Between 2004 and 2006, the cost of healthy, low-calorie and high-nutrient foods inctreased 20%. At the same time, the cost of high-calorie junk food actually dropped 2%!

 

Take these steps to lower your food costs while  choosing healthy foods

You see the word "natural" all the time on foods. But what does it really mean?

 

Nothing, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates nutrition information on food labels.

 

The FDA has not yet defined the meaning of "natural", which means that this term is not regulated. However, the FDA's general position is that since all foods are made of chemicals, even the tomato that you pick from your garden or the organic peaches you buy at the farmer's market; it doesn't really matter if foods are manufactured in a factory or manufactured by Mother Nature. 

 

The next time you read a food package label touting the product as "natural", take a closer look. If you really want to know what's in the food you purchase, read the ingredient facts information. Whatever is listed first is present in the largest amount by weight. For example, Triscuits Thin Crisps contain whole wheat, soybean and/or palm oil, and salt. Club crackers, on the other hand, contain enriched flour, riboflavin, folic acid, soybean oil with TBHQ for freshness, sugar, salt, leavening, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, cornstarch, and soy lecithin.

 

Which cracker do you choose?

 

If we're looking for ingredients we can pronounce, Triscuits are the top choice. If we want no additives or preservatives, Triscuits are once again the choice. If we're trying to avoid added sugars, skip the Club crackers (they contain sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and corn syrup). Which one is more "natural"? There's absolutely no way to tell. 

 

I detest energy drinks, for the same reason my teens like them. Sound like the classic mom/son struggle? There's actual science behind my dislike.

 

First, "energy" is only provided through calories. Calories come from the foods we eat, but in so-called energy drinks the calories come from sugar. This is the same type of calories/energy you get from eating jelly beans or maple sugar candy; in other words, a simple sugar high.

 

The energy boost in these drinks comes from caffeine, or ingredients like guarana that act like caffeine in our body. Caffeine tricks our mind and body into thinking that we have more energy, but in reality we're running on empty and will experience a rapid crash.

 

Here's the scary part:  energy drinks are dangerous. A recent 3-year review of calls to a Chiacgo poison center found over 250 cases involving caffeine overdose. Two-thirds of these cases required a stay in intensive care. Even worse:  the average age of people with caffeine overdose is 21.

 

Maybe you enjoy a morning cup or two of coffee, and you're thinking "How bad can caffeine really be?". Bad. Too much caffeine causes rapid or irregular heart beat, tremors, sweating, nausea, or chest pain.

 

8 ounces of brewed coffee has 108 mg of caffeine. Compare that to the 250mg of caffeine in 8 ounces of the energy drink Redline, or 344mg caffeine in 16 ounces of Wired X344, and there's cause for concern.

 

It's our job as parents to teach our kids about healthy eating habits. It's also our job to try our best to keep them safe. Talk with your kids about energy drinks, teach them about the dangers of caffeine, and set a good example by choosing healthier beverages yourself. 

Lance Armstrong

 

Maybe you're thinking, "Yeah, right" about this quote. Or perhaps you're thinking "He's absolutely right!". Your response to Lance's quote says worlds about your attitude toward change and possibility.

 

Are you stuck in a rut with exercise? Do you want to be more active, but can't figure out how to fit it into your busy day?

 

Do you put off an annual medical check-up because you know you'll get bad news? Or weighed?

 

Have you given up on ever achieving a healthy weight?

 

"Anything is possible"

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