The experiment continues in January 2012 (note that there isn't a comma between the month and the year).  Based on the weight loss I experienced living in the nineties, I think I'll kick the year off "Living in the Nineties."  Join me the second week of the month!

Here's a quick tip for those who use LinkedIn.  Once you've created or edited your profile, click on 'view profile' and give it a good read.  By reading it as a friend or colleague would read it, you'll pick up spelling and grammatical errors. 

I'm not neglecting my blog -- I've just been a little busy with this event called the election.  Yes, it's taking a lot of my time, as it always does.  Here's to November 9!

I went grocery shopping today with high hopes that I would find a plethora of foods in the seventies.  Hopes were quickly dashed.  More on that after the trick or treaters are on their way.

I just could not resist this one.

We thought moving into the eighties would bring many more choices.  I really can’t recall whatever gave us that idea!  We knew that orange juice (with calcium) was in the eighties, as was Naked Red Machine (NuVal 87).  Lowes Foods was out of orange juice, but we did pick up two bottles of Red Machine.

At the left is a picture of what we bought.  You’ll recognize most foods in the nineties, but here are the foods in the eighties:  Lowes Foods Instant White Rice (82) (actually, all rice is an 82, unless you get into the specialty rices), Hunt’s no-salt whole canned plum tomatoes (82), and Dannon Light & Fit vanilla (woo hoo!!) (81).  That’s it.

Sun Maid Golden Raisins and regular raisins are both an 87.  We just didn’t feel like having raisins.  The interesting thing about raisins is, if they’re covered in yogurt they drop down to a 4.  Yes, that’s right.  A 4.  The decision we made, when it came to selecting a dried fruit snack, was the Sunsweet apricots (91).  It was the healthy choice (although the raisins are not a bad choice).  Other healthy dried fruit choices include Sun Maid Dried Peaches and Sunsweet Dates (both 91). 

Also on the list was cucumbers (93), green peppers (94), garlic (91), Nasoya cubed extra-firm tofu (90), and Barilla Plus penne pasta (91).  The FreshExpress salad, strawberries, blueberries, and kiwis are each 100, green peppers are 94, and the yellow onions are 93. 

Smoothies are my friend

I’ve always been a fan of smoothies, but most commercial blends have a lot of unnecessary sugars.  At home, not only do I know what’s in it, but I control the sweetener.  Last week’s purchase of Nasoya Silken tofu (100) was specifically for smoothies.  I use 2 – 2-1/2 tablespoons of tofu, about half cup of milk (91), strawberries (including the leaves), blueberries, grapes (seeds and all) (91), and a banana (91).  Add one packet of artificial sweetener and lots of ice and, voila – a filling and delicious lunch (or afternoon snack, depending on how hungry I am).   Baked potatoes (93) are another filling snack or meal.  Add seasonings of your choice (I use Vege-sal and salt) and you’re good to go.

I'm saving organic and "healthy foods" for a later post; primarily because I wanted to get this post up and I haven't completed all of my research on the subjects.  Until then, enjoy this classic from the eighties.

Happy Friday!  Life got in the way of blogging, but not in the way of living in the nineties.  So here’s the big news:  Mitchell and I each weighed in the morning of Day 1, before having anything to eat.  On Day 3’s weigh-in, I’d lost 1.8 pounds, and Mitchell had lost 2.8 pounds.  This morning, Day 5, I’d lost another two pounds, as had Mitchell.  Remember, the experiment is not being done for weight loss, but it sure is a nice benefit!

