Dietary Confessions

Road Food: City of Angels

2012-02-16T08:59:00.000-05:00

My job allows me to travel a lot. Some of it is to very cool places with great restaurants and fun things to see. Some of it isn't. But I still think that road food is interesting! To that end, you can count on some posts from the road when it applies. This weekend I hopped a jet plane and traveled to the other side of the country to promote Peanut Butter for Breakfast with the National Peanut Board. (Disclaimer: I work for the National Peanut Board, but this is my personal blog. Nothing here is meant to represent the National Peanut Board in any official capacity. I do genuinely love peanuts and think they are exceptionally nutritious! =)

Anyway, when it comes to road food, I'm in a hurry a lot. And there's also some waiting. It's often the wrong time of the day (for instance, I'm writing this and my body things it's 8:30 and I haven't had dinner yet...it's only 5:30 in LA and dinner's still an hour and a half away). My schedule isn't my own. So what's a girl to do? Here are my top priorities when I travel:

Take every opportunity to get something nutritious in me, including packing snacks.
Drink lots of fresh water.
Workout. Run if the city is a good one for that (BTW - LA is not).
Stay in my timezone (as much as possible).
Sleep.

Before boarding the plane, I hit the Starbucks to fuel up and to get a liter of water. Airplane air is SO dry. Two bev service meant I had peanuts and coffee twice, plus Bloody Mary mix (no vodka, of course...I'm working!) which is high in vitamin C, and Biscoff. I also packed snacks - a peanut butter Clif bar. Before I knew it we were on the ground. And it was only 9am in LA. TBC...

Love Yourself, Valentine

2012-02-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is one of those made-up holidays, you know. Not that I'm totally cynical and I'm not giving them back if my sweetheart gives me flowers or a gift...come on. But, it's really a good time to think about loving yourself. Yes, you should think about others and you should totally give love away, but you should also take a moment and give some love to yourself. February is American Heart Month, so do something good for you!

Here are five ideas:

Nourish your body: Eat a really healthy meal, something with lots of color and flavor and nutrients. This will give you energy for the rest of your V-Day. ;)
Be mindful about food: Visit a farmer's market or spend some quality time in the produce department of your local grocery - pick out something special for yourself, like a perfectly ripe avocado, sweet juicy pear or a beautiful ruby-red pomegranate. Or, treat yourself to a whole plate of deliciousness like the one here. Eat it slowly.
Spend time with a friend: Make a call, drop on in or schedule a date with a friend. It doesn't have to be romantic, but it does have to be with someone you love. <3
Practice self-awareness: Write yourself a love letter. Imagine what you would write to you, if you weren't you. Sounds crazy, but it's a great activity. We are often much more loving to others than we are to ourselves, so practice a little grace with yourself.
Move your body: Take a walk, go for a run, swim or jump rope. Whatever you like to do to move your muscles and feel alive...do it! Your heart will be happier when it's pumping and your feet will be happy to be useful.

Bonus - Connect with God: Give yourself permission to be still. Relax. Meditate on love, pray and give thanks for the love in your life, connect with the source of all love through Jesus Christ. Jeremiah 31:3

The Bar Scene

2012-02-08T21:04:00.001-05:00

So, in general I'm super skeptical of salad bars - oh and if you thought I meant the drinking-alcohol-kinda bars, I'm generally skeptical of them too. Buffets tend to scare me. Too much food safety knowledge in my brain about microbial contamination and the like. Plus, have you ever seen how some people behave? It's like their at their own house, fingering the food and popping samples into their mouths, getting so close they could almost lick the food. Yuck!

(Notice the bars in these pictures are not yucky...they are very clean. And colorful. And delicious.)

Plus a lot of the places that sell from salad bars or buffets are "all you can eat", which is always trouble. There's something about buffets that makes people think they have to get their money's worth and eat until they have to unbutton their pants. Oh, just me? Well, research supports that the more choices we have when eating, the more we eat (Thanksgiving, anyone?). The average buffet has dozens and dozens of choices - opportunities to really overdo it.

But it doesn't have to be. My favorite lunch happens to be from the Whole Foods salad and hot bar near my office. The options are also endless here and there are definite pitfalls - macaroni and cheese, gravy covered meats, desserts, just to name a few. But there are also dozens of really nutrient packed options. I love the kale salads, whole grain salads and beets! There are choices of salad greens to use as a base, roasted and marinated veggies, tofu and fresh fruit. They also have a fresh juice bar where they'll make me my favorite beet-apple-celery-kale-ginger-lemon beverage. Plus, you have to pay by the pound - on the plate, not on your hips. So, you have to be careful or that salad could cost you $20!

Here's my plate. Lots of color, combination of raw and cooked foods, a little sweet and a little savory...even a hint of sour. Kale salad, roasted lemon carrots, roasted asparagus, marinated mushrooms, fresh mixed berries...and jalapeno macaroni and cheese. There's always room for a little indulgence. Cost ~$8. This is my kind of bar scene.

Do you eat at salad bars or buffets? What's your secret for making it a nice, not naughty, meal?

First Time Gardener

2012-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

My husband and I bought a new house last year and this year he built me two raised beds. I'm ecstatic! Seriously, I'm so excited about these big boxes of dirt that I could literally jump up and down in them. (By the way those two big green plants in front of the raised bed are collard greens plants. Seriously, I didn't even plant those two plants. They self-seeded from one that I'd ~~ignored~~ grown in a pot until it went to flower and spread its own seed. Ha!) But really, these beds are going to yield so much yumminess for us that I can hardly stand it! Of course, I've never really gardened before, per se. I have grown herbs and greens in pots - even peppers and tomatoes in pots, but never ever have I actually planted plants in the ground and then eaten the fruit of said plants. This is the year!

I've started the seeds already. Pretty cool, huh? They're in empty salad and egg containers in my covered outdoor kitchen. I planted radishes, turnips, kale, Brussels sprouts, beets and collard greens. Of course, these are mostly fall vegetables. I know it's not fall. I've already made some mistakes. I'm hoping for a nice long cool spring. And I'm not above admitting my mistakes...and learning from them...and waiting to see what happens. Maybe beets do grow in spring in Georgia. I'll keep you in the loop as I am expecting a bumper crop!

Do you have a garden? Any tips for the newbie?

Give Your Heart Some Love

2012-02-01T08:35:00.000-05:00

Heart disease is still one of the top killers of Americans. Since February is American Heart Month, it's a great time to talk about ways to reduce your risk of heart disease. While genetics certainly plays a part in determining your risk, it's not the end of the line or the only factor...you have some control.

I suggest you consider these three major factors which are totally within your control, and which you can modify to help reduce your risk:
1. Physical Activity
2. Nutrition
3. Stress Management

First consider physical activity. When we stop moving, we rust. I don't know who told me that, but it's incredibly good advice. I've seen it in people around me, once vibrant and then something happened...they stopped moving. They began to rust. When the rust settles in, getting moving again becomes harder and harder. You don't have to become an athlete (though you can) - no need to run a marathon or climb a mountain. Walking is one of the best and most effective forms of physical activity. Choose a course consistent with your health and ability and begin. When you master that, make it harder, longer or faster. Keep at it and be consistent. Find a friend, get a dog (maybe not a 13 year old Golden Retriever, although she is good for stress management), phone a friend while you walk. Do whatever you need to get moving...to keep from rusting. You might also try swimming because it's fun, light weight lifting for strength and yoga for stretching and balance, which are wonderful additions and contribute something unique to your physical and mental health.

Nutrition is second on the list, but not because it's second to physical activity in importance. Truly they go hand in hand. Garbage in, garbage out is a good analogy for thinking about your eating habits. You would not put sugar in your car's gas tank and you shouldn't put junk in your body thinking you'll get very far. To summarize good nutrition: eat enough, but not too much; focus on a plant-based diet (lots of vegetables, some colorful fruit, chewy whole grains, dairy or a substitute, and beans, seeds, nuts and soy); eat some good fats from avocado, extra virgin olive oil, and nuts; drink a little wine and a lot of water; and enjoy good quality dark chocolate once in a while. Don't be cheap, buy yourself good quality food. Be cheap somewhere else.

Stress management is often the most overlooked area of heart health. Learn to deal with the stress in your life. Some stress will always be around. You cannot completely get rid of stress and to be honest, stress plays an important part in our lives. It keeps us safe, provides motivation and helps us feel important. But too much stress or failure to adequately process stress results in dangerous and damaging physiological changes in the body. Do what you need to do to find peace. Seek counseling with a qualified therapist or group. Let go of anger and bitterness. Meditate. Connect with God (He wants to connect with you). Notice the beauty around you (even a beautiful sunset while you sit in traffic). Take a walk. Take a vacation. Take a break. Love yourself and others. Open your hands and let go of the illusion of control. Smile. Laugh. Breathe.

You only get one life on this earth. While there's still today, give your heart some love.
XOXO

Vacation Eats

2011-09-10T17:26:00.000-04:00

Sanctuary - Our annual beach escape!

Vacation is a wonderful time to hit the reset button. Some people see it as an opportunity to splurge - eating and spending money with total abandon - and be super-lazy. Now, I wouldn't begrudge anyone a treat or two. I certainly had my share of treats on our vaca! At the same time, I would suggest using this time as a chance to recalibrate, to use the TIME you have (precious time that you may not usually have to devote to really healthy eating) to cooking, experiment with new activities and spend some time in quiet reflection. For me, that means lots of colorful vegetables, fresh vegetable juices and a new hot yoga class. Here's how I did it...

Road kill-er sauces. Definitely tried something new here.

Colorful grilled veg w/baked beans - perfect for outdoor dining!

DAB Salad - a dab of each specialty offered at George's. Potato, hummus, quinoa, Asian noodle, and roasted corn.

Meringue taller than the pudding it covers. Yum.

My love affair with beet juice continues...

Um...coconut donuts. Can't leave our beach without a stop at the Donut House. Can't resist.

Sunsets like this are perfect for contemplative reflection.

French Medicine

2011-08-24T20:02:00.000-04:00

I've been neglecting this little hobby of mine. In the last several months I've been all over the country, from Oregon to DC, Texas to Nashville and it's catching up with me. After my latest trek across the country and back, I can officially say that I hit the wall. I'd done well up to now. Maintained my workout and my weight throughout the schedule. Maybe the last straw was taking on the task of moving into a tiny guesthouse as DH and I begin the process of a huge renovation project on our fixer upper? Whatever it is, it is here.

I believe it was Hippocrates who said, "Let thy food by thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food". So for me that's what I've been doing. This week, I've been pumping my body full of kale, spinach, beets, strawberries, black beans, avocado, bananas and anything else I can find that is brightly colored and fresh. Tonight, DH is working late and I needed fast food. Um, not the junky drive through and have it passed through a window kinda food. Just food fast. Good food.

Entre, Douceur de France (Sweetness of France). They make delicious fresh soups. Dispensed in reusable, Ball canning jars. I chose vegetable, which someone told me from behind the counter (in a thick French accent, that I suspect is real) that it contains 6 different vegetables. Good enough for me, I'll take it.

As I walked up to the counter, a bright yellow, powdered-sugar dusted lemon bar beckoned me. I don't feel great, but dessert certainly can't hurt.

Comfy on my bed, feet under the quit, I enjoy my dinner. The creamy, fresh, slightly warmed soup is good. So is the tart, sweet lemon bar (but I only ate half...so far). In fact, it feels like a little French medicine to me. A good night's sleep and I'm sure to be on the mend. Plus, next week, I'm on vacation. Count on an update.

Week One or My Quest to Become the Queen of the Grill

2011-07-24T21:31:00.001-04:00

So we got moved into our much smaller quarters last weekend. We've been here a full week today! It's taking a lot of getting used to. Everything is on top of everything - in some cases literally. We have managed to squeeze 3 rooms into one, so we still have a "living room" (read: loveseat and chair), dining room (read: very small table with chairs) and bedroom (w/all of the pieces spread around the space to accommodate a slice of the available wall space. It's tight. Good thing we like each other.

Thankfully, we do have a separate bathroom. With a door. Everyone needs 5 minutes of privacy now and then.

But you're probably wondering how I'm faring with the outdoor "kitchen", right? Not too shabby, I'm happy to say! I guess you can take the foodie out of the kitchen...wait, that doesn't really work. Maybe better to say, when you love food, you can learn to work it anywhere! It helps that it's summer and there's already an abundance of delicious food that needs very minimal work to make it taste good. But I've also started working on my grill skills. I've never been much of a grill-lover, what with the plant-based diet and all, but I'm learning and loving it.

Here are a few pics of the magic from our first week Home:

Citrus Ginger Marinated Chicken Kabobs with Grilled Mushrooms, served with Curried Okra

Grilled Summer Squash & Zucchini, Grilled Chili-Spiced Corn, Blackened Shrimp and Grilled Peaches

On the Grill Peanut Butter S'mores (make like regular, wrap in foil and toss on the grill until warmed - I did this when dinner was finished and the grill was off - residual heat) - Ridiculous good.

Honey, I Shrunk the...Kitchen!

2011-06-07T21:44:00.000-04:00

Okay, maybe I'm the only one who will remember that analogy from a movie where a husband shrinks his kids. In my personal comedy/drama it's my kitchen! The hubs and I have bought this great house in a neighborhood that I love...the catch? It needs a TOTAL renovation! But the bonus of a pool house where we can crash during the demo and construction means we can live on site without dealing with the mess. Sort of. You see, it has only got an outdoor kitchen. And the term "kitchen" is used loosely here. It's really a bar with some cabinets and a fridge. There's no stove. No oven. Limited space for anything.

So...I'm looking at the better part of a year without an oven...cooking on a grill. Outside. My husband keeps calling it "indoor camping". It's funny now, but what about in 6 months?! We do have electricity, so I'm thinking strategically. Could take the crockpot and have an electric skillet, but storage is seriously limited! I'll be chronicling my adventure in cooking here, so check back frequently - the move starts soon! I'll post some pics soon. What are your "MUST HAVE" kitchen gadgets and gear? We're going to be going really lean in this kitchen. Foodie friends, let me hear from you! What would you do if your kitchen got totally shrunk and you had to have the minimum?

Happy National Nutrition Month: Eat Right With Color

2011-03-26T10:25:00.000-04:00

As the end of March approaches, I realize that I almost missed the opportunity to wish you a Happy National Nutrition Month! Annually, dietitians and nutrition professionals nationwide celebrate this month as an opportunity to promote healthy eating. This year's theme is "Eat Right With Color" and I love it!

Food is so interesting. It's one of the few things that ALL people have in common. We all eat. But it's also one of the most individual things in life. From culture to culture and place to place, foods, their preparation, and rituals around foods are unique. It's one area of life that I never learn enough about and never grow tired of exploring. The colors are another thing that makes foods wonderfully different. The varying colors actually indicate different phytochemicals (really good-for-you plant chemicals!) that are in the foods. Many of these are powerful at fighting cancer and heart disease (like sulphoraphane, resveratrol and more). Eating different colored foods actually helps you get a wider variety of nutrients.

So...your assignment for the rest of this month and on - should you choose to accept it - is to see how many different colors of foods you can eat each day! Artificial colors don't count!! If you need some ideas, here are some of my favorite foods in various color groups:

Blue/Purple: Blueberries, Eggplant, Purple/Black Plums
Red: Red Peppers, Apples, Red Grapes, Strawberries
Green: Broccoli, Rapini, Kale, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Kiwi
Yellow: Corn, Squash, Pineapple, Yellow Wax Beans
White: Mushrooms, Russet Potatoes (not fried!), Cauliflower
Orange: Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Mango

Try some new things - don't be afraid! Spend some time in the produce section of your supermarket or go to a farmer's market and browse. Choose colorful foods and you will reap the benefits now and in the future!

Get Balanced

2011-03-22T21:41:00.000-04:00

There are three words that I use all the time in my nutrition mantra - Variety, Moderation and Balance. In some ways, these may seem to overlap and I suppose they do to a degree, but they are very different in application. And that's what makes all the difference, isn't it? Application.

