melting mama

Nutribreads P28 Protein Bread

Totally overexcited over this, P28 Protein Bread, available at netrition.  Read the entire review below!

 

 

Why are extreme foods so popular in a health-conscious nation?

I am sharing this article from the LA Times about "Fatty Foods" or "Extreme Foods" -- because of this:

"They want to appeal to young men and to the contrarians who don't want to be told what to eat by nutrition people,"

That is in reference to the super-size-me foods popping up all over the country -- Hellooo Double Down!  (Which, FOR YOUR REFERENCE, I HAVE YET TO EVEN SEE IN REAL LIFE!)

Contrarians.  Cont-rarians.  Con-trar-ians.

"You see, sir, I am a Contrarian, and I must try this Double Down Sandwich Straight AWAY!"

But, I likely wouldn't bother buying it or trying it myself, but I wouldn't villify you for doing so.  It's just that I don't see food as evil, it's not a criminal, and I am not (always) the food police.

LA Times -

"Fatty Foods Still Big Sellers"

When Sonic Drive-in opened its first Connecticut franchise in Wallingford last month, it came just in time to serve the fast-food chain's newest menu item, the Footlong Quarter Pound Coney hot dog.

The beef and pork hot dog is topped with chili and melted cheese. And it is, as the name suggests, one quarter of a pound and a foot long: 810 Calories (480 from fat), 53 grams of fat (22 grams of which are saturated fat), 1,800 grams of sodium, 56 grams of carbs and 33 grams of protein.

In terms of gluttony, it's extreme, but hardly alone. KFC made a splash in the spring with its Double Down: two bacon strips, cheese and sauce sandwiched between two pieces of chicken. Last year, the biggest news to come out of the Big E fair was something called the Craz-E Burger, a cheeseburger topped with bacon, placed between two halves of a grilled glazed doughnut.

These are not so much menu offerings but dares, and they're thriving at a time when there's probably more awareness of nutrition and the dangers of obesity than ever. In fact, it might be this awareness that's spurring on the so-called "stunt foods."

Kelly Brownell, director of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy, says these extreme meals are singling out a specific customer.

"They want to appeal to young men and to the contrarians who don't want to be told what to eat by nutrition people," he says.

That these restaurants often offer more healthful fare doesn't lessen Brownell's criticism.

"They want to cover all their bases; they want to appear like they are making progress," he says. "I do think the company should be held accountable for their pledges to create healthful foods when they're also doing this."

A spokesperson for Sonic said no one was available to talk about the quarter-pound hot dog, or the criticism of it. She did, though, email some nutrition facts about the restaurant that pointed out that Sonic "offers menu options for health conscious consumers who long to have fun with their food, and watch calories too."

A grilled chicken sandwich with wheat bun, apple slices with low-fat caramel dipping sauce, bananas, salads and smoothies (with two to three times the sugar found in a can of Coke) are among the dishes they highlight for the health-conscious.

The extreme dishes are still anomalies, but Brownell fears that the extra-large portions and fatty content will become the norm. When McDonald's rolled out the Big Mac in 1967, the mere size of it was an attention-getter. If it came out today, though, it's 540 calories and 29 grams of fat would barely raise an eyebrow.

It's downright prim compared to an order of Five Guys' large fries, boasting 1,471 calories and 71 grams of fat.

That these over-the-top items are "forbidden fruit" is part of the appeal.

So says J. Justin Wilson, the Center for Consumer Freedom, a non-profit group funded in part by the restaurant industry. With so many warnings about fat, sugar and sodium, he says, eating a towering burger becomes an act of rebellion.

"All of these items are introduced with a certain degree of bravado," he says. "This is what happens when you push too hard against people's wills …"

In a way, he says, these extreme meals have their roots in local steakhouses that challenged customers to "eat this three-pound steak in an hour, and get it free!" Its modern incarnation, he says, began when Hardees rolled out Monster Thickburger in 2004. Weighing in at 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat, Wilson says it "openly mocked the food police."

And it was wildly successful, getting publicity for a chain "that a lot of people had forgotten existed."

Copyright © 2010, The Hartford Courant

Paula Deen Went Someplace Special With Butter.

 

Lobster Shooters with Butter.

Hey - protein and fat!  Who could go wrong?
 

Nuts aren't protein, they're fat.

