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The Hidden Dangers of Everyday Fast Food Choices: Think twice before you order.

Boy that hamburger sure looks tasty!! And the meal has potatoes too! And a glass of orange juice!

Basic Food Groups!!

But hold on folks! I’m sure it tastes very good, but what is the nutrient value? Unfortunately not so good.

Holiday time is a time of not enough time! We rush through the day and screech to a halt come supper time. What to fix? Is there anything in the freezer? But it has to be thawed and I’m hungry NOW.

This is where Fast Food Drive-thrus come into play. They are so enticing. Ready to serve and ready to eat!

But hold on! Are you remembering:

There are 232 unhealthy calories in a 1 fast food hamburger; single, regular patty; plain. The calorie breakdown is 36% fat, 42% carbs, and 9 grams protein. Sodium: 497 mg. (If you choose a double burger, just double all of the above.)

Leaf lettuce: Nutrient-wise, a cup of lettuce (any type) has up to: 56 micrograms of vitamin K (47% of DV). 40 micrograms of folate (10% of your daily value, or DV). 205 micrograms of Vitamin A (23% of DV). Unfortunately, one leaf is not a cup; it looks more like one leaf. So divide the benefits by many more needed?

Cheese? 1 serving of sliced yellow american cheese contains 80 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 5% carbs, 76% fat, and 10 grams protein. This has a relatively high calorie density, with 381 Calories per 100g. Cheese also contains 400 mg of sodium. (You are suppose to only get 1200 grams of sodium a day.)

White bread hamburger bun: Hamburger bun, white (1 medium – 3 1/2″ diameter) contains 21.6g total carbs, 20.8g net carbs, 1.7g fat, 4.2g protein, and 120 calories. Sodium: 206 mg.

Condiments? According to the Kraft Heinz Company, one packet of Heinz ketchup contains 10 calories. This small serving of ketchup also contains 2 grams of sugar. It has 95 milligrams of sodium, which is 4 percent of the daily value.

We are at 442 calories. (Daily calories: 1800 for women to 2500 for men.) But how much sodium? 1198 mg of salt. You just shot yourself in the foot!

Your daily intake of salt is to be 1200-2000 a DAY. We are not counting the salt on the fried potatoes. Many times they are over 150 grams for a small order of french fries.

Orange juice sort of saved the day: One cup of orange juice (8oz) provides 110 calories, 2g of protein, 27g of carbohydrates, and 0g of fat. Orange juice is an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium. But it did add calories.

Where am I going with this?

The recommended calorie intake per adult per day is 1,600 to 2,400 calories for women. For men, it is 2,200 to 3,200 calories. This hamburger consumed a great portion of your calories per day. (with orange juice: about 520 calories)

What was the nutrient value? A burger gives you 50% of your protein for the day, but in a fried piece of meat. The potatoes are most likely fried in a not-so-good oil.

We all know what fried foods does to our bodies. Fried foods contain high levels of saturated and trans fats. These fats increase blood cholesterol levels. They also damage the walls of your arteries. These damaged areas in your blood vessels eventually develop plaque, narrowing the artery and making it harder to pump blood.

Extra lean beef contains less than 5 g of fat. It has less than 2 g of saturated fat. It also contains less than 95 mg of cholesterol per 100 g. Additionally, 100 g of 97% lean ground broiled beef contains 153 calories and 26.4 g of protein.

I don’t need to calculate the numbers. You can see that the usual hamburger meal we all depend on today is not doing us any good. We are not getting good nutrition from it.

The FDA made the Food Pyramid easy for us to follow. But the hardest part is the fruits and vegetables that are so important to our daily diet.

Think twice before you order.

We don’t need to order a plate or a bowl for lunch.

Preparing ahead is always better. No one will turn you out at a restaurant with your lunch bag when you order a drink from them.

Most restaurants have fruit juices available. At fast food places, this can be difficult, but remember some offer Milk.

Take the time to eat healthy. Your body will thank you. Your body will thank you even more in the future years.

Mealtime needs to be thought about; especially when you are dining with your children. Kiddos today are putting on weight. I don’t blame video games as much as a lack of direction for the importance of exercise and good foods.

Don’t make a habit of eating at Fast Food places. You can cook a burger at home, serve on a plate, and add to that. Vegetables are coming with some cheese sauces that would go well with a burger. Baked fries are still potatoes, but without the unhealthy fats of deep frying. (I’m aware that some of those “cheese” sauces in frozen veggies are not always good, but it is a start.)

Plan ahead for your Meals.

If you need some help with planning and budgeting, I’ll would be happy to help. It takes a few times of planning, and then I know you can do this on your own.

