Good morning, it’s Thursday.
A note for those who might be recovering from or struggling with disordered eating: The following post could be triggering; you might want to take a pass today and come back tomorrow. – The management.
I have spent far too much of my life – like so many other women – struggling with diet culture and coming to terms with my body. I’m never going to be six feet tall, thin and blonde, which is more or less the aesthetic that was held up as the ideal when I was starting to think about these things. (Remember, I came of age in the super model era – Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, etc.)
Even though I knew I would never achieve this supposed “perfection”, since it was quite literally impossible from a genetic standpoint, I nevertheless starved, exercised, and otherwise tried to manipulate my body into being something it’s not. Add passing the age of 50 into the mix and you’ve got yourself a serious conundrum.
During this journey, I have tried a wide range of eating plans: Whole 30, fasting, vegan, Keto, macros, intuitive, etc. – all while competing in long-distance races (marathons, ultra running races, triathlons, etc.) Needless to say, I didn’t achieve a whole lot of success, though I did successfully screw up my hormone levels.
Part of the problem, of course, is that the recommendations and science on what’s “healthy” continues to develop – to say nothing of the rise of influencer culture, which is populated by individuals (some, not all) who have no formal training or education and are nevertheless opining on meal plans, workouts, and supplements.
So, you have to practically have a PhD yourself to wade through all the dreck and figure out what’s real. These days, there’s a lot of talk about avoiding inflammatory and processed foods. And pretty much every credible expert seems to agree that the number one culprit here is sugar.
We’re not talking about the sort of sugar that naturally occurs in honey or fruit or maple syrup or agave nectar, though these are calorie dense and therefore most nutritionists who counsel individuals trying to lose weigh usually urge their mindful and/or moderate consumption.
What’s at issue here is “refined” sugar, which, while it comes from natural sources like sugarcane or sugar beets, is made by removing all the sucrose (a combination of glucose and fructose) from the aforementioned plants.
High-fructose corn syrup, which is an added sugar largely blamed by experts for America’s obesity epidemic (not to mention being linked to diabetes and hypertension), is found in pretty much everything these days. That includes the sort of things you would expect – commercial baked goods and bread, soda, and ice cream, for example – but also some you might not, like mustard (and many other condiments), crackers, salad dressing, yogurt, and applesauce.
Other countries don’t use high fructose corn syrup nearly as much as the U.S. does, which is one of the reasons – I think, anyway – that people come back from European travels more or less the same weight they were when they left, even after they’ve eaten all the cheese, bread, pastries, and pasta. (Also, probably, they’re doing a lot more walking than usual).
So, why are we so in love with this clearly not great-for-us sugar source? Well, it is cheaper than other sweeteners, for one thing. But, the disproportionate sway that Big AG holds over our federal government is probably also to blame. Corn is the number one crop in the U.S., and we grow far more than any other country.
In 2021 alone, for example, American farmers produced 15.1 billion bushels of corn. There’s only so many corn chips we can consume and gallons of ethanol we can put into our vehicles.
I want to stress again here that fruit is not the enemy, especially when consumed in moderation. It has lots of vitamins, provides a source of hydration, includes fiber (which is part of the reason why eating it whole is preferable to juicing), and just tastes good. As for sugar substitutes (Saccharin, Aspartame, Sucralose, Stevia, Monk Fruit etc.) the jury is still out.
But I certainly do understand if you’re trying to cut back on sugar. We could all probably stand to do a little better in this department. According to the American Heart Association, most adults should consume no more than 150 calories (100 for men) in added sugar a day, which is 9 or 6 teaspoons, respectively, and most adults are WAY over that limit – some as high as 17 teaspoons.
The World Health Organization has a whole fact sheet dedicated to the dangers of sugar and recommendations of how to cut back. If you’re in need of some extra motivation, today is National No Sugar Day, which, it should be noted, was created by a company that sells “health keto snacks” and other no sugar products. Peruse those links at your own risk, and maybe – just for today – enjoy your coffee without sweetener and see how that goes.
Baby steps.
Today will again start with areas of patchy fog. Once that burns off, there will be periods of clouds and sun, and temperatures will be in the mid-70s.
In the headlines…
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both headed to the Southeast yesterday to survey damage wrought by Hurricane Helene, which so far is confirmed to have killed 177 people.
Biden visited North Carolina and South Carolina days after the storm swept through Florida and traveled north, causing damage as far north as Tennessee and Virginia. He is also expected to travel to Georgia and Florida today.
Biden took an aerial tour of the devastation from Helene and ordered the Pentagon to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty troops to assist with aid efforts as rescue workers continued dangerous rescue missions in remote mountain communities.
Harris traveled to Georgia, which former President Donald Trump toured Monday and where he criticized the Biden administration for its response to the hurricane.
Scenes of striking workers, hurricane devastation in the Southeast and missiles over Israel represent a rare moment of turbulence for Harris.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency does not have enough funding to ride out the remainder of the hurricane season, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, said.
Six days after Hurricane Helene, North Carolina was getting help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and others. But officials still faced obstacles reaching some areas.
Trump laid the groundwork to try to overturn the 2020 election even before he lost, knowingly pushed false claims of voter fraud and “resorted to crimes” in his failed bid to cling to power, according to a newly unsealed court filing from prosecutors.
The redacted brief, made public by Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of the Federal District Court in Washington, adds new details to the already extensive public record of how Trump lost the race but attempted nonetheless to cling to power.
