What's bugging you? (2015)

[1992casey]

I can sympathize with the extra trip thing. Twice in two weeks, I had to make special trips to Woodman's to buy a single item because I knew they were the closest store that would have these things. That definitely bugs me because Woodman's isn't a great place to go when you need to run in for only need one thing.

 

I can also sympathize with the days and hours thing. I always to forget to take advantage of the closest Farmer's Market on the day it's open.

 

Having said that, it's generally necessary to patronize more than one grocery store even though you'd rather not. And if you're aware of farmer's markets, they can be incorporated into your meanderings when you're in the area.

 

There's also the flip-flop. If I get the urge to go to the Brookfield Trader Joe's, for instance, there are usually several things I can do when I'm in that area.

 

As an aside to the food discussion, it bugs me that "Brookfield" isn't in Firefox's spell checker.

[JimH5]

Speaking of Brookfield and What Bugs Me and Farmers Markets. . .The Brookfield Farmers Market bugs me. It is much too quaint with dog walkers and double-wide strollers, and people gathering and talking and drinking giant coffee drinks. I want more produce and less of my neighbors.

[Patrick425]

Having said that, it's generally necessary to patronize more than one grocery store even though you'd rather not.

 

Not sure why? If the grocery store I go to doesn't carry something, then I don't get it. No need to go to another grocery store. I am completely about convenience and speed when it comes to any form of shopping. I don't want to go any place that is more than a couple of miles from my house and I don't want to spend more than 30 or 40 minutes, tops, at that place.

 

Related to convenience is the general "atmosphere" of the store. We have a Pick & Save that is probably about a qtr mile farther away from our house than the Sentry that we normally go to. The Pick & Save has a much bigger selection than the Sentry, but we still go to Sentry because of the circus that is Pick & Save. I have zero patience for that. As Jim eluded to in his post, some people act as if they are taking a stroll on the beach when they are shopping and are completely oblivious to anyone around them who may not enjoy shopping as much as they do. The Sentry we go to is generally not crowded, you can always get a close parking spot, and there is almost always a bagger. I dream of a day when grocery stores stop accepting checks.

 

My wife and I tend to do one "big shop" every 10 to 14 days and perhaps have to make 2 or 3 quick stops on the way home from work between these bigger shopping visits.

[1992casey]

Having said that, it's generally necessary to patronize more than one grocery store even though you'd rather not.

Not sure why? …

You can start with what I mentioned in post 15:

 

A quick and fairly unwelcome way to become familiar with how bad certain foods can be is to have a family member become subject to dietary restrictions.

 

Most stores have a nice selection of the troublesome stuff but are lean in healthier alternatives. You have to ferret out where they're at. And of course, you also have to factor in what this person likes vs. making him or her venture into things that are completely unfamiliar or potentially unappealing. Once you become educated, so to speak, you find that you don't want to be eating a lot of junk either. And as you learn each store's strengths and weaknesses, you start to want to take advantage of their strengths.

 

I'm also annoyed with the "stroll on the beach" shoppers. I usually say that it's like they think they're at Disneyland. Add in that so many are clueless about what they do with their carts. It doesn't bother them to block an aisle by "double parking." I try to keep my cart out of the way as much as possible.

 

If I could make Sendik's my usual destination, I would. The size of the store is manageable. It's no trouble to go back and forth if you forget something or want to grab your meat and frozen stuff last. Plus, you have the choice between a small cart or a semi-large one; there are none of those huge carts that clog up the aisles. They generally have control over the check-out lines. And they keep their eyes on quality. One day, I went in and there was no lettuce at all because the produce manager refused that day's shipment.

[Patrick425]

So just designate someone in our house to become subject to dietary restrictions? Ok...yeah..I'll suggest that tonight at the dinner table and see how that goes.

[burniebrewer]

I'm also annoyed with the "stroll on the beach" shoppers. I usually say that it's like they think they're at Disneyland. Add in that so many are clueless about what they do with their carts. It doesn't bother them to block an aisle by "double parking."

 

 

As a longtime employee at one of the grocer's mentioned, let me add something even more annoying than the "strollers"...cell phone users. I'm ok with people making a quick call home to ask about a product, but the customers who are having random conversations are beyond annoying. Even better is when they ask you a question or checkout and don't even bother taking the phone off of their ear. Some of these folks are having conversations that would be better suited for a non-public setting.

