tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49665847069955698132024-03-13T10:08:26.137-05:00PCOS AND FRIENDS A JOURNEY THROUGH PCOS INTERSTITIAL CYSTITUS AND DEPRESSION cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-75105339915755276102014-10-01T19:44:00.000-05:002014-10-01T19:49:26.990-05:00The Plexus Scam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1TPPN8WwJKufyHlWsEymT6l-MTokFd890kNDhOuCmHjguqKjujCldHrxzc0Zf7nsZn_kHWPQl81y1aJ3F-1yxgh8TDG23ku8LsxDf4xQDSCouMy-XXHgngn1Jv-XvQfZbe7JRTj_Wyc/s1600/plexus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM1TPPN8WwJKufyHlWsEymT6l-MTokFd890kNDhOuCmHjguqKjujCldHrxzc0Zf7nsZn_kHWPQl81y1aJ3F-1yxgh8TDG23ku8LsxDf4xQDSCouMy-XXHgngn1Jv-XvQfZbe7JRTj_Wyc/s1600/plexus.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We all have those Facebook friends who clog our feeds with hourly posts about the miracles of Plexus. The first couple of months I just ignored it until the harassment was simply more than I cared to endure. The final straw for me was after politely declining unsolicited messages and disclosing that I was in fact pregnant and therefor very much not interested, they simply would not stop. One morning I woke up to find myself tagged in a sales pitch on a friends page with more sales pitches waiting in my in-box. I was even told "Plexus is natural and healthy for the baby". This is not an okay thing to say to a pregnant woman. One you are implying that I being pregnant am in need of weight loss. Two you are pushing a non FDA approved or tested product onto potentially pregnant woman which could cause real harm to developing fetuses. After deleting any and all friends who use their Facebook to try and line their pocket books, I decided to do some research.</span><br />
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Let's start by talking about what a multi-level marketing strategy is.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Multi-level marketing</b> (<b>MLM</b>) is a <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Marketing_strategy?qsrc=3044" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none;" title="Marketing strategy">marketing strategy</a> in which the sales force is compensated not only for sales they personally generate, but also for the sales of the other salespeople that they recruit. This recruited sales force is referred to as the participant's "downline", and can provide multiple levels of compensation.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Xardel_1-0" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-Xardel-1" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup> Other terms used for MLM include <b>pyramid selling</b>,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-2" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-3" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[3]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-4" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-4" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[4]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-autogenerated4_5-0" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-autogenerated4-5" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[5]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-6" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[6]</a></sup><b>network marketing</b>,<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-autogenerated4_5-1" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-autogenerated4-5" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[5]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Vandernat_7-0" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-Vandernat-7" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-8" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-8" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[8]</a></sup> and <b>referral marketing</b>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-skepdic_9-0" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-skepdic-9" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a></sup> According to the US <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Federal_Trade_Commission?qsrc=3044" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none;" title="Federal Trade Commission">FTC</a>, some MLM plans get their benefit from exploiting other members of the network, and they are illegal pyramid schemes.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-10" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-10" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[10]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-11" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-11" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[11]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-12" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-12" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[12]</a></sup></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Most commonly, the salespeople are expected to sell products directly to consumers by means of relationship referrals and <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Word_of_mouth?qsrc=3044" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none;" title="Word of mouth">word of mouth</a> marketing.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Xardel_1-1" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-Xardel-1" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup> Some people use <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Direct_selling?qsrc=3044" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none;" title="Direct selling">direct selling</a> as a synonym for MLM, although MLM is only one type of direct selling, which started centuries ago with<a class="mw-redirect" href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Peddling?qsrc=3044" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none;" title="Peddling">peddling</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Xardel_1-2" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-Xardel-1" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Vandernat_7-1" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-Vandernat-7" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-FTCstatement_13-0" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Multi-level_marketing?o=2800&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com#cite_note-FTCstatement-13" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap;">[13]</a></sup></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Companies that use MLM models for compensation have been a frequent subject of criticism and lawsuits. Criticism has focused on their similarity to illegal <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Pyramid_scheme?qsrc=3044" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none;" title="Pyramid scheme">pyramid schemes</a>, <a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Cult?qsrc=3044" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none;" title="Cult">cult-like</a> behavior,<a href="http://www.ask.com/wiki/Price_fixing?qsrc=3044" style="background: none; color: #3300b5; text-decoration: none;" title="Price fixing">price fixing</a> of products, high initial entry costs (for marketing kit and first products), emphasis on recruitment of others over actual sales, encouraging if not requiring members to purchase and use the company's products, exploitation of personal relationships as both sales and recruiting targets, complex and exaggerated compensation schemes, the company and/or leading distributors making major money off training events and materials, and cult-like techniques which some groups use to enhance their members' enthusiasm and devotion.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sounds a lot like what is going on with Plexus to me. I found this hilarious YouTube video in which a crazed ambassador addresses how an "ambassador" should address allegations that Plexus is in fact a MLM or a pyramid scheme. She actually says "when you talk about Plexus you need to talk about it like you are talking about your faith or your gender....because this is a fear based question and those people are just bullies" Wait ..... What ?!?!?! She never actually provides facts or data as to why Plexus is not a scam but I love her logic of " because uh duh". Oh man I couldn't make this stuff up if I wanted to! Please take the 1:49 to watch the best video ever below....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 19.5px;">After months of unwanted bombardment, I have a few observations about the Plexus posts I have read. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 19.5px;">1. Whenever anyone comments asking what Plexus is the ambassador immediately offers to send them a private message. Why can't you just answer the question? Oh, that's right, because you are not so much trying to sell a product as you are trying to get people to dump cash into your personal business. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 19.5px;">2. The testimonial pictures are never of my actual friends, but of complete strangers. Who are these people and why do I care? That's right, I don't. So stop posting them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 19.5px;">Here is a true testimonial - my testimonial. Over the course of a year, without spending a penny on diet plans or magic pills I lost 100 lbs. Here is my proof simply eating healthy and exercising works. The only thing I am selling you is the truth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 19.5px;">Before....</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidO19O286lS7Q9Cwi7zGBM0h0ZB5o2PTgPCesv6oolGdP5ICQ51rgqiq1cX9UKiQnf5Mbd2f4khY85z8V-0bLXeLMmIZjmVaV2tUk5z1Hrmrc3pLHxe-c8SpvcDPJDHF9e69qCFDTwf8/s1600/fat+casey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidO19O286lS7Q9Cwi7zGBM0h0ZB5o2PTgPCesv6oolGdP5ICQ51rgqiq1cX9UKiQnf5Mbd2f4khY85z8V-0bLXeLMmIZjmVaV2tUk5z1Hrmrc3pLHxe-c8SpvcDPJDHF9e69qCFDTwf8/s1600/fat+casey.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After......</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uhv0MYBa5yNapH4Xwg_20BGW1d01ce71He__oKYN3wXYfUzuxgd5JHsrLAzPZjJ_pbEeG9IF1i92DyHNEh8gq5Rxx4oLBzU3Y2ts16pQc65deAO5Kd4tcfq-ZE7FpNnChd3JOvcfQxU/s1600/100+lbs+down.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0uhv0MYBa5yNapH4Xwg_20BGW1d01ce71He__oKYN3wXYfUzuxgd5JHsrLAzPZjJ_pbEeG9IF1i92DyHNEh8gq5Rxx4oLBzU3Y2ts16pQc65deAO5Kd4tcfq-ZE7FpNnChd3JOvcfQxU/s1600/100+lbs+down.jpg" height="320" width="134" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And, other than the healthy baby growing in my belly, I have kept it off !!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">3. I honestly think they think this crap cures cancer. If Plexus was such a miracle it would be the headline of every newspaper, the top story of every news cast, and not the annoying hourly post of a friend trying to make some extra money. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Now let's talk about the product itself. What is Plexus?</span></div>
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<h2 style="background-color: white; color: #e72c66; line-height: 1.25; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding-bottom: 15px !important; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
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Pros and Cons of Plexus Slim</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you’re trying to make a decision as to whether or not this product can help you to achieve the weight loss results you’re looking for, it’s important to consider the facts when it comes to the pros and the cons of this product.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Pros</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Some of the ingredients may be beneficial for weight loss, including:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: 600 !important;">Chlorogenic Acid</span></h4>
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<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This is a substance derived from green coffee beans.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A 2010 <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20064576" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; color: #2919ff; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;">study</a> did find that it helped with weight loss and increased fat burning in rats that were fed a high fat diet. A very small study involving 16 overweight people was also conducted in 2012, and found that participants saw significant reductions in body weight, body mass and percent body fat compared to those taking a placebo.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Chlorogenic acid may also have a laxative effect.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: 600 !important;">Chromium</span></h4>
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<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Chromium is an important nutrient known to help regulate blood sugar levels which may also reduce cravings for simple carbs.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It’s known as an “essential trace element” because only a very small amount is necessary for health.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Some studies have shown that it may have a small amount effect on weight loss, but many others have found it has no effect.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: 600 !important;">Garcina Cambogia Extract</span></h4>
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<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This fruit native to Indonesia may be effective in making meals more filling so that one eats less.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It’s also believed to help curb the appetite.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There have been some <a href="http://www.livescience.com/39243-garcinia-cambogia-supplement-facts.html" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; color: #2919ff; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;">studies</a> that have shown that it is effective for weight loss; however, these studies were conducted on mice. Human studies have found no real difference between people taking a placebo and those who took Garcina Cambogia.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">While it’s safe for most people, it could interact with diabetes treatments and it may be a problem for those with Alzheimer’s or dementia.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A quick look at a <a href="http://pinkforhealth.com/qaa#7" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; color: #2919ff; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;">FAQ</a> on a distributor website states that “extensive clinical research has demonstrated <span style="font-weight: 600 !important;">no</span> ill side effects with any medications or other supplements,” which reiterates the issue discussed above in regard to false claims by unqualified “ambassadors.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: 600 !important;">Alpha Lipoic Acid</span></h4>
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<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Alpha Lipoic Acid is an antioxidant known to help prevent cell damage in the body.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It is also used to help break down carbohydrates and increase energy levels.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">One study found that it may increase the metabolic rate which can boost weight loss; however, this study also involved mice and not humans.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">While it isn’t known to be harmful, it may interfere with diabetes treatment.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Cons</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: 600 !important;">UPDATED:</span> One major concern with Plexus is that the Plexus Accelerator product was banned in Australia with the <a href="http://www.tga.gov.au/safety/alerts-medicine-plexus-slim-accelerator-capsules-130716.htm" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; color: #2919ff; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;">Australian Department of Health</a>warning consumers that it posed a serious health risk due to the ingredient DMAA.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The substance has been linked to high blood pressure, psychiatric disorders, bleeding in the brain and stroke.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Despite clams by company ambassadors that the products are totally safe, without side effects and have no interactions with medications, the company has issued a warning on its website related to the Accelerator product, which can be<a href="http://www.plexusworldwide.com/products/slim-accelerator.html" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; color: #2919ff; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;">viewed here</a>.</span></div>
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Other issues include:</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: 600 !important;">The use of two natural sweeteners: stevia and luo han guo</span>.</span></h4>
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<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Although stevia is added to many low-calorie foods and beverages and is not necessarily harmful in itself, there has been some research that shows it may actually hinder weight loss because the brain doesn’t receive a signal that the stomach is full.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The sweet flavor can actually trick the body into thinking it’s going to be receiving calories – and when it doesn’t, metabolism is lowered.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Keep in mind, that there are lots of low and no-cal products on the shelves and Americans are certainly no slimmer than they were back in the ‘70s or ‘80s. In fact, obesity is more rampant than ever.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: 600 !important;">Higenamine.</span></h4>
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<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This plant-derived chemical is an ingredient in the Accelerator product. It works like a stimulant, causing tissues to contract. It speeds the heart rate and increases heart contractions. This is likely at least part of the reason for the warning.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; font-weight: 600 !important;">Was there ever any “extensive clinical research?”</span></h4>
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<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Although Plexus has made claims of extensive clinical research on its products, it doesn’t ever seem to have been tested in published studies to see if it interacts with certain health conditions or medications.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The only specific <a href="http://plexusworldwide.com/science/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; color: #2919ff; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;">study</a> on Plexus Slim is a summary of one shown on the company website. This 2008 study was not published or peer reviewed.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It did reveal that eight people with type 2 diabetes who were given the product saw some improvement in blood sugar and body weight, but there is no information as to how it was conducted, which means it can’t be duplicated by other scientists – or used to seriously backup the claims.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Then there is the cost. I have read Plexus can cost a person in the ball park of $100 month. I would personally prefer to just eat healthy and exercise, maybe take some inexpensive but quality vitamins for general health that are supported by doctors. Then I'd save that money for a new wardrobe! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Losing weight should not cost you money. Weight loss should not be an industry. Instead I believe we need to educate people on making healthy lifestyle choices. It might be cliche but it works. Yes, it is hard and requires personal sacrifice, but the reality is you don't need a $100 month powder you drink once a day. You need will power and hope. Have faith in yourself that you are capable of more than you told yourself in the past, find your personal motivation and change your life. Products such as Plexus will come and go but the basics of health and weight loss will remain unchanged. Those who change their lifestyles will still be standing long after Plexus is just another forgotten and discarded fad.</span></div>
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cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-20851019600907698362014-03-24T10:33:00.001-05:002014-03-24T10:33:13.284-05:00Practice What You Preach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyJ-41QsvDjvJj7vcNtiNlnR97xZLvWIfh3LWuUdJZ5spSrX2f96xhyphenhyphenpXyXCdU6W8dT0aAu9noUra44CVJURXR2pkaBP_smLjTHbl3nKCWNUR1-B4eugXWoORKyRZJ6yJ-iyWF-KGv2A/s1600/set+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyJ-41QsvDjvJj7vcNtiNlnR97xZLvWIfh3LWuUdJZ5spSrX2f96xhyphenhyphenpXyXCdU6W8dT0aAu9noUra44CVJURXR2pkaBP_smLjTHbl3nKCWNUR1-B4eugXWoORKyRZJ6yJ-iyWF-KGv2A/s1600/set+back.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not too much to write. Kidding. Just not enough time. Damn work. Okay I am definitely gaining weight. Time to step up. My eating habits are also not helping my energy levels, hormone levels, or pain levels. This is what happens if you get lax. You tell yourself "I had a crappy day, I deserve this snickers".... Two months later your body decides "oh you think you can eat a snickers everyday and get away with it - guess what - boom you gained 10 lbs ". Okay then body, two can play this game. Drinking some herbal green and pomegranate iced tea and having a yummy Greek yogurt for breakfast. I will make sure to pack my lunch today so I don't have an excuse to go to Bill Millers (although they have some very healthy options - I have a hard time resisting their potato salad and bread) I'm not upset at all. I need the wake up calls, feedback from my body, to keep me motivated and on the right path. Carry on - I am.cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-67671391640963970532014-03-23T20:51:00.001-05:002014-03-23T20:57:54.980-05:00Decisions, Decisions, Decisions <br />
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It is time to start blogging again! I recently had another friend diagnosed with PCOS and it has reminded me that just because I am at a good place with my health that I should stop talking about this disease. I know I have been silent for a bit. I am struggling with some decisions and in the meantime I have been eating like crap. Thank God I haven't gained but a couple of lbs, but I know if I don't make up my mind and make a change the weight gain freight train of PCOS will start again.<br />
