FAST FOOD: January 2011

Thursday, January 27, 2011

I wonder which of my friends would be the geek or the health fanatic but what I know is I need to log in to my FB to play #MiloFuzeJamPack. FUN!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Are we doomed by our genetics to gain fat? It is important to know why we get fat. The one major reason we get fat is that we put in more than we burn off. Learn why!

Why We Get Fat: Hunting Big Macs & Gathering French Fries!

By: Nick Nilsson

Are we doomed by our genetics to gain fat? Is your inner caveman causing your waistline to expand? What can we do to work with our ancestry and not against it?
It is important to know why we get fat. Once you know the underlying reasons behind fat gain, you can take that information and apply it to fat loss. Knowing why something happens is the first step towards changing the result.
The one major reason we get fat is that we put in more than we burn off. This may be an overly simplistic view but it's also a very liberating one. It shows you that if fat gain is not that complicated, fat loss is not necessarily that complicated either.
But what are the origins of our body's amazingly efficient fat storage mechanisms? In a nutshell, why do we gain fat so easily?

Your Inner Caveman

Our earliest ancestors did not go to the supermarket to hunt for food. They didn't point at a cave drawing with a Big Mac on it when they were hungry. They did not sit at a desk all day. They didn't drive everywhere they went. In fact, fast food had to be chased down before it outran you!
The daily life of the earliest humans, whom we owe our genetics to, was consumed with getting enough food to survive. In order to eat, they had to either hunt it or gather it. As you can imagine, this burned a lot of calories.
With the start of agriculture, people no longer had to hunt down or forage for their food. They could stay in one place and grow it. Animals were domesticated. They could sell this produced food to others in return for other goods or services. This is known as the Agricultural Revolution and it was the start of our society as we know it.
Agriculture became the primary means of food production in the world. The story changes during the 1900's, however. As we progressed as a society, manual labor was no longer required of most people. Machines were starting to take over more of the hard labor jobs. This led to less and less physical activity by a growing number of people. It was the start of the modern overweight epidemic.
To sum it up: these days food is plentiful and easy to get and physical activity is no longer a part of daily life.

Thank Your Ancestors

The human body of 50,000 years ago when we were hunter/gatherers is exactly the same as the human body of today. Our body had successfully adapted to continuous cycles of feast and famine. How did it adapt? It adapted by developing extremely efficient fat storage capabilities.
By storing large amounts of fat whenever possible, the body would protect itself against the inevitable famine to come when food was scarce. By storing up large amounts of energy, our ancestors could survive the harsh conditions and thrive. In winter conditions, it would often come down to survival of the fattest, not fittest.
Our bodies are still programmed with this desperate need for storage even though, due to highly available food supplies, we don't really need it anymore. This is the reason you can often put on fat quite easily but have a hard time taking it off. Your body is protecting itself against the famine that it thinks is coming.
Compound this need for storage with reduced physical activity and readily available, calorie-dense foods and you have the recipe that has resulted in rampant overweight problems in our society today.

Diet = Famine

If you've ever been on a diet you've probably experienced that quick weight loss when you first start then the gradual slowdown and sometimes complete stop in progress that comes after a few weeks.
You can thank your ancestors for this one too. When you dramatically reduce your calories, such as when you begin a diet, your body starts using up the stored fat quickly. Your metabolism is still high and you are losing weight.
The trouble is, your body can't distinguish between the lack of available food known as famine and the voluntary reduction in food known as dieting. To your body "diet = famine." After a short period of time, your body will go into a panic state. You are losing your energy stores too fast and your body will do everything it can to slow down or put a stop to it.

The first thing that will happen is that your metabolism will slow down. You won't burn as many calories during the day, regardless of how much you are eating or exercising.

The next thing that will happen is that your body will step up its burning of muscle tissue. Muscles are very metabolically active and require a lot of calories to maintain. Your body knows this and, in its effort to reduce the drain on its energy supplies, will start destroying muscle tissue. Your body will metabolize your muscle into energy in order to hold onto its fat stores.

This vicious cycle will continue every time you further reduce calories in order to compensate for a slower metabolism. Your body will slow your metabolism down even more and destroy more muscle tissue to reduce energy usage.
How do we avoid this problem?
There Are A Number Of Ways To Approach It:

Reduce your calories slowly. If you are trying to lose fat, don't slash your food intake rapidly. This will throw your body into a panic, causing it to grind your metabolism to a halt.

Mix up your caloric intake. Don't eat the same things in the same amounts every day. Eat a little more on some days and a little less on other days. It's what you do in the long term that will really affect your results.

Exercise. Since most people don't actually have to exercise as part of their daily life, you must take the initiative and make it a point to exercise regularly. It helps by burning calories and giving your body the stimulus to preserve muscle mass (it's the old principle of "use it or lose it" at work).

Reduce your intake of processed foods. Your body is not readily equipped to efficiently process Twinkies. Try to stick to foods that are closer to their natural state, such as whole grains, lean meats, etc.

Remember, your body is an extremely efficient fat-storing machine but, with the right knowledge, you can very easily work with your biology and not against it and get the results you want.

Subway is one of the fast food franchises that is known for being a healthier option for those looking to maintain a lower fat diet. Here's a look at the menu to determine which will help you... or hurt you.

