Comments (26)

By kilax, December 29, 2009 5:14 am

According to the article “Lose the Weight: Are Your Friends a Fat Influence?” in the January issue of Women’s Health, our friends’ health decisions have a huge effect on us. So huge that the World Health Organization has listed them as a determinant of health, having as big of an influence as genetics and income level.

When I read that, I thought “Ha ha! That doesn’t affect me!”*

But then I started thinking outside of the realm of the article – about how my eating changes when I am around family. Then it hit – holy crap… their habits do affect me. When I see someone eating more, I feel like I should eat more too. When I see someone with a full plate, I feel like my plate should be full. It’s just an automatic response for me.

The article says that:

Consciously or unconsciously, people look to others when deciding what and how much to eat, and how much weight is too much.

Part of the reason we’re so easily swayed may be hardwired. Gregory Berns, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and economics at Emory University, found that when others influence us, the area of our brain that makes conscious decisions is not activated. Instead, the occipital lobe, where vision originates, lights up. Translation: We focus on what we see other people doing (like biting into a cupcake), not what we know is right for ourselves (biting into an apple).

So, our brains are working against us. I can believe that. I know that I often feel like I need to eat, when I am really just “fake hungry” and looking to fill some other void with food.

And unfortunately, I could relate to this:

In some cases, we may even seek out relationships that allow us to indulge, says Susan Bowerman, R.D., of UCLA’s Center for Human Nutrition. “Many women have ‘food friends’ they can call up to say, ‘I had a lousy day and some fried mozzarella sticks sure would make me feel better.'”

I had a “food friend” in college. I could pig out around her and not feel bad. Unfortunately, it didn’t have to be after a “lousy” day. It was often a weekly date!

Of course, the article mentions that this influence can be beneficial as well – your friends’ good habits can rub off on you. And in the end, it is your responsibility to make your own decisions about food, no matter how hard that is.

Ugh. It is hard. But it’s important to learn how to live in the real world and not some imaginary safe place in your head. As private as we want our food consumption to be, it really isn’t in our society.

What do you think about the article? Do you feel like your friends/family influence the way you eat? What are your tips for dealing with “fat influences**”?

*Mostly because I don’t have many friends to hang out with!
**Their term, not mine.

Comments (36)

By kilax, December 17, 2009 5:01 am

Have you ever been worried about the health of a loved one but not been sure on what you could do to help?

I know I’ve been in that situation. And people have probably been in that situation with concern for me. The problem is, I never figured out what to say/do to help.

I was reading Men’s Health* while working out on the bike on Tuesday. In the “Ask the Girl Next Door” section of “Ask Men’s Health” I saw this question:

Q: My wife eats junk food and never exercises, and I’m worried she’s going to balloon when she hits 35. How can I address this without getting my head ripped off?

Um, I would start by NOT using the world balloon. Men’s Health’s answer (remember, this answer is from a woman):

A: First, see if you can help her change her lifestyle without having a direct conversation. Ask her to take a walk with you after work. Hold her hand and ask about her day. Cook dinner more often and assume grocery duties. In fact, do more chores in general – remove a chunk of her daily obligations, and she’ll have more time and energy to spend on herself. If after a few months you still see no change, that’s when you sit her down, hold her tight, and say you’ve noticed that she hasn’t been taking great care of herself. Tell her it worries you on both a health level and, you’re embarrassed to admit, a sexual level. Say it makes you feel shallow and that you hate hurting her feelings, but that it’s something you want to address. Then ask her what’s going through her mind. And this is the most important part: Listen to her answer, and tell her, as many times as it takes, that you’ll always love her and you’re wiling and eager to help make her life easier.

Wow.

So… I thought there as definitely some good advice in there – splitting chores to allow equal free time between spouses, listening to each other’s concerns, working out together…

But damn. The sexual comment? Not being honest about your concerns from the get-go? That doesn’t fly with me. If you are going down that route, you might as well follow this AWFUL list of “10 subtle ways to tell her she’s getting fat.” Yep. It’s awful. Read it if you want to be a little bit pissed off for the rest of the day.

Would these techniques work on you? What would work? Have you ever tried to help someone out with following a healthier lifestyle?

