You can’t lose weight and keep it off

The sad reality is that you have about as great a chance of losing

weight and keeping it off as you do of winning the lottery. This is

just a simple fact of life. Everybody knows it. Every magazine article and

television show on the topic gives the same facts: 95% of diets fail, and

for those who do lose weight, it’s just about guaranteed that they’ll gain

it all back. When the media interviews experts who study weight loss

for a living, they all say this is true.

Myths and Weight Loss

Myths are a part of every society and culture. They help explain common

experiences that are mysterious, frightening, or difficult to understand.

Ancient civilizations used myths to explain aspects of the world

that they could not comprehend. Joseph Campbell, author of the book

The Power of Myth, explains that we need myths to survive and to

explain and understand our existence.

Myths are powerful. They can inspire us to great heights. But they

can also become traps when they mask the full truth. If you go beyond

the kernel of truth that forms the basis of the myth and believe that

every aspect of the myth is true, you can become paralyzed into inaction

because the myth seemingly explains everything.

LIVE NORI ROLLS

Nori rolls are convenient for meals on the go or as an elegant appetizer. You can serve

them with a simple soy sauce for dipping or with the Spring Roll Dipping Sauce (page

308). Nori sheets come either toasted or sun-dried. Use the sun-dried version for a truly

raw roll. The key for a successful raw nori roll is for the pâté not to be too moist or the

nori sheet will get soggy and spoil everyone’s fun. Here we provide two pâté recipes,

each of which lends itself to numerous variations.

TRADITIONAL HUMMUS

MAKES 1½ CUPS

1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans

2 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon water

2 garlic cloves

¼ teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1. Process all of the ingredients in a food processor until well combined. You may

wish to add more water, for a thinner consistency. Start with 2 tablespoons at

a time.

2. It is possible to just mash the garbanzos up with a fork if you do not have a

food processor, then add all of the other ingredients for a chunkier hummus

experience.

How To Dehydrate Kale Step by Step

Kale is a nutritious vegetable and is considered to be a form of cabbage. It can be

green or purple and is a rich source of calcium, beta-carotene and vitamins.

Like broccoli kale contains sulforaphane, which is believed to have anti-cancer properties.

Kale chips are a popular and very nutritional snack and if you happen to have kale sitting in your garden, fridge or freezer and you are not sure what to do with all of it you can always dehydrate your kale. Dehydrating kale or any other collard greens is a relatively easy process and can be done in your very own kitchen using a dehydrator or the oven.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are the edible fruit parts of a fungus. They are not considered a vegetable because they lack chlorophyll and the ability to make nutrients from the sun .

 

There are upwards of 38,000 varieties of mush­rooms in North America. They are available in Michigan year round.

How to select and store:
Choose firm, evenly colored mushrooms with tightly closed caps—visible gills are indicative of age. Avoid those that are broken or damaged with soft spots. Shiny and slimy skins are signs of spoilage. Store fresh mushrooms partially covered in the refrigerator to keep them from drying out but still allowing

Dieting is great, but healthy habits are better

Trying a new diet, and hoping it sticks, is like trying something new at a favorite restaurant. I often return to the eateries where I know exactly what I like. Occasionally trying something new is exciting, offering all sorts of possibilities, but in the end I usually wind up going back to flavors I have loved before. It is hard to adopt new foods or practices.

There’s a certain restaurant where my regular lasagna experience was almost ruined by a one-time encounter with a weird-meat stuffed ravioli. I don’t know what I was thinking. The ravioli looked so good on the menu, but tasted so odd. How could I ever go against lasagna? Lasagna is layered, for Pete’s sake! February rolls around and spring is starting to come into focus. Hopefully any weight loss goals set in January are still on the horizon. I know I made a few resolutions that are still in my sights. I’m feeling pretty good about them.