Day 3 began without a banana for the Post Shredded Wheat (NuVal 91).  I used a little artificial sweetener and it was good.  I’ll continue eating it next week when we begin adding the eighties.  I worked from home and was sure to drink a lot of water and snack on fruit.  Lunch was a protein shake with two tablespoons of Nasoya Silken Tofu (100), about a half-cup of Lowes Foods skim milk (91), blueberries and strawberries (both 100), and one banana (91).  I blended it all together with lots of ice and it was really good.  It made about two eight ounce servings, so Mitchell and I split it.  Our meeting was canceled, but we stayed at the restaurant to have dinner, which could have been a disaster.  I had planned on a house salad at the restaurant and, planning ahead, I had a baked potato (93) before we left the house.  I was happy to see a ‘build your own’ salad on the menu (Whew!):  lettuce (not iceberg; that’s only an 82) and spinach (both 100s), green peppers (94), tomatoes (96), cucumbers (I don’t know the score yet), and salsa as the dressing.

Yesterday is when life really got in the way.  I was unable to have breakfast and didn’t have anything to eat until 12:30 in the afternoon.  Panera has a large fruit bowl (honeydew, cantaloupe (93), and grapes (92)).  (Seems like there's something else, but I can’t remember.)  I had a large house salad, which was mostly lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber, and the side was an apple (96).  For dinner, I made the Barilla Plus pasta (91) and homemade sauce (tomatoes, onion (93), and spices.  It was pretty good!  This morning was, once again, Post Shredded Wheat, a banana, and Lowes Foods skim milk (all 91s).  I had some leftover pasta for lunch.  Tonight’s dinner was prepaid (and preplanned) – Boy Scout barbecue (without the bread)!  How can anyone resist?

Pound for pound
An interesting, and surprising, fact about the Lowes Foods brand is that the NuVal score tended to be higher than the name brand.  In some cases, the scores were the same.  I had to find out why.  Many people think that the store brand is made by the name brand.  In some instances that’s true.  Oftentimes, the name brand simply packages the store brand’s product.  So, when you’re looking at NuVal scores and comparing product to product, don’t snub the store brand simply because it’s the store brand.  Make the decision based on score.  Price is another factor to consider, though.  Case in point:  Smart Balance skim milk has a NuVal score of 100.  The Lowes Foods skim milk is 91.  But, the Smart Balance was almost $4.00 for a half gallon, while the LF brand was $3.79 for the gallon. 

Bringing in the big hair
On Sunday I’ll be shopping for foods in the eighties.  I’ll only be adding eighties foods to the nineties I’m eating now.  I’m really looking forward to going grocery shopping and will be back then to share my grocery list. 

Next time, I'll provide information for foods that are often considered 'healthier' - fat free, sugar free, organic, etc.  Once again, don't be fooled by the label.

Day 1 was easy.  I made sure that I drank lots of water throughout the day.  I had a meeting at 6:00 p.m., so I had a little something before I left.  Day 2 started off without being hungry, at least for me. Mitchell -- not so much.  I think he's ready to chew his arm off.  Gotta give him credit, though, he's sticking to it.  Before I give you the details, I'll tell you about the grocery list and menu.

This Week’s Grocery List
What foods do you think are scored the highest?  Fruits and vegetables, of course!  But there are others.  Barilla Plus pasta is multigrain and has a NuVal score of 91.  The challenge with pasta is that, while the sign says that pasta sauce goes up to a score of 91, Lowes Foods doesn’t carry it (I may have to work on that).  Not to worry.  We’ll have pasta Florentine with fresh tomatoes (96), green peppers (94), onions (93), and carrots (99).  Throw in a little garlic and Italian seasoning, and we’re good to go!  I was pleasantly surprised to find that Birds Eye Steamfresh Multigrain with Spinach, Tomato, and Onions, and Birds Eye Steamfresh Brown and Wild Rice with Broccoli and Carrots (frozen foods) were 93 and 96, respectively.  What I wasn't so pleasantly surprised about, and I'm being totally honest here, was that the "serving" size of each of these products was significantly different.  Mitchell chose the Multigrain and I had the Brown and Wild Rice.  His looked more like 1-1/2 servings and mine looked like 3.  We needed to add a lot of salt to give it a palatable flavor.  I added frozen broccoli (100) to mine and it was all right, if not slightly dry.  The label suggests (for additional flavor) adding olive oil, Italian seasoning, and garlic.  Olive oil is a no-no right now and you'll find out why in later posts.  Anyway, I’ll figure out a way to add tofu (100) to these rice side dishes to make a complete, well-balanced, and hopefully tasty, meal.

