Healthy Food Choices

I want to mention the “Eat This Not That” phenomena as I am determined to try something that I would not usually endorse. I am planning to visit my local Carl’s Junior fast food dispensary to eat a turkey burger. Claimed to be the first turkey burger to be offered by a hamburger chain Carl’s Junior’s new burgers are recommended by Mens’ Health Magazine and the Eat This Not That campaign. Besides the original turkey burger, Carl’s Jr. customers can order the Teriyaki Turkey Burger and Guacamole Turkey Burger, while Hardee’s customers can try the Mushroom Swiss Turkey Burger or the BBQ Ranch Turkey Burger. They all weigh in at under 500 calories. Just skip the fries and the Coke. Now a bit more about Eat This Not That.

Eat This, Not That

By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD. 
WebMD Expert Review

Eat This, Not That: What It Is

Most diet books tout a secret formula, or mystifying scientific-sounding plan to melt away pounds but not Eat This, Not That, the latest diet book from Mens’ Health Editor-in-Chief David Zinczenko and Mens’ Health food and nutrition editor Matt Goulding. The diet is not a diet in the traditional sense, but a calorie counter’s dream. Many people are clueless when it comes to the calories in the foods they eat and even when they guess, they usually underestimate the numbers.

The authors promise you will lose weight if you make smarter food choices, but don’t be fooled into thinking that ordering a Big Mac instead of a Whopper with cheese will lead to weight loss as depicted on the book’s cover.

Part expose, part nutritional guide, and part picture book of mouth-watering food images, Eat This, Not That comes in a handy size to take along to the grocery store, restaurant, or mall. It is loaded with calorie, fat, sugar, carbohydrate, and sodium counts designed to help you make smarter food choices.

“We chose calories as the most important criteria for the foods we chose because it is the top cause of weight gain and the gauntlet of health problems so when it comes to prudent eating, nothing matters more than calories,” Zinczenko says.

The authors do an excellent job exposing the obscene number of calories in certain foods, such as Outback’s Aussie cheese fries that weigh in at 2,900 calories, Chili’s Awesome Blossom at 2,710 calories, and Lonestar’s 20-ounce T-bone — an astonishing 1,540-calorie steak. And as a result, several restaurants have removed calorie-laded items from their menus.

 

Healthy Restaurants

Well I have to confess that on a recent trip through Las Vegas on the way to the Land of Disney I had a “must stop” at the Paris Hotel where shortly after it had opened about 12 years ago I had the opportunity to have brunch at The Village Buffet. Now buffets are not always (maybe never) a good L’endroit pour manger. But the food was good and the choices included some very nutritious offerings. So I had great expectations but what once was the best of times became the worst of times as it was a disappointing tale of two visits. Food that should have been hot was cold, the drink service was slow and not accurate, and I still prefer real butter because I know what I will be eating. And no there was no real butter. So a big let down. And my wife and I have noticed that what is a good restaurant at the opening becomes a bad and disappointing restaurant over even a short time in some instances.

It is easy to avoid poor choices at Disneyland as the prices and value for money in the park are a great disincentive to eat their fare, and of course you can take in your own food. A suite at a suitable hotel will allow the visitors to store food in a refrigerator and even cook if that is your inclination. So there you have a great deal of control over what you eat.

Having got that off my chest let me tell you about a great website, where you can look for restaurants that offer healthy eating. Healthydiningfinder.com has about 70,000 restaurant locations countrywide for you to search for a suitable place to eat healthily. There is even nutritional information about calories, fat content, and other important facts. So next time I take off on my travels I will be using the “Healthy Dining finder.”

Healthy Fast Food and Family Dining

Men’s Health Magazine is one great resource when checking out what is best and what is worst when you eat out either on the run or when you choose a more leisurely repast.

For a FF burger they say go to Wendy’s and especially they note that the Jr. Burgers can weigh in at under 400 of them there so important calories. Want a sandwich? Cheesecake Factory will get you one at 1,400 calories and their pasta items average 1,835 C. So Mens’ Health considers Cheesecake Factory the worst in family dining due in great part because of it’s large portion meals.  The King? Not quite Burger King. But Subway reigns as monarch of the healthy choice sandwiches. The sub chain gets the thumbs up for offering the leanest sandwiches in America.  Ten six-inch subs under 400 calories.

