Sweets and Sugars

Happy Halloween!

Now I know you all have a busy day of scaring children and eating their candy, so I’ll try to be short and sweet. Too late! I’m already short and sweet…mostly sweet, of course. Anyway, here’s some info for you:

Top selling candies worldwide and how much sugar they contain [please note that I did the top worldwide candies, top US, and top UK candies (since the US and UK are my biggest audience on the blog at the moment)]:

Cadbury’s Dairy Milk (Cadbury) – Milk chocolate bar ~ 1 bar has 22 grams of sugar

Chick-O-Sticks (Atkinson Candy Company) – Peanut butter and coconut sticks ~ 1 stick has 32 grams of sugar

Hershey’s (Hershey) – Milk chocolate ~ 1 bar has 31 grams of sugar

Hollywood (Cadbury) – Chewing gum ~ Sugarless

Hsu Fu Chi (Hsu Fu Chi International) – Assorted Candies ~ Sugar content varies

Kit Kat (Nestlé) – Milk chocolate wafer ~ 1 bar has 22 grams of sugar

Lemonheads (Ferrara Pan Candy Company) – Sour hard/soft candy ~ 1 piece has 1.2 grams of sugar

M&Ms (Mars Inc.) – Chocolate candy (milk chocolate) ~ 1 package has 31 grams of sugar

Meiji (Meiji Seika Kaisha) – Chocolate bar ~ 1 bar has 30 grams of sugar

Mike-n-Ikes – Chewy fruit candy ~ 1 piece has 1.1 grams of sugar

Milka (Kraft) – Milk chocolate ~ one bar has 24 grams of sugar

Now and Laters – Taffy ~ one piece has 2.6 grams of sugar

Orbit Gum (Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.) – Chewing gum ~ sugarless

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (Hershey) – Milk chocolate and peanut butter ~ 1 package is 25 grams of sugar

Snickers (Mars) – Milk chocolate, nougat, peanuts, caramel – 1 package has 30 grams of sugar

Strawberry Twizzlers (Hershey) – chew fruit candy ~ 1 piece has 4.75 grams of sugar

Trident Gum (Cadbury) – Chewing gum ~ sugarless

Vivident (Perfetti Van Melle) – Chewing gum ~ sugarless

Now, according to www.livestrong.com, the “U.S. government does not make recommendations for how much sugar you should get each day.” Sugar is a simple carbohydrate therefore, “the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that each person take in between 45 and 65 percent of his daily recommended calorie requirements as carbohydrates.” [I know, you’re loving this!!!]

Now, before you eat all that candy….

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than half your daily calorie allowance of added sugars. (This actually includes fats and sugars)

Therefore:

Woman, no more than 24 grams of sugar

Men, no more than 36 grams of sugar

So this means according to your daily sugar intake (rounded to whole or nearest quarter if less than one serving):

Women	Men
1 Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Chocolate Bar	1 Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Chocolate Bar
¾ Chick-O-Stick	1 Chick-O-Sticks
¾ Hershey’s bar	1 Hershey’s bar
Unlimited Hollywood Gum	Unlimited Hollywood Gum
Varies ~ Hsu Fu Chi	Varies ~Hsu Fu Chi
1 Kit Kat bar	1 Kit Kat bar
20 pieces of Lemonheads	30 pieces of Lemonhead
¾ package of M&Ms	1 package of M&Ms
¾ Meiji bar	1 Meiji bar
21 pieces of Mike-n-Ikes	32 pieces of Mike-n-Ikes
1 Milka bar	1 Milka bar
9 pieces of Now and Laters	13 pieces of Now and Laters
Unlimited Orbit Gum	Unlimited Orbit Gum
1 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup (I’ll let the 1 gram slide)	1 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
¾ Snickers	1 Snickers
5 pieces of Strawberry Twizzlers	7 pieces of Strawberry Twizzlers
Unlimited Trident Gum	Unlimited Trident Gum
Unlimited Vivident Gum	Unlimited Vivident Gum

Note: This does not mean you eat the whole column. You would choose one item in your column for your daily maximum intake (assuming you don't have anything else that would be considered sugars/simple carbohydrates that day).