Here's an "aerial" shot of everything I bought -- all have scores of 91 and above.
Here are the perfect score (100) foods:  blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, oranges, a turnip, FreshExpress spinach and American blend, Nasoya Silken tofu, and Lowes Foods frozen broccoli florets.  Keep in mind that there are many more "perfect score" foods; I just didn't buy them this week.

Now for the rest: Lowes Foods nonfat yogurt, carrots (whole and baby), cilantro, Italian parsley, and lemons (all 99), Fuji apples, tomatoes, and celery hearts (all 96), green bell peppers (94), sweet onions and russet potatoes (both 93), Barilla Plus pasta and Post Shredded Wheat (both 91).

I make a killer butternut squash soup.  There are two ingredients that aren't in the nineties:  vegetable broth and butter.  Vegetable broth is a 7.  After I found that little tidbit of info, I was afraid to look at butter.  Sunday I'll check and report back.  So, to alleviate the need for processed vegetable broth and address the strong desire to make the soup, I bought everything I needed to make my own vegetable broth:  carrots, celery, a turnip, an onion, tomatoes, and a green bell pepper.  If you're interested in either of the recipes, email me at nancy@getitwrite.net.     

The menu
Breakfast Monday and Tuesday:  Post Shredded Wheat (no salt, no sugar), Lowes Foods skim milk, and a banana; all are a 91.  I mixed the American blend with the spinach and made a large salad; both are a 100, and I topped it off with fresh salsa made with mango (93) and tomatoes (96).  Before the meeting, I mixed one cup of the Lowes Foods yogurt (99) with strawberries and blueberries (both 100) and added some artificial sweetener.  It was really good and filling.  After the meeting, I had an orange (100). 

I'm a creature of habit, so Day 2 started off the same as Day 1:  cereal, skim milk, and a banana.  I spent most of the day in the office, where I did not take a break.  By the time I got home around 4:00, I was hungry.  We had someplace to be (training for this week's Oktoberfest!), so I microwaved a potato (93) and seasoned it with Vege-sal and a little kosher salt.  It was filling enough and off we went.  After the meeting, we stopped for a beer (remember, I'm not giving up beer) and something to eat at VBGB (http://vbgbuptown.com).  Now, VBGB is a beer hall and garden.  I wasn't expecting to find a healthy choice on the menu.  But there it was:  edamame.  Confession:  I've only had edamame one time.  I bought it frozen, zapped it, and struggled to get each bean out of the pod, just to find out that I didn't like it.  I wasn't looking forward to doing it again.  I asked one of the owners, Tom, about the edamame.  His wife and co-owner, Kara, boils it for about two minutes and tops it with sea salt.  He said it was good, so I tried it and it was good!

What have I learned so far?  Drinking water is key to stave off hunger; something simple like a baked potato can be filling; edamame prepared correctly can be good; and I don't need to take fiber supplements.  (Ha!)

Tomorrow -- you'll want to know about today.  Big news.  Also, I'll look at store brands v. name brands the NuVal way.

Here it is.  The experiment.  I’ve been asked both in person and via email what I’ll be doing.  Friends have said that they are excited about “the experiment,” not even knowing what it is!  Others have said they love experiments – again, not knowing what mine is.  All have asked, “What is it?”  So, without further adieu, here it is.

Full disclosure:  both of my sons, Stephan and Mitchell, work for Lowes Foods (www.lowesfoods.com) in the Promenade on Providence (Charlotte, NC).  Stephan works in the front end and Mitchell is in produce.  A few months ago, they told me about a nutritional system coming to Lowes – the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System (visit www.nuval.com for all the details).  Prior to the “unveiling,” we walked through the store and they explained it to me.  My first thought was, “This is great!  This will change the way people shop.”  I got so excited about NuVal and trying to figure out a way to make it work for us.  Craig suggested that I eat according to NuVal and blog about it.  Thus, the plan was devised.  I told the three men in my house that they didn’t have to do the experiment with me; they could still eat what they wanted to eat, but Mitchell said he wanted to do it with me (it’s great that he works in produce, because he knows most of the scores by heart). 
Further disclosure:  I am not getting any compensation from Lowes Foods or NuVal to conduct this experiment.

