Tag: sugar

Vacation! ATV Padding, Sugar Overload, & Fun

I haven’t officially weighed-in after coming back from our week-long vacation to the Moosehead Lake area of Maine, but I’m confident I haven’t gained anything permanent.

We had a really great time, the campground was on the ATV trail, so we could ride directly from the campground. Because of my weight loss, my back is a lot more “boney” than in years past. The seat on the ATV has a seam that digs/rubs into my back, and causes some pain. So, my funny story is I had to ride with a beach towel stuffed down the back of my pants for cushion! I love it!

We ate a lot of sugary foods like ice cream with hot fudge, and pastries from the local bakery. Oh lord, they make what’s called a “Persian” danish, which is a honey glazed danish loaded with maple frosting, then topped with crunchies. It’s probably about 700+ calories, but oh so delicious.

Now I’m back on track, but still coming off my sugar overload. I know how easily I can slip back into poor eating habits, and during times like this, I am humbled. It’s difficult. I know I use “vacation” as an excuse to eat foods that I normally don’t at home. The compulsive behavior is a lot harder to control. Even now, I would love to sit back, forget about cooking, and get some take-out for dinner!

I’ll be okay, I know I will. I do not want to be 200 pounds again. I will not go back!

Food Network Rewards Obese Duff Goldman with New Sugar High Show

I just watched a promo for the new Food Network show “Sugar High” starring Duff Goldman, the guy from “Ace of Cakes” (a show I don’t think I’ve watched once)

Anyway, the promo commercial made me sick! They showed him gorging on cakes, pastries, cookies, and puddings. Every scene was him shoveling huge desserts into his mouth. With each new traveled location, I swear you were watching him gain another 10 pounds. His face looked fatter and more bloated after every bite.

It was extremely gross and unappealing, but it made me think!

Is this the type of show that Americans love?

It’s how we look and how we eat. Obese and addicted to sugar, feeding ourselves massive amounts of sweet sugary desserts, barely stopping to wipe the icing off our faces.

I am sorry if people think I’m being cruel, putting down someone (Duff Goldman) who clearly has a food addiction problem, but really, shouldn’t we be outraged at the Food Network, for contributing to his obesity? Is the Food Network glorifying and encouraging the obesity problem in America?

Take a look at an earlier promo photo of Duff Goldman. Yeah, he could lose a few pounds, but at least he has some muscle tone.
duff goldman promo shot for ace of cakes

Now look at a capture from the new Sugar High show. Duff has clearly gained weight, and I wonder what his health is like. Does he have type 2 diabetes? How is his cholesterol?

bloated and obese duff goldman from the new food network show sugar high

Is the Food Network partially responsible? Making profits by rewarding an obese spokesperson with a show on the same subject matter that is causing him to be obese? What has to happen before they finally open their eyes? A heart attack?

I know what it’s like to have a compulsive sugar addiction. but I have found ways to keep it under control. If the Food Network gave me lots of $$ to host a show called “Sugar High”, yeah, all control would be out the window, and I’d be 200 pounds again! Even watching a show like “Sugar High” can have unwanted repercussions.

The new “Sugar High” show premieres tonight on Food Network at 10:30pm, but I won’t be watching. It would be like watching the trainwreck that is America’s sugar addiction…

WhoNu? Cookies – Scam or Nutrition?

I just heard about the WhoNu brand of cookies, claiming to be “nutrition rich” compared to the other leading brands. Yes, they actually use the words “nutrition rich” in their marketing!

whoNu cookies marketing logo

So, I immediately thought okay, nutritious cookies must mean whole grains like oatmeal and lower sugar content, right? So I googled, and found their web site. Oh Lord, it’s virtually the same crappy highly processed cookie, but with a multi-vitamin and a little fiber thrown in for good measure.

Are WhoNu Cookies Nutritious?

Calories, sugar, & fat are all the same as the other “brands” they are comparing themselves to! What kind of a scam are they running here? They market this product to be “nutritious” but they are far Far FAR away from anything nutritious! Ugh. How are they allowed to get away with this?

