Michael's Corner

Who doesn’t love a new gadget? Gadgets, toys, gizmos; Americans dig novelty. I must confess that I, too, am titillated when, occasionally, some newness finds its way into my life. And like most new toys nowadays, mine comes in the form of an app. What is this new and exciting piece of novelty that I hope will have some sustainability? It’s called Yuka. Its icon looks like this:

If applied well, its users could look as happy as the carrot in the image below.

For those already utilizing the Yuka app: congratulations, you’re on the path of enlightenment and don’t need to read further. Those not yet aware of Yuka, you might want to read on.

What is Yuka? It’s a food app. More specifically, it measures the quality of food using a scale from 0 to 100. It suggests that any food item with a score below 50 should be disregarded. Moreover, Yuka will suggest a healthier alternative. How do you use Yuka? Simply scan the barcode of any food item. Yuka will tell you the item and its score. Upon acquiring Yuka, I took the contents of my fridge to task. The result? At the end of the exercise, my kitchen trashcan was heavier than my fridge.

For years I used this:

Why? Because I bought into the concept that trans fats were public enemy number one. Yuka told me, “No so fast, buddy. You need to rethink it.” Smart Balance ended up with a paltry score of 7. Yikes! Meanwhile, the real stuff, like Breakstone Butter, scored a 30, and Yuka suggested an alternative that scored 51. On salads, I strictly use balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil; both get terrific scores. I keep ranch dressing and others to accommodate guests. Their scores? Zero! My cherished Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbeque Sauce? Zero! Natural peanut butter scores well, but the natural stuff that requires ten minutes of elbow grease scores even better. Yes, eating well requires effort. Damn!

I thought I was eating well, as my entree selections were solid (Steelhead Trout, cod, chicken breast, fresh veggies, etc.), but my condiments and other food items needed some adjustment. Yuka has become a handy-dandy grocery store companion as I strive for optimum health. As a bonus, Yuka also measures the value of skincare products (it’s alarming the toxins we smear on our skin).

So, let’s eat smart! We can show how much we love our families by the food we buy. They’ll complain at first, but they’ll get used to it. And then we can change the old axiom of An apple a day keeps the doctor away to Use Yuka today to keep Big Pharma away.