November 2009

October 2009 | Blog home | December 2009

DATE	Click on any blog entry to read it
3	Changes coming to much praised ACC programme
8	UV index back on the radar
13	Comparing ingredients in foods between the US and NZ
20	Comparing ingredients in foods between the US and NZ Part 2

3 November: Changes coming to much praised ACC programme

By Angela (read more of Angela's stuff on her pages!)

I have written on several occasions about the ACC system here that is the New Zealand equivalent of worker's compensation - except that it covers all accidents regardless of location or employment. It's a great programme, in my opinion, and, although I have said many good things about it, last month the central government announced it would have to undergo some drastic changes.

The programme is overspent and is estimated to continue to be overspent, costing millions and millions. Government has to reign in costs. In October, it announced big changes to ACC, including cutting some entitlements and increasing levies. In fact, costs to users are expected to rise at least 50% if not more.

It seems there's no real debate about the need for fixing the revenue shortfall. The controversy surrounds how to pay for it. The proposed levy increases are falling on the populations that have the most accidents:

vehicle drivers will see an increase of about 50% on their annual vehicle registration
motorcyclists will see a much larger increase, but the data shows they are something like 15-20% more likely to be in an accident and use ACC
scooter riders are also going to see a big increase, again supported by the data

Motorcyclists have been rallying nationwide to influence the proposed legislation. Last weekend they were in Nelson because the ACC Minister is Nelson's MP, Nick Smith. They met up with him at his local headquarters a couple kilometres away and made the evening news.

No matter how the increase is split up, it appears that it is coming. One way to save costs is to open up part of the ACC programmes - those who get injured at work - to private suppliers. This had been done in the past but under the previous Labour government it was completely brought under the government scheme. Now the new National government wants to partially privatise it again.

Soooo, I wait with baited breath to see how the changes will affect us and what new costs we will have if we are ACC users. Clearly we'll pay more for our car registration, but users will also have to pay more money for treatment costs like physical therapy.

From the sounds of it, these changes ebb and flow and depend on the financial status of the country and the party in charge in the Beehive. In good times perhaps government will take it back under it's wing and reduce costs. Watch this space!

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8 November: UV index back on the radar

By Angela (read more of Angela's stuff on her pages!)

It's the time of year where the UV radiation index is in force. I'd been waiting to see it on the weather page that we regularly visit to see the day's weather (MetService) for awhile now. And this morning I was laying in bed, looked at the weather page for Nelson from my phone and spotted it:

Bugger! I said to Don, oy here we go!! The index usually comes out around October/November (apparently UV ratings are available from this site from 01 October to 31 March altho I'd not seen them until today) but it starts up at a rating of 6. ALREADY, by the 7th of November, it's at 8!! Before the end of the month I am betting we'll be at full 11. Here's what the numbers mean:

UVI Rating	Risk from UV Radiation	UVI Colour Code	How To Protect Yourself
11+	Extreme	Purple	Reapply SPF 30+ every 2 hours, protective clothing, sunglasses, shade essential between 11am and 4pm.
8, 9, 10	Very High	Red	Reapply SPF 30+ every 2 hours, protective clothing, sunglasses, and seek shade between 11am and 4pm.
6, 7	High	Amber	SPF 30+, protective clothing, and UVA&B sunglasses. This is where Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap (sunglasses) STARTS.
3, 4, 5	Moderate	Yellow	SPF 30+, and protective clothing (hat) when in the sun for hours.
0, 1, 2	Low	Green	Apply sunscreen, SPF 30+. Safe to stay outside all day.

You may or may not know that the hole in the ozone layer is pretty much spot over New Zealand. We have disproportionately higher rates of skin cancer related to sun exposure than most parts of the world. Sun protection is a huge theme here, and people who visit should plan accordingly, recognising that there are literally minutes between when you walk out the door and when your skin starts to burn.

