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Watching British TV to Motivate my Exercise

March 3, 2011 by

Welcome. This is a guest post from Scott. Scott blogs all over the place, but mostly at home.

Winter Home

While Jennifer is out living the life of chic business traveler, I’m stuck at home in this cold, wet, dark late winter season. I’m a marshmallow when it comes to the weather. Sure, I’ll put on the layers and go make a snow fort every now and again, but for the most part, I want warm weather. Exercising this time of year is a challenge. When its summertime, I can run or bike while watching the glorious countryside go by. Its rarely boring.

Yet, on my elliptical in the dark mornings or evenings, I get so bored looking at the wall. How do I mitigate this thoroughly unmotivating experience? This year, we’ve subscribed to Netflix. Netflix LogoNow, I’m not a TV guy. I’d much rather be reading or creating than watching most TV.

One rule I have for myself is if I am going to watch a LOT of TV, I must do it while I’m on the Elliptical or Treadmill. Its a great way for me to stay motivated.

Let’s bring it back to the Euro lifestyle in the U.S.

When Jen and I traveled to London a while back, one of the most striking differences between England and the U.S. was the television programs. I can’t even explain it. Its just different. For example, one afternoon in England, while taking afternon tea and resting, we watched live coverage of the Oxford – Cambridge Boatrace

Now, I don’t mean this to be a commercial for Netflix or the BBC. Neither have donated to our travel fund. (Although, if either wants to send us some $ love, let us know.)

While exercising, I have a watched a whole ton of BBC programming on netflix. Its so awesome to get some different types of shows than the U.S. centric items.  Not only that, One doesn’t have to wait for each week to see the next episode of a long storyline.

Now, if you don’t want to spend the money, most libraries these days offer some DVD and even Electronic Video rentals. Check your local library for details.

So, here are some BBC shows you might be interested in checking out:

Now, my exercising is not boring, and I get to live a more enlightened worldly life.

What about you? Do you have any Netflix Euro-centric shows we should watch while exercising?

Until next time, Au Revoir

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Sisters in Denim

September 27, 2010 by

blue jeans

(Photo source)

After I had my two children, I was very worried about losing the baby weight that I had gained during pregnancy. Luckily, by eating healthy and exercising, I was able to drop the weight in just a few weeks. In fact, after my second child, I was able to fit into my “skinny jeans” just one week after giving birth. For men, this may not seem like much of an accomplishment – after all, I had just given birth which was quite an accomplishment in its own right. However, for women, fitting into your old or skinny jeans can be a significant indicator of reaching a weight loss or fitness milestone, and not just for American women. Women all over the world use the jeans threshold as a way to manage their waistline.

In a recent survey commissioned by Kellogg’s Special K cereal, 7,500 women from all over the world were asked about their jean-wearing habits, including how they felt about their jeans, on what occasions they wear jeans, and if they use jeans to motivate them to lose weight. In all European countries survey – the UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden – the majority of women in each country reported that wearing jeans makes them feel relaxed, comfortable, and confident. Furthermore, more than half of all women surveyed in each country admitted that jeans – or, more importantly, how the jeans fit – is a key indicator that one has lost or gained weight.

The survey also found that

  • 90% of women from Portugal reported wearing jeans to work –  more than any other European country in the survey
  • >50% of women own a pair of jeans that doesn’t fit, and 20 percent own jeans that are too small.
  • Of those who own “too small” jeans, nearly 60% say they are holding on to them with the hope of again fitting into them.
  • One-third of women say they have tried to lose weight for the sole purpose of again fitting into smaller jeans.
  • 62% of women in the US view dropping a jeans size as a major accomplishment

As you see, in spite of the differences American and European women may have about beauty, politics, and dating, we are all connected by a common thread – the idea that jeans and how they fit are an important part of how we feel about our health and ourselves in general.

Sisters in denim, indeed.

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French Vs. US School Lunches

June 28, 2010 by

(Photo source)

Growing up, I never really paid attention to the nutritional content in my school’s  lunch program. But now, after having two children of my own, I’m concerned about what food they are eating at daycare, and eventually, what they will be eating in their elementary school.

The US standards for school food are extremely lower than that of some European countries, particularly France. Let’s just say if there was a World Cup for school lunch nutrition, France would be kicking our tails right now! When you compare French and American school lunches, it is quite apparent why childhood obesity rates are growing in the US. American schools serve lunches that consist of highly processed foods, loaded with sodium, calories, saturated fat, preservatives, etc. And very little of what they serve even resembles real food.

