Caffeine and Calories

December 02, 2010



Via Information is Beautiful (click for larger version)
Seen on 13 Bees

Fall Fire




















Tracy Anderson on food diaries, diets, and keeping things really real

She's everyone's personal trainer (Madonna, Gwyneth) and although she looks kind of scary, I'm into her philosophy. She had a few words in LA Times Magazine last month and I thought I should share. With the holidays coming up, everyone is always thinking about the food they're going to eat and what it's going to do to their bodies. Then comes New Year's Resolutions about losing all of that holiday weight.

One of the most revelatory moments in my life (not really, but eye-opening) was when I was at a girls-night dinner a few years ago and I mentioned my concern for a friend who went up to the bathroom after we ate. I told the girls what I thought she might be doing (after months of thinking about it) and one of my girlfriends said, "Whatever, everyone has an eating disorder." Whether it's physical of mental (or both), obsessing about what we eat and how we look (whether or not we're purging or starving) could be an eating disorder.

Over the last few years, I've definitely upped my game on eating well and exercising regularly. I've always been pretty active and love "eating healthy" but it's definitely reached a whole new level (though I've cut back for health reasons). Reading Tracy Anderson's few points really captures what a healthy day-to-day should be like, which I am proud to say is my philosophy--on food and life and exercise. For example, she mentions that food-journaling is an over-obsessive way of thinking about food and "screw[s] the natural emotional connection you allow yourself to have with food". And it really is about the emotional connection you have with food--it drives you and energizes you and nourishes your entire being. Which is why I can't imagine cutting out food groups completely (for dieting or detoxing or for a certain lifestyle i.e. low carb, vegan.. etc). I love food too much and respect food. But then again, not everyone is food-obsessed.

She basically says to be really real about being healthy. Eat what you want and be active. Give six days a week to exercise and eat mac-n-cheese after. "Anyone can lose weight. That’s not the problem. It’s about designing your body, designing your health, designing what makes you happy."

Read the LA Times Magazine article here.

The Dude


Photo Bryan Tarbell


Photo Stew Johnson

From time to time, I google or google-image The Dude to see if the interweb has been writing about him. I found these two photos, the first from the weekend The Dude and I went up to New York and the second is while Stew was in Baltimore filming for The Dude's bio. He just left for Long Beach yesterday and will be out there for two whole weeks. It'll be nice not to have him as a distraction in my last two, crucial, weeks of school, though I will miss him terribly!

Cheddar Scallion Drop Biscuits

December 01, 2010



I think Karen introduced this recipe to the family many Thanksgivings ago, but I've been using it for more than Thanksgiving ever since. They're savory and packed with flavor, eating this as a snack on its own is more than fulfilling.

Last days



The Dude took this a few weeks ago as a last-hoorah of the fall. The temperature's have dropped in Baltimore and now the days are 40˚ with even colder nights.

Happy December

For December, I'm going to enable comments.. just to see how that goes. I've been getting some emails and email-comments so I might as well let you talk to me. Don't be shy friends, you guys never talk and just look at this thing. Say Hello!