Internist warns about trending “health foods” that are misleading and potentially dangerous

www.drsunithaposina.com

The free time “lockdown” has brought to households across the nation has many spending more time at home, on their phones and on social media, looking up new diets or recipes to stay healthy. However, certain foods and ingredients that are trending on social media as “healthy” can be extremely misleading and even harmful. New York-based Board-certified internist, Dr. Sunitha D. Posina, has listed some of the most well-known ‘health foods’ and how they might not always live up to the hype. 

If you would like to interview Dr. Posina on the following or any other health and beauty related topics, please email Katherine Rothman at katherine@kmrcommunications.com. 

1. Hard seltzer 

Hard-seltzers have grown in popularity as a ‘good choice’ for health-conscious consumers with low carbohydrate and calorie content. But in reality, a refreshing alcoholic drink that’s lighter in calories and feels less filling may make it easier to imbibe more. 

No matter the calorie count, overconsumption of alcohol and binge drinking has a long list of long-term health effects.

2. Plant-based alternatives to meat

While some can be higher in certain vitamins and minerals than animal meat (they’re added during processing), they can also be higher in sodium and carbohydrates. 

However, not all meats are made the same. Always check the nutritional label to avoid being misled into buying a product you think is better for you than meat. 

3. Celery as a miracle vegetable

Despite what social media says about the ‘miracle juice’, there isn’t any evidence to support the end-all-be-all claims (prevent cancer, lowers cholesterol, prevent digestive disorders, help lose weight, and promote clear skin) influencers and celebrities made. 

Celery juice is virtually void of fiber, which is what helps make people feel full and aids weight loss, thanks to the juicing process. While drinking the juice doesn’t do any harm per se, it’s not the magical detoxifier, and cleanser everyone thinks it is. 

4. Gluten-free when you don’t need to be

To imitate the flavor and texture of wheat gluten, companies will use corn, oat, and rice flours, which aren’t necessarily healthier for you. 

Suppose you don’t have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. In that case, you might end up with nutritional deficiencies as fortified bread, whole wheat and cereals are a significant source of B vitamins and fiber. 

Other common health trends Dr. Posina can but is not limited to comment on:

• Weight loss teas
• The Keto Diet
• Gluten-free 
• Vegan 
• Smoothie Bowls
• Juicing
• The Pegan diet
• Drinking turpentine for the common cold
• Activated charcoal products
• ‘Diet’ ice cream (ie. Halo Top)
• Raw food diets

About Dr. Posina:

Dr. Sunitha D. Posina, M.D. is a renowned board-certified physician in Internal Medicine in Stony Brook, New York. Dr. Posina was born in a small town in India before moving to the Tri-State area at a young age. An early love for science, skincare, and philanthropy fueled her determination to study medicine. Initially, Dr. Posina began her undergraduate studies at Rutgers University in Biology and Economics prior to starting her medical training at the PSI Med School in the heart of Southern India. Her medical training in India gave her an opportunity to learn about the potential synergistic benefits of combining eastern therapies with western medicine. As such, subsequent to her medical training, she pursued her post-graduate training in Internal Medicine at Stony Brook University Hospital, the largest academic medical center in Long Island, New York.

In addition to her extensive training in internal medicine, Dr. Posina has completed multiple dermatology rotations treating patients with hyperpigmentation, acne, hair loss, and vitiligo. She is also certified in anti-aging therapies such as stem-cell therapy, integrative weight loss training, aesthetic procedures such as platelet-rich plasma therapy, advanced hair restoration therapy, personalized medical-grade chemical peels, designing medical-grade facials, skin-rejuvenating laser therapies, and Intravenous Vitamin infusions. 

Due to her extensive exposure to community medical outreach nationally and internationally, she has a command of socio-economic barriers that affect vulnerable populations that are at higher risk for chronic diseases. Dr. Posina has also been a strong advocate for community education on chronic illnesses that plague our society such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.

Dr. Posina is an experienced internist, specialized in the management of acutely-ill hospitalized patients at several medical centers in the Northeast. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she worked on the frontlines by taking care of critically ill patients with coronavirus in New York, the nation’s first epicenter. 

