by Chef Jim Rebholz,
The Healthy Chef

Chef Jim Rebholz is a true culinary Renaissance man. He has served the Western New York community as a wellness instructor; corporate food service consultant; media chef personality; and wellness chef for food demonstrations at private, public and not-for profit sector organizations. Jim has a wealth of experience in the fields of food service and wellness. His professional career has included positions as maître d’hotel for Hilton Hotels, public food service director for Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, owner of a corporate catering service ,co-host of litenup healthy call-in radio show as well as wide range of wellness programs for children as well as adults throughout western New York. Chef Jim can be contacted at chefjimr@yahoo.com

Definition of Moderation

“Just a little…”
“A small scoop, please…”
“A tiny bit…”
“What the heck, just one more…”

I’m sure you’ve heard yourself say at least one of these catchphrases. We all use them to sidestep our guilt or just to acknowledge to others that we are aware of what we are eating, even though we will give in to temptation anyway. They all fall under the cloudy heading of moderation, a gray area for most of us. It may even lead to trouble- pounds and pounds of trouble.

Moderation is a word that should be used very carefully. Why, you ask?

Let’s take two people off the street. We’ll call them Ike and Tina…no, they were Motown singers from the 60’s. Let’s call them Vince and Lauren. Now, let’s give each of them a box of Girl Scout cookies and tell them to enjoy them, but in moderation. Vince would normally eat six cookies, but because we used the term moderation, he ate only three. Lauren usually polishes off an entire box cramming for an exam. However, this time, she stopped at half a box; this is her own view of moderation.

So what should define the term moderation? Being able to identify, read, and understand label information is key; this includes knowing the numbers of fat grams, calories, and sugars.

Often, we pick up the paper and there’s new dietary information. Manufacturers advertise using terms like “smart choices,” “no trans fat,” “high fiber,” “no fat,” etc. As consumers, do we really know what’s going on or are we more confused than ever? I’ve heard some folks say that because they are so confused, they are going to eat whatever they want because “You’ve got to die of something.”

This disheartens me. There is hope. You just need to seek it out and tap in.

Start with your health care provider. See what they offer in the way of classes, programs and wellness support. The public library and the Internet are two great information sources.

Begin to educate yourself and learn to read and understand nutritional information on labels. Know your numbers. For example, learn how much fiber you should be taking in per day. I cannot stress how important this is to success. Make better choices at the supermarket. In addition, learn to be comfortable asking questions or making requests in a restaurant setting.

This may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but you’re worth the time and effort! That “junk in your trunk” will disappear and be replaced with a little jump in your step. Please keep in mind, especially with parts of our world today experiencing a dire food shortage, every meal doesn’t have to be an event. What we need is just well balanced, pleasant-tasting, affordable nutritious meals.

Pass on this wisdom to the next generation by starting to raise children’s awareness of moderation at a young age. Involve even little tots in the decision-making process, but keep the choices healthy. Snacks can be a healthy treat; offer different fruits as snacks instead of junk food. Get kids into the habit of drinking water and make it fun by providing a water bottle, special cup, or crazy straw. Try and maintain anything that works to get kids to consume healthy snacks and meals. Remember, you are in control, not your children.

Small changes such as exercising and learning how to properly fuel your body by eating right will get you on the path to a new you!

To learn more about better choices go to www.youtube.com and search for “medical matters”. You will find my two healthy cooking shows. Enjoy!

Until next month, laugh, learn, and live well!
Chef Jim