She's A Betty

Seven Reasons You Eat Too Much

Check out this slide show of factors behind overeating.  Part of Time's The Science of Appetite feature (which also has the much-blogged-about slide show "What The World Eats").

Diet & Fitness Links: 05/11/07

As you know, I'm toning up for summer.  Here are some cool fitness-related links:

• Use vintage plates & lose weight.

• Models are fat on the inside.

• We have low ceilings, so I like this ropeless jump rope.  Of course, without the rope, aren't you just jumping up and down?

• Prevention has a lot of great, free information online (diet advice, recipes, & exercise routines).

• Fascinating New York Times article on the genetic nature of fat.  An excerpt:

fat people who lost large amounts of weight might look like someone who was never fat, but they were very different. In fact, by every metabolic measurement, they seemed like people who were starving.

The obese study participants referenced above lost 100 pounds for the study, and most gained it all back.  However, those who stayed thin:

made staying thin their life’s work, becoming Weight Watchers lecturers, for example, and, always, counting calories and maintaining themselves in a permanent state of starvation. (Link)

Awful, but interesting (although I have some serious questions about the study's validity--the way the participants lost weight is extremely problematic). Read the full article here; the article is an excerpt of Gina Kolata's new Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss.

Cooking Light: Sesame Noodles & Tuscan Tuna Sandwiches

Cooking Light is my favorite food magazine.  The recipes are healthy, good, and practical--perfect for day-to-day cooking.   For non-subscribers, the recipes are also available online; here, two recent successes:

Tuscan Tuna Sandwiches: Big thumbs-up from everyone.  Easy & fast to make.

Tweaks: I chopped the red onion fresh, then rinsed it under cold water to take the edge off.  Instead of 2 cans tuna in water and 2 tbsps of oil, I used 2 cans tuna in olive oil, well-drained.  I also used celery instead of fennel, and sliced wheat bread instead of sourdough (a nice, crusty baguette would be better still).  I cut the celery, roasted red pepper, and red onion very fine.  Finally, the excellent lemon came courtesy my granddad.  There's something to be said for using off-the-vine/tree/etc. produce.

BTW, those plates were $3 ea. at T.J. Maxx.  Just pay in cash.

Sesame Noodles with Broccoli: Again, everyone loved this.  It's vegetarian, and no one complained about the lack of meat (and they always complain).  However, the flavor seemed slightly off to me, and a look at the Cooking Light boards confirms that feeling. 

Basically, this would be a good recipe to experiment with.  I believe a few crucial tweaks are all that separate this dish from greatness.

Possible tweaks: Definitely more chili paste.  Maybe cut back on the tahini (or substitute peanut butter), and add more garlic and ginger.  I also think I'd prefer it served cold, with extra vegetables (but be sure to put the sauce on just before serving).  Other ideas?

Drink Rooibos Tea

Rooibos (roy-boss) is a South African tisane, or herbal tea.  Since 2005, rooibos has earned a larger presence on US grocery shelves due to its healthy reputation.  Rooibos:

• has no caffeine
• has very low tannin levels
• is naturally sweeter than other teas, so requires less sugar.  Also, children are more likely to drink it.
• is antioxidant rich.  New studies favorably compared rooibos with green tea for potential cancer-fighting ability.
• may have anti-inflammatory properties.  South Africans use it to treat infant colic, digestive problems, asthma, eczema (when applied topically), and a host of other ailments. However, no clear scientific evidence exists yet for these benefits.
  

Personally, I get sweet cravings, and I also suffer from insomnia.  Sweet, caffeine-free rooibos seemed like the perfect solution.  So I tried Celestial Seasonings Moroccan Pomegranate Red Rooibos Tea.  Aside from the monkey and the equally unnecessary short story (pick up a box, you'll see what I mean), I like it.

The taste is sweet and fruity, more like a low-key sports drink than a true tea.  The fruitiness started to grate after awhile, although that's probably the blend.  As for the anti-inflammatory properties, I don't know yet, but I did feel relaxed and happy while drinking it.

Buy loose rooibos tea online at Adagio.  Celestial Seasoning rooibos teas can be purchased at regular grocery stores (I purchased mine at Target).  Also, both Snapple and Honest Tea have bottled rooibos blends.

Marie Claire's Total Body Reboot

Back in March, I started a diet & fitness post series to help you (and by you, I mean me) get in shape for summer life.  Since then, I've posted 3 Friday Fudges and zero Diet & Fitness posts.  Umm, yeah...

In retrospect, part of my attraction to those retro swim caps is that people cannot stare at your bizarre swim cap and your ass at the same time.  They have to choose, and the flowered cap always wins.

That said, change is in the air.  One thing I've started doing is this 12-step Marie Claire workout.  I'm not a fan of magazine workouts, but this one's easy to follow, effective, and doesn't require much equipment (hand weights).  Definitely worth a look.

Summer Diet Series: Eat This, Not That

We're doing a post series on healthy ways to get sleek for summer.  Keep track of all subsequent related posts by visiting our Diet & Fitness category; we also have healthy recipes in our Food & Drink section.

It's weird being both a fashion lover and a "live-to-eat" kind of girl.  That's why I like the "Eat This, Not That" type of article--why eat three cookies when you could have a whole canary melon?   [I'd rather have the cookies too.  But it's good to know.]

So I was delighted with Glamour's "Calorie Math: Healthier Alternatives" slideshow.  It consists of 15 slides, each featuring an unhealthy meal & a healthy alternative.  Above is a thumbnail of one of the healthy meals (Slide 3--believe it or not, a 6 oz slab of roasted prime rib has an equal amount of calories).  Go to Glamour's site for the full feature.

One more thing--my dad tried Relacore (one of the rotating diet ads in our right column), and it did not work for him.  What did work?  Diet & exercise.