March, 2008

In the new book, “Eat This, Not That“, the best and worst of the American processed and prepared foods are ranked according to their calorie, fat, sugar and sodium content. Many of us might find ourselves reading over “The Worsts” lists through our hands in fear of coming across one of our beloved drinks, desserts or appetizers from one of this country’s most popular restaurant chains.

If you’re a lover of Chili’s Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream, you might want to not read the book- or at the very least, share the dessert with 25 of your closest friends next time you order it. Yes, it’s that bad. It holds an entire day’s worth of calories, 1600, and that’s before the queso and chicken fried steak you had for dinner!

But the book is not an all-out bash on our food favorites. It also contains healthy or healthier substitutes. For instance, rather than opting for a seemingly healthy raisin bran muffin from Starbucks, noshing on one of the coffee chain’s breakfast sandwiches might be wiser morning fare. Men’s Health editor-in-chief, David Zinczenko, is the Eat This, Not That author. Rather than tell you everything that’s bad- he pairs the Eat This option along side the Not That option. You’ll be better prepared the next time you go out to eat, and your knowledge might even make for fun table-side banter.

A few other horrifying, unhealthy finds in the book, and their health-ier counterparts include:

McDonald’s
Eat This- Quarter Pounder w/o Cheese for 410 calories, 19 g Fat
Not That- Premium Grilled Chicken Club for 570 calories, 21g Fat

Pizza Hut
Eat This- 2 slices Thin N Crispy Ham and Pineapple pizza for 360 calories, 12g Fat
Not That- 2 slices Supreme Pan Pizza for 620 calories, 32g Fat

Subway
Eat This- 6″ Double Roast Beef Sub for 360 calories, 7g Fat
Not That- 6″ Tuna Sub for 530 calories, 31g Fat

The book contains dozens of more comparisons. It even reveals the worst food in America, compliments of Outback Steakhouse, the Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch for 2900 calories and 182g of fat. Bon Appetit!

I’m a self-professed music geek. It’s always been a passion for me. I play. I listen. And I constantly am in search of another artist who inspires me.

I can hardly imagine working out without music. It’s the difference between struggling to get 20 minutes of cardio, to happily sweating my way to 35-40 minutes when I want to give a little more on certain days.

Music has always been special, and in fact, spiritual. And there’s evidence that it can do much more than make you tap your feet. Here’s a piece on music therapy, which could even play a part in beating cancer.

While she says her goal this year is to be “steamy hot,” many would argue that the transformation Brittany Aberle went through during her 12 weeks on the Biggest Loser ranch has already gotten her there. I had a chance to talk to her last night about her Biggest Loser experience, while she was at the mall shopping for her Biggest Loser Finale dress. She was ecstatic about taking one size into the fitting room, and having to request a smaller size.

If you need a Brittany fix before the April 15 finale, you can hear the entire Brittany Biggest Loser interview right here. Hear all the juicy details about weigh-in day, her bold skydiving move, meeting Tim Gunn and why she never saw the girls as much competition.

Brittany shares the incredible brother/sister bond she and Bernie developed (and his bear-like snoring), as well as how Jillian helped change her life in more ways than one. It was no secret that Brittany struggled with her weight loss even on campus, pulling some of the lowest numbers in the house, with two pounds each week being consistent. Jillian helped her identify a hormonal imbalance, PCOS, that not only will change the way she loses weight, but will have an impact on her health for a lifetime

Brittany bounced into the Biggest Loser Couples house in the first episode with bright eyes, gorgeous flowing hair and a “steamy hot” smile. She quickly rose as a tough-as-nails competitor, with a tenacious spirit and an infectious laugh.

It was hard to interview Brittany, because it meant she had been eliminated. A few seconds into the call and you knew it hadn’t phased her, it just brought out the fight even more.

Brittany- thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to visit with you. We look forward to seeing your steamy-hot self at the finale!

Money rules the world. Now that I’ve stated the obvious… let’s look at how companies have slickly pretended that they have all our best interests in mind. After it became blatantly obvious that we were all getting too fat and wanted to do something about it (at least in theory), big business wanted to at least give us the impression they cared. That’s why we got labels that say things like “35 Percent Less Fat” or “All Natural.” They sound great, don’t they? Except for the fact that they don’t have your best interest in mind.

Of course, all sensible people know this. But, it’s easy for unsuspecting people do be duped. For instance, 35 percent less fat on a surface level sounds like a big improvement. But, 35 percent of what? If something had, oh, 500 percent more fat than what you should have in a given serving, 35 percent less doesn’t sound so attractive now, does it?

Another example… all natural. Natural is good. But it isn’t always less fattening. Something can be totally natural and also be totally fattening. Another label deception is manipulating portion size. Next time you buy a “health” drink, take a look at how many portions they intend for that bottle to be. So, who puts a bottle back in their refrigerator half full for tomorrow? If not, realize that you need to multiply that sugar and calorie total by two.

Since March is National Nutrition Month, let’s pay more attention to the products we pull off the shelves. Every little change can accumulate into big weight loss dividends over time.

Learn more from Bob Greene, Dr. Oz and Eat This, Not That about reading labels and being educated before you eat.

When the Biggest Loser Couples began its season, Mark Kruger was pinned as the campus bully. He was tough, competitive and took no guff from anyone, including his teammate brother or the show’s host. Orange team’s Jackie became an immediate adversary and it wasn’t until she was eliminated that we started to see that Mark could be a nice guy. His return to Biggest Loser campus in Week 11, following his own elimination, has introduced a completely different competitor, and one that fans are falling for.

Name Mark Kruger

Starting Weight 285 lb.

Week 12 Weight 185 lb.

Height 5′10″

Age 35

Hometown Dartmouth, MA

Occupation Aerial Devise Sales Rep

Biggest Loser Couples teammate Jay

Original Team Color Black

Trainer Bob

Alliances Jay is more than Mark’s younger brother, he’s the best friend he has on campus. Mark would bend over backward to protect Jay and keep from leaving campus. With the return of Ali, she could very quickly become one of his number one allies.

Mark-isms Saying ‘Mark’ with a hard-r sound seems out of place. His thick Boston accent lends itself more to a “Mahhhk.” He’s head-over-heels in love with his wife and children and sees being on Biggest Loser as an opportunity to live a healthier life for them.

Our Favorite Moment(s)
- Reacting to host Alison’s dramatic challenge play-by-play, telling her “this isn’t a soap opera”
- His return to campus after elimination
- He’s five pounds away from matching Bob Harper’s weight

Other spellings: Marc, Marck, Biggest Loser Marc, Marc Biggest Loser, Biggest Loser Black Team