Workin' Like a Dog

  Soooo… full-time jobs are for the birds. Or for the dogs, rather. Madeleine has mastered the purpose of life: marathon naps punctuated by blueberry gluten-free treats and strolls by the water. Meanwhile, I'm considering using my pager only for the purpose of blasting every nearby frequency with, 'May day! May day! SOS! I had to wake up at 6:30 AM and I need an emergency nap! And a soy latte!' I'm at least proud to say I am a productive member of society with a rewarding job taking care of critically ill children and not a Real Housewife of Miami…yet. I am also entitled to unlimited fountain diet coke in the cafeteria, so that almost alleviates the searing pain of waking up at 6:30 AM.
   JF says no one wants to hear fluffy tales of Madeleine and Monica's walks detailing all the cute puppies we encounter, and that I should offer more nutrition segments. JF knows nothing. But I will humor him, and let ye faithful audience know that in a recent study, researchers gave 48 people a breakfast of either Quaker Old Fashioned oatmeal or Honey Nut Cheerios. Obvs when I saw this my ears perked up like Madeleine's in the presence of a stuffed weenie, because those happen to be my two favorite breakfasts. Anyways, both breakfasts were equal in calories, but after eating the oatmeal, participants reported feeling less hungry over the next four hours than when they ate the Cheerios.
Hypothesis: oatmeal has beta glucan - a viscous, gummy fiber - that has been theorized to bind cholesterol in the body. Honey Nut Cheerios are indeed delicious and not a bad choice as far as cereals go, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I had oatmeal for breakfast the day I read that. My sincerest regrets to end our relationship, Mr. General Mills Bumblebee.
  My internet-trolling mother sent me this piece yesterday about staples all dietitians have in their homes:

http://www.marieclaire.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating-holiday-nutritionist-tips?src=spr_FBPAGE&spr_id=1449_34599451#slide-1
 
I had to agree with all of them for myself, but I'll break the dietitian code and confess to you that for the most part, we do not go around munching on kale and fair-trade almond milk. Certainly not this dietitian. I'm a gal of moderation so hell yes, when my friend NN set a plain white box on the dinner table last night that had tantalizing sweet dulce de leche/nutella odors wafting out of its cracks, you would be right in assuming that I dove in nose first. But, I had a few bites of each pastry and felt content enough to stop. And that is the beauty of having your cake and eating it, too.

Happily Ever After,

Mon and Mads (the unhappiest reindeer you ever did see)



Source: Nutrition Action Healthletter, December 2013, Page 7. Original Study: J. Am Coll. Nutr. 32: 272, 2013.