Beauty Ideals Influence Many Aspects of Our Lives

According to the Social Issues Research Center (SIRC), a non-profit institute specializing in global socio-cultural trends, attractive children are more popular with classmates and teachers and on average do better in school. Attractive applicants have better job opportunities and get promoted faster. One study found that in America taller men earned about $600 more per inch than their shorter peers. Attractive people are convicted of crimes less often or receive shorter prison sentences. The list goes on and on. So, it is not at all surprising that good looks play such a big role in our lives.

When you ask people what characteristics make someone attractive, most will say that a good-looking person is slender and fit. This applies to both sexes but in particular to women. Slimness and beauty are so much identified with one another that it seems almost natural to think this way. Historically speaking, it is not. In fact, today’s beauty ideals are relatively new.

Prior to the 20th century, attractive women were quite curvy. A classical Renaissance painting, titled “Three Graces” by Raffael (1505), reflects the beauty ideal of that time. By our standards, those ladies look rather overweight. The same goes for the so-called “Rubens figures,” named after the famous Dutch artist’s many paintings of nude, fleshy women.

Historians have pointed out that for our ancestors being well fed was a sign of wealth and status because only the well-off could afford an abundance of food, while the poor had little to eat and looked thin and haggard. Today, the situation is reversed: Weight problems mostly affect the lower class, while the upper crust spends millions on diets and fitness programs to stay slim and look youthful.

It is quite fascinating to see how the perception of attractiveness has changed over time. One common denominator, however, seems that beauty ideals were never attainable for most people because they were so unrealistic. Especially women have nearly always faced the impossible: Whether the fashion of the day called for a classical “hourglass” figure (equal size of hip and bust, narrow waist), an athletic look (muscular, tight pelvis, big bust) or “Barbie” type body (slim, big bust, tight pelvis, long legs), the vast majority of women was never able to measure up.

Today’s demands seem higher than ever. “Thanks to the media, we have become accustomed to extremely rigid and uniform standards of beauty,” says Kate Fox who writes for SIRC. “The current media ideal of thinness for women is achievable by less than 5 percent of the female population.” Because TV ads, billboards, magazines, etc. bombard us with images of beautiful people all the time, “they make exceptional good looks seem real, normal and attainable,” she says. But that’s an illusion and it makes people terribly insecure about their appearance.

And even attractive folks can be insecure about their looks and feel pressed to maintain or enhance what nature has given them. Studies have shown that beauty and self-esteem don’t always correlate.

Statistically, women tend to be more critical of their appearance than men. Most females don’t seem to be satisfied with what they see in the mirror, at least not without makeup. Men have a better self-image and even tend to over-estimate their attractiveness. Gay men are more concerned about how they look than straight men, but lesbians seem to be less worried than heterosexual women, according to the SIRC study.

What’s considered beautiful may differ from country to country and culture to culture, but increasingly there is a global trend to follow the Western standards. In one study that involved young women from around the world, almost all participants named celebrities from Hollywood as their role models for attractiveness. Being skinny, tall, with long hair and perfect teeth and elegantly dressed in Western-style clothing ranked highest on the list of beauty ideals. “The ideals of the ‘beauty culture’ in the industrialized world are rapidly spreading through the remotest areas, affecting the way of life and the sensibility of all, regardless of skin, religious beliefs, or cultural heritage,” says Julian Robinson, fashion designer and author of “The Quest for Human Beauty” (W. W. Norton & Co Inc., 1998).

The downside is that people who don’t live up to these standards (the vast majority) are judged – and often judge themselves – as a failure. For example, prejudices against overweight people can cause especially women to develop very low self-esteem, which can leave them socially isolated and emotionally depressed. These problems are not generated by the weight problems themselves but by the widely accepted association of beauty and thinness. Struggling with weight issues from a health perspective can be hard enough. Having a social stigma attached to it makes it much worse.