The much-awaited launch of her extensively researched skincare line is a fusion of traditional eastern medicine with modern science. The product line is an amalgamation of love, purity, and science with maximum efficacy. Dr. Posina considers herself “the beauty internist” due to her knowledge of anti-aging, and her love of all things beauty-related as well as her extensive background in Internal Medicine. She places an emphasis on keeping her patients youthful-looking and feeling by treating them from the inside out so they are not simply “visually youthful” but internally as well. 

Get Two Fan-Favorite LUXIE Beauty Sets for the Price of One During the Annual Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (Early Access Starts August 4th)

Experience superior performance and cruelty-free, luxurious design with the Ultimate Face Set and Ultimate Eye Set, featuring everything necessary to crush 2020’s hottest looks

Campbell, CA – (August 4th, 2020): On August 4th, get early access to discounts on some of the most coveted beauty tools from LUXIE during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Created by a makeup lover for makeup lovers, LUXIE offers a complete cruelty-free collection of sustainably crafted, high-performing cosmetic tools. Their entirely vegan, hypoallergenic makeup brush is adored by fans around the world, featuring ultra-soft, synthetic bristles designed to outperform the top-tier animal hair varieties. Now, get in on the season’s hottest beauty deals, including the LUXIE Ultimate Face Set (a $78 value for $35) and the LUXIE Ultimate Eye Set (a $58 value for $30), featuring everything necessary to re-create the best and boldest looks of 2020.  

Achieve a natural makeup look fast with the Ultimate Face Set from LUXIE (a $58 value for $30). Made with the signature Rose Gold ferrule and pink handle, along with the company’s luxuriously soft, cruelty-free synthetic bristles, each brush in this versatile collection is built to perform. This four-brush set features:

• The LUXIE 513 Cream Highlight Brush: designed to accentuate your cheekbones, the bridge of your nose, and your cupid's bow
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Create a variety of soft or glam looks with ease using the LUXIE Ultimate Eye Set (a $78 value for $35). Includes four of the brand’s most popular cruelty-free, synthetic eye brushes encased in the brand’s signature Rose Gold ferrule and pink handle. Designed to help makeup novices and experts alike master any look with precision, this must-have set includes:

• The LUXIE 208 Crease Blending Brush: define your crease with dark colors, without leaving behind harsh lines
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• The LUXIE 221 Flat Definer Brush: made to help you apply a thin line of powder shadow at the lashline and slightly blend it out for a smoky, diffused look

For a limited time, get access to two fan-favorite, multi-purpose sets from LUXIE offered at a special price during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (early access starts August 4th). Shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale online at Nordstrom.com. Learn more about the company that believes “when you look good and do good, you feel good” at LuxieBeauty.com, and follow LUXIE on Instagram @LuxieBeauty for the latest makeup tutorials and product releases, plus top lifestyle and beauty inspo. 

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About LUXIE:

Since 2014, LUXIE has grown from an indie brand to a global phenomenon beloved by top US influencers and beauty lovers alike. Sourcing the best components from around the world, the female-founded company developed one of the first high-performing, cruelty-free, and 100% vegan makeup brushes. Today, their complete collection features a wide array of multi-use beauty tools that combine sleek design with problem-solving functionality, including signature brushes made with premium soft, synthetic bristles. Headquartered in San Jose, California, LUXIE is available in retail stores across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Led by CEO Conor Riley and Chairman of the Board, Claudia Poccia - known for her work with Shiseido, Bare Escentuals, Stila, and Laura Mercier - the LUXIE team is constantly innovating in a non-stop effort to deliver flawless perfection. They strive to partner with exceptional retailers, influencers, and industry leaders who share their core environmental and community values, along with an authentic passion for next-generation beauty products. Learn more at LuxieBeauty.com and follow on Instagram @LuxieBeauty.

Deep Flavors Makes Delicious Kosher Cuisine Accessible for Home Cooks

Dallas, TX, August 3, 2020 — If you love cooking kosher or simply enjoy trying new foods and creating memorable meals in your home kitchen, Deep Flavors: A Celebration of Recipes for Foodies in a Kosher Style from Kenneth M. Horwitz offers an abundance of tempting dishes designed for cooks, whether Kosher or non-Kosher, with helpful tips for proper preparation.

