Posts Tagged ‘Fruits Vegetables’
March Inflation Rises 0.3%, As Expected, And A Primer On CPI For Energy
Friday, April 13th, 2012
No surprises in today’s release of US CPI, which unlike China’s still searing inflation (which is the PBoC’s way to check to Bernanke on more easing) came just as expected at 0.3% headline and 0.2% core, or 2.7% Y/Y.
From the release: “The indexes for food, energy, and all items less food and energy all increased in March. The gasoline index continued to rise, more than offsetting a decline in the household energy index and leading to a 0.9 percent increase in the energy index. The food index rose 0.2 percent as the index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased notably. The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.2 percent in March after increasing 0.1 percent in February. Most of the major components increased in March, with the indexes for shelter and used cars and trucks accounting for about half the total increase for all items less food and energy. The indexes for medical care, apparel, recreation, new vehicles, and airline fares increased as well, while the indexes for tobacco and household furnishings and operations were among the few to decline in March.” The items rising the most in March sequentially: fuel oil at 2.7%, gasoline at 1.7% and apparel at 1.3%. The only decliner was electricity at -0.8%, courtesy of nat gas plunging. With a record hot summer approaching, this is a good thing.
For those who eat and use energy, so not the Fed, here is a drill down:
Food
The food index rose 0.2 percent in March after being unchanged in February. The index for food at home, unchanged in February, rose 0.1 percent in March. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 0.8 percent, its largest increase since May. The index for other food at home also rose in March, increasing 0.3 percent. The other four major grocery store food groups declined. The fruits and vegetables index fell 0.4 percent, its sixth consecutive decline, as the fresh vegetables index fell 1.6 percent. The index for cereals and bakery products fell 0.2 percent, as did the index for nonalcoholic beverages. The index for dairy and related products fell 0.1 percent, its fourth decline in five months. The food at home index has risen 3.6 percent over the last 12 months; this was its smallest 12-month change since last March. The fruits and vegetables index has declined 3.9 percent over that period, its largest 12-month decline since November 2009. The other five major grocery store food group indexes have increased over the past year, with the dairy group posting the largest increase at 6.3 percent. The index for food away from home rose 0.2 percent in March after a 0.1 percent increase in February and has risen 3.0 percent over the last 12 months.
Energy
The energy index, which rose 3.2 percent in February, increased 0.9 percent in March. The gasoline index rose 1.7 percent following its 6.0 percent February increase. (Before seasonal adjustment, gasoline prices increased 8.1 percent in March.) The fuel oil index also continued to rise, increasing 2.7 percent in March after rising 2.8 percent in February. In contrast, the index for energy services (comprised of electricity and natural gas) fell 0.4 percent. The natural gas index rose 0.9 percent after declining in each of the previous five months. The electricity index, however, fell 0.8 percent, its largest decline since June. Over the last 12 months, the gasoline index has risen 9.0 percent and the fuel oil index has increased 5.3 percent. The electricity index, however, has only increased 0.6 percent and the index for natural gas has declined 9.1 percent.
And since the CPI number was a snoozer, here is a great primer on breaking down the all critical CPI for Energy courtesy of Stone & McCarthy:
The CPI for Energy accounts for roughly 10% of the composition of the All Items CPI for Urban Consumers. It receives high focus by the media, market players, and economists because it is a topic of controversy since it is excluded from ‘Core’ measures of inflation. It also represents the prices of a package of goods that are vital to consumers. This Chart of the Day examines how Energy Prices are organized in the CPI.
The CPI for Energy is a “Special Aggregate” in the BLS’s database. In other words, it is a separate aggregation for informational purposes rather than an integral one within the main All Items CPI organization scheme. It is not one of the Eight Major Groups that compose the All Items CPI: parts of the CPI for Energy can be found separately in two of the Eight Major Groups.
Specifically, the CPI for Motor Fuel category can be found in the Transportation grouping, and the CPI for Household Energy can be found in under the Housing category.
