Mexico, Junk Food Labels - A Great Approach

 

Short Break on a Long Beach

Todos Santos Mexico

Healthy Choices! Could this be at least partially the result of the Newish junk food labeling requirements in Mexico? I suspect the answer is yes.

Too many calories, too much saturated fat, too much salt. Yeah, hard pass.

Oh look! This won 5 stickers. Hard pass.

Too many calories, sugar, saturated fat. Maybe I'll snack on some carrots instead.

Just back from a short visit to San José del Cabo and Todos Santos in Baja California, Mexico. The towns were lovely, the people warm and welcoming, the beaches awe inspiring.

Visiting local grocery stores, I was struck by the junk food warning labels. To help fight obesity and a number of health problems known to be caused or made worse by poor diet choices, the Mexican government implemented this labeling requirement in October of 2021. I was struck by the labels, and I also noted what people had in their carts. Wow! No Coke, no chips, no cookies-- a lot of fruit, some bottles of water, fish...

I have to wonder why in the world Canada (my country) has not noted this exceptional legislation and copied it. It's simple, and does not cost the population anything (unlike taxing junk food), leaving the choice to the consumer (and to the manufacture in that they are free to improve their ingredients to get some, or all, of the black stop signs off their product). I think it takes some boldness (read low intelligence, ha) to grab something on the shelf with 4, 5, or, gasp, 6 black stop signs. This is a good thing. The health issues caused by poor diet cause not just misery for the individual, but society as a whole (we all pay for sick, disabled people).

Come on Canada! Get with this.

Kettle Valley Rail Trail Mini-vacation

Summers are just too beautiful here on the Sunshine Coast to go away! Fall and winter, a different matter.

As the fall rains start, getting away for at least a few days can be refreshing. Strapping the bikes on the back of the car and heading into the Penticton BC area to sample the famous Kettle Valley Rail Trail is a simple, fun holiday.

We warmed up the first day riding the length of Skaha lake, both directions, and exploring Penticton. 60 kilometres was hardly a strain (I do have an e-bike, but my wife was on her heavy regular Liv bike), as the terrain around the lake was quite flat.

We then had a day of hiking, follow by moving to our very comfortable Naramata Airbnb. The next morning we went to a more wilderness section of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, and, in fact, we only saw a three other people during then entire 50 kilometre trip. The trail was excellent: spectacular views, cool tunnels, fresh air, no vehicles, a gentle grade: perfect!

We had  been mildly concerned about going in mid-November, but this proved, at least this year, to be perfect timing. No snow, no ice, no crowds, and very fresh air to keep you peddling hard to warm up! It was a little too fresh coming back down, but nothing a Baileys coffee at the local pub couldn't put right, followed by a sampler of spirits at a local distillery (Legends, highly recommend for the spirits and the food!).

Below, a few pics from the Kettle Valley Rail Trail.

A Gentle Incline, Kettle Valley Rail Trail near Naramata, BC
(my 2020 Turbo Vado 3.0)

Tunnel on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail

Giant Ponderosa Pine, Kettle Valley Rail Trail

View From the Kettle Valley Rail Trail

View on the Return, Kettle Valley Rail Trail

Warming Up, Legend Distilling, Naramata, BC