 
 A staple of MANY post weight loss surgery patients daily intake - NUTS and NUT BUTTERS!  Why?  Perhaps many us of found that nuts go "down" easy, and they are "easy protein," but.... are they? 

Sure, nuts are okay occasionally, as a snack, but they're not really a "protein" food.  They're a fat.  Many of us find that FAT = HAPPY POUCHES.  

But, we shouldn't really have our spoons in the jar all day long.  It's SO very high in fat and calories, that stall you're whining about?  How much peanut butter do you eat?  (Okay, that's not my issue, it's simple carbs and cheese (FAT) but, I'm just saying.)

I say, yes you can have nuts and nut butters, but a serving.  Not, half a jar by the spoonful all afternoon and into the night and when you wake up in the middle of the night.  (I know you do it.)  A serving.  Nuts CAN be a source of good fats and vitamins, in moderation.  If you cannot trust yourself to a serving, then don't have them in the house.  Those 100 calorie packs or single-serving packs are okay (a waste of packaging, but whatever...) to keep you from having hand-to-mouth issues.

Almonds, walnuts and pistachios are among the best, if you're going to go ahead and eat nuts.  Pistachios have the most, uh... fiber.  A tiny bit, but still.  Here are more healthier nuts. 

Nut butters, ALL NATURAL, are the way to go.  Ditch the Skippy and Peter Pan CRAP and get you some fresh ground almond butter.  

Learn to indulge in just a taste.  Nuts are FAT, use them like they ARE... FAT.  Think of them like butter.  You wouldn't eat butter like peanuts -- would you? (Uh.  I won't answer that.)

From Dr. Simpson -

"Anyone who has been in my office sees rows of diet books. Almost every new diet that comes along, I get the book to read about it, because at some point a patient will come in and say they’ve learned some nutrition when they were on some diet plan.

One of the most common bits of misinformation is that peanuts – and hence, peanut butter – is protein – or a healthy snack — or a complex carbohydrate. Book after book on my shelf lists peanuts as a great source of protein, and a “snack that is healthy for you.”

I wonder if they ever bothered to look at a jar of peanut butter? Of the 190 calories in two tablespoons of peanut butter, 140 of the calories are from fat. Two tablespoons of butter contain 200 calories – all of which come from fat. Basically, while there is a bit of carbohydrate and some protein – peanut butter is over 70% fat. A tablespoon of peanut butter isn’t much- seems to fit right on that celery stick– and four tablespoons of peanut butter — well, now you have just had more fat than in a Big Mac. A Snickers bar (not a healthy snack) has less fat than two tablespoons of peanut butter.

Fat is not, nor will it ever be, a healthy snack. Fat is a dense source of calories, and if you are thinking about losing weight – the last place you would want to get a snack from is a dense source of calories.

When it comes to heart disease — what are those damaged heart vessels lined with? – FAT.

Now there are those who will tell you that fat does not make you fat (seriously, someone has this as the basis of their diet) – or that fat is healthier than bread (all I can say is they are nuttier than peanut butter).

(MM notes - Um.  I'm not going there.  As an RNY post op, bread is very often NOT a decent option for me, and looking at my ass, it is what makes me fat.  Again, just saying.)

Whey Protein Quality and Purity - Recent Heavy Metal Reports

From Bariatric Advantage -

1 July 2010

Whey Protein Quality and Purity A recent investigation by Consumer Reports raised concerns about heavy metal contamination in popular protein drinks. They tested 15 popular brands and found that high levels of heavy metals (in excess of the safe limits set by the United States Pharmacopoeia). We have had calls from several of our health care professionals and a handful of customers and wanted to share with you some information about our supplier of whey protein isolate for our Meal Replacement products. As you know, we at Bariatric Advantage take great pride in the quality of our products - quality products are made from quality ingredients. So here is a little information about our whey protein. Our whey protein comes from a supplier in California with 25 years of experience supplying high-quality dairy ingredients to the nutrition and food industries. Here is just some of what they do to assure exceptional quality: Products meet critical standards including GMO-free, EU conforming, Kosher and Halal, and milk supply is certified BSE-free Processing facilities are ISO 9001:2000 certified GMP and HACCP programs are followed at every stage of production Daily testing is conducted on whey for arsenic, cadmium and lead Quarterly testing is conducted for mercury Our commitment at Bariatric Advantage is to seek out high quality ingredients - we really believe that quality is a big part of making products that work. If you ever have questions about our products or ingredients, please don't hesitate to ask. Since it appears that heavy metal contamination might be a real issue in whey products, if you are buying other whey protein products or supplying them for your patients, you might want to ask the manufacturer for a recent Certificate of Analysis and their policy on heavy metal screening. In Health,   Jacqueline Jacques, ND Chief Science Officer

How To Please A MM - Sell PROTI Cookies!

