2007-02-05

Paris is pictured here munching on a bowl of cereal. I think this was a surprisingly wise choice for Paris, because cereal is filled with so many great nutrients and vitamins. I’m not sure what kind of cereal it is, but looks to be corn flakes. CLICK HERE to see the Kellogg’s Corn Flake nutritional facts for yourself and you’ll be shocked at how healthy cereal really is. Add sliced bananas or strawberries and milk for a nutrition filled breakfast.

2007-02-04

Yes! Finally a website designed specifically for health food freaks like myself. All you have to do is enter your zip code, how many miles you’re willing to travel, price range and submit. A new feature that allows you to select possible cuisine types and venues is coming soon. Each result provides map quest directions and each restaurant’s nutritional information. CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE HEALTHY DINING FINDER!!!

To go along with the theme I found some very interesting dining statistics while browsing the web!

• Only 13.9% of diners strongly agree that they “more often go to restaurants where the menus highlight healthy offerings,” while 25.4% strongly disagree.
• More than 40% of diners age 41 or younger say they ordered appetizers with their dinner entrées, compared with 32% who chose a salad.
• Time at which 42% of consumers strongly agree that they already know whether they will prepare dinner at home or dine away from home. The older the respondents, the greater the likelihood their dinner plans will be set by this time.
• 21.2% Percent of diners who strongly agree that they like restaurants that provide nutrition information on menus, but a statistically equal percentage, 20.3%, strongly disagree about the importance of such information. 
• 33.1% Percent of respondents who say they have purchased more prepared, ready-to-eat meals from supermarkets in the previous 12 months than they did during the previous year.
• 22% Percent of Americans who strongly agree with the statement, “I go to restaurants because I prefer the taste of the food versus what I have at home.”

R&I’s 2007 New American Diner Study data are based on a representative sample of U.S. consumers,
weighted to match the population by gender, household income, race, region and age. In all, more than 3,200 respondents were surveyed.

Source

2007-02-03

The nation’s largest restaurant chain – - and world’s biggest seller of french fries – - has settled upon a new formula for its frying oil. Replacing its partially hydrogenated soybean oil will be a trans-fat-free frying oil made from canola, corn and soybeans, says spokesman William Whitman.

Due to serious supply concerns, the company is mum on when all its locations will have it.

Regardless of that new oil I will never be ordering McDonald’s fries EVER again in my life!

Source

2007-01-31

My neighborhood Starbucks just introduced the new breakfast sandwiches this week. My curiosity struck and I decided to compare the sandwich from Starbucks to the same one at Dunkin’ Donuts.  The Starbucks sandwich contains 420 calories and 220 are from fat. The Dunkin’ Donuts sandwich contains 530 calories and 290 are from fat. So in conclusion the Starbucks sausage, egg and cheese on an english muffin is the better choice. However some of the other new Starbucks breakfast sandwiches actually have a lot less calories, CLICK HERE TO TAKE A LOOK FOR YOURSELF.

2007-01-30

A new study proves that a calorie is a calorie. Eating less and exercising more burn an equal amount of fat.

They tested 24 people, 12 who ate a calorie-restricted diet, and 12 who dieted and also exercised five times a week for six months.

The dieters ate 25 percent less than normal, while the exercisers reduced their calorie intake by 12.5 percent and increased their physical activity to lose an extra 12.5 percent in calories.

An additional 10 volunteers acted as controls. All food was provided by the university in carefully measured portions for most of the study.

The volunteers in both groups lost about 10 percent of their body weight, 24 percent of their fat mass, and 27 percent of their abdominal visceral fat. Visceral fat is packed in between the internal organs and is considered the most dangerous type of fat, linked with heart disease and diabetes.

Source

2007-01-29

The key to any diet is to eat lots and lots of fruits and veggies. They provide many nutrients and vitamins while filling you up fast. The problem is that so many of our produce favorites are sprayed with chemicals and waxes, along with the inevitable germs. Rinsing your fruits and veggies with water alone may not be the best solution and washing with soaps may effect the taste or could be unhealthy to ingest. Recently while shopping at my local Price Chopper I came across this amazing spray called veggie wash. The wash is made of all natural ingredients and smells of citrus. All you have to do is spray your produce, rub for 20-30 seconds, and rinse thoroughly. The wash has even been laboratory tested and proven to remove unwanted residues (wax, soil, and agricultural chemicals), making it significantly better than rinsing with water alone. There is also a soaker option that is very similar but made for those fruits like grapes that may not be so easily washed one by one.  Enjoy!