Each component of the CPI has its own Aggregation Weight, derived from a calculation based on the Consumer Expenditure Survey conducted by the BLS. Items that are more heavily purchased by consumers get a larger weight in the CPI aggregation. For example, the component indices are multiplied by their Aggregation Weights and summed to generate the CPI for Energy. An Index times its Aggregation Weight is called a Cost Weight, and all of the Cost Weights within a category sum together to form the category’s index. We can look to the Cost Weights to measure the size of each component within a category.
Another transformation of the data is the Contribution to the Percent Change of the Category Index. This is noteworthy because a large change of a small component might have less of an impact on the overall index compared to a small change of a large component. The following graph displays the Contributions of each component of the CPI for Energy to the month-over-month change in the Energy Index, in Percentage Points. The contributions sum to the month-over-month percent change of the category. In other words, if the contribution of a component is one percentage point, than the category would have increased one percentage point less if the component had remained unchanged in the month.
We can perform the same operation to learn about each component’s impact on the CPI for Energy over the past year.
Tags: Airline Fares, Care Apparel, Cereals, Energy Index, Fish Eggs, Food Energy, Food Groups, Food Index, Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits Vegetables, Hot Summer, Household Energy, Household Furnishings, Major Components, Nat Gas, New Vehicles, Pboc, Poultry Eggs, Store Food, Us Cpi
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Secrets of the World’s Oldest People, and other Weekend Reads
Friday, December 23rd, 2011
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Here are this week’s reading diversions for your personal enlightenment. Have an Excellent, and Merry, Christmas Weekend!
Spoiling With Presents: Are Kids Getting Too Much For Christmas?
How many gifts do your kids get under the tree each year? Two? Five? Ten? A dozen or more?
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EatingWell: 9 Winter Foods for Healthy, Beautiful Skin
Even though you’re likely baring less skin during the winter months, it’s still important to pay attention to your skin. As a registered dietitian and associate nutrition editor of EatingWell magazine I know that what you eat can provide a powerful line of defense against dryness and UV damage, minimize wrinkles and promote smooth skin. Even better, many of these foods are ripe and in-season now. Here are nine of the best winter foods for your skin.
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Mediterranean Diet Could Help You Live Longer: Study
“This means in practice that older people who eat a Mediterranean diet live an estimated 2-3 years longer than those who don’t,” Gianluca Tognon, scientist at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, said in a statement.
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7 Signs Santa Has Alzheimer’s | Caring.com
Only a doctor, of course, can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. But Mrs. Claus would do well to take a closer look at the following warning signs, which warrant a cognitive evaluation and medical exam in order to rule out other possible causes of dementia or — though it seems impossible to imagine in someone known for his ho, ho, ho — depression.
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Secrets of the world’s oldest people
Plant based foods, like fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts and seed are packed with nutrients that promote good health. They contain essential anti-oxidant nutrients, good oils and lots of fibre. While not all of the cultures with long lifespans were vegetarian, all ate diets with a high proportion of plant foods.
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27 Foods That Can trigger Migraines – Migraine
All kinds of beans are potential food triggers – string beans, navy beans, kidney beans, lima beans, all of them. The tannin in beans may be the culprit.
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Best iPad and iPhone Games for Little Kids – Educational iPhone Apps – Parenting.com
Stuck waiting in line or plodding through a long-haul car trip? App developer Peter Evan Ginsberg rounds up the best iPhone and iPad apps to entertain (and maybe even educate) toddlers and preschoolers. Plus: Check out more great iphone apps for kids of all ages.
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Spectacular Christmas Trees, From Warsaw to the White House (Photos) – The Daily Beast
The Christmas tree tradition seems to get stronger each year, with even some countries like Thailand, which is overwhelmingly Buddhist, getting into the spirit. From Singapore to South Carolina and the White House, see some of the most elaborate—and enormous—Christmas trees from around the world
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Christmas Toy Fads From Cabbage Patch Kids to Rubik’s Cube – The Daily Beast
In the spirit of holiday nostalgia, The Daily Beast combed the records of Christmases past for a look at the top-selling toy crazes over the last three decades, including the ones on this year’s wish lists.
