Year 4, Day 44: Tired of Wearing My Winter Coat

There's a lot to be distressed about nowadays but it can be so frustrating when you've put the winter clothes away in the attic only to have to retrieve them when the weather turns. It was a Monday, so I try to keep my chin up and get to work. I was reflecting on a song from Billy Joel(!)'s "Glass Houses" that I was listening to yesterday on the elliptical:

Blackout, heatwave, .44 caliber homicide
The buns drop dead and dogs go mad
In packs on the West Side
Young girl standing on a ledge looks like another suicide
She wants to hit those bricks
'Cause the news at six gotta stick to a deadline
While the millionaires hide in Beekman Place
The bag ladies throw their bones in my face
I get attacked by a kid with stereo sound
I don't want to hear it but he won't turn it down
Life is tough but it's just enough
To hold back the tears until it's closing time
I survived, I'm still alive
But I'm getting close to the borderline
Close to the borderline

A buck three eighty
Won't buy you much lately on the street these days
And when you can get gas
You know you can't drive fast anymore on the parkways
Rich man, poor man, either way American
Shoved into the lost and found
The no nuke yell we're gonna all go to hell
With the next big meltdown
I got remote control and a color T.V.
I don't change channels so they must change me
I got real close friends that will get me high
They don't know how to talk and they ain't gonna try
I shouldn't bitch, I shouldn't cry
I'd start a revolution but I don't have time
I don't know why I'm still a nice guy
But I'm getting close to the borderline
Close to the borderline

I thought I'd sacrifice so many things
I thought I'd throw them all away
I didn't think I needed anything
But you can't afford to squander what you're not prepared to pay

I need a doctor for my pressure pills
I need a lawyer for my medical bills
I need a banker to finance my home
I need security to back my loan
It isn't new what I'm going through
But everybody knows you got to break sometime
Another night I fought the good fight
But I'm getting closer to the borderline
Closer to the borderline.

Breafkast
Kashi Go Lean
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries (5)
Blueberries
Soy Milk

Coffee


Snack
4 sticks beef jerky
1 green apple

Lunch: Russo's ($5.49)
Romaine, Olives, Broccoli, Mushrooms,
Red Peppers, Feta, Pepperocini, Balsamic Vinegar
Chicken (2 Pieces)

Dinner
Butterflied Pork Cutlet
Broccoli
Salad & Feta

Year 4, Day 43

It took me a long time to figure it out. But today on the elliptical, I realized that the project behind my house had literally stymied my ability to speak, to publish, to use my voice. Something about the spring has teased it out and I feel like I can type again, speak again, write again. It was the image of the Little Mermaid-- when she's lost her voice that came to mind. Rather than try to catch up (I have been writing every day, but just not posting) I figured I'd just start, and keep going from there.

Went to the gym today, 7 miles in 65 minutes on the elliptical. 15 Gravitron pullups; 50 Squat Thrusts, 40 Leg lifts.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean
Heritage Flakes
1 Banana
3 Strawberries
Soy Milk
Coffee

Post workout snack
6 oz Stonyfield Yogurt
3 Tablespoons Super Chunky Peanut Butter

Lunch
5 Strips of Bacon
2 Fried Eggs

Movie Snack
2 oz. Boston Lite Popcorn

Dinner
Salad (Romaine, Cabbage, Feta)
Shrimp
A few bites of hamburger

Dessert
1 brownie
3 bite of chocolate yogurt

Year 3, Day 236: Halloween Town Bites it

Very interesting day. I met my brother and his daughter at King's, a bowling alley in Boston where the Cheri movie theatre used to be. That is of interest because 1) It was a premiere movie house in Boston for nearly 50 years, and 2) It's where Emily's Dodge Diplomat was stolen when we were watching "Jurassic Park." It is a great bowling alley, but it is very, very over-stimulating. Do you really need music videos on large diamond-screen videos above every lane? Isn't it possible to bowl without ear-splitting, ice-skating loud level music? We ate there, and the food was good, if not too tempting for me (ate a few nachos and such). After that, we attended possibly the worst children's event on a a large scale I've ever been to. It was called "Halloween Town" and it had been advertised all over the place, especially in kid's magazines. When we got there, there were lots of agitated parents, unthought through line management, bad events, and lots of people who were truly, truly, not in the Halloween spirit. Having spent over $40, were going to make the best of it.