Conversely, in France all school lunches are freshly prepared with real food, not prepackaged. Even the approach to lunch is different. For instance, a typical school lunch in France includes “courses”, including an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert, accompanied by water or milk. On any given day, a French school lunch could include:

A Typical School Lunch in France

  • Fresh bread and salad
  • Veal scallops or baked fish with lemon sauce
  • Fruit and yogurt
  • Water or white milk

Compare that to…

A Typical School Lunch in the US

  • Frozen cheesey bread
  • Frozen chicken fingers or fish sticks and fries
  • Fried apples or chocolate pudding
  • Flavored milk, juice, or soda

Furthermore, a typical school lunch in France lasts about an hour, reinforcing the French tradition of eating slowly and savoring your food. In the US, children get roughly 20 minutes to finish their meal and socialize with friends, reinforcing the habit of eating fast and not really recognizing what your eating, let along the signs that you’re full.

Obviously, school lunch programs are not only to blame for childhood obesity rates and unhealthy childhood eating habits. Children learn from their family and friends and even from television what is “good” and what is “bad” in regard to food and nutrition. Still, what they learn in school and from their classmates about nutrition can stay with them for the rest of their lives.

In elementary and high school, my family could never really afford the daily school-provided lunches, which included sloppy joes, French fries, and chicken fingers. At the time, I really wished that I could afford the hot lunch so that I could be like everyone else. But what I realize now is how lucky I am that I did NOT eat those lunches. Instead, I would brown bag my lunch with a salad or a sandwich and whatever fruit or dessert we had in the house. By doing this, I not only saved money, but I learned the basics of healthy eating at a very young age and how to differentiate processed food from real, nutritious food.

Fast forward 20 years and I am nearly disgusted to think about what was served to my classmates back then, and even more disgusted that they still serve such unhealthy food in schools today. I understand that American schools and districts have certain policies about food and that any food is better than none for kids whose parents can’t afford to feed them. But there’s no reason why we can’t serve our children healthy and real food.

I am fortunate that my children attend a daycare program that serves relatively healthy meals. Of course, I pay a hefty fee for this. But it’s a small price to pay to reinforce what I am teaching my children about healthy nutrition. And years from now, if US school lunches do not improve, I will be the mother packing brown bag lunches for my children, whether they like it or not.

I’m hoping they thank me for it later.

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Do French Women Diet?

April 29, 2010 by

(Photo courtesy of Flickr)

I’ve written time and time again about the French paradox, the idea that the French can eat high fat foods at every meal and still manage to maintain a healthy weight. This concept was further popularized in the 2004 book French Women Don’t Get Fat, by Mireille Guiliano. The author describes the secret to a French woman’s slimness is not only that she does not diet, but that her weight is managed by how she eats, what she eats, and, most importantly, her healthy relationship with food.

But could the French paradox and the idea that French women don’t get fat be mere myths? They may just be. According to recent reports, 15% of French women are obese and a further 26% are overweight. The reports goes on to say that in the past 12 years, the average French person has put on almost 7 lbs and almost 2 inches around the waist, due in part to the change in eating habits in towns and cities and the increasing prevalence of fast food.

More recently, an article in the Times London describes how French women DO in fact diet to either lose weight or to maintain their slim figures. The Dukan Diet, created by French physician Dr Pierre Dukan and detailed in his best-seller book of the same name, is said to be used by more than 1.5 million French women. The diet, which will be launched in the UK next month, is similar to the Akins diet (high protein, low carb), but touts a one day on, one day off approach to dieting, while eventually working up to a 1 day of, six days off approach.

So, is the idea that French women don’t diet and don’t get fat a myth? Hmm…only time will tell. Although, I wonder what Mireille Guiliano has to say about this new information. Stay tuned to find out!

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Viva La Food Revolution!

April 22, 2010 by

Obesity is major issue, not just in the United States, but in the United Kingdom.

In response to this epidemic, British Chef Jamie Oliver has recently undertaken a huge initiative – to reduce obesity in the US and the UK by promoting better food in schools. Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, which is now airing on ABC on Friday evenings, takes a look at how unhealthy cities, schools, and communities are contributing to their obesity and death rates because of the food that they eat. As part of the Food Revolution, Jamie and his crew are traveling around the US (they’ve already toured the UK) to educate communities on how to make better food choices through knowledge of what food is made of, where it comes from, and how to cook healthier meals.

And Jamie isn’t stopping there! He’s encouraging everyone to start their own food revolution in their own homes, schools, and communities. On Jamie’s site, you can:

I’ve signed the petition. Have you?

Viva La Food Revolución!

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