This video, from Kandi Ali, is just… just watch it.

The second one, from JustCallMeMrRight is also just…. watch:

Like I said… I have no comment. I know y’all do, though, so let’s hear ‘em.

Video Vault: Introducing… “Sh-t Fat Girls Say” and “Sh-t Fat People Say?” is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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1. Video Vault: …In The Whole Foods Parking Lot!
2. Video Vault: Inside A Lab That Creates Chemical Flavorings
3. Video Vault: America The Beautiful

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This isn’t even an “outraged” WTF?!…. it’s just a “sit there, laugh, pull out your receipt and shake your head” kind of WTF?!, here.

I was particularly interested in what Whole Foods’ response would be to this because, as the following mentions, they’re pretty strict about photography and camera work on their property. Apparently, they were pretty cool about it:

Using just a Canon 5D and a group of talented friends, they shot without permission at various locations. “Whole Foods has a strict policy about not shooting, and they asked us very politely to leave… but we shot enough at three different locations on no budget.”

The stores may not have wanted them to shoot, from the corporate point of view, it’s all good. Sirr Less, the global VP of Communications at Whole Foods – whose name instantly makes one think of Sir Mix a Lot, being on this tangent — had this to say: “Creativity like this always resonates with our company, and we take it as a big compliment…” While he’s happy that they’re happy, Wittman is adamant this was not some sort of infomercial. “It was not something I did to promote Whole Foods or promote Kombucha; we just did it to have fun.” And Whole Foods is thrilled; the attitude of the grocery store chain is a healthy one (excuse the pun) when it comes to Fog and Smog’s parody of the healthful living they have turned into big business. “Nobody makes more fun of us than we do of ourselves, but we’re always happy to see someone do it in a novel way. While we’re serious about good food, healthy living and selling groceries, we also believe that laughter is the sweetest thing — and these guys get that!” Less said.

In some moments this past week, Wittman’s been a bit turned off as people have approached the group to create the same sort of thing for their brands, but that was never the intention of doing the video. “The point of it was being honest and funny. I’m a grown man, I have a day job. I’m not gonna sit here and say I don’t need to work for a living, because I do, so I can afford that $80 bucks for six things [watch the video and you’ll understand]. But I also wanna be conscious of it. So the irony is that this video I made, is saying that.”[source]

Can’t say I’m surprisd others wanted the “Parking Lot Video Pimpin’” treatment. This video has gotten lots of attention.

Thoughts?

Video Vault: …In The Whole Foods Parking Lot! is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: whole foods

Erika’s Note: If you’re a subscriber, you’re going to want to visit the page to check out this video… trust me.

Were you waiting for the third installment? Well, here ya go!

Check out:

• How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 1
• How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 2
• How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 3
• How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 4
  

How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 3 is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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1. How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 1
2. How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 4
3. How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 2

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Post tags: bad eating habits, documentary, Fast Food, how fast food affects the body, how junk food affects the body, junk food, unhealthy food

Some quotes to keep your ears peeled for:

“Don’t think there aren’t flavor scientists sitting in a lab trying to figure out how to make this burger addictive..”

“I don’t know if ‘satisfied’ is the word as much as ‘stuffed’…”

“I’ll eat something that tastes really, really good, and then fifteen minutes later I’ll feel sluggish…”

Definitely food for thought, no pun intended.

Thoughts thus far?

Need to get caught up? Check out:

• How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 1
• How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 2
• How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 3
• How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 4
  

How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 2 is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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1. How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 1
2. How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 4
3. How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 3

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Post tags: bad eating habits, documentary, Fast Food, how fast food affects the body, how junk food affects the body, junk food, unhealthy food

Byron Hurt decided to tackle the topic of Soul Food and it’s effect on the Black community, and he did it with a documentary titled “Soul Food Junkies.”

“Soul Food Junkies” 2012 Trailer from Byron Hurt on Vimeo.

