The Tortoise Trek
I thought we could all use a little levity. A laugh. A smile. This came across my desk late last week. The Tennessee Aquarium is located in Chattanooga. It’s such a beautiful building it’s one of…
8 Great Reasons To Start Plan Z Now
Anytime you are mentally preparing to do a diet you go through a process. Most folks have to finally get angry enough at their current situation that they decide it’s time to act. And Act NOW. When…
The most hopeful and helpful thing I’ve read so far…
The most hopeful and helpful thing I’ve read so far on the virus came from my naturopathic doctor in Chicago, Dr. Terese. I miss her. She’s a brilliant woman. Good thing I am still on her mailing…
Ideas for Eating…Now
Up until now I have been hunkering down. For me that means I’m practicing social distancing. I limit my trips to the grocery store and the gas station. I wash my hands like a mad woman. Now I am in…
Pass Me an Orange
A full two-thirds of Americans start off their day with a glass of orange juice. They think that’s healthy behavior. I rarely ate breakfast, so I used to get my orange juice a different way. If I was…
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you! Brought to you by singing frogs. They wear green every day! Cheers,
The Munchies
Someone asked me the other day how I feel about late night snacking. When I think about late night snacking that raises the question, “When is the best time to eat?” Everyone wants to know if they…
Chow Down On Chili
Chile is the pepper. Chili is the concoction. And now that we’ve got that straight, let’s talk chili. It’s chilly outside these days so now’s a perfect time. The history of chili is long and varied.…
Hero Mommy
It was late afternoon. I was at the grocery store picking up a few items to make dinner. I passed two women greeting each other. One of them had a young daughter in tow. The girl was maybe 7 years…
Fat Tuesday in the Old French Quarter
Fat Tuesday is here folks. The end of Mardi Gras, and for many, the beginning of periodic fasting or giving up something special for Lent. The party’s over for those who follow these traditions; at…
A Babe is Born
Flint Roman Chaney arrived a little early on 1/18/2020. He was scheduled to arrive on 1/20/2020. That would have been a cool birth date to have. Such a clever set of numbers but, alas, he had other…
How to Zolafy a Dessert Recipe
I’m one of those lucky people who can read a recipe and taste it in my head. I hope you are one too, but if you’re not, with a few guiding steps you can learn how to do it. When you look on the…
Happy Valentine's Day!
https://youtu.be/CT2_RzX6A5M If you haven’t seen these Top 10 Valentine’s Day commercials, today’s your day. Enjoy! My favorite is #10! Too bad Valentine’s Day is such a sugar holiday. There are…
Good For You Chocolate
Can chocolate possibly be good for you? YES. A resounding yes. Here’s what you have to remember, though: You need to eat GOOD Chocolate. That means DARK chocolate that is 72% cacao or higher. Good…
Why Resolutions Fail
The football game is over. The score is in the record books. The bets are paid off. Interesting fact: over $6 billion is bet on the Super Bowl worldwide. Most of that is illegal betting; the kind…
7 Reasons to Diet with a Buddy
When you’re on a diet, having a strong support system can mean the difference between success and failure. We have a major league support team at Plan Z, but if you can add a personal support network…
Enjoy the Super Bowl without Gaining Weight
One of my favorite Super Bowl parties was one I called the Chili Championship. Here’s how it works: You set up a chili buffet with all the fixins. This works really well because people can get up…
P Is for Party
I was reading a design magazine recently and saw a party planning feature. The woman was talking about how you don’t need to know how to cook (even a lick), but you can still have a cocktail party.…
My 7 Reasons To Resolve To Eat Low Carb in 2020
This is why I recommend you resolve to low carb it in 2020: It lowers your cholesterol. Since 2002 over 20 human studies have been done that prove low carb eaters lose more weight and that it…
Why NOT to Renew Your Gym Membership This Year
1. Exercise really doesn’t help you lose weight; unless you do a LOT of it. You almost have to be a professional loser. One study showed that women over 40 years old who do moderate exercise 60…
Why We Go On A Diet
We survey Plan Z dieters on occasion and ask them all kinds of questions. In a recent survey, we asked them the biggest reason they decided to go on a diet and chose Plan Z. You know what the most…
Potluck with Purpose
I held a potluck dinner party recently. It was my first potluck in decades. Years ago, I got turned off by potlucks. The last ones I attended didn’t work very well. No one did anything to organize…
Happy St. Nicholas Day
When I was little, I attended a Catholic grade school. I learned about St. Nicholas Day from the nuns. I brought my new-found knowledge home to my mom and she went right along with it. I was really…
Potatoes and the Glycemic Index
The Glycemic Index is all the rage right now. I am a big fan, but I have a few hints that might vary from what you read in most places. The Glycemic Index is a measure of a food’s ability to spike…
The Sweet Smell of Garlic
The first time I tasted roasted, whole garlic was in a restaurant called Bistro 110. This was about 1983. My best friend had ordered it for us to share. I sat stunned, staring at it, when it arrived…
Want Potatoes on Turkey Day? Here's What to Do
My childhood Monday dinner went like this: Mom would set my plate of food in front of me. Every Monday we had the same meal…baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and a veggie. Usually, the veggie was……
What’s the Secret to a Happy Family Gathering?
