Recently, FoodFacts came across the book, “I’m Fat, Help Me”, written by Laura Michina. We were so excited about the straight forward, no-nonsense approach the book takes to losing weight, eating well, and improving lifestyle habits, we just had to share the information with our community.

Laura Michina’s important book is written as a handbook for those who are trying to lose weight. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese and are looking for a way out of their problems. Most, however, will turn to traditional diets for their solutions. Sadly, it’s proven that those diets, while they may have an initial effect, do nothing to alter the long-term outcome of most dieters.

This book can help those who are looking to make the changes in their diets and lifestyles that will result in weight loss and a return to better health. If you’re looking to lose 15 pounds or over a hundred, this is the book that can help you accomplish your goals. It’s honest, straight-forward and is not at all politically correct. So you’ll have to make sure that you can handle the advice. But, if you can, it will help you make the significant changes that will stay with you for a lifetime. Laura also includes FoodFacts.com in the book and cites our database information in several topic areas.

Laura has it all covered — from why diets don’t work, to making sure you exercise, to the ingredients your body doesn’t need and aren’t good for you. It’s a real and fresh approach to an age-old subject … one that you won’t find in every book on dieting written, and, more importantly, one that can truly help the committed re-establish the healthy relationship with food that can last a lifetime.

Thanks for the mentions, Laura! We’re happy to know that FoodFacts.com can help people achieve their healthy lifestyle goals.

And for anyone who’s interested, you can visit the I’m Fat, Help Me website here.

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Here at FoodFacts.com, we like to keep our followers up-to-date with current trends, research, and events. Today we share with you that July 6, 2011 is deemed National Fried Chicken Day. In fact, July 6th has celebrated this “holiday” for many years now. Although we aren’t so sure how it was originated, we do know that many people do choose to celebrate this day, especially with the immense patriotism still lurking from Independence Day.

We too would like to celebrate this holiday, but in a more health-conscious manner. You see, fried chicken can be very high in trans-fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Therefore, we would like to take the time to reveal some products you may want to learn more about, prior to indulging. Today we have decided to feature the very popular chicken-based franchise, Chick-Fil-A.

We’ll start off with the breakfast Chicken Biscuit. This sandwich provides about 51% of the daily value for sodium alone. With only a 5.1 oz serving, and 440 calories, 1,230mg of sodium is quite a lot, especially to start off the day! Although this sandwich is high in protein with 17g, and also carries a decent amount of iron, this still cannot compensate for the 8g of saturated fat and variety of controversial ingredients. You may want to replace ordering this ingredient-packed sandwich with an item more nutrient-dense and filling, such as the yogurt parfait with granola. This may be a better option for a morning meal or snack.

Then there’s the Spicy Chicken Sandwich Deluxe. The pros of this sandwich, it has a good amount of protein, vitamin C, and calcium, most likely from the tomato, lettuce, and single slice of cheese. However, this 570 calorie sandwich also contains 8g saturated fat, and 27g total fat. These amounts count for approximately 40-42% your daily value of saturated fat and total fat, which are undeniably very high numbers for one single sandwich. We must also point out that this sandwich contains almost 100 different ingredients. Some of which include monosodium glutamate (MSG), high fructose corn syrup, a variety of coloring additives, and TBHQ, all controversial ingredients which we have thoroughly discussed in prior blog posts. To get your chicken “fix” without all the extra mess, you may want to instead try the char-grilled chicken garden salad, without dressing or on the side.

To find chicken and other recipes for today and the rest of the week, try the Foodfacts.com recipe page!

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Get the beads out, It’s Fat Tuesday! Although, Foodfacts.com cautions against unhealthy foods, it is ok to indulge every once in awhile. Here’s a video on some of the classic Mardi Gras foods and traditions.

So go ahead, whip up some pancakes or a King Cake! Our friends at Diary of A Sweet Tooth have a great recipe for King Cake, check it out!

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New York City is welcoming back basketball All-Star Carmelo Anthony with open arms and what better way for the Big Apple to celebrate then with an iconic deli sandwich. “The Melo” isn’t just any sandwich though, it’s New York City skyscraper style with a pound of Pastrami, Salami, Corn Beef and a half pound of Bacon. That’s a lot of meat! And a ton of calories from our calculations it looks like this sandwich could have around 4,444 calories, 114.5 grams of saturated fat and 20,704 milligrams of sodium! Wow! But then again, watch the video and take a look at this hunk of a deli sandwich there is no way you can eat this alone or in one sitting. We love the enthusiasm New York is showing but please share this ‘Melo Meal” with friends…it looks like a heart attack on a plate for just one person!

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American Heart Month has been around since 1963 the goal is to help raise awareness for America’s #1 killer…Heart disease. A good amount of having a healthy heart deals with nutrition and the good and bad foods Americans are consuming.

Here’s a video of 5 things you can do to have a healthier heart:

To add to that list…
-Control your portion size
-Plan ahead and create daily menus
-Allow yourself an occasional treat

And don’t forget exercise is extremely important in keeping your heart healthy.

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Dieting Secrets | Foodfacts.com

Foodfacts.com research led us to a few dieting “secrets” that you might want to know. If this information works, you might be able to eliminate thousands of calories per month.

If you going to try losing weight, you might as well take advantage of every little trick. Read more…

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Slow Carbs | Foodfacts.com

There’s so much confusion out there about which is the best, fastest, safest way to lose weight! Low carb Atkins-style diets have proven successful for some but too hard to stick to for others. Low-fat, low calorie diets can work but also may take a very long time to show results. Read more…

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Fad Diets | Foodfacts.com

Editor’s Note: Be sure to consult with your physician or a qualified nutrition  professional before making any changes to your diet. This article is provided for informational purposes only.

