MOVING OVER

I have decided to start using a differing blogging service. You can find my new web log and current posts at: http://healthyus.typepad.com/

WEEKLY WEIGHT WATCHERS WEIGH-IN + ALL NEW PROGRAM!
I was up .2 pounds this week to 136.6. Not surprising given the week I had. I have been very stressed out and thus seemed to be putting food in my mouth all day long. But that's ok, I'm back on track and newly motivated with a new program Weight Watchers is offering.

You can now choose which plan is right for you, and I am going to try their new Core Plan. That involves eating from a list of core foods, but you can have as much of any of the foods (with a few minor exceptions) until you feel satisfied (not overstuffed!). On top of that you have 35 points to use anytime, and you can add to that by exercising.

Here is a quick summary of the core foods:

VEGETABLES:
What's Included

* Fresh, frozen or canned (without added sauce, fat or sugar)Tomato paste, puree and sauce

Details

* Vegetables cannot contain ingredients that are not Core Foods (e.g., regular refried beans, pork & beans, corn in butter sauce, dried tomatoes packed in oil, French fries and sweet pickles are not Core Foods)

* Vegetable juices are not Core Foods

FRUITS:
What's Included

* Fresh, frozen or canned fruits (without added sugar)

Details

* Canned fruit must be packed in water or juice (not syrup) and drained before eating

* Unsweetened applesauce is a Core Food, but sweetened applesauce is not

* Dried fruits are not Core Foods

* Fruit juices are not Core Foods

SOUPS:
What's Included

* Fresh, canned, frozen or homemade soups made only with Core Foods

* Bean soup (e.g., lentil soup, split pea soup)

* Bouillon

* Broth-based soup

* Tomato soup

Details

* Cream soups are not Core Foods

FAT-FREE DAIRY PRODUCTS AND DAIRY SUBSTITUTES:
What's Included

* Fat-free milk, cheese and sour cream

* Soy milk, cheese and yogurt (plain)

Details

* Weight Watchers Smoothies or fat-free, sugar-free instant hot cocoa or reduced-calorie dairy shakes is limited to once a day

EGG AND EGG SUBSTITUTES:
What's Included

* Whole eggs, egg whites and egg substitutes

READY-TO-EAT COLD CEREAL:
What's Included

* Puffed wheat, puffed rice, shredded wheat, and 100% bran cereals that do not contain added sugar

Details

* Cold cereals are limited to one meal a day and must be eaten with fat-free milk or fat-free plain yogurt

COOKED (HOT) CEREAL:
What's Included

* Cooked (hot) cereal

Details

* Any plain variety that does not contain added sugar

GRAINS AND STARCHES:
What's Included

* Whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, potatoes, and grains

* Starchy vegetables (e.g., peas, corn)

Details

* Whole-wheat pasta or brown rice or potatoes is limited to one meal a day

LEAN MEAT, POULTRY, FISH AND MEAT SUBSTITUTES:
What's Included

* Beef, lamb, pork and veal:

o At the meat case look for cuts from the "loin," "round," and "leg"

o Organ meats

* Poultry – Chicken and turkey:

o Fresh, frozen, or canned.

o Organ meats (e.g., chicken livers)

* Fish and shellfish:

o Fresh, frozen, or canned, any variety

* Meat substitutes:

o Dried beans and lentils

o Tofu, any type

o Vegetarian burgers, frozen

Details

* Beef, lamb, pork and veal:

o Choose visibly lean cuts and trim any excess fat

o Ground beef with no more than 7% fat or ground turkey or ground chicken is limited to one meal a day

o Processed meals such as deli products and hot dogs are not Core Foods

* Poultry – Chicken and turkey:

o Trim any visible fat before preparing and remove skin before eating

* Fish and shellfish:

o Canned varieties must be packed in water, broth, or tomato juice (not packed in oil)

OILS AND CONDIMENTS:
What's Included

* Fat-free salad dressings

* Fat-free margarine

* Fat-free mayonnaise

* Nonstick cooking or baking spray

* Extracts, flavorings, and herbs

* Select other condiments and extras

Details

* Include 2 teaspoons of olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, or flaxseed oil each day

BEVERAGES:
What's Included

* Coffee (without sugar)

* Tea (without sugar)

* Diet soft drinks

* Club soda

* Seltzer (plain or flavored, unsweetened)

* Water

Details

* Beverages containing alcohol are not Core Foods

The list is pretty comprehensive and I was already eating mostly from it anyway. It was the junk I was eating on top of it that has slowed me down, but with being able to eat more of the core foods, I think I can easily eliminate most of the junk. I will let you know how I do.

KAMPING OUT FOR KRISPY KREME

Only in America do you have people spending the night on a sidewalk to be among the first customers to a new Krispy Kreme doughnut shop. The Washington Post metro section ran an article about a new Krispy Kreme shop opened up in DC and the people camping out for the grand opening.