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The thing about life, is that sometimes the things we think we want are really just distractions from the things we truly need. Life is going to happen. You cannot control life. You may fall in love, you may have your heart broken, you may get overwhelmed at work, someone you love may get sick, you may get sick, your car may break down, and on and on and on. The thing about weight loss is that it has no effect on 99% of your life. No matter what size you are, life happens. You wake up at the same time. You breath the same air. You work the same job. You feel the same emotions. We, as a society have got to get over this notion that losing weight is the answer to all of our problems. In reality, dealing with our problems is a key component in losing weight and keeping it off. Weight loss should be just a small part of a much larger puzzle. Mental health. Physical health, Emotional health, Spiritual health. Balance. The key is finding balance.<br />
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I know there are some major changes I need to make to my diet and lifestyle. Most of them are actually related one of my other chronic conditions - interstitial cystitis. No one knows what causes it, so no one really knows how to treat it. Pretty much they throw the kitchen sink at you and hope for the best. I endured the catheter treatments and happily stopped. I still take medication - elmiron a very expensive blood thinner that somehow is magically supposed to help repair the lining of your bladder, hydroxyzine - basically benadryl on steroid to help with inflammation because some people theorize IC is auto-immune and Vicodin for pain when needed.<br />
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The main question is do I want to commit to taking this to the next level and eating the paleo auto immune protocol. It just seems so restrictive. I guess I should try it before I judge it. Also, I don't believe in diets. I have held firm in the belief that the reason I lost 100 lbs was that I didn't go on a diet. I simply modified how and what I ate into a lifestyle. What I think I might do is slowly remove one item at a time that affects my pain levels. I am going to start with diet soda. They want me to give up cheese. I am having a very hard time with the thought of a life without cheese. Is a life without cheese even worth living? I would also become one of those snobby people who doesn't eat gluten. I hate those people, except the one's who are actually allergic to it. They are cool. They are just doing what they have to do. It really does come down to a cost benefit analysis when it comes to what I eat. Is the pain that I might have from eating or drinking whatever worth it. I think for cheese it is. Diet soda I can replace with water and herbal iced tea. Slowly of course, as not to go through caffeine withdrawal. (Been there, done that, it is like taking bad acid- or so I imagine).<br />
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Here is the paleo plan that was highly recommended to me by a fellow sufferer of IC. On a positive note the paleo diet is very similar to the way I already eat except I eat gluten. I eat the shit out of gluten. Well I eat complex carbohydrates in moderation as long as they have a minimum fiber content. This is a very hard decision. I bought two books. I will read them and research the science behind it. I will try it and decide if in fact it reduces my pain, how much, and if it is worth the sacrifice.<br />
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http://www.thepaleomom.com/autoimmunity/the-autoimmune-protocol<br />
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The other question on my mind is just how much more if any weight do I want to lose. I have been sitting at my current weight, give or take a normal 5 lb fluctuation, for about 3 months. There was a point at the end of 2013 where I was losing weight so fast I couldn't keep up with my clothes. I like being a size 12/14. I love my curves and would never want to be what society considers skinny again. I think the most I would want to lose would be 20-30 lbs tops - if that. I am also in no hurry. I think part of my success in my weight loss has been the fact that I never had a set goal or timeline. I know that is the complete opposite of what the diet gurus tell you to do. But then again almost all diets fail. Maybe there is something to the notion of making your goal not a number but an action. By action, I mean, a daily goal of eating and living a certain way.Because I did not pressure myself, if there was a week I got on the scale and I didn't lose any weight I never freaked out. This is where most people would feel like a failure and binge. When I would step on the scale and see I had lost weight it was more like a nice surprise. It isn't about a number or a size. For me it is about eating in a way that regulates my insulin and keeps my hormones in line. The side effect was weight loss. Just like when I ate wrong and my hormones were all out of whack the side effect was weight gain. I may not be the size I was in high school or college, but I feel more beautiful today at a size 12/14 than I ever did at a size 3. Even my stretch marks don't bother me much. They are to me a reminder of a battle I fought and won. I will fight this battle against PCOS for the rest of my life. It will never magically go away. But I accept this, and acceptance is the key to peace and happiness. That is, to accept what we cannot change. If there is something we can change, like the way I changed how I ate, then by all means kick ass and take names.<br />
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<br />cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-55586171409031719222014-02-20T10:01:00.002-06:002014-02-20T10:01:54.904-06:00Busting a Plateau - Celebrating 100 lbs Lost Well, I have plateaued at 100 lbs lost. Oh wait, I forgot to mention - I've lost 100 lbs !!! I am down to 183 and a size 12. I am ecstatic, grateful and happy. And, I am a lot smaller, but more importantly, healthier.<br />
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I never expected to actually lose 100 lbs. I never planned that, or set that as a goal. I still haven't fully decided where I want to be. I just know I want to be healthy. And, I have pretty much achieved that goal. So, I took about a month or two off and kind of just chilled. Breaks, when losing a large amount of weight, are A-okay. They give your body and metabolism time to adjust.<br />
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About 3 weeks ago I got back on the birth control pill. My body has handled it much better than it has in the past. This time I was just up-front with the people in my life. Let them know I might be moody or more sensitive for about a month. It really helped. I felt less pressure to "pretend to be okay" and just let myself be. Of course, I tried to keep my emotions in check, not lashing out in anger when I didn't mean to. So during that transition, I gained 5 lbs. I thought it might be the hormones, I wasn't sure, but sure enough one day I got on the scale and the 5 lbs were just gone. Water weight.<br />
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So, for those of you on this journey with me, don't freak out if suddenly you gain 5-10 lbs out of nowhere. Just be patient. Keep eating right. If after a few weeks it is still there, then keep a food journal for a few weeks to a month to make sure you are actually eating what you think and not more. Here are some awesome before and after losing 100 lb pictures to motivate you and me to keep fighting this battle.<br />
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I KNOW RIGHT ?!?!? FREAKING AWESOME! </div>
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So the question now is where do we go from here? That shall be my next blog post. I have a plan brewing. Now that I know I am capable of amazing things, I am ready and welcome whatever challenge I set for myself. Stay tuned. </div>
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<br />cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-86003343642724540162013-12-29T21:38:00.004-06:002013-12-29T21:38:53.674-06:00Happy Happy Hormones and Holidays Well somehow I managed to lost almost 20 lbs over the past two months, even with lots and lots of holiday cheat days. I started November 1st and 211 lbs and as of today December 29th I am at 192. That is 19 lbs for a total weight loss of 91 lbs. Yes, in the past year, I have lost 91 lbs. It sounds crazy just saying it. I never ever thought when I started this journey at 283 lbs, with chronic pain and out of control PCOS, that within a year I would be 9 lbs away from losing 100 lbs !!!!<br />
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No surgery. No fancy paid diet services. No magic pills. Just hard work and discipline. I made it a routine. I truly made it a lifestyle. And unless you count gardening and cleaning, I didn't even work out.<br />
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I have yet to decide exactly what my goal weight is. I still think I will just feel it when I get there. I know that according to BMI charts to no longer be considered obese I need to weigh 182 or less. To no longer be considered overweight I need to weigh somewhere between 117 (ha!) and 155 lbs. The BMI charts crack me up. For instance I might weigh 192 lbs but I have a 32 inch waist and wear a size 14. I don't think they take into account breasts either. These D cup puppies must weight at least 5 lbs each! I also like to joke that my brain weighs a lot. But seriously. At 125-135 lbs I wear a size 2-4. At 135-145 I wear a size 4-6. At 145-155 I wear a size 6- 8. At 155-170 I wear a size 10-12. At 170 -185 I wear a size 12-14. And obviously at 185-195 I wear a 14-16. I don't think I want to be smaller than a size 10. I am not a teenager anymore. I am a woman. I want to look like a woman. A size 10 and I would be ecstatic! So I guess my goal is somewhere between 155 and 170. But again if all I did was hit the 100 lb weight loss mark and get down to 183 and a size 12-14 I would be perfectly happy. Perfectly!<br />
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I also got great lab results back from blood work I had done on the 15th. This is without metformin or hormone pills.<br />
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Blood sugar - 105 Normal<br />
Hemoglobin Alc 5.3 Normal 4.8-5.6 / 5.7-6.4 increased risk for diabetes / 6.5 or great = diabetes<br />
Cholesterol - 191 Normal - 100-199<br />
Triglycerides 82 Normal 0-149<br />
HDL (good cholesterol) 74 Normal greater than 39 / anything over 59 is considered a negative risk factor for heart disease <br />
LH and FSH (ovulation hormones) - normal<br />
Thyroid - normal<br />
Estrogen 43.9 !!! Normal 12.5-498. (Depends on what phase of your cycle you are in the follicular, luteal or ovulation phase) So yes you might be thinking 43.9 is low but once it was 9. Literally my estrogen level was 9. My doctor said that was equivalent to women who have had hysterectomies or were in their 90's.<br />
Oh and all my organ and blood numbers are normal :)<br />
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Everything was normal. Nothing stood out. Just a little low on iron, chloride and vitamin D - but I hadn't taken my normal multi-vitamin in a few weeks due to running out so that should be easily fixed. I should be able to lower my cholesterol levels even more with further weight loss and regular exercise. Also, my estrogen levels should keep improving as I watch my insulin and testosterone levels.<br />
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So yay for health, hormones and losing weight over the holidays ! It is almost time for a new year. If you are thinking about making a change there is no better time than now.cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-1872910763821637912013-12-08T15:10:00.002-06:002013-12-08T15:10:33.122-06:00PCOS - Hormones, Weight Loss and Divorce <div style="text-align: center;">
Before: 283 LBS</div>
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After: 195 LBS</div>
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Total Lbs lost thus far - 88! </div>
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Percent of body weight lost - 31.1% </div>
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I am literately almost a third smaller. </div>
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88 lbs is a human! </div>
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I am sorry that I haven't been keeping my blog posts going. I've had so much continued success I want to share! I keep dropping weight like crazy. I can't keep up with my clothes. I'll buy a pair of pants and a week later they are falling off me at work. My hair is looking great. My skin is glowing. I am happy and have energy. I am truly kicking PCOS in the ass!!!</div>
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However, it has been a hard couple of months. My marriage is over (it's okay it's a good thing a very very good thing) And that wedding I was so excited about didn't happen. But, that's okay. It would have been with the wrong guy. I wanted a wedding because my mother is sick with Stage Four breast cancer and I wanted her to see one of her kids get married before and just in case she passed - so I kind of threw it together. Sadly we were common law married, so I still get the divorce - just without the wedding. (So not fair right ?!?!) But, guess what, chemo is working and hopefully she will be here plenty of time to see me marry the right person. And it won't be thrown together last minute. It will be done right and it will be beautiful. And I will be beautiful. At this rate my gorgeous meter goes up every day !</div>
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So, one thing that I hear a lot of women voice who have PCOS, is that there is so much information about what to do to get pregnant - but a lot of us don't want to get pregnant right now. Maybe in the future, or maybe not at all for some of you, but not right now. If you are like me, you didn't find out you had PCOS because you were trying to have a baby. No, you found out because you couldn't stop gaining weight, your hair was falling out or you had too much facial hair, you were depressed, you were tired because your insulin was all kinds of out of whack, you had adult acne, your periods were off, and so on and so forth. So then you go see a doctor, they run a bunch of tests (in my case a million tests which included horrible invasive wand ultrasounds and countless blood work) only to be told "okay you have PCOS take the pill and call a fertility doctor when you are ready to have kids". No hug. No sorry. Just here is a bunch of lemons - do with them as you may. </div>
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So I sat on the lemons for a long time before I started making my lemonade. Sometimes I stared at the lemons angry at their existence. Sometimes I wanted to smash the lemons and throw them at people and God. Sometimes I pretended the lemons were not there. Sometimes I tasted the lemons, but decided they were too sour and gave up. I guess I was looking for the motivation or the perfect recipe. Don't think I didn't try. I tried and failed over and over and over and over again. But then something amazing happened. It started working. I figured out what did and didn't work for me . (I will add at the bottom the information for what worked in detail). So if you have PCOS and you keep trying and failing to see the change you want - YOU ARE NOT FAILING AS LONG AS YOU ARE TRYING! Even if you have to start over every day DO IT ! Do it until it works. There is no quick fix. This isn't a simple diet. This is freaking Mt. Everest. And, sometimes you have to fail a bunch before you find the strength and the knowledge to climb the peak. And when you get to the peak - drink a big freaking glass of that lemonade. Maybe even put a little vodka in it for good measure. </div>
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AND IF I CAN STAY ON MY DIET, KEEP LOSING WEIGHT AND MOVING FORWARD WITH MY LIFE AND SELF GROWTH DURING A DIVORCE, A NEW JOB, A SICK MOTHER AND A CANCELLED WEDDING - THEN WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR EXCUSE ?</div>
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So one thing you lose when you have untreated PCOS is your libido. Well after eating right and losing all that weight I found mine again. But, here I am 30 years old, divorced and not in any kind of committed relationship. I am not in the kind of financial place that I would want to be in to have a surprise. Don't get me wrong if I got a surprise I would be thrilled, but the logic side of my brain says "no, do it when the time is right and with the right partner". So even though the chances of me getting pregnant are slim to none, I decided to get back on the dreaded pill. </div>
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Now I hate the pill for a few reasons.</div>
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1. it interferes with my Lamictal (depression medication) so I can't have the week off - I have to just take the blue pills all month and not get a period. I worked so hard to start having regular periods again and now I am doing away with them again and that kind of sucks. Most women would kill not to have a period, but for those of us with PCOS a period means our bodies are working. It reminds us that we are healthy women and not just some endocrine disorder. I will also have to watch my moods with my Lamictal to see if the dose needs to be increased due to the interaction with the pill. </div>
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2. It makes me so grumpy, especially the first month or two that I am getting used to it. My body is like whoa what is all this estrogen and progesterone doing here? And then you get on the roller coaster ride and it sucks. Not just for me, but for every poor person around me. The good news is that it goes away. The body adjusts. </div>
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3. Possible side effects. Weight gain. Bloating. Loss of sex drive. Hair loss. </div>
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4. Cancer. My mom has stage 4 breast cancer and it is and was the kind that is estrogen receptive. I have to be very careful. I have to get regular check ups and give myself regular breast exams. I plan to get the genetic test done and if I have the gene I will just plan for that double mastectomy once I'm over 40 and I've had my kids. Just think - just when they start to sag - you get new ones. (You have to find reasons to laugh).</div>
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So let's hope, that once me (and my therapist) says I am ready, I can find the right man. And, he will want kids(requirement) and I can get off of the pill and have a family. That is all I ever really wanted. There is nothing wrong in knowing what you want. To have a partner that I love, not a person I have to take care of. Someone I can have a family with. Someone I can build a productive and happy life with. Someone who motivates me want to be the happiest, healthiest and best person I can be. </div>
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Don't worry. It will happen. I have faith and a whole lot of patience. </div>
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So I will try and keep my blog updated on a more regular basis. We are below the 200 lb mark - so this is where it is going to start to get real fun! Can't wait to share pictures of my body as I transform it into the beautiful and healthy thing it was always meant to be. Love to you all and DON'T GIVE UP ! </div>
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<b><u>EXAMPLE MEAL PLAN AND GUIDELINES TO SUCCESS<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->TRY AND EAT ORGANIC<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->TRY AND COOK ALL YOUR OWN FOOD AND AVOID
PROCESSED FOODS<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->THERE SHOULD NEVER BE ANY REASON TO EAT FAST
FOOD (EXCEPT ON CHEAT DAY)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->TRY COOKING IN BULK ON YOUR DAY OFF SO YOU
AREN’T RUSHED FOR DINNER<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FRIDGE STOCKED – YOUR WORST
ENEMY IS HUNGER<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>6 DAYS ON 1 DAY OFF – <i>CHEAT DAY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS !!!</i><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->ALCOHOL SHOULD ONLY BE CONSUMED ON YOUR CHEAT
DAY. ALCOHOL IS EMPTY CALORIES WITH NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE – EXCPET INEBRIATION.
;)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->8.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->TAKE A MULTI VITAMIN TAILORED TO YOUR AGE,
GENDER AND BODY TYPE. I TAKE AN ORGANIC WOMEN’S MUTLI VITAMIN FROM NEW CHAPTER
(I PREFER ORGANIC, BUY THEM ON AMAZON THEY ARE CHEAP – MY VITAMINS ARE $80 AT
THE HEALTH STORE BUT ONLY $30 ON AMAZON!!!) TAKE FISH OIL SUPPLEMENTS. AND, VITAMIN
B12 FOR ENERGY. SAM’S ALSO OFFERES SUPPLEMENTS AT A GREAT PRICE. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->9.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->STRESS IS THE ENEMY TO WEIGHT LOSS. TRY
RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. DEEP BREATHING. YOGA. LONG WALKS. ETC. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->10.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->EXERCISE AT YOUR LEVEL. ON THIS EATING YOU ARE
NOT REQUIRED TO EXERCISE TO LOSE WEIGHT, BUT OF COURSE THE MORE YOU DO EXERCISE
THE BETTER, PLUS EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR LOWERING YOUR INSULIN LEVELS. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->11.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->THE FIRST MONTH YOU MAY WANT TO KEEP A FOOD
JOURNAL TO TRACK WHAT YOU ARE ACTUALY EATING. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->12.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->GET CHECKED OUT BY YOUR DOCTOR FIRST. CHECK YOUR
BLOOD AND HORMONE LEVELS. CHECK YOUR THYROID. RULE OUT ANYTHING SUCH AS
DIABETES, PCOS, LOW TESTOSTERONE, METABOLIC SYNDROME, THYROID DISEASE, ETC. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->13.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->IF YOU CHEAT, DON’T FREAK OUT, JUST START OVER
THE NEXT DAY. JUST KEEP STARTING OVER UNTIL EATING THIS WAY BECOMES A HABIT.
BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOUR CRAVINGS FOR UNHEALTHY FOOD WILL GO AWAY, YOU WILL LOSE
WEIGHT AND FEEL GREAT !<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>BREAKFAST <o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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EGGS, OATMEAL, GREEK YOGURT, WHOLE FRUIT, TURKEY SAUSAGE <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>SNACKS<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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NUTS – IN MODERATION, WHOLE FRUIT, SUGAR FREE PUDDING AND
JELLO, UNSWEETENED APPLE SAUCE, A TABLESPOON OF PEANUT BUTTER, CHEESE AND
TRISCUITS<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>LUNCH <o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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SALAD WITH LEAN PROTEIN SUCH AS CHICKEN, LEAN STEAK OR FISH,
A SANDWHICH WITH WHOLE GRAIN BREAD AT LEAST 2-4 GRAMS OF FIBER LEAN LUNCH MEAT
AND REGULAR CHEESE NOT PROCESSED FAKE CHEESE , SOUPS<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>DINNER<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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LEAN MEAT, COMPLES CARBOHYDRATE AND VEGITABLE. EXPAMPLE
GRILLED SALMON WITH WILD RICE AND PEAS. GRILLED CHICKEN WITH A SWEET POTATO AND
BROCCOLI. LEAN STEAK WITH MASHED POTATOS AND CORN. LEAN BRISCUIT, PINTO BEANS AND GREEN BEANS. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>DRINKS<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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WATER.WATER.WATER. UN SWEET TEA. GREEN TEA. ALMOND OR RICE
MILK. (REGULAR MILK IS BAD – IT IS FILLED WITH HORMONES THEY FEED THE COWS THAT
ARE PASSED ON TO YOU WHICH CAUSE A SLEW OF HEALTH ISSUES) DIET SODA. COFFEE
WITH CREAMER – NO FANCY FRAPPACINOS OR CAPPACINOS. HERBAL TEA.</div>
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PART TWO THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE LOW GLYCEMIC DIET </div>
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<a href="" name="What_is_the_glycemic_index"></a><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To check the glycemic index of a food go to …<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.glycemicindex.com/foodSearch.php"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.glycemicindex.com/foodSearch.php</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Your goal is to eat as low of glycemic foods as possible. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of course portion control is essential, but you should eat until
you are full.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Educate yourself on how the food you eat effects your insulin
and weight loss.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is more than just weight loss, it is energy, well being,
hormone function and disease prevention and control.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is the glycemic index?</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The glycemic index,
or GI, measures how a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose. Foods
are ranked based on how they compare to a reference food– either glucose or
white bread. A food with a high GI raises blood glucose more than a food with a
medium or low GI. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Meal planning with the GI involves choosing foods that have a
low or medium GI. If eating a food with a high GI, you can combine it with low
GI foods to help balance the meal. Examples of carbohydrate-containing foods
with a low GI include dried beans and legumes (like kidney beans and lentils),
all non-starchy vegetables and some starchy vegetables, most fruit, and many
whole grain breads and cereals (like barley, whole wheat bread, rye bread, and
all-bran cereal). Meats and fats don’t have a GI because they do not contain
carbohydrate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="" name="What_affects_the_GI_of_a_food"></a><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What affects the GI of a food?</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fat and fiber tend to lower the GI of a food. As a general rule,
the more cooked or processed a food, the higher the GI; however, this is not
always true. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Below are a few specific examples of other factors that can
affect the GI of a food:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ripeness
and storage time – the more ripe a fruit or vegetable is, the higher the
GI <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Processing
– juice has a higher GI than whole fruit; mashed potato has a higher GI
than a whole baked potato, stone ground whole wheat bread has a lower GI
than whole wheat bread. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cooking
method: how long a food is cooked (al dente pasta has a lower GI than
soft-cooked pasta) <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Variety:
converted long-grain white rice has a lower GI than brown rice but short-grain
white rice has a higher GI than brown rice. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Other things to consider if using the GI:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
GI value represents the type of carbohydrate in a food but says nothing
about the amount of carbohydrate typically eaten. Portion sizes are still
relevant for managing blood glucose and for losing or maintaining weight. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
GI of a food is different when eaten alone than it is when combined with
other foods. When eating a high GI food, you can combine it with other low
GI foods to balance out the effect on blood glucose levels. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many
nutritious foods have a higher GI than foods with little nutritional
value. For example, oatmeal has a higher GI than chocolate. Use of the GI
needs to be balanced with basic nutrition principles of variety for
healthful foods and moderation of foods with few nutrients.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="" name="Is_the_GI_a_better_tool_than_carbohydrat"></a><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is the GI a better tool than carbohydrate counting?</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is no one diet or meal plan that works for everyone with
diabetes. The important thing is to follow a meal plan that is tailored to
personal preferences and lifestyle and helps achieve goals for blood glucose,
cholesterol and triglycerides levels, blood pressure, and weight management. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Research shows that both the amount and the type of carbohydrate
in food affect blood glucose levels. Studies also show that the total amount of
carbohydrate in food, in general, is a stronger predictor of blood glucose
response than the GI. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Based on the research, for most people with diabetes, the first
tool for managing blood glucose is some type of carbohydrate counting.
Balancing total carbohydrate intake with physical activity and diabetes pills
or insulin is key to managing blood glucose levels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because the type of carbohydrate does have an affect on blood
glucose, using the GI may be helpful in "fine-tuning" blood glucose
management. In other words, combined with carbohydrate counting, it may provide
an additional benefit for achieving blood glucose goals for individuals who can
and want to put extra effort into monitoring their food choices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Glycemic Index of Foods<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The GI is a ranking of foods based on how quickly they raise
blood glucose levels. The reference foods, white bread or glucose, have a GI of
100. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Low GI Foods (55 or less)</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">100%
stone-ground whole wheat or pumpernickel bread <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oatmeal
(rolled or steel-cut), oat bran, muesli <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pasta,
converted rice, barley, bulgar <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sweet
potato, corn, yam, lima/butter beans, peas, legumes and lentils <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most
fruits, non-starchy vegetables and carrots <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Medium GI (56-69)</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whole
wheat, rye and pita bread <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Quick
oats <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Brown,
wild or basmati rice, couscous <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">High GI (70 or more)</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">White
bread or bagel <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Corn
flakes, puffed rice, bran flakes, instant oatmeal <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Shortgrain
white rice, rice pasta, macaroni and cheese from mix <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Russet
potato, pumpkin <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pretzels,
rice cakes, popcorn, saltine crackers <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">melons
and pineapple <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What is the Glycemic Index?<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The Glycemic Index is a numerical Index
that ranks carbohydrates based on their rate of glycemic response (i.e. their
conversion to glucose within the human body). Glycemic Index uses a scale of 0
to 100, with higher values given to foods that cause the most rapid rise in
blood sugar. Pure glucose serves as a reference point, and is given a Glycemic
Index (GI) of 100.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Glycemic Index values are determined
experimentally by feeding human test subjects a fixed portion of the food
(after an overnight fast), and subsequently extracting and measuring samples of
their blood at specific intervals of time. The earliest known work on the
Glycemic Index was done by Dr. David Jenkins and associates at St. Michael's
Hospital in Toronto, Canada. More recently, an effort to expand the Glycemic
Index has been made by Jennie Brand-Miller and her associates at the Human
Nutrition Unit of the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The Glycemic Index Yields Some
Surprises</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"><br />
Nutritionists used to believe that all simple sugars digested quickly and
caused a rapid rise in blood sugar, and that the opposite was true for
"complex carbohydrates". But that's not always the case. While many
sweet and sugary foods do have high GI's, some starchy foods like potatoes or
white bread score even higher than honey or table sugar (sucrose)!<a href="" name="important"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Why is the Glycemic Index Important?<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Your body performs best when your blood
sugar is kept relatively constant. If your blood sugar drops too low, you
become lethargic and/or experience increased hunger. And if it goes too high,
your brain signals your pancreas to secrete more insulin. Insulin brings your
blood sugar back down, but primarily by converting the excess sugar to stored
fat. Also, the greater the rate of increase in your blood sugar, the more
chance that your body will release an excess amount of insulin, and drive your
blood sugar back down too low.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Therefore, when you eat foods that
cause a large and rapid glycemic response, you may feel an initial elevation in
energy and mood as your blood sugar rises, but this is followed by a cycle of
increased fat storage, lethargy, and more hunger!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Although increased fat storage may
sound bad enough, individuals with diabetes (diabetes mellitus, types 1 and 2)
have an even worse problem. Their bodies inability to secrete or process
insulin causes their blood sugar to rise too high, leading to a host of
additional medical problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The theory behind the Glycemic Index is
simply to minimize insulin-related problems by identifying and avoiding foods
that have the greatest effect on your blood sugar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Should All High-GI Foods be Avoided?</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"><br />
For non-diabetics, there are times when a rapid increase in blood sugar (and
the corresponding increase in insulin) may be desirable. For example, after
strenuous physical activity, insulin also helps move glucose into muscle cells,
where it aids tissue repair. Because of this, some coaches and physical
trainers recommend high-GI foods (such as sports drinks) immediately after
exercise to speed recovery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Also, it's not Glycemic Index alone
that leads to the increase in blood sugar. Equally important is the amount of
the food that you consume. The concept of Glycemic Index combined with total
intake is referred to as "Glycemic Load", and is addressed in the
next section...<a href="" name="load"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Although most candy has a relatively high Glycemic Index, eating a
single piece of candy will result in a relatively small glycemic response.
Why? Well, simply because your body's glycemic response is dependent on both
the type AND the amount of carbohydrate consumed. This concept, known as
Glycemic Load, was first popularized in 1997 by Dr. Walter Willett and
associates at the Harvard School of Public Health. Glycemic Load is
calculated this way:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">GL = GI/100 x Net Carbs</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
(Net Carbs are equal to the Total Carbohydrates minus Dietary Fiber)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Therefore,
you can control your glycemic response by consuming low-GI foods and/or by
restricting your intake of carbohydrates. <a href="" name="values"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Glycemic Indexes and Glycemic Loads for Common Foods<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" style="background: #E5F2FB; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #141313; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">GI and GL for Common Foods<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background: #9FABB8; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Food<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #9FABB8; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">GI<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #9FABB8; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Serving Size<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #9FABB8; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Net Carbs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #9FABB8; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">GL<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Peanuts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 4 oz
(113g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bean sprouts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(104g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Grapefruit<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1/2
large (166g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Pizza<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">30<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 2
slices (260g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">42<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">13<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Lowfat
yogurt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">33<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(245g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">47<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Apples<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">38<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
medium (138g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Spaghetti<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">42<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(140g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">38<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Carrots<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">47<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
large (72g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Oranges<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">48<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
medium (131g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bananas<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">52<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
large (136g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">27<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Potato chips<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">54<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 4 oz
(114g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">55<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">30<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Snickers Bar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">55<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 bar
(113g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">64<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">35<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Brown rice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">55<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(195g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">42<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">23<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Honey<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">55<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 tbsp
(21g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">17<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">9<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Oatmeal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">58<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(234g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">21<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Ice cream<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">61<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(72g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Macaroni and
cheese<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">64<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
serving (166g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">47<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">30<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Raisins<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">64<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
small box (43g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">32<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">20<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">White rice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">64<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(186g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">52<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">33<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Sugar
(sucrose)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">68<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 tbsp
(12g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">White bread<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">70<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
slice (30g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Watermelon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">72<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(154g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Popcorn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">72<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 2 cups
(16g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Baked potato<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">85<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
medium (173g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">33<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">28<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Glucose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">100<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> (50g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">50<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">50<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The table below shows values of the
Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) for a few common foods. GI's of 55
or below are considered low, and 70 or above are considered high. GL's of 10 or
below are considered low, and 20 or above are considered high.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Learning More</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"><br />
Additional information and values for Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load can be
found at </span><a href="http://www.glycemicindex.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">www.glycemicindex.com</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<a href="" name="estimating"></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Limitations of the Glycemic Index and
the Glycemic Load<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Some proponents of the Glycemic Index
(including many diet books authors) would like you to believe that GI and GL
are all that matters when selecting which foods to eat. In reality, diet is a
more complex issue than that. ND agrees that the Glycemic Index is a marvelous
tool for ranking carbohydrates (and much better than the old "simple"
and "complex carbohydrate" designations). However, there are also
many limitations to GI and GL, which are explained in this section. Consider
this the warning that those diet book authors don't want you to hear...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Scarcity of GI data</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Although methods for determining Glycemic Index have been in existence for
more than 20 years, GI values have so far only been determined for about
5% of the foods in ND's database. Seemingly similar foods can have very
different GI values, so it's not always possible to estimate GI from
either food type or composition. This means that each food has to be
physically tested. GI testing requires human subjects, and is both
relatively expensive and time-consuming. The fact that only a very limited
number of researchers currently do GI testing compounds this problem. Food
manufacturers continue to introduce thousands of new foods each year.
Since GI testing is neither required nor common (at least in the U.S.),
this problem is likely to get worse rather than better.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<div style="background: white; margin-left: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">(ND has derived a formula that can
estimate the Glycemic Load for untested foods, based on comparative analysis
with foods of similar composition. To learn more about this method, please see
ND's </span><a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/help/estimated-glycemic-load"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Estimated Glycemic Load</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"> page.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Wide variation in GI measurements</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
The above Glycemic Index table shows a single value of GI for each food.
In reality, though, the measurements are not so precise. Reported values
are generally averages of several tests. There's nothing wrong with that
methodology, but individual measurements can vary a significant amount.
For example, baked Russet potatoes have been tested with a GI as low as 56
and as high as 111! The GI for the same fruit has even been shown to
increase as the fruit ripens. This amount of variation adds a great deal
of uncertainty to GI calculations.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">GI values affected by preparation method</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
The Glycemic Index gets even trickier when you take into account the
changes in value that occur in response to differences in food
preparation. Generally, any significant food processing, such as grinding
or cooking, will elevate GI values for certain foods, because it makes
those food quicker and easier to digest. This type of change is even seen
with subtle alterations of the preparation, such as boiling pasta for 15
minutes instead of 10.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">GI values affected by combination with other
foods</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
While tests for Glycemic Index are usually done on individual foods, we
often consume those foods in combination with other foods. The addition of
other foods that contain fiber, protein, or fat will generally reduce the
Glycemic Index of the meal. The GI of this "mixed meal" can be
estimated by taking a weighted average of the GI's of the individual foods
in the meal. However, this averaging method may become less accurate as
the total percentage of carbohydrate decreases. Therefore, foods like
pizza often create a higher glycemic response than the simple weighted
average of the ingredient GI's would predict.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Individual differences in glycemic response</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
The rate at which different people digest carbohydrates also varies, so
there are some individual differences in glycemic response from person to
person. In addition it has been shown that one person's glycemic response may
vary from one time of day to another. And finally, different people have
different insulin responses (i.e. produce different levels of insulin),
even with an identical glycemic response. This fact alone means that a
diabetic can not rely completely on the Glycemic Index without monitoring
his own blood sugar response. (This, of course, is a limitation of any
food index, and not a specific limitation of GI.) <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Reliance on GI and GL can lead to
overconsumption</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
It's important to remember that the Glycemic Index is only a rating of a
food's carbohydrate content. If you use GI and GL values as the sole
factor for determining your diet, you can easily end up overconsuming fat
and total Calories. See example below...<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<div style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Example - How the Glycemic Index can
encourage overeating:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"><br />
Apples have a GI of 38 (as shown in the table above), and a medium-size apple,
weighing 138 grams, contains 16 grams of net carbohydrates and provides a
Glycemic Load of 6. This is a low GL, and most would consider the apple to be a
very appropriate snack. But now look at peanuts. A 4-oz serving not only weighs
less than the apple, but has a much lower GI (14), and provides an even lower
GL of 2. Based on Glycemic Load alone, you would have to believe that the
peanuts were a better dietary choice than the apple. But if you take a look at
the Calories contained in these two foods, you'll see that the apple contains
approximately 72 Calories, while the peanuts contain more than 500! Those 400+
extra Calories are NOT going to help you lose weight.<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
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<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Another Way to Control Blood Sugar<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">As you consider the strengths and
weaknesses of the Glycemic Index, it's important that you don't lose sight of
the original goal. What we are really trying to do is control blood sugar
levels. Is the consumption of low-GI foods the only way to do this? No, it is
not. As we mentioned before, your blood sugar can also be controlled simply by
limiting the total number of carbohydrates that you consume in any given meal.
In the following sections, we'll explore different ways to do just that...<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
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<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Is Low-Carb the Answer?<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">One alternative to the low-GI diet is
the low-carbohydrate diet, which also centers on the concept of controlling
blood sugar levels, but does so by limiting total carbohydrate consumption.
Low-carb diets have become popular, partially because they are very successful
at doing this. As opposed to low-GI diets, they are also very easy to plan and
monitor, since carbohydrate counts are known for all foods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">However, low-carb diets are not without
their own difficulties, which can include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Deficiency of essential nutrients</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
If your low-carb diet restricts the amount of fruits and vegetables that
you eat, you may not be consuming enough Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Dietary
Fiber, which are much more abundant in plant-based foods. It's also likely
that you are consuming less carotenoids (such as Alpha Carotene, Beta
Carotene, Beta Cryptoxanthin, and Lycopene). Although no daily values have
been established for carotenoids, they are known to be powerful
anti-oxidants, and may be necessary for optimal health. It's possible to
supplement these missing nutrients, but there are also many phytochemicals
present in plant-based foods that we are just beginning to learn about.
Many of these phytochemicals are believed to have positive health
benefits, but very few of them are yet available in supplement form.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Potential risks associated with high fat
consumption</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Low-carb diets usually contain large amounts of fat, and numerous studies
suggest that higher consumption of fats (particularly saturated fats)
increases your risk of heart disease and other ailments. While no
definitive link has been established between low-carb diets and heart
disease, this is a topic that warrants additional study.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Hypoglycemic effects of minimized carbohydrate
consumption</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Your brain requires glucose to operate. In the absence of carbohydrates,
your body is forced to synthesize glucose from digested or stored fats.
