How many times have you eaten and not even realized what you ate or better yet, how much?   As a student of eating behavior, I encourage people to “eat with their lights on” (and that means someone is home).  In the dark crevices of your day there may be a mini-candy bar or two, a handful of jelly beans, a half-bag of Sunchips and a dollop of heavy whipped cream in your coffee.  It all creates an excess…and that can mean one thing: weight gain – if you are not actively burning up the extra energy.  So turn the lights even in the smallest of eating moments…

Let’s face it food takes us to a different place, at least temporarily.  That’s not always a bad thing — as rekindling that feeling of grandma’s brownies or mom’s apple pie or family meals is perfectly life enhancing.  It’s when, we eat often without intention or purpose that weight and health can spiral out of control. 

Here are some simple switches you can flip to create a more mindful, well-lit eating path for life.

• Allow eating to hold special, sacred moments in your day — carve out time when you eat only (and don’t do other things like watch TV or work on your computer or talk on the phone).
• Sit down and savor.  Use your eating time as a break from standing, walking and running to/from places.  Create a kitchen nook, a work place table or window side seat for a nutritious respite in your day.
• Choose what you eat like you choose other important things in your life.  Think about your most prizes possessions, i.e., your car, home, clothes, shoes, or spouse.  What you eat reflects your personality,style and health intentions -  so choose your food with respect and love for yourself.
• Break bread together.  Share your favorite food with family, friends and your community.  Research has shown that when people cook, eat and enjoy food together they live happier, healthier and longer lives.   

So whenever you want to eat in the dark, at least light a candle — it will spark some good eating intention.

It may sound funny to say that we have to “connect with our metabolisms”, but in a world where food is available everywhere and anytime, it can be a challenge for people to actually know when they feel hunger and/or fullness.  Since these are two vital cues to dictate a healthy, humming metabolism, this is a good place to begin honing your internal awareness skills.   Here’s are three ways  to better get to know your metabolism:

1) Listen to your stomach: growls and rumbles typically signify hunger and denotes an efficient metabolic process.  If you never feel physical hungry (between meals and snacks), then there’s a good chance that your metabolism is moving slowly. 

2) Eat when you are hungry – even if it’s a 150 calorie snack like a handful of nuts or a low-fat yogurt with 1/2 c. berries or a string cheese with one or two whole grain crackers.  This will enlighten your body to your new eating pattern and get you humming along on predictable eating road, which is essential for keeping your metabolic rate up.

3) Food fuels movement,  so keep your body moving whether it is a formal exercise regimen or taking the stairs, walking from the parking lot, house cleaning or running around the park with your kids.  The more you move, the more energy you can put into your body.  Let’s face it, we all slow down in the winter months when it’s hard to escape the house, but now that the warmer weather is near - it getting to be close to all of the outdoor festivities.     

How are you making friends with your metbolism today?  I’d love to know.

-VSR

My 4-year old son actually asked for cinnamon to put in his yogurt today.   It’s the small things in life that make me happy.  The fact that I know cinnamon is one of the highest ranking spices when it comes to antioxidants – you know, those compounds in food that keep your cells from damage, gives me a boost of extra confidence.  My motherly work is not for naught as I systematically dash herbs and spices wherever I can into my family’s food.  A little dash goes a long way (with vitually zero extra calories, too) – a half to one teaspoon is all you need to get the antioxidant benefits. Unbenownst to my kids and husband, I wave my spice spoon over oatmeal, soup, meatloaf, salad dressing, applesauce, pancakes, chocolate chip cookies, roasted veggies, hummus, and macaroni and cheese. 

Per a question from one of my cooking class attendees, “What are the best spices to use in your cooking?”  Here are my top three:

1 – Cinnamon – it’s versatile for savory and sweet foods, like roasted squash, sweet potatoes and string beans or oatmeal, yogurt, coffee and even pb & j sandwiches – great on toast!

2 -  Curry powder – this is a cannot-live-without spice in my house.  It’s delish in brown rice, couscous, egg and chicken salad, corn, mashed potatoes, and roasted eggplant.

3 -  Oregano - yes, it’s green, but my toddlers don’t mind it sprinkled into tomato sauce, homemade pizza, chili, soups and cheesy scrambled eggs. 

So, especially this month, revolutionize your cooking and your family’s taste buds with spices.  And pretty soon your kids will be asking for them, too.

Drop me a line with your spice faves.  I’d love to know….

-VSR

As March rings in National Nutrition Month, it’s another opportunity to make changes to your plate, habits and lifestyle.  Since eating plays such an integral role in overall health, what better time than NOW to foster eating changes in your life?!   Whether you have a plan for the month or not, here are a three simple nutrition changes that deserve consideration:

1) Monitor your salt intake.  The average American eats well above the daily recommended intake of 2,300 mg per day.  Note: 2,300 mg = 1 tsp of salt.  Check labels for sodium and shoot for nothing over 480 – 500 mg of sodium per serving.  When you add salt to home-cooked meals or at restaurants, taste the food first – it may not need salt, after all.

