005: Sugar, Corn, and Diet Sodas

If you're unfortunate enough to be a soda addict even though you know it's bad for you, you might be wondering what kind of soda is the lesser of the evils. I will be breaking down for you the three most commonly found types of soda and the cons of each of them for you to be able to make an educated decision for yourself on what's the best of the least healthful.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Sodas
The bulk of soda sold have their sweetener being high fructose corn syrup. This includes nearly all the popular sodaas such as all Coke and Pepsi sodas, Dr. Pepper, and 7Up along with most off-brands (excluding nearly all diet sodas).

You've probably saw the commercials that ran for a few years that boasted of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) being nearly identical to sugar and how it was made from corn, but that's obviously a mask that is being put on to disguise the dangers of consuming HFCS.

HFCS is all empty calories. There is no nutritional benefit from consuming it, and it's loaded with calories. The body neads a certain amount of calories to function at its best; consuming too much results in weight gain, if it is not burned off with exercise. But sugar is empty calories as well, so how does one choose between HFCS and sugar?

This is how you choose. HFCS limits Leptin secretion in the digestive system. Leptin signals the body when it is full. The sweetness increases the production of Ghrelin. Ghrelin signals the body to eat more. The end result? Your body loses its ability to know when it's full and is always craving more. This will inevitably lead to obesity, if one does not exercise. However, one can of soda is over 200 calories. It would take two miles of walking to burn off most of ONE can of soda. Most soda drinkers I know don't just have one can of soda a day. If you like HFCS soda, I hope you like exercising A LOT.

Sugar Sodas
Most sodas that contain sugar display it proudly on their label in some way. The "throw-back" sodas that have emerged in the past year or more are also made with sugar instead of HFCS. That was the original sweetener for sodas.

Like HFCS, sodas made with sugar (even organic cane sugar) are empty calories. There is no nutritional benefit whatsoever from a sugar filled soda. People who switch to diet sodas from sugar and HFCS sodas usually see a ten pound drop in their weight. And consuming a lot of sugar on a regular basis can easily lead to diabetes. Sugar also promotes tooth decay which most everyone already knows.


Artificial Sweetener Sodas

I will not be going over each individual artifical sweetener. Consider the health effects listed below to be for the most common ones found in diet sodas but excluding stevia and xylitol.
Artificial sweeteners are weak carcinigens which means they are cancer promoting in your body. I only say weak because it's only been tested in animals which scientists have linked to its being a carcinigen, but there have been some definite links to artifical sweeteners to cancer of the bladder.

It can also cause headache, dizziness, change in mood, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps, change in vision, diarrhea, seizures, memory loss, depression, and fatigue in some individuals. A few extra pounds from drinking regular soda doesn't sound so bad right now, does it?

In various studies done, artificial sweeteners have been show to promote no weight loss. If fewer calories are being consumed by using artifical sweeteners, one would wonder why the weight would then not be lost. The studies were inconclusive as to why.


So what's the least harmful soda?

It would depend on your personal choice. You can save calories and possibly avoid being overweight which comes with a mess of health issues, but in turn you're risking the possiblity of cancer. As far as non-diet sodas goes, it seems pretty obvious that, if you were to choose, sodas made with sugar are better than ones made with high-fructose corn syrup. But comparing diet and "regular" soda is a tough and personal choice.

The best option is to stop drinking soda and start drinking water. A lot of people are dehydrated from their overuse of sodas. Sodas are not hydrating and most people need a lot more water than they're drinking. Try switching to a sparkling water to get the same bubble as soda. Your body will thank you.

004: February Food

In our family, we do most of our shopping on the 2nd of every month. We go to two or three grocery stores to do so. To get a better idea of how we eat in our home, I thought I'd post here on the 3rd of each month everything we bought.

I am the only vegan in my home, however my fiance is going vegan for this month (hopefully longer!). Technically, my youngest son is a vegetarian. I pump breast milk for him, but he does get the occasional bottle of soy formula which contains Vitamin D from lanolin (from sheep). My two older boys are strictly omnivores, however they do eat a really well balanced diet. They have their staples of meat and dairy foods that they grew up on before I decided to make the switch to veganism. So, their things will be included as well.