Smart Sandwiches At Subway Offer You Healthy Options!

By: Shannon Clark

Article Summary:

The Mini Subs are good choices excluding the high fat tuna option.

For a full sized sandwich, a six inch will keep you low on carbs.

The chili at Subway makes a well balanced all-around meal.

Subway is one of the fast food franchises that is known for being a healthier option for those looking to maintain a lower fat diet. But, just because a meal is low in fat does not necessarily mean it will be the best choice for you as far as fat loss is concerned.

Click To Enlarge.
Subway Is One Of The Fast Food Franchises
That Is Known For Being A Healthier Option.

You must remember that total calories are going to play a very vital role in how fast you lose weight, so don't get too crazy with low fat foods. Unless you're making smart selections they too can cause big problems as far as your diet is concerned.
Let's have a closer look at the menu at Subway's and determine which will help your diet and which will hurt.

Mini Subs

For those who are really watching their calorie intake on their diet, the mini subs will be a good bet. These are going to contain less fat and fewer total calories than their 6 inch counterparts, so are good for a snack or a very light meal for those with lower calorie needs.
The Ham, Roast Beef, and Turkey best are the best three choices with fewer than 150 calories and 4 grams of fat. Just beware of the Tuna mini sub as it contains far too much fat due to the mayonnaise it's prepared with.

Item	Calories	Fats	Carbs	Protein
Ham Mini Sub	137	3	29	10
Roast Beef Mini Sub	147	3.5	29	12
Turkey Breast Mini Sub	147	3	30	11

6 Inch Sub Selections

If you've got a little bigger of an appetite, chances are you're going to want to go for the 6 inch sub instead. This is also a good selection as all of them are under 300 calories apart from the Sweet Onion Teriyaki which contains 370 calories. They all will also have between 17-22 grams of protein, which is a good amount for a meal of this size.

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Avoid the sub selections that are not on their '6 grams of Fat or Less' menu however as they do contain more fat and calories. Also watch the condiments you're choosing to add to your sub as that as well can significantly increase their total calorie count.

Item	Calories	Fats	Carbs	Protein
6 Inch-Sandwiches With 6 Grams Of Fat Or Less*	290-300	3-5	44-46	18-20
Tuna 6 Inch Sandwich	530	30	44	22
Spicy Italian	480	25	45	21

*Excludes The Sweet Onion Teriyaki

12 Inch Sub Selections

The twelve inch subs will essentially be double the calorie intake of the 6 inch varieties, so with this portion control is your biggest concern. For those who are on a reduced calorie intake, 600 calories for that meal, not to mention the higher volume of carbs may be pushing you over your daily budget, so choosing the 6 inch sub instead is a smarter option.

BODYBUILDING.COM FORUM: SUBWAY CHOICES

[ Click To Join The Thread. ]

Best Subway Meal?
I'm trying to eat clean and am going to get it for lunch tomorrow. I normally get a 6" wheat bread, chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, and buffalo/hot sauce. Anything nutritionally better than this?

Started By:
LetsGoRedSox

Breakfast Sandwiches And Wraps

Breakfast at Subway is a slightly scary situation as their breakfast meals do contain considerably more fat than their lunch and dinner selections do.
The lowest fat item you can get is the Cheese Breakfast Sandwich on a Deli Round which will pack in 15 grams of fat and 330 calories. The Ham and Cheese Deli Round will be a better option even though it contains more calories (370) for the fact that it also has the most protein at 23 grams.
Whatever you do avoid the Breakfast Wraps as these contain up to 46 grams of fat for the Mega and 760 calories. It's just not a good way to start your day off with regards to nutrition.

Item	Calories	Fats	Carbs	Protein
Ham And Cheese Breakfast Sandwich	370	16	36	23
Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich	580	38	36	26
Mega Breakfast Wrap	760	46	56	31

Soups And Chili

The soup and chili menu at Subway is quite good with lots of options you can choose from. The Chili itself makes for a good well balanced meal at 270 calories, only 4 grams of fat, and 21 grams of protein.

Click To Enlarge.
The Soup At Subway Is Quite Good With
Lots Of Options You Can Choose From.

If you'd prefer soups, mostly all on the menu contain fewer than 120 calories and 3 grams of fat provided you stay away from the cream based varieties. One soup that's great in particular is the Chicken w/ White and Wild Rice that contains 6 grams of protein and only 90 calories per serving.

Item	Calories	Fats	Carbs	Protein
Chicken With White And Wild Rice	90	1	15	6
Chili	270	4	36	21
Minestrone Soup	80	0.2	15	3
Roasted Chicken Noodle	90	1	12	7
Cream of Potato With Bacon	250	12	30	5

Dessert

Finally, if you're looking for a dessert to finish off the meal, most of cookies contain around 200 calories and don't offer much in the way of good nutrition, but if you opt for the Oatmeal Raisin variety you'll get the fewest calories and fat.

Item	Calories	Fats	Carbs	Protein
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie	200	8	30	3

Conclusion

So keep these points in mind as you go about ordering at Subway. All in all this menu is definitely a great deal healthier than their Fast Food Hamburger counterparts, but there are a few subs that you should be careful of and still practice portion control so total calories are in line.

Check Out Subway's Complete Nutritional Details Here.

[ Find Your Way In Fast Food Main Page ]

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