Cookbooks Encourage Portion Distortion

Home is the place where we have the most influence over what we feed ourselves and our family. The recession is also forcing us to eat at home more often. This can be good news for you and your family's health. The media is focusing on the large portions served at our restaurants but portion distortion is also happening in our homes due to increase in the calorie content of recipes in popular cookbooks. A research study conducted by the Annuals of Internal Medicine analyzed the changes in classic recipes, over a seventy-year period, from a popular cooking books. Per the WSJ "Evolving Recipes Raise Calorie Counts" 2/17/09, the study concluded that the majority of recipes contain 40% increase in calories per serving ! The actual study can be found at http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/150/4/291. Think about making deliberate efforts to reduce the calories in your family's favorite recipes. Think about substituting the butter, meat and the cheese with healthier alternatives. Also, start off the meal with smaller than usual portions and add a fresh salad and vegetable.

Great snack idea

Popcorn is filling and satisfying! The butter, well it leaves alot to be desired as it relates to our health. Orville Redenbacher's Natural Lime and Salt Popcorn is packaged in individual packages. (Why is the individual portion important? You know...portion distortion is making us overeat!) The popcorn is way salty and coated with lime instead of butter. Grab this next time you feel like a snack.

Tasty Mom Buddies Share Diet and Nutrition Ideas

Hey Tasty buddy,

Eating is a basic activity. When did it become so incredibly complicated? Obviously there is great science out there but somehw I feel like the markeing gets way ahead of the science. Actually, figuring out how to eat healthy and delicious food is actually really simple and oh so pleasurable. The only side effects---you feel and look better! Like you, I want to know just enough to make good food choices everyday. I use a set of really simple rules to follow so that I am confident when I am shopping or preparing food for myself and my family. I have become so addicted to this, I find myself making healthy soups and salads for my friends so they can see how simple and pleasurable it can be.Then, of course there are those days, when my best plans fall apart. When life throws me a curve ball, I use some easy and practical strategies so even with a hectic schedule to stay on track. I have twelve basic rules. Each month this blog concentates on one of the rules and you have the entire month to practice. Three weeks makes a habit. Most of us will succed in changing our stubborn behavior or adopting new heathly habits if we tackle it one step at a time. The Japanese approach "improvement" with a process called "rapid inch up" which means they try to get a little bit better every day. The classis turtle beat the hare philososphy. Well, we want to do the same thing in an opposite manner-Rapid Inch Down!

February's Focus-The Details Matters!

Today I want you to realize the power in paying attention to the details. You do not have to change anything big this month but you need to pay attention. Taking a bite (or two) of your son's waffle or just eating the edges of the brownies is dangerous. Little bites here and there add up and worse, this process allows us to pretend that we did not have dessert or that we stuck to our eating plan. I do not have to tell you what you are doing because we all know where we are cheating! Take this step and adopt a habit to eat only planned meals or snacks. DO NOT GRAZE! Your success in this area will give you confidence next month to tackle the next area. Have fun with this, make little changes this month such as looking at what you put in your coffee or tea. Skip salad dressing and instead mist on olive oil and some yummy balsamic vinegar. There is a great variety of balsamic vinegars out there so just buy a small bottle each time. This way you can treat yourself often with a new and different vinegar. It actually becomes as fun as picking out ice cream. Seriously. For your olive oil, pick up the MISTO at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It is the coolest gadget for $7.99 that pumps air into the oil allowing you to mist it on salads, vegetables, bread, etc. Since I bought the MISTO, I quit buying PAM. (It give some shudders to even think of what is in PAM...but it was convenient....). Lastly, make movement changes. THIS REALLY WORKS! If you have steps in your house, vow to run up them every time , if you are waiting at the bank, STAND UP, do not sit down. Walk fast in the mall and to your car in the parking lot. Walk the dog , fast, every day. Fido wll love you and he benefits also!Not only does it get your metabolism going, it gives a feeling of energy. Comment or email me...I want to hear from you!