My forgetter's getting better, but my rememberer is broke. To you that may seem funny but, to me, that is no joke. For when I'm 'here' I'm wondering if I really should be 'there' and, when I try to think it through I haven't got a prayer!
Oft times I walk into a room and say 'what am I here for?' I wrack my brain, but all in vain, a zero, is my score.
At times I put something away where it is safe, but, gee! the person it is safest from is generally me!
When shopping I may see someone, say 'hi' and have a chat, then when the person walks away, I ask myself, 'who the heck was that? yes, my forgetter's getting better while my rememberer is broke, and it's driving me plumb crazy and that isn't any joke.
I read this and really got a big kick out of it so I thought I would share it and get a laugh or two. Sad to say, it is turning out to be true, hahahahahha.....
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
packing
here it is September and our original plan was to move next September, HA, then it was moved to June, HA, then it was moved to May, HA, now it is April. I have started to pack up some of the non essential items and now it seems real. I was unhappy at first at the thought of leaving Alaska, but now that the girls up here have accepted and even have pushed us to leave earlier than September it seems real and I am now getting excited about going back to Nevada. My first choice had always been Carson City, but my best friend, partner, confidance, husband of 50 years did not want to move back to Carson, so it was three choices, 1, San Diego, 2, Carson City, 3, Alaska. We both decided on Alaska, it was a move we had to make, we brought up Catherine and Sarah and they have settled in and have really put down their roots, I don't think they will ever pull up their roots, they have thrived and are successful here. If we had not made the move to Alaska they would still be down in Las Vegas. So you see, destiny, fate, or what ever you want to call it, brought us here. Now after 4 years it is time for us to move on and see where our destiny will take us this time.
Monday, September 7, 2009
On The Move Again
I guess we are just gyspys at heart, we are going to be on the move again, we have decided to return to Nevada but in the Northern part, ie. Carson City or Dayton NV. We are starting our planning and gathering our boxes and we will start packing away all items not needed for day to day living. We are going to take a lot down with us next June when we go for our granddaughter's graduation and when we return to Alaska at the end of June, we hope to have the house on the market and the rest of our items packed and try to be out of here by September of 2010. We have not told the girls up here in Alaska yet, but it will come out soon, I just had to post my thoughts for now just to put it out there. We love Alaska but Alaska does not love us, I will miss my girls here and it will be sad to leave. Delbert had a very bad auto accident last March and with the weather turning cold it is really starting to bother his chest a lot and he is not one to feel pain so when he complains about his chest and putting medicine on it I know in my heart that we have to leave here. It makes me very sad and right now I am sitting here with tears in my eyes, but it will be for the best. We want to be able to spend time with his parents, they are up in their 80's and my Dad who will be 93 this coming January. We want to be able to use our motorhome to travel in the winter to the warmer parts of the country, ie. Arizona, California, we want to have the family dinners, family functions, movies, book stores, libraries. We want to enjoy life and not just exist.
Friday, August 21, 2009
My Name is Rose
My Name is Rose...........
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and
challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood
up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me
with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old.
Can I give you a hug?'
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she
gave me a giant squeeze.
'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.
She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married,
and have a couple of kids...'
'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to
be taking on this challenge at her age.
'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting
one!' she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a
chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we
would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized
listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and
experience with me..
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily
made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled
in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was
living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football
banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and
stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech,
she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.
Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and
simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and
this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so
let me just tell you what I know.'
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, ' We do not stop
playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.
There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and
achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day.. You've
got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know
it!
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and
don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am
eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do
anything I will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The
idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no
regrets.
The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for
things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with
regrets.'
She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.'
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our
daily lives At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she
had begun all those years ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to
the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to
be all you can possibly be.
When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice
to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!
These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.
REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make
a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and
challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood
up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me
with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old.
Can I give you a hug?'
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she
gave me a giant squeeze.
'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.
She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married,
and have a couple of kids...'
'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to
be taking on this challenge at her age.
'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting
one!' she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a
chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we
would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized
listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and
experience with me..
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily
made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled
in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was
living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football
banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and
stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech,
she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.
Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and
simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and
this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so
let me just tell you what I know.'
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, ' We do not stop
playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.
There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and
achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day.. You've
got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know
it!
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and
don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am
eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do
anything I will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The
idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no
regrets.
The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for
things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with
regrets.'
She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.'
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our
daily lives At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she
had begun all those years ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to
the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to
be all you can possibly be.
When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice
to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!
These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.
REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make
a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Whispers
The man whispered, "God, speak to me" and a meadowlark sang.
But, the man did not hear.
So the man yelled, "God, speak to me" and the thunder rolled across the sky.
But, the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said, "God let me see you." And a star shined brightly.
But the man did not see.
And, the man shouted, "God show me a miracle." And, a life was born.
But, the man did not notice. So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here."
Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man. But, the man brushed the butterfly away .
and walked on.
I found this to be a great reminder that God is always around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted ... even in our electronic age.
So I would like to add one more:
The man cried, "God, I need your help!" And an e-mail arrived reaching out with good news and encouragement.
But, the man deleted it and continued crying .
Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.
My instructions were to send this to people that I wanted God to bless and I picked you.
Have A Happy Day!
The man whispered, "God, speak to me" and a meadowlark sang.
But, the man did not hear.
So the man yelled, "God, speak to me" and the thunder rolled across the sky.
But, the man did not listen.
The man looked around and said, "God let me see you." And a star shined brightly.
But the man did not see.
And, the man shouted, "God show me a miracle." And, a life was born.
But, the man did not notice. So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me God, and let me know you are here."
Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man. But, the man brushed the butterfly away .
and walked on.
I found this to be a great reminder that God is always around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted ... even in our electronic age.
So I would like to add one more:
The man cried, "God, I need your help!" And an e-mail arrived reaching out with good news and encouragement.
But, the man deleted it and continued crying .
Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.
My instructions were to send this to people that I wanted God to bless and I picked you.
Have A Happy Day!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Here is something Every American should know. Until I
read this, I didn't know, but I checked it out
and it's true:
We in the United throats and usually
tears in our eyes.
But, do you know the story behind the song? If
not, I think you will be interested to find out
about its humble beginnings.
be was
During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of
a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field.
Not knowing if it was a Union
or Confederate soldier, the Captain
decided to risk his life and bring the stricken
man back for medical attention. Crawling on his
stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached
the stricken soldier and began pulling him
toward his encampment.
