Friday Roundup: Toxic sweetener, Everest deaths, a simple summer dinner
Artificial sweetener damages DNA. Why so many deaths on Everest this year? What to eat for dinner when it's too hot to turn on the oven.
Toxic Sweetness
More evidence that the artificial sweetener sucralose—Splenda® is a popular brand— is not fit for human consumption. While we already have volumes of evidence suggesting that sucralose is a danger to human health, a new study demonstrates that the situation is worse than we thought.
Sucralose is genotoxic, meaning that it harms the DNA in human cells. It is shockingly bad for digestive health. It damages the gut flora and the gut lining, leading to what is commonly referred to as “leaky gut” which is a condition that leads to inflammation and immune dysfunction. Sucralose is implicated in the kinds of gut changes that lead to serious conditions like IBD and colorectal cancer.
Sucralose impacts several liver enzyme systems that metabolize hormones and dozens of medications. This may lead to higher than expected concentrations of these substances in your blood.
If you’re a nursing mother, please note that sucralose makes it way into breast milk and thus can impact the health of your infant.
Sucralose is in many brands of diet drinks, and sugar-free foods like ice cream, baked goods, yogurt and many other items. Even one drink or serving of food containing sucralose is too much. That might sound dramatic but the research is clear that even a small amount can create damage. Please share this information with everyone you know. We need to get sucralose out of our food supply ASAP.
Why have so many climbers died on Mt Everest this year?
Ever since reading Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, I’ve been fascinated by the rather gruesome spectacle that is climbing season on Mt Everest. People pay outrageous sums of money to take a crack at the highest mountain in the world. Hundreds of climbers line up and wait their turn to summit as they pass the many frozen corpses of climbers who didn’t make it back. There’s also the trash pit that Everest base camp has become, thanks to climbers and outfitters not doing their part to carry their waste back off the mountain.
This was a banner year for climber deaths: 17 people are confirmed dead or missing and presumed dead. If that holds, it will be the deadliest year on record.
The Nepalese tourism director has washed his hands of it and unironically blames the tragedy on cold weather caused by climate change. But it looks more like the Nepalese government has failed to properly manage the situation.
In my estimation, these are closer to the real causes:
More climbers than ever - The government sold 479 permits at $11,000 a pop this year. As a cash-strapped country, Nepal has a strong incentive to issue as many of these permits as it can.
Bare bones climbing outfitters - In order to keep the experience more affordable, some outfitters provide less support which can prove lethal if something goes wrong.
More inexperienced climbers - There is a mentality that anyone should be able to summit if they dream big enough, pay enough money and have enough Sherpa power.
Colder weather this year - there are always variations in temperature, wind, snowfall and general climbing conditions. That’s why meticulous planning and emergency preparedness are key. Perhaps most importantly, the willingness to turn around and retreat when things don’t look right.
Hubris and pride
The scramble to summit Mt Everest contributes to the deaths of Sherpas— 6 this year— that act as guides and emergency support. It causes environmental degradation and contaminated water. It’s awful for climbers’ health: they’re at high risk of getting ill from acute altitude sickness, pulmonary edema and cerebral edema. Even one high elevation climb is very likely to shrink their brains.
On the whole, it seems like climbing Everest results in a bunch of collateral damage. So why do people do it? I believe a major driver is conspicuous consumption. Climbing Mt Everest is a luxury product that is intended to enhance one’s prestige. Major bragging rights, social media posts, speaking gigs, articles about leadership lessons. Don’t forget to add it to your resume and LinkedIn profile!
What to eat when it’s hot outside
We recently had our first 105 degree day here in the Scottsdale-Phoenix area. I am loath to turn the oven on this time of year so baked and roasted dishes are mostly out of the question. My favorite go-to dinner is one I hardly ever get sick of because it can take on so many variations.
The basic formula: Organic mixed salad greens tossed with a simple dressing and topped with at least 6 ounces of protein like fish, chicken, steak.
Add texture, color, and crunch with sliced almonds, crumbled bacon, seeds, hardboiled egg, cucumber, red pepper.
A note on salad dressings: Most salad dressings are junk, loaded with poor quality oils, sweeteners, thickeners and artificial flavors. But it’s really easy to make your own. A basic recipe can start out like this: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + 2 TBS apple cider vinegar + salt and pepper to taste. Optional: 1 TBS honey and a clove of minced garlic. Adjust to suit your tastebuds.
Still hungry or get hungry overnight? Add more protein. Some people need 8-10 ounces or more. Also, the protein may be too lean. Try chicken thighs, marbled steak or fatty fish like salmon. I like to make extra protein and eat any leftovers the following day.
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