What You See Is What You Eat?

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Dr. Jennifer Lovejoy

Have you ever found yourself sitting in front of the TV in the evening and getting hungry, even though you ate a satisfying dinner? Or standing in line in a coffee shop with every intention of simply getting a nonfat latte but by the time you walk past the pastry cabinet, you decide you have to have a scone, too? Well, a new study sheds light on what may be going on with these common experiences. http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/oby2011385a.html

You may have heard about the hunger hormone, ghrelin, which is produced in the stomach and increases right before breakfast, lunch, and dinner, triggering our desire to eat. The hormonal signals from ghrelin provoke multiple changes in our brain chemistry, increasing appetite and maybe even causing food cravings.

In a new study, Dr. Petra Schussler and her colleagues from the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, Germany demonstrate that simply seeing pictures of food causes levels of ghrelin to rise. Volunteers in the study were fed a good breakfast at 8:30am and then, around 10:30 am, they were shown a series of pictures. One group was shown neutral pictures of non-food items, and the other group was shown pictures of tasty savory and sweet foods. Ghrelin levels in the blood were measured every 30 minutes from the start of the study until the volunteers were fed lunch at noon. The researchers found that the group that was shown pictures of food had significantly higher levels of ghrelin, which increased immediately after they saw the pictures. Previous research has even shown that ghrelin can hit us in our wallets – when researchers injected volunteers with ghrelin, they were more likely to purchase food items than if they received an injection of water. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110712094044.htm

So, now imagine the evening TV scenario in the context of what is likely happening in your body. You’ve eaten a good dinner so your ghrelin levels are low and you don’t feel hungry. Turn on the TV to watch your favorite show and here come the pictures – commercial after commercial showing cheesy pizza, juicy burgers, and tasty desserts. Your ghrelin levels (which normally wouldn’t start to increase again until right before breakfast) start to rise in response to seeing images of foods. Suddenly, you feel hungry…hmmmm, maybe that dinner wasn’t so filling after all and I need a snack!

So, now that you know that advertisers are literally manipulating your physiology, what can you do to make sure you stick to your calorie goals? Apart from just unplugging the TV, here are a couple ideas:

Vote with your remote: Every time a food commercial comes on, change the channel. (Unfortunately just muting the commercials won’t work because you’ll still see the images!)
Develop your ability to detect true, physical hunger: This is a skill that needs time and practice so you can call on it when you need it. When you stay mindful and aware of what physical hunger feels like, you’ll know that you are not really hungry when your stomach is still full of dinner (regardless of what your brain is signaling!)
“Close” the kitchen after meals: After you’ve washed up your dishes and wiped your counters, turn out the lights and tell yourself that the kitchen is “off limits” until it’s time to prepare your next meal or planned snack. I once had a patient who literally put a “Kitchen Closed” sign up – whatever works!
Keep your motivators and core values handy: Remembering that you want to lose weight to improve a health condition, so that you have more energy, or so your knees don’t hurt when you play with your kids is a great defense against those pastry displays!

Remember, while there are plenty of environmental forces that promote overeating and inactivity, ultimately we are the ones who have the power to make choices that support our health and values. We don’t have to blame food companies, we just have to make sure we are aware of the pressures that affect us and feel empowered to make choices that support us.

About the author:

Dr. Jennifer Lovejoy is the Vice President of Clinical Development & Support at Alere Wellbeing – www.alerewellbeing.com. She holds a Ph.D. in BioPsychology from Emory University and completed postdoctoral training in Endocrinology and Metabolism at Emory University School of Medicine, where she specialized in obesity and diabetes research. Dr. Lovejoy’s clinical research program has been funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the American Diabetes Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and NASA. She maintains adjunct faculty appointments at Bastyr University and University of Washington School of Public Health, has published over 50 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, over 15 chapters and review articles, and is a frequent speaker on obesity and nutrition at national and international conferences. She is the immediate Past-President of the Obesity Society.

