"Healthy" Foods?--maybe NOT! (or: So What?)
According to food expert Carolina Diaz-Bordon, this new controversy bears perusing...
Healthy or not healthy? Not a simple question these days. While you're aware banana splits and double bacon cheeseburgers are not the best choices when watching your waistline, some foods you least suspect can also be troublemakers.
The growth of portion sizes, sodium levels and sugars in foods have transformed healthy meals into nutrient-deficient diet traps.
Fortunately, not all good things must come to an end. It's possible to eat healthy without forgoing taste and flavor. The key is to find out exactly what you are putting in your mouth.
The Nutrition Facts food label can tell you which nutrients are in food, and how each serving contributes to your daily nutrient intake.
Hold the fries, please
Make smart choices when you go out to dinner. Imagine you and a friend go to a restaurant and order chicken sandwiches. You both tell the waiter to replace the French fries with a much healthier option, such as soup.
Now, how could it be that your meal contains almost double the fat and calories as your friend's? You both ordered chicken and that's lean meat, right? You had soup and that's much better than fries, right? WRONG! Your friend ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and tomato soup, and you ordered the fried chicken sandwich with cream of potato soup. There is a huge difference between the meals.
Understanding these distinctions is the pivotal factor in keeping your health in check.
Remember the Seinfeld episode in which everybody on the show begins to frequent a nonfat yogurt shop. They indulge, gobbling down loads of the sweet treat, and they feel good about it because it's fat-free. When they begin to gain weight, they are flabbergasted; convinced the yogurt is a full-fat fraud.
It's important to remember that nonfat does not mean all-you-can-eat. If it sounds too good to be true, it will more than likely end up on your waistline.
Too often when you are trying to do the best for your body, you don't take a close enough look at what you are actually eating. Minor modifications can transform most unhealthy foods into healthier options.
Be on the lookout for these 10 foods
Let's tap into the wisdom of an expert for some insight. Nutritionist Susan Burke, MS, RD, LD/N,CDE has uncovered the truth about 10 foods you thought were healthy, but may actually be adding to your waistline.
1. Olive oil. Though healthier than butter, olive oil is still oil. More is not better, especially if you're watching your weight. (Don't even think about using margarine.)
2. Honey. "It's natural." That's a common saying. People often offer it as a reason to eat something sweet. The snack may be natural, but it still contains sugar, and not enough redeeming nutritional value to make it healthy.
3. Juice. Orange juice. Apple juice. Cranberry juice. Juice can be the quickest way to gain weight. It takes a minute -- actually less than a minute -- for most people to drink 150 calories. Gulp. Gulp. Watch your thighs expand.
4. Wheat bread. Too vague. Think it's healthy just because it's wheat? Only whole wheat or whole grain count as healthy.
5. Milk. Whole milk, that is. The old dietary guidelines recommended at least three servings of dairy a day. They didn't differentiate between low-fat and nonfat dairy and whole milk, which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2005 guidelines do differentiate.
6. Cheese. Many people think if you don't eat meat, you can eat cheese for protein. This is another quick way to gain weight. Cheese -- especially whole-milk cheese -- is full of saturated fat and calories. Compare an ounce of whole-milk mozzarella (80 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4 grams saturated fat) to one ounce of turkey breast (30 calories, less than 1 gram of total fat). Treat cheese with caution, and as a treat.
7. Wine. While wine -- and alcohol in general -- may have some health benefits, they end at one drink for women and two for men. More than that and the benefits are wiped out by increased risk for disease and addiction.
8. Fish. Most fish are very healthy, low in saturated fat and a good source of protein. But some fish are less than healthy, because of environmental contamination. It's sad but true. Some fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as tuna, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, also may be high in mercury, which is poisonous.
Good fish choices include wild salmon (farm-raised salmon is less healthy), sole, flounder, grouper, mahi mahi, bass, snapper, shrimp and lobster. Shellfish in general are good. Canned sardines and mackerel are also good, but king mackerel can be high in mercury. Also, fish caught in local waters may be contaminated with PCPs, so check local fish and game advisories.
9. Fat-free. Just because a cookie is fat-free doesn't mean it's healthier than the original version. In fact, some fat-free cookies contain more calories than the original. Manufacturers often increase the sugar to make up for the flavor and texture lost without fat. Have a cookie if you want one -- one is the operative word.
10. Chicken. Chicken is a very lean meat only if you remove the skin and don't fry it. If you choose the Crispy Chicken sandwich at McDonald's, for example, you get 500 calories and 23 grams of fat -- compare to a plain hamburger, which has 260 calories and 9 grams of fat.
---------------
Jacques' remarks---
Well, my "dears"---two nutrition experts just shared what they believe is "good for you", as opposed to not--- and I respect their right to propagate what they feel or think they know is accurate. After all, this is "a free country" complete with that of expression.
Upon due consideration, and even if all, most or even some of the above is indeed so---my own life and lengthy professional experience (and I may be a direct descendant of Methuselah LOL), including ountless periodic "planned weight gains of up to 20-25 lbs." which I caused to use myself as a "guinea pig"---using my own techniques, to eliminate the excess weight, fat and flab WITHOUT dieting in ANY way --- by mentally slamming on the brakes---going in reverse---and APPLY the priciples I "fathered" and also practiced with great success for years with countless patients.
