We've been Duped

Maple Leaf came out with their "Natural selections" not too long ago

Claiming that they contain "natural ingredients"

They specifically target people who are weary about the ingredients in other deli meats

But low and behold!! These meats contain the exact same amount of Nitrites as other Maple Leaf deli foods.

I feel duped... on the occasion that I do buy deli meats I have been buy the Natural Selections...

and paying extra for it because I thought it didn't contain this dangerous carcinogen.

Well I will be thinking twice before buying a maple leaf product again

I think they intentionally deceived people.

Do you buy deli meats? Are you concerned about Nitrites?

Stomach Virus

I've been hit with a pretty nasty stomach virus.
So I haven't been up to much since expect relaxing, trying to sleep, and trying to eat a bit!

Sorry for the lack of posts.

However, I did find something pretty tasty that is making me feel a bit better.

Frozen Banana chocolate "ice cream" 

Instead of eating ice cream I blended up a couple of frozen bananas with some cocoa

Its kind of like the consistency of soft ice cream but it has the healthy factor of a banana - magnesium and potassium not to mention calories are pretty important after a stomach flu!

But I would make this again - not just when Im sick.

DQ Chicken Fingers Shocking Calorie Count

If you are at Dairy Queen your options are hamburgers, hot dogs, and chicken fingers.

You might think that chicken fingers are the healthiest option but you might be surprised.

The deep fried chicken fingers, gravy, french fries, and toast come in around

1370 calories!! 

If you add a blizzard on to that you are coming in around 3000 calories

That is more than the majority of people are supposed to consume in a day (for some people, that is 2 days worth of caloric intake)

Don't be tricked into think you are choosing a "healthy option" at these restaurants.

{Click HERE to see more fatty fast food options - some of them might surprise you!}

7 Days to Skinnies Day 5

Day 5 Wednesday Jan 11

I quit.
I hate feeling like I can only eat what is on the list. I don't think eating that is that regimented and restrictive is that healthy. I think variety, and moderation are healthy.
I have spent the last few days researching and working on a presentation about body image and I realized just how terrible it is to encourage everyone to fit into "their skinnies" instead of encouraging everyone to be healthy, happy, and enjoy their food.

Yes the food is tasty, and I love the breakfast smoothies... but I felt like I was constantly thinking about what I could eat. So while the recipes are good, I don't want to eat only these things for an entire week.

I love the idea of simple exercise ideas that everyone can do daily - those are great. And I will continue to do something active every day.

I just don't like the idea of being on a plan and feeling restricted - If I want to have a chocolate left over from christmas I don't want to feel guilty because it's not on the "plan".

So while I am going to finish the chicken salad and bruschetta chicken I made because they are yummy but I am not going to worry about the meal plan so much.

SO here is what I ate today....

So Once again I stared the day off with a Breakfast Smoothie - I added spinach this time. I love adding spinach to smoothies because its a good way to get some greens and you can't really taste it! They are quick to make in the morning.

Lunch was a Pepperoni pizza bun :)


Because I have soccer practice on Wednesday nights I didn't go to the gym after work

When I got home from work I had bruschetta chicken with feta melted on top, carrots and cherry tomatoes.  And A little piece of cheese cake.


Now I am off to do a little strength before my 1hour soccer practice.


Health and happiness xX

7 Days to Skinnies Day 2

Yesterday was the first day of the plan
and I did about halfway good..


So today, Sunday Jan 8 - I would like to do better but I have a dinner date...
Anyway, here is what I did do/eat

9:00AM - Oatmeal with sliced banana, glass of milk,
12:00PM - gym: 5min step machine, 15min bike = 20min cardio, leg and ab strength
2:00PM - Pita and 1/2C grapes 2 cups of water

6:00PM - OOPS cheating already - I have a sushi date :)


All in all I think I did pretty good.  What did you do today?

LC's 7 Days to Skinny Jeans

Lauren Conrad has put out a 7 Day plan to help you recover from your holiday eating.

The goal is to get you back into your skinny jeans

But even if that isn't your goal, you just want a simple meal and exercise plan for 7 days to kick start the new year and new healthy lifestyle this is a good place to start.

There are Breakfast ideas, lunch and dinner recipes, simple snacks, and quick 20-60min exercise plans.