I sometimes have food issues – binge eating and eating too fast. These issues are triggered by being rushed, feeling like things are out of my control, stress, general anxiety, and we can’t forget the last one – boredom. Steven has tried to help me. But I am so defensive about it. I think even if I came up with the perfect thing for him to say, and he said it, I would still find something wrong with the tone of his voice, or his timing. I don’t want to make it a lonely battle, because I am sure I could use support from time to time, but I am just not ready for it.

In the same sense, I don’t think I discuss exercise with him in the way he would prefer. I love to hear about other people’s workouts, so I will ask if he had time to fit one in, and if he didn’t, I think me asking makes him feel bad.

I am not mentioning these two examples because it’s a huge problem for us – it surely isn’t. We support each other by cooking healthy meals, working out together, and discussing our healthy goals. I just want to say that I think it is difficult to help someone else get healthy**, even if you have great communication. It’s so personal. You have to be really comfortable to even talk about it.

*Seems like a great mag, by the way!
**Especially since healthy can mean so many different things to different people.

Comments (31)

By kilax, December 10, 2009 5:16 am

The December issue of Shape* has an article titled “Eat what you want and still lose weight!” with nine somewhat tired strategies to “celebrate the season without feeling deprived – and may(be) even drop 5 pounds in the process!”

Ha. Ha ha.

Tip #8, “Keep Your Focus” is about not being preoccupied when you eat. “Give your full attention to the conversation or sit down to concentrate on the food in front of you – you’ll appreciate it more.”

Makes sense, right? But then they throw this in:

Where you sit a dinner matters too. Try snagging the chair next to your brother’s cute friend: A new study published in the journal Appetitefound that women who ate in the presence of a man consumed 358 fewer calories than when they dined with a group of women. Researchers at Canada’s McGill University say women often suppress their eating in front of a person of the opposite sex.

Okay. This struck me the wrong way. It’s all fine and dandy if this study is true. BUT, the fact that the magazine is encouraging it?! I think this is something women should get away from! They should feel comfortable eating how they really want to around men. I know the magazine is just including it as a tip, but I think they were better off sticking with “keep your focus” and “be mindful of conversation.”

And, really? I am more self-conscious around some women than men!

What do you think? Do you think the study is accurate? Do you think it’s a good tip? What are your holiday tips for not going overboard with food?

Here’s a tip that wasn’t included: become a vegan so you can’t eat anything at all during the holidays! Ha ha, I am just joking around, but it IS particularily bad at the office holiday potluck. Almost every dish has meat in it. I bring my own food from home for the parties.

Note: After I wrote this, I found an article on the same topic on The Great Fitness Expermient (she pretty much came to the same conclusion as me). I was going to do a similar poll, but decided not to since there was one up there.

*What is with all of the magazine references, Kim?! This is what happens when you have two flights in one day and are stuck in the airport for awhile!

Comments (19)

By kilax, December 7, 2009 3:52 pm

Hi everyone. I had to re-post this because something was wrong with it the first time. I didn’t know – I’ve been in Detroit all day and am currently trying to leave… my flight is delayed and I am frustrated.

Thank you to everyone who notified me of the issue!

Winner announced at the bottom! But first, I wanted to ask for some input…

I overhead an interesting conversation in the gym Friday, regarding the Blood Type Diet. Three people were using treadmills, and the guy in the middle was essentially preaching about it to the other two. I am not sure how it came up (meaning, I doubt they asked, he sounded pushy) but he was explaining how he thinks that is the diet everyone should follow.

I only heard bits and pieces of what he was saying, but I did catch that he was telling the woman that she should not eat tomatoes (he asked her if she liked them, and when she said yes, he said, “but do they like YOU?”), and should eat ground beef instead of steak. Hmm.

So was this guy crazy? What is this diet? I briefly looked at the official website and the wikipedia page. The theory is that there is a specific diet you should follow based on your blood type. Here’s the breakdown of blood types from the wikipedia page:

• Blood group O is believed by D’Adamo to be the hunter, the earliest human blood group. The diet recommends that this blood group eat a higher protein diet. D’Adamo bases this on the belief that O blood type was the first blood type, originating 30,000 years ago.
• Blood group A is called the cultivator by D’Adamo, who believes it to be a more recently evolved blood type, dating back from the dawn of agriculture, 20,000 years ago. The diet recommends that individuals of blood group A eat a diet emphasizing vegetables and free of red meat, a more vegetarian food intake.
• Blood group B is, according to D’Adamo, the nomad, associated with a strong immune system and a flexible digestive system. The blood type diet claims that people of blood type B are the only ones who can thrive on dairy products and estimates blood type B arrived 10,000 years ago.
• Blood group AB, according to D’Adamo, the enigma, the most recently evolved type, arriving less than 1000 years ago. In terms of dietary needs, his blood type diet treats this group as an intermediate between blood types A and B.