Listen. The gentleman who said, “The most important thing is that people complicate their understanding of what Soul Food is, because it’s easy to say that it’s ‘the bane of African-American health.’ The bigger cause of the decline in African-American health is the industrialization of our food system.”

One of you knows him. Tell him I want to hug him in ways that might concern my fiancé. Seriously.

I said this before – and had my laptop not exploded I would’ve said it for 29 days during February – that the adulteration and industrialization of our food played a far greater role in African-American health than anyone and anything else… but no one wanted to hear all that. I’m interested to see how they tie it into everything else, because that same industrialization altered the way we perceive taste, and that’s just as problematic as the ingredients in the convenience products we’ve grown accustomed to nowadays.

And the little children shouting, “Vegetables are soul food!” totally just made my entire spring. Seriously.

You can follow the progress – and eventual airing – of Soul Food Junkies by “liking” it’s Facebook page, and many thank-yous to Nicole for sending this in to me. I’m sad I didn’t get to support the fundraising efforts.

Seeing this documentary just makes me sad for all the research I did for February…gone. I still have my books and my recipes, and the knowledge in my head, but there was so much work… just gone. Not even Best Buy could reclaim it all. And even if I could, what would I do? It’d have to be “Black History Year” on BGG2WL or something… because Black History Month is long gone.

Actually… that’s not a half-bad idea.

Video Vault: Are You A Soul Food Junkie? New Doc Explores Food And Health is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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2. Video Vault: How Fresh Is Your Favorite Restaurant Or Grocery Store’s Food?
3. Neither Soul Food, Nor “Slave Food,” Made You Fat

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That being said… take a look at the commercial… and share your thoughts in the comments!

Meanwhile… I’m gonna share a few reasons why you shouldn’t ever – ever, ever, ever, ever, ever – drink Pepsi Max… or any other soft drink, for that matter.

• How Soft Drinks Impact Your Health
• The Case Against Soft Drinks
• The Case Against Diet Soda (And Aspartame… And Splenda…)
• How Many Calories Are You Drinking?

Want more information on the ad? From the PepsiCo release:

PepsiCo’s Doritos and Pepsi MAX brands gave six of their fans the chance to showcase their talent on the world’s biggest advertising stage when they aired three consumer-created Doritos commercials and three consumer-created Pepsi MAX commercials during today’s Super Bowl XLV broadcast. This year marked the first time in the five year history of the Crash the Super Bowl consumer-created ad contest that a total of six ads received airtime during the big game.The six winning ads included (in alphabetical order):

• “First Date” (Pepsi MAX) by Nick Simotas
• “House Sitting” (Doritos) by Tynesha Williams
• “Love Hurts” (Pepsi MAX) by Brad Bosley
• “Pug Attack” (Doritos) by JR Burningham
• “The Best Part” (Doritos) by Tyler Dixon
• “Torpedo Cooler” (Pepsi MAX) by Brendan Hayward

The six winning ads were among 10 finalists selected by the Doritos and Pepsi MAX brands from more than 5,600 submissions received as part of the contest – the most ever in a single year of competition. Four of the six spots that aired during the Super Bowl broadcast were selected through consumer voting – two for Doritos and two for Pepsi MAX. In addition, Doritos and Pepsi MAX executives each selected a winning spot for their respective brands.

Now, as Crash the Super Bowl enters its final phase, the creators of the six winning ads have their eyes set on achieving Super Bowl advertising history – achieving a full sweep of the top-three rankings of the USA TODAY Ad Meter by consumer-created commercials. If three of the consumer-created Doritos or Pepsi MAX ads accomplish this goal, their creators will take home a shared $5 million prize. In addition to the potential payout, the fan who creates the highest-ranking Doritos or Pepsi MAX ad in the USA TODAY Ad Meter will win a guaranteed contract to create an additional ad for the two brands in 2011.