What We Bought For February

365 Bean and Rice Burritos

365 Vegetarian Chili: Spicy

Almond Nut Thins: Smokehouse

Amy's Non-Dairy Been and Rice Burritos

Amy's Rustic Italian Vegetable Soup

Apple Jacks

Asparagus

Atheno's Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Avocados

Baby Carrots

Bananas

Banquet Chicken Tenders

Bisquick Heart Smart

Boca Chick'n Nuggets

Boca Meatless Breakfast Links

Boca Vegan Patties

Bran For Life Bread

Broccoli

Campbell's Classic Tomato Soup at Hand

Carrots

Celery

Cheesy Burger Macaroni

Corn-on-the-cob

Cucumbers

Daiya Cheddar "Cheese"

Daiya Mozzarella "Cheese"

Diet Pepsi Caffeine Free

Diced Tomatoes

Earth Balance Original "Buttery" Spread

Earth Grains 100% Whole Wheat Thin Buns

Ego Buttermilk Waffles

El Monterey Bean and Cheese Burritos

EnjoyLife Cocoa Loco Chewy Bars

Folger's Coffee Singles

Frosted Flakes

Galaxy Nutrition Vegan American Flavor Soy Slices

Galaxy Nutrition Vegan Cheddar Flavor Rice Slices

Gardein Mandarin Orange Crispy Chik'n

Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders

Garlic

Grape Tomatoes

Green Apples

Green Bell Peppers

Green Onions

Go Max Go Buccaneer Candy Bar

Go Max Go Jokerz Candy Bar

Go Max Go Mahalo Candy Bar

Go Max Go Twilight Candy Bar

Graduates Peach Puffs

Graduates Sweet Potato Puffs

Guerrero Corn Tortillas

Inland Valley Tasty QQQ's Curly Fries

Jack Daniel's Horseradish

Kettle Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper Chips

La Victoria Salsa Supreme

La Victoria Salsa Verde

Life Balance Whole Wheat Tortillas

Lunchables Extra Cheesy Pizza

Lunchables Turkey and American Cheese

Manzanilla Olives

Mike and Ike's: Tropical Typhoon

Mission Tortilla Triangles

Morning Star Farms "Buffalo Wings"

Morning Star Farms "Chicken" Enchilada

Morning Star Farms "Chicken" Patties

Morning Star Farms "Sausage" Patties

Morning Star Farms Sesame "Chicken"

Mum Mums Original

Mum Mums Vegetable

Oregano

OrganicVille Dairy-Free Ranch

Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Bars

Pears

Pediasure Chocolate Shake

Pepsi Max

Pete's Teriyaki Stir fry Tofu 'n Sauce

Pilsbury Crescent Rolls Reduced Fat

Potatoes

Primal Strips Teriyaki Jerky

Primal Strips Texas BBQ Jerky

Ortego Yellow Corn Taco Shells

Quino Pasta Garden Pagodas

Rosarita Green Chili and Lime Refried Beans

Rosarita Vegetarian RefriedBeans

Rosemary

Red Leaf Lettuce

Silk Chocolate Soymilk

Sliced Mushrooms

Smoked Tofu

Smucker's Apple Jelly

Smucker's Strawberry Jelly

So Delicious Original Coconut Milk

Serrano Chillies

Sour Patch Watermelon Candies

Sourdough Bread

Soyatoo Soy Whip

Spanish Rice

Spinach

Taco Bell Fat Free Refried Beans

Taco Bell Mild Sauce

Tangelos

Tee Thers

Thyme

Tofurkey Peppered Deli Slices

Tofurkey Italian "Sausage" and Fire-Roasted Veggie Pizza

Tomato Paste

Tomatoes

Tree Top Apple Fruit Punch

Tree Top Apple Juice

Vegetarian Plus Black Pepper "Steaks"

Vegetarian Plus Vegan Kung Pao "Chicken"

Veggie Slices American Flavor

Water

Watermelon

Wheat Bread

Wheat Thins Reduced Fat

Whole Foods Vegan "Chicken" Taquitos

Whole Wheat Bread Flour

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

Whole Wheat Potato Gnocchi

Wholly Guacamole

Wishbone Lite Italian Dressing

Yves Canadian "Bacon"

Yves Meatless Ground

Zucchini

003: Vegan Fast Food

Vegan fast food sounds like an oxymoron, but everyone at some point, even vegans, find themselves in a position where one needs convenience food on the run. And no one has to be super healthy all the time, right? Before going vegan, I was a fast food junkie. I would eat it everyday, if I could. If I come off as knowing way too much about fast food, you would have to understand that first.