That’s WhuNu’s nutritional info on the left, and the Oreos brand on the right.

whoNu chocolate cookies nutritional datacomparing whoNu cookies to oreo cookie nutritional data

Quote from their About Us page:

How come tasty treats are nothing but empty calories? Why can’t they be filled with healthy nutrition and still taste yummy? That’s what the people at Suncore Products wondered.

Thus, a new challenge was born – to create a delicious, nutritious snack moms and dads can give their kids, without an ounce of guilt.

Processed sugary foods like this are still “empty calories” no matter how you try to package them. What is the difference between their cookie and a original Oreo taken with a multi-vitamin? Nothing! You are better off eating the original version (bought on sale) and save yourself the marketing hype and extra markup price.

Parents should feel VERY guilty feeding this crap to their children! And it’s this kind of marketing that is making us fat because unfortunately parents are believing the hype without actually checking the facts or ingredients!

Ingredients?? Where are they Hiding the WhoNu Cookie ingredients?

Did anyone else notice that they are not listing any ingredient data on their web site!? If they are so proud of their product, then why hide any details? Sneaky sneaky!

So, I did some googling, and found a few other pissed off people offering screen shots of cookie packages.

Thanks to Hippie Health Nut for her screen shot!

Here are the ingredients for the WhoNu chocolate (oreo-like) cookies:

Sugar, Wheat Flour, Vegetable Oils (Canola, Palm, Palm Kernel Oil, Soybean Oil And Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed And Coconut Oil), Cocoa, Dextrose, Polydextrose, Yellow Corn Flour, Corn Syrup, Baking Soda, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Natural & Artificial Flavor, Monoglycerides, Vanilla Extract.

Vitamins & Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin C (Asorbic Acid), Iron Orthophosphate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Oxide, Manganese Gluconate, Iodine, Chromium Chloride, Vitamin E (Tocopherol Acetate), Vitamin A (Palmitate), Biotin, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid), Vitamin D3, Vitamin K (Phytonadione), Vitamin B1 (Thiamine Mononitrate), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid.

and here are the ingredients from Oreo’s web site (ha! They didn’t try to hide their data!)

Sugar, Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), High Oleic Canola Oil And/or Palm Oil And/or Canola Oil, And/or Soybean Oil, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Cornstarch, Leavening (Baking Soda And/or Calcium Phosphate), Salt, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Vanillin – An Artificial Flavor, Chocolate.

Not much different, eh? White flour, tons and tons of sugar, unhealthy oils, artificial flavors, and lots of GMO corn & soy. Actually, it’s funny that the WhoNu people kind of sneak in a few more sugary sources, like dextrose, perhaps to confuse & fool parents into thinking their ingredients are better.

Sad Promotion on So Many Mommy Blogs

While googling for WhoNu ingredients, I was shocked and saddened to see so many “mommy” bloggers are promoting these cookies. Google “WhoNu cookie mommy” and you’ll find pages of “give aways” from supposedly reputable mommy bloggers. Very sad.

Yes, I understand that children need a treat once in awhile, heck, adults need treats too! But we MUST learn the difference between a healthy and unhealthy treat, and WhoNu is trying to blur the lines way too much!

Stay far away from WhoNu cookies! Don’t reward profits to a company that is trying to mislead the public with their damaging exaggerated marketing ploys!

Back from Vacation – 137.2

On Wednesday, we came back from an extended 4th of July holiday and I’m happy that I’ve maintained my weight. Weighed myself this AM @ 137.2 (gave myself a couple of days for sodium water retention to dissipate.)

We ate a lot of sugary snacks – ice cream and dessert cakes, but we walked a whole heck of a lot too!

It’s nice to be able to go away and treat yourself but still remain in control. I’m very proud of myself! Things are getting easier and I am getting more confident that I can maintain this lifestyle!

Happy Summer! :)

Gwyneth Paltrow “My Father’s Daughter” Cookbook Review

cookbook - my father's daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow

I borrowed a copy of Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookbook “My Father’s Daughter: Delicious, Easy Recipes Celebrating Family & Togetherness” from the library. I was a bit skeptical, not that I wasn’t a fan, but I just figured it was one more celebrity cook book. And in a way, it is “same ole same ole”, but for a home cook that doesn’t own a lot of basic cookbooks, it could be a good choice.