The UV Index (UVI) is a simple measure of the UV radiation level at the Earth's surface. It is a forecast of the peak intensity of UV expected to reach the Earth's surface under clear skies and when the sun is highest. The UVI is higher in the mountains than it is at sea level. The higher the UVI, the greater the harm and the less time it takes for your skin to burn. When we were on holiday here in 2005 they hadn't perfected this system. Instead they would announce burn times on the radio all day: "today's burn time is 11 minutes, so slip, slop, slap and wrap." That was kinda scary to hear, 11 minutes??!!

I've never seen the index under 6, probably because the MetService doesn't have it on their page in winter at all. So by the time it's back as we head through spring into summer, it's kinda a marking point for me to change my daily schedule because I truly seek the indoors between 11 and 4.

Bike rides and walks now all have to start early, 8am if a long one, 930 if shorter, but always back by 11. If I bike or walk on both weekend days, it impacts the lazy time reading in bed that I enjoy so much the rest of the year because I have to get up early enough to get back inside. (But exercise sadly has its place, ugh.) Visits to the Saturday market are timed much earlier in the day, which is also helpful if you want to fight crowds. Sitting outside on the deck requires an umbrella to create shade, but often isn't my choice until after 4pm and the sun has left it's highest point.

Sunscreen. I hate sunscreen. Not only do I try to stay inside, but if I go outside during peak hours, or even on the border hours, I'll wear long sleeves just to avoid sunscreen. I often bike with my long sleeve jerseys in summer and save my short sleeve jerseys for spring/autumn. Long sleeves aren't a surefire way to avoid UV rays - they can penetrate thin material too - but I detest greasy, oily, sticky sunblock so much I'd rather be hot or inside than have sunscreen on. If I know I don't have to leave my office on a work day for any meetings, and I'll just be inside, I won't use sunscreen moisturiser either because I hate the way it feels on my face.

Luckily, we have lots of windows and doors to open into the house so we can make the house feel summery even indoors! Bring on summer.

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13 November: Comparing ingredients in foods between the US and NZ

By Angela (read more of Angela's stuff on her pages!)

Happy Friday the 13th!!

PART 1: AMERICAN FOOD AND THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS POST

Having recently visited America on a brief trip, I went to the grocery store a couple of times and walked around pretty astounded. The choice!! I nearly forgot about all the choice. When I first moved here, the choice felt very limiting. There were many products we wanted to find in the grocery store that we could not, and so we either did without or tried a reasonably similar product. As an aside, the lack of choice is present in all retail options, and it does take awhile to get used to.

I came to discover that I rather liked having fewer choices. Looking at the quality of foods and their ingredients here, it was immediately evident to me that foods seemed healthier. Less sugar by far - I could taste this in the foods right away, in all sorts of foods. Being a calorie counter for years and years, I am a label looker; immediately I also noticed that foods here seemed like they had fewer calories. I couldn't believe that even the bad foods - candy, chips, packaged foods - that I was reviewing seemed to have less calories than I remember finding on labels for American food products.

Then it dawned on me to start looking at ingredients. I'm no scientist and I haven't done any reading at all on what these ingredients are. I follow a good rule of thumb I've heard before: the fewer ingredients, the better. And also stay away from all that fake looking stuff.

Looking at labels here, first thing you notice, a lot fewer ingredients. Second thing you notice, no high fructose corn syrup. I've not seen it on one food packet yet. It could be illegal, I don't know. From what I recall hearing only America uses it, it's not allowed in Europe (I may not be totally right on this, I admit to not researching it).

Take these Pop tarts that I hauled back from Seattle. Don and I had been talking about them a few weeks before I left, immortalising them in our minds from childhood when they seemed a staple in my house and a treat for Don. They aren't imported here, you can't find them. That's because they are loaded with piles of manufactured ingredients that mimic real ones. And of course you find the staple high fructose corn syrup.

I ate these growing up decades ago and they probably had different ingredients at that time. I'm guessing they've evolved to be more and more fake. What are these pop tarts if not a bunch of waxes with a bit o flour and some high fructose corn syrup? Pretty disgusting when you think about it.

