Food Blogging: Thursday Lunch

So, life gets in the way and sometimes the evil frozen meal is the better of two evils. Here is the Lean Cuisine Salmon with Basil Spa Meal. Its not bad, 220 calories, with 19 grams of protein to help make one full longer. Thus far today I seem to be a processed/fast food blogger--eek. Let's see if I can actually prepare a good meal for myself from scratch tonight (and hopefully cut up the watermelon I have waiting for dessert).


Here it is up-close.

Food Blogging: Thursday Breakfast

Here's today's breakfast, Thursday. I was in a hurry, so I stopped off at Starbucks (for much needed caffeine) and get a skinny hazelnut latte and a English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich, low-fat turkey bacon and egg. Looking it up later, I should have got the spinach/feta wrap because it has 100 less calories, but still not as bad as anything from McD's. Whole grain, muffin after-all and lowfat TB. Still, NOT GLUTEN FREE and my tummy is feeling it.

Random Food Blogging

Okay, well, I'm trying to get back on the food-blogging train, I kept track pretty well over the weekend, but this week, until today, here's my shady record. Starting with today's entry, it will be more linear and accurate. Anyway, above you'll find breakfast from Monday--GF flax waffles with almond butter and nanner.

Here's Monday' s lunch (its not as bad as it looks) Amy's Original cheese enchilada, chips, anda diet coke--okay, diet coke evil, yes, but I needed the caffeine.

Here's Wednesday's lunch, which is actually leftovers from Tuesday's dinner, which was roasted veggies (yellow squash from garden, red pepper, eggplant, and portabello mushrooms made with olive oil, Italian herbs, kosher salt and ground pepper) and some left-over stuffed chicken breast.

Here is last night's dinner: Ethnic Gourmet's chicken pad-tai, with added extra asian veggies. Calorie wise, way better than take-out.

Weekend Food Blogging: Sat's Lunch & Dinner

I love Sunshine Veggie Burgers--good source of vegetarian protein and GLUTEN FREE! Yay, quite a few vegetarian burgers have tons of seiten or Wheat Gluten concentrated as their main protein source, which hurts my tummy. Above is the Southwestern burger, in the pan.

So, I had the Sunshine burger on a gluten-free cheese biscuit (which really didn't work as a bun) with a piece of fat-free swiss cheese, and some tomato/roasted red pepper soup from Pacific. Delish, though the biscuit burger bun didn't really work, it sort of conveyed the idea.

Then I went out to India, here is the (not gluten free) naan bread and rice. I still ate the naan, though I shouldn't, but too good not to.

Here's the Lamb Pasanda and Saag Paneer we* shared, Indian food--SO GOOD.

* By we, I mean my friend Kate and I--who will hopefully be joining us as a co-blogger at FFFB.

Weekend Food Blogging: Sunday's Smoothie

In order to reap the rewards of flaxmeal (particularly the omega-3's), one needs to add it to their food ground, but flaxmeal can go rancid fairly quickly, so its best to keep the flax intact, as seeds and then ground them up a bit a time, all stored in the fridge or freezer). So, here I have a designated coffee grounder just for flax/seeds and I've ground up a bit of the good stuff for my smoothie. Above is the whole seed, below, the ground meal.

Now, one note: ground flax is fairly caloric, so one or two tablespoons at most is probably a good idea for a smoothie. I use one.
I didn't have any milk in the house, so I broke out the Almond milk, which I usually use for curries, but it can be good in Smoothie's as well. I have to admit that I do prefer cow's milk or soy milk in my smoothies, but almond works well when you also add yogurt and banana.

Here's the blender, strawberries, blueberries, 1/2 a frozen banana, 1/4 cup yogurt, almond milk for desired consistency, and 1 Tbsp ground flax.

Here is the finished product in a purdy glass. I haven't had a smoothie in a while because I hadn't ground up any flax--which takes like 1 minute longer--but when I have to leave by 6:20 a.m. for work, it feels too hard :) Smoothies, particularly when made with a bit of protein powder, always fill me up. They are perfect for summer. I'm going to try a few green smoothies pretty soon and the folks over at Amazing Grass are going to send me some free samples to try/review.

