NEWS--Read the labels, heed the signs of change

[Guest guest]

Read the labels, heed the signs of change

Ronda Graff

Friday, December 30, 2005

As the year draws to a close, journalists have it the easiest. For a

year-end wrap-up, all they have to do is rehash everything that

happened over the past yea.

The year-end lists are everywhere from the most popular folk songs

of the year to the Top 10 fashion mistakes; what star couples broke

up (whom we'll never meet) to what top criminals broke out (and whom

we're thankful that we'll never meet).

Trying just a slight bit to deviate from the norm, let's hit some

highlights from the past year that you may have missed:

* Not-so-fine print

As the obesity rate continues to rise in our country, food

manufactures are trying to steer away from obvious high-calorie

products. Perhaps, that is why M & M's have created new packaging for

their mid-size product. Rather than the now-standard " King-sized "

package and all its connotations, the newest wrapper says (and I'm

not making this up) " Tear and Share. " They are both the relatively

the same size; it's just that one comes with instructions on how to

open the paper wrapper and what to do with it once you've got it

open.

Thank goodness, because I've often found myself wondering what to do

with an unopened bag of M & Ms, although I'm not sure if they'll send

the candy police after you if break the rules and eat the entire bag

by yourself.

If you thought those instructions were pretty basic, did you know

that some facial tissues come with instructions? On the new anti-

germ Kleenex, the wrapper actually tells you to: 1. Blow your nose,

2. Fold up the tissue, 3. Throw it away.

I thought that was the pretty standard procedure with " used "

tissues, but people must need special guidance when using these

special tissues.

Finally, if you're really into reading product labels and want to

amuse yourself at the same time, head to the prepackaged breakfast

bakery aisle.

When I find myself with a few extra minutes in the grocery store and

have replaced all the mysterious items in my cart, I like to

play " Which one of these donuts has the most calories and the most

fat? "

It's like a little game to see how many of your daily calories can

be used up by this one pastry. See if you can beat my record: A

cinnamon bun with 680 calories and 44 grams of fat or approximately

62 percent of the daily recommended rate.

And since nutrition labels will be required to list trans fat as of

Jan. 1, 2006, we'll soon have something else to look for in the new

year.

* Keep brewing that java

While it's a general consensus that a glass of wine is beneficial to

your health, the status of coffee fluctuates year by year.

If you swallow this past year's announcements, then we should all be

downing cupfuls of coffee on a daily basis.

Coffee may help you stay focused; it may help you exercise longer

because it relieve muscle pain; it may even slow the growth of germs

leading to tooth decay.

Not mentioned is whether coffee can answer the ultimate question:

Can it help me lost weight? I guess if you drink enough cups of

coffee, all that jittering and twitching may work those pounds right

off. Of course, you'll have giant bags under your eyes from lack of

sleep that no one will notice the missing couple of pounds.

In the end, I won't receive all the health benefits from coffee,

real or not, because I just don't like coffee that much. I've tried

to like it, but how much of an advantage health wise can I gain when

I've got one part coffee to six parts sugar plus four parts milk or,

even better, cream.

* And finally

The weather continued to bounce around in 2005 like a child cooped

up all day inside when the wind was blowing 60 mph outside.

Folks in wide-open Wyoming have noticed that their wind didn't seem

to be as bad this past year. That's because the wind has taken up

residence in our neck of the woods, rattling windows and blowing

around trash cans.

Our first snow of the season came fast and furious in November but

mostly gone by the time Christmas rolled around. I was conflicted

about being able to eat lunch outside on the picnic table on

Christmas Eve. There's just something not right about it being that

warm once winter had officially started.

Actually, I was glad the snow finally melted because I was waiting

to retrieve a floor mat from a drift behind my house. Having hung

the mat out to dry the day before the blizzard in November, it was

blown to the ground and consequently covered by a six-foot drift.

Not exactly sure it was under the snow, I patiently waited for the

drift to melt.

Last week, I was finally able to spot the corner of the mat, but was

still unable to pull it from beneath the three feet of snow

remaining. Only days ago was the mat set free, although a foot of

snow remains. It must be bound and determined to make it to the new

year -- just to see what's in store.

