This is How Your Hot Dogs are Made [Video]

You wonder why fruit tastes so good!

It's filled with SUGAR!

Juicing in 2013

Received a NutriBullet for Christmas. I have been having so much fun with it. Juicing everything from  kale, spinach and various different fruits.  Weight should really drop now!

Obese people at 29% higher risk of premature death

People who are obese have a 29% increased risk of premature death.
This could come as a wake-up call for 8 million women and 4.4 million men in India who are obese (body mass index of 30 kg/m2).
One of the largest analyses done - 100 studies that included 3 million adults - has found that obesity was associated with a significantly higher all-cause risk of death.
In this meta-analysis that looked at 2.7 lakh deaths that occurred in the US, Europe, Mexico, India, Israel, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, China and Australia, researchers found a 18% higher risk of death for obesity - BMI equal or higher than 30 and a 29% increased risk of death among those whose BMI was higher than 35.
The study says that the presence of a wasting disease, heart disease, diabetes, renal dialysis or older age are all associated with an inverse relationship between BMI and mortality rate, an observation termed the obesity paradox.
Over one in 10 adults, who 20 years and above, are obese globally.
That's over half a billion people (205 million men and 297 million women were obese in 2008).
Researchers say excess bodyweight is an important risk factor for mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and musculoskeletal disorders, causing nearly three million deaths every year worldwide.
While the number of obese men in India increased from 2.3 million to 4.4 million between 1980 and 2008, the number increased from 2.1 million to 8 million among women during the same period
According to the study that was published on the January 2nd issue of the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), "Estimates of the relative mortality risks associated with normal weight, overweight and obesity may help to inform decision making in the clinical setting."
Katherine Flegal, of the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducted the study to compile and summarize published analyses of body mass index (BMI) and all-cause mortality that provide hazard ratios (HRs) for standard BMI categories.
All-cause mortality HRs for overweight (BMI of 25 and 30), obesity (BMI of 30), grade 1 obesity (BMI of 30-35), and grades 2 and 3 obesity (BMI of 35) were calculated relative to normal weight (BMI of 18.5-25).
The researchers found that the summary HRs indicated a 6% lower risk of death for overweight; a 18% higher risk of death for obesity (all grades), a 5% lower risk of death for grade 1 obesity and a 29% increased risk of death for grades 2 and 3 obesity.
Professor Majid Ezzati from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London had said, "Excess bodyweight is a major public health concern."
Now, India is in the grip of an obesity epidemic. Experts say the trend needs to be immediately arrested by taxing junk food, restricting food ads and making food labelling clearer.
A study that looked at the burden of overweight citizens in six countries - Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa - has found that between 1998 and 2005, India's overweight rates increased by 20%. Currently, almost one in five men and over one in six women are overweight. In some urban areas, the rates are as high as 40%.
Published in the Lancet by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD), the annual cost of broad-based prevention strategies tackling obesity and other health threats, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, high blood pressure and cholesterol, would be less than $2 per person per year in India.
Obesity is the root for several non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Another study in the Lancet predicted that by 2030, nearly 70% of all global deaths will be from non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, and respiratory and heart disease. Of these 70% of fatalities, 80% will be in less wealthy nations like India.
According to WHO, NCDs - principally cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases - caused an estimated 35 million deaths in 2005. This figure represents 60% of all deaths globally, with 80% of deaths due to noncommunicable diseases occurring in low- and middle-income countries, and approximately 16 million deaths involving people below 70 years.
The total deaths from NCDs are projected to increase by a further 17% over the next 10 years.
Up to 80% of heart disease, stroke and type-2 diabetes and over a third of cancers can be prevented by eliminating shared risk factors, mainly tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol.

2012 Goals!

2012 was a great year. Accomplished many things health wise. I've completely stopped eating meat and chicken. Still eat seafood, need a little variety.

March I placed second in a weight loss challege.

In June I started working out at Train Studios. They emphasize on core training using ropes, kettle bells, TRX and your own bodyweight. My waist dropped 2 inches and my shirt size went from XL to L.

2013 will bring many changes including juicing. My biggest goal is to be down 60 ibs by my 1 year annivesary at Train Studios.

Still drinking coca cola? Watch this!

See what happens to a burger over years time!

Tucking shirt in!

I hate this look for me. If you do it that's your business, but I feel sloppy. When I wasn't able to tuck my shirts in, I always wore pullover type shirts for work. 

This is the look I like! So much cleaner look. I'm happy I can do this again! Keep Planking!

The Amazing Transformation of a Guy Who Didn't Give Up!

THE FATTIEST FOODS IN AMERICA

6. FAT OFFENDER #6: A BURGER : Ruby Tuesday Triple Prime Bacon Cheddar Burger

1,333 calories, 101 g fat, 1,892 mg sodium

New rule: The more syllables in a menu item's name, the more fat there's likely to be in the dish. Less than 3 percent of the beef produced in this country earns the USDA's "prime" rating, and that's not a bad thing. Prime beef, as it turns out, is the fattiest beef you can sink your teeth into. If you really want a burger, you're better off heading elsewhere. Not one of Ruby's has fewer than 700 calories. Go with the Plain Grilled Top Sirloin and earn all the beefy protein without the superfluous calories.

EAT THIS INSTEAD!

Plain Grilled Top Sirloin

290 calories, 12 g fat, 420 mg sodium

5. FAT OFFENDER #5: A STEAK: Chili’s Flame-Grilled Ribeye with broccoli and mashed potatoes

1,460 calories, 106 g fat (44 g saturated), 3,700 mg sodium

For a healthy diet, the USDA recommends you cap your daily saturated fat intake at 20 grams. This meal more than doubles that, and it's only 12 ounces of meat. Sure, ribeye is a notoriously fatty cut, but it's primarily the bath of butter that pushes this steak's fat count to such unhealthy heights. Switch to the Guiltless Grill Classic Sirloin and save an astounding 1,090 calories.

EAT THIS INSTEAD!

Guiltless Grill Classic Sirloin with steamed veggies

370 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated), 3,680 mg sodium

4. FAT OFFENDER #4: MEXICAN FOOD: Chili’s Bacon Ranch Chicken Quesadilla

1,650 calories, 107 g fat (39 g saturated), 3,450 mg sodium

Traditional Mexican food is big on seasoning and light on cheese, but with this quesadilla, Chili's takes a different approach. Trying to appease palates primed for indulgence, the restaurant layers on the fat in four ways: cheese, ranch, bacon, and sour cream. Go with the Margarita Grilled Chicken and you'll cut the overall fat content by more than 80 percent.

EAT THIS INSTEAD!

Margarita Grilled Chicken

550 calories, 14 g fat (4 g saturated), 1,870 mg sodium

3. FAT OFFENDER #3: A 'HEALTHY' SALAD: IHOP Chicken and Spinach Salad

1,600 calories, 118 g fat (32 g saturated), 2,340 mg sodium

Chicken? Good. Spinach? Good. IHOP’s Chicken and Spinach Salad—downright deplorable. You'll need to i-hop for four hours to burn it off. This salad is exactly what makes restaurant food so questionable and potentially unhealthy. The name makes it sound like a paragon of nutritious eating, yet the numbers reveal it to be just the opposite. The chicken here is actually fried chicken, and the spinach is little more than a small bed for bacon and cheddar cheese. You could snarf down six pancake short stacks and still take in less fat. Save yourself the waistline damage and opt for the Simple & Fit Simply Chicken Sandwich instead.

Click here for all of today's nutrition, health, and fitness news!

EAT THIS INSTEAD!

Simply Chicken Sandwich with fresh fruit, side salad, and reduced-fat Italian dressing

565 calories, 12.5 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 1,085 mg sodium

2. FAT OFFENDER #2: 'HEALTHY' FISH: Applebee’s New England Fish & Chips

1,930 calories, 138 g fat (24 g saturated), 3,180 mg sodium

The American Heart Association recommends eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids at least twice a week. By doing so, you lower your risk of such chronic diseases as heart disease and cancer. But if you prepare fish by deep frying it in a tub of bubbling fat—like Applebee's does with this artery-clogging monstrosity—you reverse all those benefits. Opt for Applebee's Garlic Herb Salmon instead. It offers 109 fewer grams of fat, nearly two-thirds fewer calories, and a heap of flavor that will still leave you satiated.

EAT THIS INSTEAD!

Applebee’s Garlic Herb Salmon

690 calories, 29 g fat (8 g saturated), 1,460 mg sodium

1. FAT OFFENDER #1: PASTA: Cheesecake Factory Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken

2,300 calories, 103 g saturated fat, 1,517 mg sodium

Cheesecake Factory prefers to keep its nutritional stats hidden, but a law in California forced it to reveal saturated fat. Total fat is still a mystery, but this meal breaks through the 100-gram ceiling on saturated fat alone! The culprits here are the oversized portion and the thick, fat-riddled alfredo sauce. The typical restaurant recipe for this sauce relies on some combination of cream, butter, oil, and cheese, and there's no reason to believe that Cheesecake's version strays from the norm. Unfortunately, the chain offers no single pasta dish with fewer than 1,100 calories, so keep yourself safe by sticking to the new Skinnylicious menu.

The Truth About Soda!? (Selling Diabetes In A Bottle)

Would you eat a stack of 16 sugar cubes?

This website breaks down the sugar content in common things you eat and drink.


http://www.sugarstacks.com/

WHY ARE BANANAS GOOD FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

If there was a food that was low in calories and low in fat while high in fiber and vitamins and could help you lose weight, chances are you would eat it. The truth is, this nutritious food can be eaten with breakfast or as a snack, or can complement a nice dessert. Bananas are one of the most nutritious and natural foods that help promote weight loss, and can make a convenient addition to your daily diet.

Calories

Bananas are best known for containing large amounts of potassium, magnesium and vitamin B6 and are surprisingly low in calories. The average large ripe banana, which ranges from 7 to 8 inches long, contains only 105 calories, the Discovery Health website and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database agree. Based on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet, eating several bananas a day can provide numerous nutrients and account for only a fraction of your daily caloric intake.

Fat

Like most fruits, bananas do not have much protein, but they are very low in fat. The USDA database reports that a large, ripe banana has less than half a gram of fat. Considering there are 9 calories per gram of fat, you can eat several bananas a day and not take in any bad fat that could lead to weight gain.

Fiber

Bananas are high in dietary fiber, which makes you feel fuller longer so you won't overeat at your next meal or reach for an unhealthy snack before it. A large banana contains 4 grams of dietary fiber per serving, which can help you reach the recommended daily allowance of at least 25 grams.

Glycemic Index

Aside from its many nutrients and convenient packaging, bananas also have a low glycemic index, which can help you with weight loss. The glycemic index is a ranking of how quickly carbohydrates from food are released into the body. Foods that have low glycemic index scores release carbs slowly into the body. This prevents drops and spikes in your blood sugar levels as fluctuations signal your body to eat more than you should. The Glycemic Index Foundation's website lists ripe yellow bananas with a glycemic index of 51 --- a low value on a scale where anything above 70 is considered high and anything under 55 is low.

Misconceptions

Eating bananas is only part of an overall lifestyle change--- including a healthy diet, cardiovascular exercise and strength training --- that can result in effective weight loss. Eating bananas should not be the sum of your weight-loss plan, but rather one small part of it.

2 year anniversary!

Today makes 2 years since I started this blog. I've had my ups and downs, but I'm still focused. My BMI is now 34.6. Continue to follow my progress.

More Than Half In 39 States Will Be Obese

We Americans already know how fat we are. Can it get much worse?

Apparently, yes, according to an advocacy group that predicts that by 2030 more than half the people in the vast majority of states will be obese.

Mississippi is expected to retain its crown as the fattest state in the nation for at least two more decades. The report predicts 67 percent of that state's adults will be obese by 2030; that would be an astounding increase from Mississippi's current 35 percent obesity rate.

The new projections were released Tuesday by Trust for America's Health with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Trust for America's Health regularly reports on obesity to raise awareness, mostly relying on government figures.

The group's dismal forecast goes beyond the 42 percent national obesity level that federal health officials project by 2030. The group predicts every state would have rates above 44 percent by that time, although it didn't calculate an overall national average.

About two-thirds of Americans are overweight now. That includes those who are obese, a group that accounts for about 36 percent. Obesity rates have been holding steady in recent years. Obesity is defined as having a body-mass index of 30 or more, a measure of weight for height.

