Bummer

So last week was the marathon I had been training for this summer. Well, guess who didn't run it? I spent last weekend training in the exercise physiology lab for some research project myself and another grad student are working on. And feeling sorry for myself. We ended up moving over the summer, then I went home for a couple weeks, then school started. Anyway, I tried to keep up on my training but my schedule wasn't allowing for 2-3 hours a weekend day for running.

So to make myself feel better, I've decided I'm going to run one in December or January. I really hate setting goals and not following through. I had the time off from work and was really looking forward to it. Oh well. I'm not going to dwell on it for too long, just kind of a bummer....

Plate size

The average plate size in 1950? 9 inches. Today-12 , and in some cases, even 14 inches. Knowing that we will usually eat more if more is present, and realizing if a plate is 25-35% bigger we will more than likely put more food on it-well you can see where I'm going with this. Portion control is a major issue when it comes to weight control.

Studies have shown that we humans will eat more if we are served food in larger plates and bowls. There was this really cool study that looked at how much soup a person would eat if the experimenters used a bowl which was continually being filled via a tube undetectable to the eater (while they were eating) versus someone who just had soup served in a single portion. The answer was ten times more!! Just goes to show if it's there, we'll usually eat it, unless you are one of those people with self control, and what fun is that??

There are all kinds of diets out there that proclaim the value of eating until you are full by recommending a number of chews per bite, thinking about your fullness level, I think one person had something where he recommends tapping these certain places on your body that cause some sort of cognitive recall. Of course I don't believe in diets, but I have to say there is some merit there. If instead of eating until "our plate is clear" or until we absolutely can't move, how about if we stop to think about that next bite. Do I really need it or am I eating it because it is there? I know I usually answer the latter, because I am a glutton, but if I asked myself if I really wanted more when I am already full, the answer would be no.

I'm not suggesting weight loss is as easy as eating on smaller flat ware but I also believe portions are out of control in this country and if we ate to our stomachs and not to our eyes, I believe at least a part of the battle would be easier.

Activia

One of the things that really irritates me about the food industry (or any industry for that matter) is their constant, blatant attempts to manipulate consumers. Activia has officially made my list of eye rollers starting in one of my food science classes last semester when we discussed how silly this stuff was.

We actually use Activia quite a bit in our hospital. Many physicians recommend it to our patients with digestive health issues. The idea behind Acitiva is that is contains Bifidus Regularis® (Bifidobacterium lactis DN 173 010), apparently Activia's very own probiotic bacteria. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that live in our large intestine (LI) that are associated with gut health. PRE-biotics are basically food for probiotics and are things like fiber and are different than probiotics. Dannon (the makers of Activia) have also claimed on their website that "Activia is shown in several clinical studies to help with slow intestinal transit when eaten every day for two weeks as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle." Anyhoo, the makers of Activia were obviously very convincing in their discovery/engineering of this amazing bifidus regularis (seriously on the name???) since even Jamie Lee freakin' Curits eats this stuff! And she's famous! So this stuff must be great! Jamie Lee Curtis loves it so much she accosts people in public parks demanding they try it for the commericals. 

And now....the truth. 

Any yogurt is going to contain  probiotics but Activia yogurt charges on average 30% more for their yogurt than their competitors. Interstinlgy, in 2008 Acitiva made Dannon a boatload of cash because of it's health claims-$100 million dollars to be exact. A quick comparison of one of my Brown Cow yogurts from my fridge and Activia turns up similar sugar, calories and fat  (gram per gram the differences were pretty much a wash  as Brown Cow's serving size is 170 grams and Acitiva was 113 grams). Also, Brown Cow yogurt contains 4 probiotic bacteria: S. thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidphilus and Bifidus. Activia yogurt contains L. Bulgaricus, S. thermophilus and their Bifidobacterium lactis DN 173 010. One ingredient noticeabley absent from Brown cow yogurt is gelatin. Even kosher geltain (which is made from fish as opposed to cow bones) is not vegetarian and is in Yoplait and Dannon products and poses a problem for us vegetarians. All in all, nutritionally, the yogurts are almost identicall and both contain lots of probiotic bacteria, Brown Cow actually having more. The trick is Dannon gave their own engineered bacteria it's own special name, making it seem like it's somehow different or better. And those clinical studies? I couldn't find them. Also, in order to be valid, clinical studies really need to follow some basic parameters, which-as I mentioned-I couldn't find the studies so I have no way of knowing how valid they were. Lastly, the claims made by Dannon are that people felt better after eating Acitiva who were also following a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. So, um, chances are the balanced diet and healthy lifestyle part could also be responsible for the overall better feeling of the participants but again, I have no way of knowing how they tested any of this.

Apparently I'm not the only one noticing the massive, unfounded claims made by Activia. In 2008, the same year Activia raked in $100 million dollars off the health claims made by their product, a lawsuit was filed against Dannon by the LA Federal Court. They claimed Dannon's claims about their yogurt were in fact NOT founded in sound research, The same research I couldn't find.

Bottom line: yogurts in general contain probiotics NOT just Activia yogurt. If you are vegetarian or have any concerns about hormone treated cows supplying the milk for yogurt, I wouldn't recommend Acitiva. Try a more economic choice for the exact same health benefits.

Coconut water

I love this stuff. We have a farmer's market on campus every Thursday and I always trot myself over to the Peace Pies booth to grab some. It's so refreshing and delicious. I needed the facts.

Coconut water is different that coconut milk. Water can only be found in the young, baby coconuts and is the liquid in the center. Coconut milk is the liquid which comes from an adult coconut's flesh. According to the ADA , one cup of coconut milk has 46 calories, less than .5 grams of fat, is a good source of fiber , magnesium, potassium and vitamin C. One cup also has 252 mg of sodium and 9 grams of carbohydrate.

The content of the electrolytes in coconut water is more than likely the reason it is marketed as a sports drink but with the frequency with which you can find it now, it looks like people are warming up to coconut water for all kinds of reasons.

Don't worry, you don't need to find yourself a baby coconut, drill and hole in the top and stick a straw in there to enjoy coconut water. It's fun, but it does look a little strange to be cruising around with a coconut in your hand. Coconut water is sold in cans, cartons and probably other clever packaging I'm not aware off. Since it's pasteurized, there is no need to worry about food borne illness, but it will go bad after a day or two in the fridge.

Anyone else noticing this stuff popping up more frequently in their neighborhood?