Butter me up, baby!

I recently watched (again) the movie "Kate & Leopold" in which Leopold, a duke from the 18th century, is transported to modern day New York through some weird time continuum. Far fetched, but cute. So is Leopold. Falling for New York ad exec Kate, he agreed to participate in a screen test for, and then shoot a commercial for "Farmer's Bounty", a margarine that was supposed to taste like butter. The day he shot the commercial was the high point and explains my distaste for margarine. The scene goes like this (sort of)... Leopold has a close up with him after his 'butler' serves him the Farmer's Bounty. "Fresh, creamery butter.... is there anything that tastes so good...." and then goes on to talk about how Farmer's bounty is lower in fat, and will add to your taste buds while not adding to your waistline. Then, he bites into his bread that he smothered in the supposed delicious tasting butter substitute, Farmer's Bounty. The look of utter anguish on his face as he tries hard to swallow it is priceless. He then goes on a rant about how disgusting it is. He lost the commercial! Kate, later tells him it's margarine, it's supposed to taste bad. And that, my friends, is where I enter the debate.....

This week, I had a debate with a fellow dieter *gasp*, about the use of butter or margarine. I love butter, and butter loves me! We have a mutual understanding - I won't discuss the saturated fat in butter if it doesn't add pounds to my thighs. I've kept my end of the bargain. Butter on the other hand, did not! It has wrapped itself nicely around my thighs ... and butt... and other places. I have forgiven butter because I love it so.... But, before I discard with my affair with butter, let me present my argument.

Until recently, all margarines were hydrogenated (a process of heating refined vegetable oils) which of course, produced a dangerous type of fat called Trans Fatty acids. Nasty things, these trans fats. I also learned that another way of "disguising" trans fats was to label them as partially hydrogenated oils. Gasp! Imagine! Partially! Now, of course, with the emphasis on lowering the nasty cholesterol (LDL) margarines have been 'healthified' - yes that's a word, I made it up myself! It means they are not totally healthy, but healthier than they were! They now contain omega 3 and plant sterols. According to my university nutrition course (that's supposed to make me sound like an expert) omega 3 keep your brain functioning and also acts as an anti-inflamatory. Omega 3 is also good for the health of your heart. Plant sterols, apparently, help reduce cholesterol.

So, what about my beloved butter?

Well, butter is natural. it is also an excellent source (seriously) of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. It is a pure fat (okay that sounded bad as soon as I wrote it down) and doesn't contain many of the allergens found in other dairy products, so people who are generally sensitive to dairy can tolerate butter very nicely, thank you!. Unfortunately, the downside to butter is that it contains dietary cholesterol (the bad stuff) and saturated fat. *Here, I hang my head in shame* One teaspoon of butter contains 7 gms of saturated fat. The recommended daily allowance of saturated fats is no more than 10-15 gms per day. Yikes. Saturated fat is the leading cause of heart disease.

So, I concluded that butter and margarine both have their good and bad points. It comes down to personal preference. Given the pros/cons of each, I choose butter! I do limit my intake of the creamy indulgence, and count each point (1 tsp = 1 pt). Other than the omega 3, lower fat content, and plant sterols, I still believe that butter is a healthy choice especially for the fat soluble vitamins! but agree it must be used in moderation! Your body NEEDS a certain amount of fat. (he he... i can justify anything). I do try to eliminate much of the crap in my diet as possible, and I therefore choose unsalted butter. Next time you are in the grocery store check out the sodium level of your beloved margarine over my beloved unsalted butter! Butter wins.

Butter is my treat. I don't use it everyday. I use it sparingly. I count the points. I make sure that I get my other things in, the other plant sterols, omega 3, etc., that my body and brain need to keep functioning. It seriously comes down to personal preference, and I prefer the taste of butter over the falsely labeled margarine...."I can't believe it's not butter"... who ever came up with that slogan should be shot! I can't believe it's EDIBLE should be the real name! Ick. I have weighed the health benefits/risks of both.

Feeling quite justified in my argument with my friend and now I have only one thing left to say....


Please pass the butter!!!!

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Well, here I am in Savannah, Ga. The weather is delightful. The food is more delightful. Savannah is home to the sensational murder featured in the book and movie "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"... a freaky movie with Kevin Spacey based on a true story. My problem with Savannah is that at midnight, I'm usually up here with others who are drinking and eating all the bar snacks. So I'm being good with my club soda's but evil with the bar snacks. I don't even know how to count them. I'm not. I'm getting ahead of myself... let's start at the beginning.