The latter are what I am now sharing in my S.L.I.M. For Life Trainings---in other words: my own beliefs, research, theories, techniques and system---all of which have been used to establish a verifiable track record, as opposed to more "DOs and DON'Ts": theories touted by "experts" as the latest discoveries : die-hard dictates which too often end up in the "Oooops!---Sorry!--New Findings show that our previous statements were erroneous, and we must retract them, etc., ad nauseum" bin" of annals of Scientific Facts, Advice, formulae---and embarrassing, or lethal Mistakes" and bulky files of germane goofs which corroborate my seeming harsh report, strictly based upon pragmatic observations.
WOW! another Long Jacques Girard sentence :o)---(I must remind you of the fact that my French Literature Professor at the "Universite Royale de Bruxelles" taught us to emulate a 3-1/2 page sentence said to have been written by Victor Hugo!, thus----).
Bottom line: as I write this, I again have voluntarily recently gained 23 lbs. over a period of several months and I recently began my "reverse" process. My "belly" has already reached half its recent "6 months pregnant, or beer gut size" and, when I next visit my prime Physician, I know that the scale will show that my (high) 178 lbs. will prove to be well on its way back to my "ideal" 155 lbs.---all of which WITHOUT ANY dieting, diet pills, special foods, restrictions, taboos, nor obsessing about all the maddening neuroticisms and anxieties of calorie-counting and agonizingly scrutinizing labels like a poor man's Inspecteur Clouzot :o)--- or even the regimentation of back-breaking or other "must do", stressful, imposed, stern exercise programs.
Most importantly, WITHOUT the least bit of concern for calories, portion sizes, sodium or sugar contents and othet "logical" weight no-no monsters. My dynamic self-hypnotic techniques reach deeply into the sub-conscious regions which control, know and "alert us" automatically about "all that"---thus eliminating the need for us to consciously stress out over them, for we will DO All that IS "Good" and necessary to achieve our excess of unhealthy fat and weight reduction, control and maintenance automatically. ALL WE need to do is learn to "listen, faithully trust and follow the instinctive instructions of our All-Knowing Inner Voice"!
Please believe that my preceding remarks contain absolutely no "sour grapes" or negative propaganda towards the "competition"---mainly because we HAVE NO competition! :o)---My delighted past graduates could easily testify to that.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful week ahead---Happiness, Love, Joy, Success and Peace of Mind in this shaky economy and scary world!
Your Friend always,
Jacques
Healthy or not healthy? Not a simple question these days. While you're aware banana splits and double bacon cheeseburgers are not the best choices when watching your waistline, some foods you least suspect can also be troublemakers.
The growth of portion sizes, sodium levels and sugars in foods have transformed healthy meals into nutrient-deficient diet traps.
Fortunately, not all good things must come to an end. It's possible to eat healthy without forgoing taste and flavor. The key is to find out exactly what you are putting in your mouth.
The Nutrition Facts food label can tell you which nutrients are in food, and how each serving contributes to your daily nutrient intake.
Hold the fries, please
Make smart choices when you go out to dinner. Imagine you and a friend go to a restaurant and order chicken sandwiches. You both tell the waiter to replace the French fries with a much healthier option, such as soup.
Now, how could it be that your meal contains almost double the fat and calories as your friend's? You both ordered chicken and that's lean meat, right? You had soup and that's much better than fries, right? WRONG! Your friend ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and tomato soup, and you ordered the fried chicken sandwich with cream of potato soup. There is a huge difference between the meals.
Understanding these distinctions is the pivotal factor in keeping your health in check.
Remember the Seinfeld episode in which everybody on the show begins to frequent a nonfat yogurt shop. They indulge, gobbling down loads of the sweet treat, and they feel good about it because it's fat-free. When they begin to gain weight, they are flabbergasted; convinced the yogurt is a full-fat fraud.
It's important to remember that nonfat does not mean all-you-can-eat. If it sounds too good to be true, it will more than likely end up on your waistline.
Too often when you are trying to do the best for your body, you don't take a close enough look at what you are actually eating. Minor modifications can transform most unhealthy foods into healthier options.
Be on the lookout for these 10 foods
Let's tap into the wisdom of an expert for some insight. Nutritionist Susan Burke, MS, RD, LD/N,CDE has uncovered the truth about 10 foods you thought were healthy, but may actually be adding to your waistline.
1. Olive oil. Though healthier than butter, olive oil is still oil. More is not better, especially if you're watching your weight. (Don't even think about using margarine.)
2. Honey. "It's natural." That's a common saying. People often offer it as a reason to eat something sweet. The snack may be natural, but it still contains sugar, and not enough redeeming nutritional value to make it healthy.
3. Juice. Orange juice. Apple juice. Cranberry juice. Juice can be the quickest way to gain weight. It takes a minute -- actually less than a minute -- for most people to drink 150 calories. Gulp. Gulp. Watch your thighs expand.
