It's the McRib. Fortunately for me, Trader Joe's is right around the corner. I'll pass on the McRib. 

You can read more at the Bionic Burger site.

We folk who are peddling a healthy lifestyle love to hate ... high fructose corn syrup, McDonald's (all fast food), processed food, soda, and more. However, before you buy into any type of claim, please use critical thinking.

Exhibit A:  The scientists behind the blog Obesity Panacea were startled and astonished by this soda ad. One problem: It's a fake.

Living a healthy lifestyle can and should be easy. But before you "buy" into anything, use your critical thinking skills.

As an aside, I laughed when I read this "ad". Read the fine print: It's very comical.

People have done well on an incredible variety of diets. - Michael Pollan

Interpretation: You can eat almost anything and live a healthy lifestyle. However, to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle, there are a few items that must be taken out of your diet.

For an understanding of our food, health, and health care system, take a moment to listen to these two knowledgeable and thoughtful gentlemen. This presentation is 59-minutes. So, sit back, relax and learn.

These few items make for a delicious meal. I think the Fire Roasted Bell Peppers and Onions is my greatest find at Trader Joe's! Combine it with one scrambled egg, top it off with a little bit of Feta to pop some flavor, and roll it in a high fiber tortilla. This is delicious.

It's low in calories and guaranteed to fill you up.

Other options: 
- Make this wrap without the egg. 
- Make an omelet (86 the tortilla). 
- Make a veggie sandwich (on two slices of whole wheat bread). You can also add other items. Such as, mushrooms, corn and more.
- Make a pizza (delicious) You can also add other items. Such as, mushrooms, corn and more. The pizza that I make has about 250 calories.

Want more information about my Trader Joe's diet? Here it is.

In 1960, there were no public storage facilities. Fast forward fifty years ... today, there's over 2-billion square feet of public storage space.

Nothing fundamental in human physiology, and certainly nothing fundamental in the human genome, has changed over just the past few decades during which epidemic obesity has emerged. Human physiology is substantially the same as it ever was. - Dr. David L. Katz

That was the headline of an email I received this AM. So, for all the folks who love to hate McDonald's, be aware, American's love McDonald's! And, McDonald's is laughing all the way to the bank!

Sorry to be the "Grinch" who stole Halloween, but since August, I've been observing an overload of candy! 

On a recent trip to my neighborhood CVS pharmacy (we have 3 within one mile of each other), I was not sure if I entered a candy store or a drug store.

That 66% figure the CDC keeps quoting (overweight and obese Americans) is because of our toxic food environment ... Halloween candy for three months and then we're off to the next overeating holiday.

And the frosting on the cake ... Those delicious cookies the Girl Scouts are selling...loaded with trans fats.

If I worked for big pharma, I'd be lovin' it.

When it comes to the American food system, it takes a lot to shock me. Well, this insane mixed message did, in fact, shock me. They are selling a six pack of this junk food under the guise that they are assisting with the fight against breast cancer. 

Now that's chutzpah!

By the way, I did purchase the above product. I made the purchase for two reasons: 1. Strange things motivate me to live a healthy lifestyle. This product made me "hopping mad" and it serves as a great motivator to me ... the Western diet is littered with garbage. 2. I have added one more prop for my presentations. I have a lot of "food" products that demonstrate our toxic food environment. This is just the latest.

Hey, it's Apple picking season. Eat a bunch. Here's why ...

Apples: What's New and Beneficial
Nibble This Tart, Juicy Fruit

Year-round, I eat a significant amount of apples in my fruit smoothies.

Because many tests miss plaque build-up. And ...

The sad fact is that the majority of acute heart attacks are associated with "non-signicant" plaques. These plaques may suddenly rupture, which quickly leads to the formation of a blood clot. The blood clot acutely occludes the coronary artery, causing a heart attack.

So, depending on statins as opposed to proper diet and lifestyle is a false security blanket.

I recommend listening to this interview with Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.

. . . an entertaining video about ending childhood obesity. Enjoy!

Once in a while, a brief and insightful article is written. Here's one by Robin Quivers about the link between food and health. The title: Nutty for Nutrition.

McDonald's, because of its size, has become the poster child and piñata for the health-minded folks. 

However, I would like to remind people who want to change our food environment that people truly love McDonald's.

How do I know that? It's very simple. Today, McDonald's stock closed at an all-time high.

So, while I will never eat any of its products, millions and millions of people are lovin' it!

Food is the most powerful clinical intervention against chronic disease doctors have.  We should be able to write recipes on prescription slips, just like prescription medication.  And every doctor should know how. - Dr. John La Puma

You might be startled to learn that over the past 20 years portion sizes have gotten ... shall I say: "Huge." 

This site breaks it down nicely. 

Mayo is an extra that we don't often consider when we're tallying up our calories at the end of the day. But if you're downing five sandwiches a week from the local deli — well, if each has even a bit of mayonnaise, you're racking up the extra calories.

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise: 110 calories
Exercise Equivalents
Walking: 28 minutes
Biking: 16 minutes
Running: 12 minutes

So when you think about it, if you eat five sandwiches a week with a tablespoon of mayo each, that's 550 calories! And if you have to walk almost a half hour extra a day to burn it off, doesn't mustard look — and taste — better right about now? 

Source: Diet Detective

The Wall Street Journal states: 

True, “Eat less and exercise more” is great advice if you can manage to follow it, but public-health authorities have repeated that line until they’re blue in the face and as a population we’ve only gotten fatter.

As I told the reporter:

Actually, that is horrible advice. In my presentations, I bust a lot of myths and that is the #1 myth. Sadly, people actually believe the myth. If the dieter abides by it, he will be using willpower and will experience deprivation. And, that is why all diets fail.

I tell people to eat more. If you are hungry, eat! Of course, the proper type of food...not Skittles, Snickers, and Snackwells. 

Details are in my book. 

Like 9/11, Lennon's death is one of those moments that you remember where you were. I was in Orlando, Florida giving a speech. I was numb that day. I'm still sad when I think about it.

I just read this statistic. Therein lies the problem with the American food system.

The standard American diet -- in which 62 percent of calories come from processed foods, 25 percent from animal products and only 5 percent from fruits and vegetables -- is nothing less than a health travesty. Our fast-food culture has produced a population with widespread chronic illness and is a primary reason that health care costs are taking a devastating toll on just about everyone.

Source: Huffington Post