Tag: dining

Identifying common eating disorders

What is An Eating Disorder?

Eating disorders are serious medical and emotional illnesses that require prompt diagnosis and treatment for full recovery and to avoid long-term health issues and side effects. According to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), current research confirms that eating disorders are biologically-based and influenced by emotional and cultural factors. Eating disorders are potentially life-threatening illnesses, but help is available and full recovery is possible. Eating Disorders are now prevalent across all age groups, in children, adolescents, teens, and adults. Studies indicate that as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting anorexia or bulimia, with millions more struggling with binge eating disorder. Eating disorders are about feelings. They are not really about food or body image.

Types of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders fall into one of the following categories, although sufferers may combine types of disordered eating or transition from one type of primary eating disorder to another.

Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by self-starvation and extreme weight loss. The sufferer is often unable to maintain a minimum healthy body weight and often suffers from body image dissatisfaction or distorted body perception.

Bulemia Nervosa Eating Disorder involves repeated eating binges or cycles followed by purging, either through self-induced vomiting or other methods, including laxatives, diuretics, excessive exercise, or fasting. Some sufferers combine bulemia and anorexic tendencies.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is characterized by recurrent binge eating without self-starvation or purging.

Symptoms For Identifying Eating Disorders

extreme, sudden weight loss

change in eating patterns

preoccupation with body image and weight

visits to the bathroom immediately after meals

lies about food consumption or food purchases

complaints about body size, shape, and image

complaints of dizziness or heartburn from weight loss or vomiting

replacing other activities with eating

depression

Where to Go for Diagnosis

Any therapist or medical doctor can make an initial evaluation. These professional eating disorder organizations also offer screening tips and treatment referrals on their web sites.

http://www.nationaleatingdisor ders.org

http://www.anad.org

http://www.somethingfishy.org/

How to know when your food quality has actually expired

Laws, health, hygiene, Best Before, Use Before….Store this Product….Oh how my head aches! What happened to going into your local butcher, buying a joint, even some bacon and storing it in the Larder?

Politicians, Food experts all seem to forget that ‘some of us’ lived in the days when refridgeration was not the normal household appliance. All we had was a cool larder and used our SENSE OF SMELL. How many back in the 1950’s died of food poisoning? Even the 60’s….I will tell you not many.

We made cheese by hanging sour milk in old stockings (tights) outside the backdoor to extract the whey, stored vegetables in a cool dark place and our meat….was either hung or left for anything up to a month to ‘mature’ Were we sick? No! Eggs did not have a date stamped on every shell….we used the old method of if they floated don’t use. It is only today where there are so many ‘convenience’ foods, prepacked with additives that range from A – Z that sickness occurs. Hens treated for Salmonella, cattle imunised, crops sprayed and now even genetically modified thus lowering our own imune system that we have problems.

BEST BEFORE….means just that. Usually used on foods that last longer, such as frozen, dried or canned foods. It should be safe to eat food after the ‘best before’ date, but the food will no longer be at its best. After this date, the food might begin to lose its flavour and texture.

USE BY….You shouldn’t use any food or drink after the end of the ‘use by’ date shown on the label. Even if it looks and smells fine, using it after this date could put your health at risk and cause food poisoning.

You will usually find a ‘use by’ date on food that goes off quickly, such as milk, soft cheese, ready-prepared salads and smoked fish.

It’s also important to follow any storage instructions given on food labels, otherwise the food might not last until the ‘use by’ date. Usually food with a ‘use by’ date needs to be kept in the fridge.

Personally I exclude Cheese from the above. Soft Cheese…well comon sense has to come into play as it has more than likely been treated. But with hard cheeses…cut off the mould and enjoy.

EAT WITHIN DATES…Due to additives some food labels also give instructions such as ‘eat within a week of opening’ and it’s important to follow these instructions. But remember, if the ‘use by’ date is tomorrow, then you must use the food by the end of tomorrow, even if the label says ‘eat within a week of opening’ and you have only opened the food today.