Weekend Food Blogging: Saturday

Breakfast was a Flax/Wheat-free/Gluten Free waffle with some Justin's squeezable Almond/Maple Butter with nanner. I also had English Breakfast tea--made per usual with a bit of half/half and raw sugar.

Lunch was two homemade chicken tacos, made with baked chicken tenders (seasoned with cilantro salsa), a corn/black bean mixture, avocado, over two corn tortillas, seared in a pan with some Pam spray. Delish!

Dinner was baked mustard/honey chicken thigh (skin removed) cauliflower surprise (thank you South Beach diet cookbook), and some yellow squash steamed, then mixed with some spaghetti sauce.

Harvest Time at the White House Garden

This week, Michelle Obama welcomed children from D.C. schools to come help harvest the bounty from the White House Kitchen Garden. These same kids helped start the garden, after all, so its only fitting that they get to reap what they sowed!

The harvesting will go on throughout the season and this recent crop mostly consisted of lettuces and herbs. The veggies will be a bit latter in the season (as will my veggies, though I did get a yellow squash from my garden this week). The kids helped make salad with homemade dressing and they learned to roast chicken, seasoned with fresh herbs from the garden.

Not all observers were happy. Maureen Dowd (probably one of the most vapid individuals to ever get a coveted opinions column at the NY Times) opined:

"Even as he grows arugula in the White House vegetable garden, Barack Obama never again wants to be seen as the hoity-toity guy fretting over the price of arugula at Whole Foods. That is why the president ends up sending mixed signals on food."

What are these mixed signals, you might ask? Well according to Dowd, Obama and Michelle have also indulged in the occasional "regular guy meal" aka a cheese burger and fries. Obama is well known for eating healthfully on the campaign trail and one of his aides joked that he (Obama) would be happy with salmon, brown rice, and broccoli everyday.

Hello, the occasional indulgence tempered by general healthy eating is called: A BALANCED LIFESTYLE. This is not a "mixed message," Ms. Dowd. You are just trying to conflate balanced eating with political disingenousness, a theme you seem to carry over into all your "cultural" criticisms of Democrats (don't forget, a big part of her career was made as someone claiming to be a Democrat who just happened to hate the Clintons).

After citing the usual scare statistics about how fat and lazy Americans are, she then lectures Obama on having the tenacity to ever eat a burger on camera. She says:

"The president should forgo the photo-op of the grease-stained bovine bag and take the TV stars out for what he really wants and America really needs: some steamed fish with a side of snap peas."

This "essay" is fairly incoherent. Dowd seems to be shocked that people can actually eat healthfully most of the time and have a burger on occasion. Then she tries to prove that Obama is a dietary liar, accusing him of fey eating habits, it seems, and then posing with greasy food. Then she lectures the President on not putting forward his healthy eating habits front and center, even while his wife sponsors an organic kitchen garden, promotes healthy eating among children, and talks about local agriculture. Its all really ridiculous and a shame that such an incoherent hater gets so much press space.

Another critic of Michelle's gardening project is Jeffrey Stier of the American Council on Science and Health, a stooge for big-agribusiness. His quote is laughable, so I have to share it in full:

"People are going to eat fewer fruits and vegetables. Cancer rates will go up. Obesity rates will go up. I think if we decide to eat only locally grown food, we're going to have a lot of starvation."

He actually claims that the local food movement will result in starvation and cancer--ha. So, eating fresh, organic, local ingredients will kill us all, huh? Essentially, he's saying that the local food movement will try to totally dismantle the current world wide food market, commodity crops, and big-agribusinesses grip on our food system. Goodness, I could only hope so. Obviously some of what we've created in terms of international and national food systems is good--getting produce to Alaska in winter is nice, nicer if it wasn't totally dependent on fossil fuels, but still, 100% local, everywhere is not the local food movement's aim. Like with our energy market, a mixed methods approach is best for agriculture as well. Stier's quote is laugable, yes, but it is a sign that big-agribusiness is starting to try to fight local initiatives, coops, and CSA's. How they might do this, besides the recent HFCS ads and Monsanto campaigns, could also include the legislative process to try to make it harder and harder for home gardening, family farms and small farming operations, which is a real threat. But with an ally like Michelle Obama, and her garden behind us, well, yes we can win this battle for our health!

