STALKED BY SPARK PEOPLE

I really like the convenience of online food journals.  I started a long time ago using one that charged per month.  It is still the one I like the best, but I have gotten to the point that I don't want to spend my limited resources on that when there are free options.

Unfortunately, you get what  you pay for.  All of the sites I have tried have downsides.  I was using Fitday for quite some time but suddenly it won't let me log on and won't send me an e-mail so I gave up even though it is full of my personal data.

The latest one I am trying is SparkPeople because I saw that a favorite blogger, Cammy, uses it.  But geez Louise!  In four days I have gotten , and I counted them up, 15 e-mails from them.  I have gone back in and readjusted some of the preferences that I missed the first time in, so it should get better.

Also, it is hard to find the content through all the ads.  I am sure my eyes will adjust to that, too.  When I have a month worth of entries I will evaluate the site and see if I like it.  At this moment, I am thinking that paying the $9.00 a month for myfooddiary.com isn't so bad!

Anyone else using online journaling?

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

We have all heard a lot of negative talk about high fructose corn syrup.  Companies have been removing it from their products and advertising that their products do not contain this ingredient because of the public perception of high-fructose corn syrup as unhealthful,  including Hunt’s Ketchup, Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice and Wheat Thins crackers.

However, the food industry is now attempting to get around the bad publicity of HFCS by asking the FDA for a name change to corn sugar.  Why is the food industry so intent on using this product? 

Compared with sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup doesn’t mask flavors, has a lower freezing point and retains moisture better, which is useful in making foods like chewy granola bars. And because the corn crop in the United States is heavily subsidized, high-fructose corn syrup is also cheap. As a result, it’s now used in so many foods that it has become one of the biggest sources of calories in the American diet.

The reality is that HFCS is not any more unhealthy than other sources of sugar, it is unhealthy because it is possible to put it into so many different food products, often in addition to sources of  sugar.  It is found in products where we don't think to look for sugar.  Like Stovetop Stuffing, Cough Syrups, salad dressings,  canned soups and  tomato sauces and  virtually every cereal, cracker and bread product. 

At least for those tings there is a label to read, the problem gets worse in restaurants where the use of "layered" flavors has become state of the art in attracting diners and getting them to return for more.  The use of fat and sugar in combination is known to become "irresistible"  for some people and restaurants and fast food outlets rely on this unhealthy combination to keep customers coming back for more.

The F.D.A. has six months to respond to the name-change petition. If the agency accepts it, the decision on whether to allow the name “corn sugar” on food labels may take another 12 to 18 months. 

RULES RULE

I know a lot of people hate rules.  I happen to be okay with rules.  I like knowing what is expected of me in social situations (etiquette) and having an understanding of what to do at a flashing red light (rules of the road) and having little ditties to remind myself of things (righty tighty-lefty loosey).

So I am okay with the idea when the author of The End of Overeating said to make rules for myself to help navigate past the foods that are all around me which are speaking directly to the depths of my brain.  Studies show that there is a  cycle of "cue-urge-reward-habit" which is imprinted on the brain.   It is highly automated and below the level of conscious awareness.  We must rely on other levels of the brain, the frontal cortex which makes conscious decisions, to override the strong emotional/repetitive behavior.  They say the frontal cortex has  Executive Control over our actions and that is where the rules come in.

So one of my rules is Whole Grains only.  I am eating low carb because I am a carb lover - love the bread and pasta.  So when I am dining out, this rule saves me.  For instance, the other night, I got out the door to go to work without my dinner.  When the staff was putting together an order at about 7 pm and I was hungry, I was tempted.  They were going to the Mexican place.  I looked at the menu and thought I could order a chicken quesadilla with just a little cheese.  But they didn't have whole wheat tortillas (I don't like corn) so I did not order.  I was hungry, but I ate a snack when I got home.

I was saved by my rules.  The other part of this, according to author David Kessler, is that the response must be automatic.  The minute you start bargaining or thinking about it you lose the upper hand.  It must be a rigid response to "rewire" the brain. 

There are more "food rehab" tips I will write about lateer in the week.  What are your rules that help your "rehab"?

WILL YOU EAT IT ONCE YOU KNOW?

Many years ago when my youngest was still in a stroller, they opened a Cinnabon in the mall.  Cinnamon rolls for me are one of those foods with so many happy memories attached.  A special food made by my mom for special occasions, a tradition I carry on with my own family.