The Foodfacts.com Blog has been wondering: Why is it that fad diets won’t work? The answer is simple…because they’re not natural. Fad diet is the term that describes an array of diet approaches used to temporarily lose weight through unsafe and unrealistic methods. Quick fix programs do not work although millions of dollars are spent each year. These programs offer a quick loss of weight but sadly the weight is gained right back because people return to their old eating habits, to their old life style. Read more…

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Social Obesity | Foodfacts.com

Foodfacts.com has learned that Thе Institute fοr Vibrant Living natural health research dept. hаѕ uncovered a shocking nеw trend called “Social Obesity”. Thеіr report follows:

Just  when you thought you’ve heard аll of thе angles on the obesity epidemic іn America…

A study published іn Thе Nеw England Journal οf Medicine contends thаt obesity іѕ “socially contagious.”

In οthеr words, when a person gains weight, their close friends are likely to do the same, thus coining the new term “Social Obesity”.

Thе study аlѕο concluded that, when the scale reads “obese” for one individual, the odds are that their friends wіll become obese with an increase bу more than 50 percent.

Interestingly, the study concluded that the “obese influence” occurs even іf the close friend lives hundreds οf miles away, meaning they are not seen іn person very often.

Dr. Nicholas A. Christakis, a physician аnԁ professor οf medical sociology аt Harvard Medical School аnԁ a principal investigator іn the study, said one explanation was that friends affected each οthеr’s perception οf fatness. When a close friend becomes obese, then obesity mау nοt look ѕο bаԁ. “You can change your idea of what is an acceptable body type by lookingat the people around you,” said Dr. Christakis.

Othеr alarming “Social Obesity” insights:

If one adult sibling becomes obese, the chances that the other sibling wіll become obese are increased by 40 percent.

If a spouse becomes obese, thе other spouse has a 37 percent increased risk of obesity.

Does thіѕ mean you should go through your address book аnԁ cross out thе names οf your friends wіth a BMI greater thаn 30?

Or even disown аn overweight spouse or sibling?

Of course not.

“We’re not suggesting thаt people should sever their ties wіth overweight friends,” says Christakis. “Having friends іѕ healthy fοr уου.” Experts stress thаt people wіth more friends tend to enjoy better emotional аnԁ cognitive well being.

This new take οn having overweight associates is of no small concern (no pun intended), since obesity hаѕ become a major public health problem іn thе United States and other Western nations.

Indeed, around thе world, the number of people struggling wіth weight problems іѕ increasing rapidly.

Within thе US alone, the percentage of the population considered obese hаѕ doubled іn thе past 25 years, frοm 15% tο 32%.

Based οn World Health Organization definitions, people are considered obese if they have a  body mass index, οr BMI, over 30.

Here’s a rundown οn thе health risks again:

Obesity is associated wіth an increased risk for some types οf cancer including endometrial (cancer of the lining οf thе uterus), colon, gall bladder, prostate, kidney, аnԁ postmenopausal breast cancer.

Beware ladies, women whο gain more thаn 20 pounds frοm age 18 tο midlife double their risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, compared tο women whose weight remains stable.

Brutal reality: Obesity contributes tο increasing levels οf lipids (fаt) аnԁ cholesterol in the blood (hyperlipidemia аnԁ hypercholesterolemia respectively), leading to narrowing of blood vessels due to deposition οf fatty materials іn coronary arteries (atherosclerosis). In turn, this causes the blood pressure levels tο soar (hypertension) аnԁ increases the risk οf heart attack (myocardial infarction) and strokes.

Overweight people are also more likely tο suffer from sleep apnea, a condition іn which a person snores heavily аnԁ stops breathing fοr small periods while sleeping. Thіѕ іѕ a serious condition that may lead to heart failure.

Obesity increases thе risk of diabetes bесаυѕе іt increases insulin resistance leading tο glucose intolerance. Weight reduction helps many diabetic patients in controlling thеіr diabetes.

Excess body weight exerts more pressure on joints wearing out the tissue thаt pads thе joints leading tο osteoarthritis. Losing weight саn provide significant relief frοm thіѕ condition.

Whаt all of these dangerous risk factors really mean tο our society at large, is that most of us whο hаνе friends or family members whο аrе obese should be vigilant about maintaining a healthy weight to serve as an example.

Shouldn’t wе lead healthy lifestyles and encourage others to ԁο the same?

Thе ultimate benefit οf practicing these principles will bе to live longer аnԁ hарріеr lives, so thаt wе may enjoy thе precious time we have been given tο spend wіth our loved ones.

SCORE BIG with empowering information about the foods you like to eat. The Food Facts Health Score will reveal everything you need to know. Visit Foodfacts.com today for FREE membership and learn about the innovative Food Facts Health Score. You’ll be glad you did.

Source:      Lower My Cholesterol

Image:      The Epoch Times

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Feeling Guilty About Overeating? | Foodfacts.com

The holiday season is a wonderful time of year. For most people it means getting together with family and friends to give thanks, celebrate, feast and relax. It is the time of the year you throw your diet to the wind and indulge yourself in holiday eating with a bountiful array of foods. Traditionally it is the mighty turkey that takes center stage along with a chorus of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, squash, and other vegetables. Let’s not forget the cranberry sauce, relish tray and oh yes, the pumpkin pie. Read more…

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