Breakfast
1 Slice Balthazar Bread
2 6-minute Eggs
crusts of ruby's bread
very bad coffee (dunkin donuts)

Lunch:
Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing and Grilled Chicken
A few nachos with 'poured' cheese
a few french fries
guacamole

Snack
2 Clementines, Grapes

Dinner
Steak TIps
Roasted Peppers
Salad
a bite of corn

Year 3, Day 235: Poker

Poker day is upon us again. Tried to eat right. Poker night a little rougher than usual. I was not playing well and I continued to lose money. Losing money naturally leads to eating more. Eating more leads to shame, and that leads to playing badly and then the cycle continues. No surprises there. Plus, I love Chinese food. I tried to order only SoBe friendly stuff, but the truth is it's probably loaded with hidden sugar, flour, MSG, corn starch, fat, and God knows what else. But it sure tastes good.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch: Russo's ($6.69)Romaine, red pepper, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Snack
4 Sticks Beef Jerky
1 Honey Crisp Apple

Dinner/Poker
Almonds & Cashews
Pistachios
Boston Lite Popcorn
Chinese Food:
Moo Shi x 2
Kung Pao Chicken
Double Cooked Pork
Sesame Beef
String Beans & Beef
Spare Ribs

Year 3, Day 234: Tennis Again

Emily and I could not get our usual court time so we opted for 8:30-10:00pm which she objected to on the grounds that it was too late. It meant that we ate dinner first and then played tennis, but our first choice (Sweet Basil) was crowded so we went Indian which Emily doesn't really care for. I found some things to like, but as usual, Emily ordered badly and was displeased with the smell, and taste, of her food. We split sets, 4-6 and 7-5.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch: Russos' (5.75)
Romaine, red pepper, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Snack
2 oz Boston Lite Popcorn
4 STicks Beef Jerky
Coffee

Dinner: Masala Art
Shrimp & Cucumber Salad
Grilled Dinner
Okra

Editorial Note: As of this post, I am no longer going to write a 'top and bottom,' only a top, until further notice, or I get caught up. It's been hanging me up.

Year 3, Day 233: 6:30AM Wakeup Call for Underwhelming Blueberry Muffins

Emily threw away the uneaten Whole Foods mini muffins and said "You bake them, I'm never going to buy them again." You don't have to ask me twice. COnfirming that you could make the batter ahead of time, I prepared blueberry muffins for morning baking. I thought, how charming of me, to fill the house with delicious baking muffins smell. I got up at 6:30, greased the pans, filled them, warmed up the oven and put them in, then went to take a shower and start the morning ritual. Ruby wanted a muffin, but then said it was 'too hot' and didn't want to eat it. She opted for toast and butter, as she's been doing lately. Emily doesn't really eat in the morning, and Magnolia gave her two mini-muffins a respectable tumble, but didn't really eat them. I brought half a dozen to work, where they took up unwanted room next to another colleague's uneaten muffins.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries (Driscoll, not Canadian)
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

3 Blueberry Muffins

Lunch: Shangri-La
Moo Shi x 3
Chicken with Cabbage
Pea Pod Sprouts
Tea

Snack
4 Sticks Beef Jerky
2 oz 50% Jalapeno CHeddar
1 Honey Crisp Apple


Dinner
A little cauliflower


I was not hungry when I got home. Possibly caffeine overdose? We'll never know.

Year 3, Day 232: Tuesday

A brisk walk on a surprisingly hot day- I wore my jacket and a collared shirt; I was hot when I got to Russo's, but Emily called and asked me to get cauliflower and cabbage. It was so heavy I had to buy a Russo's bag (I hadn't brought my honey bag). By the time I got back I was sweating, and unhappy. I don't like walking. I'm in a bad way.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries (Driscoll, not Canadian)
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch: Russo's ($5.65)
Romaine, red pepper, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocin

Dinner
Bacon Cheeseburger
Broccoli & Snowpeas

A few bites with Apple and Honey.

