In the documentary Supersize Me, Morgan Spurlock ate exclusively at McDonald's for 30 days. He consumed an average of 5,000 calories per day, eating McDonald's meals 3 times daily. As a result, Spurlock gained nearly 25 pounds over the month and experienced health issues like elevated cholesterol and mood swings. It took Spurlock 14 months of following a vegan diet to lose the weight gained during the experiment. The documentary demonstrated that a diet consisting primarily of McDonald's food led to significant health problems due to the high calorie, fat, and salt content of the meals.

1. Investigating a Healthy
Lifestyle
By Bobby

2. Morgan Spurlock goes on a 30 day McDonald’s binge
to see what would happen to his health. He ate at
McDonalds 3 times a day from Feb. 1 to March 2, 2003.
Whenever someone asked if he wanted to Supersize
his meal he had to as part of his plan.

3. McDonald’s is bad for you because
the food is high in calories, has a
lot of fat in it and contains a lot of
salt. All processed foods like the
stuff at McDonald’s is not as good
for you as pure foods like fruit and
vegetables are.

4. Spurlock consumed an average of 5,000
kcal (the equivalent of 9.26 Big Macs)
per day during the experiment.
Spurlock gained 24½ lbs. (11.1 kg), a
13% body mass increase, a cholesterol
level of 230, and experienced mood
swings, sexual dysfunction, and fat
accumulation in his liver.

5. It took Spurlock fourteen months to
lose the weight gained from his
experiment using a vegan diet
supervised by his future wife, a chef
who specializes in gourmet vegan
dishes.

6. National Heart Lung and Blood
Institute A healthy eating plan:
emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and
milk products
Includes lean
meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and
nuts
Is low in saturated fats, trans
fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and
added sugars

7. 1) Food is your true medicine and the key to your
good health.
2)Products actually CAUSE cravings and keep you
coming back for more.
3)High salt and sugar diet make people have less
energy.

8. Swim three times a week, go on a run
two times a week and workout in the
weight room three times a week.
Stretching is very important before and
after a workout. Physical exercise is
very demanding on your body. You
need at least 8 hours of sleep every
night so your muscles are able to
rebuild + repair.

9. In the movie Supersize me, Morgan Spurlock ate
McDonald’s 3 times a day every day for one month.
Over that time he gained 24 ½ pounds and damaged
his liver by eating over 5000 calories a day.
McDonald’s has a lot of bad stuff in the food like
calories and fat. All the food at McDonald’s is not
fresh. So the big breakfast has a lot of salt in it.

10. For most Americans, the ideal meal is fast, cheap, and
tasty. Food, Inc. examines the costs of putting value and
convenience over nutrition and environmental impact.
Director Robert Kenner explores the subject from all
angles, talking to authors, advocates, farmers, and
CEOs, like co-producer Eric Schlosser (Fast Food
Nation), Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s
Dilemma), Gary Hirschberg (Stonyfield Farms), and
Barbara Kowalcyk, who’s been lobbying for more
rigorous standards since E. coli claimed the life of her
two-year-old son.

13. Healthy eating is one of the most important things you can do to improve your general health.
Nutritious, balanced meals and healthy snacks may reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke by
helping you increase your intake of heart-healthy nutrients, manage your weight, keep your blood
pressure down, control your blood sugar levels and lower your cholesterol.
A healthy eating plan may also boost your overall feeling of well-being, giving you more energy and
vitality. It may make you look better and feel good about yourself, inside and out.
How to make heart-healthy choices
With the vast array of food choices available today, it's difficult to know where to begin. You may wish to
start by aiming to include items from the four food groups: vegetables and fruit, whole-grain
products, lower-fat milk products and alternatives, and lower-fat meat and alternatives. Eating Well with
Canada’s Food Guide provides direction on the types and amount of food we should eat for overall
health. It makes it easier than ever to plan your meals and snacks around a wide variety of delicious and
heart-healthy foods.
Reading the Nutrition Facts table on food products will help you make smart choices.
When you're grocery shopping, look for the Health Check™ symbol on food packaging, the Heart and
Stroke Foundation's food information program, based on Canada's Food Guide. It’s your assurance that
the product contributes to an overall healthy diet. For more information on Health Check, go to
healthcheck.org
For exclusive, heart-healthy recipes, please go to our recipe file.
Last reviewed: April 2011

14. Physical activity can be a lifesaver – literally. Canadian
Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that you
accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate- to
vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, in
bouts of 10 minutes or more. Moderate intensity
activities include brisk walking or bike riding. Vigorous
intensity may mean jogging or cross-country skiing. To
derive the most benefit, spread your activity out over
several days of the week. By doing so, you can
dramatically lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.

15. Healthy snacking is part of a heart-healthy diet.
Healthy snacking may help you get all the nutrients you need to protect you from heart disease, stroke
and other chronic diseases. Nutritious snacks also keep you feeling energized throughout the
day, especially helping you beat mid-morning and mid-afternoon fatigue. Snacking can stave off hunger
and keep your metabolic rate up, which makes it an integral part of maintaining a healthy weight.
Snacks are meant to tide you over, not replace a meal, so it's important to keep portion sizes small.
Healthy choices
What you choose to snack on makes all the difference. As a general rule, it's best to opt for a snack that
contains foods from at least two of the four food groups (vegetables and fruit, whole grains, milk and
alternatives, meat and alternatives) in Canada's Food Guide. For example, half of a small whole-grain
bagel with lower-fat cheese, or a small handful of nuts with a piece of fresh fruit, will boost your energy
while also leaving you feeling satisfied longer.
By planning your snacks just as you would your meals, you avoid making unhealthy snack choices that
may be high in salt, fat and sugar. Snacks such as potato chips, cookies, doughnuts and candy bars may
actually sap your energy, while adding unnecessary calories. Be aware that so-called energy bars can be
high in sugar and trans fats. Read the Nutrition Facts table on any snack foods and look for sugar content
and trans fat ingredients such as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils.

16. You want visible results – say, dropping a pant size or
gaining more muscle definition. When you don’t get
them, you feel as if you’re not making any progress.
That’s why it is important to set goals.
The right goals can motivate you through the tough
times and help make you accountable – meaning more
likely to stick with your activity commitments. But let
me emphasize that you need to set the right goals. The
wrong ones won’t help you.