Once upon a time...

Once upon a time eating pie was daily delight, along with lots of other junk foods. Of course all those sweets were tempered with a healthy dose of biking - 80+ miles a day to be exact. I burned over 5000 calories a day and ate about 3500 calories. Did I lose weight? No, I actually gained about 5 lbs in two months of biking. Why? Was it muscle mass, metabolism rut, hormonal imbalance? (In reality it was a surprise pregancy!) Anyhow, as a dietitian, I preach weight loss by that age old equation of calories burned vs. calories consumed. But I've found through experience that the equation does NOT always produce results. So what gives...is it our hormones, muscle mass, sluggish metabolism, fats, carbs, protein? Media and marketing specialists would like for us to believe it's any and all of these variants. So, how do we make sense of it all?

That is the age old question in our house. Marc, my husband, and I have a 10 year ongoing conversation about the latest and greatest in nutrition and exercise research. What can I say, we are both exercise fanatics, nutrition gurus and have the RD and L.AC credentials to match. We try all the latest supplements, diet suggestions and exercise routines. None of the fads have lasting power, in fact we always resort back to basics with good old fashioned home cooked staples like BACON and EGGS.

However, our latest research has lead us to believe that not all calories are equal. Sugars (in all forms - fruit, grains, simple or complex carbs) appear to be rising into medical researchers' radar screens. My latest theory is that sugar is the leading cause of inflammatory disease, obesity, heart problems, cancer , diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and a whole list of other chronic ailments. I'm not alone in my thinking but I think the American Dietetic Association would consider this thinking a bit off the grid. Remember, we were all taught in health class that carbs are good- the base of the food pyramid, 6-11 servings a day, - does this ring a bell? So now people are cutting back on fat, increasing their carbs and guess what - gaining weight!

So, here we go... The Leveque's are trying out a diet that is centered around meat, dairy and vegetables with a few fruits. (Sort of a hybrid of Atkins, the Paleo Diet and The Zone Diet.) Tonight I made this Low-Carb dinner recipe from Williams and Sonoma. It was really good and surprisingly I am still feeling full after 4 hours.

Thai Chicken Salad

Shredded chicken, diced avocado and shredded greens are dressed with the flavors of Southeast Asia to make a light main-course salad for the outdoor table. Fish sauce, a salty seasoning, is sold in Asian markets. For a festive presentation, omit the diced avocado from the salad and spoon the salad into 4 avocado halves.
Ingredients:
2 chicken breast halves, each 1/2 lb.
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 small head green cabbage
1/2 small head iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
3 Tbs. fish sauce
1/3 tsp. Asian sesame oil
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. seeded and minced serrano chili
1 small avocado, pitted, peeled and finely diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Place the chicken breast halves, skin side up, on a rack in a small roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until the juices no longer run pink when the chicken is pierced to the bone with a knife, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Remove and discard the skin. Remove the chicken from the bone and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Place the cabbage half on a cutting board and, using a large knife, slice across the cut side into the thinnest possible shreds. Measure out 2 cups; reserve any left over for another use. Cut and measure the lettuce in the same way. Set aside.

In a bowl, stir together the vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Add the chicken and stir to coat with the dressing. Add the cabbage, lettuce and chili and toss to combine. Add the diced avocado and gently turn the salad to distribute evenly.

Divide the salad among 4 individual bowls or plates. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve.
Serves 4.