Written by T.E.A.M. Training Coordinator, Mitchel Black

What do the Thigh Master, Ab-roller, Atkins, and South Beach diets all have in common? At one point they were the seemingly best fad-diet or fad-exercise plans on the market. They were touted as plans that would work for everyone. However, most of these plans didn’t even really work at all. The main reason for this is that the body adapts. After doing the same exercise over and over again, your body will get used to it and you’ll stop seeing results.

Unfortunately, there is not an “End All Be All” exercise or diet program. Your body and metabolism is like a thumb print – it is different for everyone. Each person responds differently to exercise and diet. That is why metabolic testing is so important. The closest thing you will find to a common strategy of working out is the implemtation of good diet and exercise. Even in that form, it is generalized. You always need to pay attention to yourself and find what works for you. Just because your best friend worked out 5 days a week for an hour a day and lost 5 lb a week, doesn’t mean you will. You may only be able to lose .25lb a week.

For whatever reason, most people are willing to do everything except eat a healthy diet and exercise. What you need to make sure you do is follow a regimen of proper diet and exercise that is tailored to your body’s needs. You never want to do the same thing over and over again or your body will just get really good at it. You must change your regimen every 4 to 6 weeks. In weights, that means changing the exercises, sets, reps, and rest periods. In nutrition, that means changing the amount of food (carbs, fats, and proteins) during that specific phase.

This works because it is a principal rather than a set way to get the job done. I’m not telling you to do 50 reps of bicep curls 5 minutes a day to lose weight. I’m simply stating a principal to implement into your life.

Try to follow a regimen rather than a fad, feel free to ask the Life Time Fitness staff any questions you may have, and most importantly, get your metabolic test done at your club to find out your body’s specific needs so you can implement them. Otherwise, it is like driving a car without a speedometer and hoping you don’t go over the speed limit.

Until next month, have a great workout!

I'm strong to the finich

Cause I eats me spinach,

I'm Popeye the Sailor Man.

Although Popeye's bulging muscles probably didn't come only from eating spinach, his can of vegetables certainly could have helped. It's a lesson many of us could learn from. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recently released a state-by-state report of fruit and vegetable consumption, and the results were far from respectable. The results showed that only 33 percent of adults meet the fruit and 27 percent of adults meet the vegetable recommendations each day. More than likely, these numbers include the consumption of fruit juices which are not as nutritious as whole fruit, so the numbers may actually be even worse. If we all know that fruit and vegetables are important, how can we ensure we consume enough each day? How can we make sure fruit and vegetables are more of a priority in our meals?

Make it a Habit

Some estimates show that we eat about 80% of the same foods from week to week, which means some of our diet is a result of long-term habits. If you don't eat vegetables with meals on a daily basis, there is a good chance you don't even consider it when it comes time to eat. One of the easiest ways to being making it a habit is to buy the small bags of pre-made salad mixes (without the dressing in them). Take a bag with you, along with your favorite "calorie-appropriate" dressing. If you forget, almost every restaurant has a variety of salads. You could even pick one up at LifeCafe on your way out of the club and save it for later in the day. My favorite at LifeCafe is the Mediterranean Salad.

Buy Fresh Vegetables Frequently

Food prices today are not cheap. If you're like most people, you're not going to want to waste food. If you make it a point to buy more vegetables each time you go to the store, it's more likely you'll eat them throughout the week. If you have access to organic vegetables at the store or at a Farmer's Market, it's probably worth the small increase in price to buy them over the regular produce.

Look for Alternatives

What if you don't have the time to eat your fruit of vegetables? Not everyone has the time to sit down and eat a full meal, vegetables included. Juice is often promoted as an alternative. Unfortunately, fruit juice is highly concentrated in sugar, and lacks much of the fiber found in normal whole-fruit. For fruit, juice would not be a good replacement for whole fruit on a regular basis.

