Monthly Archives: August 2013

Picnics Can Be Delicious and You Can Still Lose Weight

Posted on by

0

Does going to a picnic mean we are stuck with potato salad, coleslaw and chips?  My husband, sister-in-law and friend are joining me tonight in an outdoor concert, where we will “picnic’ in our seats before the concert.  In the past, we would order food, which was delectable, but devilish in calories.  But, that was 40 pounds ago.  And my family and friend are all on board with eating and living a better lifestyle (very important to surround yourself with people like that) and if not, then you have to prepare your own food your way).  However, in this case, we all decided to order food that was good for us, as well as good-tasting.

We could make them ourselves, but we are ordering salads with veggies and chopped grilled chicken and my vegetarian friend will be having the salad with sautéed tofu.  We will also have sparkling and regular water, coffee and I am bringing a long Low-Carb chocolate cookies for dessert.

Here is what the salad looks like, but without the grilled 4 ounces of chicken. And also here is a picture of my Kot chocolate crackers.  (13g or net carbs, from Lindora.com)  Looking forward to my meal and my coffee!!

salad

 

 

kot_biscuits_500x500

Low-Carb Almond and Flax Seed Chicken Tenders

Posted on by

0

I love chicken tenders, but I don’t want a lot of carbs and I don’t want it breaded.  I am avoiding wheat because it makes my belly stick out and it is full of carbs.

Here is a South Beach version of chicken tenders.  I made them and they are really good and SUPER easy to make.  Less than 30 minutes.

Don’t forget to get some dipping sauce (low-carb of course).  Mustard-based is a good choice.

There is probably less than 3g of net carbs in this entire batch of chicken that I made!  Almond and flax are good for you too!  Here are my pictures of the finished product.  Recipe follows.

nuggetscloseup nugggetsevencloser

LOW-CARB CHICKEN TENDERS:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 T olive oil (enough to generously coat the baking sheet)
1/2 cup almond meal
1 tsp. paprika (not smoked or hot)
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Turn on the oven to 400F/205C. Brush a baking sheet liberally with olive oil and put the pan in the oven to heat as the oven preheats.

Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken breasts, then cut each breast into 5 nugget pieces (or more if you have a very large breast.) Use a meal mallet or something heavy to pound the thicker nugget pieces so they’re all the same thickness.

Combine the almond meal, paprika, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper in a bowl, mixing together well. Dip each nugget piece into the almond meal mixture, pressing on with your fingers so it coats the chicken. Coat all the nuggets before you remove the baking sheet from the oven.

When all nuggets are coated, lay them on the hot baking sheet and cook 8-10 minutes, or until the side touching the pan is lightly browned. Remove pan from oven, turn nuggets, and bake 10-12 minutes more on the second side, until nuggets are lightly browned and cooked through. (Don’t overcook.) Serve hot, with mustard or ranch dipping sauce if desired.

Middle Age Midsection Spread! Why and How to Fix It!

Posted on by

2

midsection

I had the midsection spread.  I had women asking me when my baby was due and I was NOT pregnant!  That is so devastating.  I changed my diet right after that!  I will discuss how this happens and how to fix it.

What caused the midection spread:

Muscle loss, lower metabolism,  and an increase in white fat all play a part in causing waist lines to grow as we age.  Also people exercise less and add stress-eating to their routines, and it becomes much easier to gain weight compared to when we were young and could drink and eat more crap.

But, once we turn 40, our metabolic rate  (ability to burn calories) drops.  We lose muscle tone. We get stressed out and eat more calories than we need, despite needing to eat less calories and work out.

I have also written about how the new ways that wheat is grown and processed is bad for people’s midsections, hence the book written by a medical doctor, called “The Wheat Belly.”  I do think that once I cut wheat MOSTLY out of my diet and tried to stay away from products primarily made with it or from it, then my midsection decreased substantially.  And if I eat wheat products, my stomach distends hugely.

How to fix the spread:

We just cannot eat the way she did in her our 20s and 30s and we need to make a change in our lifestyle and steer away from foods rich in carbs and calories, and also stay away from the stress-eating time period between 3 p.m. and 12 a.m., when energy levels drop (and women in particular tend to overeat).