With today’s fast moving world, I know you can’t always prepare a healthy meal. In those cases, you should be thinking of supplements.

There are shake mixes available. This can turn a dull meal into something tasty. Use ice and it becomes more of a smoothie. Add fruits and vegetables, even if they are frozen. Consider dressing up the glass with real whipped cream and for kiddos, add some sprinkles. Even a peanut butter sandwich will taste good with a chocolate shake or a fruit shake.

A fast and easy recommendation.

I recommend Shaklee Corporation’s Life Shakes. I use them often. I add them as a coffee creamer. Chocolate Latte can really make a cup of coffee taste good, but also nutritious for people on the go!

Shakes offer multiple advantages. They add nutrient value. They also provide the milk and calcium values that children, especially, need. Adults still need calcium as we age. Our bones do become brittle with age. Keeping up with drinking milk every day will help to keep aging bones strong.

What is in a Shaklee Shake? The Life Shake™ contains:

  1. 20 g Ultra-pure, non-GMO protein with precise ratios of all 9 essential amino acids to support energy and satiety
  2. 24 Essential vitamins and minerals to support heart, brain, immune, and overall health
  3. 6 g Dietary fiber and a proprietary prebiotic from an ancient grains blend to support digestive health and regularity
  4. Our new, low-glycemic sweetener system, Reb M + 5 g natural sugar cane 

The new Life Shake is Powered by Leucine® to help build lean muscle, burn fat, and support metabolism.† I know we all want to have a more efficient metabolism.

(When you look for a shake mix, do some research as to the ingredients. Look for proven science behind the canister or bag. Look at guarantees. After doing the research, this is why I settled on this brand.)

Prepare the shake mix at home. Put it in a thermos and add water when you are ready to drink. This is a good start to lunch. If you are going out, order a salad or a bowl of fruit. Make this meal as important as your main meal.

Make lunch choices good healthy choices by planning ahead.

Hugs! Mary

REFERENCES:

https://wellness.maryjessen.com

https://medlineplus.gov/calcium.html

https://nationalpeanutboard.org/news/5-reasons-pbj-is-best-sandwich-ever

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/calcium-supplements

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Coffee vs tea

Boost Your Well-being with Positive Thinking | Thinking of You Week September 2024

What a powerful thought to send. “I think of you often. I hope that in some way, just knowing that you’re on my mind, will brighten up your day.”

How did just reading that thought make you feel?

It is hard to imagine in our busy world that there are others thinking positive thoughts for us each day.

But it is a declaration of positive thinking to send a paper Hug. Positive thinking happens when we think of others in our minds, and not of ourselves. Positive thinking or being an optimist with life can have a huge impact on our own physical and mental health. This doesn’t mean you are ignoring the current problems or challenges of the day. It simply means you approach life with thoughts of things working out for the good.

There are physical health benefits of positive thinking. These include a longer life span and lower chances of a heart attack. It also results in better all-round physical health. There is greater resistance to illness like the common cold. Other benefits include lower blood pressure, better pain management, and better stress management.

With positive thinking, we are more creative. We become clearer thinkers. We are better to have around; we find joy in life. We have better coping skills. We experience less depression. We also develop greater problem-solving skills.

Positive thinking can lead us to think of others and a want to encourage others to feel good too.

Sending a card is a small gesture of positive thinking. Texting a note is another simple way to show you care. Better yet, making a phone call can make a big difference in someone else’s life.

What to say? First: Make it simple. Don’t worry about perfect sentence structure. Use simple everyday words. Add meaning to your words. “Sending thoughts and hugs!” “You’ve got this!” You can add why you are writing. Start with “dear” or just “Hi!” Or just a note: “just wanted to say, I’m missing you today. Hugs!” Make it simple. Short sentences.

We worry about our physical health. We exercise. We eat good nutritious foods. But we also need to consider our mental health. Sometimes when one is down, a note to cheer another may be the solution for both receiver and sender.

In 2014, “Thinking of You Week,” was actually established by the Greeting Card Association of England. (really!) It protects and encourages the British greeting card industry.

In 2018, it came across the pond and was caught on by our greeting card industry. This whole concept has grown in popularity since then. We all like happy mail!

The week chosen for “Thinking of You” is September 16 thru the 22, 2024. Now I’m not advertising for the card industry. I have no stock in Hallmark! I just believe in sending out good mail. Sending out a paper Hug.

We all get so much junk mail. Many times it doesn’t even get into the house if you are walking by the garage waste basket.

Wouldn’t it be fun to get a note that says: “I’m thinking of you?”

