Judge fines McDonald's for Obese Employee

This cracks me up!!!!

http://www.lex18.com/news/judge-fines-mcdonald-s-for-obese-employee/

I'm going to sue my work for making me cynical! Run some laps, buddy!!

"Healthiest" Candy

It's inevitable. We're all going to be eating candy this weekend. I'll be right there with you - but there are some "healthier" choices out there that might make you feel a little better about yourself. Remember, when it comes to candy, the best thing to do is portion control. If you see a friend in need with one too many Snickers' wrappers next them - please intervene!

"(Note: This list is based on macro-nutrient amounts. The lower choices have higher sugar and less calories, but the higher choices having more protein.)


10. 3 Musketeers (1/2 a bar)
100 calories, 3g fat, 17.5g carbs, 15g sugar, .5g protein

9. Heath Bar (1/2 a bar)
110 calories, 6.5g fat, 12g carbs, 12g sugar, .5g protein

8. Butter Finger (1/2 a bar)
115 calories, 4.5g fat, 19g carbs, 12g sugar, 1.5g protein

7. Kit Kat  (1 two-piece bar)
115 calories, 6g fat, 14.5g carbs, 11g sugar, 1.5g protein

6. Hershey Bar (1/2 a bar)
115 calories, 6.5g fat, 12.5g carbs, 11g sugar, 1.5g protein

5. Almond Joy (1/2 a bar)
135 calories, 8g fat, 16g carbs, 12.5g sugar, 1g protein

4. Snickers (1/2 a bar)
140 calories, 7g fat, 17.5g carbs, 15g sugar, 3g protein

3. Baby Ruth (1/2 a bar)
140 calories, 6g fat, 16.5g carbs, 13.5g sugar, 2g protein

2. Peanut M&M’s (1/2 a bag)
120 calories, 6g fat, 14g carbs, 11.5g sugar, 2g protein

1. Pay Day (1/2 a bar)
155 calories, 8g fat, 17.5g carbs, 15g sugar, 3g protein"

Winner!!! Hersey's Special Dark Chocolate (1/2 bar)

90 calories, 6g fat, 12.5 carbs, 10.5g sugar, 1g protein

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Be smart, and stay in control!!!

Make sure to check out next week's posts for RECIPE WEEK!!!!

Jennifer DiDonato's MADEFITTV health and fitness entertainment

Sarcopenia: What?!

Sarcopenia is a condition associated with loss of muscle mass in older adults. There is not a clear cause of this muscle wasting, but many would agree that it has to do with inadequate protein intake and lack of resistance training. The effect happens in both men and women, but woman expecially are suseptible. It was recently found that women over the age of 35 are at risk of up to 1lb of muscle loss per year.....unless you counteract that loss with protien intake and resisitance training!!!

This is an issue for a couple reasons 1: your strength will decrease and 2: body composition starts to change....and not where you want it to:) Think......a natural fanny pack. Not good, right?! One of the reasons that metabolism slows down as you age is that muscle mass decreases. A pound of lean muscle mass burns FAR more calories than a pound of fat. So, the less muscle and more fat your have, the fewer calories you burn on a daily basis just....sitting there.

If you are at risk for sarcopenia, you need to power up on some LEAN PROTEIN!
Try these suggestions to enjoy high-quality protein throughout your day!!

Breakfast:
- Try adding a couple scrambled eggs to your current bowel of cereal
- Add a little spice to a breakfast burrito with 95% lean ground beef cooked in a taco seasoning mix
- Add low-fat cheese to an omelet
- Add a quick tablespoon of peanut butter to your oatmeal
- Pour 12oz of low-fat or fat-free milk to drink with your breakfast bar

Lunch:
- Add a hardboiled egg to your salad
- Add yogurt as a side item
- Grab a handful of almonds for desert
- Spread peanut butter on rice cakes

Dinner:
- Mix 95% lean ground beef meatballs into tomato and speghetti dishes
- Use lean pork or beef sirloin strips in a stir-fry loaded with fresh broccoli and carrots
- Make ground turkey tacos and top with low-fat cheese

So, get out there and pump some iron and reduce your muscle loss!!!!!

