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Author Archive for Brandi Page 2 of 16
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In honor of National Ice Cream Month, this round of Food Fight has ice cream sandwiches putting on their boxing gloves. In one corner we have the Skinny Cow brand (by Dreyer’s) and in the other, Weight Watchers (by Blue Bunny).
Fighter Notes
Skinny Cow is endorsed by Bob Greene’s Best Life Diet.
Weight Watchers is, of course, a product from the weight loss giant.
Both advertise on their packaging that they have low-fat ice cream, and both are produced by national brand ice cream dairies.
Round 1: Nutrition Facts
Serving size, printed on the packages, is one sandwich (71g for SC and 75g for WW).
Calories: SC = 140, WW = 140
Fat: SC = 1.5g, WW = 2g
Sat Fat: SC = 1g, WW = .5g
Cholesterol: SC = 1mg, WW = >5mg
Sodium: SC = 100mg, WW = 140mg
Carbs: SC = 30g, WW = 32g
Dietary Fiber: SC = 3g, WW = 4g
Sugar: SC = 15g, WW = 12g
Protein: SC = 4g, WW = 3g
WW Points: SC = 2, WW = 2 (both have the Weight Watchers Points printed on the package)
While both brands are noticeably low in calories, fat and only have 2 Weight Watchers Points, Skinny Cow leads the first round for having more attractive nutrition values than its competitor.
Round 2: Taste and Ingredients
Each of these ice cream sandwiches stand an inch tall, are packed with a soft-serve style ice cream between two chocolate wafers/cookies.
Skinny Cow has a subtly sweet flavor. The wafers are the good kind of chewy, moist and cake-like. The ice cream is sturdy, meaning it doesn’t melt too quickly and it’s pretty thick. The Weight Watchers sandwich was surprisingly bland- I couldn’t really taste anything. The wafers are dry and kind of crumble as you chew. The ice cream was too soft.
I was only able to find a package of Skinny Cow in the Chocolate/Vanilla 6-pack combo; they do offer five other flavors like Cookies ‘N Cream and Mint. I was able to find the Weight Watchers 6-pack of vanilla; they offer chocolate and vanilla only, in separate packages.
As for the ingredients- both were fairly similar. Skinny Cow used skim milk while Weight Watchers used milk fat and non-fat milk. Skinny Cow has high fructose corn syrup and Weight Watchers has partially hydrogenated oils; not a good play on either part- but at least one of them doesn’t have both of these ingredients.
Round two goes to Skinny Cow.
Round Three: Cost and Accessibility
Neither of these brands are available for purchase online. They are available nationwide in most national chain grocery stores. Skinny allows you to search by ZIP code, while Weight Watchers only shows an incomplete list of grocers (determined by mine, a major chain, not being listed). My grocer had Skinny Cow for $3.99 for the six pack, Weight Watchers for $4.69 for a six pack. This round goes to Skinny Cow.
Post-Match Commentary
It’s a TKO that left the Weight Watchers ice cream sandwich out in the cold. While in all three rounds it was neck-to-neck, Skinny Cow stands out because of the superior flavor, offering broader selection, better nutritional values and for being slightly more affordable.
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Dr. Wayne Andersen, the Medical Director of Medifast and the chief architect of Take Shape for Life, joins us again this week as a featured guest blogger. His book, Habits of Health (releasing this month), provides the knowledge and support needed to achieve optimal health. He also manages his own health-minded blog. You can see Dr. Andersen here at DietsInReview.com every Tuesday during July! If you missed last week’s post about Optimal Health, view it now.
I am a firm believer in using the portion-controlled meal replacements. It is crucial to eat every three hours, and portion-controlled meal replacements (PCMRs) make this process a lot easier.
In my upcoming book “Habits of Heath,” I talk about PCMRs being the “Healthy Fast Food for the Twenty-first Century.” Our lives are so busy that is it often difficult to actually sit down and plan meals. Most of us just go, go, go until we are so hungry and hypoglycemic that we make the impulse decision to pull over and grab some McDonalds.
This is the same mentality that’s given rise to the fast food phenomenon and the “Golden Arches,” which is now a $129 billion a year business. Look at it this way, if you were driving your car on a long road trip, wouldn’t you make sure your gas tank was full before you started your journey? Well, then why do so many people get in such a hurry that they make the decision to skip breakfast, or worse, call grabbing a Starbucks Coffee and pastry eating breakfast?