Feels like slippage. It's difficult, here right in the new year to feel slippage. Must strengthen resolve.

Year 3, Day 231: Monday with Bernard

Today I was really scraping the bottom of the barrel. it's time to change breakfasts-- can i do it?

Breakfast
Kashi
Old strawberries
frozen blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened soy milk
coffee


lunch: russo's
$5.65
Romaine, red pepper, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

snack
1 honey crisp
4 sticks beef jekry
1 extra smokey

Dinner Bernards
Chicken Soong
Boneless Spareribs
Broccoli

Another Monday, another night at Bernard's. Aside from the cost, I am finding the whole experiencing quite enriching. Ruby is learning better how to act at a restaurant. This means she has learned to put the napkin on her lap, and only occasionally makes bubbles come out of her ginger ale. She can stay seated for the whole meal and generally eats well. She said to me 'there aren't many kids here." I think that observation made her notice that this isn't your draw-on-the-table kind of restaurant. Also, she likes broccoli in a white sauce.

Year 3, Day 230: Soccer, Magnolia's Party

We had her party at the JCC which is of course a problem because you have to have it on Sunday and everything has to be kosher- or does it? I went out of my way to get kosher cupcakes and pizza (blah) but was it worth it? Nobody was checking and nobody cared, I could have had superior papa gino's pizza that was five minutes away instead of driving a half hour to brookline, and thereby missing most of the party. Stinkadoodle. On the plus side, Magnolia only cried once, and generally had a good time.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
Microwave Popcorn
Boston Lite Popcorn
Beef Jerky
1 Clementine

Lunch
Greek Salad & Tuna (tasteless)
Cheese of two slices of kosher pizza

Dinner
Chicken, Rib Eye Steak
Broccoli
Salad

Dessert
A lot of apple crisp

I was glad I did my workout yesterday. Today, it was run-run-run. On top of it all, I burned my finger on the grill, and overcooked the apple crisp.

Year 3, Day 230: Spooky Walk

This morning the town of Needham and its children all get dressed up and meet on the town square, where they are divided into five groups that go through the town, store by store, to trick and treat and ask for (and get) lots of candy. Of course, some were better than others: The bowling alley were all dressed up like Pirates of Caribbean (and had the best candy). The bakery had fresh baked halloween cookies with icing (no cookie saw the inside of a trick or treat bag). Except for the part where your kid gets 10x the amount of candy he'll get on Halloween, the event was a great idea and a lot of fun. The weather was nice and a good, brisk walk was had by all. Ruby was an angel, and Magnolia was a cow. Am I biased? They were the cutest ones there, though I did love the baby dressed as a bee, and there were several impressive Red Sox tribute costumes.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
Magnolia's Peanut Butter Bread

Postworkout Snack
Yogurt and More Peanut Butter

Lunch: Stone Hearth PIzza
Mixed Greens with Feta and Chicken

Dinner
Steak Tips
String Beans

Ate at the new pizza place in town. It's much better than the one near me. But the salad was nothing special. Went to the gym 7 miles in 6.5 minutes, 50 ab crunches, 20 squat thrusts

Year 3, Day 229 Back to Shangri-La

We were wrong about Shangri-La. It is in fact, fantastic. We just didn't order the right things. Now we are hooked. We may leave Chang Shin Yuan behind, though its proximity makes that nearly impossible. The memory of its blue-tinged scallops, though, may make me drive that literal one extra mile.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
1 Extra Smokey
1 Honey Crisp that had several small bites in it, making it brown in those areas
1 oz Boston Lite Popcorn

Lunch: Shangri La
Mooshi Pork 2
Beef with Chinese Celery
Pea pod tendrils

Dinner
Tilapia Sweet & Salty
Broccoli

Skipped the funky chunky popcorn. But it was hard. Oh my God that is the greatest thing ever.