Prenatal Vitamins and Hair Growth

There is a popular myth out there that prenatal vitamins are good for hair and nail growth. Unfortunately, this is exactly that.......a myth.
The improved skin, hair and nails a woman experiences during pregnancy is actually due (most likely) to pregnancy hormones:(
Sorry ladies - you going to have to find another way to get those golden locks you've always dreamed of!!

The Convenience Store Diet

"I'll take 2 of those withered hot-dog things, a Coke, some Fritos, a couple bags of Combos, a Laffy Taffy, and some clogged arteries to go." Yum/Ugh. We have all been forced into the convenience store meal at some point in our lives. (Some of us maybe chose to eat there on occasion - you know who you are.)
Regardless, the options for healthy eating are pretty slim. However, its not impossible to grab something nutritious from your corner store.

Here's how:

You need to be conscious of 2 things: portion sizes and nutrients provided. If you find something that is portion controlled and is providing you with some sort of nutrient, you're not doing too bad!

Safe bets:

1st: Head to the Fridge for your calcium

• Low-fat Milk Chugs (there's chocolate too!)
• String cheese
• Yogurt

2nd: Head back for the fillers:

• Fresh Fruit is provided at majority of gas stations now
• Select single bags of peanuts for a quick protein boost
• Whole grain crackers (instead of greasy chips)
• If buying a deli sandwich, pick one that is stacked with veggies and skip the mayo
• Try whole grain peanut butter crackers
• Single serving whole grain cereal containers
• Beef Jerky (although high is sodium, it is a protein packed snack)
• Dried fruit

• Nugget pretzels (take longer to eat than other kinds:)

3rd: If wanting something warm:

• Look at the frozen section for lean pockets (a regular at most stores) and pop one in their customer microwave
• Try the Cambell's Soup at Hand (Portion controlled and easy to eat in the car)

4th: For the sweet tooth:

• Animal crackers
• Teddy grahams

There are no excuses for lack of healthy options. You can make good choices ANYWHERE!!!!!

Whip it, whip it good!

Did you know that Reddi Whip whipped cream only has 15 Calories in every 2 tablespoons? It is one of my favorite coffee toppers and I LOVE it over strawberries. So, no reason to feel guilty now, pile that creamy goodness on!!!

Happy Friday!!

I can freeze WHAT?!!

Before modern day refrigeration (aka Kelly Ripa's Electrolux), people cooled their food with ice and snow. The first "cellars" were holes dug into the ground lined with wood or straw and packed with snow and ice.


Needless to say, we've come a long way! The science behind refrigeration includes the process of removing heat from an enclosed space or substance, to lower its temperature. A refrigerator uses the evaporation of a liquid to absorb heat.  The American, Oliver Evans, designed the first refrigeration machine in 1805. I think someone else might have done something similar first, but I guess his marketing team wasn't as strong. Oops.


The first usable fridge was made by Jacob Perkins in 1834. In the beginning, refrigerators  used the toxic gases as refrigerants. Several fatal accidents occurred in the 1920s when gas leaked out of refrigerators. With further research, Freon was discovered. In just a few years, compressor refrigerators using Freon became the standard. Come to find out, this endangered the ozone layer of the entire planet. Again, oops. In 1842, the American physician John Gorrie designed and built an air-cooling apparatus for treating yellow-fever patients (too keep their rooms cool). His basic principle of compressing a gas, cooling it by sending it through radiating coils, and then expanding it to lower the temperature further, is the one most often used in refrigerators today.

So, there's the history. Now, time for the practicality. The freezer is your best friend in the kitchen. The more you can freeze, the longer your food will stay edible, and the more money you will save. Try some of these ideas to help utilize your freezer and save yourself some $$$!!