“Cooking is worth some effort and attention to detail,” Horwitz writes. “The positive reactions from family or guests, as well as your own enjoyment, will make it worthwhile.”

“Effort” and “attention to detail,” however, don’t have to equate with “difficult.” In fact, throughout Deep Flavors, Horwitz shares his wisdom for sourcing ingredients and breaking recipes into simple steps — and how to do some of this prep work well in advance so that delicious meals can be served in spite of hectic schedules.

Between the covers of Deep Flavors, Horwitz offers an eclectic menu that includes traditional Jewish dishes plus other regional and international favorites reinterpreted to observe some or all of the rules for kosher foods. The result is a diverse anthology of recipes that will appeal to broad audiences everywhere — Jewish and otherwise.

Horwitz, a CPA by trade, explained in an interview with Today’s CPA that, “My approach to cooking is really an extension of what I do in my professional practice. I solve problems. One of the ‘problems,’ at least in my house, is that since we maintain a kosher house, but eat eclectically, is how to convert recipes so that they are kosher …”

Horwitz’s Texas State Fair Blue Ribbon-winning Spinach/Mushroom Lasagna, for instance, is a completely original vegetarian lasagna accessible to Jews and vegetarians, with a unique twist on ingredients that gives it a complex flavor profile. Even recipes for classic foods such as brisket and roast turkey contain newly imagined taste combinations and techniques to elevate them while maintaining recognizable hallmarks of each dish. Another recipe that epitomizes the standard set by Horwitz, yet remarkably simple to execute, is the Dill French Toast: savory, unique, and delicious.

Horwitz’s ultimate goal was to create recipes that are easy to read and easily followed by any-one with a basic knowledge of cooking. He provides detailed instructions with enhanced explanations and alternatives, additive for both the novice and the more experienced cook.

A Readers’ Favorite reviewer, who gave Deep Flavors a 5-star rating, referred to the book as “… an essential addition to any cookbook fanatic's collection and to anyone who believes in spending the time and effort to make the ‘food’ experience a real work of art …”
    
With 51 years in a general tax and transaction practice as a CPA and lawyer, Ken Horwitz developed a creative and focused approach to finding and fixing problems — a skill that translates well to the development of and modification of recipes based on traditional family favorites but tailored to one’s personal tastes and dietary needs.
    
His professional drive and the care given to his work have earned him multiple awards, including the Honorary Fellow for a lifetime of distinguished service and the 2017 Chairperson of the Year by the Texas Society of CPAs. Currently residing in Dallas, Texas, Horwitz enjoys sharing his passion for cooking with his wife and his children’s families. Horwitz believes that one of the highest compliments he has received came from a longstanding client who uses numerous lawyers. He said, “Ken, you are the only lawyer we use whose work we have not had to fix.” Horwitz’s goal is for Deep Flavors to reach that same standard.

To learn more, please visit www.deepflavorscookbook.com, or follow the author on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kenneth.horwitz.73.

Deep Flavors
Publisher: Inspire on Purpose
ISBN-13: 978-1-941782-51-4
ISBN-10: 1-941782-51-5
Available from Amazon.com

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NO MONKEY BUSINESS!

No monkeys pick the coconuts used in any Edward & Sons’ product. Period.

Recently, news groups and social media posts have amplified a 2015 PETA exposé of several coconut farmers in Thailand who capture and train monkeys to assist with their coconut harvest, subjecting the animals to cruel conditions. Understandably horrified by these reports, several customers have asked if coconut milk sold under Edward & Sons’ brands (Native Forest, Let’s Do Organic, More Than Fair) may have been made from coconuts picked by monkeys. The answer is an unequivocal NO.

Although some media and special interest groups would like you to believe monkey harvesting is widespread throughout Thailand, this old-world method is only practiced by a small minority of coconut farmers in the present day, none of whom are suppliers to Edward & Sons.

