I don’t know how many times I have written the mantra eat less; move more; live longer, but it seems that the National Institutes on Health agrees with me judging from the recent posting.
Category Archives: eating
Eat healthy; move more
Filed under eating, eating habits, Exercise, exercise benefits, exercise frequency
How About Some Granola Without any Grains?
Let me hear that, get me near that
Crunchy Granola Suite
Drop your shrink and stop your drinkin’
Crunchy granola’s neat ( Neil Diamond )
I agree with Neil about crunchy granola being neat. It has been a part of my diet for more years than I care to remember.
I know ‘Granola Without Grains’ sounds like something left over from April Fool’s Day. But it isn’t. That’s why I was so surprised to discover Paleo Granola by CJK Foods of Chicago, IL.
“Granola,” according to Wikipedia “is a breakfast food and snack food, popular in the Americas, consisting of rolled oats, nuts, honey, and sometimes puffed rice, that is usually baked until crisp. During the baking process the mixture is stirred to maintain a loose, breakfast cereal-type consistency. Dried fruits, such as raisins and dates, are sometimes added.”
So, clearly, grains are an integral part of granola.
I must confess almost total ignorance of the Paleo diet. I just checked the web and the first thing I learned is that they don’t eat grains. They do eat grass-produced meats, fish/seafood, fresh fruits and veggies, eggs, nuts and seeds and healthful oils, like coconut oil. Lots of good eating there. So, the fact that you don’t eat grains explains why the Paleo Granola has no grains in it.
Before going further, I need to tell you that I bought it from my local grocer who had a girl passing out samples. I tried one and was blown away by the taste. A party in my mouth! I went right back and picked up a package. I am now on my third one.
Okay, so what is in Paleo Granola?
The ingredients are Organic almonds, organic sunflower seeds, almond flour, organic cashews, organic walnuts, maple syrup, organic flax seeds, organic coconut oil, organic raisins, vanilla, organic coconut flakes, spices and salt.
Here is the nutrition breakdown:
Serving size 2 ounces, 57 grams
Calories 295
Total fat 23 grams
Saturated fat 8 grams
No Trans fat
Sodium 16 mg
Dietary fiber 4 grams
Sugar 11 grams
Protein 7 grams
A quick comparison with a regular granola, puts Paleo slightly higher on calories, a lot higher on total fat, due to the nuts and coconut, way down on sodium and higher on fiber and protein. Not a bad tradeoff, I think.
Although I am a big granola fan and have a bowl almost every day. I have found that I like the taste of this Paleo mixture so much that I use it as a snack and sometimes take chunks of it with me for energy breaks when I ride the bike.
While I usually refrain from writing up local products that are not available to readers of an international blog, I did this one because I thought you might enjoy being exposed to the concept of granola sans grains. Also, resourceful readers might even try to make it on their own with a little experimentation. You have all the ingredients.
If anyone does try to make their own, I hope you will share your experience with the blog.
For Neil Diamond fans, here is the best audio version I could find on You Tube:
Tony
Filed under breakfast, eating, energy, energy bars, Exercise, fresh fruit, granola, health, healthy fats, healthy living, meat, nutrition, nuts, Paleo Diet, protein, salt, saturated fat, snack foods, Snacking, Weight
Sugar Overpowers Fat in Cravings Test
As a person who has battled his belt line over the years, I have overindulged in sweet treats like ice cream as well as fat treats like pizza. I know that each felt compelling at the time, but it turns out that sugar has more powerful impact on the brain’s pleasure centers than fat, according to a recent study published in the US National Library of Medicine.
Hostess Ho Ho’s
The New York Times picked it up and explained that it is the sugar and not the fat that primarily triggers the brain’s receptors.
“The new research tracked brain activity in more than 100 high school students as they drank chocolate-flavored milkshakes that were identical in calories but either high in sugar and low in fat, or vice versa. While both kinds of shakes lit up pleasure centers in the brain, those that were high in sugar did so far more effectively, firing up a food-reward network that plays a role in compulsive eating. Continue reading
Cold Facts About Hot Dogs From the Mayo Clinic
“A typical 2-ounce, all beef frank contains 14 to 16 grams (g) of fat, between 150 and 180 calories, 25 to 40 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol, and over 500 mg of sodium, according to Robert D. Sheeler, M.D., Medical Editor of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter.
He suggests that if you must consume them as a summertime treat, don’t overdo it and consider a hot dog that is:
• Fat-free or has less than 2 g of fat — Made of beef, turkey or a mixture of meats, these can deliver a decent-tasting hot dog for 50 calories or less. They have little or no fat and 10 to 15 mg of cholesterol. Still, they typically have well over 400 mg of sodium.
• Reduced fat — Made of beef, chicken or turkey, these contain between 7 and 10 g of fat, about 100 to 120 calories, 25 to 55 mg of cholesterol, and typically over 400 mg of sodium. Their taste isn’t necessarily better than that of very low-fat hot dogs. All-poultry hot dogs allow you to avoid red meat, which has been linked to colon cancer when eaten in large quantities.
• Meatless — These typically are soy based with between 0 and 6 g of fat, no cholesterol, and 200 to 400 mg of sodium. Taste is subjective, but condiments may be needed to liven up their flavor.
Dr. Sheeler recommends boiling or microwaving your hot dogs as “grilling can cause charring and other changes that have been linked to cancer.”
The Mayo Clinic Store has the latest products from the Mayo Clinic doctors, specialists and editorial staff.
Buon Appetito!
Tony
Filed under eating, fast food, fat, healthy eating, healthy living, hot dog, Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic Health Letter, Weight
Healthy Motivation
I ran across this on Pinterest.
This seems to be a graphic morning. Here are some more goodies:
Filed under eating, Exercise, happiness, healthy eating, healthy living
When you eat as important as what you eat … Study
Fascinating study…
Most weight-loss plans center around a balance between caloric intake and energy expenditure. However, new research has shed light on a new factor that is necessary to shed pounds: timing. Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), in collaboration with the University of Murcia and Tufts University, have found that it’s not simply what you eat, but also when you eat, that may help with weight-loss regulation. The study will be published on January 29, 2013 in the International Journal of Obesity.
“This is the first large-scale prospective study to demonstrate that the timing of meals predicts weight-loss effectiveness,” said Frank Scheer, PhD, MSc, director of the Medical Chronobiology Program and associate neuroscientist at BWH, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and senior author on this study. “Our results indicate that late eaters displayed a slower weight-loss rate and lost significantly less weight than early eaters, suggesting that…
View original post 298 more words
Filed under eating, eating out, ideal weight, meal timing, normal weight gain, Weight, weight control
Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger 