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The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 have quite a few of these informative charts. One of my favorites is the figure in Chapter 2 on page 12 that shows the top 25 sources of calories for Americans. It might surprise you.
Take a look for yourself but here are the top 20 sources of calories:
#1 Grain-based desserts
#2 Breads
#3 Chicken (I'm guessing this isn't all "grilled" chicken
#4 Soft drinks
#5 pizza
#6 ALcoholic beverages
#7 Pasta
#8 tortillas, burritos, tacos
#9 beef
#10 diary desserts
#11 potato/corn chips
#12 burger
#13 reduced fat milk
#14 cheese
#15 cold cereals
#16 pork
#17 fried potatoes
#18 candy
#19 nuts & seeds
#20 eggs & egg mixed dishes
What did YOU think would be the top three calorie contributors?View Thread

• 77% of the average American's sodium intake comes from
processed food
* Only 5% is added during cooking
* Only 6% is added at the table
* 12 % is naturally in foods we eat
So what's the opposite of eating processed food?
Eat more whole foods at home!
This way YOU control the amount of salt and sodium added in the cooking, instead of food manufacturers and fast food chains.
View Thread

This statistic comes from a study published in 2002 in the Journal of American Epidemiology. [Am J Epidemiol 2002, 155 (9): 827-833>
WHAT IS YOUR BEST TIP TO HELP YOU DRINK AT LEAST 5 GLASSES of water a day?
Here are a few of mine:
* Stop drinking soda and you'll be more likely to reach for water or tea
* Bring a bottle of water with you (use the refillable type whenever possible) wherever you go...in the car or subway, in meetings, etc.
* If you aren't crazy about the neutral taste of water, try flavoring water with lemon, lime or orange slices, cucumber or spices (like cinnamon) and herbs (like mint), or with green or white tea leaves or bags.
View Thread

And if you are exercising and building muscle (usually thought to be a good thing) you might actually be gaining body mass (weight).
In terms of cutting out sweets (I wouldn't cut it ALL out so you aren't feeling deprived), drinking more water and eating more fruits and vegetables and exercising more...that's a generally healthful thing to do regardless of trying lose weight.
There is a genetic and gender component to how much people can eat for their body size and how easily bodies build muscle, etc...so it's difficult to compare yourself to your friend who may have one of those enviable sets of genetics.
Hope that makes sense!View Thread

Putting a glass of water next to your bed to serve as a reminder to drink water but also so if you wake up thirsty it's right there for you.View Thread

Salmonella symptoms can arise 6 to 48 hours after eating the offending food.View Thread

So I pulled the following together but wanted to highlight a resource from the FDA so you can get more information on any and all food poisoning bugs in the future!
SALMONELLA--can occur in inadequately cooked foods items and improperly refrigerated foods
Symptoms
abdominal pain or cramping or tenderness, chills, diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting
Possible food sources
(Prevent poisoning by proper hand washing especially when handling eggs and poultry and if you own a reptile, wear gloves when handling the animal or its feces because animals can pass Salmonella to humans.)
-meats
-eggs
-milk
-cheese
-seafood
-contaminated fruits and vegetables
LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES—this bacterium can grow slowly at refrigerator temperatures.
Symptoms
Fever, chills, headache, stiff neck, backache, and sometimes upset stomach and diarrhea. May take up to 3 weeks to become ill.
Possible food sources
-contaminate[a name="_GoBack"> d hot dogs, luncheon meats, cold cuts, fermented or dry sausage, and other deli-style meat and poultry
-soft cheese and unpasteurized milk
TOXOPLASMA GONDII—This is the bacterium that you can accidentally take in when soil contaminated with cat feces gets on your fruits and vegetables.
Symptoms
Flu-like illness appears from 5 to 23 days after eating contaminated food and may last months.
Possible food sources
-fruits and vegetables with traces of soil contaminated with cat feces
-raw or undercooked meat
NOROVIRUSES—this is one of the top 5 bugs responsible for 90% of the cost burden from food poisonining.
Symptoms
Diarrhea is a more common symptom of the norovirus in adults while vomiting is more common in children. Other symptoms include nausea, stomach pain, fever, muscle aches and some headache. Symptoms appear within 1 to 2 days and may last 1 to 2 days
Possible food sources
-shellfish and fecally contaminated foods or water
-ready-to-eat food touched by infected food workers (salads, sandwiches, ice, cookies, fruit)
CAMPYLOBACTER--generally associated with uncooked poultry, meat or shellfish or not following safe meat-handling practices. Well-cooked meat may take care of potential contamination.
Symptoms
fever, headache, muscle pain followed by diarrhea (sometimes bloody), stomach pain and nausea that appears 2 to 5 days after eating and may last 7 days.
Possible food sources
-raw or undercooked meat, poultry, or shellfish
-raw milk
-contaminated water
STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS--
Symptoms
Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea usually within 30 minutes to 6 hours after eating contaminated food. Symptoms last 1 to 3 days with the young and elderly having more severe symptoms.
Possible food sources
-contaminated milk and cheeses
-salty foods (ham)
-sliced meat
-food made by hand that require no cooking (puddings, sandwiches)
-food workers who carry the bacteria and contaminate food
CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS--Called the "cafeteria germ" because many outbreaks result from food left for long periods on steam tables or at room temperature.
Symptoms
intense stomach cramps and diarrhea begin 8 to 22 hours after eating and usually lasts 24 hours.
Possible food sources
-meats, meat products and gravy
E.COLI--is one of the bacteria normally present in human and animal intestines and therefore potentially human feces.
Symptoms of one strain of E. coli that causes illness:
Symptoms include severe diarrhea (sometimes bloody), stomach cramps and vomiting and usually no fever. Symptoms appear 1 to 8 days after food is eaten but usually appear about 3 days after swallowing the bacteria.
Possible foods sources
undercooked beef especially ground beef
unpasteurized milk or juice
contaminated raw fruits and vegetables and waterView Thread

For me I look forward to:
* the pumpkin bagels that a bagel chain only offers in October/November
* enjoying more soups and stews and chili in general
* pumpkin spice lattes (skim milk, no whip but still yummy)
* Using the slow cooker more often
What about YOU??????View Thread


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