Variety and moderation are, to a degree, self-evident. However, we'll get to those in future posts. Today I want to focus on balance. Probably because I'm feeling a little unbalanced. With the speed of life and many changeable factors in my life, I feel like things have gotten a little out of sorts. Balance is something that I always struggle with - I want to do everything and I hate to say no. Therefore, I naturally keep a schedule that's over-committed, far too full and I'm stretched. But I'm usually happy! So for me, balance is something difficult.

Unlike variety and moderation, balance is very individualized. What I consider balance may be a little nuts to someone else. Balance is partly based on personality. For me, balance doesn't mean long periods of quiet reflection and stillness, but I still need some of that. I can't separate myself from friends and family, though I do need some alone time.

What it does mean for me, and I bet for you too, is finding a place where the tasks, commitments, responsibilities, and "to-dos" have a place beside Me time. It means carving out time to nourish myself physically (healthy, nutritious food and moderate exercise), mentally (reflection, laughter, and sometimes a good cry) and spiritually (worship, prayer, meditation and reading scripture). Nearly 1/4 of the way into 2011, it's time to have a reality check and do what is necessary to get balanced. Be healthy!

Bugs Are Good For You!

2011-03-09T21:53:00.000-05:00

If the title of this blog entry freaks you out a little, take heart! It's true!! Well, bugs is a loose term that I use to describe probiotics. Probiotics are bacteria that serve a specific and positive purpose by helping to increase the proportion of healthy bacteria colonizing the gut. Maintaining healthy "gut flora" can help improve your immune system, increase your uptake of Calcium and some other nutrients, result in better bowel habits, which all result in better health! There's a ton of great research out there and more and more coming along all the time. One great way to get more probiotics is to eat yogurt. Now, I love yogurt, but I don't love the spendy price of yogurt, so I decided to make my own! Here's how it goes...

I purchased an inexpensive "yogurt maker" (that's really just a warming tray with a cover) from the internet for about $40. The maker came with seven reusable glass jars, lids, 2 different sized covers (for small or large jars) and instructions. I then read the instructions - very important!

Ingredients: 1 liter of milk (I like Horizon Organic), 6 oz of plain yogurt (Stonyfield), a generous helping of patience

Whisk together the milk and yogurt and divide among the jars. Then, place the jars, uncovered, on the tray and cover overnight or for at least 8 hours. After 8 hours, it's good to begin checking to see how well set the yogurt is - if too loose, keep "cooking". Once the yogurt is set, it will smell slightly sour and have little bubbles across the top, cover and refrigerate until ready to eat. You can also sample it warm and it's delicious!

I made yogurt with 2% cow's milk, skim milk, and soy milk. My favorite was the 2%, but the skim was delicious too. The soy milk yogurt was acceptable, but not my favorite. The yogurt is fantastic with a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of granola, but is also yummy with fruit or a tablespoon of preserves. Best of all, the cost of the yogurt was 1/2 of what I pay at retail and there are no little cartons to go in the trash. Making homemade yogurt? It only looks scary. Try it, because bugs are good for you!

The BIG Game!

2011-02-06T15:14:00.000-05:00

It's the day of the Big Game and I know what you're thinking about...calories, right?! Wrong!! Most people aren't thinking about calories, fat, or nutrition at all. You're thinking about who's going to win the game, what you're going to wear to that party, and what yummy treats you might enjoy. I'm with you! So...here are a few tips that might keep you from the nasty nutrition hangover tomorrow:

Eat before you go. Having a little snack before you go will help stave off the temptation to gorge when you get there! Most people who skip meals just make up for it later, plus extra because they're so hungry. So have a snack - go ahead! Choose a high fiber snack with a little protein (like FF Greek Yogurt with a fresh pear).
Take a healthy treat with you! Make a dish that you know you can indulge in without feeling so bad. Try a chopped salad with fresh cucumbers, colorful bell peppers, romaine lettuce and red onions, topped with a little FF feta and brine cured olives. Yum!
Pay attention to what you drink. Beer, wine and mixed drinks are loaded with calories! Go easy on the adult bevs and be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the afternoon and evening.
Stand away from the buffet. Proximity to the food is a huge predictor of how much you will eat. Standing over the chips and dip will mean that while you're watching the game or chatting up a cutie, you'll be mindlessly eating! Use your table muscles and push away.
Get active at half time! Take the opportunity to start an impromptu football game in the yard, race around the block, or do a 1/2 time dance party...come on, it'll be fun!

Some estimates say that people will eat 1500 calories or more during the game. That's as much as some need all day! Don't lose it. Do a little planning and you can be a winner during this year's Big Game!

Leftover Makeover

2011-01-11T12:21:00.000-05:00

I am not a lover of leftovers. In fact, I don't like them very much. With few exceptions, I think everything is better the first time around. I try hard to make just enough for dinner for me and my sweetie and whoever happens to be dining with us. Leftovers tend to go bad in our house. That is unless they have a makeover!

Tonight I made curry chicken in the crock-pot to be served with brown rice and roasted veggies. It was delish, but not something that translates well to lunch at work the next day - which is one of the few ways that I will actually eat up the leftovers in our fridge. So, as we were eating the delicious chicken served over the steamed rice, the sauce providing a nice dipping sauce for the veggies, I was already scheming...

As it turns out, when I was prepping the crock-pot, I added a little too much water for the 1/2 portion of chicken that I was cooking. (Tip: if you don't like leftovers and there are only 2 of you, cut most recipes in 1/2 to get the perfect portion!) As the chicken cooked, it created a wonderful spice-filled broth.

When we finished our dinner, there was one skinless chicken thigh left in the broth. I shredded it and added it back to the pot, chopped up the leftover zucchini and roasted sweet peppers and shallots and tossed them in too. Finally, I added the remaining brown rice and added a can of drained chick-peas (high in fiber and protein and very filling)! Voila, a new meal! Leftover Makeover in an instant.

Tomorrow I'm having curry chicken and chick pea stew. =) It's not leftovers...and it'll be delicious. Hope you're inspired to makeover your leftovers too!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T09:52:00.000-05:00

The first of the year is a time for many to contemplate the coming year and to reflect on last year's successes and failures. Whether you are a resolution maker or a goal setter - or even if you typically skip the tradition- this is a great time to consider making some small changes with big payoffs! Of course, my focus is typically on nutrition. After all, what other thing do you do every day, several times a day, that has more impact on your health than eating? So, without further delay, here are my Super 6 suggestions (plus a bonus) for your nutritional goals/resolutions:

1. Eat more veggies. Vegetables are full of vitamins, fiber and water. They fill you up with little calories. Eating more of these will help you eat fewer calories and will give you the biggest "bang for your buck"! Be sure to include dark green and orange vegetables regularly.

2. Drink enough water. Hydration is an important part of good health. People often confuse hunger with thirst, eating when they really just need to drink. There are lots of formulas and suggestions for how much to drink, but if you aim for 8-10 cups or with the goal of not feeling thirsty you're on the right track.

3. Eat out no more than 2 times per week. Restaurant and fast foods are a sticky wicket! You don't know what's in the food or how it's prepared. It's hard to find out calories, fat and sodium. Make eating out a special occasion and you will reap significant benefits in the new year (saving money and calories)! Research shows that people who eat out more than twice per week are heavier.

4. Be mindful. Pay attention to what you're eating. Keep a journal electronically or on paper. There's been wonderful research that shows that people who track what they eat and drink lose significantly more weight (AND KEEP IT OFF) than people who don't. I like fitday.com as a great online tool. Recently I started using MyFitnessPal on my iPhone and I like the ease and convenience of being able to log anytime. Use whatever works for you.

5. Get moving! You don't have to be a marathoner or even join a gym, but you do need to move. Walking is the easiest, cheapest way to do this. All you need is a good pair of shoes. Start with 15 minutes of walking, twice per day and increase as you're able with the goal of moving for at least 45 minutes most days. Add some resistance activity with light weights (or heavy cans or milk jugs filled with water) to improve muscle tone and increase strength. Include some balance activity like yoga or tai chi. If you need excitement, take a class like water aerobics, tennis, joining an outdoor club or (for the really ambitious) boot camp!

6. Keep it simple! Don't try to do everything at once, since it will likely lead to discouragement. Start with small changes and build on your success instead! Make adding each of these suggestions (and then add your own) a progression over the next several weeks or couple of months.

As an added "Bonus Tip", I would suggest that you find community around good nutrition. Eating should be fun and enjoyable. If you don't know how to cook healthy, find a friend who does. Haven't ever visited the farmer's market? Make it a family field trip! Need to learn more? Hire a registered dietitian or take a cooking class. Start a cooking club that meets monthly! Hate to exercise alone? Join a fun group or plan weekly hiking or walking outings with friends! Weight Watchers and recovery programs are on to something with their emphasis on group support. You don't have to make changes alone. Everyone's more successful when they do it with friends.

Have a Healthy and Happy New Year!!

Waffle Sandwich

2010-12-26T12:30:00.001-05:00

Grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my favorite foods. Perfectly crunchy outside and gooey melty middle. The contrast of textures and flavors makes for really good eats! Recently, I was feeling particularly spontaneous and especially in touch with my inner child when I decided that waffle makers are the perfect size to make a really interesting grilled cheese sandwich. It toasts both sides of the bread at the same time, so it's twice as fast! It's also perfect for making stuffed grilled cheese, say with lettuce and tomato, bacon if you must...you don't have to worry about everything falling out when you flip it. What? You don't make your BLT like that? Well, now you've got me worried.

Seriously, I've never been a fan of the single-task kitchen gadget. My waffle maker has been redeemed as a multipurpose quasi-panini. Or just a really silly grilled cheese machine. Enjoy!

Bitesized Advice

2010-12-19T22:17:00.001-05:00

I hosted an event for a group of girlfriends at my house this weekend. It was just a simple open house brunch and an opportunity to take a break from the holiday madness to just take a break, eat and drink, and visit. One of my favorite parts of southern life has always been the "visitin" we do. Have some sweet tea (though I virtually never drink that anymore, so thick with sugar you could stand a spoon in it) or some coffee, some cookies or a slice or pound cake and shoot the breeze.

The holidays seem to be a time when people are running 90 miles an hour 24 hours a day and we needed a respite. Or at least I did and I reckoned that I wasn't alone. I actually thought for a minute that it was selfish to plan something the week before Christmas because I wanted to see as many of my precious girlfriends as possible. In fact, there were several others who clearly needed it too, thankfully, so I felt a little better. Just a moment to stop, not worry about drama during the holidays, bringing a gift, dressing up, or impressing anyone...just to come, laugh and visit.

A simple menu of brunch items made it easy for me. Eggs are a must for brunch, so I made mini-veggie frittatas with zucchini, red pepper and onions and smokey paprika deviled eggs. Little sandwiches of homemade pimento cheese on tiny slices of whole wheat bread were perfect for one hand (balancing pink champagne punch in the other hand). There's got to be bread or pastry, so I made some little millet muffins with dried cranberries and nuts and some fresh banana bread. A marinated edemame and artichoke salad provided some lovely color and flavor, while goat cheese stuffed medjool dates provided something unusual on the buffet. Cardamom and chocolate chip cowboy cookies for dessert. In addition to pink champagne punch, coffee with peppermint sticks and lemon water were served. Again (a key), it was easy for me and well received by my guests.

The one thing that every dish had in common? Size. Everything was small - bite sized, in fact. Listen up...it's party planning season and this is a great tip for hostesses everywhere...serve small portions! This helps your guests to be able to try everything without totally overeating! It will help YOU not to overeat too. In fact, one of my friends came to me during the party with a 2-3 bite cookie in her hand and say, "I love that I can always count on appropriate sized portions with you." As an RD, that made me very proud. Merry Christmas and happy party planning!

Christmas Spirit in a Cup

2010-12-11T17:12:00.000-05:00

I love coffee. There are few things that I enjoy as much a delicious, strong cup of Joe on a crisp morning watching the sun rise. I especially enjoy it at the beach, but anywhere is just fine as long as it's good.

Recently, I decided to give up caffeine. Not because I believe it's inherently bad for you, since there's a lot of research that supports coffee as a decent source of antioxidants and that it has a very positive effect on improving concentration and focus (which you know I need, if you know me personally). I gave up caffeine because I realized that I was using it as a crutch. Instead of getting adequate sleep, exercise and practicing good self-care, I was drinking 3 cups in the morning and downing 1-2 cups of black tea or Diet Coke in the afternoon. It was liquid energy instead of an occasional treat. I needed the change.

It took a good 3-4 days for the headache to stop after I quit the junk. It took even longer for me to wake up in the morning and have the level of energy I'd come to expect after my first cup of coffee was in me! But finally, I can say that when I wake up in the morning, I can enjoy a cup (or three) of decaf or skip it altogether and I don't miss the caffeine!

Today, I went to my favorite large coffee retailer, Starbucks for a rescue lunch because I'd missed a meal during a power shopping excursion (btw, my real favorite is Cool Beans Coffee in Marietta, but that's across town and I didn't have time for that today). I had been lamenting about having lost my Christmas Spirit earlier in the week and a friend recommended the Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha to help me recover it. So I ordered a tall non-fat version and grabbed a sandwich. I found a comfy chair and ate my sandwich, saving the coffee for "dessert". At 390 calories and 7 grams of fat (per starbucks.com), this was indeed my dessert for the day! Still, it was perfection in a cup...smooth, sweet, warm and exactly what I needed to lift my spirits...of course, I realized later that spring in my step was likely due to the fact that I forgot to ask for decaf. Ha!

Mystery Fruit?

2010-11-29T22:12:00.000-05:00

Being adventurous with food has wonderful rewards. I love to try new things and am always excited when I find something I've never eaten. When my little sister was littler, it was a game we would play. We would choose something new in the produce area to try and she could also have a flavored milk as a treat after our grocery trips. Vanilla milk is still my favorite "treat" from the grocery!

Recently I was browsing in the produce section of my local supermarket (am I the only one who does this?) considering what foods I wanted to eat for the week when noticed an unusual fruit. It was piled up next to the grapefruits, but was at least three times their size. This very large fruit was about the size of a human head...okay, maybe a little smaller, but not much! It was green and looked a lot like the nearby grapefruits, but much larger and the skin was smoother. Because it was irresistible, I put it in the cart as this trip's treat.

I was shocked when I checked out and the fruit was $5! Undetered, I paid for the citrus fruit and considered it R&D cost. I noticed the sticker on the fruit that said "Pomelo". When I got home, I immediately cut the fruit into pieces. Because it was so large, it provided about a dozen good sized slices. The inside flesh was a brilliant pink-red with a thick white pith. It was slightly juicy, but not too much. It looked like a grapefruit, but didn't appear to have the same kind of sections. I took a taste...it was tart, but much sweeter and milder than a grapefruit, almost like candy. It was delicious!

Later, I did a little online research and discovered that the Pomelo is believed to be the precursor to the modern grapefruit. Originating in Southeast Asia, this uncommon fruit is a member of the citrus family is high in fiber . One cup serves up less than 75 calories and nearly twice your RDA for Vitamin C. Most of all...it's yummy!

Mangia Muffins!

2010-11-19T17:23:00.000-05:00

Muffins are a wonderful way to pack some nutrition into a small, portable package. They can be sweet or savory...or something in the middle. Rachel Ray made the stuffin-muffin popular when she made savory bread stuffing and baked individual portions in muffin tins. You can do the same!