This somewhat inefficient process results in lower than optimal blood
sugar levels, which can leave you feeling lethargic, unalert, and even
confused. This effect is most commonly experienced as you transition from
a "normal" diet to an ultra-low-carb diet, but can also reappear
at times when your body is under increased stress. The decrease in mental
alertness, while not harmful in of itself, is a potentially dangerous side
effect. (e.g. It can be less safe to operate a car if you aren't fully
alert.)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Boredom or cravings resulting from the
elimination of carbohydrate-rich foods</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
We all derive pleasure from the taste of different foods. Any diet that
greatly or completely restricts our selection of foods, can lead to
increased cravings for the eliminated foods or boredom with the allowable
food selections. This, of course, is not a problem specific to low-carb
diets, but affects all diets that limit the range of foods that you
consume.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Added expense of special foods</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
To overcome the boredom of the low-carb diet, you can turn to the new
low-carb versions of foods that are now being offered in many health food
and grocery stores. It's now even possible to find low-carb versions of
pancakes and bagels! Unfortunately, though, the elevated cost of some of
these specialty food items can add considerably to your food bill.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Incompatibility with vegetarian lifestyle</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
If you consider yourself a vegetarian, you'll find that it's very
difficult to follow a low-carb diet, since nearly all low-carb meal plans
focus on the consumption of meats and other animal-based foods.<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="_x0000_i1028" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:6pt'/><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img border="0" height="8" src="file:///C:/Users/Casey/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_i1028" width="1" /><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1029"
type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:6pt'/><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img border="0" height="8" src="file:///C:/Users/Casey/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_i1029" width="1" /><!--[endif]--><a href="" name="satiety"></a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What About Satiety?<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">A different way to limit carbohydrate
consumption is simply to limit the total number of Calories that you consume
for each meal. This can be a very effective method for controlling blood sugar
and losing body fat. Unfortunately, there's one BIG problem associated with
this method - increased hunger! But what if you could eat less, and not be
hungry? Is that possible?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">A few years ago, a group of researchers
from the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia performed an interesting
study in which they compared the satiating effects of different foods. These
researchers, lead by Suzanna Holt, include some of the same individuals that
pioneered much of the work on the Glycemic Index. The result of their study,
"The Satiety Index of Common Foods", was published in the European
Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 1995. In this study, the researchers
fed human test subjects fixed-Calorie portions of thirty-eight different foods,
and then recorded the subjects' perceived hunger following each feeding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The results of this study clearly
indicated that certain foods are much better than others for satisfying hunger.
The researchers used white bread as their reference point, and arbitrarily
assigned it a "Satiety Index" of 100. Foods that did a better job of
satisfying hunger were given proportionately higher values, and foods that were
less satisfying were assigned lower values. Among the most satisfying foods
they tested were plain boiled potatoes, raw fruits, fish, and lean meats.
Subjects that consumed the prescribed portion of these foods were less likely
to feel hungry immediately afterward. Foods that did the poorest job of
satisfying hunger included croissants, donuts, candy bars, and peanuts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">An important outcome of this study</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"><br />
Because of the limited size of the Satiety Index study, there's some
uncertainty in the accuracy of the values that were recorded for each food.
However, one very important general observation was made by the Satiety Index
researchers. They noted that a common feature was shared by the foods with the
highest Satiety Index values. All of these foods had high weight-to-Calorie
ratios. In other words, these foods contained a greater amount of bulk for each
Calorie. They helped make you feel full, literally by filling your stomach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">This suspected relation between bulk
and satiety may seem obvious and trivial, but it opens the door to a very
powerful theory - that it may be possible to predict satiety by knowing the
nutrient composition of the food! And if that is true, some form of the Satiety
Index could prove to be a more flexible tool for assessing diet than the
Glycemic Index.<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1030" type="#_x0000_t75"
alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:6pt'/><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img border="0" height="8" src="file:///C:/Users/Casey/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_i1030" width="1" /><!--[endif]--><a href="" name="ff"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Introducing the Fullness Factor™<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">ND mathematically modeled the Satiety
Index with a multivariate analysis that used nutrient profiles of the foods
tested in the previously mentioned Satiety Index study. As anticipated, there
was a good correlation between the Satiety Index values and each food's Caloric
density. There were also significant but lesser correlations between the index
and each food's levels of net carbohydrates, fat, dietary fiber, and protein.
From the mathematical model developed, ND was able to create an equation to
convert a food's nutrient profile into a predicted satiety index, which we call
the Fullness Factor™.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The Fullness Factor has been normalized
so that all resultant values fall into a range of 0 to 5. The calculated
Fullness Factor for white bread is 1.8, so values above 1.8 indicate foods that
are likely to be more satiating than white bread, and values less than 1.8
indicate foods that are likely to be less satiating. A food's Fullness Factor
is independent of its serving size.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">For more details about the Fullness
Factor, please see ND's </span><a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/fullness-factor"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Fullness Factor</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"> page. For an explanation of how to use
the Fullness Factor in your own diet, please see the last section on this page,
labeled "Putting the Fullness Factor to Work". <a href="" name="advantages1"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Potential Advantages of the Fullness Factor over the Glycemic
Index<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The Fullness Factor is a calculated
rather than measured value, and has a few distinct advantages over the Glycemic
Index: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Fullness Factors are instantly determinable
for ALL foods</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Knowledge of the nutrient information contained on a standard nutrition
facts label is all that is required to determine the Fullness Factor. That
means that the Fullness Factor is supported for all foods in ND's
database, and also all new recipes. That makes it easy to use the Fullness
Factor in conjunction with any diet plan.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">High-FF foods may help reduce total Caloric
consumption</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Consuming high-FF foods means satisfying your hunger with fewer total
Calories, which is the most direct route to weight loss.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The Fullness Factor may also be helpful in
weight gaining diets</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Individuals that have trouble maintaining or gaining weight can add additional
Calories to their diets by altering their food selections to include more
low-FF foods. <a href="" name="advantages2"></a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Potential Advantages of FF-based Diets over Low-Carb Diets<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Diets based on the Fullness Factor have
some advantages over Low-Carb diets: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">FF-based diets may better encourage the
consumption of naturally healthy foods</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Because many fruits, vegetables, and less processed foods have high
Fullness Factors, it may be easier to obtain essential nutrients when on
FF-based diets.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">FF-based diets offer a larger range of food
selections</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
No foods are off limits in FF-based diets. FF-based diets simply encourage
you to select the foods that cause you to fill up faster without as
many total Calories.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">FF-based diets can easily accommodate a
vegetarian lifestyle</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
While many meats are good choices for a high-FF diet, it's also relatively
easy to create a high-FF diet that doesn't contain animal-based foods.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
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cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-73672725705290844182013-11-15T01:57:00.002-06:002013-11-15T01:57:27.643-06:00Beauty <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIj4PVrtx1CMqbwbjsbeb-z-ka-k5ObHrTEufmchParx0yh4ks-76OWL_voX1Y079dOmjmNtav7j4wHnGkey8EqY5H1j73JGANiou0Ek0qDiI9ABQOYxXgMR4sACLvRkSrhL4G4DOmksc/s1600/Beauty-Version.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIj4PVrtx1CMqbwbjsbeb-z-ka-k5ObHrTEufmchParx0yh4ks-76OWL_voX1Y079dOmjmNtav7j4wHnGkey8EqY5H1j73JGANiou0Ek0qDiI9ABQOYxXgMR4sACLvRkSrhL4G4DOmksc/s1600/Beauty-Version.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Well I have ventured into new territory. Giving a damn. Now that I have lost 80 lbs, I find the need to do those things women do when they care. Example. I spent 30 minutes applying lotion all over my body after I took my bath tonight. And not just one lotion, no, not even close. Nivea skin firming lotion all over. Nivea cellulite gel on my problem areas. BioOil wherever I have stretch marks (and do I ever, it's like I had a baby without the baby). Kinerese overnight repair face cream. Olay Reginerist intense repair face serum. And two kinds of peppermint foot lotions from The Body Shop. Not to mention exfoliating before. Damn I hope this stuff works. One of the biggest problems with losing weight - like there really are any compared to how awesome it is - is skin and getting it firm again. I really don't want to get plastic surgery. I just couldn't ever see myself be that girl. So I am testing out all the potions to see what works and what doesn't.<br />
<br />
Second part of that is working out. I know that I need to tone, or I will just be a skinnier version of the fat me. I am working on that. Going through a divorce is very stressful while working a full time job - so hopefully once things settle down, I can really dive into that.<br />
<br />
Tomorrow I am getting my hair cut and colored. As a woman with PCOS I have thinning hair. Doesn't matter that I take Spironolactone or that I use Minoxidil. It is still thin. So I am hoping my friend and hairdresser can help me with a color and style that I can actually wear down instead of hiding up in a pony tail.<br />
<br />
I also bought a groupon for a shallac mani-pedi. I ordered some new make-up from Ulta. And I bought some more new clothes 30% off on OldNavy.com. Because, when I was gaining the weight I was working from home and lived in yoga pants and tank tops, and now on the way down I don't have clothes that fit. I have to look and dress a certain way for my job. It is a professional environment and if I want to succeed I really do have to look the part.<br />
<br />
I also finally decided on a goal. I started at 283. I am down to 203. That is awesome and if I didn't lose another pound I would still be happy. But, since I am on a roll and in a groove I have decided I would like to lose 58 more pounds and weigh 145 which is what I weighed before I met my soon to be ex husband and gained 138 lbs. I am 5'5" and a healthy weight for me is 152 or below.At 145 I look freaking fantastic! I am a solid size 7/8. I like that size, Not too thin and still have curves. Curves are sexy. Real men don't want toothpicks. I am already 57.97 % there. This is so do-able ! It is not about finding myself - it is about redefining myself. I am truly not trying to impress anyone. I am just taking care of myself. I was to feel beautiful on the inside and out. I want to shine. I deserve to shine.<br />
<br />
I'll keep you posted on what products I like that work for us PCOS sisters. And I will also keep you up to date on my weight loss. If I can do what the doctors told me I couldn't then you can too. Don't ever let anyone convince you that you can't do something. DECIDE to change and do it. Don't give your power away. Be strong. Be brave. And live your dreams. Find your happiness. That is my wish for myself and all of you too !cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-67238845823064803102013-11-07T13:29:00.000-06:002013-11-07T13:29:13.228-06:00The Low Glycemic Diet: How I Lost 75 lbsHere you go. You want to know what to do and how it works, well read below. Then read all the scientific stuff that explains how it works.<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>EXAMPLE MEAL PLAN AND GUIDELINES TO SUCCESS<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->TRY AND EAT ORGANIC<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->TRY AND COOK ALL YOUR OWN FOOD AND AVOID
PROCESSED FOODS<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->THERE SHOULD NEVER BE ANY REASON TO EAT FAST
FOOD (EXCEPT ON CHEAT DAY)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->TRY COOKING IN BULK ON YOUR DAY OFF SO YOU
AREN’T RUSHED FOR DINNER<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FRIDGE STOCKED – YOUR WORST
ENEMY IS HUNGER<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><b>6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>6 DAYS ON 1 DAY OFF – <i>CHEAT DAY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS !!!</i><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->ALCOHOL SHOULD ONLY BE CONSUMED ON YOUR CHEAT
DAY. ALCOHOL IS EMPTY CALORIES WITH NO NUTRITIONAL VALUE – EXCPET INEBRIATION.
;)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->8.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->TAKE A MULTI VITAMIN TAILORED TO YOUR AGE,
GENDER AND BODY TYPE. I TAKE AN ORGANIC WOMEN’S MUTLI VITAMIN FROM NEW CHAPTER
(I PREFER ORGANIC, BUY THEM ON AMAZON THEY ARE CHEAP – MY VITAMINS ARE $80 AT
THE HEALTH STORE BUT ONLY $30 ON AMAZON!!!) TAKE FISH OIL SUPPLEMENTS. AND, VITAMIN
B12 FOR ENERGY. SAM’S ALSO OFFERES SUPPLEMENTS AT A GREAT PRICE. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->9.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->STRESS IS THE ENEMY TO WEIGHT LOSS. TRY
RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. DEEP BREATHING. YOGA. LONG WALKS. ETC. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->10.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->EXERCISE AT YOUR LEVEL. ON THIS EATING YOU ARE
NOT REQUIRED TO EXERCISE TO LOSE WEIGHT, BUT OF COURSE THE MORE YOU DO EXERCISE
THE BETTER, PLUS EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR LOWERING YOUR INSULIN LEVELS. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->11.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->THE FIRST MONTH YOU MAY WANT TO KEEP A FOOD
JOURNAL TO TRACK WHAT YOU ARE ACTUALY EATING. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->12.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->GET CHECKED OUT BY YOUR DOCTOR FIRST. CHECK YOUR
BLOOD AND HORMONE LEVELS. CHECK YOUR THYROID. RULE OUT ANYTHING SUCH AS
DIABETES, PCOS, LOW TESTOSTERONE, METABOLIC SYNDROME, THYROID DISEASE, ETC. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->13.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->IF YOU CHEAT, DON’T FREAK OUT, JUST START OVER
THE NEXT DAY. JUST KEEP STARTING OVER UNTIL EATING THIS WAY BECOMES A HABIT.
BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOUR CRAVINGS FOR UNHEALTHY FOOD WILL GO AWAY, YOU WILL LOSE
WEIGHT AND FEEL GREAT !<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>BREAKFAST <o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
EGGS, OATMEAL, GREEK YOGURT, WHOLE FRUIT, TURKEY SAUSAGE <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>SNACKS<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NUTS – IN MODERATION, WHOLE FRUIT, SUGAR FREE PUDDING AND
JELLO, UNSWEETENED APPLE SAUCE, A TABLESPOON OF PEANUT BUTTER, CHEESE AND
TRISCUITS<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>LUNCH <o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SALAD WITH LEAN PROTEIN SUCH AS CHICKEN, LEAN STEAK OR FISH,
A SANDWHICH WITH WHOLE GRAIN BREAD AT LEAST 2-4 GRAMS OF FIBER LEAN LUNCH MEAT
AND REGULAR CHEESE NOT PROCESSED FAKE CHEESE , SOUPS<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>DINNER<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
LEAN MEAT, COMPLES CARBOHYDRATE AND VEGITABLE. EXPAMPLE
GRILLED SALMON WITH WILD RICE AND PEAS. GRILLED CHICKEN WITH A SWEET POTATO AND
BROCCOLI. LEAN STEAK WITH MASHED POTATOS AND CORN. LEAN BRISCUIT, PINTO BEANS AND GREEN BEANS. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>DRINKS<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
WATER.WATER.WATER. UN SWEET TEA. GREEN TEA. ALMOND OR RICE
MILK. (REGULAR MILK IS BAD – IT IS FILLED WITH HORMONES THEY FEED THE COWS THAT
ARE PASSED ON TO YOU WHICH CAUSE A SLEW OF HEALTH ISSUES) DIET SODA. COFFEE
WITH CREAMER – NO FANCY FRAPPACINOS OR CAPPACINOS. HERBAL TEA.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To check the glycemic index of a food go to …</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="" name="What_is_the_glycemic_index"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.glycemicindex.com/foodSearch.php"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.glycemicindex.com/foodSearch.php</span></b></a><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Your goal is to eat as low of glycemic foods as possible. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Of course portion control is essential, but you should eat until
you are full.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Educate yourself on how the food you eat effects your insulin
and weight loss.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is more than just weight loss, it is energy, well being,
hormone function and disease prevention and control.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What is the glycemic index?</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The glycemic index,
or GI, measures how a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose. Foods
are ranked based on how they compare to a reference food– either glucose or
white bread. A food with a high GI raises blood glucose more than a food with a
medium or low GI. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Meal planning with the GI involves choosing foods that have a
low or medium GI. If eating a food with a high GI, you can combine it with low
GI foods to help balance the meal. Examples of carbohydrate-containing foods
with a low GI include dried beans and legumes (like kidney beans and lentils),
all non-starchy vegetables and some starchy vegetables, most fruit, and many
whole grain breads and cereals (like barley, whole wheat bread, rye bread, and
all-bran cereal). Meats and fats don’t have a GI because they do not contain
carbohydrate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="" name="What_affects_the_GI_of_a_food"></a><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What affects the GI of a food?</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fat and fiber tend to lower the GI of a food. As a general rule,
the more cooked or processed a food, the higher the GI; however, this is not
always true. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Below are a few specific examples of other factors that can
affect the GI of a food:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ripeness
and storage time – the more ripe a fruit or vegetable is, the higher the
GI <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Processing
– juice has a higher GI than whole fruit; mashed potato has a higher GI
than a whole baked potato, stone ground whole wheat bread has a lower GI
than whole wheat bread. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cooking
method: how long a food is cooked (al dente pasta has a lower GI than
soft-cooked pasta) <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Variety:
converted long-grain white rice has a lower GI than brown rice but short-grain
white rice has a higher GI than brown rice. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Other things to consider if using the GI:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
GI value represents the type of carbohydrate in a food but says nothing
about the amount of carbohydrate typically eaten. Portion sizes are still
relevant for managing blood glucose and for losing or maintaining weight. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
GI of a food is different when eaten alone than it is when combined with
other foods. When eating a high GI food, you can combine it with other low
GI foods to balance out the effect on blood glucose levels. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many
nutritious foods have a higher GI than foods with little nutritional
value. For example, oatmeal has a higher GI than chocolate. Use of the GI
needs to be balanced with basic nutrition principles of variety for
healthful foods and moderation of foods with few nutrients.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="" name="Is_the_GI_a_better_tool_than_carbohydrat"></a><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is the GI a better tool than carbohydrate counting?</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is no one diet or meal plan that works for everyone with
diabetes. The important thing is to follow a meal plan that is tailored to
personal preferences and lifestyle and helps achieve goals for blood glucose,
cholesterol and triglycerides levels, blood pressure, and weight management. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Research shows that both the amount and the type of carbohydrate
in food affect blood glucose levels. Studies also show that the total amount of
carbohydrate in food, in general, is a stronger predictor of blood glucose
response than the GI. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Based on the research, for most people with diabetes, the first
tool for managing blood glucose is some type of carbohydrate counting.
