I spent all of June in Ireland, teaching for my university and traveling around with a friend and my mom. It was a great experience, in part because Ireland is such a visually powerful place. The colors--not just greens--are so lovely and lush. But it wasn't just the colors of the scenery that appealed to my friend, Jennifer, who came to travel with me there.
Jennifer helped make me more profoundly aware of the visual element of food. We would walk past pastry shops, fruit and vegetable stands, and we ate in restaurants every day. It seemed like at least once every day Jennifer would say, in rapturous tones, "Oh! Look at this food! It's so beautiful!!" And then she'd snap a picture of it. And then she'd admire it some more before eating it or walking on. While I've sometimes admired how delicious or creative or pretty a food looked, I had not really ever taken the time to admire the natural or created beauty of the foods that surround my life.
Before hanging out with Jennifer, I certainly never bothered with making things look good on my plate. My general practice was to slop food from the pan to the plate. Insert the food into my pie hole. Chew. Swallow. Done. What's more, I had never really noticed the slapdash presentation of foods at your average chain restaurant...such as the dull presentation of my omelet yesterday. No care went into making it, and no care went into serving it on my plate.
You know what else? No care went into eating it, either. Just gorging, unlike all those meals I ate in Ireland with Jennifer where I took time to look at it because she took time to look at hers. I found myself appreciating the flavors, the colors, and the organization of my meals there because it was brought to my attention. Even at home, I can't help now but notice the colors and the careful arrangement and embellishment of my food. And, believe it or not, all of that makes me enjoy and appreciate so much more the beauty of eating, of being nourished. Of the luxury of having enough to eat--and enough nutritious food to eat. I'm in the minority there, on a world scale.
I don't think it's any coincidence that the foods that are best for us are often more colorful than are the unhealthy foods. Fruits and vegetables come in all kinds of crazy reds, purples, yellows, greens, oranges, and blues. Processed foods are often dull and brown and sometimes alarmingly fluorescent (hello, Cheetos). It's also no coincidence that I enjoy food when I take more time to think about it. For one thing, it makes me slow down instead of inhale. For another, it makes me think about the correlation of color and taste. I try to remember that colors have tastes when it comes to food (not so much for paint, though. Haha.). The times when I'm best at reflecting on this while I eat are the times I'm most satisfied at the end of the meal.
Jennifer has taught me the power of the eyes, and that our eyes don't have to be bigger than our stomachs. They can actually be the safeguard for our stomachs.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Oopsy daisies.
It's possible I may have gone off the deep end when my parents were here: brats, ice cream, omelet, pancakes...
After lunch at Perkins today, I came home and looked up point values. Uh-huh. I ate more than a day's worth of points. In one meal. A very tasty meal, to be sure. So. Looks like vegetables for dinner!!
I realized as I was ordering that I was making poor decisions. (Pancakes with an omelet? Really, Dena? Really?) I did not realize just how bad, though, till I got home. They must inject each item with pure lard or something. I don't know. Stupid Perkins. It just highlights the importance of planning ahead and thinking things through...and assuming it's worse than you think it is.
Whatever. As I told my mom, I have not had a pancake since the spring, I've continued to lose weight slightly since hitting my goal so I have some wiggle room, and lastly I can't live my life being a nutritional angel every stinking day.
Not to mention that the miserable, overstuffed feeling I've been dealing with since I finished it (four hours ago) is sufficient punishment without the internal verbal abuse I could inflict upon myself.
So, onward and upward. Or downward in weight terms.
After lunch at Perkins today, I came home and looked up point values. Uh-huh. I ate more than a day's worth of points. In one meal. A very tasty meal, to be sure. So. Looks like vegetables for dinner!!
I realized as I was ordering that I was making poor decisions. (Pancakes with an omelet? Really, Dena? Really?) I did not realize just how bad, though, till I got home. They must inject each item with pure lard or something. I don't know. Stupid Perkins. It just highlights the importance of planning ahead and thinking things through...and assuming it's worse than you think it is.
Whatever. As I told my mom, I have not had a pancake since the spring, I've continued to lose weight slightly since hitting my goal so I have some wiggle room, and lastly I can't live my life being a nutritional angel every stinking day.
Not to mention that the miserable, overstuffed feeling I've been dealing with since I finished it (four hours ago) is sufficient punishment without the internal verbal abuse I could inflict upon myself.
So, onward and upward. Or downward in weight terms.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Those pesky restaurants
As I've said, I mostly eat at home these days and only go out when company is here or when there's something going on with friends. I like going out, but I am increasingly frustrated when restaurants have few options to help make it all easier to stay on track.