My recommendation? Pack in the punch by doctoring up your recipe! I love to make banana muffins; they're my most frequent muffin. I add value by replacing 1/4-1/2 cup of flour with ground flax meal and up to 1/2 of the oil with apple sauce. I also use Whole Wheat flour instead of the white stuff. I also like to add dried fruit and/or nuts, like raisins ad walnuts. These are a bit typical, but you can get a lot more creative! Here are some ideas to try as add-ins:

Millet - crunchy little round grain that adds lots of B vitamins
Almonds - high in fiber and Vitamin E
Dark chocolate chips - high in antioxidants and yummy!
Dried or fresh cranberries - cancer fighters
Prune puree - as good as the applesauce as an oil replacer
Pureed pumpkin - plenty of vitamin A
Shredded carrots - fiber, vitamin A and texture

Recently I made Millet Muffins with dried cranberries and they were delicious! I pumped up the nutrition with the added flax meal and both mashed banana and applesauce. I also made cupcakes (like muffins, only for dessert instead of breakfast) with a whole can of pumpkin puree...mmm...good. These delicious little tips will have your family and friends asking for "more muffins, please!"

Healthy Celebrations

2010-11-11T21:28:00.000-05:00

I love to celebrate. And celebrations always involve food, don't they? Think about your favorite family gatherings, they often involve time spent around a table or standing around in the kitchen. Or at least, they did in my family! From Memorial weekend cookouts to Christmas cookie swaps, food plays an important part in our rituals and celebrations. As we approach the holidays, I am reminded that the average person gains 8-10 pounds between the Thanksgiving and New Year's holiday. Weight that most people won't lose during their ill-fated new year's resolutions!

How do we prevent this? How do we enjoy celebrations, while maintaining our weight? First of all, that's one sensible goal. Instead of planning for significant weight LOSS, focus on maintaining - not gaining! Then, you can enjoy the holidays without fear of failure when you weigh in next time.

Here are some of my tried and true TOP 5 tips for handling all sorts of celebrations:

Don't skip meals in preparation for overeating later. You'll just be hungrier and eat more later.
Have a small healthy snack (something with a little protein) before your event. This will take the edge off, so you're not too hungry (see #1)!
Bring a dish! Take something healthy that you really enjoy, if you can. Then you can easily eat on that item and know that it's healthy and you can enjoy it as much as you like.
Watch the liquid calories! Alcohol, lemonade, and sodas can all pack on the pounds. Beverages don't fill you up like solid foods, so stick with water and calorie-free beverages. At the very least, alternate one glass of water between other beverages.
Don't stand near the buffet. Simple proximity can have a big effect on how much you eat. My grandfather used to call it "using your table muscles" by pushing away from the table.

Celebrations should be joyful occasions! We just need to do a little advance planning for success. Here's to healthy holidays...Cheers!

Food Porn

2010-11-08T18:45:00.000-05:00

I am a true believer that every food can fit into a healthy diet. That no food is taboo and we can really eat anything we want and still be healthy. That said, that does NOT mean that we should eat anything we want if our goal is the pursuit of better health. To that end, I will periodically share with you foods that fit into a category that I affectionately call food porn. (A term that I first read in the Nutrition Action Healthletter from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a sometimes radical nutrition watchdog organization. cspinet.com) This is because, while you can eat anything and be healthy...sometimes it's just better to avoid a food altogether. These foods will be things that I cannot rationalize any redeeming nutritional quality about.

Case in point...Kiddie Cereal Encrusted, Glazed Donuts.
These little obscenities were found in a wonderful little bakery and restaurant in Athens, GA. Baked up sugar and white flour, dipped in more sugary glaze and topped off with sugary cereal...sure to elicit a very-near-sugar-coma effect very quickly. Tasty yes, nutritious no. Definitely Food Porn!

Apples!

2010-11-04T18:13:00.001-04:00

Last weekend I had the great pleasure of hiking Springer Mountain, where the Appalachian Trail begins, with my hubs and some great friends. It was perfect weather - crisp and sunny! I love the fall and one of my favorite things about it is APPLES! While we didn't have a plan to visit one of the fabulous apple markets of North Georgia, we made a special stop on the way back down the mountain toward Atlanta.

R & A Orchards (http://www.randaorchards.com/) runs a clean and lovely little apple market in Ellijay, GA. The market was bustling with activity when we arrived. There were more than a dozen different varieties of apples in the bins, pre-bagged and bag-your-own. Many of the apples were types I'd never heard of like Mutsu and Yates, but there were tried and true favorites too including Granny Smith, Red Delicious, and Pink Lady. I tasted several that I can't even remember the names of, but every one was delicious! What could I do, but load up my bag? I chose a variety of those listed above, large juicy and small tart apples filled the bag.

In addition to delicious apples, R & A sells a variety of preserves, jellies, chutneys, sauces, and chow-chow. And of course, they sell apple cider and fried apple pie! I picked up a sampling of them all and we were back on the road to Atlanta. I ate 1/2 of my pie on the way home - it was yummy! Not low-fat, not healthy - can't even pretend, but it was delicious.

With my stash, I've been enjoying some fantastic and fresh apples. I've eaten a couple of the Pink Lady apples out of hand and today enjoyed a Rome Beauty with my mozzarella cheese stick as a snack. I used a combination to make fresh apple and cranberry muffins (delish!) - modifying the recipe for whole wheat flour to help bump up the nutrition.

Apples are high in fiber and provide a good dose of vitamin C, which might be why the old saying might hold a kernel of truth...An apple a day, keeps the doctor away! I plan to stay healthy this fall and winter and I'll keep apples on the menu.

Chilly Weather Calls for Chili

2010-10-29T20:11:00.000-04:00

One of my all-time favorite foods to make is chili. It's so easy and delicious and can be really healthy! It can also be really high in sodium and fat. One more reason to cook at home...you control the fat and the salt. Tonight's chili is vegetarian, but sometimes I make it with ground turkey or soy crumbles and it's delicious that way too. Here's my basic recipe for chili, but I never make it the same way twice:

1-2 cans kidney beans (more if I'm cooking for a crowd!), drained and rinsed
1 can chili beans
1 can chili-ready tomatoes
1 can low sodium diced tomatoes
1# turkey chili or the equivalent in soy crumbles (I like Morningstar)
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked hot paprika
1/8 teaspoon red pepper (more if you like it hotter)
salt and pepper to taste

If using turkey, brown the meat in a small amount of oil and then set aside to drain. Saute the onion, garlic, carrots and celery in the oil for 3-5 minutes until soft, but not browned. Add the beans and tomatoes. To this add either the cooked turkey or the soy crumbles. Next, add all of the spices. Stir until combined and then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered 20 minutes to 1 hour - the longer the better!

Sometimes I like to use multiple types of beans to make it colorful and interesting - especially if I'm making it totally vegetarian. Tonight, I used my immersion blender to blend just a little of the beans to thicken and add texture to my vegetarian chili. Serve with jalapeno cornbread or over chips, with a yummy green salad and a good dark beer! Enjoy!

Eating Atlanta

2010-10-23T18:33:00.000-04:00

"Taste of..." events are popular all over the country and they are some of my favorites. The Taste of Atlanta did not disappoint. Today was a beautiful fall day, warm for Atlanta and sunny. Event planners closed several streets in midtown Atlanta, erected dozens of booths and provided endless opportunities for overeating!

For a $30 entree fee, attendees were treated to choices of over 80 restaurants using 15 provided tickets. Most tastings cost 2 or 3 tickets, with some just 1 and additional tickets were for sale at $1 each. At half way through, I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish. I can't imagine having purchased anymore or eating anything else! Here's the rundown of my foray through significant gastronomic pleasure (not necessarily in this order):

Butternut Squash Soup with Muhammara and Yogurt with Ground Pecans by Empire State South - light and not-too-sweet
Beer Cheese Soup by 57th Fighter Group Restaurant - rich and cheesy
Wildfire Chopped Salad by Wildfire - perfectly dressed and chocked-full of corn, tortilla chips, chicken, and romaine lettuce
Zucca, Figo's Signature Butternut Squash Ravioli in Radicchio Cream Sauce - one of my favorite foods, hands down!
Porchini Mushroom Ravioli in Champagne Truffle Cream Sauce by Il Mulino - delicious and tender pasta with earthy mushrooms in rich cream sauce...mmmm...
Smoked Chicken with Brussel Kim Chi by Top Flr - spicy and smokey
Chilled Shrimp Dip with Plantain Chips & Sweet Chili Sauce by Graveyard Tavern - a perfect little bite
Organic Pumpkin Ice Cream by 5 Seasons - rich and sweet, very pumpkin-y and served from a pumpkin
Tiramisu by Figo - always a favorite, creamy and sweet
Brioche Doughnut with Caramel Sauce and Walnuts by JCT Kitchen - decadent and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Needless to say, tonight's dinner will be bread and water. Not really, but it will definitely be simple and light. It was wonderful to taste all of the delicious dishes that these eateries had to offer. However, it's definitely something that needs to remain a treat!

As I put my foodie hat aside and put on my dietitian hat, here's a little analysis to ponder...It was interesting to compare some vendors "tasting" portions to those of others. A tasting should be just a few tablespoons - enough to taste the food. It's not meant to be a full serving, but some vendors did just that! My tastings varied in size from one or two bites to a full appetizer sized portion. The calories, fat, and sodium in today's tastings were much higher than what I'd normally eat. So, what to do? Plan! I knew this morning that I was going to be indulging a bit, so I had a light breakfast. Dinner will be the same. A few important things to remember:

1. It's okay to indulge, as long as it's done mindfully and rarely.

2. A healthy diet isn't dependent on one meal (or one outing like this).

3. Watch the liquid calories. I had one beer, but more than that can quickly result in calories that are impossible to offset.

4. Tomorrow's another day! A day to make good choices that help offset today's treats.

Speaking of good choices, there was also a farmer's market display! A local farmer from an organically certified farm in Commerce, GA was selling produce including beautiful okra, purple bell peppers, heirloom tomatoes, green beans, and more. Yum...fresh produce? A great way to offset some of the richness from today. Want to learn more? Check out The Veggie Patch at Bouchard Farms. You can also visit them Tuesdays at the Farmer's Market at Emory.But if you're interested in a little indulgence too...there's one more day of Taste of Atlanta tomorrow. Enjoy!

Falling for Autumn's Harvest

2010-10-18T21:05:00.000-04:00

As the weather turns colder, it's easy to feel a little sad about the end of the summer season. No more delicious and juicy strawberries. The end of ripe summer watermelons is almost heartbreaking! But then along comes fall's incredible harvest of winter squash, hardy greens, Brussels sprouts, and apples...and I remember how much I love the fall! Cooler weather, sweaters, and football are all ushered in with the changing of the leaves and the abundant fall produce.

This week's trip to the grocery did not disappoint when I discovered the last of summer squash and zucchini next to early fall winter squash. Nearby are delicious, crisp apples just in and compact tiny Brussels sprouts that look like mini-cabbages. Who can resist the abundant selection of dark green leafy vegetables to choose from?

A bit of summer and winter work together help make a special dinner when I add chopped zucchini to onions, garlic, and red bell pepper...mix with a little soy crumbles, jack cheese, an egg, and some fresh breadcrumbs...stuff into the delicata squash and bake to 160 degrees. Serve with roasted Brussels sprouts...just trim, slicing larger sprouts in half, and toss with EVOO, salt and pepper and roast at 375 degrees until caramelized and delicious! Served alongside some jalapeno cornbread and a yummy red wine to keep away the cold. I'm ready for the fall, but not so much for winter...next topic? Soup!

Need a Nutrition Vacation From Your Vacation?!

2010-09-12T20:58:00.000-04:00

So often I hear the phrase, "I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation!" Indulging in foods that are high in fat, sugar, and alcohol, along with changes in the sleep pattern can set you up for disaster when you try to return to real life after your trip. But is that what a vacation should be like? What if a vacation really was a time for rejuvenation, refreshment, and rest and you didn't come back with regrets and fearful of the number on the scale?

I'm in the habit of taking food with me wherever I go, much to the amusement of my travel companions and friends. But, say what you will, when you travel, you eat! If you know you're going to eat, the best thing to do is to be prepared. After all, how do you know what your options will be when you hit that truck stop 100 miles between here and there? Isn't it better to have some yogurt, bottled water and some fruit in a cooler? My standard includes some raw almonds, yogurt, PBJ, fruit, bottled water and Diet Coke, granola bars and some healthier chips, but you should pack your favorite healthy snacks!

While we're at it, what about when you arrive at your destination? Eating out on vacation is expensive! And not just on the wallet, restaurant meals can overload your system with too much salt, fat, and WAY too many calories. Portions are often twice an appropriate size and may serve up a week's worth of saturated fat. In spite of huge portions, these meals often fail to provide much in the way of vitamins, minerals or fiber. It doesn't have to be this way...

When I travel, I almost always choose a location that includes a kitchen, even if it's just a galley or efficiency. This gives you the flexibility to eat out when you want to, in between healthy and nutritious meals that you prepare yourself. In addition, when you're on vacation, you have a little extra time to prepare meals, instead of rushing from here to there with carpool, work, and activities. When I travel, I often take a cooler and some dry goods with me - including staples like salt & pepper, eggs, olive oil, spray oil, salad dressing, cereal, pasta and sauce, and some fruit - and buy the rest at a local market when I arrive (like Modica Market in Seaside). This ensures that I can eat what I want, when I want...I'm not at the mercy of the local restaurants!

Recently, on a trip to the beach, I was able to do just this! Cooking for myself and my husband is always a lot of fun and it's still fun on vacation. I love food and love to pit local fresh ingredients with standards. We still went out, but we also ate most of our meals in - well, sitting by the pool, on the terrace overlooking the ocean, in a picnic at the beach or at a candle-lit table for two. Here's a sample from our menus:

Breakfast: Blueberry pancakes, Scrambled cheese eggs, Fruit & yogurt parfait with granola, Banana-nut muffins

Lunch: PBJ with fruit and chips (beach picnic), Big chopped salad with avocado, peppers, goat cheese and salsa (by the pool)

Dinner: Rotini pasta with ground turkey, peppers and onions and warm demi-baguettes, Mushroom burgers (Boca) with sweet potato fries & salad, Oven roasted chicken with rapini, mushrooms and onions

All of these fresh dishes were simple, with few ingredients and easily prepared in a tiny galley kitchen with an electric stove and oven! Next time you take a vacation, consider planning your meals to help you come back healthier and more relaxed. Be well...be healthy.

Super Vegetarian Meal

2009-11-20T21:18:00.000-05:00

I love to cook for friends. Tonight, I had the very good pleasure of cooking for my friend Kellie. While I like cooking for myself, I certainly take much more care when the meal is for someone else. Why? Really, I should make delicious, simple meals for myself regardless of anyone being around. But, like some others, I sometimes take better care of others than myself. The great thing is that she's an adventurous eater too!

At any rate, tonight, I cooked a "Super Vegetarian Meal". In 30 minutes, I made a feast! Braised kale (high in vitamin K & A), roasted red potatoes and baby carrots (more vitamin A), and stuffed Portabello mushrooms (high in potassium). All of these items were simple and easy - requiring very little prep and time. The secret here is choosing prepared veggies for one part of the meal (the roasted veggies) and simple prep for all of the others. This meal is also high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals; just look at all of the color!

Kellie brought dessert - chocolate eclairs (how'd she know?!) - and wine. Friday night dinner at it's best!

Sage Tea

2009-11-18T06:58:00.000-05:00

I love herbs. I think that they add so much to the flavor of food and most of them are also simply beautiful. So as I am able, I use them liberally in my cooking. Of course, they are also medicinal. One of my favorites is sage tea. It's a deliciously earthy treatment for general sickness (cold and flu). To make tea, add rougly 1 cup of fresh sage leaves to 3 cups of water and bring to the boil. Once the water has boiled, turn it off and cover. Allow the tea to steep for 10 minutes and remove the leaves. Drink the tea warm with honey or unsweetened if you prefer. Some sources say that sage has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. I don't have the research handy, but anectdotally, it always works for me! Be Well!

