Rotten Apple Award

This month’s Rotten Apple Award goes to The Apple Patch Diet, the next gimmicky weight-loss device in a long line of quack products.

All you have to do is slap a patch on your body to start this “diet” and watch the fat melt away. I’m not sure how a patch of any sort counts as a diet. Though I suppose if you subsisted on patches alone you would lose weight. Let us see what the users have to say.

The “Testimonials” are varied and claim a 10 pound weight loss in one month, an 80 pound weight loss since July 2006, and as “Baig” from Virginia states, “my sugar level (Diabetes) is under control and I am very happy.” Rapid weight loss with little to no effort! Quick and easy regulation of sugar levels! Unbelievable testimonials! Before and after pics! It sounds too good to be true! Hmmm… this sounds familiar.

Clearly a product that can do all this has some solid scientific research to back it. Well, yes and no. The ‘Why it works’ section is limited to these three fine answers: “we only use the finest natural ingredients,” we have “amazing weight loss testimonials,” and “we use a transdermal method of delivery.” With a word like transdermal this stuff must work. Right?

To be fair the “Ingredients” section does give more detailed information about the three ingredients used to solve your weight problems. Look closely and you will find that one of the three exotic sounding components, Guarana extract, is essentially plain old caffeine. Caffeine is not exactly a groundbreaking weight-loss supplement, nor is it something with which most people need to supplement their diets. I don’t know about you, but my daily green tea provides all the caffeine I need.

Quite possibly the worst thing about this product is that it gives apples a bad name – something in these parts we take very seriously.

Don’t buy into these gimmicky weight-loss devices Apples. This product is more about the supplement delivery system (transdermal) than it is the supplements themselves. And there is still no substitute for a balanced diet and regular exercise.

We’re watching you, Apple Patch Diet.

(This is the part where I lift up my shirt, ceremoniously denoting the end of this diatribe.)

Posted By: Aaron

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Aaron’s Additions

Am I getting the most out of Mark’s Daily Apple? This is a question you should be asking yourself if your experience has been limited to reading our daily posts. Mark’s Daily Apple offers so much more! Check out these helpful hints on how to take advantage of all we have to offer.

Many premium benefits only go to Mark’s Daily Apple members, so if you haven’t signed up yet be sure to do so ASAP! What are you waiting for? Simply click on ‘Login’ at the top of the page and follow the prompts to become a member. If you still have questions on how to become a member check out this link for further information.

Commenting on Posts:

Add your two cents, or get into a full-on, heated philosophical debate over any of our daily entries by posting a comment. Leaving a reply allows you to voice your opinion and connect with other readers. We are all about giving the little guy a voice. Here is your chance!

There are two easy ways to post a comment. Sign in using your username and password. Once this is done simply click on the ‘Comments’ link at the bottom of any post. You will be directed to our blog forum that contains all of our blog entries and their corresponding comments. At the bottom of the page you will find a dialog box you can use to post replies. Alternatively, click on ‘Forum’ at the top of the home page and then ‘Blog Forum’. From here you can find the blog entry to which you would like to leave a comment.

Once you’ve posted a comment check back regularly to see what other readers have to say about it. You may be (pleasantly or otherwise) surprised by the response!

Using an RSS Feeder:

As Google puts it, an RSS feeder is “like an inbox for your favorite sites”. An RSS (don’t worry about what RSS means – it’s unimportant geek-speak) feeder pulls content from each of your favorite blogs and puts them into a convenient and easy to view format. If you don’t already have an RSS feeder you can get one here or here. Add Mark’s Daily Apple to your feeder and receive our latest posts automatically. You won’t even have to type in our web address to get the latest in health and nutrition news!

Get Extra Premium Content:

All right. This is probably what you have all been waiting for – the extra premium content. To get the lowdown on all things MDA make sure you are receiving the newsletter. The email newsletter highlights the best of MDA, but also includes updates, contests, giveaways, tips, links, recipes, and other useful premium content that is always changing. As subscriptions grow, Mark will be adding even more premium content for free to the newsletter, so it’s worthwhile to subscribe.