Below I have written out what is, after looking over countless sources, to the best of my knowledge, vegan or vegetarian at fast food restaurants. And a least of what you might THINK is vegan or at least vegetarian, but is not. You might be pretty amazed about the stuff they sneak in for who knows what reason.

Note: Instead of writing out a list of what can and cannot be eaten, I have chosen to write about each restaurant highlighting what can and cannot be eaten with a bit of detail. To skim over to find exactly what is vegan/vegetarian and what should be actually isn't vegan/vegetarian, please use the guide below:
Vegetarian food will be written in green.
Vegan food will also be written in bold green.
Foods that are written about that are not vegan/vegetarian are written in red.

McDonald's
We will start with McDonald's. As stated in the movie Super Size Me, McDonald's has made a claim that they cannot guarantee that any of their products (even their sodas...) do not contain meat. While I personally do not believe their sodas contain meat, this should be considered before eating here.

The fries from McDonald's are not vegetarian. They contain beef tallow (beef flavoring). The yogurt is not even vegetarian. Gelatin, made from animal hooves and connective muscle tissue (think cow butt), is in the yogurt. The caramel contains milk.The ingredients in the hash browns also contain beef flavoring. The danishes contain gelatin.


Burger King
I was originally under the impression that Burger King's french fries contain chicken fat. This is no longer true. The company does state though that they may not be considered part of a vegetarian diet.... to which I am suspicious. I do not plan on eating these. Their salads come with meat and cheese that's on separate container attached to the salad. You can easily toss it, but if you're veggie for the animals, you better have a meat eating friend with you to give it to because what good are you doing throwing it in the trash?
The veggie burger contains both milk and eggs, and the bun it is served on contains milk. Which while it works for vegetarians, you should insist that it be cooked in the microwave because it will just be thrown on the grill right next to a Whopper.

Subway
The veggie patties at Subway also contain milk and eggs. I'm really not understanding why even bothering with veggie patties that contain milk and eggs. Why not make veggie patties that all veggie lovers can have? They have a veggie sandwich that obviously you can get without cheese and mayonnaise. However, the only vegan bread is Italian, Hearty Italian, and Sesame Italian. The Wheat, Parmesan/Oregano, and Deli Style Rolls are vegetarian. There is eggs in the honey mustard and in the cookies.

Taco Bell
The sour cream and guacamole at Taco Bell is not vegetarian. It also contains gelatin. Their refried beans contain no lard though. This is one of my favorite places to go when I am in a rush or being completely lazy. I sub the meat out all the time for beans and minus the cheese. The Mexican rice is vegan. The cheese does not contain animal enzymes, so as long as no meat is in the dish, you're relatively safe in its being vegetarian. The Fajita sauce may contain chicken.

Del Taco
The refried beans at Del Taco use flavoring from meat. Stick with the french fries in those awesome giant cups. All the secret sauces are vegetarian, but I do not know if it is milk and/or egg in the sauces.

Ralley's
Nothing at Ralley's is vegetarian. The batter for the fries contain milk and eggs. Don't go here unless all you want is a soda.

Popeye's
Popeye's french fries' batter also contains eggs and milk and beef flavoring. Also, my fiance has gotten food here before to which he found french fry parts in his chicken. This puts me under the impression that they are also fried together. The corn-on-the-cob and apple pie are both vegan.

ARBY'S
Arby's milkshakes contain gelatin (GROSS) and so does the sour cream and some of the sauces. They have salads and baked potatoes (you can add broccoli and cheese). The turnovers are vegan and baked by themselves. The curly fries and home-style fries are usually cooked in the same oil as the meat. The buns and biscuits contain egg and/or milk.


