Sunday, April 26, 2009

Is diet soda making you fat?

We talk a lot about "look what we have, but if you never have thought that you ate, but instead looked only what you drink, you probably could cut 450 calories a day in your life that almost one pound of fat is trimmed each week! This is a study at the University of North Carolina found. Americans now drink about 192 gallons of fluid per year, or about 2 liters a day. To put it in perspective, it is almost twice as many calories as we did 30 years ago.

When faced with a growing wave of calories from sweetened beverages, the first response: "Why not just drink diet soda?" Well, for several reasons. Eat this, not! did some research and discovered some hard truths for the low caloric value (and food free) drinks. History is not as clear as you suspect, and this may make you think twice the next time you're looking for a thirst-drinking.

Hard Truth # 1

Just because diet soda low in calories does not mean that it can not lead to an increase in weight.

It may be only 5 or fewer calories per serving, but emerging research shows that consumers sugary-tasting drinks, even if they are artificially sweetened, can lead to a high preference for sweetness in general. This means that the sweeter (and more calories), corn, bread, dessert-all. Given is 15 calories per teaspoon of sugar is not good news if you're watching your weight.

Hard Truth # 2

Guzzling these drinks throughout the day replaces healthy beverages like.

Diet soda is 100 percent of nutrient-free, and it is important to remember that all this is useless to occupy space fluid, which could be more healthy alternatives. On the positive side, it means you do not take in the equally non-nutritious, calorie and sugar packed options. But just as important to take an active drink good thing as it is to avoid this bad thing. Thus, one diet soda a day is fine, but if you Downing five or six cans, it means that you restrict your inbox healthy beverages, particularly water and tea, which is high in antioxidants.

In addition, a recent study from Johns Hopkins have found that limiting calorie liquid is a more effective way to lose weight than the restriction of calories from food. There is no place better than anything on the Elimination of our list of the 20 unhealthiest drink in America.

Hard Truth # 3

There remain some concerns over aspartame, the low-calorie chemical used to give a diet Sodas their flavor.

Aspartame 180 times sweeter than sugar, and some animal studies linked the consumption of high amounts of sugar with brain tumors and lymphomas in rodents. FDA argues that the sugar is safe, but reported side effects include dizziness, headache, diarrhea, memory loss and changes in mood. Check out our guide to 11 of the most controversial food additive in order to stack up as aspartame.

The bottom line is this: Do you diet soda is good, and it may simply be doing you harm. The best way to hydrate is drinking low-calorie, high-nutrient liquid and the selection of healthy alternatives, like the ones you can find in our list of 16 best drinks swaps.

Now that you have to hold your liquid assets, to modernize the entire grocery list to avoid the worst 13 "health" products in supermarkets.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Top 19 worst drive-thru foods in America :chapter 2

Arby’s Large Mozzarella Sticks
849 calories
56 g fat (26 g saturated fat)
2,730 mg sodium
Anything with as much saturated fat as a Triple Whopper should not be called a side. If it’s cheese you crave, order the French Dip ‘N Swiss or Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwich instead to save more than 500 calories.

Eat This Instead!
Martha’s Vineyard Salad
With Light Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
389 calories
14 g fat (5 g saturated)
923 mg sodium


McDonald's Large Triple Thick Chocolate Milkshake
1,160 calories
27 g fat (16 g saturated fat)
168 g sugar
510 mg sodium
You’d be better off eating two Quarter Pounders than sucking down one of these belt-breaking shakes. Steer clear of milkshakes at the Golden Arches. If you must have a frozen dessert, order a vanilla ice cream cone to save more than 1,000 calories. Make swaps like that every week and watch the pounds melt off!

Eat This Instead!
Vanilla Reduced-Fat Ice Cream Cone
150 calories
3.5 g fat (2 g saturated fat)
18 g sugars
60 mg sodium


Jack in the Box Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges
720 calories
48 g fat (15 g saturated fat, 12 g trans fats)
1,360 mg sodium
48 g carbohydrates
You probably don’t need us to tell you that bacon, cheese, and fried potatoes are not a healthful trio. What's worse, though, is that Jack in the Box cooks in trans-fatty vegetable shortening, which has been linked to heart disease. It's no secret that French fries can ruin an otherwise sensible meal, but these things take destruction to another level entirely.

Eat This Instead!
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks (3)
240 calories
12 g fat (5 g saturated fat, 2 g trans fats)
420 mg sodium


Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
800 calories
60 g fat (12 g saturated fat)
1,745 mg sodium
With 17 more grams of fat than Taco Bell’s Fiesta Taco Salad, this is the worst salad from any drive-thru. The dressing alone sets you back 42.5 grams of fat. Take a look at our list of the worst salads in America and see how this one compares.

