Go! Go! Gail! Reviews!

Liberte, and the pursuit of yogurt

I'm no yogurt expert (even though we have an entire refrigerator drawer devoted to yogurt), but I think South Floridians have been a little more acquainted with Liberte yogurt than much of the country since so many Canadians spend time down here. I've seen Liberte yogurt at the grocery store for years. 

But now that the Canadian brand of yogurt is widely available in the U.S., it has been expanding its flavors, both in the ultrarich Mediterranee variety and the nonfat Greek line.

I'm a fan of Liberte's Greek yogurt but when you've got the calories to spare, their Mediterranee is a decadent splurge. And for all we know, full-fat dairy may even be better for us than we first thought.

Think about it -- a little creamy lime yogurt with a tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs on top. Instant Key lime pie!

Alas, I couldn't find the new flavors at any of my neighborhood grocery stores, but I did get coconut and  lemon. Holy yum. Super creamy and definitely a splurge.

All varieties of Liberte yogurt have no added colors, artificial flavors, artificials sweeteners or preservatives. It's also gluten free, and made from rBST/rBGHt-free milk.

You can find a 40-cent coupon for Liberte at THIS page (plus you can also print out other coupons there, too).

Disclosure: Information and product samples have been provided by Liberte Yogurt through Platefull Co-Op.

Doing the Dukan Diet? Weight loss coaching to the rescue

The Dukan Diet has been red hot since the book hit America. Interest revved up when celebrity mags reported that Princess Kate did the Dukan weight-loss plan to get her ready for the royal wedding.

I know (from an actual DNA test) that I do better with fewer carbs, but the lack of starches on many low-carb diets makes me buggy. But that’s why Dukan’s more do-able for me because it includes oat bran in the plan. I love oat bran – it provides soluble fiber and it keeps me full forever. Dukan sells its own brand of organic oat bran as well as oat bran bars, turkey jerky and more in its online store.

The Dukan Diet consists of four eating phases to reach and keep your True Weight. Each person’s True Weight is based on answers to a few short questions. You can calculate your True Weight at DukanDiet.com.

The diet doesn’t count calories – instead it emphasizes lean protein, lots of water, daily walking and unrestricted amounts of 100 healthy foods.

But some people find it hard to go it alone with just a book, and now the Dukan Diet offers weight loss coaching. Dukan coaches tailor users’ plans to each person's Dukan Diet profile and lifestyle to help them maintain long-term weight loss. The eating program is adjusted every day, based on your report from the previous day. I talked with Dukan’s nutritionist Simone Gloger and asked her about the concept of True Weight, which seems a lot more achievable than the “one-size-fits-all” goal weight standard of many diet plans and doctors.

“[Dr.] Pierre Dukan takes into consideration different factors when you calculate your True Weight, like how times you’ve been pregnant, how many diets you’ve done, your body frame and all those other components,” she said. “If you were pregnant before it will add on a few pounds for each pregnancy. If you’ve done four diets in the past, you will be more resistant to weight loss so that could add on a pound. Those factors help to calculate your True Weight and then your True Weight is something that is maintainable.”

Age also factors in – for every decade, another pound is added onto the True Weight.

Some people will tell their coach that they want to weigh less than their True Weight but the coach will warn them that the lower number will be more difficult to maintain over the long term.

The Dukan coach will also come up with ways to overcome plateaus, stoke your flagging motivation and provide meal ideas, and you can call or email them any time.

Out of town? You can call your coach and peruse the menu with them to come up with the best meal option.

• Right now you can get 25 percent off coaching with the code J13BG25 when you sign up at dukandiet.com.  You can also find out more about the plan on Twitter at twitter.com/DukanCoaching and on Facebook at facebook.com/TheDukanDiet for more info about the diet and products.

This is a sponsored post for Dukan Diet.

Clean up in the cereal aisle at Publix

We go through a lot of cereal in our house. Between breakfasts, snacks and late-night cereal-fueled video gamers, a large swath of the pantry is devoted to cereal. So yesterday, I cleaned up at Publix's Breakfast Savings deal. Nothing like using a coupon on top of a buy-one-get-one-free deal.

You can, too -- the savings event is going on through Sept. 11 and there are buy-one-get-one-free deals on General Mills kids' cereals, including regular Kix and Honey Kix, which are full of air, so you can eat a big bowl for fewer calories than many cereals.

(In addition, there also are great deals in the freezer case on waffles, another item we go through quickly.)

Check out this Everyday Saver page from Publix, where you can print out all sorts of breakfasty coupons.

Disclosure: The information and Publix gift card were provided by Publix through MyBlogSpark.

