Fast Food Restaurants & Nutrition Facts Compared....SCARY

Fast food is bad food. That's pretty much common knowledge these days. The majority of the foods served at fast food restaurants contain an insane amount of calories, tons of fat (including the very evil trans fat), and are high in pretty much everything else that you'd want your food to be low in. Long story short, it's the kind of food you want to avoid eating.

But, you probably know this already. The funny thing is, most of the world doesn't seem to care. The fast food restaurants continue to do just fine because people continue to eat their unhealthy food. So I figured, if you are still going to eat this junk, you might as well at least know which is the best of the worst, and which is the worst of the worst.

To show this, I've compared the nutrition facts of the most popular foods from over 20 popular fast food restaurants to see how each restaurant's version of the same food stacks up against the others. If this isn't enough to convince you to eat less (or none) of this stuff, it will at least give you the information you need to make the better choice and avoid making the worst one. Enjoy...

*NOTE #1* The tables below are sortable. Clicking a category (calories, fat, trans fat, etc.) will sort the data in that column from lowest to highest. Clicking it again will sort it from highest to lowest.

*NOTE #2* Any questions you may have about anything you see in this fast food comparison is most likely answered at the bottom of this very page or in the "Notes" of each comparison. Be sure to check it out for clarifications on anything that may seem unclear.

French Fries (Large) Compared

Fast Food Restaurant	Type	Serving Size (g)	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)		Carbs (g)	Sodium (mg)
McDonald's	Regular	170	570	30	6		70	330
Burger King	Regular	160	500	28	6		57	820
Burger King	Salt Not Added	160	500	28	6		57	530
Wendy's	Regular	Unknown	540	26	4		69	550
Arby's	Homestyle	213	566	37	7		82	1029
Arby's	Curly	198	631	37	7		73	1476
Hardee's	Regular	193	610	28	6		78	370
Hardee's	Crispy Curls	153	480	23	6		60	1190
A&W	Regular	156	430	18	4.5		61	640
A&W	Chili	170	370	16	4.5		49	780
A&W	Cheese	170	380	19	5		50	870
A&W	Chili Cheese	198	400	19	5		51	990
In-N-Out Burger**	Regular**	125**	400**	18**	5**		54**	245**
Jack In The Box	Natural Cut	236	640	33	8		77	1180
Jack In The Box	Seasoned Curly	170	550	31	6		60	1200
White Castle	Regular	244	700	34	6		89	560
Sonic	Regular	98	280	11	2		42	135
Sonic	Cheese	125	380	19	7		44	600
Sonic	Chili/Cheese	186	450	25	9		48	610
Dairy Queen	Regular	280	730	33	6		100	1530
KFC*	Potato Wedges*	102*	260*	13*	2.5*		33*	740*
Carl's Jr.	Regular	198	620	29	6		80	380
Popeyes**	Regular**	88**	310**	17**	7**		35**	660**
Del Taco	Regular	198	490	32	5		47	380

* KFC does not have any "french fries." They do have "potato wedges" which is somewhat close, so I included this information above for comparison purposes. However, I did not take it into account when showing the best/worst since they are technically not "french fries."

** In-N-Out Burger and Popeyes had one item listed as just "French Fries." No actual size (large, small, etc.) was given. Therefore, they were also not taken into account when showing the best/worst french fries.

• Best: Sonic (regular)
  Sonic's basic french fries are my pick for the best of this comparison. It's not hard to see why either. Due to having the smallest serving size of all of the other fast food restaurants, their large fries ended up being the lowest in every single one of the compared nutrition facts. Not to mention, with 0 grams of trans fat, it was one of just two large french fries that contained 0 grams. The other? Another one from Sonic... this time their cheese fries.
• Worst: Dairy Queen (regular) & White Castle (regular)
  It was hard to pick an official worst choice here, as there was a lot of trans fat being thrown around. In the end, I went with Dairy Queen's basic fries for being the highest in calories (seriously, 730 calorie fries? Yikes.) and sodium. White Castle's basic fries were also picked here not so much for calories (although at 700, it was right up there in second place) but because of it containing more trans fat (11 evil grams) than any of the others. Of all of the items being compared in this entire comparison, french fries are easily one of the worst all around trans fat offenders.
• Notes: For this comparison, I tried to use each fast food restaurant's "Large" french fries. In two cases however, there was no "large" version. So, I instead used whatever that restaurant's largest size was. For White Castle it was "Sack," and for Del Taco it was "Medium."

This article I did not write myself, but it's almost what I was looking for. Last night I gave into temptation, and went for fast food.... :( I wanted to know how much "garbage" I was actually consuming, and after searching a few articles I stumbled across this one. Granted a few restaurants are exclusive to the United States in this article, but I feel it's my job to inform you about these popular restaurants, far and wide...no pun intended.

I hope the next time anyone goes to the states and thinks, "hey maybe i'll try a different restaurant" THINK TWICE PLEASE!

PLEASE LEAVE ME YOUR COMMENTS!!!!!

Motivation and insight to the un-educated individual contemplating the whole "fitness" thing.....

(If you know someone thinking about getting into shape, please guide them to this blog) thanks Jaemi & Mike





Contemplating a workout program but having a hard time getting going? Here are a few facts about exercise that may convince you to get started.

Exercise can accelerate fat burning. A study done back in the 1970s at Ball State University found that the leg muscle of distance runners were 7 times more capable of burning fat after marathon training than the leg muscle of untrained subjects. Just imagine what that kind of training can do for weight loss

Exercise can lower blood pressure. The number of capillaries surrounding each leg muscle fiber increases by 5-10% following endurance training. This not only makes exercise easier but also lowers blood pressure. Numerous studies support that exercise training does indeed lower blood pressure in hypertensive subjects.

Exercise improves heart function. When you start an endurance based exercise program, expect your resting heart rate to decrease by about 1 beat per minute every week during the initial weeks. This is an indication that your heart is becoming more efficient and pumping more blood each beat. Highly trained endurance athletes can have a resting heart rate as low as 40 beats per minute or even less.

Exercise can prevent muscle loss. Sedentary adults lose 6-10 percent of their muscle mass per decade after age 30, leading to a condition called sarcopenia. Regular strength training can delay or in some cases reverse this trend. When it comes to muscle, you must use it or you will lose it!

Exercise can help you live longer. Studies on large populations have discovered the highest death rates in those who are the least fit. Those who are the most fit have the lowest death rates.

Exercise can improve sex life. A study published by the Harvard School of Public Health found that men who exercised vigerously were half as likely to experience sexual dysfunction when compared to men who did no exercise.

Exercise can improve brain function. Research has discovered that the fittest kids generally score the highest on test scores. Older adults who are fit show less cognitive decline compared to their sedentary counterparts.

Exercise can speed up wound healing. A study out of Ohio State found that skin wounds healed an average of 10 days faster in the exercise group compared to the non exercise group.

Exercise can help the elderly. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported gains in leg strength of 374 percent over baseline in men over 90 years of age who began strength training in as little as 8 weeks! Other research has found a reversal in normal age related characteristics in the muscle of seniors who took up weight lifting.

The evidence supporting the benefits of regular physical activity is overwhelmingly positive and seemingly endless. What are you waiting for?

HOW TO LIVE A LONG, HEALTHY LIFE.

We all know that certain foods are good for us, but why are those certain foods good? Also, how exactly do they help our health and our bodies? In other words, what are the "health benefits" of individual fruits, vegetables, meats, grains and dairy products?

These are the questions I am going to help answer through the nutrition articles I research, as well as through the articles I write.

Reading nutrition articles and "health articles" is incredibly informative. The facts displayed are usually backed by research, evidence and data. Don't ask me how they figured this stuff out. I am just going to report the information I can track down.

It's amazing that fruits and vegetables that get their nutrients from the dirt are great for the human body, while dirt itself is rather useless for consumption. Nature is truly astounding! Everything seems to work together in either subtle or obvious ways.

Ever wanted to know what the fruit you are eating are doing for you? Well, here is a list of some fruit facts!