Vegetable juices often work well since there is not much sugar in vegetables. It is not the same as eating fresh vegetables, but is a great addition to a healthy nutrition plan. Many drinks and mixes offer fruit and vegetable blends as well. They contain dried blends of fruit and vegetables, which provide a host of antioxidants and are a very convenient way to take in additional fruit and vegetables. In fact, our newest supplement, FastFuel Complete, contains 750 mg of a proprietary fruit and vegetable blend with each serving. It's incredible how many different vegetables can be packed into a great-tasting vanilla or chocolate shake.

Summary

There is no doubt that your body benefits from consuming plenty of fruits and vegetables. For whole foods, try to consume more vegetables than fruit becasue they are far lower in calories and sugar. Fruit is certainly healthy, but still contains plenty of calories. Eat them. Drink them. Just get them in. You may not turn into "Popeye" overnight, but making them part of your usual nutrition plan can certainly help you develop an "Eye-Popping" physique.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

So, you’re a Life Time Fitness member and weight loss is your goal. Regardless whether your weight loss goal is a little or a lot, it’s important to know what assessments provide you with the best information needed to reach your goal. LifeLab assessments are focused on finding the most efficient way for you to shed those extra pounds. The science based assessments help take the guess work out of weight loss and provide an accurate calorie intake and expenditure plan so your workouts have a purpose and your meals make sense.

The first step with any weight loss program is to determine your overall health and fitness starting point and establish a reasonable weight loss goal. It’s pretty hard to develop a plan if you do not know how much you should lose. The FitPoint assessment would be the first assessment to start with to help set a weight loss goal if you don’t have one. The assessment measures your current weight, body fat percentage, cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility level. Based on these results your FitPoint report will identify what is the ideal weight and body composition for you. One of Life Time’s fitness professionals can administer the FitPoint and review the report with you to determine reasonable weight loss goals.

The next step is to determine what’s going on inside of your body. I’m sure that at some point in your life you have had the wonderful experience of balancing your bank account. If you don’t know how much is going into the account, balancing it becomes pretty difficult. Weight loss is not that much different. You need to know how many calories should be deposited in your account (or body) and how many need to come out of your account. This is where the resting metabolic rate (CaloriePoint) assessment comes in. A CaloriePoint assessment determines how many calories you need to take in and expend each day. This test measures the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide you use at rest which is important because your body burns 5 calories for ever liter of oxygen you consume. Comparing the amount of oxygen used to the amount of carbon dioxide produced during a resting state determines the percentage of calories coming from fat vs. carbohydrates. Typical equations to determine your caloric needs can be off by as much as 15-20%, and will not tell you what percentage of your resting calories are coming from fat, which is an important number when formulating a weight loss plan.

You also need to know how much is going out of the account to successfully balance it.  An exercise metabolic rate (CardioPoint) assessment is better than your accountant at determining what is going out and where it is coming from. This exercise assessment determines the number of calories, amount of fat and amount of carbohydrates you are using at a specific heart rate. This is important especially for weight loss.

Once you determine how many calories your body can burn while at rest and when exercising and what a healthy realistic weight goal should be you can start to create an energy deficit program.

A desirable weight loss program should meet the following guidelines established by The American College of Sports Medicine:
1)    Do not eat less than 1200 kcal/day for normal adults and allow a proper distribution of foods to meet nutritional requirements.
2)    Create a negative caloric balance (not to exceed 500 to 1000 kcal/day), resulting in gradual weight loss.
3)    Have an exercise program that promotes a daily caloric expenditure of more than 300 kcal.

The National Weight Control Registry found that 89% of people who lost 30 or more pounds and  kept it off for at least one year accomplished their goals through a combination of diet and exercise - only 10% succeeded using diet alone and only 1% using exercise alone.

Skip Gagnon is a Metabolic Specialist at the Life Time Fitness in Westminster CO.

Just because summer is over doesn't mean you have to move your workouts indoors. You can still find fun and interesting outdoor fitness activities to do before the temps really begin to dip. Life Time Fitness Personal Trainers, Justin Salzl and Britt Ringstrom, offer some suggestions for fun fall outdoor exercises:

Justin says:

Fall is the time of year when many of us think we have to get our last outside exercise in. But that's not true! It's actually a great time of year for running outdoors, because the weather is cooler so you don't need to wait until after dusk to go for a jog.