No, there is nothing earth-shattering new, but there are a lot of great recipes and ideas, especially helpful for someone just beginning to cook from scratch using fresh, healthy, whole ingredients. The only big criticism is that even though Gwyneth rallies against using refined sugar, she is a bit heavy handed with other sweeteners like maple syrup.

Gwyneth used to be a strict macro-biotic vegetarian for many years, but now she enjoys a balance of healthy organic plant based foods with occasional meals featuring poultry, cheese, butter, and eggs. I was surprised to find so many duck recipes in the book!

I found a new respect for Gwyneth after reading this book. She didn’t just throw her name on a cookbook, while allowing another chef ghost write the recipes. You know she is a true home cook. I like that!

From her book’s 150 recipes, these are some I found intriguing and would like to try:

  • Maple Dijon roasted winter vegetables – I suggest reducing the maple syrup, mustard, and olive oil to 2 Tbsp each, as per her Goop newsletter version of this recipe.
  • Portobello burger – yum
  • Corn chowder
  • Tuna & ginger burgers
  • Lee’s homemade sriracha – this one I will definitely try!
  • Roasted peppers
  • Slow roasted tomatoes
  • White bean soup – my version of this recipe
  • Salt scrub for clams – I used this method for the littleneck clams I bought, and it was really helpful! She suggests soaking, then sprinkling with coarse salt, scrubbing clams gently against each other, then rinsing and soaking again.
  • Fried rice with kale and scallions
  • Kale chips
  • Lalo’s Famous Cookies
  • Savory & Sweet Rice Bowls
  • Fried Rice with Kale & Scallions
  • Crispy potato and garlic cake
  • Grandad Danner’s favourite peanut butter cookies

My suggestion is borrow the book from the library, read it, then decide if it is a worthy addition to your cookbook collection. Personally, I wouldn’t choose this for my collection, but it’s not because the book isn’t valuable. It’s just that with so many other choices, it wouldn’t be my first pick.

Keep in mind many of her specific recipes can be found online, especially over at the Daily Mail web site and from her online Goop newsletter.

Disclaimer:
I love reading cookbooks, like some people love reading novels! I am inspired by recipes, and enjoy learning ideas from cookbooks; I like putting my own spin on a recipe rather than exactly following it. Please keep in mind that my opinions might be completely different from the other home cooks.

Bob Harper Biggest Loser TV Commercial for Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal

What’s up with Bob Harper endorsing processed cereal? He’s in a new TV ad for Quaker Oatmeal Squares, trying to convince America how wonderful this processed cereal is. I understand that a person needs to make a living, but it’s very disappointing that he would choose such a poor food product to promote. Shame on Bob Harper!

Take a closer look at Quaker Oatmeal Squares and how outright deceiving the advertising is (including Bob Harper’s enthusiast endorsement!)

The ad proudly states ONE serving has “96% of your minimum whole grain needs” – the small print on their web page states:

**Experts recommend eating at least three one-ounce equivalents of whole grains, or 48 grams daily, based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Quaker Oatmeal Squares has 46 grams per serving.

What does 48 grams of whole grain exactly mean? Well, the total weight of one cup of Quaker Oat Squares is 55 grams. So, minus the sugar, sodium, and other assorted preservatives and chemicals, and you’ll find a net of 46 grams of whole grain.

But Bob Harper doesn’t mention that a bowl of this crap also provides 10 grams of sugar, which is about a third of the suggested refined sugar consumption (Did somebody say Fruit Loops?), along with some lovely BHT and fake food coloring. Don’tcha just love all those wonderful ingredients that you can’t pronounce!

Quaker Oatmeal Squares Ingredients:

WHOLE OAT FLOUR, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, BROWN SUGAR, SUGAR, MALTODEXTRIN, MALTED BARLEY EXTRACT, MOLASSES, SODIUM BICARBONATE, SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, REDUCED IRON, SODIUM ASCORBATE, YELLOW 5, NIACINAMIDE*, ZINC OXIDE, BHT (A PRESERVATIVE), VITAMIN E ACETATE, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, YELLOW 6, THIAMIN MONONITRATE*, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE*, RIBOFLAVIN*, FOLIC ACID*.
*ONE OF THE B VITAMINS.