Hills Star Admits to Bulimia, Triggered by "Skinny" Costars

Hills star Stephanie Pratt opens up for the first time in the new issue of Us Weekly about hating her body and her terrifying secret struggle with bulimia -- sparked, she says, by the pressure of appearing alongside her super-thin friends on the hit MTV reality show.

I don't think anyone causes you to have an eating disorder. But I do think when celebrities lie about how they do no exercise and eat pizza all day in order to be a size zero, it does cause people believe they have to go to extremes to achieve the same look.

If the Celebrities start getting real like Mariah Carey. She says, she swims, eats broth and lettuce, & drinks a little champagne to look like her. Or like Halle Berry, who said even she had to lose another 15 lbs off her already skinny self to fit in the Catwoman outfit. I think people could honestly decide if they want to put in the work to get the body or deal with what they got.

Nia Vardalos Opens Up About Pressure to Lose 40 Pounds

"I am embarrassed to be in the position of answering questions about my body again. On the publicity tour of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I was asked over and over again, if, as the writer, I felt it was a fair depiction of real life to have someone of my er, below average looks, hook up with hottie John Corbett.

"It's been years, and I have sat through many a movie like Sideways, where nobody blinks an eye when Paul Giamatti gets together with gorgeous Virginia Madsen. And, then Knocked Up...well, the visual of Seth Rogan on top of Katherine Heigl made me put the popcorn down and reach for my purse. Not because I was grossed out, but because I knew the film was about to stop and Ashton Kutcher would now jump out and go 'Aha, you've been Punk'd, that would never happen.' I waited. But no Ashton. The film went on. And many a reviewer, who probably look like sweet Seth (yes, even the women) gave it a thumbs up."

She makes such a good point. Hollywood double standard is out of control. Overweight sloppy men are always hooking up with hotties. More examples:

• King of Queens
• According to Jim
• Yes, Dear

Alison Sweeney Chooses Wii Over the Gym for Fitness

Alison Sweeney says this about the Wii Fit:

"It's just a good example of how you can really get it done at home," she says. "You don't need to have a big fancy gym membership. One of the things we talk about on The Biggest Loser all the time is just how difficult it is financially to lose weight sometimes. And that isn't an excuse anymore. There are really reasonable options."

I still don't think a Wii is the most economical exercise.

Here is the breakdown
EA SPORTS™ Active game is $59.99
EA SPORTS™ Active Accessory Pack $19.99
Wii system base price $249.99

In my opinion walking and calstenics are still the cheapest exercises.

Support a Public Option in Health Care Reform

It is my position, and the position of most progressives, that there will be no substantial health care reform WITHOUT a public option in the mix of reforms, regulations, and options for individuals and families. The primary argument, made unfortunately by my Senator, Mitch McConnell, is that the private sector can't compete with a public options because the private sector's primary interest is profit, and the public option would focus on actual health care (okay, he didn't add the last bit, but that is the logical implication).

Personally, I would prefer a single-payer system like the National Health Service in Britain or better yet, the the Swedish or French systems, but just getting a public option on the table is going to be a battle, though Nancy Pelosi said the other day that, "a health care overhaul that did not include a public option wouldn't make it through the House because it "wouldn't have the votes." That is good to hear! Thank you, Speaker Pelosi.

So, I urge all of the readers here to consider going to the Congressional Website and plug in your zip code, which will give you your Representative and contacting him/her and asking them to support a PUBLIC OPTION as part of the Health Care Reform Legislation in the coming weeks and months. Without a public option, there won't be health care reform, just an additional band aid put on the hemorrhaging artery of failed health care in America. I just wrote Ben Chandler and it took maybe three minutes.

I'll cover more of the healthcare reform debate as it evolves over the coming months.