More Great Recipes from Sweetness Without Sugar

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Wendy Vigdor-Hess

We are proud to share another recipe from Sweetness Without Sugar, courtesy of author Wendy Vigdor-Hess, RD. Enjoy!

Shake Awake

1 cup unsweetened dairy-free, gluten-free milk (e.g. hemp, rice, almond, coconut)

1 scoop Sun Warrior Protein® Chocolate or Natural

1-2 Tbsp flax oil

1 packet Amazing Grass® wheatgrass

3 pitted dates

Liquid stevia to taste

Optional: Maca powder for a “malty” taste or a dash of cinnamon or a hint of ginger. This shake works well with added fruit too such as ½ frozen banana or ½ cup berries. In the colder months our bodies may prefer warmer foods, leaving the frozen choices for summer. Use your body as a guide and see what works for you and your family.

Photo credit: Sraddha Van Dyke

Blend ingredients together for a delightful pick me up. If it is too thick for you, add some filtered water.
Adding greens to smoothies is a great way to get extra phytonutrients.

Wendy Vigdor-Hess, RD has been a lover of sweets since birth. As a nutritionist, educator, speaker and consultant for nearly 18 years, she passionately spreads the message that addressing challenges through diet is an important key to a healthy and happy life.

www.vigdorhess.com www.SweetnessWithoutSugar.com

Sweetness Without Sugar

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Wendy Vigdor-Hess

As we embark on the “season of sweetness,” some easy ideas for nutritive desserts may be helpful. You are likely already a believer in the importance of removing artificial sweeteners and refined sugar from your diet. Being a sweet lover myself, I like to have ingredients on hand that I can whip something up easily that satisfies and nourishes at the same time.

Click Image to Purchase Your Copy for the Holidays!

Though sugar cravings can indicate blood sugar imbalance, dehydration, a need for more protein or an emotional response, sometimes we ARE balanced and just want something sweet.

Pick and choose from the following list of ingredients for those times when a little something is needed and keep these staples on hand:

Unrefined coconut oil
Raw cacao (A.K.A chocolate)
Nut and seed butters (e.g. Hemp seed butter, almond butter, macadamia nut butter, sunflower butter)
Dates
Liquid stevia; can use plain or choose flavored varieties from SweetLeaf® (e.g. Vanilla Crème) Note: Be sure to choose from brands containing only stevioside such as NuNaturals® or SweetLeaf®.
Chia seeds
Sun Warrior Protein® powder (available in Vanilla, Chocolate and Natural)
Peaceful Planet® protein powder (Incan blend mixture)
Hemp seeds
Shredded, unsweetened and unsulphured coconut
Dried, sulfite-free, fruit
Wheatgrass powder (e.g. Amazing Grass® has individual packets for sale)

A category of easy desserts includes bon bons. Bon bons meet some important goals:

They require few ingredients.
All ingredients can be mixed together in one bowl.
They are a little messy but fun for adults and kids of all ages.
Easy clean up (especially if some “batter” is nibbled off of fingers while preparing).
Easy to grab and go for a treat at home or “on the run.”
To make easy combinations, choose 3-4 ingredients from the above list of ingredients to mix together for a serving of yum. Balancing healthy fat and protein along with the sweetness helps to balance blood sugar while providing you with your desired sweet taste.

Here is a recipe for “Nut Balls” from my book, Sweetness without Sugar:

½ cup ground almonds, walnuts, cashews or pecans (can use store-bought flours e.g. almond flour/meal)

½ cup unsweetened, unsulphured, shredded organic coconut

¾ cup Sun Warrior Protein or ¼ plus 1/8 cup Nutribiotic Rice Protein

½ cup unsalted and unsweetened almond, cashew or sesame butter (e.g. almond butter or tahini); I often use a combination such as ¼ cup almond butter plus ¼ cup tahini.

¼ cup unsweetened organic canned coconut milk (use more or less to suit your taste and consistency preferences)

½ cup dried blueberries (unsweetened, corn-syrup and sugar-free)

6-10 Tbsp brown rice syrup or yacon syrup or 5 drops liquid stevia (or to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Use a spoon to mix until the combination stays together. Add more coconut milk to suit your taste and texture preferences.
Scoop into balls using a heaping teaspoon. Optional: sprinkle with shredded coconut or raw cacao.

