A Diet Worth Giving a Try

A Diet Worth Giving a Try

As a wine and food professional I grapple weekly with temptation and managing my diet. Attending dinners, lunches and wine tastings are part of the job, and I enjoy it, especially when the food and drink are good. But it’s hard to maintain your weight, and we all know eating well is the best defense to stay healthy along with regular exercise. So, I’ve devised “The Try It Diet.” Just give everything a try at least once. Take a smaller portion or a few sips. Then push away the plate or don’t give yourself a refill or second helping. It

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Are You a Nervous Nosher?

Are You a Nervous Nosher?

Holiday times are supposed to be happy times.  Right? Well…Maybe. For many the holidays are stressful. There’s the pressure to “get it all done” before the end of the year. There are the office parties and the family gatherings where you have to be on your best behavior. There’s the financial strain of overspending on gifts and entertaining. And then there’s that end-of-the-year taking stock of what you have- and have not- accomplished. If you feel stressed this time of the year you are not alone. The The American Psychological Association holiday statistics report in 2011 said up to 69% of people are stressed by

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Getting Things Off My Chest: Give Yourself Permission!

I recently had the opportunity to check something off my travel “bucket list”- hunting for Mother’s Nature’s black and white diamonds in Italy. (aka truffles). The season for the best truffles is short, October to December, and restaurants around the country lure devoted fans with pricey “truffle dinners.” I’ve only enjoyed truffles shaved over dishes at places like SD26 (sadly now closed), Spago Beverly Hills and Spiaggia in Chicago. So, an invitation to go to the source was a dream come true. Our generous host was Livia Colantonio, proprietor of Castello delle Regine in Umbria, who opened up her majestic home- literally a small

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As the Stomach Churns

I’m freshly landed in upstate New York from what has been a month-long holiday whirlwind taking me from Chattanooga to Maui with deliciously decadent pit stops in New York and Bridgehampton. My stomach still hasn’t made it back. I think it made a detour or was replaced by an imposter, a bully of a belly quietly grumbling, heaving and puffing to remind me of the excesses I enjoyed. Belly bloat is just an intestinal hangover…or stomach lag. But a good time was had by all! “Detox” seems to be the word of the month. January is when my inbox is flooded with

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