Category Archives: fast food

July 8, 2019 · 12:08 am

How hard is it to ignore alcohol and fast food? – Study

Fast food is popular because it tastes great and is incredibly convenient. The only problem is its general lack of high nutritive values. So we try to reduce or eliminate our use of fast food to satisfy our appetites to some extent.

Have you ever tried to stay away from fast food, but found hard-to-ignore signals that represent its availability – like neon lights and ads – are everywhere?

If you’re stressed, tired or otherwise straining your brain power, you may find it harder to ignore cues in the environment that signal something rewarding.

That’s what a UNSW Sydney experiment by a group of psychologists – published in Psychological Science – has shown.

This experiment showed – for the first time – that ignoring these cues became harder as soon as participants had to perform a task while also holding other information in their memory. The image is in the public domain.

“We knew already that participants find it hard to ignore cues that signal a large reward,” says study lead Dr. Poppy Watson at UNSW.

But this experiment showed – for the first time – that ignoring these cues became harder as soon as participants had to perform a task while also holding other information in their memory.

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December 1, 2018 · 12:05 am

Tufts on healthy fast food choices

I have been out of the working world for some years, but I remember when I was I found myself dining on fast foods a lot more often than was healthy. Now that I am retired, I can usually fix something for myself that is simple and nutritious so I have lost my reliance on quick fixes.

It may be easier than it once was to find quick-service choices that fit into a healthy dietary pattern, according to the Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter.

Fast food restaurants are relatively inexpensive, consistent, quick, familiar, and, for the most part, challenging places to eat if one wants to follow a healthy diet.

Photo by Foodie Factor on Pexels.com

According to the 2018 Fast Food Industry Analysis, one of the biggest forces acting on the fast food industry in America is the shifting of consumers’ tastes towards healthier options. According to the National Restaurant Association, the number of adults who say they are trying to choose healthier items at restaurants is on the rise. To meet this demand, a number of fast food chains have started including some healthier options on their menus (while simultaneously adding other less-healthful choices). Additionally, new franchises have launched concepts based on potentially healthier ingredients; vegetarian main courses and vegetable sides are becoming more common; and some major chains are promising to source fresher ingredients with less additives, purchase free-range chickens, and make other changes to lure health- and environmentally-conscious consumers to their counters. The extent to which these changes are actually improving health remains unclear. Continue reading →

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March 20, 2017 · 12:01 am

Home cooking a main ingredient in healthier diet, study shows

This should come as no surprise to anyone who ventures in to fast food eateries or even regular restaurants.

People who frequently cook meals at home eat healthier and consume fewer calories than those who cook less, according to new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research.

“When people cook most of their meals at home, they consume fewer carbohydrates, less sugar and less fat than those who cook less or not at all — even if they are not trying to lose weight,” says Julia A. Wolfson, MPP, a CLF-Lerner Fellow at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future and lead author of the study.

The findings also suggest that those who frequently cooked at home — six-to-seven nights a week — also consumed fewer calories on the occasions when they ate out.

Wolfson presented the research at the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La., on November 17. The study was published online in the journal Public Health Nutrition.

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Tagged as eating out, fast food, home cooking, restaurants, weight

August 28, 2016 · 12:07 am

Lack of fresh food choices linked to signs of early heart disease – AHA

It seems that while our reliance on fast foods and processed foods might be saving us some time, in the long run it is costing us dearly.

A lack of access to nearby stores selling fresh food may increase residents’ risk of developing the signs of early heart disease, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) journal Circulation.

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“The lack of healthy food stores may help explain why people in these neighborhoods have more heart disease,” said Jeffrey Wing, Ph.D., M.P.H., co-lead author and assistant professor in the Department of Public Health at Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan. “The thought is that greater access to healthier foods may have promoted healthier diets and, in turn, less coronary plaque formation.”

Study results point to a need for greater awareness of the potential health threat posed by living in neighborhoods with scarce healthy grocery options. Continue reading →

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April 19, 2016 · 2:19 am

Does Eating Fast Food Mean a Higher Risk of Diabetes, Heart Disease?

Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger

Living in this fast-paced world, eating fast food is a temptation few of us can ignore at one time or another.

