Starving Foodie

Busy, Busy, Busy

Over the past 3 weeks I’ve been working on getting our new office space built out. That’s requires a lot of time. On top of that, we are launching a new web site as well – more time. As a result, I’ve not had much chance to blog about fitness or health. So this entry will be a short one.

Reduced Focus
With the long work hours, I’ve not had as much time to devote to my health. Some may say your health should always be first – I agree. But life happens, and right now, my attention is required to navigate our business through both tough economic times and a major transition in the way we handle our business.

Maintain!
To continue weight loss at good pace I have to:

• Control Portions
• No Late Night Snacking
• Curb Alcohol Consumption
• Exercise

Trying to do this all while working long hours has proved challenging, so I’ve allowed myself some wiggle room.

Portions – for the most part this has been under control, expect when I find myself eating dinner late after a long day.

Late night snacking has been creeping back, but I’ve promised myself to stop once the office is relocated and running smoothly.

This has actually declined since I don’t have time to go out. Have not been to a Wednesday/Thursday wine tasting in weeks.

I’ve actually been increasing my exercise.  This is easy since I enjoy cycling and find it a good stress relief from work.

So far, So good

This month I think I will end up down 3-4 lbs.  Things should ease up next week and get me back on track.

” I don’t have time.”

We’ve all used this excuse for something.  When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, this is typically used for exercise.  I’m sure I’ve even uttered this excuse on occasion. I call this excuse the “Time Dragon”.  Why a dragon?  Dragons have a mystical nature and often portrayed as cunning, and ruthless.  The “I don’t have time excuse” is very similar.  The excuse is ruthless  – you can always use it.  The excuse is cunning – it resolves you of responsibility. To make changes, you have to slay this excuse.  There’s no +10 magic sword to do this.  You have to find your own motivation, but here’s some thoughts.

Think Long Term: The Time Bank

Indulge me in a thought experiment.

What if exercising prevented you from getting sick at least 1x per year?

What if exercising relieved stress, increasing your work productivity 1%?

If you are using the time excuse, then you must be a really busy person.  Let’s say you work 10 hours a day with 4 hours of other tasks.  That’s a 14 hour day.  Not being sick on one of those days gives you 14 hours.  Improving your productivity by just 1% when working 50 hours per week give you an additional 25 hours per year.  So now you have 39 hours in the bank.  What can you do with 39 hours?

Work out for 20 minutes 117 time( that’s more than 2 sessions per week).

Work out for 30 minutes 72 times (that’s more than 1 sessions per week).

Work out for 45 minutes 52 times (that’s 1 session per week).

Outsource: Pay for Minutes

We’ve all heard about outsourcing to China and the impact it has on the US job market.  Outsourcing, however, does not have to be for the fortune 500.  You too can outsource.  There are many services that you can outsource.  By outsourcing, you give up some money but you get back some time.  Once again, think long term and what value you will derive from the extra time you have.

For example, I’ve outsourced the cleaning of my house.  Sure, I have to pick things up, but the routine dusting, sweeping and mopping is left to someone else (Rachel, who rocks!).  Yes, this costs money, but I gain back at least an hour a week.  I spend that hour investing in myself.  If I’m healthy, then I may be less likely to get sick or be sick for a shorter duration.  Being self-employed, being sick can really rick the paycheck, especially if it were for a long period of time.  So I consider hiring a housekeeper a financial investment in myself — think health assurance rather than health insurance.

Other things you can outsource:

-Lawn care: Check out Angie’s List for good recommendations.

-Laundry

-Grocery Shopping: Join a buyers club or PeaPod

-Appointments/Errands (anything online or by phone):  Check out Your Man in India or AskSunday

-Car Care: Mobile Detail and Oil Change services

-Cooking: Chef at home or these cooking clubs where groups cook homemade meals together

I highly advise any one to check around before saying, “I cannot afford it.”  With the current economy, you may find the services are less than you think.  Also service based companies tend to raise prices carefully.  For example, I get 15% off of my housekeeping services thanks to the economy and using Angie’s List

Go To Bed!

One of my biggest challenges was staying up and watching the late night talk shows.  You get involved in something and before you know it, the midnight hour is upon you.  Getting ready for bead at midnight means I don’t get to sleep until about 1 AM, which makes it pretty hard to get up at 7AM for a bike ride or other exercise.

If there is some late program you cannot live without, get a DVR.  I think I pay $5/mo for my DVR from comcast. If you consider that gives you an extra hour of rest every day of the month, the investment does not require Warren Buffet’s wisdom.

Trying to get to be earlier is a major change for me.  I was historically a night owl.  Making this shift has taken time, but I really enjoy riding my bike before work.  I get 30-60 minutes to myself before the busy day begins.  That helps me focus and increases my productivity, meaning I work less.

Simple Planning

If you find chores difficult in the morning, do them before bed.  Look for ways to move tasks to different days or different hours to be more efficient.  Fix your lunch the night before, lay out your clothes or your kid’s clothes if you have monsters in the house.  Small things can really help out.  If you have a smoothie for breakfast, consider portioning the fruit on the weekend, so you can just dump the bag into the blender and you are ready to go.  A few minutes here and a few minutes there do add up, especially when you make this a permanent change.  If you can find 15 minutes per week, that’s 13 hours a year.

Start Small

You have to start small.  Embarking on some rigorous time saving schedule will likely fail.  Find simple ways to claw back a few minutes here in there.  Outsource some tasks.  Enslave your family for more assistance.  Every minute you can get back for yourself is an investment in your health.  Think of the minute as an ounce of gold — how hard would you work to get an ounce of gold, now trading over $1000/oz?

Focus on the Benefits

Keep the benefits in mind.   Focusing on the outcome is what propels me to drag myself from bed at 7AM to endure an hour on the bike.  I know about 15 minutes into it I will,

• Feel more energized
• Reassure myself that I can do this
• Gain confidence
• Relax
• Be glad I did it

Your rewards may be different than mine, but if you discover both short and long term benefits, you can use these to push yourself to find more time to exercise.

My Battle

I too have used the “I don’t have time excuse.”  I finally stopped doing it.  Here’s what I’ve done to slay my Time Dragon.  I’m sure it will raise its ugly head again, but these things keep it in check:

Hired a housekeeper (saved 3-5 hours/month)

Go to bed earlier (gives me 30-60 minutes before work)

Delegated more tasks at work (saves 5-10 hours per week)

Consolidating my Traveling Preferences to 1 Site (saves 30 minutes to 60 minutes per trip 12+ trips a year)

Cook More on the Grill (kitchen is cleaner, fewer pots and pans 10-15 mins vs. cooking indoors)

Put all workout gear in one drawer in dresser (saves about 5 minutes looking for shorts, socks, etc)

Ride with a Bike Club (being new to the area, going to the bar is about the only other social activity 2 hrs/wk)

Considering ….

Instead of journaling my food, I may just start taking pictures with my cell phone and upload them to flickr.

Only doing blog posts once per week when I feel I’m ready to post.

Prepping my bike the night before for early morning rides.

Slay the Dragon

In the end, you have to slay your own Time Dragon.  You have to find that balance between work, family and self that makes sense for yourself.  Steve Covey’s time management may be for you, but for others it will fail.  Keep trying to find what works.  Claw back those few minutes.  They begin to add up.  When you see the benefits, you will be encouraged to find more time.

I’ve never was a fast-food junkie.  Sure I had my Micky D’s every once and awhile, but I think its been several years since I’ve eaten at any major burger or casual dining place.  I find the food lacking in flavor and when you have to eat small portions, the bits need to pack a punch.

Despite the economy, fast-food places are holding their own.  McDonald’s and others are seeing an increase in sales as diners downgrade from fast-casual to less expensive alternatives.

Given the ubiquity and ease of eating at these joints, I wondered how many calories could you consume a day by living on a fast food diet.  In his movie Supersize Me, Morgan Spurlock gained nearly 25 lbs eating at McDonald’s for a month.  Here’s my own mini survey of how you could get 10,000 calories a day from stopping off at some favor fast foods restaurants.

Breakfast: Burger King

Double Croissan’wich with Double Sausage

Hash Browns (medium)

Mocha  BK Joe Coffee

1650 Calories, 900 from fat, 2800 mg sodium

Lunch: Whataburger

Triple Whataburger
Large Fry
Large Soda
Apple Pie

3850 Calories, 1540 from fat, 4747 mg sodium

Afternoon Snack: Starbucks

Venti Mint Chocolate Chip Frappacino w/ Whipped Cream

Chocolate Chunk Cookie

1110 calories, 360 from fat, 790 mg sodium

Dinner: Pizza Hut

8 Piece Hot Hings
9″ Panormous Meat Lovers Personal Pizza
Cinnamon Sticks w/ icing
32 Oz Mountain Dew

3010 calories, 1080 from fat, 6387 mg sodium

Late Nate Snack: Marble Slab Creamery

Large Rocky Road Ice Cream

1288 calories, 698 from fat, 21 mg sodium

GRAND TOTAL:

10,908 Calories

4,578 Calories from Fat

14,747 mg of salt

Ready to puke?

Synopsis

I have nothing against any of these establishments.  They were chosen as they are within a few miles of my house.  I can get to any of them in less than 5 minutes.  With cheap, calorie-packed food so easily available, I’m not surprised at the obesity and health issues in our communities.  I’ve not priced up these meals, but I think a pretty safe bet is under $30 for the day.  That’s enough calories to feed 5 adults.

Aside from the big chains, small local chains are just as egregious.  Just because it is local does not mean they don’t pack in the calories as much as any international chain.  They likely woo you with the local appeal, friendlier service, or nicer decor. In the end, nearly all fast-food is laced with calories, fat and salt.  Even “healthy” sounding alternatives, often have calorie packed foods.  So it is always eater beware.

Portion Control

Last week, I was in Seattle to visit some old friends.  Dinner consisted of baked beans, dinner rolls, and some great Italian sausage made at Oregon State University.  OSU is an ag school and they routinely have fresh meats, veggies and other items for sale. The sausage was good and the homemade baked beans were phenomenal.  I had only 1/2 a sausage and loaded up on the salad.  I did have a second helping of baked beans, but the first portion was purposefully a small one.  There were some chips on the table, which I had Juli move to the other end.  Out of arms reach.

Steamer Pot Delight
I love seafood. Clams, fish, oysters, squid, conch, prawns, octopus, urchin eggs, and the list continues. Provided it is fresh, I like it. On our way back from Cape Flattery, we stopped at The 3 Crabs in Sequim. I opted for the steamer pot as it was not fried, pan seared or broiled – I was hoping to cut back on the fat by having something simply steamed. I ate everything but the half crab, only had one dinner roll and skipped the desert. Clams, shrimp, oysters, and fish are relatively low in calories. So despite what appeared to be a large portion, there was actually very little. About a dozen small clams (~7 cals each), two larger oysters (~ 10 cals each), 4 small scallops ( ~ 5 cals each), 3 medium shrimp (~ 5 calories each) and about 3 oz of cod (~ 90 cals). Seems like a ton, but only comes to about 230 calories. Throw in another 30-50 cals for the butter in the broth, 100 for the dinner roll, and 100 for a salad and you are still under 500 calories.

Splitting Portions
I also dined at a very nice bakery/restaurant. Juli and split a portion of bruschetta and then had a bowl of soup. I’ve not been successful at this yet, but I good tip I received while at H3 was to split your portion first and have it wrapped immediately. This prevents you from picking at the other half. Also, I try not to linger around at the restaurant. I try to get away from the table as soon as possible. If the conversation is continuing, drop by a coffee shop or bar. Have a (as in one) glass of wine or stick to club soda.

Apps as Meals
Increasingly, I’ve been pairing appetizers with a salad for my meal. A place near my house does Angus beef tips on their bar menu. This is about a 2-3 oz portion of beef — that’s plenty. Pair it with a house salad and a dinner roll for a complete meal. At another restaurant, I found a crab cake appetizer was plenty when combined with a salad. Pairing apps with a salad or soup is a great way to control the portion size.

Portions are Key
I’ve long given up eating fried, greasy foods. Rarely indulge in sweets like ice cream, cake or pie. I eat pretty clean. However, I was not eating good portion sizes. Dinner was often out-sized. In retrospect, I think this overstuffed my stomach and when it started to shrink, I started feeling hungry again – at least psychologically. So I would snack. Eating smaller portions at dinner actually makes me less hungry later on. Perhaps I’m just paying more attention to what I eat because there is less of it, but getting portions under control has helped me continue my weight loss.

