weight

This Holiday Season, Get Over the Guilt

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Lia Huber — No Comments ↓

Between Thanksgiving and Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I’m starting to feel gorged in every way. It happens every year for me right as November slides into December: I start to feel almost panicked about the cookies and treats and roasts ahead for the holiday season. I start to feel a sense of gloom–and guilt–that I’m going to roll into the new year 10 pounds heavier than I was at Halloween, which doesn’t feel so merry to me.

When I go there, my first response is to overexert my willpower. I’m sure it’s born of decades of dieting, but I immediately feel like, if I’m going to prevail and not gain weight, then, dang it, I’d better shore myself up for some hefty denial.

But I know better. I learned on my journey towards NOURISH Evolution that denying myself something only made me want it more. In fact, it was only when I removed the ban on foods I enjoyed that I lost weight and kept it off. So nowadays I take a deep breath and remind myself that celebrations are a natural part of being nourished. My job is to make sure I’m mindfully indulging in things like Swiss Chard with Grated Garlic and Braised Kale Tartines with Feta in between the feasts.

In fact, there are a few things I like to do to recalibrate myself in between Thanksgiving and the December holidays, and I’ll be sharing those secrets with members of our Holiday Surthrival Kit.

I find if I’m not mindful about how I approach this time of year, I can feel guilty (when there’s no need to be), frazzled (when a few simple strategies can keep me organized on track) and like an exhausted, prickly mess by the time family arrives on my doorstep.

Truth be told, I created the Holiday Surthrival Kit as much for me (yes, I do use those Meal Grids and day-by-day checklists) as for y’all, although I’ll admit the pretty e-cookbooks (and they are pretty) take it over the top.

Whatever you do, DO spend these weeks in between nurturing yourself and getting prepared, rather than torturing yourself with guilt or depriving yourself. You’ll be in a much better place come the end of December, and a much happier person in the New Year.

Learn to Love Your Vegetables

Posted on May 25, 2010 by Lia Huber — 2 Comments ↓

A few years back, I interviewed Mollie Katzen—the vegetable guru—for a profile in Prevention Magazine and she spoke about a concept that really resonated with me. She talked about teaching to love vegetables rather than just telling people to eat more of them and—flash—I realized that the shift from “gotta do” to “want to do” was precisely when everything changed for me.

Clockwise from left: Roasted Winter Veggies; Sauteed Radishes with Mint; Garlic Parsnip Fries; Fennel and Granny Smith Salad with Blue Cheese

Sure, I’d learned through my writing that vegetables were incredible allies in health and weight management. Yes, I’d become aware of their role in eco-clean eating, and those reasons alone made me want to eat more of them. But it wasn’t until I began experimenting with a variety of veggies in ways I hadn’t thought of before—often inspired by people like Mollie—that I discovered the most compelling reason to eat vegetables yet … they can be downright delicious. And this from someone who detested vegetables (other than lettuce, raw carrots and cucumbers) well into her twenties, so was against all odds we became an item.

Here, in one neat little package, are the reasons I fell in love:

Vegetables reduce risk of heart disease

Several studies around the world have concluded that people who eat more vegetables are less prone to heart disease. One of the most wide-ranging studies, looking at nearly 85,000 women over a period of eight years, concluded that each additional serving (1/2 cup for most, 1 cup for leafy ones) of veggies a day reduced risk of heart disease by 4%. Pretty significant! Vegetable’s cocktail of micronutrients (called phytonutrients) are probably a major contributor.

Vegetables can help you maintain a healthy weight

Many studies have looked at associations between diet and weight, but some are now beginning to specifically analyze whether people who eat more vegetables weigh less. Initial results look like indeed they do. One of the theories behind why this is so is that vegetables are less calorically dense (or energy dense) than other food groups (and, at the same time, more nutrient dense).

Eating more vegetables (and less meat) can reduce your carbon footprint

Many people don’t recognize that livestock farming—the intensive concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs)—that most of our meat comes from produces more greenhouse gas than all forms of transport combined (18% of global, man-made greenhouse gas emissions). It also uses a great deal of water. It takes an average of 22,000 gallons of water—22,000!—to produce just over 2 pounds of beef.

Eating vegetables is FUN!

Eating seasonal, locally grown vegetables opens up whole new worlds of foods to play with. It’s like a Dr. Seuss book—your carrots can be orange, white or purple, and your cauliflower the same. Radishes can be red hot and spicy, or icy white and sweet or a gorgeous hue of magenta. If you don’t like steamed broccoli, try roasting it. If you don’t like boiled carrots, try sautéing them with a bit of spice.