The wikipedia page also covers some of the scientific criticism of the theory (research evidence, blood type evolution issues, etc.). Interestingly enough, I am blood type A+, which according to above, adheres to a (mostly) vegetarian diet.

But, really? This just sounds like another fad diet to me!

Have you heard of the Blood Type Diet or read the book? What do you think about it?

What is your blood type? Does the description above describe a diet you think would make you feel your best?

I let Data choose!

Just kidding! Steven drew the name. And the winner is…

VICKI!

Congratulations, Vicki! Please send me your address and I’ll send the signed copy of Eating Animals your way. I hope you share your thoughts on the book with us all.

I really want to thank everyone who entered the contest. I wish I had enough copies of the book to give one to everyone, because I think it’s a great read. See if your library has a copy! And do continue to share your thoughts on the topic!

I have fun doing these giveaways. I hope I can do more in the future.

Comments (26)

By kilax, December 3, 2009 5:15 am

This summer, a friend said to me, “You look great! Better than you ever did in college!”

Um, thanks?

Not to bash this friend – I know she meant it as a compliment. But ouch! The truth HURTS! Most of my five years of college were spent very overweight. And you know why? I felt like I had NO control over my schedule (until my last year). And I was STRESSED out. No time to exercise + stress eating = overweight Kim.

Now, I have a more stable schedule and a very supportive husband. Of course it’s easier to fit exercise in now, and make healthier meals (that doesn’t mean I’m not overweight now, I most definitely AM!). I don’t all the time, but I try.

That comment from my friend made me think – when do I want to be in my best shape? Should it have been in college? Should it be now? Should it be a goal for the future?

Sadly, there was a time when I told myself “You have years to get healthy. Eat those sweets, who cares?!” Whoa, that is MESSED-UP thinking right there. And why would I even ask myself to set a goal to be in my best shape? I would like to get there, and stay there, forever. I want to be one of those ladies who’s 60 but looks like she’s 50 because she’s so fit and active.

Do you think about this? Do you feel like you’re in your best shape now, or where in the past? Are you working on getting there?

Side Note: Don’t forget to enter my Eating Animals Giveaway!

Comments (16)

By kilax, November 26, 2009 10:20 am

You know it’s a good day for a 5K when you wake up and find SNOW on your car!

We didn’t let the snow/rain/cold temps (low 30s) deter us! I was super excited to be running our first Thanksgiving Day 5K – especially since the entry to this one was practically free! All you had to do was donate some food. And it looks like they got a lot of donations – I think there were at least 300 runners there.

For being an inexpensive race, I thought it was still well organized. They still had bibs, registration, the trail marked, and people helping along on the trail. There were no pace signs at the mile markers, or water stations, but that was fine with me.

The 5K was held in Lippold Park in Crystal Lake (about a 30 minute drive for us), on a crushed granite path. Crushed granite path + 3 days of rain + a little bit of snow + runners on crowded trails = SUPER SOAKED SHOES. A few times we stepped in puddles that went OVER our shoes and had the fun feeling of water squishing between our toes as we ran. No worries though, we brought extra socks and shoes (My idea of course. Even though I will probably never be a mom, I still think I have the mom instinct)!

Check out how muddy my pants got! I think my shoes are ruined. Wah.

And the close-up!!!

Our goal was to get in under 30 minutes. I wasn’t sure if we would be able to because we were focusing so hard on not stepping into ALL of the puddles, but our final time was about 28:40! We even had negative splits. I never really felt like I was struggling, but doubt I could have gone much faster at the end.

Even though the race was crowded, muddy and cold, it was still a lot of fun. I’m so happy to be getting back into the game, and being able to run with Steven. It might be a silly goal, but I would like to work on my speed, as well as endurance this winter. Do you have any winter running or exercise goals?