I really enjoy running the local lake trails after the hot summer is over. The leaves are changing and the air is a little brisk.  It's a wonderful time to be outside.

Another great outdoor experience during fall is to take an outdoor fitness class.  Whether it's kettlebells or a cardio dance, it's the last hurrah before winter gets here.

Finally, my favorite fall exercise is to jump into a local football game.  Two hand touch, flag, or even tackle football is a great form of cardio.  Be careful during tackle football, though, as some people get a little overzealous!

Britt  says:

Get creative with outdoor workouts before the snow falls.  Body weight exercises (push-ups, squats, etc.) are always great outdoor exercise options.

Runs through apple orchards, hiking through trails, and biking are all great physical activities that you can continue to do even when the cooler weather hits.

What are you waiting for? Fall is here, so get outside and exercise!

The use of sugar and sugar alternatives is one of the most debated areas of nutrition today. It is also an area of significant confusion. More of the popul ation today understands the negative impact of consuming excess sugar, whether it is in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, or other "natural" sugars. One alternative is nonnutritive sweeteners (NNS). In considering the use of nonnutritive sweeteners, people are confronted with very opposing viewpoints. To make this even more complicated, there are several different NNS to choose from. In the first post on this subject, we looked at whether NNS use has been shown to increase appetite. In the second one, we looked at the evidence behind whether NNS support weight loss. Today, we'll take a look at the four most common nonnutritive sweeteners - aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K and sucralose. There are many others, such as stevia and various sugar alcohols. Those may be topics for another day.

How much can we use?

The FDA has established acceptable daily intake amounts for NNS. The current ADI equivalents for NNS are as follows:

- Aspartame: 18-19 cans of diet cola

- Saccharin: 9-12 packets of sweetener

- Acesulfame-K: 30-32 cans of diet lemon-lime soda

- Sucralose: 6 cans of diet soda

Does this mean that consuming more than these amounts in a single day will cause problems? No. It means the above is the average daily amount that can be consumed, according to current research and not result in complications for the average population. On an individual level, some people may not handle one of the above NNS at all. In this case, they should completely avoid that NNS. It would be the same recommendation if someone had a severe peanut allergy. They should stay away from any peanut consumption. But that does not mean the rest of the population needs to refrain from eating peanuts. As we look at some of the concerns around the various NNS below, this is an important point to consider. Every person has a unique metabolism and may be sensitive to any number of ingredients in our food supply, natural or processed/man-made. If someone finds they respond poorly to a NNS, they should avoid it, but it does not mean their friends need to.

Diet soda is not the only place NNS are found, but non-calorie/low-calorie beverages are where the most NNS are consumed by the population. In diet drinks, it is common to find only one of the NNS used. The most commonly used NNS in diet drinks is aspartame. As we'll see below, aspartame also has more question marks surrounding it than the other NNS, which is why diet drinks are so often called into question.

In foods and pre-made mixes, more than one NNS is often used. A combination such as Sucralose and Ace-K provides a more natural-tasting sweetness to a product, and significantly reduces the amount of either one used in a product because of the synergistic effect of the two sweeteners.

Pros and Cons of NNS

Many of the health concerns related to NNS have come from anecdotal reports, which have not yet been proven through research. Some of the perceptions of NNS have been shaped by the food industry as well. As an example, when sucralose (Splenda) came onto the market, the sugar industry was quick to cast doubt on the product, as it had an interest in avoiding the decreased use of sugar. To complicate research conclusions, much of the research on NNS has favored the party funding the research. When research has been done by a NNS company, the research has provided positive results. When research has been done by other parties more interested in showing negative effects of NNS use, the results have more often been negative. Much of the disagreement about NNS stems from the fact that the NNS requires a man-made process to create the product. If NNS were produced by nature, it is not likely there would be such strong opposition.