The ad that we’re checking out today is titled “Love Hurts,” and is described as the following:

“Love Hurts” (Pepsi MAX) – Growing up in Leawood, Kan., 28-year-old Brad Bosley always knew he wanted to be behind the camera directing. When he heard about Crash the Super Bowl, Brad felt this could be just the creative challenge and big break he was looking for. In “Love Hurts,” a girlfriend resorts to unsympathetic tactics to keep her boyfriend from indulging in unhealthy foods. One day she is pleased to find him enjoying a zero-calorie, maximum taste Pepsi MAX … until he steals a glance at another woman and she unleashes an unexpected conclusion to the spot that delivers maximum laughs. [source]

…thoughts?

Open Thread: View and Discuss The Super Bowl Pepsi Max Commercial is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: commercial, marketing, pepsi, pepsi super bowl, super bowl

Video Vault: The Best Treadmill Fails Of All Time…Of All Time! is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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However…pay extra-special attention to around the 10:50 mark. Lots of valuable info there for an emotional eater.

I’m also highly – highly – amused by the dialogue in the sugar cane field.

Tractors in the background? Fields of green leaves? You’ve got to be kidding. THat shirt didn’t even look like it fit him, let alone like he actually went out to a store, said “Oh, this looks good” and bought it himself. Staged, staged, staged. All that staging, and couldn’t prepare any answers. Sad.

“To say that the majority of the American buying public is going to eliminate sweeteners from their diet… I don’t think… gets us there.” Of course not, if they’re all mostly addicted to it.

Thoughts?

Video Vault: CBS 60 Minutes Asks, “Is Sugar Toxic?” is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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1. Video Vault: America The Beautiful
2. Video Vault: Supersize Vs. Superskinny
3. Video Vault: …In The Whole Foods Parking Lot!

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Here is a man who a few years ago contemplated suicide.  He felt hopeless and had no desire to live.  He wanted to disappear from the world around him.  Just a few years later, he’s completely changed his life and is starring in his own television show.

His story should certainly give hope to others who currently struggle with obesity.  You do not need surgery and you certainly do not need anything fancy in terms of exercise and diet.  A consistent and diligent effort has once again come out on top… [read more] — Fitness 102

Check him out:

Never be amazed by what a little hard work can do. Be INSPIRED by what a little hard work can do. : )

400 Pounds Lost? No Surgery? Stop Lying! is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags: extreme weight loss, weight loss inspiration

A big part of this is… you guessed it – fast food. I have a gripe with eating places where I can’t entirely confirm everything in my dish. I have a gripe with eating places where most of what they serve on the menu is shipped there pre-made, only ready to be dropped in a deep fryer or tossed in an oven somewhere (and that’s fast food or regular restaurant.) I’m sure there are some much healthier fast food joints out there, but that’s neither here nor there. I’ll get on my soapbox about fast food another day, but I did want to share this video that was the start of my research into what the hell we’re eating at fast food joints. I really dig this guy and the info he has to share, so I hope you like it too. : )

Re-Thinking Fast Food: Reading What You’re Eating is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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© Erika for A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss, 2012. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Fast Food, kfc

I think EVERYBODY should watch “America The Beautiful.” on Hulu (it’s still there, I watched it yesterday).

…and I agree.

Have at it:

America The Beautiful is a product of Darryl Roberts, a man of color, who wrote the following for Huffington Post back in 2008:

I recently had the good fortune of being invited to screen my documentary America the Beautiful, at the Shaped Body Symposium in Vienna, Austria, a global body image conference, which included professors, health professionals, and government representatives from all over the world. This was the European premiere of my film and I was really looking forward to hearing the European perspective on body image issues.

After screening the film for the conference, I sat on an impressive panel with some of Europe’s most outspoken activists on body image issues, and listened to them discuss the issues explored in my film.

German Fashion photographer Inge Prader is on the frontlines of this battle. Prader explained that the pressure on models in Paris is getting worse and noted that some have gone so far as to swallow cotton balls to lose weight.

This got me thinking about the dangerous consequences of the images of air-brushed, too-thin women flashing across television screens and appearing on every other page of magazines which target impressionable teenage girls. Then I thought of the advertising industry dictating to us what we should find beautiful and selling us cosmetics designed to “make” ourselves beautiful.

