Shrinking Sisters

A little shameless self promotion

Readers have asked whether there were any Shrinking Sisters T-shirts or anything to purchase.

Of course!

For some time we've had a Cafe Press store but it hadn't been updated in awhile (I kept fiddling around with the blog logo and needed to put in a current one).

So I updated the store with our strawberry logo that you'll find on our Facebook page, and you can buy shirts, jackets, tote bags, journals, mousepads and coffee mugs. The shirts come in men's women's, juniors and plus sizes.

Check out this beauty at left that I'll be wearing to FitBloggin '10 in March.

 

All-Bran rolled fiber wafers rock and roll!

While grocery shopping over the weekend, I spotted boxes of Kellogg's All-Bran Rolled Fiber Wafers. They look just like those cereal straws that Kellogg's makes but the big diff is that three of these tubes are packed with 10 grams of fiber. So I bought a box.

Pirouettes that make you poop!

I got the chocolate ones, and yes, you can slurp up liquids with them just like the kiddie varieties. They're really tasty, and three wafers are 130 calories and 4 grams of fat, 2.5 grams sat fat. They're a good size, about the length of a pencil and the thickness of an index finger.

So no, they're not health food, but if you have a hankering for crunchy chocolatey cookies, at least you'll get a load of fiber in these.

Jammin' with the superfruits

  

I'm not a big fan of those "all fruit" spreads that claim to be all natural. Be it strawberry, blueberry or peach, they pretty much all taste the same because they're usually full of clarified grape and/or pear juice.

But there's a new quartet of fruit spreads just out that blows the big guys' selections out of the water.  Crofter's Organic Superfruit Spreads are made with berries from all corners of the Earth:

• North American blend: Cranberry and Blueberry
• South American blend: Berry Maqui and Passionfruit
• European blend: Pomegranate and Black Currant
• Asian blend: Yumberry and Raspberry

All the varieties are blended with Morello Cherries and Red Grapes and organic Fair Trade sugar. They're also 30 calories a tablespoon, which is 10 fewer than the regular supermarket fruit spreads.

There are big chunks and sometimes whole berries in the fruit spreads, and all of the featured fruits are extremely high in antioxidants, so it's all good.

In addition to the usual uses (toast, PB&J), they're fantastic swirled into plain yogurt or spread onto waffles.

You can find the spreads in Whole Foods nationally and also at specialty natural and organic grocery stores.

Avoiding diabetes

I'll admit it -- I'm a big fan of Days of Our Lives. I used to watch it in high school and college and didn't watch for years and years. But it comes on after Martha Stewart's show and slowly but surely it pulled me back in. This week it's introducing a diabetes storyline. Evil patriarch Stefano DiMera thought he was being poisoned by his archenemy Victor Kiriakis, so Stefano checked himself into the hospital. After he had bloodwork drawn (by his daughter the doctor, of course), he discovered that his sick feeling was a different kind of poison -- type 2 diabetes. It'll be interesting to see how they work the disease into his storyline. So far, he's dismissing the diagnosis.

Diabetes is a huge fear for me. I don’t have it, but I get my bloodwork checked at every yearly physical because my brother developed an aggressive case of the disease a few years ago. It never ran in my family until he got it, probably from living the modern lifestyle of fast food and not exercising.

Beachbody introduced a comprehensive diet and fitness program with Kathy Smith, called Project You: Type 2, which I have written about at Examiner.com. And now Nutrisystem has introduced a program for diabetics and pre-diabetics called Nutrisystem-D. Pre-diabetics are people at risk for the disease, and if you're overweight or obese, you pretty much count yourself in that group.

In a clinical study at Temple University School of Medicine, people with type 2 diabetes on the Nutrisystem-D plan lost as much as 16 times more weight while lowering their A1C test scores (a 90-day measure of blood sugar control) by 0.9 greater than those following a hospital-directed diet regimen. There were also significant reductions in triglycerides, cholesterol and waist circumference.

I had the opportunity to look over the program, and it's a great way for someone newly diagnosed with the disease to ease into a proper eating plan. The foods are all formulated to be low on the glycemic index, which means they won't spike blood sugar levels. Everything is planned out for the week, so that takes a lot of pressure off having to scrupulously count carbs (but there is a food journal where you can keep track of diet, water consumption weight and exercise). The difference between the Nutrisystem diabetic plan and the regular plan is that the diabetic plan foods have increased fiber for a lower glycemic load. At right is their black beans and rice entree.

There is also a pocket meal planner with serving sizes of various foods that you add into the Nutrisystem plan, as well as a dining-out guide. And there's a 40-minute workout DVD led by Leslie Sansone.

