Paragon Press – January 2014

Happy New Year From Paragon Orthopedics!

NEWS FLASH-Let’s get that brain thinking and see how well you paid attention last year. Here is a 2013 review quiz of health and food news. See what you can remember.

1-In January, several European food companies were found to be fraudulently labeling what kind of meat as beef?
A) Horse, B) Llama, C) Squirrel, D) Pigeon

2-What ‘80’s throwback was the hottest health food of this year?
A) Pop Rocks, B) Spam, C) Crystal Pepsi, D) Chia Seeds

3-What was behind this year’s biggest food scare?
A) Corn, B) Cantaloupe, C) Bagged Salad, D) Eggs

4-This caused the major problems during the rollout of the Affordable Care Act:
A) Glitches in the Web Site, B) A Nurse’s Strike, C) Changing the name of Food Stamps to SNAP, D) Required Dental Coverage

5-The FDA took a step toward banning this:
A) 32-oz sodas, B) Trans Fats, C) High Fructose Corn Syrup, D) Cute characters that promote unhealthy food aimed at children

6-The FDA in November said that trans fats are no longer recognized safe. Companies have been moving away from trans fats for years. Which product still contains trans fats?
A) Sara Lee Cheesecakes, B) McDonald’s French Fries, C) Oreo Cookies,
D) Kellogg’s Pop Tarts

7-Federal regulators began scrutinizing:
A) E-Cigarettes, B) Medical Marijuana, C) Genetically Modified Foods, D) Moonshine

8-An outbreak of what caused a scare on two college campuses?
A) MRSA, B) Mononucleosis, C) Meningitis, D) Shingles

9-Which was not a new diet plan this year?
A) Paleo, B) Whole 30, C) Bullet Proof Diet, D) Ornish diet.

10-Which of these products was revived this year?
A) Apple Newtons, B) Planter’s Cheese Balls, C) Crystal Pepsi, D) Twinkies

11-US farmers in the heart of tobacco country are trying to grow which crop as demand for hummus explodes?
A) Corn, B) Chickpeas, C) Peppers, D) Lettuce

12-What percent of the world eats goat meat? Nearly:
A) 20%, B) 40%, C) 50%, or D) 70%

13– Which is NOT a new law to Oregon in 2014?
A) A law prohibits mothers from taking home their placentas at any time after giving birth. B) The minimum wage goes up $0.15, C) It is illegal to smoke in a car with kids, D) The maximum fine for texting while driving goes up from $250 to $500.

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ANSWERS:

1-A Horse,
2-D Chia seeds. Chia seeds have gained attention as a good source of omega-3 fatty acid and fiber.
3-C Salad Mix. More than 600 people in 25 states and New York City became sick after eating food infected with a parasite called cyclospora. Public health officials in Iowa and Nebraska traced the infection to a salad mix.
4-A Glitches in the web site
. Also called Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act was rolled out at the end of 2013 and problems with the web site prevented many Americans from enrolling. Although the site was working better by December, glitches remained.
5-B Trans Fats
Also known as partially hydrogenated oils, the FDA should be making their final ruling on the ban on these oils in early 2014. If banned, the oils would be phased out over several years in foods such as frozen pizzas, microwave popcorn, premade doughs, and many store-bought baked goods.
6-A Sara Lee Cheesecakes.
7-A E-cigarettes These cigarettes have not been approved by the FDA for the use of turning chemicals into a vapor that is inhaled by the user. The FDA wants to regulate them like other nicotine products and say they may have toxic ingredients.
8-C Meningitis Most students recovered without problems, but one University of California student had both feet amputated. Symptoms include: fever with a rash, bad headaches, and neck stiffness.
9-B The Whole 30 All are diet fads, but the Whole30 Diet is new to 2013. It is basically an extremist “caveman” plan. While the strict plants and meat diet will surely spur weight loss by eliminating refined sugars, the diet is far from sustainable and is not designed to be that way. It sets up a yo-yo pattern of weight loss and weight gain.
10-D Twinkies All are products of the ‘80’s, but Twinkies returned to store shelves in July under new ownership after Hostess filed for bankruptcy.
11-B Chickpeas. This is the main ingredient in hummus.
12-D Nearly 70% of all red meat consumed globally is goat meat.
13-A A law prohibits mothers from taking home their placentas at any time after giving birth. A tricky question. This is exactly the opposite of the new 2014 law; mothers CAN take home their placentas after birth. All of the others are new laws for 2014.

These were tough questions, and even if you only got one or two correct, you hopefully had a little fun learning something.

The following articles were referenced for this newsletter:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/03/05/gluten-free-diet-popularity/1963715/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/holiday/sns-year-in-review-2013-news-quiz-gallery,0,6753943.photogallery
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/rm-quiz-year-in-review-2013
Wall Street Journal, Thursday, December 26, 2014, p.B1
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20131229/NEWS/312290027/Oregon-rings-new-14-laws
http://oregoncoastdailynews.wordpress.com/2013/12/31/new-dmv-drivers-test-rules-for-teen-drivers/
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/understanding-trans-fats?page=2