I’m So Excited

Today’s salad included items from the farmer’s market – kohlrabi, peppers (red and green) – and herbs and tomatoes from my garden (that’s about all I grew this year) and various other assorted veggies and greens.  It was like a party in my mouth.  I actually had to put down the book I was reading to focus on the taste and texture sensation going on in the lower half of my face.  Wow.  That’s a salad!

The only real difference between today’s salad and the previous umpteen salads I have eaten lately is the inclusion of non-store-bought produce.  I could tell there was going to be a difference as soon as I picked up the green pepper.  It was solid, crisp, fragrant, juicy.  Mmmm.

Now I can hardly wait to go home and cook up the fingerling potatoes I also bought at the farmer’s market.  And the green beans.  Oooh, and there’s baby watermelon for dessert.

August doesn’t get any better than this!

When Did I Become Such a Big Eater?

Yesterday I bought my breakfast from the cafeteria:  two hard-boiled eggs, two sausage patties, and a pint of OJ.  Skinny Minny next to me in line bought ONE egg and ONE piece of bacon.  That just didn’t seem right.

While listening to In Defense of Food, it occurred to me that one reason I feel hungry so much of the time (even right after a big meal) might be that I am not getting enough nutrients.  Pollan talks about how we (Americans) are overfed but undernourished.  I eat my fair share of fruits and vegetables and whole grains, BUT.  I used to grow all our vegetables and some of our fruit, which meant we were eating varieties that had been developed for flavor, not shippability.  We are biologically programmed to use our sense of taste to select foods that are good for us (and sweet foods are good for us when they are naturally sweet, not artificially sweetened), so it stands to reason that yummy garden produce, grown organically in living soil, would be more nutritious than what one finds in the grocery store.

For reasons we won’t go into, I did not plant a garden this summer.  To make up for it, I am going to hit the local farmer’s market tonight on my way home.  Surely, their wares will be close to my own homegrown.  Surely.

Say Yes to Food

Now I am reading (actually, listening to on CD) In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan.  Apparently, my inclination to eat real food, as opposed to processed food products, is right on the money.

So, today for breakfast I had yogurt with banana and walnuts.  For lunch, I ate a big salad, partly from home, partly from the salad bar.  Bringing dressing from home has been a small problem – never could find an appropriate container – but I solved that by mixing olive oil and balsamic vinegar with some minced garlic and fresh herbs, then marinating chopped veggies like carrots, tomatoes, and celery in it.  If I am bringing my own lettuce, that goes on top, suspended above the dressing.  Cheese can go on top of the lettuce.  Works like a charm.

Many diets discourage one from doing anything while eating except eat.  While that sounds like a good idea, I find it difficult to follow.  I really enjoy hanging my face over a bowl of popcorn or a big salad or, if I’m in need of self-medication, a pint of Ben and Jerry’s while reading.  Mouth engaged, mind engaged, senses engaged.  What’s not to like?

Why We Eat Fish on Fridays

Yesterday, at work.

“Cheryl?  Is that your fish I smell?”

“I’m sorry!  I’m sorry!”

I like to eat lunch in my cubicle.  It’s quiet, it’s well-lit, and the company can’t be beat.  But my neighbors often get to experience my food in not always welcome ways.  Yesterday I tried not to stink up the whole building – I used the nearest microwave to heat my perch – but the smell still lingered.  Note to self:  Eat fish on Friday so you won’t be tempted to bring it to work the next day.

Last night we ate out.  I insisted on Chinese, knowing I could control myself better if pie were not on the menu.  And I did good.  A few grapes beforehand, to take the edge off my appetite, a nice bowl of hot and sour soup, and half my entree of cashew chicken, hold the rice.  I was too full for ice cream, too.  Mission accomplished.

My one question about Chinese food is, Are button mushrooms really Chinese?  Or are they just a cheap alternative to the real thing?

Now that I think about it, the celery in my dish was the regular old stuff I eat with cream cheese.  No napa?  Or Chinese cabbage?  Or whatever passes for Chinese celery these days?

Inquiring minds want to know.