Balancing total carbohydrate intake with physical activity and diabetes pills
or insulin is key to managing blood glucose levels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Because the type of carbohydrate does have an affect on blood
glucose, using the GI may be helpful in "fine-tuning" blood glucose
management. In other words, combined with carbohydrate counting, it may provide
an additional benefit for achieving blood glucose goals for individuals who can
and want to put extra effort into monitoring their food choices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Glycemic Index of Foods<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The GI is a ranking of foods based on how quickly they raise
blood glucose levels. The reference foods, white bread or glucose, have a GI of
100. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Low GI Foods (55 or less)</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">100%
stone-ground whole wheat or pumpernickel bread <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oatmeal
(rolled or steel-cut), oat bran, muesli <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pasta,
converted rice, barley, bulgar <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sweet
potato, corn, yam, lima/butter beans, peas, legumes and lentils <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most
fruits, non-starchy vegetables and carrots <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Medium GI (56-69)</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Whole
wheat, rye and pita bread <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Quick
oats <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Brown,
wild or basmati rice, couscous <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">High GI (70 or more)</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">White
bread or bagel <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Corn
flakes, puffed rice, bran flakes, instant oatmeal <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Shortgrain
white rice, rice pasta, macaroni and cheese from mix <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Russet
potato, pumpkin <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Pretzels,
rice cakes, popcorn, saltine crackers <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">melons
and pineapple <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What is the Glycemic Index?<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The Glycemic Index is a numerical Index
that ranks carbohydrates based on their rate of glycemic response (i.e. their
conversion to glucose within the human body). Glycemic Index uses a scale of 0
to 100, with higher values given to foods that cause the most rapid rise in
blood sugar. Pure glucose serves as a reference point, and is given a Glycemic
Index (GI) of 100.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Glycemic Index values are determined
experimentally by feeding human test subjects a fixed portion of the food
(after an overnight fast), and subsequently extracting and measuring samples of
their blood at specific intervals of time. The earliest known work on the
Glycemic Index was done by Dr. David Jenkins and associates at St. Michael's
Hospital in Toronto, Canada. More recently, an effort to expand the Glycemic
Index has been made by Jennie Brand-Miller and her associates at the Human
Nutrition Unit of the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The Glycemic Index Yields Some
Surprises</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"><br />
Nutritionists used to believe that all simple sugars digested quickly and
caused a rapid rise in blood sugar, and that the opposite was true for
"complex carbohydrates". But that's not always the case. While many
sweet and sugary foods do have high GI's, some starchy foods like potatoes or
white bread score even higher than honey or table sugar (sucrose)!<a href="" name="important"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Why is the Glycemic Index Important?<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Your body performs best when your blood
sugar is kept relatively constant. If your blood sugar drops too low, you
become lethargic and/or experience increased hunger. And if it goes too high,
your brain signals your pancreas to secrete more insulin. Insulin brings your
blood sugar back down, but primarily by converting the excess sugar to stored
fat. Also, the greater the rate of increase in your blood sugar, the more
chance that your body will release an excess amount of insulin, and drive your
blood sugar back down too low.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Therefore, when you eat foods that
cause a large and rapid glycemic response, you may feel an initial elevation in
energy and mood as your blood sugar rises, but this is followed by a cycle of
increased fat storage, lethargy, and more hunger!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Although increased fat storage may
sound bad enough, individuals with diabetes (diabetes mellitus, types 1 and 2)
have an even worse problem. Their bodies inability to secrete or process
insulin causes their blood sugar to rise too high, leading to a host of
additional medical problems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The theory behind the Glycemic Index is
simply to minimize insulin-related problems by identifying and avoiding foods
that have the greatest effect on your blood sugar.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Should All High-GI Foods be Avoided?</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"><br />
For non-diabetics, there are times when a rapid increase in blood sugar (and
the corresponding increase in insulin) may be desirable. For example, after
strenuous physical activity, insulin also helps move glucose into muscle cells,
where it aids tissue repair. Because of this, some coaches and physical
trainers recommend high-GI foods (such as sports drinks) immediately after
exercise to speed recovery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Also, it's not Glycemic Index alone
that leads to the increase in blood sugar. Equally important is the amount of
the food that you consume. The concept of Glycemic Index combined with total
intake is referred to as "Glycemic Load", and is addressed in the
next section...<a href="" name="load"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Although most candy has a relatively high Glycemic Index, eating a
single piece of candy will result in a relatively small glycemic response.
Why? Well, simply because your body's glycemic response is dependent on both
the type AND the amount of carbohydrate consumed. This concept, known as
Glycemic Load, was first popularized in 1997 by Dr. Walter Willett and
associates at the Harvard School of Public Health. Glycemic Load is
calculated this way:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">GL = GI/100 x Net Carbs</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
(Net Carbs are equal to the Total Carbohydrates minus Dietary Fiber)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="padding: 0in 0in 0in 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Therefore,
you can control your glycemic response by consuming low-GI foods and/or by
restricting your intake of carbohydrates. <a href="" name="values"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Glycemic Indexes and Glycemic Loads for Common Foods<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="5" style="background: #E5F2FB; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #141313; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">GI and GL for Common Foods<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="background: #9FABB8; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Food<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #9FABB8; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">GI<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #9FABB8; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Serving Size<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #9FABB8; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Net Carbs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="background: #9FABB8; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<b><span style="color: white; font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">GL<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Peanuts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 4 oz
(113g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bean sprouts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(104g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Grapefruit<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">25<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1/2
large (166g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Pizza<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">30<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 2
slices (260g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">42<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">13<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Lowfat
yogurt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">33<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(245g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">47<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Apples<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">38<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
medium (138g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Spaghetti<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">42<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(140g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">38<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Carrots<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">47<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
large (72g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">5<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Oranges<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">48<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
medium (131g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Bananas<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">52<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
large (136g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">27<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Potato chips<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">54<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 4 oz
(114g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">55<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">30<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Snickers Bar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">55<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 bar
(113g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">64<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">35<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Brown rice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">55<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(195g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">42<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">23<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Honey<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">55<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 tbsp
(21g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">17<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">9<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Oatmeal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">58<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(234g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">21<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Ice cream<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">61<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(72g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">16<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Macaroni and
cheese<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">64<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
serving (166g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">47<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">30<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Raisins<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">64<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
small box (43g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">32<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">20<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">White rice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">64<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(186g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">52<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">33<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Sugar
(sucrose)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">68<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 tbsp
(12g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">White bread<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">70<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
slice (30g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Watermelon<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">72<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1 cup
(154g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">8<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Popcorn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">72<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 2 cups
(16g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">7<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Baked potato<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">85<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> 1
medium (173g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">33<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">28<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Glucose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">100<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> (50g)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">50<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid #9FABB8 1.0pt; border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid #9FABB8 .5pt; padding: 1.2pt 6.0pt 1.2pt 6.0pt;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">50<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The table below shows values of the
Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) for a few common foods. GI's of 55
or below are considered low, and 70 or above are considered high. GL's of 10 or
below are considered low, and 20 or above are considered high.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Learning More</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"><br />
Additional information and values for Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load can be
found at </span><a href="http://www.glycemicindex.com/"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">www.glycemicindex.com</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<a href="" name="estimating"></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Limitations of the Glycemic Index and
the Glycemic Load<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Some proponents of the Glycemic Index
(including many diet books authors) would like you to believe that GI and GL
are all that matters when selecting which foods to eat. In reality, diet is a
more complex issue than that. ND agrees that the Glycemic Index is a marvelous
tool for ranking carbohydrates (and much better than the old "simple"
and "complex carbohydrate" designations). However, there are also
many limitations to GI and GL, which are explained in this section. Consider
this the warning that those diet book authors don't want you to hear...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Scarcity of GI data</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Although methods for determining Glycemic Index have been in existence for
more than 20 years, GI values have so far only been determined for about
5% of the foods in ND's database. Seemingly similar foods can have very
different GI values, so it's not always possible to estimate GI from
either food type or composition. This means that each food has to be
physically tested. GI testing requires human subjects, and is both
relatively expensive and time-consuming. The fact that only a very limited
number of researchers currently do GI testing compounds this problem. Food
manufacturers continue to introduce thousands of new foods each year.
Since GI testing is neither required nor common (at least in the U.S.),
this problem is likely to get worse rather than better.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<div style="background: white; margin-left: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">(ND has derived a formula that can
estimate the Glycemic Load for untested foods, based on comparative analysis
with foods of similar composition. To learn more about this method, please see
ND's </span><a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/help/estimated-glycemic-load"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Estimated Glycemic Load</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"> page.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Wide variation in GI measurements</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
The above Glycemic Index table shows a single value of GI for each food.
In reality, though, the measurements are not so precise. Reported values
are generally averages of several tests. There's nothing wrong with that
methodology, but individual measurements can vary a significant amount.
For example, baked Russet potatoes have been tested with a GI as low as 56
and as high as 111! The GI for the same fruit has even been shown to
increase as the fruit ripens. This amount of variation adds a great deal
of uncertainty to GI calculations.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">GI values affected by preparation method</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
The Glycemic Index gets even trickier when you take into account the
changes in value that occur in response to differences in food
preparation. Generally, any significant food processing, such as grinding
or cooking, will elevate GI values for certain foods, because it makes
those food quicker and easier to digest. This type of change is even seen
with subtle alterations of the preparation, such as boiling pasta for 15
minutes instead of 10.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">GI values affected by combination with other
foods</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
While tests for Glycemic Index are usually done on individual foods, we
often consume those foods in combination with other foods. The addition of
other foods that contain fiber, protein, or fat will generally reduce the
Glycemic Index of the meal. The GI of this "mixed meal" can be
estimated by taking a weighted average of the GI's of the individual foods
in the meal. However, this averaging method may become less accurate as
the total percentage of carbohydrate decreases. Therefore, foods like
pizza often create a higher glycemic response than the simple weighted
average of the ingredient GI's would predict.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Individual differences in glycemic response</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
The rate at which different people digest carbohydrates also varies, so
there are some individual differences in glycemic response from person to
person. In addition it has been shown that one person's glycemic response may
vary from one time of day to another. And finally, different people have
different insulin responses (i.e. produce different levels of insulin),
even with an identical glycemic response. This fact alone means that a
diabetic can not rely completely on the Glycemic Index without monitoring
his own blood sugar response. (This, of course, is a limitation of any
food index, and not a specific limitation of GI.) <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Reliance on GI and GL can lead to
overconsumption</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
It's important to remember that the Glycemic Index is only a rating of a
food's carbohydrate content. If you use GI and GL values as the sole
factor for determining your diet, you can easily end up overconsuming fat
and total Calories. See example below...<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<div style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Example - How the Glycemic Index can
encourage overeating:</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"><br />
Apples have a GI of 38 (as shown in the table above), and a medium-size apple,
weighing 138 grams, contains 16 grams of net carbohydrates and provides a
Glycemic Load of 6. This is a low GL, and most would consider the apple to be a
very appropriate snack. But now look at peanuts. A 4-oz serving not only weighs
less than the apple, but has a much lower GI (14), and provides an even lower
GL of 2. Based on Glycemic Load alone, you would have to believe that the
peanuts were a better dietary choice than the apple. But if you take a look at
the Calories contained in these two foods, you'll see that the apple contains
approximately 72 Calories, while the peanuts contain more than 500! Those 400+
extra Calories are NOT going to help you lose weight.<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
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<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Another Way to Control Blood Sugar<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">As you consider the strengths and
weaknesses of the Glycemic Index, it's important that you don't lose sight of
the original goal. What we are really trying to do is control blood sugar
levels. Is the consumption of low-GI foods the only way to do this? No, it is
not. As we mentioned before, your blood sugar can also be controlled simply by
limiting the total number of carbohydrates that you consume in any given meal.
In the following sections, we'll explore different ways to do just that...<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
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<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Is Low-Carb the Answer?<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">One alternative to the low-GI diet is
the low-carbohydrate diet, which also centers on the concept of controlling
blood sugar levels, but does so by limiting total carbohydrate consumption.
Low-carb diets have become popular, partially because they are very successful
at doing this. As opposed to low-GI diets, they are also very easy to plan and
monitor, since carbohydrate counts are known for all foods.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">However, low-carb diets are not without
their own difficulties, which can include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Deficiency of essential nutrients</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
If your low-carb diet restricts the amount of fruits and vegetables that
you eat, you may not be consuming enough Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Dietary
Fiber, which are much more abundant in plant-based foods. It's also likely
that you are consuming less carotenoids (such as Alpha Carotene, Beta
Carotene, Beta Cryptoxanthin, and Lycopene). Although no daily values have
been established for carotenoids, they are known to be powerful
anti-oxidants, and may be necessary for optimal health. It's possible to
supplement these missing nutrients, but there are also many phytochemicals
present in plant-based foods that we are just beginning to learn about.
Many of these phytochemicals are believed to have positive health
benefits, but very few of them are yet available in supplement form.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Potential risks associated with high fat
consumption</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Low-carb diets usually contain large amounts of fat, and numerous studies
suggest that higher consumption of fats (particularly saturated fats)
increases your risk of heart disease and other ailments. While no
definitive link has been established between low-carb diets and heart
disease, this is a topic that warrants additional study.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Hypoglycemic effects of minimized carbohydrate
consumption</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Your brain requires glucose to operate. In the absence of carbohydrates,
your body is forced to synthesize glucose from digested or stored fats.
This somewhat inefficient process results in lower than optimal blood
sugar levels, which can leave you feeling lethargic, unalert, and even
confused. This effect is most commonly experienced as you transition from
a "normal" diet to an ultra-low-carb diet, but can also reappear
at times when your body is under increased stress. The decrease in mental
alertness, while not harmful in of itself, is a potentially dangerous side
effect. (e.g. It can be less safe to operate a car if you aren't fully
alert.)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Boredom or cravings resulting from the
elimination of carbohydrate-rich foods</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
We all derive pleasure from the taste of different foods. Any diet that
greatly or completely restricts our selection of foods, can lead to
increased cravings for the eliminated foods or boredom with the allowable
food selections. This, of course, is not a problem specific to low-carb
diets, but affects all diets that limit the range of foods that you
consume.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Added expense of special foods</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
To overcome the boredom of the low-carb diet, you can turn to the new
low-carb versions of foods that are now being offered in many health food
and grocery stores. It's now even possible to find low-carb versions of
pancakes and bagels! Unfortunately, though, the elevated cost of some of
these specialty food items can add considerably to your food bill.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Incompatibility with vegetarian lifestyle</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
If you consider yourself a vegetarian, you'll find that it's very
difficult to follow a low-carb diet, since nearly all low-carb meal plans
focus on the consumption of meats and other animal-based foods.<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="_x0000_i1028" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:6pt'/><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img border="0" height="8" src="file:///C:/Users/Casey/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_i1028" width="1" /><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1029"
type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:6pt'/><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img border="0" height="8" src="file:///C:/Users/Casey/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_i1029" width="1" /><!--[endif]--><a href="" name="satiety"></a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">What About Satiety?<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">A different way to limit carbohydrate
consumption is simply to limit the total number of Calories that you consume
for each meal. This can be a very effective method for controlling blood sugar
and losing body fat. Unfortunately, there's one BIG problem associated with
this method - increased hunger! But what if you could eat less, and not be
hungry? Is that possible?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">A few years ago, a group of researchers
from the University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia performed an interesting
study in which they compared the satiating effects of different foods. These
researchers, lead by Suzanna Holt, include some of the same individuals that
pioneered much of the work on the Glycemic Index. The result of their study,
"The Satiety Index of Common Foods", was published in the European
Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 1995. In this study, the researchers
fed human test subjects fixed-Calorie portions of thirty-eight different foods,
and then recorded the subjects' perceived hunger following each feeding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The results of this study clearly
indicated that certain foods are much better than others for satisfying hunger.
The researchers used white bread as their reference point, and arbitrarily
assigned it a "Satiety Index" of 100. Foods that did a better job of
satisfying hunger were given proportionately higher values, and foods that were
less satisfying were assigned lower values. Among the most satisfying foods
they tested were plain boiled potatoes, raw fruits, fish, and lean meats.
Subjects that consumed the prescribed portion of these foods were less likely
to feel hungry immediately afterward. Foods that did the poorest job of
satisfying hunger included croissants, donuts, candy bars, and peanuts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">An important outcome of this study</span></b><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"><br />
Because of the limited size of the Satiety Index study, there's some
uncertainty in the accuracy of the values that were recorded for each food.
However, one very important general observation was made by the Satiety Index
researchers. They noted that a common feature was shared by the foods with the
highest Satiety Index values. All of these foods had high weight-to-Calorie
ratios. In other words, these foods contained a greater amount of bulk for each
Calorie. They helped make you feel full, literally by filling your stomach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">This suspected relation between bulk
and satiety may seem obvious and trivial, but it opens the door to a very
powerful theory - that it may be possible to predict satiety by knowing the
nutrient composition of the food! And if that is true, some form of the Satiety
Index could prove to be a more flexible tool for assessing diet than the
Glycemic Index.<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1030" type="#_x0000_t75"
alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:6pt'/><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img border="0" height="8" src="file:///C:/Users/Casey/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="_x0000_i1030" width="1" /><!--[endif]--><a href="" name="ff"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Introducing the Fullness Factor™<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">ND mathematically modeled the Satiety
Index with a multivariate analysis that used nutrient profiles of the foods
tested in the previously mentioned Satiety Index study. As anticipated, there
was a good correlation between the Satiety Index values and each food's Caloric
density. There were also significant but lesser correlations between the index
and each food's levels of net carbohydrates, fat, dietary fiber, and protein.
