Category Archives: REVIEWS

Healthy logos can be far from healthy.

Posted by Trainer Doug 21,January 2012 Leave a comment

January is always the big month for diet resolutions.  People rush out and stock up on boxes of frozen pre-made meals, unhealthy fat burners and stacks of artificially flavored beverages.  Unfortunately, all the education that’s now available about a natural wholefoods diet never penetrates their cerebral cortex.  Instead, the public gets drawn towards the pretty pictures of foods that seem to be a great solution to their problem: obesity and artificial overload.

Here’s a pretty picture:  blue, green, yellow and yes..the Healthy Choice logo.  How pretty.

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Lets take a look at the Healthy ingredients in this pretty picture:

whole grain pasta (water, whole grain wheat flour [UltraGrain], wheat semolina, egg white), water, chicken tenderloins (chicken tenderloin, water, olive oil, contains 2% of less of: isolated soy protein product [isolated soy protein, modified food starch, cornstarch, carrageenan, soy lecithin], dextrose, salt, potassium and sodium phosphates, potassium chloride, paprika, flavoring, caramel color), spinach, cooked shrimp, onions, diced tomatoes, broccoli, red pepper, salted chablis, garlic (contains high maltose corn syrup, salt), contains 2% or less of: butter, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice concentrate, modified food starch, chicken base (chicken meat and natural chicken juices, salt, chicken fat, sugar, hydrolyzed [corn and wheat gluten, soy] protein, dried whey, maltodextrin, yeast extract, natural flavoring, disodium insinuate and disodium guanylate, natural extracts of turmeric and annatto), sugar, Italian seasoning (sea salt, garlic, dehydrated onion, spices, red bell pepper, soybean oil), salt, spice, sodium phosphate.

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Now,  I want you to envision your leanest and best body.  Next, I want you to envision yourself living a wholesome, natural type of lifestyle…..Finally, do you think eating the ingredients above that are highlighted in bold will get you one step closer to feeling vibrant, healthy and powerful?

If you answered yes then you need to remember this, ” Food is a chemical.  Chemically it affects you hormonally, physically and emotionally. “  So if you said yes again I want you to eat a delicious box of disodium insinuate and disodium guanylate plus top it off with a big bag of Riceworks Brown Rice Chips 

Yes, both may taste great but try to cleanse your body completely for 2 weeks of  any artificial foods, chemicals, etc….  Then eat these foods again and see how you feel.  I guarantee your body will react as if you just ate a foreign virus causing you headaches, stomach bloat and a nice scratchy throat.

So, Bonn appetite.

If you really want a frozen healthy choice premade meal, then walk down your favorite natural foods section of your local supermarket (Wholefoods).  Choose a natural,wholefoods frozen type meal.  Read the ingredients.  Keep the fat content below 10 grams of fat per meal and select your favorites.  Eat sparingly only when needed.  Stick to basics: lean protein, organic veggies, organic greens and omega 3,6 fats.  Drink water and more water.

I’d love to hear your suggestions of good healthy, frozen meals.

P.S: to give Healthy Choice justice..they now carry a natural array of frozen meals which I have not analyzed.  However, from a quick glimpse I would say they are loaded with lots of refined ingredients that are far from gluten free.

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Top Breakfast Food to keep your belly from being flat!

Posted by Trainer Doug 13,October 2011 Leave a comment

Americans have been trained for years to eat certain foods  during the day.  Growing up I was always told to eat cereal for lots of energy for school.  Well, I’m sure you were told the same in so many words.   No wonder there’s an aisle just for cereals.  It’s so convenient and is now marketed as the best way to get more fiber and foritified nutrition.

Cereal! The breakfast food of champions right?  Wrong.  99% of cereals are loaded with salt, preservatives, GMO’s, flour (all), refined and processed wheat, corn, millet, soy…honestly, this article could be another 400 words of just belly gorging additives.

Cereal is not only just a filler but it directly hinders your weight loss.  Yes, there are a few genetic freaks out their that can eat 3 bowls of Captain Crunch Crap and still have a flat belly.  Yet, for the majority of you…cereal is your enemy!

Yes, enemy.  All Cereal!  Even the so called healthy cereals :Kashi, Barbaras, Mothers, Morning Glory, Quaker…..I said it, Kashi!  How many of you are saying, ” I eat Kashi everyday and it keeps me full with all its fiber!”  Ya, and it keeps your belly bloated and just fills you up like they do when they use feed for cows…moooo, lol (kidding).  Anyhow, It’s just a filler with little and no nutrition.

Omg! No cereal.  Never.  Nope!! However, if your goal is to get a flat belly than yes, you should stay clear of cereal for a little bit and exchange cereal with a few options

  • protein ( eggs ,protein drinks**, turkey bacon )and fruit .
  • organic veggie juices (carrot, kale, spinach, ginger, tomato, etc…)
  • low-fat cottage cheese or greek yogurt (all natural) and fruit
  • brown rice cake with raw nut butter (almond, cashew, sunflower…)

Now, if you positively won’t void cereals from your diet and need to fill your tummy than try one of these cereals:

  • Natures path: read ingredient and make sure ingredients says oats not oat flour
  • Trader Joes quick Steel cut oats
  • Ezekeil Cereals

These cereals have great fiber and very little ingredients other than the good stuff.  Keep your portions small 1/4 -1 cup.

