Holiday Eating Out: Don’t Be a Fast Food Giant

Posted by on Jul 1, 2011 in Blog | 1,860 comments

Eating out this holiday weekend, or anytime during the summer, the familiar and cheap can be alluring. Even the giants of fast food don’t have to be huge digressions from your commitment to eating healthily, if you are an educated consumer. Here are some things to keep in mind when perusing the fast food menus: Arby’s Think Twice About: A small Curly fries has 450 calories , 210 from fat! The numbers for the steakhouse onion rings are almost identical. Just two potato cakes will give you 250 calories, 140 from fat (15 g). The...

read more

Eating out While Traveling: Ethnic Foods

Posted by on Jun 24, 2011 in Blog | 1,054 comments

It’s summertime! Whether on family vacation stateside, or traveling to far off lands, ethnic food can be a real treat. However, it can also pack on the pounds even faster than normal holiday eating. Here are some things to think twice about, and some L.E.A.N.-er options to keep you on your path to healthy eating choices: Cajun Think Twice About: Hush puppies, fried seafood, gumbos, etouffee sauces, blackened fish and dirty rice. L.E.A.N. Options: creoles, jumbalayas, boiled crawfish, boiled shrimp, white rice. Chinese Food Think Twice...

read more

Best, Healthy Hotels for Summer Travel

Posted by on Jun 10, 2011 in Blog | 1,074 comments

Summer time is upon us. Will you travel with your family? Business travel scheduled during the sizzling summer? What hotels are doing the right things for their patrons? Within the last few years, USA Today published an article showcasing those hotels that are providing lighter options for its patrons. Among those quoted, Starwood Hotels, (whose brands include Sheraton, Westin and W) reported it was eliminating all trans fat at its 400 plus hotels in North America and the Caribbean. Similarly, Marriott, Loews, Hampton’s, Red Lion and...

read more

L.E.A.N. Guide Ahead of the USDA

Posted by on Jun 3, 2011 in Blog | 281 comments

When I wrote my book last year, I recommended a plate portioning model for eating, referring to the image above, from the American Diabetic Association. What a surprise that the USDA has finally caught up and has ditched the food pyramid and from now on will be promoting the following: The first line of defense in eating L.E.A.N. is to try to eat a balanced diet. Remember, I don’t believe in “diet” as a verb, I mean this in terms of the variety and amounts of what you eat. Despite the claims of several fad diets, we do need carbs in...

read more

Fighting the Hunger Demons

Posted by on May 27, 2011 in Blog | 2,954 comments

The biggest enemy of anyone trying to better their health and eating is hunger. There are a variety of situations that can lead to irregular eating, but if you allow yourself to get over-hungry, your ability to make appropriate food choices is compromised. It’s the old joke about shopping while hungry. It’s actually sound advice! Similar to making decisions while drinking alcohol – when you are too hungry, your judgment is impaired. You buy more than you need and make spur of the moment decisions because something catches your...

read more