While we cannot ignore the cultural standards around us, we can decide for ourselves how we respond to them. The attraction to physical beauty will always be part of our socio-cultural landscape with implications on status, acceptance and suitability as a mate. But that doesn’t mean we have to surrender to it like an oppressive force that prevents us from accepting ourselves as we are in every shape or form.

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A weekly column by Timi Gustafson R.D. on issues of health, nutrition and lifestyle is now available at The Bellevue, WA, Examiner.com blog – Go to Articles »

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Most of us have been taught to believe that good nutrition is simply a function of eating the right food and taking the right supplements. Of course, this is true, but there’s more to the equation. What we eat is only half the story of good nutrition. The other half of the story is who we are as eaters. That is, what we think, feel, believe our levels of stress, relaxation, pleasure, awareness, and the inner stories that we live out all have a real, powerful, and scientific effect on nutritional metabolism.

Recent advances in the mind-body sciences have been proving what ancient wisdom traditions have been saying for eons – that the mind and body exist on an exquisite continuum, and profoundly impact one another.

How We Feel About the Food We Eat
Is Part of the Nutritional Benefits We Receive

So the good news is simply this: you can powerfully change your health and your nutritional status without changing anything you eat, but by changing you the eater. In my 30 years as a nutritional psychologist, I’ve seen so many profound breakthroughs in clients and students around weight, overeating, and a long list of health conditions when they began to practice some of the simple principles of eating psychology. Consider some of these key “secrets” that I think everyone should know:

1. Stress can put weight on – relaxation can take it off.
It’s fascinating how stress, fear, anxiety, anger, judgment and even negative self-talk can literally create a physiologic stress response in the body. This means that we generate more cortisol and insulin, two hormones that have the unwanted effect of signaling the body to store weight, store fat, and stop building muscle. Strange as it may sound, we quite literally change our calorie burning capacity when we’re stressed. What’s more incredible though, is that as we learn to smile more, ease into life and breathe more deeply, the body enters a physiologic relaxation response. In this state, we actually create our optimal day-in, day-out calorie-burning metabolism. So, you could be following the best weight loss diet in the world, but if you’re an anxious mess, the power of your mind is limiting the weight loss of your body. Far too many people adopt stressful weight loss strategies – impossible to follow diets, overly intense exercise programs, tasteless food, extremely low calorie meal plans – all of which can create the kind of stress chemistry that ensures our weight will stay put. It’s time to relax into weight loss.

2. Happiness is the best digestive aid.
Can you recall what happens when you eat during anxiety or stress? Many people report such symptoms as heartburn, cramping, gas, and digestive upset. During stress, the body automatically shifts into the classic fight-or-flight response. This feature of the nervous system evolved over millions of years as a brilliant safety mechanism to support us during life-threatening events. In the moment the stress response is activated, something very interesting happens – the digestive system shuts down. It makes perfect sense that when you’re fending off an angry gorilla, you don’t need to waste energy digesting your breakfast. All the body’s metabolic energy is directed towards survival. So, you could be eating the healthiest food in the universe, but if you aren’t eating under the optimum state of digestion and assimilation – which happens to be relaxation – you literally and metabolically are not receiving the full nutritional value of your meal.

3. Overeating – it’s simpler than you think.
Most people think they overeat because they have a willpower problem. “If only I could control my appetite, then I would stop being such a willpower weakling and start losing weight.” Well, here’s the good news – you don’t have a willpower problem. The problem for a majority of overeaters is that they don’t actually “eat” when they eat. What I’m suggesting is that we aren’t always fully present to the meal, aware of its taste, eating it slowly, or simply feeling nourished by the food. When this happens, the brain, which requires taste and satisfaction, misses out on a key phase of the nutritional experience. The brain literally thinks it didn’t eat, or didn’t eat enough. And it simply screams back at us – “Hungry!” So, you can dramatically decrease your overeating by increasing your awareness and presence at every meal.