So the first guy in line, I will excuse. He doesn't even like doughnuts (or rather, doesn't eat them because they are not Kosher), but the store was giving coupons to the first 24 customers for a dozen free doughnuts per month for a year, and he was going to donate them to the homeless. But everyone else, well, they just seem to embody the essence of America's weight problem: our obsession with food. The second guy in line has a computer program alert him of free food in Washington. And then there was customer #8 who was looking forward to the grand opening of a Chick-fil-a where the first 100 customers get coupons for 52 combo meals.

Ok, so I can appreciate a bargain, but this is out of hand. And most people were at Krispy Kreme because they really view it as an experience. Come on! It's a doughnut! In about 5 seconds you've consumed an entire days worth of saturated fat. I know they are good -- and this is coming from someone who loves food -- but are they really that good?

Christian and I hypothesized the other night that part of our (Americans) problem is wealth combined with what our bodies were pre-programmed to do: eat lots of food and store fat. Why else would our stomachs be able to expand so much. Think back to the hunting/gathering days. We were designed to eat a lot at once, and then go long periods of time without food. Ok, no new theory here, but when you combine that fact with the fact that we are the wealthiest society in the world, and therefore able to buy endless quantities of food (super size me!), we have a real problem here.

Anyway, to read the article, click here.

THANK YOU SAMANTHA

My friend Samantha said that after reading my web log, she was at McDonald's for breakfast where she would often get McGriddle sandwiches for her two boys, and this time, she just got them pancakes instead. (She had a hard time getting them to believe her when she told them they didn't make them anymore, especially when they saw the signs for them!)

It's nice to know that my web log made a difference in someone's eating habits, so thank you Samantha for sharing that with me.

If you have made better choices or made a lifestyle change as a result of my web log, I would love to hear about it. You can either post a comment to my web log, or you can e-mail me at qantrell3@yahoo.com.

10 SUPER FOODS

Ok, I am a couple days overdue on my promise to give you a list of foods that you SHOULD eat (as opposed to the ones you should avoid like the plague, as highlighted in a post a few days ago). So anyway, here they are:

1.) Cantaloupe: A quarter of the melon provides almost as much vitamin A and C as most people need in a day.

2.) Sweet Potatoes: They contain carotenoids (see below for the benefits of carotenoids), vitamin C, potassium and fiber.

3.) Fat free or 1% milk: Get calcium, vitamins and protein without the fat and cholesterol of higher fat milks. Calcium fortified soy milk is also a good choice.

4.) Kellogg's All-Bran Original or Post 100% Bran: A half cup serving of one of these cereals supplies more than a third of fiber you need for an entire day. (A diet high in fiber reduces the risk of constipation, diverticulosis and heart disease.) Add some yummy fruit to your cereal for even more benefits.

5.)Oranges: Rich in Vitamin C, folic acid (especially important for women who intend to have children) and fiber.

6.) Broccoli: Lots of vitamin c, carotenoids and folic acid. Plus, it has calcium. If you have a hard time getting the green stuff down, get creative. Use low fat or fat free salad dressing with raw broccoli, or steam it and add some shredded reduced fat cheese. I like to also cook broccoli in Asian stir fry sauces (but watch out for sodium.)

7.) Whole-grain bread. Not all carbs are created equal and a diet that is rich in fiber helps reduce heart disease. Whole grain breads are higher in fiber and vitamins and minerals than enriched white bread or "wheat" bread. (Quotation marks added because a lot of breads claim to be wheat bread when actually the enriched white flour has been dyed to look like it's wheat.) Read bread labels carefully!

8.) Watermelon: More vitamin C and carotenoids. I can't get enough of this stuff. If the seeds bother you, try the seedless kind.

9.) Beans: Their cheap, low in fat, rich in protein, iron, folic acid and fiber. The best ones are garbanzo (chick peas), pinto, black, Navy, kidney or lentils. I like to add black beans in my salad and use salsa mixed with fat free ranch as my dressing.

10.) Spinach or kale. More vitamin C, carotenoids, calcium and fiber. If you can't eat it plain, try mixing it with pasta and some pine nuts.

Okay, see we keep seeing carotenoids, but what are they and why are they good? Well, I had to look around to find out, but here's what I found at www.astaxanthin.org:


In human beings, carotenoids can serve several important functions. The most widely studied and well-understood nutritional role for carotenoids is their provitamin A activity. Deficiency of vitamin A is a major cause of premature death in developing nations, particularly among children. Vitamin A, which has many vital systemic functions in humans, can be produced within the body from certain carotenoids, notably beta-carotene (Britton et al. 1995).

Dietary beta-carotene is obtained from a number of fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, spinach, peaches, apricots, and sweet potatoes (Mangels et al. 1993).

Other provitamin A carotenoids include alpha-carotene (found in carrots, pumpkin, and red and yellow peppers) and cryptoxanthin (from oranges, tangerines, peaches, nectarines, and papayas).

Carotenoids also play an important potential role in human health by acting as biological antioxidants, protecting cells and tissues from the damaging effects of free radicals and singlet oxygen. Lycopene, the hydrocarbon carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red color, is particularly effective at quenching the destructive potential of singlet oxygen (Di Mascio et al. 1989). Lutein and zeaxanthin, xanthophylls found in corn and in leafy greens such as kale and spinach, are believed to function as protective antioxidants in the macular region of the human retina (Snodderly 1995).