As economic globalization becomes a reality, it seems that the language of beauty changes along with it. Those air-brushed women now appear on televisions in Toledo, Ohio and Toledo, Spain, and in magazines sold in Paris, Texas and Paris, France.

I don’t know if we can pin it all on advertising and the media, but there is no doubt in my mind that it plays a significant part in hastening the scourge of body image issues and the rise in eating disorders all around the planet at an alarming rate. This brings me to what I like to call the “Fiji Phenomenon.”

You see in Fiji, set apart from Western Society by a large expanse of the Pacific Ocean, television didn’t exist until 1995. Because feeding their communities was of primary concern to Fijians, the culture celebrated larger body types. Those who appeared to be well-fed (and more well-to-do) were looked upon as the most beautiful. To put it simply, “thin was not in.”

Prior to the introduction of television and Western media, a Harvard study led by Dr. Anne Becker, found that eating disorders in Fiji did not exist. But after three years of broadcasting Western programming guess what happened?

Sadly by 1998, over 70% of young women surveyed admitted that they had a negative body image, 60% of the young women surveyed admitted to dieting, and somewhere around 11% admitted bulimic behaviors. I found this phenomenon shocking. Terrifying even.

Does media and advertising really have that strong of an affect on how we see ourselves? It is hard to ignore a study conducted by the vaunted Harvard School of Medicine — especially when the study finds that in a short three years, there was a larger proportion of dieting adolescents in Fiji than in Massachusetts!

While my film America The Beautiful deals primarily with the rise in body image issues and companion eating disorders in the American society, I felt absolutely compelled to include a segment of the film highlighting the “Fiji Phenomenon.” Unfortunately, some of the negative aspects of our society have been exported along with the good.

Attending the Shaped Body conference again reminded me, that it is not just American women who are suffering with body image issues and eating disorders. To be sure, it is not only American women who are bombarded with a notion of beauty that is unrealistic and dangerous.

Fellow panel member, and long-time health expert for the World Health Organization in Switzerland, Professor Ilona Kickbusch noted that in this digital age, pictures travel globally with great ease. She stressed that in order to curb this problem it is imperative to take political action. And you know what? She is absolutely right.

This is a global pandemic. From Japan and China, to India and Iraq, to Nigeria and South Africa, to Vienna to Milan — women from every corner of the globe are fighting this growing problem. And the question is, what are we going to do about it?

Perhaps if we took Professor Kickbusch’s advice and tackled this problem using the political apparatus we could actually make a difference. Remember how people laughed ten years ago at the notion of passing a public smoking ban? Hell, fifteen years ago they even thought banning smoking on airplanes would never fly. With political support and money behind the movement, look how quickly things have changed. Public smoking bans have gone into effect in cities across the United States and abroad. So why can’t body image issues and eating disorders be dealt with in similar fashion?

In fact, that is just what the Italian government had in mind when in March of this year they introduced a $1.5 Million (USD) campaign against eating disorders. This was largely in response to the fact upwards of 3 million Italians are afflicted with eating disorders.

While the modeling industry in Milan has become notorious for promoting images of starving women with invisible waistlines as the pinnacle of beauty, it was the Italian people and government who finally said enough is enough.

In 2006, the Milanese fashion industry, caving to political pressure, agreed to set limits on their models. Models with a Body Mass Index less than 18 are no longer allowed to walk down the runway in Milan. It is also now illegal to model in Milan under the age of 16 and models are expected to show medical proof that they are in good health.

Being on the panel with Anna Maria Fecchio-Comito, a representative of Italy’s Federal Youth Ministry, I heard first hand what kind of political action can be taken. Fecchio-Comito’s Ministry has helped to promote, and now police, a recent ban on newspapers and television stations showing women who are under a size 4-6. Like many of us, she wants the media to be responsible and provide the public with realistic images of women.

In fact, also on the panel was Karin Knufmann-Happe, from the Federal Ministry of Health in Germany. He said that the Italian legislation provided a great model and made passing legislation there in Germany much easier.

