Top 10 Links of the Week 1 22 10 – 1 28 10

This week, we question authority, stand up to The Man, and discuss some lovely options for midday snacks. Tally ho!

1) Serious Eats: How Do You Eat for a Week for $50?
I think this thread might be longer than the Constitution. And the ideas are just as excellent. What, me exaggerate?

2) GMA: Grocery Bill Was Out of Control, but Year-Long Meal Plan Saves Texas Woman Time and Money
Leslie Chisholm, mother of four boys, started planning her family’s dinner a year in advance. It took some time, but she’s managed to reduce her grocery bill by half. Moms take note! (Note: it’s a video.)

3) Slashfood: What Can I Get You Folks – Using Your Coupon
“For whatever reason, coupon users tend to be among the most impolite diners,” says Slashfood columnist/waitressing vet Hanna Raskin. Here, she suggests ways to avoid being that guy. A solid comment thread follows the post. (Incidentally, when I worked in the food industry, the very best and very worst customers were almost always senior citizens.)

4) Jezebel: OK Helps Kourtney Shed Baby Weight with Photoshop Phony Diet
This whole piece is just emblematic of why I love Jez, but especially this sentence: “Since women have already learned from other magazine covers to loathe their ‘bikini bodies’ and that they should be wrinkle-free after 40, why not send the message that their bodies arent good enough mere days after theyve brought forth life?”

5) Jezebel: Whole Foods Employee BMI Discount Raises Legal Concerns
Whole Foods is giving discounts to workers in good shape. Normally, this would anger me, since it seems like discrimination. But here’s the hitch: if you’re trying to project a certain image with your business, does it make sense to encourage employees to uphold that impression? Hooters does it. (Note: This is a devils advocate kind of question. IMHO, its discrimination.)

6) The Kitchn: Quick and Light – 14 Ideas for Fresh and Easy Snacks
All of a sudden, I’m hungry for kale chips. And roasted chickpeas. And granola. And … you get the idea.

7) The Simple Dollar: Trimming the Average Budget – Alcoholic Beverages
For all this talk about frugal food, you don’t see booze mentioned very often. Trent attempts to remedy the situation with smart tippling strategies. As always, the comment thread is required reading. Drink up!

8) Coupon Sherpa: Recipe for Survival - 23 Ways Restaurants Save Money
Restaurants have taken some serious hits these last few years, so it’s logical they’re making cutbacks. Many are pretty reasonable, but a few border on unethical, e.g., the porcelain plates with bumps built in to make it look like you have more food. (Thanks to Simple Dollar for the link.)

9) Consumerist: You Ignore Calorie Info for Yourself, but Not Your Kids
Oh, man. So interesting. Parents buying fast food dinners for their kids saved 100 calories per meal when the nutritional data was posted on the menus (670 calories vs. 570 calories). Apparently, this can mean 10 pounds per year, ungained by children.

10) Serious Eats: Taste Test – Veggie Burgers
Morningstar Grillers: still the best! Even after all these years out of college, when vegetarian friends taught me they were totally the best!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Boston.com: Weight Watchers Sues Jenny Craig
It’s like the ‘90s East Coast/West Coast hip-hop feuds, starring Valerie Bertinelli instead of Suge Knight.

The Kitchn: 6 Ways to Reuse Oatmeal Tins
As someone on an oatmeal kick of epic proportions, this will come in handy.

Neatorama: Brain Slug Cupcakes
Because sometimes, you just want a cupcake shaped like a brain slug.

New York Times: The New Old Way to Tote Your Beer
If you’re a serious microbrew fan, growlers are your best friends. They’re essentially gallon jugs that you can ill at local pubs/specialty stores. One of roommates does it, and it’s saved him quite a bit of cashola.

Serious Eats: Finally, a Heavy Metal Cookbook - Hellbent for Cooking
For those about to cook, we salute you.

Wise Bread: Frugal, Gluten-Free Living – Kitchen Tools That Stretch Your Budget and Time
Celiac folks! Look here! I swear its not weird.

AND ALSO

McSweeney’s: Benefits Not Provided by “Friends with Benefits.”
My most excellent and hilarious friend Tony got a piece in McSweeney’s! This is the link to it. Because that’s what we do here.