Edward & Sons is committed to ethical treatment of people and animals. Neither we nor our suppliers use monkeys for picking coconuts, or for any other purpose. Coconuts are picked from tall trees by human workers using sharp saws or sickles attached to very long poles. Our customers may rely upon the fact that all coconuts used in our products are sustainably sourced and ethically harvested. All work to plant, care for, harvest and process Edward & Sons food products is performed by human professionals, who are fairly paid for their labor.

Joel Dee

Founder & CEO

Edward & Sons

Health Food Innovator Edward & Sons Trading Company, Inc. – First To Introduce Miso-Cup® Instant Soup & Gluten-Free Baked Brown Rice Snaps® To American Consumers –Marks 40^th Anniversary Milestone

CARPINTERIA, CA., MARCH 8, 2018 - The first Whole Foods Market wouldn’t open in Austin, Texas, for another two years. The first Sprouts wouldn’t make its debut in Arizona for another 24 years. Vegetarians were relegated to the shadows in most supermarket settings, and for much of the population, the term Vegan sounded like something out of “Star Trek.”

The year was 1978 and the health food revolution was in its infancy. But a young man named Joel Dee with a vision of what the industry could one day become saw the future. And it was delicious.

As a young man, Joel worked alongside his two brothers and their father, Edward, in the family’s iconic New Jersey-based business, Smarties Candy Company. But, as fate would have it, Joel’s interests extended well beyond the confection industry.

“I was responsible for export sales at the candy company and found it difficult to maintain a healthy, satisfying diet while on-the-road,” Joel recalls today. “Health food stores sold wholesome foods that required a kitchen and a long cooking time, both in short supply to a `road warrior’ such as myself. Conventional supermarkets sold convenience foods that were laced with preservatives and artificial ingredients, which I was determined to avoid. To make things even tougher, I had recently become vegetarian, so my restaurant menu options were often limited to salad and potatoes... not exactly a balanced diet.”

Adds Joel, “I was a traveling salesman who needed portable, nourishing, easy to prepare vegetarian food without artificial ingredients, but I couldn’t find it anywhere in 1976 America. I wondered: Could I be the only person who wants this? I hadn’t planned to start a new business, but I felt somewhat obliged to.  If I wouldn’t take on the job of creating wholesome, vegetarian convenience foods, it occurred to me that no one else would either.”

With that motivation in mind, Joel began a two year effort to develop Miso-Cup® instant soup mix and, with its launch in 1978, Edward & Sons Trading Company, Inc. was born.

A History of “Firsts”                                                                                                                                                                              

As it turned out, introducing instant Miso-Cup soup would be only the first of numerous company innovations that would continue for the next forty years. In 1979, for example, Edward & Sons introduced Baked Brown Rice Snaps® whole grain, gluten free crackers, decades before American shoppers would demand gluten free groceries on a massive scale. Numerous “first-to-market” vegan organic products followed, including canned coconut milk, hearts of palm, pineapple chunks and mandarin oranges, Worcestershire sauce, croutons, panko, ice cream cones and many more.

According to Joel, “We tend to do `firsts’ because that’s what we’re passionate about. We are driven to provide new options to our health-aware consumers, while creating markets for our ethical organic farmers and packers around the globe. We’re proud of our activities that protect native forests and support conversion from conventional to organic farming, which nourishes the environment while enhancing the well-being of everyone along the supply chain from farm to table.”

Indeed, Joel and his team have successfully developed so many different products over these past 40 years that they’ve chosen to create subsidiary brands to market and distinguish them all, including the flagship Edward & Sons® brand as well as Native Forest®,  Let’s Do Organic®, Let’s Do Gluten-Free®, More Than Fair®, Nature Factor®, Road’s End Organics®, Premier Japan® and The Wizard's®. 

Regardless of the brand name on the package, however, all products under the Edward & Sons umbrella are defined by the company’s longstanding commitment to excellent vegetarian food and to its enduring motto: Convenience Without Compromise.®

As Joel sums up, “We remain a vegetarian company that’s mission-driven to offer consumers delicious and nourishing convenience foods free of artificial ingredients. That’s how we’ve run the business for the past 40 years and it’s how I envision Edward & Sons to be run for the next 40 years - and beyond.”