From the mathematical model developed, ND was able to create an equation to
convert a food's nutrient profile into a predicted satiety index, which we call
the Fullness Factor™.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The Fullness Factor has been normalized
so that all resultant values fall into a range of 0 to 5. The calculated
Fullness Factor for white bread is 1.8, so values above 1.8 indicate foods that
are likely to be more satiating than white bread, and values less than 1.8
indicate foods that are likely to be less satiating. A food's Fullness Factor
is independent of its serving size.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">For more details about the Fullness
Factor, please see ND's </span><a href="http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/fullness-factor"><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Fullness Factor</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;"> page. For an explanation of how to use
the Fullness Factor in your own diet, please see the last section on this page,
labeled "Putting the Fullness Factor to Work". <a href="" name="advantages1"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Potential Advantages of the Fullness Factor over the Glycemic
Index<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">The Fullness Factor is a calculated
rather than measured value, and has a few distinct advantages over the Glycemic
Index: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Fullness Factors are instantly determinable
for ALL foods</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Knowledge of the nutrient information contained on a standard nutrition
facts label is all that is required to determine the Fullness Factor. That
means that the Fullness Factor is supported for all foods in ND's
database, and also all new recipes. That makes it easy to use the Fullness
Factor in conjunction with any diet plan.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">High-FF foods may help reduce total Caloric
consumption</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Consuming high-FF foods means satisfying your hunger with fewer total
Calories, which is the most direct route to weight loss.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The Fullness Factor may also be helpful in
weight gaining diets</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Individuals that have trouble maintaining or gaining weight can add additional
Calories to their diets by altering their food selections to include more
low-FF foods. <a href="" name="advantages2"></a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<h2 style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Potential Advantages of FF-based Diets over Low-Carb Diets<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<div style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">Diets based on the Fullness Factor have
some advantages over Low-Carb diets: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">FF-based diets may better encourage the
consumption of naturally healthy foods</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
Because many fruits, vegetables, and less processed foods have high
Fullness Factors, it may be easier to obtain essential nutrients when on
FF-based diets.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">FF-based diets offer a larger range of food
selections</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
No foods are off limits in FF-based diets. FF-based diets simply encourage
you to select the foods that cause you to fill up faster without as
many total Calories.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-top: 1.2pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">FF-based diets can easily accommodate a
vegetarian lifestyle</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br />
While many meats are good choices for a high-FF diet, it's also relatively
easy to create a high-FF diet that doesn't contain animal-based foods.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
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cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-80034572350343122292013-10-18T19:26:00.002-05:002013-10-18T19:26:25.322-05:00PCOS Symptoms, Treatments and Weight Loss <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you want the facts on PCOS :</div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome</a></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
Common symptoms of PCOS include:</div>
<ul style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_disorder" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Menstrual disorder">Menstrual disorders</a>: PCOS mostly produces <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oligomenorrhea" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Oligomenorrhea">oligomenorrhea</a> (few menstrual periods) or <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amenorrhea" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Amenorrhea">amenorrhea</a> (no menstrual periods), but other types of menstrual disorders may also occur.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-BMC_Teede_7-1" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-BMC_Teede-7" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MayoClinic_9-0" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-MayoClinic-9" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a></sup></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infertility" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Infertility">Infertility</a>:<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MayoClinic_9-1" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-MayoClinic-9" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a></sup> This generally results directly from chronic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anovulation" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Anovulation">anovulation</a> (lack of ovulation).<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-BMC_Teede_7-2" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-BMC_Teede-7" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a></sup></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperandrogenism" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hyperandrogenism">High levels of masculinizing hormones</a>: The most common signs are <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acne" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Acne">acne</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirsutism" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hirsutism">hirsutism</a> (male pattern of hair growth), but it may produce <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermenorrhea" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hypermenorrhea">hypermenorrhea</a> (very frequent menstrual periods) or other symptoms.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-BMC_Teede_7-3" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-BMC_Teede-7" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-AMN_10-0" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-AMN-10" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[10]</a></sup> Approximately three-quarters of patients with PCOS (by the diagnostic criteria of NIH/NICHD 1990) have evidence of <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperandrogenemia" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hyperandrogenemia">hyperandrogenemia</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-huang_11-0" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-huang-11" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[11]</a></sup></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_syndrome" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Metabolic syndrome">Metabolic syndrome</a>:<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MayoClinic_9-2" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-MayoClinic-9" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a></sup> This appears as a tendency towards <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_obesity" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Central obesity">central obesity</a> and other symptoms associated with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin_resistance" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Insulin resistance">insulin resistance</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-BMC_Teede_7-4" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-BMC_Teede-7" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a></sup> Serum <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Insulin">insulin</a>, insulin resistance and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homocysteine" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Homocysteine">homocysteine</a>levels are higher in women with PCOS.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-FertSter_insulin_12-0" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-FertSter_insulin-12" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[12]</a></sup></li>
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<span class="mw-headline" id="Cause">Cause</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select: none; display: inline-block; font-size: x-small; line-height: 1em; margin-left: 1em; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polycystic_ovary_syndrome&action=edit&section=2" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Edit section: Cause">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2>
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PCOS is a heterogeneous disorder of uncertain <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiology" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Etiology">etiology</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Fauser2011_1-1" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-Fauser2011-1" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-FertSter_molecular_2-1" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-FertSter_molecular-2" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-MayoClinic_9-3" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-MayoClinic-9" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[9]</a></sup> There is strong evidence that it is a <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_disease" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Genetic disease">genetic disease</a>. Such evidence includes the familial clustering of cases, greater <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concordance_(genetics)" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Concordance (genetics)">concordance</a>in <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monozygotic_twin" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Monozygotic twin">monozygotic</a> compared with <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dizygotic" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Dizygotic">dizygotic</a> twins and heritability of endocrine and metabolic features of PCOS.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Fauser2011_1-2" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-Fauser2011-1" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-FertSter_molecular_2-2" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-FertSter_molecular-2" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Endocrine_role_3-1" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-Endocrine_role-3" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[3]</a></sup></div>
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The genetic component appears to be inherited in an <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autosomal_dominant" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Autosomal dominant">autosomal dominant</a> fashion with high <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_penetrance" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Genetic penetrance">genetic penetrance</a> but variable <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expressivity" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Expressivity">expressivity</a> in females; this means that each child has a 50% chance of inheriting the predisposing genetic variant(s) from a parent, and if a daughter receives the variant(s), then the daughter will have the disease to some extent.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-FertSter_molecular_2-3" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-FertSter_molecular-2" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-pmid11212071_14-0" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-pmid11212071-14" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[14]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-AnnNYAS_thoughts_15-0" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-AnnNYAS_thoughts-15" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[15]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-OMIM_16-0" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-OMIM-16" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[16]</a></sup> The genetic variant(s) can be inherited from either the father or the mother, and can be passed along to both sons (who may be asymptomatic carriers or may have symptoms such as early <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldness" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Baldness">baldness</a> and/or excessive hair) and daughters, who will show signs of PCOS.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-pmid11212071_14-1" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-pmid11212071-14" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[14]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-OMIM_16-1" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-OMIM-16" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[16]</a></sup> The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allele" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Allele">allele</a> appears to manifest itself at least partially via heightened androgen levels secreted by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovarian_follicle" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ovarian follicle">ovarian follicle</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theca" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Theca">theca</a> cells from women with the allele.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-AnnNYAS_thoughts_15-1" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-AnnNYAS_thoughts-15" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[15]</a></sup> The exact gene affected has not yet been identified.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-FertSter_molecular_2-4" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-FertSter_molecular-2" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Endocrine_role_3-2" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-Endocrine_role-3" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[3]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-pmid15380142_17-0" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-pmid15380142-17" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[17]</a></sup></div>
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The clinical severity of PCOS symptoms appears to be largely determined by factors such as obesity.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Endocrine_role_3-3" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-Endocrine_role-3" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[3]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-BMC_Teede_7-5" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_ovary_syndrome#cite_note-BMC_Teede-7" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a></sup></div>
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<i>I have taken the pill. I have taken metformin. It didn't work. What did work, is a low GI Diet. </i></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_GI_diet">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_GI_diet</a></div>
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The glycemic index is a useful aid for diabetics and other people who wish to control their blood glucose levels. A diet based on foods with low glycemic response has been associated with diabetes management, improved blood lipids (cholesterol), reduced risk of heart disease, and weight management<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2" style="line-height: 1em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_GI_diet#cite_note-2" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup><sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="line-height: 1em; white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Identifying_reliable_sources" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Wikipedia:Identifying reliable sources"><span title="The material near this tag may rely on an unreliable source. (July 2012)">unreliable source?</span></a></i>]</sup>. Not only will foods with a low glycemic index take longer to digest (therefore prolonging satiety) they will also maintain blood glucose levels at a relatively constant state. Foods with a high glycemic index not only digest quickly, but they also can cause extreme fluctuations in blood glucose.</div>
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There are some specific factors to consider in foods that can indicate their glycemic index: Low glycemic foods contain fat, protein, fiber, whole grains, raw starches, legumes, vegetables, fruits and dairy products. High glycemic foods contain refined grains, refined sugars, and increased amylopectin: amylose ratio.</div>
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There are other factors that contribute to a food's glycemic index, such as plant variety, ripeness, food processing, cooking method, and the other foods served with it.</div>
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There are criticisms of the glycemic index, including how impractical it is. The preparation and combination with other foods can alter its glycemic index. There is no requirement to display the glycemic index of a food product, and it is not always easy to predict the glycemic index of certain foods. Switching from a high glycemic index diet to a low glycemic index diet can be made relatively easy. Switching white bread and pastas to whole grain, eating breakfast cereals from oats, bran or barley, adding more fruits and vegetables when cooking, and reducing potato consumption can all aid in lowering glycemic index.</div>
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<i>So to sum things up. Even if you don't have PCOS, and you want to lose weight, especially if you have insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome, I recommend the following steps. </i></div>
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<i>1. Go see a doctor. Have you hormone levels checked. Have your thyroid checked to rule that out. You may need to get an ultra sound. It is not fun, but it can confirm the severity of your condition.</i></div>
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<i>2. Eat low GI. I do 6 days on and 1 day off. Try and eat organic whole foods as much as possible. Always keep healthy food stocked in the house. Never let yourself go hungry. Hunger is the enemy. It is all about regulating your insulin levels, which will in turn regulate your hormone levels and control the never ending cycle of the PCOS nightmare. </i></div>
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<i>3. Be patient. My doctor describes PCOS like a freight train. You have to stop it before you can reverse it. At first your weight loss may be slow, don't give up. The first week I started my low GI diet I gained 5 lbs. Then it was a slow 1 lb per week. But, I didn't give up, and now I have lost almost 70 lbs. </i></div>
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<i>There is absolutely no cure for PCOS. There isn't a magic pill you can take. You have to change the way you eat for the rest of your life, or you will be plagues with obesity, heart disease, diabetes, infertility, hair loss, acne, depression and so on. PCOS will not go away on its own. You must change the way you live. Should you choose to do the work, not only can you manage your PCOS, but you can live a very healthy and happy life. </i></div>
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<br />cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-78738190105655297992013-10-11T21:40:00.001-05:002013-10-11T21:42:15.718-05:00How I Lost 64 LBS So FarIt is hard to imagine going from this....135 lbs.<br />
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To this.....283 lbs.<br />
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To fight an upward battle that I have been fighting for the past decade. I am proud of each and every one of the 64 lbs I have lost over the past year. Here is a most recent picture at about 125 lbs. <br />
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As of today I am down to 219 lbs. So how does a person who has PCOS, metabolic syndrome, interstitial cystitis and sever depression achieve something like this?</div>
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I must have tried everything. Every diet. Every exercise plan. Every medication. It felt like if I even looked at food I gained weight. It was a nightmare. I gained weight so fast and uncontrollably, that almost every month I would have to buy bigger clothes. Now I have the opposite problem. My clothes are too big, and that is okay with me. </div>
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It seemed like I would be able to stick to a diet for about 3 months, lose 20-30 lbs and then give up and gain the weight back -plus more of course. Last fall, my husband and I came down with Mono. For three months we were sick. So sick in fact I ended up losing my job. We each lost about 30 lbs. However by May of 2013 I had gained 15 lbs back and was back up to 165 lbs. That is when I joined this website. </div>
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<a href="http://www.pcosdietsupport.com/">http://www.pcosdietsupport.com/</a></div>
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I learned a lot about PCOS, and I used the knowledge I gained to come up with a healthy and holistic way to get control back. The first step was radical changes in the way I eat. Six days out of the week, I eat low glycemic. Meaning I don't eat processed carbs and stick pretty much to organic lean meat, veggies, fruit, nuts and whole grains in moderation. On day seven I eat whatever I want. I think having that cheat day has helped me not give up. If I have a craving I eat it. I don't beat myself up over it. I just have a small portion and move on. I also take organic supplements from NewChapter. If you buy them at the health food store they easily cost $80, but if you buy them on Amazon.com they only cost around $30. I take a women's multi vitamin, fish oil, and calcium supplements since I don't eat much dairy. As far as medications, I am off of Metformin and the Pill. I take spironolactone to combat my high testosterone levels. I take lamictal for my depression. Xanax for my anxiety/panic disorder. And Adderall for my hypersomnia. I have found a beautiful balance. It took two years and over a dozen different medication combinations to find something that worked for my severe depression and anxiety. If you suffer from mental illness, like I do, don't give up. Mental health is so important. Let go of the stigma and get help, and don't give up until you get healthy! </div>
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So since May 2013, I have lost 46 lbs in around 5 months. At first it was hard. My body was fighting losing weight. My PCOS was hanging on for dear life. But, I didn't give up. There would be times the scale would not move, and times I would weigh less each day I weighed myself. There is no right or wrong way to lose weight. You have to find what works for you. I know that since I started eating low glycemic, my sugar craving are all but gone. In fact at this point I pretty much have to force myself to eat a cheat meal. </div>
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I have set a goal finally. I want to lose a total of 100 lbs. I truly believe this is something I can do. I am motivated and I am ready. I will keep you updated on my progress. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and cheered me on through this big life change. </div>
