The Newest Health Food: Milk & Cookies

I read two interesting articles in The New York Times this week about dieting.

The first one says that we might lose more weight if we increase dairy products in our existing diet (not in addition!). There's some pretty compelling evidence to show that as soda consumption has gone up, so have obesity rates. And, it's not just enough to add calcium to your diet. For some reason, it's the calcium taken in the form of dairy products that makes the difference. Jane Brody wrote the article and she's the "real deal" when it comes to nutrition writing (unless the Dairy Board -- which always has a harder time selling milk in the summer -- made her an offer she just couldn't refuse). I'm waiting for Marilu Henner's vehement rebuttal. She's got an anti-dairy rant in her Total Health Makeover book that will make your eyes bug out! Here's what I think about having a glass of milk with a meal: unless you are lactose intolerant, it's healthy and it's great filler. It keeps you from eating so much. And it's the perfect partner for a PB&J on wheat bread. Amen.

The second article is my favorite. It says that researchers studied two groups of overweight patients for a year. One group followed a regular reduced calorie diet and another group learned body acceptance, how to recognize hunger cues, etc. but did not follow a diet. At the end of the process, each group had lost the same small amount of weight but the NON DIETING GROUP WAS MUCH HAPPIER than the dieting group. Bottom line: the non-dieters actually improved their MENTAL health by staying off the damn diet.

Now that should be a lesson to us all.