Snack Science: Bedtime Snacks Really Are More Fattening

Maybe the Japanese are ahead of us in snacking science… or maybe they’re just beating us in showing it on TV. But either way, after proving that there really is another stomach for dessert, NHK’s Kaitai Shin Show now shows that bedtime snacks really are fattening - and indirectly puts in a good word for afternoon tea.

A July episode of the show started by reporting on research in 1993 at Kyushu University: Seven women ate the exact same meal three times a day for ten days, at 7:30, 12:30, and 6:00. At the end of the period, all seven had lost weight. Then, they ate the same meals for another ten days, but now, dinnertime was changed from 6:00 to 10:00.

At the end of the second ten days, despite eating the exact same food, all seven women had gained weight.

The program then turned to Professor Shigeki Shimba of Nihon University. He explained the mechanism of this effect, which involves a protein in the body called BMAL 1. This protein facilitates the accumulation of fats in cells. And, crucially, the amount of BMAL 1 in the body varies according to the time of day. It is lowest at 3 PM, and four times higher at 11 PM.

So, it looks like there’s good news and bad news. If you eat late at night and you’re worried about your weight, you’d better stop. But! If you eat cookies at 3 PM, that is the best time to trick your body into storing the least possible fat from them.

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Snack News: NuggNuts.com from McDonalds

Yesterday, McDonalds announced the unveiling of a new site dedicated to Chicken McNuggets fans. Called Nuggnuts, it’s touted as being an online fan community with a Hall of Fame, a Nuggnuts Pledge, and an online store where fans can buy Nuggnuts merchandise. Apparently, this year marks the 25th anniversary of Chicken McNuggets (oh God, I feel old) and the site is a way to connect fans from around the world. They’ve even got a Nuggnuts Facebook page.

As for me personally, I can’t say I’m a Nuggnut - I don’t eat meat in general, and Chicken McNuggets are no exception. Still, it’s a cute idea, and if you’re a fan, you should head on over and check it out!

• Nuggnuts Website

Combos Nation Presents: The Ultimate Mancation Sweepstakes!

Life can sometimes bring you down. Family issues, financial woes, office stress and other factors can combine to make life undesirable at best, and miserable at worst. It’s only natural to want to escape from time to time, but vacations have a way of putting serious stress on most budgets.

Lucky for you, Combos and Nascar have teamed up to sponsor the Ultimate Mancation Sweepstakes. Not only does the Grand-prize winner of this Macho dream-getaway win a trip for himself and three buddies to the Daytona 500, the winner also gets to serve as honorary crew chief at the race! This Man-tastic, once-in-a-lifetime vacation opportunity comes complete with round-trip airfare and a six-day, five-night hotel stay to beautiful South Florida. Also included in the package: totally mantacular wheels in the form of a sports utility vehicle - and $1,000 extra spending money for all the totally hot dancers you’ll be taking for rides in that vehicle wink wink.

But wait, there’s more! If you don’t win the grand prize, Nascar’s giving away tons of mantabulous manora - I mean, memorabilia to ten lucky first-prize winners. Five hundred more will win $10 VISA gift cards - the better for buying lots of delicious Combos snacks.

• Are YOU ready? Enter the Ultimate Mancation Sweepstakes!

Snack News: PETA Asks Ben & Jerry’s to Make Ice Cream with Human Breast Milk

United Press International (UPI) reports that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has formally asked the makers of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to use human breast milk instead of cow’s milk in all of their products.

The PETA statement reads “[the] request comes in the wake of news reports that a Swiss restaurant owner will begin purchasing breast milk from nursing mothers and substituting breast milk for much of the cow’s milk in the food he serves.” The letter also says “the fact that human adults consume huge quantities of dairy products made from milk that was meant for a baby cow just doesn’t make sense. Everyone knows that ‘the breast is best,’ so Ben & Jerry’s could do consumers and cows a big favor by making the switch.”

The folks at Ben & Jerry’s declined the idea and in a statement said, “We applaud PETA’s novel approach to bringing attention to an issue, but we believe a mother’s milk is best used for her child.”

The mere mention of using breast milk in ice cream raises all sorts of possibilities for new flavor names: Lactating Lemon, Boob-berries and Cream… oh, I just can’t go on without offending a whole Double-D-cupful of people.

I love Ben & Jerry’s, by the way, and as a baby I loved breast milk, or so I’m told.

• Ben & Jerry’s Website
• PETA Website

RECALL ALERT: Toxic Milk in Japanese Snacks

Lovers of Japanese snacks beware!

Marudai Food Co. just recalled 5 of its snack products, due to fears that they were made with tainted milk. The Chinese-produced milk may contain traces of melamine, a toxin known to cause kidney stones in infants.

It’s been a bad few weeks for the Chinese diary industry. In addition to exporting questionable fresh milk to Japan, it was revealed on Sept. 9 that the Chinese diary producer Yili Industrial Co. had been supplying infants with contaminated powdered milk. Apparently, suppliers to companies like Yili Industrial put melamine in their milk to make it appear more protein-heavy.

These sketchy health standards have provoked nearby countries to outlaw Chinese milk. In fact, several African governments just banned Chinese diary products, after roughly 52,000 Chinese infants were poisoned with melamine-tainted formula.

So folks, if you happen to have one of Marudai Food’s 5 recalled snacks lying around the house (”Cream Panda,” “Matcha Azuki Milk Man,” “Gratin Crepe Corn,” “Kakuni Pao” and “Mocchiri Niku Man”) DO NOT let your infant daughter gnaw on them! Believe me, her kidneys will thank you.