I have never been one to buy store baked things except for bread.  I am a bit of a snob that way!  But I must say that the mere smell of the Cinnabons told me that they were making a high quality cinnamon roll, and I stopped in and bought one.  I split it with my 3 kids and we all loved it.  Getting a Cinnabon - without icing because that made it too sweet - became an occasional treat when we went to the mall and they behaved.  Then there was a newspaper article about the franchise which disclosed the nutritional content.  The fat content was equal to 3 days worth of recommended dietary fat.

I have never eaten another Cinnabon.  That was in 1998.

So when people question whether putting the nutritional counts on fast food menus or receipt, as they are doing in one Pacific Northwest burger chain called Burgerville - I say YES!  It really can have an impact on people.  They use a service called Nutricate which displays the Calorie and nutrition content of the food ordered and shows the customer exactly how many Calories they are eating. Burgerville seeks to be a fast food industry innovator and to set the standard for other chains to follow. 

Critics say that people who want a cheeseburger won't care, but my experience says otherwise, sometimes you just need to see the numbers right in front of your nose, instead of having an idea of what it could be floating around in your mind.

 I think that is just great, and I hope other restaurants will do the same thing.

FEELING BETTER - A FRESH START

Last week I had a bad cold.  I joked that I went outside my usual little routine of home, gym and grocery shopping and ventured to the mall with my daughter and exposed myself to the big bad world of germs! 

I didn't go to the gym or the store or even to the mailbox for 5 days.  I was miserable.  I didn't concern myself with my diet plan and overate carbs and calories.  I will see the damage tomorrow when I go back to the gym.  I am not going to beat myself up over it.  I see today as a new start.  I have been struggling all summer trying to find my way, trying to find my "plan."

I lost the first 50 pounds or so using products from Lifestyle.  I was so determined and I stuck with it even though I was hungry most of the time.  Then I wanted to go off the products and maintain the calories at the same 1200 level on good foods.  I know I am triggered by carbs, so the plan was low carb ( whole grain only, no sugar, fruit ok.)  To stay in the 1200 range carbs are not a good choice, anyway.  As I said, this has been a struggle.  I have had trouble with foods I overate - like peanut butter and oatmeal/granola.  I have had trouble with my family being bored by my repetitive meals. 

And I don't like that it has been so 2 pounds off, 1 pound back, no loss for two weeks.  It is frustrating and I just don't care to always feel like I should be berating myself .  So - what to do?

I need a more specific plan.  Not back to the products, although I have some left and will use them as snacks and meal subs when appropriate.  No Atkins style low carb because that is not how I want to live the rest of my life, but I must be aware of how very sensitive I seem to be to bread/pasta/carbs (have some - want more, more, more!)

I like Cammy's plan of 5-7 fruits and veggies daily, low fat proteins and whole grains.  I will need more specifics, just winging it day by day has not been working for me - so I am going to work out a list of meal plans and calorie counts to keep myself in the 1200-1500 range.

Any other input?

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL

My two slim sisters each have a daughter who tends to the heavy side - we call it the "Bradbury Gene" because that side of the family (which I take after so completely I shouldn't have changed my name when I got married!) struggles with obesity.  They have both asked me for advice about how to help their daughters.  Mostly I tell them to be honest with them that they have gotten a bad deal.  They will have to work harder and pay more attention to their diet than most of their friends.  The good news is that more is known about these things now than when I was a kid.  In those days everyone just assumed I was a sneak eater with no will power.

Research in the July 2010 edition of Genetics discloses that, in fact  some people seem to eat anything they want and never gain a pound, while others seem to gain weight just by looking at fattening foods!  This is because genes interacting with diet, rather than diet alone, are the main cause of variation in metabolic traits. This helps explain why some diets work better for some people than others, and suggests that future diets should be tailored to an individuals genes.  What works for me, may not work for you. 

"There is no one-size-fits all solution to the diseases of obesity and type-2 diabetes," said Laura K. Reed, Ph.D, a researcher from the Department of Genetics at North Carolina State University, the lead investigator in the work. "Each person has a unique set of genetic and environmental factors contributing to his or her metabolic health, and as a society, we should stop looking for a panacea and start accepting that this is a complex problem that may have a different solution for each individual."  (Emphasis mine and something I have been saying all my adult life.)

In short, the study with 146 genetic lines of fruit flies and 4 different diets  (nutritionally balanced, low calorie, high sugar, and high fat) showed that diet alone made small metabolic changes, including iweight, while genotype and genotype interactions with diet made very large changes. "This study strongly suggests that some individuals can achieve benefits from altering their dietary habits, while the same changes for others will have virtually no effect."

So, for my little nieces and others - hang on, science is coming and may just have more answers to the puzzle to make your life with food easier than mine has been!