• Store breakfast foods that have been made (sausage biscuits, eggs, waffles, pancakes) in tightly sealed wrapping (zip lock bags or Tupperware). Also, you can mix raw eggs (yolk and white) and pour into ice cube trays for later use. 2 cubes = 1 large egg.

• Save all "non-edible" vegetable leftovers (the tops of onions, end of carrots, cellery tops, broccoli stems) in a container for a homemade soup stock.
• Freeze old coffee in ice cube trays to add to too hot or iced coffee later.
• Freeze left over wine in ice cube trays for cooking purposes or for soup stocks later.
• Spices and coffee grounds stay fresher in the freezer longer.
• If bananas are about to go bad, throw them in the freezer. The peel will turn black, but they are still good for smoothies!
• Not food related: If you need to clean a stuffed animal that can not be washed, place it in a freezer bag and place in the freezer for at least 8 hours. Then, run it through the dryer on high to warm back up!
• Freezing Myth: Freeze popcorn for a better pop! (fewer uncooked kernels). NOT TRUE. The reason popcorn pops is because of its moisture content. The freezer will most likely decrease the kernel's moisture content resulting in fewer kernels popping.

Happy Freezing!!!

7 Most Common Diet Mistakes

There are endless diets and diet products out there, and with their flashy false high hopes, anyone can fall for their gimmicks. It sounds great, "10 lbs in 2 weeks," but is it real or safe? Most likely not, here are the most common diet mistakes made by Americans.

1. Magic foods: If a diet restricts you to one food, like the cabbage soup diet or the cantaloupe diet, then you are doing your body a disservice. These extreme diets set you up for extreme hunger and most likely binging. Also, its unrealistic, and when you go back to actually eating, your metabolism will forever be scarred.

2. Too much of a great thing: When you hear on the news that olive oil is the new key to health, you don't go out and buy a gallon and start chugging. Don't mistake a food with fabulous health benefits with a food that you should eat all day everyday. Everything, even the healthiest food the world, is better in moderation.

3. The no-carb myth: Don't get me started on how much damage this can cause. You won't be able to live like this for long, and once you realize that and start eating carbs again, you'll blow up like a balloon. Trust me, don't remove your whole grains and fruit from your diet....they are a must have when it comes to health.

4. Low-fat is crap: We have already discussed this issue. Click to see what all the fuss is about.

5. Food denial: Putting things on the "I can absolutely not eat that list" is a no-no. You will wind up binging on whatever it is in the end. Don't set such strict boundaries. If you want ice cream, go to the ice cream shop and grab a sensibly portioned taste of whatever you were craving. DON'T go buy a gallon from the grocery.

6. Crash dieting: When it comes to a "diet," you have to be able to keep up with it. Ask yourself, "Can I do this for the rest of my life?" If not, you are most likely crash dieting, and that is not ok.

7. Calling it a diet: You should never be on a "diet." You should have a way of eating or an "eating pattern" that suits you. Throw "dieting" out the window and step into a world of healthy, sensible eating!

NeuroTRIM, The Miracle Supplement?

While flipping through a magazine at the grocery yesterday (my guilty celebrity pleasure fix), I noticed an article on successful weight loss. I couldn't help myself. Most of the ideas were great - eat more vegetables, eat oatmeal, walk more, etc. Then, there was a suggestion to drink NeuroTRIM followed by pics of many celebs drinking the nutritional supplement. (I personally can't stand celebs using their fame and frames to market dietary supplements and fad diets, but I of course had to look this one up!)

I am definitely going to do everything she does.
Genius this one.

Here's the scoop. NeuroTRIM is one of many products from Neuro, a line of dietary supplement drinks. NeuroTRIM's claim to fame is Luralean, a Japanese fiber from the konjac root. It supposedly swells to 200 times its size in the stomach giving someone the feeling of satiety, making them eat less. It is also supposed to collect particles of fat and carbohydrates that have not been digested yet, and pull them through your system as well. So, so far, I'm reading that NeuroTRIM is a glorified laxative. I keep going, though. I then try to research Luralean. Well, turns out that this is a company that makes a "purified" form of glucomannan, the actual substance considered a fiber that is from the konjac plant. Luralean is claiming that their product is more purified than just your average glucamannon (that is found in countless dietary supplements). However, keep in mind that because this is a dietary supplement, it is not regulated by the FDA, meaning that claims can be meaningless. On their website, it says the product has been involved in over 60 clinical trials and 14 safety tests. I can't find them anywhere.