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Tags: Beautiful Skin, Causes Of Dementia, Christmas Weekend, Diversions, Fruits Vegetables, Lifespans, Medical Exam, Mediterranean Diet, Merry Christmas, Mrs Claus, Nutrition Editor, Oxidant Nutrients, Personal Enlightenment, Registered Dietitian, Sahlgrenska, Smooth Skin, String Beans, University Of Gothenburg, Uv Damage, Warning Signs, Winter Foods
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7 Ways to Change Your Life in 7 Days, and other Weekend Reads
Friday, November 11th, 2011
Here are this weekend’s reading diversions for your enlightenment and enjoyment. Have a awesome, restful weekend!
The Healthiest Breads: 6 Types Explained
The bread section is probably the most popular aisle at the grocery store. It’s also the most confusing. Faced with labels ranging from “organic whole wheat” to “seven grain” to “flax and grains,” it’s enough to make your head spin.
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10 Foods to Avoid if You Have an Overactive Bladder
Citrus tends to irritate the bladder (even though, in general, it’s wise to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables for their healthy, vitamin-rich liquid and fiber). Beware especially of oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, and tangerines. Pineapple, not technically a citrus fruit (even though it often appears in the same tropical salads), is also a culprit because it’s highly acidic.
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7 Ways to Change Your Life in 7 Days
If you start implementing these seven habits today, you will see a positive change in your life within a week’s time, guaranteed.
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At Risk For Stroke? Cognitive Problems Could Follow, Study Says
Researchers found that simply having risk factors for stroke, including the number-one risk factor, high blood-pressure, and an enlarged heart, upped the risk of cognitive impairment among adults who were stroke-free and cognitively “normal.”
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Gretchen Rubin: 9 Tips for Dealing With Difficult Relatives Over the Holidays
For many people, the holidays are a joyous time; other people dread them. If you anticipate that you might have to spend time with difficult relatives, here are some strategies for keeping family dinners pleasant:
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Before you buy more things that will clutter up your apartment, sometimes the products you need are already sitting in your kitchen cupboard, bathroom, or other places around the house. Reusing items is a great way to save money and to be green. Read on for 48 ways to recycle these nine everyday items.
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Remembrance Day: Why the Poppy?
Thanks to the millions of Canadians who wear flowers each November, the little red plant has never died. And neither have Canadian’s memories for 116,031 of their countrymen who died in battle.
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Your kid’s a perfectionist? That’s not a good thing – The Globe and Mail
“Perfectionists really seem to struggle to play nicely with others, including their romantic partners,” says Dr. Sherry. And not only can they not enjoy success, he says, but perfectionism often stymies success. A recent study he co-authored found that psychology professors with higher perfectionist traits published less often than colleagues who weren’t perfectionists.
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Shyness in teens is not social phobia, researchers say – The Globe and Mail
The controversial diagnosis “social phobia” is a legitimate psychiatric condition and is not the same as shyness, U.S. government researchers say in a new report.
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The scientists found that gas pump handles narrowly out-germ’d mailbox handles, which were contaminated 68 percent of the time. Escalator rails, ATM buttons, and parking meters were also pretty gross.
Men’s Health: Outsmart Your Hormones, Keep Weight Off | Men’s Health News
“The majority of dieters regain the weight eventually,” says study author Joseph Proietto, Ph. D., from the University of Melbourne. His findings indicate it isn’t just due to a failure of willpower. Scientists can’t yet explain why the hormonal changes happen, but Proietto says it’s more evidence your body has a set weight at which it’s happiest—and it fights to stay there, despite the potential health problems obesity can cause.