Take a look at the very bottom: "Filling made with equal to 10% fruit" Wow, go crazy there. What does this mean, EQUAL to 10% fruit?? If it was actually 10% fruit, wouldn't they just say that? I'm guessing it's some disgusting fruit substitute congealed from the two fruit ingredients - dried cherries and dried apples - in the list and the other 48, including gums and waxes. Blech. (Yes, I know, it begs the question why we are eating them, but we all have our quirks and vices, right? I've not had pop tarts since I was a teenager, and it was a fun thing to bring them back and surprise Don. Not to mention to gawk at the ingredients, which prompted this blog post!)

We buy tortilla chips frequently to accompany the Mexican meals I cook. The corn chips I buy here have the following two ingredients: corn, vegetable oil.

Nevermind your big brand tortilla chips like Tostitos, Frito Lay or any Doritos version which are loaded down with all sorts of gunk. To compare apples as closely as possible to apples, I looked at Mission Tortilla Chips and most of their chip flavours had these ingredients:

Ground Corn Treated with Lime, Water, Vegetable Oil (contains one or more of the following: Cottonseed Oil, Corn Oil, Palm Oil), Salt.

Nothing terrible, but more than you need? If I can get by on a chip with two ingredients, why is it necessary for these others? Dunno.

Stay tuned for Part 2 in a few days.

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Your comments:

We noticed the differences in the health of the food here compared to the U.S. right away! No high fructose corn syrup here. We love it. Also, we did a little research into why the U.S. has SO many additives, preservatives, junk etc. We found that the reason for this is that the FDA etc. are lobbied by companies who produce these additives and so of course it all boils down to money. We also found that virtually none of the additives are necessary. They are put in the U.S. food because people are paid to make it law that these things are put in there.

Follow the money. It's not about truly preserving food, it's about the money and kickbacks the companies and lobbyists get from requiring these things to be in the food over in the U.S. It could also be about making the food so artificially "good" that it is addicting and therefore sales rise? McDonald's is a classic example of this. Just my 2 cents:)

~ Angela F

Just watched a documentary called "King Corn" or something close to that. Anyways in the 70's the US subsidized the corn industry, essentially corn growers loose money every year but the gov't kicks in so they make a profit and keep costs down. Why? If food is cheap, you have more money to spend on other goods like stereo's, cars, clothes...healthcare (ha). Capitalism at its best. According to the movie, in the US we spend less (% of income) on food than any other nation. That is my 2 cents, or NZ 2.68 cents.

~ Mark from Michigan (a red wings fan, boooo!!!!)

Great blog. At 73 years of age, we have seen the gradual degradation of our food in the form of sugar, salt, MSG, chemicals, and genetically manipulated items, all packaged to sell. The profit motive is so strong here. We are appalled by the non-food items that have been pushed on the American people and have tried for years to buy as much natural items as possible. You may be interested in seeing the documentary film, "Food Inc." It tells it all.

~ Dad & Mom

20 November: Comparing ingredients in foods between the US and NZ Part 2

By Angela (read more of Angela's stuff on her pages!)

Part 2: More on food ingredients

I've blogged several times about the incredible tastes of the fresh fruits and veggies we get at the local market here. Upon our arrival, we even noticed some vegetables looked different, and most were definitely smaller. This includes vegetables we find at the grocery store, which are tagged with where they come from. Mostly you'll find NZ products, then there's the Australian products, and the occasional imports from America and South America.

A recent news program I watched discussed the taste of fruit and vegetables in American grocery stores as completely flavourless because they are totally engineered to meet the country's massive demand. I bet those of you in America who shop at farmer's markets know exactly what I'm talking about - you notice the difference between farmer's market and store bought fruit right away. It's a no brainer. Luckily, most of NZ is like that, we can even purchase fruit at the stores that is still flavourful and yummy, although Don and I only do so as a last resort because the local markets are tops. You simply cannot compare the taste.

In Colorado, I used to eat only one variety of apple, fuji. It was the only apple that had enough taste to satisfy me so that I would eat it. I had always disliked apples, but needed to eat them for a special diet.