Now the mens’ mag castigated the Home of the Blizzard when they said Dairy Queen ranked as The Worst Burger Joint. The judgment was that “the fast-food chain specializes in both burgers and ice cream injected with egregious amounts of sodium and trans fats.”

The verdict on California Pizza Kitchen’s 10-inch pizza entrees is that they are “awkward” because they make it almost impossible to eat a healthy portion.” Men’s Health said “A 10-inch isn’t enough for two people but eating it for yourself means consuming a 1,000 calorie-meal.” Best pizza- Domino’s  Philly Cheese Steak Pizza” was way up there. Ranked as a solid lean pie. You get to choose more vegetable toppings at Domino’s than at the competition pizza place.

Oh. Oh. Oh. Quiznos. Quiznos. Quiznos.  Mens’ Health regarded the big Q as the worst   sandwich shop, and candidly said: “This menu is bloated with mayonnaise-spiked salads, oily dressings and briny bacon.”

And now it’s time to say “Hello Ruby Tuesday” not “Goodbye Ruby Tuesday” I feel ready right now to head out to Ruby Tuesday. I may never see “The Lips” licking up the gravy but the accolade for Best Healthy Family Dining Restaurant was awarded to Ruby Tuesday. I’ll be checking out the selection of healthy options on the Fit & Trim menu.

Eat well and wisely. Bon appetit.

Teenage Health

When it comes to teens and their eating habits it can be an up hill slog trying to teach them what they consume will have a good or bad effect on their bodies and minds. With changes that begin with growing maturity adequate nutrition is essential.

Good eating habits help prevent chronic illness in the future, including obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Did you know that most adolescents fail to meet the recommended dietary requirements for caloric and nutrient intake? Many teens in fact receive the majority of their calories from processed and high fat foods. A low intake of essential nutrients including vitamin A, folic acid, fiber, iron and calcium is prevalent among adolescents. A low intake of iron and calcium in particular is common among female adolescents, which can impair cognitive function and physical performance, as well as increase a females risk for osteoporosis later in life!

http://www.womenshealthcaretopics.com/teen_eating_habits.htm

Fast Food Fatty

It seems the people most obsessed with losing weight are the people who are the least willing to sacrifice. These are always the type of people who just scarfed down a Bi Mac before asking me if I know any “get-thin-quick” methods. I guess I do know some, but I would never recommend them. Losing weight and getting trim is about lifestyle changes, forming new habits. Most people think they can put in a little effort now and then ride the train all the way to weight loss station. That’s not the case at all. Beating fat is a marathon, not a sprint.

If you want a good lose weight fast tip, I can give you one. STOP EATING FAST FOOD! The stuff will kill you. I would be willing to bet that anyone who eats fast food regularly could loose 10 pounds in a month if they suddenly quit eating out cold turkey. Here’s why:

Cutting fast food will help you avoid fried food. Anything deep battered in oil is so full of fat and oil that it becomes all but impossible to burn off before you go to bed. Fries, fried chicken, and even chips are all express tickets to Chubland.

By not eating out, I bet you’ll drastically decrease your soda intake. Soda is to weight loss as kryptonite is to Superman. They don’t mesh. If you want to lose weight, you have to cut down on calories. The quickest way to take in more calories than you can burn is by downing a heaping glass of Coca Cola.

By avoiding fast food restaurants, you’ll also be able to avoid over eating. Many of tend to eat too much on our fast food visits. This is because we order a combo meal that just has too much food. But instead of throwing away what we can’t eat, we force it down our gullets even after we feel full. Eating at home, you can stop as soon as you stop feeling hungry and wrap up the food and put it in the fridge for later.

So if you’re serious about losing weight, do yourself a favor and stop hitting the drive through. Sacrifice is the only road to weight loss.

Is HCG Effective?