4. Slower eating means faster metabolism.
One of my favorite nutritional questions to ask a client or student is “Are you a fast eater, moderate eater, or slow eater?” If the answer is “fast”, then it’s time for an overhaul. That’s because the act of eating fast is considered a stressor by the body. Humans are simply not biologically wired for high speed eating. So when we do eat fast, the body once again enters the physiologic stress response, which results in decreased digestion, decreased nutrient assimilation, increased nutrient excretion, lowered calorie burning rate, and a bigger appetite. The bottom line is that you can literally empower your nutritional metabolism simply by slowing down. What’s fascinating is that for many fast eaters, slowing down is quite a challenge. But try this – don’t just eat slow – eat sensuously, feel nourished by your food, and take in all the sensations of your meal.

5. Make sure you have enough Vitamin P – Pleasure!
Far too many people are taught to believe that pleasure is something frivolous. Well, it’s actually required by our biology. All organisms on planet earth, be they lion, lizard, amoeba, or human are programmed at the most primitive level of the nervous system to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Well, if you’re eating and not paying attention, the brain will drive you to seek more pleasure via overeating. What’s worse, if you’re stressed while eating, the excess cortisol in your system actually de-sensitizes us to pleasure – so you’ll need to eat more food in order to get the pleasure we are seeking. The bottom line is this: If you want more pleasure from food, you don’t need to eat more of the ice cream. Simply breathe, relax, de-stress, enjoy, pay attention, and the body will naturally experience the pleasure it seeks. And the great news is, since pleasure catalyzes a relaxation response, it actually fuels digestion and assimilation

6. Emotional eating – it’s not the enemy.
At our core, we are emotional beings – rich, complex, juicy, unpredictable feeling-filled creatures. We love, we celebrate, we laugh, cry, we break down, we rise up… So how could we NOT be emotional eaters? We love food. We love our favorite restaurant. We love how food makes us feel good. Some of us love cooking for others. Some of us are passionate about nutrition. It’s time to get over it – if you’re human, you will bring emotionality to the table. Once we embrace the reality that we’re genetically hard-wired for emotional expression, we can relax a little more. Underneath the quest to eradicate emotional eating from one’s life is often found a hidden desire to eliminate uncomfortable feelings. We strive for an impossible to attain goal that constantly leaves us frustrated and in failure. Yes, this thing called emotional eating can be very painful. But it’s not the actual problem – it’s a symptom that’s pointing to something deeper. It’s an alert mechanism from body wisdom that’s calling us to check in, and follow the flow of emotions within us to see where our soul is calling for more awareness and insight.

7. Get rid of toxic nutritional beliefs.
Finally, many of us have absorbed toxic nutritional beliefs that are as harmful and debilitating as any of the toxins in our food. Here’s what I mean: it’s surprisingly common for people to believe that “food is the enemy”, or “food makes me fat”, or “fat in food will become fat on my body” or “my appetite is the enemy” or “as soon as I have the perfect body, then I’ll finally be happy.” Such beliefs may seem harmless, yet they can create a relationship with food and self that’s filled with tremendous suffering and pain. Think about it – if “food is the enemy”, then we are constantly in a fight or flight stress response whenever we eat, or even think about food. Such a powerful stressor can cause all the problems of stress-induced digestive shutdown, decreased calorie burning capacity, and an inner life that’s seldom at peace. The question is: Is your relationship with food nourishing, or punishing?

Hopefully, you’ve noticed that there’s way more to good nutrition than simply the food itself. We bring all of ourselves to the table – our hopes, fears, thoughts, feelings, dramas, and dreams. And the more we include a well rounded nutritional profile – Vitamin R – relaxation, Vitamin P – pleasure, Vitamin S – slow, and Vitamin L – Love – the more we can literally nourish ourselves on every level.