Sorry to depress you. Go back out, come back, reread, and stop before you reach “Now, before you eat all that candy….” That should do it!!!!


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Quick Story: Appendicitis

A doctor story:

A nurse was on duty in the Emergency Room, when a young woman with purple hair styled into a punk rocker Mohawk, sporting a variety of tattoos, and wearing strange clothing, entered. It was quickly determined that the patient had acute appendicitis, so she was scheduled for immediate surgery. When she was completely disrobed on the operating table, the staff noticed that her pubic hair had been dyed green, and above it there was a tattoo that read, "Keep off the grass." Once the surgery was completed, the surgeon wrote a short note on the patient's dressing, which said, "Sorry, had to mow the lawn."

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Famous Medical Persons

Dr. Carm is taking a short break from diagnosing patients. Every doctor needs a break, right? So today, she has provided you with these three facts about October 24^th and the medical field.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

He was born October 24, 1632 and died August 26, 1723. He was the "Father of Microbiology." According to Wiki, "He is best known for his work on the improvement of the microscope and for his contributions towards the establishment of microbiology...he was the first to observe and describe single-celled organisms, which he originally referred to as animalcules, and which we now refer to as microorganisms." He also discovered protozoa.

William Harvey Dobelle

He was born October 24, 1941 and died October 5, 2004. He was a biomedical researcher. According to Wiki, "Dobelle is known for the major impact that he and his company have had on the breathing pacemaker and the medical community as a whole." He also experimented with ways to restore some sight to the blind.


Of course Dr. Carm shall go down in history, but it's nice to remember those that have gone before.  

Dr. Carm would like to remind you that October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month! Women, do your self checks and get your mammograms! 

Information and pictures are from www.wiki.com
  
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Quick Fact: Intelligence Quotient (IQ)

IQ = Intelligence quotient [It measures your intelligence!]

So we all know that Dr. Carm is extremely intelligent, so what about you? Are you as smart as Dr. Carm?

About IQ Testing

IQ testing is a very fishy business. You see, the problem is that there is no consistent definition for “intelligence”¹ and that makes it hard to measure. There are many IQ tests (see below) but they do not cover the same things.¹ Iqtest.com states that by popularity IQ emphasizes “cleverness, common sense, practical problem solving ability, verbal ability, and interest in learning. In addition, many people think social competence is an important component of intelligence.”¹ Think about different cultures. What is common sense and cleverness in one culture might not extend to another. Hence, you see the problem.

IQ uses a standard deviation. [Don’t worry, Dr. Carm won’t scare you with any math!] This just basically means that the results are based on averages, which is why there is that upside down U shape.

Figure 1 Example of Standard Deviation

~Majority of the people fall at the crest of the line and less people to either side.

Brief History

·         The first to investigate different mental abilities was Sir Frances Galton¹

·         Alfred Binet (with the help from his colleague Theodore Simon) devised a test to predict academic success by studying practical knowledge, memory, reasoning, vocabulary, and problem solving¹

·         Lewis Terman used Binet’s testing and made it for adults. He also changed the test to include only a single score—the Intelligence Quotient (IQ)¹

·         Before World War I, the IQ tests were offered on an individual basis only; afterwards, group testing was done¹

·         Lewis Terman and Robert Yikes developed the National Intelligence Test that was first used in the 1920s¹

·         The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was developed in 1926 to screen students entering colleges and universities¹

IQ Tests used today

[IQ tests are used in education, military, and business]

Raven’s Progressive Matrices: http://www.raventest.net/

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale – Fourth edition (WAIS-IV): http://www.pearsonassessments.com/HAIWEB/Cultures/en-us/Productdetail.htm?Pid=015-8980-808