Bug Killer Soup

2009-10-13T18:43:00.000-04:00

It's cold and flu season kids! That means that nutrition is extra important. Your body needs all of the nutrition it can get to fight off the constant barrage of bacteria and viruses trying to take over! Be smart about food and do some other good things too. Here's a short list of what I recommend to keep your immune system in tip-top shape:

Eat well - lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean protein (including fish), fat-free or low-fat dairy (especially yogurt!), and good fats like olive oil
Sleep enough - 7-9 hours per night for most people
Relax - stress is a killer! Be sure you're taking time to breathe, pray, and meditate...bubble baths are optional, but I recommend them
Laugh - laughter is just good medicine and spending time with people who laugh and who make you laugh is good for your immune system (trust me on this one)

If you still get sick, here's my recipe for "Bug Killer Soup", sure to help cure what ails you:

1 lb organic chicken breast
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Dice chicken and saute in olive oil over medium low heat in a heavy bottom pan until about 1/2 cooked.

2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 white onion, diced
1/2 package of sliced mushrooms
5-7 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
dash of red pepper
salt and pepper to taste
water to cover

Add first 5 ingredients to pot and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and herbs and spices and mix thoroughly. Add water to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 25 minutes.

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 lemon

Add chopped parsley. Squeeze in 1/2 lemon and toss in the lemon too! Taste and adjust seasonings. Enjoy!

There is so much goodness in this pot! Lean protein, vitamin packed veggies, good fat, and bacteria-fighting garlic. It tastes good and is good for you. I like to make it when I'm under the weather, but there's no reason you shouldn't make it for prevention too! Happy eating, folks, and be well!

Planning to Succeed

2009-08-27T18:59:00.000-04:00

Life is often about making the right choices. We make many choices every day - some very simple and some much more complex. Choosing what to wear, where to go, if you should do this or that all require a great deal of decision making. The key to all success, however, is planning. Good nutrition is no different. In order to enjoy a healthy life, some attention must be paid to purchasing and preparing to eat healthfully.
The past week or so, I allowed myself to become so busy that I actually ran out of milk AND coffee. I might run out of a lot of things, but I assure you that coffee is not one of them. That was a significant sign to me that I need to slow down and pay attention. Another key for me is that I've been very tired. I'm usually full of energy, but the past couple of days, I've been exhausted! As I've been rushing between appointments and out the door in the morning, I failed to eat breakfast, lunch and even dinner, and I even went through a drive thru as I desperately rushed to make an appointment! Looking back, I see that I've not been sleeping enough...and I've really not been eating well. These two are enough to cause lethargy, moodiness, and (research suggests) weight gain. No wonder I feel so tired. Enough!
Tonight, I got back on the wagon. I had made an emergency trip to get coffee and while I was there (hungry, of course, because I didn't plan!) I also bought some watermelon, grapes, broccoli, carrots, and peppers. All delicious and nutritious foods that require a small amount of preparation. I'll take the time to prepare the fruits and vegetables so that it's ready to go into my lunchbox first thing in the morning. It'll be simple to pull them out of the fridge as soon as I get home for a healthy snack or for dinner. I'll even take the time to boil some eggs, because they're a great high-protein snack, part of my breakfast, or in salad for dinner. I'll set aside an appropriate amount of time for meals - building them into my schedule just like any other important appointment. I can expect to feel better, because I've got a plan. Make a plan for your own nutritional health. If you need help, a registered dietitian is a great resource; find someone today at www.eatright.org.

International Bazzaar

2009-08-17T21:33:00.001-04:00

I love to go to the farmer's market. By far my favorite farmer's market is the Dekalb International Farmer's Market. I used to work in Decatur and frequented the market at least a few times a week to buy randomness for the pantry and to try exotic foods that I'd never heard of and didn't know how to pronounce. I still love to do that, but it's on the other side of the planet now (not really, but sort of) so I rarely get there. Recently - not really recently, but not too long ago - I had a good excuse to go...one of my favorite eating partners was in town! And since Terri had never been there, it was the perfect excursion for us.

The market is a great big climate controlled warehouse with just about everything you can think of to eat contained inside. There is a fantastic wine and beer selection on one end of the market and rows of dried goods along the side. Right center is fresh produce from all over the world, organic and conventionally grown herbs, fruits, vegetables, and fungi that I have no idea what to do with. They have a bakery and there's a section of the market devoted to delicious freshly baked breads, muffins, and pastries. Oh, and there's a fish market inside where you can pick out your fish as it swims in a tank and they'll dress it while you wait! On the other end of the market is the meat market with all kinds of animal (and all their parts) for sale. Dairy foods include an amazing assortment of cheeses from around the world. A French-style pastry and sweet shop also provides single-size treats including beautiful fruit tarts, chocolate pies, cookies, bars, and other yummies! They sell freshly made pasta, roast their own coffee beans, and sell gourmet chocolate in bulk...this is my kind of place. This trip I bought some unusual spices, rose water, and chipotle dark chocolate covered almonds, among other things.

My favorite reason to go is to eat in the restaurant inside the market. Prepared from fresh ingredients right from the market, you can choose from a hot and cold bar of deliciousness. Now, I don't usually eat or promote eating from salad bars...but this is different. It's worth the risk. Must haves for me always include Indian samosas, whatever greens have been prepared for the day, and several things that I've never heard of, washed down with a sparkling beverage or fresh squeezed juice of my choice. On this day they also had mashed rutabaga, pickled beats, and some curried veggies that were irresistible. For the true foodie...It's heavenly!

If you're in the industrial area near downtown Decatur, or if you just need a road trip, check out the Dekalb International Farmer's Market. Wherever you are, it's worth the drive!

The Tomatoes Are Here!

2009-07-12T08:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I took my usual Saturday morning trip to the Farmer's Market. I always hate to miss it and it'd been a couple of weekends. After coffee with some friends, I walked the circle once to carefully review what was available before making any purchases - making my menu in my head. To my surprise and joy, heirloom tomatoes are beginning to ripen and our wonderful farmer had a good selection on display. I picked up what I believe are Anna Russian, a little Green Zebra, Black Brandywine, (maybe) Marmande and a yellow variety that I can't quite identify. Along with the beautiful heirloom treasures, I picked up some tiny mixed variety potatoes, which included cranberry, purple, fingerling, and Yukon gold. Add to that a red pepper, lovely little eggplant, and some super fresh herbs and I was all smiles!

So what to do with all of these goodies? Make lunch, of course! I sliced up the tomatoes and added chopped basil, salt, fresh ground pepper, and really good olive oil and give it a stir...perfect tomato salad. Next, scrub the potatoes and boil until just tender, rinse and cool. Add a chopped, boiled egg, capers, onion, celery, mayo (I like Smart Balance), salt, fresh ground pepper, and a touch of Dijon mustard...potato salad! To this I added a lovely organic mixed green salad drizzled with just a little olive oil and lunch is served.

Just the variety of colors in this meal shout nutritious! Red, green, yellow...a little healthy fat and a lot of love. Who says salad is boring? Now, what to do with the eggplant and red pepper? Capanota? I still have a few tomatoes left and some mint, perhaps tabbouleh is also in my future? Yum, yum! It's peak veggie season, get out there and get yours!

Fellow Foodies

2009-06-29T22:28:00.000-04:00

Recently, I had lunch with a friend that I'm just getting to know and she recommended that we meet at Alon's, which is a wonderful bakery/prepared foods/gourmet grocery. I just love Alon's and was thrilled that she suggested it. After taking the tour around the restaurant and leaning into the glass cases to take everything in, I settled on a simple lunch. So simple, in fact, I can't remember what I had! What I can remember, besides the wonderful conversation, was dessert.

Since it is 100 degrees here in Atlanta all the time right now, a cold dessert was required eating. Alon's has fantastic gelato. Gelato is a great dessert for those worried about baring the bod at the beach...since it's made with milk and fruit, instead of cream, it is lower in fat and calories. What's more, it is higher in air, which gives it a light texture adding to its luxuriousness. I had baci, which means kisses... enough said... it was delish! Fortunately, the portions were small so a little indulgence was still manageable and just what I needed to knock off some of the summer heat.

The best part of the afternoon? Discovering that my new friend is a fellow foodie. Even the best gelato can be made better when enjoyed with a friend.

My Favorite Cookbooks

2009-06-06T08:58:00.000-04:00

I believe that you have to have the right tools to be good at anything. This includes maintaining a healthy diet. For me, one tool that I often use is cookbooks. I can create meals on the fly without any help, but my creativity is sometimes limited. I love the opportunity to be creative, but sometimes I want a sure thing. That's where a cookbook comes in...

My favorite cookbooks are those from the Moosewood Restaurant & Collective (www.moosewoodrestaurant.com). This series of cookbooks were created by a group of chefs, cooks, and foodies devoted to really good HEALTHY food! They are mostly vegetarian, but sometimes include fish. They will provide you with fantastic ideas for using common ingredients paired with uncommon ones. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, desserts...you will find everything you need to make delicious and nutritious meals within these pages! Even for the skeptic about vegetarian foods, these books are fool-proof.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes: Banana Muffins (pg. 274 in Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts), Curried Carrot and Parsnip Soup (pg. 100 in Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites), and Ecuadorian Quinoa & Vegetable Soup (pg. 75 in Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special). If you're not sure about trying these unique recipes, check the book out of the library first! Good luck with your new tools!!

Travel Light...

2009-04-07T08:34:00.001-04:00

I'm on vacation at the beach this week and I am reminded that it's often a time when folks completely forget themselves in the area of good habits. After all, we're on vacation, right? It's like that commercial...what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. But why should a vacation be an excuse to stop taking care of yourself? What if we decided that instead of a license to stop taking care, we used the time to take extra good care of ourselves?

That's what I decided to do this week. My little cottage has a galley kitchen and supplies so that I can cook and I have a full-size refrigerator stocked with goodies. For anything that I've forgotten, there's a grocery store a few miles away and a little gourmet market between here and there. The ride will be a bonus, since the exercise is also on the list!

So far, I've done well. Yesterday's breakfast was 1/2 grapefruit, poached egg and toast with deliciously strong coffee. Lunch was a big green salad with black beans and fresh fruit (1/2 apple and 1/2 orange). Dinner last night was roasted veggies, penne with marinara, and a green salad. Today's breakfast was a 2-egg omelet with cheese and leftover roasted veggies. All super simple, healthy meals chock full of high-fiber, nutrient-dense foods. I feel great, since I'm not over-eating or over-indulging. Though I did take a bike ride down the beach for gelato yesterday! Just a half cup of the yummy treat isn't so bad and I figure I'll walk/ride off the extra calories.

An added bonus to preparing my own healthy meals during this vacation is the money savings. Meals for a few bucks instead of the minimum $10-20 that I'd be spending at the trendy tourist spots near my cottage. And...there's a yoga studio across the street and today I'm gonna check out the cost for drop-in classes. I can spend my savings on a class...what a treat! That doesn't mean that I'm not going out while I'm here; all things in moderation.

KISS

2009-03-25T06:41:00.000-04:00

Life can be so busy! That's been my experience the past couple of weeks. With a busy full-time job, professional and personal obligations, my life seems so full; sometimes too full! How do you find time to eat right?

It would be easy to fall into the trap of allowing fast food or restaurants to make eating easier. But I know that the more people eat out, the more unhealthy they tend to be. Restaurant and fast food establishments use lots of processed, high-salt, high-calorie ingredients that promote obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The more you eat out, the higher your risk for these things. So, even though I'm busy as a bee, I still take five minutes in the morning to prepare lunch and pack a healthy breakfast that I'll eat when I get to the office.

The secret? KISS - Keep it simple. Apples, bananas, grapes (that I washed when I brought them home from the market), baby carrots, and mixed greens are all quick and easy, healthy packables for lunch. PBJ or cheese sandwich on multi grain or whole wheat bread. Rice chips, almonds, trail mix, and boxed raisins are quick and easy snacks that I toss into my lunch box. For breakfast, it's a mini-bagel with peanut butter, instant oatmeal, fruit, or a handful of nuts and yogurt as I run out the door. When I get to my desk, I'll have time to eat and it'll be healthy and filling. Dinner is simple too. A big salad with tuna, egg, or beans, whole grain pasta with marinara, or some low-sodium 5 bean soup. The secret truly is KISS.

Small Plates

2009-03-09T21:46:00.000-04:00

Tonight I had dinner at Muss & Turner's, a cute little restaurant. They had all kinds of yummies on the menu from fresh seafood to gourmet salads. They also have cases of delicious prepared salads, entrees, and rich desserts! As I pondered the menu, thinking about how to make up for the chocolate birthday cake I had at the office today, I noticed something called "Small Plates".

Small plates are a great way to enjoy a delicious meal and not overdo it! Appetizers, half portions, and tastings all help reduce the calories through portion control. Restaurant portion sizes are typically two to three times what an appropriate portion size might be. By enjoying small plates, you can enjoy a special meal and save big...in calories because of the portion sizes and in money because they're typically cheaper.

I ordered an appetizer size salad and it was easily 3 cups of spinach, 3 ounces of smoked salmon, a hard boiled egg, and just enough dressing to make it tasty. This appetizer portion was more than enough for a filling dinner. And by sharing an order of pomme frites, we got to splurge a little for 1/2 the calories and cash there too! Remember, it's all about portions...next time try a small plate to control yours.

Split it!

2009-03-04T06:31:00.000-05:00

Last night I had dinner with a friend. We went to my favorite pizza place and had a little indulgence. Pizza is delicious, but obviously can be so high in calories and fat. In this case, we chose to eat calzone, which can be even worse! The beautiful crispy dough, brushed with oil and filled with full-fat cheeses. To ameliorate the damage from this high-fat meal, we split it! This is a great tactic when you're dining out. Go with a friend and share an entree. Research has shown that we eat what's in front of us, so if what's in front of us is 1/2 the food, then we will eat less. Not rocket science, but still a great tip - it's about the little things. Happy National Nutrition Month!

Eat Right! It's National Nutrition Month.

2009-03-02T20:31:00.000-05:00

March is National Nutrition Month. It's a month-long outreach and celebration by Registered Dietitians across the country to encourage people to make good nutrition choices. Food is your friend! This month, I'm going to try to encourage you with lots of simple ways to make good choices by sharing something small that I did each day (well, each day I write a post), which if done consistently, makes a big difference.

Today's small effort was to have fruit for dessert. I love to have something sweet at night. I think I've ALWAYS had a sweet-tooth. I went by the grocery store and wanted to pick up a carton of ice cream for dessert - I rarely have ice cream in the house, because if I buy it, I eat it. Instead, green grapes were on sale and they made it into the cart. These beautiful, plump sugary little jade jewels became dessert instead. Let's compare...

1 cup green grapes = 104 calories, virtually zero fat, 1.4 gm fiber
1 cup of light ice cream (average) = 251 calories, 7 gm fat, zero gm fiber

By choosing the fruit, I saved almost 150 calories and more than 5 gm of fat. Averaged across a week, this would equal more than 1,000 saved calories. So, if you eat ice cream every night, but switch to fruit instead, you could lose more than a pound a month without making any additional changes. Visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org for more tips!

What's in a Measurement?

2009-02-24T22:58:00.000-05:00

I was thinking about measurements today. As a dietitian, I measure a lot of things. When developing meal plans and recipes, I am especially careful about measurements. I think that they are exceedingly helpful in being successful in many areas of nutrition. After all, measurements help ensure that everyone reading the information understands exactly what is meant and results in consistent foods through standardized recipes.

Sometimes that just doesn't happen. Sometimes we throw in a pinch of this and a dash of that and we end up with a very different result each time. It can be good, but it can also be terrible. My training has taught me the need to be exact. But sometimes I don't want to be exact. Sometimes I want to find a little grey.

My grandmother was a great cook. I never once remember her measuring out flour for her biscuits. She never used a measuring cup for the buttermilk. Everything was done by feel. She had a scoop that she used, some sort of cup, but not a traditional measuring utensil. She'd add in a little more buttermilk or flour, until the point where the soft, sticky dough was perfect. And the biscuits were always perfect. Light and golden brown, slightly crunchy on the top and around the edges and tender inside. Steam coming out as I broke one open to add some butter. And she used a drinking glass to cut them into rounds, by the way. The same glass that I might have my milk out of alongside my biscuit.

