Should we be upset that Mars Bars are smaller?

I have to admit that when I ducked out in the rain on Friday night to pick up Thai food and a block of Cadbury's chocolate that I was pretty devastated to see that the regular 250g block of chocolate had been downsized to a mere 220g, and perhaps the worst thing repackaged into some sort of box :) Then of course there were the media reports in yesterday's newspaper about the new downsized Mars Bars. How could they do it to us?

If you take a step back though, and get rid of your emotional attachment to a chunky Mars Bar snugly sitting in your tightly wrapped hand; or the memories of the family block of chocolate divided up exactly evenly between all family members, the truth is that we get plenty of food. In fact, we get way too much food.

Numerous pieces of research have shown that we will eat the serving size of food that is given to us. If we get 25-g of chocolate we will eat it, same as we will the 500g. So, all in all, reducing the sizes of our favourite treats is probably not a bad thing, especially since most of us could do with losing a few kgs!

Book Update

I hope that you enjoy some of these titles as much as I did!

Recent reads

1) Positivity by Barbara Fredrickson - the most recent research findings in the field of Positive Psychology

2) The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama - an amazingly well written piece by the inspirational leader

3) Act like a lady, think like a man by Steve Harvey - a funny view of the workings of the male mind

4) The Seven Principles for making marriage work by Dr John Gottman - this man can predict marriage success 91% of the time; a must read for anyone contemplating the commitment of marriage

5) How to Love by Gordon Livingston - my favourite; a beautifully written observation of the best characteristics to look for in friendship, love and in the partners we choose

6) Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra - for all the health nuts - a must read outlining the power of the body and mind in self healing

7) Never Say Die by Dr Chris O'Brien - a specialist doctors experience battling terminal cancer and what he has learnt in the process

8) Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell - a fascinating piece that explains success in life is not determined by luck but opportunity, chance and your birthday!

Footy scandal

Having worked in the NRL for the past 9 years with several different teams both directly and indirectly, I feel as if I have reasonably good insight into the antics of high level rugby league players. And I, like many an avid fan of the footy have woken up today with pretty mixed feelings after watching last nights report on the Cronulla 2002 road trip in which the behaviour of one particular player has been highlighted by the media.

After listening to the punishing voice of the reporter extract tacky details of the liaison for what seemed like hours; in addition to the graphic description of sex with high level athletes from a notorious football groupie just after I had eatene dinner, I have two questions. "What on earth was a 19 year old doing in the team hotel room of a senior rugby league team?" and "Why, out of 12 or 13 players that were participating or watching, why would she name just one, and the highest profile person there?"

No one is saying the behaviour was appropriate but to date the story has been pretty one sided. Footy players do not go out cruising bars to pick up girls. Footy players go out to gamble, drink and hang out with their footy mates. Unlike movie stars and other highly coveted men, footy players generally spend times in packs and are easily recognisable in the small cities and suburbs in which they play and party. Girls flock to these characters and the locations they spend their time in and are obsessed with both current and ex players as well as the support staff. If such variables came together for rock or movie stars, celebrity chefs or television identities, similar situations would arise. At some point the women too need to hold themselves accountable for their actions just as much as the footy players do.

Is Crust pizza healthy?

While 6 of the CRUST range of pizzas have been given the Heart Foundation Tick, with 3000kJ and 80+ grams of total carbohydrate (7 slices of bread) per serve, no I would not say that CRUST is a healthy option. While they may be healthier than the standard range, or any pizza that you purchase at a take away joint, it does not mean they are a good choice overall. The issue with pizza is that it contains small mounts of protein and vegetables relative to the total carbohydrate content. Enjoy pizza occasionally from an authentic Italian place, or better still make your own delicious version on thin Mountain bread bases at home, but don’t think you are a saint simply because the one you choose a variety that has the TICK.

Get the kids lunchboxes right

Lunchbox 1:
Mountain bread wrap with ham and lettuce, Aktavite milk popper, Uncle Toby's Low GI Crunchy muesli bar and 2 mandarins

Lunchbox 2:
Multigrain sandwich with egg and mayo, Munchables Light Cheese and Cracker Snack Pack, apple and a sesame snap

Lunchbox 3:
4 Vita Weats, small tin tuna, small banana, Big M flavoured milk popper, Baby Bel cheese

Lunchbox 4:
Small wholemeal bread roll with chicken and lettuce, small tub of yoghurt, Milo snack bar and Goulburn Valley Tub of fruit

Lunchbox 5:
Up & Go popper, Tasti Nut Bar, Vege chips, cut up carrot and celery

Pomegranate Juice – Is it all it’s cracked up to be?

The health promoting benefits of drinking pomegranate juice have received much attention in recent months after it was claimed that the juice had significantly higher levels of antioxidants than other juice and fruit options. While pomegranate juice is packed with antioxidants, to date the only research to support its use in slowing cancer cell growth has been found in suffers of prostate cancer. There is also some evidence to show that regular consumption of the juice helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels. So, if you have the extra cash to spend $5.00 on 500mls of juice and you have high cholesterol +/- history of prostate cancer give it a go. If not, simply eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and juicing your own mix of carrot, beetroot and orange juice is likely to be just as nutritious.

What's the matter with LOL drinks?

LOL drinks made by Golden Circle are 250ml can of fruit based drink which look very much like the energy drinks V and Red Bull. Per can, each drink contains 26g + of total carbohydrate which is slightly more than that of the equivalent sized can of Coca Cola. While fruit based sugars may appear to be a healthier choice than a regular soft drink, at the end of the day any beverage based on sugar; be it fruit sugar or sucrose (table sugar) represent empty calories that we, and in particular our children do not need. Furthermore, the can style of product also poses a number of issues from a dental health perspective. LOL is a disappointing release from Golden Circle given the statistics that indicate that at least 1 in 4 children in Australia is overweight or obese, and sweetened beverages are implicated in contributing to excessive weight gain in children. In fact, a recent paper published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that children consume no more than 2 sweetened drinks per week. The obesity team at The Children's Hospital Westmead feels extremely strongly that this drink is highly inappropriate for children and we will continue to liase with the company and the NSW School Canteen Association to have its inclusion as a "Healthy Beverage Choice" for children reevaluated.