Eat Out Eat Well

Calorie Tips, Healthy Eating, Food Facts

Tired? Have An Annoying Headache? Here’s A Cheap Cure-All

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Are you feeling that 3 o’clock fatigue?  Do you have a kind of niggling but not-quite-full-blown headache?

A glass of water might be a cheap cure-all.

Dehydration Causes Fatigue

Yep – a low water level can make you tired.  Don’t you wish you had a dipstick to measure the water levels in your body – like you measure the level of oil in your car?

Even being mildly dehydrated can slow your metabolism, drain your energy, and make you feel tired.

There are some signs you can look for.  In addition to feeling tired, with mild to moderate dehydration you might also:

  • Have a dry, sticky mouth
  • Be thirsty
  • Not urinate as much
  • Have fewer or no tears when you cry
  • Have dry skin
  • Headache
  • Constipation
  • Be dizzy or lightheaded

About 60% Of Your Body Weight Is Water

Water is the main chemical component in your body and accounts for about 60% of your body weight. Every system in your body depends on it.

You need water for the chemical and metabolic processes to take place in your body; for body fluids like tears, sweat, and urine; to flush toxins out of your vital organs; and to carry nutrients to your cells.

How Much Water Should I Drink?

There’s no easy answer to the question:  “How much water should I drink?”  The answer really depends on many things including:

  • your health
  • your age
  • how active you are
  • where you live

For the average healthy adult who lives in a temperate climate, the Institute of Medicine recommends around 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total water intake a day for men and 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total water intake a day for women.

What’s Total Water Intake?

Total water intake is not just plain water. It includes the plain water you drink, the water in all of your other beverages, and the water in your food. All fluids count toward your daily total.

On average, food supplies about 20% of your total water intake. Many fruits and vegetables — like watermelon, grapes, lettuce, and tomatoes — are 90% or more water by weight. Food from grains like oatmeal and pasta are also hydrating because they swell up with water when they’re cooked.  Even meat is full of water.

Beverages like milk and juice are mostly made of water, too. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages — coffee, tea or soda — can contribute, but they shouldn’t be the major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is calorie-free, inexpensive, readily available and your best bet.

What Do You Eat When You’re Snowed In?

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“Chocolate chip cookies.” That’s what a friend said to me as we waited for our kids to get off of the school bus after early dismissal because of snow.

The snow was swirling and the kids were flinging snowballs and kicking snow at each other as we walked down the street to our houses.  “Why do I always want to bake chocolate chip cookies when it snows?” she asked.

For so many of us, comfort food —  those hearty, soul and belly satisfying, sweet and salty foods — seem be the “go-tos” when we’re housebound (and perhaps stir-crazy). They’re foods that are simple, familiar, and often have emotional ties and pleasant memories, especially of childhood.

What Can You Do When Your Cabin Fever And Calories Reach Stratospheric Levels?

You can do lots of things (including choosing your food very carefully), but sometimes wise choices are just not happening and the trips to the fridge go on and on.

You can try countering with some activity. It can do a lot for your mood and might burn some of those excess calories.

Calories Some Winter Activities Burn In An Hour

(numbers are for a 150 pound person)

  • Building a Snowman:   285 calories
  • Having a Snowball Fight:   319 calories
  • Making Snow Angels:   214 calories
  • Snowshoeing:  544 calories
  • Shoveling snow:   408 calories
  • Baking cookies:  170 calories
  • Sledding:  476 calories
  • Cross country skiing:  612 calories

What’s your favorite “snowed in” food?

 

Chocolate And Valentines: Like Birds Of A Feather They Stick Together

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Why are about 1.1 billion boxed chocolates — that’s about 58 million pounds of chocolate candy — sold in the United States during the week before Valentine’s Day? Why not twizzlers or gummy bears?

What Is It About Chocolate That Makes It The “Romantic” Candy?

Chocolate infatuation began around 2,000 years ago. The higher echelon in the Mayan and Aztec societies infused cocoa beans with water which formed frothy chocolate drinks that were both drunk on special occasions and used as sacrifices to the gods.