I wish I had a glass of sweet milk with a flour dusted rim and a biscuit made by my grandmother right now. When I get to heaven, I hope that it's waiting for me with a big grandma hug. That's the best food I can think of tonight...oh, and by the way, there'll be no calorie counting in heaven! One more thing to look forward to.

Food=Fantasy

2009-02-21T08:15:00.000-05:00

Last night I had a great meal. That's a big statement for me, because I'm so picky about food. But there's not a better word to describe the fresh, complex, and inspired dishes that I enjoyed at Roy's (http://www.roysrestaurant.com/), a chain of restaurants from acclaimed chef/owner Roy Yamaguchi. I had been to Roy's in Tampa, but I think that this visit was far better. It helps to dine with someone who knows the best items to choose.

As a land-locked city, Atlanta's not privy to as much fresh seafood as I would like and it can be hard to find truly delicious fish. At the same time, we have some fantastic restaurants that do take the time and resources to fly in the freshest seafood and prepare it in such a sumptuous way that you can feel like you're at the beach. Last night's meal was the later.

The evening started with their signature Hawaiian martini, made with vodka that has been steeped with pineapple...tastes slightly sweet, light and tropical. This was accompanied by the chocolate souffle martini made with Godiva liqueurs and drizzled with chocolate. These two cocktails felt a little like bookends to a meal and created a delicious contrast to one another. Though I'm not a big "drinker", generally reserving these extra calories for wine and its health properties, the martinis were a treat!

My friend and I enjoyed a variety of Asian/Hawaiian inspired appetizers...lobster potstickers (crunchy and golden on the outside with a delicious sauce), marinated Poke (the freshest fish marinated in a soy-based marinade with scallions), oysters on the half-shell with a crunchy topping, and the freshest tuna roll that I have tasted. As an entree, we dined on butterfish, which is aptly named for its soft and melting texture. Finally, for the pièce de résistance, dinner was capped by a warm chocolate souffle with a melting center, vanilla ice cream, raspberry sauce, and fresh whipped cream. A little Kona coffee on the side and it was heavenly! I could almost hear the waves crashing outside, smell the salt, feel the breeze...

I've had the beach bug for a while and have a couple of trips that I'm looking forward to. After last night's meal, I had fantasies of being stretched out in a hammock on a Maui beach with a glass of wine after a midnight stroll...mmmmm... Food=Fantasy.

You may be thinking...how could she eat all of that?! Well, it goes back to this: One meal doesn't make or break a healthy life. It's okay to splurge once in a while, because it's about what we do consistently in life, not one meal or even one day. I know that the meal I had last night was excessive in calories...probably exceeding my daily needs. However, with that knowledge, I can make good decisions today and through the weekend that will provide nutritional balance. Unfortunately (or fortunately!), I don't live on this kind of meal regularly, so I can afford to splurge. Food should be fun. Food can be fantasy! (At least once in a while...)

Better Butter

2009-02-19T23:04:00.000-05:00

There are so many foods that appear complex, but are really very simple to make yourself. I love to make jams, jelly, sauces, salsas, pickles, and much more. They all appear difficult and fancy and people are really impressed. The truth is that it's all easy. If it wasn't easy, I wouldn't do it. I don't have time for fussiness, but I want to eat well. And I want to eat the most fresh food that I can.

I was having a correspondence with a friend tonight about butter. It's a good example. Butter is a delicious accompaniment to food - spread on toast or melted over a baked potato, butter is just yummy. Most people have no idea how butter is made. Only that it is made from milk...or actually from cream. Making butter yourself is simple. If you don't use much butter, like me, it can be a treat to just make your own. The link below will help you make your very own butter. Add a little salt and some chives to your finished product, and instantly you have a fancy compound butter!

http://www.ehow.com/how_4500318_make-butter-jar.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art

Your friends will be oh, so impressed! And it's super easy...but you know me, I have to add a disclaimer. Remember that butter is a super high calorie item, since it's 100% (essentially) fat! Just a little goes a long way. Happy butter making!

Tastes Like Summer

2009-02-16T19:26:00.000-05:00

Tonight I was tired...up too late last night and too early this morning...makes dinner a chore, which I don't usually feel! As I searched the pantry, fridge, and freezer looking for something easy, I came across a lovely surprise. In the bottom of the freezer drawer I discovered a quart bag of beautifully frozen green beans from Johnny's summer garden.

Without much thought, I tossed them into a bowl and microwaved them with salt, pepper, and a little soy bacon. I prepared a quick batch of Bulgar (rice would take too long!) and dinner was served. In minutes, the beans were bright green and tender, the fresh taste of summer captured at its peak.

A bowl of the beans and Bulgar provided a yummy, high fiber, filling, low calorie dinner (all the better to balance out my Mexican fiesta lunch)! This quick and boring dinner turned into a delicious return to the summer garden. I'm looking forward to savoring the flavors of summer, but until then, frozen produce provides a bridge between the cold winter months and the abundance that's just around the corner.

Food as Love

2009-02-14T08:56:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is yet another holiday that makes me think about food...come to think of it, there's not much that doesn't make me think of food. Chocolates, conversation hearts and various covered marshmallow shaped confections line the store shelves this time of the year and we are encouraged to indulge in the name of "love". Restaurants promote rich and sumptuous meals that always end with a 1000 calorie dessert at the end. The commercialism is a bit overwhelming!

But is it loving? I mean, if we succumb to the temptation to indulge in all of the hype and chocolate, are we using food as love? It's not that I believe we should never indulge, but I'm thinking about the bigger picture here. I realize it's a bit of a deep question in some ways, but it's an honest one. How does a box of chocolates indicate love? What could be more loving?

Healthy habits are a wonderful way to love yourself and to love others. I think that love is a verb...it's an action word. When we choose to behave in healthy ways we show self-love and in caring for ourselves, we love others too. I'm not saying that I won't have chocolate (since it's my habit to have a little every day) or give away chocolate today, but today is a good day to show myself some love with a great, healthy meal and some exercise. My heart will feel loved as it gets a workout and I'll be taking care of me. I'll be healthier and better able to love others now and in the future.

Here's wishing you a healthy Valentine's Day!

February 1...New Year's Reso-what?!

2009-02-01T16:35:00.000-05:00

Many people will have already forgotten that they made New Year's resolutions by the time that February 1 rolls around. Having proclaimed grandiose ideas about eating cardboard and drinking water, while running 15 miles per day, most people haven't the stamina to make too many changes all at once. Some people don't have the will-power. Others don't have the skills. What's your excuse? Or maybe you're doing great. If so, congratulations! If not...here are a few tips if nutrition is on your list:

Tip #1: It's okay to start over! Every day, every meal is a new opportunity to make good decisions. So you screwed up and got off track...that's okay, but don't stay there. Recognize that you're going the wrong way and turn around. Start implementing some better decisions at the next meal. The more that you practice good decision making the more you will be able to do it consistently...and consistency is our friend when it comes to creating new habits.

Tip #2: Write it down! Studies have shown that people who track their behavior are more successful. In the world of nutrition that means a food log, diet journal, online or on paper, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that you write everything down and then you look at it. If you have to write it down, you're less likely to eat it!

Tip 3: Get accountability! People who have a partner are more likely to be successful. Who's your accountability partner? Someone that you can call and say..."I'm thinking about eating the whole cake...talk me down off the ledge!" Perhaps your call won't be that drastic, but it might be. If food is a struggle for you, you need to be friends with people who are doing well in this area. A Registered Dietitian can be a great accountability partner and can help you create a plan for managing the temptations that come along.

Finally...Tip #4: Be gentle with yourself. You're a work in progress. Food can be many things to many people. Sometimes it's comfort, sometimes its love, often times it's more than just food. If that's your issue...be gentle with yourself. Use the tips above to make slow, consistent changes and you will see new habits develop that lead to real change.

We're only one month in...don't be afraid to jump back on the wagon! I'll see you there.

New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-29T15:05:00.000-05:00

I'm a fan of the New Year's Resolution. Well, really I'm a fan of planning and goal-setting and I think that resolutions can be a caveat to that. I make resolutions every year -- sometimes they're the same resolutions. This year, my mind is on Wellness in the very broad sense (see The Winding Road to Wellness) and I'm still working out what my resolutions will be.

Annually considering the state of your life and what changes you can make to move yourself in a positive direction is a great idea. But it's not likely to be enough to get you where you want to go. Most people make resolutions in January and break them by February. By March they're just a bitter memory, causing a guilty feelings and dissatisfaction. So how do you do it? How to you make resolutions work for you?

Enter the concept of goal-setting. Setting goals (resolving to achieve something) is a great motivator, but should be done regularly. I think of it as a program of work. I have short-term goals that I want to achieve in three to six months and longer-term goals that I want to achieve in one year or more. Write your goals and plan down, in pencil, so that it's available for you to revisit often. Here's my recipe, feel free to take what you like and leave the rest:

Step 1: Decide on 3-5 goals (fewer is better). Make them SMART -- specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. For instance, I want to lose 10 pounds in three months.

Step 2: Consider what barriers you may encounter in trying to meet these goals. Determine what solutions are available to help you overcome your barriers. A barrier to the goal above might be having junk food around the house; while solutions would be 1) not buying junk food and 2) having healthy snacks like fruit available instead.

Step 3: List the steps you need to take to achieve the goals you've written. Some steps to the goal above might include 1) meeting with a Registered Dietitian and 2) making a meal plan and 3) shopping for the appropriate foods.

Step 4: Revisit the goals regularly to track your progress and make changes as needed. I recommend revisiting short-term goals monthly to stay on track. Longer-term goals should be revisited every three to six months.

I recently heard this great quote: “You are the same today that you are going to be in five years from now except for two things: the people with whom you associate and the books you read.” ~ Charles Jones. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be exactly the same in five years, or even in five months. Two of my resolutions are to 1) spend more time with people who live like I want to live, valuing the things that I value and 2) continue reading books that matter -- I already have a list of both and am confident that I can turn these into goals.

Resolutions don't have to be a disappointment... Set SMART goals instead. Good luck and Happy New Year!

Seasons Eating!

2008-12-14T21:14:00.000-05:00

Recently I had dinner with friends at a restaurant called Seasons 52 (http://www.seasons52.com/). It's an interesting concept focusing on fresh, seasonal foods and a calorie controlled menu with all entrees weighing in at 475 calories or less. They have a large wine list, including dozens by the glass. It's a great concept and the restaurant was a full house on my visit.

The menu featured some yummy appetizers and our party shared the ripe plum tomato flatbread and stuffed mushrooms. They were flavorful with a lovely presentation. Entrees included a good selection of seafood, foul, and beef, along with pasta, salads, and vegetarian plates. The best part, of course, was dessert! The desserts are all served out of little shot glasses. These petite treats allow the diner to enjoy a little concentrated sweetness (alongside some warm, dark coffee of course) in a proper portion.

The secret at Seasons 52 is something you can easily do at home...portion control! Don't forget to pay attention to your portions (while you're eating out or at home), read labels (how many servings are in that bag of chips?), and have a plan. Seasons eating!

Holiday Help

2008-11-29T09:27:00.000-05:00

The holidays can be a wonderful time to celebrate with friends and family. It can also be a dangerous time for anyone watching their weight or trying to maintain a healthy diet. I'm a big believer in the fact that food is more than just fuel for the body. It plays an important part in traditions, memories, and culture. Celebrations shouldn't mean deprivation and they don't have to! The following are some stand-by recommendations that I have for those who want to enjoy the holidays with less guilt!

First, when you know you'll be attending a gathering where eating will be a central activity, offer to bring a dish. Use this as an opportunity to share a healthy dish with friends and family. You can control what's in the dish, so it can be delicious and healthy at the same time! You'll feel confident eating plenty of that dish, so you don't have to "go without" since you can still taste everything else.

Next, don't skip meals! Many people think that by skipping meals before an eating event, they also skip the calories. This doesn't usually happen, however because it leads to overeating. Having regular small meals or snacks help control hunger and will give you more willpower to do the next thing...

Wait 10 minutes before going back for seconds! It takes some time for your stomach to signal to your brain that it is full. Have a sensible meal and don't go back for seconds right away. If there are many dishes to choose from, it's okay to have a taste of everything, but remember that a taste is just a couple of tablespoons.

Focus on the fruits and vegetables. Make your plate a colorful example of the delicious offerings available. Crudites, salads, and fruit are a great way to fill up and get plenty of vitamins and fiber in your meal. Watch out for casseroles (full of cheese, butter, and calories!), sauces, and dressings, which will tip the scale in the wrong direction.

Finally, go for a walk or play some tag football with the kids! A walk is a great way to reconnect with relatives and friends, since it gives you time to talk and catch up. Don't fall asleep on the couch after that meal, get moving instead. You will likely eat more calories than usual, so it's a good time to get in some extra physical activity too!

Estimates are that some people will gain more than 5 pounds in the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Most of those people won't lose that weight during the following year. To make the most of your holidays remember that the memories, traditions, and celebrations are more than the food -- focus on the things that matter most: faith, family, and friends.

The Winding Road of Wellness

2008-11-17T19:54:00.000-05:00

As a dietitian, I spend a lot of time thinking about, talking about, and working with food. Part of my goals include helping optimize resources to facilitate wellness through nutrition -- translated in English, helping people use their money, time, and talents to make better nutrition choices that help them be healthier. This is a good goal, but it's not enough to achieve true wellness.

What is wellness anyway?
The American Heritage Dictionary defines wellness as “The condition of good physical and mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet, exercise, and habits.” I think that this is a useful definition, but it seems a little incomplete to me. In another definition, the McKinley Health Center at University of Ill at Urbana-Champaign defines wellness as “a state of optimal well-being that is oriented toward maximizing an individual’s potential. This is a life-long process of moving towards enhancing your physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental well-being.” To me, this is one of the most comprehensive definitions of wellness that I’ve seen. I put an emphasis on life-long because wellness is about each of us, at every stage, of life making an effort to make choices that lead to healthier lives.

This comprehensive look at wellness in these six areas, I believe, can help a person achieve a greater level of wellness. I've often seen images of the wellness wheel, which includes some of these very concepts. In an activity, you mark along the spokes (each of which represents an area of wellness) of the wellness wheel where you think you are on the continuum in each area. Next, you connect the dots creating an often misshapen wheel, which I imagine (mine anyway) would weave back and forth across the road...my own winding road of wellness.

So how to do that? Start small...perhaps make a short note of how you're doing in each of these areas. What things could you do differently? How can you get the skills or knowledge (ex. take a class, make a friend who knows how, find a mentor, PRAY) needed to do better in a particular area of weakness? Then, make a plan and be proactive...move down the winding road in the direction of wellness.

Windy and Wonderful!

2008-10-26T20:41:00.001-04:00

Farmerie 58

I was recently in Chicago for a conference and what beautiful food I discovered. There are lots of restaurants in this city...at least as many as in Atlanta. I was delighted to walk around and explore the city and as I was looking for unique dining tonight, I stumbled upon Farmerie 58. This great little place is a recently transformed pan-Asian-sushi restaurant.

In a city with so many restaurants that the only possibility for survival is to truly stand out, the owners took chance and decided to go all in. The resulting concept is fantastic and capitalizes on one of the hottest concepts in the food industry right now...sustainability. The restaurant features a menu of wonderful fare including the freshest produce they can get from nearby farms. While Chicago is hardly farm country, it's surrounded by lush farming communities and has access to fresh seasonal produce, which is artfully used on the menu in dishes like the butternut squash volute, roasted sweet potato with parsnip risotto, creme fraiche, and grilled figs, and smoked trout with crab-apple salad, Swiss chard, and tomato jam. The wine list is coming along, but there weren't really any wows in that area.

The ambiance is comfortable and a cross between Asian and contemporary American bistro. There's an upstairs dining room and raw bar, plus a private bar area that's got real potential. Finally, the dessert menu is truly unique, again featuring local delights. What first caught my eye was the chocolate tart with chocolate-pepper creme fraiche, but even more intriguing was the cherry pain perdu made with Wisconsin Door County Cherries...yum! When you're in Chicago, skip the deep dish, but don't miss this delicious treat.