Note: If you are sensitive to nuts, use sunflower or pumpkin seed spreads.

Makes: 32 balls

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serving size: 2 balls

Calories: 170; Total fat 10g; Saturated fat 3 g; Protein 7 g; cholesterol and trans-fat free.

www.vigdorhess.com www.SweetnessWithoutSugar.com

Eat Tasty Food and Soothe your Stomach

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Ashley Srokosz

I think we’ve all heard of the idea of using food as medicine, but let’s be honest, doesn’t that sound like you’ll be eating concoctions that have the texture of hay? If you have Celiac disease, food allergies, diabetes, are trying to lose weight, or just want to eat healthier, aren’t you sick of eating foods that are “good” for you but taste like hockey pucks?

Part of eating healthy isn’t just what you are eating, but how you feel when you eat it. As someone with multiple food allergies, I completely understand that even though I should feel like a saint while I’m eating my gluten free, dairy free, flavor free, packed with nutrition but totally tasteless chicken salad at lunch, in reality I’m totally jealous of my friend who gets to have her piece of chocolate cake for dessert (and eat it too!) She may be eating something “bad” for her, but I bet she feels pretty darn good while she enjoys it. This is a key piece that’s missing in a “limited” diet … the feel-good factor.

Well, guess what? You can eat foods that will help heal and soothe your digestive tract, and it can be the most fantastic food that has ever passed your lips (obviously, Zing Bars are a fine example of this!) My mission in life is to make people who can eat whatever they want, with no restrictions, be utterly jealous of my meals, instead of the other way around.

Try introducing the following three foods that can help soothe your gut, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the flavor party that will be happening in your mouth:

Fresh ginger: Used for centuries as a digestive tonic, ginger is essential for reducing nausea, and soothing an upset stomach, or an irritated digestive tract. Ginger can be steeped in hot water for a soothing tea, or added to meals for a somewhat spicy zing. You’ll find it fresh in the produce section of your local grocery store.

Turmeric: This is a time-tested remedy that is ideal for anyone with gut issues, as it has strong anti-inflammatory properties. This spice is most often found in curry powders, and has a warm, gentle flavor. I always add extra turmeric to any recipes that call for curry powder, since it doesn’t overwhelm any other flavors, but adds a significant soothing effect.

Coconut milk and coconut oil: These are really two separate powerhouse foods from the same nut. Coconut oil makes a fabulous butter replacement for anyone who can’t tolerate dairy products, and is the one oil that I recommend for moderately high heat cooking, since it doesn’t break down at these temperatures (think damage to your body!) like other oils can. Coconut milk is super easy to digest, especially for people with a compromised digestive system, who need all the nutrition that they can get.

Great, you’ve got your list and are ready to go shopping, but how do you magically introduce all these foods when you haven’t used them before? Do you really think I would leave you hanging like that? Check out the fantastic recipe below that has all three ingredients. It’s also gluten free, dairy free, egg free, happens to be vegan, and is full of flavor.

Coconut Cashew Curry

Serves 4

Prep time: 30 minutes (longer if cooking brown rice)

3 tsp coconut oil

2 carrots, chopped into thin coin shapes or half moons

1 red pepper, chopped approximately the same size as the carrot

1 medium onion, chopped (I prefer red onion, but use whatever you have)

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 fresh jalapeno peppers (use less or more to adjust spice level to your taste)

2 tsp curry powder

2 tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp chili powder

1 can unsweetened, organic coconut milk

1 cup unsalted, toasted cashews

2 cups fresh spinach

A handful of fresh basil leaves, torn into smaller pieces

1-inch piece of fresh ginger (less or more as desired)

1. Start cooking whatever you want as a side dish, which is usually rice. I highly recommend using brown rice or quinoa for extra nutrition. This will cook while you work on the curry.