Year 3, Day 228: Project Makes Me Go Off Leash

Emily and I were supposed to play tennis or see a movie tonight, but instead we went to "the collection" which is the new name for the Natick Mall, which is still half Natick Mall and now, half Newbury Street. Very chic. We went to the Met Bar and I ordered a hamburger with 'nearly everything' that came in the smallest, non-threatening bowl I had ever seen. I thought it was going to be this huge mass of food, but it was tiny. I wanted to order the guacamole burger with this or that change, but they don't allow changes, so I was forced to order the burger I wanted a la carte. Kind of ridiculous for a burger bar.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Snack
1.5 Boston Lite Popcorn
1/2 Honey Crisp Apple
3 Sticks Beef Jerky

Lunch: New Ginza
Edamem
Sashimi Plate
2 x Salad

Dinner: Met Bar
2 Buffalo Shrimp (took off the fried part)
Cheese burger with chili, jalapenos, fried onions, guacamole

Dessert:
Brownie SUndae

Then we got to talking about the project behind our house and ordered a dessert- a brownie sunday- that came unassembled, just three hot brownies (a butterscotch brownie, chocolate brownie and congo bar) and a bowl of ice cream. Not much to look at it but sure tasted good. And for a few glorious moments while we were eating it-- everything was OK. Isn't that how I got to be 50 lbs overweight in the first place?

Year 3, Day 227: Food Biz Kids Tests Your Products

From foodprocessing.com:

Food Biz Kids: Unanimous praise for Pretzel Chips

Our panel of eighth-graders like that Pretzel Chips 'don’t have any fat.'

Jack Grant, 8th grade:
Baked Pretzel Chips are very good. The packaging is plain, needs more color and bigger writing. When I opened the package, the smell of dijon mustard filled my nose. The Baked Pretzels are very crunchy, which is straight up awesome. This product would attract anyone with good taste.

Jessica Shatkin, 8th grade:
Baked Pretzel Chips are a good snack for anyone. They’re healthy, so it’s OK to eat them and still feel good about yourself. Anyone who likes a crunchy snack will enjoy these. The honey dijon flavor is addictive and a perfect candidate for “finger lickin’” food. Baked Pretzel Chips are a heart breaker.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch: Not Your Average Joe's
Chicken Chopped Salad, side of Sherry Dressing
Diet Coke

Snack
80 Almonds
30 Chocolate Covered Edamame
4 Beef Jerky Sticks
1 Clementine
1 Honey Crisp Apple

Dinner
Salmon
Salad
1 cauliflower, a few string beans

Chocolate edamame, dessert pretending to be health food, did me in.

Year 3, Day 226: Happy Birthday Magnolia

Magnolia's Birthday. Started with cupcakes, ended with lollipop and ice cream. Ah, kids.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch
Russo's ($5.85)
Romaine, red pepper, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms

Snack
50 Almonds
1 Honey Crisp
1 Old Smokey
4 Sticks Beef Jerky

Dinner
Turkey Tips
Boneless Spareribs
Broccoli
Cauliflower

We had to traipse all over the known land to find kosher cupcakes. And I'll tell you something else: they're no better than Entemann's at the Store 24, but they do cost more.

Year 3, Day 225 Lots of Pork

Today we went to see an ad agency that was pitching us. As usual, they fed us. It was excellent. Surprisingly, the food came from Baker's Best, which is about a mile from me. Even more surprisingly, I never eat there because I think it's overpriced and mediocre. But maybe the catering wing has it going on.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch: P&S
Pork Tenderloin
Caesar Salad
Chicken Breast

1 Honey Crisp Apple
1 oz Boston Lite Popcorn

5 Sticks Beef Jerky

Dinner: Bernard's
Boneless Spareribs
Hot n Sour Soup
Broccoli
Shrimp Soong

Dessert
Grapes

Another Monday, another night at Bernard's. Funny, I waited my whole life to explore a Chinese menu, but now I'm finding that I enjoy the fact that our waitress (Lynn) knows what we want we come in and we don't even have to order.

