Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts

Friday, May 15, 2009

Worst packaged foods lies [part3]

The Vitamin Vacuum

Kelloggs Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pop-Tarts

The claim: “Good source of 7 vitamins and minerals”

The truth: Five of the 7 vitamins and minerals are derived from this product’s first ingredient—enriched flour. That’s the code word for “refined flour that’s had nutrients added to it after it’s been stripped of fiber.”

What you really want: A breakfast without the nutritional profile of a dessert. Studies show that people who opt for high-quality protein (eggs, yogurt) over refined carbohydrates (pancakes, bagels, Pop-Tarts) lose weight faster and maintain higher levels of energy throughout the day.

The All-Natural Disaster

7UP

The claim: “All Natural Flavors”

The truth: The FDA doesn’t have a definition for this claim. Case in point: 7UP now boasts that it’s made with 100 percent natural ingredients. That’s because they’ve switched from carbonated water to filtered water, from citric acid to natural citric acid, and from calcium disodium EDTA to natural potassium citrate. Got it? Here’s the kicker: The soft drink is still sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, which can’t be made without the help of a centrifuge.

What you really want: A healthy choice, like lemon and seltzer. 7UP’s tactic is employed primarily by companies making junk food (see also: Natural Cheetos). Considering that the calorie counts are nearly always identical with their “unnatural” brethren (in the case of 7UP, calories and sugar counts are the exact same), concentrate on the bigger issues and find reliably healthy drinks and snacks.

The Cheeseless Cheese Pizza

Mama Celeste Original Pizza

The claim: “Original Pizza”

The truth: Ever had a pizza without cheese? Well, if you eat this one you will have, since Mama Celeste doesn’t use a single shred of real cheese in making this problematic pie. What does she use? Imitation mozzarella, which is the second ingredient on the list and is composed mostly of partially hydrogenated soybean oil, endowing each serving with 5 grams of nasty trans fats. Also watch out for the attachment of the word “flavored,” as in “strawberry-flavored”; it’s a surefire sign that the product is utterly fruitless.

What you really want: Cheese, strawberries, or whatever you think it is you’re getting. If the name or flavor in the food’s title isn’t one of the first few ingredients, find another product.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Worst packaged foods lies [part2]

The Hidden Trans-Fats

Cheetos Crunchy

The claim: “Zero gram trans fats”

The truth: FDA allows manufacturers to make this claim when their products contain less than 0.5 gram of trans fats per serving. It may seem insignificant, but 0.49 gram of this nefarious fat can add up quickly.

What you really want: Keep total trans-fat intake to no more than 1 percent of total calories—about 2.5 grams per day for most adults. That means reading the ingredients list (especially those that proclaim to be trans fat-free), and looking for “partially hydrogenated,” “shortening,” or “interesterified.” For a trans-fat cheat sheet, be sure to avoid any of the items on our list of the 10 trans-fattiest supermarket foods.

The Unnatural Fruit

Nutri-Grain Strawberry Cereal Bar

The claim: “Naturally and artificially flavored”

The truth: While the FDA requires manufacturers to disclose the use of artificial flavoring on the front of the box, the requirements for what is considered “natural” and “real” are not strict: Even trace amounts of the essence or extract of fruit counts as natural. So yes, there is fruit in this bar, but it falls third in the ingredients list, behind HFCS and corn syrup.

What you really want: An honest snack with nothing to hide. Lärabars, one of our favorite snacks in the aisle, are made with nothing more than dried fruit and nuts.

The "Health" Food That Isn't

Healthy Choice Sweet & Sour Chicken

The claim: “Healthy Choice”

The truth: A company can call itself whatever it wants, but that doesn’t give credence to the name. Healthy Choice even provides a handful of nutritional stats—430 calories, 9 grams fat, 600 milligrams sodium—to back up the name, but they neglect to mention the 29 grams of added sugars used in this dish. The 6 different sweeteners in the ingredient list combine to give this less-than-healthy choice almost the same amount of sugar as a Snickers bar. Many Healthy Choice selections are reliably nutritious; this is not one of them.

What you really want: Dinner that doesn’t taste like a bowl of ice cream. While fat and calories are important considerations in everything you eat, be sure to read the fine print. Companies with healthy label claims often pull the bait-and-switch, going low in fat but then elevating the sugar or sodium to up the flavor quotient.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Worst packaged foods lies [part1]

If you want to understand some of the food industry to take a walk through your grocery store candy aisle. There, on the labels of products such as Mike and Ike, and good and lot, you will find that, perhaps it is surprising claim: "The fat free." However, this is absolutely true of these empty-calorie junk food is almost 100 percent sugar and processed carbohydrates.