Also be sure to visit the ‘Premium Picks’ link found on the right side of the home page. We are currently offering Mark Sisson’s best-selling Anti-Aging Report for free. This book is in PDF format and offers Mark’s simple secrets on how to live a long and healthy life. In the future we plan on adding other premium content like Mark’s other books and video content featuring Mark himself.

If you would like further directions on how to make the most of Mark’s Daily Apple visit this link for more helpful hints.

I will be retiring Aaron’s Additions until a new round of healthy tools and quality blogs pop up. (In the last year alone 28,000 health blogs were created, but only a very small percentage had any staying power!) Instead I will be focusing on bringing you Aaron’s Awards – congratulating the food industry for their latest obesity-inducing shenanigans.

Posted By: Aaron

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How Low Can You Go?

Recently, the low-carb folks over at Go Lower asked Mark’s Daily Apple to review their low-carbohydrate snack bars. Though I’m not a proponent of processed foods, no matter how healthy – and I emphasize that – I do think there ought to be wiggle room in everyone’s diet. Personally, I enjoy a light beer now and then, and my wife knows it’s never a good idea to keep genuine black licorice in the house (the real stuff, not those pitiful strands that don’t actually contain licorice).

I also think that if you’re trying to lose weight, or simply get better at managing your weight, things like shakes, snack bars and treats that help you do it sensibly can be a real benefit.

The big problem with most low-carb snacks is the dreaded “mockalate” factor. Usually, low-sugar snacks are low on fiber, high on chemicals and artificially-manufactured ingredients, and contain enough alcohol sugars to swell you up like a blimp. If you have ever eaten one too many servings of faux chocolate, you know what I’m talking about, Apples.

I’ll say it again: I’m no big fan of processed foods, even ostensibly healthy ones. Usually, they aren’t healthy at all – low sugar is far from synonymous with health. But I was surprisingly impressed by the Go Lower line. All of the flavors – more on that in a minute – contain visible whole ingredients. There are no artificial flavors, chemicals, or fillers of any kind. Period. The chocolate raspberry bar contains real raspberries. The nut bars look like something any backyard bird would gladly fly into a window for.

You MDA frequent flyers know I’m a huge fan of fiber, and that’s why I can endorse the low-GI Go Lower line. They have, “bar” none, the highest amount of fiber I’ve seen in so-called low-carb snacks (between 7 and 10 grams a bar, easily triple that of most breakfast cereal servings). They aren’t made with faux ingredients or fake sugars. The secret: Go Lower’s makers rely on oligofructose, a fiber-rich, non-GI impact insoluble fructose that doesn’t get digested by your upper G.I. Heard of inulin? This is similar, safe, and natural.

Honestly, I don’t really dig the taste, but to be fair, I’m just not a snack bar kind of guy. They do taste better than most of the other bars I’ve had the displeasure of chomping into.

Here’s what the gang thought:

Chocolate Creme Bar (120 calories)

Elliott: pretty good, but still has that not-quite-real flavor. A lot better than Power Bars, though.

Sara: I’m a die-hard dark chocolate dork. But this is edible.

Aaron: I like it. It’s sweet, but not that sickening fake sweet. There’s no bad aftertaste like you get with aspartame.

Raspberry Creme (116 calories)

Jen: okay, this is amazing! Seriously, you will love these. Really fruity and not too sweet.

Aaron: I agree, amazing flavor. And only 5 grams of sugar.

Casey: It’s got my vote. I think this is the best of them. The fruit is real and the chocolate isn’t chemical-tasting. It’s real cocoa – 47%.

Coconut Nut Bar (143 calories)

Elliott: I don’t taste the coconut. But I like strong flavors and sharp spices. If you like subtle flavoring, it’s pretty good. The one thing I’m not crazy about is the soy in these – that’s a processed ingredient I don’t recommend. But, in general, the ingredients are excellent – good fat, nuts, real chocolate, no sugar.

