Back in skinny jeans

The significance of eating fresh vegetables versus canned and frozen veggies

One of the first things we're told to do for optimal health is, "Eat more vegetables." "Aww! Do I have to? Does ketchup count?" The brain gets that it is good for you to eat more veggies but the heart would really rather eat more Krispy Kremes or Deep Dish pizza.

If a vegetable is a vegetable, what difference would it make if it was served fresh from a garden, from a can, or  frozen from a bag? There is actually a meaningful difference, and it has to do with the nutrient potency of the vegetable which includes enzyme muscle. Here's a simple way to look at it:

Every step a vegetable has to go through between the ground and your fork, the more it loses its health-giving enzymes and vitamins. (more after the jump)

150 calorie delight: Luna Tea Cakes

Luna Tea Cakes from the makers of Luna Bars is one of my recent "OMG! I love this" food finds. Here's why:

• One serving is only 150 calories
• Made with organic ingredients
• Made with tea from The Republic of Tea brand
• Has mood lifting Omega-3
• The package is small enough to fit into a mini satchel. I'm always on the look out for "small" food packaging to put into my small purses.
• It's really delicious!

The Luna Tea Cakes come in three flavors: Vanilla Macadamia, Berry Pomegranate, and Orange Blossom. The Macadamia and Berry are yummy. The Orange is an acquired taste. I didn't care for it because it tasted too much like Tang to me. Of the three, the Vanilla Macadamia (pictured aboved) is my favorite.

If you're looking for a new low-cal afternoon snack, these Luna Tea Cakes are definitely worth trying.

Marge Simpson is one of the "Hot Girls of Maxim"

Maxim online thinks that Marge Simpson is one hot blue-haired MILF, and concur that Marge has retained her same youthful glow for almost 20 years! Well, she is a cartoon character, so she can age just as fast as The South Park kids who have been in 4th grade for almost a decade.

I think the Simpsons Harper's Bazaar couture layout with Linda Evangelista was the most creative Simpsons Movie cross promotion. I'm still giggling at Karl Lagerfeld and Donatella Versace drawn as Simpsons characters.

[via Maxim]

Quote on Diets

Can posing nude rev up the hottness of an aging celebrity mom?

Have you noticed that more aging celebrity moms known for their stunning beauty are posing au naturel in magazines from the nudie rags like Playboy to fashion mags like Vogue? It seems that as the celebrity gets older and her fame is flickering out compared to the 20-somethings, her willingness to strip to her birthday suit gets higher. Lately, we have:

• Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, 41 (on November 26) in Playboy. Garcelle gets glamor naked in Playboy and is expecting twins this fall. She has a 16-year-old son. Full photo spread at The Rap Up. (NSFW)

• Heidi Klum, 34 in Arena magazine. 34 is not old but in the modeling world Heidi's considered a senior citizen. Klum has also given birth to 3 children. Full photo spread at StyleCrunch.

• Claudia Schiffer, 37 (on August 25) in Vogue Paris. Claudia has given birth to 2 children. Full photo spread at Egotastic.

• Mary-Louise Parker, 43 (on August 2) in promo ad for her Showtime show Weeds. Mary-Louise has given birth to 2 children. Celebrity News 24/7.

There is no doubt that each of these women are beautiful, and they definitely challenge the perception that having kids and aging doesn't mean that you're washed up. But, do these ladies have to strip in order for us to get that point? Is this a desperate act to remind us of their hottness or is it a positive display that a woman heading into her 40's who's had children can still be a smoking sex symbol?

Eating out: Light and beautiful Crab Louie Salad

This is one of the most beautiful Crab Louie salads I have ever seen. It's so pretty, I just wanted to stare at its elegance. On Friday, I lunched with some friends at the Beach Chalet at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, and this was one of the orders of the day. Doesn't that look just yummy?

The best caloric part of this salad is that it is not drenched in Thousand Island dressing which adds loads of calories, and fat, and the salad itself is a nice, small yet filling size. The bed of butter lettuce with a scoop of real crab meat is just scrumptious. Just because you're dieting to lose weight doesn't mean that salad has to look boring. This Crab Louie gets a 10 out of 10 in my book.

Gelato: A cool pleasure for hot summer days

During summer, Gelato is one of my guilty pleasures, and even though it is made with milk versus cream as in ice cream, the calories and fat can still add up real quickly.

As a ballpark, Gelatos for one 1/2 cup serving can run anywhere from 160-250 calories and I've seen as high as 22g of fat. Check the ingredients as most stores will have the nutritional information if you ask.

I had some of the Pomegranate Gelato, and it was so yummy. What a fun way to get some antioxidants, and fat, but who's counting. A couple spoonfuls once in a blue moon shouldn't make that muffin top grow much bigger.

Breakfast idea: Orange flesh Honeydew melon

Did you know that Honeydew melon not only comes in light green-flesh but also in orange-flesh? According to Slashfood, the orange flesh version is actually a hybrid between a cantaloupe and a honeydew. These orange flesh Honeydews are also known as "Temptation Melons" and are in season from May to October and are typically grown in California, Arizona, and Texas.

When cut into pieces, the orange Honeydew chunks looks like cantaloupe, but once you take a bite, you will definitely taste that sweet Honeydew goodness. This melon is absolutely delicious! When chilled, I easily downed a whole bowl. This "Temptation Melon" is a tasty breakfast addition to yogurt, cottage cheese, or oatmeal.

"Food ideas for healthy weight loss" week at Back in Skinny Jeans

This week, July 30-August 3, we are going to showcase "Food ideas for healthy weight loss." Food is such an important part of losing weight that I thought it worthy of its own week. As well, I have been on my own journey to shed 25 pounds, and I thought it would be fun to show everyone some of the things I have been eating. Most of the pictures you will see this week were taken by me with a Nikon D50. I'm having a blast learning more about photography!

Now, I am no celery and carrot sticks chick. No sirreee! I love food, and I like to get creative.

During my weight loss program, I am watching what I eat, but I am also not depriving myself. One reason I hate diets is that many foods get labeled "forbidden" or "bad". My philosophy is that you should change your eating choices to fit your new slim lifestyle. To say, you'll never eat a carb, or potato chip, or chocolate lava cake again is not realistic in my book. It's all about moderation, and the quality of the food itself.

In my food choices, I eat mostly organic, and I eat foods that are free of artificial and processed ingredients. If the ingredients sound like a chemistry experiment, I don't put it in my body. I'm not always perfect about my food choices, but for the most part, I eat vibrantly and in a way to keep my body as healthy as possible. It's a very loving thing to do to feed your body with beneficial, nourishing foods. It's also good to indulge once in awhile because life is too short not to enjoy treats!

Please enjoy!