From the monthly archives:

August 2011

How Are You Changing Your Habits?

by Janet on August 26, 2011

Cooking Light’s 12 Healthy Habits is about to enter month 9. The September goal is to make seafood the centerpiece of two meals a week. Are you eating fish at least twice a week? The official recommendation is 8 ounces a week. Unfortunately, most Americans fall short of that goal. Be sure to check out the September issue of Cooking Light to get lots of great ideas to help you go fishing more often.

There’s been lots of great discussion on Cooking Light’s Facebook page on how to meet this twice-a-week goal. That’s what will make the book based on the 12 Healthy HealthyHabitslogo Habits so special. As you may know, I’m the author of the upcoming book, The Food Lover’s Healthy Habits Cookbook, and we want to crowdsource solutions from all of you. Are you following the 12 Healthy Habits? Have you been inspired to make changes? Have you had some success? Tell us about your journey and what has helped you to adopt new healthier habits. We want to put your solutions in the book.

Changing your habits is all about making one small change at a time. All of those small tweaks to your day can add up to something big. What have you done that’s made a big difference for you?

Keep this in mind to help your habits stick:

Start small. Do not completely overhaul your current routine in one day. It’s easy to get over-motivated and try to tackle too much, which can backfire. Focus on making a series of small steps, each of which is attainable, rather than attempting to change all at once.
Write it down. Writing helps to solidify your commitment and focuses you on your end result. Write down what you want to achieve this month. Leave reminders on your calendar or day planner. Scribble daily goals and motivating messages on sticky notes.
Be specific. Studies show that goals are easier to reach if they’re action-oriented. That means being specific, such as “I’ll get up 30 minutes earlier so I can walk in the morning before work,” instead of “I’ll get more exercise.”
Be positive. The belief that you can make a change is a powerful force. Behavioral scientists call this self-efficacy. You’re much more likely to reach a goal if you have confidence in yourself. Have faith in your ability to change.
Keep track. Self-monitoring is a powerful tool to help instill new habits and achieve success. That could be writing down what you eat in a food diary, using a mobile app to calculate calories, checking off vegetable servings, logging your daily activity or tracking the steps you take with a pedometer.
Find a buddy. Making changes are easier and more enjoyable when you have someone who will join you and keep you motivated. Seek out a friend, co-worker, or family member who will adopt these healthy habits with you.

Hope you’ll share your ideas and success stories with us — either on Facebook or on The Twelve, Cooking Light’s blog about the 12 Healthy Habits ( or to me directly). After all, it’s about habits, not diets. Do you agree?

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Tagged as: 12 Healthy Habits, Cooking Light

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I Call It Like I See It

by Janet on August 24, 2011

4945236568_530b409476_b I have opinions. And I express them here on Nutrition Unplugged. That’s the “food news and views” part of my blog title. I want you to express your opinions, too. A blog is an ideal forum for these exchange of ideas.

There will be times when we disagree. This has happened quite a bit, actually. But that’s fine. How I see it, you have a right to your own opinion. You don’t have a right to your own facts. And that’s where I draw the line.

I was recently the target of a rather aggressive Twitter challenge by a nutrition colleague. It appears that he disagrees with my list of food trends that I think have jumped the shark (specifically chia seeds), and he feels that I’ve dismissed fermented foods while extolling only certain fermented foods: wine, beer and sausage. Not sure he even read what I wrote very closely. I’m fascinated by fermentation (it’s an amazing ancient technique) and I recognize many of the benefits, but I do think that some of the claims made by fermentation enthusiasts are ahead of the science. And while chia seeds are certainly a healthy ingredient, they’re no miracle food. The claims have simply gone too far. Does it mean not eat chia seeds? Of course not. I never said that. Enjoy chia seeds, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds — whatever seeds you like. Seeds and nuts are great foods to eat more often. I simply feel that the marketing of chia seeds is overblown — to me, it’s jumped the shark. Regarding fermentation, my critic complained about my mention of sausage because he’s a vegan (can’t we respect each others eating styles?).

If I respect your opinion, why not respect mine. I understand the facts. I’m expressing my opinion — which is a combination of how the facts are being interpreted and how the products are being marketed. I think it’s important to distinguish between facts and opinions. If I get the facts wrong, tell me. If you disagree with my opinion, it’s fine to tell me too, but don’t tell me I got it wrong. That’s my opinion.

One person’s savior is another person’s hype.

photo credit: kerry.com on Flickr

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Tagged as: chia seeds hype, fermentation

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Five Food Trends That Have Jumped The Shark

by Janet on August 9, 2011

Sometimes food trends have just gone too far. They’ve jumped the shark.

If that reference escapes you, then maybe you’re not a fan of Happy Days (or you’re simply too young). The term “jumped the shark” goes back to a 1977 episode of this popular TV show 2312730966_21acc3f82d when a leather jacket-clad Fonzie was water skiing and literally jumped over a shark in the water.