Distance: 3.09 | Time: 28:40 | 1: 9:49 | 2: 9:11 | 3: 8:52 | 4: 00:46

Data is happy it is Thanksgiving and is going to celebrate by resting his butt on my head. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Comments (14)

By kilax, November 24, 2009 5:00 am

If you don’t already read the Well blog on the New York Times, I highly recommend you do. The blog is focused on health and wellness topics and updates a few times a day. I always find the articles interesting.

Yesterday, the author linked to an interesting article called “Food, Kin and Tension at Thanksgiving.” I recommend reading it. You’ll either find it amusing, or that it hits too close to home and makes you dread the upcoming holiday meals.

The article is about all of the family drama that happens during holiday meal times – people commenting on you eating too little, people commenting on you eating too much, people sneaking stuff into your food*, people telling you to quit eating so fast, etc. The article gives specific examples, some of which I find ridiculous, like this story:

A Long Island woman, who like others interviewed for this column didn’t want to be named, said she and her family traveled 12 hours by train for a summer vacation gathering with her husband’s family. When her husband asked for seconds, the sister-in-law said there wasn’t any more food.

“There was all this food around, but she had cut us off,” the woman said. “We were just really shocked we were being told you can’t eat any more after coming all this way. We found out later she really controlled food in the household.”

Whoa! Kind of unbelievable, but then again, kind of NOT! People get weird about food, especially around the holidays! I know I felt territorial in my kitchen this past weekend (even though I love love LOVED that my grandma made breakfast).

Food is just so personal, but then again, it isn’t. Everyone pays attention to what other people are eating (makes me crazy) and a lot of people love to comment on it. That’s just the society we live in!

So, do you have any crazy family food drama like in the article?

I bet most of my family finds my vegan ways ridiculous! But, that is why we are hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas, suckas!** I have had people watch what I eat and tell me to eat more. Or eat meat. Or slow down. Or not to use margarine. Or hey, that is the wrong kind of baking powder! Don’t use that salt! What?! You eat SOY?!

Ha ha. The article has a pretty humorous solution at the very end. My solution? Grin and bear it then bitch to my husband later!

*Well, I added that one, but it’s happened to me!
**Just joking here.

Comments (12)

By kilax, November 4, 2009 6:02 am

I did something I haven’t done in awhile – brought an actual book with me to read on the train! Since I bought my baby computer back in March, that is really all I have brought with me for entertainment during the hour and twenty minutes (x2) commute. I use it to check emails, and surf the internet, but mostly, just to read blogs. I try to get all of that done on the train so that when I get home I can just chill with Steven, and leave the computer off.

I feel bad though! I have so many books at home (loaned to me), and here I am, choosing to read blogs during my commuting time, instead of books (to my credit, I try to read books at home, right now, it’s Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life). Blogs and books both keep me engaged and entertained, but is one better for me than the other? Hmm…

Anyway, that is not what I came here to write about today (on my commute, on my baby computer). Last week, I read on many blogs (ha) about the new book from Jonathan Safran Foer – Eating Animals. A small excerpt from the amazon description says, “Eating Animals explores the many fictions we use to justify our eating habits-from folklore to pop culture to family traditions and national myth-and how such tales can lull us into a brutal forgetting.” Check out the amazon site for a full description.

A lot of bloggers were writing about Natalie Portman’s post on the Huffington Post about how reading it made her vegan (if you have an hour or so to kill, the comments on that post are pretty heated and interesting). I was somewhat intrigued with her post, but didn’t think much of it.

But mention of the book keep popping up everywhere! Someone even pointed out that three vegan books, including this one (the other two are on my wishlist, wink wink), are in the Amazon Top 100 list. And yesterday, another blogger mentioned that the author of Eating Animals was doing a tour. I excitedly clicked over and saw that he would be in Chicago on November 18th, at the library that is two blocks from my office! (Event information is here).

I love, love, loved seeing speakers when I was at Iowa State University. I went to see Obama, Michael Moore, Morgan Spurlock, and countless others. I miss doing things like that! Steven was really enthusiastic about going to the reading as well, so he picked up a copy of the book for us to read before (and hopefully get signed!). Last night, I told Steven I hope there are some debates in the audience – it will be interesting to see what people have to say about this book!

Whoops. That story ended up a bit LONG.

So the big question is, am I going to read this, or use the baby computer to read blogs? For this early morning commute, it looks like the book wins – this pos computer didn’t charge last night!

