Pop Quiz Answer: Holy Sweetness!

Put down the jelly donut for this one...



Q: How many teaspoons of sugar does the average American consume a day??


Answer:  22-30 teaspoons/day =92-126 grams= 350-475 calories
(from Nutrition Action 12/09)

Eekkkk...That's one sugar high.

The majority is found in beverages, dairy, cereal, sweets, candy, canned fruit, granola bars, and some bread products. You'll even find it in condiments and salad dressings.

Other sugar names to look for: agave syrup, juice concentrate, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, honey, molasses, glucose, fructose, evaporated cane juice

Beverages are the worst, check these out (tsp=teaspoon):

Min. Maid Lemonade: 17 tsp
SoBE Green Tea: 15.5 tsp             
Coke: 10 tsp
Gatorade: 8.5 tsp

Nestle Iced Tea: 12 tsp
-->Tonic Water (schweppes): 14 tsp sugar
Thirsty?



K, so what's an OK amount to consume per day?

Women: < 6.5 teaspoons A DAY (less than 100 calories)
Men: < 9.5 teaspoons A DAY (less than 250 calories)

If you're reading food labels, and ya should:
6.5 teaspoon= 27 grams sugar (women)
 9.5 teaspoons= 40 grams sugar (men)

Pop Quiz:Holy Sweetness!

We seriously eat a lot of sugar in this country, and the food industry LOVES to put it in everything. We know it contributes to obesity, and in return- contributes to lots of chronic diseases.

Q :How many teaspoons of sugar does the average American consume per day?

     A teaspoon of sugar= 4.2 grams

     1 cup sugar= 200 grams

A. 22-30 teaspoons/day                    

B. 12-24 teaspoons/day

C. 30-40 teaspoons/day

D. 7-17 teaspoons/day

Pop Quiz Answer: Heart Disease is Expensive

In the upcoming year,Heart disease is projected to cost American's:

B. 502 BILLION DOLLARSSSSSSSS!

Dr.Evil, it really isn't funny. Check out this article in the AHA Circulation.

Not only does heart disease cost you your health, if also costs the country as a whole some big bucks. Don't wait until it's too late and you are stuck on medications (that have their own side effects) or are suprised by an unexpected stroke or heart attack. Yet another reason to pay close attention to what you're eating and the magical "heart numbers!": cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and blood sugars.

Don't forget- February is HEART HEALTH month!

Pop Quiz:Heart Disease is expensive

Just how expensive?
The estimated total indirect and direct cost of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) for 2010 is projected to be:

1. 806 million
2. 503 billion
3. 376 million
4. 102 billion

Pop Quiz Answer: Know your US states

I know you've been anxiously waiting...


What US state has the lowest percentage of obesity?


B. COLORADO! 18.9% are obese
    do you think its from all that skiing and hiking?


What US state has the highest percentage of obesity?


D. M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I! 32.5% are obese
    Alabama came in a close second with 31.2%
    southern fried...

Source

Pop Quiz: Know your US states

Can you accurately map out all the US states? Oh, 4th grade geography...                           

How about picking out the most and least obese states?

What US state has the least percentage of obese residents?
1. Utah
2. Colorado
3. California
4. North Carolina

What US state has the highest percentage of obese residents?
1. Maine
2. New Hampshire
3. Alabama
4. Mississippie

Pop Quiz! Calories Answer

If you guessed A, well- you were wrong.        

sorry.

The answer is D:

it takes consuming 3,500 additional calories to gain a pound, and inversely- you have to cut out or burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound.

Sound like a lot?


To lose a pound a week you need a 500 calorie deficit all 7 days:

Cut out 250 calories from food every day

Burn off 250 calories/day from exercise
(can double up calorie burn so you don't necessarily need to work out every day)

  

In order to GAIN a pound a week: just slap on an extra 500 calories a day and don't exercise.

Wanna know some easy ways to gain a pound a week (not recommended!) ?

Drink 3.5 sodas a day

OR drink a 30 pack of Bud light by yourself....hangover much?

OR a 24 pack of Bud heavy (budweiser).. i know some dudes who have no problem throwing back 12 beers a night in a weekend.

OR get a fast food egg/cheese/sausage sandwich every morning during the work week (5 days)

YUMMMMAYYYYY

Pop quiz! Calories

How many calories do you have to eat in excess to gain 1 pound?

In other words, 1 pound= ? calories

A. 2,000 calories = 1 lb
B. 6,000 calories = 1 lb
C. 4,500 calories = 1 lb
D. 3,500 calories = 1 lb

It's multiple choice...take a guess!!
( you can even report your answer in the comment section below)
No cheating! 
Answer to come!

Enjoy a lil' Garfield while you are thinking...

The SALTY truth: Pop quiz answer

 I know you've all been anxiously waiting..

Americans are recommended to limit themselves to a certain amount of SODIUM per day. 

How MUCH? 

DRUM ROOOOLLLLLLL........

Answer:

2000-2300 mg sodium per day
1500 mg for those at risk of high blood pressure: African Americans, middle aged & older aged peeps

2300 mg= 1 teaspoon of table salt (bust out your measuring tools..it's kinda teensie).

Now that you know how much...

What is it?

 A soft metal and electrolyte that attracts water & controls water regulation in our bodies (hence the bloated feeling after consuming a whole box of wheat thins). 

It is essential for muscle and nerve function.

  

Where?

 Sodium is found in:

1. SALT: Takes up 40% of the little white granules. The rest is chloride.
2. Natural foods: veggies, dairy, meat/poultry

3. OTC drugs/Prescriptions (check the label)
4. Baking soda & baking powder
5. Additives (under ingredients list on food label):
   disodium phosphate (aka phosphoric acid), monosodium phosphate (MSG), sodium  propionate,sodium nitrate
6. The biggest culprit of all: Prepared Foods:
 Luncheon meats, soup, baked goods, cheese, salad dressings, fried foods, snacks (crackers, pretzels, chips), pretty much anything in a box or can.
    Why? For taste and preservation of the food product.

What happens if you eat above the recommended amount too often?
Could eventually lead to Hypertension (high blood pressure)-a serious silent disease that can cause heart attack, stroke, tissue & organ damage and death. 

I see it too often first-hand!

5 Ways to Cut Back on Sodium:
1. Put the salt shaker down!! There's enough salt in food as it is. Your tastes buds will adjust, don't worry.
2. Try salt-free herbs &  spices (tips to come)
3. Eat fresh! (not a subway ad)
4. Try low-sodium cheese, deli meat, and soups
    Try unsalted nuts, popcorn, chips &  pretzels
5. Stick to foods in packages that have less than 300 mg per  serving

Keep an eye out-- recommendations could change in the upcoming 2010 Dietary Guidelines

(which change every 5 years).

POP QUIZ! It's salty

Ahhemm....for today's pop quiz:

Americans are recommended to limit themselves to a certain amount of SODIUM per day. How MUCH?

(CLUE: we're talking grams or mg here)