THURSDAY, Sept. 1, 2022 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning the general public that colorfully dyed fentanyl — dubbed “rainbow fentanyl” — is available throughout the United States.

“Rainbow fentanyl — fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes — is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” mentioned DEA administrator Anne Milgram.

“The men and women of the DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fentanyl and defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in the United States,” Milgram added in an company information launch.

The DEA and different regulation enforcement officers seized brightly coloured fentanyl and fentanyl capsules in 18 states in August. The confiscated medication embrace capsules, powders and blocks that resemble sidewalk chalk.

Despite assertions that some colours could be stronger than others, DEA laboratory testing has discovered no proof to help these claims. Still, fentanyl is extraordinarily harmful, regardless of the colour, form or dimension, the DEA mentioned.

An artificial opioid, fentanyl is 100 occasions stronger than morphine and 50 occasions stronger than heroin. A deadly dose of fentanyl is considered as little as 2 milligrams, or about 10 to fifteen grains of desk salt. It is inconceivable to find out how a lot fentanyl is concentrated in a capsule or powder with out conducting laboratory testing, in response to the DEA.

Moreover, fentanyl stays essentially the most deadly drug risk to the United States. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 107,622 Americans overdosed and died in 2021, with artificial opioids like fentanyl the reason for 66% of these deaths. Drug poisoning is the main reason for dying for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.

If you encounter any type of fentanyl, chorus from dealing with it and name 911 instantly, the DEA suggested.

More data

The DEA’s Fentanyl Awareness web page lists further neighborhood and parental sources.

SOURCE: U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, information launch, Aug. 30, 2022

The post Deadly ‘Rainbow Fentanyl’ Looks Like Candy, Could Entice Kids appeared first on Healthy and Slim Life.

Oct. 27, 2021 — Trick-or-treaters might not be so simply tricked into loving sugar-free treats, due to style buds hard-wired to hunt calorie-containing sweets, a brand new research suggests.

Taste isn’t all about selecting peanut butter cups over jellybeans. Since earliest humanity, our sense of style has helped us detect salty, candy, bitter, savory, and bitter in order that we are able to select meals excessive in power and low in poisons.

But these new findings recommend that our style buds have one other hidden expertise: figuring out meals that don’t give us any power in any respect.

Scientists suspected this capacity after analysis in mice confirmed that their style buds may distinguish between sugar and calorie-free synthetic sweeteners.

To check this chance in people, scientists requested folks to drink a sequence of clear drinks and determine whether or not they have been plain water or sweetened. The purpose was to match how folks responded to glucose — a pure caloric sweetener in fruits, honey, and desk sugar — and sucralose, a calorie-free synthetic sweetener.

All individuals wore nostril plugs, making certain that they’d use solely their style buds and never their sense of odor for detection.

As anticipated, folks may simply inform plain water from sweetened drinks, whether or not with glucose or sucralose, confirming that style buds detect sweetness.

In a twist, researchers then combined in flavorless chemical compounds that block style buds from selecting up sweetness. With these drinks, folks may not distinguish sucralose-sweetened drinks from plain water. But they might nonetheless inform after they had a beverage sweetened with glucose.

This discovering signifies that two separate pathways underlie the mouth’s response to sugar, researchers report in PLOS One. The first pathway identifies candy flavors, and the second detects meals that include power that can be utilized for gasoline.

Scientists may someday provide you with calorie-free sweets that trick style buds into detecting the presence of energy, enhancing their enchantment. But within the lab research, the individuals had no visible cues or odor to information their reactions, which means how these different sensory inputs would have an effect on deal with notion isn’t identified.

The post Why Kids Might Reject Sugar-Free Halloween Candy appeared first on Healthy and Slim Life.

In case you’re questioning in the event you’ve acquired the suitable weblog, by no means worry… no, I don’t suppose there’s such a factor as wholesome sweet!

By “healthy” I simply imply “better than the alternatives,” which means constructed from actual meals components and with out synthetic dyes, preservatives, and all the opposite junk present in typical sweet.

I nonetheless want to go for candy-free items or experiences at any time when attainable, even at Halloween. But because of firms making sweet with higher components, our household can participate in neighborhood trick-or-treat festivities (with out resorting to handing out seaweed snacks… though I occur to suppose these are additionally scrumptious!).

Wait… Is Healthy Candy Good for You?

Given the adverse well being results of sugar… no, undoubtedly not!

I’ve taken some flack for my stance on sugar. (But hey, I can’t assist what the science says.) There have been fairly just a few years we even skipped events and trick-or-treating altogether.

We’ve experimented with completely different approaches to Halloween (the final word candy-palooza) through the years. As our youngsters acquired older, we determined that moderately than choose out, we may use Halloween or different particular occasions as an opportunity for our youngsters to observe making good meals decisions.

Now that extra firms are making higher sweet choices (with components I can truly acknowledge), I’ve been capable of finding some favorites that my youngsters love and I can stay with. Mixing these in (sparingly) with loads of non-candy alternate options makes for a enjoyable, inventive, and wholesome Halloween that I believe is best than the unique custom!

Healthier Candy (& Non-Candy) Alternatives for Trick-or-Treating

I normally make my very own sweet or chocolate when we’re going to have it, however that received’t fly for trick-or-treating. If you’re searching for more healthy store-bought sweet, listed below are those that handed the take a look at for us.

Of course you received’t discover many of those in your native grocery retailer, so I take advantage of my Thrive Market membership to top off. The costs are low, it’s handy, and I really like the choice.

All of the next treats are economical (.15-.50 cents every on common) and individually wrapped for trick-or-treating. Bonus, the neighborhood youngsters will most likely like them higher than the junky stuff!

Start With a Healthy Meal

First the great things, then the junk? This holds true at my home on Halloween. These are our favourite Halloween themed meals and snacks which have loads of protein, fats, and fiber to fill everybody up and hold the sugar rush at bay.

Organic Spooky Fruit Snacks

These gummy packs get their colour and taste from actual meals components like pear juice and carrot juice. A far cry from most store-bought candies, these are natural and gluten free.

Really Peely Fruit Tape

Remember these from the varsity lunch days? Something in regards to the form simply makes this fruit leather-based extra enjoyable. This model makes use of actual fruit and skips the corn syrup.

Grain Free Crackers

Give youngsters a break from all of the candy treats with these yummy grain-free crackers. They’ll by no means know they’re nutritious as well. These are additionally individually wrapped for straightforward trick-or-treat distribution.

Popcorn Snack Packs

We don’t do popcorn usually, however after we can we select gluten-free and non-GMO. Kids and grown-ups alike will love the “buttery” goodness of coconut oil and a sprinkle of pink Himalayan salt.

Yum Earth Gummies

This is one other sweet model I can get behind for the occasional deal with, and youngsters love the tart taste and enjoyable twisty form. The colours look a bit like sweet corn too, however come from pure sources like black currants and turmeric.

Peanut Butter Cups (Without Peanut Butter)

No Halloween trick-or-treating checklist might be full with out peanut butter cups. These Dark Almond Butter Cups are good since they’re nut-allergy pleasant and (for my part) an enchancment on the traditional deal with.

Torie & Howard Chewie Fruities

These chewy fruit candies look precisely like the favored Starburst candies, however use largely natural and pure components and no synthetic flavors or colours. Plus, their inventive flavors will tempt even grown-ups: meyer lemon & raspberry, pomegranate & nectarine, and blood orange & honey.

Best Buy: Natural Lollipops

I do know purchasing for pure or natural merchandise can imply an actual chunk out of the funds, however this time there’s no excuse. I saved the perfect for final with these pure assorted lollipops… 40 natural and real-fruit flavored pops in a bag for lower than 15 cents every!

Non-Candy Goodies for Trick-or-Treating

Again, I provide these solely as occasional alternate options for particular events the place sweet is unavoidable (like Halloween), not as weekly/every day meals for teenagers.

To hold sweet from being the middle of the vacation, combine in loads of non-edible treats and prizes. They are nonetheless cheap and youngsters love them! Here are 26 concepts of what to present out at Halloween in addition to sweet.

Other Healthy Halloween Snacks & Treats (Kids Like!)

One technique for limiting sweet consumption is to supply youngsters loads of nutritious meals earlier than heading out the door to trick-or-treat. Rather than our typical dinner, we make some Halloween-themed appetizers to share and ensure they’re heavy on protein and fiber (and low on sugar).

While there are 1,000,000 concepts for wholesome Halloween occasion meals, I’ve solely tried ones that appeared quite simple and simple to organize (as a result of I’m not Martha Stewart), however I’m joyful to report most of those turned out very effectively with little effort and time. In most circumstances, the youngsters have been begging to take over and make them themselves. (I allow them to!)

Here are some favourite Halloween occasion snacks and treats we’ve tried:

I additionally hold some home made treats together with some non-candy prizes available for after trick-or-treating. The youngsters money in a few of their much less ultimate sweet for enjoyable Halloween jewellery, trinkets, or toys. They normally don’t have any downside with this and in reality stay up for it.

Have a Happy Halloween!

Bottom line, sharing in neighborhood with our pals and neighbors is a prime precedence for us. These choices are about as near wholesome sweet as you may get, they usually’ve made taking part within the trick-or-treating attainable for our household. By offering some higher alternate options to the same old Halloween candy-fest, we hope our youngsters may have a constructive outlook on wholesome consuming and get to concentrate on simply having enjoyable!

What do you hand out at Halloween? Have you discovered sweet with higher components? Please share!

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