Portions are Everything when Traveling
I’ve managed two successful trips this past month with no weight gain. I think I may have actually lost a couple of pounds. The key thing was having snacks, such as apples and fruit, and keeping a close watch on portion. I know almost always ask about portion sizes of apps, salads or soups before ordering. If you don’t order too much, you cannot overeat. Never forget:

If you are hungry, you can always order more.

Benchmark … still losing
I think I’ve lost another 10 lbs since H3. I need to get on the Wii fit and look at the dates to be sure. But the weight continues to come off despite 2 weeks of travel and 1 week with a sinus infection. I’m hoping this month I can be back on track for 2-3 lbs per week.

Moments of Reckoning
About 3-4 years ago, Juli and I went to Boston for a weekend get-away.  We both like history and tooled around Boston on the Freedom Trail.  One of the stops is the Bunker Hill national park where a  221 ft obelisk is the focal point.  I climbed to the top and nearly died in the process.  I blamed it on the heat, but in reality it was poor health.  Terrible diet, no exercise and too much partying was the real reason.

Looking back on that moment, I realized that my quality of life was suffering because of my poor health.  A year or so later, we were in Montreal for the F1 race.  F1 is like crack for an adrenaline junkie.  Nearly 800 horsepower launches the car from 0-60 in under 2 seconds.  These are phenomenal bits of machinery.  Plus, the international atmosphere is great.  However, poor health coupled with  record heat wave made the event barely bearable.

Hiking to the Furthest Northwestern Point in the Lower 48
This past week, I was in Seattle. One of the highlights of my week long stay was a day trip to the Olympic Peninsula and Cape Flattery – the most Northwestern point in the continental US. The best thing about this trip — no health issues. I managed the ~2 mile hike with ease. If I had the time, I could have hiked for miles.

Perfect Motivation
For the first time in several years, I was able to really enjoy myself without nagging health issues. I never realized that I had “health” problems, but I did. I avoided certain routes, stayed out of the heat, chose to drive instead of walk. Now, being as fit as I have been in a long time, I don’t shy away from a 5 mile walk through a city because I know my knees will hurt the next day.

I probably walked 20 miles while on my trip. Only did a long car trip annoy my back, which some yoga took care of pretty quickly. Sprints up the stairs to Pike Place Market, which would have killed me a few years ago, where part of my exercise routine.

Last week I dealt with a sinus infection. Basically, some alien creature penetrated my brain, making me lethargic and brought my neural processes to a halt.

Not a good combination of impairments when you have ten pages of web site copy to write and another dozen to review.

Recovering slowly, but I still have a ways to go and a few more days of antibiotics.

Last week, I managed to get in my three trips to the gym, but we had to take it down a few notches to keep me from passing out. No cycling – which sucks as that’s about the only exercise I really enjoy. Actually, I only enjoy the cycling after about 5 minutes into it — the time spent convincing myself to get out of bed early to go do it is horrific.

Sickness and Food
When I don’t feel well, such as a sinus infection, flu or cold, I often find food comforting. This is problematic because my low energy levels sap my will power. I tried to eat well last week, but slipped up several days. Did not journal. Did not care to journal. Did not even look for my journal. I suspect I gained a pound or two. Today’s after-workout weigh in will tell the tale.

Tips Anyone?
If anyone has any tips about staying on track when feeling like your head is about to exploit, please let me know. I find it easier to stay focused when traveling than to do so when I’m ill. Need to find a strategy.

Health Tip
I use a neti pot and if you have sinus issues, I highly recommend regular use. Since using this thing to wash my sinuses, the frequency, duration and severity of my recurring sinus infections has declined significantly.

Psycho-Eating
Nicki mentions that she’s been experimenting with food:

Let’s just say I am experimenting with food. … I’m trying to figure out what satisfies me when. What I can eat with control.

I think this is great and something you must do. Over time, trigger foods are no longer triggers, but there may be some items which you still have not mastered. Instead of depriving yourself, I say do controlled experiments — that should be infrequent controlled experiments. If I experimented with bread nightly, I’m sure my waist would start growing again.

Big Battle – Small Victory
Bread. I love the stuff. French, bagels, pita, nan, rye, wheat, whole grain, leaven, un-leaven, fried, baked, tossed, you name it. I’ve met few breads I do not like.

On Friday, I dropped into Matthew’s for a bit. Instead of having half my weight in bread, I asked them to bring me just one small ciabatta roll. Typically, the bring an assortment of 3-4 rolls, and true to form, I eat the assortment. So I just asked for one and ate only 1.

Last week, I was in Washington D.C. for a 3 day conference. I stayed-on after the conference to visit with my Aunt and Uncle. Traveling while trying to make lifestyle adjustments is like playing Pitfall. There are plenty of obstacles to set you back, but you have to keep trying.

What Can you Take To the Airport?
Know the rules! The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) should really be renamed STA (Security Theater Administration) since most of what happens at the security screenings if for show. If the liquids were a real threat, do you think they would not inspect them and simply throw them in a bin to be collected later? I digress.

The guidelines for food items are as follows:

All food must go through the X-ray machine. Do NOT bring food to the security checkpoint unwrapped … Food must be wrapped or in a container. Unpeeled natural foods like fruit are okay, but half-eaten fruits must be wrapped.
Source: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1667.shtm

So you can bring apples and other vegetables. If you have something like carrot sticks, stick them in a zip lock bag or buy the pre-portioned sizes. In my experience, I’ve only had bottles of liquid confiscated. At worse, they toss your food in the trash forcing you to buy inside the airport.

Avoid Airport Food
If at all possible, avoid airport food. Eat before you leave to the airport. If it is not possible see out fruit or other alternatives. Stay away from airport smoothies. I found in many cases they use sweeteners or frozen fruits. I have found a few kiosks that serve salads or lighter wraps. Pretty much anything you buy cooked at a airport is going to be loaded with fat. Airports have to churn out the food quickly, so they load up the pans and grill tops with oil and crank up the heat.

Just because it looks healthy it probably isn’t. Airports are stuffed with bad foods. So that chicken salad may look like a better option, but you really have to read the labels or ask about ingredients. To my surprise, a “Grilled Chicken Salad” sandwich was actually a Mayo-based chicken salad made from grilled chicken.

Dealing with Relatives
Fortunately, my relatives are starting to eat healthier. An unfortunate event pushed them onto this path, but nobody offered pizza while I was there. I highly recommend letting your relatives/friends know in advance that you are making a lifestyle change. My Aunt asked what I wanted to eat and picked up some extra fruit for me. This prevented me from eating the cookies and other treats that are often available.

If you plan to eat out, research restaurants ahead of time. If there’s a common place your relatives like to gnosh, do some research and see if there are healthy alternatives. Though I did not control my portion well at Lauriol Plaza, I selected a grilled fish and avoided fat filled enchiladas. Though, I did fail to have the chip bowl placed on the other side of the table.

Soup, Salad and Apps
On two occasions, I found myself at a restaurant with mediocre entree choices. So, I opted for an app and salad or soup and salad combo. The food portions were on target. I had the wait staff bring both of my items at the same time as the entrees.

Post-Trip Weigh In
I’ve purposefully delayed my post-trip weigh in until today. I wanted to get my body back to a normal schedule so I can assure my hydration and day is on par to the weigh-in prior to leaving. Will update tomorrow with the results. Given a conference, a dinner party and a birthday party on this trip, if I’m +2lbs or under, I consider that a success.

UPDATE!

I weighed in on my trusty Wii-Fit last night, and to my delight I was down 3.2 lbs last week.  Given the +/- 2lb accuracy I get with the Wii that means I at least did not gain any weight on my trip.  I may have even lost a pound.

This week, I’m at the Gaylord National Resort in Washington D.C. for Hostingcon, the annual geek fest for people providing internet services.  Conferences pose some huge challenges:

• Disrupted Exercise Routine
• Unhealthy Food Abundant
• Networking Drinking Events

Fruit Hoarding

The food at these events is typically poor, but this year, I have to give the operation some credit. At least there is some fruit available during breaks. This is a welcome addition to the fat-laden goodies like cookies, donuts, and muffins that are typically served.  When I find some good fruit, I stash it in my conference bag.

Luckily, my fruit hoard has saved me twice.

Yesterday, before the evening network event. I had an apple.  Typically at these events I drift from one reception to another, trying to limit the drinks people are tossing my way.  Finger foods are the menu du jour, so the apple helped.  I drank less and was less tempted by the nachos on offer.