Montezuma, the Aztec ruler, was of the belief that chocolate was an aphrodisiac.  He routinely drank it before dallying in his harem, which cemented the association of chocolate with love and romance. Years later there is scientific evidence that the chemical phenylethylamine found in chocolate is linked to feelings of excitement and attraction.

Aztec society also used cocoa beans as money and as gifts. In the 16th century, the Aztec’s reverence of chocolate prompted Christopher Columbus to take some back to Queen Isabella of Spain. The love for chocolate and its mystical powers spread throughout Europe. Chocolate’s power was believed to be so strong that nuns were forbidden to eat it and French doctors used it as a treatment for a broken heart.

In 1822 John Cadbury opened a tea and coffee shop in Birmingham, England and soon began selling chocolates. In 1861 his son Richard created the first heart-shaped box to fill with chocolates for Valentine’s Day. This year more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold.

Chocolate: The Good And The Not So Good

A pound of milk chocolate has 2300 calories, 140 grams of fat, 270 grams of carbohydrates, and 31 grams of protein. Although a lot has been said about chocolate’s heart healthy benefits, it’s still a high calorie, high fat food.

Isn’t Chocolate Good For Me?

In moderation—and, depending on the type—the answer is yes, although there is no “prescribed dosageamount.” The health benefits of chocolate come from cocoa, and dark chocolate has a greater concentration of cocoa than milk chocolate.  White chocolate, without any cocoa in it, is not really chocolate.

Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, contains flavonols which have antioxidant qualities and other positive influences on heart health.  But Valentine’s chocolates are often not high quality chocolate and are moderately high in fat, one-third of it the type of saturated fat that isn’t heart healthy. Extra ingredients like crème and caramel fillings can add lots of extra fat and calories.

Oh Those Calories:  Valentine’s Hearts And Kisses

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a treat of some Valentine’s chocolate.  A whole box might be a different story!

Here’s an idea of what the calories might be in some of the more common Valentine’s chocolate:

  • Hershey’s Kisses, 9 pieces:  230 calories, 12g fat
  • Hershey’s Special Dark Hearts, 5 pieces:  220 calories, 7g fat
  • Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts, snack size:  170 calories, 10g fat
  • Russell Stover boxed chocolates, 2 pieces:  150 calories, 4g fat
  • Dove Dark Chocolate Hearts, 5 pieces:  210 calories, 13g fat
  • Godiva boxed chocolates, 4 pieces:  210 calories, 12g fat

What Will You Eat On Super Bowl Sunday?

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It’s amazing how food has become associated with football — from tailgating to Super Bowl parties.  If you want to, there are plenty of choices for eating deliciously well if you are more mindful than mindless about your choices.

Your best bets are to stick with grilled meat, veggies, baked chips rather than fried, plain bread, a pita, or wrap rather than biscuits or cornbread. Go for salsa and skip the guacamole.  Turkey, baked ham, and grilled chicken are better choices than wings and fried chicken.

What Makes Us Eat Too Much?

Hunger doesn’t always prompt most of us to overeat – especially on holidays or event days. Family, friends, plate size, packaging, lighting, smells, distractions, the environment, and feelings all do. We make about 200+ food related decisions a day.– like deciding between pizza or wings; a sandwich or salad; chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie; light beer or diet coke; kitchen table or chair in front of the TV.  That’s about 200+ daily opportunities to be mindful or mindless – and probably a whole lot more when faced with a flow of food, an exciting game, a halftime show, and some good natured (hopefully) wagering.