4. Wheat bread. Too vague. Think it's healthy just because it's wheat? Only whole wheat or whole grain count as healthy.
5. Milk. Whole milk, that is. The old dietary guidelines recommended at least three servings of dairy a day. They didn't differentiate between low-fat and nonfat dairy and whole milk, which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2005 guidelines do differentiate.
6. Cheese. Many people think if you don't eat meat, you can eat cheese for protein. This is another quick way to gain weight. Cheese -- especially whole-milk cheese -- is full of saturated fat and calories. Compare an ounce of whole-milk mozzarella (80 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4 grams saturated fat) to one ounce of turkey breast (30 calories, less than 1 gram of total fat). Treat cheese with caution, and as a treat.
7. Wine. While wine -- and alcohol in general -- may have some health benefits, they end at one drink for women and two for men. More than that and the benefits are wiped out by increased risk for disease and addiction.
8. Fish. Most fish are very healthy, low in saturated fat and a good source of protein. But some fish are less than healthy, because of environmental contamination. It's sad but true. Some fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as tuna, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, also may be high in mercury, which is poisonous.
Good fish choices include wild salmon (farm-raised salmon is less healthy), sole, flounder, grouper, mahi mahi, bass, snapper, shrimp and lobster. Shellfish in general are good. Canned sardines and mackerel are also good, but king mackerel can be high in mercury. Also, fish caught in local waters may be contaminated with PCPs, so check local fish and game advisories.
9. Fat-free. Just because a cookie is fat-free doesn't mean it's healthier than the original version. In fact, some fat-free cookies contain more calories than the original. Manufacturers often increase the sugar to make up for the flavor and texture lost without fat. Have a cookie if you want one -- one is the operative word.
10. Chicken. Chicken is a very lean meat only if you remove the skin and don't fry it. If you choose the Crispy Chicken sandwich at McDonald's, for example, you get 500 calories and 23 grams of fat -- compare to a plain hamburger, which has 260 calories and 9 grams of fat.
---------------
Jacques' remarks---
Well, my "dears"---two nutrition experts just shared what they believe is "good for you", as opposed to not--- and I respect their right to propagate what they feel or think they know is accurate. After all, this is "a free country" complete with that of expression.
Upon due consideration, and even if all, most or even some of the above is indeed so---my own life and lengthy professional experience (and I may be a direct descendant of Methuselah LOL), including ountless periodic "planned weight gains of up to 20-25 lbs." which I caused to use myself as a "guinea pig"---using my own techniques, to eliminate the excess weight, fat and flab WITHOUT dieting in ANY way --- by mentally slamming on the brakes---going in reverse---and APPLY the priciples I "fathered" and also practiced with great success for years with countless patients.
The latter are what I am now sharing in my S.L.I.M. For Life Trainings---in other words: my own beliefs, research, theories, techniques and system---all of which have been used to establish a verifiable track record, as opposed to more "DOs and DON'Ts": theories touted by "experts" as the latest discoveries : die-hard dictates which too often end up in the "Oooops!---Sorry!--New Findings show that our previous statements were erroneous, and we must retract them, etc., ad nauseum" bin" of annals of Scientific Facts, Advice, formulae---and embarrassing, or lethal Mistakes" and bulky files of germane goofs which corroborate my seeming harsh report, strictly based upon pragmatic observations.
WOW! another Long Jacques Girard sentence :o)---(I must remind you of the fact that my French Literature Professor at the "Universite Royale de Bruxelles" taught us to emulate a 3-1/2 page sentence said to have been written by Victor Hugo!, thus----).
Bottom line: as I write this, I again have voluntarily recently gained 23 lbs. over a period of several months and I recently began my "reverse" process. My "belly" has already reached half its recent "6 months pregnant, or beer gut size" and, when I next visit my prime Physician, I know that the scale will show that my (high) 178 lbs. will prove to be well on its way back to my "ideal" 155 lbs.---all of which WITHOUT ANY dieting, diet pills, special foods, restrictions, taboos, nor obsessing about all the maddening neuroticisms and anxieties of calorie-counting and agonizingly scrutinizing labels like a poor man's Inspecteur Clouzot :o)--- or even the regimentation of back-breaking or other "must do", stressful, imposed, stern exercise programs.
Most importantly, WITHOUT the least bit of concern for calories, portion sizes, sodium or sugar contents and othet "logical" weight no-no monsters. My dynamic self-hypnotic techniques reach deeply into the sub-conscious regions which control, know and "alert us" automatically about "all that"---thus eliminating the need for us to consciously stress out over them, for we will DO All that IS "Good" and necessary to achieve our excess of unhealthy fat and weight reduction, control and maintenance automatically. ALL WE need to do is learn to "listen, faithully trust and follow the instinctive instructions of our All-Knowing Inner Voice"!
Please believe that my preceding remarks contain absolutely no "sour grapes" or negative propaganda towards the "competition"---mainly because we HAVE NO competition! :o)---My delighted past graduates could easily testify to that.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful week ahead---Happiness, Love, Joy, Success and Peace of Mind in this shaky economy and scary world!
Your Friend always,
Jacques
posted by Jacques Girard, Ph.D. at 6:59 PM
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