Nuts and Wine Fight Fat: Who Knew?

They say that moderation is the best approach. Well, guess what, when it comes to food and health it is not. Which is kind of a bummer when it applies to my love for potato chips and french fries.

Some people adore ice cream, but for me it's chips. And the evidence is in: they are really awful for you, in even small amounts. It figures.Potato chips and fries lead to more weight gain per serving than any other food, according to the most comprehensive and detailed study of its kind.

Yogurt, on the other hand, is the opposite. Each extra daily serving prevented 0.82 lbs. of weight. And as we expect, the more daily servings we eat of fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains, the less weight we gain as we get older. Here's how the Harvard Medical prof who led the study puts it: "Conventional diet wisdom recommends 'everything in moderation,' with a focus only on total calories consumed. But, in reality, the types of food and beverages that you consume is strongly linked to weight gain." Cola, for instance, is out.

Here are the details.

So it's nuts and fruit instead of chips -- which are a tastier trade anyway. And definitely wine instead of sugary lemonade or soda. My favorite for an evening on the porch with friends after a bike ride: Mixed nuts and cherries with an exotic deep-red Charbono wine from Tofanelli. We can feel decadent, while our hapless and stubborn pals are off counting calories per french fry. Tomorrow -- after they read this -- maybe they'll join us.

cheers,

Joan

Ethnic Food in the Movies

If you enjoy lots of flavor in your people, parties, activities and food, you've got to like ethnic meals. Color, spice, texture and energy---that's what we're talking about. Thai dishes are my favorite, of course, thanks to my Thai blood. But then there's Indian, Nepali, Chinese, Mexican, Vietnamese, Italian, Spanish. Most are lush and healthy, which is kinda my mantra. Sparkling wine is a happy match.
I think movies can totally get you in the mood for joyous ethnic eating. Have you seen these tasty culinary jewels? (via netflix.)

TORTILLA SOUP

EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN

DINNER RUSH

LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE

WHAT'S COOKING


Makes you want to stop by the fruit stand and local Asia/Mexican/Italian market and start the rice pot boiling....
cheers,
Joan

Can Your Town Make You Fat?

I thought that we stay healthy here in the land of vineyards and Farmers' Markets by eating and drinking well and enjoying the great outdoors. Welp, it seems I was only partly right. The town you pick to live in, can make the big difference in how fit and sassy you are.
As Aussie researchers put it, " People living in more populated neighbourhoods with well-connected streets and shops within easy walking distance are more likely to be active and less likely to be obese." Getting out for a coffee or to mail a package or pick up a quart of milk without a car is real exercise. Yes it is.
Here are the facts.
Indeed, "for each kilometre walked by respondents, there was a decrease of 4.8 per cent in the risk of obesity. And for each hour a day spent in their cars, there was an increased risk of obesity of about 6 per cent."

My friend likes to tell me "walk a hound, lose a pound." which is totally true in my household.
Now we can add "Pick a Town, Lose a Pound." Hey, it's a good mantra on the road too, where we can pick hotels in the center of things and use leg-power to get around. Gold Country in the Sierra Foothills is full of such cool, walking towns.
Also, my best tip: CATALINA ISLAND near Los Angeles (in the picture above), where there are nice wine stores, fresh fish tacos and almost no cars at all.
cheers,
Joan

Juanita is Gone

Juanita's Restaurants: Raunchy Side of Vine Land

"Her first local restaurant, Juanita's Galley, opened in El Verano in 1960 and introduced the Valley to an eccentric personality who let an endless assortment of pets have free run of her dining room and sometimes used her pendulous breasts to profoundly embarrass her dumbfounded guests."

"There will almost certainly never be another Juanita Musson. There couldn't be. It would violate various laws of nature and society. Juanita, who hasn't needed a last name for decades, died on Saturday at 87, closing one of the most colorful chapters in Bay Area restaurant history."

This was written by my editor pal David Bolling. About the bohemian element of our world -- large, loud, loving, profane, passionate, garrulous, generous, outgoing and outrageous.