When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he
discovered it was actually a Confederate
soldier, but the soldier was dead.
The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his
breath and went numb with shock. In the
dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It
was his own son. The boy had been studying music
in the South when the war broke out.
Without telling his father, the boy
enlisted in the Confederate Army.
The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked
permission of his superiors to give his son a
full military burial, despite his enemy status.
His request was only partially granted.
The Captain had asked if he could have a group of
Army band members play a funeral dirge for his
son at the funeral.
The request was turned down since the soldier was a
Confederate.
nly one msician.
The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the
bugler to play a series of musical notes he had
found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the
dead youth's uniform.
This wish was granted.
The haunting melody, we now know as 'Taps' used at military funerals was born.
The words are:
Day is done.
Gone the sun.
From the lakes
From the hills.
From the sky.
All is well.
Safely rest.
God is nigh.
Fading light.
Dims the sight..
And a star.
Gems the sky.
Gleaming bright.
From afar.
Drawing nigh.
Falls the night.
Thanks and praise.
For our days.
Neath the sun.
Neath the stars.
Neath the sky.
As we go.
This we know.
God is nigh.
. I al nI now have an even deeper respect for the song than I did before.
.
Also
Remember Those Who Have Served And Returned; and
for those presently serving, in the Armed
Forces.
read this, I didn't know, but I checked it out
and it's true:
We in the United throats and usually
tears in our eyes.
But, do you know the story behind the song? If
not, I think you will be interested to find out
about its humble beginnings.
be was
During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of
a soldier who lay severely wounded on the field.
Not knowing if it was a Union
or Confederate soldier, the Captain
decided to risk his life and bring the stricken
man back for medical attention. Crawling on his
stomach through the gunfire, the Captain reached
the stricken soldier and began pulling him
toward his encampment.
When the Captain finally reached his own lines, he
discovered it was actually a Confederate
soldier, but the soldier was dead.
The Captain lit a lantern and suddenly caught his
breath and went numb with shock. In the
dim light, he saw the face of the soldier. It
was his own son. The boy had been studying music
in the South when the war broke out.
Without telling his father, the boy
enlisted in the Confederate Army.
The following morning, heartbroken, the father asked
permission of his superiors to give his son a
full military burial, despite his enemy status.
His request was only partially granted.
The Captain had asked if he could have a group of
Army band members play a funeral dirge for his
son at the funeral.
The request was turned down since the soldier was a
Confederate.
nly one msician.
The Captain chose a bugler. He asked the
bugler to play a series of musical notes he had
found on a piece of paper in the pocket of the
dead youth's uniform.
This wish was granted.
The haunting melody, we now know as 'Taps' used at military funerals was born.
The words are:
Day is done.
Gone the sun.
From the lakes
From the hills.
From the sky.
All is well.
Safely rest.
God is nigh.
Fading light.
Dims the sight..
And a star.
Gems the sky.
Gleaming bright.
From afar.
Drawing nigh.
Falls the night.
Thanks and praise.
For our days.
Neath the sun.
Neath the stars.
Neath the sky.
As we go.
This we know.
God is nigh.
. I al nI now have an even deeper respect for the song than I did before.
.
Also
Remember Those Who Have Served And Returned; and
for those presently serving, in the Armed
Forces.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Midnight sun
last night I was sitting in the living room not paying attention to the time, you see, right now we do not need lights on in the house or outside lights. We are up to 19 hours of daylight and that can really play tricks on your mind. I went outside and I took some pictures of what it looked like around midnight. If you look at the top of the trees you will see the sunset lighting up the trees and turning them golden. Every night when I go to bed I thank God for bringing us to his beautiful country and letting us enjoy all the beauty around us and we have so much to be thankful for and we have so many blessings, I could never tell our Father in Heaven thank you.
I just wanted to share with you all what I saw last night.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Get a Grip on Insulin's Ups and Downs
Get a Grip on Insulin's Ups and Downs
One of the endocrine system's most important hormones is insulin, which plays a critical role in how your body uses food. When you eat, your digestive system breaks food down into glucose, and the glucose circulates in your bloodstream (where it's often referred to as blood sugar). In response to the rise in glucose after a meal, the pancreas releases surges of insulin, whose job is to clean the glucose from the blood. Insulin directs some of the glucose to the body's cells, which use it for energy. Some of the glucose is diverted to the liver, where it's converted into glycogen (stored glucose) for later use by the muscles. Insulin then helps turn any leftover glucose into fatty acids and stores them in fat cells, where they can be tapped later for fuel.
Problems arise when your body starts creating too much insulin, which can happen for several reasons. One of the most common is that you ate too many highly processed, refined carbs, such as white bread or pasta. Such carbs increase blood sugar dramatically, requiring a rush of insulin to clear the blood. If your blood sugar surge is really dramatic (as it would be if you ate those refined carbs on an empty stomach), insulin overreacts and works twice as hard to clean the sugar from the blood. This overefficient removal of sugar means that your blood sugar concentration drops, with the result that you feel hungry again and crave (and probably eat) more carbs. That's the postsugar "crash and binge" cycle, the root of sugar addiction. In addition, when your muscles are still fueled from your last snack, the insulin converts those extra calories into fat. And as long as large amounts of insulin remain in the bloodstream, your body won't have a chance to tap into your fat stores for fuel — so you won't burn any fat, either.
This cycle can eventually lead to insulin resistance, a condition in which your body produces insulin but the cells become insensitive to it — as a result, the insulin can't do its job to lower the glucose concentration in the blood. Insulin resistance is a precursor of type 2 diabetes and is common among overweight people. Elevated levels of glucose in your blood is a surefire sign of it.
There is hope for preventing the problem. The key is to maintain low levels of insulin by eating whole foods, pairing carbs with protein, and avoiding highly processed carbs. When your insulin-release mechanism works the right way, it helps keep your weight in check. When it's not working, you're in trouble. If you can take control of your insulin's ups and downs, you'll be primed to lose weight and restore your body's hormone power!
One of the endocrine system's most important hormones is insulin, which plays a critical role in how your body uses food. When you eat, your digestive system breaks food down into glucose, and the glucose circulates in your bloodstream (where it's often referred to as blood sugar). In response to the rise in glucose after a meal, the pancreas releases surges of insulin, whose job is to clean the glucose from the blood. Insulin directs some of the glucose to the body's cells, which use it for energy. Some of the glucose is diverted to the liver, where it's converted into glycogen (stored glucose) for later use by the muscles. Insulin then helps turn any leftover glucose into fatty acids and stores them in fat cells, where they can be tapped later for fuel.