Sara: sorry, but this tastes like what I imagine licking the forest floor would be like. I am all for nuts, but this is really bland. I am impressed that every single one of these bars lists fiber as the first ingredient, though! That’s a big improvement over corn syrup, corn oil, or refined flours.

Aaron: I think it’s great! Really dense and satisfying. For only 143 calories, this is a really filling snack – and the fiber is incredibly high – about 10 grams! This easily beats any other snack bar or candy. Lots of good fat, fiber, and protein.

Raspberry Nut Bar (141 calories)

Jen: this is a lot better than the coconut, in my opinion. I love the mix of naturally salty seeds with the tartness of the raspberry. I think the raspberry-nut combination they have really works.

Sara: this is excellent. The linseeds, nuts and raspberries are a really satisfying, fresh combination. Awesome!

Casey: I like this. I’d buy them. Tastes like real food – like trail mix without all the salt and sugar.

Aaron: All the raspberry bars are really incredible. This proves there’s no reason why healthy can’t be tasty.

To see the detailed nutritional information, check out Go Lower’s site. My homeboy Jimmy Moore also enthusiastically reviewed these smart snack bars a while back, and you can check out his review, too. Thanks to Kevin and Hannah for letting us try out the Go Lower line! If you like the occasional snack bar, and you don’t want artificial ingredients and sugar, give Go Lower bars a try!

Technorati tags: Go Lower, bar, nuts, low carb, low sugar, glycemic index, chocolate

Technorati Tags: Go Lower, bar, nuts, low carb, low sugar, glycemic index, chocolate

Posted By: Mark Sisson

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Health for the Masses, by the Masses

“Let’s share our health experiences. Together we can help others. Together we can help ourselves.” This is the motto and philosophy of the new social-networking website OrganizedWisdom.

OrganizedWisdom is user-generated advice, experience, insights, and knowledge compiled and sorted to help people track down answers to their health-related questions.

Looking for a way to get rid of a headache? Check out what other people do to relieve this annoying ailment. Do you have a personal account of how you handled sleep apnea, GERD, or some other condition? Share your experiences and help others on their path to recovery.

The people behind OrganizedWisdom know that, being human, we all have tales of illness, and that collaboration is a great way to help solve health problems. Join this community to help yourself and others collectively achieve health and well-being.

Technorati Tags: Organized Wisdom, social networking, social media

Posted By: Aaron

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Searching for Health

Google isn’t the only search engine on the world-wide-web. If you are looking for specific health-related information or technical articles on vitamins and supplements it makes sense to use a search engine that is optimized to provide health-specific results. Here are two websites that do just that.

Vitasearch.com provides scientific articles that cover the latest research in the field of nutrition. Visit the ‘Weekly Updates’ link for the most up-to-date findings on everything from vitamin D and folate to coenzyme Q10 and fish oils. Additionally, this website supplies interviews with some of the brilliant scientists behind all the research. Get their expert opinions on a variety of health topics. This site is simple, straightforward, and as long as you are willing to dig through sometimes technical journal article summaries, provides excellent content.

If you are looking for solid information about specific health conditions and ailments Healthline.com may be able to provide you with answers. This 2006 Webby Award winning site provides filtered search results that draw from over 170,000 health-related websites and thousands of peer-reviewed journal articles. Healthline was developed in partnership with over 1,110 medical specialists to help bring consumers relevant search results. The site also offers cool features like Healthmaps, detailed illustrations and pictures, and quizzes to help assess physical conditions. Although a lot of the information seems to be focused on and sponsored by Big Pharma, this site still offers plenty of preventative tips and a wealth of quality advice (just be aware of the bias).

As we are always saying at Mark’s Daily Apple: be willing to be critical about everything you’ve assumed to be true about health and fitness, and take responsibility for your own health. In order to do this, it is important to stay on top of the latest research and findings. Between MDA and these resources you are sure to find the most up-to-date health information available.

Posted By: Aaron

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