So, what sounds like a miracle, may be far from it. The issue with continuous use of laxatives is that they can't tell the difference between nutrients you don't need (like saturated fat) and nutrients you do need (like Omega 3's and 6's, and vitamins A, D, E, and K. Because of this, you begin to under nutrient yourself causing more problems than before.

"What kind of laxative did you want, Mariah?"

Here's a thought!!! Instead of buying and using a product that will help you shoot whole fat particles out your butt, try eating less fat! Ahhhhhh, genius you say? I know. Can't stay satisfied throughout the day? Try adding in healthy snacks full of natural fiber from whole grain products, fruits and veggies!!

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

I remember one October when I was really young, I came home with a pumpkin stencil (a piece of paper with a picture used to outline pumpkin carvings.) Up until then my Dad did the usual triangle eyes, nose and jagged mouth. But, with pleading eyes, I begged him to carve out this intricate cat scene stating that "Abby's dad down the street did it every year." That did the trick, and Tom went to work on this impossible pumpkin carving. At the time I was gleaming with joy - looking back, I feel like an ass. Poor Dad, just trying to live up to all the other dads on the street:) (Thank you, by the way).

Anyway, the point is, when carving pumpkins, you are left with the pumpkin seeds. These are most likely thrown in the trash with all the other pulp from inside your magic jack-o-lantern!
However, when you throw those seeds away, you are throwing away health gold!! Pumpkin seeds provide endless nutrition (zinc, magnesium, potassium, iron, you name it!). And if you have 20 short minutes, you can turn them into a wonderfully tasty snack!

Here's How:
1. Separate seeds from all the other garbage (pulp).
2. You can rinse and dry them, but it is not necessary - the leftover pulp will give it a great flavor.
3. Spread seeds on a baking pan (you can apply salt to damp seeds if desired - or if you are wanting spicy seeds, try adding some cayenne pepper).
4. Bake at 375 for 20 min. and done!
5. Cool before eating.

You can eat the pumpkin seed whole, but you can also crack the shell with your teeth and just eat the seed inside. Turn the seed vertical and crack with your teeth!

1/4 cup seeds has around 70 calories, 3g Fat, 3g Pro, and tons of vitamins and minerals - use as a nighttime snack instead of popcorn for increased nutrient richness.

Have any other great pumpkin recipes? Add them below!!!

Myth Buster: Eating and Alcohol

Myth: Eating before you drink will prevent you from getting as drunk.

Fact: Eating before you drink only delays absorption of alcohol, so it just takes you longer to reach the same level of intoxication.

Alcohol is absorbed (well, about 80% of it) directly from the small intestine- no digestion required. So, if there is food in the stomach that absorbs some of the alcohol, it slows transit from the stomach to small intestine. But, in the end, the same amount will eventually be absorbed.

Happy Friday!!: Eat, drink, and be merry - and then have a healthy, nutrient packed breakfast in the morning!!!

 I know, I even annoy myself sometimes.

4 Tips for the Perfect Frozen Pizza

1. Choose thin crust
               According to Good Housekeeping Magazine, DiGiorno's Crispy Flatbread Options are great!

2. Skip the meat, and go veggie crazy
               Whole Food's 365 (Whole Food's generic brand) Mediterranean Pizza is yummy, loaded with spinach, feta cheese and olives

3. Skip the saturated fats, and try chicken
               California Pizza Kitchen's Crispy Thin Crust BBQ chicken pizza rocks!

4. Try whole wheat
               Review after review, Amy's Kitchen Pizza has been a repeat winner! Best out there: Pesto pizza. Has the whole wheat crust and organic vegetables. (Find at a store near you!)