Year 3, Day 224: Whipped Butter Makes Good Neighbors

Though the day featured a more than average number of chocolate chip cookies (3) and some french toast with syrup (3); I managed to get a workout in, though it was only 4.5 miles in 40 minutes and 50 ab crunches. I had to hurry it up because I had to squire Ruby to soccer, and there's a bit of work involved in getting on the equipment (shin guards, etc.). Glad I'm not a hockey dad.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch: Aquitaine Bis
Scrambled Eggs with Cheese
Caramelized Onions
A few french fries

Snack
1 Honey Crisp Apple with Super Chunky Peanut Butter

Dinner
Beef & Broccoli
Chicken & Asparagus
Salad

Dessert
2 Chocolate Chip Cookies

I learn the secret of Ruby liking multi-grain bread is whipped butter. After carefully observing her eating absolutely ANYthing in a restaurant with whipped butter on it (bread sticks, the tablecloth), I realized I should buy some, even though it is ridiculously expensive compared it to its regular counterpart, considering the only added ingredient is non-edible air. Worked like a charm, though.

Year 3, Day 223: Surprising Ingredients in Your Fast Food

Went to the festivus at Newton Center. It essentially is a collection of four or five electric rides (small trains, etc.) and had some popcorn. The kids love it there. And so do I; I have come to despise the big rides in my old age.

Surprise Ingredients In Fast Food
by John Andrews
from newstarget.com

The movie Supersize Me has probably had more of an effect than the producers anticipated. Since then, in the fast food industry, there has been a market trend promoting menu items that appear to be healthy. But most of these menu items have ingredients that health conscious consumers would prefer to avoid.

Most health conscious consumers consider healthy foods to be things like raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts and seeds, and clean meats like wild Alaskan salmon, or free-range chicken or turkey.

Some ingredients that health conscious consumers consider unacceptable are MSG (or free glutamate, or free glutamic acid, including anything hydrolyzed or autolyzed), trans fats (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils [3]), artificial colors, artificial flavors, and most preservatives.

Many so-called healthy fast food menu items, upon closer inspection, do not live up to the health hype. Most of the meat from any of the major chains has anything but a simple ingredients list. They add emulsifiers, preservatives, MSG, artificial colors, trans fats, and hidden ingredients under generic labels such as spices, or natural and artificial flavors.

Some of these food additives are not foods at all, but are chemicals that are generally recognized as safe. Most of these additives cannot be found at your local grocery store, probably because they aren’t food. But some can be found at your local hardware store, though in inedible products like low tox antifreeze, silicone caulk, soap, sunscreen, and play sand.

The ingredient information in this article came straight from the various fast food restaurants’ web sites.

McDonald’s

The egg’s reputation is recovering, but scrambled eggs as a part of McDonald’s breakfast include much more than egg. Their pasteurized whole eggs have sodium acid pyrophosphate, citric acid, and monosodium phosphate (all added to preserve color), and nisin, a preservative. To top it off, the eggs are prepared with liquid margarine: liquid soybean oil, water, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oils (trans fats), salt, hydrogenated cottonseed oil (trans fat), soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate (preservatives), artificial flavor, citric acid, vitamin A palmitate, and beta carotene (color). Though not all bad, these added chemicals may be the reason why homemade scrambled eggs taste so much better than McDonald’s.

For coffee drinkers, it would seem fairly safe to just grab a quick cup of coffee at McDonald's on the way to work. But many health conscious people would object to it also including this list of ingredients: sodium phosphate, sodium polyphosphate, Di-Acetyl Tartrate Ester of Monoglyceride, sodium stearoyl lactylate, tetra sodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium citrate, and carrageenan. Do health nuts still drink coffee?

Salads can usually be counted on to be a “what you see is what you get” item. But McDonald’s adds some interesting ingredients. The salads with grilled chicken also have liquid margarine.

Several salads have either cilantro lime glaze, or orange glaze added. Along with many of McDonald’s sauces, both the cilantro lime glaze and the orange glaze contain propylene glycol alginate. While propylene glycol is considered "GRAS" for human consumption, it is not legal for use in cat food because the safety hasn't been proven yet [10]. Propylene glycol is also used "As the killing and preserving agent in pitfall traps, usually used to capture ground beetles" [10].

