Renewed and Energized

A colleague recently gave a speech called Diets Don't Work.  He spoke about his own struggle with food, eating junk foods indiscriminately while in college without regard to consequences, and later, as he realized that he had gained an inordinate amount of weight, endeavored to try whatever diet was popular or interesting to shed those excess pounds.  He related staying on the Atkins diet about a day and a half, and we all laughed knowingly.  He continued to tell us of his efforts, and his discovery not too much later that the secret, if there is one, is not to diet, but enjoy whatever foods you like, but in moderation.  He mentioned that he loves soda, and would drink three or four cans of it in one day, to the tune of about 800 empty calories.  He realized that such empty calories did nothing for his weight, not to mention his health, and so began a journey of acknowledgment and recognition.  With a bit of tweaking, he started diminishing his intake of sodas, or substituting water or tea.  He learned that eating whole fruit was much more satisfying than merely drinking the soda.  And thus began his journey of acquainting himself with favorite foods that he had eschewed and reintroducing sanity into his lifestyle. 

My colleague is a young man, trim and handsome.  It's hard to believe that he once carried 25 extra pounds.  But that's so easy to do in our society, with the huge portions of fried simple carbohydrates and our sedentary lifestyles.  And so, as I realized I had a like-minded friend in our midst, I introduced him to my writings on the subject.  Moreover, such affinity also reignited whatever cooling embers I may have had lately about my own diet.  Reenergized, renewed in my commitment, I have been busy chopping and cooking all kinds of salads, from a Moroccan carrot salad with raisins (one of my childhood favorites) to a simple salad of cherry tomatoes, radishes and olives.  Bliss!

All Is Not Lost

I had relaxed my own rules for some time, and last night decided to indulge in some desserts.  Mind you, I have avoided them assiduously for the past 15 years.  Yes, 15 years!  But last night, after dinner, I had some sugary desserts.  Why?  I had come to realize that keeping my resolve to stay away from flour and sugar did not need to become the next obsession.  I was not going to have "abstinence" become my new master.  So, I made a choice and indulged.

When I awoke this morning and recalled the dramatic deviation I had taken from my usual course, I realized that perhaps that was not the best course of action.  Yes, I did not need to make avoidance of flour/sugar my new master, but nor did I need to beat myself up for sidestepping it.  And whatever I indulged in last night did not represent the first time ever that I sidestepped my own rules: For some time now, I have been eating whole-grain products, chips and crackers, and items that no doubt contained some sugar, so certainly my sojourn last night did not represent a capitulation.  But, I also know that I do not want to let this become the slippery slope that it could be.  Indulging once in a blue moon is fine; leaving all your resolutions behind is not. 

After all, sticking to those resolutions has been difficult at times; and that is precisely why I feel proud of the accomplishment.

A Yummy (and Healthy) Lunch

Who says eating healthy is boring? If you think a healthful diet consists of "rabbit food," you are sadly mistaken.  Moreover, you are ripping yourself off.

I usually eat a huge salad for lunch - not just any salad, but a salad made with almost everything in the kitchen: green beans, onion, garlic, tomato, radish, apples, raisins, nuts, and dressed with sesame oil and balsamic vinegar.  Oh, yes, salt and pepper (I don't skimp on seasoning).

But today I changed things a bit. 

Pam nonstick spray

1 can green beans (drained)

3 sliced mushrooms

1/2 sliced onion

1/2 sliced fresh tomato

1 egg

Parmesan cheese

(Calories: about 280 - and I'm being generous)

After spraying a pan with nonstick spray, I sautéed the seasoned vegetables until they showed some grill marks and the mushrooms and onions were soft.  I then cracked an egg over the lot and sprinkled a generous helping of parmesan cheese, covered the pan and lowered the heat.  A few minutes later, the egg had cooked, but the yolk was still soft, and the parmesan had permeated the dish.  OMG! Bliss.

You mean, they'll never go away?!?

"They" in this case refers to fat cells.  If what Dr. Doug McGuff says is true, then we may as well fold it up.   On his website, http://www.the21convention.com/2011/03/05/doug-mcguff-t21c-2010/, he indicates that we are conditioned from the moment of concepcion to have a certain DNA (we all know that part), but the importance of that statement is that our DNA is set for life.  Sadly, I will never, ever look like Cindy Crawford, no matter how much time I spend on the stretching torture machine!  My DNA makes me 5 feet 2 inches tall.  Period.  Cindy, eat your heart out!  More to the point, insulin is what is responsible for turning carbs into fat.  But not all carbs are bad.  So-called bad carbs are those from simple sugars (the refined table sugar, the corn syrup, etc.) and refined flour, in short, refined, processed foods are the bad carbs that one should avoid.  The reason to avoid them is becuase consuming them triggers insulin production, frequently to excess, which floods the bloodstream in order to metabolize the sugar, but then it produces a low blood sugar situation, which makes you "crash."  The way out of this is to replenish your source of easily-available and easily-digested sugars (fast food, anyone?).  To make matters much worse,

Tiny Adjustments With Huge Impacts

Obesity is epidemic in this country.  Obesity is one of the great contributors to diabetes.  There are many reasons for the explosion in cases of obesity, but what is less well publicized is how tiny adjustments in one's lifestyle can have a tremendous impact on health.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="204" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

For example, an obese gentleman starting out at about 285 pounds lost 14 pounds, a mere 4.8% of his body weight, and lowered his hemoglobin A1c (which measures average blood sugar levels) from 10.1% to 7.8%, a full 22.77%!  That brought him to within striking distance of a normal blood sugar level.  Granted, he has much more weight to shed, but a tiny 14-pound weight loss on a hefty body is quite significant.

Countless studies have been done about the beneficial effects of a low-calorie diet.  Granted that a low-calorie diet may not be appealing to the majority of folks.  Nevertheless, it is instructive to note that in a recent study of diabetics, an 8-week course of a 600-calorie diet managed to reverse their disease! 

Another tiny adjustment with huge implications: Did you know that 150 calories a day amount to almost 16 pounds a year? (150 x 365/3500=15.64).  What do 150 calories represent?  A can of sugar soda; or 3 small cookies; or half glass of regular beer; or 1 pat of butter/dressing.  You get the point: It's a minute amount. 

What this means is that by "saving" 150 calories a day, either by virtue of omitting certain foods or increasing exercise, you either save yourself from gaining about 16 pounds in a year, or you lose 16 pounds in a year.  The year will pass one way or another: Your health may well improve or deteriorate based on your decisions.  And the decision to do without a mere 150 calories a day should be a simple one.

 

 

Kick Start Your Weight Loss Program!

http://yael10208.eliteweightlosspackage.com/

Celery Salad With Roast Duck and Pistachio Nuts

As a counterpoint to the diet industry's insistence that you can eat lasagna and chocolate chip cookies, and still lose weight and keep it off, I offer a fresh celery salad. 

Ingredients

Center stalks of fresh celery, sliced, including leaves

Sliced strawberries

Chunks of dark meat skinless roast duck

Sliced onion

Minced 1 clove garlic

5 or 6 olives

Dried dill weed

2 tbsp roasted pistachio nuts

Dressing

Olive oil

Lime juice

Orange juice

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Salt & pepper to taste

Mix well and pour over salad.  You will find that this fresh salad is intoxicatingly flavorful, providing a crunch from the fresh celery and the toasted pistachio nuts, and the fragrance from the fresh strawberries and lime juice in the dressing produce a sinfully delicious counterbalance to the salty olives and roast duck.