FREEZING….This is a good way of preservation but pre-frozen foods should NEVER be re-frozen unless cooked first.

HOW LONG IN THE FREEZER? My daughter asked this question some time back when she came to dinner with her boyfriend. In truth I almost choked on my food. The Ham joint I had cooked was fresh from the Butchers about a year back. Properly wrapped and sealed had stood the test of time.

In theory, food could be safe to eat after years in the freezer, as long as it has stayed frozen during that time. But it may not be very nice to eat, because the taste and texture of food changes if it is frozen for too long.

Basically it is a case of using your own common sense. If you must buy prepack or readily prepared foods use them in the time indicated. If you shop and buy fresh you have a longer ‘shelf life’ when stored properly.

Problems with treating those less obviously affected by eating disorders

Eating disorders affect a large amount of people. In American society and all over the world. When you say “eating disorder” you most likely think of anorexia or bulimia. Both are very serious disorders, but the most common eating disorders are commonly overlooked ones: compulsive over-eating and binge eating disorder. Both involve the excessive consumption of food, and are often used interchangeably.

For many people, realizing you have a problem is a large step. Deciding to seek help is another one. But many people with “lesser” eating disorders are usually denied the help they need. Many people fail to realize that ALL eating disorders are dangerous. Eating disorder sufferers are refused help because they aren’t emaciated and starved or near death. People are told they aren’t “sick enough” and are turned away. Some sufferers in the early stages of anorexia are told to “just eat”. Some bulimics are told to “just stop”. People with compulsive over-eating and binge eating disorder are told to stop being so greedy. Those with ED-NOS or eating disorder not otherwise specified are told they are not sick at all and just looking for attention. Everyone who bears the weight of an eating disorder on their backs is suffering from a mental illness. A mental illness with physical symptoms. No matter how small or insignificant their physical symptoms seem, all of the eating disordered community deserve an equal chance at treatment and recovery. An eating disorder treated early is better than one left to destroy one’s body beyond repair until it is too late.

It is a wonderful thing when someone with an eating disorder chooses recovery. It is a shame when they are denied what they desperately need because they do not exactly fit criteria or arent so sick to the point of death. Everyone with an eating disorder is at risk for physical and emotional damage, even during the early stages of an eating disorder. We must learn to realize that eating disorders are serious no matter what type or what stage the disorder is. Just looking at someone’s weight will not tell you what an eating disorder is doing to a person, or how much it affects them. Please do not let the eating disordered be denied the help they need any longer. Do not refuse them treatment and recovery until it is too late. Everyone deserves a chance to live happy.

Chinese foods

One of the modern contribution of China is Chinese foods. The Peking Duck, the Beef in Black Bean sauce, the lobster with ginger, and host of other great Chinese food. Chinese foods and food products have become suspect as of late. We have seen the reports of seafood with high levels of antibiotics and hormones. We have read about the pet food with toxic and industrial ingredients. We have seen a TV report about a street food vendor who made pork dumplings with cardboard instead of pork. That TV report turned out to be a hoax. Maybe. You never know with state run media.

I love Chinese food and teas. Like many North Americans, I’ve become a little suspicious about Chinese food. Too many stories have come out about toothpastes with industrial and toxic ingredients. The Chinese exports have also included toys for children with high level of lead in the paint. Lead is something that has become a regulated substance in all products in the west.

Some people are can have a reaction to monosodium glutamate (MGS) ranging from headaches to chest pains. MGS is used extensively in Chinese foods. MGS is also extensively used in commercial cans of soup, noodles soups, granola bars and numerous food products. If you have concerns about having a reaction to MGS, consult with your doctor.

Foods and food products from China are pervasive and cheap. Chinese foods (Chinese cuisine) is also exotic and delicious. It has added greatly to the enjoyment of food and cooking. Chinese food is also becoming something of a concern.