So just some food for though — If limits can be set on the modeling industry and media in Italy and Germany, why can’t we propose some limits on advertising and the media right here in the United Sates in the name of public health?

Is it right for a teenage girl, a child, to be inundated with images of unattainable “perfection” that studies have shown encourage body image issues and eating disorders, right in the pages of magazines like Seventeen, that are directly marketed to children? It’s time for someone to sit down and draft some legislation that will tackle this growing problem.

I have come to believe that with enough voices and enough support we can make a difference. Write your congressmen, write your senators — write your new president! Let them know that: A.) this problem exists; and, B.) we need to do something about it! [source]

It’s important for me to cover The Photoshop Diet and Booty Paint because, quite frankly, I run a blog centered around one woman changing her body. I run a blog that attracts women changing their bodies… and some of those women idolize people and photos that have been so thoroughly altered that the only way living people could achieve such a size would be to take drastic measures.

It just feels like if I’m going to host conversations about weight loss, that I should ensure that we all have realistic expectations about our lives and our bodies… and that includes holding up real models of fitness, not altered visuals. So often, we grab magazines, scan the covers and quickly whine “Why can’t I look like that?” before throwing the mag back into its slot and reaching for a candy bar to calm us down. Both situations are wrong for two separate reasons, and both can be easily addressed. Leave the damn candy alone, and look for more realistic models of fitness… and step away from the purveyors of your photoshop diet fix. It ain’t worth it.

Video Vault: America The Beautiful is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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1. Video Vault: …In The Whole Foods Parking Lot!
2. Video Vault: Supersize Vs. Superskinny
3. Video Vault: Introducing… “Sh-t Fat Girls Say” and “Sh-t Fat People Say?”

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© Erika for A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss, 2012. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Body Image, booty paint, darryl roberts, the photoshop diet

Avoiding processed foods can be difficult, especially when living on a tight budget. This noodle-eye-view of Top Ramen and Gatorade traveling into your stomach might make you go the extra mile. The video is just a preview of a project called M2A: The Fantastic Voyage by media artist Stefani Bardin. M2A refers to an ingestible capsule literally dubbed Mouth-to-Anus, which contains a camera and LED capable of recording the whole messy journey. The captured video is combined with data from a separate capsule that senses pH and pressure in the gastrointestinal tract.

One subject was fed a meal of Top Ramen, Gatorade, and Gummi Bears, while the other was fed hand-made noodles, pomegranate/cherry juice gummy bears, and hibiscus “Gatorade” (presumably home-made). The result is an intimate portrait of how our bodies break down processed vs whole foods.

So…I’m just sayin’. Actually… I’m hurlin’. This takes me back to a finals week in college where I survived on nothing but top ramen, microwaveable popcorn bags and cheap chocolate kisses. I came out of that week twitching and scratching. Good grief.

I will say this, though:  “Top ramen noodles are made to survive armageddon.” had me dying. I’m still laughing. Pardon me while I go stock my panic room with twinkies and top ramen. Shrimp flavor.

Video Vault: Think Of This Next Time You Plan To Eat Top Ramen is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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Post tags:

My puppy, Sushi, as she guards my pole!

This video? This video is awesome.

I know that I wrote last year about my very first pole dancing class… and I’ve got to admit it’s a ton of fun and yes, I am still a poler.

(As a side note, I don’t know that I’m mature enough to write these posts. I keep wanting to call myself a pole lover, a pole girl… I’m just… I’m not mature enough. I’m sorry.)

That being said, it was nice to know that the folks at CBS Sunday Morning aren’t mature enough either, as they got in a few giggle-worthy lines during their coverage of the US Pole Dance Championship that took place a little while back. Check out the video here:

And, while I must admit that I cringed a little when the dance instructor said “Mothers bring their daughters in to help them feel sexier,” because when we talk about “Mother and daughter” in this country, our first inclination is to think of 35yo Mom and 13yo daughter… but it’s often the 47yo Mom and the 25yo daughter who come together. At least, I hope that’s what she meant.

