Warning: Dining Out May Result in Extreme Eating

Extreme calories, extreme fat, extreme sodium, extreme portions...

Would you order a meal if you knew it contained more calories than you should eat all day? That’s what you’ll get if you order a Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger with a large order of fries.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), that meal contains 2,380 calories. To put that in perspective, the USDA recommends a daily caloric intake of 2,000 to 2,500 calories per day for the average person. The burger, without toppings, comes in at 920 calories and 30 grams of saturated fat. The fries contain a whopping 1,460 calories!

In contrast, a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder has 410 calories and their large fries have about one third the calories of the Five Guys’ large fries. That news flash is messing with my head. McDonalds as the lighter choice? Well, it’s all relative.

Would you believe The Cheesecake Factory's Pasta Carbonara with Chicken has 2,500 calories? Or that California Pizza Kitchen Tostada Pizza with Grilled Steak has 1,680 calories, 32 grams of saturated fat and 3,300 milligrams of sodium?

Or that P.F. Chang’s Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo 1,820 calories? That same dish is said to have 7,690 milligrams of sodium -- that’s about three teaspoons of salt!

P.F. Chang’s, according to CNN, says that the nutritional information for the Double Pan-Fried Noodles Combo is wrong. On its website the dish is listed as having 455 calories and that the serving is intended for four people.

Many restaurants list nutritional information on their websites, but you’ve got to read carefully to understand what one single serving is. Let’s face it -- we’ve loss all sense of proportion when it comes to serving size. What used to be a family-size serving platter is often considered a single serving. That doesn’t mean we have to eat it. What ever happened to moderation... or common sense, for that matter.

The CSPI announced it’s Xtreme Eating awards on nine items from seven restaurant chains: And the Envelope, Please: The 2010 Xtreme Eating Awards Go To...

Beware when you eat out. That's the bottom line. If you're going to be an extreme eater, you want to know in advance.

*article from Care2 (http://www.care2.com/causes/health-policy/blog/warning-dining-out-may-result-in-extreme-eating/)

The Nutcracker: A Quick Guide to Healthy Nuts

You skipped breakfast again. Nice. But before you throw dollars at the office vending machine like it’s a Chippendale dancer, consider a handful of nuts. Not only are nuts a tasty treat, they’re loaded with health benefits (when unsalted)⎯ say, promoting a healthy heart.

Pack a resealable bag in your purse or office drawer for the days when those hunger pangs persuade you to opt for naughty foods.

Almonds. A great source of vitamin E, a handful of almonds a day can help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering LDL by as much as 10-percent. Almonds contain more calcium than any other nut and have solid amounts of magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron and fiber. Plus, they’re big in healthy monounsaturated fats.

Cashews. This nut boasts more than 80 nutrients. Yes, way! Cashews are also packed in vitamin B, potassium and folate. Always opt for unsalted cashews, which are easy to find and taste just as fabulous.

Walnuts. Considered “brain food,” walnuts are crammed with omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, one-fourth cup of walnuts provides roughly 90-percent of your daily need. Walnuts have high levels of l-arginine and can help promote a good night’s sleep (contains melatonin). Nighty, night, hot stuff.

Peanuts. Yes, peanuts are high in fat, but like avocados, they are high in the “good” kind — monounsaturated fats. Peanuts also contain magnesium, folate, vitamin E, copper, arginine and fiber — all of which are known to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. Another big benny? Peanuts contain high amounts of resveratrol - the same good stuff in red wine - which is great for your heart. Always buy raw nuts over roasted because heating the healthy oils in nuts degrades them.

Pistachios. Pistachios are full of antioxidants and a great source of copper, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. An especially rich source of vitamin B6 and the other B vitamins, pistachios can help you fight infections, build muscles and give you a boost of energy. Go get ‘em, tigress.

Hazelnuts. Also known as cob nuts or filberts, hazelnuts have no cholesterol and are low in saturated fats but high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Hazelnuts contain arginine, an amino acid that helps to relax the blood vessels. Hazelnuts are also built with folate, which reduces the risk factors for cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's and depression.

Go nuts or go home, honey. 

BPA Found on Cash Register Receipts

The chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) has been making headlines lately. Consumers have been warned to avoid number 4 plastic as well as canned foods and even cans of soda pop. Back in October, though, Science News reported that cash register receipts also contain BPA, and that it’s present in higher quantities than other sources.

The tricky thing about BPA in these receipts is that it’s “free” unlike with plastic. That means it’s not chemically bound, so it’s easier to get it on your hands. Although there is some debate about whether you can absorb BPA through your skin, it’s pretty much a no-brainer that once it’s on your fingers, you’ve got a good chance of ingesting it. Unlike in something like a plastic bottle, which contains nanograms of the stuff, BPA-containing cash register receipts can have 60-100 milligrams. To put that in perspective, one milligram is equal to 1,000,000 nanograms.