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Top Ten Links of the Week 9 10 10 9 16 10

1) Food Politics: This Is Good News? UN Says 925 million People Are Chronically Hungry
2) NY Times: Ranks of Hungry Shrink, but Remain Large
Ten years after the world’s wealthiest nations promised to reduce hunger by half in 15 years, there has been .5% decrease in the number of hungry people around the globe. But experts say the situation is not hopeless. “While all the movement in terms of aid is in the right direction, [Jacques Diouf, the director general of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization] said, the pace needs to be accelerated.”

3) Food Politics: Corn Refiners Ask FDA to Replace “HFCS” with “Corn Sugar”
Big Corn wants a little rebranding for HFCS, I see. Be sure to check out Marion Nestle’s reader updates on the etymology of corn syrup’s moniker. It shows how susceptible we are and always have been to marketing.

4) Lifehacker: Budweiser, Balsamic Vinegar and How Expectations Affect Our Views
Hold up! We fall for marketing because of brain science. Behavioral economics professor, Dan Ariely, explains how our brains use information to make decisions and form opinions with a fascinating experiment with Boston students as his lab monkeys. My guess is the balsamic was a improvement on a classic.

5) The Minimalist: The Food Processor: A Virtuoso One-Man Band
Mark Bittman dedicates a love song to his food processor. Tonight, I’m going sprinkle some rose petals around the kitchen, turn down the lights, and put on some soft music while my Cuisinart and I make sweet, sweet poblano hummus.

6)Chow: How Do You Get Rid of Fruit Flies?
7)Lifehacker: Capture Fruit Flies with a Cup and Apple Cider Vinegar
Dueling fruit fly remedies: which one works best? You be the decider.

8) Science Daily: Only 5% of Americans Engage in Vigorous Physical Activity on Any Given Day
The report also states, “The most frequently reported moderate activity was food and drink preparation.” If we’re not exercising, at least we’re cooking.

9) The Kitchn: Best Way to Keep Greens Fresh? The Bath Towel Method
I can’t wait to try this. My tried-and true-salad spinner just bit the dust, and I’ve been enjoying the space it vacated.

10) Chow: Hazmat Investigates Exploding Sauerkraut
High school science class gets explosivo and requires a visit from HazMat. What was the most fun you ever had in science class?

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Food Politics: Department of Talmudic Investigation: Define Candy
For the love of taxes, someone has to draw the line between candy and cookies. The differential ingredient is flour, but as you might guess, it’s not that simple.

Jezebel: The World’s Smallest Cow
Jezebel: Worlds Tallest Dog Meets Smallest Dog
A banner week for cute and extremely sized animals!

NY Times Diner’s Journal: The Baker’s Apprentice: Peach or Apple Pie
Food writer Emily Weinstein gets a pie-making lesson from Sarabeth Levine of New York’s Sarabeth’s Kitchen. Luckily for us, she shares what she learned.

NYTimes The Curious Cook: For Old Fashioned Flavor: Bake the Baking Soda
Mmm...apparently lye makes good pretzels as well as soap and drain cleaner. Or just use toasted baking soda.

Unplugged: 3 Tips for Efficiently Stocking the Fridge
via The Kitchn
Save money on food and electricity with these oh-duh reminders.

There I Fixed It: So Is this Food Full of Iron?
Brilliant! Where was this hack during No Stove Month?

AND ALSO

National Maritime Museum: Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2010

Lets feel small together.


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Top 10 Links of the Week 4 30 10 – 5 6 10

So much good stuff going on this weekend: Mothers Day, beautiful weather (in NYC), and tonights Season 4 premiere of Friday Night Lights, the best hour-long drama on TV. 

But before any of that: Clear eyes! Full hearts! The links!

1) New York Times: For Corn Syrup, the Sweet Talk Gets Harder
HFCS has taken a huge publicity hit in the U.S. the last couple of years, and it’s being lected in sales. Less money is never a good thing for any business, so food manufacturers are taking steps to replace corn syrup with real sugar. Honestly, I don’t know how much better that is anyway, but HFCS admittedly kind of freaks me out. So … yay?

2) Almost Frugal: You vs. the Grocery Store
LOVE this post about combating supermarkets’ subtle ways of getting you to buy extra stuff. Think of it like a casino: go in with a plan, and you’ll walk out with your pants still on. (Um … you know what I mean.) (Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

3) Frugal Green Family: Considering a CSA? Weighing the Pros and Cons
For those of us still on the fence about a CSA share, this fabulously thoughtful post should seal the deal, either way.

