No Time to Cook try McDonalds Healthy Menu Options

Most of the time we are too busy at work and just can't find time to cook home meals so we have no choice but to eat at a quick-service restaurant chain like McDonalds. However, if we eat at McDonalds too often, calories will add up and will make us fat and unhealthy. But you can't also starve yourself to death, don't panic you can eat at McDonalds and keep your healthy figure. McDonalds have been offering healthy food options for quite sometime now. They have even been named one of America's Top 10 Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants. 

Breakfast - McDonalds have a huge selection of breakfast food items like hotcakes and sandwiches. Yes, most of them are high in calories, good thing they also offer lower calorie foods.

Fruit & Maple Oatmeal: Calories 290, Total Fat 4g, Carbs 58g, Protein 5g, and Sodium 160mg

Egg White Delight McMuffin: Calories 250, Total Fat 7g, Carbs 32g, Protein 18g, and Sodium 800mg

*High in protein foods are beneficial for weight loss.

Salads - Most of McDonalds salads contains chicken, choose the grilled chicken over the crispy. Salads with grilled chicken are significantly lower in calories and fat than the salads with crispy chicken. You can opt to remove the chicken, however it will reduce the protein.

Side Salad: Calories 350, Total Fat 18g, Carbs 24g, Protein 23g, and Sodium 740mg

Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken: Calories 190, Total Fat 5g, Carbs 10g, Protein 27g, and Sodium 580mg

Premium Caesar Salad with Crispy Chicken: Calories 350, Total Fat 18g, Carbs 24g, Protein 23g, and Sodium 740mg

Burgers & Sandwiches – these are items that have the highest calorie content in their menu. Most of these burgers contain 2g of trans fat, which is the total recommended daily intake (American Heart Association). Too much trans fat will have an adverse to your cardiovascular health.

If you are really craving for Burgers or Sandwiches go for the wraps they are low in calorie and low in fat.

Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap (Grilled): Calories 250, Total Fat 8g, Carbs 27g, Protein 16g, and Sodium 670mg

Ranch Snack Wrap (Grilled): Calories 270, Total Fat 12g, Carbs 25g, Protein 16g, and Sodium 700mg

Check out the Angus Bacon & Cheese, you must really hate your body if you try to eat that calorie packed item: Calories 820, Total Fat 41g, Carbs 64g, Protein 48g, and Sodium 2110mg

Desserts - Most of McDonald's desserts like Hot Fudge Sundae or shakes are high in calories and fat, but there are few items that are low in calories and low in fat.

Fruit 'N Yogurt Parfait: Calories 150, Total Fat 2g, Carbs 30g, Protein 4g, and Sodium 70mg

If you are really in a diet then go for the Apple Slices: Calories 15, Total Fat 0g, Carbs 4g, Protein 0g, and Sodium 0mg

As for the drinks, avoid sugary drinks and go for a glass/bottle of water. Also avoid diet Soda it's not good for you as I posted before here.

Teen obesity tied to poor mom-child relationship according to study

Dec 28 (Reuters) - Toddlers who have poor relationships with their mother are more likely to pack on extra weight as they grow up, according to a U.S. study.

Researchers who followed nearly 1,000 children into their teens found that more than 25 percent of those who scored lowest on mother-child relationship tests as toddlers went on to become obese at age 15, findings in Pediatrics said.

By contrast, only 13 percent of the children who had a good relationship with their mother became obese.

While that doesn't prove cause and effect, researchers say other work has shown links between children's emotional and intellectual development and how they interact with their mother at a young age.

It's possible that a stressful childhood could make a lasting impression on children's brains, said Sarah Anderson, who worked on the study.

"There is an overlap in the brain between the areas that govern stress and energy balance," said Anderson, at the Ohio State University College of Public Health in Columbus.

"This stress response could be related to obesity through appetite regulation."

The study was based on 977 children who were videotaped while playing with their mother at about one, two and three years of age.

Researchers then assessed the toddler's relationship to their mothers based on the mother's ability to recognize her child's emotional state and respond with warmth, as well as the child's tendency to explore its environment freely, a measure of "attachment security."

A quarter of the toddlers had a "poor-quality" relationship to their mothers, whereas 22 percent achieved perfect scores at each session.

At 15 years, 26 percent of the children with relationship trouble were obese -- twice as many as those without such problems.

However, the gap narrowed as more factors were taken into account, including maternal education and household income.

David Gozal, a pediatrician who was not involved in the study, agreed, although he said unhealthy food and a lack of physical activity and sleep are likely to play a bigger role.

Still, stress -- both via genetic reprogramming and behavioral changes -- may also have an impact, and a poor mother-child relationship could be part of that, he said.

"What you see in adulthood is obviously the cumulative effect of what has happened earlier in life," said Gozal, physician-in-chief at the Corner Children's Hospital in Chicago.

Today, 17 percent of all children and adolescents in the United States are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But Anderson said that even if poor relationships at home contributed, there is no point in chiding mothers.

"Blaming parents is not likely to solve anything. It's important to recognize that there are many competing demands on parents," she added.

SOURCE: reuters.com

Master Cleanse Diet, Weight loss Results

Here are the results, after 10 days of intense dieting, totally no food just lemon juice all through out. I lost (drum roll) . . . . 16 pounds. I'm now 130 lbs. this diet is really hard, I dream of food all day. I even chew when I'm dreaming at night. But it's all worth it.

America's Top 10 Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants

Health magazine rates the top 10 healthiest fast food restaurants in America based on their efforts to provide nutritious fare.

They surveyed the nation’s 100 largest fast-food chains, as defined by the number of locations, and found many are creating menus that look more and more like what we’d cook ourselves (if we had the time)—from nutritious soups and healthy salads to fresh whole grains and sensible desserts. Even better: They’re offering good-news Mexican, Asian, and Mediterranean fare.

1. Panera Bread

2. Jason's Deli

3. Au Bon Pain

4. Noodles and Company

5. Corner Bakery Cafe

6. Chipotle

7. Atlanta Bread

8. McDonald's

9. Einstein Bros. Bagels

10. Taco Del Mar

I was surprised that McDonald's is even on the list. Are they serving new and improve low sodium low calorie Happy Meals now? Well, I guess so according to Health magazine:

“Among the big burger-based chains, McDonald’s is leading the way in overhauling its menu to offer more heart- and waist-friendly fare. Take the Happy Meals, which you can order with a side of apple dippers (with low-fat caramel) instead of fries and low-fat milk or fruit juice instead of soda. (Now the trick is just getting your kid to go for them!) And if you’ve gotta have fries, McDonald’s are made in a healthy canola-blend oil and come in at just 230 calories for a small.”

It’s safe to say that I can now visit McDonald’s for a meal. I just wish I can super size the apple dippers.