At least you know they care.

I'm amused.

Binge eating: Is it a form of addiction?

Beth says, probably.

LA Times:

The notion that binge eating is a form of addiction comes up frequently in experts' discussions of the diagnosis.

Many binge eaters themselves talk about "cravings," "benders" and "hangovers," often describing a dynamic in binge eating that is eerily familiar to an alcoholic's descent into oblivion, as the first drink -- or the first after-dinner cookie -- leads uncontrollably to another and another. Rina Silverman says a binge "numbs me."

Like many who struggle with the problem, she attended Overeaters Anonymous meetings for a while. Modeled on the 12-step program of achieving abstinence, Overeaters Anonymous urges its members to -- among other steps -- identify and abstain completely from foods that seem to trigger powerful cravings to overeat.

Refined sugars and processed foods are a common ingredient.

But this approach, Silverman says, left her more depressed and discouraged. Many researchers and others who identify themselves as binge eaters are similarly critical of such advice.

Chavese Turner, who last year founded a national advocacy organization called the Binge Eating Disorder Assn., found that Overeaters Anonymous simply felt wrong. Identifying certain foods as "bad" and therefore off-limits, said Turner, seemed too simple and off the mark. There were always other, allowable foods to eat in excess. And racking her brain for what she could eat, rather than dealing with an anxiety or noticing that her stomach already felt full, seemed to miss the point.

Having grown up with an alcoholic mother -- now sober for 23 years -- Turner was open to the idea that her eating benders might be an inherited form of addiction. But alcohol, Turner knew, was something you could live without. Food was not; the temptation to binge was unavoidable at least three times a day.

The notion that binge eating and addiction are linked is supported by brain imaging studies that show significant overlap between the brain circuits activated by a drug addict's "craving" and those of a binge eater pondering an eating jag. Researchers also find that the brains of overeaters and those with substance addictions share a common shortage of receptors for the neurotransmitter dopamine, a key chemical in the activation of reward-seeking brain circuits.

"Those are fascinating studies that might yet establish that binge eating and substance abuse and addiction share common origins," says Steven Wonderlich, a University of North Dakota eating specialist who also serves on the American Psychiatric Assn.'s work group on eating disorders.

But Wonderlich cautions that such evidence so far falls far short of doing so. The brain's far-reaching reward circuitry is involved in lots of behaviors that involve motivation, learning and emotion -- not just pathological cravings. And dopamine imbalances are implicated in many neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease.

"I think the case for the addiction model is extremely weak," says Rutgers University psychologist Terry Wilson. In addiction, the abused substance is the focus of urges, cravings and a high. Those who binge eat are not so focused on their substance of abuse, Wilson noted.

In time, however, the brain studies that have spurred interest in an addiction link may help refine the diagnosis of binge eating. So too will work that has found a role for genetic inheritance in the development of binge eating.

Says Turner's mother, Donna Underhill, who has struggled with eating disorders herself: "Getting sober was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done."

But, Underhill says, she looks at Chavese and thinks "alcoholism was a piece of cake compared to this. She can't not eat."

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How cool this would have been nearly six years ago?  Yes, NOW, too... I'm still a forgetful goof.

Bissell SpotBot

Last night Mr. had a plate'o'leftovers  (OMG?  NO WAY!) near him while he did homework.  Somehow, he dumped the plate, containing fiery-hot butternut squash on his feet, and schmeared it ALL into the rug in the "office."  I was already telling him that I was ready to call the nice rug cleaners to come and suck these carpets.  We have been living in this house for a year, with off white rugs in several rooms.  Surprisingly they aren't bad, since I banish shoes from the house, but... Butternut Squash?  Eww.

But because I have no memory of it - my parents gave us a Bissell Spot-Bot LAST year - in which I stuck in the closet and immediately forgot about.  I found it when I was putting away a NEW gift for under the tree.  We also have a hand-held scrubby gadget, which I have been using on stains as necessary, but this is different.

You can set this little machine to spray, scrub, brush and suction out your stains, by itself.  It has two settings: one for surface stains, that is a quick cycle that beeps to indicate it's finished, and a longer cycle for set-in stains.  I used the "set-in" cycle for the squash mess from last night.  Mr. had cleaned it up with a towel and rubbed it into the carpet.

It worked great -- all squash staining is gone.  I just placed it on each area, set it and let it work. 

I wish the SpotBot had a bigger circumference, to do a larger area at once, I had to keep moving this and re-doing in circles.   It would be awesome for the stairs, but... it makes circles.  I need rectangles.  It does have a hand-held option, but I was testing it's automatic-ness today.

Also, it requires a ton of cleaning liquid.  I refilled the water + cleaner container five times just in this tiny room so far.