4) Get Rich Slowly: The Savvy Shopper’s Guide to the Farmers’ Market
Need help navigating your farmer’s market? Go here. Do it now. Before you start cluelessly wandering your local produce gathering like a noob. Heh. Noob.

5) Surviving and Thriving: I glean ketchup packets. So what?
“Want to be considered weird, embarrassing or just plain cheap? Be frugal among people who aren’t.” In her new blog, MSN’s Donna Freedman discusses life as a frugalist, and why some people look at it weirdly (but probably shouldn’t). Good stuff.

6) Publix Penny Pincher: How to Make Your Cashier Love You
I first read the title as “How to Make Your Cashier Make Love to You.” Needless to say, it’s not about that. BUT, these simple supermarket tips will turn grocery shopping into a much more pleasant experience for everyone involved. Remember: Cashiers are people, too! (People who enjoy making love.)

7) HuffPo: A Table, Les Enfants! Dinner Is Served!
Neat piece about mealtime cultural differences between the author’s American family and French in-laws. At home, she’s always eaten quickly, mostly for fuel. Abroad, she parks her derriere and takes the time to enjoy the frommage. Tres bien.

8) stonesoup: 10 tips for optimum vegetable storage
Yes! This! Your parsley will never wilt prematurely again. (Photo courtesy of The Kitchn.)

9) Non-Meat Athlete: 7 Steps to Eating Less Meat Now
We all know that consuming less beef, poultry, and pork is better for our health and bank accounts. But how do we start? This guy knows. Oh, how he knows. (Thanks to Casual Kitchen for the link.)

10) The Atlantic Food: Among Dorms and Dining Halls, Hidden Hunger
Hey low-income college kids! Do you want an education, or do you want to eat? Unfortunately, more of you are being forced to make that decision. Fortunately, there are an increasing number of food programs being created to address the problem. Still, yikes.


HONORABLE MENTION

Associated Press: Expert: Surface area of Gulf oil spill has tripled
The AP piece is a few days old by now, but it’s still a solid overview of the Gulf catastrophe. This NYT article is newer, and explains how it might affect our seafood supply. What a mess, people.

Casual Kitchen: Meat Versus Miles - Why Less Meat is Better Than Going Local
Ideally, you can be doing both and still saving some cash. But slowly phasing meat out is a tad more effective.

Culinate: Gas vs. Electric Cooktops
I grew up on electric, and started using gas when I began renting. I will never switch back. And you can punctuate it. (Photo from Wikimedia.)

Food Politics: Where Do Farm Subsidies Go? Now We Know.
It’s your tax dollars at work. In the fields. For major corporations, mostly.

Get Rich Slowly: Getting Paid to Lose Weight with Healthy Wage
Is competing for a cash prize a good way to drop some pounds? Adam Baker is gonna find out. His Healthy Wage team has three months to lose, with $10,000 at stake.

The Kitchn
How Does a Food Lover Maintain a Healthy Weight?
Whipping Cream or Egg Whites: Soft, Firm, and Stiff Peaks - A Visual Guide
Link #1: Huge comment thread chock full of sweet suggestions.
Link #2: Ooo! My angel food cakes will be much happier now.

Money Saving Mom
Freezing Homemade Baby Food
Is Freezer Cooking Really Worth it?
Link #1: Looking to cut down on Gerber jars? Here’s how.
Link #2: Crystal’s first reason alone is enough to make me want to try this. Dishes are the scourge of humanity, people.

My Paper Crane: the dirty dozen cheat sheet
Need a super-cute graphic reminder of what organics to buy? This is your post.

NY Times: Farmers Cope With Roundup-Resistant Weeds
Dude. Nature ALWAYS wins. This could be very not good. Or just the opposite, if it’s publicized enough.

Serious Eats: Are There Foods You Can’t Keep in the House?
M&Ms. I will eat every one of them in a single sitting, lick the bag when they’re gone, and snort the air for chocolate dust particles afterward.

Simple Bites: Ten Ingredients You Must Have on Your Spice Rack
Guest poster Lydia Walshin runs down a list of her ten essentials, including a surprising #10. While I might add cloves, it’s a solid roundup.

This Mama Cooks: Healthy Comfort Food Weekly Meal Plan
It’s essentially a recipe roundup, but it’s a REALLY good recipe roundup. I want to go to here.