The chili lime tortilla strips that are included in the southwest salads have several ingredients used to hide MSG. They also contain two ingredients that advertise the presence of MSG: disodium inosinate, and disodium guanylate.

The chicken has sodium phosphates (of an unspecified variety). It could be trisodium phosphate (a cleanser), monosodium phosphate (a laxative), or disodium hydrogen phosphate [11]. Why would McDonald’s add sodium phosphates (a foaming agent), and dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent in their crispy chicken breast fillets? It isn’t dishwasher detergent.

Burger King

It’s interesting to note that the BK Veggie Burger has six ingredients commonly used to hide free glutamate (MSG): calcium caseinate, hydrolyzed corn, yeast extract, soy protein isolate, spices, and natural flavors. At the end of the ingredients list, it states This is NOT a vegan product. The patty is cooked in the microwave. Was that a warning statement?

Burger King has three salads to choose from. The TENDERCRISP Garden Salad, the TENDERGRILL Garden Salad, and the Side Garden Salad.

A salad may be a little boring without a dressing like Ken’s Fat Free Ranch Dressing which includes titanium dioxide (an artificial color, or sunscreen, depending on use), preservatives, and the ingredient seemingly mandatory in all ranch dressings: monosodium glutamate.

Once again, as is typical with the fast food industry, they took a simple thing like chicken, and added a long list of ingredients.

TENDERGRILL® CHICKEN BREAST FILET
Chicken Breast with Rib Meat, Water, Seasoning (Maltodextrin, Salt, Sugar, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Garlic Powder, Spices, Natural Flavors, Onion Powder, Modified Corn Starch, Chicken Fat, Chicken Powder, Chicken Broth, Disodium Guanylate and Disodium Inosinate, Citric Acid, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Dehydrated Garlic, and Artificial Flavors.), Modified Corn Starch, Soybean Oil, Salt, Sodium Phosphates. Glazed with: Water, Seasoning [Maltodextrin, Salt, Sugar, Methylcellulose, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Partially Hydrogenated Sunflower Oil, Modified Potato Starch, Fructose, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Dehydrated Garlic, Spices, Modified Corn Starch, Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavors, Disodium Guanylate and Disodium Inosinate, Chicken Fat, Carmel Color, Grill Flavor (from Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and Cottonseed Oil), Chicken Powder, Chicken Broth, Turmeric, Smoke Flavor, Annatto Extract, and Artificial Flavors], Soybean Oil. [12]


Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch:
Burgers on Grill
Roasted Peppers
Lettuce with Feta and Balsamic

Snackz
Tamari Almonds

Dinner
Chicekn & Asparagus

Dessert
Two Cookies

Surprising Ingredients Part II:

Taco Bell

Taco Bell’s website didn’t have much emphasis on health. Under the nutrition guide, at the bottom was a link to Keep it Balanced, a token nod to health. It had no serious information on how to really eat healthy. They recommend foods like pizza and tacos (no surprise) because they may include ingredients from several food groups at once. Including several food groups does not necessarily mean it’s a healthy food.

The seasoned beef, carne asada steak, spicy shredded chicken, and even the rice all include autolyzed yeast extract (hidden MSG). Disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate are flavor enhancers used in synergy with MSG [7,8]. Therefore, menu items with disodium inosinate and/or disodium guanylate also contain MSG. This includes the avocado ranch dressing, southwest chicken, citrus salsa, creamy jalapeno sauce, creamy lime sauce, lime seasoned red strips, pepper jack sauce, and seasoned rice.

According to Wikipedia, dimethylpolysiloxane is optically clear, and is generally considered to be inert, non-toxic, and non-flammable. It is used in silicone caulk, adhesives, and as an anti-foaming agent [6]. Appetizingly enough, it’s also included in Taco Bell’s rice.

