Taste the season!

A recent article from SparkPeople.com had some great tips on eating WITH the season. After all, why insist on eating summer squash when clearly the recent snow on the ground and current English fog cover suggest we're no where near the time of 90 degree heat waves anytime soon! And, personally, eating watermelon when it's freezing outside is just plain wrong.

Winter produce. Yeah, that's the ticket: root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, onions, nuts, brussel sprouts, citrus fruits (aka satsumas, grapefruit,etc), apples, pears. . . visit the Oregon Farmer's Markets Association website (or find the one in your state/area) for your local harvest schedule.

For optimal nutrition and taste:

* Focus on the fresh, minimizing the use of prepared foods as much as possible. When you must use prepared foods, make an effort to embellish them with one or more fresh ingredients.

* Pick a new produce item to try every week, whether the neglected rutabaga or the tropical mango.

* Cook at least one new dish each week, and look for recipes that will help you get acquainted with new ingredients. You can subscribe to a food magazine, plug in keywords on the Internet, or even swap new recipes with friends. Since food writers generally base their topics and menus on the foods of the season, take advantage of their offerings to reward yourself with wholesome, tasty meals.

* Experiment with regional or ethnic dishes. Most regional cuisines, developed in horse-and-buggy times, used local ingredients close by. Exploring new foods will keep mealtime both interesting and healthy.

* Take advantage of the useful food information your grocer provides. Whether you consult those little description cards that hang above specific fruits and veggies, or hold a friendly discussion with the produce manager on how to peel the leaves of an artichoke, you’ll find a wealth of ideas about preparing food.

Feeding your hunger vs. filling your wallet

As our current economic climate settles in, those $1 Value Menus may be looking awfully tempting for some people right now. McDonald's even reported a rise in sales a few months ago as people reign in their spending and tighten their budgets.

Supplementing your grocery budget with fast food fare doesn't have to blow your entire fitness plan, however, if you choose wisely.

* Go online and check out the menus. Every major fast food restaurant has nutritional information on their website. You can also ask for info when you pick up your order. Know the impact of your choices. At Wendy's, for instance, one can get a side salad, a baked potato, and 5-piece chicken nugget for $3.00 (535 calories; 15 g fat; 570 mg sodium; excludes condiments). Knowledge is power!

* Skip the fries and order a side salad. Fries are, well, fried. Anytime you cook food in oil the calories skyrocket. And you know this! Fries ~350 calories, side salad (sans dressing) ~ under 100 calories. Hmm. Do go easy on the dressing though; remember a serving is 2 tablespoons.

* Ask for the mayo on the side. In general, gooey is not good. At 100 calories per serving, take control! This will save you from having to scrap it off onto a napkin. . . not that I know anything about doing that. . .

* Go bunless. Or, at least get rid of the top bun. White flour, no fiber, and little if any nutrients are in that bread. Other than consuming "empty" calories, what's the point in eating it?

* Use salsa, ketchup, mustard, and barbeque sauce. No, not together (ick)! You can, however, add more flavor with less caloric impact by using these condiments rather than choices such as ranch and honey mustard.

* Hold the cheese. Depending on the type, omitting the cheese can save you 90 calories and 7 grams of fat or more. And do we even need to discuss the cholesterol content?

* Order from the "healthy" area of the menu. Every fast food restaurant seems to have their own take on the healthy menu. Taco Bell, for instance, has even introduced its Fresco Menu. While perhaps not the most wholesome of food, it does offer better offerings than other menu items.

Stay focused, stay fit!

Resolutions: take ONLY what you can eat!

Another January has arrived and, as customary, a reported 92% of "us" will make one or more resolutions for the New Year. While the current trend for many "experts" is to chat about how resolutions are bad and don't work, the beginning of the year does bring a certain sense of renewal. There is also a definitive "starting and ending" point for tracking progress as well as success.

That said, if you're one of the 92%, allow me to encourage your success with a suggestion: don't bite off more than you can chew! Create S.M.A.R.T. goals rather than generic resolutions.

What's the difference?

Resolutions tend to be finite and somewhat extreme. It's all or nothing. You either lose 40 pounds in a month or you're a failure, for instance. Exercise EVERY day or what's the point. Period.

On the other hands, goals set realistically tend more dynamic and forgiving. There is room for give and take as you mold your actions to fit your situation while creating success. When done healthily, you work to change your habits; replacing negative and destructive ones with those that bring positive results.

Losing 40 pounds, for example, may be the result of scheduling regular workouts, creating a support system, and modifying your eating habits. Weight loss is not the primary focus, but is instead the result of all the other goals set.

More on this topic in post to come!