The most common reported occurrence with the use of some NNS is headaches. Because each NNS is different, if the use of one NNS causes headaches, it should not be concluded that all NNS use causes headaches for an individual. According to anecdotal reports, aspartame seems to have more negative observations associated with it than other NNS. In looking at the messages to the public about the use of NNS, some of the points of view are quite extreme. If more research in the future paints a different, conclusive picture on any of the NNS below, we'll be sure to share that. Below is a brief summary of the four main nonnutritive sweeteners.

Aspartame

Aspartame is commonly sold under the brand name "Nutrasweet." Headaches are the most commonly discussed concern with the use of aspartame. Allergic reactions have also been allegedly observed with the use of aspartame, such as swelling  of the lips, tongue and throat. When studies have been done to review these observations, researchers have had trouble replicating the occurrences with random sampling of the population. When swelling or hives have occurred in research, it occurred in placebo groups like it did in the aspartame groups, so no conclusions could be drawn. Because beverages often contain other ingredients, such as caffeine, it is possible the perceived side-effects could come from something other than aspartame. However, for those who do not respond well to aspartame or a different sweetener, it would be wise to use an alternative, or avoid NNS use.

The largest concern for aspartame use is in those with phenylketonuria, which is a rare inborn error of metabolism where they cannot metabolize phenylalanine. Significant ingestion of aspartame by those with phenylketonuria is thought to be a risk for neurological disorders. Though studies have shown that those with phenylketonuria can tolerate the aspartame amounts found in diet cola, use should be moderated. The phenylalanine content of a 12 oz diet Coke is 90 mg. Phenylalanine is found naturally in foods as well. In fact, milk contains 404 mg in an 8 ounce glass. That is not to say milk should be avoided. It is just to point out that phenylalanine is also found in nature. Those with a history of depression may be more sensitive to aspartame use as well.

Another negative for aspartame is that it is not stable in non-acidic fluids or when heated. One of the breakdown products is methanol, or "wood alcohol" which is toxic to the body. A healthy adult can metabolize up to 2000 mg of methanol per day. A 12-ounce diet Coke provides 18 mg of methanol. Again, this is found in nature. In fact, tomato juice provides 71 mg of methanol in 8 ounces. Of course, tomato juice provides a host of other nutrients as well, so you cannot compare the two. Of all of the NNS, aspartame seems to carry the most concerns with it. An occasional diet cola is not likely to cause problems. For many people, diet cola is used to help them get through the day and is used as a major source of caffeine. Using it on more than an occasional basis is probably not a good idea.

Saccharin

In 1977, saccharin, commonly known as "Sweet n' Low" was tied to bladder cancer in studies on rats. The studies used megadoses of saccharin, equivalent to 800 to 1000 cans of diet soda for an average adult. Since that time, it has had the reputation for increasing the risk of cancer. However, studies since that time have not supported the idea that it poses a serious health risk. In the research done on this NNS, it has been shown to be safe in the diet. It is not as popular a NNS because of the bitter aftertaste if leaves in the mouth. It is also not commonly used in cooking or baking.

Acesulfame-K

Ace-K has been approved for use since 1988. It is 200 times sweeter than sucrose, and is usually used in combination with another sweetener. In megadoses, the methylene cholride in Ace-K could cause problems, but it is rarely used by itself, and because it is so sweet, the amounts used are extremely low. It is mainly used to enhance the taste profile of another sweetener, so minimal amounts are used. It has not received much attention as it is used in such small amounts, and has not been associated with health complications. It can be found in some alcoholic beverages, but is generally used as a NNS in foods, sauces and confections.

Sucralose

Marketed under the brand name Splenda, this is one of the newer major sweeteners on the market (the newest is Truvia, which we won't cover today). Sucralose is created by changing the structure of a sugar molecule. Sucralose has the benefit of working well with heat and in baking. When it came to market, its close resemblance and taste to sugar caught the attention of the sugar industry. The sugar industry was quick to point out the fact that sucralose contained chlorine, which created a reputation for sucralose that it could lead to problems from people ingesting chlorine. This was a somewhat misleading way to cast doubt on sucralose, as the chlorine does not break apart from the sucralose. Instead, it passes through the body undigested, which is very different than ingesting pure chlorine. Normal table salt also contains half of its structure as chlorine. In some people, sucralose can cause bloating or gas, but again this could be dose-dependant. Overall, the evidence behind sucralose has been positive.

