Have a Safe and Wonderful New Year

I just want to wish everyone a wonderful New Year. Just in case you're curious, I've decided to share my three New Year's Resolutions with you:

1. Stop worrying about things I cannot control
Explanation: I am a HUGE worrywart and I often allow myself to worry about silly, insignificant things. Worrying doesn't help anything, it just makes me miserable and grouchy.

2. Do my best at work
Explanation: I really do enjoy my job and I want to do well here. In order for this to happen, I need to put in the extra time and effort,

3. Lose 5 pounds
I exercise regularly and try to eat well but this year I'm going to rid my thighs of those few extra pounds. I will eat lean meats, fruits and veggies and of course, lots of diet soda!!!

Happy holidays everyone!

Dunkin’ Donuts Helps Make the World a Little Healthier

I’m very impressed with the progress fast food restaurants are making in their food products. Burger joints such as McDonald’s and Burger King have come out with healthier options for the calorie-conscious and now Dunkin’ Donuts is following suit with Latte Lites.

The new Latte Lite is a coffee drink made of espresso, skim milk and Splenda. It packs about 70 calories while the regular version of the drink contains approximately 120 calories. Now 50 calories may not seem like a lot but a reduction of 50 calories everyday may add up to some serious weight loss! Plus, the lighter version contains 0 grams of fat.

I think the menu changes that fast food joints are making to their menus are a good sign. Sure, they still offer the regular indulgences but it’s nice to find things on the menu that don’t comprise a day’s worth of calories. I say rock on to Dunkin’ Donuts!

Happy Holidays!

The holidays are finally here, and boy am I ready for a break! I will be taking a break from blogging over the holidays but have no fear – I’ll be back next week.

Over my break I’ll be looking for my new soda machine, which I ordered yesterday. I wanna say thanks to Robert for sharing this find with me. Once it arrives I plan to spend my days concocting new flavors of diet soda.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday!

The holidays are finally here, and boy am I ready for a break! I will be taking a break from blogging over the holidays but have no fear – I’ll be back next week.

Over my break I’ll be looking for my new soda machine, which I ordered yesterday. I wanna say thanks to Robert for sharing this find with me. Once it arrives I plan to spend my days concocting new flavors of diet soda.

Happy holidays everyone!

Diet Soda Recipe - delicious!

Over the weekend I had an epiphany: I love the taste of diet soda so much, why not try adding it to some recipes? After a quick Google search I realized that there are a ton of recipes that call for diet soda. So, every once in awhile I will be providing a recipe that calls for diet soda that I have actually tested out. Here's one that I tried this weekend and loved:


BARBEQUE SAUCE

14 oz. ketchup
4 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp. brown sugar2 tbsp. mustard
2 tbsp. liquid smoke1
(10 oz.) can Diet Coke
Mix all ingredients together. For roast: Cook roast in a 200 degree oven overnight. Pour sauce over shredded meat. Cook in crock pot as long as desired.

This tastes great on pot roast!

Holiday Weight Gain: Not as Bad as You Think

I just received some good news via an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: the average American only gains one to two pounds during the holiday season. With all the decadent food surrounding me throughout this 6-week period, this news makes me feel a lot better.

Here’s the bad news: Findings from the study indicate that while weight gain during the holidays is negligible, people usually have a hard time losing the weight. So basically, the weight you gain over the holidays may not be much but it will probably stay with you for awhile. Darn!

Here’s the thing about the holidays: it’s annoying to watch everybody stuffing their faces while you sip water and munch on a fat-free saltine. I’m not gonna deny myself my mom’s famous spinach dip or my grandmother’s delicious chocolate chip cookies. My strategy is to use a small plate, fill it up and then stay away from the table the rest of the night—that way I get to indulge but I won’t gorge myself like I usually do. I’m also gonna watch my alcohol intake. It seems like alcohol weakens my resolve and I’m more prone to overdoing it. I think I’ll stick with the diet soda this year!

Bake Sales Make Kids Fat?

A recent study from the University of Minnesota indicates that bake sales may contribute to the rising rates of childhood obesity. Additionally, the study found that 69 percent of U.S. schools use sweets, pizza and non-diet drinks as incentives in the classroom.

I find this correlation very intriguing. It seems natural that the actions children see, they presume to be acceptable. Teachers selling massive amounts of cookies, cakes and pies insinuate that these products are good and part of a healthy diet. In reality, it’s okay for children to occasionally have a treat but it’s not okay to let these children believe that such products should be enjoyed on a daily basis.

"When you have the authority figures such as teachers, principals and parents pushing food which is high in calories and low in value day after day, hour after hour in schools, it's absolutely devastating to trying to run a healthy nutrition policy," said Susan Combs, Texas Agriculture Commissioner.

I have a serious problem with the childhood obesity epidemic facing us now. I think there are several simple steps that can be taken to abate this problem yet people refuse to make the effort. I think this study is a step in the right direction. We need to examine the messages we, as adults, are sending to children regarding their eating habits. Rememeber Monkey see, monkey do.

Low-Calorie Sweeteners Help Cut the Calories - Not the Taste

While searching the Internet for recent diet soda news, I came upon this article. The article conveys the notion that many of us assume only overweight people use low-calorie sweeteners. I use these sweeteners and while I have some extra poundage in a few places, I do not consider myself to be overweight.

Now more than ever, people are aware of the risks of obesity and making healthier lifestyle choices. Because of this, the low-calorie sweetener industry increased 24 percent in sales. Unfortunately, some people believe that drinking a diet soda allows them to overindulge in other foods. Low-calorie sweeteners are not magical diet concoctions! They’re added to foods and beverages so that consumers can enjoy a sweet treat without the guilt or the calories.

I’m a big fan of low-calorie sweeteners because I really do love diet soda. One of the things I love about it is the fact that it’s sweet without the calories – it’s as simple as that. It’s a healthier alternative to regular soda.

I’m not trying to get on a high horse and preach to people about eating better. Lately I’ve been stuffing every piece of food I see into my mouth. I’m eating a Hershey Kiss as we speak – maybe I shoulda left that out J But seriously, it’s all about moderation folks, and I think that low-calorie sweeteners are a good way to help people cut out some of the calories. What do you think?