But is it ever possible to remain the same weight you once were in your 20s? Yes, but exercise is key.  I weigh what I weighed in my 20s right now since I changed my eating style and added more exercise.  Consume less calories, less sugar, less carbs.  More protein, more vegetables, more salad, more portion control, eat less, more often (6 times a day).

RULES:

Palm of the hand-sized protein choices 6 times a day, 2 small servings of fruits per day (a cup), 4 small servings of vegetables a day (avoid starches), salads twice a day, drink water all day.  No (low) sugar products.  Keep carbs within 50g to 100g per day.  I personally avoid wheat products and rice now.  A piece of toast is allowed once or twice a week.  Exercise at least 15- 20 min. per day or a few hours a week.  Always eat breakfast and every 3-4 hours–another protein!  And seriously, watch those  carbilicious wheat products, and if you must some–go for Gluten-free.

 

21 Day Challenge!

Posted on by

2

All over Facebook is a 21 Day Challenge.  I have done this 21 Day Challenge for the most part now since Sept 8, 2011.  Here is the challenge:

21 Day Challenge!!!
NO CHIPS
NO SODA
NO DIET SODA
NO CHOCOLATE
NO CANDY
NO WHITE BREAD
NO COOKIES OR BISCUITS
NO FAST FOOD
NO CAKES/PASTRIES/MUFFINS

no_chocolate_mouse_mat-p144740554158989208eng3t_400

How I have done this challenge, but my way!

–I have done fast food, but I make choices that involve salad and not-so-fast-foodish.

— I only have chocolate in protein bars or low-carb items.  Best low-carb chocolate bars in my opinion, Power Crunch (Trader Joes, Smart and Final and Vitacost.com) and Nature Valley Protein Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate bars (Target and Costco).  And this one is delish!  http://www.vitacost.com/bionutritional-research-group-choklat-crunch-protein-crisp-bars

–I never have had regular soda, but I admit to diet soda and even though it is bad for ending cravings, I still have a couple a day.  You still have to drink water.

— I never do candy or anything made with wheat products, unless they are special low-carb ones that I have purchased through Lindora.com or some low carb outlet, and even then, that is rare.  I usually have low-carb frozen yogurt or fruit with whipped cream or low-fat Greek Yogurt.

–I never have potatoes, rice or beans.  Just too full of carbs and starches and puts me on a sugar rollercoaster.

SugarRollerCoaster

The good part of this challenge is to get you to get over craving sugar or things that turn to sugar. It is basically, a sugar detox.  But, if you eat sugars and cheat, then you are NOT detoxing.

The bad part of this challenge is that it offers no assistance in dealing with those torturous cravings.  Even on a medically supervised weight loss program, like the one I did (Lindora), they offered me appetite suppressants.  But, after one day of that and feeling jittery, I researched and found my own way to get over it.  There are plenty of books that explain it, like Dr. Mark Hyman, whose book and information is on the blog before this (August 23. 2013).  However, how to get over cravings in a nutshell:

1.) Balance blood sugar.

When blood sugar is low, you’ll eat anything. To better balance blood sugar, eat a small meal or snack that includes healthy protein, like seeds or nuts (measured out because they are high in carbs) , low-fat Greek Yogurt, two tablespoons of almond or peanut butter, or eat any meat, a protein bar or drink (check on the ones that are lowest in carbs) and cheese, every 3 to 4 hours.

2.) Eliminate liquid calories and artificial sweeteners.

Sodas are full of chemicals and high fructose corn syrup. Processed fruit juices are awash in sugar. Try sticking with water and green tea. Green tea contains plant chemicals that are good for your health. And, last but not least, don’t succumb to the diet-drink trap. The artificial sweeteners in diet drinks fool the body into thinking it is ingesting sugar, which creates the same insulin spike as regular sugar.  I have to admit, I use artificial sweetener in my coffee and soda and I still lost weight, but this can spike cravings….just sayin’.  Reason why I also take fiber to feel full.

3.) Eat a high-quality protein at breakfast.

Ideally, you’re eating quality protein at every meal, but, if you need to prioritize one meal, choose breakfast. Studies show that waking up to a healthy protein, such as eggs, nuts, seeds, nut butters or a protein shake help people lose weight, reduce cravings and burn calories.

