Nerds Republic

The phrase “sugary foods” probably brings a few things to mind: junk food, chocolate bars, donuts, and soft drinks. What you probably don’t think of are snacks that are generally accepted as “healthy” alternatives.

Take Part wanted to illustrate just how sugary some normal foods are, so they compared their sugar content to that of a Krispy Kreme donut. The results were pretty shocking.

I’m going to start eating grilled cheese and donuts.

Using this dressing on salads seems like a terrible idea.

I guess no one thought Fruit Loops were a good idea.

Yep, even “healthy” fruit juice is worse than ONE Krispy Kreme donut.

…that whipped cream is worth it, though.

The break room donuts are suddenly WAY more appealing.

To see even more shocking sugar statistics, visit Take Part.

The full gallery of Krispy Kreme comparisons will leave your jaw on the GROUND.

Suddenly, I don’t feel so bad about gorging on Krispy Kreme donuts…

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Eric Hites was at a lifetime low. He weighed close to 570 pounds, was separated from his wife, and didn’t really have a career to speak of. He knew he had to make a change, and he knew it had to be drastic. His heart was in exactly the right place when he decided to start a journey by bike all the way across America. He wanted to prove to his wife — and himself — that he’s going to be around for the long haul.

The Proclaimers were the inspiration for the more than 3,000-mile journey across the country. While Hites was very heavy, on top of being a smoker, walking seemed improbable, but riding a bike was more attainable for him.

He started off with bike he bought for $17 from a friend in Indiana.

After just a short ride, he was winded. So he got to exercising in preparation for his trip.

He started a GoFundMe page to help him afford the trip, and his dad drove him from Indiana to Falmouth, MA, where they said a tearful goodbye.

In Rhode Island, his estranged wife, Angie Atterbury, came to meet him, and their love sparked up again.

She’ll be taking the journey with him, though she’ll be doing most of it by car after a trip to the hospital. She waits for him at his destinations, with water at the ready. She’ll take his last name back once they reach the Pacific Ocean.

Since starting his journey in July, he’s lost 70 pounds.

He knows that at this point it’ll be a fluctuating weight loss journey, but he’s already noticed such a difference, especially in his head and face…it’s a huge accomplishment already.

Both he and Atterbury are trying to lose weight and quit smoking at the same time, despite their doctors’ warning that doing so would be too stressful.

The couple isn’t racing across the country, though.

They’re meeting friends and seeing new sights along the way.

They’re using it as an opportunity to see America, while getting healthy and falling back in love.

In New York, Hites was surprised to get tons of media attention and warm greetings from locals.

He even got a serenade from the Naked Cowboy in Times Square!

Hites was planning to compile the story and all of his experiences into a book…but he certainly wasn’t expecting all the hype. He just wanted a chance to prove his love.

All of the extra attention and support is just another reason to persevere.

People on the streets who don’t even know what he’s doing shout words of encouragement when they see such a large person pushing his body to work hard. It’s wonderful to see that the majority of people are rooting Hites on instead of putting him down. Not that that would discourage him…he knows what he’s doing and he’s determined to make his life even better.

Listen to Hites talk about his trip…it’s truly inspiring.

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Keep on keepin’ on!

(via The New York Times)

For updates on Eric Hites’ journey to health, happiness, and the Pacific, check out his blog and his Facebook page, Fat Guy Across America. Oh, and don’t be put off by the title, he knows the medical condition he’s in and he’s not afraid or ashamed to admit it…especially since he’s on the road to slimming down.

When I was a kid, I enjoyed my fair share of fruit snacks and Fruit Roll-Ups. What I didn’t learn until I was older, however, was just how much junk was actually in the snacks I consumed on a near-daily basis.

Luckily, one amazing chef figured out a way to make my favorite snack without all the additives. By simply using fruit, a food processor, and a silicone baking mat, she created a delicious alternative to store-bought snacks that might actually get your kids to finally eat fruit!

The recipe only calls for fruit. In this test, Heather of Make+Haus used an apple-raspberry combination, as well as a mango roll-up recipe.

Twelve ounces of raspberries were added to a food processor, along with two peeled and chopped pink lady apples.

The mango variation was made using two mangos.

After blending the fruits to a puree, the mixture was spread out on a thin silicone sheet.

She smoothed out the fruit, placed the sheet on a pan, and put everything in a 170-degree oven for five to seven hours.

This allowed the fruit puree to dehydrate.

After cooling off, the hardened fruit sheets were cut into 6-inch squares and added to sections of wax paper.

Then she simply rolled up the wax paper into little fruit rolls!

All done! This looks totally delicious.

(source Make+Haus)

I wish I knew about this recipe a lot earlier. If I had these snacks as a kid, I would definitely have consumed all the fruits!

It’s common knowledge that having a canine companion will make you happier…but did you know that it can also make you healthier? According to a recent scientific study, dog owners roughly the age of 79 had the bodies of those who were a decade younger. What’s that mean? That when you own a dog, you can shave years off your age and add them to your lifespan.

Here are some of the reasons why:

(via Bark Post)

If you’ve never noticed these with your pup before, maybe now that you have them under your belt, you’ll be more aware of the health benefits your fur baby brings to your life!

Find more awesome animal stories here: