It drives me crazy every October when I see the Yoplait Yogurt ads for their “Pink Ribbon/Lids Breast Cancer” marketing ploy.
My biggest problem with Yoplait’s Pink Lid promotion, besides the obvious trick to gain more sales, is that highly processed, highly sugary food products like Yoplait Yogurt could possibly be one of the factors that increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer in the first place!
So to reiterate, they want you to buy (and consume) more of their sugary, chemical laden yogurts, just so they can send out (up to) $2 million for a cure for the same cancer that they possibly could be causing! It makes me crazy when I think about it!
Yoplait, why don’t you keep that $2 million and IMPROVE your own products so they are not loaded with sweeteners (including artificial) and unpronounceable chemicals and other highly processed junk!
It’s food products from companies like Yoplait that are making American’s obese and ill! When are we going to open our eyes to these huge marketing scams and just SAY NO!
This summer was brutal. While on our vacations, I ate a lot lot lot of sugary foods, & it seems like it made my “compulsive” eating issues come alive a little bit. It was getting harder and harder to say “no” to foods that I shouldn’t be eating.
This weekend, I didn’t think twice about grabbing a couple of processed store-bought cookies & a small bag of buttered/salted popcorn that was offered at a local hardware store’s grand re-opening. ugh.
I never had trouble refusing gross processed cookies in the past, so I know there’s a problem.
I mean, I always felt that if I was going to treat myself, it would have to be something special and really delicious. Not some store bought oreos, chips ahoy, or fig newtons! sigh.
Bottom line, I have been slowly gaining back a little weight. Not a lot, but I’m up to 141.8! I think the gain is a combination of my eating habits and my messed up peri-menopausal system, but either way, I’ve got to do better with my food choices.
I’ve officially adjusted my profile weight up to 141.8 at MyFitnessPal.
I adjusted my daily calories from 1800 to 1650, and posted my confession on my MyFitnessPal newsfeed! What a marvelous wonderful group of supportive friends I have on MFP.
Yes yes yes, I know I can do it!
I don’t want to ignore this problem, that’s how I ended up at 200 pounds in the first place!
I’m trying to be accountable
I’m admitting that I’m doing something wrong and I want to change!
I should add that 140 is actually a “normal” weight for someone at my height of 5’8″ but I feel “normal” at around 138ish.
Ugh, the dastardly donut got me today at lunch. I was visiting DH and we ate lunch together in his work lunchroom, and there was a box of Dunkin Donuts that another co-worker brought in that morning. Of course, DH had to open it, and there were just a few left, all jelly filled. I couldn’t resist. Darn! I think this is the first day, in a long time, that I really felt guilty about something I ate!
Darn Dastardly Donut!
And then when I looked up the calories in one of those suckas, yikes! 290 calories! That’s criminal! I won’t be doing that again, so I suppose it’s a good thing then. Anytime you learn a lesson, it’s good. And yes, I learned!
#1, look up foods like donuts BEFORE you eat them, that way you can judge if the cost of calories is worth the “cheat treat”
#2, It was a good donut, but really not worth 300 calories!
No wonder people on “diets” give up bread! Commercial whole wheat bread is loaded with refined sugar!
I only baked two very small loaves of bread for our vacation, so I figured I’d pick up a loaf if needed at the local store while we were away.
Stopping at a little local grocery/convenience store, I found many whole grain bread choices, but wow, was it shocking to read labels. They are full of sugar! I ended up with a loaf of Nature’s Pride “Healthy Multi Grain” bread. One slice was 4 grams of sugar! So, for a normal sandwich, that’s 8 grams of sugar! No wonder Americans are so obese! Sugar is hiding in supposedly healthy foods! The fiber grams for one slice is 3g, funny the sugar outweighs the fiber and it’s whole grain! Pretty sad!
I’m so glad that I don’t mind baking my own bread, where I can control my own ingredients and indeed make something worthy of the description “healthy” – by the way, an equal serving of my homemade baked bread is 2 grams of sugar, and I could probably even reduce it or even remove sugar altogether if I really wanted.
This is why I don’t buy pretzels and other non nutritious snacks. I can’t stop eating them!
We’ve been on vacation this week, and we stopped for a snack after ATVing and against my better judgement, I was coerced into buying a 1 lb bag of pretzel sticks.
Let me tell you these things are really difficult to stop eating once you start! Most people think pretzels are a healthy snack, but truthfully they offer no nutritional value so they do not satisfy!
And because they don’t fill you up, you keep eating and eating and eating! They are addictive! I don’t like feeling out of control, and pretzel sticks make me eat uncontrollably!
Those TV commercials for Nutella Hazelnut Chocolate Spread drive me crazy! They try to convey that it’s the greatest health food since brown rice! And that it’s such a good choice for your kids!