4.  Increase fiber.  Helps you feel full and keeps you from overeating.

5.  NO wine or beer.  If you MUST have a drink, stick with a vodka mixed drink and keep it to a minimum.  Wine and beer have sugar and alcohol takes so much energy in your body to be processed, then your body doesn’t have the energy to also burn fat, so you won’t lose much weight if you drink.  Remember that.

wagon1

And as in any addiction, if you fall off the wagon, then get back on!  Never give up.

Feeling full!

Posted on by

0

I read a post by a woman in a room where there is a weight loss challenge.  In the challenge, there are no chips.  That is because potatoes are so high in carbs.  In fact, I don’t even do potatoes anymore for two reasons:

1.  High in carbs.

2.  Terrible on the glycemic index for the sugar rollercoaster, which causes addiction.

This lady ate at Wendy’s.  The fast food places do not have the best choices for food.  Definitely not organic or hormone-free, but not many diet-friendly choices.  However, she had the BLT salad there and I was surprised to see that it only had between 10 and 13g of carbs.  That is really good.  If you want to lose weight, keeping your carbs between 50 and 100g is the way to go.  So, 10g for a meal is awesome.  But, the lady might be addicted to sugar, because she felt the need to get a baked potato too.  Many people think of baked potatoes as healthy.  I know that I did.  However, root vegetables are HIGH in starch, meaning sugar.  So, the carb count on a medium baked potato is 37 grams.  A lot for one half of a meal.  Also, terrible for trying to get over cravings.  She said she got the potato to feel full!

GasGaugeFull

I get the whole, “wanting to feel full” thing.  That is what kept me addicted to bad foods.   Dr. Mark Hyman talks about how to get through the addiction and withdrawal in his book, “The Blood Sugar Solution. ”

“When you eat simple carbohydrates, whether as sugar or as starch, they pass almost instantaneously from the gut into the bloodstream. Within seconds, blood sugar levels start to rise. To counter the increase in sugar, the body releases insulin. Insulin is the key that unlocks the cells and allows sugar to enter. As sugar enters the cells, the amount of sugar in the blood declines and the body restores homeostasis.  An abundance of simple sugars in the diet goads the body into releasing more and more insulin. Eventually, the cellular locks get worn down from overuse. Like a key that’s lost its teeth, insulin loses its ability to easily open the cellular door. The cells become numb to the effects of insulin. As a result, the body pumps out more and more of the hormone to keep its blood sugar levels in check. Eventually, this cycle leads to a dangerous condition called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance—at the root of diabesity—causes you to gain belly fat, raises your blood pressure, messes up your cholesterol, makes you infertile, kills your sex drive, makes you depressed, tired, and demented, and even causes cancer.”

3 Ways to Reprogram your Brain

Luckily there are ways to rewire the primitive parts of your brain by making good food choices.

1.) Balance blood sugar.

Blood sugar highs and lows drive primitive food cravings. If you get famished between meals, that’s a sign that your blood sugar is crashing. When blood sugar is low, you’ll eat anything. To better balance blood sugar, eat a small meal or snack that includes healthy protein, like seeds or nuts (measured out because they are high in carbs) , low-fat Greek Yogurt, two tablespoons of almond or peanut butter, or eat any meat, a protein bar or drink (check on the ones that are lowest in carbs) and cheese, every 3 to 4 hours.

2.) Eliminate liquid calories and artificial sweeteners.

Early humans didn’t reach for soda or fruit juices when they got thirsty.  Sodas are full of chemicals and high fructose corn syrup. Processed fruit juices are awash in sugar. Try sticking with water and green tea. Green tea contains plant chemicals that are good for your health. And, last but not least, don’t succumb to the diet-drink trap. The artificial sweeteners in diet drinks fool the body into thinking it is ingesting sugar, which creates the same insulin spike as regular sugar.  I have to admit, I use artificial sweetener in my coffee and soda and I still lost weight, but this can spike cravings….just sayin’.  Reason why I also take fiber to feel full.

3.) Eat a high-quality protein at breakfast.

Ideally, you’re eating quality protein at every meal, but, if you need to prioritize one meal, choose breakfast. Studies show that waking up to a healthy protein, such as eggs, nuts, seeds, nut butters or a protein shake help people lose weight, reduce cravings and burn calories.  This is actually very true and important!  I also found that the low carb version of pancake mix from Lindora.com or Netrition.com, and sugar-free maple syrup helps with that need to sometimes have something a little more substantial without killing my diet.  Using alternatives and learning new tricks to eating and enjoying food is what you need to do to lose weight.  This is why I started this blog.  This blog is to put out there for others all of the work I have done to discover how to lose weight and keep it off!