Wendy’s

At Wendy’s, there are several tempting salads. The mandarin chicken salad seems healthy at first glance. It has diced chicken, mandarin oranges, almonds, crispy noodles, your choice of dressings, and five different varieties of lettuce. Then reality takes a bite when you check the ingredients list. The almonds are roasted and salted. The crispy noodles are not whole grain. The mandarin orange segments are not freshly peeled oranges; most likely canned. The diced chicken has added autolyzed yeast extract (MSG), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, sodium phosphates (soap?), salt, more salt, sugar, modified cornstarch (sic)[1], and the universal umbrella ingredient list: spices, natural flavors, and artificial flavors.

In the ingredients lists for the salad dressings, one surprise was titanium dioxide in the Low Fat Honey Mustard Dressing and the Reduced Fat Creamy Ranch Dressing. It’s a very versatile chemical. It can be used to manufacture paint, sunscreen, semiconductors, and food coloring [2].

Wendy’s Southwest Taco Salad is a salad with Wendy’s chili. Once again, the chili has hidden MSG: autolyzed yeast extract, spices, artificial flavors, natural flavorings, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate (MSG give-aways). It’s puzzling to try to understand why their chili would need to include an anti-caking agent such as silicon dioxide (also known as sand, or glass powder).

See if you can spot the sunscreen, MSG, and soap in this Wendy’s ingredient:

Seasoned Tortilla Strips
Whole Corn, Vegetable Oil (contains one or more of the following: corn, soybean or sunflower oil), Salt, Buttermilk Solids, Spices, Tomato, Sweet Cream, Dextrose, Onion, Sugar, Cheddar Cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), Corn Starch, Modified Corn Starch, Maltodextrin, Nonfat Dry Milk, Garlic, Torula Yeast, Citric Acid, Autolyzed Yeast, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Artificial Colors (including extractives of paprika, turmeric and annatto, titanium dioxide, red 40, yellow 5, blue 1), Disodium Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Soy Lecithin. CONTAINS: MILK.

Apparently, taste really is all that matters at Wendy’s.

Subway

If a sandwich is advertised as healthy, one would expect that the bread would be whole grain. Not so with Subway’s wheat bread. While it does have some whole wheat flour, it’s the third ingredient, listed just before high fructose corn syrup [4]. None of Subway’s breads are whole grain. Ammonium sulfate (a fertilizer) is also added. Unfinished sandwiches may be composted. The bread also contains azodicarbonamide. From Wikipedia,

Use of azodicarbonamide as a food additive is banned in Australia. In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive has identified azodicarbonamide as a respiratory sensitiser (a possible cause of asthma) and determined that products should be labeled with May cause sensitisation by inhalation [5].

Most of the meats at Subway contain MSG and/or sodium nitrite.

KFC

The chicken, the gravy, and even the rice all have monosodium glutamate added. Not surprisingly, the chicken in the salads also has MSG. For a healthy menu item, the House Side Salad without dressing has nothing more than iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, and tomatoes.

KFC claims 0g trans fat per serving for all their fried chicken. But The Extra Crispy Chicken, Colonel’s Crispy Strips, HBBQ Wings, Boneless HBBQ Wings, Fiery Buffalo Wings, and more have partially hydrogenated soybean oil listed in the ingredients. So if the trans fat content is below 0.5g per serving, they can round down to zero and claim zero grams per serving.

In Closing

The salad a la carte may be the only healthy thing to eat at a fast food place. The side salads offered at the fast food places are hardly a meal, and hardly what one would consider a real salad.

Regarding MSG, it is helpful to remember this statement from Wikipedia when reading food labels.
Under current FDA regulations, when MSG is added to a food, it must be identified as monosodium glutamate in the label's ingredient list. If however MSG is part of a spice mix that is purchased by another company, the manufacturer does not have to list the ingredients of that spice mix and may use the words flavorings or spices. Even food that uses the no msg label may therefore have MSG that is added from a spice mix from another company under current FDA regulations.[9]

As with most meat products in fast food restaurants, consider any meat, including on salads, to include MSG, chemical preservatives, and trans fats. Even seemingly simple items like rice can have ingredients like anti-foaming agents.
References

[1] http://www.wendys.com/food/Nutrition.jsp

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium_dioxide

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fats

[4] http://subway.com/subwayroot/MenuNutrition/Nutrition/frmUSIngredients.aspx

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azodicarbonamide

[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethylpolysiloxane

[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disodium_inosinate

[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disodium_guanylate

[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate

[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol

[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_phosphates

[12] http://www.bk.com/#menu=3,-1,-1

About the author
John Andrews is an electrical engineer currently living in Utah. He earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 2001 at the University of Utah. John has adopted a whole foods lifestyle rich in raw fruits and vegetables. This lifestyle change has produced a noticeable improvement in physical health, appearance, and mental clarity. He savors knowledge and is eager to teach others how to be healthy.

