think I will be riding in any bike races any time soon, but I’m young so there’s time. For now I will just stick to riding to the end of the block and back to get the mail.

Some of you know me, many probably don’t. I have been taking The Pops for over a year now and don’t even have any other supplement in my home anymore. Back in November I went to work for a new company and there are several there who claim to be “getting healthy”. I see them eating salads for lunch, which I myself have started doing, and other things such as cutting back on soda and sweets – something I am slowly doing (side note: I haven’t had a soda in 6 months, and rarely in the past two years). I also see these same people taking a daily walk or now that the weather is nice a few even ride a bicycle to work.

Then I see it! Gulp, “Centrum” bottles in their cubicles. So off to the web site to see the ingredients:

Dibasic Calcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Ascorbic Acid (Vit. C), Magnesium Oxide, dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit. E), Modified Food Starch. Contains < 2%: Acacia, Anhydrous Citric Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Beta-Carotene, Biotin, Boric Acid, BHT, Calcium Pantothenate, Calcium Stearate, Cholecalciferol (Vit. D₃), Chromium Picolinate, Corn Starch, Crospovidone, Cupric Sulfate, Cyanocobalamin (Vit. B₁₂), dl-Alpha-Tocopherol, FD&C Blue No. 2 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Yellow No. 6 Aluminun Lake, Folic Acid, Gelatin, Hydrogenated Palm Oil, Hypromellose, Lutein, Lycopene, Manganese Sulfate, Medium-Chain Triglycerides, Niacinamide, Nickelous Sulfate, Phytonadione (Vit. K), Polyethylene Glycol, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Potassium Iodide, Pregelatinized Corn Starch, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vit. B₆), Riboflavin (Vit. B₂), Silicon Dioxide, Sodium Ascorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Borate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Metavanadate, Sodium Molybdate, Sodium Selenate, Sorbic Acid, Sucrose, Talc, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vit. B₁), Titanium Dioxide, Tricalcium Phosphate, Vitamin A Acetate (Vit. A), Zinc Oxide. May also contain < 2%: Maltodextrin, Sodium Aluminum Silicate.

Wow! Look at all that synthetic garbage in this healthy product. Not sure what is synthetic and what’s actually good for you? Check out the report Are Your Vitamins Safe? and find out for yourself!

I see this ingredient in a lot of foods that I buy, and have always wondered just what this actually is and if we should be eating it. Would Campbell’s really put this in their Chicken Noodle Soup if it wasn’t good for us? I won’t pass judgment on it just yet, but let me share with you what I have found out, then you can tell me what you think.

To start, I went to the page about Potassium Chloride on Wikipedia – that was a mistake. Take a look at this excerpt from the page:

The majority of the potassium chloride produced is used for making fertilizer, since the growth of many plants is limited by their potassium intake.

Fertilizer! Why are manufacturers using an ingredient primarily used for fertilizer in our food? Is it listed in the ingredients only because the other ingredients used were fertilized with fertilizer made with Potassium Chloride? Or is it added for some other reason? I kept reading the WikiPedia article:

…and in judicial execution through lethal injection. It is sometimes used in water as a completion fluid in oil and gas operations.

This sure doesn’t make me want to run out and buy food with this additive. And how about this:

Potassium chloride makes up 70% of Ace Hardware’s allegedly pet and vegetarian friendly “Ice Melt”

Well, still nothing about why it is in the food, until you get to this:

Potassium is vital in the human body and oral potassium chloride is the common means to replenish it, although it can also be diluted and given intravenously (of course, in concentrations much lower than those used in executions). It can be used as a salt substitute for food, but due to its weak, bitter, unsalty flavor, it is usually mixed with regular salt, sodium chloride, for this purpose to improve the taste (for example, in Morton Lite Salt.

So now I am lost. It goes on to talk about how in excess it is toxic, but only as toxic as regular salt. So does this mean using it as a food additive is safe? The FDA surely thinks it is, but I just can’t get over the fact that it is used in fertilizers and lethal injections. Now I want to hear from you Whole Food Junkies what you think.

You hear this question every time you go to the grocery store – and I hope your answer is always “paper”. Paper is reusable, biodegradable, and made from renewable sources. Better yet, get a couple of those reusable cloth grocery bags and use those.

Wait! Why does this have anything to do with 2 Small Pills? Well, this post was spurred on because of this article in the press room on the Whole Foods Market web site stating that all of their 270 stores throughout the U.S., Canada and the U.K. will end the use of plastic grocery bags on or before Earth Day, April 22nd, 2008. They become the first U.S. supermarket to commit to completely eliminating disposable plastic grocery bags to help protect the environment and conserve resources.

This is a great idea, and I suggest that we all encourage our local grocery stores, and all stores for that matter, to stop using plastic grocery bags. A healthy Earth is important to healthy Earthlings!