Leaving Toronto airport I had my Timmies card with me and thought I'd grab a bite at the airport - sorry ma'am, this is a cash only location. ARGH. Cash, cash... think Heather, what does that look like. Cash... oh here it is! Okay, I have... no cash! I had enough in my wallet to buy an all important coffee (no winning cup) and yogurt. Okay, so far I'm on plan! Arrive in Washington, D.C. No U.S. money. Thankfully only 55 minutes between flights and that's not enough time to switch terminals, find my new gate and settle in. Arrive in Savannah - at 7:00 p.m. Starving! Seriously starving. I'm sure that another 1/2 hr and I would have passed out cold. We got to the hotel... and by 'we' I mean myself and my boss and other science geek types. we decided to meet for dinner in the hotel at 7:45. The restaurant was phenomenal - decadent - not on plan! Figured I'd be okay though, because I hadn't eaten all day. I ordered chicken, grilled. No wine. I got to bed after midnight.

The next morning I met my trainees (I brought 3 with me, 1 from Toronto and 2 from Calgary) for breakfast in the same location as we had dinner the night before. The menu was full of delightful things as eggs bene, etc. I ordered a bowl of fresh berries and an english muffin, butter on the side. I'm in control! Off to Savannah via water taxi for a morning of walking - it was quite warm. Found the most delicious store "Savannah Candy Factory" where they were giving out free samples of the pralines. YUMMY!!!! Yes, of course I had one, or two... and then went back from a different direction, for a third! Back at the hotel, lunch was 'boxed' at the first session of this conference. I ate my sandwich (no mayo), the apple, and a club soda to drink. I reluctanty let my brownie disappear from my box and into the trash. It didn't want to go. It went kicking and screaming... oh wait, that was me!

Dinner, again, was quite decadent and I gave up the chocolate cake for dessert... I clervly said "I can't eat chocolate"... so they brought me key lime pie - REAL key lime pie... I ate half of it - the slice not the pie! Then an evening at the hotel bar where I had more club soda this time sexed up a bit with a slice of lime. I didn't get to bed until after 1:30 a.m.

Friday, we took the water taxi over into Savannah and ate at Huey's, a wide-open waterfront cafe. Not much healthy on the menu here... in fact NOTHING healthy. The three trainees had (a) a seafood omlette (scallops, shrimp, lobster) smothered in hollandaise, (b) Eggs benedict & cheese grits, and (c) bacon & eggs. I had french toast with pecan butter.... it was so covered in sugar I was almost ill eating it. I didn't finish it, couldn't finish it. I also had 2 cups of very strong coffee (I was tired!). Strangely, I was slightly hyper for the morning! We walked the entire morning, again, in the historic district of Savannah. Side note: if you ever get the chance to visit here, you should! Arriving back at the hotel for lunch.... we found out lunch was not provided. Okay, I'm still living on my caffeine although I did have a sugar crash. Thankfully there was a 'snack' provided to delegates - fruit kabobs. I had 2.... and a granola bar. At the break - more fruit. Dinner was beef....and shrimp. I had the beef with asparagus and grilled tomatoes.. and some ooey gooey good potato dish... YES I ATE IT!

So here's where it pays to know the meeting planner.... She knew my efforts to try to lose weight and tried to plan her menus around what was 'healthy'... remember we are in the south and healthy means skipping the grits with breakfast. The meals had sauces that were not creamed, the salad was caesar - mine came without dressing and they brought me a vinegarette on the side, the soup the second night was lobster bisque... I had vegetable soup - the only one in the room! I feel good!

Mid afternoons are my down time and danger time... to easy to grab something not healthy to stuff down my throat. Thankfully, I packed a few 2 pt bars, and MJ gave me a really yummy granola bar with chocolate (1 point) that was phenomenal!!! These little treats are getting me through to dinner.

Now it's 8:48 a.m. on Saturday and my friends back home are all weighing - in. Me.... I'm off to a fresh berry breakfast again and a morning poolside. I'm feeling in control. I'm feeling good. I'm feeling a little tired, but sitting by the pool, in the 80 degree sunshine, relaxing, will feel good today. I just have one question.....

Where did I put my pralines?