Cyndi's Two Cents

Bring on the holiday fare!

Commentary.

If you’ve never enjoyed a runza sandwich, you are missing out my friends.  A co-worker from Nebraska introduced me to the yeast dough bread pocket filled with delightfully seasoned ground beef, onions, and cabbage.  The sandwich originated in Russia and spread to Germany and now, thanks to Volga Germans who migrated to the United States years ago, it can be found in many parts of our country.  Apparently, the part of Nebraska from which my friend hails is a hot spot for the dish.

I just polished off a runza (some call it a bierock) and a plate full of a variety of potluck goodies with a group of people in my office.  I did not see one plate, crockpot or pan with intentionally featured low-carb, sugar-free, low-fat or fat-free fare.  As a matter of fact, the topic of our mealtime conversation was the food we were enjoying and where we were going to be and what dishes we would prepare for the next big holiday meal(s.)

For the rest of the month it will be no holds barred when it comes to food. There will be cakes and pies, cookies and candies, nuts and snack mixes eaten between meals and throughout the day.  Many of us will bring out dishes and pans, kitchen gadgets and ingredients that are only used during this time when almost everyone gets a free pass to over-indulge in food and beverage.

But, alas, before you know it, January 1 will roll around, the celebration will be over, and the dieting will begin.

There are books on dieting and more diet centers than I can shake a stick at.  My local grocery stores all have special sections for diet/healthy foods.  Many people are convinced that to lose weight, they should eat only foods labeled as low-fat, low-calorie, fat-free or simply healthy.

Americans spend a boat-load of cash on diets, yet the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tells us that more than a third of adults in this country are carrying around at least an extra 35 pounds, qualifying them as obese.

The good news is that obesity rates are leveling off instead of increasing. The bad news is that we, collectively as a nation, are fat. And we want someone or something to blame for it.

We are not obese because fast food restaurants serve up “super-sized” meals or because the standard size for soft drinks is no longer a 6 or even 12 oz. bottle. We are not fat because of Trans fats or saturated fats or sodium or corn-fed beef or because Congress hasn’t passed the right legislation to make obesity go away.  In almost every instance, we are obese because we consume more calories than we burn.

Once again, personal responsibility is not only the best way, but the most logical way, to tackle obesity is in our own homes.  Until then, I am going to enjoy the heck out of the smorgasbord of Christmas goodies!

 

Add Comment

Your email address will not be published.


 

Stay Up to Date

Subscribe for our newsletter today and receive relevant news straight to your inbox!