You see, the producers of food, you think stupid. In fact, their marketing strategies that rely on it. For example, it may be that the above-mentioned persons sweets hope you equate "fat free" with "healthy" or "not fattening"-so that you forget about everything on sugar, these products contain. This is a classic bait and switch.

And candy aisle is just the beginning. That is why Eat this, not! Supermarket Survival Guide Supermarket gave crack packaged food labeling codes and now you can ensure that you get exactly what you pay. Do not be fooled again by labels mislead!

The Organic Junk Food

Kraft Original Macaroni & Cheese

The claim: "USDA organic"

The truth: It’s organic, so it must be healthy, right? Not so much. For an extra 60 cents per box, consumers save 20 calories and 1 gram of fat. They also gain 2 grams of sugar, 1 gram of fiber, and 50 milligrams of sodium, and they lose 6 percent of their daily iron. The point is, even organic junk food is still junk food. Your body processes organic refined flour and powdered cheese the same way it does the conventional kind, so at the end of the day it’s still a high-calorie, low-nutrient letdown.

What you really want: If you must have mac, pick one with a label that reads like the recipe you’d use to fix it at home. Annie’s line of macaroni and cheese contains about 8 ingredients per box and cuts the fat by 72 percent over Kraft Organic. And to learn more about whether you should splurge or save when it comes to organic, check out "The Truth About Organic Food." In this economy, it’s important to know that you’re spending your money wisely. Sometimes, like in the case of this Organic Kraft Mac & Cheese, choosing the organic route may not always be the best use of your hard-earned cash.

The Fat Fake-Out

Smucker’s Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter

The claim: “25 percent less fat than regular natural peanut butter”

The truth: Smucker’s has indeed removed some of the fat from the peanut butter, but they’ve replaced it with maltodextrin, a carbohydrate used as a cheap filler in many processed foods. This means you’re trading the healthy fat from peanuts for empty carbs, double the sugar, and a savings of a meager 10 calories.

What you really want: The real stuff: no oils, fillers, or added sugars. Just peanuts and salt. Smucker’s Natural fits the bill, as do many other peanut butters out there.

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.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Why men & women diet differently

1. Guys can just say "No" to solve the problem of food
Earlier this year, the Brookhaven National Laboratory conducted a study where they presented men and women of their preferred food, and then monitored their brain activity using positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Ladies, men fighting: they have managed to eradicate hunger and their desire to eat, while brain activity among women has shown that many have continued to claim their favorite foods, even after having learned to think of other thing. In other words, we call it "emotional eating," something that the coach and the American Dietetic Association says spokesman Jim White is a "battle" for his female clientele, but not humans. The guy must be too busy thinking about something else or nothing at all?

2. But they are silent when it comes to nutrition
When a woman decides to go on a diet, the first stop, it will probably make health went his groceries. But not for men, "said White. "With women, they are eager to learn," he says. "They seek nutrients, read food labels and focus on healthy cooking and healthy meals." The guys can take a page of this book to learn something or to do what White calls a "grocery store tour" to familiarize yourself with what is healthy and what is undesirable. Just because the chicken does not mean that it is healthy. If this confusion you head to the grocery store or ask a woman nearby.

3. They compete to lose
When you think of Curves, Weight Watchers or other programs for the women, they are all focused on promoting cooperation, holding hands and reaching targets within a group. For men, weight loss is a sport. "If I want to encourage a man to lose weight, I do competitively," said Dr. Robert Vogel, the author of a health plan "The Pritikin Edge." "It will build a friend, may lose more weight, while women will both agree to buy new clothes when they reach their goal. "His intuition is supported in research, where men have achieved better results in studies of incentive for women when they earned money for every pound lost. Sign up for this.

4. Guys do not care no more (but you knew that already)
Studies show that many men tend to food for reasons of health or health scares, rather than appearance. Women are more susceptible to food because of social pressures. Vogel advises the National Football League, and as such, sees many big-bellied, 300-pound offensive lineman to go through his office that are all happy with their size and that their employment is . A woman, on the reverse tends to be compared to its peers. "You never really see a woman of 300 pounds that is prideful about its weight," he said, adding that women "bear the burden of social ostracism." Ultimately, it is less stigmatizing to be overweight, if you're a guy. This means that men are less likely to be dissatisfied with their bodies and women are more likely to obsess about the number of the scale.

5. Muscles question
If both husband and wife began at the same gym regime, it is likely to lose more weight at first because he has more muscle mass. It is also more likely to attack a target of weight loss by exercise. White said that for men, gymnastics is a "business plan", as they begin to come from four to five times a week, "really pumping iron." So here's an area where women can take their index Hunks without throwing that "I want to be lean, not muscular" excuse. "The truth is, you can not lose weight and keep it out of an exercise without a plan, "says Vogel. And this, together with the counting calories thing is a rule system that applies to both sexes.