Marc David, MA is the founder and director of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. He is a leading visionary, teacher and consultant in nutritional psychology and author of best-selling books, including “Nourishing Wisdom,” “The Slow Down Diet” and “Mind Body Nutrition.” Learn more about his work at psychologyofeating.com

The articles written by guest contributors are the sole responsibility of the individual writers in terms of factual accuracy and opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher of this blog.

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“Earlier research had found that certain diets – in particular those with very little carbohydrate – work better than others. Diet books also often guide consumers to adopt a particular type of meal plan. But there hasn’t been a consensus among scientists,” Dr. Bray said in an interview with Reuters Health (1/30/2012).

Study Finds It Makes Little Difference
Where Calories Come From

For the study, several hundred overweight and obese people were assigned in equal groups to four different diets: (1) Average protein, low fat and higher carbs; (2) high protein, low fat and higher carbs; (3) average protein, high fat and lower carbs; (4) and high protein, high fat and lower carbs. All diet styles were designed to allow for an energy deficit of about 750 calories per day.

The participants were weighed after six months and again after two years. The researchers found that, although most lost weight and managed to keep at least a few pounds off for two years, “there were no differences in weight loss or fat reductions between the diets.”

The study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also determined that stick-to-itiveness was a crucial factor for the success of any of the diet regimens – but also one of the hardest to achieve. “The major predictor for weight loss was adherence,” said Dr. Bray. “Those participants who adhered better, lost more weight than those who did not.”

While these study results should not come as a major surprise, they are not necessarily welcome news for the diet- and weight loss industry. After all, Americans spend billions of dollars annually in a highly competitive market of weight loss programs and dieting ideas. Could the ultimate solution be as simple as eating less and burning off more calories for the rest of your life?

Not quite, according to Dr. Scott Olson, a practitioner of alternative medicine and author of “Runner’s Soul.” “Using calories as a way to measure what you should be eating can only take you so far,” he says. The reason is that you are not a calorimeter, you are a living being and not some laboratory tool. Something happens when you consume carbohydrates that is different from what happens when you eat protein or fats – regardless of calories.”

Dr. Olson sees focusing exclusively on calories regardless of their source as a misguided approach because it misses out on other important issues. “Calories don’t matter as much as blood sugar, especially when you are talking about weight loss. To lose weight, yes, you need to burn more calories than you are consuming, but you also have to keep your blood sugar from spiking too high and causing your body to store that extra energy as fat,” he said.

Dr. Bray and his fellow-researchers would agree that not all diets offer the same health benefits, even if they are comparatively effective in terms of weight loss. For that matter, Dr. Bray favors the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), which is endorsed by the National Institute of Health (NIH).

In my own practice as a dietitian and health counselor, I have always preached that calorie restriction for weight loss must go hand in hand with high quality nutrition. That may require cutting back on portion sizes but also loading up on important nutrients. In the end, I want my clients not just to be thinner but all around healthier. And that’s why I also want to know where their calories come from.

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I was invited to a press event to announce the results of a survey conducted by Share Our Strength’s “Cooking Matters” program. The program and the survey, “It’s Dinnertime – A Report on Low-Income Families’ Efforts to Plan, Shop for and Cook Healthy Meals,” were sponsored by the ConAgra Foods Foundation. I went because I was interested in the survey and also because I admire the work of Chef, Sara Moulton, who, among many other things, works with Share Our Strength on this program.

One Survey Found that Nutritious Foods
Are Welcome If Available and Affordable

“Cooking Matters” is part of Share Our Strength’s “No Kid Hungry” campaign. Its goal is to help low-income families increase access to public food resources, such as food assistance benefits, farmers’ market coupons, etc., and produce healthy meals at low cost. It does this through a 6-week course that teaches shopping strategies, meal planning, and cooking.

The research produced some important findings, some, perhaps, were obvious:

• 8 out of 10 low-income families cook at home at least 5 times per week, more if they are poorer.
• 85% of low-income families consider eating healthy meals to be important and realistic.
• Low-income families struggle to put healthy meals on the table. Food costs and preparation time are big barriers.
• Low-income families are eager for cooking and budgeting tips and other tools.

