In a push to a more healthy side of fast food, KFC has introduced their new grilled recipe.  Just how much better is this new chicken?  Over the past few days I have compiled information and tried it for myself but there is one matter that I found very shocking!

How Healthy Is It?

Comparing chicken to chicken, the “grilled” option is definitely much healthier than the previous fried option.  Below is a comparison between both grilled and fried based on nutritional facts.

Grilled

Breast = 180 calories and 4 grams of fat
Thigh = 140 calories and 9 grams of fat
Drumstick = 70 calories and 4 grams of fat
Wing = 80 calories and 4 grams of fat

Fried Original

Breast = 370 calories and 21 grams of fat
Thigh = 260 calories and 19 grams of fat
Drumstick = 110 calories and 7 grams of fat
Wing =   110 calories and 7 grams of fat

Fried Crispy

Breast = 490 calories and 31 grams of fat
Thigh = 370 calories and 27 grams of fat
Drumstick = 150 calories and 9 grams of fat
Wing = 150 calories and 10 grams of fat

As you can see, the new grilled option is about half that of its original and extra crispy choices.  The amount of sodium found in the grilled chicken is still pretty high at 440mg but at least it is a major improvement over the original at 1,050mg.  You can further reduce the calories of the chicken by removing the skin before you eat it.  This will also reduce the amount of saturated fats you take in as well.  The chicken also tastes more baked than it does grilled.  The next time I return I will ask a friend that works there if the chicken really is “grilled” and update this post in the comments section.

This is the Shocker Though!!

When KFC first released their new grilled chicken option to the public the PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) conducted a test that brought back some alarming results!  Scientists went to six different stores and purchased two samples from each location.  Of those 12 samples that were laboratory tested, all of them came back positive for PhIP, a chemical that is considered to be a carcinogen by the government.

In case you are not familiar with this, PhIP is part of a chemical family known as HCAs.  These have been linked to various forms of cancer, such as breast cancer, in dozens of studies.  Every sample of the grilled KFC chicken also tested positive for at least on additional type of HCA.  There is no further public information available to determine whether the issue has been resolved.

Conclusion

Even though the chicken has changed for the better, the sides have not.  Those sides can really sabotage your diet!  Maybe they will continue their trend and take it a step further by introducing some more healthier options for side items.  By far, the best option available now is the green beans.  While KFC is moving to a more health “conscious” side, it is still far from what you can call health food.  The chicken you grill at home will still be much better for you than that served from the restaurant.

Full Nutritional Facts Can Be Found Here

Ah yes, the Acai berry.  Have you seen the Acai berry free trials lately?  I’m sure you have but your wondering if they work, correct?  Do you know how those “100% free trials” work?  Well I am glad you found this post.

What Are Acai Berry Free Trials All About?

The point of the acai berry free trials is to do one thing and one thing only, to get your payment information.  Once the companies have this, watch out.  It is not long after that you will be hit with a really expensive re-bill on your credit card.  Ever wonder why you can not find the price of the actual product on the website?  More often than not, canceling your purchase is almost impossible.

Want Some Proof?

I believe Laura Dolson from about.com has the perfect case study.  “A TV station local to me did an investigation of their own, ordering three supplements from three different companies which were advertised as having “free trials” or “risk-free trials”. These “free offers” ended up costing over $200 dollars as the investigator’s credit card was soon charged for extra merchandise, some of which never arrived. Many phone calls, letters on the station’s stationery, and returning product only got the charges from one of the companies reversed.”

Some companies that are under this investigation include the following: FWM Laboratories, Crush LLC, Central Coast Nutraceuticals, and Advanced Wellness Research.

Is the Acai Berry Worth It?

Along with this investigation, a nutritionist commented that the antioxidant levels in the berries themselves are “middle of the road.”  There are actually many more common, less expensive, foods that contain the same level of antioxidants and even more in some cases.  These companies are very hard to catch because they can pop up and disappear, virtually, overnight.

Here is what the Attorney General of Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal, has to say about these acai berry free trials: “In reality, consumers lose more money than weight after ‘free’ trials transition into inescapable charges.”

What If We Still Want to Try Acai Berry?

There are many reputable places to buy the berry other than through malicious acai berry free trials.  The best information I can give you is go into your local Rite Aid or Walmart and pick up a bottle.  At least there your not going to get hammered into a shady re-bill and out a few hundred dollars of your hard earned money.

Please do not fall into another internet scam like many have.  I do have the resources to promotes these same products and make great money but I have not and WILL NOT consider it!  Everyone out there deserves the right to quality information that will help them loose weight!

Resources: About.com

On my travels thought the web, I have seen many miracle stories behind this new plant phenomenon so I wanted to do some Hoodia research myself for my readers.

In case you don’t know by now, the Hoodia Diet has hit the television and internet in full-force.  With an explosion of email spam to banner advertisements flashing like neon signs in Vegas; this diet seems to be the “must-have” of the century.  But does it actually work?

What the heck is it?

Hoodia is a plant that is found native in South Africa which is consumed by the native tribes as part of their normal diets.  Many believe that the reason for South African tribes staying skinny are by ingesting this plant and that it can work for you also.  Now regardless if the natives stay skinny with it, there are a LOT reasons that could explain their smaller size.  From over-all eating habits to their natural genetic traits, there are countless factors that can debunk the Hoodia myth.

The Hoodia plant is most commonly purchased in the form of supplement pills and can be found everywhere you look on the internet.  Be extremely cautious though.  Fact is, that there are tons of products on the web that have very small doses or even no Hoodia in them at all.  Most are nothing more but a sugar pill with a label.

What are the facts?

The Hoodia plant is classified as a “diet supplement” so they are not held to high criteria and do not undergo extensive research and testing.  Simply put, there is little evidence the Hoodia plant supplies any real benefits or results at all for helping you lose weight.  Even a great deal of physicians are recommending their patients to keep away from the product all together.  Remember that the next time you read “100% certified Hoodia.”  Certified by who?  The national board of I said so?

Whats my honest take on it?

Hoodia Supplements are nothing but one of the many ramped up, overnight diet fads that fade out pretty quickly.  While I’m not saying they don’t work to an extent, I’m saying buying it and expecting all of the promises to come true is a long shot.  It could be wonderful if someone invented a miracle pill that solved all weight loss problems but I don’t see Hoodia being it.  I am a statistics type of person and hard evidence is not there.  With medical experts not even willing to give them praise, my hopes are pretty dim as well.  Stay with a diet that has been proven successful and is not based on something that sounds too good to be true.  Hoodia pills are “supplements” when means you take them in conjunction with a proper diet and exercise.  Anyone telling you that the pill is all you have to take is contradicting themselves.

What do you think?  Have you had good or bad experiences with these supplements lately?  Were the results what you expected or not at all what they promised?  Post your comments’ and opinions’ below.