Problems arise when your body starts creating too much insulin, which can happen for several reasons. One of the most common is that you ate too many highly processed, refined carbs, such as white bread or pasta. Such carbs increase blood sugar dramatically, requiring a rush of insulin to clear the blood. If your blood sugar surge is really dramatic (as it would be if you ate those refined carbs on an empty stomach), insulin overreacts and works twice as hard to clean the sugar from the blood. This overefficient removal of sugar means that your blood sugar concentration drops, with the result that you feel hungry again and crave (and probably eat) more carbs. That's the postsugar "crash and binge" cycle, the root of sugar addiction. In addition, when your muscles are still fueled from your last snack, the insulin converts those extra calories into fat. And as long as large amounts of insulin remain in the bloodstream, your body won't have a chance to tap into your fat stores for fuel — so you won't burn any fat, either.
This cycle can eventually lead to insulin resistance, a condition in which your body produces insulin but the cells become insensitive to it — as a result, the insulin can't do its job to lower the glucose concentration in the blood. Insulin resistance is a precursor of type 2 diabetes and is common among overweight people. Elevated levels of glucose in your blood is a surefire sign of it.
There is hope for preventing the problem. The key is to maintain low levels of insulin by eating whole foods, pairing carbs with protein, and avoiding highly processed carbs. When your insulin-release mechanism works the right way, it helps keep your weight in check. When it's not working, you're in trouble. If you can take control of your insulin's ups and downs, you'll be primed to lose weight and restore your body's hormone power!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
worst places to eat
I was reading about all the worst places to eat out and came across this article, all I can say is WOW
Here’s our restaurant report card for some of the unhealthiest restaurants in America. It’ll help you stay on the safer side of town.
D+
Baskin-Robbins
We thought we'd see some improvements after we identified Baskin's Heath Shake as the Worst Drink on the Planet. All they did was lower it from 2,300 to 1,900 calories, leaving an almost equally egregious drinkable disaster to set back unsuspecting sippers. It’s typical of the menu there; B-R’s soft serve is among the most caloric in the country, the smoothies contain more sugar than fruit, and most of what Baskin sticks into a cup winds up with more fat than what'll end up on your plate at a steakhouse buffet. Check out our complete list of the 20 Unhealthiest Drinks in America to see the other liquid offenders. If you learn how to make smart choices when you sip, you can lose a few pounds a month—without giving up your favorite foods, or ever dieting again.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: With frozen yogurt, sherbet, and no-sugar-added ice cream, Baskin's lighter menu is the one bright spot. Just be sure to ask for your ice cream in a sugar or cake cone—the waffle cone will swaddle your treat in an extra 160 calories.
D+
Carl’s Jr.
Most fast-food restaurants today are making at least some attempt to offset their bulging burgers and deep-fried sides with healthier options such as lean sandwiches or yogurt parfaits. But Carl's Jr. is swimming against the nutritional tide, trying to attract those with hearty appetites and less concern about fat, salt and calories. The lightest item on the breakfast menu, for instance, is the Hash Brown Nuggets—but even they have 21 grams of fat, and 5.5 of them are trans fats. (As a rule, you should try to get 2 grams or fewer of the stuff in an entire day!) The burgers are worse, and there's not a side on the menu that hasn't been given a long, bubbling bath in their trans-fatty frying oil.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Find another place to grab lunch. Failing that, you should settle on either the Charbroiled Chicken Salad with Low-Fat Balsamic Dressing or the Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich—the only sandwich on the menu with fewer than 400 calories.
D+
Denny’s
Too bad the adult menu at Denny's doesn't adhere to the same standard as the kids' menu. The famous Slam breakfasts all top 800 calories, and the burgers are even worse. The Double Cheeseburger is one of the worst in the country, with 116 grams of fat, 7 of which are trans fats! (This explains why it made our list of the worst burgers in America (and what you should eat instead). Make sure you try to avoid it (and all others on the list) whenever possible.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The Fit Fare menu gathers together all the best options on the menu. Outside of that, stick to the sirloin, grilled chicken, or soups. For breakfast, order a Veggie Cheese Omelet or create your own meal from a la carte options such as fruit, oatmeal, toast, and eggs.
D+
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen’s taste for excess rivals that of other fast-food failures such as Carl's Jr. and Hardees. But unlike Carl's, DQ offers an avalanche of ice cream creations to follow up its sodium-spiked, trans-fatty foods. Here's a look at one hypothetical meal: a Bacon Cheddar GrillBurger with Onion Rings and a Small Snickers Blizzard is a staggering 1,740-calorie meal with 2,640 mg sodium and 83 grams of fat—2 grams of which are trans fats.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Play solid defense. Skip elaborate burgers, fried sides, and specialty ice cream concoctions entirely. Order a Grilled Chicken Sandwich or an Original Burger, and if you must have a treat, stick to a small soft-serve or a small sundae.
D+
Ruby Tuesday
The chain earned its fame from a hearty selection of hamburgers. The problem: They average 75 grams of fat a piece—more than enough to exceed the USDA's recommended limit for the day. Even the veggie and turkey burgers have more than 850 calories! The chain rounds out its menu with a selection of appetizers that hover around 1,000 calories (supposedly to be split 4-ways), a smattering of high-impact entrées like potpie and ribs, and a sloppy selection of salads that is just as bad.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Solace lies in the three Ss: steak, seafood, and sides. Sirloins, salmon, and shrimp all make for relatively innocuous eating, especially when paired with one of Ruby Tuesday's half dozen healthy sides such as mashed cauliflower and baby green beans. Other than that, impersonate Mick Jagger and think about occasionally saying goodbye to Ruby Tuesday!
D
Chili’s
From burgers to baby back ribs, Chili's serves up some of the saltiest and fattiest fare on fast-food row. In fact, with 3,810 mg of sodium and 122 grams of fat, Chili's Smokehouse Bacon Triple Cheese Big Mouth Burger earns the distinction as being one of the worst burgers in America. The Guiltless Grill menu is Chili's attempt to offer healthier options, but with only eight items and an average sodium count of 1,320 mg, there’s meager hope for nutritional salvation.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: There's not too much to choose from after you omit the ribs, burgers, fajitas, chicken, and salads. You're better off with a Classic Sirloin and steamed vegetables or broccoli. Another decent option is the Chicken Fajita Pita with Black Beans and Pico de Gallo. A lot of the appetizers, while delicious, are worrisome too—one from Chili’s made it on our list of Worst Appetizers in America.
