Dietary info that restaurants keep secret

What does the restaurant industry have to hide? One of the true issues behind obesity is the fact that many chain restaurants — which provide one-third of all restaurant meals, according to the New York Department of Health — obfuscate the fat and calorie counts of their menu items, and fight any attempt to shed light on what, exactly, is going on between their buns and inside their taco shells.

Through scientific testing, consultations with nutrition experts, and good old-fashioned snooping, we uncovered some of the secrets these mega-restaurateurs have been keeping.

It’s no wonder . . .

1) T.G.I. Friday’s

. . . doesn’t want you to know the nutritional impact of any of its dishes, which they have made a policy of not revealing to customers for years, despite the fact that major competitors such as Chili’s and Ruby Tuesday’s do just that. Thankfully, new legislation in New York City forces restaurants with 15 or more branches nationwide to provide calorie counts for all dishes and drinks on their menus.

We popped by T.G.I. Friday’s the day the law went into effect and saw some real shockers: 2,270 calories for Potato Skins, 1,670 calories for Double-Stack Quesadillas, and, most appalling of all, a Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad with 1,360 calories! Now we see why they worked so hard to keep these numbers hidden.

2) Burger King

. . . doesn’t want you to know that its French Toast Sticks (which deliver more than 4 grams of fat per stick) share a deep fryer with the pork sausage, pork fritters, Chicken Tenders, Chicken Fries, Big Fish patties, hash browns, onion rings, and Cheesy Tots — and that all of those items contain harmful trans fats.

But there is hope: After the company was sued by the Center for Science in the Public Interest for moving too slowly to remove trans fats from its menu, Burger King promised to phase them out by the end of this year.

3) Red Robin

. . . doesn’t want you to know the nutritional impact of its gourmet burgers. “A gourmet burger starts by being an honest burger,” Red Robin’s Web site declares — but not, apparently, a burger that will come clean about its nutrition facts.

When contacted, Red Robin’s senior vice president responded that nutritional information for the menu would be available in October 2007. As of May 2008, however, nutrition facts were still not posted on the site.

4 ) Maggiano’s Little Italy

. . . doesn’t want you to know just how many calories and carbs you’re consuming in those massive pasta portions. (As the menu puts it, “Family-style service or individual entrees are available . . . Whichever you choose, you’ll have plenty to share or take home.”)

In Italy, a standard pasta serving means 4 ounces of noodles with a few tablespoons of sauce. At Maggiano’s, a large order of pasta translates into 2 pounds of noodles piled high on a hubcap-size dinner plate (15 1/2 inches in diameter). A Maggiano’s PR rep responded to our request for nutritional information a week later: “Sorry for the delay. I had to wait for corporate’s approval. Unfortunately, they have declined to participate.”

5) Sit-down chains

. . . don’t want you to know that their food is actually considerably worse for you than the often-maligned fast-food fare. In fact, our menu analysis of 24 national chains revealed that the average entree at a sit-down restaurant contains 867 calories, compared with 522 calories in the average fast-food entree. And that’s before appetizers, sides, or desserts — selections that can easily double your total calorie intake.

By David Zinczenko, with Matt Goulding – 2007 Men’s Health . All Rights Reserved.

Some surprising tips for better sleep

I used to pull all-nighters back in college, forcing myself to stay awake to cram for an exam or finish a paper on art history, my major. I did it because I thought it would help me get ahead, but in the end it always set me back—I wound up tired, cranky and unproductive the next day.

Even though I’ve grown up (and wisened up) since then, I still have trouble convincing myself to crawl into bed at night: I keep a running tally of all the things I haven’t crossed off my to-do list—reading manuscripts, prepping for a TV appearance, even laundry! And I’m always tempted to stay up just a bit longer to get everything done before morning.

So what stops me from burning the midnight oil? Not only has personal experience proved that I’ll be more stressed (not to mention less chipper) when I’m sleep-deprived, but studies suggest that not getting adequate zzz’s can increase your risk for heart disease and depression, and even cause weight gain (ever found yourself heading to the fridge or the vending machine when you’re tired? I have!).

Try these tips to help relax before you hit the sack:

Unplug
Avoid having long conversations on your cell phone before bed: Researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit found that people who were exposed to the slight radiation that emanates from cell phones took longer to fall asleep and spent less time in the deep stages of slumber.

Make Your Bedroom a Haven
Draw the blinds and turn on a fan or a soothing CD of nature noises to block out distracting sounds. Swapping ordinary bedroom bulbs for yellow ones (GE makes a 25-watt version sold at drugstores) can help you feel more tranquil as you’re getting ready to nod off. Consider treating yourself to a cozy new comforter or putting flowers on your nightstand so that being in your bedroom—and sleeping!—becomes something you look forward to.

Say Thanks
Once you’re under the covers, take two minutes to reflect on the things you’re grateful for. Studies show that practicing grateful thinking makes people more optimistic. And going to sleep with happy thoughts will help you sleep more soundly.

By Lucy Danziger

Are fresh fruits & veggies always healthier?

You already know to eat at least five servings each of fruits and vegetables. But does it matter how these goodies make it to your plate?