Compare Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal to REAL old fashioned steel cut oats from Bob’s Red Mill, which contains, hmm, say it with me… OATS!

One 1/4 cup (dry) of gives you just about the same amount of “whole grain” goodness @ 44 grams. Even when you add a tsp of sweetener and a pinch of salt, you still come up healthier with less calories, less sugar, and less sodium, compared to the Quaker Oatmeal Squares. And the bonus is you leave out the chemicals, preservatives, and other assorted ickyness that Bob Harper endorses.

Too bad Bob Harper didn’t choose a company like Bob’s Red Mill to support, but then again, they don’t have a huge marketing budget like Quaker and their parent company Pepsico!

Bob Harper is raking in the big bucks but, to me, he’s looking like the Biggest Loser!

Can’t Lose Weight? Check Your Coffee Cup!

I was having trouble understanding why a certain someone in my life (who shall remain nameless…hint hint DH) was having trouble losing more weight, even though he was basically eating the same food as me. Sure, he probably isn’t as diligent as I am, but there still had to be more of a reason.

His last blood test showed great numbers for his cholesterol, but the triglycerides were high. I suggested that maybe he needed to start lowering the amount of sugar in his coffee. He previously told me that he was drinking about 3 cups of coffee daily, each with 2 tsp of sugar.

So, the other day, we were talking and then he admitted that he drinks 4-5 cups of coffee, not just 3! WHAT?!!! YIKES! That’s 5×2=10 tsp of sugar every day! NO wonder he hit a weight loss plateau!

10 tsp of granulated sugar = 163 calories with 42g of sugar! That’s twice the daily limit!

So, we are working on lowering the coffee consumption as well as slowly lowering the sugar. I hope this works!

Dark Chocolate

Updated: For a list of recommended chocolate brands, check http://www.foodispower.org/chocolatelist.htm.

I like taking a bite of plain dark chocolate with a one or two nuts (cashews, pecans, almonds, pistachios), that way I made my own nutty chocolate bar in my mouth.

Same with peanut butter. Spread a bit on top of a few dark chocolate squares, and you’ve got a healthy version of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups!

What does Chocolate Percentage % Mean?

100% chocolate is 100% unsweetened pure chocolate, either in the form of cocoa, chocolate liquor, and/or cocoa butter. The higher the percentage, the higher the actual chocolate content. The lower the chocolate, the higher the sugar.

From wikipedia:
The cacao bean products from which chocolate is made are known under different names in different parts of the world. In the American chocolate industry:

  • chocolate liquor is the ground or melted state of the nib of the cacao bean
  • cocoa butter is the fat component
  • cocoa powder is the nonfat part of the cacao bean which is ground into a powder

I usually eat a 1/2 serving of dark chocolate almost every day. It is so healthy, and the darker the better. Start off with 60% and work your way up to 70%, then 85%.

Once you get to 85%, the added sugar immensely decreases, and the fiber increases! Keep in mind the calories and fat (sat fat) increase, but if you keep it to a half serving every day, it can be a good snack choice. Plus, it’s been said that the saturated fat from chocolate is composed much differently than beef saturated fat.

Please make sure you read the labels on different brands, as the nutritional data can differ. A lot of manufacturers are using partially hydrogenated oil instead of cocoa butter.

Here’s a comparison using Green & Black chocolate:

34% Milk chocolate – 12 blocks (40g)

Ingredients: Organic Raw Cane Sugar, Organic Whole Milk Powder, Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Organic Vanilla Extract.

Notice how the FIRST ingredient is sugar, then milk!

Calories: 220
Fat: 13g
Sat Fat: 8g
Cholesterol: 10mg
Sodium: 30mg
Carbs: 23g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 20g
Protein: 4g
Calcium: 8%
Iron: 6%

70% Chocolate – 12 blocks (40g)

Ingredients: Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Raw Cane Sugar, Organic Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier), Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Whole Milk Powder

Sugar is second, while milk is last.