Gelatorific!

2008-10-14T17:55:00.000-04:00

Nothing is better on a hot day than a cold frozen treat. Lemonade, icees, and ice cream all make yummy additions to any early autumn heat spell! It was unusually hot on Sunday. I had the chance to have another of my favorite frozen confections when I stumbled upon a gelato shop while enjoying an outdoor concert at Smyrna Market Village. If you've never had gelato, let me share with you the virtues and delights that await!

Gelato is a traditionally Italian dessert that is made much like ice cream, but is often lower in fat and calories*. It's lower in fat because it's typically made from milk with less butter fat. Gelato is also sometimes made with fresh fruit and fruit juice added in too, which reduces the ratio of fat. Some flavors include nuts and candies too. Compared to ice cream, gelato has less air incorporated during its process, making for a creamier, richer flavor and denser texture that is noticeably different than ice cream. It melts quicker and has a velvety texture.

Once I had gelato in a tiny gelateria in Rome, Italy; it was the BEST gelato I've ever eaten. Maybe it was the gelato or maybe it was the fact that it was tucked way back on an off-the-beaten-path street where no one spoke English and everyone was beautifully Italian... The gelato shop that I visited this weekend was not this kind of shop. But it was run by several really nice folks and they make some good gelato. It was called Italio's Gelato & Cafe (go figure!). I had chunky monkey -- real bananas, pecans, and chocolate pieces mixed into rich vanilla gelato. It was delicious, not Italy, but delish just the same!

*Caution: Gelato with lots of add-ins may have more calories than straight up traditional American ice cream! Eat (in moderation) at your own risk!

Dangerous Food!

2008-10-04T14:40:00.000-04:00

I was out by the pool today relaxing and keeping my foot elevated after a little accident that's forced me to relax (one of those God doing for me what I can't do for myself things, I think) and I was watching Cassie, the dog. Cassie is a good dog. She's sweet and obedient. She doesn't ask for a lot and is very patient with people -- not at all like me. But Cassie hates bugs. She especially hates bees and wasps. She chases them around the yard and if she catches them, she tortures them by biting and spitting them out over and over, eventually eating most of the bug. She gets stung on the nose and doesn't even care; she just sneezes and snorts and rubs her nose in the grass. As soon as another buzzes by she's back to the chase. It occurred to me today that this is very dangerous food.

Likewise, there's some very dangerous people food out there too! Not just bugs and poisonous fish, but some downright dangerously handled food. Last night I was out camera shopping with my Mom and we needed a bite to eat, but didn't have much time. I don't usually do fast food, but sometimes it serves its purpose. We stopped into one of those Asian takeout fast-food boxes and I thought I'd have some rice and a veggie Spring roll. As we stood watching the employees and checking out the offerings, I noticed the health score posted...and 85! An 85 is NOT a good score. I told my Mom and suggested that we find another place to eat, but she said how do you know that they didn't lose points for small things. Good point!

So I leaned over to get a better look -- points off for not having the right form posted, no big deal. More points off for improper sampling food and drink in the kitchen -- not good. More for improperly handling utensils -- very bad and can lead to contamination and just plain dirtiness. But the kicker...the reason we DID walk out...improper hand washing! This is a very big deal! Improper hand washing can be a huge deal in cross-contamination and the transferring of illness from food service employees to customers. Illness including E. coli infection, Hepatitis A, typhoid, norovirus (most common on cruise ships), and more can be transmitted this way. The biggest problem comes when a food service worker fails to wash their hands after going to the toilet. No one wants to think about it, but please do!

Check those health scores before you eat out...they're there for your protection. I wouldn't eat anywhere that has a score less than 90 (preferably 94 or better). And I wouldn't eat anywhere that serves things like sushi or undercooked meats with a score of less than 100, since these foods are most dangerous. Eat healthy -- eat safe!

Want S'more?

2008-09-30T06:17:00.001-04:00

This is the perfect time of the year to go camping, so that's what I did this past weekend. The weather was perfect with 80 degree days and 55 degree nights. Comfortable temperatures and few bugs make camping one of my favorite activities. I visited the Ocoee National Forest in Tennessee. The leaves were still mostly green, but there were hints of yellow, orange, and red beginning to show through. The season changes are beautiful in the Southeast.

Some people might think that camping and outdoor recreation create challenges for healthy eating...not so! Whole fruit is easy to travel with and needs no refrigeration, nor does water, whole wheat crackers, whole grain bread, peanut butter, nuts, and dried fruit. Coolers packed with ice and freezer packs allowed me to bring prepared broccoli salad, tuna salad, sliced tomatoes for sandwiches, pineapple cream cheese (for bagels!) and rice milk.

By far, one of the best things about camping is S'mores...yum! The warm goodness of the melting chocolate against the smooshed toasted, oozing marshmallow pressed between crunchy graham crackers is delicious. I don't know how many calories are in S'mores and I don't care. They are one of those foods that's a really special treat, only eating in the woods with friends as you play charades and share childhood nicknames. But IF you're worried about those calories, remember that you'll spend one day hiking and gathering and chopping firewood and the other day paddling through level 1-4 rapids in a river...sure to burn off all those excess calories! Life is all about balance.

Chicken Soup for My Soul

2008-09-16T20:57:00.000-04:00

There are lots of old wives tales about chicken soup and its medicinal properties. I happen to be a firm believer in the healing powers of chicken soup. Maybe that's why I made it tonight...I'm in need of a little healing.

As I've said before, food's not just about fueling the body; it is about an experience. Food uses all of your senses. You smell the aroma of onions, garlic, and thyme mixing in the air as the broth bubbles. You hear the soft sound of the simmering water. You feel the warm steam before you ever feel the heat of the soup. You see the lovely veggies swimming in the golden liquid; tiny herb leaves and bits of pepper floating. Then finally, you taste the brothy soup; the herbs and garlic perfectly balanced with peppery chicken.

My soup is simple. I cube a chicken breast (I use organic chicken) and toss it into water. To that, I add 1/2 an onion 2-4 garlic cloves, 1-2 cubed carrots, 1 sliced rib of celery, thyme, salt & pepper. Tonight, I also added some broken up spaghetti. It's a perfect mixture and so delicious!

Soups can be a wonderfully healthy addition to every diet. They're a great way to sneak more veggies in too! Studies have shown that people who eat soups before a meal consume less calories. This is because the soup helps you feel fuller. It's full of liquid, which can help fill you up with fewer calories. The catch is to choose and enjoy healthier soups, avoiding high fat ingredients like cream, butter, and oils.

Chicken soup specifically can be a curative soup (along with plenty of rest and fluids). The reasons are many. First of all, it provides fluids, which you need lots of when you're sick. It also provides good protein, important to healing. Next, depending on the veggies, it can be a good source of vitamins that contribute to good health. Finally, ingredients like garlic and herbs can have antibacterial properties to ward of germs!

So, next time you get a cold, enjoy a steaming cup of soup. And even if the healing you need is of the emotional or spiritual kind, a good cup of soup sure will make you feel warm inside!

Surprise Pickins!

2008-09-06T19:56:00.000-04:00

Today turned out to be a wonderful day of pickin' and eatin'. I didn't expect to be picking anything today, but was invited yesterday to join my friend Ann at her parents house to help pick from their delicious garden. Later, my friend Johnny called to invite me to an adventure at the home of his friends the Goodmans.

Ann's parents keep a small patch near their house that includes (at the moment) primarily okra and tomatoes. We wound our way through the wire fence and through the tall plants, pruning shears in hand. Around the back of the house, they have a wonderful herb garden including basil, beautiful rosemary, thyme, and oregano. The herbs are full and bountiful since they're growing in full sun. It made me long for a garden of my own!

Farther to the rear of their property, they have twisting vines of muscudines and scuppernogs, trained to grow along twine. We ducked in, under, and around the vines to pluck off the firm fruit. The birds fluttered about as we picked our shares and we saw Goldfinch, Titmouse, Cardinals, and some other types which I couldn't identify. They didn't seem to mind sharing, but we were finally chased away from the vines by hornets!

After filling our bags with veggies, herbs, and fruits from the vine, we tromped down to the start of the driveway to pick apples. The little apple tree was absolutely weighed down with its fruit! The leaves are bending precariously low as the apples seemed to pop off branches every few inches. We each filled a bag and it didn't even look like we'd made a dent! As soon as we were in the house, I couldn't risk giving one a rinse and eating it straight away. It was crisp and juicy and just a little sweet. I gobbled it up in a half dozen bites!

With two bags full of treats, I set out to meet Johnny at the Goodman's, who live at Oakton (http://oaktonhouseandgardens.com/). Oakton is a marvelous old home on three acres in historic Marietta. The fabulous house is surrounded by gardens and fruit trees. There is a lovely herb garden filled with all sorts of culinary and medicinal herbs (more herb envy!). Their vegetable gardens are finishing off for the season and I saw the remnants of squash, corn, tomatoes, towering sunflowers, and all sorts of other beautiful flowers. They also have fantastic fig trees that were bursting with fruit! Will was kind enough to grant me permission to take what figs and basil I'd like and I nearly filled a whole bag!

So now, I have an abundant supply of all sorts of delicious treats. Here's the plan: roasted apples and figs with rosemary and honey, walnut pesto for spreading over fresh bread and for pasta, muscadine pie and maybe muscadine jam. My favorite pick of the day (aside from the figs, which are ALWAYS my favorite) has to be the basil. I love herbs. They're such a wonderful way to give flavor and freshness to food. Herbs add favor without salt or fat, which can make food taste great while keeping it healthy! Many herbs also provide health benefits such as improved digestion and antibacterial properties. They make things seem special and elegant by giving it just a little something more -- the French often call it je-ne-sais-quoi when they're speaking of a person, but I think it applies to food too!

Oh yeah, I was also inspired by David, the gentleman who takes care of our landscaping today. As I drove in from my excursion, I offered to get him some cold water and he said "yes, but please don't toss out my lemon slice; water needs lemon!" This inspired me to slice up some lemons and toss in some herbs (basil and mint) and create a delicious herbed lemon water. Summer may be almost over, but I'm hanging on with today's delicious produce and refreshing drink!

Why doesn't anyone deliver good vegetarian food?

2008-08-30T21:45:00.001-04:00

Friday night I was exhausted! It was such a long week and I was beat. I didn't feel like cooking. I didn't feel like going out. Delivery food is typically crap and I couldn't bring myself to ordering any of it! After wining and feeling sorry for myself for about 15 minutes, I decided that I needed to take drastic action...I headed for Harry's.

I'm so lucky that I live near Harry's Farmer's Market. This Marietta landmark is a wonderful grocery store/health food store/farmer's market. It used to be privately owned and sold out to Wholefoods not too long ago. They've kept much of the charm of the old Harry's, so it's not so bad.

Now, I don't generally recommend buffets and from time to time Harry's buffet is seriously lacking. However, it is generally pretty safe to say that you can get good vegetarian food from the buffet at Harry's. What? Your grocery store doesn't have a buffet with hot and cold bars, soup bar, and smoked and BBQ meats? Then you need a Harry's of your own! Grocery store buffets are a great place to find a variety of food, try new dishes and foods you might not ever try otherwise (like quinoa, rutabaga, or jicama). It's also cheaper than dining out...my dinner cost less than $10!

Since I was looking for yummy vegetarian food, I did the once around to determine what my options included. There was fresh spinach salad with Gorgonzola cheese, red onion, and walnuts, tabbouleh, black bean and quinoa salad, fruit salad, and cold pasta salad that you could top with your favorite toppings. On the hot bar I discovered sweet potato puree, collard greens, steamed green beans, squash casserole, and breaded tofu cutlets. The bad thing about making this trip...I was hungry when I started! (This is a good place to say that you should never go to the grocery store hungry. You should try to eat every 3-4 hours to keep yourself from getting too hungry and eating impulsively; which frequently leads to overeating.)

I loaded up my plate with some of my favorites and made sure to include plenty of colors...orange sweet potatoes, green collards and beans, and yellow squash casserole. I added one of my favorite drinks...ginger drink, but I still needed something...oh, entertainment! As I was checking out there was a collector's issue of Gourmet magazine that was all about Paris (on a budget even!); the perfect accompaniment to my yummy dinner.

I found a wonderful spot outside in the sunshine and enjoyed my yummy vegetarian dinner as I savoured the stories about Paris. I even found a couple of fabulous recipes that I can't wait to try.

When I finished dinner, I wanted one more thing...dessert! As I wandered back into the store, I discovered fresh coconut. A delicious treat that reminded me of street vendors in Venice; they sell fresh coconut off out of table-top fountains all over the city. Coconut is yummy, but should be eating in moderation, since it's high in saturated fat and calories -- just a few pieces was perfect!

I guess it's not so bad that no one delivers good vegetarian food; this meal couldn't have possibly been delivered. With my fresh coconut in hand, I wandered the store and picked up a few treats for future kitchen adventures and then called it a night; dreams of Paris all in my head!

Double Chocolate Beer!

2008-08-27T21:13:00.000-04:00

Everyone who's read my blog knows that I'm a serious chocolate lover. Tonight, I learned about a serious treat...double chocolate beer! Atlanta Brewing Company (http://www.atlantabrewing.com/) has a delicious winter beer that has a delicious undertone of chocolate. Alongside some pretzels, nuts, and popcorn, it was a delicious treat! It's not out on the market yet, according to the guy playing soda-jerk behind the counter, but I could have a taste...It was dark, almost black, with a thick, creamy head. Not the least bit bitter to my palate. The Brewery offers tours on Wednesday and Friday nights and I highly recommend a trip to check it out. It's not easy to find -- I got totally lost! But it's worth the little drive.

So what about alcohol and a healthy diet? Well, it can certainly fit. In moderation, alcohol may help reduce the risk for heart disease and stroke. Wine in particular contains resveratrol, which may have a strong positive effect on the cardiovascular system. Moderation means 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks for men -- no, you can't save them up and have them all at once! Too much alcohol adds extra calories that can equal extra pounds. It can also lead to poor liver function resulting in high triglycerides (cholesterol), liver disease, and increased risk of gastro-intestinal cancers. Not to mention the toll it takes on relationships and family. As with most things, a little is good, more is definitely not better!

Nacho Usual Nachos...

2008-08-24T19:38:00.000-04:00

Today was one of those days that didn't exactly happen like I'd planned. I had my schedule all mapped out, my to-do list written, and priorities established. But, things happen and I try to be flexible and available. My parents asked me to babysit, which they RARELY do, and since I adore spending time with my little sis, I couldn't say no. What that means is that I'm about 3 hours behind on everything that I wanted to do. It also means that some things got "cut".

Oh, well that's life. On the up side, I got to spend the whole afternoon with my favorite muchachita! When my parents returned to take over kid duty, they were starved and had chili in the refrigerator. Mom quickly created a "taco" salad with chips, greens, chili, lots of cheese, sour cream, and ranch salad dressing. It looked great, but was loaded with calories and fat! But, it looked so good it inspired me...

I love chili. It's one of my favorite meals. Chili's easy to make, versatile, perfect for feeding company and taking to pot luck, and if made well can be nutritious -- oh yeah, it can also be super cheap! So when I got home, I did a quick pantry assessment. I had nearly everything, so I started my dish. My chili always starts with a sauteed onion in a little olive oil. After a few minutes, in goes a can of diced tomatoes (Mexican style is great, but I didn't have them so plain is fine) with the liquid and a drained can of kidney beans (or black beans, garbanzo beans, chili beans, whatever). To this I added one veggie burger patty and spices -- about a Tablespoon of chili powder, teaspoon of cumin, cayenne, salt & pepper. This cooks over medium low for about 5 minutes or until it starts to boil a little. Finally, I added a handful of corn to the mix and let the whole thing simmer for 15 more minutes. In 20 minutes, I had a pot of filling, delicious chili!