AND ALSO

The Seattle Times: Local boy with cancer turns into a superhero for a day
Favorite. Story. EVAH. 13-year-old Erik Martin is struggling with cancer, and loves superheroes. So, Make-A-Wish got most of Seattle together (seriously, it’s a cast of thousands) to turn him into one. I swear, this will warm your heart, kidneys, spleen, and every inch of your intestines. Go now!

Betty White SNL Promo
If you can’t catch FNL, go for SNL. The second take nearly made me cry laughing. St. Olaf, represent!



Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

Top Natural Weight Loss Supplements

As children and adults continue to wage a losing battle against excessive weight and obesity, the impact to health and longevity is beginning to take its toll.  Dietary excess, lack of exercise and stress are contributing to skyrocketing levels of the major killers.  

Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke and Alzheimers account for over 60% of deaths annually.  Children and teens are the largest growing segment of this epidemic, as they are increasingly raised on a processed diet of sugar, ined carbohydrates and trans fats which have been stripped of essential nutrients and are directly linked to disease when consumed for extended periods.  Targeted supplementation has been shown to be effective as a compliment to a healthy diet and can fuel weight loss through unique metabolic mechanisms.

Green Tea Steps Up Metabolism

Green tea is packed with natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds known as polyphenol catechins.  EGCG is a catechin which combines with caffeine in the minimally processed green tea and is effective in increasing the Base Metabolic Rate in the body.  This means that calories are continually being burned at a higher rate resulting in reduced fat storage and weight loss.  

Green Tea has the added advantage of modulating the effect of insulin which determines whether carbohydrate calories are stored as fat or burned for fuel.  This is especially important for diabetics as the disorder is characterized by insulin resistance and improper uptake of glucose by the cells. 

Green Tea has been shown to assist in weight loss when combined with a regular fitness program and a diet which drastically restricts ined carbohydrates and highly processed manufactured foods in favor of plenty of raw vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean protein and healthy fats.

Resveratrol Mimics Calorie Restriction

Calorie Restriction has long been known as an effective means to extend lifespan in animals and can also lead to healthy weight loss as a result.  By reducing calories consumed by 25%, certain genetic survival mechanisms are triggered in the body.  Specifically, a group of genes called SIRT1 are sensitive to how much food we are eating, and can slow down or speed up our longevity genetics to ensure reproduction during times of famine.  

Most people today eat enough calories to prevent SIRT1 from activating, but studies are demonstrating that we can mimic Calorie Restriction by taking a powerful grape skin extract called Resveratrol.  Resveratrol works best as an adjunct to continued weight loss after calorie intake has been reduced, as it activates the SIRT1 genes to fuel fat metabolism.

 

DHA From Fish Oil Supports Weight Loss

Omega-3 fats from fish and fish oil have been credited with supporting heart and brain health, and now natural weight loss can be added to the impressive list of benefits.  The DHA component of fish oil is used by the body to construct the outer membrane of each cell, and when this fat is available from diet or supplementation, it creates a healthy cell wall which allows the proper influx of oxygen and nutrients.  

This permits the cell to operate efficiently, and in addition to helping prevent potentially serious diseases such as cancer and Alzheimers, DHA increases the metabolic rate of the cell which burns additional calories.  DHA directly influences how fat stores are released for use as energy and the regulation of blood sugar by the body.  Proper diet and exercise are essential to maximize the effectiveness of DHA.

A solid weight loss strategy is essential for every health conscious child and adult.  Hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths are recorded each year from the major killers, and lives can be spared by a sensible approach to diet and exercise.  Additionally, targeted powerhouse dietary supplements help to fuel fat burn and weight loss naturally, while providing major health benefits.  As with any health regime, supplements are only a part of the overall program, but they can provide key support toward an extended, disease-free life.

Top 10 Links of the Week 1 8 10 – 1 14 10

First, thank you guys so much for your responses to Tuesday’s Ask the Internet question. They helped a lot, and I feel much more confident hitting up Crate & Barrel with a scanner gun. I think the Oxo company will be very, very pleased by the time we’re finished.

Second, Haiti’s been on a lot of people’s minds this week. If you’d like to pitch in, Epi-Log has a good rundown of donation sites for food relief, and Partners in Health is looking for any help they can get.

Third, my fellow compatriots of Team Conan, it’s time for the links.

1) Food Politics: Genetic Causes of Obesity – 1%
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition just found that only 1% of us can blame obesity on genetics, thus obliterating my last excuse for not exercising. Of course, environment (where family plays a huge role) is still a significant factor, but it seems that most of us can no longer say we’re fat because our grandmas were, too.

