World's Largest Hips, Self Love, and Obesity

I was watching The Talk at my office a few days ago-- I work in Public Relations, and we have various news and consumer programs on during the day to find media opportunities for them -- and the ladies at The Talk were also discussing this woman.

Source: Daily Mail

This is Mikel Ruffinelli, a 39 year old woman with "The Largest Hips in the World." She weighs 420 pounds, has a 40 inch waist, and measures 100 inches around the hips. That's more than 8 feet, folks.

Mikel has said in articles that she must buy two airline seats to accommodate her hips, and often has trouble getting around. Another video circulating the internet shows Mikel manipulating her body to walk through the halls of her house, or having to stand sideways to fit in her shower.

I applaud everyone who feels great in their skin -- if you're big and beautiful -- You are a rockstar of self esteem and confidence, and I look up to you as you've achieved something I still struggle with. However, I do believe that 420 pounds is not a healthy weight for anyone. For context, I also think that 92 pounds is also an unhealthy weight.

If she's healthy, then I have nothing to say -- may her self esteem seep into other women around the world. However, interviews features her children admitting that Mikel cannot stand for very long, a feat which a healthy woman should be able to do.

I think it comes down to a health issue. Being obese does not make this woman ugly. She is not ugly. She is beautiful. However, having that excess weight may be extremely unhealthy -- and that's something to consider and rethink, I believe.

The ladies of The Talk ended their segment with the following:

Do you see 85 year old people who weigh 400 pounds? 

I'm curious to hear people's thoughts on this issue and their comment.

Recipe: Zucchini Sauté

This recipe is a modified form of a zucchini sauté from the 17 Day Diet cookbook -- I love how the lemon brightens up the dish. 

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• Zest from 1 lemon
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt substitute
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 3 TBS Parmesan cheese

To Make:

• Put pine nuts into a dry skillet and heat over a low flame, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Careful not to burn them! Once they are done, set aside.
• Grate the zucchini and use a strainer to squeeze out the excess water.
• Spray the skillet with nonstick spray and put over medium heat until the surface of the skillet is warm.
• Add the grated zucchini and cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. 
• Stir in salt substitute, pepper, and lemon zest, and garlic powder. Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes. 
• Transfer zucchini to serving dish and stir in pine nuts and cheese. 

Serves: 4

Each Serving: 80 calories, 5g carbs, 6g fat, 4g protein, 614mg potassium, 67mg sodium

Variations:

• If you slice the zucchini into longer strips instead of grating it, the dish takes on more of a "spaghetti" texture.
• My friend suggested that this dish begs for a bit of a cream sauce. If you choose to do so, I would recommend no more than 1-2 TBS of light sour cream, just to mimic an Alfredo sauce.

Products I Love: Laughing Cow Wedges

I try to have a few "meals" a day. I eat breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, [sometimes] an afternoon snack, and then dinner.

My snacking goes in phases. There are weeks on end, where I am completely satisfied with a Greek yogurt, or a granola bar. Lately, I look forward to my new favorite snack: A light Swiss Laughing Cow cheese wedge, with exactly 6 Ritz crackers.

Calories: 131
Carbs: 13g
Fat: 7g
Protein: 3g

I know it's not the healthiest option in the world, but it's not awful either, and it hits the spot. I'd also be willing to try the Laughing Cow wedge on other "cracker" options like rice cakes or whole wheat toast. Either way, they get my stamp of approval! My only complaint is that there's only 8 in a package, and around me, they cost $3.99 -- which I think is quite expensive.

Seeking Advice: Weight Watchers?

Hey fellow Fitness Enthusiasts!

First of all, Happy Holidays to all. I had a lovely Hanukkah with my friends and family. And per tradition, my  family celebrated Christmas by having cheese fondue. Usually. we make it from a mix. This year, however, we made homemade fondue from a recipe. It was different than previous years, but also quite good.

Second, I turn to my readers for advice. As you all know, I lost twenty pounds by using the free online fitness/nutrition logging website, myfitnesspal.com. Now, I love MFP, and clearly, I have advocated the website several times on this blog. However, I have been plateaued for several months, and I'd like to break this plateau.

I've been thinking of joining weight watchers. Can anyone give me some of their experiences with the weight watchers program? Pros? Cons? Anecdotes? I'd love to hear them all.

Wishing everyone a continued happy and healthy holiday season,

Recipe: Naked Pear and Cranberry Pie

This is not an original recipe. Rather, it's one that I'm reposting from a blog I follow -- http://www.snack-girl.com/. The author is absolutely brilliant, makes great food, and we share a very similar food philosphy.

She posted this recipe a few days ago, and I am absolutely trying it this Thanksgiving. It looks positively divine -- and super healthy!

Naked Pear and Cranberry Pie Recipe

(serves 8)

• 4 large ripe green pears (Bartlett)
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• ¼ cup sugar plus 2 teaspoons
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375. Slice two pears and layer in bottom of pie plate. Add ½ cup cranberries. Slice the last two pears and layer onto the cranberries. Add final ½ cup cranberries to the top.

Mix the ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a small bowl with the water. Pour over the pie. Cover the pie with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sugar, and bake for 10-20 minutes uncovered or until pears are tender.

Can be served warm or room temperature.

106 calories, 0.1 g fat, 0.0 g saturated fat, 27.9 g carbohydrates, 18 g sugar, 0.5 g protein, 4.0 g fiber, 2 mg sodium, 3 PointsPlus

Recipe: Spinach Bake

We made this recipe parve on Rosh Hashanah by using soy sour cream and soy cheese. It was great parve, and I tend to think it was taste incredible with the regular varieties as well.

Ingredients:

• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 2 TBS dry onion soup mix
• 1 (8 ounce) carton light sour cream
• 1 can water chestnuts, drained and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella or Monterrey jack work best)

To Make:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• combine spinach, onion soup mix, soup cream, and water chestnuts.
• Pour mixture into baking dish (we used a 9 x 9 pan)
• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
• Take out of the oven and sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.

Serves 12

Each serving: 62 calories, 5 g carbs, 2 g fat, 4 g protein

Dirty Kitchen Secrets!

Reddit has been ablaze with one user's response to the question: "What's your secret that could literally ruin your life if it came out?"

Take a look at the net's most popular response:

I had to laugh -- because I do a similar fake! 

My signature dish is one I learned from my father -- a cheesey rice and vegetable dish, made by adding ingredients from a box of Near East rice pilaf.

However, I REGULARLY pass it off as a risotto! 

haHA!

What are your dirty kitchen secrets? I'd love to hear!!