Posting Schedule

LisaD will be on vacation this week and Thealogian will be at a retreat Wednesday & Thursday, though I promise several posts over the weekend and back to a better schedule starting the 15 of June. I want to start garden blogging here and do more food-blogging as well as general health posts. We'll be back in full-swing soonly.

peace

p.s. I just wanted to share an official picture of Garden Kitty (Calliope) who will feature in many posts about the garden to come because she is my helper--really, she believes that, do not disabuse her of that conviction.

More on Tracy Anderson and Anorexia for Chuckles?

The Indianapolis Monthly online has a long and sordid story detailing the legal and moral misdeeds of celebrity trainer, Tracy Anderson. Financial mis-dealings, potential fraud, bankruptcy, dodgy health practices, leaning on charisma, and more. Anderson, 32, and 90lbs is a "perfect size zero" and as we at Fat Feminist Fitness Blog have discussed before, she claims that "anyone can look like Madonna" with her method. Its worth the read, but more important her example is worth the lesson: her primary business strategy seemed to be to project a perfect image, to "fake it until you make it" of sorts, but on the backs of others, bleeding some business partners and lovers dry in order to get into the upper eschaleons where she could then befriend Hollywood types that could help her make her brand. Do you really want to entrust your health to Ms. Anderson or other celebrity trainers who push the boundaries of sensible diet and exercise? Hopefully not. Yet another reason NOT to follow trendy diet or fitness routines--find what is healthy and doable for you, but please, don't listen to Ms. Anderson just so you can "look like Madonna."

Oh, and this follows on the heels of another terribly depressing article featured in that denizen of trash, The Daily Mail. Liz Jones, a self-professed anorexic discusses the "horror" of trying to eat "like a normal person" for three weeks. Its a disgusting ploy by her employers at the Daily Mail to show how funny it is for a woman with a serious eating disorder (serious mental health condition) to be forced to eat scones. Jezebel has a responsible discussion of the article, honestly, it was too much for me to take in the original, so trigger warning.

One of the most heart-breaking quotes:

"Being this way made me not just socially awkward, but unlovable: I've always hated being touched, hugged, naked, half-dressed on holiday, in case I'm found wanting, in case someone felt or saw an extra ounce of flesh. Being this thin meant I never got pregnant; I have menstruated perhaps half-a-dozen times in my life...In fact, I was always fearful of getting pregnant because the thought of my stomach growing fat, of stretch marks and a big bum, was not a price I was willing to pay for a child. The whole process seemed messy, dirty, greedy."

This woman doesn't need press space, she needs serious care--private, medically accurate, care. Menstruating only a few times in life, multiple hospitalizations, panic inducing fears of food, etc. These are not just "boderline" as she calls them, symptoms, but full blown anorexia. She's 40, but its not too late for her to get help and its certainly not to late for publications like the Daily Mail to get a sense of ethics and not exploit the sick for truly sick gags--like "how funny would it be to make an anorexic eat scones and jam?"

Lisad00 On Vacation

Hello everyone. I will be on vacation for a week. When I return I will have tons of commentary. So keep checking in.

Ed Westwick Peeved Over "Fat" Rumors

Listen up, Upper East Siders: Chuck Bass isn't chubby.

Asked to name the craziest rumor he's heard about himself, Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick tells E! News: "That I'm fat!"

"It was something like 'the wardrobe department on Gossip Girl has to keep changing his clothes due to his expanding waistline,'" he added, referring to an April In Touch tabloid report. "It's ludicrous!"

Hollywood has gone crazy. Ed Westwick is no where close to being the 500 lbs teens featured on the Discovery Health channel. He is not even John Candy fat. Hollywood has just lost it. Even men can't escape the crazy anymore. I guess that is why so many are striving to be metro-sexual these days.

Sherri Shepherd's Trainer Catches Her Cheating on Diet – Online

Shepherd, 42, tweeted on Sunday that she "messed up a little last night ... had fried calamari and fried catfish – gotta stay away from the soul food! Back on track today – gym at 3 pm."

But before she could make up for her transgressions, she'd been discovered. "Ain't this a blip! I was planning on fibbing 2 my trainer & nutritional coach about what I ate this weekend – but they follow me," she tweeted later that day.