2) Mark Bittman: A Sound Piece by Russ Parsons
Guest blogger Parsons proposes some ground rules for discussing large-scale farming in the new decade. Actually, these sound, forward-thinking ideas would help navigate just about any disagreement. Just replace “food” with “boss,” and you’re good to go.

3) NPR: Going with Whole Grains
Excellent introduction to the wonderful world of amaranth, quinoa, and farro. Includes cooking methods, recipes, and a nice narrative from writer Nicole Spiridakis.

4) The Simple Dollar
Trimming the Average Budget – Food at Home
Trimming the Average Budget – Eating Out
Trent recently did a breakdown of the average household budget. Now, he’s going over each budgetary area, post by post, and offering hints on how to trim expenditures. A neat series overall, with quite good entries on food.

5) Queen of Shake-Shake: Proof that God Exists – He Loves a Housewife Martyr
Heather bought AN ENTIRE SET of Le Creuset cookware off Craigslist for … are you ready for this? … I don’t know if you are … brace yourselves, because here it is anyway … $200. I’m still gasping three days later. (Thanks to Meredith for the link.)

6) Lifehacker: Make Your Own Snack Packs to Lose Weight
If you did everything Lifehacker suggested, you’d be ruling the planet by now. Here, they highlight a smart Parent Hacks post that could help you drop some pounds and save some dough.

7) The Atlantic: Cultivating Failure
Look, writer Caitlin Flanagan, your largely insane article does contain one or two valid criticisms of Alice Waters and the school garden movement, but insulting your readership right off the bat ("ACORN-loving"?) doesn’t do wonders for your argument. May I suggest not starting your next book, about the emotional lives of teenage girls, with “We all know an emotionally volatile and somewhat promiscuous 14-year-old space cadet”? Ed Levine has a full breakdown/takedown.

8) Food Network Humor: How to Make an Episode of Barefoot Contessa
The only thing that would have made this better is a stand mixer appearance. If you’re an Ina fan, definitely check it out.

9) Science Daily: Restaurant and Packaged Foods Can Have More Calories Than Nutrition Labeling Indicates
The title is pretty self-explanatory, but just in case, here’s a follow-up from the article itself: “Measured energy values of 29 quick-serve and sit-down restaurant foods averaged 18% more calories than the stated values. Likewise, measured energy values of 10 frozen meals purchased from supermarkets averaged 8% more calories than stated on the label.” Crap!

10) Boing Boing: “Cruel Kindness” – a 1967 UK Educational Film About Childhood Obesity
I’m a sucker for educational films (“Meat and You”), but the most interesting parts about this video are the kids themselves, who were apparently considered overweight in 1967. Maybe it’s a testament to our shifting culture, or maybe the film itself is a little skewed, but they look like pretty average compared to children in 2010. Is it just me?


via videosift.com

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Casual Kitchen: How to Feel Less Hungry on Fewer Calories – Hacking the Satiety Factor of Foods
What’s filling? What’s not? Break it down with Dan.

Dad Cooks Dinner: Rules for Losing Weight
Nine more basic tenets for healthy eating.

The Kitchn: 20 Recipes for Roasted Vegetable Roundups
I seriously need to stop reading The Kitchn, because I inevitably end up linking to half the dang blog. Anyway, it’s another great recipe roundup, this time on roasted winter veggies.

The Kitchn: Alton Brown on Eating at Home and Eating Light
Breakdown of and links to Alton Brown’s Good Eats weight loss ep.

New York Times: Michael Pollan Offers 64 Ways to Eat Food
The high priest of healthy eating is back with a new book. The Gray Lady gives us an interview/preview.

Re-Nest: Green Eating – Leon Seasonal Food Chart
In-season chart that as pretty as it is useful. So, very.

Serious Eats: Is Heirloom Wheat the Next Big Baking Trend?
Neat piece shows that how you cook something is often just as important as what you put into it (if not moreso.)

Serious Eats: What Kitchen Items Would You List on a Bridal Wedding Registry?
Adam Kuban and I are in similar situations this week! See how Serious Eaters responded.

Wise Bread: Sex Up Your Sandwich – Ideas for Budget-Conscious Brown Baggers
Please read the article, so you don’t accidentally sex up your sandwich in the wrong way. It could have some weird consequences.

Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!