We’ve all been there before. Our healthy endeavors start out in the right direction as we stroll the mall. Talk about killing two birds with one stone – shopping and exercising in tandem.
But the best-laid plans quickly go awry when you feel a sudden hunger pang. As you pass through the food court, you suddenly throw caution to the mind as your eyes become as wide as saucers at the site of gooey cinnamon rolls, greasy cheese fries and huge smoothies.
Suddenly, it’s not inconceivable to bypass that average 2,000 calorie a day allotment IN JUST ONE MEAL. Think it’s impossible to blow by 66 grams of fat, less than 20 grams of saturated fats, 2,400 milligrams of salt and 300 grams of carbs, including sugars, in a matter of moments? Well, think again.
Because that’s exactly how it can go down in the food court. Here are some of the biggest blunders made by starving shoppers. How many of these faux pas have you committed?
Buffets
Rows and rows of piping hot vittles. It’s food porn at its finest. Whether it’s an all-you-can-eat offering or foodie free-for-all, the buffet presents a clear and present danger for those watching their waistline. The greater the variety of available dishes, the greater the tendency to overeat, say food experts.
One interesting study noted that overweight individuals didn’t browse the buffet, they served themselves right away; they sat 16 feet closer to the food than those who were not overweight, and they used bigger plates if the selection were available.
And about that food… Some of the food is heavily processed and laden with unhealthy preservatives and other chemicals. MSG, high fructose corn syrup, trans fatty acids and genetically modified foods may be present.
Maybe eating at the buffet isn’t the thing to do. NEED A FACT ABOUT BUFFETS. AVERAGE CALORIE COUNT.
Sodas and Diabetes
Thinking about having a Coke and a smile? Not so fast. Do you know about the link between sodas and Type 2 diabetes? As little as one can a day can increase your risk of diabetes as in a 1.1 percent increase with every can.
Type 2 diabetes affects 300 million people worldwide. It is described as having elevated blood sugar levels either because of insulin resistance or a deficiency in insulin. Insulin drives glucose, the good form of sugars, from the bloodstream into the cells. Because of high sugar levels in the blood, the pancreas has to increase the circulating insulin. This results in elevated glucose levels in blood. This could potentially put you on the path for metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms associated with increased risk for strokes, type 2 diabetes, high triglyceride levels (one of the bad cholesterol lipids), heart disease, large waist, above-normal blood glucose levels, low HDL cholesterol levels (the good kind of lipid), and hypertension. All these factors line the pathway to heart disease and diabetes. All from a little can of soda.
So if you’re thinking about taking a big gulp, opt for some ice cold H20 for a refresher.
Smoothies and Shakes
Though purportedly healthy, some smoothies are made mainly with ice cream or milk with a lot of sugars. One 20-ounce shake, a “small”, contained 1,044 calories, 35 grams of fat, 120 grams of sugar. This calorie count is more than two Big Macs put together!
Be mindful of Coldstsone’s PB & C shake, a peanut butter and chocolate confection. It uses an entire day’s calories and is three and a half times the daily saturated fat limit. A large – 2,010 calories, 131 grams of fat, 68 grams of saturated fat and 153 grams of sugar.
Jamba Juice has an original PB Moo’d smoothie that weighs in at 20 grams of fat, 770 calories, four and a half grams of saturated fat, ten mg of cholesterol and 490 mg of sodium.
Fried Munchies
Chick-fil-A has many food fans in the mall world as they seem to have a good reputation for healthy, fast food. But a look at a familiar lunchtime fare of a spicy chicken sandwich and an order of waffle fries may report otherwise.
The spicy chicken sandwich deluxe is 27 grams of fat, 570 calories, eight grams of saturated fat, 80 mg of cholesterol and 1,750 mgs of salt. Then add in the waffle fries’ numbers: 27 grams of fat, 520 calories, four grams of saturated fat and 240 mg of salt. You can probably eat another meal for the day, but you’d have to be careful to stay within a day’s guidelines as these numbers amount to more than a third of the daily-recommended nutrients.
Chemicals
Before you get twisted over a trip to a pretzel joint, consider this. Commercial pretzels are dipped in a dilute toxic liquid of caustic acid, or sodium hydroxide, in other words lye. This allows the crust to be extra crunchy. Readers should note that the lye is not part of the final processes of pretzel making.
But pretzels aren’t the only products to be leery of. Chick-fil-A has also been called out for using a myriad of chemicals in their foods. According to one activist Vani Hari (aka Food Babe), this fast food restaurant uses food coloring, MSG, GMO corn, antibiotics and TBHQ. Quite the alphabet mouthful, don’tcha think?
Let’s start with MSG, monosodium glutamate. We are all familiar with this ingredient, it sometimes makes us uber thirsty after Chinese food. But Chick-fil-A uses them too. And MSG is an excitotoxin, which can excite brain cells to death. Strangely enough, this ingredient is not regulated by any agency.
In excess, it can cause eye damage, vomiting, skin rashes, asthma, heart irregularities, seizures, disorientation, and migraine headaches. It is also known as the disconnect between the “I’m full” button and the stomach, which allows for more calories to be consumed. Also, “autolyzed yeast extract” is also a form of MSG.
Then there is the chemical TBHQ, which is made from butane and is used as a preservative in CFA food. The good news is that Chic-fil-A has made a promise to its patrons that it will “serve chicken raised without antibiotics in all Chick-fil-A restaurants, nationwide, within five years.” They have also taken steps to eliminate the chemicals mentioned above.
For health’s sake….
And if those super salty foods aren’t your poison. Maybe it’s your sweet tooth you have to watch out for. Avoid a lot of unhealthy temptations, including the Cinnabon Caramel Pecanbon with its 1,092 calories, 56 grams of fat and 47 grams of sugar. That’s more than half a day’s calories along with more than twice the fat grams recommended by dietitians for a day.
Perhaps the best way to make your day at the mall a slimming success, eat before you hot the stores. That way you can shop til you drop, just not from making the wrong dietary decisions.