Recipes and Reform

Boy, do I have a treat for you all today! Go to Gina's WW Recipes for some WONDERFUL and EASY recipes to try! My patient load is light today and I was able to spend some time perusing her blog this morning, saving TONS of recipes I'd like to try! If you enter your email address into her FeedBurner, you'll never miss a great recipe delivered right to your inbox!

Today for lunch I ordered take-out from Chili's Guiltless Grill (our microwave at work is still on the fritz)...the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich to be exact. It was really good! I was feeling great about my "Guiltless Grill" selection until I learned of the sodium...over 2,300 milligrams! Ahhh! At least the sandwich was only 386 calories, 7 grams of fat, and contained 9 grams of fiber??? :-/ Disappointing, Chili's! Very disappointing! I've also been reading Gina's blog, which has probably made me hypersensitive about sodium levels...which is a good thing!!!!!

Today for a snack I tried the Kay's Naturals Honey Almond Protein Cereal (gluten-free). I love the crunch of a cereal, but would be interested to see if the crunch held when served with milk (I ate the cereal plain). Most gluten-free products are "airy" in taste, weight, and texture...and the Kay's Naturals products are no exception. Though I should mention, I am a fan of the "light-weight" nature of gluten-free products...less bloat, I feel. The Honey Almond Protein Cereal is lightly sweetened, nothing over-powering which I prefer. Again, the portion size is excellent and one serving contains 100 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and 9 grams of protein! Nice work, Kay's Naturals...I am LOVING your products! Thank you!!

And in the news...a feather in the caps of those like myself in prevention...

A new poll for American's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows the majority of Americans consider disease prevention the MOST important element of health care reform.

The US Department of Health and Human Services aimed to reduce obesity rates to 15% in every state before 2010 (baaahahaha!). However, the trend is showing movement in the opposite direction -- obesity rates continuing to rise. As of 1991, no US state had an obesity rate over 20%. Today, only Colorado has an obesity rate under 20%.

In playing devil's advocate I have to propose...DO we (as a nation) want to change, or are we just sick and tired of our ill-fate if trends continue? 

If you had to take a side in this debate, what do you feel is consensus for the nation as a whole: 

a) improve health through prevention (nutrition, exercise, and preventative health care)

--OR--

b) continue Western medicine of treating the disease and not the problem