Don’t just eat more vegetables (boorrrinnng) … fall in love with them.

Eat Fat to Stay Slim

Posted on August 20, 2009 by Lia Huber — 9 Comments ↓

Would you believe me if I said you stand a better chance of dropping pounds and maintaining a healthy weight by using more olive oil? It’s true. Yet if you’re like me, you’re still carrying around false beliefs instilled by decades of guidelines based on sketchy science.

Nearly 20 years ago, when I was practically living on fat-free yogurt and pretzels and feeling oh-so righteous for doing so, I spent a summer on Corfu, Greece. Each time Mama put a plate of oil-drenched vegetables in front of me I’d cringe, thinking I was doomed to balloon. But I left the island lighter than when I’d arrived. Years later, when I started writing articles on healthy fats, I began to understand why eating more fat can help you stay slim.

And yet even after that experience in Greece, even after scouring studies and speaking to experts around the globe, my first reaction is still to shy away from dishes with double-digit fat grams. It’s not easy to banish old habits, but one step at a time I call to mind the facts I’ve learned and move towards reshaping my views for good.

• Fact to Remember #1: Overall Fat Intake Means Nothing to Your Weight. Well, almost nothing. The amount of fat you consume doesn’t directly make you gain weight, but there’s no skirting the fact that fat is the most calorically dense food group there is. That means that even though that tablespoon of olive oil in and of itself won’t make you fat, the 120 calories it carries with it will, if you don’t balance it out. A great strategy is to pair up “good fats” (see FFtR #3) and veggies, since vegetables are inherently low in calories, while trimming back on calorically dense meat, starches and dairy for the majority of your meals.

• Fact to Remember #2: Fat Helps Us Maintain a Healthy Weight. This is so contrary to what’s been drummed into us that I, personally, still find it hard to digest at times. Yet it’s a fact. Subjects on Mediterranean and low-carb diets that included a moderate amount of healthy fats from things like olive oil, nuts and fish lost more weight and kept it off longer than those on a low-fat diet. If you think about it, it makes sense. We’re programmed to like fat. Just a drizzle of olive oil or a few slices of avocado make a meal exponentially more enjoyable, and when we take pleasure in something we’re much more likely to repeat it. The good news, as you’ll see in the next Fact, is that we should be eating these kinds of fats.

• Fact to Remember #3: Our Bodies Need Fat to Function. Once you digest the reality that consuming fat isn’t directly related to becoming fat and in fact helps prevent it, turn your mind to the truth that “good fats”—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—are an essential part of our bodies’ systems, playing a whole host of functions at the cellular level. Monounsaturated fats, like olive oil and those found in avocados, are especially beneficial to our cardiovascular health. Polyunsaturated fats, like the omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, help build brain cell membranes and regulate blood clotting. They’ve also been shown to protect against numerous diseases, from cancer to heart disease to autoimmune disorders. Steer clear of saturated fats as much as you can, though, as they send cholesterol into our blood streams where it can cause problems, and avoid the double-whammy negative of trans fats altogether. A good rule of thumb is to put down anything that has “partially hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated” in the ingredients list.

So what does a healthy view of fat look like? Scroll down to the Grilled Onions with Chile-Nut Paste and you’ll see one view. You may think “frying” the sauce would make it less healthy, but all the fats in this recipe are good fats in portions that won’t widen your waist. So enjoy to your heart’s content . . . literally.

Go Nuts!

Posted on May 26, 2009 by Lia Huber — No Comments ↓

I suppose it’s inevitable that I’d write about nuts today. It’s tough not to have nuts on the mind when you’ve been munching on them during a 10-hour road trip, passing grove after grove of pistachios and walnuts and almonds in the San Joaquin Valley.

That’s OK, though. I love talking nuts. Back when I thought low-fat was the way to go to maintain a comfortable weight, I rarely touched them. But I’ve learned a lot since then. For starters, research has shown that people who eat a handful of nuts a few times a week actually weigh less than those on a stringent low-fat diet (I can back that up from my own experience*). And a strong stable of studies shows that eating nuts protects your heart, too, lowering risk of heart attack by up to 30%-50% in some cases.

That’s some serious incentive to eat something so appealing to begin with. Each variety has its own unique flavor, texture and, I would claim, personality. So go a little nuts this week . . . and feel good about it!

* Just be aware that nuts do pack a lot of calories: 1 ounce–roughly a few tablespoons–will set you back around 170. Making smart choices will balance it out, though. I like to snack on nuts in lieu of pretzels and sprinkle them on salads instead of croutons, for instance. That way I’m getting about the same amount of calories with loads more nutritional value and tons more taste.