People who have a habit of eating fast food on a regular basis are at greater risk of developing both heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to new research published in the latest online edition of the journal Circulation.

Scientists from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in the U.S. and the National University of Singapore worked together to analyze data from a 16-year study, which was based on eating habits of 52,000 Chinese nationals living in Singapore. Each resident had experienced a sudden transition from traditional eastern foods to a Western-style fast food diet.

Fast food in Singapore.

The study “discovered that those who ate fast food two-three times a week were twice as likely to die from coronary heart disease (CHD) compared to…

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May 13, 2015 · 8:13 am

Emotional Guide to a Healthy Diet – Infographic

This would be one of those one picture is worth a thousand words posts.
Check out my Page – What’s Wrong with Soft Drinks? for more.

Tony

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April 30, 2015 · 5:58 am

Michelangelo’s David Returned to Italy

I stumbled across this on the web and couldn’t resist sharing it. In case you needed to be reminded about the dangers of relying on fast foods for nutrition.

Tony

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Tagged as Burger King, fast foods, McDonald's, Michelangelo's David, Starbuck's, weight, weight control

March 6, 2015 · 11:44 am

Fried Foods Tied to Raised Heart Failure Risk

In this study, men who ate fried food one to three times a week had an average 18 percent increased risk of developing heart failure, researchers found. When fried food was eaten four to six times a week, heart failure risk was 25 percent higher, and at seven times or more weekly, 68 percent greater.

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Eaten regularly, they might boost chances as much as 68 percent, study finds.

The more fried food you eat, the greater your risk for heart failure, a new study says.

“This study suggests that it might be wise to reduce the frequency and quantity of fried foods consumed weekly in order to prevent heart failure and other chronic conditions,” said lead researcher Dr. Luc Djousse, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Heart failure means the heart isn’t pumping blood throughout the body as well as it should. Symptoms include fatigue and shortness of breath, and it’s one of the most common reasons for hospital admissions among people aged 65 and older, according to the American Heart Association.

In this study, men who ate fried food one to three times a week had an average 18 percent increased risk of developing heart failure, researchers found. When…

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January 16, 2015 · 12:41 am

Why Should I Avoid Fast Food? – Infographic

Fat food seems to be everywhere we turn and can be a lifesaver on a busy day, but making fast food a ‘go to’ solution on a regular basis is a prescription for medical problems.

Check out my Page – Fast Food Nutritional Information for more details.

Tony

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Tagged as cholesterol, fast food, healthy-living, processed meats, weight-loss

December 11, 2014 · 1:15 pm

I’m Lovin’ it – Friceps – McDonald’s

On the day we learn that McDonald’s is cutting back on some of its less salubrious offerings, I thought this was a timely photo. One picture is worth a thousand words.

Check out the following posts for more on Mickey D’s: Why McDonald’s Shamrock Shake is a Sugar Monster, Why You Shouldn’t Drink McDonald’s Frozen Strawberry Lemonade, McDonald’s Oatmeal Taste Test.

Tony

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Tagged as calorie counting, fast food, Friceps, McDonald's, McDonald's fries, sugar, weight

November 30, 2014 · 12:14 pm

4 Pinterest Funnies on Losing Weight

I found these on Pinterest. I don’t know if they will help you to lose weight, I hope so, but if not, maybe you can have a laugh on me. Laughing is good for you and has no calories.

Is your cell phone contract expiring? Mine ran out in October and I naively signed with Verizon. To read all the details check my Yelp write up. For my money you can do better than Verizon. No one likes to be bullied.

Tony

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Tagged as Exercise, fast food, Pinterest, Verizon, weight control, weight-loss

November 1, 2014 · 4:10 pm

Gluten-free Food – Against the Grain

… according to a survey by Kantar, a research firm, only 22% of people who buy gluten-free food say they do so for non-medical reasons. This could be one foodie trend that turns out to be much more than a fad.

Cooking with Kathy Man

A growing desire to avoid gluten is changing the food industry.

