Eat This, Not That!
The next time you go food shopping or out to eat, you may want to carry a copy of Eat This, Not That: The Best (& Worst) Foods in America, the latest book of the best-selling series. "We have spent two years investigating all of the nutritional hits and misses in America," says author David Zinczenko. "What we're trying to do is lay out all the foods that are great for your waistline but also your overall well-being. So we looked at salads, pizza, burgers ... we looked at everything, but also the foods that help stabilize blood pressure and fight diabetes and slash your cholesterol, and we put them in a list format in the book as a handy reference guide."
David shows Rachael a few examples from the book and reveals how certain foods stack up:
Coffee vs. energy drinks
Looking for a quick memory boost? "Coffee is like the ultimate brain fuel," says David, while pointing out a quick cup goes much further than energy drinks. "It's one of the most potent sources of antioxidants in the average American's diet." David adds that caffeine also enhances short and long term memory, and it helps stave off the effects of aging, like Alzheimer's disease and dementia. "The problem with some energy drinks," David says, "is that they have as much sugar as four candy bars, and some actually give you too much caffeine."
Turkey burger vs. sirloin steak
If you're watching your weight so you can fit into that new swimsuit you've been dying to wear this summer, David warns against going with a turkey burger. "A lot of people look for nutritional salvation with the turkey burger and they shouldn't," he says, "because that patty's gonna make you fatty!" David points out that sirloin is one of the leanest cuts of beef at around 400 calories per 8 ounces. "In our research," he continues, "we found that a lot of turkey burgers at sit down restaurants have between 800 - 1,100 calories, and they also have a lot of sodium because they want it to taste good." David says that a turkey burger can have as much as 1,500 grams of sodium - a full day's worth - and suggests choosing the low-calorie, high-protein, low-fat sirloin steak. "It's going to charge your metabolism, which is exactly what you want when you're trying to lose weight."
Champagne vs. oysters
If you and your significant other are looking to get in the mood, will oysters really boost your libido? "Not really," David says. "The research shows that they're good for male fertility and such, but if you're looking to have a great evening, you'd have to eat like 50 of them -- but you'll probably pass out and there are toxicity issues, so we're not recommending that! But what will help you right then and there (and don't over do it), is a glass of bubbly. So drink up!"