To buy or learn more about VEGGIE WASH PRODUCTS Click HERE

2007-01-28

A nationwide poll of 1,072 adults shows the general healthy life style consensus. Here are some of the statistics…

FOOD:

• 70 percent of American adults drink lower fat milk instead of whole milk
• 59 percent eat chicken with the skin removed
• 54 percent take vitamins
• 52 percent use lower fat alternatives when cooking
• 51 percent read nutrition labels on food

FITNESS:

• 6 percent of Americans adults get 30 minutes of exercise a day
• 22 percent exercise three to four times per week
• 19 percent walk or bike instead of taking transportation
• 41 percent take the stairs whenever possible
• 33 percent regularly park their cars farther from their destination to get in extra walking

CLICK HERE FOR FIVE STEPS TO GET IN THE EXERCISE GROOVE

HEALTHY OUTLOOK:

• 67 percent recognize that making small, healthy improvements today add up to big benefits later
• 76 percent are satisfied with their mental and emotional well-being
• 45 percent are satisfied with their body weight
• 58 percent are satisfied with their stress level

PUT YOURSELF TO THE TEST:CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR HEALTHY EATING SCORE

I scored a 15 out of 16, I guess that means I know my healthy food facts!

SOURCE

2007-01-22

Think popcorn is a more virtuous snack than chips? Not necessarily. One serving of microwave popcorn can deliver six grams or more of trans fats. The good news is that major brands like Orville Redenbacher’s will be introducing trans-free varieties later this year.

For more trans fat culprits Click Here

2007-01-17

I’ve been hearing about these quaker rice cakes everywhere so the other day I finally decided to buy them at the grocery store. They’re simply amazing! You can enjoy the pleasure of a bag of chips minus the guilt. They also have a soy option. The Mini rice cakes come in nine different flavors of apple cinnamon, BBQ, caramel corn, cheddar cheese, chocolate, kettle corn, nacho cheese, ranch and sour cream & onion. The mini soy crisps come in BBQ and white cheddar. They also have multi-grain mini rice cakes that come in honey graham and cinnamon sugar. So far I’ve only tried the cheddar cheese minis and the white cheddar soy crisps. Click on the links to each flavor to view nutritional facts. Try them out next time you’re at the grocery store and you WONT be disappointed!!!

They also have a ton of yummy sounding recipes on the website just like this one!

Chocolate Strawberry Delight:

2007-01-15

Eight Ways to Curb Your Appetite:

• Eat every three to four hours.
  Your blood sugar won’t have a chance to drop so low that you get famished and then binge.
• Load up on foods high in fiber and water.
  They’ll keep you full at a low-calorie cost.
• Make every meal and snack a combination of protein, fiber-rich carbs and fat.
  With these three building blocks in your menu, you can buy an extra hour of satiety. For example, if you eat a salad with no dressing, you’ll just be hungry again.
• Wait 20 minutes before having seconds or another course.
  That’s how long it takes for your brain to receive the “full” signal. If you’re in a restaurant, go somewhere else for dessert—by the time you get there, chances are you won’t even want it.
• Avoid being around food when it’s not time to eat.
  We are programmed to react to the sight and smell of anything edible by wanting to consume it. So get it out of your house and walk right by that bakery.
• Get some exercise.
  Some overeaters may have fewer pleasure receptors, which is why it takes more food for them to get the same satisfaction others get from eating less. Research, meanwhile, suggests that physical activity increases the brain’s receptors for pleasure chemicals.
• Try to resolve emotional issues that trigger you to eat.
  Find alternatives to eating that make you feel good, such as talking to friends, listening to music or planning a vacation.
• Go to bed.
  Research has suggested a link between not getting enough sleep and being overweight. Good shut-eye helps prevent the disruption of some of the hormones that control appetite.

Also, Here is an original Bob Green Recipe:

Fire Roasted Tomato-Shrimp Veracruz

The 15 minutes it takes to prepare this dish belie its complex flavors. The surprising taste comes from a mix of jalapeño, thyme and orange peel. Serve over brown rice or whole wheat couscous.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 pound medium raw shrimp, shelled and deveined, tails removed (if desired)
• 4 medium green onions, sliced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 medium fresh jalapeño or serrano chile, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tsp. grated orange zest
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
• 1 14 1/2-oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained. (If fire-roasted tomatoes are unavailable, use regular canned diced tomatoes.)

In a 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp, green onions, chile, orange zest and thyme in the oil for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Stir in the tomatoes. Heat the mixture until it boils. Reduce the heat; simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and firm and sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Serves 4.

Nutritional information: 180 calories, 5 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 172 mg of cholesterol, 400 mg sodium, 7 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 24 grams protein

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To view Bob Green’s idea of a best grocery list CLICK HERE !!!!

SOURCE