The Dish on Your Diet, Part 2

The Dish
by Carolyn O'Neil, M.S., R.D., Densie Webb, Ph.D., R.D.

(Page 2 of 4)

Is TV Your Trigger?

Q: You've planted yourself in front of the tube for an evening of vegetation. (Whatever your secret pleasure, the latest reality TV series, old Joan Crawford flicks, or vintage Japanese sci-fi — to each her own.) What happens next?

1. TV, for you, is fattening. Every time a commercial comes on, you're up and in the kitchen, scrounging for something to eat. The food commercials are the worst.

2. You bring a limited amount of pretzels or popcorn to the sofa and indulge your craving for salty snacks, while you indulge in your craving for trash TV. You're so thirsty by the time the next commercial comes on, you quench your thirst with a cola (you keep a stash on hand for emergencies).

3. When you watch TV, you only watch TV. And when the commercials come on, you find something else to do. When you feel your stomach rumbling, you head for the kitchen and pick from all the healthy stuff you have to choose from.

The Dish Divas' Diagnosis

1. Watching food commercials is like watching gorgeous men and women seducing each other on screen. You can't watch all that smooching and heavy breathing without thinking about, well, you know. Okay, maybe you don't bring the box of cookies to the sofa for some serious munching, but when the ads for KFC come on, you're a goner. And the fridge is just a few steps away. What to do? Hit the mute button and use the few minutes of back-to-back ads to do something else — anything else. Pick up that magazine or book and read a couple of pages, finish making that vto-do" list for tomorrow's dinner, or paint your nails. Better yet, do some sit-ups or jumping jacks. Just get the focus off the tube and on to something nonfood related until your show comes back on.

2. Number one: Toss the sodas or at least switch to the diet version. Better yet, how about keeping lemon-flavored seltzers, bottled water, or peach-flavored iced tea in the fridge? Or make this one of your planned snacks and get in another serving of fruit — a six-ounce glass of nutrient-packed grapefruit juice over ice. (Carolyn Says: Make mine pink!)

Number two: You shouldn't be eating in front of the tube, anyway. That's a basic lesson in Healthy Eating 101! When you're lost in the story, someone could put doggie treats in your bowl and it probably wouldn't slow you down. But at least you got one thing right; you're better off with a bag of popcorn or pretzels than with a quart of Häagen-Dazs and a spoon! If you really must eat, try a handful of nuts (keep them in the kitchen, so you at least have to get up to go get them), or some appealingly sliced up fruits and veggies with a yogurt dip.

3. We're speechless. 'Nuf said. You've got the situation under control (if you're telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but).

What's for Dessert?

Q: You've just finished a fabulous meal at one of your favorite restaurants in town, but you really, really need something sweet to top the whole thing off. What do you do?

1. You throw caution to the wind and decide to go all the way, ordering the most decadent thing you can find. (Fried Mars Bar, anyone? — yes, it's a real menu item at a little eatery on New York's Lower East Side.)

2. You fight the feeling, watching everyone else ordering from the dessert tray. You feel tortured but superior, sipping on your hot water with lemon.

3. You share a luscious passion-fruit tart with a fellow diner, catering to that sweet craving, and walk away feeling satisfied but not stuffed.

The Dish Divas' Diagnosis

1. Could it be any worse? Well, yes, but it's still a setback. If you're going to indulge in possibly the most decadent dessert on the planet, you could at least split it two, or better yet, three ways, to minimize the damage. The next time, avoid restaurants that offer such "delicacies" as Fried Mars Bars and you've already won half the battle.

2. Self-sacrifice taken to the extreme almost always comes back and bites you in the butt. It's okay once in a while to feel like you're in control and superior, but try not to let your swollen head stretch your halo. It could come crashing down on you. Might be a better idea to at least sample that dessert — the one that's making you salivate like Pavlov's dog.

3. You may have found the best of both worlds — a serving of self-indulgence, seasoned with a dash of self-control. But better make sure that crust isn't drenched in butter or that cream isn't a part of the filling (no wonder it tasted so good). It's best to ask the chef what goes into those dishy desserts, since it's easy to be deceived. And try to order smart — fruit instead of chocolate, sorbet instead of ice cream.

Want more? Check out chapter 5 for The Dish on Eating Out.

Name That Craving

Q: You're standing in your kitchen looking for something to eat. This is your third round of checking out the contents of your pantry, the freezer, then the fridge. You know you want something, but what? Does that leftover salad sound good? What about an orange? Maybe a few slices of kiwi? What's your next move?

1. Nothing really "hits the spot," so that container of leftover Chinese takeout will simply have to do. It's better than digging into that box of Godiva chocolates shoved way in the back of the refrigerator. (Out of sight, but not out of mind?)

2. You're not in the mood to cook anything. Even warming leftover kung pao chicken seems like too much of an effort. So, you head for the quart of cookies 'n cream ice cream sitting front and center in the freezer and dig in.

3. Through sheer willpower, you run the Godiva and cookies 'n cream gauntlet and settle on an apple, feeling proud of yourself for making such a healthy choice, even though it does little to diminish your growing craving.

The Dish Divas' Diagnosis

1. You could do worse, but don't make a meal of it. If Chinese food is what you're craving, a few bites should tame the urge without pushing your calorie intake over the edge. If it's not, it could end up just being an appetizer to the real object of your desire.

2. There's just something about a quart of ice cream sitting in the freezer... it actually seems to be calling your name! The attraction is like a moth to a flame, as they say, and just as self-destructive. Do yourself a favor and don't keep quart-sized frozen confections on hand. If you must have ice cream at the ready, opt for the individual servings (you know, the kind you were served at birthday parties as a kid, with those impossible-to-eat-with, woody-tasting, so-called spoons) and limit yourself to one. A better alternative is to keep frozen fruit bars on hand for those emergency cravings. Or, go retro and keep a stash of Fudgsicles on hand. (Densie Says: Save the banana-flavored for me!) Okay, so they're not quite as rich and creamy as the real thing, but you'd be surprised how suitable a substitute they can be.

3. You made the kitchen rounds. You should know by now if something healthy, like a piece of fruit, is going to work on your craving. If yes, what about tearing into a bag of prewashed Caesar salad greens and go ahead and sprinkle on the croutons and the Parmesan cheese? Now, how about adding other veggies like baby carrots or tasty grape tomatoes? And who knows... maybe all the tossing and crunching into those crisp veggies will be positively therapeutic and help you ride the wave of your craving. Yes, croutons, cheese, and salad dressing have calories, but don't forget you're getting fiber and vitamins and you've probably come out ahead calorie-wise compared to taking a dip into the ice cream carton. If all that healthy stuff still doesn't sound good, then you probably weren't hungry at all. Note to self: Learn the difference between hunger and "a cappuccino with biscotti sure would taste good right about now." It's not always easy to know the difference. It's a skill that takes practice. But, hey, you've got time!

Want more? Check out chapter 8 for The Dish on Cheating.

Copyright © 2004 by Carolyn O'Neil and Densie Webb

About the Author

Carolyn O'Neil, M.S., R.D., is a registered dietitian who is best known for her award-winning national and inter-national reporting on food, nutrition, and cuisine as the senior correspondent and host of CNN's On the Menu and CNN Travel Now.

Densie Webb, Ph.D., R.D., a registered dietitian, has been writing about food, nutrition, and health for over fifteen years. She is the author and editor of seven other books, the associate editor for environmentalnutrition.com and a regular writer for the American Botanical Council.