D
Uno Chicago Grill
Uno has some serious strikes against it: The chain invented the deep-dish pizza, they encouraged gluttony with their Bigger and Better menu, and in 1997 they faced false-advertising charges for erroneously claiming that some of their pizzas were low in fat. They've cleaned up some of the more conspicuous health hazards and have increased nutritional transparency at all of their stores, but from appetizers to desserts, this menu is still riddled with belt-busting fat.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: First off, cast aside the bloated breadstick that Uno tries to sneak onto most plates. Next, choose flatbread over deep-dish pizzas—it could save you more than 1,000 calories. Beyond that, stick to soups or entree items served with Mango Salsa.
D
Chevy’s
Don't let the made-fresh-daily shtick distract you; Chevy's massive portions push many of the meals beyond the 1,000-calorie threshold. The taco trader’s menu has three strikes against it: 1.) the consistently high amount of fat in its entrees (the average salad has 67 grams); 2.) the outrageous salt levels that make it difficult to find a meal with fewer than 2,000 mg of sodium (you should get around that amount in an entire day of eating); and 3.) the chain earns its poor score by failing to offer complete nutritional disclosure. It provides no information for its appetizers or quesadillas, for instance, and although it maintains it uses trans-fat free oils, there's no trans-fat data for the full entrees.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The best items on the menu are the Homemade Tortilla Soup, with just 393 calories and a full 26 grams of protein, and the Santa Fe Chopped Salad, which has only 470 calories when you order it without cheese. If you can't resist an entrée, order it without all the fixin's—tamalito, rice, sour cream, and cheese. That should knock more than 300 calories off your meal.
D-
On the Border
On the Border is a subsidiary of Brinker International, the same parent company that owns Chili's and Romano's Macaroni Grill. It should come as no surprise then that this chain is just as threatening to your health as its corporate cohorts. The overloaded menu offers appetizers with 120 grams of fat, salads with a full day's worth of sodium, and taco entrées with an horrific 960 calories—and that’s the calculation without rice and beans. Border crossing is a decidedly dangerous enterprise.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The Border Smart Menu highlights four items with fewer than 600 calories and 25 grams of fat. Those aren't great numbers considering they average 1,800 mg of sodium apiece, but that's all you've got to work with.
D-
Romano’s Macaroni Grill
For years now we've been on Romano's case to clean up the menu at the beloved Macaroni Grill. So far we've had no luck. This Italian grease spot serves some of the worst appetizers in the country, offers not one dinner entrée with fewer than 800 calories, and hosts no fewer than 60 menu items with more than 2,000 mg of sodium—almost an entire day’s worth of the salt! A select few menu items earn the restaurant's Sensible Fare logo—a fork with a halo over it—but unfortunately these items can still carry up to 640 calories and 25 grams of fat.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Macaroni Grill will let you build your own dish. Ask for the marinara over a bed of the restaurant's whole-wheat penne, and then top it with grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. Just beware their salads—one of them made our list of America’s Worst Salads!
D-
Baja Fresh
It's a surprise Baja Fresh's menu has yet to collapse under the weight of its own fatty fare. About a third of the items on the menu have more than 1,000 calories, and most of them are spiked with enough sodium to melt a polar icecap. Order the Shrimp Burrito Dos Manos Enchilado-Style, for instance, and you're looking at 5,130 mg sodium—that's more than 2 days' worth in one sitting!
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Unless you're comfortable stuffing 110 grams of fat into your arteries, avoid the nachos at all costs. In fact, avoid almost everything on this menu. The only safe options are the tacos, or a salad topped with salsa verde and served without the belly-busting tortilla bowl.
F
Applebee’s, IHOP, Outback, T.G.I. Friday’s
These titans of the restaurant industry are among the last national chains that don’t offer nutritional information on their dishes. Even after years of badgering their representatives, we still hear the same old excuses: it’s too pricey, it’s too time-consuming, it’s impossible to do accurately because their food is so fresh, or we have too much variety. Our response is simple: If nearly every other chain restaurant in the country can do it, then why can’t they?
Your Survival Strategy: Write letters, make phone calls, beg, scream, and plead for these restaurants to provide nutritional information on all of their products. Here’s the contact information for each of the restaurants that refuse to fess up!
Applebees: 888-59APPLE, or send an e-mail
IHOP: 818-240-6055 (press 1 for Guest Visit issues)
Outback: Send an e-mail
T.G.I. Friday's: 800-FRIDAYS
For a comprehensive Restaurant Report Card on all of the other fast food and chain restaurants, please click here for the whole list.
You can also join the Eat This, Not That! premium Web site, which acts as a 24-hour-a-day online personal nutritionist, offering other useful tips, tricks, hints, and insights into navigating the restaurant industry’s nutritional landmines and making the best eating choices each and every time. Or, check out the regular site for other great articles—like the 20 worst foods of 2009 and the 20 most sugar-packed foods in America.
Here’s our restaurant report card for some of the unhealthiest restaurants in America. It’ll help you stay on the safer side of town.
D+
Baskin-Robbins
We thought we'd see some improvements after we identified Baskin's Heath Shake as the Worst Drink on the Planet. All they did was lower it from 2,300 to 1,900 calories, leaving an almost equally egregious drinkable disaster to set back unsuspecting sippers. It’s typical of the menu there; B-R’s soft serve is among the most caloric in the country, the smoothies contain more sugar than fruit, and most of what Baskin sticks into a cup winds up with more fat than what'll end up on your plate at a steakhouse buffet. Check out our complete list of the 20 Unhealthiest Drinks in America to see the other liquid offenders. If you learn how to make smart choices when you sip, you can lose a few pounds a month—without giving up your favorite foods, or ever dieting again.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: With frozen yogurt, sherbet, and no-sugar-added ice cream, Baskin's lighter menu is the one bright spot. Just be sure to ask for your ice cream in a sugar or cake cone—the waffle cone will swaddle your treat in an extra 160 calories.
D+
Carl’s Jr.
Most fast-food restaurants today are making at least some attempt to offset their bulging burgers and deep-fried sides with healthier options such as lean sandwiches or yogurt parfaits. But Carl's Jr. is swimming against the nutritional tide, trying to attract those with hearty appetites and less concern about fat, salt and calories. The lightest item on the breakfast menu, for instance, is the Hash Brown Nuggets—but even they have 21 grams of fat, and 5.5 of them are trans fats. (As a rule, you should try to get 2 grams or fewer of the stuff in an entire day!) The burgers are worse, and there's not a side on the menu that hasn't been given a long, bubbling bath in their trans-fatty frying oil.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Find another place to grab lunch. Failing that, you should settle on either the Charbroiled Chicken Salad with Low-Fat Balsamic Dressing or the Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich—the only sandwich on the menu with fewer than 400 calories.
