A corny secret that might shock you

When I first came up with the idea to write American Women Didn't Get Fat in the 1950s, I envisioned an uplifting book full of vintage inspiration and wisdom. 

"We don't need the French women to look down their noses and tell us how to not get fat," I thought. "Our grandmothers did it just fine right here in the US in the 1950s. Time to represent good old grandma! I'll show them!"

But it was more than pretty concepts and long forgotten secrets of a slender lifestyle. I planned to compare the psychology of today to back then to show how much has changed, and much of what we call progressive is actually backwards thinking. 

That's how I started out but what I didn't expect was how far we've come from eating unadulterated food. Sure, I knew about chemcuisine-- those added ingredients to processed foods that prolong shelf life or add artificial flavorings. What I wasn't expecting was the extent of test tube food on our plates!

When genetically engineered foods/organisms (or "GMOs") were first introduced into the markets (and our bodies) in the late 1990s, I figured it was just a newfangled way to hasten the process of hybridization. That's the old-fashioned way of selectively breeding crops which entails placing a pair of desirable tomatoes together in a dark room. Then, play a little Barry White to get them in the mood...

OK, so botany isn't my specialty, but here is the point: The vast majority of food on the supermarket shelves in 2012 contains ingredients that contain man-made genes. Store-bought corn is one of the major crops that is almost guaranteed to be GMO unless it's certified organic. You won't know by simply reading labels or looking for a sticker on an ear of corn since there are no laws requiring GMOs to be labelled as such in the US. The government believes you have no need to know because they state that GMOs are "substantially" the same as non GM foods. Again, I'm not a botanist so I can't claim to know. However, I believe in informed eating choices and we can't do that unless we have the knowledge.

It's time to take back our kitchens, ladies. That's not me channeling Archie Bunker promoting the idea that we should stay in the kitchen. That's my own brand of feminism that believes we need to kick "The Man" OUT of it, or at least have him announce himself at the door.

Chew on that. : )

Prominent Doctor Sees the Wisdom of the 1950s Way

I just read a fantastic article written by a physician who sees the need for real change in the way we live and eat as opposed to waiting for the "cure" via pharmaceuticals. He wrote:

A half century ago, there was dramatically less obesity. Very little about genes, metabolism or human nature has changed in the past five decades. We have epidemic childhood obesity now; we did not have it then. The ambient level of "personal responsibility" in 8 year olds has not changed over that span.

YES!  

And: A dramatic change in the epidemiology of obesity is directly related to profound changes in our environments, food supply, activity levels and social norms. We have caused the obesity epidemic, by looking the other way as a staggering array of "advances" made ever more calories ever more temptingly available, and made physical activity ever more elusive.

I highly recommend you read his article over at Huffington Post. In my book I am writing about many similar principles.

1950s Advice from "Diet and Like it": Just say "No, thank you."

I have a charming little diet booklet from 1957 called "Diet and Like it." In it I found this advice: 

As a guest in a private home, you are somewhat at the mercy of your hostess. But no code of manners calls for accepting a second slice of cake and you can refuse without appearing ungracious. In fact, in this age of dieting, the ungracious one is the insistent hostess.

Have you ever had an awkward moment as a guest when you felt obliged to indulge beyond what you wanted to eat? Or maybe you are like me and have memories of wanting to eat (or actually eating) way more than beyond "polite!"

Do you want to fit in, or fit into your jeans? Don't be trendy!

Trends by State 1985–2010

During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity in the United States and rates remain high. In 2010, no state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-six states had a prevalence of 25% or more; 12 of these states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia) had a prevalence of 30% or more.

Cooking simple and real food can make you a "dish"

I've never thought of myself as a "cook" even though I've been cooking for most of my adult life, and the meals I make don't come out of a package or can. For example, I love roasted chicken with boiled red potatoes and lightly steamed broccoli, or a pot roast with a side of rice noodles and peas. I do sometimes make casseroles and more complex dishes but I mostly eat simply prepared recipes that you won't see on The Food Channel. I like to think that I am simply heating things up in the kitchen!

It's a mistake to think that in order to cook healthy, delicious meals that you need to make something elaborate or doused with various sauces which usually contain sugar and fat. It's also a myth that simple home cooking is necessarily bland.

Eating wholesome and simple foods can be very satisfying, and you're less likely to gorge yourself when eating whole grains that require you to chew them more slowly and meals not marinated with chemicals and sugar. You're also more likely to get the vitamins and nutrition you need which in turn helps you feel and look your best!

Valentines Day is for Lovers- Of Good Health!

Sugar at Supper Time! Lawrence Welk on PBS

I have a secret that will be no more. Well, some close friends know.

I sometimes watch The Lawrence Welk Show on Saturday evenings.

What's nice is that whenever I bring it up in a conversation I pretty much get the same response: "Is that still on? I used to love watching it at my grandparents' house!" And their faces light up before they realize how uncool that might sound.