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<br />cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-50974895322452764612013-10-02T12:05:00.000-05:002013-10-02T12:05:06.961-05:00I Have Lost 60 Lbs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am officially down 60 lbs. Words cannot describe how happy I am with myself and my progress. PCOS is not just a disease you get when you are trying to have a baby, PCOS is a chronic condition that 5-10 % of women have, many of whom don't even know. And, they won't know until they try and have a baby and can't. I have been battling this condition for over a decade. I knew something was wrong with me, and I spent 6 years banging on different doctors doors, being told time and again nothing was wrong. But I know my body, and I knew something was wrong. I kept gaining and losing the same 50 lbs over and over and over again. My hair was falling out. I had no energy. I was depressed. Finally 5 years ago I went to a reproductive endocrinologist, who after blood work and ultra sounds told me "you have PCOS, take the pill, call me when you want to get pregnant". That was it. I was furious and I felt helpless. So I took the pill, but that didn't help. I gained 123 lbs over the next 5 years. It wasn't until a year ago, that I finally started on the right path to getting healthy. I had been trying for years, but I guess I just hadn't figured out quite the right way about it. Now I know, that for me, what works is a low glycemic diet/lifestyle. I no longer take metformin or the pill. I take an organic multi vitamin, fish oil and spironolactone. And I eat right. I feel like my life, although it has its ups and downs, is finally on track to getting where I need to be. I want to be healthy, and I am 60 lbs closer to that !cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-69783469587058277712013-09-15T09:03:00.001-05:002013-09-15T09:03:39.594-05:00Going Back To Work and Losing Weight<br />
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Eating right and working are hard. Pot lucks. Vending machines. Carol baked cup cakes. French fries from the cafeteria. Not to mention sitting at a desk in a cubicle for 8 hours a day. It can be a recipe for disaster. But what can we do about it?<br />
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1. Just say no.... to temptation foods, unless it is a mad craving, and then just limit yourself to one serving<br />
2. Bring your own lunch and snacks. Pack them up the night before. You can even bring left overs from last nights healthy low glycemic meal. I like to buy mixed nuts in bulk from Sam's and then put a half cup in a plastic baggy to take to work. Economical and Healthy.<br />
3. Be active outside of work. Exercise, clean, be active on the weekends.<br />
4. Walk as much at work as possible. Take the stairs. Walk around on your break.<br />
5. Breathing exercises. Sounds crazy, but there are breathing exercises that you can do at your desk that will not only calm you down, reduce stress, but will also burn calories.<br />
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I have lost 56 lbs so far. I am down from 283 to 227. I have 2 1/2 months until the wedding. I am hoping to lose 10-15 lbs in that time. Good luck to us all!!!cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-58991842891630627952013-09-08T16:29:00.001-05:002013-09-08T16:29:44.329-05:00The Art of the Apology The Gift of Forgiveness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Apologies are hard. I would go as far as saying that there is almost an art to an apology. I have never been one for confrontation. I have spent most of my life running from it. More times than I would like to admit, I have chosen to let someone go rather than deal with a confrontation. I find people try and get around a true apology by twisting their words. Sometimes they were carefully worded as to imply that the other person was wrong, as in "I am sorry you feel that way". " I am sorry you feel that way" is not an apology. "I am sorry you feel that way" means I don't agree with what you are feeling but I am going to say this to try and look like the bigger person, when in fact I am plainly telling you that your feelings are not valid. Or it was "life is how you frame it, you don't have to be upset". Yes, I completely 100% understand that my emotional reaction to any situation is my choice and I have the power and the ability to control my reactions, but sometimes you just want to hear that your feelings are valid. Sometimes you just want a little empathy. I don't understand, and I never have, why life is such a competition of egos. Why is saying "I am sorry" somehow harmful to you? How is saying "I am sorry" an admission of guilt? Why does "I am sorry" have to be followed by a long list of excuses? Why is it so hard to just say "I am sorry" and leave it at that? "Apologizing doesn't mean you're right or wrong, it just means you value your relationship more than your ego". I tell people I am sorry all the time. If you are having a bad day, I am sorry. If I said something that offended you, I am sorry. If I let you down, I am sorry. If someone else let you down, I am sorry. I work on the phones for a living, and often I will talk to people who are completely irrational and it is my job to acknowledge that person's feelings and empathize with them. "I am so sorry to hear that happened, let me see what I can do to make it right" are words I utter daily. It doesn't mean I am a lessor person, in fact, in my opinion, I think having the ability to empathize and acknowledge makes you a better person. I try everyday to grow and better myself. One of then things I have been working on is standing up for myself. It has been hard. It is much easier for me to just swallow my feelings up and move on. I have learned that boundaries are very important. We each as individuals have the right to decide how we are willing to be treated. That is a very important part of learning to love yourself. We have no control over how other people act or think. We cannot change anyone but ourselves. I love the quote from Gandhi "Be the change you want to see in this world". I know that I cannot make people act a certain way, but I can try and be an example to others. And I know that I am not perfect. I am far from perfect. On the flip side, there is also an art to forgiveness. Holding in anger is only punishing yourself. I have often heard it said that "forgiveness is a gift we give to ourselves". I will work hard everyday on forgiveness and letting go. I know it is something I need to work on. This is all, of course, just my opinion. I will leave you with these words....<br />
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<br />cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-1538470292331503752013-08-25T09:32:00.000-05:002013-08-25T09:33:29.951-05:00Amazing Results <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am so excited to finally reach the 50 lb weight loss mark. Since May I have lost 27 lbs. On May 6th, my measurements were 50 chest, 45 waist and 53 hips. Today, my measurements are 45 chest, 38.5 waist and 47 hips. That means I have lost 5 inches from my chest, 6.5 inches from my waist and 6 inches from my hips. That is a total of 17.5 inches. I have gone from a tight size 22 to a 16/18 and 283 lbs. to 233 lbs. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We also had a health fair at work, and my non fasting blood sugar level was 104 just an hour after lunch. And that is with no metformin! Just diet and exercise. I am also off of hormone pills, and having regular periods. Even my skin is glowing! It is so much more than just weight loss, it is improved health. And health, is my true motivation in this journey. </span></b><br />
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<br />cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-29266884398319936912013-08-17T19:34:00.001-05:002013-08-17T19:34:17.777-05:00The Art of Letting GoI find social media a fascinating thing. Although most of it is filtered crap of what people want you to believe their life is really like, there are rare gems of true un-filtered honesty. No more do I find honesty in the words people speak, than as when they are angry, upset or disappointed. Even I find myself, sometimes, taking to the social network to vent my own frustration. Anger, frustration and disappointment are like a virus. They sit in your brain eating up all the good chemicals, until nothing is left but sadness. Why is it so hard to let go? Why is letting go almost like art, something that takes talent, practice and an open mind to achieve?<br />
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Letting go, for me, has been the biggest part of my healing process, and a catalyst for the great changes I have made in my life.<br />
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When I was diagnosed with PCOS and I gained weight uncontrollably, lost my hair, learned I was infertile and became depressed - I was angry. I was angry for a really long time. But then something amazing happened. I let go. I had spent my whole life obsessed with how I looked and how much I weighed. I was miserable. I was skinny, gorgeous, talented, smart, had everything going for me in the world - and I was miserable. When I lost some of the things I perceived to be so important, at first, it was devastating. I hid from the world. I feared holidays or any time people from my "old life" would see me. It was as if I would burst into flames should anyone know how far I perceived I had fallen. But, time went on, and I did not burst into flames, I didn't die and I changed. I changed on the inside. I began to see the world from a different perspective. I saw beauty in things I didn't appreciate before. I realized that the things that truly mattered, were , as cliche as it sounds, not that of this physical world, but in that of the world inside of us. Now when I meet people, I don't judge them on their pant size, but on the size of their heart. I judge them by their actions. I judge them by what they contribute to this world. And nothing is sexier than a smart, kind, loving, funny, giving person. It wasn't until I let go of my old way of thinking about life and people, that I finally was able to change things I needed to change to get healthier.<br />
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When I was diagnosed with clinical depression, general anxiety and panic disorder, I was angry and I was scared. I was angry that I had to see doctors. Angry that I had to spend time in an out patient center. Angry that I had to go to meetings to deal with my drinking - a coping mechanism I developed to deal with my problems. Angry I hadn't gotten help earlier, I wondered if my life would have been happier if it had not taken so long to get the help I needed. I was angry that there were days I could not get out of bed. I was angry that it took two years and a dozen medications to finally find a combination that worked for me. Angry that I had to endure countless side effects as I searched for relief. But today, I have an understanding and an overwhelming empathy for those who also struggle with mental illness. I no longer see it as a stigma, as something to whisper about in secret. It is a part of who I am, and it is a part of a lot of people. People who are smart and gifted and creative and caring. And no matter how unfair I felt this blow was, I realized that there were and are so many people who have it far worse than I ever have or ever will. It opened my eyes to a side of the human condition that I never would have seen, had I not experienced it for myself. It changed me.<br />
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When I was diagnosed with interstitial cystitis, I was furious. What do you mean I have a chronic pain disease? What do you mean I can't eat or drink anything acidic? What do you mean I will have bouts of crippling pain for the rest of my life? But again, I didn't die, and I learned to change my life to deal with this disease.<br />
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Life is not determined by the things that are handed to us, life is determined BY THE WAY WE HANDLE the things that are handed to us. You have two choices. You can sit in misery, wondering "why me", as you let your life pass by. Or, you can "let go" of your anger, hurt and disappointment and learn to live your life on life's terms. And, in the midst of all this pain and ugliness, the most beautiful thing can happen - acceptance and forgiveness. The little things that used to make you so angry, just roll off your shoulders like beads of rain. You appreciate what you have more, and you find yourself a kinder wiser human being.<br />
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I see so much hope and beauty in my future, no matter what else life deals me. I am stronger and I am happier than I have ever been in my life. The next time something happens, whether it be a mean co-worker, a flat tire, a stolen cell phone - remember that these things are only small pittance in comparison to what life could deal you. It may at first be hard to accept, forgive and let go, but it is worth the sacrifice. You will come to know a new level of happiness and you will find that life is wide open with possibilities.cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-71015202760228369932013-08-08T13:41:00.005-05:002013-08-08T13:43:02.380-05:00Final Cost of Meal Plan<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>The final cost was $150 approximately. That is for 2 people and included breakfast and lunch items like bagged salads and greek yogurt. That is $10.71 a day per person or $3.57 per meal per person . SO MUCH CHEAPER THAN EATING OUT!!!</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">Crock pot pot Roast – rump roast, new potatoes, baby carrots, peas, seasoning mix<b><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">Tuesday<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">Grilled salmon, peas and rice pilaf<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">Wednesday<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">Taco Salad – turkey meat, taco seasoning, onion, green pepper, rotel, iceburg lettuce shredded, sour cream, borracho beans<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">Thursday<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">Crock pot chicken curry –1.5 lbs chicken, 1 cup onion, 2 medium diced tomatoes, 1 green pepper, 3 tablespoons curry powder, 4 teaspoons of chicken bouillon, 1 tablespoon of ketchup, ½ teaspoon salt and rice pilaf<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">Friday<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 19.5pt; margin-bottom: 3.75pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Roasted Garlic Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry – 1.5 lb beef sirloin, 2 tblsp soy sauce, garlic seasoning, 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, ½ tsp ground ginger, 1 tablespoon oil, 5 cups of stir fry veggies<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Saturday<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> crock pot chili – 2 lbs of turkey, onion, bell pepper, rotel, tomato paste, beans all kinds<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Sunday</span></u></b><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> – cheat day !!!</span></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grocery List<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 dozen eggs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">salmon or other fish</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salad mixes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rump roast<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baby carrots<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">New potatoes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frozen peas 2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Near east rice pilaf 3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turkey meat 3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taco seasoning<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Onion 4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Green pepper 4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rotel 3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shredded iceburg<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sour cream<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Borracho beans<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black beans<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">White beans<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kidney beans<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 medium tomatos<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Frozen chicken<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ketchup<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1.5 lb sirloin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soy sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19.5pt;">Corn starch</span><span style="color: #3c3c3c; line-height: 19.5pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.5pt;">ground ginger </span><br />
<span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.5pt;">bagged salad kits</span><br />
<span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.5pt;">tuna kits</span><br />
<span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.5pt;">canned soup</span><br />
<span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.5pt;">greek yogurt </span></div>
cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-50994662279342077402013-08-04T16:35:00.002-05:002013-08-04T16:35:47.236-05:00Meal Plan and Grocery List Sean and I sat down and made a low glycemic meal plan and grocery list. I am going to the grocery store tonight so I will let you know the cost. We will try the meal plan for the week and see how we like it, and make changes from there as needed.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Crock pot pot Roast – rump roast, new potatoes,
baby carrots, peas, seasoning mix <b><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tuesday
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Grilled salmon, peas and rice pilaf <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wednesday<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Taco Salad – turkey meat, taco seasoning, onion,
green pepper, rotel, iceburg lettuce shredded, sour cream, borracho beans <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thursday
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Crock pot chicken curry –1.5 lbs chicken, 1 cup
onion, 2 medium diced tomatoes, 1 green pepper, 3 tablespoons curry powder, 4
teaspoons of chicken bouillon, 1 tablespoon of ketchup, ½ teaspoon salt and
rice pilaf <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Friday
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Garlic Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry – 1.5 lb beef sirloin, 2 tblsp soy sauce,
garlic seasoning, 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, ½ tsp ground ginger, 1 tablespoon
oil, 5 cups of stir fry veggies <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Saturday <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> crock pot chili – 2 lbs of turkey, onion, bell
pepper, rotel, tomato paste, beans all kinds <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Sunday</span></u></b><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Arial Narrow","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"> – cheat day !!!</span></div>
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<b><u>Grocery List<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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2 dozen eggs <o:p></o:p></div>
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salmon or other fish</div>
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Salad mixes <o:p></o:p></div>
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Rump roast <o:p></o:p></div>
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Baby carrots <o:p></o:p></div>
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New potatoes <o:p></o:p></div>
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Frozen peas 2<o:p></o:p></div>
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Near east rice pilaf 3<o:p></o:p></div>
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Turkey meat 3<o:p></o:p></div>
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Taco seasoning<o:p></o:p></div>
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Onion 4<o:p></o:p></div>
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Green pepper 4<o:p></o:p></div>
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Rotel 3<o:p></o:p></div>
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Shredded iceburg<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sour cream <o:p></o:p></div>
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Borracho beans <o:p></o:p></div>
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Black beans<o:p></o:p></div>
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White beans<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kidney beans <o:p></o:p></div>
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2 medium tomatos<o:p></o:p></div>
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Frozen chicken <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ketchup <o:p></o:p></div>
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1.5 lb sirloin<o:p></o:p></div>
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Soy sauce</div>
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<span style="line-height: 19.5pt;">Corn starch</span><span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 19.5pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 19.5pt;">ground ginger </span></div>
cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-61599059125187639742013-08-03T16:41:00.004-05:002013-08-03T16:41:50.194-05:005,000 Views <i>I can't believe that I am about to have 5,000 views on this little blog of mine. I thought a good way to commemorate this would be to re-post my very first post. It is aptly called change, and the words resonate just as clearly today as they did over three years ago.</i><br />
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There really isn't anything special about turning 27, but for whatever reason I have decided this will be my year of change. There really isn't one particular thing I want to change, but rather I see change as an all encompasing effort to become a better person. Change starts from within yourself. Obviously you have to be unhappy with something or maybe just unhappy in general, but there is something inside yourself that recognizes that things could be better. I think the biggest mistake people make when they want to change is looking around themselves for their reason. They want to change to impress someone or some people. They think their problems are a direct result of the people around them. Or they think they got dealt a short hand in life. Really, change is recognizing in yourself that you yourself need to fix something. Maybe it is the way you perceive your life or the people around you. Maybe it is simply making better choices. I know one of the biggest things I need to change is my ability to forgive. That includes not only those people I hold petty grudges against, but also to forgive myself. Life is too short to hurt on purpose. And really that is all anger is - hurting on purpose. I need to focus on cultivating the positive things in my life. My talents my abilities won't grow unless I tend to them. Sometimes I think the scariest thing in life is taking a chance on a dream. What if I fail or worse what if I succeed ? What will happen? I think often people get complacent in trying half ass, because it is safe. You get used to not discovering your full potential and failure becomes the norm. I know that I am sick, but I can't stop living my life just because some doctors are taking longer than I would like to diagnose me. I have seen my hair loss and weight gain as a reason to hide from the world. How pathetic that is! No matter what kind of cards you have been dealt in life you should appreciate every moment even if they are not under the circumstances you would like. Change can happen. I will make this change happen.cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-24651467782100919392013-08-03T16:31:00.002-05:002013-08-03T16:31:51.874-05:00Still Winning By Losing The past couple of weeks have been very productive. I am gearing up to start a new job soon, and I am very excited to go back to work. July was a month filled with a lot of vacations. We went to Las Vegas and we went to Rockport Tx. Amazingly Sean and I still managed to lose weight. The key that I keep talking about is moderation and allowed cheat days.<br />
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Sean is down to 258 from 303 for a total weight loss of 45 lbs.<br />
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I am down to 240 from 283 for a total weight loss of 43 lbs.<br />
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So what is next?<br />
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Sean and I are committed to continue working on working out. DDP Yoga is our main work out, though we plan to add more variety and intensity as we get stronger.<br />
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I have 17 weeks until my wedding and am hoping to lose 1-2 lbs per week so 17-34 more lbs before the big day. This should put me somewhere in the 200-225 lb range for the wedding. It is great motivation.<br />
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I will be getting full blood work done soon, so I will have a new read on my hormone and cholesterol levels to judge how my PCOS is doing. I will update those as soon as I know the outcome.<br />
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Mostly right now we are focused on moving forward and getting stuff done. I have had great luck with my current depression medications and regular therapy. It took two years and over a dozen different drugs to find the right combo for me, so if you are struggling don't give up. Even if you lose almost everything, like I did, you can still bounce back, like I also did. Just don't ever give up.<br />