Today when walking into the exhibit hall around 10:30 AM, Otis Spunkmeyer greeted my nostrils.  For our obese nation, fresh-baked cookies are probably better than a booth babe in attracting attendees to your both.  The plum I had stashed in my bag saved me. One booth was giving out slices of chocoloate cake — that’s the last thing an overweight sedentary system administrator needs.

Lunch Deconstructed

Lunch is tough.  There is a mixed green salad offered but very little healthy protein.  Yesterday, they served some turkey and cheese sandwiches on a roll.  So I made a salad with some cucumbers and tomatoes and took the turkey from the sandwich to make a meal.  I thought this was pretty good.  I did indulge a bit in the mini-desert, which was a shot glass sized serving of cheesecake.

Today was a little tougher.  The protein option was a fish bathed in butter and bread crumbs or a chicken breast wrapped in ham with some cheese.  I scraped the ham and cheese off of the chicken and added it to my salad.  Still pretty fatty, but better than the butter soaked fish.

Not Drinking

Alcohol greases the engine of business.  Hanging out in a social setting and kicking back a beer or six builds trust.  Why you should trust a drunken salesperson is beyond me, but that’s how it works.

Last night was tough.  There are many people here I’ve know for years, so catching up required more than a couple of drinks.  Fortunately in H3I speak, this is an infrequent event, so overdoing it is relatively minor in the grand scheme of things.  I did, however, make it back with much less damage than in the past.

Tonight, I had a wonderful dinner with some of business partners.  I had a couple of drinks at dinner and one after.  Probably 3 servings of alcohol total.  The bread bowl had a flat bread in it, so I ate a very small portion of it — better than eating the entire bowl of bread which was an old habit.

I had a mixed salad and fish for dinner.  The portion was a little large but I did not have any afternoon snack and a light lunch, so on balance, I think it was a success.

Exercise (Kind of)

The conference runs from 8:30 AM to about 5:30 PM, then dinner and/or a networking reception.  By the time you’re done, exhaustion takes hold.

Yesterday, I asked myself a question:

“What benefits the my business more?  Going to a boring sessions with little import or taking 45 minutes out of the day to improve my health?”

When posed that way, the answer was clear.  In the past, I felt a little guilty about taking some “me time” at these events as they can be expensive.  After a closer inspection, I realized that being rejuvenated from exercise would make me more effective in the important sessions.

This is a win-win attitude.  I win and the business wins.  This is a big shift in my attitude about business events.  In the future, I will look for low impact events and see if I can use that time to get some exercise.

Simply Stairs

Taking the stairs.  Though sometimes I forget or just follow the crowd down the escalator, I’ve been trying to take the stairs.  This conference is spread over 3 floors which each floor occupying about 2 stories.  So to go from the exhibit hall to the conference room is 6 flights.  I did that about 4x today, so that 24 stories.

Hanging in There

I’ve one more day at the conference and then over to my aunt’s place for  some family time.  I think I’ve managed pretty well but will not know for sure until I hit the scale when I get home on Sunday.

If you are on a diet, you are likely eating salad (or should be).  Personally, I love salad.  However, the salad I love is far removed from what you usually get at a restaurant or pre-made at a supermarket.

Why Salad?

Salads, properly prepared, are highly nutritious, have low caloric density, and help fill you up.  Provided you don’t lather on the dressing or add tons of other fattening items, salads can become one of the favorite members of your diet team.

Preparing Salads: Hydration

I used to live in an area where a couple of small markets had fresh mesclun greens daily.  These were always very crisp and harvested locally within 24-72 hours of arrival.  With freshness like this, you did not have to do to much to get the base of your salad ready.  However, I now have to buy the bagged or boxed variety of salad at the super-market.  Most of this salad is dehydrated.  So you have to spruce it up.

To spruce up your salad, chop it into bite size pieces.  Place it in a bowl of room temperature water for at least 10 minutes.  At the left you see a salad spinner.  This is essential.  I fill the salad spinners bowl with water and then simply dump it after 10 minutes.  Then spin away.  You will be surprised at how much more flavor and crunch the greens have.