• Almonds - Vitamins B1, B2, E + Magnesium + Manganese + Iron + Calcium + Protein + Potassium + Fiber + Tryptophan + Copper.
• Avocado - Vitamins A, D, E, + Potassium
  
• Apples - Vitamins A, B, B1, C, and K + Fiber + Folate + Choline + Calcium + Magnesium + Phosphorus + Potassium.
• Apricots - Vitamins A, B, and C + Calcium + Potassium + Protein + Fiber + Carotenes + Magnesium + Phosphorus.
• Banana - Vitamins A, C and K + Folate + Choline + Calcium + Magnesium + Phosphorus + Potassium + Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids.
• Blackberry - Vitamins A, C, E and K + Folate + Choline + Calcium + Magnesium + Phosphorus + Potassium + Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids.
• Blueberry - Vitamins A,C and K + Folate + Choline + Calcium + Magnesium + Phosphorus + Potassium + Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids + Fiber.
• Cantaloupe - Vitamin C + Potassium.
• Cashews - Vitamins A, B6, C and E + Calcium + Magnesium + Phosphorus +Potassium + Selenium.
• Cherries - Vitamins A and C + Potassium + Phosphorus + Flavonoids + Fiber.
• Chestnuts - Vitamins B1, B2, B3, A and C + Calcium + Magnesium + Potassium + Phosphorus.
• Coconut - Vitamins B and C + Calcium + Phosphorus + Potassium + Magnesium + Iron + Copper.
• Dates - Vitamins A and B + Protein + Phosphorus + Calcium + Iron.
• Figs - Vitamin B6 + Fiber
• Grapefruit - Vitamins A, B, and C + Fiber + Flavonoids + Pectin + Potassium + Calcium + Phosphorus.
• Grapes - Vitamins A, B6 and C + Manganese + Potassium + Thiamine + Flavonoids.
• Guava - Vitamins A and C + Potassium + Phosphorus + Fiber.
• Hazelnut - Vitamins A and E + Iron + Calcium + Protein.
• Honeydew Melon - Vitamins B, B6 and C + Potassium + Copper + Thiamine + Niacin + Pantothenic Acid.
• Kiwi - Vitamins A, C and E + Phosphorus + Potassium + Magnesium + Copper.
• Lemon - Vitamins B6 and C + Folic Acid + Potassium + Limonene + Flavonoids.
• Lime - Vitamins B6 and C + Folic Acid + Potassium + Limonene + Flavonoids.
• Mango - Vitamins B, C and E + Carotenes + Potassium + Cartenoids + Magnesium.
• Maqui berry - Vitamin C + Iron + Calcium + Polyphenols + HIGHEST level of antioxidants of any fruit known.
• Nectarines - Carotenes + Potassium + Flavonoids + Lycopene + Lutein.
• Oranges - Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C + Folic Acid + Pantothenic Acid + Flavonoids + Carotenes + Pectin + Potassium + Fiber.
• Papaya - Vitamins A, C and E + Carotenes + Flavonoids + Papain + Potassium.
• Passion Fruit - Vitamins A, B, C and E + Iron + Phosphorus + Potassium.
• Peaches - Vitamins A and B + Manganese + Potassium + Lycopene + Lutein.
• Pears - Vitamins B2, C and E + Pectin + Potassium + Copper + Fiber.
• Pineapples - Vitamins B1, B6 and C + Manganese + Magnesium + Copper.
• Plums - Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C + Phenolic Compounds + Fiber.
• Pomegranates - Vitamins A and B + Ellagic Acid (anticancer) + Flavonoids.
• Raspberries - Vitamins B2, B6 and C + Manganese + Flavonoids + Niacin + Folic Acid + Pantothenic Acid + Fiber.
• Strawberries - Vitamins B1, B6, C and K + Iodine + Manganese + Flavonoids + Pantothenic Acid + Folic Acid + Biotin.
• Tangerines - Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C + Folic Acid + Flavonoids + Pantothenic Acid + Carotenes + Pectin + Potassium + Folic Acid.
• Watermelon - Vitamins B1, B6 and C + Biotin + Magnesium + Pantothenic Acid + Potassium + Fiber.