Carl's JR.
The croutons at Carl's Jr contain milk. The cheese is used with a vegetarian rennet. The cheesecakes contain gelatin. The hash browns, french fries, and onion rings are cooked in the same oil as the animal products. English muffin and cornmeal rolls are both vegan. The Thousand Island dressing contains fish and eggs and the Fat-Free Italian dressing contains eggs. The raisin bran muffin and potato and macaroni salads contain eggs.

Jack in the Box
Jack in the Box claims they cook their fries, potato wedges, hash browns. and onion ringsonion rings contain milk though, and the seasoned curly fries are only vegetarian, but I do not know what animal product it uses. The secret sauce contains fish and eggs. The cheesecake contains gelatin, the fudge cake contains eggs and the egg rolls contain pork. The English muffin, hamburger bun, gyro bread, and apple turnover are vegan.


Kentucky Fried Chicken
Kentucky Fried Chicken has meat flavoring in the red beans and rice, gravy, BBQ baked beans, and green beans. The chocolate parfait contains lard (SUPER GROSS). The fries and potato wedges are made in the same oil as the animal products. The Three Bean Salad is vegan and the Garden Salad, cornbread, corn-on-the-cob, biscuits, and macaroni and cheese are vegetarian.

El Pollo Loco
Vegan foods at El Pollo Loco are the corn-on-the-cob, guacamole, pinto beans, cucumber salad, BRC burrito (minus the cheese to make it vegan), and the spiced apples. The Baja Glaze contains chicken. The Crispy Green Beans contain bacon and the BBZ baked beans contain ham. The parfaits, lite sour cream, and cheesecakes contain gelatin. The churros are cooked in the same oil as the chicken taquitos.

Long John Silver's
The only thing to get at Long John Silver's is the corn-on-the cob, salad (with Lite Italian dressing), and rice.

Rally's
The french fries at Ralley's have a batter that contains beef tallow and are cooked in the same oil as the chicken. The onion rings are also fried in the same batter. Have a soda here.

Sonic Drive-In Restaurant
The french fries are claimed to be cooked in separate oil than the meat products, however Sonic's tend to have small kitchens, so in a rush, this may or may not be true. The onion rings' batter contains whey. The cheese has enzymes from animals. The buns vary in different locations, so you will need to ask.

Wendy's
The baked potato (plain) is vegan at Wendy's as well as the taco chips, applesauce, and french fries. The sandwich and kaiser buns contain whey. The honey mustard contains eggs.

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Remember that fast food restaurants change their ingredients often to things that are cheaper and cheaper. Gelatin and lard make for cheap fillers and frying everything in the same oil saves space and time. Most workers at fast food restaurants are teenagers or young adults that usually don't care much, if you're vegan or even have an allergy (not all, just saying from personal experience). Eating fast food is taking a risk.

002: Low-Carbohydrate Diets and Why It's A Bad Idea

It's the new year, and everyone is on a diet. I hate diet talk. I mostly overhear people talking about their fad diet of the week. With my work having a weight loss challenge as well, I feel as if my head is going to explode with all the nonsense coming out of every one's mouths. The nonsense I hear most everywhere is about how low-carbohydrate diets work.

The simple truth, if you're JUST looking to lose a lot of weight really fast, a low-carb diet is what you are looking for! If you're also looking for bad health and to gain the weight back, this is also the diet  for you! Did everyone miss the memo that this diet doesn't work? In that case, let me explain very carefully why this is one of the worst diets you could possibly go on.

There are two types of carbohydrates: complex and simple. A complex carbohydrate is found in things like whole grains (breads, pasta, etc.), oats, fruits, vegetables, sprouts, beans, and nuts, and simple carbohydrates are in things like white bread products, candy, soda, and dairy products (lactose). One's diet should have plenty of complex carbs and little to no simple carbs for obvious reasons.

So, what happens when you don't get enough carbohydrates?