Preparing Salad: Lettuce Diversity

Those quick mixed bags are great, but the often lack appropriate diversity for a satisfying salad.  I typically add one or more of the following … usually this comprises only 1/4 or less of the total salad: Savoy Cabbage, Radicchio,  Red Cabbage, Mustard Greens, Endive, Watercress, Romain Hearts or any other crunchy, flavorful lettuce.  Don’t forget the herbs: Dill, Lemon Basil, Oregano, Taragon or other fresh herbs can do wonders for the flavor.

Preparing Salad: Building Your Base

Your base salad should consist only of the lettuce, well drained, and other fruits and vegetables that stand up well in the fridge.  Carrots, broccoli, bell peppers and similarly, often hard, veggies will hold up well.  This is your base salad.  To this salad, you add your other items right before serving.

Preparing Salad: Mixing it Up

When you are ready to serve your salad, add in your moist veggies, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, apples or any other moist item you like.  Do this just prior to serving.

Preparing Salad: Get Nutty

Nuts and seeds are a great addition to a salad.  Try to buy raw, unsalted varieties for the best nutrition.  Most health food stores and organic stores will sell raw nuts in bulk.  Toss in some almonds, pecans, sunflower, or other nuts/seeds.  Some seeds you may want to toast.  Poppy and sesame seeds are often best after toasting 2-5′ in a skillet over low heat.

Preparing Salad: Get Fruity

Dried cherries, cranberries and yellow raisins can be  great addition to a salad.  I buy these from the bulk bins at the organic or health food stores.  Middle Eastern groceries will often have very good dried fruit.  I got to Hala Cafe here in Jax and get dried apricots, figs, cherries and other fruits.  The cost is typically lower than the supermarket and better quality than other stores.  You don’t need very little dried fruit in a salad to add a lot of zing.

Preparing Salad: Get Crunch

Croutons are often packed with hidden fat.  You can make your own by using whole wheat pita or whole grain wraps.  Just cut into bite size pieces, sprinkle with your favorite seasoning, e.g. black pepper, paprika and sparingly on the salt.  Place on baking sheet in 350-400F oven until crisp.

If you don’t have the time, take a look at Kashi’s whole grain crackers. Avoid ones with cheese as they have added fat.  Crumble 2-3 crackers over you salad before serving.

Preparing Salad: Give me the Cheese

If you can learn to leave off the cheese, then you can pretty much eat as big a salad as you want. If you must have cheese, us sparing amounts of very intense cheeses like aged reggiano, provolone or extra-sharp cheddar.  Feta is great too as are many goat cheeses.  If you are a blue cheese fan, find the most stinky cheese on the counter.  You will use less of it.

Preparing Salad: Dressing

As a dieter, you never want to put your dressing directly on the salad unless you made the dressing from scratch and you control the portion very carefully.  If you don’t, then you never realize how much fat you are adding to your healthy salad.  Serve salad dressing in a small pinch bowl or ramekin. Dip your fork into the dressing and then eat you salad.

With a fresh, well constructed salad, you may find you need little dressing.

Easy Salad Dressing

2 Tbsp Oil

2-4 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1/4 Tbsp Oregano (dried is better for more intense flavor)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Add  2 Tbsp water and put in a shaker and mix.  Taste.  Add more water and re-taste if you need more volume.  Try to use water to keep the fat content down.

Preparing Salad: Conclusion

Hydrate your Salad for 10 minutes

Mix your greens

Base salad has  greens and hard, low moisture

Add moist veggies just before serving

Spike up the salad with nuts, seeds and dried fruit

Use dressing sparingly and make your own.

Hope this helps you make a great salad!

One group I turn to for reliable health information is the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In their current issue, they analyze KFC’s grilled chicken versus the fried counter part.   Now, I rarely eat fried chicken or go to KFC, but what I found surprising is that their grilled chicken is better than that from Boston Market.

Now, I do pickup the rotisserie at the local super market.  I’ve never bothered to lookup the nutrition information for those birds.  I just assumed they were better as they were freshly cooked.  One thing I’ve learned is you cannot assume anything about the nutrition of the food you eat.  So I will have to dig up the nutrition info on the rotisserie chicken and compare it to KFC’s.

Another very popular item at the CSPI is the 10 Worst and Best Foods as well as their Top  Food Frauds.  When looking for whole grains, also make sure the first ingredient lists “Whole” in its title.  Some products use a minimum amount of whole grains so they can claim that title but primarily use refined grains.