Comments (19)

By kilax, October 28, 2009 7:11 am

The interesting thing about the vegan diet is that if you let it, it can be FULL of variety. I feel like I actually eat a larger variety of food now than I did when I was a vegetarian, or even a meat-eater. This happens because you begin to look to different sources for the nutrients you need. You begin to try new things, and it develops a curiosity about food that keeps you exploring.

I have to admit though, it didn’t start out like this. I did my research, and I started a vegan diet on June 15th, but it took awhile to figure it all out. I’m still figuring it all out. In the beginning, it was really Steven who was pushing me to eat cups of spinach a day (only a slight exaggeration) and multiple servings of beans, among other things. Damn, can’t I just eat oreos, swedish fish, and wafers (all vegan)?

Now, I am really starting to get into researching vegan recipes (I have my eye on The Kind Diet and The Conscious Cook). I am really enjoying trying new things.

But here’s the problem – I am afraid of cooking. I love to research the recipes, but bringing them to life? That’s something I usually expect Steven to do. Which is NOT FAIR (even though he usually loves to cook).

A few Sundays ago, I really wanted to try a recipe from the vegan cookbook that Gina got me for my birthday – Vegan Italiano. I read through all of the pasta recipes, and found one that sounded appetizing and didn’t call for any ingredients that we didn’t have. Then, I showed it to Steven, expecting him to be excited to cook it and… he wasn’t! He was in the middle of working on something when dinner time came around, and he was worn out.

So I tepidly made my way into the kitchen, read the recipe about 6,000 times, and put all of the ingredients out on the counter. Oh no! I told Steven the recipe called for 6-8 garlic cloves and we only had two. He politely informed me that we had two garlic bulbs, not cloves. Ha! That would have been one garlic-y dish and I would have used those two “cloves.”

I made the dish, with minimal supervision, and it turned out really good! I was so pleased with myself. It encouraged me to think that I might actually be able to cook things on my own some day! I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to put a dish together without a recipe, like Steven, but there’s hope…

I forget the name of the dish, but it was a garlic-broccoli sauce! Edited to add: the breaded stuff is Boca Chik’n! Yummy!

I think that as a vegan, it is important for me to learn how to cook, so that I can take care of myself (duh), but also so that I can share these wonderful recipes with family and friends… and hopefully help them realize that vegan food is not “gross” or “weird.”

Comments (15)

By kilax, October 26, 2009 7:43 am

I distinctly remember spending the night at my grandma’s house as a kid, and having her ask me if I wanted butter on my food – my toast, my (plain) pasta, my pancakes in the morning, etc.

Because of this, I grew up thinking butter was healthy for you. I figured, with my kid logic, that you added it to your food because it contained vitamins that you needed. I mean, why else would Grandma be asking me if I wanted some?

I also thought that fresh broccoli could only be served with melted cheese. Because every time I had broccoli at her house, it had cheese on it! Who ever knew these two items could be served apart!

Of course, now I realize those meals were just treats! And my grandma loved to treat us! And just so I don’t tarnish her name, I will let you know that she always made us eat a salad before dinner (loaded with ranch dressing – my choice, ha!), and that the food she cooks now is actually much healthier… uh, sometimes too healthy.

I think of this story every time I hear someone say something like “I don’t know what foods are healthy and should be in my diet” or “I can’t eat carbs!” Because my immediate reaction is surprise that people don’t have a general idea of what is healthy to eat, and that they fall for food myths like “carbs are evil” and “you can never have treats.”

But then I remember – I once believed butter was a health food! So, we only really know what we are told or witness first hand as we grow up. Some people probably end up with really distorted views about food, depending on how they are raised.

And even as we do become adults and try to do our own research and live a healthy life, who really knows what source we can trust? It seems like different “findings” come out each week, contradicting one another. Get 2-3 servings of fruit a day versus Limit your fruit intake! Too much sugar is bad for you!

Even when you eat a somewhat healthy diet, there are people telling you to eat raw, eat organic, eat less of this, eat more of that!

I think we all just need to do the best we can, with the tools/resources we have. Sure, you want to nourish your body now, so you get the most longevity and comfort out of it throughout your lifespan, but food shouldn’t be stressful. Too much stress can be just as unhealthy as a bad diet!

Hmm, this post took a strange turn! I actually wasn’t planning on those last few paragraphs. That is what happens when you forget your filter. I just meant to ask – did you have any silly food beliefs growing up? Or even as an adult?