It was a lesson learned for Shepherd about not giving away too much on Twitter. "You just assume when you tweet that you're tweeting to people far away, not the person – your neighbor across the hall," Shepherd said on The View. "I wish my coach would have not tweeted because she's coming here tomorrow to get on me about what I ate."

See technology will force people to get honest or it will cause a lot of people to get caught up in their lies.

I think it is important to be real with your personal trainer and other health professionals. You are only hurting your progress when you try to lie. If you can't get honest with these people you need to change your health network to people you can be honest with.

Raw Truth: Raw Soul Part II

It ware great seeing Thealogian. We had a great time. I agreed to go to the restaurant because it was her vacation also.

My first is many problems with this meal was the cost. My sample platter was $18 before tax. This was a crazy price to me since no animal died for my meal and con-ed was not being paid for cooking gas.

My second problem was my burger. It was like eating an "un-brownie" wrapped in lettuce and sprouts.

The third problem is the stomach "issues". I also had a mild allergic reaction to something that cause a scratch throat.

Here is a list of the good things that I found in order to be fair.

My wrap, tasted like spicy humus on lettuce. It is the only thing I might think about eating again in the future on purpose.

The pizza seemed more like a tostada to me since the crust was hard like a cracker.

The presentation was good. I could identify all off the things on my plate as something I had seen before.

Thealogian offered to by me a donut after the meal but I was afraid to eat anything after the meal just in case my allergic reaction worsen and I need to tell the doctors what I ate.

By dinner time I couldn't wait to eat something that had been killed.

Raw Truth: Raw Soul Part I

LisaD is truly a great friend. One of my culinary goals while visiting her in New York was to go to a Raw Food Restaurant. There's no way a raw food restaurant could survive in my area, so really my only chance to try this kind of food (prepared by professional chefs) would be in New York or California. We chose Raw Soul in Harlem because it looked more affordable than most raw restaurants in NYC and from its website, it seemed approachable and non-pretentious. Above you'll find the sign outside--you take a couple steps down from the street and there are a couple side-walk tables if you want to eat outside (or with your dog as one woman did) in good weather.

Here's the interior--the colors are vibrant, the tables simple, and there's some raw-food samples for sale (like raw nut butters) and a bulletin board that seems open for the community to advertise events or concerts. We went a bit early, but even so there was only one other table occupied while we were there. They also do home delivery meal plans for individuals interested in eating raw, but for one who may not have the time to prepare (the time consuming) raw meals regularly. If I were crazy rich, and totally in love with raw food, I would definitely consider the home meal delivery--I am neither, so...

Above, you'll see my raw lasagna. It was made with thinly sliced zucchini, tons of greens infused with herbs, a "ricotta cheese" made from soaked and pureed cashew nuts, and a sun-dried tomato sauce that was truly fabulous. I felt full pretty quickly because it was so dense, but I figured I should keep eating because I'd starve later that afternoon if I didn't try to finish it.

It was "a lot of mush." There were good flavors, the sauce was fab, the cheese was interesting, but fundamentally it was dense raw veggies layered into a lasagna like dish.

Here's LisaD's selection--she had the sample plate, which gave us a look at smaller versions of the raw burger, raw cajun wrap, and a raw pizza. I'll let her go into detail about her meal in her review in Part II, but I will say that I tried her pizza (on a sprouted grain and flax crust with more of the same sundried tomato sauce) and it was good. The "burger" tasted sweet, which seemed gross and I didn't try her wrap, but she was supposed to get the fake tuna, but it "wasn't ready yet" so they brought her some cajun hummus like stuff, which might have been nice as a sauce, but not as a big lump holding together the wrap.