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Coughs are one of the most common symptoms of childhood illness. Although a cough can sound awful, it’s not usually a sign of a serious condition. In fact, coughing is a healthy and important reflex that helps protect the airways in the throat and chest
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Truth about potato chips revealed: Baked is not better than fried – Healthzone.ca
Reports from the United States confirms that baked chips — although featuring a lower fat level — have high levels of acrylamide, a cancer-causing and potentially neurotoxic chemical
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Crohn’s disease is a more serious form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that usually develops in the lowest parts of the small and large intestines but can also occur elsewhere in the digestive tract. Symptoms include loss of appetite, chronic diarrhea, cramping, pain in the abdomen, and weight loss. Stress can worsen symptoms but doesn’t cause the disease.
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It may turn out to be helpful. Turmeric, the yellow spice that colors curry and American yellow mustard, is a potent natural anti-inflammatory agent. Its active constituent, curcumin, has shown promise as an antidepressant in animal models, and curcumin also has been found to enhance nerve growth in the frontal cortex and hippocampal areas of the brain. Researchers in India have suggested performing clinical trials on humans to explore turmeric’s efficacy as a novel antidepressant.
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David Katz, M.D.: Of Course Food Is Addictive! Why Is Anything Else?
There has been an impressive concentration of recent public opinion on the matter of food addiction. Journalists ask if food can be addictive, and academics opine — some to say no, most to say yes, and many to spell out the implications, including legal ramifications for food manufacturers.
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Raw apple crumble pie | Chatelaine.com
Did you know the pectin in apples helps lower bad cholesterol by as much as 16 percent? This raw apple recipe is an easy way of spicing up your everyday apples, and turning them into a healthy gourmet treat.
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The Remembrance Day Poppy & In Flanders Fields Poem
The poppy is the recognized symbol of remembrance for war dead in Canada, the countries of the British Commonwealth, and the United States. The flower owes its significance to the poem In Flanders Fields, written by Major (later Lieutenant-Colonel) John McCrae, a doctor with the Canadian Army Medical Corps, in the midst of the Second Battle of Ypres, in Belgium, in May 1915.
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Is your thyroid on the fritz? – TODAY Health – TODAY.com
Much easier to identify is hyperthyroidism (Graves’ disease is a common type), in which the thyroid unleashes a flood of excess hormone. This can shock your body into sudden weight loss, rapid heartbeat, insomnia, or bouts of diarrhea. Sufferers can feel constantly wired, warm, and shaky, as if they’re hooked up to an IV filled with espresso. Similar to the warning signs of hypothyroidism, the symptoms of hyperthyroidism can become worse or more persistent over time–but both conditions are highly treatable with prescription meds
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Tags: Canadian, Canadian Market, Citrus Fruit, Cognitive Impairment, Cognitive Problems, Culprit, Diversions, Enlarged Heart, Family Dinners, Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits Vegetables, Gretchen Rubin, High Blood Pressure, Joyous Time, Kitchen Cupboard, Lemons Limes, Overactive Bladder, Restful Weekend, Risk Factor, Risk Factors For Stroke, Seven Habits, Whole Wheat
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4 Tips For Dealing With Difficult People, and other Weekend Reads
Friday, May 13th, 2011
Here are this weekend’s reading diversions for your personal enlightenment. Have a great weekend!
If you have Crohn’s disease, it is important that you eat a well-balanced diet. A well-balanced diet can help you feel better and can be a positive step in dealing with Crohn’s disease. It can also help decrease your chances of developing heart disease or certain types of cancer
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Water: How much should you drink every day? - MayoClinic.com
Water is your body’s principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes toxins out of vital organs, carries nutrients to your cells and provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues.
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Mediterranean diet for heart health – MayoClinic.com
The Mediterranean diet traditionally includes fruits, vegetables, pasta and rice. For example, residents of Greece eat very little red meat and average nine servings a day of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. The Mediterranean diet has been associated with a lower level of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the “bad” cholesterol that’s more likely to build up deposits in your arteries
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9 Salads (Calorically) Worse Than A Big Mac
When eating out, we tend to think we’re “being good” by ordering an entrée salad instead of a big, juicy burger. But many of those salads have an undeserved health halo, packing in more calories and saturated fat than the poster food for an unhealthy dinner: The Big Mac.