Juanita

My Ode to Trader Joe's

Good food has lousy shelf life. That means to cook fresh food and drink wine at home regularly means you have to go shopping a lot. Even if -- like me -- you think going to stores is not recreation, but a big pain in the butt. To cope, I think of my shopping excursions as conversations between me and the market. "Hey, this looks good," or "Here's a good deal for you," it tells me. "Whatever," I yawn.

Hence, I offer this question: If Whole Foods and Trader Joe's were people, who would you want to hang out with?

My answer is Trader Joe's, hands down. I think that place is made for non-shoppers like me who love a bargain and a story. It's the only chain in these parts that is almost as interesting as my favorite neighborhood markets.

Why? They screen what they offer me, to weed out the crap (First-rate fish, peanut butter, bananas, chocolate, etc.) And they make it easy and cheap to eat healthy -- without lecturing or scaring me about bad ingredients. Plus the wine selection gives us tons of choice for everyday Porch wine, including tasty, local brands. Pity they don't have a tasting room.

In all, Trader Joe's feels like a worldly, practical, witty pal. While Whole Foods, in contrast, seems a bit snobby, judgmental, humorless -- more of a friend to upscale nesters rather than to scrappy explorers.

With exercise, the trick is to find something you love to do and do it often. Same with stores, I guess. Your favorites?

Now, if TJ's was only within bike distance from my home......

Cycling, Coffee and Being Cool

The pretty holiday lights are long gone -- but the cold remains. Ahhh winter.

This month my chilly thoughts have turned to bicycles and social revolution. Between rainstorms we can still cycle, despite the frost and fog. And the more of us who ride our bikes to the corner store, the sooner we can start a revolution away from oversized autos and from what I call the "One Syndrome." One person, one mile, one auto. Even worse is if the one-mile trip is to the gym, where we pay money to pump our legs indoors.

But I'm just ranting now.

Anyway, about bikes. I'm hoping I'm riding a trend. Last year outdoor bike coffee bars popped up in New York, including Rapha's (closed during winter --the snow thing). Every Wednesday evening Rapha's showed classic cycling movies. Around the world there is even more bike action; some even say it's a global trend for 2011.....http://popupcity.net/2011/01/trend-7-the-reinvention-of-the-wheel/

Another cool development is that folding bikes are finally becoming mainstream. Years back Hubby and I bought red folding bikes on eBay. They were for weekend jaunts because they fit so nicely in a car trunk or in a small plane. Of course they look foolish with their tiny wheels, so we fondly call them our "clown bikes." Those little bikes have had some adventures, chained outside pubs and diners all over the West. Now folding bikes are cheaper, less than $200, and they come in cloth packs you can carry over your shoulder. Very smart, really. Citizen Bikes are a good example.....http://www.citizenbike.com/about.asp

So bikes are making me hopeful about the New Year. As the politicos fight in the background -- in the foreground we can save gas and keep our healthcare costs down, just by cycling around. And if your bikes are as goofy looking as mine, you'll also have plenty of change to smile at curious passers-by. Smiles are nice in the cold.

cheers, Joan

Holiday Smarts: Walk faster, Eat slower

It's the holidays. No snow in these parts. but frosty cold day and night -- with loads of twinkling lights in all the shops and cafes. Too bad our schedules are so darn tight, it's hard to find time to enjoy them.

In that vein, here are some short takes.

Brisk walks will make you happier, fitter, but we knew that. Turns out they also make you smarter. Which can come in very handy.

http://daol.aol.com/articles/walking-boosts-the-brain?ncid=webmail

How to work at home and not get fat. Have you noticed how many people with normal traditional jobs work at home? Home office pros know a few tricks about staying in shape. Such as nourishing quick soups instead of chips. And fruit is healthy, but it's not a meal.

For more:

http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/lifestyle/article/how-to-work-from-home-and-not-get-fat-jean-chatzky

So, I officially vow to mix Chistmas shopping with peppy window-shopping walks and to concoct simple lunches of low-salt broth, veggies, beans and turkey. My reward is wine -- a spicy, old-vine Zinfandel at quitting time.

cheers to all,

Joan