Second Chance Foods

So last week I listed foods that I once thought I couldn't live without. In part two, I've made a list of foods that I tried for the first time or gave a second chance to in the past ten years and found that I now like them.

image from cyclonebill on wikimedia commons

• hummus
• artichoke
• edamame
• tilapia
• salmon
• sweet peppers
• asparagus (tolerate)
• mushrooms
• blueberries
• raspberries
• blackberries
• tofu
• kalamata olives
• dark chocolate

There's probably more that I just haven't thought about yet, but I think this is a testament to giving new foods a try or old foods a second try, because your tastes can change. Plus every food on this list has nutritional benefits... you just don't want to eat tooooo much of the last one.

©2011 Memo To My Health. Please do not republish our content without notifying us and getting permission.

Living With Less of the Food I Thought I Couldn't Live Without

This one will be a two parter. I decided to make lists of foods my relationship with which my relationship has changed over roughly the past ten years. This first list is foods I used to think I would never stop eating but have now either completely cut out or severely reduced in my regular eating.

image from Wikimedia Commons

• sour cream
• butter
• cream cheese
• mayo
• regular (cow milk-based) ice cream
• cheese on a daily basis
• beef
• sugar
• salad dressings

Sour cream used to be a big one. I wouldn't eat a taco, fajita, or quesadilla without it. Nowadays I don't even consider it. I think I realized the ingredients that were underneath it really taste good all on their own. I don't miss it at all. My digestive system (and probably my arteries) feels much better after making these changes.

©2011 Memo To My Health. Please do not republish our content without notifying us and getting permission.

Happy Meals Get Appley

If you haven't heard, several days ago fast-food chain McDonalds announced that they were cutting back on the amount of fries offered in their Happy Meals and adding apples starting this September.

A couple days later on the radio news quiz show, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, they joked that it's a great way to show your kids how much better fries taste than apples.

image from Wikimedia Commons

While that joke will probably be true for some people, it feels like McDonalds may be taking a step in the right direction. Recently they had been offering apples as an option in the meals, but you had to ask for them. And then when you got them they served them with caramel dipping sauce. I don't know the nutritional specifics on the fries/caramel sauce comparison, but I have a feeling it was negligible. Plus WebMD reports that only 11% of Happy Meal purchasers chose the apples with the sauce.

Now the apples will be naked and you can even have two packages and no fries (although again you have to know to ask). I have to wonder, though, how many of those apple packages will end up in the garbage. I'd hope not a lot but there are many stubborn kids out there.

But this whole thing isn't as simple as just a step in the right direction. You also have to wonder if it's a big enough step. They say these new Happy Meals will have about 20% fewer calories than the ones out now. It's only an ounce less of fries though. And the apple offering is even smaller than what they have with the ridiculous caramel sauce now (8 to 10 slices now versus 3 to 5 in the new setup). Plus Happy Meals still come with soda (which you can get other options, but again have to ask).

Yet... this is fast food we're talking about - having it be healthy, that's not going to be widely accepted overnight.

©2011 Memo To My Health. Please do not republish our content without notifying us and getting permission.

Getting in the Fruits & Veggies When Eating Out

Are you getting enough fruits and veggies?

Hmmm. How do I know? Well, remember when I posted about the new My Plate guide to eating (replacing the food pyramid)? And remember how it said about 30% of your plate (eating) should be veggies and 20% should be fruits?

Well now you do. Do you find that's sometimes harder to do when you go out to eat? Fruits&Veggies More Matters has some tips on how to get in more fruits & veggies when eating out.

I do go the salad route a fair amount of the time. You just have to be careful with the dressings. Some are healthier options than others. You can always ask for it on the side though and then control how much is put on your salad - or just leave it off entirely. I've actually ordered that way only to forget to put any on at all. And you know what? It's good. The vegetables and what not in your salad have a yummy taste all of their own. Ten years ago I never would have thought a salad could taste good without dressing, but now I know.

And as for the choosing a fruit or veggie side when it's an option - I actually only do this about 50% of the time. The other half I choose the potato product. This is because I do not really make many potato products at home and I do not eat out that often, so it's my chance at a potato (which have potassium by the way). Just don't always eat them fried or covered in sour cream.

©2011 Memo To My Health. Please do not republish our content without notifying us and getting permission.

Five Ways to Well-Being

photo from Meghana Kulkarni via Wikimedia Commons

So the other day I was watching Nic Marks' 2010 TED Conference presentation, The Happy Planet Index. This index is something he developed that's meant to measure human well-being and environmental impact and he discusses how people in the financially wealthiest countries may not necessarily also be the happiest. It's all fairly interesting and I'll provide a link up at the end of this memo, but what really got me about the whole talk was the Five Ways to Well-Being.

The five ways were identified during a research project nef (the new economics foundation) worked on for the UK government. All five are supposed to be evidence-based and easy to incorporate into your daily life. And they are....

1. Connect
2. Be Active
3. Take Notice
4. Keep Learning
5. Give

They're fleshed out some more on nef's website, but they're all pretty straight forward. And taking stock, I really do feel better when I'm doing any of the five things - whether it's working out, catching up with a friend, appreciating the warmth of the sun, working with a charity, or doing some research of my own. But when you're aware that these things make you feel good, you can strive to include more of them in your life and theoretically, be a happier person. And when you're feeling happy, you tend to have less health problems.

Feel free to learn more (it's #4):
The official list w/ pretty presentation: http://www.neweconomics.org/projects/five-ways-well-being
Nic Marks' presenter profile w/ link to video of his presentation in the upper right: http://www.ted.com/speakers/nic_marks.html

©2011 Memo To My Health. Please do not republish our content without notifying us and getting permission.