For example, it drives me nuts that you so often have to pay extra to get a salad (healthy, if done right) instead of fries (no hope there). Lettuce is cheap, so what gives? I suppose it's partly that lettuce doesn't stay good as long as those frozen fries, but that's no excuse. I think it should more often be a free substitution to help health-conscious consumers.
When I go out, I have buzz words to look for to indicate danger. Obviously, batter is out, along with it's buddies fried and breaded. Blackened is generally a problem (a delicious, delicious problem), cream sauce is a source of terror, and cheesy is probably something best to avoid. Rich and/or decadent often imply buttery and fat-ladened. Sauce is something to be wary of till you know the details. Smothered is a word best avoided food-wise and otherwise. Etc. Beyond those, though, restaurants can be sneaky in making things sound healthy that aren't and in adding crap to things that should be healthy. For example, rumor has it that Outback Steakhouse (and others) coat their lettuce in butter to make it look and taste better. So that nice salad you had to balance the steak....not so much a balance.
If you're heading to a restaurant, what to do, then? How can you go in making good decisions? There are a few web-based ways to find out.
1) I mentioned early on about Dottie's Weight Loss Zone, which has WW points for foods from tons of restaurants. Sometimes it's a little out of date, but it definitely gives you a good idea of what you're getting into.
2) Last night, a friend told me about another site called Healthy Dining Finder that offers the healthy--or at least, healthier--choices at national chain restaurants. You can enter the restaurant's name or you can look for restaurants in your area that are listed. It's pretty cool, and even helps you figure out how to special order things to make them better for you.
3) You can also just Google the name of the restaurant and food you want to eat (or what you already ate). Most restaurants have some basic nutrition information out there, or at least there are other sites that have compiled the specifics. A lot of times when I do that, one of the easiest sites to use is The Daily Plate. However, there are others that will show up. It's best to be a little selective here, as there's no way to know how accurate these places are. It's just a nice rough guide.
4) If you know in advance where you're going, the restaurant site might have some information on their healthier options. Sometimes menus themselves have little labels of healthy choices, too, but I like to look stuff up in advance if I can.
One of the great things about many of the local restaurants where I live is they work with a local hospital nutritionist to offer healthy options. The program is called The 500 Club, and the nutritionist helps area restaurants develop menu items that fit their theme (e.g., steakhouse, diner, Italian) that are 500 calories or fewer and fewer than 15 g of fat. It's so great because the meals are balanced and delicious, but not over the top. At one place, I get the chicken and marinara pasta with a salad, a roll, and (AND!!!!) frozen yogurt for dessert. It definitely encourages people to eat local. You might look up similar programs in your area or inquire about how to get one started with your local medical center.
The reason I'm thinking about this today is because my parents are on their way here, and I have a feeling we'll be eating out...I'm trying to figure out how to indulge without overindulging. We'll see how it goes.
For example, it drives me nuts that you so often have to pay extra to get a salad (healthy, if done right) instead of fries (no hope there). Lettuce is cheap, so what gives? I suppose it's partly that lettuce doesn't stay good as long as those frozen fries, but that's no excuse. I think it should more often be a free substitution to help health-conscious consumers.
When I go out, I have buzz words to look for to indicate danger. Obviously, batter is out, along with it's buddies fried and breaded. Blackened is generally a problem (a delicious, delicious problem), cream sauce is a source of terror, and cheesy is probably something best to avoid. Rich and/or decadent often imply buttery and fat-ladened. Sauce is something to be wary of till you know the details. Smothered is a word best avoided food-wise and otherwise. Etc. Beyond those, though, restaurants can be sneaky in making things sound healthy that aren't and in adding crap to things that should be healthy. For example, rumor has it that Outback Steakhouse (and others) coat their lettuce in butter to make it look and taste better. So that nice salad you had to balance the steak....not so much a balance.
If you're heading to a restaurant, what to do, then? How can you go in making good decisions? There are a few web-based ways to find out.
1) I mentioned early on about Dottie's Weight Loss Zone, which has WW points for foods from tons of restaurants. Sometimes it's a little out of date, but it definitely gives you a good idea of what you're getting into.
2) Last night, a friend told me about another site called Healthy Dining Finder that offers the healthy--or at least, healthier--choices at national chain restaurants. You can enter the restaurant's name or you can look for restaurants in your area that are listed. It's pretty cool, and even helps you figure out how to special order things to make them better for you.
3) You can also just Google the name of the restaurant and food you want to eat (or what you already ate). Most restaurants have some basic nutrition information out there, or at least there are other sites that have compiled the specifics. A lot of times when I do that, one of the easiest sites to use is The Daily Plate. However, there are others that will show up. It's best to be a little selective here, as there's no way to know how accurate these places are. It's just a nice rough guide.
