Saturday is weigh-in day for Gina at Weight Watchers. This last week would have definitely been a weight gainer in my old life. There wasn't a day without a challenge. I went from the launch of the newest issue of DINE magazine where the food was delicious, to a night out with friends at a music concert where reception meant nil and my starving friends ended up at the Lone Star Grill with me tagging along. When I couldn't decide what to eat they ordered a number of dishes for the table. That was only Tuesday. Then by Wednesday I was faced with a Chef's Challenge cook-off followed by the Thursday champagne opening of my art show and Friday was a gear down day at my son Noah's and daughter-in-law, Erica's where her delicious dinner included Cornish hen with cornbread stuffing. The good news is I didn't gain weight. In fact, I lost a little. It could have been worse under my old lifestyle. I tried my best for portion control and continued tracking what I ate. I particularly worked hard to squeeze in 5-7 fruit or veggies daily. That was my saving grace.
Today at Weight Watchers there was a new member who arrived as a Debbie Downer full of doom and gloom, berating the points program and saying that she really didn't have the time to count the points nor could she see the benefits. She then went on to say she didn't believe in the free fruit points and that doctors say that they have a high glycemic index. The other members tried to console and advise her but if this wasn't the right program for her and she felt it was too much of a commitment, then she shouldn't be there.
Now at the beginning, I must admit it was new for me not to think of a banana as fattening. After all, it is about 100 calories. Under this program, bananas are free and I was surprised on how many members were eating two bananas a day as their go-to snack. I was scared of eating bananas. So silly though. When you think about the amount of advertising that goes into the 100-calorie package of cookies, chips and the like and compare it to a banana ... which nobody convinces you to eat...which is the more nutritious? That is a rhetorical question. The banana wins hands down ... except who advertises bananas? Manufacturers hype up all kinds of so-called healthy foods like Kashi or Nutella. Give me a break. How much processing goes into that? Does your body even recognize it after that?
I think it has helped me greatly to consider fruit when I normally would have grabbed a cookie instead. It really alleviates the sugar need and there is something in the enzymes that burn calories by eating fruit and the body has a better handle on breaking natural foods down.
Speaking of being scared of fruit, we are asked to try new fruits and veggies. A couple of weeks ago I made a fennel salad, something I wouldn't have done before. At this time of year, pomegranates are in season. They add colour and flavour to salads and muffins as well as being excellent antioxidents. I was planning on adding it to my apple, fennel salad next week. Now here is a tip on a way to seed a pomegranate although I haven't tried it yet. Normally, I just try to spoon out the seeds. The trick, apparently is to submerge the halved fruit in a bowl of cold water before scooping out the seeds. They will sink to the bottom and the white pith will float to the top where you can easily pick it out. Then you strain the seeds over a mesh sieve.
Please don't be a scaredy-cat like I was. Fruit is good for you. Someone I had coffee with this morning told me her doctor says he had never heard of anyone getting fat from fruit.
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