There's a minor-league ball park near my home. It makes for cheap summer entertainment for my baseball-loving son. Last year, there was a booth set up near the food court that educated kids on healthy eating. But when you ventured into the actual food court area, the choices seemed to consist solely of nachos, hot dogs, and buttery popcorn. Some ballparks even offer all-you-can-eat seats which, for some, leads to even more calories than they would normally consume at the park.

Shape Magazine offers some better alternatives when eating at the ballpark. They also offer suggestions for carnivals, food courts, and movie theaters. Consider food at these outings a rare treat -- often, even the best choices aren't very healthy.

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After a recent dinner at a buffet-style restaurant, my husband was complaining of his aching gut. Ironically, an article in the magazine he was reading said that a recent study found that people eat more at buffets, even if they aren't hungry. He groaned a little louder and went to find an antacid.

"All-you-can-eat" are dangerous words in this world of super-sized portions. Sports venues have recently taken the idea and made it their own, however, offering fans all-you-can-eat seats. The tickets cost about 50% more and all the food and drinks (barring alcohol) are "free."

The trend has dietitians worried. Typical stadium fare is far from health food, and sports fans are kicking back cheap hot dogs, popcorn, and giant sodas while they cheer on their favorite team. Though a handful of teams have expanded the menu to include healthier options, such as salad bars, it's more cost effective for venues to provide junk food instead. Maybe they should start offering antacids as well...

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In honour of halloween I'm going to make a list of ingredients fit for a scary witch's stew with help from this article from eDiets. Be forewarned; they might scare the bejebus out of you:

• Beef lips, innards and joints.
  
• Ground horse bones
  
• Biscuits made of science-lab chemicals
• Curdled milk and bacteria cultures

Sounds gross, right? Well, surprise. These are all items that are part of a normal diet. Beef lips? Found in hot dogs and processed meats. Ground horse bones? That's jello for you. And the cookies and crackers at your grocery stores are made almost entirely of chemicals. Cheese is made from curdled milk and bacteria cultures.

My point is not to freak you out or keep you away from these things -- I believe that cheese, for instance, can be part of a healthy diet. But it's important to know what you put into your body ... in all it's grossness. Eat organic when possible and learn about you're food; afterall, you are what you eat!

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When it's hot out, big meals and cooking are just about the last thing I want to have anything to do with. Summer is a time of salads, fruit and anything cool from ice cream to iced beverages. While many of these summertime treats may sound light and healthy, there are often extra calories hidden in some of the season's food favorites. Check out this list to find out what to avoid in order not to ruin your healthy-eating plan:

• Salads - Sure most greens are great for you, especially when topped with a low-cal dressing, but beware of anything like coleslaw and potato salad that is full of high-fat, high-calorie mayonnaise.
• Hot dogs and hamburgers - To much of these much-loved summer foods can ruin a diet. You don't have to give them up though, just substitute in an alternative like turkey dogs or veggie burgers from time to time.
• Alcohol - I love a tasty daiquiri on a hot day as much as the next person but these types of icy, sugary drinks will result in a thicker waistline. As the piece points out, a chilled white wine or even beer, is much lower in calories.
• Iced Coffee - An easy culprit to fall for because few associate coffee with gaining weight? While a low-fat iced latte won't ruin your figure, too many of those large, syrupy iced-mocha's certainly will.
• Ice Cream - For some, avoiding ice cream all summer is not only impossible, it seems totally crazy. Rather than give it up completely, substitute a simple non-fat vanilla scoop for a heaping bowl of rocky road. Or try a fruit sorbet or low-fat frozen yogurt from time to time.

Have you found any of your favorite summer foods have been affecting your weight? And can you recommend a healthy substitute?

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Botulism hasn't been seen in commercially canned goods since the 1970s, but it recently reared its ugly head in some hot dog chili sauce products and sent 4 people to the hospital. Botulism is caused by the bacteria Clostridium and works by paralyzing muscles. All 4 people (2 kids in Texas and a couple from Indiana) are expected to fully recover.

The warning and recall apply to 10-ounce cans of Castleberry's, Austex and Kroger brands of hot dog chili sauce with "best by" dates from April 30, 2009 through May 22, 2009. They were canned in Augusta, GA, and Castleberry is cooperating fully with the FDA and CDC investigations.

This is scary -- why now, after all these years?

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Ah, the 4th of the July. Fireworks, patriotism, and hot dog eating contests. I have no idea what consuming mass quantities of ballpark franks has to do with the birth of the United States, but nevertheless, it's become quite the tradition this time of year. By far the most-famous eating contest -- the one in which the world's top eaters take part -- is the July 4th annual Coney Island hotdog eating competition.

This year there was some considerable drama, as the defending champion, 28-year-old Takeru Kobayashi had a jaw problem -- but persevered, and still managed to eat 63 hot dogs in spite of his injury. It was a valiant effort, but he couldn't beat Joey Chestnut, an American from San Jose, who managed to down 66 hot dogs -- and in doing so, set a new world record.

"It just feels awesome," Chestnut told Reuters.

Just to put that in perspective:

66 hot dogs with no buns = 7,260 calories of awesome
66 hot dogs with the average bun = 13,860 calories of awesome

In 12 minutes.

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I've heard that hot dogs are one of the worst foods you can consume. I'm not surprised -- they're processed and full of fat and sodium. Too bad they're so tasty.

But they don't have to be so bad for you -- have you tried vegetarian hot dogs? I know that lots of meat eaters are skeptical of veggie versions of their favourite meat dishes, but if they're healthier, why not give it a try? eDiets has this veggie recipe for a hot dog and sauerkraut -- yum!

Do you like veggie dogs?

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Deli meats causing problems in the lungs, of all places, seems like an unlikely truth. But according to recent research it does seem to be the case. When experts looked at the connection between a diet including cured meats such as deli meat, hot dogs, and bacon and the development of COPD later in life, they found what looks like a direct link: the more cured meats in a person's diet the higher the risk for COPD.

They are quick to point out, however, that this study by no means proves anything. In fact, they aren't even recommending that people stop eating cured meats, just that they consider cutting back a little.

I think we all already know that fresh is always better, and it's not just for fruits and vegetables.

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