A story recently found on MSNBC highlights what most overweight folks know already, eating highly processed food makes us depressed. (and not just in that ‘I can’t believe I just ate’ that way, either) the story cites a study published in The British Journal of Psychiatry which analyzed the link between the food people ate and their mood. I personally have found this to be true.
Interesting read.
-Drew
I have been taking All/Xenical for over three years, in that time I have learned the ins and outs of the drug. I’ve gone through my ‘heavy compliance’ phases, my ‘eat a whole bunch and then let the drug handle it phases (not recommended)’ and many more. One thing I think about Alli that I don’t think people understand is how much you can eat before you “set it off”.
Recently, I began following the “big breakfast diet” because it just makes sense to me. The diet consists of eating a big breakfast rich in protein and then (hopefully) that breakfast will keep you full until Lunch to prevent snacking. It is a ‘eat three times a day diet’ and it seems to be working pretty well for me so far. Although the breakfast I eat I don’t exactly consider “healthy” it is full of protein and everything my body needs to provide me with Energy.
The Breakfast Sandwich consists of:
Then I usually add a glass of juice or whatever to it. Even with that amount of fat (from the eggs, bacon, and cheese), Alli still doesn’t make me have ‘leakage’ related side effects, and believe me I know what that’s all about. When I was in a less healthy mental state I used to eat candy and then take a Xenical, pure horror would ensue.
The point I am trying to make here is that you have to work pretty hard (or at least I do) to get the ‘revenge of Alli’ and that the benefits surely outweigh the negatives.
Don’t forget, Alli is currently on sale at Amazon.com all through the month of January.
-Drew
Larry King Live (CNN) (Watch it) was focused on The Biggest Loser and the obesity problem in America in general. The trainers (Jillian and Bob) and contestants from various seasons were guests and offered insight into their struggle to lose weight. The most interesting guest was the winner of season four whom seemed to re-gain most of the weight he had lost which only proves that being healthy is not a destination it is a life long process which you can constantly shift in and out of.
I think most people would like to believe that when people leave The Biggest Loser ranch they are ‘fixed’. What ever be it emotions, learned behavior, or addiction that caused them to become obese is simply gone forever but that is just not true. Contestants (like everyone else) go back to their lives without the constant nurturing and support and are bombarded with all of the old temptations, emotions and environments which prompted them to gain weight in the first place.
But wait! People go home from the ranch and continue to lose weight right? Yes, but as Bob and Jillian pointed out, they are still in constant contact with them even after they leave the ranch. This poses the question then, can obesity ever really be “cured”? If the most popular trainers in the world still have to prod people after they leave the ranch, what hope is there for the rest of us?
Perhaps instead of treating the physical state of obesity which is caused by eating too much and exercising too little, Perhaps we should treat the reason people are eating too much and exercising too little in the first place. I would venture to say that at the core of 90% of most obese individuals there lies emotional problems which can be traced directly to their eating behaviors.
Telling someone who could already have emotional problems that they eat too much and are lazy doesn’t sound like a good plan to me. Maybe more research needs to be done in the psychology of obesity rather than the pharmacology. I am glad that Larry King decided to have the Biggest Loser winner who gained his weight back on. It shows both obese people and non-obese people alike that there is no quick route to becoming healthy and like with any virus one must be mindful that they still have the disease even if they aren’t showing symptoms at that moment.
Personally, I think The Biggest Loser does a lot to show people what is possible, but it gives people an unrealistic idea of what it is like once the cameras are off and Jillian and Bob aren’t there to scream at you anymore.
-Drew
Calories, fat, and cost aside I have been drinking Starbucks for years. One of my favorite things about Starbucks has been the ability to customize your creation to (try) to make something which is both delicious and not completely disastrous to your health. My drink of choice has always been a non-fat vanilla latte. I find I really don’t miss the fat in the milk at all, and it ‘gets the job done’ on a cold Ohio morning. Recently I went to my local Starbucks and noticed new menu items called Skinny drinks. Here is the skinny on skinny.
A skinny drink, which comes in Skinny Latte, Skinny Caramel Latte, Skinny Hazelnut Latte, Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte, and Skinny Vanilla Latte are the same as the original flavors except for two major differences. First, the skinny lattes incorporate non-fat milk into the beverage, and second the skinny lattes use sugar-free flavored syrup instead of the regular sugared kind. So basically a skinny vanilla latte is the same as ordering a non-fat, sugar-free, vanilla latte (But with fewer words).
At 130 calories and 0g of fat for a 16oz skinny latte, this seems like a no-brainer compared to 250 calories and 6g of fat for the ‘non-skinny version’. Still, keep in mind that 130 calories is quite a bit for a beverage so moderation (like with anything) is king here. All in all I honestly can’t tell the difference in taste between the skinny vanilla latte, and the regular vanilla latte and to me that is the sweetest part of all.
-Drew
Amazon (my favorite site to spend money on) just sent me a notice that Alli is on sale all this month!
Click Here to take advantage of this offer.
-Drew
I’ve long been one to shy away from food manufacturer’s attempts to take something that I remember as being awesome and making it healthy (which probably explains my expansive waistline). Recently Healthy Choice has been advertising a new product known as Fresh Mixers, this is the tale of my experience with the Ziti and Meat Sauce variety.
Health experts have long held a theory that the ritual of eating is almost as important as what you eat when it comes to controlling weight. A healthy eating ritual, for example would consist of preparing a meal, sitting down at the table to eat, and then going on to the next part of your day. In America many times our eating ritual is similar to: Grab fast food, eat it while [watching tv/surfing the web/working] etc, Healthy Choice’s new Fresh Mixer puts the cooking back into corporate lunch, or even a quick dinner.
