Cheerios=Lipitor?

On Arabic TV, I always see cereal commercials for something like Cocoa Puffs that are pouring into a bowl, but they're coming out of the box as stalks of wheat and corn. While commercials like that haven't aired in the US for a long time, food companies are finding ways to trick their consumers into thinking they're eating something healthier than it really is...see below...

One company that has been using health claims right and left is General Mills cereals. According to General Mills, "Cheerios is the only ready-to-eat cereal clinically proven to lower cholesterol when eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol." The box shouts "Lower your cholesterol 4% in 6 weeks!" The reason Cheerios makes this claim is because it contains whole grain oats, a soluble fiber. One way this lowers choleserol is by binding with bile acids in the GI tract. Instead of the bile being recycled in the body, the bound bile acids are excreted in the feces. The body must then make more bile acids using cholesterol, and therefore lowering the total amount of cholesterol in one's body.

Of course, GM conducted a clinical study to prove this. According to their site, "...eating two 1 1/2 cup servings daily of Cheerios cereal reduced bad cholesterol when eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol." Thank you GM. I was really planning on replacing two of my meals with a bowl of Cheerios every day...

According to this letter from the FDA to GM, the claims on the Cheerios box and website indicate that Cheerios is a cholesterol lowering drug, and "is intended for use in lowering cholesterol, and therefore in preventing, mitigating, and treating the disease hypercholesterolemia." The FDA warned Cheerios that the product is a "drug within the meaning of section 201(g)(1)(B) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 321 (g)P)(B)]. The product is...not generally recognized as safe and effective for use in preventing or treating hypercholesterolemia or coronary heart disease. Therefore,under section 505(a) of the Act [21 U.S.C. § 355(a)], it may not be legally marketed with the above claims in the United States without an approved new drug application."

Therefore, unless Cheerios is claiming to be a statin, I look forward to seeing some changes on the Cheerios and other cereal boxes. Finally, FDA.

Quiz Answers :)

Okay kids, here you go.

1. At Denny’s, which breakfast item has the least number of calories?
      The answer is b.

a. Ham & Cheddar Omelet 
      (595 calories)
b. Country fried steak & eggs 
      (464 calories)
c. An order of French toast with syrup & margarine (3 slices)
      (1,000 calories)
d. An order of pancakes (3) with syrup & margarine
      (650 calories)

2. Which sandwich from the restaurant Cosi has more than 700 calories?
      The answer is d.

a. Turkey Rustica
      (619 calories)
b. Tuscan Pesto Chicken
      (571 calories)
c. Tandoori Chicken
      (633 calories)
d. Grilled Chicken T.B.M.
      (791 calories)
e. Sesame Ginger Chicken
      (508 calories)

3. Which item at Dunkin’ Donuts has the fewest number of calories?
      The answer is b.

a. Sesame bagel with cream cheese
      (570 calories) 
b. 2 jelly filled donuts
      (420 calories) 
c. Banana walnut muffin
      (540 calories) 
d. A medium (24 oz.) strawberry banana smoothie
      (550 calories)

4. Which grande (16 oz.) Starbucks drink has the fewest calories?
      The answer is e.

a. Frappuccino Blended Coffee with whipped cream 
      (420 to 550 calories) 
b. Frappuccino Blended Crème
      (490 to 580 calories) 
c. Chai Tea Latte
      (290 calories) 
d. Caramel Macchiato
      (310 calories) 
e. Cappuccino even, if made with whole milk 
      (150 calories)

5. Which item at McDonald’s has the most calories?
      The answer is c.

a. Big Mac
      (560 calories) 
b. 2 Sausage McGriddles
      (840 calories) 
c. Large chocolate shake
      (1,160 calories) 
d. 4 hamburgers
      (1,040 calories)

Honest Food Guide

I came upon this interesting food pyramid today and thought I'd share. What do you guys think? 

zayd's thoughts on me and ammar's marriage

this is unrelated to food but hilarious...zayd still hadn't met ammar

Quizzy :)

Here's a little quizzy I found...the argument for the posting of calories on menus. Several states have already made it required for restaurants to post calorie counts on their menu. What do you think?