2. When preparing the jalapeno peppers (if using any), split them open lengthwise. Remove the white insides and the seeds if you want less heat, or include them if you want more heat. Mince into very small pieces so you don’t end up with a huge chunk of spicy jalapeno.

3. In a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium heat, add the coconut oil. Once melted, add the carrots and the red pepper to the pan, and cook for about five minutes until they start to soften.

4. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, curry, turmeric, salt and chilli powder to the pan with the carrot and pepper, and continue cooking for another couple minutes until the kitchen smells fantastic (and yes, like curry).

5. Add the coconut milk, and stir until all the spices are combined evenly. Reduce the heat so that the coconut milk is slowly bubbling, and let cook until the carrots are fully softened and the coconut milk has thickened, which will take about 10-15 minutes.

6. When the curry is thickened to your desired texture, add in the cashews, spinach, the torn basil leaves, and grate in the ginger. Stir to combine everything. For the ginger, I like to use my microplane grater, which grates it very fine, but if all you have is a box grater, that will work too! Make sure to add in all the delicious ginger juice that may be released when you grate it.

7. Let the curry cook for another minute, so that the spinach can wilt down and the ginger has a chance to mellow out.

8. Serve over the rice or quinoa that you’ve prepared, and sit back to receive compliments on your delicious meal!

Ashley Srokosz, HBSC, RHN, is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist based out of Chatham, Ontario, Canada. After learning how to live with her own food allergies to wheat and gluten, dairy, and eggs, she now coaches other people with food allergies or Celiac disease on how to make the transition to an allergy-free life. Ashley loves to share tips and tricks, review allergy-free foods (like Zing Bars!) and restaurants, and any other tidbits on living allergy-free on her website www.lovewhatyoueat.ca

The First Annual Food Day

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Sandi

It’s Food Day today. You can officially say that you were around for the very first Food Day. I figured you might have some questions about this new concept so here’s the lowdown.

What might you ask is “Food Day”?

It is a nationwide campaign sponsored by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which is a nonprofit group that has led successful campaigns for food labeling, better nutrition, and safer food. Like CSPI, Food Day does not accept funding from government or corporations.

Okay good. But what is the point of Food Day?

I went to www.foodday.org and loved the mission statement that I found there.

Food Day’s goal is nothing less than to transform the American diet—to inspire a broad movement involving people from every corner of our land who want healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way. In other words, we want America to eat real. We want to get Americans cooking real food for their families again. We want fewer people at drive-throughs and bigger crowds at farmers markets. We want to celebrate fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy whole grains—and to support the local farms and farmers that produce them. We want all Americans—regardless of their age or income or geographic location—to be able to select healthy diets and avoid obesity, heart disease, and other diet-related conditions.

So can you tell me what the driving principles are?

Food Day 2011 has five key priorities:

Promote healthier foods so fewer people get diet related diseases
Support sustainable farms and stop subsidizing agribusiness
Expand access to food so people aren’t hungry
Reform factory farms to protect animals and the environment
Curb junk-food marketing to kids

I like it. But what does it have to do with me?

People who care about our food supply are coming together throughout the country at Food Day events. People like author Michael Pollan to chef Dan Barber to academics like Kelly Brownell to me are attending or creating Food Day events. It’s a real grassroots initiative.

I just heard about this today. How can I participate?

There are lots of options:

Go to Foodday.org, click on your location on the map and see what Food Day events are happening.
Cook a healthy, whole foods dinner with your family and talk about any concerns you have about food supply issues. Foodday.org has plenty of resources to get you thinking.
Host a spontaneous potluck with some friends and neighbors and eat some healthy food together.
Donate some nutritious food items to your local food bank.
Visit your local farmers market.
Share a yummy healthy recipe with a friend.
Take 5 minutes to think about how you can incorporate some local, sustainable food choices into your diet.

Our family is going to cook a hearty soup for dinner and we’re going to chat about where the ingredients came from and the people who made our dinner possible.

Let me know what you do for Food Day. And have a great one!