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fourth Edition (WISC-IV): http://www.pearsonassessments.com/HAIWEB/Cultures/en-us/Productdetail.htm?Pid=015-8979-044

Stanford Binet: http://www.stanfordbinet.net/

Woodcock-Johnson III Normative Update (NU) Tests of Cognitive Abilities: http://www.riversidepublishing.com/products/wjIIICognitive/details.html

Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC-II): http://psychcorp.pearsonassessments.com/HAIWEB/Cultures/en-us/Productdetail.htm?Pid=PAa21000

Practice and IQ Test here: http://www.iqtest.com/prep.html?test=practice

¹Smarter than you think. (n.d.) Retrieved on September 18, 2012 from http://www.iqtest.com/

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Can You Read This?

Pass the Honey!

 
General Honey Facts

• Honey is 95% carbohydrates²
• The enzyme invertase can convert sucrose to fructose and glucose¹
• The sugars in honey are “immediately digestible” in the small intestines²
• In 100 grams of honey, there is 300 calories¹
• Honey is virtually in-nutritious to humans²
• Honey helps preserve food and lower bacterial counts¹
• The enzyme glucose oxidase makes hydrogen peroxide¹
• The enzyme catalase aids in oxygen and water production from the hydrogen peroxide¹
• The pH range for honey is 3.2-4.5²
• Honey with a pH of 3.9 or less does not support the growth of bacteria. “Dilutions with body fluids will raise the pH and may lessen this antimicrobial activity”¹
• To pasteurize honey, it should be heated to 161 degree Fahrenheit (71.7 degrees Celsius)³  
• Heat (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit/37 degree Celsius) can cause the honey to decrease or lose its medicinal properties
• Do not store honey in metal containers³

Honey Used in Medicine

Digestion

• Honey can be used to solve tummy problems, such as shortening the duration of diarrhea from gastroenterisitis (Salmonella, Shigella, and E. coli)^2,1
• It helps the body absorb sodium and water²
• It can reduce gastric acid; hence it can be used to treat gastric ulcers²

Wounds and Abscesses:

• Honey works with a wide variety of wounds, such as: abrasion, abscess, amputation, bed sores, burns, chill blains, burst abdominal wound, cervical ulcers, cracked nipples, diabetic ulcers, fistulas, leprosy ulcers, varicose ulcers, sickle cell ulcers, surgical wound or wounds to abdominal wall and perineum¹
• Honey is a “non-irritating, non-toxic, self-sterile, bactericidal, nutritive, easily applied and more comfortable than other dressings”²
• It helps speed up the healing process and prevents infection. Please note that wounds heal better when honey is applied on the bandages rather than the wounds themselves¹

Diabetes:

• Studies found that “sucrose or honey at breakfast have no additional acute hypoglycaemic effect over and isoglucocidic amount of bread in type II diabetic patients”²
• Honey, although mostly sugar, has a lower glycemic index for those with diabetes¹

Other treatments:

• Gluconic acid (from glucose) in honey promotes calcium absorption¹
• Candidiasis (Candida albicans) also have been found to react to honey (this includes ringworm and athletes foot)¹
• Honey may be used as a treatment for blepharitis, keratitis, conjunctivitis, corneal injuries and chemical and thermal burns to the eyes (may cause stinging)¹
• It is also good for athletes before and after resistance training¹

