The Horror of Houlihan's

I had to attend a work-related lunch and Houlihan's was the restaurant of choice. I immediately did reconnaissance but I saw nothing friendly on the menu. In disbelief, I comb through the menu over and over and, finally, I spot tortilla soup but when I look at the sodium count of 1,000 +, I'm dumbfounded.

One of my colleagues even tells me that most restaurants have options for healthier fare. Um, yeah, I know.

While I'm climbing, I chat about the luncheon with Jessica and she suggests calling ahead and letting them know that I have dietary concerns; the idea did cross my mind. In one of the You Are What You Eat episodes, Gillian McKeith tells Lisa Apston (2:25):

Have you ever thought of ordering off menu? You deciding what you want and asking them if they can do it or what can they do. Don't be afraid to assert yourself...

Just thinking about the thrashing that I received at the hands of Kate yesterday makes me want to be careful about what I put in my body...

I call Little House of Horrors Houlihan's and I'm told that I can order something, say chicken breast, unseasoned and the vegetables (asparagus or green beans) without sauce.

When I was looking at the veggie club, a straight up red herring, I even got resentful of the price. I usually have all the makings of a sandwich in my refrigerator: almond cheese, lettuce, basil, bell pepper, turkey -- and it doesn't cost $8 dollars per sandwich.

Eight dollars is not going to make or break me but it's the principle of the whole thing.

Like, how in the world do you get 1,000 + calories in a small salad?

Take a look at the stats on the Buffalo Bleu Salad:

Calories: 1037

Total Fat: 60

Saturated Fat: 17

Total Carbs: 70

Dietary Fiber: 7

Protein: 43

Sodium: 2,282

And the sodium? That's just diabolical.

I would have thought nothing of going to a restaurant before without checking the nutrition stats but I would never have imagined that a meal would be infused with fat and sodium as a lure to get me to return.

I'm disturbed by the nutrition stats at Houlihan's. Disturbed. Houlihan's gave me a chocolate chip cookie to placate me though.



It seems that not even animals are immune to the obesity epidemic. Did you catch Nightline on Monday?

Resistance Is Futile?

I haven't stepped foot in a brick and mortar bookstore in a long time and I was surprised and not surprised to see this book display right by the door. After all, the diet industry is a kabillion dollar one:

Every year, Americans spend an estimated $42 billion on diet books; $18.5 billion on health club memberships; and $5.2 billion on diet foods and weight loss programs. (Eat This Not, That! For Kids!, 2)

I've been holding onto Eat This, Not That!, countless magazines and doctors Roizen and Oz's book YOU On A Diet which I got from the library. One of phrases that continues to roll around in my head from YOU is:

...fructose tricks your body into staying hungry.(258)

And this passage keeps me thinking about food memory:

When you eat sugar, you light up the motor cortex of your brain, which controls your lips, tongue, and mouth. The hippocampus, which controls memories of food, lights up when people on rigid diets crave certain foods -- overwhelming their willpower and ability to resist. (167)

I must have been absolutely radiant for decades and part of me wants to remember every amount of saturated fat and sugar that I've put in my mouth. Hence, the Kryptonite (partial list) on the sidebar. I want to remember so that I don't forget. Rigid, maybe, but that's how I roll right now but it also keeps me on point. When I'm eating out (usually because of a work function or family/friend celebration), I usually decline decadent stuff because I know there's a lower calorie option that's satisfying and, for me, once Pandora's pantry is open, it's wide open.

I was reading a post over at Farty Girl and found out about the other Gillian -- Gillian McKeith. Her temperament reminds me of The Biggest Loser's Jillian Michaels. One minute Michaels, in particular, will be working my nerves with the it's-not-what-you're-eating-it's-what's-eating-you angle and then she'll come up with a winner:

Jillian to Victoria (Season 9, Episode 13):

I don't want anything from you. What do you want from you?

In the end, McKeith and Michael's hearts are in the right place. If you haven't seen You Are What You Eat, it's worth taking a peak at. I love the food options that she presents.