Yikes! So how can we avoid coming into contact with BPA-laden receipts? There are a couple of precautions that can help.

Know Your Paper
First off, not all receipts contain BPA. The type to keep an eye out for is thermal coated paper – the kind that’s shiny on one side. Regular “bond” paper receipts should be safe. There are two reasons that companies use BPA to make thermal paper: it allows the cash register to print the receipt without ink, since the ink is essentially part of the paper and BPA is the cheapest coating that achieves this effect.

There is a company that makes BPA-free thermal paper receipts. Appleton Paper in Wisconsin sells receipt paper that uses a different chemical coating. You can ask at the store if they use Appleton Paper. If they don’t you could even express your concerns. Stores often take customer feedback very seriously. Not only is BPA a concern for shoppers, think about the clerks who handle receipts all day long!

Play it Safe
The easiest way to avoid BPA from receipts is to just not take one, but sometimes turning down the receipt isn’t an option. Maybe you paid with a credit card and need to sign or you have to document expenses for your business. In those situations, your best bet is to minimize your contact with the paper and make sure to thoroughly wash your hands before putting your fingers in your mouth or handling food.

Children are especially susceptible to BPA’s effects, since their bodies are still developing. It’s probably not a good idea to let them handle receipts unless you’re 100 percent certain they’re BPA free. You might also want to wash your hands thoroughly between contact with a receipt and playing with children.

Of course, some folks say that BPA is not harmful, and that the amount we encounter daily isn’t enough to be a concern. I’m inclined to err on the side of caution here, but that’s just me. What do you think?

*article from Care2.com (http://www.care2.com/greenliving/bpa-found-on-cash-register-receipts.html)

Calcium: Collard Greens Have More Than Milk

According to this article from the Harvard School of Public Health, one cup of collard greens contains 357 milligrams of calcium, but a cup of milk has 306. Collard greens also are one of the leafy greens with calcium that is more absorbent. (Some greens like spinach contain oxalic acid which interferes with absorption of calcium).

In addition to calcium, Collard greens contain Vitamin K which plays a role with calcium in keeping bones healthy and strong. Three proteins in bone depend upon Vitamin K to function. Collard greens are a member of the cabbage family. The leafy vegetable has been a regular part of American cooking in the South, aka ’soul’ food for decades. (They were also popular with the ancient Greeks and Romans). In the South, they are often cooked with black eyed peas. A Collard Greens Festival has been held for several years in East Palo Alto celebrating Southern African-American culture.

In Portugal, soup is made with the greens, potatoes, onions, garlic, salt, savoy cabbage, and pork sausage, although tofu could be substituted for the pork.

Kevin Gianni has a video for Vegetable Wraps with Collard Greens and Tahini Sauce. Chef Keith Snow provides some video tips for washing and cooking them Southern Style.

The vegetable is usually planted in the early spring. In the South it can also be planted in midsummer and harvested in fall or early winter.

*article from Care2.com
(http://www.care2.com/greenliving/calcium-collard-greens-have-more-than-milk.html)

The Truth About Foie Gras

Kate Winslet Exposes Foie Gras Cruelty.

Oscar-winner Kate Winslet is following in the footsteps of other great actors, including Sir Roger Moore, in urging consumers and retailers to drop foie gras. She narrates this PETA exclusive video revealing undercover investigation footage of the cruelty that is endured by ducks and geese who are abused for this delicacy of despair.

Foie gras, which literally translates to "fatty liver," is made from the engorged livers of ducks and geese. Kate describes, "To produce foie gras, ducks and geese are force-fed enormous amounts of grain and fat, which causes their livers to swell to many times the normal size."

When these feeding pipes are jammed into the birds, their throats are often punctured and the birds can suffer from severe tissue damage and internal bleeding.

Help Kate and myself spread the word about the tortures of foie gras.

*article from peta.org
(http://www.peta.org/FeatureKateWinsletExposesFoieGrasCruelty.asp)

Pamela Anderson's Vegan Milkshake

Pamela Anderson teamed up with PETA at Los Angeles' Millions of Milkshakes to launch her new vegan milkshake concoction. The "Pamela Anderson" is a vegan vanilla soft-serve blended with coconut and pineapple. Yum!

When Anderson was asked why it is beneficial to be vegan, Anderson replied, "It's healthier. It did it just to be healthy. I wanted to make healthier choices."

"Leading health experts agree that going vegetarian is the single-best thing we can do for ourselves and our families. Healthy vegetarian diets support a lifetime of good health and provide protection against numerous diseases, including our country’s three biggest killers: heart disease, cancer, and strokes. The American Dietetic Association states that vegetarians have “lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer” and that vegetarians are less likely than meat-eaters to be obese."

Well-planned vegetarian diets provide us with all the nutrients that we need, minus all the saturated fat, cholesterol, and contaminants found in animal flesh, eggs, and dairy products.