Trust for America's Health officials said their projections are based in part on state-by-state surveys by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1999 through 2010. The phone surveys ask residents to self-report their height and weight; people aren't always so accurate about that.

The researchers then looked at other national data tracking residents' weight and measurements and made adjustments for how much people in each state might fudge the truth about their weight. They also tried to apply recent trends in obesity rates, along with other factors, to make the predictions.

Officials with Trust for America's Health said they believe their projections are reasonable.
And New York City's health commissioner agreed. "If we don't do anything, I think that's a fair prediction," said Dr. Thomas Farley whose city banned just supersize sugary drinks to curb obesity.
Trust for America projects that by 2030, 13 states would have adult obesity rates above 60 percent, 39 states might have rates above 50 percent, and every state would have rates above 44 percent.
Even in the thinnest state — Colorado, where about one-fifth of residents are obese — 45 percent would be obese by 2030.

Perhaps more surprising, Delaware is expected to have obesity levels nearly as high as Mississippi. Delaware currently is in the middle of the pack when it comes to self-reported obesity rates.
The report didn't detail why some states' rates were expected to jump more than others. It also didn't calculate an average adult obesity rate for the entire nation in 2030, as the CDC did a few months ago. But a researcher who worked on the Trust for America's Health study acknowledged that report's numbers point toward a figure close to 50 percent.

CDC officials declined to comment on the new report.
Whichever estimates you trust most, it's clear that the nation's weight problem is going to continue, escalating the number of cases of diabetes, heart disease and stroke, said Jeff Levi, executive director of Trust for America's Health.

By 2030, medical costs from treating obesity-related diseases are likely to increase by $48 billion, to $66 billion per year, his report said.
The focus of so much of the ongoing debate about health care is over controlling costs, Levi said. "... We can only achieve it by addressing obesity. Otherwise, we're just tinkering around the margins."
___
Listed are 2011 obesity levels followed by the Trust for America's Health projections for 2030. States are listed in order from the highest to lowest projections in 2030:
Mississippi, 35 percent, 67 percent
Oklahoma, 31 percent, 66 percent
Delaware, 29 percent, 65 percent
Tennessee, 29 percent, 63 percent
South Carolina, 31 percent, 63 percent
Alabama, 32 percent, 63 percent
Kansas, 30 percent, 62 percent
Louisiana, 33 percent, 62 percent
Missouri, 30 percent, 62 percent
Arkansas, 31 percent, 61 percent
South Dakota, 28 percent, 60 percent
West Virginia, 32 percent, 60 percent
Kentucky, 30 percent, 60 percent
Ohio, 30 percent, 60 percent
Michigan, 31 percent, 59 percent
Arizona, 25 percent, 59 percent
Maryland, 28 percent, 59 percent
Florida, 27 percent, 59 percent
North Carolina, 29 percent, 58 percent
New Hampshire, 26 percent, 58 percent
Texas, 30 percent, 57 percent
North Dakota, 28 percent, 57 percent
Nebraska, 28 percent, 57 percent
Pennsylvania, 29 percent, 57 percent
Wyoming, 25 percent, 57 percent
Wisconsin, 28 percent, 56 percent
Indiana, 31 percent, 56 percent
Washington, 27 percent, 56 percent
Maine, 28 percent, 55 percent
Minnesota, 26 percent, 55 percent
Iowa, 29 percent, 54 percent
New Mexico, 26 percent, 54 percent
Rhode Island, 25 percent, 54 percent
Illinois, 27 percent, 54 percent
Georgia, 28 percent, 54 percent
Montana, 25 percent, 54 percent
Idaho, 27 percent, 53 percent
Hawaii, 22 percent, 52 percent
New York, 25 percent, 51 percent
Virginia, 29 percent, 50 percent
Nevada, 25 percent, 50 percent
Oregon, 27 percent, 49 percent
Massachusetts, 23 percent, 49 percent
New Jersey, 24 percent, 49 percent
Vermont, 25 percent, 48 percent
California, 24 percent, 47 percent
Connecticut, 25 percent, 47 percent
Utah, 24 percent, 46 percent
Alaska, 27 percent, 46 percent
Colorado, 21 percent, 45 percent
District of Columbia, 24 percent, 33 percent

Welcome back!

