White Is The New Green

     If you've been avoiding white foods (bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, and cream sauces) in an effort to eat more healthfully, here's one you can munch with abandon -- cauliflower.  This cruciferous vegetable is full of fiber and a powerhouse of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, and it could help to prevent cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.   It's also loaded with Vitamins C and K, which can help keep your bones strong and healthy.  

     Eat it raw with Greek yogurt dip or roast it with olive oil, garlic, and rosemary.  Boil or steam the florets, then mash them up or put them in your food processor to make faux mashed "potatoes" (honestly, you won't know the difference).  Add it to a salad, soup, and stir fry, or eat it in place of rice or pasta.  

     White is IN!

Lying Labels

If you vowed to eat healthier this year and you're trying to decipher the mystery that is food labels, maybe you're already frustrated.  And rightfully so.  In my very humble opinion, today's labeling system is confusing, misleading, and decidedly UNuser-friendly.  So what's a savvy shopper to do?  I can't fix that problem, I'm sorry to say, but here are some things to watch for.

 1.  Sugar free means a serving contains less than .5 grams of sugar, but that serving might be more suitable for a Barbie doll.  Be sure to note the exact size before assuming you can inhale it with abandon.

2.    Gluten free is the newest buzzword, particularly for anyone suffering from celiac disease, but it doesn't necessary mean that the food in question is healthier.  In fact, removal of the gluten often results in the addition of sugar or salt, things we've been trying to avoid for years.  Beware.

3.    Low fat products may have a lower total fat content, but like gluten, when fat is removed, sugar or salt are usually substituted to make up for the lack of flavor or texture.  And again, check that portion size.

4.     Natural is one of my favorites.  Heck, sugar is natural.  Just eliminate that word in your head when you're scanning the label.

5.    Green labels are designed to get your attention and your automatic nod of approval by the color's association with a healthier, more ecologically responsible society, but don't be fooled.  The label rarely says anything different from the standard white or red label.  It's all marketing.  

So read those labels, and then read them again with caution.  Be savvy.

Don't Blame It On The Bossa Nova . . . or McDonald's

     One of the most unsettling movies I've ever seen was a documentary called "Super Size Me," made by Morgan Spurlock in 2004.  In it, Mr. Spurlock vowed to eat only from the McDonald's menu for 30 days in an effort to prove the dangers of fast food.  Prior to his endeavor, he was thoroughly examined by his physician and underwent comprehensive blood testing, all of which determined that he was of normal weight and in reasonably good health.  By the end of the 30 days, according to his doctor and the follow-up blood work, he was 25 pounds heavier and just barely clinging to life.  

     But here's the rub:  One of his stipulations was that he had to eat one of each featured item on the menu every day.  Do you have any idea how much food that is?  Secondly, if the friendly McDonald's representative behind the counter or the squawk box asked him if he wanted to super size his soda, fries, or meal, his automatic response was "Yes."  In addition, he displayed a map of one square mile of Manhattan showing how many McDonald's restaurants were clustered there and then suggested that it was virtually impossible to avoid them.  Apparently, some kind of magnetic force field simply propelled you through the door against your will and forced you to eat a Big Mac.  Finally, in the scene that finally drove me up out of my seat and after which I spent the remainder of the movie pacing and ranting and raving around my living room (to the unending delight of my husband, who was still trying to watch the movie), Mr. Spurlock was eating a meal in the front seat of his car and speaking to the cameraman sitting on the passenger side.  At one point, he said," I feel like I'm going to throw up if I eat any more of this, but I have to finish."  He then took two more bites of his sandwich, opened the driver's side door, and leaned out and threw up.  Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssseeee!  How many of us eat to that point?  Okay, how many of us eat to that point more than once in our lives?  Could there be anything more ridiculous?   Only watching a grown man do it to himself in front of God, cameras, and everyone, as far as I'm concerned. 

      Mr. Spurlock suggested that not only is fast food (particularly McDonald's) harmful, but it is practically impossible to avoid it, and once you start eating it, you are helpless to stop.  Oh, honestly.

        Apparently, I wasn't the only one who was incensed by the movie.  High school science teacher John Cisna was too, and he recently set out to disprove Morgan Spurlock's misleading results.  Making reasonable and healthy choices, he proceeded to lose 37 pounds while eating exclusively at McDonald's for 90 days, and his cholesterol dropped from 249 to 170.  In addition to making wise food choices, Mr. Cisna walked 45 minutes per day, a regimen that Mr. Spurlock reportedly also had planned, though he never followed through.  For the most part, he was sedentary during his 30-day experiment. 

        So we can continue to blame our extra weight or poor health on our mothers, our tyrannical bosses, or the food industry, but the bottom line is that the only one in control of what I put in my mouth is ME.  I can keep doing what I'm doing and make the situation worse or I can make a few changes, smarter food choices, and move a little more, and I can change it.  I have the power. 

     

Rethinking the Resolution

     Happy New Year!  So how's that resolution working out for you?  Flawless eating and hours at the gym a part of your daily life now?  Me either.  Well, here's my thought.  Take a mulligan (pardon the golf terminology) and regroup, and here are a couple of ideas for making it happen.

Keep on:

1.  Eating lots of fiber.  Without even having to list the best candidates, this will automatically up your intake of vegetables and fruit, which will also increase your daily vitamins and antioxidants.  And don't forget about beans and whole grains. 

2.  Exercise 30 minutes a day (with one day of rest each week).  And it doesn't matter what you do, just get up and get moving and keep moving for 30 minutes until you can hear yourself breathing and you've broken a little sweat.

3. Cook more at home, either for eating in or for taking along.  You'll consume fresher ingredients with fewer chemicals and less sodium, and who knows, you might even discover that cooking is FUN.

Forget about:

1.  Losing 10 pounds by Friday.  'Nuff said.

2.  Cutting all the fat out of your diet.  The body needs some fat to function efficiently, but some are better than others.  Keep olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish on your play list.  

3.   Eliminating dessert from your life.  Seriously?  Oh, let's not.  Instead, why not allow yourself a little treat every day, something you REALLY love and don't need a family-sized portion of to satisfy you -- a couple of squares of exceptional chocolate, three bites of rich ice cream, or two small cookies.  It'll give you something to look forward to after dinner and keep you from feeling jail-house deprived.  

       I hope you're enjoying your best year ever!