Sandi’s Dietary Leap – Part II

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Sandi

My three week real foods challenge is done. Yes, I ate whole foods for three weeks. And thanks to www.deliciousplanet.com, the food I was eating was delicious. Morning glory muffins, shiitake mushroom stirfries, scrumptious salads. I did not feel deprived for a moment. And that’s saying a lot for a girl who has a seriously sweet tooth. I was not perfect – a few handfuls of corn chips were consumed – but the vast majority of my diet was veggies, fruits, legumes and whole grains.

I am feeling significant benefits.

My energy is higher. I still am tired at the end of the day (which I would expect after a full day of kids and work) but I have consistent energy throughout the day and am not feeling like I need to reach for chocolate during my afternoon meetings.

My moods are more stable. I am less irritable even when I am tired and my husband is describing me as “more even keeled”.

Food is more flavorful. Nectarines taste sweet and veggies are so much more appealing than when I am eating too many sugary, high fat foods.

So how am I going to sustain these benefits? Well, here’s the plan.

A girlfriend and I are trying to support each other in eating more whole foods. I found some recipes, she grocery shopped and bought over the groceries and in 90 minutes we made five salads (while our kids played). So we now have in the refrigerator edamame and carrot salad, black bean and corn salad, cucumber salad, a healthy salmon Caesar salad and a quinoa tabbouleh. Yum!

My hubby has agreed to make two pots of whole grains for the week (like brown rice and millet).

The kids are helping me chop up veggies so they are easy to grab and go.

Just today, I received several marketing emails encouraging me to enroll in “cleanses” or “detox plans”. These typically involve shakes, nutritional supplements, herbal laxatives and other special foods. In fact, if you go to a natural foods store or some pharmacies, you will see significant shelf space devoted to these kinds of items. Of course, these may be helpful for some health conditions and working with your doctor is advisable if you want to do this kind of therapeutic cleanse.

But, if you want to have more energy, fewer sugar cravings, and stable blood sugars – then a whole foods immersion is the way to go. You don’t necessarily need any special (and oftentimes expensive) detox products. Just pump up the whole foods, avoid the processed foods and see how you feel.

I challenge you to give it a try and let me know what you think.

Sandi’s Dietary Leap

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Sandi

I was out walking with a friend of mine that I had not seen for a while and she was telling me about an organic, whole foods program from www.deliciousplanet.com that she had participated in for three weeks during the spring. She is a mainly healthy eater but felt like she had fallen into what she called a “sugar rut” and was feeling less energized than she would have liked.

This three week meal delivery program included meals and snacks and had the following features: Gluten free (perfect for me with my celiac disease), sugar free (but with no artificial sweeteners) and vegan (there was also an animal protein option). She talked about how much she had enjoyed the food and how much more energized she felt at the end of the three weeks. She dared me, her dietitian friend, to give it a try.

I was intrigued but also resistant. So I made a list of pros and cons.

On the pro side:

Meals and snacks just for me delivered to my door for three weeks. A working mom’s dream come true.
This has been a very busy summer work-wise and I have been grabbing chocolate far too regularly during my 3pm meetings. My health would benefit from less sugar.
I have been cooking less and eating out more (including summer ice cream stops) so I know that a whole foods diet would feel really nourishing right now. I have a long history of eating healthfully but never as healthfully as I will for the next three weeks.
The end of Summer/beginning of Fall is a great time to recalibrate health-wise and I am always up for a challenge.

And on the cons side:

I am not good at feeling deprived. My friend said she felt satisfied at all times with the yummy food but would I feel differently? I don’t want to end up bingeing on cookies at the end of the three weeks (or after week 1).
Will social events feel awkward? We have a good number of those coming up in the next three weeks.
Will it feel strange to eat differently from the rest of the family? Or will this just inspire me to get back to more cooking so the family is eating more healthfully too?

The pros won out and I placed my order. I had a summer birthday and so my husband and I agreed that this would be my birthday present. I know he’s thinking that a more energized wife is a great present for the whole family!