That should give you some idea as to what is so great about fruit. For the most part the best fruit to eat is fresh, organic fruit. Dried fruits are an awesome alternative because the nutrients aren't lost in the drying process. IN FACT dehydrating fruit concentrates the nutrients making them more nutrient dense! Also a great option if you happen to be in a traveling situation or have a storage space issues. Dehydration also makes it so you can keep the fruit edible for a VERY LONG TIME.

Canned fruit will do in a pinch, but isn't quite as nutritionally sound as fresh fruit is.

Lower blood pressure quickly

Beet juice lowers blood pressure

(NaturalNews) The vegetable known as the beetroot in Great Britain (and usually called the table beet, garden beet, red beet or just plain beet in the U.S.) has been studied in recent years for its health-building properties. For example, scientists have found it is rich in the nutrient betaine, which reduces the blood concentration of homocycsteine, a substance linked to heart disease and stroke. Now a study just published in the American Heart Association's Hypertension journal concludes drinking beet juice lowers high blood pressure quickly and effectively -- and could be a natural approach to helping prevent cardiovascular problems.

British scientists at the Queen Mary University of London found that drinking beet juice lowered blood pressure to healthy levels within 24 hours. In fact, it was just as effective as prescription nitrate tables in treating hypertension. In a previous study two years ago, the same research team had first observed that drinking beetroot juice lowered blood pressure -- now they've figured out exactly why.

It turns out that the organic form of nitrate found in beet juice is the key to its blood pressure lowering benefits. Study author Amrita Ahluwalia, Professor of Vascular Biology at Queen Mary's William Harvey Research Institute, said the investigators were able to prove the nitrate was the cause of beet juice's beneficial effects on cardiovascular health because they showed beet nitrate increased levels of the gas nitric oxide in the circulation. Nitric oxide is a type of biological messenger in the body. It signals smooth muscle tissue to relax, induces vasodilation and increases blood flow, leading to a lower blood pressure.

"We gave inorganic nitrate capsules or beetroot juice to healthy volunteers and compared their blood pressure responses and the biochemical changes occurring in the circulation," Professor Ahluwalia said in a statement to the press. "We showed that beetroot and nitrate capsules are equally effective in lowering blood pressure indicating that it is the nitrate content of beetroot juice that underlies its potential to reduce blood pressure. We also found that only a small amount of juice is needed -- just 250ml -- to have this effect, and that the higher the blood pressure at the start of the study the greater the decrease caused by the nitrate."

"The research will be welcome news to people with high blood pressure who might now be able to use a new 'natural' approach to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease (including stroke and heart attacks) -- the world's biggest killer!

I don't care who you are, but this information is worth sharing. So please, either cut and paste this blog or email it to everyone you know. You dont even have to mention Intrafitt. We are not trying to promote the gym at all... The knowledge alone could save, or better someone's life. Actually I found this information on a site called www.musculardevelopment.com

Brain...Diet....Breakfast

BRAIN DIET SLEEP AND BREAKFAST

Breakfast Ideas to Jump-Start Your Day

It's amazing: It can help improve your memory, help you to concentrate, and help you to maintain a healthy weight - and it tastes good, too! So, what is it? Breakfast. Research has uncovered numerous benefits associated with the morning meal.

Feed your brain

Breakfast replenishes the fuel that your body uses up while you sleep - it is literally a break from an overnight fast. Because your brain does not have a storage place for fuel, it is particularly affected by the fast. If your brain's fuel source, glucose, isn't refilled after a night's sleep, your brain will not function at an optimal level. It would be like a car running on empty.

It's not just a theory. Studies have shown that breakfast helps your brain function at its best. According to one study, skipping breakfast has some effect on memory. Researchers reported that people who did not eat breakfast had a decreased ability to remember items from a word list or a story compared with people who did eat breakfast. While these may seem like minor tasks, the ability to remember is key to performing well at home, work, or school. Other important brain functions, such as the ability to pay attention and concentrate, have also been shown to improve with eating breakfast.