BEWARE:

Although there are healthy options out there, frozen pizzas are still calorie packed meals and are still "treats" in my book! Be aware of the serving size, and keep portions under control!

                

Halloween Candy Sucks

Before you hunt me down and punch me in the face, let me explain. OK, yes, Halloween has traditionally been a holiday where one "trick-or-treats." This dates back to the early...................times when villagers were scared of ghosts or aliens or something and they put treats out in front of their houses in order to appease the "spirits." I don't really have time to go into exact detail of dates or specific countries or religions, so just trust me. I know what I'm talking about here.

Anyway, wherever the tradition came from, we have turned Halloween into a giant diabetes celebration. We dress up and then (before the age of 21 when candy turns to booze) stuff our face with more chocolate and sugar than one should eat in an entire lifetime. (Except for those loser kids whose parents used to ration out their candy throughout the year.)

I'm am not going to tell you that trick-or-treating is bad or that candy is bad, I'm just going to give you a good idea for this coming holiday. Or, for those of you that don't change your ways, at least make you feel a little guilty. What if you gave out a treat that didn't have a negetive effect on a child's life - with obesity leading to many chronic and sometimes even deadly diseases, you are basically killing the youth of America via Snickers. Yay!

What about handing out pencils, stickers, bouncy balls, spider rings, or other fun toys? Kids love them!! With all the other candy they will be receiving, they will actually welcome the change!

That way, you are not contributing to each child that comes to your door's future heart disease, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, low self esteem, breathing difficulties or osteoarthritis. Also, as a tax payer, I would appreciate the break on America's healthcare crisis. Thaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnks!!!!!

Happy Halloween:)

- Inspired by Dr. Kristi King, Assistant Professor at the University of Louisville

Grieving and Fat

Sorry for my absence the last few days - I have been away from my normal routine.

I recently experienced the death of someone close to me - a mother of one of my best friends. Obviously, there are countless issues involved that have nothing to do with nutrition that are MUCH MORE important. However, I can't ignore the fact that this is a nutrition blog:), and I like to use experiences from my daily life as inspiration for my postings. My friends and I have been "grieving" for a while, but with the actual passing of this wonderful person, it has been much more intense this past week. Like I have said many times before, nutrition applies to all areas of life. In times of grief, food is the number one way people choose to show their love and support.

A child gets his yearly shots - you give him a sucker.
A teenager is feeling blue after a breakup - you make her favorite dinner.
An adult loses a parent - you send lasagna, brownies, bagels, meatloaf, cookies, cheesy garlic bread, pastries, broccoli cheese soup, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and chocolate covered cake. The more people that love you, the more "comfort" food you receive. Judging by my friend's refrigerator right now, she is a grieving celebrity.

Here is the issue: When a person feels grief, their body is in stress. I am sure you have heard of the "fight-or-flight response" - the hormone driven physiological response to stressors. It causes symptoms like increased heart rate and blood pressure, slowing of the digestive track, glucose release by the liver, and much more. This response would be useful if you were being chased by a lion or trying to catch a wild boar for dinner; however, the U.S. is getting pretty short on lions, so..... Unfortunately, the body can not differentiate between emotional and physical stress. So, either way, you have the same reaction. If you do not use these "symptoms" for increased physical activity like....running away from a lion, they can be very damaging to the body.

During periods of grief, this stress response can cause harm to your body. The functioning of your immune system can be decreased and you can get sick, physically sick. When your body's defenses are down, there are many things you can do to decrease your chances of getting sick. Some examples include getting enough sleep and eating a healthy, balanced diet.

Well, its hard to eat a well balanced diet when there is no time to get to the store and there's a HUGE apple pie in the fridge calling your name. The pie and a 2 liter of coke that your neighbor "Sal" sent over become your dinner. See the problem here?

