Let's Talk About Industrialized Food...

Well, the week has come and gone.

This week was interesting because I had an opportunity to learn more about food and the industrialized food industry.  I could create an entire other blog about this topic and all of the environmental, political, and health issues surrounding the food industry.  I had the opportunity to watch the documentary film, Food, Inc. this week and it really impacted the way I think about food and what I put into my body.

One of the things that I want to learn more about is artificial ingredients and how they impact our bodies.

I just found an interesting article about this topic on Shine from Yahoo! that can be found at this link.

The article addresses 9 ingredients that you should avoid in processed foods.  They are:

1. Artificial Colors
2. Artificial Flavors
3. Artificial Sweeteners
4. Benzoate Preservatives
5. Brominated Vegetable Oils
6. High Fructose Corn Syrup
7. MSG
8. Olestra
9. Shortening, Hydrogenated and Patricianly Hydrogenated Oils

If you visit the attached link you can get more details about WHY to avoid these things.

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler

Cook Out -- Go To . . .

For those of you not in the North Carolina foothills, piedmont, or coastal plain areas, you are probably not familiar with this North Carolina only, deliciously tasting, bad for you, establishment called Cook-Out. You can only find them from about Charlotte, NC and eastward.  They serve hamburgers, hotdogs, BBQ, chicken strips, fries, milkshakes, and some North Carolina local sodas.  

The food is horrible for you, loaded in grease and fat...but sooooooo good (check out the menu here).  

When Cook-Out first came to the town near where I go to college, it was swarmed by local students (it's open 'till 4 AM, so it works for our schedules, AND the menu [which you can check out at the link above] is incredible cheap), myself included.  My favorite thing is a Cook-Out Tray, which costs $3.99, with a BBQ sandwich, french fries, chicken nuggets, and sweet tea.

...I know, right?  It's TERRIBLE!!!

Well, I love Cook-Out and when I started the diet I had to quit it, then I had my relapse time and I had it some then, and then I quit it again.  Well, after the last time that I ''quit it'' I told myself that I would have it again for my birthday, and tonight was that night.  So, we went, and I got my Cook-Out.  Yeah, I feel kinda gross now, but I'll get over it.

One final note before I head to bed, I weighed myself today...

My Weight, as of April 6 is...

310 pounds.

 A gain of 1 pound since last time I weighed.

So, here we are, back up to the 3-teen mark.  BUT, I still have five weeks until graduation, and think I can get below the 300 mark by then!

I'll be heading back to the gym tomorrow (and I am NOT looking forward to it).  Wish me luck!

Until Next Time...

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-Tyler