We can’t afford to wait to fuel our bodies until they are screaming for food and then make the decision to fill up at an unhealthy fast-food fueling station. This is where PCMRs come in, a convenient alternative to support my “Habits of Health” program.
Medifast makes the PCMRs that I use successfully, the company I am currently medical director for. With nearly thirty years of efficacy and safety, Medifast’s meal are backed by research studies from prestigious institutions such as Johns Hopkins.
Here are a few of the reasons I am an advocate of PCMRs:
· They help you control calories.
· They offer plenty of variety.
· They’re cost effective.
What are your experiences with PCMRs?
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We are very pleased to introduce you to Kinsey Lowrey, the new Dietitian for DietsInReview.com. Kinsey will be featured in the Diet Blog each Monday, Tuesday and Thursday- sharing with you tips, advice, education and guidance related to nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. You’ll also see her nutrition tips in the bi-weekly e-newsletter.
Kinsey hails from The Sunshine State, from which she holds a Masters of Science from Florida State University, with emphases on Clinical Nutrition and Nutrition Education and Health Promotion. She also holds a Bachelors of Science in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Florida.
As a diet and nutrition professional, Kinsey is passionate about counseling individuals regarding health and nutrition, and working one-on-one with clients to achieve their personal nutritional goals. If you have a question you’d like answered by Kinsey, just send her a note.
We are thrilled to add Kinsey to our growing team of dedicated health, nutrition and fitness professionals- and know you’ll find value in her columns.
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One lucky DietsInReview.com reader will receive a copy of the Advanced Mediterranean Diet. Simply sign-up for our newsletter before July 21 and your name could be selected. Already receiving our e-newsletter? Then send an email to contest@dietsinreview.com to enter your name.
Learn more about the exciting, health-minded approach to weight loss with our Advanced Mediterranean Diet review, as well as the interview with author Dr. Steve Parker.
The DietsInReview.com e-newsletter is delivered every-other Tuesday, so we won’t be filling up your inbox all the time. Our brief message highlights the newest reviews and blog posts on the site, some of our favorite recipes, tips from our fitness trainer (and soon our new dietitian), early notice of giveaways, and feature articles that help you live your healthiest life possible.
*Please note, our email messages are not received by AOL.com email accounts. Please use an alternative email address if possible.
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If you’re looking for independence from grocery shopping, planning diet-friendly meals, and preparing them, then let freedom ring with this offer from Bistro MD!
Their 4th of July special is offering customers 50% off the regular price of your first week of meals when you order before July 31. You’ll receive five each of their breakfasts, lunches, dinners and desserts. Order Bistro MD now to enjoy the 50% discount. Enter coupon code JULY4th.
Bistro MD is a meal delivery program that supports a healthy diet and lifestyle. Whether your goal is to lose weight, maintain, or simply save time preparing meals- Bistro MD is an ideal solution. The program was designed by Dr. Caroline Cederquist and a team of chefs and dietitians. So not only are you receiving nutritionally balanced meals, but they are delivered fresh with choice ingredients. Bistro MD meals are low in calories and fat, and they support the unique dietary needs of diabetics and vegetarians.
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Let’s celebrate our independence from fat, calories and all that other junk our bodies just do not need! Celebrate your freedom to choose delicious, satisfying foods that don’t wreck your diet, but rather support it. And, embrace your right as an American to fire up a grill on the 4th and enjoy the tempting burgers that rise from its flames. We hope you enjoy these four mouth-watering recipes for a variety of burgers (Beef, Chicken, Turkey and Veggie) you can savor during the holiday cookouts - and not worry about jeopardizing all your hard work! Happy 4th of July!
Cheeseburger with Grilled Onions
It’s an American classic that is no stranger to your backyard grill, and its flavor only complimented by the smoky grilled onions. Choose lean ground beef, combine it with fresh garlic, oregano and low-fat cheddar cheese and you’re looking at 194 Calories, 6.7g Fat and 4 WW Points.
Feta Stuffed Chicken Burger
Sometimes, the healthier option yields a tastier meal. Your mouth is in for one heck of a fireworks show with this Mediterranean-influenced chicken burger. Blend ground turkey with fresh herbs, feta cheese and roasted red peppers, then serve in a warm bun or pita. Each one has 286 Calories, 18g Fat and 7 WW Points.
Actually Delicious Turkey Burgers
What was nearly our feathered patriotic symbol is now the perfect dish for a lean cookout. You’ll want to gobble up every bite of these tender turkey burgers as you combine the ground turkey with fresh garlic and parsley. They’re just 208 Calories, 11g Fat and 5 WW Points.