In NZ I've tried a dozen of apple varieties and could eat most of them. They have distinct flavours, juices, and are smaller sized, a more natural size. Sure some of them I don't like the flavour of, but I can taste the flavour at least. When I take a bite of an apple I buy from my local farmer, if I put it down on the table and let it sit a minute, the juices drip all over the table. That rarely happened in the US.

I've been making peanut butter from scratch for the last couple years for Don because (he eats bucketloads of the stuff and) we are used to it being so full of chemicals in America. Recently he pointed out to me the ingredients in one of the jars he keeps at work: peanuts, vegetable oil, salt and sugar. Hmmm, I purchase roasted, salted peanuts and use some olive oil in the making, so that jar isn't too far off from actual homemade peanut butter.

BUT, here are the ingredients for Jif Peanut Butter, from www.jif.com:

MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR. CONTAINS 2 PERCENT OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN), FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES AND SALT.

Interesting that the word 'peanuts' is bold. Would we be surprised if it were not there? A few extra ingredients there, but at least no high fructose corn syrup!

I was raised on Skippy Peanut Butter as I recall, and grew to prefer it. Owned by Unilever, Skippy doesn't give it's ingredients on the website, but does show nutritional information. Each jar is made up of 772 individual peanuts. A review website said that it's ingredients included added sugar and hydrogenated fats, and that it was processed - a badge of honour!

For about the first two years here I wouldn't venture into packaged products, I'd worked hard to not have them around because I didn't trust their ingredients. Who would, if you ventured to look at the label?! But I was brought down a peg or two by Don who bought Uncle Ben's Express rice for lunches. Finally, I weakened and tried one at home for dinners. I checked out the ingredients and calories, looked at him and got that 'I told you so" look. If we're on the run or I don't want to cook rice in my steamer, this is a good alternative.

The product is made in the UK. I looked on the shelves when I was in Seattle for this to do a comparison, and I couldn't find it. That's likely because it has so few food ingredients, it didn't meet the threshold for packaged foods in America - minimum 50 ingredients. Plus, it's two servings have less than 200 calories each. Take a look at the ingredients:

Pretty sparse, I'd have expected so much more, seeing as how it's a packaged food. But then, I'm used to American packaged foods. I will investigate other packaged foods here to see what else is available. Eating this rice, I don't feel like I'm putting cancer chemicals in my body like I did when I ate those pop tarts.

Still, we all have our weaknesses. As many of you know (because you write to me about it, which cracks me up), I have a fetish for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Not exactly the best of foods by far. I have a supply of cheese packets and then add in the rest of the ingredients here. I make it once every month or two, not frequently, and even when I eat it I start to feel ill about halfway through. Why I go back to it time and again, I have no idea. Have you seen the cheese powder? What is that stuff really??

Here are the ingredients, and this obviously includes ingredients for the pasta that is contained in the box:

Ingredients: ENRICHED MACARONI PRODUCT (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE [IRON], THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID); CHEESE SAUCE MIX (WHEY, MILKFAT, MILK PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SALT, SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF CITRIC ACID, LACTIC ACID, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, MILK, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, ENZYMES, CHEESE CULTURE). CONTAINS WHEAT, MILK.

The second group of ingredients following 'cheese sauce mix' is of interest. Lots of 'phates' and both citric and lactic acid??? I don't know why they use yellow food colouring, when I open up the sachet it is pure orange, unlike any cheese colour I've seen! And enzymes, what are they for and why listed just as 'enzymes??'

I challenge you when you come on a visit, spend an hour at the grocery store and look at equivalent products you may buy at home and check out their ingredients. Not only will you see a difference in the quantity of ingredients, but also in the amount of calories. I am convinced that packaged foods here are better by far because they aren't fully manufactured, processed products. Lucky for us, NZ has plenty of quality fresh foods that make packaged look entirely unattractive anyway.

Special note

The blog will be on a break for a couple of weeks ... more to follow!

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