I am doing this 7 days and I will keep you posted on my progress.

Im not trying to fit into any skinny jeans but I am trying to eat healthy, pack tasty good-for-me lunches to my new job and do something active every day.

CLICK HERE to see the plan and set up what you are going to do for the next 7 days.

To Help me succeed I have written down what I plan to do each day.

I will share with you what I am eating and what exercise I am doing each day 

if you decide to join me post about it in the comments!!

Today was Day 1 and I would say it was about half way successful.

The problem was I got a really late start...

11:30 - oatmeal 

1:30 - 5 min warm up, Intervals on treadmill x8, cool down

3:00 - cheese string snack

4:30 - Salami pita - with spinach, pickles, cucumber, tomato and feta

but then I ate a piece of cheese cake.

Total water: 7 cups. 

Oh well it's saturday. 

What goes into potato chips....

A campaign from the British Heart Foundation...

Reminding us that what goes into our snacks goes into us.

1 in 5 kids in the UK eat 9L of oil a year 

from eating two bags of crisps (chips) a day.

Holiday Weight Gain

During the Holidays (American Thanksgiving - New Years)

The average North American gains about 1 pound

Not 7-12 like some people might have you think (i.e. gyms with new years deals)

And 1lbs doesn't sounds like a lot.

But most people don't LOSE the 1lbs they gain during the holidays

And since  Most Adults gain about 1-2 pounds a year 

that means that much of midlife weight gain can be attributed to holiday weight gain.

Watch what you eat this holiday season

Stick to water instead of high calorie beverages

Go easy on the sauce, gravy and butters

Never go to a holiday party hungry

Take small portions the first time around so if you go back for seconds you don't feel too guilty

Don't Hang out by the Food

And Get 30 Minutes of Physical Activity a Day.

-try going for a walk, getting on the stationary bike, go tobogganing or skating

Or Split it Up through out the day

Its Okay to get 3, 10 minute bouts of exercise during the day.

Mcrib = McGROSS

The McRib is back and it usually comes with a lot of hype

But before you go pick one of these up maybe you should know whats in it....

Among the 70 chemical ingredients that only exist in a lab there is a one that is BANNED in Europe and Australia 

Azodicarbonamide

-used to bleach the flour in the bun it is also used to manufacture yoga mats and the soles of shoes 

it is also a "respiratory sensitizer" that potentially contributes to asthma through occupational exposure!

oh yeah and its not even made out of animal rib...

its pig heart, tripe and scaled stomach

Breakfast in the Blender

[source]

Lately I have been making lots of smoothies....

I put them in the fridge or freezer and have them for a convenient breakfast or when I get home late from work or soccer.

Heres what I've been putting in them...

Oats... put the in the blender first, blend until powdery

Greek Yogurt, just a tablespoon or two (can be frozen in ice cube trays!)

Frozen blueberries

Frozen Strawberries

A big handful of fresh, rinsed spinach

A ripe banana 

Orange Peach Mango juice with plant sterols 

-the oats and spinach blend up so good you don't even notice them but Hello nutrition!!

Fun fact... people who blend their smoothies for longer time - think 2-4 minutes - feel fuller for longer!

Food for your Tummy

Its important that you get adequate nutrition even if you are trying to lose weight.

Make sure you are getting healthy fats and proteins with every meal

They take a long time to digest

Keep you feeling fuller longer

Provide you with essential nutrients

Protein is essential for proper cell development... including building muscles.

Below are 12 foods to try to add into your diet...

Zap your cravings.

Actually...  you can massage your cravings away.

There is a really simple pressure point that when massaged for 30-60 seconds it can help combat craving and snacking for a couple of hours.

Where is it?

Right infront of your ear

So next time you feel like grabbing a snack a little while before dinner

or you are craving something salty while watching your favorite show....

Give it a try.

Using the point of your index finger press on this point and massage for about a minute.

Your craving should go away or at least be reduced.

Let me know if it works for you!!

[source: vitamin G]

ontario schools junk free

Ontario schools are removing Junky food from their cafeterias and vending machines

Things like chocolate, french fries, energy drinks, candy, chips and pop will no longer be available for students to buy while on campus.

This is huge step forward in the fight against obesity in Canada.  Currently, 28% of kids between 2 and 17 are either overweight or obese.  This is leading to higher levels of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, ect...