Veggie Burgers
Exercise your right to vote this as one of the easiest and heartiest veggie burgers in the country. Ensure your vegetarian friends are enjoying the festivities and complimenting the chef when you serve these. Their made with a blend of white kidney beans, egg, bread crumbs and fresh vegetables, for only 124 Calories, 5g Fat and 2 WW Points.
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In my recent quest to shape up the way we eat at home, I’ve pretty much cut-out red meat from our diet. Once in a great while I get an unquenchable craving for a big ‘ole grilled hamburger, or I’ll nibble on a few bites of someone’s steak at a cook-out, but it doesn’t take long for me to regret it. I don’t know any better way to describe it than to say I just feel icky inside after I’ve eaten beef- I can taste and almost feel the grease in my body.
Until last night. All of my Food Finds are always healthy, unexpected finds I’ve made myself at the grocery store. I’ll be honest, this company contacted me and offered to send the product to taste. I was skeptical because it’s a mail-order beef company, and my aforementioned feelings about beef. As I learned more about the La Cense Beef company, I was anxious to try it, and for nothing less, my husband would be thrilled to throw a burger on the grill again.
I would tell if you if I didn’t like it- but it was quite possibly the best hamburger I’ve ever had. La Cense Beef is raised on the range in Montana and has a laundry list of admirable qualities like:
- Antibiotic-free cattle
- Hormone-free cattle
- Grass-fed, not grain-fed, which influences a cleaner, more natural taste in the beef
- No pesticides
We immediately noticed the flavor of this Black Angus Steak Burger was very different
from the beef we’re used to eating. The other thing I noticed was that it was so juicy and so tender. Best of all, I never once felt or tasted the grease. It was a clean, delicious flavor.
La Cense Beef is also lower in calories and fat than regular beef, and it offers a good source of Omega-3 Fatty Acid. See how this 6oz. burger compares with a standard 6oz. Black Angus Steak Burger.
La Cense / Standard
Calories: 290 / 500
Fat: 18g / 43.2g
Sat. Fat: 9g / 17g
Cholesterol: 90mg / 131mg
Protein: 32g / 28mg
WW Points: 7 / 14
I’ll also note that I was very impressed by the shipping and packaging. It was sent FedEx 2 Day and the inside of that cooler might have been colder than my own freezer. The meat was frozen solid (we also received a New York Strip that I look forward to trying). The entire thing was beautifully wrapped and presented with recipes from La Cense’s master chef, a product catalog and detailed instructions on how best to prepare the beef.
La Cense is definitely worth a try if you’re looking for a healthier way to still enjoy beef. If you’d like to try it with a generous discount, order your La Cense Beef here with a $25 off $55 order coupon.
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It’s a pleasure to introduce our guest blogger, Dr. Wayne Andersen. He is a board certified critical care physician, the Medical Director of Medifast and the chief architect of Take Shape for Life. His book, Habits of Health (releasing this summer), provides the knowledge and support needed to achieve optimal health. Through his book and accompanying workbook, Dr. Andersen provides a road map for people to choose a better life. You can see Dr. Andersen here at DietsInReview.com every Tuesday during July!
I have spent the last few years determining the definition of optimal health. Optimal health is defined as: “Being the best you can be with what you got.” Optimal health is different for everyone. About 5% of the population has achieved optimal health, and the rest of us are in between being sick and obtaining optimal health. Sleep, weight, eating right and stress are just a few of the components to optimal health, and Habits of Health offers a great assessment to determine where you are.
Most of us are born optimally healthy and then we let life attack us. We fall into a pattern of putting other things before health, which leads to less movement, less sleep and a little extra weight gain. Then we find ourselves saying, “I’m doing okay,” but we really are not healthy.
There is no such thing as a straight line. If you are not actively creating health, then you are heading toward a path of sickness and disease. Just as life is about choices, so is optimal health. It is a path we can choose to embark upon, and it’s all about making daily choices that support optimal health. Sure, we may not be able to do the same things at 80 years old compared to when we were 20, but we are able; you are able.
So many people who are in their 40s-70s are taking medications and think they need to be on them for the rest of their lives. When I ask doctors the last time they lowered or eliminated a medication for a patient, I often received a blank stare. An increase in dosages or adding medications is not always the answer to taking care of symptoms and treating disease. People want to live longer, and there is no pill to make you live longer.
Weight loss is just the first step on the journey towards optimal health. Recreate health in your life. Start having fun, enjoy life and make good daily decisions. There has never been a better time to thrive in this country than now.
