Ash Wednesday
Although I'm not Catholic, I do recognize an "upside" if you will for going meatless on this day, marking Ash Wednesday. It's healthy for you.
As some of you might know, I'm trying to lose weight. I'm 167 lbs at 5'9" and I made a deal with myself that I want to be around 158 by the end of the year, slightly underweight, so that I can climb better (on my bike).
I saw on Oprah -- it was late, don't ask -- a feature on four ingredients that shouldn't be on the top five ingredients of anything you eat. Think of them as red flags in the nutrition facts.
They are:
1. Sugar
2. Flour
3. High fructose corn syrup (or anything that has a form of sugar in a syrup)
4. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (or anything hydrogenated)
Some are obvious: the first three ingredients are carbohydrates, and, unless I'm going for a spin, I'll try not to consume any of that. The third ingredient, however, is much more than just a carbohydrate. If I remember, Oprah's expert (a guy wearing surgical scrubs) said that studies have found that high fructose corn syrup inhibits the brain's (yours and mine) ability to actually tell your body it's full. So, despite all those poptarts you've eaten, in your mind, you may still be hungry.
Finally, #4 is your transfat. In the nutrition box, this is Saturated Fat. Unfortunately, it helps make Doritos and Kentucky Fried Chicken taste good. Still this stuff's worse than four-legged fat, because the hydrogenation process makes this type of fat harder to burn. Why? Well, vegetable oil (canola, rapeseed, corn) is a liquid (that's how it starts out). It does not harden under any temperature (I think). Which also means that it has a short shelf life (open your bottle of olive oil and leave it uncapped and it will change color). The process of hydrogenation, I was told, makes its shelflife almost infinite by turning it into a creamy, solid substance. Hydrogenated oil is no different in consistency from your eye cream -- thus "saturated".
I may be wrong in any of this, but I know I'm right with the bottomline: if I'm trying to lose weight (as some of you might be), I'd best eschew these ingredients. I looked in my pantry and found a few things I'm avoiding now, like crackers (but what about all my cheeses?). Oishi makes a brand of chips that, at least the packaging claims, does not include any of these four ingredients. Plus, I switched to milk from Coffeemate, I don't care if it doesn't make sense.
This Ash Wednesday, I'll just take my fruit, make some pasta and call it "observance."
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I guess I would starve myself now
*Punditocracy.blogspot.com
I'm all for milk in my coffee. Coffeemate is blech.
Iggy,
Actually, mas masarap talaga sa kape ang half-and-half. Kaso, yun nga, milk and cream.
Punditocracy,
Don't starve yourself. Just choose your carbs!
I've been trying to, and it helps. I've actually lost about 6 lbs since mid-January, which sounds just right. Besides, because of my gout, I'm forced to eat healthier foods.
H
ditch the coffeemate, it's made from coco oil which gives you around 27 calories per teaspoon. flavorwise and healthwise, milk is still better. or try soymilk.
im on an all-protein/zero carbs diet 3 days of a week and while it helps me lose the extra tire ive been carrying, i get hungry every two hours or so...
and i cant/i wont give up KFC or Coke Light!!!
Yep, Coffeemate is baaad. And so is DC.
Funny how I didn't think that blogging about my nutritional goals will get anyone to comment.
Seems that everyone's doing some kind of health plan. I'm all for that!
To borrow one of my friend's New Year's Resolution: This is the year I get my Sexyback.
Bvest
You are not Catholic? Are you at least Christian? If not, then you are going to hell!
Hell is filled with Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, agnostics, and other non-Christians? Oh, cool!