4) If you know in advance where you're going, the restaurant site might have some information on their healthier options. Sometimes menus themselves have little labels of healthy choices, too, but I like to look stuff up in advance if I can.
One of the great things about many of the local restaurants where I live is they work with a local hospital nutritionist to offer healthy options. The program is called The 500 Club, and the nutritionist helps area restaurants develop menu items that fit their theme (e.g., steakhouse, diner, Italian) that are 500 calories or fewer and fewer than 15 g of fat. It's so great because the meals are balanced and delicious, but not over the top. At one place, I get the chicken and marinara pasta with a salad, a roll, and (AND!!!!) frozen yogurt for dessert. It definitely encourages people to eat local. You might look up similar programs in your area or inquire about how to get one started with your local medical center.
The reason I'm thinking about this today is because my parents are on their way here, and I have a feeling we'll be eating out...I'm trying to figure out how to indulge without overindulging. We'll see how it goes.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Supermarket Sweep
The other day I was at the grocery store, feeling like a little stroll through the aisles. My trips to the supermarket have changed quite a bit since last October. There are now aisles that I never even bother going down because it's all overly processed, fatty junk. I start in the produce and spend a fair amount of time there looking for bargains and good quality. Then I go down the dressings aisle, looking for healthy alternatives for salads and vegetables. Go through the canned fruit, if I feel the need, pasta and pasta sauce aisle, organic/health food aisle, frozen fruits and vegetables, frozen soy burgers, dairy and tortilla aisle. Done. Oh, and once in awhile, the pop aisle. :)
Anyway, on Monday, I went to the store I go to less often. I just wanted to see what they had that I might have been missing, so I walked down more aisles than usual. I found a couple of new things I thought I'd mention.
First off, I went down the organic aisle and found another kind of natural, no-additives yogurt called Seven Stars. My only gripe with Cultural Revolution (which I mentioned earlier) is that my co-op doesn't sell the low-fat in plain, only vanilla. I can get the low-fat plain in Seven Stars, and the price is comparable, so I tried it. It's fantastic! Just like European yogurt--thinner consistency, similar tartness. Yum. It's made in Pennsylvania, so if I can get it in La Crosse, you can probably get it wherever you are--more likely than Cultural Revolution anyway. You might look in your organic aisle next time you're there.
Then there was a little collection of sale items and I found two items that I've fallen in love with. The first is instant steel-cut (aka Irish) oats by McCann's. I said before that this kind of oatmeal is healthier than regular, but they take 20-25 minutes to cook. This instant stuff takes just a couple of minutes. The taste isn't as fresh and good, but they're still really good. I took them to work for any unexpected hunger surges. I brought in some cinnamon to sweeten them naturally, and I keep raisins at work all the time, which works great with them as well. On Tuesday or Wednesday I got really hungry, so I made myself a bowl, and it completely satisfied me for four points (with oats, cinnamon and raisins).
I also found some new stir fry sauce: Wasabi Teriyaki. Holy flippin' crap, it is GOOD. I used it with some of that broccoli slaw and vegetables, and it was the best dinner I've had in awhile. Then the next night, I decided to try a little bit for a salad dressing. Also excellent. It's not super low cal, but it's not terrible. I think 1/4 cup is a point or two, so that's reasonable. As a salad dressing, you would use just a little, so then it's really no big deal. It's spicy and sweet and delicious...try it!
So there are a few new ideas of things to look for.
On a final note, last night my friend gave me a little coconut cream pie tart. She was kind enough, not only to buy it for me, but also to express concern that I might not want it because it's bad for me. However, I chose to eat it without guilt. Totally worth it. It's just a reminder that even though I'm a healthy eater now, I can still enjoy decadence from time to time. I have learned to see food as fuel rather than simple pleasure, but I still want the pleasurable stuff to be a part of my life and a part of my health plan!
Anyway, on Monday, I went to the store I go to less often. I just wanted to see what they had that I might have been missing, so I walked down more aisles than usual. I found a couple of new things I thought I'd mention.
First off, I went down the organic aisle and found another kind of natural, no-additives yogurt called Seven Stars. My only gripe with Cultural Revolution (which I mentioned earlier) is that my co-op doesn't sell the low-fat in plain, only vanilla. I can get the low-fat plain in Seven Stars, and the price is comparable, so I tried it. It's fantastic! Just like European yogurt--thinner consistency, similar tartness. Yum. It's made in Pennsylvania, so if I can get it in La Crosse, you can probably get it wherever you are--more likely than Cultural Revolution anyway. You might look in your organic aisle next time you're there.