Sell These. (My favorite protein bars, ever.)  I've found them again.

*sigh*

 

(Left hand sidebar under "Proti-thin")

That is all.  Carry on.

ProJoe Chai vs. Believe Chai

What follows are two 'completely different products.'

Projoe and Believe.  I (and others) were told that Believe was an exclusive product, not available in any other form, bottle, box or otherwise.  Read the ingredients.

So even if it's not an identical product, it IS the same bottle, the same ounces, the same ingredients, the same order, the same nutritional profile, out of the same factory.

This is the ProJoe CHAI and Believe Chai.   

       
 

Still don't believe me?  :P

The good news is?  I really liked the Chai flavor.  I had been holding my bottle hostage in the fridge for so long I didn't think it would ever get a proper review.  I've been thanked for sending business over for discussing these products.  Uh, you're welcome?  

www.nataliedee.com

I probably should have INTRODUCED...

...the beautiful meatballs, err... Linda, before she started posting!

Please welcome Linda Farnsworth from Eating Well, Living Thin! 
 

Linda is a fellow weight loss surgery post op, having lost 200 pounds and is an amazing cook and food porn creator. ;)  She's agreed to throw some XXX our way.  And, for girls like me who just 'don't' feel the love for cooking, seeing the end result gives me the motivation to TRY.  

Thank you Linda!

Go a little Greek...

This recipe from Linda at Eating Well...Living Thin

 

 GYRO-SPICED MEATBALLS WITH TZATZIKI

Time for some solid, dense protein?  Need a lunch or dinner that’s full of flavor and super filling?  Something new and different?  Here ya’ go…

You can make meatballs, patties, or loaf….or even crumbly fry this off in a pan. The secret to pouch-friendly meat is to fry, bake, or broil it just until it’s almost done – there will be some carryover heat and it will finish cooking out of the pan. This way your ground meats, especially, will stay softly moist.

Super easy, very fast, and they are wonderful wrapped in some buttery soft lettuce leaves with my Tzatziki Sauce (recipe below).

~~~~

1 pound ground sirloin or turkey
2 large cloves garlic, crushed (thru a garlic press)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1/8 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons half & half
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large bowl combine the meat, garlic, salt, onion powder, oregano, allspice, half & half, and black pepper. Fry into two-tablespoon-sized meatballs or form into patties or loaf and bake off. Makes 6 servings.

With ground sirloin:
Per Serving: 213 Cal; 23 g Protein; 13 g Tot Fat; 0 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; 0 g Sugar; 246 mg Sodium

.

With ground turkey (mixed light and dark):
Per Serving: 133 Cal; 22 g Protein; 6 g Tot Fat; 0 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; 0 g Sugar; 294 mg Sodium

.

Tzatziki Sauce

3/4 cup thick plain yogurt such as Fage (or drain plain yogurt very well)
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Splenda
1 teaspoon dried or 2 tablespoon fresh dill weed
Kosher salt and black pepper

.

In a small mixing bowl blend together the yogurt, sour cream, grated cucumber, garlic powder, Splenda, dill weed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill. This is best if made several hours in advance.

.

Makes 6 servings. Per Serving: Calories 31; Protein 2 g; Fat 1 g; Carbs 3 g; Sugar 2 g; Sodium 25 mg

How to pass out!

Eat about 3/4 serving of instant grits.

I thought I would avoid the carbohydrate coma by adding protein and fat, but, it was a big fat fail.  I ate the grits with crumbled bacon bits and light butter at 11am, and had to lay down and was out of it until about 2pm.  

Good times.

Yes, I know better, yes, I have eaten this same food at least 5-10 times before with the same result, but I thought THIS TIME IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT!  THIS TIME!  BACON WOULD MAKE IT ALL BETTER!  HA.  My body says FUCK THE BACON, I WILL SHOW YOU!

Newbies, close your eyes:  Tell me this, I can eat and ENTIRE BLOCK OF RAMEN NOODLES WITH ZERO RAMIFICATIONS?  But, 1/4 cup of GRITS sends me to bed?   I puffy heart love my WLS!