July and August were hard months for me. Now I'm taking it back, getting rid of everything bad. Sugar, cheese, bread, etc. I'm back on my grind. Watch out!

June totals & lost 18 ibs!

Kiss Your Fat Goodbye: Get Fit Now

Fake Meat Never Tasted So Good

Fake Meat Never Tasted So Good: We Taste-Test Subway's New Vegan Subs, and Like Them

 
Photo courtesy of Compassion Over Killing

Pity the vegetarian on a long road trip. In the grand scheme of American fast food, there really aren't many palatable meatless options. If you're a vegan, it only gets more difficult to find proper sustenance in the types of restaurants that dot strip malls and highway exits.

In that, Subway's 33,000 nationwide stores have always been something of a blessing. The fast food sandwich monger has always provided its Veggie Delite to vegetarians, but that was about it. But now, there are more options to be had—and these will even appeal to vegans.

In partnership with animal rights group Compassion Over Killing, Subway recently rolled out three all-vegan sandwich options—and much to our luck, they're being tested in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia market. Since I sent Ben to taste-test Burger King's Bacon Sundae (short Ben: it was gross), it fell on me to head down to a Subway Café on Massachusetts Avenue today and sample the new vegan alternatives.

First off, a disclaimer: I don't go to Subway very often. But in the totality of American fast food, I would choose it over some of the competitors. I suppose I like the variety as much as I enjoy pretending that it's really healthy. (It's not as unhealthy as some fast food joints, but it's also fast food—and there's always plenty of extra calories secretly hidden away in its offerings.) Additionally, all words of praise here have to set to a fast food standard: good means good relative to other fast food options; we're not pitting Subway against Citronelle, after all.

My first choice was the Sweet Riblet. And why not? Non-meat meat products have certainly improved over the years, but their consistency and flavor can leave just about any meat-eater wanting. I approached this sub skeptically; I really like ribs, after all, so fake ribs just wouldn't make the grade. Or so I thought.

Though the ribs emerge from a vacuum-sealed pouch that's quickly microwaved before being unceremoniously plopped on your choice of bread—there are five vegan options: Roasted Garlic, Sourdough, Light Wheat English Muffin, Hearty Italian and Hearty Italian White—they tasted like, well, ribs.

No, a real rib aficionado wouldn't be fooled if served Subway's vegan alternative unaccompanied on a dish, but sandwiched between the bread and toppings you'd hardly fault someone for thinking they're not eating the real thing. The barbecue sauce slathered on the "ribs" even had a pleasant smokiness to it, and I had no problem wolfing down the six-inch Sweet Riblet sub. (It did have an odd aftertaste, but I've learned that plenty of meat substitutes do.) I can see this becoming a go-to option whenever I stop into a Subway, as rarely as that happens.

The Italian Black Bean sub was a little less compelling, mostly because there wasn't much to it—a halved Morningstar black bean patty is the star of this sandwich. Also thrown in the microwave, the patty became unpleasantly chewy, almost gummy. It wasn't bad—the patty itself is nicely seasoned, after all—but there wasn't much setting it apart.

I didn't get around to trying the third offering, the Malibu Greek sub, mostly because I'm not about to stomach a full foot-and-a-half worth of Subway—ever.

I'd say Subway is on the right track with its three vegan options. The standard Veggie Delite sandwich is passable, but it fails on one key point—the vegetables at Subway don't ever seem very good. The vegan alternatives—at least the Sweet Riblet—make you feel like you can pack your sandwich with something a little tastier, heartier and animal-friendly.

If you want to try the sandwiches yourself, these are the participating locations:

D.C.
555 13th St NW, Washington, DC 20005 -- 202-347-4616
455 Massachusetts Ave, NW (1st Floor) Washington, DC 20001 -- 202-638-0348
550 First St., NW, Washington, DC 20001 -- 202-661-6639

Maryland
8145 Main St, Ellicott City, MD 21043 -- 410-418-4330
5520 Research Park Dr, #107, Catonsville, MD 21228 -- 410-455-5222
300 Sentinel Dr, #100, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701 -- 301-490-6553

Virginia
320 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314 -- 703-879-4321
2361 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 22314 -- 703-879-4321

May totals