 

Running Out? Run In (and win a Publix gift card)

Publix Fan Girl here again with another chance to win a $25 Publix gift card. And even if you don't win, you can easily earn a $5 Publix gift card with the store's Running Out? Run In event, which features brands from General Mills and Procter & Gamble.

It's all meant to get us to think differently about running in for a few quick things at the grocery store. Convenience stores are anything but convenient. They're cramped, overpriced and have a really limited selection of items. So why not stop in where you usually shop, especially now that some Publix stores have added self-checkout stations. You can grab a tube of Crest or a box of Cheerios, check yourself out and be back in your car in 5 minutes -- that's convenient.

More deets on the deal:

• Now through May 23, look for the “Running Out? Run In” event at Publix to take advantage of savings on brands from General Mills and Procter & Gamble.
• Also, look in stores for more than $15 in coupon savings – coupons are valid through June 2.
• Receive a $5 Publix gift card to use on your next shopping trip when you purchase $30 or more in participating items during the event (now through May 23); simply mail in the rebate form found in-store or online at runningoutrunin.com along with your original receipt(s).
• For more details on this rebate, visit RunningOutRunIn.com.

So, that Publix $25 gift card -- how to win? Just let me know in the comments below what you're always running out of. For me, it's snack foods, since we house the Teen-age Eating Machine. Deadline for the giveaway is Friday, June 1 at 8 p.m. ET.

Disclosure:  The Publix gift card, information and additional gift card have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

We review: Marzetti Simply Dressed

I am a label reader. If I'm checking out a new product at the grocery store, you'd better believe I'm scouring the ingredients for funky stuff. I'll flip over many a box and bottle

Too much sodium? Back on the shelf. High fructose corn syrup? No thanks. Loads of preservatives and artficial flavors and colors? See ya later.

I am also a salad dressing aficionado. You should see my fridge door -- it's packed with bottles (you can see it at left). I'm always on the prowl for a creative accompaniment to a big ol' pile of greens.

Truth be told, I'm a salad dressing snob -- I've ordered it by mail, brought my own bottle to my parents' house for Sunday dinner and even stashed a a bottle of the good stuff in the office refrigerator.

So when Clever Girls Collective offered me the chance to try out Marzetti Simply Dressed salad dressing I knew we'd be a perfect fit. I've spied it at the grocery store in the produce department. If it needs to be refrigerated that's a sign that it's not laden with sodium and preservatives. What first drew me to the dressings was the cute stubby bottle shape and label design -- I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff.

I checked out the Pomegranate because, frankly, it was the lowest in calories (this is a weight-loss blog after all). Two tablespoons is only 60 calories and 4.5 grams of fat with zero sat fat. Plus, it's gluten free, nicely low in sodium (150 mg) and contains 150 mg of omega-3 ALA per serving. (All the Simply Dressed varieties are gluten free except for the Ginger Sesame, which gets its wheat from the soy sauce in it.) There's no high fructose corn syrup, no preservatives, no MSG and no artificial flavors or colors.

What does it have? A nicely tart-sweet flavor and ruby red color, which was great on my salad of supergreens, tomatoes and leftover chicken breast. I also think the Pomegranate flavor would be great on a fruit-laden salad, like my favorite baby spinach and sliced strawberry combo.

Lil' food tip: If you're using a flavorful, high-quality product, you don't need to drown your salad in it.

If Pomegranate doesn't interest you, there are lots of flavors to choose from:

• Balsamic
• Blue Cheese
• Caesar
• Champagne
• Coleslaw
• Ginger Sesame
• Greek Feta
• Pomegranate
• Ranch
• Strawberry Poppyseed
• Thousand Island

You'll have to check with your local grocery store to see which ones it stocks. I'm hoping my store will also start stocking Marzetti's brand new Simply Dressed & Light line, too, because so-called "diet" salad dressings can be simply awful and these look to be great with clean ingredients and skinny nutritional stats. The Light flavors include:

• Blue Cheese
• Caesar
• Celery Seed Slaw
• Ranch
• Raspberry Acai

I knew I had made a good choice when both the cashier and the bagger saw the bottle and said that they liked the line of dressings. Usually, grocery store employees look at my weekly haul of Greek yogurt, flaxseeds and brussels sprouts and make funny faces. Not so the Simply Dressed.

I was one of the bloggers selected by T. Marzetti Company and Clever Girls Collective to host a Marzetti Simply Dressed review. They provided me with product to test myself and compensation for my time. However, my opinions are entirely my own.