I Lost It in the Divorce

I’m not a fish person.  For one thing, I am allergic to shellfish.  For another, fish is just so… fishy.  And bony.  Ramona fans may recall the scene in one of the books where the family is chewing thoughtfully, as that is the only way to eat fish without choking on a bone.

But.  In my garden, I have several lemony herbs:  lemon basil, lemongrass, lemon balm.  Surely one of them would tart up the fishiest of fish.  So it was the herbs talking that got me to buy some ocean perch.

An aside:  there is a fish market near my house, or I should say, was.  The windows were dark and the doors were locked when I stopped by there yesterday.  That left Kroger, where the fish selection is rather meager.  Later, I asked my daughter where to buy fresh fish in this town, and she said, “Fresh Market!  It’s expensive, but it’s good.”  And they have vegetarian sushi!

Fish is easy to fix:  drizzle some butter and lemon juice on it, sprinkle with herbs (I chose the lemon basil), and bake at 400 for 20 to 30 minutes.  And yes, the lemon basil did produce a nicely seasoned fish dish.  Very edible.

What is fish without cole slaw?  The dressing makes or breaks the slaw, and I have not made good cole slaw since before my divorce.  When I left, I took the ancient Betty Crocker that belonged to my mother, but left the one from the ’70s.  I think that one must hold the cole slaw recipe I like so well.  All I know is the recipe reaches the perfect piquancy and uses celery seed.  The newer Betty Crocker’s slaw recipe is not the same, even with the addition of celery seed.  Someday, somehow, I will get my hands on that slaw recipe.

Oui, Oui!

In case you haven’t noticed, I like to read diet books.  Part of me thinks each one holds a secret key to weight loss, one that does not involve eating less or exercising more.  And another part of me thinks if I read about dieting, I won’t actually have to do anything to lose weight.  Probably a side effect of too much education.

My latest diet book is French Women Don’t Get Fat, by Mareille Guiliano.  This one is actually fun to read, as instead of spouting statistics and citing health studies, the author talks lovingly about food.  In our super-sized culture, it is difficult to remember quality over quantity, and eating well doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of time or money.

Reading this book reminded me that I love food, good food that also tastes good, and I miss it.  Low fat and no fat foods are edible, but just don’t pack the flavor punch of the real thing.  Which explains why, on a whim, I picked the “cream on top” yogurt the last time I visited the local food co-op instead of my usual fat-free fare.

Oh.  My.  God.  Now, that is yogurt!  Okay, it’s higher in calories, calories from fat.  I will simply eat less but enjoy it more.  A half cup of that, plus a dozen blueberries and a half-dozen pecan halves, and we are talking about serious happy mouth.

Now let’s discuss the herbs in my yard that have gone virtually unused this summer because I have been “too busy” to treat myself well (even though I am worth it, dammit!)  Last night I fried up a couple of hamburger patties, but first I selected some ‘Hot & Spicy’ oregano and cinnamon basil from the garden and sauteed them in butter.  Add the burgers and some green pepper and onions, top it all with a little cheddar, serve with dill relish, and voila.  I ate one for supper, with corn and green beans, and saved the other for today’s lunch.  Very satisfying.

So while I am not necessarily promoting French Women Don’t Get Fat, I will say that it woke me up to something that has been missing from my meals:  good eatin’.

Bon appetit!

What Do You Eat?

What do you eat when you come home from work too tired to cook?

Not long ago, I would pop up about three quarts of popcorn in safflower oil, sprinkle it liberally with salt and Parmesan, and chow down.  Or fix me a bowl of Mesa Sunrise with 2% milk, fruit, and nuts.

Since I have not been losing weight, I decided to cut back on carbs.  Now there is no popcorn or cold cereal in my house.

Tonight I did not feel like cooking, so I debated on either grabbing a sandwich at Burger King or stopping at the grocery store.  I opted for the latter, but for some reason fixated on a pot pie.  To ease my conscience, I also bought fruit.

Well, the pot pie was not as satisfying as I thought it would be.  The nutritional aspect was not good, either:

• Calories:  450
• Fat:  27
• Carbohydrates:  36

What if I had eaten a cheeseburger and small fries from BK?