I don't have diabetes and I'm doing everything in my power not to get it. But I can imagine how overwhelming a diagnosis might be. A program like Nutrisystem would be a good way for someone newly diagnosed to get their bearings and get their blood sugar and health on track.

Doing my part for Earth Day

I've been celebrating Earth Day since the very first one, in 1970. My elementary school had an Earth Day march around the neighborhood and I carried a sign (taped to a snow shovel) protesting noise pollution. We lived below an O'Hare airport flight pattern that shook the house, so it was a pet cause of mine.

Today, I brought my water to Jazzercise in my new Nalgene Filter for Good BPA-free bottle (the one they use on Biggest Loser) and I wore my supercool Bummer T-shirt from Green Label Organics, which I got at Whole Foods. (You also can order them online.)

I love the shirt because I live in Hummer-heavy South Florida, which strangely seem to be driven by tiny women who workout at my gym. At first glance it looks like a Hummer fan shirt but look again! It's also made from organic cotton and really soaks up the exersweat.

And this week I'm making it a priority to reduce my carbon footprint by fitting in more meatless meals.

Kefir helps kick a stomach virus

Just when I thought I'd have this stomach virus the rest of the year, just when I thought that losing 10 pounds in a week might be excessive, I stopped that virus in its tracks with a big glass of peach kefir.

What is kefir? Pronounced kuh-feer, it is a cultured yogurt drink loaded with stomach-friendly probiotics. I had been Googling about for "stomach virus cure" and stomach flu diet" and more than once came across advice on eating yogurt or similar foods with probiotics.

I had a little Lifeway peach kefir left in the fridge, so I had it for dinner a couple nights ago. Then I had a glass before bed and the next morning for breakfast. And for the past two days I've been feeling fine.

Kefir makes a great breakfast beverage or afternoon snack. It has around 160 calories for an 8 ounce glass, 11 grams of protein and 2 grams of fat. It also has those healthy tummy bugs and 30 percent of your calcium for the day.

The consistency is that of a thinner smoothie and the taste is tart, yogurty and sweet (as long as you don't get the unflavored -- I'm not brave enough to try that). And like yogurt, kefir tends to be well tolerated by people who are lactose intolerant (me!). It comes in a bunch of flavors -- I like peach the best but blueberry's also tasty (if you can get past the gray-blue color). There's even a cappuccino flavor but I don't think that would pair well with the tart base. If you've ever had a glass of lassi at an Indian restaurant it's a similar experience.

I get my kefir at the regular grocery store, but if you're store isn't as enlightened you usually can find it at Whole Foods and other natural grocery stores.

Lifeway is the predominant brand (and it also owns the organic Helios brand) but Nancy's is another.

Want a free Kashi frozen meal?

I'm a big fan of Kashi frozen meals. They're just about the only frozen meals that don't need a sandwich to accompany them. They're full of veggies, fiber and protein and low in calories. And for a frozen meal, they're pretty responsible with the sodium. They pretty much all taste great. I'm partial to the Southwestern Chicken and the Chicken Pasta Pomodoro.

And right now, Kashi is giving away a coupon for a free frozen meal. All you have to do is go to Kashi's site HERE.

Denise Austin has a new 'spudcast' from the Potato Commission

Fitness workout fave Denise Austin has long been associated with the Idaho Potato Commission pitching spuds for healthy living. (Yes, people, carbs can be good in moderation!)

The Potato People have come up with a widget that you can download to your Facebook page, blog, desktop or wherever you'd like fitness tips and potato recipes popping up every weekday. Here it is:

 

A BPA-free water bottle from Life is Good is a good thing

I love the entire line of Life is Good products. Call me a cockeyed optimist, a Pollyanna (really, go ahead, my mom does). And I love that their new water bottle is BPA-free, which, if you haven't been paying attention, is one of those endocrine disruptors that you're supposed to stay away from in plastics. I have a ridiculous number of water bottles, which I use at the gym, in the car, on walks and at home, just so I can keep track of my water consumption for the day. This one holds a quart and is $12 at REI.com. 

We all scream for free ice cream from Baskin-Robbins

Yes, this is a diet blog and yes, I'm telling you to to go Baskin-Robbins on Thursday.

If you bring proof of health-club membership, you'll get a free scoop of Baskin-Robbins' new Bright Choices frozen desserts. The giveaway is from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at participating Baskin-Robbins shops. (Check Baskinrobbins.com for the nearest participating store.)

The selection of sorbet, frozen yogurt and ice cream weighs in from 80-140 calories a scoop (order in a cup and skip the sprinkles).