That was a watershed moment, if you will. At that point on, the show went downhill and was eventually cancelled.

You can see for yourself:

Jumping the shark even has its own Wikipedia definition to describe a point in time that marks a decline in quality that is beyond recovery. Jon Hein, creator of the now defunct website jumptheshark.com explains the concept:

“It’s a moment. A defining moment when you know that your favorite television program has reached its peak. That instant that you know from now on…it’s all downhill. Some call it the climax. We call it ‘Jumping the Shark.’ From that moment on, the program will simply never be the same.”

So as a lover of pop culture, I’m fascinated at how this TV reference has come to mean anything that just goes too far. I think some food trends have had their “jumped the shark” moments. Maybe it started out with good intentions, but things got carried away. The hype just took over. These are the five trends that remind me of Fonzie.

1. Bacon

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Don’t get me wrong, I love bacon. But does everything need to contain bacon? And must it be candied, covered in chocolate, in our drinks, our snacks, chapstick and even baby formula (OK, that part was hoax). One recent survey identified bacon as the #1 food trend that people wanted to see less. I agree.

2. Agave Nectar

Agave nectar is riding high as a natural sweetener, embraced by vegans and lovers of raw food. It’s sugar. In fact, agave nectar is not too different from high fructose corn syrup (although it contains even more fructose). Yes, it comes from the agave plant, but it’s still a refined sugar. Enjoy it in moderation, but don’t let the health halo blind you.

3. Chia Seeds

I like seeds, and chia seeds are just fine — but they’re not a miracle food. (See previous post) I don’t think you need chia seed supplements or go out of your way to incorporate spoonfuls in everything you eat. Yes, chia seeds contain omega-3s, but only about as much as a bite of salmon. Go ahead and enjoy chia seeds (along with flaxseed, sesame and other seeds), just don’t let them distract you from eating more seafood or incorporating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains into your diet.

4. Antioxidants

To me, the antioxidant trend has gone too far with the fortification of artificial sugar. New Splenda Essentials are fortified with 20% of Daily Value of vitamin C and E “like those found in fruits and vegetables.” Splenda will never be like fruits and vegetables. Why even try?
5. Acai

This nice little purple berry from South America just went too far almost from the beginning. You could never even find this fresh fruit anywhere. It was typically the pulp in juices, sweetened teas and other foods — then supplements. And then the claims got carried away really quickly. How did this all even happen?

What trends do you think have jumped the shark?

[photo credits on flickr.com: agave nectar from Elana's Pantry, Chia from jerushy44]

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Tagged as: acai, agave nectar, antioxidants, bacon, chia seeds, jumped the shark

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Trend Alert: Food On a Stick

by Janet on August 8, 2011

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An internationally celebrated form of cuisine, food on a stick is taking the country by storm. This trend is in full swing with all the state fairs and festivals happening this summer, where practically everything you can think of is skewered on a stick — from deep-fried Twinkies and Snickers to lollipop chicken wings and other “food-sicles.” Here in Chicago, people are enjoying Graham Elliot’s lobster corn dog during the three-day Lollapalooza. Graham was the culinary director of this popular music festival that just concluded yesterday — and his lobster corn dog is the perfect example of this food on a stick trend — which often blends high and low. (photo credit: ehtysrofnahtanoj on flickr.com).

Food photographer, Matt Armendariz, author of the blog Matt Bites, has captured this trend quite beautifully with his first book On a Stick! 80 Party-Perfect Recipes. He gives a nod to the ancient roots of this modern trend.

“Long before the invention of kitchen utensils, people were grilling over an open fire, using branches to warm and roast food. This cooking method appears in the writings of the ancient Greeks and virtually all cultures since have offered their own version of food on stick.”

On-A-Stick-Cover

You know a trend has gone mainstream when a major chain like Starbucks jumps in. Cake pops are a popular dessert form of food on a stick, and the coffee chain recently introduced an array of colorful cake pops called Starbucks Petites. (photo credit SugarCookied on flickr) 5616564135_a84170eb55_b And you’ll find lots of different dessert examples, like this fried cheesecake on a stick by flickr user lynn.gardner.

3975056439_ae235021b4_o Street food is practically synonymous with food on a stick (photo credit by flickr user Maya83).

5700636018_7a7500d35e_b …including kebabs (flicker user Blacksails)

and squid on stick in Hong Kong (flickr user Samer Farha).

2744822190_3518434053_o You could practically eat food on a stick all day long, which is exactly what flicker user Zoomar has done here…

437129506_f1bfe72d1b_b It’s not all about street food and restaurant fare…food manufacturers have gotten in on the trend too. Hope we’ll see better examples in the future…