I was reading my latest issue of Real Simple magazine the other day and came across an article on family gatherings that I thought was interesting. They had done a survey of readers to find out what…
Turkey Tips
Most people think the Thanksgiving turkey dinner is the most intimidating meal to make. I never understood that. For Thanksgiving there was always a crowd at my childhood home. At least a dozen…
How to get Plan Z covered by your insurance
Our newest improvement will be welcome news! Plan Z is now covered by some insurance plans! Let me outline four options: HSA/FSA Coverage Two easy ones are FSA (Flexible Spending Account) and HSA…
Spooky Times
Halloween is hands down my favorite holiday. I used to celebrate big. We’d invite about 70-80 people to dinner and dancing (we had a big house then and we hired a DJ). I’d make 13 courses. Starting…
Halloween Treats
My husband and I have always enjoyed Halloween. Years ago I declared it my favorite holiday. I like Halloween more than Christmas. Early in our relationship my husband and I decided to celebrate the…
Bread = Sugar = Dessert
I have to tell you I am reluctant to have this discussion. In the four years I’ve worked to develop Plan Z, I have never brought up the subject of bread and baked goods. I felt like if I ignored the…
Someone’s in the Kitchen with Zola
Guest Contributor Chris is married to Zola. They are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary this month. "No one is born a great cook," said Julia Child. "One learns by doing." One of the…
What To Do With All Those Tomatoes
When you grow a garden, you know what it’s like when the tomatoes start coming in heavy and you have to figure out what to do with them. My mother used to can stewed tomatoes. It took her one long…
Best Food for Kids, Before and After School
When I was a grade-schooler my brother and I would walk home from school each day. He was one grade behind me. It was about a mile from school to the house. If we didn’t get any other exercise at…
Making Sweet Tea
I’m not a fan of iced tea but a whole lot of people are. It’s especially popular in the South. Sweet tea and unsweet iced tea are on the menu at every restaurant. Obesity is also a bigger issue in…
Three Months In
I’ve lived in Chattanooga, TN for three months now. I thought I’d chronicle some of my observations. Friendly I always thought Chicago was a friendly town, but it pales in comparison to this place.…
The Critical Difference Between Successful and Unsuccessful Dieters (and People)
I have two jobs. You know me as VP of Anger Management for the Plan Z Diet. And at the same time, I’m also a professional speaker and author. My book, The Accidental Salesperson: How to Take Control…
Eat Your Veggies
My mom never had trouble getting me to eat my vegetables; except those times when she served lima beans. I hated lima beans. I thought they were so disgusting to chew, that I’d swallow them like…
I Scream, You Scream
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Remember that jingle? When the cravings get tough, I think some people DO scream! The good news is there is a way to have your ice cream, eat it…
Small Town 4th of July
Flashback, if you can, to 1965. John Glenn had circled the Earth in Friendship 7 but we had not yet made it to the moon. The Beatles were in full swing and had appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show the…
A Sharp Knife Can Save a Finger
My father was an engineer; a smart and precise man who had his weekend rituals. About once a month, I’d find my father at the kitchen table on a weekend afternoon sharpening the kitchen knives. He’d…
6 Wonderful Sweeteners Better For You Than Sugar
Even if you never touch dessert it’s still easy to have too much sugar in your diet. We all know now that sugar is virtually everywhere in our food system. Plan Z dieters know to stay away from…
Happy Birthday Tattoo
Happy Birthday Tattoo! Our kitty Tattoo turned 19 this month. This is a picture of her birthday kitty pate. Of course, we blew out the candle for her and sang a little ditty. Tattoo had a lot of…
How I Read a Label
When I was a young girl of 12, I became obsessed with weight. Twiggy was the super model at the time and she was rail thin. I thought I needed to be like that. I wasn’t obese by any means. Turns out…
Brain Gunk
As a youngster, I attended a Catholic grade school. In those days we gathered for morning Mass every day. When I was in second grade I was allowed to receive Communion, but that meant I had to fast…
Intermittent Fasting
There’s a new buzz phrase in the dieting community that is getting lots of coverage. It’s called intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is the concept of going 12 – 18 hours without food. Some…