And now its Monday morning and my first food delivery will arrive before noon. The program starts with dinner tonight. I am apprehensive and excited. We are going to our neighbors for dinner this evening and they looked at me a little strangely when I told them that I would be bringing my own food. I am tempted to eat chocolate all day…you know that “last supper” phenomenon…but then I remind myself that this is not a diet but a way to support my health. And that my goal is to emerge from these three weeks having fewer sugar cravings and feeling excited about a healthier diet.

So I am taking a deep breath and diving in. I’ll be blogging at the end of the month about my progress so keep your fingers crossed and I’ll keep you posted.

Gluten Free Happy Hour

Posted on August 31, 2011 by mike

The Zing Crew works hard for you.

It’s 4pm on Friday and work is done. There’s only one more thing left to do.

Have a [Gluten Free] cold one.

Let me back up a moment. When I was diagnosed with celiac disease about 12 years ago (in the gluten free dark ages), there was no such thing as gluten free beer. I was a junior in college and was confronted with a future filled with rum and coke. Not exactly what the cool kids were drinking.

Fast forward to the present day. We have an entire landscape of quality gluten free products available, not the least of which is a tidy offering of gluten free brews.

So in the spirit of your upcoming Labor Day BBQ, we have assembled a selection of GF beers for your consideration. Hey, it’s the least we could do.

A selection of Gluten Free Beers

First up is Greens, which hails from England. We sampled the Tripel Blonde Ale. While priciest by far at $5.47 per bottle, the Greens found some love from Brenda, our Customer Service Manager: “It reminds me of champagne.” We all knew she had expensive taste.

Next up is St. Peter’s Sorghum Beer, also from England. Zing VPs John and Victor liked this one the best, comparing it to an IPA. “Like a real beer,” they opined.

We tried New Grist next. The New Grist is made by Lakefront Brewery, Inc., a microbrewery in Milwaukee, WI. Despite naming the offering from St. Peter’s his favorite, Victor kept coming back to this one. “Light, very fruity, almost like cider,” the group agreed.

Of course, no gluten free beer roundup would be complete without the Redbridge from Anheuser Busch. Personally I found this one to be the most drinkable; perhaps it was the Redbridge’s light flavor or my decade of beer-abstinence. Zing CFO Pat concurred: “You got to take your hat off to Bud.” “I miss the frogs,” mourned Victor.

Last but not least was the Daura by Estrella Damm. The Daura hails from Barcelona, but the seasoned palates in the group detected a Belgian flair. Zing CEO David was drawn to its slightly sour flavor, and proclaimed it as his favorite.

Thanks to each one of these great companies for producing a product that seeks to better serve the people for whom a gluten free lifestyle is mandatory. It’s a great day to be gluten free.

Have a great Labor Day everyone!

The Gentlemen of Zing: John, Mike, David, Pat and Victor

Bread for Thought

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Sandi

I am not a baker. My mom is a wonderful baker but I somehow did not learn that set of skills. So, after a celiac disease diagnosis, I was certainly not first in line to practice gluten free baking. Thank goodness for gluten free brownie mixes from Trader Joes!

However, a month or so ago my husband and I sat down yet again to assess how we could reduce our grocery store spending. We took a close look at what we are buying and one item stood out with large dollar signs – gluten free bread. Between toast for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch, our family was consuming almost a loaf per day of gluten free bread. At an average cost of $4.50 per small loaf, that’s $72 per month on gluten free bread. Talk about a latte factor.
So I decided to bake my own gluten free bread. Did I already mention that I am not a baker?

It was not a successful Sunday afternoon. I borrowed a friend’s Kitchen Aid mixer, followed the apparently foolproof recipe and produced inedible bread. Sigh. That’s not how I am wanting to spend my weekends.

On to Plan B. I started researching bread machines. I am not sure how we functioned before we could type “best gluten free bread machines” into Google and start reading. After much deliberation, I decided on the Zojirushi BB-CEC20. Some bread machines have a specific gluten free cycle (which the Zojirushi does not) but apparently it is more important to have dual kneading blades as gluten free dough can be very hard to mix. I found that out firsthand with the Kitchen Aid mixer as I tried to scrape sticky dough off the blades. I held my breath as I placed the order – it’s a $200 investment – and waited with anticipation for the bread machine to arrive.