D+
Denny’s
Too bad the adult menu at Denny's doesn't adhere to the same standard as the kids' menu. The famous Slam breakfasts all top 800 calories, and the burgers are even worse. The Double Cheeseburger is one of the worst in the country, with 116 grams of fat, 7 of which are trans fats! (This explains why it made our list of the worst burgers in America (and what you should eat instead). Make sure you try to avoid it (and all others on the list) whenever possible.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The Fit Fare menu gathers together all the best options on the menu. Outside of that, stick to the sirloin, grilled chicken, or soups. For breakfast, order a Veggie Cheese Omelet or create your own meal from a la carte options such as fruit, oatmeal, toast, and eggs.
D+
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen’s taste for excess rivals that of other fast-food failures such as Carl's Jr. and Hardees. But unlike Carl's, DQ offers an avalanche of ice cream creations to follow up its sodium-spiked, trans-fatty foods. Here's a look at one hypothetical meal: a Bacon Cheddar GrillBurger with Onion Rings and a Small Snickers Blizzard is a staggering 1,740-calorie meal with 2,640 mg sodium and 83 grams of fat—2 grams of which are trans fats.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Play solid defense. Skip elaborate burgers, fried sides, and specialty ice cream concoctions entirely. Order a Grilled Chicken Sandwich or an Original Burger, and if you must have a treat, stick to a small soft-serve or a small sundae.
D+
Ruby Tuesday
The chain earned its fame from a hearty selection of hamburgers. The problem: They average 75 grams of fat a piece—more than enough to exceed the USDA's recommended limit for the day. Even the veggie and turkey burgers have more than 850 calories! The chain rounds out its menu with a selection of appetizers that hover around 1,000 calories (supposedly to be split 4-ways), a smattering of high-impact entrées like potpie and ribs, and a sloppy selection of salads that is just as bad.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Solace lies in the three Ss: steak, seafood, and sides. Sirloins, salmon, and shrimp all make for relatively innocuous eating, especially when paired with one of Ruby Tuesday's half dozen healthy sides such as mashed cauliflower and baby green beans. Other than that, impersonate Mick Jagger and think about occasionally saying goodbye to Ruby Tuesday!
D
Chili’s
From burgers to baby back ribs, Chili's serves up some of the saltiest and fattiest fare on fast-food row. In fact, with 3,810 mg of sodium and 122 grams of fat, Chili's Smokehouse Bacon Triple Cheese Big Mouth Burger earns the distinction as being one of the worst burgers in America. The Guiltless Grill menu is Chili's attempt to offer healthier options, but with only eight items and an average sodium count of 1,320 mg, there’s meager hope for nutritional salvation.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: There's not too much to choose from after you omit the ribs, burgers, fajitas, chicken, and salads. You're better off with a Classic Sirloin and steamed vegetables or broccoli. Another decent option is the Chicken Fajita Pita with Black Beans and Pico de Gallo. A lot of the appetizers, while delicious, are worrisome too—one from Chili’s made it on our list of Worst Appetizers in America.
D
Uno Chicago Grill
Uno has some serious strikes against it: The chain invented the deep-dish pizza, they encouraged gluttony with their Bigger and Better menu, and in 1997 they faced false-advertising charges for erroneously claiming that some of their pizzas were low in fat. They've cleaned up some of the more conspicuous health hazards and have increased nutritional transparency at all of their stores, but from appetizers to desserts, this menu is still riddled with belt-busting fat.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: First off, cast aside the bloated breadstick that Uno tries to sneak onto most plates. Next, choose flatbread over deep-dish pizzas—it could save you more than 1,000 calories. Beyond that, stick to soups or entree items served with Mango Salsa.
D
Chevy’s
Don't let the made-fresh-daily shtick distract you; Chevy's massive portions push many of the meals beyond the 1,000-calorie threshold. The taco trader’s menu has three strikes against it: 1.) the consistently high amount of fat in its entrees (the average salad has 67 grams); 2.) the outrageous salt levels that make it difficult to find a meal with fewer than 2,000 mg of sodium (you should get around that amount in an entire day of eating); and 3.) the chain earns its poor score by failing to offer complete nutritional disclosure. It provides no information for its appetizers or quesadillas, for instance, and although it maintains it uses trans-fat free oils, there's no trans-fat data for the full entrees.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The best items on the menu are the Homemade Tortilla Soup, with just 393 calories and a full 26 grams of protein, and the Santa Fe Chopped Salad, which has only 470 calories when you order it without cheese. If you can't resist an entrée, order it without all the fixin's—tamalito, rice, sour cream, and cheese. That should knock more than 300 calories off your meal.
D-
On the Border
On the Border is a subsidiary of Brinker International, the same parent company that owns Chili's and Romano's Macaroni Grill. It should come as no surprise then that this chain is just as threatening to your health as its corporate cohorts. The overloaded menu offers appetizers with 120 grams of fat, salads with a full day's worth of sodium, and taco entrées with an horrific 960 calories—and that’s the calculation without rice and beans. Border crossing is a decidedly dangerous enterprise.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: The Border Smart Menu highlights four items with fewer than 600 calories and 25 grams of fat. Those aren't great numbers considering they average 1,800 mg of sodium apiece, but that's all you've got to work with.
D-
Romano’s Macaroni Grill
For years now we've been on Romano's case to clean up the menu at the beloved Macaroni Grill. So far we've had no luck. This Italian grease spot serves some of the worst appetizers in the country, offers not one dinner entrée with fewer than 800 calories, and hosts no fewer than 60 menu items with more than 2,000 mg of sodium—almost an entire day’s worth of the salt! A select few menu items earn the restaurant's Sensible Fare logo—a fork with a halo over it—but unfortunately these items can still carry up to 640 calories and 25 grams of fat.
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Macaroni Grill will let you build your own dish. Ask for the marinara over a bed of the restaurant's whole-wheat penne, and then top it with grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. Just beware their salads—one of them made our list of America’s Worst Salads!
