Home > Healthy Eating > Archives > 2007 > April
April 2007
Diet Vacation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you use your time off as an official “time out” from dieting? Or do you continue watching what you eat and exercising whether you’re at the beach or tromping through a new city?
Hotels and resorts have gone overboard in recent years to add fitness facilities and lighter menu choices for folks who “live on a diet” no matter where they are. I’m on a Crystal Cruise right now with meals served ‘round the clock, including servers holding trays of sandwiches available after dinner. Meanwhile, there’s a yoga instructor and personal trainer on board, too. Every menu comes with lighter suggestions for each course from soup to dessert.
Do I order the broiled fish with lemon or go for the lobster thermidor???? Diet overboard!! What’s your vacation philosophy when it comes to a healthy lifestyle?
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment |
Breakfast in Rome
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today I begin an incredible journey through the cuisines of six countries-Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, Portugal and England. I thought it would be fun to share my taste discoveries and observations along the way as a food lover and a dietitian. As the best selling book by friend Mireille Guilano proclaims, French Women Don’t Get Fat. Well, I am going to enjoy investigating that!
Today I woke up to breakfast in Rome at the lovely and historic Hotel Intercontinental De La Ville Roma. After traveling from Atlanta to Newark to Paris and eventually to Rome arriving yesterday afternoon (you gotta be flexible to use those Skymiles!) I was too exhausted to eat a big dinner last night;so woke up famished.
I decided to order room service to really splurge ( I didn’t want to get dressed and leave the room) and when it arrived on a table draped in fine linens and adorned with a yellow orchid I felt ready for a feast even though I only ordered coffee, croissants, grapefruit juice and a yogurt. The coffee was rich and strong and came with a large container of milk (not cream) so that I could create my own café con leche. The croissants ( I ate three!) were small and delicate flaky. I added some cherry preserves that tasted more of actually cherries than sugar. Another pleasant taste surprise. The grapefruit juice was pleasantly astringent, as if from a fresh squeezed white grapefruit. Too often in the U.S I am disappointed with grapefruit juice that is way too sweet. You can not blame the grapefruit people, they have been losing sales to sweeter drinks so they have changed their formulations. Actually, they have changed the fruit with more naturally sweeter pink and ruby red varieties being produced in favor the of the good old fashioned white grapefruit that makes you pucker your lips. I think the old fashioned kind is more refreshing and happily it is still in style in Rome.
Now on to the yogurt. It is much fun to try things that are different than the way we have them at home. First, it came in a little glass jar, not a plastic container. And the flavor was Peach Gensing! I took one spoonful of this creamy concoction and the next thing I knew the whole thing was gone.
One more cup of delicious coffee and staring at the orchid I thought what a perfect way to start the day. So it is on to the Spanish Steps to do a little stair climbing combined with sightseeing then a long walk to the Coliseum. Can’t wait for dinner tonight. Please tell me some of your observations about the first time you tasted something when you traveled to another country. Do you think U.S. foods are too sweet?
Sugar’s bad rap deserved?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sugar has a bad rap for causing obesity. At 17 calories per teaspoon it’s certainly less caloric than fats which contain twice as much. But, with America’s notorious sweet tooth in full swing many beverages and processed foods contain more sugar than you might guess. So, it’s about quantity of consumption. Even most coleslaw recipes contain sugar. What’s your view on sugar in the food supply? And while you can control the teaspoon you add to your coffee or tea; how do you feel about the amount of sugar added to processed foods and restaurant foods…that you have little or no control over?
Healthy food upcharge?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I was touched by a blog comment posted this week when we were all talking about the issue of whether the rich eat healthier than those with lower incomes. The blogger wrote: “I just wrote a complaint email to Quaker Oats. I bought their Organic Instant Oatmeal for about $1 more than their Regular Insant Oatmeal. I’m usually fine with paying more but in this case ; The boxes are the same exact size Organic or Regular. When I opened the Organic box there was 1/3 fewer packages of oatmeal. How deceptive!!! And what a rip off. I’m going back to the Regular Oatmeal.”
Do any of you know of any other examples where the “healthier” version of the same product costs more? I do remember seeing whole grain frozen waffles once that cost more than the regular frozen waffles. That’s not fair!
Rich eat healthier diet?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
People with lower incomes tend to have poorer quality diets, according to a study of Americans published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Income and education level, and the perceived price of certain foods, impact what Americans eat and the overall diet of the US adult population, according to survey data from a nationally representative group of more than 4300 Americans 20 to 65 years old. Higher socioeconomic groups ate less fat, saturated fat and cholesterol and ate more fiber, fruits and vegetables, and had more calcium in their diet.
Do you think it costs more to eat healthier foods? Certainly fresh produce can be pretty pricey, but canned beans which are good source of fiber and eggs a good source of protein are among the most affordable foods.
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