Eat This Instead!
Chick-fil-A Southwest Chargrilled Salad with Fat-Free Honey Mustard Dressing
360 calories
8 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat)
1,170 mg sodium


Dairy Queen Large Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard
990 calories
39 g fat (24 g saturated fat)
114 g sugars
This creation combines ice cream, strawberry syrup, and hunks of cheesecake for a high-fat dairy dessert. If you’re set on a Blizzard, go bananas. A small Banana Split Blizzard has 7 fewer fat grams than the small Oreo, Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Cup, or Strawberry CheeseQuake flavors. Or stray from the Blizzard and satisfy your sweet tooth with a small chocolate sundae to save major calories and fat.

Eat This Instead!
Small Chocolate Sundae
280 calories
7 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat)
42 g sugars


Burger King BIG FISH Sandwich with Tartar Sauce
640 calories
32 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
1,540 mg sodium

Fish is only healthy when it's not breaded and fried in partially hydrogenated oil. Here, the fry treatment translates into 7 grams of trans fats and 108 grams of carbohydrates.


Eat This Instead!
Whopper Jr. without mayo
and Garden Salad
365 calories
12 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat)
1,230 mg sodium

Hardee's Monster Thickburger
1,420 calories
108 g fat (43 g saturated fat)
2,770 mg sodium
230 mg cholesterol
This burger is called “Monster” for a reason. It’s got the caloric equivalent of almost 6 McDonald’s hamburgers, the saturated fat equivalent of 43 strips of Oscar Mayer bacon, and the sodium equivalent of 84 saltine crackers. You’ll satisfy nearly an entire day’s worth of calories in one sitting, so opt for the significantly less monstrous Low-Carb Thickburger, instead, and save 1,000 calories that you can allocate to more deserving and nutritious fare.

Eat This Instead!
Low Carb Thickburger
420 calories
32 g fat (12 g saturated fat)
1,010 mg sodium


Arby's Roast Turkey and Swiss Market Fresh Sandwich
708 calories
29 g fat (8 g saturated fat)
1,676 mg sodium
Avoid any sandwich made on honey wheat bread: Two slices contain a staggering 361 calories and 68 grams of carbs. Cut those in half by sticking to a sesame bun.

Eat This Instead!
Chicken Cordon Blue Sandwich (grilled)
488 calories
18 g fat (4 g saturated fat)
1,560 mg sodium


Jack in the Box Chipotle Chicken Ciabatta
690 calories
28 g fat (9 g saturated fat)
1,850 mg sodium
Unlike many other fast food restaurants that have made the shift away from trans fats, Jack in the Box's menu has a number of items with more than 5 grams of the stuff—and some with up to 13 grams of it! There’s no “safe” level of trans fats, but the recommendation is that you don’t eat more than 2 grams of the heart-harming junk per day. Add fries to this sandwich, and you’ll take in three and a half times your daily limit.

Eat This Instead!
Chicken Fajita Pita
300 calories
9 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat)
1,090 mg sodium


Carl’s Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger
with Medium Natural Cut Fries and 32 oz Coke
2,618 calories
144 g fat (51.5 g saturated fat)
2,892 mg sodium
Of all the gut-growing, heart-stopping, life-threatening burgers in the fast food world, there is none whose damage to your general well-being is as catastrophic as this. Consider these heart-stopping comparisons: This meal has the caloric equivalent of 13 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Donuts; the saturated fat equivalent of 52 strips of bacon; and the salt equivalent of seven and a half large orders of McDonald’s French fries!

Eat This Instead!
Famous Star
with Side Salad with Low Fat Balsamic Dressing and 32 oz Iced Tea
685 calories
38 g fat (10.5 g saturated fat)
1,520 mg sodium

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Top 19 worst drive-thru foods in America :chapter 1

Time and money are two things Americans can’t afford to waste. So it’s not surprising (though slightly disappointing) that the drive-thru is considered one of the great inventions of all time. There’s even a study to prove it. In 2005 and 2006, researchers asked 600 adults and teens why they eat so much fast food. Three of the top four responses were it’s quick, easy, and affordable. Taste came in third, with only 69 percent of respondents listing flavor as a factor in their fast-food love.



Drive-thru foods may be convenient and easy on the wallet, but they’re loaded with unhealthy fats, added sugars, carbohydrates, and sodium. Translation: They’re no bargain when it comes to your health. But jam-packed schedules and a dismal economy make the occasional drive-thru meal a part of life. That’s why Eat This, Not That! studied the open-air menu boards and compiled a list of the worst items out there, plus better alternatives. Avoid these dietary land mines and save more than a few minutes and a couple bucks—how does up to 20 pounds in a year sound?