PlEASE NOTE: this article was for those who want a flat belly.  If your happy with your waist line and you want extra fiber than go ahead.  Add some cereal to your diet.   Just stick to a good brand like the ones directly above and always remember ” natural” means nothing.  Turn the box around and stay away from those loaded with sugars no matter where their source is from : agave, brown rice, cane sugar, raw sugar, maple syrup…its all the same.  Your better off dictating the amount of sweetener on your own using organic fruit.  Ingredient shopping is for another topic.

Let me know your favorite flat belly busting breakfast! Comment below, thanks…



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Health Food Review and Analysis for Riceworks brown rice crisps.

Posted by admin admin 20,July 2011 Leave a comment

 

These look great right? Yummy right?  Healthy right? 

Just read the package: Whole grain (not) / Wheat and Gluten Free / Natural brown Rice (notice only says natural brown rice) / Vegan and Celiac Friendly (really) Clients always text, bring in or email me products to review to put on their food plan as a snack alternative.  Recently, a client brought this so called Riceworks wonder chip to my attention.   She said, ” I heard these were healthy and they look like they are and could be alternative to potato chips or tortilla chips.  What do you think?  By the way, they taste great”.

So, I had to buy a bag and give her my food analysis of this Wonder Chip that I googled.  Now, I reviewed others peoples opinions and many were from so called nutrition gurus.  Just what I thought, many of these so called nutrition experts don’t know healthy from nonhealthy. Here’s my review: First, let me start by saying read all labels and NEVER, NEVER believe a package.  Thank god, they have to reveal the ingredients because most of us would have medical issues similiar to the fish they find in Boston Harbor. 

Back to the Brown Rice Chip (bullsh**)…… Unfortunately, for this complany I couldn’t copy the exact ingredients or Nutrition facts but I’ll just talk about the ones that count the most.

Ingredients: whole grain brown rice (first of all its baked so doesn’t count), rice flour, masa corn flour (both of these flours might as well be wonder bread, if you want a pouch then just keep eating flour products, end of story there), High Oleic Expeller pressed safflower oil …blah, blah (might as well just lick a oiled baking sheet, baking these oils actually makes them unhealthy!)……….list goes on to a bunch of spices but the main kicker, the one that actually blew me away for this so called healthy snack… drum roll………………………Sodium Diacetate, Sodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate..all which are same as MSG (flavor enhancers). 

Yes, good old dose of MSG.  Nothing like the chemicals that have been known to cause headaches, joint problems, skin irritations, upset stomach, allergies….all the good stuff.  Oh ya, plus your fingers fill up with so much sodium they become squeezed to death by your rings..never mind can’t make a fist.

As for nutrition facts, null, zero goodness…not one ounce of healthy other than carbs, chemicals, sodium  and a whopping gram of fiber or two.  Now, thats whole grain right.

Summary: not healthy, just alot of good marketing.  Package is really pretty.  Go for an organic whole grain (no flour) tortilla chip if you must.  Better yet, eat fruit.

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Jay Robb Egg White Protein Review

Posted by Doug Doug 24,April 2011 Leave a comment

Most of you who have read my blog or get free nutrition help from signing up for my newsletter know that I’m a big believer in eating egg whites as a main source of protein.

A large egg white contains approximately 4.7 grams or protein and is made up of 40 proteins, trace minerals and vitamins.   The yolk actually is healthy from a whole foods view.  The yolk contains fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E and K), approx. 2.7 grams protein , lecithin and carotenoids.  So, if you can make eggs ( 2-3 egg whites and 1 egg) a staple in your daily diet then you’re doing your body good.  Best to make eggs this way, because eating 5-10 eggs a day is beneficial to getting lean muscle, especially for women.  Can you imagine eating 10 egg yolks?

The other day, a client asked me about ” Egg white protein powder” and whether I thought it was any good.  I personally think an egg white protein powder can be an OK source of protein.  However, not as good as the real thing.  Processing a food for protein almost always leads to loss of minerals, vitamins and micro-nutrients that chemically we can’t even find.  Yet, protein powders can provide your muscles with an amino acid ratio quickly which is needed to recuperate and build muscle.

The question really is, ” Whether there is an egg white protein powder on the market that taste good?”.  I have yet to find one.  So, my client gave me a sample of the Jay Robb Egg White Protein Powder.  I have tried his whey protein powder  which is decent tasting.   I personally like to find whole foods that I can implement into my lifestyle.  AKA: taste good and good for you.

My review of the Jay Robb Egg White Protein Powder taste little chalky but overall better than TwinLabs Egg Protein powder.  I found the strawberry flavor the best.  On a 1-10 I give this protein powder a 5 for taste and a 8 for nutrition.

Smoothie recommendation with Protien Powder:

1 Cup low-fat dairy or non dairy beverage, 1 tbsp raw  and natural nut butter, 1-2 scoops protein powder, 1 large banana, 2 tbsp all natural chocolate syrup (trader joes) and blend!


If you have found an Egg white protein powder that taste good.  Let me know.

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