Monday Mentions is an easy way to share any and all of the fun things you’ve discovered recently, online or otherwise. For more information read this post by the mastermind behind this whole thing, Jen @ Daily Mish Mash. Here’s what I’ve discovered this week…

• It seems like Fiber has become the new IT nutrition fad – and food manufacturers have noticed and begun advertising fiber in everything. But did you know that not all fiber is created equal? My husband found out recently that companies are adding fiber to foods that don’t normally contain it (or at least don’t contain much fiber) and the non-natural fiber being added may not be as good for you and might lead to indigestion. There still doesn’t seem to be much information on this out there but I saw an article about faux fiber on CalorieCount.About.Com that is worth a quick read. Their opinion is that this faux fiber certainly isn’t bad for you but that not much is known about it. In the meantime, we’re trying to cut back on foods with added fiber and stick to the natural sources instead.
• Do you write reviews on your blogs? If so, you’ve probably heard about the new FTC guidelines that affect bloggers. If you are still a bit confused about the jargon and how it specifically affects you, check out this great post at From Dates to Diapers and Beyond.
• I’m sure you all remember Glamour magazines’ recent plus-sized spotlight involving the infamous “Girl on Page 194,” 20-year-old plus sized Lizzi Miller. It seems like the fashion industry may finally be making an effort at featuring real women of all shapes and sizes. Brianna @ College Candy questions the motives and timing behind the recent and sudden embracing of full figured models. She wonders if the magazines “are capitalizing on and exploiting a whole population of woman in order to boost sales,” given the current economy. What do you think?
• I really loved this recent post by Linda @ 2nd Cup of Coffee about NASA’s plan to “whack the moon” in hopes of finding water – and what a typical guy thing that is to do. I loved her description of how a woman would handle the problem differently. I think it’s great when we can fully acknowledge the best and worst traits of each gender and have a little fun with it. And I hope NASA found the water they were looking for and didn’t “whack the moon” for nothing. I’m too lazy to google it and find out. :O)
• I saw this really cute looking recipe for a Caramel Toffee Fruit Dip at Our Best Bite, perfect for the Halloween season. And the fact that your dipping fruit in it makes it healthy, right?
• Tsh @ Simple Mom pointed out two weeks ago that there were just 12 weeks left until Christmas! Ack! That means only 10 weeks are left now. Luckily Tsh is here to help with 12 Weeks of Tips to help get you ready. Last week was all about gathering addresses for your Christmas Cards list.
• Another great Christmas-themed article was on Blissfully Domestic last week. Have you considered sending a Christmas Care Package to the Troops?
• Michael Pollan recently asked the readers of his NY Times column for help compiling a dietary list of do’s and don’ts. He got more than 2,500 responses within days and listed 20 of the best ones. My favorite is: “It’s better to pay the grocer than the doctor,” from John Forti but there were a lot of great gems in that Top 20 list!
• The internet nearly exploded with Republican angst last week when Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. I’ve read a lot and heard a lot (especially from my husband, a quasi-closeted Republican) but the best thing I read was this post on GoodyBlog. Finally a positive message about something that is supposed to be a good thing, regardless of your political persuasion.