During periods of grief or stress, nutritional intake becomes very important. Is your sister-in-law dealing with the loss of her father? Send over baked chicken with mixed fruit. Send over homemade vegetables soup. For breakfast, send over a box of oatmeal, bananas and low-fat milk. How about some grilled tilapia and couscous? Or some mixed greens and a variety of dressings?
Next time your co-worker is dealing with the loss of a loved one, try sending something nutrient packed - instead of a refined sugar based meal like pasta and bread. That way, you are not only showing them your love, but you are also helping them prevent illness - doesn't that show more love than anything?

Moral of the story: Show your love with food, but show it with healthy, nutrient rich food!

It's not 1990 anymore! No more "fat-free"!!

If one more person makes the argument "Well, its fat-free" to me, I'm going to scream!! This debate came up to me yesterday when someone was trying to argue that Twizzlers were "healthy" because they were fat-free. The 1990's "fat-free" craze is over people. It doesn't matter! If you take the fat out of something, then you are just going to add sugar instead. So now, you're increasing your carbohydrate intake - which after a long process of glycolysis, the kreb's cycle, and some other stuff I don't remember, it turns into fat. So, now, you have Twizzler a$$. Congrats! That fat-free diet really worked out for ya, didn't it!
Remember the ole' peanut butter debate. The same rules apply to ALL FOODS. Just because something is fat-free, doesn't mean it doesn't have calories or that its healthier for you.
Take ice cream for example: the marketing gets you every time!

Breyer's Vanilla Ice cream - 1 serving (1/2 cup) - yeah right, who eats 1/2 cup.......anyway........
Ice cream                   Calories               Fat              Carbohydrates
All Natural                   130                    7g                       14g
Fat-Free                       90                     0g                       21g
Carb-Smart                  90                     6g                        13g
Light                            100                    3g                        17g

Notice that the fat-free has more grams of sugar than any of the others! Your best bet with foods (as a general rule) is to go with the natural or overall "light" versions. Notice that the "Carb-Smart" only has 1g less of sugar than the All-Natural.......hilarious.

Read your food labels, don't always go for the "fat-free" or the "low-carb" versions. These do not in ANY WAY mean "healthier."

Sorry for ragging on the 90's - obviously, they were awesome!! Where else could you get awesomeness like "aiight," "as if," and "the bomb!"?

I LOVE THE 90's!!!

- Inspired by Michael Pollan!

Overeaters Anonymous

I made a realization the other day (thanks to a very interesting encounter) about the idea of addiction to food. Many people suffer from food addiction just like people suffer from addictions to smoking, drugs, and alcohol. Those prone to addictions are affected by their "drug" hormonally, making it very difficult to escape.
However, in my opinion, a food addiction is much more complex than even the worst drug addiction. Here's why - the kicker........you can be abstinent from drugs or alcohol........but you can NEVER stop eating.

When the issue was presented to me like this, it blew my mind. I had never thought of it that way. An alcoholic can avoid alcohol during recovery. They can keep it out of their home, avoid public establishments having alcohol, etc. But, imagine if your drug was food.

You have to have food in the house, you have to go to the grocery, you have to get gas at the gas station, you have to go to work, you have to drive down the road, you have to see billboards. The never ending barrage of food that we encounter all day, every day is unavoidable.

I am not an addiction expert, but for those suffering from any kind of food disorder, whether its under-eating or overeating, the world is a torturous place.

The book I mentioned a few month's back, "Woman, Food, and God" by Geneen Roth dives into the world of food addiction. Those with any kind of food addiction said that it provided wonderful insight into this world of suffering.

Usually, people deal with their addiction by abstaining from their "drug." This is not an option for food addicts. Therefore, so much more counseling and education has to go into recovery from this issue. Its an interesting topic overall - I just wanted to share my eye-opening realization.

Overeaters Anonymous Website

Find a meeting near YOU!

Money, Money, Money!.......Money!

With extra body weight comes loads of complications including physiological and psychological issues. We all know this. However, in addition to all of these problems, go ahead and add 'broke' to the top of that list.