But, it did the trick.  Now, it's quite obvious that the entire room needs a deep cleaning, I've got little circle spots that are cleaner than the rest of the carpet.  Uh.

• Product - Bissell SpotBot
• Price - $100-$140ish
• Via - Amazon
• Pros - Automatic cleaning cycle for pesky nasty squash (or worse) stains, works quickly and well.
• Cons - Leaves UFO spots on slighty dingy carpeting.
• Rating - Domestically Challenged Mamaworthy.

Heh. This would be ME, but add a kid or four.

Black Friday Deal - About Time

Left Over.

Thanksgiving, came and went, and as I predicted, I have a huge pile of leftovers.  Squash, potatoes....and....

Job opp! "Reading Tuter Wanted for 5 year old in our house."

Maybe there's a reason?

I am going straight to hell for this:

Long overdue.

It's been a really long time since I got the kids in a pile of leaves with the camera.

A really long time.

Here I am, up at 4:30, NOT cooking, but I had a super-wicked-bad-dream, and figured, why bother going back to bed?  So, the laundry is in, the kitchen is ready, and here I am, thinking about Family Photos.  We haven't had a family photo taken since... 2007?  Not one of all of us since then.  Rut roh.

I mean, these rolls?  They are from 2007.  These kids are like, in college now.

I must catch up.  You would think that with thousands of photographs, I would have a piles of the kids.  I don't.  I don't think to carry the camera with us all the time, but you know what, we miss some of the best moments!

Who are these kids?

We need to get outside with everybody and get some photos done before, you know, 2010.  Jeez.

Although I suppose I could edit these and pass them off as now, you know, TWO YEARS LATER.  Most of the peeps I would send a card to, wouldn't know the difference.  :X

How to cook a MF'ing turkey.

It's that time again.

What are you making for Thanksgiving?  Are you doing the cooking or going elsewhere?  What's your FAVE dish of the day? 

And, remember! 

Leftovers Are A WLS'ers BEST FRIEND.

I'm making -

• Roast Turkey with Sage and Bacon.  I wasn't going to, but I realized I must have copious amounts of leftover meat.  My mom is making one to bring over here, but we're likely to use up all the leftovers.  My kids love turkey legs, and I like breast meat and skin.  :)
• Mashed Potatoes
  
• Creamed Onions
  
• She's got other sides covered, green beans, frosted cauliflower...
• Cornbread and butter
• I already "cooked" some desserts from the local market.  Nom.  I bought stuff I won't eat but looks great.  That works.  (Not a pie fan.)

I started taking new vitamins. And how.

Say no to corn syrup and hydrogenated oils for your holidays.

And of course:  Sugar Free Cool Whip which I know a thousand gastric bypassers are currently twitching to mix up in some puddin' pie:

Ingredients: WATER, CORN SYRUP*, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT AND PALM KERNEL OILS), LESS THAN 2% OF SODIUM CASEINATE (FROM MILK), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, XANTHAN AND GUAR GUMS, POLYSORBATE 60, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, SODIUM POLYPHOSPHATES, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM AND ASPARTAME* (SWEETENERS), BETA CAROTENE (COLOR). *ADDS A TRIVIAL AMOUNT OF SUGAR. **PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE.
Size: 8 OZ

Seriously - neither are a good idea.  But, "BETH!!  I NEED TO HAVE MY WHIPPED TOPPING ON MY JELLO DESSERT!"

No you don't.  Do you?  Why not make REAL WHIPPED CREAM?

 

Ingredients:

Organic Grade A Cream (Milk).

Giveaway - Cowboy & Wills - A heartwarming story.

Would you like a signed copy of the book? Leave a comment below for an entry to win this heart-warming story.

For more information:

• Website:    http://www.monicaholloway.com
  Facebook:    http://www.facebook.com/cowboyandwills
  Cowboy & Wills/Autism Awareness Facebook App: http://apps.facebook.com/cowboyandwills

Desperate Measures: Hot Protein Chocolate Win

I'm out of coffee beans.  This is a calamity!  I use whole beans for my espresso machine, and I thought I had a stray bag in the cabinet.  No.  Then, digging for grounds, I have none of those either.  EEK! 

So.  When forced, I get creative.  And, what I do have:

• Unsweetened cocoa powder (2 TBSP or to taste)
• Light soy milk (1 cup)
• Sweetener to taste
• 1 serving chocolate protein powder (I used a packet of About Time Chocolate Protein)
• 1 Starbucks VIA packet
• Water
• Optional:  Vanilla extract, mint extract

Mix cocoa powder with a little bit of water in a sauce pan killing all the lumps, add soy milk and stir while heating, add instant coffee packet, sweetener and continue stirring.  Don't boil this. 