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<br />cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-57656856614226817512013-08-03T00:11:00.001-05:002013-08-03T00:11:34.964-05:00A Random Act of Kindness<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Most bizarre night ever last night. Sean's friends came over to celebrate our friend's birthday and they all decided at 2 am they wanted to go to Jims. So I tagged along. We get there and I pick a booth all the way in the back for the 7 of us. What I didn't realize was there was a very young and skinny girl passed out in the booth next to us. I went to the bathroom and when I came out there were </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">3 cops questioning her. She was so high. I mean eyes rolling in the back of her head high. So I tried not to stare as the cops tried to talk to her for about 30 minutes. To my surprise the cops decided there was nothing to be done and left. So we order. This 18 year old girl, who happened to be with us but who I don't really know, had the bad taste to start taking video of the girl I guess to put on you tube for a laugh or something and I told her to stop that it wasn't right and that she had absolutely no idea what the girl's situation was and that addiction isn't funny or a joke. Then I hear the girl in the booth calling out to me. She said ma'am can you help me? And I am like seriously? Ok our food is taking forever, what the hell, I will go and talk to this girl. So I sit down, and she just told me everything. She had just been raped a couple of days before. She showed me the police report and the hospital paperwork. We talked and I told her it was okay, that I had been there and knew exactly what she was going through. And we talked and it turned out when she went to the hospital they gave her Valium. (I later discovered the bottle in her name in her purse while searching for her id) She wanted to get away from her home so she rented a hotel room with some friends next door to Jims but had taken too many Valium so her friends just dumped her at the Jims and took off. She had no cell phone and couldn't remember any phone numbers to call. She said she just wanted to go home to her mom and her two dogs. We talked for a really long time, about how she came from an abusive broken home and had spent her life seeing therapists and doctors, how she dropped out of school in middle school and if she could be anything in the world she would want to be a children's psychologist to help kids. And then I found her id. I almost cried. Here in this picture was a happy smiling young woman, yet here in front of me sat a broken, scared little girl who just wanted to go home to her mother. Finally, with <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1529990147&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1529990147&directed_target_id=0" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">Sean Marshall Jr.</a> permission, I just decided okay we will take her home. so we just left our friends and took our food to go. She let me search her purse for weapons, drugs and her id. I removed a couple of pocket knives just to be on the safe side. As I was leaving the waitresses at Jims said that a couple of men tried to say they would take her home, but they wouldn't let them. And the cops said all that could be done would be to call her a cab, which neither she nor her mother had the money for. So we put her in the back seat and I held all her belongings with me just to be safe. She lived off of San Pedro and I held Sean's hand the whole time, because I will be honest I was a little scared. But when we pulled up to her house, with no car in a poor neighborhood, her mother came running out barefoot in a nightgown crying thanking us for bringing her daughter home who apparently had been missing for a couple of days. She thanked us and blessed us. I gave Savannah a big hug and told her to hang in there, and we left. When we got in the car I just started crying. I thought about my own life. How blessed I am to have people to call to come get me if ever I were in need. Friends who would never leave me alone and vulnerable on the other side of town with no money. A home, a husband, security, an education. There are a lot of broken people out there, and it is so easy to turn away and just not look so you don't have to take any responsibility as a fellow human being to help them. And just because they are broken , doesn't mean they aren't human and can't be helped. They are somebody's daughter, sister, wife, friend. My life was and is the complete opposite of Savannah's, yet somehow she could see in my eyes that I had been there and I would help her. So I guess maybe we weren't that different after all.</span><br />
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I don't know who this helped more, me or Savannah. I realize that she may never be able to become a therapist and help children, but I can. I can help people. And it isn't even just that, it is just helping people everyday. We can all do that. You don't need a master's degree to help people. I will probably never forget that young 24 year old girl I met in a diner at 2 am, and I know I will forever be humbled by this experience.cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-51546118051570571562013-07-24T15:45:00.002-05:002013-07-24T15:45:47.986-05:00Living With A Disabled PersonWhen I met my husband 7 years ago, he was a young healthy man in the prime of his life. He worked hard as an airplane mechanic. His job involved a lot of heavy lifting and manual labor. When he was 18 he was in a horrific car accident in Japan. He hit a telephone pole and was stuck in the car for 7 hours with a compound fracture to his left leg. Luckily he was the only one majorly injured in the crash. He spent 6 months in a hospital on a morphine drip. They grafted the vein in his left calf to repair the ruptured artery in his leg. After much time and rehabilitation he was finally able to walk again. At that time, he was approached by a social worker who wanted to sign him up for disability. No one thought he would ever live a normal life again. But Sean said no. He, like me, grew up in a conservative household and were taught the value of hard work and not taking from the government. Both Sean and I have held steady jobs since we were legal to work. We both paid our way through life, not relying on handouts from others. (although my parents paid for my school and let me live at home while I was in college and I will be forever grateful to them for that) Sean amazed everyone. He went to aronotics school and received 2 associated degrees and passed his FAA exam and became a licensed airplane mechanic. His motivation was the tragic death of his mother in a plane crash when he was only 13. The crash was caused by a mechanic not doing his job right, and Sean wanted to do what he could to make sure that didn't happen on his watch. In fact while in school for being a mechanic they showed crash videos, and one day it was a video of the crash his mother died in. He had to leave the room. Things were great for a couple of years. Then his back starting hurting. He ignored it and kept on working. Then there was an accident while he was working on a plane in Louisiana. The exact spot where the vein was grafted and a skin graft was put in its place was ruptured. He came back to Texas and spent months at the wound doctor and hours a week sitting in a hyperberic chamber. Did he give up? No, he went back to work. This time for Boeing here in San Antonio. But, he couldn't escape his pain. After everything that he had been through and overcame he knew he could no longer work on airplanes. So we made a plan. He would work part time odd jobs and go back to school to get a bachelors degree and become a special education teacher and a coach. But things just kept getting worse. His back just gave out on him. He went to a specialist and learned that he has severe arthritis. The doctor said his back looked like swiss cheese. So he had a neuro transmitter implanted in his back. Basically metal leads are inserted into his spine which connect to a battery implanted in his butt cheek. The idea is that you feel vibrations instead of pain. We had high hopes, but it didn't work for Sean. Then Sean had his first DVT. A DVT is basically a blood clot. The first time Sean had a cluster of 5. After hospitalization we took him to a hematologist and learned that he has not one but two rare genetic mutations that cause blood clots. He was put on blood thinners and his whole life had to change. He has to be super careful not to fall or cut himself. When he is traveling he has to stand up and walk around at least every two hours. Later Sean would be hospitalized for more blood clots. The worst was when two of them traveled to each lung causing what is called a Pulmonary Embolism. We almost left the hospital when a nurse noticed his oxygen levels were a bit too low. So before they let him leave they did a CT scan of his lungs and we weren't going anywhere. At the same time that Sean's body was falling apart on him, he became more and more depressed and moody. I remember it like yesterday. The best way to describe it was like always having to walk on egg shells. Where had the funny full of life man I had fallen in love with gone? In a short amount of time he lost his grandfather, an uncle and a very close family friend. He was devastated and there was nothing I could do but be there for him. It was after his grandfather passed that Sean had a full blown breakdown and we learned that he was Bipolar type II. Now we had a debilitating back injury, a leg wound that would not heal, a one in a million blood disorder called Thrombophilia and bi-polar. That is when we gave in and applied for disability. It took almost 2 years and countless denials, but Sean was finally approved and declared disabled by a judge who said he should have been approved the first time he applied. Sean is committed to doing anything he can to get better. He has lost 40 lbs. He continues to go to school to pursue a teaching degree. So what is it like to live with a disabled person? I won't lie, there were moments when I wanted to run away. Not from Sean, I love Sean with all my heart, but from the stress and the constant bad situations. But, I never left. I never ran. And I am so grateful I didn't. For every challenge that Sean has, he has ten things that are wonderful. His smile. His kindness. His sense of humor. His strength. His honesty. His love. Last week I pulled a muscle in my back and could hardly sleep for 3 nights. It was torture. Totally awful. No matter how I laid I could not find a position I wasn't in pain. And I realized, that this is what every night is like for Sean. He barely sleeps and I can understand why. Imagine going from a healthy hard working man, to a life of pain. It truly puts my petty complaints into perspective. I am so grateful for the seven plus years that Sean has been in my life. We have held hands through all the struggles that life brought us, and we came out stronger on the other side. I know no matter what, that he will always be by my side supporting me. I would not trade our life together for anything or anyone in the world. I believe that things are going to get better. Sean will keep working hard on getting healthy. Someday he will get that teaching degree and he can get off of disability and go back to work. In the mean time, I am proud to support him. I am proud to be his partner. I admire him so much for his strength and courage. And I am grateful that I get to call him the love of my life.cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-19281669453087415212013-07-19T19:23:00.002-05:002013-07-19T19:24:16.267-05:00The Number One Secret to Sustained Weight Loss - PatienceWe live in a world of immediate gratification. We want to watch a TV show - we want it on demand. We are hungry - we drive through fast food. We want a new car - we buy it in credit without saving any money to put down. We want to talk to someone - we send a text. We go on a diet - we want results ASAP! But when it comes to real weight loss, the kind that stays off, the truth is that sometimes slower is better.<br />
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The first week I went on my healthy eating plan I gained 5 lbs. Did it urk me? um yes. Did I give up? no! And for the first two months my weight loss was very slow. Sometime just 1 lb per week. And I am fine with that. Then something amazing happened and I have started dropping up to 5 lbs a week. I don't know why, but I don't care. I will take it. I am down to 240 lbs. Meaning I have lost 43 lbs in total. I know I will hit plateaus along the way. There will be weeks where I will lose no weight or even gain a couple of pounds. But I know that due to hormones weight fluctuates. I accept this as just a part of the process. I know that as I start exercising more and more, the pounds might come off slower because I am building muscle, but I will see the results when I take my measurements. Or they might come off faster. the point is, I don't know. And while I can control what I put into my mouth, I don't have any control (especially having PCOS) in how long it will take my body to lose the weight I need to lose.<br />
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Of course the best way to get through the journey of weight loss is to make it a life change.<br />
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In a life change you have to be realistic. Cheat days are , in my opinion, an important part of getting through this long term change. Here is a list of things I believe help with "patience" and staying motivated and eating healthy. </div>
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<ul>
<li>cheat days so you don't cheat and binge but learn how to get on and off the wagon and keep going</li>
<li>keeping track of your progress on a calendar - both weight and inches lost </li>
<li>making small intermittent goals</li>
<li>celebrating every pound or inch you lose </li>
<li>have support - have people you can turn to when things get tough</li>
<li>don't set yourself up for failure - realistic goals are the key</li>
<li>read ! follow blogs, joing support groups, get involved </li>
<li>above all else just remember that wars are won one battle at a time, you may lose a battle but that doesn't mean you won't win the war!!!</li>
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Do Not Give Up! I didn't and I am so grateful. I am finally seeing real positive changes in my body. Had I gotten upset the first week when I gained 5 lbs or the first couple of month that my body was fighting losing weight, I never would be here today celebrating losing over 40 lbs. I am changing my life one day at a time.</div>
cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-91954758765707715472013-07-15T19:13:00.000-05:002013-07-15T19:13:40.406-05:00Anger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anger is bad. Anger is bad for your health. I spend way too much time being angry, which stems from the fact that I am a pretty darn sensitive person. Sometimes I am grateful for being a person who feels things so strongly, and sometimes I wish very hard that I didn't feel the emotions I do. I am working very hard to change that. I have been practicing and reading all about Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (my therapist says it's just cognitive therapy with a bunch of catchy new terms- I however find it very useful) It teaches mindfulness and the art of emotion regulation. When I get angry, I can literally feel it in my body. For instance my interstitial cystitis will start acting up and I end up either in bed in pain and/or going to the bathroom every 15 minutes. My urologist actually told me," the greatest thing you can do for your IC pain is to relax" - and of course not consume anything acidic. When I get angry my neck and back tenses up. If I get angry bad enough, I get a huge lump in my throat and an sick feeling in my stomach - which usually ends with me crying it away. I love the phrase that "being angry is like letting someone live rent free in your head."or "drinking poison hoping the other person will die". I couldn't agree more. There is a fine balance in life between just letting things go and being respectfully assertive. You don't want to be a door mat and at the same time you don't want to lash out in anger and possibly do or say things you can't take back. The art of communicating your feelings, without starting WWIII, is a fine art indeed. I am learning. I may make some mistakes along the way, but I learn each time I try. Here are some healthy alternatives and distractions I have found useful when I feel overwhelmed.<br />
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<ul>
<li> a hot bubble bath</li>
<li>.a nice long walk</li>
<li>.working out</li>
<li>.reading </li>
<li>taking a nap</li>
<li>calling a friend to talk </li>
<li>writing a letter I never send</li>
<li>meditation</li>
<li> yoga </li>
<li>listening to my favorite music</li>
<li> a hot cup of herbal tea</li>
<li>playing with my dogs </li>
<li>cleaning the house </li>
<li>walking away from a situation to take a few quiet moments alone </li>
</ul>
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The best thing to do, is to first breath and relax, and then find a healthy distraction like the one above. Once you have calmed down, then you can make a plan for your anger and finding out what your anger truly stems from - usually hurt or fear. Then you can deal with the real underlying emotion. Usually you will find that after taking the time to digress the thing that made you so angry is no longer such a hot button. The most important thing to remember, is that anger is YOUR response- no one "makes" you angry - therefor you have the ability to control your emotions and your actions.<br />
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<br />cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-42139673423957649412013-07-14T14:52:00.001-05:002013-07-14T14:52:41.698-05:00Exercise for PCOS and Weight Loss <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I have talked a lot about diet, but I know I also need to get to working out. Yes I admit I have lost 38 lbs without working out. Of course I highly recommend working out, but I have been battling hypersomnia and lack of energy. Funny is that working out will help cure that! Right now I am relying on Adderal to get me up and out of bed and moving. (not recommended unless medically necessary) I have made huge strides with my hypersomnia over the past 3-6 months. First I had to realize I had a problem. I was sleeping from 3 am to 8 pm. I had a hard time getting out of bed. I could barely go grocery shopping - it was that exhausting. But slowly I have become more and more active. I don't sleep more than 10 hours a night. I get outside. I garden. I go shopping. I clean the house. I do things. My goal is to start working out to gain natural energy so I can get off of the prescription meds. So my big goal before I start my new job August 19th is to get moving!</div>
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I also want to look good for my wedding. I really want to work on toning my arms and my back, since this is a strapless dress. I much prefer a little muscle on a girl, much more than I find skinny girls attractive. 20 weeks, I should be able to get some body sculpting done. I was a competitive power-lifter in high school and college. I know how to work out. I just need to do it! I actually have a home gym. We call it "the room no one ever goes in". To start I am doing DDP Yoga and Zumba. I also plan on doing free weights to work on toning my arms and back. I got lucky, at my old job, they would give us $500 a year to buy exercise equipment, so I bought an elliptical and a treadmill, a boxing bag, and tons of free weights and benches - plus there is a TV in there with a DVD player to do videos. It is an awesome home gym, if only it got used more. </div>
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I used to be such an athlete. In high school I would wake up every morning at 5 am and do Tae Bo. (my all time favorite work out). Then I would have gymnastics 2-3 times a week. Cheer practice 3-4 times per week. Then for a year I did powerlifting 5 days a week. I even got into running, and would run 2 miles in my hilly neighborhood a few time a week. When I didn't run, I loved to go for long walks and just listen to music and zone out. I weighed 125 lbs. I could bench my weight. I was proud of that. As a girl that is quite the accomplishment. We just don't have the upper body strength that men do. </div>
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After high school, working out became less about being athletic and more about looking good. I became a gym rat. When I wasn't working out at home, or going for long walks, you would find me at the gym. I love to lift weights. Absolutely love it. </div>
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It was when I started my last job that I stopped working out. I was always a waitress. That meant long shifts on your feet carrying heavy ass trays. It was a work out in and of itself. Somehow I had more energy. I could work all day and go out and stay up all night. When I got my cubicle job, I was sitting for 8 hours a day. At first it was awesome, but I slowly starting gaining more and more weight. I had less and less energy. I didn't even have the energy to work out. If a physical labor job didn't hurt my neck and back the way waiting tables did, and it paid what a desk job pays, I would do it in a heart beat. </div>
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When you think about it, cave men were constantly on the go. Hunting, gathering, whatever. (only took one anthropology course in college so don't beat me if my facts aren't perfect) Humans aren't meant to sit at a desk for 8 hours a day and then drive through pick up their dinner and park their pre-diebetic butts on the couch for four hours watching TV - only to repeat the same pattern over and over. This combined with our love affair with processed carbs is why I think we have an obesity epidemic in America. But hey, we aren't the fattest country in the world anymore. Now that honor goes to Mexico. Sorry Mexico. I looooooove your food, I just can't eat it. </div>
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Not that America isn't much better.....</div>
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So one of the best quotes I ever heard about exercise came from, of all places, Richard Simmons. Yes that Richard Simmons.....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3r6YBg6qFagwFIDF9px642OjFpKSBjxHNIh1oXOaSId8xDg-T2-4tdNUEIiqUCsMOOXPvIA3yu28zBpzcbvemObOXNtgvjDdEBIacNCWsAnS-DU74tKP2yvdosraXIiCwu-OvE5yfsU/s1600/richard+simmons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH3r6YBg6qFagwFIDF9px642OjFpKSBjxHNIh1oXOaSId8xDg-T2-4tdNUEIiqUCsMOOXPvIA3yu28zBpzcbvemObOXNtgvjDdEBIacNCWsAnS-DU74tKP2yvdosraXIiCwu-OvE5yfsU/s320/richard+simmons.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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You are welcome for that photo. Just try and get that out of your head. But, for all his glitter and flash, he really helps a lot of people. He said "IF YOU LOSE WEIGHT WITHOUT EXERCISE, YOU WILL JUST BE A SMALLER VERSION OF YOUR FLABBY SELF". </div>
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I have heard that diet is probably 70-90% of losing weight, but exercise is they key to truly changing your body. And for those of us with PCOS we know that exercise is key in regulating blood sugar and insulin levels - which is the key to unlocking freedom from the PCOS nightmare. </div>
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Here are some interesting articles and videos about exercise:</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk8bIKdMFVw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk8bIKdMFVw</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3289164/">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3289164/</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.pcosdietsupport.com/exercise/pcos-and-exercise/">http://www.pcosdietsupport.com/exercise/pcos-and-exercise/</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/08/19/exercise-tips-15-unusual-ways-to-improve-your-workout.html">http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/08/19/exercise-tips-15-unusual-ways-to-improve-your-workout.html</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/heart-healthy-living/exercise-facts.aspx">http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/heart-healthy-living/exercise-facts.aspx</a></div>
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Now go work out !!!</div>
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cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4966584706995569813.post-40463510669092100982013-07-14T14:41:00.001-05:002013-07-14T14:41:24.040-05:00Treating PCOS with Diet and Exercise ⎢Daily Dose With Jillian Michaels |...<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/tk8bIKdMFVw" width="480"></iframe>cw1054http://www.blogger.com/profile/02545576841459346364noreply@blogger.com0