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We don’t need April to be labelled Stress Awareness Month to know how stressful the American workplace can be. And with fears of a double dip recession only adding top of the usual demand of performing your job at a high level, it’s worse now than ever.
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Judith Orloff MD: 4 Tips for Dealing with Difficult People
In “Emotional Freedom,” I discuss how to transform frustration with patience. To tame frustration, begin by evaluating its present role in your life, how much it limits your capacity to be happy. The following quiz will let you know where you are now so that you can grow freer by developing patience.
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Benefits of Stress – Dealing with Stress – Oprah.com
Short-term stress triggers the production of protective chemicals and increases activity in immune cells that boost the body’s defenses; think of it as having your own personal repair crew. “A burst of stress quickly mobilizes this ‘crew’ to damaged areas where they are likely to be needed,” explains Firdaus Dhabhar, PhD, director of research at the Stanford University Center on Stress and Health
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Midlife: Testosterone drop can affect sexual desire in men and women – latimes.com
Testosterone levels peak in the mid-20s for both men and women. For women, who have about 1/10 to 1/20 the amount of testosterone that men have, testosterone levels taper off slowly until they plateau around the age of 45. For men, testosterone levels continue to wane into their 70s.
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11 Ways to Save Money on Healthy Food – Health.com
You’ve heard the old excuse before: Healthy eating is expensive. I can confidently call my food choices healthy—at least most of the time—but I’m also a cheapskate at heart. Luckily, I manage to eat healthy on a budget, thanks to a few simple swaps—some of which save calories, too!
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Health Tip: Help Control Crohn’s Symptoms – US News and World Report
People with Crohn’s disease — a type of inflammatory bowel — are prone to being malnourished.
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How to Cut Your Air-Conditioning Costs – US News and World Report
Even television sets, DVD players, and computers that are turned off can suck power out of outlets (aptly referred to as “vampire power”). That’s why you should either unplug your electronics or use a Smart Strip, which cuts power when it’s not needed. One exception: Overhead fans, especially at night, can cool air more cheaply that turning down the thermostat.
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Rachael Ray’s Official Website :: Strawberries – The Miracle Fruit
Did you know that strawberries have more vitamin C than citrus fruit? That’s right, and they are also a good source of vitamin A, fiber, folates and calcium. Now that it’s strawberry season, try giving your kids strawberries as dessert – they are so sweet right now that they don’t even need any extra sugar! Plus, they are fun to eat when you hold them by the stem and nibble on them like a rabbit would!
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Loren Fishman, MD: The 10 Commandments of Back Pain
Twenty years of treating people whose backs ache, trying to help thousands find its cause and deal with its crippling challenges, I have developed my own set of ideas for what to do when your back hurts, when you have a pain in the butt or when nasty sensations radiate down your leg.
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Five facts about Friday the 13th – Technology & science – Science – LiveScience – msnbc.com
The origin of the link between bad luck and Friday the 13th is murky. The whole thing might date to Biblical times (the 13th guest at the Last Supper betrayed Jesus). By the Middle Ages, both Friday and 13 were considered bearers of bad fortune. In modern times, the superstition permeates society.
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Sugar helps antibiotics work better, says study – msnbc.com
A spoonful of sugar not only makes medicine easier to swallow, but it also might increase its potency, according to a new study.
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Tags: Bad Cholesterol, Balanced Diet, Chemical Component, Crohn S Disease, Dealing With Difficult People, Double Dip Recession, Ear Nose And Throat, Emotional Freedom, Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits Vegetables, Judith Orloff Md, Juicy Burger, Low Density Lipoprotein, Mediterranean Diet, Moist Environment, Personal Enlightenment, Rich Fruits, Stress Awareness Month, Top Ten Most Stressful Jobs, Vital Organs
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Study Linking Vaccine to Autism Was Fraud, and other Weekend Reads
Friday, January 7th, 2011
Here are this weekend’s reading diversions for your enlightenment. Have a great one!