Coca-Cola Front Group Tried to Obscure Coke’s Funding & Key Role, Study Says

Coca-Cola Kept “Email Family” of Public Health Academic Allies 

Coca-Cola Co. and academics at its front group Global Energy Balance Network (GEBN) tried to obscure Coke’s central role and funding for the group, according to a new study published today in Public Health Nutrition. Coke and the academics tried to dilute the apparent size of Coke’s $1.5 million contribution as well as the company’s role in creating the GEBN. Coke also maintained an “email family” of public health academics whom Coke used to promote its interests.

The study was based on documents obtained via state public records requests by U.S. Right to Know, an investigative public health and consumer group. Coke created the GEBN to downplay the links between obesity and sugary drinks, as a part of its “war” with the public health community. GEBN went defunct in 2015.

“This is a story about how Coke used public health academics to carry out classic tobacco tactics to protect its profits,” said Gary Ruskin, executive director of U.S. Right to Know. “It’s a low point in the history of public health, and a warning about the perils of accepting corporate funding for public health work.”

Regarding Coke’s funding, John Peters, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, stated: “We are certainly going to have to disclose this [Coca-Cola funding] at some point. Our preference would be to have other funders on board first…Right now, we have two funders. Coca Cola and an anonymous individual donor….Jim [Hill] and Steve [Blair], does including the Universities as funders/supporters pass the red face test?”

In another email, John Peters explains, “We are managing some GEBN inquiries and while we disclose Coke as a sponsor we don’t want to disclose how much they gave.”

The paper also provides evidence of Coke’s leadership of a tight-knit group of public health academics who issued research and public relations messaging supportive of Coke. Rhona Applebaum, then-VP and chief science and health officer at Coke, used the term “email family” to describe the network. The paper states that, “Coca-Cola supported a network of academics, as an ‘email family’ that promoted messages associated with its public relations strategy, and sought to support those academics in advancing their careers and building their affiliated public health and medical institutions.”

“Coke’s ‘email family’ is just the latest example of the appalling commercialization of the university and public health work,” Ruskin said. “Public health academics in an email family with Coke is like criminologists in an email family with Al Capone.” 

Today’s study in Public Health Nutrition is titled “Evaluating Coca-Cola’s attempts to influence public health ‘in their own words’: analysis of Coca-Cola emails with public health academics leading the Global Energy Balance Network.” It was co-authored by Paulo Serôdio, research fellow at the University of Barcelona; Gary Ruskin, executive director of U.S. Right to Know; Martin McKee, professor of European public health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; and David Stuckler, professor at Bocconi University.

The co-authors of today’s study also wrote a study about Coke and GEBN for the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health titled “Science organisations and Coca-Cola’s ‘war’ with the public health community: insights from an internal industry document.”

Documents from this study are available at the UCSF Food Industry Documents Archive, in the U.S. Right to Know Food Industry Collection, at https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/food/collections/usrtk-food-industry-collection/.

For more information about U.S. Right to Know, see our academic papers at https://usrtk.org/academic-work/. For more general information, see usrtk.org.

Noted Ontario Lawyer’s New Book on Divorce 
and the Coronavirus Hit Shelves
Russell Alexander delayed release to update the book with pandemic-related answers

LINDSAY, Ontario—Noted Ontario family lawyer Russell Alexander’s new book on divorce and the coronavirus is on sale now.

Alexander delayed publication of his second book, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Divorce,” to update it with a special chapter, Divorce During a Pandemic, answering questions on how the current health crisis has affected divorce cases and changed the legal practice. 

“I wrote this book around the most common questions I have faced as a divorce lawyer over the last twenty years,” said Alexander. “But since the pandemic, I’ve gotten some new ones, and I wanted to make sure I answered those as well.”

The book is available to purchase online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Apple Books, as well as through Bibliotheca, Rakuten Kobo, Tolino and Baker & Taylor. Russell Alexander Collaborative Family has also provided copies to local bookstores and mental health counselors in Ontario. 