• You will lose a lot of weight really fast. For people who have been struggling with their weight for years, this is one of the most appealing aspects of this diet. But are you losing fat? Not exactly. You're losing water weight first. You're losing water weight because glycogenesis (breakdown of glycogen used for energy) in your body has slowed down. You need carbohydrates to do this.
• Another contributor to the weight loss is loss of muscle mass. Muscles contract less without glycogen. This in turn makes your body tired, so one will have little energy to exercise... which then makes for less formation of muscle mass. 
• You'll gain the weight back. Since your metabolism happens in your muscle, and your muscles are losing mass, your metabolism will slow down. All that weight you're losing will come to an inevitable halt then most likely will come back on.
• Your health suffers. When one is eating a lot of pure protein and no carbs, that person is eating almost all meat since all non-meat sources of protein also contain carbohydrates. Meat is loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol. Calorie for calorie, the amount of cholesterol in meat does not differ much. Do not fool yourself into thinking chicken is all that much better than beef. Eating foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol links to heart disease.
• Your health suffers MORE. The average American eats about three times the protein one needs BEFORE going on a low carbohydrate diet. When consuming excess protein, the body leaches calcium from your body (your bones!) to help digest it. This then can cause kidney stones from calcium build up in the bladder. 
• You don't get enough fiber. Animal protein contains NO fiber. Fiber is essential for adding bulk to stools, so that they pass easily. A fiber supplement will not cut it (this topic alone deserves its own blog entry). 
•  Your breath stinks! More importantly, it stinks because of ketosis. For fat to burn efficiently, one needs carbohydrates or toxins (ketones) will be released into your body. 

Is this proof enough that a low-carbohydrate is bad for you? I believe that the reason it got started that we all should be cutting our carbohydrates down to barely anything is because of simple carbohydrates. They cause your blood sugar to jump and crash, and they are usually full of a lot of empty calories. Aim for getting plenty of complex carbohydrates into your diet with a low glycemic index.

A healthy diet promotes weight loss. It's not rocket science. It's not carb counting. calorie counting, fat counting... it's not counting! Keep reading my blog, and you will see the light of NOT COUNTING ANYTHING and staying in great health.

001: Meet The Blogger



Copyright to Oldwater on Flickr

 My name is Candace. I'm 24 years old. I live in the central valley. I work in a typical office setting as a data specialist. I am engaged to be married next year. I have three boys who are six, four, and six months. I'm a vegan and the only one in my household because I am firm believer on informed personal choices.

I went vegan in October 2009. What started out as an easy way for me to eat generous portions and keep my weight down, turned into something that is basically now the root of what I am. I had been borrowing countless books from the library on weight loss this and low-calorie that... and in the mix, I had ordered Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. Amongst all these self-deprivation books, this one actually had a clear message. I lightly experimented on some well known vegetarian foods for maybe a week then just made the switch to full vegan. With only a short three month gap of being a lacto-vegetarian in mid 2010, I have never looked back.

As much as most self-righteous vegans want to be proud of the fact they made the switch for animals, I did not. I made the switch for myself. My body hated me. My stomach felt like it was a gambled mess torn into pieces. I had no energy. My heart rate fluctuated out of nowhere. I had headaches every day. I was sluggish mentally. I was a mess. Within the first few weeks of my being vegan, my stomach started to turn around. A few more months on top of that, everything else made it's way back into what I should feel like at good health. I feel it could have come much sooner, if I had not become pregnant less than two months into being vegan and suddenly could not stand vegetables and had morning sickness every morning, noon, and night.

While I understand that not everyone can or wants to make the choice to go vegan, I will not stop promoting it. I understand that a healthful diet CAN include eggs, dairy, and meat. And I also understand that a healthful diet CAN include cookies, cakes, and candy. As far as a health choice goes, I include animal products in the same category as junk food.

There are some people who give me the time of day to explain veganism and the health benefits, but most are too stuck on themselves to even consider it. I'm picked on and singled out, and my weight is constantly being considered the result of it even though I was 20 pounds lighter when I was an omnivore. I started this blog because I know that sometimes it's easier to understand and accept something when it is written out. My mother was a vegetarian for years when I was growing up, and I would have none of it. I had to read about it myself to even consider it.

So, read along as I write about the right kind of take on nutrition. Learn about the many vegan food, restaurants, and products, the false information you are being force-fed by big companies and the right information that can make you into a more healthful, vibrant person, have a laugh at the stupidity of the world, and sometimes get a little peak into my personal life when it relates to food.