Anyway… tell me that video isn’t awesome?

…and just try and tell me you weren’t impressed when Madame Butterfly walked in the air. Just try. Because you’d be a full-blooded lie.

CBS Sunday Morning Hilariously Covers The US Pole Championships is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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© Erika for A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss, 2012. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: pole dancing, sex

Now, I don’t remember everything from my time working in a restaurant, but the [not-so-funny] thing about this is cooking your meats only kills the bacteria that speeds up the rotting process, no? It doesn’t necessarily kill the bacteria that could grow within the product and make you ill.

This is another reason why trying to eat locally (and support restaurants that purchase their ingredients locally) – minimal transfer and transporting time. There’s nothing more traumatizing than hearing “they do it on purpose – running the refrigerator costs more fuel.”

The fact that the second day of investigations yielded NO law-breakers lets us know that they are capable of abiding by the rules… they’re just not.

So what can you do?

• You can start with trying to support your local farms via CSAs (community supported agriculture) and farmers’ markets.
• You can follow up with visiting well-kept grocery stores that support local agriculture – that way, even if they are, for some strange and foolish reason, still only importing food without refrigerating it, it won’t have had to travel two thousand miles to get there.
• Support mostly restaurants that make it a point to talk about how they get their produce from local sources.
• And, lastly, cut down on the amount of out-of-season fruits and veggies you consume. Please don’t think your avocados in December are being home-grown in Snowville, USA. It’s just not financially wise nor is it sensible.

Thoughts?

Video Vault: How Fresh Is Your Favorite Restaurant Or Grocery Store’s Food? is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

Related posts:

1. Video Vault: Are You A Soul Food Junkie? New Doc Explores Food And Health
2. Video Vault: Robyn O’Brien (@unhealthytruth), And The Quest For Real Food
3. Video Vault: America The Beautiful

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© Erika for A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss, 2012. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: dining out, food, fresh fish, fresh fruit, fresh meats, fresh produce, fresh vegetables, groceries, locavore, locavorism, produce, restaurants

Want more tips on how to save money while eating healthily?

• Save Money On Groceries: Buy It In Bulk
• Save Money On Groceries: Buy It In Season
• Save Money On Groceries: Go Weekly
• Save Money On Groceries: Buy The Private Label (Go Generic!)
• Save Money On Groceries: Go Frozen!
• Q&A Wednesday: The $50 Challenge
• Save Money on Groceries: Go… Smaller?
• Save Money On Groceries: The Readers Share Their Tips!

The Power of A Twenty Dollar Bill is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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© Erika for A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss, 2012. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: budget, clean eating, Healthy Eating, healthy food, wellness

From Today.com:

Queen of comfort cuisine Paula Deen confirmed to Al Roker Tuesday that she has type-2 diabetes.

In her first broadcast interview discussing the disease, Deen said she intentionally kept the diagnosis secret after discovering she had it during a routine physical three years ago. “I came home, I told my children, I told my husband, I said, ‘I’m gonna keep this close to my chest for the time being’ because I had to figure out things in my own head,” she told Roker on TODAY.

Rumors that the 64-year-old Southern cook suffers from the disease have been persistent. The National Enquirer first reported the diagnosis in April 2010. Deen neither confirmed nor denied the reports – until now.

“I’m here today to let the world know that it is not a death sentence,” said the Food Network star, who is now being paid as a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company that supplies her diabetes medication. Coinciding with her announcement, Deen and her family are appearing in a new ad campaign for the company this month.

The news puts a spotlight on Deen, who has been criticized for promoting the type of high-fat, high-sugar diet that leads to weight gain – a major factor believed to cause type-2 diabetes. Deen says her reputation wasn’t the reason she kept the diagnosis under wraps.

“No. People are not going to quit eating; we quit eating, we’re all out of here,” Deen said. “I wanted to bring something to the table when I came forward.”

When asked about whether she will make a change in how she cooks on her show, “Paula’s Best Dishes,” Deen didn’t give a direct answer, instead encouraging viewers to practice moderation.