Today I wanted to write a little bit on HCG. This supplement is getting a lot of attention recently. Many of the questions I get here ask me whether or not HCG is effective. In all honesty, I’ve never tried it. But I know people who have. In fact one of my best friends tried it last year. I am not sure what brand of HCG he used but I know he ordered it down illegally from Canada. Whether or not the kind he used is available in the States, I’m not sure. All I know is that it was HCG and he took it through daily injections.

In the end my friend (let’s call him Mark) lost a good 25 pounds in about 3 weeks. To get these results, Mark limited himself to a 500 calorie diet for the 21 days. Afterward he ate no carbs or starches for about a month. I have to say he kept the weight off for longer than I thought. For about six or seven months, he looked great. But the next summer Mark’s weight came flooding back. He gained back the 25 pounds and more. Before HCG he was around 235. He got down to about 210. But now he’s around 255 and he’s never felt worse about his weight. He’s the heaviest he’s ever been.

If you ask me, HCG is not effective. I think eating 500 calories a day is what did it more than anything. Basically he starved himself for nearly a month to get the results he did. Dieting that drastically can really mess with your system. He’s currently worried if his metabolism is messed up for good. He’s been trying to lose some weight recently but he says his body just clings onto it now.

In the end, I’d recommend staying away from HCG. I know Mark is just one guy’s experience, but he’s a guy that I care about and I don’t want other people to go through what he did. HCG doesn’t work and neither does starving yourself. Sustainable weight loss begins with changes in lifestyle and starving yourself doesn’t count.

Diet Tips

A lot of my friends are always trying fad diets, abusing their bodies, and stressing themselves out. Personally though, I think trimming down doesn’t have to be as drastic as they make it out to be. The way to get skinny is to do it gradually and healthily. It’s about lifestyle not a the new diet flavor of the week. Trying to keep up with all the extreme diets could kill you. So in this post I am going to recommend a three super easy things you can do to help you gradually lose weight over time.

The first thing you need to do is drink plenty of water. No I didn’t say chocolate milk, soda, or some other fat in a bottle drink, I said WATER! Some peole think they are hungry when they are really just thirsty. A tall glass of water in this case can help you avoid unnecessary calories. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, try splashing some drops of fruit or juice to give it just enough for a little zing of flavor.

Another simple lifestyle choice you can make is to become a stair-person. That means no more elevator. You’re hoofing it! Studies have actually shown that taking the stairs can lower your body weight by 2%. It may not sound huge but that’s at least 4 pounds if you weigh over 200. Using the stairs will provide more healthy body activity and help you lose weight in the long run.

The third thing I want to mention is nighttime eating. Did you ever see the movie Gremlins? At first, they were little fluffy pets. But if you let them eat after midnight, they transformed into vile green monsters. Think of yourself as the fluffy pet, and fat as the green monsters. Eating late is taking in calories you never burn. Instead of working them off, you let them store up in your body to be burned sometime down the road, or never for that matter. If you have to snack after dinner, do so lightly. At first start by snacking on maybe a 100 calorie snack pack or a little cup of fat free ice cream. Eventually though, you should ween yourself from as much nighttime eating as you can.

I am a Health Freak!

I am Joseph Ratliff, and I’m a health freak. Being such, I try to keep myself fit, in shape, and eating right. I guess they all tie in together. I have started this site to impart to you all my Health Freak knowledge. My friends are always telling me I boss them around too much, that I am always on their case about eating better and exercising more. They say I’m so zealous about it that I should start a blog on the subject just to get the bossiness out of my system. With the Intrenet, I don’t have to bully my friends into becoming health nuts. I can order around the whole world now!

But seriously, I want to make this website available to people looking for useful tips, trainings, and advice on how to get slim, eat right, and live better. I will try to be good at posting every week. I am pretty focused on keeping myself in peak condition, I hope this blog will receive the same attention. But before I get started, what do you want to know about? What’s on the masses minds out there in cyberland as far as health and dieting goes? Do you want to hear about diet pills? HCG? Or do you want info on wholesome training regimens and fat fighting habits? In any case, you need to let me know.

I look forward to this new adventure in my life and connecting to a whole new community out there. My non-digital friends say I’m just putting up this site so people will listen to me yack about healthy stuff. Maybe they’re right, but if my yacking can help even one person out there, all my bossiness will have paid off. Talk to you all later!