It is well known that socioeconomic status and weight are correlated due to the lack of healthy food resources for certain populations, but I am NOT talking about that correlation. I'm talking about the opposite effect - the idea that the heavier you become, the poorer you become. According to Wallet Pop, a personal finance and advice website, overeating itself costs over $258,000. That is more money than it would cost to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day for 64 years. These numbers take into account the price of health care costs, lost years of life, and discrimination of salary in the work place.

It was found that overweight, white women were the most discriminated against in the workplace (for body weight reasons). The cultural bias stating that larger people are lazy, unmotivated, and non-compliant might have a lot to do with it. John H. Cawley, associate professor of human ecology at Cornell University, reports that "a weight increase of 64 pounds above the average for white women was associated with 9 percent lower wages." - Weight and Wages: A Woman’s Dilemma

Weight is seen as such an individual issue that one can't help but blame or discriminate against a person for this particular characteristic. There are obviously other factors factored in here - not trying to get into that debate - just thought the facts were interesting.

Being overweight or obese is a never-ending, vicious cycle that few can pull through. Fat?....check. Low self-esteem?....check. Broke?......check. Awesome, now I can for sure concentrate on getting back into shape. Uplifting idea, I realize. Happy freakin' Tuesday.

Healthy Fashion

VS.

There is no arguing that you feel better on days that you look better. If I walk into work with draw-string scrub pants, no make-up and a loose fitting shirt, its safe to say that I woke-up feeling like a fat-a$$ that day. However, if I have on some fitted pants or a high-wasted skirt with shirt tucked in, its safe to say that I've had a good week!

What you wear on a daily basis can have a lot to do with what you eat. The things that you wear and the things that you eat, alike, show to the world how you feel about yourself. Clothes in general, better than actual weight, can tell you where you are with your health status. If you have to wear dress pants on a daily basis, and all of a sudden those dress pants aren't buckling, you know that something is changing. However, if you wear scrub pants on a daily basis, you can just keep tying them a little looser, a little looser, and a little looser. Its much harder to grasp the idea that your waste line is getting bigger.

Mental health wise, "dressing in clothes that make you feel confident can make you want to take better care of yourself all around. Its nice to wear pj's, but everybody likes to feel professional every once in awhile," says Lauren, a college admissions rep. in the Louisville, Kentucky area.

Lauren is exactly right! You have to spruce yourself up every once in a while and put on clothes that "don't give" in order to keep your body weight in check.

If your job requires these detrimental "unhealthy fashions," try and dress up when you run errands, go to the doctor, go to meetings, or go out to eat. Its easy to fall into a pattern of scrubs and pj pants. DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN TO YOU!

Moral of the story: SCRUB RESPONSIBLY 

Grocery Week Part V: Final Tips!!

You are ready now! Your Sunday grocery run is going to be top notch this week! Go back to Preparing for the Grocery when its time to make your list!

Here are some last minute tips to complete your grocery shopping makeover!

1. Stick to the list! Don't start pouring random items into your cart. You will end up spending more money and buying things you don't need.
2. Obviously, don't go hungry. Never a good idea to surround yourself with food when your stomach can be heard 3 aisles over. Grab a quick snack before hitting the market.

3. Buy a couple "back-up" meals. Try spaghetti, a frozen stir-fry mix, mac & cheese (the new whole grain version of course:), or a frozen veggie pizza - for those emergency situations.
4. Buy frozen veggies. They are easy to fix and won't go bad!
5. When you're running low, write it down. When you're out of something, its too late.

6. Check out your grocery's website. There are tons of recipes, coupons, shopping tips, etc. that you could be missing out on!
7. Check prices. My college roommate has taken Kroger for all its worth with this tactic. She watches the register like a hawk because if something rings up incorrectly, they give it to you for free!
8. The simplest rule there is AVOID THE JUNK FOOD!!!!!!!!!!! You don't need it! You will have plenty of great meals and snacks available for you to munch on in a crunch! A frozen pizza every once in while is fine. Cheetos as a daily appetizer is not!

Happy Shopping!!