Not to be outdone by my mom's taco salad, I made my own version. Really it's more like kicked-up nachos, but that's just semantics. To the plate, I added a handful of blue corn chips and topped with mixed spring greens. Next, I ladled a couple of spoons of chili (maybe 1 to 1 1/2 cups) and topped with shredded soy jack & cheddar cheese. This delicious "nacho salad" was so filling and yummy!

To compare the two dishes, Mom's salad had chili made with beef, sour cream, shredded cheese, and ranch dressing -- all foods high in fat (including the really nasty saturated kind) and calories. In contrast, mine had practically no saturated fat and was actually very low fat, since soy cheese isn't too bad (plus it's cholesterol free). It was also high in fiber due to the kidney beans and soy in the veggie burger. There wasn't any fattening dressing or sour cream and in my opinion it was plenty flavorful on its own! The difference in calories could easily be over 300 (almost a whole other meal!) and I don't feel that I sacrificed anything. To Mom's credit, the sour cream was reduced fat and they're eating more veggies these days!

There are lots of delicious soy products out there on the market waiting to be tested. Veggie burgers, soy crumbles, and even veggie hot dogs are great alternatives and can be mixed into casseroles, chili, soup, and other dishes, which can make them much more acceptable to people who typically resist soy. Soy cheeses are coming along...they still don't melt well, but they do taste good. Soy milk has come SO far -- from the nutty, earthy, gritty flavor it once had to a creamy, smooth product that even comes in chocolate and vanilla. Soy has been shown to have some heart protective benefits and may reduce the risk of some types of cancers. But the best reason to use soy is to help reduce the use of meat products, which can (and do when over-consumed as in the typical American diet) increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, cancer, and constipation (ew!).

One more good thing...dinner was ready in about 30 minutes and gone in about 10...did I mention that I was starved when I got home? Ah well, eating slowly will be saved for another blog.

Sweet Treats

2008-08-17T19:36:00.000-04:00

I am a lover of most all things sweet! I was born with a sweet-tooth, I think. I come by it honestly and can tell you that my mother has also got a terrible affinity for sweets. Blessedly, I have learned some great "tricks" to allow me to continue to include these in my diet on a regular basis...

Last night, I had a date with my favorite partner...my little sister. She's ten and an absolute light in my life. I adore her and everyone (including her) knows it! For our date night, we decided to head up to the town square and walk around, grabbing a small dinner and (the highlight!) dessert.

There are lots of restaurants to choose from on the square, but not so many that cater to the tastes of a picky ten year old. But pizza always works! We hit Marietta Pizza Company, the best pizza place in town (www.mariettapizza.com), and shared a slice. We'd had a late lunch and the slices are easily enough to share! And at $2.12, she's a cheap date.

Then it was off to the piece de resistance, ice cream! In Georgia, August is prime ice cream time and we are certainly experiencing that late summer heat. There's a fantastic little ice cream joint here in town called Sweet Treats (www.sweettreats.com) that serves ice cream and frozen yogurt with mix-ins of your choosing. Start with vanilla or chocolate and add in fruit, cookies, candy, cake, marshmallows, peanut butter, coconut, and "adult" flavors such as rum or Kahlua. They even have some spices to mix in for variety.

Best of all, they mix these goodies in using an amazing contraption that looks a lot like a miniature replica of this giant drill that I saw on educational television. The drill was used to dig through the ground to find precious metals. This tiny version goes up and down into a stainless cone with a hole at the bottom, the drill mixes the ice cream and all of the goodies together. This makes it so special for a kid! I want to operate this machine...okay, I'm a kid too.

After much discussion, my little sis ordered up banana and chocolate chip mixed into vanilla ice cream. I requested vanilla also with cheesecake and cinnamon. They were delicious! Creamy and bursting with flavor. The ice cream was melting quickly as we strolled through the park, so we had to eat quickly between laughing stories shared. We found a bench and ate our treat as we watched the other people enjoying the park...I think that nearly everyone had ice cream too.

So, how do I work this kind of thing into my diet? The secret is... (drum roll, please) portion control. I got a child's cup. The child's cup was easily 1/2 the size of the adult portion, but was more than enough to satisfy my craving for something sweet. I do this with nearly all of my sweet treats...individually wrapped dark chocolate squares instead of candy bars and cupcakes instead of cake are just two other examples. There is no reason that eating healthy should mean deprivation of the things that you love. It just means moderation...a good principal for all things in life.

Muscadines and Scuppernogs?

2008-08-12T19:37:00.000-04:00

I've had some questions about Scuppernogs and Muscadines and thought I'd take a moment to explain, especially for ya'll visitors who are not from around here...

Muscadines are a wild variety of grape. They grow all over the southeastern US on skinny little vines. They have lovely wide leaves, which look a lot like those on other types of grape vines. You can find Muscadines in the woods all over Georgia, but they can also be cultivated. Muscadines are usually purple, I think, and they're small to medium round grapes.

Scuppernogs are a large variety of Muscadines. They are usually light green in color and are very round fruits. They have lots of soft, juicy flesh and squish easily when they're ripe. They have a tart-sweet flavor and the skin is a little tougher than a table grape. You can eat the seeds, but they're a little bitter. There are lots of health benefits attributed to Scuppernogs, but I don't know of any studies...one might assume that they have similar benefits as other grapes; in fact, I think I will!

Both Muscadines and Scuppernogs are delicious made into jam and jelly. They also make yummy pie, cider, and even wine! If you find wild ones, you'll have to fight away the birds, but it'll be worth it. Just be sure to stay away from anything that's been sprayed with herbicides alongside highways and roads. Enjoy!

Roadside Treats

2008-08-10T19:36:00.000-04:00

I drove up to Toccoa, GA this weekend with a friend. It was a beautiful weekend and one filled with friends, food, and fun. I love road trips...the road stretched out before me, driving through winding mountain roads, and interesting finds along the way! Fortunately, my companion was just as willing to stop and taste the treats as I was.

As we drove toward our destination on 441 North, we saw a sign for the Jaemor Farm Market and I couldn't resist checking it out. As we drove up the gravel drive, there was a big sign announcing the Farm and apple trees growing along either side just about as far as I could see up the hill. Approaching the market building, there were very few cars and I was worried that we might be too late since it was approaching 6pm. There are a couple of barns on the property and a corn maize in the fall (note to self). Fortunately, the place was open and we had few shoppers to compete with.

As you enter the market, its charm is wonderfully reminiscent of the flea market stands that I remember visiting as a young child. Only much cleaner. The market is set up in several "departments" including a gift and pottery shop, convenience store, ice cream and fried pie shop, homemade foods, and fresh fruit and vegetable market. They even carry local double-yolk eggs, butter, hoop cheese, and freshly packed meats. I was like a kid in a candy shop!

I strolled up and down the aisles checking out the produce -- beautiful ripe tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and cucumbers, alongside small ripe figs and fat round muscadines and scuppernogs. I couldn't resist a few small ripe peaches, that smelled so sweet I was tempted to eat them right there in the aisle! They had dried fruit including pineapple slices, apples, and kiwi (which I'd never seen before!) and homemade trail mix (including unsalted for my pal, Tammy). I found a rack of fresh baked sweet breads including peach, apple, and cinnamon pecan and had to add a loaf to my stash, along with some fresh locally made butter.

Amish popcorn was another interesting treat. Not sure if it's really Amish, but it's multicolored and was fascinating anyway. I added a small bag for fun. I also tossed into my cart a bottle of Vidalia onion and summer tomato dressing that will be fabulous to lightly dress some remaining cucumbers from Johnny's garden. I almost added some local honey, but we're so blessed to have Hometown Honey in the neighborhood that I couldn't let myself "cheat".

For the road, freshly roasted peanuts were irresistible along with a bottle of Scuppernog Cider to wash them down! The trip to Jaemor Farm Market was so memorable that I couldn't resist stopping again on the way back home to pick up a couple of loaves of bread as gifts. Next time you're on 441 North in North Georgia, don't miss this Georgia treasure. Freshly grown produce, eggs, butter, meats... there's nothing better in the way of food than this.

Running On Empty?

2008-08-06T22:14:00.000-04:00

I never exercise on an empty stomach. Primarily because I was diagnosed by my MD with hypoglycemia as a teenager. I've experienced extreme shifts in my blood sugar as the result of fasting (even overnight), with poor diet and with exercise or physical exertion. This is probably part of what drove me to learn about and develop my knowledge in nutrition. With that in mind, I've been struggling to find the perfect pre-run meal...I think that I found it.

It's really hot in Georgia right now. Pushing 100 degrees each day, making exercising outdoors more than uncomfortable...it's downright dangerous. Anyone with breathing problems (ex. Asthma) or other health conditions (ex. Diabetes) should avoid outdoor exercise during days when it's too hot or the air quality is compromised. Although the temp's more comfortable, I have a hard time running in the morning. Partly because I've been staying up too late and partly because it's dark and I don't want to get hit by a car. I've been running in the afternoon instead, but it's so hot!

What I've learned so far... gazpacho is not a good pre-run meal. Nor is a veggie hot dog with salsa. Watermelon and cantaloupe are also not good for pre-run eats. Half a peanut butter and jelly is good! The combination of carbohydrates and protein provides some energy and fills my stomach just enough to be comfortable during my run. The fiber also helps slow digestion and the release of glucose into my bloodstream (blood sugar), so hypoglycemia hasn't been a problem either.

One really important thing that I learned... don't eat figs during a run in 95 degree heat. Anyone who's read my blog knows my penchant for figs...and for stealing fruit from my neighbor's trees along my route! BUT, the figs are too high in sugar and fiber and just didn't agree with me. Eating just a couple caused reflux and discomfort and interrupted my run.

For best results, it's best to eat 20-30 minutes before a run. Include something high in carbohydrates (like bread) with a little protein and fat (like peanut butter) to slow absorption and provide longer energy. Drink plenty of fluids (see my previous blog) throughout the day and during prolonged exercise. What works for me: avoid high acid foods and larger meals and/or too much fluid just before a run -- should work for you too!

@ Johnny's Garden

2008-08-03T20:41:00.000-04:00

I recently made a new friend named Johnny Walker. He told me about his garden and offered to bring me some vegetables, but I couldn't resist inviting myself to forage instead! He kindly offered to let me come and we agreed to meet there today. What a fun time! I should have warned him that I was a glutton, so that he wasn't surprised when the "thirty minute picking" turned into more than two hours. What can I say? I love veggies!

The fun started with a quick tour to get my bearings of where everything was growing. Squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, beans, and fruit trees growing alongside one side! It was like a little Eden and it's so ironic that the garden is right behind one of those huge grocery stores. Wonder how far those veggies travel to be sold in that store...and here I was picking fresh veggies, just a few miles from my house! As we walked along, I taste tested everything. Fresh green beans right off the vine are crisp and tender delicious. By the way, Johnny's a photographer and he documented all of my silliness, taking dozens of pictures of the garden and me (http://www.johnnywalkerphotography.com/). He's an excellent photographer, so you should visit his site and hire him if you need pictures taken!

The "shopping" started by climbing through the twisted vines of the squash. The beautiful bright yellow blooms peaking through the wide leaves and thick stems. Squash blossoms are delicious stuffed with soft cheese, battered, and fried up, but I forgot to pick some in all of my excitement. The picking hadn't been heavy enough, so there were lots of huge yellow crooked neck and straight neck squash. In between, I was able to find some small tender ones too and picked those for some summer squash soup (I had the best at a little restaurant in Forsyth, GA last year and have been trying to recreate it since), squash casserole, or simple steamed squash. Bees and butterflies busily worked alongside me pollinating the flowers for future squash. I also found the biggest zucchini squash that I've ever seen hiding among the vines!

Next, it was on to the cucumbers, which they'd strung the vines along string and posts so that the cucumbers hung like from a tree. Many were twisted and prickly with light green, slightly striped skin. I even found a pair of twins growing side by side like little carbon copies. The cukes ranged in size from thumb size to a foot or more, some were round and some were long and fat. I picked some large and some small ones -- gazpacho and pickles on my mind.

After a water break and some shade, okra was the next item on my "shopping list". I love okra. It's such an odd vegetable, growing upright from the stem of the plants. It has a thick tough stem and I struggled to separate them from the stem of the plant with a pair of rusty, dull scissors. Okra also has beautiful yellow-white blooms with purplish centers and stigma that stick out from the center. They're so pretty and look like hibiscus. They also have huge fuzzy leaves that shade the treasures hiding alongside the stem. Curry roasted okra or stewed okra with tomatoes is definitely on my list for this week! Some people have an idea that okra is slimy, but it's not necessarily. The thick, viscous liquid that okra excretes can be limited by cutting it with a sharp knife and cooking it in dry heat, like roasting, or frying (not as healthy, but yummy just the same).

The next "aisle" yielded two big bags of beans. Two varieties of beans hung like ornaments from the vines trained along string from one end of the garden to the other. The vines were so grown up that they created walls of green to walk between. One of the bean varieties has purplish stripes. I picked thin and thicker beans, some to steam whole and some to shell. (In fact, as I write, I'm noshing on a bowl of blanched beans now. Yum!) Beans freeze beautifully just after a quick blanch, so none will go to waste.

Finally, it was time for tomatoes...the jewels of the garden. Johnny's garden has tomato "trees", some taller than me and full of fruit! Firm yellow and red to add to my cucumber for gazpacho and ripe ones for simple tomato sandwiches with mayo. I picked a couple of big fat green ones for dredging in cornmeal and pan frying up and one smaller green one to add to some ripe for a little zing in my salad.

As we wrapped up, I remembered that there were also fruit trees I almost missed! Grabbing a couple more bags, we picked firm little pears perfect for preserving or pickling. Crisp small to medium apples were added to the booty that I'd collected, minus one sweet tart little guy that got consumed during the looting. The pears look like seckle pears and the apples like little McIntosh, but I don't know their actual varieties.

By the end of my pickin' I had about a dozen grocery bags filled with fresh produce. And hours of work ahead of me for puttin' it up! So far, I've made 10 cups of gazpacho -- cold vegetable soup (tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, garlic, celery, olive oil, vinegar, tomato juice, and whatever herbs and spices you like). It'll be perfect for the week and gets better as it melds the flavors together. I'll serve it alongside a green salad, black bean burger, and/or crusty bread for a delicious and filling meal. I've also blanched 6 cups or so of green beans (less the 2 that I just ate) that I'll separate into small batches and freeze for later. After prepping a batch of quick pickles, I'll be really ready to hit the sack! It'll be dreams of hot pepper vinegar and fresh salsa tonight... thanks again, Johnny!

U-Pick Neighbor

2008-07-27T21:02:00.000-04:00

Today was a crazy day...I just had a lot of family drama going on and thought the day was going to be a total loss, when I saw a beautiful sight. Over the fence in my parent's backyard was draped a heavy branch overflowing with apples. Big green, luscious looking apples! I thought it was too early for most varieties (although I had recently had a little crab-apple on a run) and the apples couldn't possibly be ready, but they looked ready. I walked over and reaching high, plucked an apple from the tree.

As I bit into the apple, the sweet juice almost ran down my chin. It was fantastic! And there were so many more!! I ran to my mom and said, can we pick fruit from your neighbor's yard? Now, this sounds like something that a child would say, I know. And to be honest, I felt a little like a kid asking. But my mom had told me early in the year, when I was eyeing the fruit trees in the yard, that they said she could pick anytime. She has her very own "U-Pick Neighbor".

So we loaded our pockets with plastic bags and headed over. Not only were there dozens more apples to be picked from the green apple tree (taste like Granny Smith, but I'm not sure), there was a lovely tree next to it with green and red medium sized apples. On the other side of the yard was a tree covered with tiny red apples, still with a hint of green. It was so heavy, that it looked like a weeping willow that had been decorated for Christmas!

