Archive for December 2nd, 2008
The Health Halo
I found a great article in Tuesday’s Health section of the New York Times, titled “Health Halo Can Hide the Calories”.
The article’s author (John Tierney) and Pierre Chandon, a Frenchman who has been studying what researchers call the American obesity paradox, conducted an experiment in New York City (which banned trans fats in restaurants) to discover “Why, as Americans have paid more and more attention to eating healthily, have we kept getting fatter and fatter?”
Dr. Chandon’s answer, which was derived from laboratory experiments as well as field work at Subway and McDonald’s restaurants, is that Americans have been “seduced into overeating by the so-called health halo associated with certain foods and restaurants.”
So what is a health halo exactly? It’s certain restaurants touting their low-fat entrees or sandwiches that delude consumers. The authors argue that this “health halo” ends up cushioning us from the realities of what lies beneath the surface. (more…)
10 comments December 2, 2008
Heaven: Butternut Squash Soup
If there’s one thing I love about winter nights, it’s the ability to be home and cooking something delicious.
Last night I made butternut squash soup, a recipe a friend shared with me last year to make at Thanksgiving. She had made it to serve at one of my bridal showers and it had been such a hit then that I knew it’d continue to be a hit when my family visited us in Michigan last Thanksgiving.
The preparation is a bit time-consuming, but I assure you, it’s soooo very worth it! And it freezes beautifully if you don’t think you or your family can gobble it up within the week. (more…)
6 comments December 2, 2008
Upcoming: Weight Watchers Unveiling New Program Sunday
From what I’m hearing through the grapevine (as I’m an online-only member) on December 7, Weight Watchers will unveil its (much-hyped but unknown-as-of-now) new program.
Each December, the company tweaks its current programs, and then every two years or so, the brains behind the program come up with an entirely new plan, often disbanding an existing plan in favor of a new one.
Some people stick to what they love and have had success with; others embrace the new plan with gusto.
Let’s be honest … after Thanksgiving and before Christmas/New Year’s, many people are desperate to try anything.
In no way do I know what this new plan will be. But I have to admit, I’m excited to see what it has to offer. I like to see how the program has evolved since I began WW in 2004. (more…)
4 comments December 2, 2008