Then there was a little collection of sale items and I found two items that I've fallen in love with. The first is instant steel-cut (aka Irish) oats by McCann's. I said before that this kind of oatmeal is healthier than regular, but they take 20-25 minutes to cook. This instant stuff takes just a couple of minutes. The taste isn't as fresh and good, but they're still really good. I took them to work for any unexpected hunger surges. I brought in some cinnamon to sweeten them naturally, and I keep raisins at work all the time, which works great with them as well. On Tuesday or Wednesday I got really hungry, so I made myself a bowl, and it completely satisfied me for four points (with oats, cinnamon and raisins).
I also found some new stir fry sauce: Wasabi Teriyaki. Holy flippin' crap, it is GOOD. I used it with some of that broccoli slaw and vegetables, and it was the best dinner I've had in awhile. Then the next night, I decided to try a little bit for a salad dressing. Also excellent. It's not super low cal, but it's not terrible. I think 1/4 cup is a point or two, so that's reasonable. As a salad dressing, you would use just a little, so then it's really no big deal. It's spicy and sweet and delicious...try it!
So there are a few new ideas of things to look for.
On a final note, last night my friend gave me a little coconut cream pie tart. She was kind enough, not only to buy it for me, but also to express concern that I might not want it because it's bad for me. However, I chose to eat it without guilt. Totally worth it. It's just a reminder that even though I'm a healthy eater now, I can still enjoy decadence from time to time. I have learned to see food as fuel rather than simple pleasure, but I still want the pleasurable stuff to be a part of my life and a part of my health plan!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Body Changes
All my life, I have been a night person. I hated getting up early. Seven am was the earliest I could get up without too much complaining. Eleven pm was the earliest I could go to bed without complaining. I always knew my ideal schedule would be staying up till 2 or 3 am and getting up at 10 or 11. Alas, most of the world doesn't operate on that kind of schedule, and frankly neither should our bodies.
What I've noticed this summer, however, is that I was always awake by 8am and usually ready for bed by 11 or 11:30. Part of this was a decision not to let myself get too out of whack for fall semester, but it wasn't even work. I never set my alarm; I just woke up at 7:30 or 8, and as soon as I became conscious, I was ready to get up and start the day instead of laying around for another hour or so as I would have last summer.
What's more, I found myself wanting to do things...active things. I wanted to clean my house, keep my kitchen organized, restructure my closet. I didn't want to sit still for very long. I swear, my house has never looked so organized. My parents will probably crap themselves when they see it this weekend.
Then, most surprising of all, is that I was thinking about my semester schedule, and how I wanted to structure my research and grading time. I found myself considering the option of getting up earlier than necessary to do some work before my first class. I started out thinking 6:30, so I started this week getting up then. It worked a treat. I was awake and alert at 6:30. Last night I thought, "Well, why not try 6?" The alarm went off at 6 this morning and off I went, not a complaint in the world. I went to bed at 11 last night, no problem. Will I go even earlier? Who knows?!?
The only way I can account for this madness is that I am healthy for the first time in my adult life (maybe life in general). I am eating food that gives me energy rather than merely satisfying my taste buds at the expense of my well being. I am drinking fluids that replenish my cells rather than dehydrating and overly caffeinating them. I regularly move my body with exercise, which provides energy instead of depleting it. Maybe it's not so much that I was a natural night owl before as it is that my body was completely out of whack on a holistic level. Now my body is home to itself. It is what it was meant to be.
This is the sort of thing I heard and never believed possible before, but here I am...it's nearly noon and I've been up (happily) for six hours. And I just finished a bunch of carrots and broccoli for my first course for lunch. Lesson: learned.
What I've noticed this summer, however, is that I was always awake by 8am and usually ready for bed by 11 or 11:30. Part of this was a decision not to let myself get too out of whack for fall semester, but it wasn't even work. I never set my alarm; I just woke up at 7:30 or 8, and as soon as I became conscious, I was ready to get up and start the day instead of laying around for another hour or so as I would have last summer.
What's more, I found myself wanting to do things...active things. I wanted to clean my house, keep my kitchen organized, restructure my closet. I didn't want to sit still for very long. I swear, my house has never looked so organized. My parents will probably crap themselves when they see it this weekend.
Then, most surprising of all, is that I was thinking about my semester schedule, and how I wanted to structure my research and grading time. I found myself considering the option of getting up earlier than necessary to do some work before my first class. I started out thinking 6:30, so I started this week getting up then. It worked a treat. I was awake and alert at 6:30. Last night I thought, "Well, why not try 6?" The alarm went off at 6 this morning and off I went, not a complaint in the world. I went to bed at 11 last night, no problem. Will I go even earlier? Who knows?!?
