The Weekly Skinny: All the healthy news you need (6-4-10)







Heavy metals in protein drinks? How safe is your favorite? FatFighterTV has a look at this story and other diet and fitness headlines making news this week.

Is your protein drink toxic?
Ever heard of heavy metals in protein drinks? I hadn't until I saw this new report in the July issue ofConsumer Reports (CR). CR looked at 15 protein powders and drinks and tested multiple samples for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury.

Results show all of the drinks had at least one sample with one or more of these contaminants. And three products particularly concerned CR because the levels of arsenic, cadmium, or lead in three daily servings were more than the limits proposed by the USP (United States Pharmacopeia): EAS Myoplex Original Rich Dark Chocolate Shake, Muscle Milk Chocolate powder, and Muscle Milk Vanilla Crème. The report says those metals can have toxic effects on several organs in the body.

To burn more fat, don't eat before workout

This may keep me from grabbing a small bite to eat before I exercise. Some scientists say if you want to get rid of more fat, skip the pre-workout snack.Studies show if you haven't eaten before you exercise, your body doesn't have many carbohydrates in reserve, which forces it to burn fat instead.

Dieting for dollars

If your boss paid you to shed some pounds, would you do it? At least a third of U.S. companies offer their employees financial incentives to lose weight or get healthier in other ways, according to this article from the Associated Press. But critics say the weight loss is not likely to be permanent. Would money motivate you to lose weight?

Don't miss a thing! Sign up here for FatFighterTV's free daily updates, get the e-book - Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals - for FREE!


[photo credit: Getty Images]