 

While we are discussing annoyances at the grocery store, here is the big one: people picking up an item and dumping it off somewhere else in the store when they decide they don't want it anymore. I just love finding a pack of ground beef tucked behind the toilet paper because someone is too lazy to put the item back...all you have to do is tell the cashier you changed your mind, we will put the item back. We have two full-time employees whose only job is to sort through the 50+ carts of shopbacks /distress we amass after a busy weekend.

[hawing]

Speaking of Brookfield and What Bugs Me and Farmers Markets. . .The Brookfield Farmers Market bugs me. It is much too quaint with dog walkers and double-wide strollers, and people gathering and talking and drinking giant coffee drinks. I want more produce and less of my neighbors.

My advice to you is to steer clear of the Dane County Farmers Market, then. There is more produce, but even more of the things that bug you.

 

I was clipped on the leg by a red wagon full of kids some time ago. It didn't break my skin, but it hurt enough for me to instinctively say OW! out loud. The adult pulling the wagon didn't even look back.

We have not gone to the market in years. The irritations of the "quaintness" outweigh the food options, for us.

 

And to combine bug issues in one post (which I hope doesn't bug anyone ), if you do not like grocery shopping amid high levels of oblivious self-absorption, I recommend you avoid Trader Joe's, if you're near one at all. The location in Madison is literally on our way home, and we have identified a few items there where the quality and price are good - so between the SO and me, we visit once every few weeks or so. But every time I'm there I'm surrounded by people who are all in their own little worlds. Last night two kids (from separate families) with kid-sized carts blocked an entire aisle while they (I'm guessing) each decided which way they wanted to go. Each had a parent right there who didn't suggest anything like "keep going" or "you're blocking the entire aisle."

[1992casey]

Now that I think about it, everybody's restricted. It's just that healthy people can be a lot more flexible.

 

Added sugars have zero nutritional value and don't contribute to one's diet at all. Examples include sucrose (table sugar) and high fructose corn syrup. Experts disagree on the maximum limit, though. The American Heart Association suggests 9 teaspoons (36 grams) for men and 6 teaspoons (24 grams) for women in a day. Others go by a percentage of one's daily calorie intake.

 

Unlike added sugars, sodium is necessary to one's diet. Examples of sodium sources include table salt (sodium chloride), MSG, baking powder, and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). But like added sugars, there's a maximum limit. In the case of sodium, experts generally agree on what the minimum and maximum amounts are. The minimum is 1500mg per day. A younger healthy person should stick to a maximum of 2400mg (the equivalent of 1 teaspoon of salt). At age 50, that number reduces to 2000mg. Heart and kidney patients should stick to 1500mg and might be told not to worry about reaching the minimum.

 

It's pretty clear where added sugars are. A healthy person can get a lot of mileage out of watching sweets and limiting sugared drinks. Diabetics may need to get much more sophisticated about how they deal with sugar and carbohydrates in general. What works well for one person may not be the best solution for someone else.

 

Salt/sodium is tough because it tends to lurk in mass quantities where it has no business being in the first place. This probably relates back to what RobDeer45 said earlier. Processing causes food to lose flavor. Adding salt is a cheap, easy, and lazy way to offset that. Some products are downright misleading. As an example, Roundy's saltine crackers with unsalted tops have just as much sodium as the Premium brand with salted tops.

 

Healthy people shouldn't need to keep a scorecard. But they should be aware of what's bad and what isn't. The doctor told us that it's very common for people to exceed the sodium limit threefold. Like added sugars, a general awareness can go a long way.

 

People under doctor's restrictions will likely need to start counting. For instance, if they want a brat at the Brewers game, they'll likely need to skip the bagel and cream cheese for breakfast. They'll learn very quickly how flexible they can and can't be.

 

To make things easier, the dietician told us that averaging intake over a two day period will generally work. Healthier people can probably just look at general habits and would be good if the "numbers" average out appropriately over a period of several days.

[1992casey]

And to combine bug issues in one post (which I hope doesn't bug anyone ), if you do not like grocery shopping amid high levels of oblivious self-absorption, I recommend you avoid Trader Joe's, if you're near one at all. The location in Madison is literally on our way home, and we have identified a few items there where the quality and price are good - so between the SO and me, we visit once every few weeks or so.

Yeah, being in one's own little world is definitely typical of a Trader Joe's customer. But I think that carries over to some extent to just about every store.

 

On the upside, at Brookfield at least, the checkout lines are under control even if the store is crowded, and staff does its best to make things pleasant. At Bayshore, parking is enough of a drag to keep me from going there very often.