Summary

Overall, for  the majority of the population, the use of NNS in moderation seems to be okay. Having said that, there is no doubt that someone reading this article has personally experienced a negative effect of one or more of the NNS. Some people do not tolerate one or more of the NNS well. These are also the stories that are most commonly discussed in media and books. The stories of the millions of people who do handle NNS well do not make for as exciting a story. Of all of the NNS available, it seems that aspartame would best be moderated. In people consuming large volumes of diet soft drinks, replacing most of those soft drinks with water is an important step toward optimal health.

The biggest challenge in reviewing this group of nonnutritive sweeteners in a single article was to cover as many high-points as possible without taking up so much space that the full article would not be read. If you choose to do your own research on using NNS, choose your sources wisely. The opinions on NNS can be quite extreme and may exaggerate some of the truths. It makes for a great story, and may make someone sound like more of an expert. In reality, as a population, we consume far too much sugar and total calories. The moderate use of NNS can be appropriate, so long as the products used do not displace the use more nutritious choices. Small amounts of diet cola are likely a better choice than regular cola. Water or unsweetened iced tea is a better choice than diet cola.

In health,

Tom Nikkola

Go to: Non-Calorie Sweeteners: Do they increase appetite?

Go to: Non-Calorie Sweeteners: Do they support weight loss?

References:

Garriga MM, Berkebile C, Metcalfe DD. A combined single-blind, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to determine the reproducibility of hypersensitivity reactions to aspartame. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1991 Apr;87(4):821-7

Geha R, Buckley CE, Greenberger P, Patterson R, Polmar S, Saxon A, Rohr A, Yang W, Drouin M. Aspartame is no more likely than placebo to cause urticaria/angioedema: results of a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1993 Oct;92(4):513-20.

Eades, Mary Dan. Sweeter than Sugar? http://www.proteinpower.com/drmd_blog/?p=142 Apr 1, 2007

Kovacs B, Shiel W. Artificial Sweeteners. http://www.medicinenet.com/artificial_sweeteners/article.htm#role. Medicinenet.com

Aragon A. Artificial sweetener use: current controversies. Alan Aragon's Research Review. April 1, 2009

Food & Nutrition Australia. Review of Non-nutritive Sweeteners. Food & Nutrition Australia. June, 2008

Magnuson B. Straight Facts on Aspartame & Health. Article prepared by Magnuson for The Beverage Institute for Health & Wellness

Mattes RD, Popkin BM. Nonnutritive sweetener consumption in humans: effects on appetite and food intake and their putative mechanisms. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:1-14

Aragon A. Artificial sweetener use: current controversies. Alan Aragon Research Review. April 2009

Lutsey P, Steffen L, Stevens J. Dietary Intake and the Development of the Metabolic Syndrome: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communitites Study. Circulation 2008;117:754-761

Vartanian L, Schwartz M, Brownell K. Effects of Soft Drink Consumption on Nutrition and Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Am J Public Health. 2007;97:667-675

Nettleton J, Lutsey P, Wang Y, Lima J, Michos E, Jacobs D. Diet Soda Intake and Risk of Incident Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes in the Mult-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Diabetes Care. 32:688-694, 2009

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

The most recent attempt by the food industry to help people make better decisions about the groceries they purchase will likely make them more confused than ever. The new program  called the "Smart Choices Program," aims to highlight foods in stores that could be considered "healthy." Before you run to the store and pick out all of the foods with the new green checkmark, be sure you know what it is you are purchasing.