Coffee with ethics is extra tasty: We try Equal Exchange

I'm the only coffee drinker in my house. Husband calls it "icky" and the kid is too young to appreciate the nectar of the gods. So the coffee I bring home is MINE, ALL MINE!

And did I mention that coffee is a metabolism-boosting, antioxidant-rich wonder food?

I'm not a fan of run-of-the-mill grocery store coffee. Life's too short for mediocre, sour java. So I was intrigued when Mambo Sprouts asked me whether I'd like to try Equal Exchange coffee.

They had me at "organic Fair Trade."

I was sent Organic French Roast and Organic Love Buzz, both fairly dark blends (fine with me!).

Like I mentioned, not only is it organically grown, it's also Fair Trade. Equal Exchange partners with small-scale farmer co-ops that are democratically organized.

In 1986, Equal Exchange founders wanted to empower farmers and consumers, supports small-farmer co-ops, and use sustainable farming methods.

So the coffee is noble, but how does it taste?

Just lovely. Love Buzz is a rich, chocolatey dark blend, and the French Roast is smoky and sweet and not at all bitter like some French roasts can be. Both blends send out an incredible coffee aroma as they brew.

I don't gunk up my joe with lots of cream and sugar. Lately, I've been grooving on Organic Valley's new soy creamer -- just a touch. So my morning mega-mug has to really sing. And this one does.

Want to try Equal Exchange? Go to the Mambo Sprouts website where you can print out coupons on this and other natural and organic products, including that Organic Valley soy creamer.

Equal Exchange products are available in cafes, co-ops, supermarkets and natural food stores throughout the United States.

Thanks to Equal Exchange and Mambo Sprouts, I received Equal Exchange coffee for review purposes only. The opinions in this post are my own opinions and were in no way affected by having received these items.

Talking sweat and science with Gatorade

(I didn't even have to set up this photo. This is what the little league dugout looks like all the time.)

What did you do Friday? I spent the afternoon perusing slides of urine colors and sweat stains. And it was fascinating -- really!

I took part in a blogger conference call with Gatorade Sports Science Institute scientist Lisa Esposito who discussed the science of sports nutrition for young athletes.

I've got one of those -- my 12-year-old son plays baseball and golf, sweats buckets and goes through a lot of Gatorade year round.

We usually stick with the lower-calorie G2 line (that way, diet-obsessed Mom can grab a bottle for the gym). But I also learned of Gatorade's new G Series FIT line, which only has 20 calories per bottle. All the Gatorade beverages (the during-workout drinks in the G Series) have electrolytes to replenish the nutrients lost during a sweaty workout.

This is where I learned about those sweat stains. People who leave sweat stains on their clothes (or baseball caps), lose more electrolytes than regular "sweaters." Those electrolytes are crucial for performance and to prevent muscle cramping.

Now, about those "pee charts." It's all about proper hydration and making sure your urine is light colored -- that way you know you're drinking enough fluids. We learned that many kids actually start out their game or practice slightly dehydrated and if they don't properly hydrate, will finish the game really dehydrated. So make your kids start loading up on fluids in the car on the way to the field. They'll perform better if they're well hydrated.

If you want to learn more about the science behind Gatorade, check out the Gatorade Moms site. You can learn about the entire product line, pick up tips and advice, meet the experts and the Gatorade Moms, the nurturing women behind the sports stars.

We got to speak with one of those moms, Stephanie Hamm, mom of soccer superstar and Olympian Mia Hamm. Stephanie raised six kids and did her share of Sports Mom duties. We talked about motivation, support, nutrition and how to juggle it all. Hey, if she could do it with six kids, I can certainly do it with one!

You can learn about the Hamm family's sports history by checking out this video.

Now for a fabulous prize

I'm giving away a $100 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods. That'll buy a lot of athletic supporters. (Does your kid leave them all over the house like mine does?) All you need to do is tell me:

What kind of Sports Mom are you? Baseball? Soccer? Cheerleading? All of the above? And how do you and your kids juggle it all?

The rules

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry
methods:

• a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
• b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
• c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
• d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

Official sweepstakes dates: 6/1/11 to -6/30/11.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by email.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

There are other chances to win -- check out the Prizes & Promotions section.

Visit the Official Rules.

And visit the official site.

A little tasty high 'culture' for your diet

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Weight Watchers.

I don’t think the grocery store cashiers are shocked anymore as they see the platoon of yogurt containers march down the conveyor belt every week.

 

We go through a lot of yogurt in our house. There’s only three of us but I buy at least 15 containers every week. Hubby eats it for breakfast every morning mixed with cereal, and often has it in the evening as well. I usually have one with fruit for breakfast or an afternoon snack, and the growing preteen is always on the lookout for a healthy snack.

