The Mediterranean Diet

by admin on January 16, 2011

It’s that time again, the holidays have just ended and now it’s time to start thinking about those New Year’s resolutions.  It seems like inevitability that those resolutions always involve losing an extra 20 pounds or so. There also seem to be about a million different fad diets that start to come out of the woodworks about this time every year. So, before you commit yourself to do something crazy like only eat grapefruit or only eat red meat, let’s talk about another fad diet that seems to be taking the weight loss world by storm over the last few months. The Mediterranean Diet was developed in 1993 by the Harvard School of Public Health; the diet consists of eating foods typical of a diet in Mediterranean countries such as France and Italy.  The idea came to the scientists when they observed that those living in Mediterranean had less disease and longer life expectancy than any other region in the world, so they modernized the foods from that diet to American tastes to create another diet fad sensation. The diet consists of eating food s from mostly plant sources like potatoes, beans, and grains as your primary source of energy. It also involves replacing typical oils and fats from an American diet with olive oil to maximize the health benefits. Also, instead of eating beef, you focus on poultry and fish for your meats. The biggest key to success is to avoid processed foods by eating fresh foods, thereby getting rid of unneeded carbohydrates.

The question now has to be asked, does this diet actually work and is it worth changing my entire diet to follow this plan? The fact of the matter is that if you are the typical American, your diet is probably terrible at the current moment, there’s a reason that 35% of the country is obese. The obesity rates in Italy and France are under 10%, and so there could be some real health benefits for you. However there is no way to prove that you will actually lose weight on this diet. You will be eating healthier and so you’ll probably be healthier but if you continue to eat huge American sized portions then you are not going to lose weight. Another problem with this diet is that since you are using olive oil instead of traditional vegetable oil, you think that you are going to lose weight, but the truth is that olive oil is still fat, so be cautious, because there is no way to guarantee that you won’t respond to the olive oil the same way you would to vegetable oil. Olive oil, however, is a great antioxidant and doesn’t contain saturated fats like many American products so that is a benefit. All in all the diet should help you to avoid future health problems and might help you lose weight, however if you aren’t willing to put forth the effort to monitor your diet then this might not be the diet for you, especially if you are looking to lose weight fast.

Now you know, if your new year’s resolution is to feel more southern European or just more culturally diverse, you might want to give the Mediterranean diet a try, it might just help you achieve those goals pretty easily and maybe lose weight and get healthier in the process. So when considering your weight loss options for your new year’s resolution, now you know what you need to about the Mediterranean diet, one down, only hundreds of more fad diets to go!

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Review of Texas Roadhouse Restaurant

by admin on January 16, 2011

Texas Roadhouse or FUNhouse?

On a recent mall trip, my husband and I, tired but exuberant from our Christmas shopping efforts, decided to fortify ourselves with red meat and the fun, shit-kickin’, cattle rustlin’ atmosphere of the newly opened Texas Roadhouse.

Resembling an old barn, bedecked with modern sign and armadillo motif, Texas Roadhouse is a popular chain that boasts its famous Texan barbeque ribs and steaks, and a fun, hoe-down, country-western ambience.   Seeing as we were both bedecked ourselves in blue jeans and plaid against the Utah winter cold, we felt we’d fit right in…yee haw!

We were greeted by a blast of hot air, the scent of baked rolls and shelled peanuts, and about four dozen other hapless patrons in the attitude of sitting, standing, squatting and in general, resembling the cattle that was being broiled and slathered in ‘sweet n’ zesty’ in the kitchens behind us.  An area of approximately fifteen by thirty feet is hardly a suitable herding area for so many Happy Valley cattle, especially when you consider the long reception desk full of greeters by the name of Tiffany, Brittany and Stacy, three barrels full of peanuts, and an assortment of knickknacks, caricatures of country music stars and stuffed animals…everywhere.   I could feel a trickle of perspiration making its way from beneath my frozen smile to my smashed lady bumps-fortunately pressed against my struggling spouse.

“Excuse me,” I yelled, not once, but three times before Brittany looked up from her dazzling panel of lights which displayed the seating arrangements (or lack thereof.)  Obviously their glowing, effervescent twinkling had placed her in some sort of trance. “How’s the wait?”

“For how many?” she asked, between smacking gum.  She did smile though, the brightness was like a shining beacon of hope, and further complimented the enticing aromas coming from the kitchen.

“Two hungry shoppers, one whopping headache, and a partridge in a pear tree,” I answered saucily.  It was lost on her.

“Twenty minutes,” she said brightly.  “Please stand on square number 2.”

I was gestured from the gleaming desk, back only about a foot, onto a slab of carpet that, lo and behold, had a big number ‘2’ printed on it.  Behind me were baskets of sweet smelling hot rolls, and in front of me an endless stream of sweating bodies.  I am a little claustrophobic by nature, and a fan of personal hygiene.  I was trying not to ponder too much on either point at that moment.

The music blared out a honky tonk Christmas, and off to the right a sudden whopping signaled almost every waiter in the establishment to stop what they were doing and join in a frenzied line dance.  I watched in rapt attention as they (almost in sync) kicked, clapped and pivoted amidst much enthusiasm and smiles.  I found myself getting quite into the spirit of things until a gentleman next to me murmured his displeasure at having his foot stomped on.

Miraculously, the twenty minute wait turned into five.  (Probably because less resolute patrons than I had given up sustenance in pursuit of fresh air and freedom.)

We were escorted by a bouncy, pony-tailed gal to a small table adjacent to the bar and in two shakes of a mule’s tail had drinks in hand and our orders in.  I have to say, those Texas Roadhouse waiters are hired not just for their youth, energy and good looks, but also for their efficiency under fire.  I’m hard pressed to remember such speedy and smile-enhanced service.

And the food?  My cow was cooked to perfection.  It was quietly mooing with au jus on the side (we had a little confusion over the horseradish.  I don’t believe Happy Valley folk normally pursue the pleasures of this spicy little sauce with bite.)   My spouse’s pulled pork sandwich was similarly blessed with perfect culinary preparation.   Don’t expect fancy at the Texas Roadhouse…you won’t find any ‘radish art’…or even a sprig of parsley for that matter.  The cooking’s plain, but boy is it good.  Just like ma used to make.

Our waitress (we’ll call her Jessica), kept my Diet Coke’s a-comin’, but didn’t offer me dessert (isn’t there a penalty for that?  Or is that Applebees?), but it was just as well.  The cow had done, finished me off.  I was fixin’ to pop right out of my belt buckle.

All in all, it was a very pleasant experience…once sat down and able to breathe without sharing someone else’s airspace.  Texas Roadhouse’s famous rolls were succulent, there were plenty of peanuts to munch on in between courses, and the music pounded through us, setting our eating pace at a nice, healthy canter.  Prices were reasonable, and customer service was actually quite good.  If you don’t mind your waitress taking off to join in a board-thumping dance every thirty minutes, you can handle being part of a cattle drive, and country music doesn’t elicit the need to find rope and hang yourself, I highly recommend it.

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Teen Pregnancy

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Review of Café El Lago

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