August 2012 Tips and Recipes

Vive La France

First I want to apologize. It looks as if my last 2 ezines did not get mailed out. I'm not sure what happened, but according to the stats they didn't get mailed. Hoping this month's makes it to everyone okay.

This month’s ezine is in honor of Julia Child’s 100th birthday. With tips on how the French stay slim to a French Cuisine recipe, this ezine celebrates Julia’s contribution to brining a little bit of France to America.

Although Julia was born Pasadena California, she was well known for her French cooking. With her hit cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and her television show “The French Chef”, she introduced us to the wonderful tastes of France.

Weight Loss Tip

If you have ever traveled to France, you will notice a considerably smaller percentage of overweight people. While there is a rise in obesity in France, the number is still considerably smaller than in America.

And if you have ever been to France, then you have also noticed they have lots of sidewalk cafes and bakeries. There are plenty of rich desserts, wines, fatty meats and baguettes to be found.

So how do they stay so slim with so much temptation? Here are a few ways the French have been able to have their cake and eat it too – and still stay slim.

Eat For Pleasure

While in the states we often grab our food on the go, eating it in the car of shoving it down before we leave, the French eat for pleasure. They sit down, relax and enjoy the time they take for eating. Meals begin with some hors d’oeuvres accompanied by an aperitif (cocktail).

This appetizer stage of a French meal helps fill you up a bit prior to the main course. The leisurely pace at which the food is eaten is also a way to fill full. This gives your body time to tell your brain that it has food in your belly. The slower pace of eating can help you from over eating. So slow it down and enjoy the meal.

Here are a few tips to help you learn to eat slower.

Place your fork in your non-dominate hand. This helps slow down the pace at which you eat.

Place your fork down in between bites.

Chew and swallow what you already have in your mouth before taking the next bite.

Listen to soothing and relaxing music while you eat. The calming effect of the music encourages slower eating.

Smaller Portions

Another way the French are able to stay slim is to keep it small – portion sizes that is. French men and women have the occasional pastries or treats; the secret is that the portion is much smaller than the same treats served in America.

So look for ways to make your portions smaller. Share a treat with a friend or only eat half and save the rest for another day. Portion control is not just on the sweet treats. Their main dishes are generally smaller in portion sizes as well.

Fatty Foods

This is one area where some people don’t always agree with the French. But another reason the French seem to be slimmer is that they eat more fatty foods.

Why would more fat mean less weight gain? Well again it’s more about portion control. Fattier foods help make you feel full longer. So they are able to eat smaller portions without getting hungry sooner.

Of course the fatty food choices still need to be the healthier options and not just empty calories. So go ahead and eat some healthy fatty foods to help you feel full longer.

Other Tips from France

Other ways that help the French stay thin include making lunch their largest meal. This gives you more time to burn away those calories. Approximately 60% of their daily calories are eaten before 2:00pm. While in the states we are more likely to starve ourselves all day and then over indulge come evening time.

The French also tend not to snack. In fact, most only eat the 3 meals a day with maybe an occasional treat or yogurt in between meals.

One secret the French have for keeping off those extra pounds is exercise. It's not the type of exercise we think of.

Rather than slaving away at the gym for an hour, the French use walking as their primary activity. Their walks are not even thought of as exercise, but rather an enjoyable evening out to watch the sunset or spend time with loved ones.

Biking is another way the French get in their exercise. Again it’s for the enjoyment or just a means of getting around. Basically, they are generally active each day by biking or walking for pleasure.

So don’t think of it as exercise, but rather some quality time outside enjoying the weather and scenery. Go outside, take a walk and enjoy the scenery. Try biking to the store or even to work during the warm weather.

Other ways to be active without going to the gym can be done with some minor changes in your daily routine. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Get up to talk with your co-worker versus sending an email. Small changes can add lots of active time to your day.

Here’s a French recipe packed full of healthy vegetables. The great thing about this recipe is you can mix and match the veggies and have a great tasting main course for your French meal.

The vegetables in this recipe were not used when calculating the Weight Watchers Points (since they are freebies). It makes this a low points entree you can have and stay within your allowance.

Vegetable Ratatouille

Say Oui, Oui to this tasty French cuisine packed full of healthy vegetables.

What You Need:

• 2 onion, sliced into thin rings
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium eggplant, cubed
• 2 zucchini, sliced
• 2 medium yellow squash, cubed
• 1 each green, yellow, red, orange bell peppers, seeded and cubed
• 4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 sprays Cooking spray

How to Make It:

1. Using 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil and 1 spray of the cooking spray, sauté the onions and garlic until soft.
2. Add remaining veggies, olive oil and cooking spray and cook over medium heat until al dente.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Add bay leaf and thyme.
4. Place lid on pan and cook covered over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and parsley to the pot and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes more making sure to stir occasionally.
6. Remove the bay leaf and add seasonings to taste.

Number of Servings: 8

Nutrition Information Per Serving

126 calories, 7.5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 4g fiber, 3g protein, 13.5g carbohydrates, 14mg sodium.

Org Pts 2; Pts Plus 2

I've decided to add this section to give you quick updates on the website.

Restaurants

All existing restaurants are currently being updated with nutrition information and the new page format. Restaurants that begin with a number and the letters A - K and T - W are completed. This has been a much longer process than I expected, so please bear with me as I work to catch up.

Mobile App

The app issue with the size limitations on iTunes latest version has been resolved. The newest release is expected to come out within the week. There are now 250 restaurants in the app with more on the way.

A programmer has been hired to develop the android version and work will begin this month - Yeah!!!!! We hope to have it in the market sometime late September, early October. This all depends on the approval time.

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From your Diet Buddy