Here at the GGS Head Quarters, we love trying new food items.   We get so excited when the new items we try are a hit.  We’ve had many misses, like 0 calories Miracle Mayonanie (YUK) and mini cheese cakes, that were very deceiving in their calorie count.  Very unimpressed.  But on the positive side, we have discovered 3 new items that need a little bit of attention.

First up, Kashi.  All the GGS gals adore all things Kashi. 

The word “Kashi*” has many meanings around the world. In Hebrew, the word kashruth signifies simple or pure food. In Japanese, the Kashi* name implies energy food. And in Chinese, it means happy food. To us, the Kashi* name means purity and good health, and that’s just what you’ll find in our unique blend of 7 whole grains and sesame.

Although it seems like yesterday, it has been over two decades since we introduced the idea of Kashi* Seven Whole Grains and Sesame Breakfast Pilaf to the world. The reception was, to say the least, disheartening. But, guided by the belief that everyone has the power to make healthful changes, we persevered. Our whole grain mix grew in popularity and within months it was being served to Athletes at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Since then, we’ve continued our mission to make healthy foods that taste great.

So we were super excited to find out that Kashi has come up with Crackers and Crisps to their line up.  The Crisps come in Original Grain and Zesty Salsa.  Both are delicious but the winner from the gals is the Zesty Salsa.  It really has a punch. 

The Crackers flavors are Fire Roasted Vegetable and Toasted Asiago.  Both were equally as delicious, but we felt these crackers needed a topping such as low fat cheese, peanut butter or a hummus.  A little too bland without.  Finally, crackers and crisps you can be happy to feed yourself and your family.

Second up is Nuts.com formally known as NutsOnLine.  This on-line company has just about everything NUTs plus so much more.  Organic, raw, gluten-free, chocolate covered, dried fruit and the lists goes on.  The prices seem very reasonable.  This company is far from new and here is a bit of their story:

In 1929, on the brink of the Depression, our father and grandfather “Poppy” Sol took a bold step. 22 years old, he had already worked full time for 10 years to support his family. Yet he was ambitious, and wanted to live the American Dream and make the lives of everyone around him better. So, donning his best of suits and an assured smile on his face, Sol walked away from the bank with a loan to start his own business, the Newark Nut Company. The rest is history.

We love dealing with family companies, as you sure to know they are very passionate about what they do.  Nuts.com sent us a sampler pack of chocolate covered cashews/ peanut and honey coated peanuts/ cashews.   We are not really sure why they choose this blend to send to a Health On-Line Magazine and 3 GGS gals that are super health conscious but hey,  maybe they had some extra stock.  We all love our nuts for the fact that they are so nutrient dense, but I don’t think the ones with all that added sugar/ chocolate count.  We would have preferred their organic, raw, portion control packs and ones without any added sugar, but we trust that these would be great as it seems, after all these years, they know their NUTS!

Lastly is, 3 new flavors from Powerade – Lemon-Lime, Mixberry, and Grape. 

POWERADE ION4^®helps replenish four electrolytes lost in sweat. It’s formulated with a 6% carbohydrate solution (w/v) to help provide energy to working muscles and vitamins B3, B6 & B12 to help support energy metabolism.

The GGS gals tried the Lemon-Line and the Grape and liked them both.  We really like that each of the flavors have 0 calories but not very fond of the added coloring.  Each of the three new flavours is available in major grocery store chains and anywhere Powerade is sold. 

Have you found any new healthy finds lately?

~Guest Post- Jennifer Sygo, registered dietitian

In the battle of the bulge, does a slice of bread in the morning affect you differently than one eaten at night?

While almost every diet plan on the market right now encourages you to eat most of your carbohydrates in the morning — the theory goes that eating your carbs early in the day gives you time to “burn them off” throughout the rest of the day — there has actually been relatively little evidence to support this popular notion. And now a new study has the potential to turn this piece of conventional wisdom on its head.

In the study, published in the October issue of the journal Obesity, 78 obese (Body Mass Index, or BMI, greater than 30) police officers were assigned to two similar weight loss diets for six months. In the first (or control) diet, the subjects were put on a calorie-reduced diet that provided between 1,300 and 1,500 calories per day, depending on individual need. The percentage of calories from protein (20 per cent; slightly higher than a typical Canadian diet), fat (30 to 35 per cent; about average for Canadians), and carbohydrates (45 to 50 per cent; slightly less than typical) were kept steady throughout the study, and carbohydrates were evenly distributed throughout the day.

In the experimental group, the calorie, protein, fat and carbohydrate intakes were kept the same as the control group, but the majority of the carbohydrates were reserved for the evening meal.

At the end of the six-month experimental period, both groups lost weight, but the carbs-in-the-evening group did better: They lost an average of 11.6 kg (25.5 lbs.) versus the control group’s 9.1 kg (20 lbs.). The experimental group also saw their waist circumference, a tool for estimating disease risk, shrink by 11.7 cm, versus 9.4 cm for the control group, and their body fat percentage drop by 7 per cent, versus 5.3 per cent for controls, though these differences were not pronounced enough to be considered statistically significant, meaning the result could have been because of chance.