“Here’s the thing, you know, I’ve always encouraged moderation,” she said. “On my show, you know, I share with you all these yummy, fattening recipes, but I tell people ‘in moderation… You can have that little piece of pie …’”

Deen told USA Today that since the diagnosis, she walks on the treadmill and quit drinking sweet tea. “That’s a big trick for a little Southern girl,” she told the paper. “I calculated how much sugar I drank in empty calories, and it was staggering. I would start drinking tea at lunchtime and drank it all the way to bedtime.”

When asked by Roker about changes to her own diet, Deen emphasized her moderation mantra.

“I have always eaten in moderation,” she said. “You know, people see me on TV two or three times a day and they see me cooking all these wonderfully Southern, fattening dishes. That’s only 30 days out of 365,” she said. “And it’s for entertainment. And people have to be responsible. Like I told Oprah a few years ago, honey, I’m your cook, not your doctor. You are going to have to be responsible for yourself.”

Deen, who told TODAY.com last year that she couldn’t do without butter or a deep-fryer, was called out by fellow food personality Anthony Bourdain in a TV Guide article for being “the worst, most dangerous person to America,” who “revels in her unholy connections with evil corporations” and is “proud of the fact that her food is f—ing bad for you.”

Deen responded, telling the New York Post, “Anthony Bourdain needs to get a life.” Positioning herself as relatable to the home cook, she added, “Not everybody can afford to pay $58 for prime rib or $650 for a bottle of wine. My friends and I cook for regular families who worry about feeding their kids and paying the bills.”

Bourdain, who says he was flooded by requests for quotes after news of Deen’s announcement leaked, shared his reaction with Eater.com. “When your signature dish is hamburger in between a doughnut, and you’ve been cheerfully selling this stuff knowing all along that you’ve got type 2 diabetes… It’s in bad taste if nothing else.”

While Deen will continue cooking her fatty comfort meals on her show, her son Bobby has been promoting lower-calorie versions of his mom’s recipes (sans the butter and heavy cream), with his new Cooking Channel show, “Not My Mama’s Meals.”

I’ve said everything I have to say about this. I did want to follow up with this and the video because when I wrote about it, it was only rumored, and I was fully prepared to eat my hat. You don’t wish this on anyone, and I would’ve rather ate my hat than have to watch this video of her admitting this… and quite frankly, I couldn’t even watch it all. I stopped it a minute and 15 seconds in.

“You are a paid spokesperson, though…”

“Absolutely, I have been compensated just as you have been compensated for your work.”

Uh …huh.

I’m gonna go grab a barf bag. Your thoughts, though?

Video Vault: Paula Deen Announces She’s Had Type 2 Diabetes For 3 Years is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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© Erika for A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss, 2012. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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I hate to say I told you so, buuuuut…. pardon me as I take a little time to do my ‘I told you so!” dance. It looks a lot like “The Tootsie Roll.”

This video illustrates it far better than I could ever do with mere words.

A few notes on what’s being highlighted in this video:

On Sucralose:

Splenda is made by chlorinated sugar, changing its molecular structure. The finished product is called sucralose. The makers of this poison tout its lack of calories and claim it’s safe for diabetics. The FDA calls sucralose 98 percent pure. The other 2 percent contains small amounts of heavy metals, methanol, and arsenic. Well gee, at least it doesn’t have any calories. So what if it has a little arsenic? Sucralose has been found to cause diarrhea; organ, genetic, immune system, and reproductive damage; swelling of the liver and kidneys: and a decrease in fetal body weight.

Excerpted from The Case Against Diet Soda (And Aspartame… And Splenda.. And….) | A Black Girl’s Guide To Weight Loss

On “Partially Hydrogenated Soybean/Palm/Kernel Oil”:

A lot of us might not even know what “zero trans fats!!111!11!1″ even actually means, but if we see it on a package we might not’ve bought otherwise… it just might be enough to make us buy.