 

Like you, with places like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, I've identified the items I like and stop in every few weeks to stock up. Also, there are occasionally fresh items that I'll grab as kind of a treat but don't warrant more frequent trips to acquire regularly. Once in a while, I'll take the time to peek around and discover something new.

 

I wish there were more Brennan's stores in the Milwaukee area. At that store, I tend to spend time eating their free samples.

[Patrick425]

Last time we were in Phoenix there was a bar (yes, a bar...with a bartender..and drinks..and such) in the middle of the produce section of the grocery store we went to. Is this a common thing in other parts of the country?

[FVBrewerFan]

I've never got involved with the whole organic food craze, not to say I have any issue with those of you who do. First, I doubt there's any evidence that getting produce from a farmer's market (if the sign says organic or not) is any healthier what I get at the grocery store. Secondly, where do you get produce the other 8 or 9 months out of the year? (At least here in the Fox Valley there are no farmers markets most of the year.)

 

Then, there's the issue of taste. Could be a placebo effect going on here. I grew up having a large garden, and I don't notice any difference in taste now that I get produce from the store.

 

Kudos to those of you who believe in the organic foods movement. I believe health is 99% genetics, based on my life experience. My grandpa lived to be a very healthy 98, and I don't think the man ever ate a vegetable. That's just one example of many.

 

I like to think I eat relatively healthy, I never add salt to my food- ever (as an example.) I'm just not willing to travel all over to get my produce when I really don't even like vegetables. Again, not saying anyone else is right or wrong, it's just what's right for me.

[pete]

Studies that deal with toxins (pesticides, fungicides, herbicides), trace elements in soil, genetics of the different varieties, steroids, anti-biotics and dozens of medications that are given preventively that you in turn eat, and all the related topics probably number in the hundreds of thousands.

 

Setting aside organic or not, tomatoes, bananas, cane sugar, cows, pigs, all sorts of things have long histories of politics and controversy. I can't tell you what I think, because it would be very political, but take one issue, any issue or food for that matter and seek information and I'll bet you'll be shocked at what you find. Almost all regulation is done by the companies themselves for one thing.

 

Genes are important, but you will never find a scientist who tells you that they are 99 percent of the determination of your future health. I recently saw an article that said that the mutation that causes lung cancer is 40 percent chance.

 

Your grandparents had vastly different lives and ate far different food. Past generations didn't eat the same oranges or eggs. They weren't swimming in plastics the way we are. BPA is tied to all sorts of negative health outcomes (through evidence). Your grandfather may have had high levels of vitamin D in his youth because he wasn't surfing the net like we all do. Diet is determinative of lifelong intestinal culture which is key to the immune system.

 

You also have a huge number of genes. Your health isn't regulated by a dozen or even a hundred.

 

Your genes are altered through mutation and even infection. There's a lot of pancreatic cancer in my family that is speculated to be related to childhood infections (its siblings). Live in Florida you may get Chagas disease and your genes will be altered.

 

I dunno, life should be enjoyed. We all make negative choices. I could go on for a long time, but if you want you can probably find documentaries on some of the topics on Netflix, your public library or even Youtube.

[Patrick425]

All of what pete said may be true (about what we are exposed to and what are grandparents were exposed to), yet, the average life expectancy continues to climb.

[fondybrewfan]

Medicine and technology have made great advancements in certain areas including extending lives of people who otherwise would have died at an early age 50 years ago. That doesn't mean the food they were eating 50 years ago wasn't a heck of a lot better than it is now. Just putting health issues aside; the flavor of items organic vs. non-organic can be night and day. Stuff like grapes, tomatoes, and strawberries immediately come to mind. Grapes especially can be absolutely horrible.

[1992casey]

Mediocre produce can be especially unappealing in salads. When produce is uncooked, I think that looks and flavor coincide. In cooking, not so much.

 

Getting back to being bugged, the serving size thing bothers me. If you look at what's considered a serving, you'll immediately see that even light eaters are likely to eat two or more so-called servings of many — if not most — things. This certainly isn't the fault of the person doing the eating.

[RobDeer 45]

Medicine and technology have made great advancements in certain areas including extending lives of people who otherwise would have died at an early age 50 years ago. That doesn't mean the food they were eating 50 years ago wasn't a heck of a lot better than it is now. Just putting health issues aside; the flavor of items organic vs. non-organic can be night and day. Stuff like grapes, tomatoes, and strawberries immediately come to mind. Grapes especially can be absolutely horrible.