The Cliffs Notes
NuVal scores food on a scale of 1-100.  The higher the NuVal score, the better the nutrition.  No more reading the labels to make sure the calories are low and the fiber is high.  No getting out the calculator to determine a food’s point value on a commercial diet plan.  The bottom line is that eating healthy (or healthier) has never been easier.  Just read the label on the shelf.  The aisles have signs that give the ranges of the foods located in that aisle.  For example, frozen foods (not frozen vegetables) have NuVal scores ranging from 1 to 64, with the average being 20.  Cold cereals are between 2 and 96, with an average NuVal score of 27.  Hot cereals, on the other hand, fall between a NuVal range of 9-99, with an average score of 44 (I haven't researched everything on that yet, but I'm really hoping that grits aren't the highest). 

The Plan and the Expected Outcome
There’s no time limit on the experiment.  We’re going to progress in decades.  For our first week (which began today), we’re living in the nineties.  We cannot eat any food that scores less than 90.  In week two, we’ll add foods from the eighties, without eliminating the nineties.  Foods from the seventies will show up in week three, and so on.  I think that what we’ll find after this first week is that we’re not as hungry as many would expect, we have more energy, we’ve lost weight, and that we can’t live only in the nineties.  While grocery shopping yesterday, Mitchell said that it looks like our world will really open up when we move into the eighties.  One important note:  we are living in a controlled environment while in the nineties.  I have purchased the food for the week and there is very little, if any, eating out.

What we won’t give up in any decade – creamer for coffee.  Coffee itself doesn’t have a value; it’s what’s added to it that does.  I use a sugar substitute, which doesn’t have a score, but my creamer does, and it’s low (below 20, I think).  But I’m not going without my creamer and I’m certainly not going without coffee.  I figure I only have two cups a day, so it’s okay.  Beer and wine are not rated and I don’t know if they will be.  But, I’m a home brewer!  I have my monthly Carolina Brewmasters meeting this week and I’m volunteering at our annual Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 8.  Everything in moderation; one beer, instead of two. 

We’re also not giving up mustard.  (You may be thinking, “Do you guys love mustard that much that you’re not giving it up?”  No, we don’t.)  We’re not giving up mustard (plain – 14) because we can use it on foods in the nineties – Mitchell said he’d like it on baked potatoes (93).  Plain mustard is basically a zero condiment – zero calories, zero carbs, zero fat, zero protein.  The score comes from the 60 mg. of sodium (per serving).

Size Doesn't Matter
Serving size isn’t the focus when living in the nineties.  Fruits and vegetables are unlimited because of their chemical makeup and high score.  The Post Shredded Wheat cereal I had for breakfast (no sugar, no salt; NuVal score of 91) was one serving – one cup of cereal to one-half cup of skim milk (also a 91).  I added a whole banana (believe it or not, it’s a 91).  So far today I’ve had cereal for breakfast and fruits and vegetables.  If I want to have another bowl of cereal, there’s nothing stopping me; I’m not keeping track of the volume of food.

Tomorrow:  The Menu and the Grocery List
 

This is from a "free events" website.  The heading is incorrect in the link and on the name of the page, which was enough to get my attention.  I'm guessing that the website designer/editor spelled it incorrectly and only had to provide the link to the article, which was probably written by a hospital representative. 

6:00pm:           Free prostrate screening at CMC Pineville

So, if you're interested in lying flat on your stomach for no apparent reason, contact CMC Pineville.  Oh, I neglected to mention that they're also serving appetizers.  Really! 

In the words of my mother, "TJ -- that is not your bowl of cereal!  It is the banana's!"