 Honey fights against and/or kills

• Bacillus anthracis¹ (causes anthrax)
• Candida albicans²/ C. pseudotropicalis²/ C. stellatoidea²/ C. tropicalis² (different types of yeast infections)
• Clostridium perfingens² (can cause food poisoning)
• Corynebacterium diptheriae¹ (causes diphtheria)
• E. coli² (causes digestive problems, urinary tract infections-UTI)
• E. Faecalis² (can cause problems in the urinary tract, heart, bloodstream, stomach/intestines, and skin wounds)
• Haemophilus influenzae¹ (Causes cellulitis, osteomyelitis, epiglottitis, and infectious arthritis)
• Klebsiella pneumoniae¹ (Causes pneumonia, urinary tract infections, degenerative inflammatory arthritis, whole body inflammation – septicemia, and soft body infections)
• Listeria monocytogenes¹ (Causes listeriosis)
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis¹ (Causes the “white plague” or tuberculosis)
• Pasteurella multicoda¹ (Causes zoonotic infections)
• Proteus mirabilis^2,1 (Causes urinary tract infections)
• Ps. aeruginosa²/Psuedomonas aeruginosa¹ (Causes urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, dermatitis, soft tissue infections, bacteremia, bone and joint infections, and gastrointestinal infections)
• Salmonella² (diarrhea, typhi)¹ (Causes food poisoning)
• Serratia marcescens¹ (causes generic infections of wounds, urinary tract infections, respiratory and eye infections)
• Shigella^2,1 (Causes diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps)
• Staphylococcus aureus¹/ S. aureus² (Causes skin and soft tissue infections—boils, furuncles, and cellulitis. It can also cause bloodstream infections, pneumonia, bone and joint infections)
• Streptococcus² (faecalis, mutans, pneumonia, and pyogenes)¹ (pneumonia, dental caries, strep throat, endocarditis, erysipelas, meningitis, and necrotizing fasciitis)
• Vibrio cholerae¹ (Causes cholera)

 Adverse Honey Properties

• Honey may cause stinging upon some topical applications (otherwise soothing) ¹
• Some people might have a rare allergy to honey and therefore should avoid it¹
• Excessive honey may lead to tissue dehydration¹
• Children less than a year should not eat honey because of the spores – botulinum endospores – which older children and adults can digest³
• Diabetics should always check with their doctors about any foods that might affect their blood sugar levels (whether consumed or applied¹
• Honey intoxication can result if honey is produced from oleanders, rhododendrons, mountain laurels, sheep laurel, and azaleas³

References

¹Bansal, V., Medhi, B., & Pandhi, P. (2005). Honey—a remedy rediscovered and its therapeutic utility. Kathmandu University Medical Journal, 3(3), 305-309.

²Jeffrey, A. E., & Echazarreta, C. M. (1996). Medical uses of honey. Rev Biomed, 7(1), 43-49.
³Wiki. Retrieved September 13, 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey

Sweet!

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Quick Story: Eye Exam

A doctor story: 

I was performing a complete physical, including the visual acuity test. I placed the patient twenty feet from the chart and began, "Cover your right eye with your hand." He read the 20/20 line perfectly. "Now your left."

Again, a flawless read. "Now both," I requested. There was silence. He couldn't even read the large E on the top line I turned and discovered that he had done exactly what I had asked; he was standing there with

both his eyes covered. I was laughing too hard to finish the exam.

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Patient #10 JFFGD Sufferers

Jamie Fraser Fan Girl Disorder (JFFGD)

Dr. Carm has noticed a few people with this disorder. First, let Dr. Carm explain that Jamie Fraser is not a real person, but a character in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon (yes, the one that wrote the Butt Cooties, see here). Anyway, JFFGD has the following symptoms:

First, JFFGD sufferers have a compulsive disorder with the series. You may find them reading and re-reading the series as well as the Lord John Grey series (which also features Jamie Fraser as a character.) This compulsive disorder may render the person incapable of reading other books or stories soon after because they are stuck on Jamie Fraser. In addition, the sufferers might also spend large quantities of time online discussing and viewing anything that might seem remotely related to Jamie Fraser. This includes blogs, forums, Youtube videos, personal discussions, and fanart.

Second, JFFGD sufferers might randomly break out in a Scottish accent. For those that are Scottish, it might be hard to tell. Anyway, they could speak or write using the accent—which is verra interesting, ye ken? They might also revert to 18^th century idioms and phrases, which is the time period of the books. Therefore, dinna fash yerself if they call ye Himself or Herself.

