Powdered coffee 'creamer' isn't food, it's processed chemicals

May 6, 2012
(NaturalNews) Every day, millions of Americans add powdered coffee "creamer" products to their morning cups of joe because they falsely believe that these substances are somehow healthier than real cream. But little do they know that most coffee creamer products contain no actual cream,
or food for that matter, as they are really nothing more than a crafty blend of toxic chemicals.

When powdered coffee creamers first came onto the scene back in the 1950s, they actually contained real dehydrated cream and sugar, which made them a convenient, non-perishable source of cream
for coffee. Over time, however, manufacturers began to phase out the cream, and replace it with
things like processed vegetables oils, stabilizers, chemical sweeteners, and other additives that
were less expensive and that more easily dissolved in coffee.

Today, the average canister of so-called "creamer" substitute contains not a trace of actual food,
at least not food in the technical sense of the word. Take the Coffee-Mate brand of coffee creamer,
for instance. The original powder flavor contains corn syrup solids, hydrogenated vegetable oils,
and a handful of stabilizing, emulsifying, and flavoring chemicals (http://www.coffee-mate.com).

Not only is there no "cream" of any kind in Coffee-Mate's Original Powder, but there are also no
natural food ingredients whatsoever. This is why some countries actually require that powdered
coffee additives be called "whiteners" rather than "creamers," since they do not actually contain
any real cream.

Corn syrup solids and hydrogenated oils are highly-toxic 'non-foods'

Though both are derived from real food, corn syrup solids and hydrogenated oils are not technically foods themselves. To produce corn syrup solids, corn kernels are first transformed into corn starch, which is then chemically treated with hydrochloric acid, a highly-corrosive, industrial chemical solution that is also used to make plastic materials. The resulting liquid goo is then processed again and dried to form dried crystals -- delicious, eh?

And hydrogenated oils are produced using a similar chemical process that involves subjecting already heated, pressurized, and highly processed oils to various chemical catalysts and metals such as nickel and platinum that change its density and molecular structure. The final product is the definition of a trans-fat, which are linked to causing heart disease and death (http://www.naturalnews.com/027445_fat_fats_trans.html).

Then, there are ingredients like sodium caseinate, a milk derivative; mono- and diglycerides;
sodium aluminosilicate; and artificial flavor, all of which are non-foods as well. Sodium caseinate,
for instance, is derived from a milk protein known as casein using a chemical extrusion process.
The chemical alteration is so significant that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not even consider the final product to be a dairy product.

And sodium aluminosilicate is an anti-caking, flow agent chemical additive produced specifically for use in processed food items, laundry detergents, and other dry, powdered products. Like its name implies, sodium aluminosilicate contains toxic aluminum, which is linked to organ and tissue damage, bone disorders, gastrointestinal problems, Alzheimer's disease, cell damage, and other problems (http://www.angelfire.com).

If dairy is problematic for your dietary needs but you still want to add creamer to your coffee,
it is important to always read ingredient labels and carefully avoid all powdered creamer products
that contain artificial ingredients.

Some great non-dairy alternatives to conventional creamer products include liquid coconut creamers like those made by So Delicious (http://www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com), for instance. Fresh coconut cream or milk (http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com) and homemade almond milk (http://georgiapellegrini.com/2012/03/07/recipes/homemade-almond-milk/), are several other useful options as well.

Sources for this article include:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-dairy_creamer
http://www.naturalnews.com/z035784_coffee_creamer_hydrogenated_oils_HFCS.html

Serious, our education is one of the best

I am saying this with all sincerity and seriousness. If one is to look carefully at our education system, it is a very comprehensive system, like a buffet spread to cater for all abilities of students. It is not perfect for sure and can make do with some tweaking and fine tuning. Fine tuning here is used quite appropriately as that is all it needs. Unlike housing when it is totally unaffordable to many and no matter how often and loud one shouts the word affordable, no one believes this crap anymore. The person who is still shouting affordable will end up shouting in the wilderness and totally ignore by the consumers, or at best a lunatic.

Back to the education system. Sin City did not get the recognition as an education hub for nothing. And this reputation is achieved through the good public education system, definitely not because of the private schools. What is disappointing arising from all the hooha is the caving in of the MOE and to think that the system is really flawed when under attack by the parents. The main problem today is unreasonable and illogical expectations of parents of their children and the education system. The outrageous demands of parents, and to a certain extent the super talents, to want a child to be everything, to be good in everything is laughable. No child can be good in everything. Very likely every child can be good in something but no education system can be a straight jacket production line to deliver super intelligent robots out of little children.

The other point that is very subjective is the high expectation and demands made on a 12 year old. I personally think it is too young an age to separate the diamonds from the chaff. This issue could be thoroughly reviewed and better to be delayed by a few more years when a child is more mature mentally and emotionally to face the tough reality of what they are gifted at and what educational route they should embark on. Each will have to find his/her own path to success in life.