Psoriasis Symptoms: How To Tell If It’s Psoriasis
The most common type of psoriasis — plaque psoriasis — usually appears as red, raised patches of skin covered in white, flaking scales that crop up on the knees, elbows, scalp, hands, feet, or lower back.
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Eating almonds could help prevent diabetes and heart disease, say scientists | Mail Online
Eating almonds could help prevent diabetes and heart disease, according to a study.
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Help Your Eyes, Harm Your Bones
For women who consume large amounts of vitamin A, also known as retinol, lowered bone mass and an increased risk of hip fractures may result, say researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association
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Our Bad Habits Get Wired Into Our Brains
Just how that bit of happiness turns into a habit involves a pleasure-sensing chemical named dopamine. It conditions the brain to want that reward again and again – reinforcing the connection each time – especially when it gets the right cue from your environment.
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Heart Health: 10 Foods That Are Good For Your Heart (PHOTOS)
Start your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear
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9 Health Myths To Stop Stressing About (PHOTOS)#s217918&title=Drink%20Eight%20Glasses%20Of%20Water%20A%20Day
The Truth: Water’s great, but you can also whet your whistle with juice, tea, milk, fruits, and vegetables — quite enough to keep you hydrated. Even coffee quenches thirst, despite its reputation as a diuretic; the caffeine makes you lose some liquid, but you’re still getting plenty.
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Improve Memory: 8 Tips To Sharpen Your Memory (PHOTOS)
Do birth dates or simple tasks (like DVRing one of your must-see TV shows) sometimes slip your mind? You’re not alone — these random acts of absentmindedness are normal and can be due to tiredness, anxiety and stress (along with age, of course).
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Antibiotic Shown To Relieve Common Bowel Disorder
Irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, is a common gastrointestinal ailment, affecting as many as 1 in 5 Americans. It is more common in women than men. Main symptoms are abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhea or constipation, or both.
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Find. Eat. Drink.: Find. Eat. Drink.’s 10 Pantry Staples for the New Year
Chefs know good ingredients can make or break a dish and starting with the right basics is essential. Begin the new year with some of the best pantry staples that chefs and a cheesemonger/co-owner of a highly respected specialty food market recommended to us over the past year.
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Journal: Study Linking Vaccine to Autism Was Fraud
The first study to link a childhood vaccine to autism was based on doctored information about the children involved, according to a new report on the widely discredited research.
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Rocco DiSpirito’s Penne alla Vodka | The Dr. Oz Show
The dirty little secret about penne alla vodka is not the vodka but the hefty amount of heavy cream. Vodka is colorless, odorless and without much flavor—not really attributes of a superstar ingredient. It’s the combination of cream and tomato sauce that gives this dish its signature flavor. The traditional cream is swapped here for low-fat Greek yogurt.
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Steven M. S. Kurtz, Ph.D.: When ADHD Goes Untreated
Dan had attention-deficit hyper activity disorder, and in many ways he was a textbook example. Most people think of ADHD as a condition that makes it hard for kids to pay attention — or stay in their seats — at school. But symptoms of ADHD affect kids outside the classroom, too, much more than is widely understood. And the consequences of untreated ADHD, even after kids are finished with school, can have a profound impact on their lives.
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Will Autism Fraud Report Boost Vaccines?
This week more shame was heaped upon the discredited British researcher whose work gave rise to the childhood-vaccines-cause-autism movement, as a prominent medical journal published a report that the man had faked his data. But will it make a difference?
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Tags: 3 Fatty Acids, American Medical Association, Bad Cholesterol, Bad Habits, Birth Dates, Bit Of Happiness, Bone Mass, Diabetes And Heart Disease, Diuretic, Folate, Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits Vegetables, Harvard School Of Public Health, Hip Fractures, Journal Of The American Medical Association, Must See Tv, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Plaque Psoriasis, School Of Public Health, Superfood
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