Astaxanthin, a xanthophyll found in salmon, shrimp, and other seafoods, is another naturally occurring xanthophyll with potent antioxidant properties (Di Mascio et al. 1991).

Other health benefits of carotenoids that may be related to their antioxidative potential include enhancement of immune system function (Bendich 1989), protection from sunburn (Matthews-Roth, 1990), and inhibition of the development of certain types of cancers (Nishino 1998).

RUNNING LOG

Sunday, August 22, 2004
Ran 4.18 miles in 40 minutes outside. A week of not running didn't take too much toll on my stamina, but it sure took toll on my motivation. I did NOT want to go running today, but I really pushed myself to go and I am glad I did. It's a beautiful day out and it felt great.

WEEKLY WEIGHT WATCHERS WEIGH-IN

Down another 1.6 pounds for a total of 17 pounds! I am down to 136.4. Of course, this past week was a little easier because with my husband out of town, I didn't do any cooking. Of course, I also didn't run all week because I was so worn out from taking care of the kids full time and being awoken 5 million times a night.

I know I shouldn't complain, but I really thought my body would look better than it does at this weight. I think 2 kids and a c-section have taken their toll. I am not sure, but I really think that when I got down to this weight after Hannah was born, I looked better than I do now. I guess I just need to do more ab exercises, but hopefully when I reach my goal weight of 130 pounds (for Weight Watchers sake, it's 135, but that's just because my membership is free once I have reached my goal there and maintained it for 6 weeks), I will see a bigger change.

NUTRITION ACTION

I just got an offer in the mail to subscribe to the Nutrition Action newsletter, put out by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. These are the same folks that temporarily made us feel guilty about eating Chinese food and movie theater popcorn, when they came out with the nutrition information a few years ago.

I decided to subscribe to the newsletter and am anxious to receive my first issue. As a sample, they included with my offer a letter some of the information that is typically included in their newsletter. They offered 10 items that should be avoided like the plague, and 10 of the healthiest foods you can eat. Here's a quick summary:

10 Foods You Should Think Twice About Eating
1.) Pepperidge Farms Flaky Crust Chicken Pot Pie: At first glance seems bad, but not terrible, with 450 calories and 7 grams of saturated fat. But take a closer look and see that that's for half of the pie. Well, who on earth (at least in America) eats half of a pot pie? No one I know, for sure.

2.)Chex Milk'n Cereal Bars. Ok, so this probably isn't the worst food you can eat, but the label is still very misleading. The claim is that they have the nutrition of a bowl of cereal with milk. But the nutrition comes from added vitamins and minerals, while the "milk" flling comes from sugar plus nonfat milk, lactose, palm kernel oil, and other additives. And, unlike Chex cereals there is no fiber, and more than three times the amount of sugar.

3.) McDonald's McGriddle (you know McDonald's had to make the list) In a few bites, you can consume 450 to 550 calories, half a days worth of sodium (1,000 to 1,300 mg.) and at least 1/3 of your daily saturated fat limits. And of course, that's before you add the hash browns.

4.) Pizza Hut's the Big New Yorker. As if pizza isn't fattening enough, Pizza Hut (and competitors) are constantly finding ways to make it worse for you. Two slices total 820 calories and a full day's quota of saturated fat (and that's without the toppings!). Stick with the thin crust veggie pizza instead.

5.) Who can resist Mrs. Fields cookies?? Well, if you're talking about the milk chocolate and walnuts cookie, you might reconsider with the 300 calories and as much saturated fat as a sirloin steak!

6.) Starbucks on Steroids! Ever have a Venti Mocha Coconut Frappacino with whipped cream? Ummmmmm.... sounds delicious. But when does it stop being a cup of coffee and start being a milkshake? I think this is a good sample of a cup of joe gone bad. This drink has 710 calories and 26!! grams of fat (19 of them saturated). This coffee not only will get you started for the day, but will meet your entire quota for saturated fat for the rest of the day! Enjoy your lettuce.

7.) If you head for the King, avoid Burger King's King Size fries which go for 600 alories and 3/4 or your daily maximum for saturated fats. Hope you didn't have that frappacino for breakfast!

8.) A little soup with your salt? I know, it tastes good, but the amount of salt in half a can of Campbell's condensed soup is about half of your daily quota. And come on, who eats only half a can?

9.) Swoops ... Ok, I have to admit, I keep seeing these and want to try them. But now instead of thinking twice, I will just avoid them all together. With just 6 swoops (which I am sure go quickly), you have consumed 180-200 calories, 8 grams of saturated fat and 18 grams of sugar.

10.) Before you read this one, step on the scale. Ok, Haagen-Dazs Mint Chip Dazzler. Now, step on the scale again. Gained 5 pounds just reading it, right? Seriously, this decadent dessert consists of 3 scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, Oreos, chocolate sprinkles and whipped cream. Any guesses as to the number of calories? 1,270, and 38 grams of saturated fat! That's 2 days worth of saturated fat (and remember, that's not the total fat which would be even higher).

So what can we eat instead of all these horrible foods? Check back. I am too tired to keep typing!