CalCPA ProtectPlus

The Super Bowl is the second biggest day for food consumption in the United States after Thanksgiving! Super Bowl menus are full of salt, sugar, fat and all the other bad things you can think of. But oh…they are so good right? “It’s only one day”, you may say. But you can actually put  on five pounds in one day of eating fattening foods…the types of foods that may be at that Super Bowl party you are going to this Sunday.

I heard this following information on the radio the other day looked it up on Dietdetective.com. It really put things into perspective and may make you think twice before taking that next bite!

• 1/2 A DIGIORNO PIZZA CHEESE STUFFED CRUST LIMITED EDITION BACON/SAUSAGE/PEPPERONI = 299 TOUCHDOWN DANCES IN THE END ZONE

That’s 975 calories per half.  Each dance should last for 15 to 20 seconds.

Fit Tip: There are frozen and delivery pizza choices with a lot fewer calories. If you choose thin crust and avoid meats and extra cheese you can drop the calories down to about 720 for half a 12-inch pizza.

• SIX T.G.I. FRIDAY’S LOADED POTATO SKINS = DOING “THE WAVE” 6,389 TIMES

Each potato skin (half a potato) is 218 calories. That’s a lot when you consider that an entire potato is 160 calories. But these potato skins are deep fried and topped with cheese, bacon and even sour cream.

Fit Tip: These are so easy to make yourself. Microwave the potato, then cut it in half and put it in the toaster oven with some cooking spray.

• LARGE MEATBALL SUB FROM QUIZNOS = CLIMBING THE STADIUM STAIRS FOR 109 MINUTES

It has meatballs, mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce on a hero roll, adding up to 1,020 calories.

Fit Tip: How about turkey meatballs (made with breast meat), low-fat mozzarella and a whole-grain hero.

• 6 KFC HONEY BARBECUE WINGS WITH DIPPING SAUCE = PLAYING PRO FOOTBALL FOR 59 MINUTES

Keep in mind, this is 59 minutes of actual playing time — standing on the sidelines or in the huddle doesn’t count. Each wing has 90 calories, and the dipping sauce is about 50 calories per container.

Fit Tip: You can certainly make your own chicken wings. Go skinless and bake instead of deep frying them.

• ONE PINT OF BEN & JERRY’S CHUBBY HUBBY ICE CREAM = CLEANING THE STADIUM AFTER THE GAME FOR 322 MINUTES

That’s almost 5 1/2 hours of cleaning — no breaks. And yes, that pint has 1,320 calories.

Fit Tip: There are so many very tasty low-calorie ice creams. For instance, Breyers All-Natural Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry is 110 calories per 1/2 cup or 440 calories for a pint, so you save nearly 900 calories. (continue reading…)

Omega 3s are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids. There are three types of omega 3 essential fatty acids and your body benefits greatly by having all of these omega 3s to help perform different functions. The three types of omega 3s are:

• Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA): EPA is usually found in fish and fish oil.
• Docosahexanoic Acid (DHA): DHA is important to your body, and is also found mainly in fish.
• Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA): ALA is found mostly in seeds, vegetable oils, and leafy green vegetables. It is converted into EPA and then into DHA in your body.

Omega 3s are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids and they are found in various foods such as oily fish – mackerel, herring, sardines and salmon. It is important to keep in mind that fish can be contaminated with mercury and PCBs, so make sure that you choose safe types of fish. Omega 3 can also be found in non-fish sources as well and those would include fortified foods such as eggs, bread, juice, dark green vegetables, walnuts and flax-seed oils.

While there are three types of omega 3s, there has been special attention brought to the omega 3 fish oil in medical news reports over the past few years.  The reports say that you should take fish oil if you are pregnant, if you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, if you have a bad heart, and the list goes on. Here are some things studies have shown:

• It has been found that omega 3 helps to lower triglycerides, which are know to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, by 20% to 50%.
• Fish oils have been shown to help lower cases of high blood pressure due to cardiovascular disease.
• It helps to reduce high cholesterol.
• Several studies report that in people with a history of heart attack, that regularly eat oily fish or take fish oil supplements reduce the risk of heart rhythm problems, heart attack, and sudden death. A large Japanese study showed 19% fewer heart-related events (like a heart attack) in adults taking a fish oil supplement plus a statin drug, compared with those taking only a statin. (Statins are drugs that lower cholesterol levels in people with or at risk of cardiovascular disease).
• Fish oils with omega 3 help to prevent blood clots, help stimulate your blood circulation and help you to avoid issues such as varicose veins.
• Many studies have shown that fish oils improve your brain function.
• A lack of omega 3 has been linked to depression - fish oils are known to benefit you greatly if you suffer from depression.
• Taking fish oil with omega 3 while pregnant may help the baby with brain development, form the retinas and helps develop the nervous system. My doctor had me take flax-seed oil and fish oil with omega 3. It is key to the well-being and healthy development of the baby while in the womb.

If you are not taking fish oil with omega 3, you may want to think about doing so…especially if you are suffering from any of the above conditions. Fish oil with omega 3 now comes in prescription form. If you buy it over the counter, however, remember that  fish oil comes from real fish and mercury content is something to consider – stick with a name brand and ask your doctor what they would recommend for you. Remember to always check with your doctor before using supplements because some can interact with other drugs you take. Some women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take supplements other than prenatal vitamins unless their doctor recommends them to.                            

[Image Source]

This winter season we have all been on alert about the H1N1 virus and how it is lurking just about everywhere.  It is ever so important to take the necessary precautions to keep our health in tip top shape and our immune system strong. We may not be able to ward off the H1N1 since it is so powerful, but we could help increase our chances of bypassing that irritating common cold.

It was thought that there were 100 variants of rhinoviruses which are the most common cause of the common cold. Now they have discovered with more screening tests, a whole new group of rhinoviruses. “It’s beginning to look as if there may be as many as 200” cold viruses, says cold expert Owen Hendley, MD, a professor of medicine at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and one of the world’s leading experts on cold viruses. Yes, it is the cold that just about every other person has at work and every other child has at school. Americans on average gets 3 to 4 colds and children average about 6 each year! Follow these tips below, and hopefully you can protect yourself and lower these averages! (continue reading…)

This short video reviews what you can do to make sure you don’t get the flu, including the new H1N1 flu, and how you can be sure not to spread the flu to others. Also, find out how to reduce your risk of becoming ill with an influenza virus.

Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Running Time: (1:47) Release Date: 10/30/2009