...more of my thoughts on this after finals :)

1. At Denny's, which breakfast item has the least number of calories?
a. Ham & Cheddar Omelet (just the omelet without toast or potatoes)

b. Country fried steak & eggs (just the steak and eggs without toast and potatoes)

 c. An order of French toast with syrup & margarine (3 slices)

 d. An order of pancakes (3) with syrup & margarine

2. Which sandwich from the restaurant Cosi has more than 700 calories?
a. Turkey Rustica

 b. Tuscan Pesto Chicken 

c. Tandoori Chicken 

d. Grilled Chicken T.B.M. 

e. Sesame Ginger Chicken

3. Which item at Dunkin' Donuts has the fewest calories?
a. Sesame bagel with cream cheese 

b. 2 jelly filled donuts 

c. Banana walnut muffin 

d. A medium (24 oz.) strawberry banana smoothie

4. Which grande (16 oz.) Starbucks drink has the fewest calories?
a. Frappuccino Blended Coffee 

b. Frappuccino Blended Crème

 c. Chai Tea Latte 

d. Caramel Macchiato

 e. Cappuccino

5. Which item at McDonald's has the most calories?
a. Big Mac 

b. 2 Sausage McGriddles 

c. Large chocolate shake

 d. 4 hamburgers

6. Would you support the labeling of menus with their calorie content?

studying for finals...

Some really fun and exciting thoughts while studying for finals:

*Guess the disorder: endothelial injury->platelet adherence->release of "growth factors"
->proliferation of endothelial cells-interior of blood vessel->atheroma-lesion over time
Good job. Yes. Atherosclerosis.


*DASH diet...equally if not more effective than drugs for hypertension. let food be thy medicine.
(Furosemide, no. Fruits/veggies, whole grains, exercise, yes.)


*Fiber recommendation: 20-30g/day...1 apple=3g fiber.


*flax=kashi=yum=food=hungry.


*TPN=bad.


*Physical activity=good. I miss my gym. It flooded.


*Necrosis--> Debride. Debride is a funny word.


*If you can read this, you are too old to be drinking whole milk.


*50% intermediate, 50% short insulin.


*cranberry juice: your kidneys will <3>

*Elemental formula: mo' money.


*don't sit on your rear all day. you might get a bedsore.


*ECF=CBS. clever. Extracellular fluid=chloride, bicarbonate, sodium.

Five a day!

How many fruits and vegetables do you eat every day?

If you're between 4-18, the vegetable you consume most often is probably the potato, often in the form of french fries. It's recommended that we eat five fruit and vegetable servings every day, but most Americans fall short of that recommendation.


Skipping out on these foods can make you miss out on some of the most important nutrients. Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and tons more. While these nutrients can be supplemented, it's always better to get them from foods. Supplements are more likely to lead to toxicity, and are also regulated with different standards than "conventional" foods--manufacturers do not need to register their supplements or get FDA approval for them before selling them.


One of the greatest benifits of eating more fruits and vegetables may be that helps to manage weight. Because many of these foods are rich in fiber, you are full more quickly and with less calories. Substituting high-fat sides like french fries with steamed veggies is an easy way to cut calories, especially when you eat out.


The key to eating enough fruits and vegetables is having them easily available. It may seem easier to get a bag of chips to snack on while watching tv than to cut up an orange, but if you have a bag of baby carrots or grapes in small single serving bags, that excuse doesn't fly. Instead of buying 100 calorie snack bags, try one of these easy-to-prepare foods



a medium-size apple (72 calories)
a medium-size banana (105 calories)
1 cup steamed green beans (44 calories)
1 cup blueberries (83 calories)
1 cup grapes (100 calories)


Another alternative to fresh is canned or frozen fruits and vegetables. Make sure your fruits are canned in either light syrup or their own water--avoid fruits canned in heavy syrups. Choose fruits and vegetables in every color: green spinach, orange sweet potatoes, yellow corn, purple plums, red watermelon, and white onions. Try new fruits and vegetables regularly: pomegranite, kale, asparagus, collard greens, and starfruit. Add them to your regular foods: cereal and yogurt with berries, pancakes and oatmeal with bananas and spinach and broccoli with pasta.


So if you're supposed to have five fruits and vegetables (for most people, it's 2 fruits and 3 vegetables) what counts as a serving? Here are some examples:


Fruits
one banana
six strawberries
two plums
fifteen grapes
one apple
one peach
one half cup of orange or other fruit juice (eating fresh fruits is usually better than drinking the fruit juice--it generally has added sugar and not quite as much fiber)

Vegetables
five broccoli florets
ten baby carrots
one roma tomato
3/4 cup tomato juice
half of a baked sweet potato
one ear of corn

The first lady did a great job setting an example last month when she started a fruit and vegetable garden at the White House with local students. While it takes a lot of effort, it's good exercise, and it's a great way to encourage yourself to eat more fruits and vegetables. Try starting with something small, in potted plants. Tomatoes, strawberries, and herbs are an easy start. Knowing where your food is coming from is the first step in taking control of your eating.

Today's challenge: Make yourself eat five fruits and vegetables every day--if you're already there bump it up to eight