Plano Profile February 2010 : Page 8
as i see it You arewhat you eat U nlike many, I look forward to my annual physical exam. I like my doctor and the service is prompt and friendly. My recent exam was even better. Dr. Torres said, “John, you’re in better shape than most college kids i see, and your cholesterol is the lowest i’ve ever seen for someone not on medication.” i remember not too many years ago feeling much differently about the exam. i was certainly not an example of good health. What changed was the development of my “eat less and exercise” program. in the January 2006 Plano Profile column, i reported that i had lost some 25 pounds through a combination of choosing better foods, eating smaller portions, sharing entrees, leaving food on the plate, and exercising. My weight had been up and down throughout my adult life and i had never been able to maintain an appropriate weight for any period of time. i’m happy to report that the results of the “eat less and exercise” program have been maintained now for four years. My weight loss has stabilized at about 50 pounds. The program has become a little more sophisticated over the years, though it is still simple. Here’s the most important new wrinkle: know what you eat. i almost always choose fresh foods, whole grains, organic, and lean meats with plenty of fruits and vegetables. However, when i go to a movie, i still eat popcorn, and once in a (long) while, i’ll even enjoy my favorite—a box of Dots. But i always know about how many calories i’m consuming, and have a plan for making up for it somewhere else. i believe the biggest reason for my current, sustained health is what i eat. The phrase, “you are what you eat,” 8 Plano Profile February 2010 first popularized in Victor lindlaur’s 1942 book, You Are What You Eat: How to Win and Keep Health with Diet, continues in our language today, probably because of its truth and simplicity. it nicely sums up the importance of eating right. My daughter, liz, recently made me aware of another book, Eat This, Not That! (2010 edition). The book is the latest in a series by author David Zinczenko and provides a superb method of knowing what you eat by comparison. The book contrasts good (“eat this”) items to bad (“not that”) at restaurants and supermarkets and provides useful information for holidays and special occasions as well. There are chapters about foods that cure and how to raise lean, fit children. The information is easy to digest, and some quite surprising. for example, at T.G.i. friday’s the “eat this” is Dragonfire Chicken at 480 calories versus the “not that” Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad at an astounding 1,360 calories. So much for a dish being healthy just because it’s a salad. or at McDonald’s, “eat this” is a Big n’ Tasty Hamburger at 460 calories versus the “not that” Chicken Select Premium Breast Strips at a whopping 860 calories! and you thought chicken was always better than beef. a t Papa John’s you can enjoy two slices of The Works original crust that includes pepperoni, sausage, ham, and vegetables for 460 calories, whereas if you ordered two slices of Cheese Pizza (no other toppings) pan crust, you’ll be consuming almost twice the calories at a hefty count of 820 (with three times the fat to boot). i always thought that skipping all those meat pizza toppings was a good thing, when in fact it is the crust you need to worry about. as i mentioned in my 2006 column, counting calories may be the simplest way to sustain a healthy weight. Eat This, Not That provides an easy way to focus on calories and provides helpful tidbits of information about many of the foods we eat. Common sense and decades of evidence suggest that you are what you eat. But even more importantly, know what you eat. ■ john longstreet
As i See It
John Longstreet
You are what you eat
Unlike many, I look forward to my annual physical exam. I like my doctor and the service is prompt and friendly. My recent exam was even better. Dr. Torres said, “John, you’re in better shape than most college kids I see, and your cholesterol is the lowest I’ve ever seen for someone not on medication.”
I remember not too many years ago feeling much differently about the exam. I was certainly not an example of good health. What changed was the development of my “Eat Less and Exercise” program. In the January 2006 Plano Profile column, I reported that I had lost some 25 pounds through a combination of choosing better foods, eating smaller portions, sharing entrees, leaving food on the plate, and exercising. My weight had been up and down throughout my adult life and I had never been able to maintain an appropriate weight for any period of time.
I’m happy to report that the results of the “Eat Less and Exercise” program have been maintained now for four years. My weight loss has stabilized at about 50 pounds. The program has become a little more sophisticated over the years, though it is still simple. Here’s the most important new wrinkle: know what you eat. I almost always choose fresh foods, whole grains, organic, and lean meats with plenty of fruits and vegetables. However, when I go to a movie, I still eat popcorn, and once in a (long) while, I’ll even enjoy my favorite—a box of Dots. But I always know about how many calories I’m consuming, and have a plan for making up for it somewhere else.
I believe the biggest reason for my current, sustained health is what I eat. The phrase, “you are what you eat,” first popularized in Victor Lindlaur’s 1942 book, You Are What You Eat: How to Win and Keep Health with Diet, continues in our language today, probably because of its truth and simplicity. It nicely sums up the importance of eating right.
My daughter, Liz, recently made me aware of another book, Eat This, Not That! (2010 edition). The book is the latest in a series by author David Zinczenko and provides a superb method of knowing what you eat by comparison. The book contrasts good (“eat this”) items to bad (“not that”) at restaurants and supermarkets and provides useful information for holidays and special occasions as well. There are chapters about foods that cure and how to raise lean, fit children.
The information is easy to digest, and some quite surprising. For example, at T.G.I. Friday’s the “eat this” is Dragonfire Chicken at 480 calories versus the “not that” Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad at an astounding 1,360 calories. So much for a dish being healthy just because it’s a salad. Or at McDonald’s, “eat this” is a Big N’ Tasty Hamburger at 460 calories versus the “not that” Chicken Select Premium Breast Strips at a whopping 860 calories! And you thought chicken was always better than beef.
At Papa John’s you can enjoy two slices of The Works original crust that includes pepperoni, sausage, ham, and vegetables for 460 calories, whereas if you ordered two slices of Cheese Pizza (no other toppings) pan crust, you’ll be consuming almost twice the calories at a hefty count of 820 (with three times the fat to boot). I always thought that skipping all those meat pizza toppings was a good thing, when in fact it is the crust you need to worry about.
As I mentioned in my 2006 column, counting calories may be the simplest way to sustain a healthy weight. Eat This, Not That provides an easy way to focus on calories and provides helpful tidbits of information about many of the foods we eat. Common sense and decades of evidence suggest that you are what you eat. But even more importantly, know what you eat.
Publication List