Creation of the Smart Choices Program

The philosophy of the program was to create standards for products that follow guidelines from the Dietary Guidelines for American's. For an annual fee of approximately $100,000, food companies can enroll in the program. As long as their food products meet the requirements of the program, they can feature the label on the front of the packaging. This will also eliminate the need for these manufacturers to show their own unique logos to make the product appear more healthy. This is not a program developed by the government. It was developed by many of the leading food companies in partnership with the American Society for Nutrition. Before believing the products that bear the new symbol are actually what you should incorporate into your nutrition program, we'll take a look at what the labels actually mean.

What is a "Smart Choice?"

According to the program, the generic benchmarks for being considered a "smart choice" include the two following points:

1. Nutrition must be less than the following

<35% calories from fat

<10% calories from saturated fat

< 25% calories from added sugar

0 g trans fat

< 60 mg cholesterol

< 480 mg sodium

2. Must include one of the following

> 10% daily value of ONE of the following: calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C OR vitamin E

one serving of ONE of the following food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free/low-fat milk products

As long as a processed food can meet the criteria, it can be considered a "Smart Choice." This means that a huge list of highly-processed foods will bear the logo. While the intention of the program may have been to help consumers make faster, healthier decisions, there are certainly some flaws in the program.

Where are the whole foods?

If you review the list of Smart Choice foods, you will quickly see that almost all of the products listed are processed foods. Processed foods may be used on occasion, but the bulk of a nutritious diet should come from whole foods, which are prepared from their natural state. According to our Life Time Fitness Nutrition Philosophy, the majority of food people consume should come from whole foods. For convenience, a protein shake or meal replacement shake can be beneficial, but at least three times a day, real food should be eaten. A better decision may have been to hang a Smart Choice banner over the areas containing fresh foods, such as the fruit, vegetable, meat, dairy and egg sections of the grocery store.

Does the program favor large food manufacturers?

Will the smaller organic food companies get involved with this program? It may depend on whether they can justify the expense. Even if they are willing to invest the $100,000, the Smart Choice logo on a box of Fruit Loops would be the same logo that would be on a box of Peanut Butter Panda Puffs, which is a gluten-free organic cereal made by Nature's Path. They are far from the same in their nutrition value, but would bear the same logo.

Checking the list of dairy products today, nothing was listed. However, a few days ago, the list included dozens of fat-free dairy products. From a consumer's standpoint, it will easily appear that the fat-free, pasteurized, homogenized commercial milk products are healthier than the non-homogenized, fat-containing, organic milk products coming from grass-fed cows. If you'd like to learn more about the difference, check out the Experience Life article Skimming the Truth. It is not likely a local farm which produces real milk would invest in the logo, and some products that are higher in fat content may not qualify even though they provide far more nutrition. There are also no whole eggs on the list, but there are pasteurized, fat-free egg products.

Most Surprising Foods Making the "Smart Choices" List

In reviewing the list of products which will feature the Smart Choice logo, I picked out some of the products that seemed the most out of place. The list will continue to grow as more products are approved for the logo, or as more companies participate in the program. Most interesting is the fact that the cereal category currently contains 203 products! I'm not sure how many cereals actually fit on the shelf of most grocery stores, but it seems odd that a food which is considerably processed, fortified, low in protein, high in carbohydrates, low in good fats, and generally high in sugars would be considered a Smart Choice.

Eileen T. Kennedy, president of the Smart Choices board, told the New York Times, "You're rushing around, you're trying to think about healthy eating for your kids and you have a choice between a doughnut and a cereal. So Froot Loops is a better choice." Most consumers don't need help understanding doughnuts are not a good choice, but whatever happened to eggs and oatmeal for breakfast? Short on time, what about a fruit and protein shake? Below are some products that really seemed out of place receiving a Smart Choice logo:

Sun-Maid Mixed Fruit - Though there are not any additives, it has 100 calories, 26 grams of carbs and 21 grams of sugar per serving, which is only 1.4 ounces. Yes, it comes from whole fruit, but since it is dried, people will eat far more than if they ate fresh fruit.

Cereals: Apple Jacks, Cocoa Krispies, Fruit Loops Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms. Some of these cereals contain high fructose corn syrup. None of them provide much of a protein source or other whole-food nutrients.