I know when I send them, I wait in anticipation for their arrival at my friends. The whole act makes my day better. I’m sending that paper hug to someone who just might be glad it came that day!

Question? Did you save your last ‘feeling good’ card? Many times I add it to my bulletin board in my office, or just stand it on a shelf. It’s a nice reminder that someone cares.

Taking care of your own mental health can be fun. Learn to be a positive thinker. Turn off the news! Create a card on line. Go to the Dollar Store and pick one out. And take the time to send it. Someone will be Very Glad you did.

Take time this week to send a note of care to someone you miss or love. You will feel that Love come back.

https://wellness.maryjessen.com

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Coffee vs tea

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Green Tea vs. Coffee: Benefits, Risks, and Health Effects

Effects of Caffeine:

Caffeine comes from natural resources. It is found in coffee beans, cacao (chocolate), tea leaves, and more. Manmade forms of caffeine can be added to certain drinks and foods.

Caffeine is a drug that is know as a stimulant. This means it excites the nervous system, making the consumer more alert. Many people find that it gives them a temporary energy boost, and for some can even enlighten their mood.

An estimated 80% of people worldwide consume some form of caffeine every day. This includes roughly 70% of the children of the world! Fewer teens are drinking pop compared to a decade ago. They are turning to caffeinated beverages and energy drinks. For teens this is a dangerous drink that has some powerful health side effects.

Caffeine can work within a few minutes of consumption and have a half-life of about 5-6 hours. In other words, it takes 5-6 hours for caffeine to clear your blood stream. Be careful of chocolates or added caffeine to beverages after supper if you find yourself sensitive to caffeine.

Caffeine, a stimulant drug, excites the central nervous system. Drinking too much can make you nervous, restless, interrupt your sleep, cause muscle twitches, and even trigger arrhythmias. Some people are more sensitive than others. (I know I can only drink caffeinate beverages before 3:00 p.m.)

It is not unusual today to read about teens dying due to an energy drink. For teens adolescence is a time of brain development. The brain’s most neural connections happen during teen years. This continues into the mid-twenties.

Drinking caffeine from an early age can stunt brain development, as these connections become less efficient and stop forming.

Caffeine triggers pleasure circuits in the brain’s reward and addiction center and may influence a child’s food and drink preferences in later life. Children can be unconsciously sensitive to the pleasure of a caffeinated beverage and lack the knowledge of its side-effects.

Sleep is the area of concern for many people with caffeinated products. Every 10mg of caffeine a 13-year old consumes cuts the chances of getting 8.5 hours of sleep by 12%. Sleep deprivation, especially in teens, can affect their education, mental and physical health.

Caffeine also causes the body to lose calcium. Consuming too much caffeine could lead to bone loss over time. Additionally, soft drink consumption has also been linked to a higher incidents of fractures. Drinking caffeine and energy drinks as a teen, instead of milk, can raise the risk of osteoporosis as the child ages.

Recommended Consumption for Different Age Groups:

A recent study showed 85% of the US population has had at least one caffeinated beverage per day, with an average of 185 mg of caffeine consumed daily. (I know there were days in my 40s and 50s whereas I consumed a whole pot of coffee daily!)

How much is too much? For an adult the mark is at 400mg of caffeine per day, which comes out to 4-5 cups of coffee.

For children 12-18, the recommended amount is no more than 100mg of caffeine per day. For children under 12: NONE.

Food items with caffeine:

12 ounces caffeinated soft drink: 30-40mg

8 ounces of green tea or black tea: 30-50mg

8 ounces of coffee: 80-100mg

8 ounces of decaf coffee: 2-15mg

8 ounces of dark chocolate: 12mg

8 ounces of an energy drink: 40-250mg of caffeine in one container!

Symptoms of too much Caffeine:

Headache, anxiety, trouble sleeping, irritability, increased heartbeat, increased thirst, frequent urination, chest pain.

Sleep: Consuming too much caffeine will not only affect your mood, but your sleep. When consumed close to bedtime the sleep disruption can be mild to moderate. It is recommended not to consume any caffeinated beverage up to 6 hours before bedtime.

This can also included any alcohol with coffee or cocoa added.

Comparative Analysis of Coffee vs Green Tea

Green tea does contain caffeine, but remember coffee has 3 times the amount.

Free radicals, when in excess, can negatively affect your health by causing diseases and speeding up the aging process. The polyphenol, EGCG, found in green tea in greater amounts, has a beneficial effect on cancer cells of the head, neck, lung, prostate, breast, colorectal and pancreatic cancer cells.