Worst drink
Sonic Minute Maid Cranberry Juice Slush (“Route 44”–extra large)
616 calories
165 g sugars

In its pure form, antioxidant-packed cranberry juice is a healthy choice. But this Cranberry Juice Slush comes with an asterisk next to the word “cranberry” on the Web site’s nutrition list. That’s probably because only 78 of the whopping 616 calories come from “cranberry flavor”—the rest of the bulk comes from the “slush.” Consider that a code word for sugar overload: the extra-large has the sugar equivalent of six packs of M&Ms. Check out our list of the 20 worst drinks in America to see other equally atrocious beverages.



Drink This Instead!
Cranberry Flavored Tea (medium)
42 calories
10 g sugar


Burger King Spicy Chick’n Crisp Sandwich
450 calories
30 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
810 mg sodium

Lean economic times make the value menu more appealing than ever. And that’s fine—most dollar menus have a few sensible items. But if you eat this sandwich often, saving a few bucks will quickly result in a surplus around your waistline.


Eat This Instead!
Whopper Jr. without mayo
290 calories
12 g fat (4.5 g saturated fat)
500 mg sodium


Taco Bell Grilled Stuft Beef Burrito
680 calories
30 g fat (10 g saturated fat)
2,120 mg sodium

Ditch this and order two grilled steak soft tacos (or any menu item) "fresco" style and the Bell boys will replace cheese and sauces with a chunky tomato salsa, helping to cut calories in half and fat by at least 25 percent.


Eat This Instead!
Two Grilled Steak Soft Tacos, Fresco Style
320 calories
9 g fat (3 g saturated fat)
1,100 mg sodium


Sonic Chicken Club TOASTER Sandwich
742 calories
46 g fat (11 g saturated, 0.5 g trans)
1,742 mg sodium
How can a chicken sandwich pack so much fat? Start with a fried chicken breast, add bacon, cheese, and mayo, and you're there. Add to that the sodium equivalent of 53 saltine crackers, and you’re looking at a serious dietary disaster. Ditch the chicken for beef and save 10 grams of fat.

Eat This Instead!
Sonic Burger with Mustard
540 calories
25 g fat (9 g saturated fat)
730 mg sodium


Hardee’s Big Chicken Filet Sandwich
800 calories
37 g fat (6 g saturated fat)
1,890 mg sodium
A general rule: Avoid sandwiches with words like “big” and “monster” in the name. Hardee’s Monster Thickburger is another example—it comes in at 1,420 calories, 108 grams of fat, and more saturated fat than you want in two days.

Eat This Instead!
Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich
415 calories
5 g fat (1 g saturated fat)
1,175 mg sodium


Arby’s Roast Beef and Swiss Market Fresh Sandwich
810 calories
42 g fat (13 g saturated fat)
1,780 mg sodium
The unwholesome trinity of mayo, Italian sub sauce, and processed Swiss cheese make this sandwich the clear loser in the battle of the beef. The Super Roast Beef replaces mayo with a low-cal spicy pepper sauce and totals 370 fewer calories.

Eat This Instead!
Super Roast Beef
440 calories
19 g fat (7 g saturated fat)
1,061 mg sodium


Burger King Kids Double Cheeseburger and Kids Fries with Small Coke
950 calories
42 g fat (17 g saturated fat, 4.5 g trans fats)
1,410 mg sodium
BK's dubious double burger earns the distinction of being the fattiest meal for an on-the-go kid, with nearly a day's worth of saturated fat for the average 8-year-old.

Eat This Instead!
4-piece Chicken Tenders with Strawberry-Flavored Applesauce and unlimited water
280 calories
11 g fat (3 g saturated fat)
440 mg sodium


Dairy Queen 6-Piece Chicken Strip Basket
1,270 calories
67 g fat (11 g saturated fat)
2,910 mg sodium
The strips deliver more grams of fat than four DQ Homestyle Burgers, and nearly 300 more calories than a Large Strawberry CheeseQuake Blizzard.

Eat This Instead!
Grilled Chicken Salad
with Fat-Free Italian Dressing
280 calories
11 g fat (5 g saturated)
1,550 mg sodium


Jack in the Box Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit
740 calories
55 g fat (17 g saturated fat)
1,430 mg sodium
Skip biscuits at all costs. This one contains nearly a full day’s worth of saturated fat (check out the 8 worst restaurant breakfasts here). Instead try the Bacon Breakfast Jack—16 grams of protein makes it a surprisingly good way to start your day.

Eat This Instead!
Bacon Breakfast Jack
300 calories
14 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
730 mg sodium