The Minister of Education should stand up tall and tell the parents not to make outrageous demands on the system. The current system must not be thrashed around for all the wrong reasons. Some tweaking is necessary as in all systems to keep up with the time and changes and to improve on what was found unsuitable with hindsight. This is a time for a minister to stand his ground and not to wobble at the knees. The education system is on solid ground compares to the failed policy in housing but being stoically and stubbornly defended for all the wrong reasons.

New ethos, In celebration of Mediocrity

A little girl was huddling in the corner of the school hall after the PSLE result was announced. She was looking anything but happy. No one is talking to her or interested in her. Could have failed the exam I supposed. Then a couple approached her, presumably her parents, and looking angry. ‘Why are you standing at the corner alone? Didn’t you do well in the PSLE?’ The little girl started sobbing and shaking her head. She shoved her result slip to her mum who was looking more annoyed by her dismissiveness and lack of confidence.

289! The mother screamed. While everyone was getting the attention of the media and the principal and the school staff and the whole cohort, this little girl was left alone in a corner of her own. No one was supposed to know her, what was her score or her grade. The mother started to wave the result slips, ‘See, see, my daughter is the top student!’ But no one bothered to turn her way. Everyone had been briefed not talk to or about the top student. Even the media refused to interview her. They were happily talking to the number 6 and number 7 students to write an article for the media.

By then the little girl started crying. All the effort to be the top student in the PSLE examination was like a non event. They quietly left the school knowing that they were not welcomed and shunned by everyone.

After decades of meritocrazy, this is the result. Meritocrazy is now an embarrassment for the problems it is causing to other parents and students. Soon this new disease could invade all the institutions in the City. It is like an edict coming down from the Emperor. The President Scholars will not be announced. Classified Top Secret. Cannot tell. Universities and Polytechnics will no longer award Gold Medals and what not to their top students. But the average students will be celebrated as the model students, as role models for all the students. All the students will now be very happy that being average they will be recognized and become celebrities in their own right.

Oh, who is the Prime Minister? Dunno leh. They are not telling now. The newspaper will not carry news on the Prime Minister anymore. Too stressful to know.

PSLE - New school of thought?

The most common reply for not announcing the top students in the PSLE is that it would remove the pressure on parents and children. Why should it be so? I always look at the achievements of these youngsters as a shining light for the rest of the children, that with hard work and some talents, they can aspire to do much better in their examination. I am always impressed by the abilities of these children to do so well in their PSLE. They are real success stories to be told and to be proud of.

The good results of the top students are something admirable, not something to be envious but acceptable in some ways, but definitely not something disgusting, to be ashamed of, to be hidden and not spoken about.

What is important is to educate the parents, to live with what their children can achieve. The important thing is for the children to do their best, and grow up as decent and responsible young people. The grades are just grades and the future of the children is not dependent on these grades alone. There are many avenues to achieve success, to do well in life, to live well. There is a saying, 行行出状元, or every profession will have its star achievers.

This craziness about not publishing names of top students is getting ridiculous, and stupid. Might as well abolish all examinations.

Imagine how good things could have been…without Boon Wan

A total of 27,000 units of BTO flats launched, just building, in 2012 and maybe another 20,000 to be launched in 2013, and the headline in Today paper, ‘Prices to climb despite more HDB flats launched’. And this is after the spate of news of prices shooting to new record highs and after all the fine tuning to prevent it from going through the roof.

On the opposite of the supply side, the demand side was also fine tuned to slow the influx of foreigners a wee bit. And Boon Wan has been telling the people not to worry, the price will be stabilized. Then some were saying that HDB flat owners should not sell as the prices would only go up and up. The resale market is responding as it is, up and up.

Imagine, if the BTO programme was not ramped up, the influx of foreigners was not slowed down, Boon Wan did not come in to fine tune the housing policies, prices would have easily doubled and more millionaires would have been made. 3 rm and 4 rm resale flats would been fetching a million each by now.

Imagine how many more millionaires would there be in Sin City? Half the population of Sinkies would be millionaires by now. Boon Wan should not have put his fingers into such a good thing that is happening in Sin. Now many Sinkie dreams of becoming millionaires by not selling their HDB flats, by not working and just sitting on their HDB flats would have been doomed. And without this asset inflation, how are they going to pay for the world class medical bills and to buy a new car or to retire rich?

Things could have been so much better, Sinkie so much richer, if only Mah Bow Tan remains as the Housing Minister. Many Sinkies must be regretting for missing the golden opportunities and becoming millionaires. In the next GE they will be demonstrating for the return of Mah Bow Tan to continue with his housing policies that made Sinkies instant millionaires.

Now Sinkies have to live with only moderate increases in the value of their properties, but still a consolation as the prices will be up and up but on a slower pace, like doubling every 20 years instead of 10 years.

Boon Wan, look at what you have done to bust the happy dreams of Sinkies? Boon Wan should not have ramped up the BTO programme, then everyone will be shouting, ‘Huat ah, huat ah.’

You can't please everyone. Some like high prices, some like low prices. Some will love Mah Bow Tan and some will love Boon Wan.