L-theanine, a natural amino acid, found in green tea, can increase feelings of calm alertness. (Contrary to the nervousness of coffee and energy drink caffeine.)

Evidence also shows that green tea is associated with a lower risk of stroke, diabetes, and depression.

Be careful of adding sugars to your coffee and tea. This is where it can be associated with Type 2 Diabetes, weight gain, heart disease, and dental cavities.

Which is Better?

For children, even teenagers, I would advise not encouraging caffeinated drinks.

Consider: Coffee has higher caffeine level; whereas Green Tea’s l-theanine and its calming properties, may help you decide which one to drink, and what time to drink it.

My supplier, Shaklee Corporation, offers an Energizing Tea, which does contain caffeine in the lesser amounts, but also includes other teas and their health benefits.

Tea can be better for you when you look for a pure tea, not metal processed; and research it’s caffeinated level. Use your head for the timing, as a hot cup of Camomile, an herbal tea, perhaps with honey as a sweetener, can be the choice for bedtime.

Resources: https://eatrightidaho.net/2016/02/11/important-facts-about-energy-drinks-that-every-consumer-should-know/

https://majestycoffee.com/blogs/posts/black-coffee-vs-latte

https://www.verywellhealth.com/effects-of-caffeine-on-teenagers-4126761

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/green-tea-vs-coffee

Precision Nutrition: Sleep, Stress Management and Recovery.

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The Importance of Quality, Quantity, and Consistency in Scientific Research

Nothing in science is ever concrete. People rethink and work on clinical studies all the time, trying to improve what was proven.

There are factors that must be examined to make a claim of “backed by science.”

  1. Quantity: How much research has been done? Only a few? Hundreds? The more studies done on a subject, you can feel confident on current results. Watch the dates of the study. Science is always evolving.
  2. Quality: Look for research done by people at the Top of their field and published in a well-respected Peer-Reviewed Journal. This sorts out the unreliable information. Any study can be paid for to turn out as you want. It is the Peer-Reviewed study that makes it accurate. Specifically, you want to see randomized controlled studies. These studies test a specific treatment on a group of participants. Not all participants think they are getting the “trial.”
  3. Scope: Look at the range of dates of the studies. Decide if recent conclusions are relative to the past.
  4. Consistency: This happens when more than one study comes to the same conclusion.
  5. Universality: Does it affect all or specific groups of people.

You do have to do your research today on all the new products being introduced. Nutrition products are not judged by the FDA. You need to look into their background of the company and the science the company uses.

Don’t buy nutrient supplement based on cost. There are way too many ways to get a product to market cheaply. What happens is quality suffers greatly. Aren’t you worth quality?

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Welcome Aboard!

Blogging is something I always wanted to do. A written chat to share what I have learned. I hope you enjoy as you read, learn a bit, and leave a comment or two.

I plan that the purpose of my blogs will be to share with you Nutrition and Health insights. These insights will hopefully help make you make good choices and your family healthier.

I have finished several long courses with Precision Nutrition. It is an internationally recognized school of Nutrition for Nutrition Coaches, especially in the Sports Field. I have learned quite a bit about metabolic health and sports health. I hope to share tidbits with you.

Precision Nutrition taught me how to coach. I re-alligned my business, Wellness Makes Cents, to become more of an educational/coaching site for friends, family, and new friends.

I chose Shaklee Corporation for my supplement company. I liked their guarantee of PURITY, POTENCY, and PERFORMANCE. I couldn’t find this guarantee with any other company.

My girlfriend introduced me to Shaklee through their Skin Care line of products. She tried and tried and caught me one night whereas I said “I’ll try if it is right now!” And I found myself convinced! I next tried the cleaning product line. (I had passed my Master Gardener class and was looking for clean cleaning products.) I found that the line worked, and I have never changed. I then began to look into Nutrition.

Years ago I tried Centrum Silver. I was beginning to get tired and thought vitamins would be a good choice. Centrum Silver is widely advertised as one of the best on the market. I faithfully took several bottles worth, and then ran out. For some reason, I delayed in buying another. I never noticed any difference. This is where I doubted that vitamins would really “work.”

Shaklee nutrition taught me different. When the product is pure, you Will notice the difference.

I chose the Shaklee Corp. for my supplier. I have researched and tried other companies, but I come back to Shaklee for its guarantees: Purity, Potency and Performance. A good product is essential to my business.

I will share with you topics of interest. I am hoping you will ask as to what is on your mind, and wanting more information.

You might want to check out my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wellnessmakescentswithmarycommunity. This is a Facebook community of people with similar interests in their health. They also care about their family’s health and the health of the planet.

I look forward to your comments!

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