"Fully 80 per cent of the new school menu must include products with the highest levels of essential nutrients and the lowest amounts of fat, sugar and sodium."

There is still a lot of work to be done in the fight against obesity but this is a step in the right direction.  Managing portion control, calories, and further reducing calories are just some of the things that still need to be address..

But I hope that more provinces and school districts will follow along and re-evaluate the food they are serving the countries youth.

Size it right

Sometime its hard to know what a serving looks like.

How much of something should you be eating?

Check out the photos below for a little help!!

5 foods to limit or avoid

1. Soda... Pop... Soft Drinks... what ever you call them they aren't good for you.  Women who drink 2 or more cans a day have 86% greater chance of kidney failure.  Drinking 2 or more a week increases you chance of pancreatic cancer by 87%

2. Sugar..... excess sugar can accelerate aging, causes high cholesterol, can lead to type 2 diabetes.  Restrict your intake to a maximum of 3tbsp or 18g a day.

3.Oil...... avoid oils high in saturated fast - like palm oil, they increase LDL or bad cholesterol. Using good oils, high in unsaturated fats -like olive oil - these can actually lower LDL

4.Cereal.... most of them have as much sugar as glazed donuts.  Check the ingredients and if the first thing listed is Sugar... throw it away.

5.White rice....  plain.old.empty.calories.  Replace white rice with brown rice or quinoa.

Green Thumb

Why should you grow herbs at home?

Adding fresh grown herbs to your meals can add tons of flavour

they are packed with antioxidants and other good for you nutrients.

And using fresh herbs and spices can be a good substitute for salt when flavouring your food

Most herbs are sun-loving, drought-friendly...so they are easy to grow!

Pick a couple of your favourites and start your own window sill flavour factory today!

Healthy Food? Dinner Edition

Veggie Burger

Subsituting vegetables for beef isnt necessarily a bad idea.

But veggie burgers are often bound together with cheese, and packed with sodium for flavor.

They also tend to be huge throwing your portion size out of wack

Add a white bun, sugary ketchup, and some mayo and you just might be getting more than 1000 calories

Juice

While 100% juice is an easy way to one of your daily servings of fruit

a 16oz glass or apple or orange juice contains about 55g of carbohydrates... mostly sugar.

(about 12 spoonfuls!!!)

And juice lacks the fibre that is in fruit that fills you up.

Try to stick to one 8oz glass of 100% juice a day or less (thats one fruit serving)

Frozen Diet Dinners

When you take out high calorie fat and sugars... you also take out flavor

To make these dinners taste good they replace this lost flavour with sodium

Which means major water renetion for you

Skip the prepackaged dinners and instead, freeze home made meals into single-portion size dinners.

Use glass containers to avoid any harmful chemicals that can leach out of plastic when it gets heated.

Healthy Foods? Breakfast Edition

Bran Muffin

Bran muffins... well the fibre is good.

But there is so much butter and sugar in these breakfast staples

that they can rack up

420 calories, 20g of fat, and 34g of sugar.

Yikes!

Cream

You put such a small amount in your coffee that it seems harmless right?

But if you add a few spoons to a cup, a couple times a day... the calories start to add up

You could be consuming an extra 200 calories without even thinking about it

Oh and cream has as much fat as a pat of butter

Tip of the day

Bounce back the next day after you eat junk food.

- Celebrity nutritionist Lisa DeFazio

Don't beat yourself up about a bad day.

Making yourself feel bad wont help anything.

So instead, grab your shoes and go for a walk, walk up and down your stairs a bunch of times, hit the gym, or head out for a bike ride

and get back into the swing of things!



Healthy Food? Part 2

Dried Fruit

It can have 5-8 times as many calories as the fresh kind.

The sugar becomes concentrated and many brands add extra sugar.

One cup of grapes = 60 calories

One cup of raisins = 460 calories.

And all the sugar and the sticky consistency makes dried fruit a major cause for cavities.

Granola

Sure its full of healthy oats and nuts

But Do you know why its so crunchy?

Because its cooked with oil. 

And there is a ton of added sugar.

One bowl can be 500 calories.

If you like granola, portion control is really important, try just sprinkling it on top of yogurt.

And make sure you read the label and choose the healthiest brand.