My manifesto

I keep reading reviews of people on diets described as “strict” whereby they’ve lost 15 pounds in 15 days, say, but the reviewer makes it clear they believe the dieter will gain it all back as soon as they quit the diet. Read the fine print and you often see that all the dieter has given up are processed carbohydrates: flour, sugar, and all the processed and junk foods made there from. Why would anyone consider a diet made up of real, wholesome food as “strict”?

Will that dieter gain the weight back? If they go back to eating junk they most certainly will. What’s needed in our society is a recognition that processed carbs in most forms are neither wholesome nor real and that if a person continues to indulge in these, they run the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. I know this sounds sanctimonious, and for that I apologize. But drastic times call for drastic measures. And people, one at a time, must be confronted with that insidious risk awaiting in the corner store, the grocery, and eateries everywhere.

We are obsessed with food in this country, and yet, statistics show, we are one of the most unhealthy of the industrial nations. Unlike the French, who consume vast quantities of foie gras, triple cream cheeses, red meat and red wine, we are, as a nation, as fat as pigs. Consider for a moment the differences in French eating habits and ours. They shop every day, they don’t snack, and they turn up their gallic noses at most things processed. What do they know that we don’t? Real food is good for you.

It is quite difficult to avoid bad food here considering that the American industrial food complex is enormous, powerful, and vocal. However, beginning as far back as Alice Waters, 25 years ago, there has been a countervailing trend towards good, wholesome food, mostly locally grown and as nourishing as what the run of the mill citizen had a couple generations back. That’s all we are saying. Give real food a chance. You will normalize your weight, you will add years to your life, you will reduce your risk for the big three killers in our society.

And by the way, at first, you will probably lose fifteen pounds in fifteen days. Try it. I did. It worked for me.

Linda West Eckhardt

so I fell off the wagon.

Bound to happen, I suppose, after days and days of being good, only eating protein and protein and little else. Yesterday, I fell off the wagon and good. At the grocery store, I bought a snickers bar. Haven't done that in a long time. And my old sugary self came roaring back. It tasted good, I'll tell you that.

I've always believed the only reason I didn't become a roaring drunk, like so many of my erstwhile relatives, is that I learned to cook early and loved to eat from a way early age. I still have a scar on tthe first two fingers of my right hand, from when I was in the third grade - a latch key kid from way back. I was making divinity. I could read, I could measure, I could understand the candy thermometer. But the only thing I couldn't do was hang onto the pot and when I began pouring that scalding hot sugar syrup, I poured it all over my right hand. ouch! Too bad it didn't lessen my love for sugar. I sometimes think I'm bonded to sugar. Certainly addicted to it.

But most days, eating plenty of carbs - 2 eggs for breakfast, 3 oz. protein for lunch and dinner and just a bit of veg, i have no sugar cravings. except once in awhile, like yesterday.l sigh.

but anyway, i got up today, ate my eggs, and its now 5 o'clock and i'm still not hungry.

salmon for dinner tonight, with summer squash, peeled and sauteed in olive oil with garlic, onion, and herbs de provence. throw in berry tomatoes at the very end. fleur de sel. good and good for you.

Drop It Sister: How to lose 10 pounds quick

Nothing like the dreaded class reunion to whip you into a frenzy of self improvement. Yes.
This summer, when my omg whatever reunion approached, I took a long a terrible look at myself in the mirror and knew I had to do something fast. Speaking of FAST, Dr. Salerno's Full Fat Fast did the trick for me. And it works every time. It's simple, it's satisfying, and here's all you do.
1. Eat 2 eggs for breakfast every morning. Fried, Scrambled, Boiled. I make an omelet with generous amounts of my favorite hard cheeses.
2. Eat four small meals scattered through the day with 2 ounces of protein each. This can be another omelet, a hamburger patty, a pork chop, lamb chop, hot dog (no bun), salmon, sardines in mustard, you get the idea. You can tart it up with mayo, mustard, or Worcestershire.
3. Drink a bucket of water or calorie free drinks. I mean like 64 ounces.
Within 10 days you will have dropped at least 10 pounds and at least 2 inches off your waist. Yeah!