Southern Belles shaped like bells?

By Kelley Smith
Contributing writer

May 14, 2008 12:45 pm

— In an article published April 22, 2008 in the New York Times, it is reported that that life expectancy rates for most demographics have increased. Except for one group. Southern Women. Hey, wait a minute! I’m a southern woman! The article attributes the decline of life expectancy in southern women to another alarming fact. Southern women have an obesity problem. This health issue doesn’t just affect our shape, which is now quite round it seems, but also affects our quality of life, our children’s health and our over all self esteem.
In March of 2007, I had a big weight problem. It wasn’t something I had admitted to yet, but a teeny tiny passport picture, blew my cover! I went to a local photographer to get my passport picture made for an upcoming Anniversary trip out of the country. The fat face I saw looking back at me in the picture shocked me back into reality in a way that my larger sized pants and lose fitting turtle necks had yet to do. I had avoided the lens side of the camera for awhile, choosing to always be the one taking the images. But this picture proved what I already knew to be true in my heart and in my plus sized jeans. I was fat and it was time to do something about it.
Here in the south women grow up with a deeply emotional connection to food. We adore it, plan events around it, share information about it, freeze it, cook it, mourn with it, celebrate with it, analyze it and apparently shovel it in by the platefuls! But it’s time to wake up and realize that while good southern cooking may taste amazing, too much of it is changing our shape and our life expectancy.
After the dreaded passport picture, I began a quest to get rid of the fat booty that was following me around. I decided that diets hadn’t worked and I what I needed was some major changes. A diet was something I would eventually stop doing. After much research on why skinny people are skinny, I discovered the Mediterranean way of eating. It’s flavorful, colorful and easy to follow. It’s something I can live with and not fall off of. The process is healthy and safe and is in fact considered the healthiest nutritional lifestyle around!
One of the major changes I made was eating breakfast. It’s amazing to me that fat people are not typically breakfast eaters. Apparently we choose to save those calories in a bank somewhere that collects calorie interest and eat all we can beginning around 10am. The problem is that your mom was right. Breakfast is an important meal. Eating in the morning charges up your metabolism and refreshes your sleepy eyed body with the needed energy to jump into your day with gusto!
But change comes slowly. I still don’t like to eat in the morning and I’m still working on my weight. But let me tell you, I’m smaller than I used to be and I can slurp down a healthy smoothie with the best of em’! Below you’ll find my breakfast smoothie recipe, along with two other recipes, that incorporates some of the Mediterranean rules of eating by including dark berries, loads of vitamins and minerals, healthy low-fat dairy and heaps of fiber.

Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients:
(Serves 1)
1 cup diet fruit juice
Fat-free plain yogurt
1 cup frozen fruit of your choice
Freshly ground flax seed

Whizz around in the blender and serve immediately.


Lemon Spaghetti and Lemon Marinated Chicken
My mother actually requested this recipe for her Mother’s Day meal. This recipe was inspired by watching and episode of “Everyday Italian” with Giada de Laurentiis on the Food Network. I tweaked it a bit to make it more figure friendly so we Southern Girls can get less bell shaped! This recipe is loaded with taste. The citrus action from the lemon just makes it burst with freshness and spring time! And the best part is it is super easy and quite impressive! Serve this up with a nice dark green side salad with a light vinaigrette dressing and you have a complete meal full of Mediterranean diet essentials!

Ingredients for Lemon Spaghetti :
(8 servings)
1 lb. whole wheat spaghetti noodles
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup reduced fat grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 lemon juice
One lemon (it’s zest and the juice)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dried crushed basil
Sea Salt

Cook the pasta as per directions on box, seasoning the water with a bit of sea salt. While it’s cooking, whisk together the other ingredients except the zest. When done, drain the pasta reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water. Toss the pasta and the reserved pasta water (1/2 cup at a time) with the cheese/lemon mixture. Top with the lemon zest. Then cut the lemon you zested in half and drizzle it’s juice over the top of the pasta! Prepare to be amazed at the freshness and huge flavors!

Ingredients for Lemon
Marinated Chicken:
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 minced garlic cloves
4 tablespoons EVOO
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the marinade up in a small bowl. Then place the chicken breasts in a large ziplock bag and pour the marinade over it. Zip up the bag and let the chicken marinate for at least an hour, longer if you have the time.
Brown the chicken on both sides in a large oven proof skillet. Bake the chicken in the same pan at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Serve along side the pasta and wait for your family to kiss you!

Sundried Tomato Heaven

There is just something amazing about the burst of flavor that comes from sun-dried tomatoes. That lovely fresh tomato flavor is intensified! This pasta dish includes more Mediterranean style ingredients including the whole grain pasta and low fat dairy pumped up with intense herbs and seasonings.

Ingredients for 6-8 main dish servings or 10-12 side dish servings:
1 12 oz. box of whole wheat Penne Pasta
1 8.5 oz. jar sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil
2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup of fresh chopped basil OR 2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
1/4 cup low fat Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Cook Penne pasta as per box directions.
While pasta is cooking, put the following in a food processor. Tomatoes in olive oil(do not drain), garlic powder, salt and pepper, basil and Parmesan cheese. Dip out 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and add to the tomato mix. Whirl through the food processor until finely chopped and blended.
Drain pasta and toss with the tomato mix and fold in pine nuts. Top with fresh chopped basil if desired. This is great served warm or chilled. It’s also nice with some grilled chicken tossed in for extra lean protein!

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