Third, JFFGD sufferers might resort into trying to go through the standing stones (which is how the 20^th century heroine goes back in time.) Do not be alarmed if you pass by a circle of standing stones to find people wearing 18^th century garb wondering around. These are more than likely JFFGD sufferers and should only be approached with caution.

Finally, if you are a tall redheaded man, please do not approach or be seen by JFFGD sufferers. They might attack you. Well, technically they might try to kidnap you and ask you questions pertaining to Jamie Fraser. Their delusions might also cause them to see the characters of the book in regular people. These character-look-alikes also need to be careful. For instance, a woman with lots of dark curly hair, amber eyes, and speaks with a British accent might find herself in trouble with the JFFGD sufferers, because they might mistaken her for Jamie Fraser's wife. Remember these patients should be approached with extreme caution.

JFFGD is not the only fan girl disorder out there. There are many in fact—each one with its own symptoms and intensity. What should be done?

Well, unless you are a trained doctor, you would want to appease them and keep your distance. Although JFFGD does not cause violent behavior, they can be provoked into protecting the “Jamie Fraser” of their mind.

To be cured of the JFFGD, total removal of anything related to Jamie Fraser should be done. This is a tremendous task which more than likely will cause the JFFGD sufferer to act out violently. Care should be taken and this should only be attempted by a trained professional. Note: Elephant tranquilizers might be needed.

If you believe you have JFFGD, please consult with your primary care physician.


 

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Quick Fact: Diet Fads

Two diet fad facts to consider:

 

Low Carb Diet

-Pasta, rice, or vegetables eaten on their own do not convert to fat. They convert to glycogen and are stored in muscle and liver cells. A study by Kevin Acheson showed that when people were fed over 500 g of carbs (roughly 1.3 kg of cooked pasta), it only converted to 10 g of fat—large amounts stored as glycogen.

-In 1997, Dr Susan Holt from the University of Sydney fed people 1000 kJ portions of food and measured the amount of glucose and insulin produced. What she found was protein foods such as beef, chicken and fish stimulated the release of larger amounts of insulin than a 1000 kJ serving of white pasta. The reason? Protein foods also stimulate the release of insulin, and some specific amino acids (the building blocks of protein) are potent stimulators of insulin.

-For each gram stored as glycogen in the muscle and liver, there is about 3-4 g of water. On a low carb diet, after 7-14 days, a person basically goes through diuresis which makes weight loss more dramatic.

-When deprived of carbs, the body uses ketone (emergency backup fuel). Some studies have shown that the metabolic rate can slow as much as 20% while the human body is in this state.

-Consider the production of glucose from protein, and that while in ketosis the body cannibalizes its own muscle in a bid to get some carbohydrate to the above-mentioned systems, and you can understand why valuable muscle and water loss make a huge chunk of the weight loss. A loss of lean muscle means a further decrease in metabolism.

Glycemic Index (GI)

-This measure how fast the carbohydrate-based foods release sugar (glucose) into the blood.

- Glycemic load (GL) is the GI food multiplied  by the grams of carbohydrates. A study was conducted between two groups. One followed a high GL diet and other was a low GL diet. There was no difference between the two groups with weight loss.

-The American Diabetes Association states: “At this time, there is insufficient information to determine whether there is a relationship between glycaemic index or glyceaemic load of diets and the development of diabetes.”

-Dairy foods have a low GI but have a high insulin index. For example, whole milk was 41 (low GI), the insulin index was a whopping 148. (Skin milk is 37 and 140.)

Information for this posting was from: Bilsborough, S. (2007). Finding facts in fad diets. Issues, 84, 28-31.

As for Dr. Carm, she is on a see food diet. Not seafood, but see food. 

[This means she sees food and eats it!]

Did you miss the last Quick Fact? Click here

Next Quick Fact is scheduled for October 20th

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