Ronda Graff

Friday, December 30, 2005

As the year draws to a close, journalists have it the easiest. For a

year-end wrap-up, all they have to do is rehash everything that

happened over the past yea.

The year-end lists are everywhere from the most popular folk songs

of the year to the Top 10 fashion mistakes; what star couples broke

up (whom we'll never meet) to what top criminals broke out (and whom

we're thankful that we'll never meet).

Trying just a slight bit to deviate from the norm, let's hit some

highlights from the past year that you may have missed:

* Not-so-fine print

As the obesity rate continues to rise in our country, food

manufactures are trying to steer away from obvious high-calorie

products. Perhaps, that is why M & M's have created new packaging for

their mid-size product. Rather than the now-standard " King-sized "

package and all its connotations, the newest wrapper says (and I'm

not making this up) " Tear and Share. " They are both the relatively

the same size; it's just that one comes with instructions on how to

open the paper wrapper and what to do with it once you've got it

open.

Thank goodness, because I've often found myself wondering what to do

with an unopened bag of M & Ms, although I'm not sure if they'll send

the candy police after you if break the rules and eat the entire bag

by yourself.

If you thought those instructions were pretty basic, did you know

that some facial tissues come with instructions? On the new anti-

germ Kleenex, the wrapper actually tells you to: 1. Blow your nose,

2. Fold up the tissue, 3. Throw it away.

I thought that was the pretty standard procedure with " used "

tissues, but people must need special guidance when using these

special tissues.

Finally, if you're really into reading product labels and want to

amuse yourself at the same time, head to the prepackaged breakfast

bakery aisle.

When I find myself with a few extra minutes in the grocery store and

have replaced all the mysterious items in my cart, I like to

play " Which one of these donuts has the most calories and the most

fat? "

It's like a little game to see how many of your daily calories can

be used up by this one pastry. See if you can beat my record: A

cinnamon bun with 680 calories and 44 grams of fat or approximately

62 percent of the daily recommended rate.

And since nutrition labels will be required to list trans fat as of

Jan. 1, 2006, we'll soon have something else to look for in the new

year.

* Keep brewing that java

While it's a general consensus that a glass of wine is beneficial to

your health, the status of coffee fluctuates year by year.

If you swallow this past year's announcements, then we should all be

downing cupfuls of coffee on a daily basis.

Coffee may help you stay focused; it may help you exercise longer

because it relieve muscle pain; it may even slow the growth of germs

leading to tooth decay.

Not mentioned is whether coffee can answer the ultimate question:

Can it help me lost weight? I guess if you drink enough cups of

coffee, all that jittering and twitching may work those pounds right

off. Of course, you'll have giant bags under your eyes from lack of

sleep that no one will notice the missing couple of pounds.

In the end, I won't receive all the health benefits from coffee,

real or not, because I just don't like coffee that much. I've tried

to like it, but how much of an advantage health wise can I gain when

I've got one part coffee to six parts sugar plus four parts milk or,

even better, cream.

* And finally

The weather continued to bounce around in 2005 like a child cooped

up all day inside when the wind was blowing 60 mph outside.

Folks in wide-open Wyoming have noticed that their wind didn't seem

to be as bad this past year. That's because the wind has taken up

residence in our neck of the woods, rattling windows and blowing

around trash cans.

Our first snow of the season came fast and furious in November but

mostly gone by the time Christmas rolled around. I was conflicted

about being able to eat lunch outside on the picnic table on

Christmas Eve. There's just something not right about it being that

warm once winter had officially started.

Actually, I was glad the snow finally melted because I was waiting

to retrieve a floor mat from a drift behind my house. Having hung

the mat out to dry the day before the blizzard in November, it was

blown to the ground and consequently covered by a six-foot drift.

Not exactly sure it was under the snow, I patiently waited for the

drift to melt.

Last week, I was finally able to spot the corner of the mat, but was

still unable to pull it from beneath the three feet of snow

remaining. Only days ago was the mat set free, although a foot of

snow remains. It must be bound and determined to make it to the new

year -- just to see what's in store.