D-
Baja Fresh
It's a surprise Baja Fresh's menu has yet to collapse under the weight of its own fatty fare. About a third of the items on the menu have more than 1,000 calories, and most of them are spiked with enough sodium to melt a polar icecap. Order the Shrimp Burrito Dos Manos Enchilado-Style, for instance, and you're looking at 5,130 mg sodium—that's more than 2 days' worth in one sitting!
SURVIVAL STRATEGY: Unless you're comfortable stuffing 110 grams of fat into your arteries, avoid the nachos at all costs. In fact, avoid almost everything on this menu. The only safe options are the tacos, or a salad topped with salsa verde and served without the belly-busting tortilla bowl.
F
Applebee’s, IHOP, Outback, T.G.I. Friday’s
These titans of the restaurant industry are among the last national chains that don’t offer nutritional information on their dishes. Even after years of badgering their representatives, we still hear the same old excuses: it’s too pricey, it’s too time-consuming, it’s impossible to do accurately because their food is so fresh, or we have too much variety. Our response is simple: If nearly every other chain restaurant in the country can do it, then why can’t they?
Your Survival Strategy: Write letters, make phone calls, beg, scream, and plead for these restaurants to provide nutritional information on all of their products. Here’s the contact information for each of the restaurants that refuse to fess up!
Applebees: 888-59APPLE, or send an e-mail
IHOP: 818-240-6055 (press 1 for Guest Visit issues)
Outback: Send an e-mail
T.G.I. Friday's: 800-FRIDAYS
For a comprehensive Restaurant Report Card on all of the other fast food and chain restaurants, please click here for the whole list.
You can also join the Eat This, Not That! premium Web site, which acts as a 24-hour-a-day online personal nutritionist, offering other useful tips, tricks, hints, and insights into navigating the restaurant industry’s nutritional landmines and making the best eating choices each and every time. Or, check out the regular site for other great articles—like the 20 worst foods of 2009 and the 20 most sugar-packed foods in America.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Top Ten Worst Foods of 2009
Top ten worst foods of 2009
user by FatFighterTV, on Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:20pm PST 368 Comments Post a Comment Read More from This Author » Report Abuse From an astonishing amount of calories to several days' worth of fat in one meal to over the top levels of sodium, this is one place you don’t want to see any of your favorite foods. Every year, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) comes up with its list of the Top Ten Worst Foods and I always look forward to it. Once in awhile I find out I’ve enjoyed one of the “worsts” (and stop immediately!). But this year, I’m happy to report I have not indulged in anything on CSPI’s list for 2009.
1. Pepperidge Farm Roasted White Meat Chicken Premium Pot Pie - There are 510 calories and 9 grams of saturated fat in this baby. Oh wait - that’s just for half a pie. The whole thing has 1020 calories and 18 grams of saturated fat.
2. Romano’s Macaroni Grill Spaghetti and Meatballs with Meat Sauce - This dish will set you back a staggering 2,430 calories and nearly three days’ worth of saturated fat (57 grams) plus 5,290 milligrams of sodium - more calories and saturated fat than two Macaroni Grill Tuscan Rib-Eye steak dinners.
3. Progresso Traditional, Vegetable Classics, and Rich & Hearty soups - Half a can averages more than half of a person’s daily quota of salt. Instead, CSPI says try Progresso’s Health Favorites reduced-sodium soups with up to 50 percent less salt. Also, see: Hidden sodium in foods you wouldn't think to check.
4. Dove Ice Cream - A half cup has about 300 calories and an average of 11 grams of saturated fat - that’s half-a-day’s worth of the bad stuff. You may be better off with these 5 frozen treats under 100 calories.
5. The Cheesecake Factory Chris’ Outrageous Chocolate Cake - It’s layers of chocolate cake, brownie, toasted coconut pecan filling, and chocolate chip coconut cheesecake. CSPI found each five-inch-high slice weighs three-fourths of a pound and has 1,380 calories, 32 teaspoons of sugar, 33 grams of saturated fat and 5 grams of trans fat. Yikes!
6. Smoothie King’s Grape Expectations II - It’s one of Smoothie King’s “Snack Rights” with 550 calories in the 20-ounce size and 1,100 calories in the 40-ouncer. Proof that not all smoothies are good for you (but these are).
7. Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter Popcorn Snack Size Bags - Just one snack-size bag has 11 grams of bad fat, 7 of which are trans fats. Instead, CSPI says choose Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop or Smart Balance Smart ’N Healthy - both are made with no partially hydrogenated oils. Also, see this review of microwave popcorns from Consumer Reports.
8. The Starbucks Venti (20 oz.) Caffè Mocha with whole milk and whipped cream has 450 calories and 13 grams of bad fat - more like a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in a cup. But you can lose all the bad fat and all but 170 calories if you order a tall (12 oz.) with nonfat milk and no whipped cream.
9. Chipotle Chicken Burrito - With rice, pinto beans, cheese, chicken, sour cream, and salsa, you get 1,040 calories and 16-1/2 grams of saturated fat - the same as three Subway Steak and Cheese 6-inch Subs. Plus the burrito comes with 2,500 milligrams of sodium! Ordering it without cheese or sour cream cuts the saturated fat to 3-1/2 grams, but you still end up with 810 calories and 2,300 milligrams of sodium. Ay Caramba! Here's another burrito that will shock you.
10. Cold Stone Creamery’s Gotta Have It Founder’s Favorite - 12-ounces of ice cream, pecans, brownie pieces, fudge, and caramel adds up to a whopping 1,600 calories and 42 grams of saturated fat. That’s about the same as five single-scoop ice cream cones. And watch out before you have this frozen concoction.
Any surprises? And tell me… have you had any of these
user by FatFighterTV, on Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:20pm PST 368 Comments Post a Comment Read More from This Author » Report Abuse From an astonishing amount of calories to several days' worth of fat in one meal to over the top levels of sodium, this is one place you don’t want to see any of your favorite foods. Every year, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) comes up with its list of the Top Ten Worst Foods and I always look forward to it. Once in awhile I find out I’ve enjoyed one of the “worsts” (and stop immediately!). But this year, I’m happy to report I have not indulged in anything on CSPI’s list for 2009.
1. Pepperidge Farm Roasted White Meat Chicken Premium Pot Pie - There are 510 calories and 9 grams of saturated fat in this baby. Oh wait - that’s just for half a pie. The whole thing has 1020 calories and 18 grams of saturated fat.
2. Romano’s Macaroni Grill Spaghetti and Meatballs with Meat Sauce - This dish will set you back a staggering 2,430 calories and nearly three days’ worth of saturated fat (57 grams) plus 5,290 milligrams of sodium - more calories and saturated fat than two Macaroni Grill Tuscan Rib-Eye steak dinners.
