What’s Really In Nacho Doritos?

With the London Summer Olympics about to begin, were bracing ourselves to see many of our favorite world-class athletes advertising popular ‘unhealthy’ snacks and drinks on TV. You might not jump off the sofa so quickly to reach for a bag of Nacho Doritos if you knew the ingredients lurking inside.

Frito-Lay food scientists use 39 different ingredients to make Doritos. How many does it take to make a regular tortilla chip? About three. That means 36 ingredients are used to make the yellow cheese powder. Of those 36, only two are ingredients you’d use to make nachos at home: Romano and cheddar cheeses. Doritos also contain empty carbohydrate fillers like dextrin, maltodextrin, dextrose, flour, and corn syrup solids and any combination of corn oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, and sunflower oil. Some of those will be partially hydrogenated, meaning they give the chip a longer shelf life and spike your heart with a little shot of trans fat. (The reason you won’t see this on the nutrition label is that FDA guidelines allow food manufacturers to “round down” to zero.)

And then, after the fats and nutritionally empty starches, there’s a seasoning blend, which includes things like sugar, “artificial flavoring,” and a rather worrisome compound called monosodium glutamate. Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is the flavor enhancer largely responsible for the chip’s addicting quality.

Reprinted from Eat This, Not That. Read more: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/truth-about-your-food

What are you eating this summer? The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic talks to everyday people about their healthy appetites at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA.

Meet Mr. Divabetic on the red carpet at the American Diabetes Association Expo in Pittsburgh, PA and New York, NY and the Taking Control Of Your Diabetes Conference in Austin, TX in Fall 2012. For more glitter, games and glucose advice visit: http://www.divabetic.org

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Podcast Inspired by Katy Perry  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2012/07/10/diabetes-roundtable-inspired-by-katy-perry

Michelle Obama Wows In Summer’s Hottest Trend

The first lady, Michelle Obama, took to the podium in an all-white sheath dress to celebrate the winners of the National Design Awards and showcased one of the summer’s hottest trends.

All-white outfits are white-hot this summer; Mrs. Obama joins Kim and Kanye, Emma Stone, Elle Macpherson, Cameron Diaz, Miley Cyrus and others in trying the pale ensemble trend.

White, of course, looks amazing on her. Remember a little dress by a little designer named Jason Wu at a small, intimate event? Mrs. Obama also donned a white dress to meet then-French first lady Carla Bruni back in 2009.

Mrs. Obama‘s sparkly statement necklace, bustling with green and blue beads and pearls, rivaled the one she wore to meet David and Samantha Cameron in that teal Marchesa.

The idea of wearing white from head to toe may seem a bit scary at first, but, trust us, it looks crisp, cool and chic. There are so many great ways to wear all-white from a lace dress (which is SO in this summer!) to the all-white bikini (channel your inner JLo), go ahead, get white hot this summer.

What will you be wearing for that upcoming warm weather getaway, beach vacation, or just in general this summer? Let Divabetic help you decide. The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic talks to Divabetic Image & Style Expert, Catherine Schuller about ‘Wack or Wow’ Summer Fashions at the 10th annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party in New York City

Mr. Divabetic is the host of Diva TalkRadio, a dynamic free online and mobile podcast channel where tens of thousands of fans, followers and listeners turn to laugh a little and learn a lot. Guests include health care professionals, beauty, image/style and fitness experts, entertainment industry leaders and VIPs: women and men living with, at risk of and affected by diabetes.

LISTEN NOW: Free Style Podcast Inspired by The Golden Girls http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2011/10/18/studio-d-golden-rules-on-style-inspired-by-the-golden-girls

 

Is Agave Better For You Than Sugar?

Agave Nectar, a popular natural sweetener, is commonly used as an alternative to sugar, honey, or maple syrup for cooking, baking, and sweetening everything from coffee to oatmeal.

Agave nectar (or syrup) is produced from the agave plant – the same plant used to make tequila. It tastes similar to honey with a hint of molasses and comes in the form of a syrupy liquid.

Proponents of this natural sweetener claim that it’s a healthy alternative to sugar, honey, and other sweeteners because of its low glycemic index. It’s advertised as ideal for people who are watching their weight or folks with diabetes who are working to lower their blood sugar levels. But before you add agave nectar to your grocery list, here’s you need to know.

Agave nectar contains up to 90 percent fructose. That’s significantly more than table sugar, which is 50 percent fructose (and 50 percent glucose) once it’s broken down by your body. Agave’s high fructose content gives it advantages and disadvantages. The good part first: Because fructose has a low glycemic index, agave doesn’t cause your blood sugars to spike as rapidly after eating it, which means it can temper the sugar rush that occurs after eating something sweet. And even though agave and white sugar contain approximately the same number of calories, agave is markedly sweeter. That means you can get away with using less to flavor your coffee, morning oatmeal, or baked goods and potentially save yourself a few calories.

Now for the bad part. The high fructose content in agave can have some undesirable health effects. Studies have shown that large amounts of fructose can increase blood-triglyceride levels, and high triglycerides are a known risk factor for heart disease. In addition, some people have trouble absorbing fructose, so eating it can cause bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort. Agave can be especially problematic for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

As with so many issues in nutrition, the health-related pros and cons of agave aren’t clear-cut. Joy Bauer recommends that if you’re only using a few teaspoons of sweetener a day, the differences are negligible and you can choose whichever one you prefer. In other words, limiting the total amount of sweetener you’re using will have a much bigger impact on your health than altering the type of sugar you use.

Reprinted from JoyBauer.com For Slim-Down tips, follow Joy Bauer on Facebook and Twitter.

Are you sweet on fruit? Watch the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic as he stops by Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA to talk to everyday people about favoirte fruits and vegetables often with hilarious results.

Meet Mr. Divabetic on the red carpet at the American Diabetes Association Expo in Pittsburgh, PA and New York, NY and the Taking Control Of Your Diabetes Conference in Austin, TX in Fall 2012. For more glitter, games and glucose advice visit: http://www.divabetic.org

LISTEN NOW: Free Diabetes Podcast Inspired by Katy Perry  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2012/07/10/diabetes-roundtable-inspired-by-katy-perry