Maintain a healthy weight

Research has taught us that people who eat breakfast have a higher-quality diet and are better able to control their weight than people who skip the meal. In fact, 78% of the people listed in the Canadian National Weight Control Registry, a database of individuals who successfully lost at least 10% of their body weight and kept it off for at least one year, report eating breakfast every day. In addition, studies show that breakfast eaters are less likely to be obese than their meal-skipping counterparts.

Make it a habit

These tips can help you make breakfast a habit.

• Stock up. Be sure that you always have plenty of breakfast foods in the house.
• Plan ahead. Prepare your breakfast the night before to save yourself preparation time in the morning.
• Take it to go. Prepare commuter-friendly meals that you can grab on your way out the door.
• Don't force it. Don't make yourself eat foods you don't like. Try out different foods until you find something you enjoy.

Think outside the box

Whole grain cereal with low-fat milk is a great breakfast option. But go ahead and get creative: Try adding fruit or yogurt to your bowl or eating non-traditional morning foods for breakfast. It is important to choose from several different food groups such as high-fibre whole grains and low-fat dairy products and meats. Here are several options, or use your imagination to create your own morning meal that is both enjoyable and satisfying.

• Whole grain, high-fibre cereal with low-fat milk and a piece of fruit
• Whole grain, high-fibre bar and a cup of low-fat milk and a piece of fruit
• Toasted whole grain waffle with sliced fruit and yogurt
• All-natural peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat toast and a piece of fruit
• Whole grain crackers with low-fat cheese and a piece of fruit
• Reheated brown rice, a hard-boiled egg and a piece of fruit
• Grits with low-fat cheese and a piece of fruit
• Oatmeal with applesauce or raisins and a glass of milk
• Pita bread with low-fat yogurt and a piece of fruit
• Brown rice and beans with fruit
• Fruit smoothie blended with juice and yogurt and a whole grain muffin

I don't know about you,but I have not been consistant with my breakfast! You better believe i'm going to start...... (tomorrow)

I really hope these blogs are helping a lot of ppl.... I find them really informative myself,but again i'm posting this information to help YOU!

If you think this information could benefit someone you know, then feel free to send them to the site to check out the info :)

What to load up on......and what to lighten up on

Brewed beverages Coffee, black tea, green tea. Foods with quercetin, such as tea, may protect against lung cancer.

Dairy Lowfat and skim milk, lowfat and nonfat yogurt (preferably all-natural)

Fresh fruit Apples, apricots, berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries), cantaloupes, cherries, clementines, cranberries, grapefruit, kiwifruit, lemons, limes, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, pomegranates, grapes, tangerines, tomatoes, watermelons

Fresh veggies Artichokes, arugula, asparagus, beets, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, chiles, corn, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, pumpkin, radishes, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, turnips, watercress

Herbs and spices Cilantro, cloves, garlic, ginger, mint, rosemary, sage, turmeric

Legumes Beans (black, kidney, lima, navy, pinto), chickpeas, lentils

Seafood Halibut, herring, wild salmon, tuna. In addition to omega-3s, the swimmers contain the antioxidant vitamin E.

Whole grains Breads, oatmeal, pastas, whole-grain and high-fiber cereals

Lighten up on...

Artificial sweeteners The jury is out on fake sugars and cancer; limit yourself to three servings or packets per day.

Barbecued meats Cooking meats at high temperatures (as well as charring them) creates cancer-causing chemicals.

Butter Spread this news: Butter may be linked to an increased risk for lung cancer.

Fast food Convenience chow contributes to weight gain, which raises cancer risk.

Red and processed meats Bacon, beef, cold cuts, ham, hamburger, hot dogs, lamb, liver, pork, pork sausage, salami, steak

Salt Pepper's partner (and salty foods in general) may contribute to stomach cancer.

Smoked foods In particular, smoked meats are linked to stomach cancer.

Some of the blogs are actual atricles,that I have researched, and found on the internet...I hope all of you are educating yourselves throught the internet also! The internet has more info than just FREE..."X-RATED" stuff....lol

This article cought my attention as I was surfing late lastnight.....I hope it helps a few people out!