Topic: processed food

Oh Good, Coca-Cola Is Switching Sweeteners…To More High-Fructose Corn Syrup

When I started reading headlines this morning that heralded a change in Coca-Cola‘s sweeteners, I was pumped. Then I read that it just means they’re going to use high-fructose corn syrup in even more of their soda. This means the Mexican Coke that so many of us love–because it’s made with cane sugar–might start tasting a lot more like American Coke. And it’s not just bad news for flavor; it’s also kind of frightening, given that high-fructose corn syrup has been tied with higher incidence of obesity and even hamper your ability to learn and remember information. More »

Real Women Talk: The Junk Foods I Just Can’t Give Up

Real Women Talk: The Junk Foods I Just Canâ��t Give Up

Swedish fish and Cheez-Its. Those are the junk foods, that, no matter what, I’m just not willing to give up. Normally, my diet is filled with healthy foods like spinach and quinoa and Greek yogurt, but sometimes I’ve just got to plunk down on my couch and eat some chewy, sugary red fish. You know? I know you know—because I asked some health-conscious women what processed foods they crave, and they all had plenty to say. After all, eating healthfully is great; but we all need a splurge now and then, too. I was fascinated by some of the answers I got (chocolate is hardly represented at all!). Here’s the dish. More »

Study: Artificial Butter Flavor Isn’t Just Gross, It’s Actually Bad For Your Brain

Popcorn is often touted as a low-calorie, not-that-bad-for-you snack for those looking to lose weight. Unfortunately, it’s not exactly a health food…and, in some cases, may increase your risk of Alzheimer’s. According to researchers at the University of Minnesota, diacetyl, the ingredient in that greasy, yellow artificial butter flavor may actually be harmful to your brain. More »

Fast Food Employees Tell You What NOT To Eat at McDonald’s And More

An employee of McDonald’s did an “IAmA” session on Reddit, where users can ask anything to a person who sets up a Q-and-A. As a result, another Reddit user posed the question to all fast-food employees on the site, “Fast food workers of Reddit, what is the one menu option at your employment that you would recommend people never eat? (Because of cooking safety, cleanliness, unhealthy, etc).” The answers, while they won’t necessarily surprise you, will definitely gross you out and deter you even further from going through the drive-through at McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Arby’s and other fast-food joints. More »

Pizza Vending Machines: Just What Increasingly Overweight America Needs

A medium pie with extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage and onions. That might be your pizza delivery order, but it could also soon be what you type into a vending machine. Let’s Pizza vending machines, which have existed for about three years in Europe, are coming to America. Yuck. Even more instant gratification for the frozen-dinner-and-fast-food palate of the average American citizen. More »

12 Healthy Ways To Eat Bacon (That Don’t Involve A Burger King Sundae)

The Bacon Sundae was officially added to all Burger King menus yesterday, and needless to say, we think the 510-calorie, 18-grams-of-fat-packing dessert is pretty much a nutritional disaster. But we get it: People love bacon. Some of us here at Blisstree even like bacon (actually, I might be the only one, but I know there are more like me out there). So why not find some delicious ways to eat it…that don’t involve piles of sugar and even more fat? I believe it’s possible to find healthy ways to eat bacon, so I found some recipes to help you try. More »

Pizza Hut WILL Make The Middle East Fat With Cheeseburger Stuffed Pizza Crust

Someone at Pizza Hut really likes to find new ways of jamming bad food inside of other bad food: First, they put hot dogs in their pizza crust in the UK; now, they’re making chicken strip and cheeseburger stuffed pizza crust at Middle Eastern locations. And they’re calling it…wait for it…”Crown Crust Festival.” More »

Starbucks Says They’ll Find Cochineal Alternative; Here’s Why They Shouldn’t

Starbucks announced last week that they use cochineal extract in their strawberry-flavored Frappucinos, causing near hysteria from critics who were perturbed to find that the food dye is made of crushed bugs. This week, they’ve issued a statement saying they’ll change the formula. But if we really want to put the pressure on Starbucks and other fast-food chains to clean up their menu, I think we need to shift the focus from vegan food coloring. More »

Ashley Koff Explains: Is Almond Butter Healthier Than Peanut Butter?

Lots of us have likely heard that almond butter is a healthier alternative to peanut butter, but some of us are still confused about whether it’s really worth the extra money. The nutrition facts are nearly the same, and while some suffer from severe peanut allergies, some of us aren’t sure whether peanuts contain allergens and toxins…or if that’s just a myth we learned on the last “cleanse” we tried. To find out why there’s so much confusion, we spoke with Ashley Koff, R.D., an expert dietician and author, who answered our questions about which makes a healthier snack. More »

What We're Reading:

Holiday Horrors: Worst Food Court Eats For Your Shopping Break

If shopping during the busiest shopping season of the year isn’t your idea of a holiday horror, then some of the food court options will be. The sheer amount of fat, sugar, and sodium you can consume in one sitting is staggering, to say nothing of the calories in some of these mall meals. More »

Vegetarian Food Isn’t Always Healthy. Case In Point: Quorn’s Fungus-Based ‘Chick’n’

If you’re skeptical of vegan meat products, stories of Quorn‘s frozen “Chick’n” products might scare you back to grass-fed beef: The fungus-based protein used in their vegan chicken is making people sick, and The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) wants you to know about it. According to their reports, there are several hundred documented cases of consumers experiencing adverse reactions to the vegan meat; in some cases, quite extreme. Which seems like good enough proof to me that the best way to figure out what’s good or bad to eat is just to steer clear of processed food. More »

Government Wants To Put Healthy Labels On Food: Right Or Wrong?

There is an interesting new proposal on the table that has all of us talking: The government wants to mandate that all food packages contain a label which ranks how nutritious that item is (or isn’t).

The government report, issued by the Institute of Medicine, recommends that a simple symbol be displayed on the front of food products and should apply to all food and beverages. The label would contain two pieces of information: the number of calories per serving and a score that rates food’s nutritional value.
More »

Bethenny Frankel Will Get You Drunk, Skinny And Might Even Give You Cancer

First, Bethenny Frankel‘s Skinnygirl cocktails got pulled from Whole Foods’ grocery stores for unclear ingredient labeling. Now it’s been revealed that it contains sodium benzoate, a preservative that’s been shown to cause cancer when combined with certain ingredients, like vitamin C. But Frankel doesn’t seem to be sweating it—she’s not afraid of losing out on placement at Whole Foods, apparently, and she’s also not too worried about the sketchy ingredients, according to a recent statement More »

Lessons From a 3-Day Weekend: Pack a Lunch or Pack On Pounds

Today on Health.com, the editors released an article about places to lose weight on vacation. Their list is comprised of top spas and sanctuaries, where days are filled with yoga, hiking, biking, and nothing but the best, high quality foods. Everyone would benefit from a vacation like this every now and then (and not just because it would help us all lose weight), but the reality is that most of us don’t. Unlike most Europeans, whose schedules I’ve coveted since my first visit to France at the age of 15, we’re not granted a month of vacation. And while going on a solo, healthy spa trip would likely make the whole family happier than dragging kids and parents around Disneyland, most of us feel pressure to spend our little time off with friends, family, spouses, or kids. And if my recent three-day weekend is any indication, we’re probably less healthy for it. More »

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