Calories: 240
Fat: 18g
Sat Fat: 10g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 5mg
Carbs: 18g
Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 10g
Protein: 4g
Calcium: 2%
Iron: 20%

80% Chocolate – 12 blocks (40g)

Ingredients: Organic Chocolate Liquor, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Fat-Reduced Cocoa Powder, Organic Raw Cane Sugar, Organic Vanilla Extract, Organic Whole Milk Powder

Sugar is added only after ALL the chocolate ingredients. There’s no soy (Soy Lecithin) added, although because it’s made in the same factory as the other flavors, it’s not officially “soy-free”

Calories: 250
Fat: 20g
Sat Fat: 12g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 10mg
Carbs: 15g
Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 8g
Protein: 4g
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 20%

Unfortunately, I love Green & Black’s Organic chocolate, but it’s actually a UK company now owned by Kraft Foods. sigh. So many big food companies are scooping up smaller food companies, and it’s getting hard to find a decent chocolate. So, READ LABELS! Check the ingredients!

I keep telling myself to find another chocolate brand, but it’s hard because the Green & Black can be purchased for a good price. We eat so much chocolate between the two of us, it’s a difficult decision.

UPDATED 2012-01-6: I’ve since realized that saving money when buying chocolate isn’t worth it. Just as buying meat from a local, ethical farm is important, supporting chocolate manufacturers that are truly fair-trade is also important.

For a list of recommended chocolate brands, check http://www.foodispower.org/chocolatelist.htm.

Happy Merry Christmas To All

It was a great Christmas! Just relaxing and hanging out today! Trying to get back to normal eating! I think I’m on sugar overload! LOL

Didn’t do too horribly badly eating this weekend. Friday night we were at the inlaws for Christmas Eve, eating comfort foods I eat probably only once a year. Hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls, scallops wrapped in bacon, chicken teriyaki, pecan pie. We brought braised beef with onions, and gingerbread cookies.

Saturday wasn’t as great as Friday night. Carando spiral ham, potato kugali, shrimp with cocktail sauce, taco dip with corn chips, raw vegetables, egg nog, and a whole bunch more sweets, like cookies, chocolate truffles, lemon meringue pie, but I am back to basics today. Feeling good!!! Eating so much processed food makes me feel unhealthy, so I am really happy to be coming back to eating clean again! Funny how that works!

I was actually down to 138.2 on Thursday morning! I keep losing more weight. I don’t know why exactly, but hopefully it’s normal. I visited my doctor a few weeks ago, and my blood work was normal. I’ll be seeing her again in January, so we’ll see what she says.

It was a very Merry Christmas! I enjoyed seeing my family and having a great time together!!!

Back from Week Long Vacation – 148 lbs

Came back yesterday from a week long RV/ATV vacation. It was lovely. Lots of nature! Lots of time to just relax and have fun! Taking my mind off everything at home. I didn’t even bring my laptop with me. I did bring the dSLR camera, but I rarely took any photos. My iPhone camera worked for capturing a few memories.

So how did our healthy lifestyle do? We were on vacation, so of course, that means tempting treats. I was bad! Lots of sugary fatty foods like these fabulous “Persian danish roll” things. Honey glazed pastries, with a layer of maple icing, then topped with crumbly sugary crunchies. I had THREE of them during the week. The bakery in town was a quick drive by car or ATV so we gave ourselves a few treats!

This photo doesn’t do it justice! That’s the Persian on the bottom left.

persian danish roll

There was also ice cream sundae (kid’s), fried clams, lobster roll (no mayo), seafood chowder, poutine fries, carrot cake, macaroon cookie, ice cream cookie sandwich, lasagna, 2 slices of pizza, and a fried egg & bacon sandwich.

To make up for some of our indiscretions, we took long walks once, twice or more daily, and actually ATVing works your muscles fairly well. Even on the back of the ATV, I was keeping my balance and holding on!

So, it’s back to reality and back to eating right. I weighed in this AM and I was about 148. Not too bad. I’ve decided not to fight the overwhelming urge to cheat on vacation. I just have to keep in mind that in order to cheat, I need to work out and STOP the cheating when I get home! So far it’s been working out well!

UPDATE August 9, 2010: 147.0 on the scale this AM! yay!