Week Fourteen!

Question: I've been working out for months now and not losing any weight! What's going on?

There's been a lot of discussion about DIET over the past few weeks, both in our house and from the other bloggers. So here are some thoughts from one of my favorite websites - www. askmen.com (sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it?)

"Ever since we were little, we were told to eat our fruits and vegetables, and to avoid those sugary snacks that our mouths salivate for... yeah, right! Is that why more than 50% of deaths in North America (especially men) are caused by cardiovascular disease, mostly related to unhealthy eating habits?"

"One third of all cancers . . . are due to improper nutrition -- too much fat, too little fiber and not enough fruits and vegetables. So, do you need to become a vegetarian? Not at all. Simply integrate more of these foods into your daily diet, and you'll be one (huge) step closer to a healthier, disease-free life. "

"Of course, one should always keep in mind that good nutrition doesn't necessarily lead directly to great health. Be sure to integrate exercise into your lifestyle. Also, keep stress to a minimum and make sure that despite the fast-paced life you live, health is still your number one priority. "

10 FOODS YOU SHOULD NEVER EAT!

1. Quaker Oats 100 % Natural Oats and Honey Granola contain 3 teaspoons of sugar per half cup, and come laden with more artery-clogging fat than a McDonald's hamburger (check the fat content).

2. Chicken Franks contain 10 or 11 grams of fat per frank. Most hotdog manufacturers now offer pork, beef, turkey, or soy franks with zero to 2.5 grams of fat per frank.

3. Donuts - as much saturated fat as 9 strips of bacon (10 grams).

4. Cup of Noodle snacks contain pre-fried and pre-salted noodles, compounded by the practice of using artery-clogging palm oil. They add 6 times as much sodium to the noodles as potato chips contain.

5. Anything fried in Olestra, a recently formulated fat substitute that some people cannot digest.

6. Lunchables (packaged snacks) contain heavily processed meat, cheese and mostly white-flour crackers.

7. Fast food French Fries have a salty coating that allow more fat to be absorbed.

8. Campbell's red label soups come brimming with salt.

9. Snacks fried in highly saturated coconut oil. Baked snacks are better.

10. Alfredo Sauces - they contain a large amount of butter.

10 FOODS YOU SHOULD EAT!

1. Sweet potatoes. They're loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.

2. 100% whole grain bread contains many more vitamins and minerals than its white counterpart.

3. Broccoli comes packed with vitamin C, carotenoids and folic acid.

4. Watermelon makes an excellent source of vitamin C and carotenoids.

5. Beans win the inexpensive, low fat, high protein award. Plus they contain lots of iron, folic acid and fiber.

6. Cantaloupe supplies all the daily requirements of vitamin A and C in just a quarter slice.

7. Spinach and kale provide calcium, fiber, carotenoids, and vitamin C.

8. Oranges contain vitamin C, plus abundant folic acid, potassium and fiber.

9. Oatmeal provides soluble fiber that helps lower bad cholesterol while improving good cholesterol.

10. 1% milk ranks as an excellent source of protein, with little or no artery-clogging fat or cholesterol.

Stuff that's generally bad !

Solid fats - Anything from land animals or coconut and palm oils. Reduce your intake because they're safe for frying and slow to spoil. They're a quick and easy way to add taste and calories. These oils compete with the "good" oils for the nutrients, which slows down some of the essential cell functions. In order to absorb these fats, we must increase production of cholesterol. To have them in our blood, we also make additional cholesterol.

Heated, deep fried fats and oils - All toxic despite good taste. They aren't naturally found in food and they interfere with certain essential oils. They raise the bad cholesterol. Nearly all store-bought baked goods are made with shortening. Contrary to popular belief, butter is better than margarine.

White refined flour and most store-bought pasta - The bran and germ that are removed from such items are amazingly good sources of minerals and vitamins. They lack the essential nutrients, even after enrichment. Better to stick with whole grain products because white refined flour and store-bought pasta are linked to an increase in heart disease.

White rice - No! This does not mean to completely avoid eating white rice. However, brown rice does have nutrients that can't be found in white rice. One can possibly mix white and brown rice together for a great combination of flavor.

Sugar (white and brown), molasses and soft drinks - All of us are used to grabbing a Coke from the vending machine at work or school, but what we may not be so aware of is that the fructose portion of refined sugar is a building block for cholesterol.