Year 3, Day 222: 15th Anniversary, Part II

As a continued celebration of our anniversary, I took the day off. In the morning as usual, I got the kids off to school(s) and hit the gym for an uninspiring 65 minute workout of nearly 6 miles. Emily and I planned to have lunch and play tennis but the scheduling didn't work since they only had a one hour court available at 2 and she was late getting out of work so we grabbed some chinese at Kantin (Super 88) and skeedaddled over to the tennis court,where she took the first set 6-3 and it was even 4-4 when our time ran out.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Postworkout Snack
6 oz Stonyfield Yogurt
Peanut butter

Lunch: Kantin
Beef with Chinese Broccoli and Oyster Sauce

Snacks
Spare Ribs
1 oz Boston Lite Popcorn

Dinner: Spiga
Chicken
String Beans
Caesar Salad
bread bits

Dessert
1 Oatmeal Cookie from Neighbor

That night Emily was quite exhausted so I let her pass out while I took the kids to the new restaurant down the street. It disappointed on several levels. How bad does a restaurant have to be if it's a block away, sells pizza, you have two kids and you don't want to go back? That bad. Really.

Year 3, Day 221: Wicked Happy 15th Anniversary

So for a long time we knew that we wanted to see "Wicked" and it so happens that it was going to be playing around our anniversary, so I dutifully tried to get tickets for a night sometime near our anniversary. Luckily for me, I actually got tickets ON our anniversary. Emily was happy, but I think she thought I pooched it by not spreading it out more.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Lunch: Russo's ($5.77)
Romaine, red pepper, feta
chicken, broccoli, mushrooms
balsamic vinegar, pepperocini

Snack
4 Sticks beef jerky
50 pistachios
1 honey crisp apple

dinner: penang
fried things
sweet things
yukky

My neighbor suggested we eat at Panang, which luckily, was just two blocks from the Opera House where wicked was playing. Of course it was a torrential rainfall and we were running late. The menu was quite strange so we ordered about three people's worth of food. We got the Roti (Home made pancake) which naturally, was delicious. I did not get Kung Pao frog, but I did get Sambal Shrimp and Emily got a special drink. We pointed to a few other things and I'm afraid I can't describe them other than I have, above. The waiters and waitresses were helpful, signaling their alarm at our possible distress at what we were pointing too. Fortunately, dinner was ready quickly and we had plenty of time to get to the theatre. The show, which made me think my hearing is going, was excellent. I can only imagine how incredible it must have been with its original stars.

Year 3, Day 220: Trip To New York City

There is so much to say about a trip to New York City, but for this blog entry it will have to suffice that for me, it means getting up before crop-dusting hour to make sure I can get on plane at the right time. All this really means is I have to vie past a few tractor trailers on the way to the highway, but it's nothing I can't handle.

Breakfast
Kashi Go Lean!
Heritage Flakes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Banana
Unsweetened Soy Milk
Coffee

Airplane Snack
Almonds, Cashews
1 Small Apple (Kind unknown)

Lunch: Better Burger
1/2 pound beef burger
veggie slaw, veggie chili (too much curry)

Dinner
Steak
cauliflower
2 onion rings
asparagus
seafood (shrimp, oysters, crab legs)

A colleague and I had the pleasure to be taken out to a nice restaurant in mid-town for steak and seafood. The food was great, and so was the company, though we were on a tight-timetable. I had an onion ring for the first time since I can't remember but I was LOVING IT so hard that I had that scary-tingly feeling that I needed to break out of the restaurant lest I consume every onion ring in site. Luckily, our car came and we vamoosed to the airport.