Where does ConAgra fit in here? The company owns countless food product brands that pack the center aisles of supermarkets.

Working under the premise that it takes more than food to fight hunger, the ConAgra Foods Foundation, a national sponsor of “Cooking Matters,” funded “It’s Dinnertime” as part of its ongoing strategy to find sustainable solutions to help surround kids with the nourishment they need to flourish.

The ConAgra Foods Foundation is funded solely by ConAgra Foods. One of the study’s conclusions is very much in the company’s interest.

A better understanding of the health benefits of frozen and canned fruits and vegetables could put more healthy options in reach for low-income families. While 81 percent of low-income parents rated fresh produce as extremely healthy, that rating drops down to 32 percent when it comes to frozen fruits and vegetables and to 12 percent with canned fruits and vegetables. So the program works to improve the image of frozen and canned fruits and vegetables among low-income families.

Ordinarily, food industry-sponsored programs make me squirm. This one makes me squirm less than most even though Sara Moulton was cooking with at least one ConAgra product: “Wesson Oil.”

But the program worked with 18,000 families last year and its goals make sense. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables really do retain much of the nutritional value of fresh produce, unless they are loaded with salt and sugars. Sara was cooking with low-salt products, and the dishes she made were easy, inexpensive, nutritious and quite delicious.

I’m impressed with how this program teaches families to fend for themselves in today’s tough environment. Now, if ConAgra would just get busy promoting policies to improve access to healthy foods for everyone….

Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH is the author of many influential books, among them “Food Politics,” “Safe Food,” “What to Eat” and “Pet Food Politics.” She teaches as Professor in the Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health Department at New York University. For more information, visit her blog www.foodpolitics.com

The articles written by guest contributors are the sole responsibility of the individual writers in terms of factual accuracy and opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher of this blog.

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Now that the dust has settled and the world knows you’ve had type 2 diabetes for a few years, I want to offer you – and millions like you new to type 2 diabetes – a dose of support and words of wisdom as a diabetes educator and dietitian who, shall we say, has a few years under her belt.

First, let me encourage you to close your ears to all the advice (and criticism) you’ve received, free of charge, since coming out about your type 2. These “advisors” clearly don’t know much about YOUR diabetes, YOUR medical situation or, to be downright honest, much about type 2 diabetes and today’s treatments.

An Open Letter of Support
And a Tablespoon of Wisdom

Second, let me offer you a virtual hug and pat on the back. Thank you for letting the world know about your type 2 diabetes. Too many people deny they have type 2 and remain in denial during the precious years in which taking action to slow down the progression of the disease is so critical (more about that below).

I know you can do what it takes to control your diabetes. You’ve tackled much bigger mountains in your life. I encourage you to (if you haven’t already) seek out the expertise and support of diabetes educators as you travel this journey. They’ll offer you plenty of hugs, support and up-to-date knowledge.

For support from others with diabetes who walk in your shoes, tip your toes into the DOC – the Diabetes Online Community. You’ll get more virtual hugs and a boatload of practical advice to manage your diabetes day to day. For starters check out the folks engaged in Diabetes Advocates.

Third, let me say that it’s a changed world out there when it comes to managing diabetes in 2012 and it will continue to change. We’ve learned so much about why and how type 2 develops. We now know that diabetes is not simply a problem of glucose that is too high with not enough insulin to lower it. We know that your blood glucose didn’t just one day become high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. No, your body was working at developing type 2 for 5 to 10 years before your diagnosis. You likely had pre-diabetes, which went unrecognized. As you know, you’re in the company of millions.

At the center of the storm in this progression toward type 2 diabetes – when glucose steadily rises and the insulin you make isn’t able to keep up with the large amounts you need – is insulin resistance and chronic inflammation. Yes, new concepts, new knowledge. What’s good for you to know is that the earlier you take action to actively manage your diabetes the healthier you’ll be for years to come.