The idea is simple you cook the pasta yourself, strain the pasta yourself, apply the sauce yourself and (hopefully) eat it, yourself. Compared to other Healthy Choice products which include “put tray in microwave for 2 minutes” this makes you feel like a real chef. The packaging is unique and includes everything (except for water) you need to cook your meal including a strainer, a bowl for the pasta, a bowl for the sauce and very easy instructions.
Preparing the meal is trivial, you simply remove the label on the straining lid, remove the lid, add water, put the lid back on and microwave for 3 minutes. Then you microwave the sauce for 30 seconds and combine the two in the bowl. No Muss, No Fuss.
For being a pre-packaged product I must say that the taste and texture of both the sauce and the pasta impressed me very much. The pasta was not watery and the meat sauce had (surprise) actual meat in it. The meat sauce also didn’t taste like watered down Ragu like so many other quick heat and eat meals provide. At 7 ounces coming in at just 340 calories and 6 grams of fat, this is a great lunch or main entree for any healthy dinner.
All in all the product is easy to cook, healthy, filling, and hard to resist. I would highly recommend the Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers Ziti & Meat Sauce. The best news is that it doesn’t set off the Alli atom-bomb.
Note: Most supermarkets only carry single containers of this, you can use the link below to order a 6 pack from Amazon for a little more than $20
-Drew
We (That is, people who struggle with their weight) know of a magical time of year where it seems almost pointless to watch what we eat, this time is known as the holidays. During the “holiday season” (November – January), it is estimated on average that Americans consume an extra 600 calories a day or more than they normally would. That extra 1LB per week can be a disaster to anyone who is trying to lose weight at a normal pace.
We all know how it starts, a few weeks before thanksgiving your resolve wanes. You console yourself with thoughts such as “Well, it’s the holidays, everyone does it” and before you know it you’re back to your old habit of eating P.F. Chang’s 3 times a week. (Okay, that is my old habit.) Then after Thanksgiving the “Well Christmas is right around the corner” attitude kicks in, and all the holiday cookies, drinks, and desserts settle firmly around your waist. Once Christmas is over comes the biggest party of the year, new years eve! Binge drinking and binge eating are the norm here so why not indulge! This cycle can be devastating to your healthy lifestyle (and body).
The good news is that unless you consider Super Bowl Sunday a holiday, the next “Holiday” in which food could be a factor is Valentine’s Day. It is alright to go out to dinner to celebrate with that special someone but try to avoid the gargantuan box of Lindt’s truffles that they just gave you (if possible..) After Valentine’s Day we have St. Patrick’s Day which is pretty much guaranteed to pack on some extra alcohol related calories, then comes Easter dinner, after that we are well into summer before memorial day bbq, the 4th of July bbq, and labor day (bbq) hit (thankfully cookouts usually provide some healthy alternatives, there is nothing wrong with some grilled chicken), then we are back to the ‘pre-holiday season’ again.
So, keep in mind that we as American’s have made up countless reasons to get together and stuff our faces over the years and that using the celebration excuse is just setting yourself up to fail. Besides in America eating is a social event unlike in other countries where people simply eat as a means to sustain their body.
-Drew
If you’re like me, you like nothing better than a nice cool smoothie or milkshake on a hot summer day.
In this article we explore 12 popular drinks available from 5 different popular establishments.
We will choose a winner based on taste and nutritional value.
Note: All values shown are without whipped cream (booo!!)
| Company | Product | Serving Size | Calories | Total Fat |
| Starbucks | Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino® Light | 16oz | 230 | 1g |
| Starbucks | Caramel Frappuccino® Light | 16oz | 180 | 1.5g |
| Starbucks | Java Chip Frappuccino® Light | 16oz | 260 | 7g |
| Starbucks | Mocha Frappuccino® Light | 16oz | 180 | 1.5g |
| Starbucks | Orange Crème Frappuccino® Light | 16oz | 140 | 0g |
| Tim Hortons | Iced Capp – Original (with milk) | 12oz | 180 | 1.5g |
| Steak’n'Shake | Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Milk Shake | 1 shake | 500 | 9.5g |
| Steak’n'Shake | Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Milk Shake | 1 shake | 532 | 9.5g |
| Steak’n'Shake | Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Milk Shake | 1 shake | 553 | 10g |
| Caribou Coffee | Northern Lite Chocolate Cooler | 16oz | 210 | 5g |
|
Caribou Coffee |
Northern Lite Vanilla Cooler | 16oz | 220 | 6g |
| Panera Bread | Strawberry Smoothie | 22oz | 300 | 1.5g |
The clear winner in the nutritional category would have to be Starbucks with their three delicious 16oz drin
ks which come in at less than 200 calories each. For some reason, my favorite Starbucks drink the Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino light does not have nutritional information available however I assume that it is roughly the same as the Orange Creme Frappuccino Light.
Tim Horton’s a favorite of Canadians and some die hard fans in America delivers a delicious drink with its Iced Capp, keep in mind you must order it with milk or chocolate milk otherwise they craft it with cream and that sends the calories and fat content through the roof. (try it with chocolate milk for an extra delicious drink)
Steak’n'Shake brings an option to the table for a “once in a blue-moon” milkshake experience. These are definitely special occasion style drinks.
Caribou Coffee brings some delicious and fairly sane choices to our round-up with its Chocolate and Vanilla Northern Lite Coolers. At just over 200 calories these drinks should hit the spot all summer long.
Finally, Panera Bread has recently introduced a Strawberry Smoothie. (why anyone would need a 22oz smoothie is beyond me) but at 300 calories and 1.5 grams of fat you shouldn’t have to spend too much extra time on the treadmill if you indulge in this one.
Keep in mind that many of the drinks above also come in ‘regular’ forms which are much more dangerous to your healthy lifestyle. Be sure to order the light versions with no whipped cream.
Andrew