Not only is that horrible shopping practice (I do admit I was guilty once), but it’s a little dangerous.

What is trans fat, you ask? Well, you might see it in your foods’ ingredient list as “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” or “partially hydrogenated soybean oil.” It’s an oil (usually vegetable or soybean oil) that has hydrogen gas whipped into it, making it a thick and super creamy substance. This was a part of the original process used to create margarine, meant to replace butter because the saturated fats found in butter were considered so harmful. The trans fats that originated were an unintended consequence. Eventually, we found out that this “unintended consequence” was way more harmful than butter ever could be, leaving us exposed to heart disease.

The stuff can be found in lots of junk – margarine (of course), crackers, some thick and creamy items, and some inexpensive cakes/cookies/pastries. Anything with a thick, rich, buttery, creamy taste to it may more than likely have it.

Why is the “zero trans fat!!!1!1!!111!” claim on this list? Well, here’s why:

The FDA says a person shouldn’t ingest more than 2.5 grams of trans fat a day. (How about just telling people to avoid it altogether? I bet I know why…) A loophole in the FDA’s requirements states that if a food item has less than .5 grams of trans fat in it, it can safely claim that it has ZERO trans fat. There are two problems with this: 1, if each food on my plate has .49 grams of trans fat, I might not even know I’m eating 2 grams of trans fat; 2, what about people who eat more than one serving of an item?

Here’s an example. A box of Ritz crackers will tell you that a serving size is 5 crackers, and that is has 0grams trans fat. If you pick up the box of Ritz with the “fresh wrap” packages – the ones with, maybe, 15 crackers in an individually wrapped package – it will undoubtedly tell you that if you eat a whole package in one sitting, you’re eating something like 3 grams of trans fat.

“But I thought 1 serving has no trans fat?”

I know. It’s crap, right?

How can you avoid this? Even though it might say “0 grams trans fat” on the front and in the nutrition information, the ingredients list will always tell the real tale. It will always say “partially hydrogenated [insert vegetable, soybean, whatever] oil” inside that list. Keep an eye out for it.

Excerpted from Supermarket Swindle: Two Things To Avoid On Your Food Labels | A Black Girl’s Guide To Weight Loss

Thoughts? Ideas? Questions?

Video: No Blueberries In Your Blueberry Muffins, Bagels, Waffles, Pancakes…. is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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© Erika for A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss, 2012. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: artificial color, artificial coloring, artificial flavor, blueberries, butter, carrots, crushed red pepper, garlic, natural flavor, partially hydrogenated kernel oil, partially hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated palm oil, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, pinto beans, spinach, splenda, squash, sucralose, tomato, trans fat

Thoughts?

Video Vault: The Most Shocking Transformation Ever! In Life! is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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© Erika for A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss, 2012. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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In all honesty, there are some really amazing points in this video – namely the lunatic farmer (who I’ve seen on two separate documentaries thus far), advertising and the point about GMOs (genetically modified food… yes, this is real) – but aside from all of that… look at how aware he is and how convinced he is that this is the answer for him and his life. I fully believe he did all that research, learned all that information and happily decided he was over the food manufacturing system. I ain’t mad at him. Thoughts?

You Can “Pay The Farmer or Pay The Hospital” is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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© Erika for A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss, 2012. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: advertising, farming, food manufacturing, GMOs, industrialized food system, sustainability

Erika’s Note: If you’re a subscriber, you’re going to want to visit the page to check out this video… trust me.

This is the final clip in the “How Junk Food Affects The Body” series. After seeing it all… what are your thoughts? Any epiphanies out there?

Need to get caught up? Check out:

• How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 1
  
• How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 2
• How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 3
• How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 4
  

How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 4 is a post from: A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss. Thanks for reading!

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3. How Junk Food Affects The Body, Part 3

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© Erika for A Black Girl's Guide To Weight Loss, 2012. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bad eating habits, documentary, Fast Food, fast food swindle, fast foods, how fast food affects the body, how junk food affects the body, junk food, unhealthy food