By the time most people are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, their pancreas has been in overdrive for years (5 to 10 as noted), trying to make enough insulin to keep their blood glucose in control. At the point most people are diagnosed with type 2, they’ve lost half or more of their insulin making capacity. That’s why current recommendations from American Diabetes Association (ADA) suggest that most people with type 2 should start on a glucose-lowering medication at the time of their diagnosis. Now this isn’t the type of medications your great aunts and grandparents were on. There’s a slew of new meds. For most people the first choice is metformin. It does a good job treating insulin resistance, is easily tolerated (if started and progressed slowly) and is available in generic form, so it’s relatively inexpensive.

You and your healthcare provider chose “Victoza,” a relatively new medication. Victoza is given as a daily injection – as you well know. You also know it is not insulin. Victoza is in the growing category of medications known as GLP-1 analogs.

These medications replace a hormone (glucagon-like peptide 1 [GLP-1]), which is one of a group of hormones released in the small intestine. This hormone has been found to be waning in people with diabetes. Victoza and other drugs in this category – like “Byetta” and “Bydureon” (just approved by the FDA 1/27/2012) – work in a number of ways. They increase insulin production (so they can only work if you still make insulin), slow the rise of blood glucose after eating because it slows down the pace that foods travel through your gut, decreases hunger and appetite and in many people assists with weight loss (wouldn’t that be nice?).

You’ve definitely taken heat over taking Victoza (oh yes, and being a Novo Nordisk spokesperson). This is where I suggest closing your ears. What’s great news today is that we have many more ways to help you control your blood glucose and there’s just not one cookbook approach (sorry for the analogy, but I knew you could relate) to manage type 2.

Over time, you will need to find the right mix of healthy eating, physical activity and medication(s) that work best for you to control your glucose, lipids and blood pressure within the ideal target ranges at that time. Doing this is what will keep you healthy for years to come.

We now know that type 2 diabetes will progress over time. You will need to progress your glucose lowering medications over time to continue to keep your numbers in the target zones. This may mean taking more Victoza or adding another glucose-lowering type of medication. You and Your healthcare providers will decide what’s best and when.

Now to your food choices and eating habits: People have really piled on about what you should and shouldn’t eat and why you haven’t dramatically changed your food choices. Personally I think your idea of implementing moderation is spot on. Making easy changes, just like you’ve done substituting unsweetened iced tea for sweetened, is a great first step. If you were drinking enough of it, then this substitution can make a big difference in your glucose and weight.

For next steps, take a look at Your eating habits now. What’s going to be the easiest change for you to make? Is it eating a bit smaller portions of meats, starches and fats? Do you need to fit in a few more fruits and vegetables into your meals or snacks? There’s no longer such a thing as a “diabetic diet.” We’re now talking about healthier eating. We know that if you lose 5, 10, 15 pounds early on (and keep them off), it can work wonders to lower your glucose and crank back up your body’s sensitivity to the insulin you continue to make. Plus it can slow the progression of type 2.

And your walks on the treadmill – keep them up. Getting daily exercise does a world of good to help lower your glucose and increase your insulin sensitivity. Plus exercise offers many more benefits.

Last but not least, take it slow. Make your lifestyle changes one at a time, just like you have been doing. Take one day at a time. Don’t beat yourself up for not being perfect. You are human. Keep in mind that knowledge is power. Let me candidly recommend two of my books published by the ADA: “Real Life Guide to Diabetes” and “Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy” – they’re both perfect for people with type 2 diabetes.

Ask questions and keep learning. Diabetes care is rapidly changing. New advances happen daily. Seek and get the support you need. The daily grind of taking care of diabetes is not easy, but you of all people can be successful. You’ve got a lot of life in you and ahead of you, that’s for sure. Keep smiling and let those blue eyes sparkle!

Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE has been a dietitian and diabetes educator for more than thirty years. She has owned her Hope Warshaw Associates, LLC, for over twenty years. Her work today spans from corporate consulting to writing consumer articles and authoring numerous best-selling books. She counsels people with diabetes and those with weight concerns. Hope is most well known for her expertise in the areas of diabetes nutrition management and healthy restaurant eating. For more information, visit her blog at www.hopewarshaw.com

The articles written by guest contributors are the sole responsibility of the individual writers in terms of factual accuracy and opinion and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher of this blog.

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Consistently maintaining healthy eating habits is not nearly as difficult as it sounds. Yes, there are temptations everywhere that can make you fall off the proverbial wagon. When you eat out or travel, it can be especially hard to stick to your ideal diet. As a dietitian and health counselor who also travels extensively, I had to develop my own strategies to always eat healthy and stay fit and do as I preach to others. I don’t deny the difficulties, but it gets easier over time, especially when you have a plan.

Designing a Health-Conscious Life

As soon as people find out what I do for a living, they ask me without fail the same question: “What should I eat?” Everybody seems so confused these days about nutrition, dieting, fitness, food safety, food politics and so on and so on. The reasons for this are obvious. We are constantly bombarded with news about nutrition studies, breakthrough diets, food contaminations, product recalls and ever-changing dietary guidelines – the stream of often conflicting and contradictory messages never ends.

Still, maintaining a healthy lifestyle should not have to be so complicated. Yes, it can be hard to restrict one’s diet to fresh organically grown produce and other high-quality food products, especially when you want to stay within a reasonable budget. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up on feeding yourself and your loved ones in a health-conscious way. In this new series, I will talk a lot about smart grocery shopping strategies that give you the biggest bang for your buck without having to resort to less than desirable food choices.

Home cooking will be another issue of great interest. Don’t expect a cookbook or recipe collection in this part of the blog  – you can find these under the postings called “Eating Lighter – Eating Smarter” and “Recipe Modifications.” Here, I want to talk about the importance of making tasty and healthful meals from scratch. It is a sad fact that home cooking is rapidly going out of fashion, especially among young professionals who are constantly pressed for time and whose diet consists of little else than restaurant food and take-outs.

As I mentioned before, I also travels extensively, both for business and pleasure. That is the time when even my eating habits face considerable challenges. It took me quite some time to develop workable strategies to always eat healthy and stay fit and do as I preach when I’m on the road or in the air. If you are interested in travel- and health tips, you may find some of my reports in the Travel & Health section quite helpful. Of course, I’m always keen to hear about your experiences too.

Having sounded off enough warnings about restaurant food, I also must confess that I love dining out once in a while. Whether it’s pizza, Chinese or French gourmet, it all has its place, as long as it’s done in moderation. I have written numerous restaurant guides in my professional life and there is a good selection in the “Dining Out” section of this blog. But I’m not a food critic. Instead of handing out “stars” for taste, service and ambiance, I put up warning signs where you should tread carefully and give my thumbs up where the territory is safe – I’m strictly speaking from a dietitian’s perspective, of course.

There cannot be any meaningful conversation about healthy living without involving the utmost importance of a regular exercise and fitness routine. But I’m no Jane Fonda. You’re not going to see me jump up and down in leotards and calf warmers (so nineteen-eighties), just to show you that I mean it when I say that you must move your body to stay healthy.

Last but not least, I will talk more about stress management and sleep hygiene as essential components of a healthy lifestyle. Both topics also relate closely to the improvement of one’s eating habits. Many people can’t get their weight under control because food can be such a great comfort when they’re anxious or exhausted.

The way I would like you to read the “Eat Like a Dietitian” section is not so much as a blueprint for health-conscious living and the likes, but rather as a personal diary of someone who struggles as much as you do with making the right choices – but who also has some good insights how to do better.

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