The only way I can account for this madness is that I am healthy for the first time in my adult life (maybe life in general). I am eating food that gives me energy rather than merely satisfying my taste buds at the expense of my well being. I am drinking fluids that replenish my cells rather than dehydrating and overly caffeinating them. I regularly move my body with exercise, which provides energy instead of depleting it. Maybe it's not so much that I was a natural night owl before as it is that my body was completely out of whack on a holistic level. Now my body is home to itself. It is what it was meant to be.
This is the sort of thing I heard and never believed possible before, but here I am...it's nearly noon and I've been up (happily) for six hours. And I just finished a bunch of carrots and broccoli for my first course for lunch. Lesson: learned.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
You definitely don't want fries with that.
Things are starting to hop now for the upcoming (imminent) fall semester. I'm excited, a little overwhelmed, and planning how I'll incorporate exercise and diet into the new schedule. It's going to be hard, but I think I'm going to work really hard to become a morning person. I just hate having to work evenings so much, so maybe if I get up early and work, I can then have evenings freer to work out and relax. Right? We'll see!
I have some things to write at you about, but I think today I'm just going to post a video...hey, I do this in the classroom sometimes when I'm busy and overwhelmed, so why not on my blog as well? I first saw this when my cousin's wife posted it on her Facebook wall, so if you're my FB friend, it's a repeat (sorry), but one well worth repeating here. If you're interested in fast food, you'll definitely want to pay attention. I believe the occasional trip out for a quick meal is probably not the biggest deal ever, but to regularly consume this stuff seems to me to be a world of problems all rolled into a $5 meal.
McDonald's Ages Better than You Do
Enjoy.
I have some things to write at you about, but I think today I'm just going to post a video...hey, I do this in the classroom sometimes when I'm busy and overwhelmed, so why not on my blog as well? I first saw this when my cousin's wife posted it on her Facebook wall, so if you're my FB friend, it's a repeat (sorry), but one well worth repeating here. If you're interested in fast food, you'll definitely want to pay attention. I believe the occasional trip out for a quick meal is probably not the biggest deal ever, but to regularly consume this stuff seems to me to be a world of problems all rolled into a $5 meal.
McDonald's Ages Better than You Do
Enjoy.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Mo' Pumpkin, Mo' Bettah
Last night, I was yearning for a nighttime snack, but I didn't want to have anything too caloric. What to do? What to do? I opened the fridge and saw that container full of pumpkin that I had opened for my oatmeal last week. I thought about how that would go bad if I didn't find other uses for it. I didn't have the stuff to try that modified Snack Girl recipe from yesterday.
But I did have English muffins (the 1pt kind, no less). I wondered what that pumpkin would be like as a toast spread. So, of course, I tried it. I toasted the English muffin in the toaster oven, and got out the cinnamon and honey to sweeten the pumpkin (it's a little dull all on its own). Once the muffin was ready, I decided it was best to only try it on one half till I knew I liked it. I slathered on a good amount of pumpkin, then sprinkled cinnamon and drizzled honey. Ate.
Happy.
It's really good! It's kind of like a mini pumpkin pie, only not filled with calories.
I have a long day ahead, so I decided to treat myself by having it again for breakfast (on a bagel) and a peach. That's a 2pt breakfast that's delicious, healthy, and filling. Who could ask for more?
Another squash connection: A friend pointed me to a site with more spaghetti squash recipes. I hope to try these when I'm home some evening soon. http://www.delish.com/recipes/cooking-recipes/spaghetti-squash?src=rss. If you try one, let me know how it goes.
But I did have English muffins (the 1pt kind, no less). I wondered what that pumpkin would be like as a toast spread. So, of course, I tried it. I toasted the English muffin in the toaster oven, and got out the cinnamon and honey to sweeten the pumpkin (it's a little dull all on its own). Once the muffin was ready, I decided it was best to only try it on one half till I knew I liked it. I slathered on a good amount of pumpkin, then sprinkled cinnamon and drizzled honey. Ate.
Happy.
It's really good! It's kind of like a mini pumpkin pie, only not filled with calories.
I have a long day ahead, so I decided to treat myself by having it again for breakfast (on a bagel) and a peach. That's a 2pt breakfast that's delicious, healthy, and filling. Who could ask for more?
Another squash connection: A friend pointed me to a site with more spaghetti squash recipes. I hope to try these when I'm home some evening soon. http://www.delish.com/recipes/cooking-recipes/spaghetti-squash?src=rss. If you try one, let me know how it goes.
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