Ultimately, you may not control your genes, but you do control what and how you eat.  Since taking control and changing my diet, my brain no longer caves into the cravings and urgings that seduce the reptilian brain. The most powerful tool you have to transform your health is your brain and your fork!

The Best of Fast Food: Chipotle

Posted on by

0

So, I finally went to Chipotle.  I have to admit that I was scared to go because I heard about the size of their burritos and my husband always gets his food in a bowl smothered in rice and beans.  So, I heard it was made with your choice of food items, so I went.  So glad I did.

I had a salad and I got to choose the ingredients.  I had no rice or beans because the carb count on those items is astronomical.   Please, look at the size of a measuring cup.  It isn’t that big.  So, if you get minimally, a cup of rice in your bowl, brown or white–the carb count is 44g.  REMEMBER, DIETS should have between 50 and 100 grams of carbs per day.  44g in one meal is too much!  And now for the beans.   One cup of beans (net grams due to so much fiber in it, assisting the body) is 23 g for black beans and 26g for pinto beans.  If you do both rice and beans–70g of carbs is a lot!  So, taking that out of the meal can be a real diet enhancer.

WIth the salad, meat, cheese, dollop of sour cream, dressing and salsa, my delicious salad should have been less then 10g of carbs in total.  That is AWESOME for a meal.  Granted, I am supposed to have two servings of veggies, but the tomato in the salsa was qualifying for that.  You could get guacamole, a cup of it in net carbs is about 5 grams.

Here is the picture of my salad at Chipotle.  I will be going back.  Everything is organic, without hormones in the meat and fresh.  You order what you want and it was all for less than $7.  They also have Coke Zero!

chipotle

Mexican Food, Si or No?

Posted on by

1

I rarely step into a Mexican restaurant since I started my life change (diet).  What is there to eat there?  Dozens and dozens worth of carbs in almost every meal.  Everything is tortilla, taco shell or chip based.  I am trying to avoid wheat products and corn products.  They make me sick (and Corn is mostly genetically modified now) and they are full of carbs.

Let’s look at a few popular places (some healthier than others) and the carbs in each chicken burrito.

El Torito:  123g of carbs.

El Pollo Loco:  63g of carbs.

ONE flour tortilla is anywhere from 14g of carbs to 35g of carbs…all by itself.  The beans and rice only add cobs more.  If you want to gain weight, this is the way to go.  Whole wheat is healthier, but unless it is “low-carb”, it is still a lot of carbs.

MY SOLUTION:

So, I went to a local hangout, Mission Burrito and to a fast food place, Taco Bell.  I ordered a tostada or taco salad (depending on the place) and asked for no beans, rice or tortilla.  I got beef, lettuce, cheese, tomato, (guacamole or sour cream) and some taco dressing.  The carb count was about 8 grams and it was still delish.  It is kind of like a tostada PROTEIN style.  And this is GLUTEN FREE!

If you do it at home, and you get a low-carb tortilla (like they have at Trader Joes and Costco), you are looking at about 4g net carbs for the whole shell vs. 14-35 for a regular one and it tastes just as good.

TACO SALAD without the shell:  8g of carbs–Shut the front door!  Beef or chicken!  DELISH!

tacosalad

TACO SHELLS

And taco shells?  About 20g of carbs per three.  You can have one or two, or if you have three, you need to watch your carbs the rest of the day. AND for SOFT taco shells?  It is about 20g of carbs for only ONE!  So, watch it.

So, you can eat at a Mexican food place if you go this route.  Those shells will kill your diet.  Remember:  You need to stick between 50 and 100g of carbs per day to lose weight, with 6 protein meals a day, 2 small salads a day, 2 small fruits a day, 4 small servings of veggies per day….and if you go over 100g per day, no weight loss for sure!

Cereal (DIET) Killer

Posted on by

0

I used to eat cereal almost daily.  I thought I was eating good cereal……Cheerios, Total, etc.  I stopped the sugary ones like Captain Crunch years ago!  Although, I did get into the habit of a very sugary version of Cheerios that so many people like–Honey Nut Cheerios.

cerealkiller

Is Cereal Healthy?  Is Cereal good for a diet?