I began filling my bag, giggling like a little kid. We brought a ladder so that I could reach the fruit on the higher branches. Then on the other side of the yard, I saw yet another tree that was completely filled with pears! The pears were a little too hard, so we had to pass and as I returned to my apples, I saw it... a huge overgrown fig tree! Anyone who's read my blog before knows my love affair with figs, so I was thrilled to be able to get more yummy figs.

At the end, I had at least 6 pounds of assorted apples and more than 5 cups of figs...after splitting 1/2 with my mom! What the heck am I going to do with all these apples? Well, I'm going to start by eating the best out of hand. Next, I'll bake up an apple crisp (better than apple pie because it doesn't have all that fat in the crust and the oatmeal topping adds fiber), then make some fresh whole wheat apple bread, maybe a batch of apple butter...ooh or homemade cinnamon applesauce! I might make some apple and carrot raisin salad, thinly slice an apple with some cheese in a tortilla, or maybe even make a waldorf salad (with reduced fat mayo, of course). If there are any left, I'll just saute them with some sugar and stick them in the freezer for later. You can read my piece on figs (Rosy Bottomed Figs) to get an idea of what I'll do with those delicious fruits.

Apples are high in soluble fiber and are a heart healthy food. They are a good source of potassium. Because they're high in water, along with fiber, they help you feel full longer. Add a little peanut butter and you've got a fantastic afternoon snack.

One important lesson I shouldn't fail to mention...remember your insect repellent! I look like I've got hives there are so many mosquito bites all over my legs. But it was worth it.

Running with Apples

2008-07-23T19:41:00.000-04:00

I decided to start running again, so I bought myself some new shoes. I stopped running because my knees hurt and I needed to gain some weight (I know, don't feel sorry for me!). Anyway, today I ran and it felt great! My knees don't hurt. I sweat like crazy because it's a hundred thousand degrees outside with 120 percent humidity. But I only ran a half hour and so it was tolerable because I knew it was short term. Afterwards I had that great "runners high" that people talk about. The blood rushing around in my body and my head light from the exertion. It's funny that I enjoy running as much as I do, since I hated it as a kid. I was always one of the last kids to finish in PE when we had to run/walk the mile. Right in front of the really overweight girl in class was always me -- this huffing, puffing, petite physical mess. Maybe my body's better now because I didn't overwork it then...probably not.

As I was running today, I realized after the fact that it was too hot to run without water. In heat like that, it's vital to have water and to drink before and after. According to the Texas Heart Institute web site, for workouts of less than 1-1/2 hours, you should drink about 2 cups of cool or cold water 1 to 2 hours before you exercise. Then, you should drink another 2 cups of cool water or a sports drink 15 minutes before you exercise. Finally, you need to drink about 5 ounces (a little more than 1/2 cup) every 10 minutes during exercise. To help rehydrate after exercise, drink about 2 more cups of cold water or a sports drink. I didn't properly prepare myself, but as often happens, God provides...

You see, as I was running my route, I knew that as I got near to the 1/2 way point there would be an apple tree. The branches of the tree hang over the sidewalk and since the tree is in full-fruit, they hang low and pedestrians have to dodge the limbs along the sidewalk.

As I ran, I thought about the sweet-tart little apples. The crunchy flesh and the juice that would help curb my growing thirst. So, as I approached the tree, I reached out and plucked one little green apple without a break in my stride. I ran between the limbs feeling the leaves slap me on the face in punishment for my thievery. I smiled and felt like a kid as I ran along eating my apple (yes, I know that it should have been washed and I don't recommend this to anyone else). The little apple was gone in just about six bites and was exactly what I needed to fight the thirst and provide a little boost! But next time, I'm going to take a water bottle.

The Rosy Bottomed Fig

2008-07-21T22:13:00.000-04:00

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE summertime? It's my favorite season. I love the heat and the summer rains. I love the long days, the feeling of vacation, and riding with my windows down and the radio blasting. Most of all, I love the fresh fruits and vegetables!!

Today I was out in the "field" working. There's a fig tree at one of the sites and I've been watching it all summer. I was excited that my travels took me there today. To my delight, I could see the hints of the Rosy bottomed fig as I drove up. My colleague and I went in to work and when we came back out, I told her that I'd meet her back at the office shortly, but had to pick some figs.

I adore fresh figs. They're so tender and sweet. If you pick and eat them right away, they taste like "green". As figs ripen, they begin to turn from bright green to rose, starting at the blossom end. The red begins to peek out and as they turn, the rosy red bleeds up in stripes from the bottom toward the stem end. You can eat them a little green, which is how I prefer them, or wait until they're almost all the way red. The green flesh is thin and turns white just inside until you reach the red center, which is filled with tiny edible seeds. They soften as they ripen and if you wait a day too long, they split in half and fall from the tree.

My friend laughed as she prepared to leave me to my excitement over the figs. She said she'd never had fresh figs, to which I replied, well "you must have one" and plucking the first ripe fig, placed it in her hand. She smiled ear to ear as she drove away with a treasure that I only hoped she'd appreciate. I grabbed a small plastic container and began to fill it with figs.

The fruit hanging low was easy to pick and I filled my container once just from the low branches. But I could see so many more just out of reach! I pulled my car up under the branches and slipped off my shoes. I emptied the container into a plastic bag and climbed on top of my car to get to the higher branches.

Standing with one foot on the hood and one foot on the windshield, I must have looked like a crazy person! It was worth it. As I threaded my arms through the tangle of branches and thick, fuzzy leaves, I filled my container again with the delicious fragrant figs. The smell of fresh leaves and sweet fruit was intoxicating as I nearly climbed up into the tree.

By the end, I had easily a quart of fresh, delicious figs. Now, what to do with figs? First of all, they're delicious just as they are, washed of course. I like to enjoy fresh figs chopped up into a salad or with vanilla yogurt and granola for breakfast. They're delicious as preserves spread on warm bread. Speaking of bread, they're actually delicious baked into bread. For an easy appetizer, stuff them with Gorgonzola cheese and bake them just until the cheese is melty and the figs are warmed through, drizzling them with golden honey just before serving...yum!

Nutritionally, figs are spectacular. Figs are mostly water and are high in fiber (more than most other fruits), which make them great for helping you feel full. They're high in potassium and even provide a little iron and calcium. They're a great way to help meet the minimum of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. And if you have a friend with a fig tree, or know of a covert location like mine, you can get them for free (and with the cost of food these days, that's a treat in itself). If all of that isn't enough...they're just delicious!

Dinner with the Coyotes

2008-07-19T18:19:00.000-04:00

One of the best things we can do is to eat in beautiful surroundings. You may find your dining room, breakfast nook, or couch in front of the TV (although I cannot imagine how THAT is possible) to be your beautiful place. My beautiful place is on my back deck. It overlooks a creek and is shaded by tall, strong trees. I share my deck with all kinds of birds, which I have diligently documented in my birdwatching book. In addition, there are other woodland creatures who share my space...

Tonight, I sat on the deck to eat my dinner: tender cheese and herb ravioli with roasted vegetables and a tomato cream sauce, green salad with ripe red tomatoes bursting with the flavor of summer, and warm fresh buttery whole grain oatmeal bread and a glass of crisp chardonnay. It was delicious and as the sun began to sink in the sky and shards of light cut through the trees, I listened to the sound of the birds. The sweet and acidic tomatoes alongside the peppery arugula were perfectly cut by the balsamic dressing and I was thinking what a wonderful way to enjoy a meal. I should take all of my meals there!

Just then, I heard dogs barking and then...the sounds of the coyotes. Their bark is so different from the dogs. I could hear them calling to each other in the long way that they do...howling, but just a warm and excited sound. Five minutes, maybe less, and they stopped. What a blessing to share my dinner time with the coyotes...mealtimes should be pleasurable not just for the food, but also for the company you share.

Saturday @ the Farmer's Market

2008-07-19T10:30:00.001-04:00

This morning, I went out to the Farmer's Market on the Square. What a glorious morning it is! The sun was coming up and shining and there weren't too many people yet. The stalls were full of amazing summer fare. Ripe and beautiful heirloom tomatoes -- pink, yellow, red, green, and orange, variegated, and some with stripes. The smell of produce permeated the air. Fresh herbs overflowed and flowers were everywhere. It was like a little piece of farm heaven had set up shop right in the middle of the street...in fact, that's just what happened! The honey guys were there with their liquid gold and the bakers all had their freshly baked sweet breads displayed on tables -- the bags steamy inside from the heat of the morning or because they were bagged hot.

I couldn't decide what I wanted and, as I often do, I meandered back and forth along the row, around and around until finally settling at the largest fruit and vegetable stand. They don't have the most closely locally grown produce, but they have the best selection. I picked a shiny red pepper because they're delicious out of hand and in so many dishes, but passed on the cucumbers, zucchini, and potatoes. I walked a few stalls down and discovered beautiful, fragrant basil, picked just before flowering. It smelled strong and I could see myself making fresh pesto or a tomato, basil salad with sweet Vidalia onions. One huge bunch should do it!

As I walked a bit further, an old, sweet southern man was s-l-o-w-l-y helping a couple of ladies select the perfect tomatoes. As I stood perusing the tomatoes, I thought anyone with that much care for tomatoes must be a kind soul. After confirming that the tomatoes were grown without any pesticides, since they have such thin skin and are prone to hanging on to whatever chemicals they're exposed to (although I'm not a crazy proponent of organics, but that's for another blog), I picked a small basket of ripe red tomatoes for a marriage with my basil.
Across the row, I spotted a small basket of okra -- yum! With visions of stewed okra and tomatoes, crispy roasted okra, and delicious fresh summer soup with okra on my mind, I settled on a basket with small tender pods.

Finally, I happened upon a second equally enthusiastic tomato salesman with shelves filled with gnarly looking heirloom varieties. The tomatoes were all shapes and sizes, in a dozen different colors. "Give me an education in tomatoes," I said smiling. His eyes sparkled as he described the tomatoes, cross-breeds with pedigrees from Italy and California. This one was robust in flavor and this one sweet. I picked out three bright examples for my salad and felt a little smarter walking away.

On the way out, I popped in to the local coffee shop where they roast their own beans. The heavy smell of roasted beans and old wood (since the building is quite old) was a welcome contrast to the fresh smells outside. I ordered a cup of strong coffee and after doctoring it with a little 1/2 and 1/2 and Splenda, stepped outside into the courtyard. With a piece of dark chocolate melting in my mouth, I sat in the partial shade and unpacked my purchases in my mind. I read the Book of Philippians, a book on true happiness and I drank the deep, rich coffee.
Oh, you might say, "whoa, dark chocolate, where did that come from?!" Well, as I was standing waiting to order the coffee, the gentleman in front of my was paying for his almond croissant and coffee with a smile. Pastry sounded delicious, but really I just wanted the sweetness and remembered that an almond croissant like that could easily fetch 600 calories or more - not what I wanted for breakfast! However, alongside the tip jar was a basket of extra dark chocolate pieces...at $0.25 each and about 75 calories, it was a bargain. So, I got my sweet chocolate fix and it fit perfectly into my day's calories. Now, I don't eat a piece of chocolate for breakfast every day and I don't recommend you do that; however, to treat yourself (and myself) is perfectly acceptable.
As for what's next, it's an heirloom tomato, basil, and Vidalia onion salad, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil alongside some warm crusty whole wheat, oatmeal bread. Delish!

Summer Lovin'

2008-07-14T07:11:00.000-04:00

I love this time of the year. The mornings are warm and with all of the rain, everything shines all clean and beautiful. This morning I went for a walk through my neighborhood, which is full of old trees. There are fruit trees that grow along my route -- plump pear-shaped figs, crab apples, and seckle pears. Nothing's ready to eat yet, but it's so yummy to think about!

I imagine making succulent roasted figs stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese or sweet fig preserves. I can see the golden sweet preserves slathered on warm fresh bread...yum! The small apples are perfect for sauteing with a little brown sugar and butter and serving hot over melting ice cream. Seckle pears would be delicious thinly sliced over a mixed green salad with toasted pecans and goat cheese toast.

Of course, some of these dishes are higher calorie foods, which inspires me to walk faster and pump my arms to burn more calories in anticipation...another month or two and the fruit will be ready. I think by then, I will have banked enough calories to afford at least some of these treats!

This is a concept that doesn't come easy to most people. We live in a society of immediate gratification. The idea of holding out and saving up isn't popular! But, when managing weight, it can be really helpful. You see, all foods can fit into a healthy diet in moderation. But the key is MODERATION. I can't eat rich, high fat foods all of the time in any portion that I desire. (If I could, I assure you that it would be bon-bons and full-fat lattes for breakfast and truffles for lunch and dinner!). What I can do is plan for those "treats" by remembering to eat sensibly at the rest of my meals, looking forward to savoring dessert, indulging in a margarita, or celebrating with birthday cake. By "banking" my calories, I get to "spend" them on whatever I want later. Now, if I could only translate that into a way to save up for those new running shoes I need...

4th of July (a.k.a. Fourth Food Fest)

2008-07-05T22:15:00.000-04:00

There were lots of festivities this weekend, pretty much all of which centered around food. While this doesn't have to be the case, it certainly tends to be. As I was out and about I saw lots of pitfalls.

First, I went to the Marietta Square for the parade. At 9:30 in the morning, the food vendors were already frying and hawking their wares. As I stood waiting for the parade to make it around the corner, there were some children playing next to me. I couldn't help but notice that they were both obese. It's sad to see young children already suffering with the challenge of overweight, but to make it worse, their mother was already feeding them junk! They were eating a ~20 ounce snow cone (frozen sugar water). I had a feeling that it was just the start of a whole day of eating quasi food totally void of any nutrition.

Later in the day, at a BBQ there were hot dogs and hamburgers (don't even get me started about the food safety issues with these being left out in the heat for hours), vectors for saturated fat and nitrites. Besides the lettuce and tomatoes for the meat, I didn't see any other fruits or veggies -- not even watermelon! There was however, plenty of dessert. Iced brownies sprinkled with m&m's and iced cupcakes as big as a softball. Wash all that down with several beers or cocktails and you'll easily be quickly consuming a couple of thousand calories in one short party.

So what do you do? A friend of mine did one of the best things -- she ate before she came. She knew that the food was going to be high calorie and not the nutritious stuff she prefers, so she ate at home and was able to choose how to spend her calories. Another great tip is to bring something to share that IS healthy -- like watermelon, low-fat pasta or bean salad, fruit salad, or veggie burgers. You will be sure to have something healthy to eat and share a healthy dish with your friends and family. Planting yourself away from the buffet is also a good tip -- don't stand over it and chat, move on and move away!

Remember to keep the liquid calories in check. Controlling alcohol consumption isn't just about safety (although that's enough of a reason!), it's also about controlling calories. Choosing water, sparkling water and diet beverages will help. If you choose to drink alcoholic beverages, consider alternating with a non-alcoholic, calorie-free beverage and/or avoid the really high calorie offenders (like margaritas and fruity or creamy drinks).

Finally, get moving! Play football, catch, frisbee, go for a walk before AND after dinner, swim, run around the yard with the kids... don't just sit there, do something! And have fun doing it. =)

Happy 4th of July and God Bless America (and you too)!

Welcome! (Start Here)

2008-07-05T16:22:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my blog!

As a Registered Dietitian, I'm always being asked interesting questions about nutrition and food. Often, I describe my experiences like I imagine a priest feeling. When I meet someone for the first time, they often start by looking at my plate, cart, or lunchbox to see what I'm eating. Next, they usually begin to confess all of their "dietary sins" to me. It always makes me laugh! I'm just like you...I like sweets, sometimes indulge in high fat foods, and have even found myself eating for reasons other than hunger (gasp!). The difference is that I have a great deal of nutrition knowledge and know the tricks to help offset that behavior and help me stay healthy, keep off extra pounds, and feel great! This site will be a place that I share my experiences with you.

If you're interested in one-on-one nutrition counseling or group presentation, I'm available! Send me an email at sherry.rd@live.com and I'll be happy to schedule your appointment.