Healthful Bites

The chillier temps (including some snow!) inspired me to spend a bit more time indoors early this November scouring my favorite magazines for the newsiest bits. So here are five wellness-related facts that caught my eye that will hopefully inspire you to stay healthy all November and beyond!

• You might see signs for “yam” and “sweet potato” used interchangeably while grocery shopping pre-Thanksgiving. But  FITNESS explains that most of us have never even laid eyes on a true yam—they’re most common in Africa and South America. Dark orange sweet potatoes are the ones most commonly confused with yams. Toss out this fun fact to impress your fellow dinner guests when you’re all enjoying roasted veggies, a slice of pie or a scoop of casserole made with the beta carotene-packed vegetable!
• SHAPE says that it doesn’t have to be difficult to make your diet and kitchen more eco-friendly. The magazine offers 30 tips on how to do this in their new issue, and here are three that shocked me the most:

• Don’t think of yourself as being lazy by loading the dishwasher rather than scrubbing by hand…you’re actually just being green! If you leave the water running while you wash in the sink, you’ll be using about 37 percent more water compared to your dishwasher.
• Stop peeking at your oven-baking items—doing so can lower the temp by as much as 25 degrees and forces the heating mechanism to click back on more often. Use the light and peer through the window to check progress instead.
• Save up to $115 per year by toting your meals and snacks in reusable containers rather than baggies, wraps and foil.

• Brown rice is the smartest starch, right? Not so fast. It sure is a step up from white, but wild rice is slightly lower in calories, fat and carbohydrates. Plus, wild offers about five times more protein and folate than brown, according to Women’s Health.
• Earlier this year when the USDA introduced MyPlate, there was a lot of talk about whether it was better and more useful than its predecessor. Food Network Magazine dug through the U.S. National Archives to uncover the government’s dietary recommendations since they first began in 1919, and what they came up with was quite fascinating! A few highlights:

• 1919: A USDA poster recommended “simple suppers” like bread, milk and plain cookies.
• 1939: Butter as well as potatoes, cereal or bread should be eaten at every meal, while only one or two servings of fruit per day is suggested. Butter was actually one of the seven food groups when a new classification system was introduced in 1943.
• 2000: Diners are instructed to eat “more” fruits and “vegetables” including French fries and “plenty” of carbohydrates like pasta and graham crackers, but just “enough” dairy and protein like low-fat yogurt and lentils.

• “Give me a break” should be a motto for dealing with yourself, not just a tagline for a popular candy bar, Health reports. People who take it easy on themselves (for example, forgiving yourself for making a mistake) have more confidence and are more likely to try, try again because they didn’t let the flub define them. Pushing yourself in a positive, healthy direction is most motivating when you frame it in a positive way (“signing up for the Turkey Trot with my family will be such a fun and invigorating way to kick off the holiday”) rather that a punitive one (“I must do this Turkey Trot to burn off some of the extra calories I’m going to eat today”).

Photo courtesy of Flickr user MimimalistPhotography101.com

What is one way you are giving yourself a break today or plan to do so in the near future?

You could say that my love for cooking shows began with the original incarnation of “Iron Chef.” Back in the early years of the Food Network and my junior high days, the Japanese game show was a weekly mainstay in my TV diet. This fascination was sparked, in part, by the fact that I would soon be taking Japanese in high school to fulfill my language credits and you could hear both the English and Japanese translations of the action. But the show also struck a cord with it’s creativity and campy-ness (I can use that as an adjective, right?).

Since then, Food Network and cooking shows on other channels have been among my favorites. Why? There’s something about the ingenuity of these chefs/cooks that I don’t believe I have ever possessed. I’m much better at following recipes than creating them ;) Each series gets me wondering:

• How do they come up with these recipes and how do they keep “reinventing the wheel” with new versions of classics?
• What inspires the new dishes?
• Where does the inspiration come from?

Plus, I find it works as excellent background noise when you’re doing other things (I know, I’m probably not as efficient by multitasking….but sometimes you just need a little sound!). It’s often possible to jump in mid-show and still get all the information and entertainment you need too.

So why all this talk about cooking on the tube? Today I thought we could discuss my favorite food-related TV shows to draw inspiration from in the kitchen, or simply to gain knowledge or be entertained. 

 (Image from City Paper)

Top Chef Masters competitors get serious!

“30 Minute Meals:” Media juggernaut Rachael Ray shares tales of travels, family and food while whipping up a meal in half an hour. Her ingredients are generally healthful and the indulgent dishes can almost always be tweaked to be more nutritious. Ray’s bubbly personality and new take on classic recipes make this a go-to show for beginner to intermediate level kitchen adventurers. (And if you would enjoy a larger side of travel with your Ray, check out “Rachel’s Vacation” or reruns of “$40 a Day!”)

“Top Chef:” This Bravo reality competition’s lessons keep on coming. First, I learned that chefs use foams and other molecular gastronomy tricks in high end dishes. In other episodes, I discovered the best ways to cook for crowds and found out that it’s hard to please picky palates with dessert. (Countless cheftestants have been forced to pack their knives after a disastrous sweet treat…) ;) And where else would I learn what an amuse bouche is? “Top Chef” is perfect for foodie sports fans who enjoy learning about innovative ingredients and cuisines.

“Healthy Decadence with Devin Alexander:” While there are only 18 episodes of this series, they are chock-full of fun recipes to try. Alexander, who lost 55 pounds and has kept it off for over 15 years, tells viewers how to keep calories in check without feeling deprived. If you’re looking for a (skinnier) Big Mac makeover or a lighter take on hearty Italian fare such as chicken parmesan, this is the show for you!

“Food Revolution:” Jaime Oliver’s miniseries about making over school lunches surely struck a cord this spring. The Brit brought his youth-focused wellness crusade stateside, taking on the local media, school officials stuck in unhealthy habits and haters in the community. Widespread results from the show are still being monitored. But I, for one, learned quite a bit from “Food Revolution” about why school districts and the government are making it more difficult for students to be healthy. Celebrities from Ryan Seacrest to Heidi Klum to Jennifer Aniston signed Oliver’s petition to upgrade school food and improve cooking education programs.

“Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger:” While this is not the most exciting show of the bunch, the recipes are sure to be healthful, as the host is a registered dietitian. Krieger creates new, innovative recipes and also whips up wholesome and balanced versions of comfort foods (macaroni and cheese or carrot cake cupcakes anyone?) She shares great tips throughout the show that are especially helpful for those new to watching what they eat.

 (Image from Buzzle)

A few not-so-healthy shows that I find fun to watch because of the stories and entertaining hosts: “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” “Man v. Food” and “Paula’s Home Cooking” (she’s a hoot!). And game shows such as “Chefs v. City” are enjoyable too.

Now, I want to hear your thoughts! Do you find cooking shows mind-numbing or a breath of fresh air in the all-to-commonly negative news channels? If you watch them, what are your favorite food shows and why do you enjoy them?