At least three women have claimed they had trysts with Robert F. Kennedy Jr over the last year during his failed presidential run after linking up through an anti-vaccine group he chairs, according to a report.
Cheryl Hines may divorce RfK Jr. — but it’ll be over his relationship with Trump more than his relationship with star New York Magazine writer Olivia Nuzzi, sources tell Page Six.
A significant construction milestone was celebrated at John F. Kennedy International Airport this week as Gov. Kathy Hochul and hundreds of union construction workers gathered for the topping-out ceremony of the new $4.2 billion Terminal 6.
Hochul announced the state is investing millions to improve its public safety response to domestic violence.
Hochul signed several bills into law aimed to expand coverage of women’s health during and after pregnancy.
Hochul has signed legislation to fight the addictive effects of gambling. The law now requires all advertisements for gambling and sports betting to include warnings about the potential harmful and addictive effects of gambling.
New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks will resign from his position earlier than previously stated, City Hall said, with his last day now set for Oct. 16, and not Dec. 31, as previously announced.
A City Hall spokesperson said the change was made so newly-appointed Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos could “immediately begin executing her vision.”
“Aviles-Ramos is a lifelong educator and public school veteran whose talent, experience, and compassion will lead the school system well through this next chapter. We thank (Banks) for his service to the city and nearly one million public school children.”
Banks shut down rumors he wed his decade-plus partner First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright for spousal privilege as Mayor Eric Adams’s top aides are ensnared in a federal corruption investigation.
The announcement came hours after federal prosecutors told a judge that they might bring additional charges against Adams charges against other people were likely. Banks hasn’t been charged and has maintained that he has done nothing wrong.
“I have conducted myself with integrity for almost 40 years, educating New York City’s young students,” Banks said in a statement. “My record and my reputation speaks for itself.”
Less than a week after Adams pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery and fraud, federal prosecutors told a judge that they might bring additional charges against him and that charges against other people were likely.
U.S. District Judge Dale Ho didn’t immediately set a date for his trial, which prosecutors estimated will take about four weeks. Adams’ lawyer, Alex Spiro, asked to hold the trial in March, before an important ballot deadline for next June’s mayoral election.
Hochul’s administration is reportedly preparing to ramp up its public presence in New York City – and the governor herself is privately pushing indicted Adams to rid his office of aides who have come under the gaze of federal investigators.
Hochul said the resignation of one of Adams’ top aides was a “good first step” in her demands that the mayor “right the ship” in his embattled administration – and suggested she expected more to come.
Spiro, the high-powered celebrity attorney representing Adams in separate ongoing criminal and civil cases, withdrew from defending the mayor in a lawsuit accusing him of sexually assaulting a police colleague over three decades ago.
A group of Big Apple business community members and public safety advocates rallied yesterday in support of Adams — saying he deserves his day in court as he faces historic federal corruption charges.
The NYPD says it’s deploying additional police and cameras to houses of worship and other sensitive locations during the Jewish High Holy Days, which begin on Wednesday night.
The treasurer for an unsuccessful Brooklyn borough president candidate faces federal charges for a failed straw donor scheme to trick the city Campaign Finance Board out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in public matching funds.
Though lithium battery fires are still occurring at the same pace as last year in New York City, the rate of injuries and deaths from them has slowed.
Police are searching for a man who destroyed a Pride flag and harassed staff while using homophobic slurs at a Queens sports bar, the NYPD said.
A doorman at a building near Columbia University was charged with taking nearly $500,000 from a 91-year-old former resident while she lived in a nursing home.
After the death of a 24-year-old woman, Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn could face questions, for the third time since 2020, about the safety of its labor and delivery floor.
A new report on the future of Penn Station concludes the only way to expand train capacity at the rail hub is to expand its footprint — supporting Amtrak’s years-long proposal to tear down a Midtown block south of 31st Street to install new tracks.
A beloved New York City garden that celebrities like Robert De Niro rallied to save has been served an eviction notice – and it only has 14 days to leave its lush green lot decorated with sculptures.
Democratic allies of ex-New York Congressman Mondaire Jones filed a lawsuit in an 11th-hour bid to knock a “spoiler” WFP candidate off the ballot — in a race where a recent campaign poll showed him slightly trailing first-term GOP Rep. Mike Lawler.
With majority control of the Saratoga Springs City Council hanging in the balance, elected officials once again failed to come up with a plan to fill the commissioner of public works position that has been open since Aug.17, when Jason Golub resigned.
The NCAA announced its championship tournament site selections for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons, and Albany’s downtown arena was not granted any rounds of basketball action.
Property taxes would increase by around 3% and the residential trash collection fees would rise by $52 per customer under Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy’s proposed budget for next year.
For the past 40 years, the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa has held the AAA Four Diamond Award of Excellence, making it the second longest recipient in New York state. Now, it can also add the Michelin Guide One Key designation to its list of accolades.
Project Skydrop says someone has found the treasure hidden in Massachusetts with one of the organizers of the hunt saying the winner is a meteorologist from Boston who found the prize Tuesday night.
Two Troy businesses loved by the community have announced they’re closing – Tatu Tacos & Tequila on Fourth Street and The Whiskey Pickle on Fulton Street.
Hannaford is pulling some of its products from shelves after its manufacturer warned of the potential for listeria contamination. The products include fresh salads and pastas sold in the produce and deli departments.
A community meeting about the cleanup of PFAS contamination at the state Superfund Site at Taconic Plastics off Route 22 will be held on Oct. 16. The session will be run by the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the state Health Department.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