Well it’s not!
Here is the commercial I’ve been seeing over and over:
Ingredients and Nutritional Data from the Nutella USA website
sugar, palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, reduced minerals whey (milk), lecithin as emulsifier (soy), vanillin: an artificial flavor.
Serving size: 2 tbsp (37 g)
Calories 200
Calories from Fat 100
Total Fat 11 g
Saturated Fat 3.5 g
Sodium 15 mg
Total Carbohydrate 22 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Sugars 21 g
Protein 3 g
Calcium 4%
Iron 4%
How About Some Sugar For Breakfast
Whoa, 21 grams of sugar!!! Duh, no surprise, of course that’s why kids love Nutella! You might as well melt half a Snickers candy bar on top of some whole wheat toast! Does a candy bar sound like a healthy choice for your kids’ breakfast? No? Well, then why is Nutella considered as healthy? It’s sort of like the cereal companies touting that because their product contains whole grains, it’s healthy, but it’s still loaded with refined sugar!
Palm Oil
I don’t like their use of palm oil. I mean, come on! It’s 2nd on the ingredients list, before hazelnuts!
Now, I’m not knocking palm oil necessarily. I need to do some additional research on its benefits and possibly how it’s destroying the rain forests, but nutritionally, it seems similar to coconut oil. I am constantly cooking with coconut oil, which is a highly saturated fat food product. I’m not afraid of plant-based saturated fats, but I AM afraid of processed foods containing them.
Unless it’s virgin or extra-virgin, coconut oil can be very unhealthy, due to the way it’s processed/refined. As I said, I’m just beginning to research on palm oil, and I haven’t been able to find out exactly how it’s processed, but I’m assuming that the palm oil in Nutella is highly refined and nowhere close to virgin.
Which is it? Palm Oil or Modified Palm Oil?
It is very strange, but Nutella used to list palm oil as “modified palm oil” on their list of ingredients.
Is the modified palm oil in Nutella® hydrogenated?
No. The modified palm oil is a mix of the liquid and solid oil naturally extracted from the fruit of the palm. The mix is adjusted to assure the best consistency for easy spreading. The process also reduces the level of saturated fat. Per serving Nutella® has 0 gram transfat
This is what Nutella’s web site FAQ states now:
Is the Palm Oil in Nutella® a hydrogenated oil?
No. The palm oil is naturally extracted from the fruit of the palm. This palm oil is adjusted to assure the best consistency for easy spreading by reducing the level of saturated fat.
It still sounds like they “modified” the oil, doesn’t it? ADJUSTED to assure the best consistency? And notice the phrase “naturally extracted” – I don’t believe the word “natural” has any concrete meaning when it comes to food, in fact, it’s probably the most misused misleading word on a label!
I’ve been trying to find anything online that explains the sudden change in ingredient wording, but have come up empty. I have to assume it’s a slight change in their manufacturing process allowed them to remove the word “modified”.
Is Palm Oil a Sustainable Responsible Choice?
There is a lot of information online claiming that palm oil refinement is destroying the rain forests. I don’t want to start listing the specifics, but it does seem like it’s a food product that should be avoided.
What does Nutella say about it?
Does Ferrero support responsible palm oil use?
Yes. As a member of the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil), Ferrero only uses palm oil which is extracted from controlled plantations in Malaysia.
Now, if you believe the treehugger.com article, then it’s doubtful that the “RSPO” is even a legitimate environmental group.
From Treehugger:
Many organizations no longer recognize the RSPO as being legitimate. In November, 80 organizations from 31 countries sent an open letter that included the following:
Destructive oil palm plantations have been certified in Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and the same greenwashing exercise has started in Colombia, Thailand and Ghana.
We are deeply concerned that RSPO certification is being used to legitimise an expansion in the demand for palm oil and thus in oil palm plantation, and it serves to greenwash the disastrous social and environmental impacts of the palm oil industry. The RSPO standards do not exclude clear cutting of many natural forests, the destruction of other important ecosystems, nor plantings on peat. The RSPO certifies plantations which impact on the livelihoods of local communities and their environments. The problems are exacerbated by the in-built conflict of interest in the system under which a company wanting to be certified commissions another company to carry our the assessment.
Bottom line, it sounds like we should be steering clear of palm oil and products containing palm oil!
Nothing Artificial Except Some Flavoring!
I love how they clearly brag about no added artificial colors or preservatives, but they have the nerve to include artificial vanilla flavoring! How silly sneaky is that!
Don’t Believe the Nutella Marketing Hype
Please don’t believe the Nutella marketing! It’s not at all healthy! It’s a poor sugar-laden choice for breakfast! And it’s not good for the environment! Avoid, avoid avoid!