Here Are Some Good, Better, and Best Options:

  • Tostada with guacamole:  2 pieces (9.3 oz), 360 calories, 23g fat, 32g carbs, 12g protein
  • Salsa:  1 tablespoon 4 calories, .04g fat, 1g carbs, .2g protein
  • Nacho flavored tortilla chips, reduced fat:  1 oz, 126 calories, 4g fat, 20g carbs, 2g protein
  • Nacho flavored tortilla chips:  1oz, 141 calories, 7g fat, 18g carbs, 1g protein
  • Potato chips:  1oz, 152 calories, 10g fat, 15g carbs, 2g protein
  • Potato chips, reduced fat:  1 oz, 134 calories, 6g fat, 19g carbs, 2g protein
  • Raw baby carrots:  1 medium, 4 calories, 0 fat, .8g carbs, 0 protein
  • Pizza Hut cheese pizza:  1 slice (1/8 of a 12” medium pan pizza), 240 calories, 10g fat, 27g carbs, 11g protein
  • Pizza Hut pepperoni pizza:  1 slice (1/8 of a 12” medium pan pizza), 250 calories, 12g fat, 26g carbs, 11g protein
  • Grilled chicken breast:  one 4.2 oz breast, 180 calories, 4g fate, 0 carbs, 35g protein
  • KFC Fiery hot Buffalo wing:  one 1oz wing, 80 calories, 5g fat, g carbs, 4g protein
  • KFC extra crispy drumstick:  one 2oz piece, 150 calories, 6g carbs, 11g protein
  • Chili (Wendy’s, with saltine crackers):  8 oz, 187 calories, 6g fat, 19g carbs, 14g protein
  • Wheat bread:  1 slice, .9 oz., 65 calories, 1g fat,, 12g carbs, 2g protein
  • Italian combo on ciabatta (Panera):  1 sandwich, 1lb. 7 oz, 1050 calories, 47g fat, 94g carbs, 61g protein
  • Subway 6g of fat or less turkey breast & ham on wheat sandwich:  8.3oz, 296 calories, 4g fat, 48g carbs, 19g protein
  • Chocolate chip cookie:  2-1/4” from refrigerated dough. 59 calories, 3g fat, 8g carbs, 0.6g protein
  • Chocolate ice cream, Cold Stone Creamery:   5oz (like it), 326 calories, 20g fat, 33g carbs, 5g protein
  • Apple:  medium, 95 calories, .4g fat, 25g carbs, .5g protein

Just In Case:  Some Football-themed Exercises To Help Burn Off Those Calories

Try these to burn off those 1200 game day calories (Source:  DietDetective):

  • Drinking six bottles of Budweiser beer means needing to do “The Wave” 4, 280 times
  • One KFC extra crispy drumstick and an extra crispy chicken breast requires 203 end zone touchdown dances
  • Applebee’s chili cheese nachos means 159 minutes of playing non-stop professional football
  • Eating ten Lay’s classic potato chips with Kraft French onion dip means you have to dance to Madonna for 134 minutes

A Cheat Sheet For “Organic” – Different Foods, Different Meanings

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It seems that organic foods are becoming somewhat mainstream.  Each year, the sales of organic foods grow by 10 to 20% in the US. But a lot of different kinds of food is labeled organic. Do you know what you’re buying?

The term ”Organic” is not one size fits all and can  mean different things for different kinds of food.

Here’s what “Organic” means for various categories of foods according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s Nutrition Action Healthletter:

  • ORGANIC FRUITS, NUTS, VEGETABLES, and GRAINS:  they’re not irradiated or genetically engineered; no synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or sewage sludge is used
  • ORGANIC MILK:  no growth hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs are used; all the cows’ feed for the previous 12 months has been 100% organic; the cows have access to outdoors; at least 30% of the cows’ diet has been from the pasture during the primary growing season
  • PACKAGED FOODS:  “100% Organic” means all ingredients are organic;  “Organic” means at least 95% of the ingredients are organic; “Made with Organic Ingredients” means at least 70% of the ingredients are organic
  • ORGANIC SEAFOOD:  there are no current official U.S. standards; the USDA is working on a standard for farm-raised seafood
  • ORGANIC EGGS:  they do not necessarily come from cage-free or free-range chickens;  hens are fed 100% organic feed with no added  growth hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs
  • ORGANIC MEAT & POULTRY: the animals have access to outdoors; they are not given growth hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs; they’re raised on 100% organic feed; ]they aren’t fed animal byproducts and aren’t irradiated.

This article is part of the 30 day series of blog posts called: 30 Easy Tips for Looser Pants and Excellent Energy.