Good news! Although the show began airing in 1955 and ran until 1982, you can watch Lawrence Welk reruns on PBS!

Yes, it's often syrupy but sometimes I need that to offset the dark and seedy "entertainment" of 2012. If you don't like the music then the sets, outfits and hair are a feast for admirers of vintage style. Look at the fantastic "Mad Men" hair in the above video!

But no, that isn't enough for me. I'm going to live wild tonight because I recently purchased these vintage TV trays so that I could eat dinner at the same time. 

I hope you're laughing at me because I am. This is all coming from a gal who enjoyed mosh pits in the 1980s! Rock-n-Roll by day, easy listening at night. That's me.

OK so this may all sound silly but so many of us engage in stress eating. We're bombarded with negative and depressing images online and on TV. Unlike the 1950s we get news updates every second which can be toxic to our mental well-being. Sometimes modern life calls for an antidote of schmaltz. 

Why not try a little no-cal sugar in your evening tonight?

American PETS Didn't Get Fat in the 50s

I just discovered the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. In their news section:

The fifth annual veterinary survey found 53 percent of adult dogs and 55 percent of cats to be classified as overweight or obese by their veterinarian. That equals 88.4 million pets that are too heavy according to veterinarians. 

“The most distressing finding in this year’s study was the fact that more pet owners are unaware their pet is overweight.” comments APOP founder Dr. Ernie Ward. 

“22 percent of dog owners and 15 percent of cat owners characterized their pet as normal weight when it was actually overweight or obese. This is what I refer to as the “fat pet gap” or the normalization of obesity by pet parents. In simplest terms, we’ve made fat pets the new normal.” 

The changing bodyscape of Americans is distorting our idea of what is healthy. Obesity has become normalized and it's hard for many to see it not just in themselves but in their pets now, too!

Eat a Square Lunch: 1950s PSA

This is a cute little 1950s leaflet from the National Dairy Council encouraging kids to eat a "square" lunch. 

We may scoff at the fact that butter is on the list (well it is from the Dairy Council, after all!) yet kids weren't suffering from an obesity epidemic. Also, dessert is encouraged!

On the back: "Can you check off al four squares on the chart? Then you're giving yourself a square deal- if you eat all that's on your plate.

"It's smart to know you are eating well and giving yourself a fair chance to do your best in whatever's ahead in the afternoon."

I don't add a lot of fat to my foods, but when I do I use non-hydrogenated vegetable oils like Safflower, Olive or Sesame and I use butter instead of margarine. Here's a little primer on Butter vs Margarine.

What about you- do you often eat a "square" lunch?

Retro Recipe: Low Calorie Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Eating like it's the 1950s means that you want to cut back on processed foods and the majority of ready-made tomato sauces contain added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Usually such high yet empty calorie fillers are added to take the place of what's missing: true flavor and substance. For example, if a manufacturer adds more water than natural tomato juice they can save money by adding sugars and "flavoring." Another drawback is that many have a high fat content because of added oils.

Most people don't have access to fresh tomatoes year-round (or at all) or have the time to cut and cook them down for sauce. Good news-- I have found an inexpensive and time saving method for making delicious, fat-free, low calorie homemade sauce!

Spaghetti Sauce Ingredients:

• One BPA-free carton of Pomi Strained Tomatoes. These are truly only 100% tomatoes from Italy with no added flavor, water or preservatives.

• One cup frozen chopped onions and sweet peppers (available at most grocery stores). Frozen vegetables are often fresher than those on the shelf (off season) since they are usually packaged shortly after they have been harvested. Also, I love that the onions and peppers have already been chopped!

• Dried oregano, basil, garlic and salt to taste.

In a saucepan combine all ingredients, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. That's it! Since I don't eat gluten (due to an intolerance) I serve mine over brown rice spaghetti. Whole grain pasta is always preferable to refined grains.

Makes four servings with only 50 calories per serving.

“A good, functional and healthy body is the ultimate fashion statement.”

Isn't that a wonderful quote? It's attributed to Kiyokazu Washida, a Japanese fashion critic. You can read more at Ten Reasons Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat.

I love Japanese food and was thrilled when an all-you-can-eat Japanese buffet, salad, hibachi and sushi bar opened in my area. Right away I noticed that the large percentage of Japanese patrons eating there one Sunday all appeared to be of a healthy weight; I didn't see a single obese person among them. Also noted is that they hadn't put high piles of food on their plates whereas the handful of non-Japanese Americans present did appear to be overweight and returned from the buffet with large mounds of food.

 

I've started collecting 1950s Japanese-American cook books. Too often when we think of 1950s fare we focus on Western recipes only which is a mistake since other cultures offer us delicious and healthy food. 

I am  sharing a 1950s recipe for "Steam in a Tea Cup" or Chawan-Mushi. Let me know if you try it!