 

I would say medicine and tech is the major reason why life expectancy has continued to go up. But I also think with all that we've discovered, we are starting to see people realize that maybe it's better to change their diet (not organic, but less processed) instead of taking a pill to help mask a problem. I think this is the newest trend, but will take time before people see results. I also think this is still in the minority when it comes to most American's way of thinking.

[fondybrewfan]

That is probably a fair statement. The easier thing to do is take the pill the doctor gives you rather than make changes to your lifestyle. Eating healthier and exercising more obviously won't cure every ailment out there; but they sure will help. Preventative more than anything.

[pete]

All of what pete said may be true (about what we are exposed to and what are grandparents were exposed to), yet, the average life expectancy continues to climb.

 

I'm not positive, but i believe that there are large decreases in infant mortality, that skew the average. Your life expectancy and mine and your children for that matter have a lower life expectancy than earlier. Again, I've heard that, but its not something I have a lot of certainty about.

[1992casey]

I wouldn't think of diet as a cure, but it can definitely reduce the need for medication that could be unpleasant to take or have undesirable side effects.

 

A diabetic would certainly find it preferable to control sugar intake before resorting to shots. Controlling sodium may alleviate the need for blood pressure medication. And controlling sodium definitely beats taking diuretics or being in the hospital an IV to combat water retention. From what I've been able to tell from family and friends who've had fluid issues, watching one's diet is probably more effective than drugs.

 

And I think we've all temporarily adjusted our diet for gastrointestinal situations. It's not necessarily a cure, but it definitely helps people feel better.

[logan82]

Getting back to being bugged, the serving size thing bothers me. If you look at what's considered a serving, you'll immediately see that even light eaters are likely to eat two or more so-called servings of many — if not most — things. This certainly isn't the fault of the person doing the eating.

Serving sizes are ridiculous. Started to notice it more when I started tracking calories.

 

 

I thought a lot of the average age people lived to was because of the infant mortality rate.

[LouisEly]

As Jim eluded to in his post, some people act as if they are taking a stroll on the beach when they are shopping and are completely oblivious to anyone around them who may not enjoy shopping as much as they do.

Add "walking slowly counter-clockwise in a large circle" and you've just described the Madison Farmer's Market, which I absolutely LOATHE. Well, it's the people I loathe, not the market. IT'S THE SAME VENDORS IN THE SAME SPOTS CARRYING THE SAME STUFF EVERY WEEK - FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR, REMEMBER WHICH VENDORS HAVE IT, AND GET OUT OF THE WAY. If I didn't live a short four block walk from it, I would never go. But I know who has the beets I like, I know who has the broccoli I like, I know who has the honey I like, and I go straight to those vendors and then get the hell out of there.

 

I've been dreaming about trying to rally a couple hundred people through Reddit or something to show up at 6AM and start walking clockwise around the square, just to see how confused people will get.

[LouisEly]

I wouldn't think of diet as a cure, but it can definitely reduce the need for medication that could be unpleasant to take or have undesirable side effects.

There was a study over a decade ago that said that healthy-recommended-weight people spent an average of $20/month on medication, medically-defined "overweight" people spent an average of $40/month on medication, and medically-defined "obese" people spent an average of $80/month on medication. Eating healthy and investing (and utilizing) a gym membership, while in the short-term are additional expenses, in the long-run save money. A majority of medical expenditures are self-inflicted results of personal choices, not random accidents or losing the genetic lottery.

[JimH5]

Brookfied is quite small..just a single straight sidewalk, so a traffic jam can happen when anyone stops. And everyone stops. Plus there's not enough produce there. Grilled brats, bakery, soup, bubble tea, meats, poultry & eggs, canned goods, a musician, honey, a knife sharpener. They need more farmers.

[1992casey]

Serving sizes are ridiculous. Started to notice it more when I started tracking calories.

Yeah, you'll figure this out when you start to track anything. I don't think anyone eats a single serving of salad dressing or dip. My favorite was when I looked at a jar of pickles and the serving size was a third of a pickle. Nobody's going to eat a third of a pickle.

 

Moving along, I hate construction dust. I'm hypersensitive about it, and people in the building trade are generally oblivious to it. More than once, I've asked if I should cover whatever with plastic and been told "nah, you're fine." Then I find out I'm not fine and have a big job on my hands instead of a small one.

[fondybrewfan]

I don't understand those recommended weights the government tells people about. I am a tall guy and don't consider myself fat or obese by any means. Not super skinny either. However in order to meet what the government calls a healthy weight I would need to lose like 40 pounds. I would be skin and bones.