Tired of Popcorn?

If you've had enough of popcorn try..... Sorghum. I had never heard of this grain before but its apparently one of the top 5 cereal crops in the world (along with oats, barley, wheat and corn). It originated in Africa and has spread to Asia and the Americas. In its traditional form this plant is over 6ft tall and the stalks are put to a variety of uses.

Cook it in a pot coated in canola oil over high heat, shaking until all grains are popped. Then drizzle with olive oil and a dash of sale for a crunchy snack.

Make your Valentine's day a healthy one!

First of all Happy Valentines Day to all my readers! I just wanted to share a few helpful tips to help have a successful day.

1. Plan your day accordingly. If you are going out to dinner enjoy a light breakfast and lunch.
2. Get exercise in early so you can spluge a little at night.
3. Share dessert with your date.
5. Make sure to eat a small healthy snack before you leave for dinner so you don't over indulge. Oatmeal is a great option as the fiber will keep you full, fruit or a power bar are other great choices.
6. Opt for dark chocolate over milk chocolate. Dark chocolate has more antioxidents, less sugar=fewer cards, more fiber also more iron, magnesium and copper.

Trenta??

WOW!!! Have you see the new Trenta size that Starbucks is now offering? I don't think I realized how LARGE this beverage is...... this cup can hold an ENTIRE BOTTLE of wine!! I am thinking that means "trenta" is more than we should be consuming in 1 sitting.

Nutrition 40 years ago!

Early 1970's

1. Everyone gets a microwave
2. Supermarkets carried under 8,000 items, in 2009 they now carry more than 48,000 items.
3. In 1970 there were 1,675 pounds of food available for every person in the United States, in 2003 it was up to 1,950 pounds. That means an extra 500 calories per day is being produced for ever man, woman and child.
4. In the early 1970's imported food typically meant something like a jar of Spanish olives or a bottle of Italian olive oil or a bar of Swiss chocolate. Today anything could be imported from free mozz from Italy to frozen peas from China. The average American eats roughly 260 pounds of imported foods per year.
5. In 2008 McDonald's spent $1.2 billion on advertising in the U.S, that's 12x as much as it spent in the 1970's. To put this in perspective for every $1 spend on ads that urge us to eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day; the food and beverage industries spends $1,100 enticing us to buy fast food meals, sugary breakfast cereals etc.

No wonder we keep gaining weight.... our environment seems to be against us! But stay focused on achieving a healthy lifestyle and you will see the environment begin to change around you, in a positive way.

2010

1. Organic foods/produce are becoming more mainstream
2. Trans fat is plummeting
3. Nutrition labels are becoming more descriptive
4. Restaurants are noting the calories next to the dish

.................. this is only the beginning! We have more research at our finger tips and more information today than we had 40 years about health and wellness. This along with personal motivation will help to guide us on this journey.

Start today.... take baby steps! Enjoy the foods you love but "crowd" them out by adding more protein, fruits and vegetables to your daily diet. Add a piece of fruit to your breakfast (it doesn't matter if you are eating a donut or oatmeal), at lunch eat a piece of fruit and load up your sandwich with veggies (tomato, cucumbers, lettuce, onion, peppers etc), grab fruit or veggies for a snack (apple and string cheese, celery and peanut butter etc) and so on. Eventually you'll become more satisfied and find yourself snacking less.

Let me know how this challenge goes!

CSPI Newsletter Jan/Feb 2011

Tees for Change

These shirts are made of a bamboo and organic cotton blend. Tees For Change http://www.teesforchange.com/ are not only sustainable but ridiculously soft. As if that weren't enough, the company will plant a tree for every T-shirt sold.

Shape Magazine Feb 2011

The latest workout gear!

Love the idea of a hula hoop workout but no place to store it? Hoopnoticas just launched this travel hula hoop that snaps together. http://www.hoopnotic.com/

This trainer ball is a must have! It has 12 core strengthening exercises printed on the ball so there is no more excuse of "I forgot to do that one" http://www.trainermat.com/

Tired of having multiple sets of hand weights? Well these weights can increase from 2.5 to 12.5 pounds as you get stronger. No excuses not to challenge yourself! http://www.kmart.com/

RealSimple Feb 2011

Taco Bell sued for misleading customers about beef!

We all probably saw this coming but Taco Bell's beef is not really beef at all. An Alabama law firm is filing a class action law suit again Taco Bell, claiming that the "beef" they serve only contains 36% beef and the restaurant is therefore misleading customers.

The rest of the beef is actually made of wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodextrin, anti-dusting agent, autolyzed yeast extract, modified corn starch, sodium phosphates, and other non-meat "extenders".

Yesterday Taco Bell released this statement:
"Taco Bell prides itself in serving high quality Mexican inspired food with great value. We deny our advertising is misleading in any way and we intend to vigorously defend the suit."

Here's what we recommend: Don't eat Taco Bell! There are very few low calorie options on the menu and its clear that there's no telling what the food your eating is made of. Go for fresher, low calorie options elsewhere!

www.fitperez.com