Aside from physical changes, the carbs-at-night group also reported feeling less hungry after six months on the diet, and were less preoccupied with food than their counterparts. They also saw greater improvements in insulin levels (a hormone that helps to control blood sugar), and trends toward larger improvements in fasting blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Some of these surprising findings could be explained by differences in two key hormones, leptin and adiponectin, observed between the two groups. Leptin is a hormone that helps us to feel full; when levels decline, either in the short-term between meals, or in the long-term during weight loss, we feel more hungry. While most weight loss studies have shown that leptin levels drop as we lose weight, the trend was not observed in the experimental group in this study. In other words, while weight loss usually breeds hunger, those who ate most of their carbs at dinner did feel the effect.

Similarly, while adiponectin, a hormone that helps to speed carbohydrate and fat metabolism, tends to be lower in obese individuals, those who reserved their carbs for dinner saw levels of the hormone rise throughout the study, more so than those who spread their carbs throughout the day.

So what does this all mean for the average person? Because the study was conducted on obese individuals who were generally healthy, it’s not possible to say whether we would see the same effect in a regular gym-goer who wants to shed body fat, or for an overweight person with type two diabetes or heart disease. But the results are intriguing, in large part because they clearly buck the popular trend to avoid carbs at night, and should lead to more research in the area.

It’s also worth noting that, while the experimental group did eat most of their carbohydrates at night, their total carbohydrate intake was still lower than most people would typically eat. While their daytime routine consisted of very few carbohydrates (largely from vegetables or vegetable soup as well as plain yogurt), their dinnertime meal included one to two cups of cooked pasta, corn or legumes, or two to four slices of bread, along with some fruit or fruit yogurt or a small dessert — quantities that are still far less than you would find in an average restaurant meal.

If you are thinking of experimenting with this diet regime (which, incidentally, was inspired by metabolic changes observed during the Muslim fasting period of Ramadan), realize that this is not an excuse to carb-load (or overload on anything) when you sit down to dinner tonight.

Jennifer Sygo is a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Canada, which offers executive physicals, sports medicine and wellness counselling in Toronto.

Cancer is always such a difficult but so important topic to talk about – Guest Post

Besides the devastating physical effects of cancer, the disease also wreaks havoc with a person’s mood. Not only can depression be a common side effect of cancer, but grief and sadness are common as well. A regular fitness routine can help alleviate these symptoms and bring positive physical effects as well.

Physical Effects

According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise produces a number of beneficial effects in the body. It causes the release of feel good chemicals like endorphins in the brain, which are not only natural pain killers, but also mood enhancers. Additionally, exercise increases body temperature, which calms the body. Exercise is also able to reduce the immune system chemicals in the body, which are responsible for the worsening of depressive symptoms. People with different types of cancers will look for different types of exercises. Lung cancer and mesothelioma causes patients to focus on cardio exercises to increase lung capacity while breast cancer patients might try yoga to increase flexibility.

Psychological Benefits

Illness can make a person feel isolated, and often cancer survivors can find groups like prostate cancer survivor running clubs, which provide the members with much needed social support. The increased connection that people feel exercising with others who have survived the illness can increase both mood and optimism levels.

Additionally, fitness routines like a spin class or a yoga group can change the focus of a person fighting a serious illness like cancer, providing temporary relief from the worry and stress that comes with the diagnosis and treatment. 

Personal Mastery

A cancer diagnosis can cause a person to feel helpless, and one of chief benefits of fitness is a sense of personal mastery, according to the University of California, San Fransisco. This alleviates the feeling of being out of control that cancer brings with it. Participating in a fitness routine helps to restore the sense of control, thereby elevating the mood and creating a more positive and empowered outlook. 

In cases like breast cancer, the small physical tests that daily exercise provides encourages the patient to take bigger risks. Being able to do more and more physically provides markers of progress. For example, the breast cancer survivor who can’t even lift a cup of coffee immediately following cancer surgery will develop a sense hope as her strength increases. The importance of this cannot be underestimated. According to the BBC, women who felt helpless after cancer had a greater likelihood of contracting the disease again. Exercise helps to combat feelings of helplessness, giving cancer survivors a leg up on the road to recovery.  

Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She wants to make a difference in people’s lives because she sees how cancer has devastated so many people in this world. Liz also likes running, playing lacrosse, reading and playing with her dog, April.

Who says you don’t have time to workout? Here are some super quick weight workouts to get you started. Beginners start with no weights and each time you do this workout, add slowly. I would call myself an intermediate and used 10 – 12 lbs when weights were involved. You be the judge and remember proper form is key.  Stretch and warm up before lifting weights.

Home Workout – no equipment required!

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As always, check with your doctor before starting any workout routine.

Stop making these exercise mistakes when you’re on the elliptical machine and maximize your calorie burn:

Click each for even more information from Prevention…

• 1. You’re too lazy to enter your information.
• 2. Your resistance is zero.
• 3. You’re a sloucher.
• 4. Your machine sounds like it’s going to take off.
• 5. You don’t change directions.
• 6. You haven’t changed your workout in months.
• 7. You spin until you can’t feel your feet.
• 8. You don’t work your upper half.
• 9. You spin your way up a hill.
• 10. You’re an elliptical junkie.

And my personal number 11 is don’t hang on to the machine EVER!

(source)