Readers may also pick up a copy at the list price of $22.12 at the firm’s six offices throughout Ontario. All proceeds will be donated to the Giving Fund in support of various community-based programs. 

In the book, Alexander walks couples who are considering divorce through the process from their initial meeting with an attorney to the final settlement, giving advice on alternative dispute resolution as an alternative to brutal courtroom fights, among other subjects. In a special chapter on the pandemic, he answers questions about spousal support, custody and parenting handoffs that have been complicated by the health crisis. 

“Divorce is one of the most stressful experiences you can go through, even more so during a pandemic,” added Alexander. “I hope that giving straightforward advice to couples considering it, I can reduce some of that stress so that they can focus on what matters to their family.”

Alexander’s previous book, “The Path to a Successful Divorce,” became a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon. He is  a faculty member of the American Bar Association TECHSHOW and has spoken at conferences in Toronto and Chicago.

To purchase Alexander’s new book on Amazon, either in print or on Kindle, visit: https://bit.ly/EverythingonDivorce 

For more details on “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Divorce," visit:http://www.russellalexander.com/book 

                                                                                                                                                                ***

RussellAlexander Collaborative Family Lawyers 

Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers is committed to practicing exclusively in the area of family law in Ontario dealing with all aspects, including separation and divorce, child custody and access, spousal support, child support, and division of family property. A team of lawyers provide guidance from start to finish, helping clients identify and understand the legal issues as well as the options and opportunities available through the transition. The firm has offices in Lindsay, Whitby, Oshawa, Markham, Peterborough and Toronto, Ontario. 

Getting Back Your Full Range of Motion After a Workout Injury

After a workout injury, you're likely eager to return to your old exercise routine with a few mindful modifications, of course. One common mistake patients make is returning to their old habits too quickly and either reinjuring or worsening their existing injury. Pacing is key. As you work toward recovery, prioritizing your health, strength, and resilience will enable you to workout smarter and more safely in the future.

Start Small

Speak with your physician about when it's safe to start exercising again. The body will be less conditioned after even just a few days without working out, but that does not mean you can jump back in and try to prevent further deterioration. Depending on the severity of your injury, it's best to have a period of rest and then gradually reintroduce exercise into your daily routine.

A runner or athlete with a torn ligament, for example, cannot simply take off as soon as they start to feel they've healed. They'll have to work out systematically, beginning with walks and progressively increasing the speed and duration of their physical activity.

Break Up Your Workouts

Shorter periods of exercise will help prevent injury while building strength and preventing muscular strain. Rather than forcing your body to pull through a workout it isn't ready to handle yet, consider smaller 10- to 15-minute workouts that are easier on your body and can be implemented into your daily routine.

For those whose injuries required corrective surgical procedures, simple, small exercises will be key to maintaining physical fitness and preserving your mental health while optimizing your recovery outcomes.

Don't Overlook Warmups and Cooldowns

Many sports and exercise-related injuries are caused because people did not properly prepare their bodies for the challenge. Even physical exercise you practice with ease requires a tremendous amount of effort and coordination from your muscles, ligaments, and bones.

Consider adding a daily stretching routine when you wake up and before bed in addition to your workout warmup and cooldown. These steps will improve your flexibility, lowering your risk of reinjury and giving you an all-around more effective workout.

Consult a Professional

Consider speaking with a sports medicine doctor  who can assist your recovery. Although your general physician is likely helpful, a sports medicine professional understands the unique challenges to recovery that athletes face. Even if you only frequent the gym and don't consider yourself an proper athlete, an expert in the field can help structure your recovery program in a way that retains your existing strength and helps you heal better and stronger.

Coordinating your recovery with a variety of professionals can be helpful as well. Sports massage therapists, physical therapists, and sports medicine doctors are all experts who can help educate you about exercise safety, injury prevention and recovery strategies.

Workout injuries are frustrating, but you shouldn’t skimp on caring for them. Taking proper care of the injury will ensure that your recovery goes well and holds up when you’re ready to start working out again. Talk to your physician and a sports medicine doctor for more advice on how to get back your full strength and range of motion after an injury.