3. Progresso Traditional, Vegetable Classics, and Rich & Hearty soups - Half a can averages more than half of a person’s daily quota of salt. Instead, CSPI says try Progresso’s Health Favorites reduced-sodium soups with up to 50 percent less salt. Also, see: Hidden sodium in foods you wouldn't think to check.
4. Dove Ice Cream - A half cup has about 300 calories and an average of 11 grams of saturated fat - that’s half-a-day’s worth of the bad stuff. You may be better off with these 5 frozen treats under 100 calories.
5. The Cheesecake Factory Chris’ Outrageous Chocolate Cake - It’s layers of chocolate cake, brownie, toasted coconut pecan filling, and chocolate chip coconut cheesecake. CSPI found each five-inch-high slice weighs three-fourths of a pound and has 1,380 calories, 32 teaspoons of sugar, 33 grams of saturated fat and 5 grams of trans fat. Yikes!
6. Smoothie King’s Grape Expectations II - It’s one of Smoothie King’s “Snack Rights” with 550 calories in the 20-ounce size and 1,100 calories in the 40-ouncer. Proof that not all smoothies are good for you (but these are).
7. Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter Popcorn Snack Size Bags - Just one snack-size bag has 11 grams of bad fat, 7 of which are trans fats. Instead, CSPI says choose Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop or Smart Balance Smart ’N Healthy - both are made with no partially hydrogenated oils. Also, see this review of microwave popcorns from Consumer Reports.
8. The Starbucks Venti (20 oz.) Caffè Mocha with whole milk and whipped cream has 450 calories and 13 grams of bad fat - more like a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in a cup. But you can lose all the bad fat and all but 170 calories if you order a tall (12 oz.) with nonfat milk and no whipped cream.
9. Chipotle Chicken Burrito - With rice, pinto beans, cheese, chicken, sour cream, and salsa, you get 1,040 calories and 16-1/2 grams of saturated fat - the same as three Subway Steak and Cheese 6-inch Subs. Plus the burrito comes with 2,500 milligrams of sodium! Ordering it without cheese or sour cream cuts the saturated fat to 3-1/2 grams, but you still end up with 810 calories and 2,300 milligrams of sodium. Ay Caramba! Here's another burrito that will shock you.
10. Cold Stone Creamery’s Gotta Have It Founder’s Favorite - 12-ounces of ice cream, pecans, brownie pieces, fudge, and caramel adds up to a whopping 1,600 calories and 42 grams of saturated fat. That’s about the same as five single-scoop ice cream cones. And watch out before you have this frozen concoction.
Any surprises? And tell me… have you had any of these
Saturday, February 28, 2009
True or False
Ok here goes a true and false health quiz
1. Switching from regular to diet soda helps you live longer?
2. Which change helps you live longer, cutting fat or cutting calories?
3. Which exercise is believed to help you live longer, push-ups or squats?
now for the answers
are you ready
are you sure you are ready
ok here goes
oh wait a minute, you are not suppose to peek at the answers yet
ok I will write them for you in a second
ok a second has past.
The Pop Quiz Answers
Here are the answers to the pop quiz with a little commentary from yours truly: Actually the commentary is from Jillian the Trainer from the Biggest Loser program.
1. False. Diet soda is some nasty stuff, and if you don't know how much I hate it, you're not paying attention. Research indicates that diet soda raises the risk of metabolic syndrome, and the artificial sweeteners in it can throw off the way your brain associates sweetness with caloric content.
2. Cutting calories may help you live longer. Research has found that animals on calorie-restricted diets have longer lives; it's thought eating fewer calories makes the body more efficient.
3. Squats contribute to longevity. How? They help you develop lower-body strength and improve balance, which may keep you from falling and cracking a hip in old age. (You might think this an odd longevity-booster, but broken hips can be devastating to older people — it's often the event that strips them of their mobility and independence.)
So get off that Diet Coke, cut those calories, and do those squats — got it?
1. Switching from regular to diet soda helps you live longer?
2. Which change helps you live longer, cutting fat or cutting calories?
3. Which exercise is believed to help you live longer, push-ups or squats?
now for the answers
are you ready
are you sure you are ready
ok here goes
oh wait a minute, you are not suppose to peek at the answers yet
ok I will write them for you in a second
ok a second has past.
The Pop Quiz Answers
Here are the answers to the pop quiz with a little commentary from yours truly: Actually the commentary is from Jillian the Trainer from the Biggest Loser program.
1. False. Diet soda is some nasty stuff, and if you don't know how much I hate it, you're not paying attention. Research indicates that diet soda raises the risk of metabolic syndrome, and the artificial sweeteners in it can throw off the way your brain associates sweetness with caloric content.
2. Cutting calories may help you live longer. Research has found that animals on calorie-restricted diets have longer lives; it's thought eating fewer calories makes the body more efficient.
3. Squats contribute to longevity. How? They help you develop lower-body strength and improve balance, which may keep you from falling and cracking a hip in old age. (You might think this an odd longevity-booster, but broken hips can be devastating to older people — it's often the event that strips them of their mobility and independence.)
So get off that Diet Coke, cut those calories, and do those squats — got it?
Sunday, February 22, 2009
How to break the sugar habit
When I was reading the newspaper from Las Vegas I came across this article and thought it would be a great article to post on my blog. I hope it will help with breaking the sugar addiction, I know I sure have it.
Break Your Sugar Addiction
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Q: Help! Quitting smoking was nothing compared with quitting sugar! I am addicted and can’t stop eating it. I want to eat a healthy diet, but seem to be unable to because of the sugar. What can I do to combat this? — Anonymous
A: Keep trying! You’re right that it’s tough: Recent research on rats found that they get the same neurochemical kick from sugar as from morphine, cocaine and nicotine. We think that this surge of pleasure is behind sugar addiction in humans, too. The good part: The principles we teach smokers to help them quit will help you kick your sugar habit. Here are six ways to set yourself up for success:
1. Make a pact with yourself to cut sugar out of your life. Studies show that making a serious commitment to doing whatever it takes to break an addiction is one of the most important steps toward beating it.
2. Set a quit date at least a month from today. Give yourself time to mentally prepare for the quitting journey and clear your pantry, car, desk and gym locker of sugar in all its forms, including food and drinks containing honey or rice syrup and high fructose corn syrup (that includes most ketchups, many sports drinks and even coffee creamer).