Two different issues, but I think that overall, it is a diet killer and possibly not very good for you either.

Honey Nut Cheerios, had an equivalent amount of sugar to the Fruity Pebbles. Every other cereal had significantly more. In fact, some of the cereals sailed past the halfway mark for how much sugar many experts believe we should consume in a day.

Ways that Cereal is causing you to gain weight.

  • Your bowl is too big: Depending on the box of cereal you choose, a serving size is about three-quarters to one-and-a-quarter cups. If you use the biggest bowl you have and just mindlessly pour, you could be devouring over 400 calories instead of the usual 120 to 200.
  • You’re a little nuts: Sliced almonds, pecans, and walnuts offer healthy fats and protein, but they’re also pretty high in calories.
  • You’re using a bottomless bowl: You measure out a serving of cereal, pour in the milk, and spoon away. But when you get to the bottom of the bowl, you have so much milk left, you have to add a little more cereal. But you add too much, so you need to pour in a little more milk. 
  • You load up on dried fruit to up the fiber: Raisins, dates, banana chips, and dried cherries do offer a little bit of fiber, but because they contain hardly any water, dried fruits are super calorie dense. A quarter cup of dried cranberries is over 100 calories. You’re better off using fresh fruit since it’s lower in calories and higher in fiber.
  • You’re in love with low-fat milk: The more fat in your milk, the more calories. One cup of whole milk contains 150 calories, and two percent has 130. If you go for 90 calories of non-fat milk.  Better yet, try Almond milk.  It is good and low carb and calories.
  • You’re still into kids cereal: Lucky Charms, Cocoa Pebbles, Apple Jacks, Froot Loops (AND HONEY NUT CHEERIOS) — they might be sweet and tasty, but they contain tons of sugar and hardly any nutrition. That means you’ll polish off your bowl and an hour later, hunger will have you reaching for more food, which will end up packing on the pounds. Choose cereals high in protein and fiber.  Then, you won’t go into a sugar roller coaster soon after and feel awful and need a hit of sugar again.

One CUP of Cheerios is 111 calories and 22g of carbs.  A bit high for my taste, but better than 143 calories and almost 30g of carbs.  And remember that is only ONE measured cup.  How many cups do you usually pour for yourself?  Use a measuring cup and see how little a cup really is before you continue eating cereal and wonder why you are gaining weight.

HEALTH:

I gave up on all wheat products.  I lost weight and I lost my wheat belly from looking pregnant!  Less bloated and no more IBS.  It improved my health and my weight.  I felt like wheat was killing me.  I was super sluggish and I am not anymore.

 

Bread’s Lying Labels Can Make You Gain Weight and be UNhealthy

Posted on by

2

Multi-Grain and Wheat Breads

Terms like multi-grain, 7-grain, and wheat sound healthy, but they may  NOT actually contain heart-healthy whole grains.

Many breads labeled “multi-grain” and “wheat” are typically made with refined grains, so you’re not getting the full nutritional benefit of the whole grain.

Read nutrition labels carefully. If the first flour in the ingredient list is refined (it will typically say “bleached” or “unbleached enriched wheat flour”), then you are not getting a 100% whole-grain bread.

Regardless, breads have high carb numbers.  On my plan, you can have one slice of toast per week in place of a fruit–instead of the two small fruit servings per day.  However, when I eat wheat, I tend to either get bloated, stuck in my weight or gain weight.  Read this book to find out wheat is making you fat.  http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose-Weight-Health/dp/1609611543

wheatbellybook

 

Wheat Can Cause Illnesses and Disease

 

“–Accumumulation of inflammatory visceral fat (a “wheat belly”),
–Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, diabetes
–Gastrointestinal disruption–acid reflux/heart burn, esophagitis, esophageal stricture, bowel urgency/irritable bowel syndrome, worsening of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease)
–Neurological impairment–from mind “fog” and behavior outbursts in children with autistic spectrum disorder and ADHD, to paranoia and hallucinations in schizophrenia, to food obsessions in those prone to bulimia and binge eating disorder, to triggering of mania in bipolar illness, to depression in the depression-prone. Also add cerebellar ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, and dementia to the list (“gluten encephalopathy”).
–Joint pain and arthritis–Including both “wear-and-tear” osteoarthritis as well as inflammatory forms like rheumatoid.
–Autoimmune diseases–The peculiar potential for the gliadin protein of wheat to “unlock” the normal intestinal barriers, allowing foreign antigens access into the bloodstream, is the first step in autoimmunity, the immune system’s misguided effort to eliminate the “intruder,” such as your thyroid gland, colon, small intestine, synovial lining of your joints, skin, thymus, liver, pancreas, even brain.
–Skin disorders–Skin rashes and damage from wheat are as varied as they are ubiquitous. There is hardly a skin condition that is not caused by wheat. (Not to say that all skin conditions are caused by wheat–they are not, but that, of all the myriad skin conditions experienced by humans, virtually all have been associated with wheat consumption.) This ranges from the level of nuisance, such as acne, to the level of life-threatening, such as leg gangrene.”