Bread Machine

The Zojirushi is black and stainless steel and looks good on the kitchen counter. Which is where it sat for a week while I plucked up the courage to use it. A friend had given us a Gluten Free Pantry bread mix and I decided to use that for my first experiment. The box told me what ingredients to use and I threw them in in the order recommended by the bread machine manual. That took all of five minutes.

I then called the 1-800 number on the manual and reached a lovely customer service representative who patiently helped me to set the gluten free cycle into the memory of the machine. The conversation was comical. Me: “I don’t see the red light you are referring to” Her: “Is the machine plugged in?” Me: “Oh. Good point”.

After a five minute conversation with her, I pressed the start button. My favorite feature of the Zojirushi is the large viewing window. The kids and I peeked in often during the two and a half hours that it took to make the bread. How fun to see it rising and browning!

When the timer beeped, I opened the machine, took out the loaf pan and turned it over. Out popped a hot, crusty loaf of gluten free French bread. After letting it cool slightly, we tasted it. Oh my goodness. Heaven on a plate. With a piece of sliced cheese, and a small glass of wine, I could pretend I was in a park in Paris. The whole family enjoyed it and as it was a big two pound loaf, it lasted twice as long as the gluten free bread I used to buy.

The Zojirushi manual also has gluten free bread recipes which I plan to try. And my hubby brought home a whole grain gluten free bread mix from Bob’s Red Mill which is next in line for baking.

So maybe I am a baker after all. I just needed the Zojirushi bread machine to bring out my talents.

Take the ‘No Fat Talk’ Challenge

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Sandi

I like Royal weddings. I grew up in a former British colony and I have vivid memories of creating scrapbooks of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana’s wedding with my mother and grandmother. This time around, I still appreciated the pomp and circumstance that is present at this kind of occasion.

After the event, I was musing about Princess Diana, Sarah Ferguson and our newest royal, Catherine, and I realized something quite disturbing. All three of these women have been hounded by the press about their body weight. Too fat, too thin, on a diet, off a diet. Sigh. Kate had endless headlines written about her body as if that is all that is of interest about her. Princess Diana stepped into the limelight in 1981 and thirty years later, the headlines about the new royal are the same. I know it is this way with so many celebrities but the pervasiveness of this criticism in our culture does not make it one iota more appropriate.

The term that is often used to describe this kind of body criticism is “fat talk”. Many of us talk this way every day. See if you recognize these examples: “I ate way too much. No dinner for me” or “She’s lost weight. I wonder how she did it” or “He’s gained weight. He looks awful” or “I’d do anything to have thinner thighs”. You can even engage in fat talk without saying a word – you might sigh as you look at yourself in the mirror or roll your eyes at a friend when an overweight woman in a swimsuit walks by.

You may be wondering why this fat talk business is a big deal. You might comment that it is the way you connect with your mom or your daughter or your close friends. It’s what you and your co workers talk about over lunch.

Well, I encourage you to take the NO FAT TALK challenge for just one week and here’s why:

Being critical of yourself or others is not going to inspire positive change
Fat talk encourages us to focus on a person’s appearance, rather than their internal attributes
Fat talk depletes our self confidence and the self esteem of others
Fat talk teaches our kids to think negatively about their bodies
Fat talk is a waste of energy that could be used in so many wonderfully creative ways

So see if for the next week you can avoid media that is involved in fat talk. Let your friends and coworkers know that you will kindly change the subject if weight/diets/unhealthy body image is being discussed. Let your kids hear you say positive things about your body, for example “I am so happy to have strong legs. That’s why I have been able to play baseball with you all afternoon”. Compliment friends on attributes that actually matter – do you feel heard when you are with them? Perhaps you really appreciate how much your mom makes you laugh.

It’s just a one week experiment. I am doing it too. So give it a try, post a comment and let me know how it goes.

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