Choosing a Healthy Breakfast Cereal

Diet advice is everywhere and bold claims like “reduced sugar” or “all natural” catch your eye on food packages everywhere. However, before you take hold of a box of that "New and Improved" breakfast cereal, take a look at these tips to help you pick a healthy cereal for you.

Experts from The American Dietetic Association reviewed the leading cereals, including these reduced sugar versions, only to discover that the calorie amount was equal to the regular high-sugar variety. In fact the only one that had somewhat fewer calories was General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch—and it only dropped by 10 calories in each serving.

"How can this be?!"

Well, the manufacturers replaced the sugar with other forms of refined carbohydrates. So the manufacturers are legal in their marketing of “reduced sugar”, but the calorie amount is virtually the same. Check out the nutrition labels the next time you are in the grocery store. 

So place the box back on the shelf as quickly as you grabbed it, and select a breakfast cereal based on the following Healthy Now and Later tips:

• For a fiber-rich cereal reach for oatmeal, Cheerios, Wheaties, shredded wheat, raisin bran or Kashi.
• Add sweetness with fruit, honey, or agave nectar. Give sliced bananas, frozen blueberries, or fresh strawberries a try.
• Top it all off with some low-fat milk, soymilk, or almond milk. I’ve even added Greek yogurt to create a parfait-like treat. 
• If you or your loved ones are screaming for the sweeter stuff, first try to go half-and-half. For example, half chocolate puffs mixed with half Cheerios. The amount of sugar and flavorings is more than ample to sweeten the contents in the entire bowl. 

Above all, ignore those catchy claims on the front of the box. Go straight to the nutrition facts label. Here's what to look for:

• Remember the "Rule of Fives": Choose cereals with at least 5 grams of fiber per serving, and less than 5 grams of sugar.
• Look for each serving to contain at least 3 grams of protein.
• Read the ingredients list. Avoid cereals that list hydrogenated oils, artificial dyes or colors, and chemical preservatives.

Resources

Schwartz, M., Vartianian, L., Wharton, C., Brownell, K. (2008). Examining the nutritional quality of breakfast cereals marketed to children. Journal of The American Dietetics Association. 108(4), 702-705. 

Phone Books vs More Kitchen Space

What’s one thing you'll never see your grandkids or kids use...a phone book! 

The phone book is right up there now with cassette players, VHS tapes, and rotary phones. So how can this information be found outside of the phone book? Here are some places for finding local information online:

· Yellowpages.com - just like the paper-based version, but better! You can quickly search for businesses or people with a click of a button. The listings also include maps, directions and even consumer reviews of businesses.

· Google Local is another great way to find contact information, maps, directions or reviews. Search tip: You can also get local information from the Google search page by including your zip code after your search term (i.e. Restaurants 90403).


Those are just a few ways. Are you ready to really impress your family and friends? Start using your cell phone to get local information when you're on the go. You don't even need a fancy smartphone, just basic text messaging capabilities. (Standard text message rates apply.)

The service is called Google SMS. SMS stands for Short Message Service which is just another name for Text Message. The service is simple - you send your query in a text message to Google and then you immediately get a text message back from Google with the answer.

· Send your text message to 466453 (GOOGLE).

· To get a business listing, enter the business name or category you want to find and include the city and state or zip code (i.e. “Grocery Chicago, IL” or “Taxi Cab 19333”).

Try to be as specific as possible with your search. For example, you probably don't want to type something as generic as, "Pizza, New York" because you'd end up getting a lot of listings and potentially tons of text messages. Fear not! If you accidentally search something too broad, simply text back the word "Stop" and the search will cease.

More Info: Click here to find out more about Google SMS, including an interactive demo. You can also learn about the other types of queries that you can do like weather, movie times, stock quotes, flight status, and more.

Tip: I suggest adding Google to your contacts list in your phone and 466453 as Google's phone number.

So say goodbye to your bulky yellow phone books and hello to endless information at your fingertips (and an extra drawer in your kitchen). Give these alternatives a try and let me know how they go! You may be opting for that free kitchen space after all.

Natural Remedies for Constipation

This French ad from 1919, although a little odd, shows just how long constipation has been something of concern. Although it hasn’t gotten much easier to speak about in public, according to the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons approximately 80% of Americans suffer from constipation in their life.

Constipation can be the result of insufficient fiber and water in your diet. Lack of exercise also complicates this condition, as does some types of prescription medication. In fact, walking at least thirty minutes a day is as good for colon function as it is protective for your heart. That’s like getting a bonus for putting in the same amount of effort.

Moreover, drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day. Don’t just say you do – measure! Set aside a small pitcher or water container with that exact amount. The colon is actually where a majority of water is absorbed into the body, so if there’s not enough water to begin with things are most likely to get “dry” and ultimately stuck.

It may seem like a lot but if you space it over the day it will become routine and natural. Note that sugary sodas and caffeine beverages are not a substitute for the water. Things like soup or smoothies however may be.

Change your diet to colon friendly foods. Back in the day when people ate more fresh produce and worked hard in the field or factory, constipation was less of a problem. We eat too much of the wrong kind of foods and get too little of the right kind of exercise.

Both of those things need to change if you want to get rid of constipation. Eat more root vegetables and fruits that are high in fiber. That’s a big change from fast foods that tend to be loaded with flour, fat and sugar. You’d probably get more fiber by eating the wrapper than what you get from the fast food itself!

Regardless of how the constipation came about – and until you get on the right track for foods and exercise – you need relief now. Herbal remedies may be the best solution. Herbal laxatives work in one of two ways: to either add bulk or stimulate the bowels to eliminate.

As with any laxative, don’t overuse or use for too many days at a time. You can become dependent – even on herbal laxatives. Excess laxative use is treating the symptom, not the problem and can cause dehydration, potassium depletion and irritation of the muscles in the colon.

Add dried plums or prunes to your diet for their natural ability to promote healthy bowel movement. Black cherry juice may also have the same effect for some people. Dandelion root tea can bring ease to constipation as can eating marshmallows. These have substances that are soothing and lubricating to the colon.

Prevention is the best approach for constipation. Use a combination of these suggestions to get your body in better shape and you can throw the over the counter laxatives out with the trash!