Things I have learned about food.

Here it is - a random mishmash of thoughts on food:

1.  If you think you are hungry, drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes.  Especially when you start a workout regimen - even walking.  Sometimes, it is difficult to distinguish between dehydration and hunger.

2.  The lower the fat content in dairy products, the higher the sugar content.  You need some fat in  your diet, anyhow, so make educated decisions.  I prefer 1%.  Friends who have done the Atkins diet tell me that the instruction they received was to use whole milk products - including mayonnaise.  Now, they can taste the sugar when they use low fat Mayo.

3.  The humble potato gets a bad wrap.  Yes, some are white (some are yellow, some are blue, etc).  Being white does not necessarily mean being nutritionally deficient.  White potatoes have a fairly complex starch that will help you stay full, they are high in vitamin C (almost as much as some citrus fruit - but you have to EAT THE SKIN), and the flesh itself is an outstanding source of potassium.  Baking a potato is the best way to cook it, just use some common sense.  Like butter or sour cream?  Have it - but only dab.  A little fat adds a lot of flavor.  Can't stay away from french fries?  Okay, but moderation is the key.

4.  Speaking of white, white bread IS nutritionally deficient - it falls under the highly processed category.  They take wheat and remove everything that makes it healthy, then they bleach it.  Look at the side of a bag of white bread and compare it to a whole grain bread.  But be careful - some 'wheat' breads are almost as bad as white.  Look for Whole Grains.

5.  Veggies - COLOR, COLOR, COLOR - Iceberg lettuce isn't good for much other than filler - it has a high fiber content, but not much else.  Mix it with Romaine, Bibb, Butter - all good choices.  If you don't mind slightly bitter tastes, throw on some endive.

6.  Desserts - I have been accused of being a sweets heavy blog which made me review.  Yes, about 26% of my blog is a dessert recipe.  I try to include nutrition information and serving sizes with almost everything.  Dessert is not a devil - you just need moderation.  And you need to know yourself.  If you know you cannot have a cake in the house without eating the whole thing and not eating it doesn't feel like cheating yourself, then don't make them.  However, I have a neighbor and several friends who are very happy because when I bake, they benefit.  If you have a freezer friendly recipe, you can cut the item into portion sizes and freeze them.  Voila - dessert if you get surprise guests, frozen dessert takes more effort and makes you think 'do I really want this' and maybe you'll make the decision to eat that apple.

So - know yourself, know your food and understand what you need to maintain a healthy weight or reach a goal weight.  I have lost about 24 lbs in the last year and a half.  Yes, it is a slow process, but slow is better.  I periodically get stuck - but every time, it is a new low.  My body is 'relearning' what it needs - and I am learning that I feel much better with healthier food choices.  Occasionally finding that I fit in a new size isn't a bad thing, either.