Organic Food Makes the Main Aisle!

Have you ever really acheived one-stop grocery shopping? I haven't, which is why I make rounds at Trader Joe's, Henry's, Von's, and occasionally the elite-priced Jimbo's, depending on what I need and where I am that day.

You also may have noticed that it's harder to find and obtain really good, healthy food. It's easy to walk the main aisles of a supermarket, and pick up all the convenient food in pretty boxes, loaded with preservatives, colors, artificial sweetener, flavor, texture, fat substitute, you-name-it. Normally, much of the truly healthy stuff (real food!) is buried along the perimeter of major supermarkets, in hard-to-find spots.

So I'd discovered that Von's had, waaaay in the back behind the produce section, an organic frozen foods section. Score!! The products and their prices befuddled cashiers, who didn't see those items very often. These were healthy - truly, containing no man-made stuff and balanced, good fats - entrees and pockets by Amy's Organics, Cascadian Farms, Cedarlane, etc.

The other day in Von's, I was dismayed to see that whole freezer section EMPTY. Oh no, what happened? Did they banish the real food to a quiet holding cell, to be forever forgotten? Thinking maybe they'd moved things, I went to aisle 7, the center of the store. Lo and behold, the organic foods!

Not only that, but Von's Carlsbad has added new inventory - a small section dedicated to frozen, non-dairy desserts, and a few all-natural dairy items.

Hallelujah! This feels like some kind of small but noticeable forward progress...

BTW, Amy's whole-grain sandwich pockets are perfect with a high-protein smoothie. If you don't have time to make your own, try Naked Juice's Protein Zone, or Odwalla's Protein Monster. Often there are 2-for-1 or club deals in stores - stock up then!

Getting Perspective on The Biggest Loser

The hit reality show The Biggest Loser has entertainment value. And it motivates people to exercise. That's two great things already!



But, while you enjoy watching other people sweat off the pounds by the minute, keep in mind that entertainment does not equal reality.



Here's what's unrealistic (and even risky) about the show:

• Lack of workout progression. Overweight contestants do sprints, advanced jumps, or haul another person (ALERT - potential back injury!). While this is what we see, the show's producers say that contestants undergo an adaptation phase first. Great!
  
  The problem is that we only see a subset of the actual training that happens. The average viewer might think he should also start by sprinting across the gym with his friend on his back.



• Unrealistic time allocation. This is TV, so contestants get to work out with trainers for hours each day. First, it's not realistic for most people. Second, this much exercise all at once is a recipe for burnout. It's like 1980s "crash training" - your body just can't keep it up, so you're more likely to lose gains quickly when you become exhausted after a few weeks or months. It's also more conducive to repetitive-stress injury.
  



• Extreme exercise selection. Again, this is TV. Some exercises are extreme, dangerous, silly, or just unnecessary. My concern is that this makes viewers think they have to do "extreme" things to get and stay fit. The most effective path to permanent weight loss is a consistent but varied routine of activities you can do correctly.



• Overly-rapid weight loss. The contestants work out a lot, and hard! They also start out with a LOT of extra weight. Generally, weight loss is "reverse exponential" - an obese person loses weight more quickly at first; it's much harder to lose the last 5-10 lbs. The show sensationalizes fast, and BIG, weight loss, because it's interesting to watch! --A good case of "Do not try this at home!"

The main point is, just remember it's TV, and it's a partial picture! Then, enjoy the show.