Ever wonder how some people can work at sinful bakeries AND stay thin? Rebecca at Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat? finds out how two cupcake store owners do it… too funny! Now I know the trick.

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What would you like with your bowl of ice cream? How about some fiber, antioxidants, or probiotics? Scientists are trying to turn ice cream into a functional food with these ingredients. While functional foods are very popular right now, personally, I’d rather just have a little bit of the plain stuff – ice cream or other foods – than the nutritionally “forced” versions. How about you?

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Congrats to FatFighterTV member – geralynj – for winning last week’s giveaway for the Oikos prize pack. Enjoy!

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Since I recently switched from the artificially sweetened brands of yogurt to the creamier, healthier, preservative-free Greek yogurts, Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt (made by Stonyfield Farm) has been one of the brands I’ve been buying.
Besides tasting good, having twice the protein of regular yogurt and fewer carbs, I also like how Oikos treats the earth. It gives 10% of its profits to programs that protect and restore the environment.

This week, Oikos is giving one lucky FFTV member a prize pack filled with:

1 Free 16 oz Oikos coupon
5 Free 5.3 oz Oikos coupons
$4 worth of other Stonyfield coupons
100% organic cotton Oikos T-shirt
Reusable Stonyfield shopping bag

Since Oikos is all about being organic… to enter for a chance to win, tell me what organic foods you eat and why. Me – I finally switched to organic milk – the thought of growth hormones in a lot of the milk out there really got to me.

See you in the comments!

Contest runs through midnight EST this Friday, October 2, you have to have a U.S. mailing address to enter, and we will use random.org to pick the winner.

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I first heard there was a pumpkin shortage from Lori over at Finding Radiance. Now, I keep seeing stories about it everywhere, like this one that says people in some parts of the country may have a hard time finding Halloween pumpkins.

The report says harvests are down significantly in some areas from last year. That might mean shortages or higher prices for pumpkins to be shipped in from other places with better crops.

This news has me a bit anxious because I love pumpkin almost-anything and look forward to having it in the fall – pumpkin bread, pumpkin seeds, even pumpkin tea. Love it all! Besides being so tasty, pumpkins are also packed with nutrients – beta carotene, potassium, and Vitamin A. Plus they’re high in fiber and low in calories. And did I mention how much I love to eat them??!

Anyone out there noticing any pumpkin shortages or higher prices in stores where you live?

[Photo Credit: stock.xchng]

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I’ve tried a few store-brand foods in the past that I haven’t liked, so for awhile it made me hesitant to try again. But lately, it seems they’re getting better. In the latest issue of Consumer Reports (CR), trained testers took part in blind tests and compared national brands with store brands in 29 food categories. The results – 19 ties, four store brand wins, and six national brand victories. Here are the store-brand healthy foods that scored high:

• Salsa

Old El Paso Thick n’ Chunky Medium, 17 cents per serving
vs.
Kirkland Signature (Costco) Organic Medium, 10 cents per serving

Winner: Store brand – CR found Kirkland’s salsa more complex and better tasting, overall

• Multigrain spaghetti with omega-3

Barilla Plus, $2.25 per box
vs.
America’s Choice (A&P) Plus, $1.59 per box

Winner: Tie – Taste testers say the two are similar, and each has a mild, whole-grain flavor.

• Frozen strawberries

Dole Whole, 86 cents per serving
vs.
Kirkland Signature (Costco), 47 cents per serving

Winner: Tie – Size was the only noticeable difference for  taste testers.

• Dijon mustard

Grey Poupon, 5 cents per serving
vs.
GreenWise Market Organic (Publix), 3 cents per serving

Winner: Tie – CR says they are each tasty in their own way and would be happy with either one.

• Frozen broccoli

Birds Eye Steamfresh Premium Select Florets, 55 cents per serving
vs.
365 (Whole Foods) Florets, 38 cents per serving

Winner: Tie – Testers found both about the same, but say a slight natural sweetness in the Birds Eye is missing from the 365.

You can see more of CR’s report here.

Good to know you can find good tasting store-brand foods and save money, isn’t it? Do you have any favorite store-brand foods?

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This may be worse than brain freeze – ice cream controlling our brains??? Scientists from UT Southwestern Medical Center say fat from foods like ice cream and burgers goes to the brain and can control it. Their study shows once the fat molecules are there, they trigger the brain to send messages to the body’s cells, warning them to ignore the appetite-suppressing signals from the hormones involved in regulating weight for up to three days.

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Remember when the costs for ingredients and fuel were so high, food makers raised their prices or shrank package sizes to make up for it? Now, we may finally see a little relief from the higher prices. A new report shows retailers are dropping prices to pass along savings from lower ingredient and gasoline costs. You should start seeing a drop in the cost of dairy, meat, fruits, vegetables and bread.

Have you noticed the lower prices? Honestly, I haven’t yet, but I will definitely welcome the relief!

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Congrat to FatFighterTV member – gervitsd – for winning last week’s giveaway for the Chobani Greek Yogurt sampler package. Enjoy!

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Congrats to FatFighterTV member – Marilyn – for winning last week’s giveaway for three boxes of assorted Holey Donuts! Enjoy!

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