A recent article from Reuters has found that when given a quiz on the healthiest menu options at popular restaurants, without having the nutritional information visible, we aren't able to make the healthiest choice.  There were only four questions and none of the respondents answered all four questions correctly, 68 percent failed all of them and less than 1 percent answered three of four questions correctly.  Curious if you could get the first question right?  Then take the quiz.

Which Denny's food item has the least calories

1. A ham and cheddar omelet
2. Country fried steak and eggs
3. Three slices of French toast with syrup and margarine
4. Three pancakes with syrup and margarine

Courtney Love, former singer in the band Hole, has lost a ton of weight in a short amount of time.  She says that she owes it all to Yoga and her macrobiotic diet filled with whole grains and fish, but a friend recently admitted that:

"She's telling people she got the gastric band surgery.  She even said she had to sleep with a towel by her because the surgery makes her [vomit] all the time and is worried she won't be able to make out with anyone because of her breath."

A representative for Love says that it's not true — she never got the surgery, but she lost 44 pounds in just 4 months — that sounds an awful lot like surgery.

Want to know more?  Then

Basically when you have gastric band surgery, a band is placed around the uppermost part of the stomach.  This band divides the stomach into two portions:  one small and one larger portion.  Since the stomach is divided into smaller parts, most patients feel full faster, so they eat much less.

I worry about celebs since they are pressured to look a certain way.  They have the moolah for these expensive, quick fix weight loss shortcuts.  They're not healthy for the body and definitely not necessary for a person who was already thin.  Loose, flabby skin is a side effect from quick weight loss.  Not so attractive, huh?

Fit's Tips:  Extra, extra, read all about it:  Daily exercise and a healthy diet filled with fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins are the best way to lose weight and maintain it.  No news flash here, or easy by any means, but it's the truth.

Flynet

Now I thought I've seen every gadget on the market to help you lose weight, but here's another one.  It's called the Cal-Carb Clicker.  Catchy name, huh?

What does it do?  For $19.95 it will keep track of your daily:

• Carbs
• Calories
• Carbs & calories together
• Points
• Blocks
• Fat grams
• Water intake
• Whatever it is you're counting

Wow, can it do my laundry and make dinner too?  To find out,

Is there a catch?  Of course.  You're the one who sets the number on the top at the beginning of the day for the number of calories you're allowed.  Then as you eat, you "click-in".  When the top number reaches zero, you're done for the day.  I know why it works — with clicking all day long, who has time to eat?

The Cal-Carb Counter comes with complete instructions (thank god) and a Cal/Carb Food Index.  So now you can break down your meals and figure out just how guilty you should be feeling about that brownie fudge sundae you just ate.

While it is true that keeping track of your caloric intake is a great way to take responsibility if you're trying to watch your weight, I don't really think it's necessary to keep track with this product.  That's what good old paper and a pencil are for.  What do you think?

When I walk into the grocery store, I must admit I get a little overwhelmed by the vast selection of energy bars.  I made a nutritional break down comparing some of the popular choices so the decision is easier to make.  If you want to see it then

Clif Bar (Crunchy Peanut Butter):  250 calories, 6g fat, 250mg sodium, 40g carbs, 5g fiber, 18g sugars, 12g protein
Clif Nectar Bar (Lemon Vanilla Cashew):  160 calories, 6g fat, 5mg sodium, 27g carbs, 6g fiber, 17g sugars, 4g protein
Clif zBaR (peanut butter):  140 calories, 5g fat, 170mg sodium, 20g carbs, 3g fiber, 11.7g sugars, 3g protein
Luna Bar (Peanut Butter Cookie):  180 calories, 6g fat, 150mg sodium, 23g carbs, 3g fiber, 12g sugars, 10g protein
Luna Sunrise Bar (Vanilla Almond):  180 calories, 4.5g fat, 95mg sodium, 29g carbs, 5g fiber, 10g sugars, 8g protein
Power Bar Performance Bar (peanut butter):  240 calories, 4g fat, 200mg sodium, 42g carbs, 2g fiber, 22g sugars, 10g protein
Power Bar Pria (Chocolate Peanut Crunch):  110 calories, 3.5g fat, 85mg sodium, 16g carbs, 1g fiber, 10g sugars, 5g protein
Balance Bar (peanut butter):  200 calories, 6g fat, 230mg sodium, 22g carbs, 1g fiber, 12g sugars, 14g protein
LARABAR (cashew cookie):  210 calories, 12g fat, 0mg sodium, 23g carbs, 3g fiber, 14g sugars, 6g protein

It's recommended that women eat 25 to 30 grams of fibre each day to decrease the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as some types of cancer, including breast cancer.  Not only that, but fibre helps you stay regular, which decreases belly bloat, and it keeps you feeling full longer to help you eat less and lose weight.  That's a lot of roughage, but including plenty of fresh, luscious fruits in your diet is a great way to get your fill.  Check out the chart below to see which sources are the best.

Apple (1 medium):  93 calories, 4.3g fibre
Applesauce (1 cup):  102 calories, 2.7g fibre
Apricot (3):  50 calories, 2.1g fibre
Banana (1 medium):  105 calories, 3.1g fibre
Blackberries (1 cup):  62 calories, 7.6g fibre
Blueberries (1 cup):  84 calories, 3.6g fibre
Cranberries (dried) (1/4 cup):  130 calories, 2g fibre
Cantaloupe (1 cup diced):  53 calories, 1.4g fibre
Cherries (15):  77 calories, 2.6g fibre
Dates (2):  133 calories, 3.2g fibre
Figs (2 medium):  74 calories, 2.9g fibre
Grapes (20):  68 calories, 0.9g fibre
Grapefruit (1 medium):  41 calories, 1.4g fibre
Honeydew (1 cup diced):  61 calories, 1.4g fibre
Kiwi (1):  42 calories, 2.1g fibre
Mango (1):  124 calories, 3.3g fibre
Nectarine (1 medium):  62 calories, 2.4g fibre
Orange (1 medium):  62 calories, 3.1g fibre
Papaya (1 cup diced):  55 calories, 2.5g fibre
Peach (1 medium):  59 calories, 2.3g fibre
Pear (1 medium):  103 calories, 5.5g fibre
Pineapple (1 cup):  83 calories, 2.3g fibre
Plum (1):  30 calories, 0.9g fibre
Prunes (3):  60 calories, 1.8g fibre
Raisins (1/4 cup):  108 calories, 1.3g fibre
Raspberries (1 cup):  64 calories, 8g fibre
Star fruit (1 cup sliced):  45 calories, 3.7g fibre
Strawberries (1 cup sliced):  53 calories, 3.3g fibre
Tangerine (1 medium):  47 calories, 1.6g fibre
Watermelon (1 cup diced):  46 calories, 0.6g fibre