taken from:  http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2013/02/celiac-is-not-a-disease/

 

My Advice on Eating Wheat

Don’t do it or make alternative choices and do it minimally.

I had a wheat belly and I had people always asking me when my baby was due.  (Never had a baby in there!).  I gave up wheat and no one asks anymore.

belly

I know it is hard and you can get used to it.  Wheat products are designed to cause your brain to be addicted to them.  This is especially true of cereal products.  There is just enough designed ingredients to go to the pleasure center of your brain to cause that addiction, making it hard to get clean from its use.  It is like heroin, but cheaper and easier to get–and legal too.

breadheroin

There are alternatives that I like.

These 3 alternatives might not be healthy, but you can remain on your diet

1.  Find a low carb bread like Ezekiel, Sara Lee’s 90 calorie bread choices, etc.  If a slice of bread is more than 15g of net carbs, you might not want to eat it.  Imagine.  Eating a sandwich that has over 30g of carbs and you don’t want to get more than 50g to 100g of carbs per day to lose weight or maintain.  Then, you have to be super careful and picky in your choices the rest of the day.

2.  Western Bagel Perfect 10 bagel has only 10g net carbs and is perfect for a make-shift sandwich.  I love them, but I limit them.  Wheat can bloat you and if you read the Wheat Belly book, you will understand why that is a fact.

3.  Low-Carb Tortillas.  My favorite ones are at Costco and Trader Joes.  Around 4g net carbs.  I make a pan-fried turkey tomato, low-fat sour cream and low-fat cheese tortilla and it is delish.  Takes only minutes and under 10g of carbs for the whole delicious thing.

I have written blogs on these items in the past and showed recipes and my creations.  Any questions, please write.

 

Sonic Juice Carb Boom

Posted on by

0

So, today, I mentioned to a friend that her not having a Sonic Fast Food joint in her neighborhood is maybe a blessing in disguise.  She was lamenting that there is one where she visits, and she likes to one near her home so she can go there for their fruit slush.  I looked it up online.  It is shocking!  As many people believe it to be true, she thinks that “juice” is a better choice to the fast food.  But, as I discussed in yesterday’s blog, it isn’t.

 

sonic

Look at the comparisons:

Sonic Cheeseburger with mayo:  8g of sugar, 35g of protein, 44g of carbs.  Now, I know that if I don ‘t eat the bun, I will lower the sugar content and the carbs.  The carbs without the bun–about 12g. 

Sonic MEDIUM Strawberry “Fresh Fruit” Slush:  76g of sugar,  1g of protein, 82g of carbs.  The only good thing is has going for it is less sodium and calories than the burger.

Sonic LARGE Strawberry “Fresh Fruit” Slush:  120g of sugar, 1g of protein, 128g of carbs.

 

If you want to gain weight, you have to eat more than 100g of carbs a day.  Unless you exercised hardcore for a few hours, I wouldn’t recommend this much sugar and carbs.

The sugar content of 120g of sugar is equivalent to 30 sugar cubes.  Would you eat 30 sugar cubes? (There are about 28 cubes in this picture.)

cubes

 

 

SOLUTION:

Choice A:  Eat the burger without the bun.

Choice B:  Go to the store and get some fruit and water.

Choice C:  Get a SMALL slush and only drink about half of the small and split it with a friend or spill half of  it out.  Half of a small is about 22g of carbs, about 20g of sugar or 5 sugar cubes.  Not great, but better if you see it as a treat and your fruit for the day, but don’t make a habit of it.  It isn’t really your fruit because the fiber and nutrients are in the pulp and that is not here.  This is really just pure sugar.