McDonald’s is by no means the most accommodating of fast-food chains to people with special dietary requirements. Many of its restaurants in America and Britain do not even serve a meat-free burger for vegetarians. But in a week-long trial ending on October 21st, the chain’s British outlets offered a new burger whose fillings did not contain gluten, an allergen commonly found in wheat, with a view to making the new product a permanent addition to its menu.

At first, that may seem to be an odd decision. Vegetarians outnumber those who avoid gluten. But the food industry is finding that there is no longer much money to be made in making meat-free products. Sales of alternatives to meat have flattened in America in real terms since 2008; in Britain they have plunged by a third.

Consumer demand for products…

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October 29, 2014 · 11:05 am

Food Trend: Healthy Fast Food

Their success marks a milestone: After decades of public hand-wringing about the empty calories and environmental impact of fast food, the farm-to-table notions that have revolutionized higher-end American restaurants have finally found a lucrative spot in the takeout line. The result already has a nickname: farm to counter.

Cooking with Kathy Man

The numbers were startling: Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill shot up 12 percent after the company reported a nearly 26 percent spurt in its quarterly profit. For the fast-food industry, this was fresh evidence that the world of Big Macs and Doritos Locos Tacos has room for a menu with healthier-than-average food and higher-than-average prices.

But it came as no surprise to a new generation of smaller fast-food chains that are coming up fast behind Chipotle and its peers, and taking its “food with integrity” mantra even further.

A handful of rapidly growing regional chains around the country — including Tender Greens, LYFE Kitchen, SweetGreen and Native Foods — offer enticements like grass-fed beef, organic produce, sustainable seafood and menus that change with the season. Most promise local ingredients; some are exclusively vegetarian or even vegan. A few impose calorie ceilings, and others adopt service touches like busboys and china…

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October 17, 2014 · 3:47 am

Tweaks to Clean up Your Diet in 5 Weeks – Infographic

Practicing the ‘one step at a time’ method can help you start eating right and getting healthy.

Tony

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August 13, 2014 · 12:03 pm

Eating at Fast Food, Full Service Restaurants Linked to More Calories, Poorer Nutrition

“The United States is one of the most obese nations in the world, with more than one in three adult men and women in defined as obese,” said Dr. Nguyen. “Just as obesity rates rise, there’s been a marked increase in total energy consumption consumed away from home, with about one in four calories coming from fast food or full service restaurants in 2007. Our study confirms that adults’ fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption was associated with higher daily total energy intake and poorer dietary indicators.”

I have a Page on Fast Food Nutritional Information which gives breakdowns on calories, fats and carbs.

Tony

Cooking with Kathy Man

For adults, eating at both fast-food and full-service restaurants is associated with significant increases in the intake of calories, sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, according to a new study. The study, appearing early online in Public Health Nutrition, finds on days when adults ate at a restaurant, they consumed about 200 additional total daily calories whether they ate at fast- food restaurants or at full-service restaurants.

Previous studies looking at restaurant food consumption have found that adults who reported eating fast food consumed more calories, fat, and sodium, as well as fewer fruits, vegetables and vitamins compared to than those who did not report eating fast food. Studies have also linked meals consumed at both fast-food and full-service restaurants with higher caloric intake.

For the current study, Binh T. Nguyen of the American Cancer Society and Lisa M. Powell of the University of Illinois at Chicago used more recent data…

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August 4, 2014 · 9:13 pm

10 Baby Steps Towards Better Health and Fitness

There are some good ideas here. I have always thought that major change is like turning an ocean liner at sea. It is best done in small increments. Just as she says here.

You can also check out my Page: How to Lose Weight – and Keep it Off for more guidelines that I have learned in my successful battle of the bulge.

Tony

Our Better Health

By Deanna Schober

Change is best made in baby steps. As you have probably already learned at some point in your life, change that involves a complete overhaul is really tough to stick to and a pretty sure recipe for failure.

Habits are best changed one at a time. Try mastering one new habit every 2-3 weeks, then when it becomes a routine, you can start on the next one. Here are ten suggestions on where to start:

1. Avoid Fast Food

I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know -”Fast food is bad for you”. But that’s an abstract concept, “bad for you” – do you know why it is? You may hear all about how high in calories fast food is, but what you may not know is how it is also full of MSG, horrible cancer-causing chemicals, and trans fats.