Fresh fruits and vegetables straight from the produce aisle are usually best, as long as you’re eating them soon after picking. Sometimes though, it’s not always possible to purchase produce when it’s fresh off the farm.

Seasonal changes will also affect which type of produce we purchase, since fresh fruits and vegetables often are quite expensive. If you can’t afford to purchase all your fruits and vegetables fresh, try canned and frozen.

Frozen produce is nutritionally comparable to fresh but canned produce does lose some vitamins and minerals during the heating process. However, the canned versions of at least three vegetables are actually higher in healthful phytochemicals than their fresh versions: Corn, carrots, and tomatoes all benefit from the canning process.

Another benefit of frozen and canned produce: They have a longer shelf life, so you can keep them on hand for quick additions to meals.

If you do purchase more canned or frozen produce, make sure the label says they contain no added salt and sugars. (Remember “heavy syrup”?)

Bottom line: It’s more important to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day than it is to worry about how they made it to your plate.

© 2007 Johns Hopkins University. All Rights Reserved.

How to tell allergies from a sinus infection

Sinus infections sometimes happen on top of allergic sinusitis. When inflammation swells the nasal passages and fills them up with extra mucus, the sinus cavities get blocked and can’t drain effectively.

Bacteria and viruses love this kind of closed-off space. However, even when sinusitis is due to infection, the cause is often a virus, not bacteria, so antibiotics still may not help.

It can be very hard to figure out if sinusitis is due to allergy or an infection, but the treatments are different, so it’s important to try. Here are some of the clues:

Time of year. If sinusitis happens around the same time or times every year, allergy is more likely.

Environmental differences. If the symptoms are due to allergy, they may get better or worse as you move between different environments: indoors vs. outdoors; home vs. work; weekday vs. weekend; going away on vacation.

Fever. A normal temperature or low grade fever (less than 100.5F) is more likely to be allergy. Higher fevers are more consistent with viral or bacterial infection. However, chronic infections don’t always cause fever, and the inflammation from allergies can cause fever.

Mucus color. Clear or light colored mucus is more likely allergy and darker is more likely infection. However, color alone isn’t enough information to make a diagnosis. It’s also pretty common to have some streaks of blood in the mucus, due to the inflammation and frequent nose-blowing, regardless of the cause.

Antibiotic failure. If one or more courses of antibiotics doesn’t cure the problem, then allergy is much more likely.

Coexisting conditions. People with asthma and/or eczema (a dry, scaly, itchy rash) are prone to developing allergies, too.

Infections often last from one to three weeks, while an allergic reaction will continue as long as the trigger is present. If over-the-counter remedies don’t help you enough with your symptoms, or if you’d like increase the intensity of your treatment, then it’s time to see your doctor for additional advice.

4 healthy alternatives to diet soda

Diet soda’s been getting some bad press lately. Whether you’re worried it’ll wreck your diet or just trying to cut back on your artificial-sweetener intake, check out these diet-friendly, all-natural alternatives … courtesy of Hungry Girl!

Stevia-Sweetened Soda!
In case you don’t know, stevia is an up-and-coming, all-natural, calorie-free sweetener (currently sold in packets for drink-sweetening). Well, not too long ago, Coca-Cola filed dozens of patent applications for their very own form of stevia to use in some of their sodas. But you don’t have to wait ’til that stuff arrives, ‘cuz Zevia’s already on the market! In Cola, Orange, and Twist (lemon-lime flavored), this 5-calorie-or-less-a-serving stuff is the ultimate solution for the soda-obsessed who want to nix artificial sweeteners without turning to regular high-calorie sugary soda. FYI, the Orange is the best and the Twist is good, too. But we’re counting on Coke to come out with the perfect cola…

Metromint Water!
Tired of those silly calorie-packed waters (Vitamin Water, SoBe Life Water, Snapple Anitoxidant Water!)? Seeking flavored water with no artificial stuff? Check out Metromint’s line of 0-calorie H20s. This stuff is made of just purified water, mint, and natural essences. Besides the standard Peppermint and Spearmint, there’s also Lemonmint, Orangemint, Cherrymint, and (our latest fave) Chocolatemint! They’re all subtly flavored and super-refreshing. We can’t wait to see what the folks at Metromint come up with next … Watermelonmint, Vanillamint, Rootbeermint?!

Zenergize Vitamin Infused Drink Tabs!
One of these all-natural, 2-calorie tablets will turn your glass of water into a fizzy flavorfest! They come in a gazillion flavors, from Orange + Pomegranate to Tropical Punch. And it’s pretty fun to watch the little disc dissolve in your glass (really — try it!). The bubbly consistency makes these a fantastic soda swap. They’re also PACKED with vitamins and other energizing stuff!

POM Light Tea!
Typically, all-natural iced tea is either crammed with calories from sugar or it’s unsweetened and super-bland. Well, neither is the case with this awesome line from Pom Wonderful. With pomegranate extract and just enough sugar, you get a fruity-licious tea drink for only 35 calories per 8-oz. serving. It comes in Light Wildberry White Tea, Light Orange Blossom Red Tea, and Light Hibiscus Green Tea. Sayonara, soda. Wonderful, POM!

By Lisa Lillien: hungry-girl.com