Seriously?

Every once in a while......well....maybe more frequently than that..........I come across something that makes me stop and think, "SERIOUSLY?"  It is a moment that just doesn't make sense to me or one that makes me really stop and think. I've been jotting these down lately to share here with you. Here we go:

• A few weeks ago my husband came home with what he thought would be a nutritious drink for him and the kids. Bless his heart. He hasn't really gotten in the habit of reading labels. Here's the first thing I looked at.

And that made me think of THIS

Seriously?  The first label is from V 8 Fusion strawberry banana.  170 cal. 42g of carbs, 38g sugars.  The second picture is from Coke. 140 cal, 39g of carbs, 39 grams of sugar.  Now I will admit that at least the V8 has vitamins and is from "fruit".  But, drinking your calories is bad. Ask Jack who posted on it just today.  Packaging drinks this filled with sugar as a health drink is silly and deceptive. The lesson here?  Read your labels. SERIOUSLY.

• Why do we need candles, room spray and soaps that smell like food?  I mean every time I wash my hands at the office I get a whiff of "warm vanilla" or "homemade cookie" or "apple pie".  It's stupid to me as it makes me remember the taste and flavor of those things all day long. I mean, do I really need to smell some wonderful dessert like caramel apple all day? Seriously? What happened to a nice lavender or gardenia? Is our country that obsessed with food? Seriously?
• There are times in my job where I have to bite my tongue, smile, shake my head and try to not over react. Recently this has happened several times. Mostly on the subject of medications. There are times when we need to use medications. It is true everything comes with risks and benefits. Doctors should not over prescribe and I certainly don't want to use a medication unless it is really needed.   I just don't get a person who smokes a 1/2 pack a day and refuses to take a cholesterol lowering drug or a medication to reduce blood sugar because they don't want "chemicals" in their body.  Or how about refusing to take medications for hypertension, but asking for an antibiotic with every little sniffle.  Seriously?
• Today I was driving to work behind a mini-van with 2 car seats in the back. The TV was on some cartoon.  Seriously? As if your kids don't get enough screen time at home. And before you jump on me, I too have a TV in my van. It is reserved for long trips. There is no reason why my children cannot sit and look out a window, read a road sign or two, or perhaps TALK to me for short trips. In fact I love the time I spend with the kids in the car on the way to school or after activities. Turn the thing off. Get to know your kids. Sing a song with them. Your kids spend enough time in front of one kind of screen or another. Seriously.
• Yesterday I read this.  It is an article about a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine that shows that there is a biological and hormonal change that takes place when we lose weight.  Seriously?  It is a very small study and had no control group, but the findings were still interesting to me. A few years ago, Leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells, was discovered.  It helps to regulate appetites and the feeling of being full and satisfied when we eat.  We thought we'd found the "cure" for obesity. Didn't turn out that way, at least not yet. But this recent study shows that patients on a very low calorie diet who lose weight do have a change in their hormone balance that could influence their ability to maintain weight loss.   This could be a key in understanding why people have such a hard time maintaining their weight loss and may explain why it is so easy to re-gain.  The more we understand the biochemistry of obesity, the more likely we can fight it.   For now, there is no pill for weight loss or to help you keep your weight off. It's just EAT RIGHT, MOVE MORE. The end. Don't wait for a miracle cure. Seriously.
• So last night at dinner we were having a conversation about the World Series and how we want the Rangers to win when my daughter said something that stopped me in my tracks.  "But, no matter who wins, it's just a game, right Mom?  I mean it's not really that important."  Seriously? I struggled to explain in a way that would make sense to a 7 year old. Of course in the grand scheme of things like life or death, baseball is not that important. But, I don't want my kids to grow up thinking everyone gets a trophy. The world is hard and competitive. These athletes have worked their whole life for this moment. They set a goal, worked hard and they are close to achieving it. Being successful is not the MOST important thing in life but it is important.  I think it is awesome that my kid sees the really valuable things in life. She understood immediately that there are more important things than a game. That makes me proud. Seriously.

What about you? Ever have a moment where you thought, "Seriously?"  Care to share it?