Meanwhile, in shaker cup, mix one serving chocolate protein powder with four ounces lukewarm water, shake until smooth, and pour into saucepan, give it a quick stir until it's all combined and warm. 

This came out so good and creamy, I am very content.

OMGZPUPPIES!

I have the sudden urge to pull my dog in here and show her, her BABIES!

Remember, my dog had an unplanned pregnancy, and we gave her children away?

Chocolate Milk PR

 

GOT CHOCOLATE MILK?

Mmm...

Ingredients: Lowfat milk, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanillin, carageenan, guar gum, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D3

Yes, I remember chocolate milk.  I used to get the little half-pints of Garelick Farms Chocolate Milk at elementary school, it was really the only way I would drink the stuff.  Sure, I had milk at home, but it was more about drowning cereal than as a beverage.  These days, I do not TOUCH the stuff, due to my altered anatomy, milk can cause a revolt in my gut.

 

Flavored Milk in Perspective

PDF (4.20 MB

  I don't buy it for my kids either, but I can't exactly control the purchase of it with their hot lunches when they have it available to them.

But, a new advertising campaign is pimping out the benefits of chocolate milk for our kids.  I saw this first hand on Twitter the other night, when there was a PR blast of #chocolatemilk chat.  

"Ain't nothing better, I love me some #chocolatemilk!"

RT @4chocolatemilk: Calcium helps keep your teeth strong and healthy!! #chocolatemilk

I was confused to say the least.

The Boston Globe:

The dairy industry rolled out an expensive media campaign this week in praise of chocolate milk, a classic school lunch beverage whose sugar content is under assault in some districts.

But as trade groups spend upward of $1 million to defend the drink, three area fifth-graders already have come to its rescue.

But, the Dairy peeps say they didn't know schools were banning the sugary substance when they started this campaign.  Uh, duh?

Chicago Tribune:

Officials with the Milk Processor Education Program, a trade group for the dairy industry, said they did not know how many school districts pulled flavored milk from their cafeterias. But they said anecdotal examples from around the country and growing concerns about childhood nutrition convinced them that they needed to promote a message that chocolate milk is healthy.

The new ad campaign from the dairy industry, set to launch today, emphasizes that sugary flavorings are ways to get children to drink milk. Without them, some youngsters won’t drink regular milk and get its nutrients, the ads say.

The Raise Your Hand for Chocolate Milk campaign starts with an ad in USA Today featuring chocolaty brown colors and the launch of a website that asks people to sign a petition declaring their support for chocolate milk in school.

But some educators and obesity specialists say children get enough calcium, essential for bone growth, and will drink white milk if it’s the only milk offered. They say children get too much sugar, which is heightening America’s obesity problem.

The idea behind the campaign is to draw a distinction between chocolate milk and the soda that has come under attack in schools, said Vivien Godfrey, CEO of the Milk Processor Education Program, the industry marketing group that developed the campaign with the National Dairy Council.

It is estimated that a little container of the stuff over a school year can add 5 additional pounds on a little body frame.  It's just not necessary.  And, if the choice is removed, many kids will still drink the plain milk, it's not like little kids are going to go on a thirst strike because you've taken away the chocolate milk.

This seems like it's more about milk sales than health. 

Although Dairy Council Blog entries do make you wonder:  "Chocolate milk: An ideal sports drink." 

A video:  Good Morning America on ABC News - ABC News.

The School Milk Pilot Test Report (PDF)

Labrada Nutrition Hi-Protein Cookie Roll

LaBrada Hi Protein Cookie Roll, review to follow.  But, I CAN give you the immediate man-review.

"This is good, but I'll tell you what it needs, more flavor.  It tastes like nothing." - Mr. MM

• Product - Labrada Nutrition Hi-Protein Cookie Roll
• Price - I paid $2.50 at a local supplement store
• Via - Cape Cod Nutrition
• Available - Netrition, LaBrada
• Pros - It has the word BROWNIE involved, 25 grams of protein...
• Cons - Holy calories and sugar, not meant for WLS'ers, but....
• Rating - PENDING.

Burned out, depressed surgeons more likely to commit more major medical errors

Burned out, depressed surgeons more likely to commit more major medical errors.

National Espresso Day!

I am glad to know I have been celebrating appropriately for a day I did not know existed.  I might even take it a step further and hit @starbucks later for additional celebration  Or, a celebratory CLICK?  Perhaps.  

• Pumpkin Mocha Spice CLICK Latte in honor of the Thanksgiving week?

What, you don't have any?  PSSSHAAW.  Email [email protected] with "MM" in the subject line for FREE SAMPLES.  Send to a friend!  Your mama!  Your granny!  ;)