3. Start walking 30 minutes a day. Exercise, like sugar, releases mood-enhancing hormones. Later, when sugar abstinence causes a dip in feel-good hormones, you can add a tension-relieving five-minute walk to this regimen.
4. Gradually cut back. Begin by reducing the sugar you add to tea and coffee. Then substitute something healthy for two or three of the sweet foods you usually have.
5. Visualize a slimmer, healthier you going for a walk, sipping on water or practicing deep breathing when you’re stressed. A little role-playing helps you practice alternatives to eating under pressure.
6. Think of the three biggest reasons why you want to live a sugar-free life, write them on a card and read them several times a day.
In time, your brain chemistry will readjust and those cravings will stop.
Q: Will crunches get rid of my belly fat? — Theodros, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
A: Not by themselves. Combine ab work with other resistance exercises, aerobic exercise and calorie restriction, though, and you’ll lose the bulge and maybe even have a six-pack to show off. Traditional crunches strengthen and tone the muscles that connect your rib cage to your pelvis . But to lose the roll, you’ve got to empty those fat storage depots that sit on top of the muscles, and that’s what diet, muscle-building and aerobic exercise do. Raising your heart rate helps reduce the unhealthy, deep fat that lies beneath your abs — another storage depot that crunches don’t touch.
Break Your Sugar Addiction
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Q: Help! Quitting smoking was nothing compared with quitting sugar! I am addicted and can’t stop eating it. I want to eat a healthy diet, but seem to be unable to because of the sugar. What can I do to combat this? — Anonymous
A: Keep trying! You’re right that it’s tough: Recent research on rats found that they get the same neurochemical kick from sugar as from morphine, cocaine and nicotine. We think that this surge of pleasure is behind sugar addiction in humans, too. The good part: The principles we teach smokers to help them quit will help you kick your sugar habit. Here are six ways to set yourself up for success:
1. Make a pact with yourself to cut sugar out of your life. Studies show that making a serious commitment to doing whatever it takes to break an addiction is one of the most important steps toward beating it.
2. Set a quit date at least a month from today. Give yourself time to mentally prepare for the quitting journey and clear your pantry, car, desk and gym locker of sugar in all its forms, including food and drinks containing honey or rice syrup and high fructose corn syrup (that includes most ketchups, many sports drinks and even coffee creamer).
3. Start walking 30 minutes a day. Exercise, like sugar, releases mood-enhancing hormones. Later, when sugar abstinence causes a dip in feel-good hormones, you can add a tension-relieving five-minute walk to this regimen.
4. Gradually cut back. Begin by reducing the sugar you add to tea and coffee. Then substitute something healthy for two or three of the sweet foods you usually have.
5. Visualize a slimmer, healthier you going for a walk, sipping on water or practicing deep breathing when you’re stressed. A little role-playing helps you practice alternatives to eating under pressure.
6. Think of the three biggest reasons why you want to live a sugar-free life, write them on a card and read them several times a day.
In time, your brain chemistry will readjust and those cravings will stop.
Q: Will crunches get rid of my belly fat? — Theodros, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
A: Not by themselves. Combine ab work with other resistance exercises, aerobic exercise and calorie restriction, though, and you’ll lose the bulge and maybe even have a six-pack to show off. Traditional crunches strengthen and tone the muscles that connect your rib cage to your pelvis . But to lose the roll, you’ve got to empty those fat storage depots that sit on top of the muscles, and that’s what diet, muscle-building and aerobic exercise do. Raising your heart rate helps reduce the unhealthy, deep fat that lies beneath your abs — another storage depot that crunches don’t touch.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The 5 min chocolate cake
Dangerous Cake Recipe
5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips, optional
small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high).
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time - day or night!
5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips, optional
small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high).
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time - day or night!
Friday, February 20, 2009
pay it forward
The Rules}
1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!
2. Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!
3. The gift that you send to your 3 Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!
4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love! If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! SO, REMEMBER...Pay it forward!
1. Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me - something crafty or yummy, who knows?!
2. Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!
3. The gift that you send to your 3 Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!
4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love! If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! SO, REMEMBER...Pay it forward!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
50th Anniversary
This is an amazing year for our 50th Anniversary, we got to celebrate it twice. Once in Carson City with one half of our girls and once in Wasilla with the other half of our girls. Can you imagine 50 years? NO, well it is 50 years and we are still each others best friend, soul mate for life and forever after. I can say this, he still makes my heart flutter and gives me butterflys in my stomach. We still hold hands, we still hug and we can tell each other everything so there are no secrets with us. I remember when we were first married and living our first real apartment on Camp Pendleton and we were sitting at the dining room table and we were dreaming of our family where they would be sitting and what we would say to them and then we were laughing and planning on our 5th anniversary then we were thinking about 10 years and laughing we said we wondered what we would be doing at 25 years and then the unthinkable 50 years wow, and here we are planning on our 75th. It really does not feel like 50 years have passed and we have so many memories and we still have our dreams. Now here we are 4 children,17 beautiful grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren in our lives and we have been blessed with so much goodness and we have so much to be thankful for.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Our outside of Alaska adventure
We decided that this year we would try to be snow birds and flee from the frozen north, but alas, we found out that we do not make good snow birds. We had a great time visiting with our family for the holidays. We arrived in Reno Nevada on a sunny summer type of weather, at least what we call summer, it was in the 50's, oooooh how nice that felt to have the sunshine on us. We flew all night and this time we took our dog, Pixie, with us and she did just fine, she got to fly inside the plane under the seat. We were worried that she would have a hard time adjusting to everyone's house but that turned out to be a needless worry, she did just fine.
The weather soon turned to cold and some snow, so it seemed that we could not escape it. We had Christmas day at Maura's house with all the family coming, it was a house full and so much fun, we had family from Washington and Idaho and of course all the family from the Carson/Dayton area.
While in Carson City Kevin came by and that was a great surprise, it was so good to see him and to know that he is doing so well. Alexander and Keith had their final in their Music class and we got to see that and then Marina Jr, had her choir for Xmas at the Community Center. On the 27th we had a tamale making party over at Marina's house. It was a really great holiday for us.
On the 30th we went to Las Vegas and stayed with Emmet and Et and brought in the New Years checking out the slits in our eyelids. We were there for a week then we headed off to San Diego. I will post more in another blog, now I have to try and figure out how to move my pictures around to place them where I really want them. Wish me luck. I guess you figured out that I did not figure out to insert the pictures oh well....at least you can look at them anyway.
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