Instead, try some homemade oatmeal or toast topped with nut butter (no sugar, oils added) or how about making your own healthy version of chocolate nut butter! Recipes are found all over online!
I keep seeing the commercials for Tyson Anytizers – so of course, I had to find out exactly what they’re about, knowing perfectly well, that it’s not going to be a healthy outcome.
From their web site:
Any time is right for Tyson Any’tizers®. They are the hot, substantial snacks that are always perfectly delicious. Ideal for any snack, partying with friends or as a unique meal, they’re unbelievably easy to prepare in just minutes. With so many varieties to choose from, the only hard part is deciding which ones to eat first.
Notice, there’s nothing mentioned about healthy. They do use the word “substantial” though. I guess that’s supposed to make a mom feel good about feeding this processed crap to her kids for a snack.
Hmm, how about some celery sticks with some peanut butter? Or an apple with some yummy locally made cheese? Or a cup of plain yogurt with seasonal fruit? Would any of these suggestions take longer than the 15 minutes that it takes to bake Tyson Anytizers? No, I don’t think so.
How about buying some plain chicken breast tenders, throwing them in an oven for 15 minutes, and giving those to your kids for a healthy snack!
Tyson Anytizers – Where’s the Ingredient List?
Don’t you just love it when a food company “forgets” to share the list of ingredients on their web site. Do they think we won’t notice? I guess they figure it would take up too much space? Or perhaps they are ashamed and know that once you actually read what these morsels are made of, you possibly won’t buy them.
Thankfully, other web resources are willing to pull back the curtain on their secrecy.
Here is the list of ingredients for Tyson Any’tizer Popcorn Chicken:
chicken and water? hmm, when you make baked or sauteed chicken at home, do you usually add water? Nope, me neither. But there’s lots of salt, and sugar (dextrose) and some icky GMO products like corn flour, soy flour, and soybean oil. Yeast? Leavening? Sodium Alginate? Nope, not what I usually put in my homemade chicken.
They do have the nutritional data
Serving Size 7 PIECES (84g)
Serv. Per container About 9
Amount Per Serving
Calories 180
Calories from Fat 80
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsturated Fat 4.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 560mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g
Sugars 0g
Protein 13g 26%
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%
Iron 4%
Without benefit of the ingredients list, at first glance, you’d probably think that it’s not too bad, right? Especially when looking at the low saturated fat, and higher amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. But they neglect to tell you that cheap GMO soybean oil is the fat ingredient.
But wow, the sodium is through the roof! There is no fiber, and 180 calories is too high for only 84 grams (under 3 oz). Almost half the calories are fat calories. A full 100 grams of chicken breast is only 165 calories, with 31g of protein! Tyson Any’tizers popcorn chicken only offers a paltry 13 grams of protein, with more calories and more fat!
What’s wrong with that picture? And don’t even get me started on Tyson’s factory farming practices. Stay away! There are better choices!
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!
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.
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?
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…
I found the quote “Friends don’t let friends buy imported shrimp.” on page 30 of the book “Cooking in the Moment – A Year of Seasonal Recipes” by Andrea Reusing. Those words should be an inspiration to us all!
I adore shrimp! I wish I could eat shrimp more often! But US wild-caught shrimp is expensive, so it should be savored and cherished as a special treat!
I have long refused to buy imported shrimp but it looks like I’m in the minority. Shrimp is the most consumed seafood in the US, but since 80-90% of shrimp is imported from Asia and Mexico, it looks like consumers are either not aware of the dangers or just don’t care.
I always knew there were big health and environmental risks with imported (wild and farmed) seafood, but I just read an older article on the subject and it really hit home.
quote from the article:
Properly run shrimp farms yield up to 445 pounds per acre. Food & Water Watch, which has long studied aquaculture, has documented that many foreign shrimp farm operators densely pack their ponds to produce as much as 89,000 pounds of shrimp per acre.
Oh my Lord, can you imagine the pollution, bacteria and illness this causes?
And then the article goes on to state that less than 2% of imported seafood is actually checked and/or analyzed. And what IS checked has been found to be hazardous to our health.
Consumers blindly trust that if it’s allowed to come into our country, then it must be safe. Consumers expect our government to constantly check and re-check products, whether imported or native, but it’s been proven time and time again that it’s not being done!
When will we wake up!? I am doubtful we will.
It’s the American way to demand lower prices, but look what’s happened to the quality of our food! We need to demand better quality food, but not expect to pay rock bottom prices. We need to start paying a little more, and appreciate the quality of the product!
So, please FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS EAT IMPORTED SHRIMP! Support US wild caught shrimp!