2) Drink fewer calories.    Liquid calories account for a big part of the average Americans caloric intake.  Not only does it contribute to overweight and obesity, but displaces other nutritional calories.  Here are some ways to make lower-calorie beverage choices:  choose skim/low-fat soy lattes versus full-fat frappaccinos and mochas with whipped cream.  Drink mineral water with a twist of lemon, lime or orange instead of regular or diet sodas.   Incorporate tea into your daily regimen – as it’s a great low-calorie, nutritious way to begin and end to the day (as long as you don’t add a lot of cream and sugar!)     

3) Eat less meat and more plants.  Not only will you be helping to save our planet by eating more plants, but people that eat more vegetables typically get more fiber, potassium and anti-oxidants in their diets when they forgo animal products.  Designate meatless days each week, experiment with roasting different vegetables (asparagus, leeks, Brussels sprouts, string beans and squash), and capture the benefits of local foods by supporting farmers markets. 

So, enjoy National Nutrition Month in a health-rewarding way!    Remember, spring is almost here …:-

Please let me know what changes you plan to make this month….I’d love to hear.

-VSR

The brain is powerful thing, especially when it comes to eating.  Faced with food choices all day long, the power to forego needless calorie foods takes practice.  In fact, research published last year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found from brain scans of successful weight loss maintainers (kept 30 + pounds off for at least three years) that their brains are more “in control” when it comes to inhibiting implusive eating behaviors, whereas obese participants were more likely to act (eat) when food is put in front of them. 

What an exciting revelation to think that healthy, low-calorie eating doesn’t happen overnight.  It takes practice to master overeating.  Like Malcolm Blackwell talks about in his book, Outliers, mastery of anything takes at least 10,000 hours of practice.  With 365  24-hour days in a year, that’s  8,760 hours in a year (however, the time is cut in half when you consider that we are only awake half of those hours).  So that’s more than a year of steady practice.  So it’s no wonder that these brief  on-again, off-again diets don’t work.  The consistent practice of balancing calories in with calories out and eating whole, unprocessed foods for snacks and meals is never truly mastered, if you don’t put in the practice (and train your brain) to eat well. 

Practice eating well today – it’s a brain-altering step in the right direction…

My dearest friend in the world is having a special birthday next week — yes, she’ll be 4-0.  What that means for me  is that I am not far behind with a mere 3 months of 30-somethingness left!  Not that 40 is a big deal (my kids can’t even fathom what year I am), but it is a magical age in that it ushers in midlife.  It makes me think about eating, of course.  Midlife brings metabolic changes  as hormones begin to communicate in a new way, metabolism slows down and fat can begin to accumulate in places that it never had before.   In other words, we have to eat less to maintain weight and fit into our favorite jeans.  

In order to avoid what I call the “Midlife Metabolic Crisis”, in which you turn around and your waist is up 2 inches, clothes are too tight and elastic waistbands become the norm,  there are some key things to do before it hits:  

1) Eat what you love, but LESS of it.  By not denying yourself, but just taking less you won’t notice the difference (that much!) and you won’t be eating as many calories.  Split portions in half and save the rest for later or the next day.   

2) Grow UP your eating.  In Hal Edward Runkel’s book, ScreamFree Parenting, he talks about ‘growing yourself up’ to parent more effectively and essentially more calmly.   I equate his concept with what we need to do once we hit 40, grow up when it comes to what you choose to eat.  Try to refine your tastes to include less processed food, less animal-based protein and fat and MORE (what I call Grown Up fare) plants including fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains and vegetable oils.  It’s time to grow up…

3) Savor what you eat.  Take the time to eat mindfully by eating more slowly and really tasting your food.  After 40 years most of us have mastered the act of eating, but the art of eating requires a lot of work and practice.  By paying attention to how you feel when you are eating without judgement, you can become objective to your eating. Pretty soon, you’ll learn to choose food for quality and understand what your body really needs. 

4) Keep the metabolism up with movement.  Activity helps in so many ways; there is research to show that cells benefit, especially in midlife.  The mitochondria or powerhouse of our cells are better powered when we use our muscles regularly.  It makes me want to bike, hike, swim and plain old walk more - maybe that’s one of my ”40 Club” resolutions.

The bottom line is we all get older and that’s not the big deal to me.  What’s on my mind is the growing up that I need to do at this point in my life….:-

In what ways, can you grow up your eating?

