Diet Makes Strange Bedfellows

Dr. Phil is due back at the library tomorrow, along with Jane Fonda.
Not really an unlikely pair as Fonda has always been weight obesssed
and has confessed to a history of bilumia. Isn;t obession with food and
eating the other siude of the coin?

I've been around here almost ten years (but I don't write the songs :-)
Rosie once accused me of having OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) In
other words being a control freak. I denied it, but it has to be true
to stick around  ASD this long, try so many variations and making
"smaller" weight such a big issue. I am trying to turn the "disorder"
into "order" in short order.

******

Phil Her Up

I've had my fill of Dr. Phil but will keep his super seven tips. I'll
be soldiering on without Oprah's protege and his Texas zingers and have
taken off on my own now but must give the talk show devil his due.

Today the words "Fill 'er up" uttered at the gas pump spell financial
ruin or just about.

And for this voracious, food conscious person to whom food is more than
fuel, a full tank without a full hip remains an ongoing challenge.  So
is dieting while retaining good nutrition.

One area that has become grey and fuzzy is the fat zone.

On the SCD diet, people are urged not to avoid healthy fats in the
diet. Naturally my interpretation is to use lots of "healthy" fat. So
every cooked egg or pancake started with a good size pat of butter,
every savory dish got braised in olive oil.  This is not the wisest
course for an irritable bowel. I'm trying  to imagine that the price of
butter and oil went up with the price of petroleum products in the area
of calories instead of dollars.

Here's what I made for breakfast. Give it a try, it's got volume. It's
got satiety!

Zucchini Pancake

1 egg, well beaten
1 small zucchini
A few shakes oregano and basil
salt (optional) and pepper
2 tablespoons bread crumbs or ground almonds

Heat a skillet and spray three times with vegetable spray or olive oil.
Peel zucchini and grate on a hand grater. This is actually faster than
in the food processor.  Add beaten egg to zucchini and stir in crumbs
or almond flour. Pour in batter and cook on medium heat until firm
enough to turn and browned. Turn, finish and serve. (I like to add a
teaspoon of honey) and garnish with a fresh strawberry.

I saved four grams of fat by using spray instead of butter

170 calories without the honey ( Since I can't use flour from grain and
use almonds my fat count was still high if you are not low carb)

*****

Backing It Up with A "Sip Drive"

Good kitchen equipment and good utensils that feel well balanced add to
the enjoyment of food and beverages.

Five years ago i paid an unconscionable price for a tall heavy
Starbucks thermal mug. It is curved but narrows at the bottom so you
can put it in the cup holder in your car. It has a nice grip on the
Neoprene handle and I have somehow managed not to leave it on a park
bench or in a subway.

The thing i like about it best is the skinny half moon to sip from.
(looks like the nail tip on a French manicure) A cup of coffee can last
me over a half an hour without cooling off completely.

I am carrying this with me filled with a hot or cold beverage and
sipping very slowly. It's filling and curbs the desire for snacks.

O.K. I am not only OCD but have oral issues too. Sue me :-)

Wondering whether I've lost any weight? Not the issue here yet. You
have to practice to get to Carnegie Hall. I am learning to eat all over
again so as not to overeat.  A kitten chases it's tail and rarely
catches it. A cat walks straight ahead and its tail follows!

I'll do my purring in October when hopefully the new good habits are
ingrained. let's hope the results are "purr-fect!"