Above, you'll see our leftovers. Now, here's the slightly embarrassing truth: we both had stomach "issues" later after this meal, yet we were also starving two hours after the meal. So, not much of a recommendation. I'm glad I got to try raw food and I definitely agree that one ought to eat more raw fruits and veggies, but I won't be a raw-foodist anytime soon. Most raw-foodists I've met tend to have a bit of the fanatic about them and they remind me of the anti-vaccine people who think that they are presenting their views from a scientific position, but are in truth, more woo-woo than reasonable or scientific. For example, the protein issue: one raw foodist I know told me that protein is not necessary as long as you get plently of raw enzymes and amnio acids in raw fruits/veggies and another rejected the notion that B12 is a concern. Okay, B12 is essential to life and if you aren't getting it in your food you have to get shots. I know one woman who routinely takes B12 shots because she's a post-gastric bypass patient and she's a vegetarian, her B12 was so low at one point she almost died. So, B12 is a problem and though protein is definitely over-valued in our society mostly as a result of Atkins and other low-carb diet philosophies, you do need protein to maintain your heart muscle and your other muscles throughout the body. I'm trying to eat more vegetarian/flexitarian and so when I have a vegetarian meal, I try to make sure that I have 12 grams of protein in that meal--because I've observed that as long as I eat 12 grams of protein and 4-5 grams of fiber, I stay full longer and feel an even blood sugar level after that meal.

Now saying all that, I recently bought Ani's Raw Food Kitchen a "uncookbook" that covers a wide range of raw-food recipes, "uncooking" techniques, and general information about the raw food movement. I'll review the book as a whole here and I'll try to "uncook" several recipes from the book in order to share. I think that eating raw food is good, but the 75-100% raw lifestyle seems to me to be rather neurotic and potentially triggering for those who may suffer from disordered eating.

Check out Lisa's post on this for her perspective! Also, dear reader, have any of you tried the raw food thing? What are your experiences? Share in comments.

Vacation Food: Snack, Sea, Picnic

The first thing LisaD & I did once I arrived at JFK was--GO TO TRADER JOE'S. We picked up this gorgeous four-flavor hummus pack and then we went to a fruit stand near Lisa's apartment in Queens and got carrots and tons of fresh fruit (which, was cheaper than in KENTUCKY at the fruit stand in NYC!). I love Trader Joe's (and we need one here in Lexington), but there is one in Cinncinnati which my mother expressed interest in going to sometime (she remembers the first Trader Joe's in San Francisco), so we're gonna go to TJ and Ikea in Cinci sometime soon. We snacked on this hummus pack all week.

Above, you'll see my Thai Eggplant Basil dish with chicken that I had at Sea in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We also had some dumplings to share that were so powerfully gingery and spiced, but I forgot to take a picture of that. My dish was great and the basil was so fresh you could taste the field it grew in. The eggplant was definitely not "Black Beauty," the typical eggplant you buy in the grocery, but propably a Thai variety. It was bitter-free and soft. I love eggplant.

LisaD had a sea-food dish--the name I which I can't remember. It had squid, shrimp, scallops, fish, & chicken--the kitchen sink in other words. Lisa isn't terribly fond of squid, so I helped her out by eating that and the sauce was spicer than mine, but equally fabulous. She also had a mango-infusion ice tea, which was very refreshing after walking around the city all day.


Later in the week, we did the traditional picnic in central park. She got to break out the wedding picnic bag from her mother in law. It was very handy and we had all the accoutremont of the civilized picnic.

Here's my peanut butter and strawberry preserves sandwhich on gluten-free brown rice bread and a celery stick with a seven-layer bean dip on celery. I also had tons of other veggies dipped in yet more hummus. We also had some left-over fruit salad.

Kelly Clarkson: I'm Tired of Hearing "the Fat Joke"

Kelly Clarkson says she's tired of being bullied over her weight.

"For seven years it's been happening. It's like, 'OK cool, the fat joke,'" she said during an interview with 2Day FM's Kyle and Jackie O Show in Australia.

Despite the taunts, the American Idol champ says, "I love my body. I'm very much OK with it. I don't think artists are ever the ones who have the problem with their weight, it is other people."

I actually believe Kelly Clarkson. She doesn't seem to have the extreme up and downs that some other stars have. But I do think she should have a stylist because some of her outfits don't put her best foot forward.

Oprah Responds to Claims She Offers Dangerous Medical Advice

Winfrey insists she is only trying to open dialogue between her viewers and their doctors.