What is it about gourmet grocery stores that makes my foodie hairs stand up on the back of my neck?  With the excitement of new culinary discoveries while approaching the doorway to exotic, tasty and nutritious eats, my heart begins to pitter patter and my gastic juices flow in anticipation.  There is something about neat, clean and well-organized rows of vegetable oils from avocado to sunflower to extra-virgin olive; bottles of vinegar with delicate hues ranging from deep black to red t0 orangey-brown to clear; buckets of large, small and stuffed olives from different regions of the world wait to be scooped out and taken home for a fabulous heart healthy accompaniment to your next meal. 

Food is a universal passion for patrons of gourmet markets.  As I was admiring the wall of marvelously stinky cheeses and vats of olives at this fabulous urban gourmet grocer, I chatted it up with a food-loving, locavore couple with a similar passion for fresh, local and delicious tasting food for their family and community.  It is amazing how an appetite for good food and the search for new tastes and flavors brings people together - even if for a brief moment.  We are all part of this gastronomic human condition that appreciates the smell of freshly baked artisan breads, the sight of colorful fruit-filled tarts and flavor-infused chocolates and the possibility of creating culinary combinations that both nourish and sustain our well-being.  In our world of abundance sometimes tasting isn’t even necessary – imagination is the only thing required, especially when you are immersed in a fabulous food environment. 

Does where you buy your food make a difference to you? I’d love to know….

A bowl of pasta shared with friends always makes me feel better!  It’s rainy and dreary in Chicago today, but when I popped over to my friend’s house and she whipped up a chunky tomato sauce with basil and onions and poured it over whole wheat penne  and served it up to our hungry kids and me  - we were in a warm, sunny place!  Food has a comforting, social quality that I love.  We chatted about how if you serve pasta in a bowl, preferably a small one, it’s even better — as you don’t eat as much, but you feel just as satisfied on LESS.  Thanks for controlling my portion, my friend.   You know I wanted seconds, but I was MORE than content…        

I love September; it offers a fresh start with back-to-school time, wardrobes being revamped and comfort foods taking center stage. Who doesn’t savor the flavors of warm apple crisp, homemade pumpkin bread and creamy bean soup at this time of year?  Celebrate the season by making healthy foods a priority for the next month.  Check out your local grocery store or food coop for some new and exciting selections.  Aim for adding one new fruit, vegetable or grain every week for the next four.  Keep a log of the new foods and highlight which ones you liked, didn’t like and why.   If  you have added at least four new foods to your life – that’s a good thing.  

SEPTEMBER LIVINGWELL LESSONS:

• Fiber It Up: Add more fiber to your meals and snacks by choosing whole foods whenever possible.  So add whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds to your day.  Counting grams of fiber does not have to happen (you know you need about 30 grams a day) if you are always choosing unprocessed foods – so say goodbye to white bread, white rice, and white flour products and your body will thank you later.
• Drizzle It On:  Think of how sleek and sophisticated it is to drizzle – specifically when we talk about olive oil.  Olive oil, particularly the cold-pressed extra virgin variety, imparts a delicate, succulent flavor to everything from salad greens to pasta to seafood.  The unsaturated fats found in olive oil are full of heart-healthy properties that when eaten regularly have been shown to improve the quality of people’s lives. So indulge in this liquid lipid – not too much as there are120 calories per tablespoon, and savor the flavor of health.     

Featured Food of the Month: Apples

My favorite thing to do in September is to pack up my kids and go apple picking.  With a whole host of delicious apple varieties to choose from we are not at a loss for mouth-watering creations.  From Rome to Honey Crisp to Golden Delicious to Jonagold, the possibilities for chunky apple sauce, cinnamon-baked apples, crisp apple tarts to caramel apples make me smile.  Not only will it be good for your taste buds, but research has shown that an apple a day can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reduce risk for Alzheimer’s disease and stave off certain types of cancer.  So enjoy the harvest of the season – it’s for good reason!   

Have any fun, healthy lunchbox ideas?  I’d love to blog about YOU.

Ok, so all this talk about food and no eating -  what gives?!  I’ve heard that so many times as I’ve covorted in the conversational bog of savory, scrumptious, explosive food.   Without a fork, spoon or plate in front of me – the instruments of eating may not be available, but the most important, non-tangible component of eating, the mind is alive and devouring the culinary possibilities.  By talking about ways to concoct familiar dishes in a healthier, lower calorie way, my thoughts are always consumed with ways to cook for my family of four: two discerning toddlers and a husband that prefers meat over vegetables – but will eat most veggies, thank god!   

For this summer, I am making meals that include herbs from my garden:  rosemary, chives, basil, dill and cilantro. 

Tonight was Smokey Paprika Black Bean Chili with Cilantro. Easy to make and my kids loved with a dollop or two of plain low-fat yogurt (great substitute for sour cream). 

Tomorrow feels like a rosemary day.  Hummmm…..such options!