Fast Food Advice March 24, 2008

McDonalds. Pizza Hut. Dairy Queen. Wendy’s. Quiznos subs. Tim Hortons.

Is your mouth watering yet?

Fast Food restaurants offer some tasty choices and old time favourites. And we KNOW it’s unhealthy, yet we continue to indulge. Not all fast food is bad, but as with everything, the key is moderation and sensible choices. It doesn’t mean you can only pick from the “light favourites” menu (I for one am against paying $7 for a bowl of lettuce) but rather be aware of what you are eating. Here are some tips on making healthy decisions.

 1) Don’t get that Coke!

Sodas are bad news. They rot your teeth, contain no nutrients, and can actually leave you more thirsty! When ordering your drink, opt for juice, the diet soda or even better, water!

2) 39 cents to Supersize is not worth it

Supersizing might seem like a great deal (value for your money) but it packs on more calories. Most regular combo meals are sufficently filling. If you want to supersize, share with a friend!

3) Nutritional Information

Most fast food places offer mini booklets of the nutritional information of their foods. They are often lying around the counter – if you don’t see one, ask for one! Another great resource is the websites for the restaurant. Most, if not all, of the restaurants offer an interactive Nutrition calculator. You choose your customized meal and the website calculates the nutritional information for you! Let’s analyze some classic fast food meals….

McDonald’s: Big Mac, Medium Fries and Coke = 1,100 calories. 46g fat.

Pizza Hut: 6″ Personal Size Pepperoni Pizza = 650 calories. 26g fat.

Subway: 6″ Chicken and Bacon Ranch Sub = 560 calories. 30 g fat.

Dairy Queen: Small Oreo Blizzard = 600 calories. 20 g fat.

4) No I don’t want fries with that.

Some places offer you a choice of sides, not just fries. Baked potatoes, soups, side salads = healthier options!

5) Hold the Sauce

Sauces, especially creamy ones, contain loads of calories! These sauces are used heavily when only a small amount is actually required for the taste (this includes salad dressings!!!). Try to have your sauce on the side and pour it on yourself.

Working Out, with video games? March 24, 2008

Most people don’t associate physical activity with video games. In fact, video games are sometimes viewed as the definition of physical inactivity. Images of youths spending hour upon hour glued to their computers or t.v. too busy playing to even come down to the dinner table (let alone go outside for a game of pick up basketball) are conjured up when you think of games.

That was then. This is now.

The evolution of next generation consoles now offers gamers a chance to get off their behinds but continue playing. Let’s take a look at two of the hottest new titles available (bonus: doesn’t feel like exercise)

1. Dance Dance Revolution

Starting out as a popular arcade game, Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) is now available @ home on Playstation 2 and 3, Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. This game will make you SWEAT as you move to cool dance tracks! The main objective of the game is to hit the dance squares on a mat/pad (that is plugged into the console) @ the right time, as indicated by arrows on the screen. You can groove by yourself, or with a friend!! No guarantee that this will make you a better dancer at that party though Oh, and there is a special “workout” mode too that counts calories!

2. Wii Sports

Wii Sports is the title game that comes free when you buy a Nintendo Wii — it’s main purpose is to show how COOL the Wii is and how active you can be. The sports available to play in this game are: baseball, boxing, tennis, golf and bowling. Oh and there are also “training” programs to make you better at the game. This game is addictive and you definitely can feel the burn in your arms the day afterwards. While it’s arguably not as “active” as participating in the real sport (there is less running) the level of activity is still pretty high — especially in boxing. You also have the opportunity to create a “Mii”, an avatar that you can customize to look however you want, and use it in the game!

OK.. i know you thought both of those games are pretty cool. But before you go out and buy a $300 system, let’s get some perspective. Video gaming is quite an expensive hobby. The consoles are expensive, and games can sell for about $50-80 dollars a pop! Also, while these are awesome games that are revolutionizing the industry, playing baseball in Wii sports will never be able to replace real baseball – your teammates, the atmosphere, the actual running, etc. It’s still pretty cool though..

Cheap Equipment March 24, 2008

Sports equipment can be very expensive, but that shouldn’t be a deterrent for participating in the sports you love. There are a number of ways to find good quality equipment without spending a bundle.

1. Trade Shows

Many sports hold annual trade shows (e.g. the Toronto Ski, Snowboard and Travel Show) right before the start of the season. These are great opportunities to pick up awesome equipment for criminally-low prices, as long as you don’t mind wearing “last season’s” styles. These shows usually charge between $10-15 admission, but the savings are worth it. As an added bonus, trade shows are a great place to find local retailers as well as cheap getaway destinations.

2. Second-Hand Shops

You can find amazing lightly-used equipment in stores like “Play It Again Sports” or even on eBay. We often outgrow equipment before we get our full use of it, and if we lack younger siblings, parents sell this equipment (cause yeah, it’s expensive).

3. End of or Off Season

Retailers offer deep discounts on equipment near a season’s end — I once picked up a set of golf clubs from an end-of-season pro shop sale for $150. Original Price = $470! Same goes for equipment in the off season, mind you it might be a bit difficult to find a place that sells rollerblades in January.