Processed Meats: The majority of the meats considered "smart choices" are processed meats because of their lower levels of fat. Unfortunately, because of the processing, many of the products have had nutrients removed and the healthy fats that may have been in them at one point, are now removed. Many processed meats also contain extra preservatives. It may also appear to consumers that these processed foods are healthier than the grass-fed, organic, free-range options in the meat section because those products may not have paid for the label. Whole food, organic meats will be higher in healthy fats, but because of the fat content may not qualify for the label.

One other list of products really stood out because of its target market being kids: Kid's Cuisine line of microwavable meals. This is a great example of out of place many of these product are in a list of "smart choices." The following is a list of the ingredients for the Kid Cuisine Cheeseburger meal:

Beef patty on bun: BEEF PATTY: beef, beef broth (water, beef stock), textured soy protein concentrate, onions, salt, flavors

HAMBURGER BUN: whole wheat flour, whey, high fructose corn syrup, vegetable oil (soybean and/or cottonseed oils), water, enriched bleached flour (what flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, {vitamin B2}, folic acid), yeast, wheat gluten, contains 2% or less of the following: distilled vinegar, dough conditioners (may contain one or more of the following: mono- and diglycerides, sodium stearoyl lactylates, calcium peroxide, ascorbic acid) salt, cellulose gum, yeast nutrients (monocalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate), corn starch, soy lecithin, soy flour.

Pasteurized processed American cheese slice: (cultured milk, salt, enzymes, artificial color), water, cream, sodium citrate, contains less than 2% of salt, sodium phosphate, citric acid, acetic acid, sorbic acid (preservative), soy lecithin, artificial color

Corn

French Fries: potatoes, canola oil, salt, disodium dihydrogen phosphate (to promote color retention), coloring (caramel color, annatto extract, turmeric), dextrose

Fruit flavored snack: fruit juice concentrate (apple, white grape), sugar, corn syrup, unmodified and modified cornstarch, ascorbic acid, citric acid, artificial and natural flavor, mineral oil, carnauba wax, artificial color (red 40, yellow 6, blue 1, red 3), water, sugar.

Summary

Most likely, the concept of the "Smart Choices" program came from someone well-intentioned, who wanted to help consumers understand what products were best for their health. It appears to have evolved into more of a way to have consumers rely on more processed foods for their diet. If consumers really need education on what to eat to help combat the obesity epidemic and improve overall health, it's not likely the answer will be found on the covers of processed food packages.

I assume that many of the people reading this article will be able to understand what a real smart choice is when it comes to choosing foods in the grocery store. Part of the Life Time Fitness vision statement says that we want to be a "macro healthy way of life company and brand." That means we hope to have an impact beyond the walls of our fitness centers. One of the ways we can do that is by hoping our members (and other readers) can help share what they learn about health and fitness. The next time you are at the store and see people who are really trying to make good decisions, please help them out. They may not have the knowledge you do, and may end up buying products based on the label, not knowing that the best choices may not have that logo. If you're not comfortable with that, maybe just share this post with them. Shop smart. Eat well. Supplement right. Be healthy.

As always, comments welcomed!

In health,

Tom Nikkola

References:

Neuman, W. For Your Health, Froot Loops. New York Times. Sept 4, 2009

Glover, K. Froot Loops Unfortunate Mascot for Smart Choices Program. BNET

Helgoe, C. Skimming the Truth. Experience Life Magazine. September, 2009.

Smart Choices Website: www.smartchoicesprogram.com

This article is not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations in this and other articles is at the choice and risk of the reader.

Pizza doesn't have to be unhealthy. In fact, you can enjoy a delicious pizza pie packed with protein and fiber, and relatively low in carbs and calories.  The following recipe, Heidi's Grilled Chicken BBQ Pepper Pizza, is both nutritious and tasty. It was created by Life Time Fitness member, Heidi Foote, and is one of the featured dishes in the Healthy Way of Life Cookbook. Enjoy!