 

Nonfat yogurt is my go-to food -– it’s a great source of protein and calcium, plus there’s no fat and it comes in a variety of flavors. It’s great on its own, swirled with cereal, sprinkled with walnuts or spun into a smoothie.

 

While I “date around” on yogurt brands, Weight Watchers Yogurt is one of my steady dates. It’s only 100 calories per container (2 PointsPlus on the Weight Watchers program), has 6 grams of protein and is sweetened with crystalline fructose and sucralose. Other “diet yogurts” use other artificial sweeteners that just don’t taste as good to me.

 

While I like all the flavors, my absolute fave is Apple Pie a la Mode. There are crispy bits of real apple (check out those chunks, at right) along with vanilla and cinnamon notes (yes, yogurt can have “notes”). If you really want to play up the apple pie feel, sprinkle a teaspoon of graham cracker crumbs on top.

 

In addition to traditional flavors such as Strawberry, Vanilla, Peach and Black Cherry, Weight Watchers Yogurt has an Indulgent Flavors line that includes Cherry Cheesecake, Amaretto Cheesecake, Key Lime Pie and the brand-new Caramel Spice Cake.

 

Want to try it for yourself? Download a coupon for $1 off the purchase of Weight Watchers Yogurt. To find a store that carries it, check the product locator HERE, and for more info visit the official site.

Visit the Exclusive Offers section

Shrinking Sisters checks out Green Giant boxed veggies (giveaway!)

So you're trying to lose weight and you're assuming that plain, flavorless vegetables will be your lot in life for the time being.

Not necessarily. Green Giant has more than two dozen varieties of its boxed frozen vegetables, and its Broccoli & Cheese Sauce is only 60 calories (2PointsPlus) per serving. A serving of it over a baked potato would make a great quick lunch.

Or you can do what Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien does and make a great broccoli-cheese soup with it. Her original recipe uses the Just for One! size veggies, but I doubled the recipe with the regular box of vegetables.

All it uses is a package of Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese Sauce, 1 cup light (plain) soymilk, 2 wedges Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese, chopped into pieces, and salt and pepper, to taste. All you do is cook the vegetables and put them into a blender with the other ingredients -- voila!

"Like" Green Giant on Facebook or follow the Jolly Green Giant on Twitter for more information and recipe ideas, or visit greengiant.com.

And now, the giveaway

Shrinking Sisters is dishing up a Green Giant prize pack that includes a coupon for one box of Green Giant vegetables, an insulated tote bag, groovy green silicone spoon, serving bowl and a pedometer.

To enter

Leave a comment below, telling me how you're fitting more vegetables into your diet. Contest deadline is Feb. 28March 8. When you comment, please make sure there's a way for me to contact you should you be the winner. (The comment system can be a little slow to load, so make sure you're commenting to the IntenseDebate System.) We'll choose one winner at random by pointing blindfolded at the computer screen after being spun around 50 times on the office chair.

Extra entries

• Subscribe to Shrinking Sisters.
• Follow Shrinking Sister Gail on Twitter.
• Become a fan of Shrinking Sisters on Facebook.
• Tweet about this giveaway using the phrase Enter to win a Green Giant Prize Pack Giveaway by Feb. 28 http://goo.gl/xraGx #myblogspark

Disclosure: Green Giant provided a sample prize pack and information through MyBlogSpark. No other compensation was received.

Let's talk breakfast: So far, so yummy!

Here's how I greeted New Year's Day:

I even went so far as to warm up my Nutrisystem Cinnamon Bun in the microwave. (Yes, I could wait a whole 10 seconds.) I also sprinkled on extra cinnamon because I'm a cinnamon freak, especially McCormick's new roasted cinnamon.

The next day, I got more creative: I used a carton of plain Siggi's Icelandic Skyr (a lot like Greek yogurt), into which I sprinkled in the packet of Nutrisystem Lowfat Granola, 2 tablespoons of dried cranberries and a big dash of cinnamon.

The combination of yogurt, dried fruit and granola has always been a favorite breakfast. I first had it in a restaurant -- the menu called it "Swedish Breakfast." If the tangy plain yogurt is too intense, sprinkle on a little Splenda or stevia. It's high in protein, calcium and very filling.

Since I started the program on New Year's Day, I think I'll make Sunday my weigh-in day, so next Monday I'll check in and let you all know how my first full week of Nutrisystem went. There were a few little bumps on Saturday but the weekend's over and today's going great.

Hooray, me! Hooray, you!

DISCLOSURE: Nutrisystem has provided its food program to me free of charge in exchange for my weekly updates. I am not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed in this post are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.