"For 23 years, my show has presented thousands of topics that reflect the human experience, including doctors' medical advice and personal health stories that have prompted conversations between our audience members and their health care providers," Winfrey says in a statement. "I trust the viewers, and I know that they are smart and discerning enough to seek out medical opinions to determine what may be best for them."

I with Oprah on this one. I have never felt she told her audience to do all the things discussed on her show. I feel the haters are coming after her now that Angelina Jolie has got the top Forbes Celebrity Spot.

If a person takes every suggestion ever uttered on TV then that person has a weak mind and should never watch Maury Povich, because those guests don't use condoms.

Jennifer Lopez: Getting Body Back Took "a Lot of Work"

Here is what J. Lo had to say about losing the baby weight:

"It did take a lot of work," Lopez, 39, admits. "I thought it was gonna drop off easily because I had been in shape my whole life, but it wasn't. I gained about 50 pounds with my twins, and the first 30 dropped off like that, and I was like, 'Ha, this is gonna be so easy.' That last 20 -- that took a while."

Even she got caught up in the Hollywood hype of losing the baby weight fast.

What Chain-Food Favorites Cost in Exercise

What's that ice cream going to cost me in workout minutes? To tell us is Charles Stuart Platkin, also known as the Diet Detective. He is the author of five books and and host of WE TV's I Want To Save Your Life. Here is his report on what some of our chain-food favorites should cost us in time spent doing common exercises...

DONUT
Dunkin Donuts Chocolate Frosted Donut (230 calories)59 minutes of walking (3 mph).


BREAKFAST SANDWICH
McDonald's Egg McMuffin (300 calories)32 minutes of running (5 mph).


CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
Panera Chocolate Chipper (440 calories)62 minutes of biking (10-11.9 mph).

PIZZA
Pizza Hut Large Hand-Tossed Style Cheese Pizza (1 slice; 320 calories)39 minutes of swimming (slow to moderate laps).


CINNAMON ROLL
Starbucks Cinnamon Roll (500 calories, varies by location)85 minutes of dancing.

HAMBURGER
Burger King Original Whopper With Cheese (770 calories)94 minutes of swimming (slow to moderate laps).


BROWNIE
Au Bon Pain Chocolate Chip Brownie (380 calories).129 minutes of yoga (Hatha style).


FRIES
Wendy's Large French Fries (540 calories)77 minutes of biking (10-11.9 mph).

ICE CREAM
Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream (0.5 cup; 270 calories) 29 minutes of running (5 mph).

BURRITO
Taco Bell Burrito Supreme, Beef (410 calories)70 minutes of dancing.

4 Ways to Make Yourself Feel Better, Other Than Eat!

We are always willing to justify eating crap by saying, "I had a rough day. I deserve this." Deserve what? Heart disease? Cellulite? Diabetes? Come on! Would you reward your loved ones this way? I bet not. What do I do to make myself feel better?

1. Call a friend for validation.

2. Go hang out with an animal

3. Go window/online shopping

4. Pamper yourself.

Above is my paraphrase version of the 4 Ways to Make Yourself Feel Better, Other Than Eat! All of the activities could lead to getting some exercise in.

Natasha Henstridge: Diets and Pills Damaged My Body

"I've done some things that probably weren't the smartest things in the world," reveals Henstridge, now 34, of taking "pills" and over the counter supplements to give her an "extra boost" to be thinner. "I've even been to Chinese herbalists who've given me herbs and acupuncture," she says, thinking that they were "innocent and healthy."
Now, the mom of two realizes that the diets and drugs were damaging. "All of a sudden when you decide to go clean, things are changing in your body because you done a bit of damage," she says. Sporting a curvier figure last month, Henstridge is happier – and healthier – than ever. "My body has definitely gone through a change since coming off all the crazy yo-yo stuff," she admits of putting on weight.

I am glad Natasha Henstridge is coming cleaning about the down sides of crazy Hollywood diets. A lot of people abuse their bodies in their 20's not thinking about the remafications of those yo-yo diets in their 40's or 60's. So I am glad she is giving a glimpse of what is like to have to deal with the aftermaths of yo-yo dieting.