Wednesday, September 17, 2008


THE CHINESE SANLU/BAIDU MILK SCANDAL IS DESPICABLE AND DISGUSTING TO SAY THE LEAST...


The Chinese Sanlu/ Baidu milk scandal is despicable and disgusting to say the least - 3 dead babies, 150 with kidney failure and another 6,244 taken ill. Those responsible will ultimately pay with their lives in China!

It is extremely embarrassing for us in New Zealand to learn that our dairy food company Fonterra, the sixth largest in the world, has a 43% joint venture with Sanlu and kept things quiet for 45 days, before the New Zealand government spilt the beans on them and made the scandal public here.

It wasn't a good start to our free trade relationship with China, even if it wasn't Fontera's fault and it didn't involve NZ milk.

It is guilt by association, as they say. The arrests of senior company members and others involved has commenced.

There is an old saying: If you want to sup with the devil make sure you have a long spoon!

Read full story here

Tuesday, September 16, 2008





THE GRAPEFRUIT DIET IS ALIVE AND WELL AND WORKS...


I don't know about you folks, but I carry a bit of middle age weight that is difficult to get rid of. I was listening to a talkback radio program just last night, and a caller there praised the virtues of the humble grapefruit. It brought back memories of a popular diet of a quarter of a century ago - the grapefruit diet. So off to Google I went!

A new study by Nutrition and Metabolic Research Centre researchers at Scripps Clinic has confirmed that a simple act of adding grapefruit to your diet can result in real weight loss.

The grapefruit diet is not a myth. No, it is actually something an older generation knew 25 years or so ago. Grapefruit has a high fibre content and low glycemic load, and is a not so secret weight loss weapon. I didn't have a weight problem back then; I was a smoker and that was responsible for controlling my weight. Since then I have successfully given up smoking...and suffered the major side affect of giving up smoking - weight gain. Its all to do with a change in your metabolism.

The advice given last night has me seriously considering adding grapefruit to my diet - basically eating half a grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice with every meal.It apparently takes a couple of weeks before weight loss becomes evident.