• Calories: 330 + 230 = 560
• Fat:  16 + 13 = 29
• Carbohydrates:  31 + 26 = 57

Hmmm.  The pot pie fared a little better in this showdown, but not much.  And sadly, I was still hungry.

So I sliced up one of the peaches I bought.  Smelled good, but ugh!!!  Awful texture and no flavor.  I can’t remember the last time I had a good peach.  No wonder people don’t eat fresh fruit.

What if I had eaten cold cereal instead?  My usual Mesa Sunrise, with 2%, walnuts, and blueberries:

• Calories: 120 + 122 + 90 +  20 = 352
• Fat:  1.5 + 3 + 9 + 0.5 = 14
• Carbohydrates:  24 + 11 + 4  + 21 = 60

Or popcorn a la me:

• Calories: 370 + 240 + 44 = 654
• Fat:  3.6 + 27.2 + 2.8 = 33.6
• Carbohydrates:  74.4 + 0 +0.4 = 74.8

Very interesting.  And what is most telling is some nights I would have both popcorn and cold cereal.

While I’m not into calorie counting, calorie awareness could lead me to smarter choices.

But I’m still hungry.  Where’s that oatmeal?

Feed That Tiger!

I’ve been perusing Feed Your Tiger: The Asian Diet Secret for Permanent Weight Loss and Vibrant Health, by Letha Hadady.  Briefly, Hadady recommends that we each identify our energy type, then adjust our food choices and add homeopathic supplements to obtain optimum health.

Identifying ones energy type is fun (I’m a dragon – I crave salt and tend to retain water) but also a little confusing (I’m not a dragon - I’m anti-social).  The baseline diet sounds similar to one I read about 20 years ago:  fruit in the morning, protein and veggies at noon, starch at night.  But the strictures – one protein, one starch per day – are contradicted in the sample menus.

And then there are all the unusual foods and supplements!  I already have a cupboard full of vitamins and food supplements and essential oils.  Now I can add mushroom drops, homeopathic remedies, and digestive bitters.

I’m not saying that one won’t lose weight and gain health by following the advice in this book.  It just looks like too much work to me, not to mention the expense.  Also, I’m guessing that if one already follows a healthy diet – low refined carbs, low fat, lots of vegetables and fruits, some whole grains - the gains will be minimal.

Prove me wrong!

Back in the Rut

It’s funny how when you first return from a week-long vacation, it feels like you have been gone a month, and within 24 hours, you feel like you never left.  After this last vacation, I also felt like I was dragged, kicking and screaming, back into my old routine.  Instead of every day being ripe with potential, it’s back to Ground Hog Day.  Remember that movie?  Every day was the same as the day before.

Not only am I back in my existential rut, I am back in my eating rut.  On vacation, it’s eat-when-I’m-hungry.  At work, it’s eat-by-the-clock.  On vacation, there is no stress eating, no boredom eating, no fatigue-eating.  On vacation, eating is an integral part of the vacation, not a reaction to it.

Occasionally, I will revert to eating the way I did when I was younger, since I was not overweight then.  My body is not the same, though, and neither is my life.  My activity level is lower, my metabolism is slower, my stress factors are higher.  Anything that goes in my mouth goes straight to my waist.

I have one friend who has had success with Atkins, another friend who lost weight using Weight Watchers.  The trick is to find a way to eat and exercise that works for ME.

I May Be Back

I have not posted here in a while because, well, I got tired of writing about losing weight but making no progress.  But maybe we will give it another try.

A recent study has validated low-carb dieting, but the participants lost an average of ten pounds over TWO YEARS.  In my opinion, that falls in the Better Than Nothing category of dieting.

Other studies have revealed that those who experience the most success losing weight keep a food diary that not only records what they eat but the number of calories.  What a concept.

In a personal triumph, I went on vacation this month and did not gain any weight.  I went with my adult son, who can squeeze a dollar until it screams.  We averaged one restaurant meal a day, and even then they were not special enough to warrant overeating.  The rest of the time, we ate healthy snacks like Triscuits and veggies.  Good for us.