Health Canada and the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have both been negligent in allowing foods from China to come in and fail their respective safety standards. The two countries have announced that they will be more vigilant and may even ban some foods and food products from China. Both countries however are loath to loose business with China, which is lucrative for all concerned.

As a consumer, you however can have a great influence. As your grocer where the foods come from. If they can’t give you a straight answer, pass on the product. Even if you will eventually buy the product, the retailers will begin to be more vigilant and informed.

Personally boycott some food products. Sea foods from China are highly suspect at this time for instance. Some people have even gone so far as to test foods and food products according to the standards set by FDA or Health Canada. You are a very important, even essential part of the market as the consumer. If you ask questions and make a point of passing up a product that you would normally like to buy, then that make a very loud statement.

We can make the foods we love safer for ourselves.

Binge Eating – Information on Binge Eating

Almost everyone overeats on occasion, having seconds or thirds of a holiday meal or devouring an entire bag of chips while watching a scary movie. Sometimes, though, overeating becomes a regular occurrence, shrouded in shame and secrecy. It’s called binge-eating disorder, a serious eating disorder in which you frequently consume unusually large amounts of food.

Men and Women living with Binge Eating Disorder suffer a combination of symptoms similar to those of Compulsive Overeaters and Bulimia. The sufferer periodically goes on large binges, consuming an unusually large quantity of food in a short period of time (less than 2 hours) uncontrollably, eating until they are uncomfortably full. The weight of each individual is usually characterized as above average or overweight, and sufferers tend to have a more difficult time losing weight and maintaining average healthy weights. Unlike with Bulimia, they do not purge following a Binge episode.

A binge eating episode typically lasts around two hours, but some people binge on and off all day long. Binge eaters often eat even when they’re not hungry and continue eating long after they’re full. They may also gorge themselves as fast as they can while barely registering what they’re eating or tasting.

Binge eating is a pattern of disordered eating which consists of episodes of uncontrollable overeating. It is sometimes as a symptom of binge eating disorder. During such binges, a person rapidly consumes an excessive amount of food. Most people who have eating binges try to hide this behaviour from others, and often feel ashamed or depressed about their overeating. Eating binges can be followed by so-called compensatory behaviour, acts by which the person tries to compensate for the effects of overeating. Examples of such acts are purging (induced vomiting or laxative abuse), fasting, and heavy exercising.

The causes of binge eating disorder are still unknown. Up to half of all people with binge eating disorder have a history of depression. Whether depression is a cause or effect of binge eating disorder is unclear. It may be unrelated. Many people report that anger, sadness, boredom, anxiety or other negative emotions can trigger a binge episode. Impulsive behavior and certain other psychological problems may be more common in people with binge eating disorder.

We cannot diagnose or treat eating disorders by e-mail, but we can send you information and assist you in finding resources. Information provided by the Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center is not a substitute for medical treatment or psychological care. It is vital that you talk with your physician and a qualified mental health professional regarding eating disorder symptoms and treatment.

Binge eating also occurs in another eating disorder called bulimia nervosa. Persons with bulimia nervosa, however, usually purge, fast, or do strenuous exercise after they binge eat. Purging means vomiting or using a lot of diuretics (water pills) or laxatives to keep from gaining weight. Fasting is not eating for at least 24 hours. Strenuous exercise, in this case, means exercising for more than an hour just to keep from gaining weight after binge eating. Purging, fasting, and overexercising are dangerous ways to try to control your weight.

Both binge eating and bulimia involve eating excessive amounts of food, feeling out of control while eating, and feeling guilty or ashamed afterward. But bulimia nervosa (sometimes called binge-purge syndrome) is different from binge eating disorder because people with bulimia vomit or use laxatives to try to keep themselves from gaining weight after eating. They may also try to burn off the extra calories by exercising compulsively as a way of making up for overeating. People with binge eating disorder do not have these “purge” characteristics.

Night eating syndrome: Facts and research

Night or nocturnal eating syndrome (Sleep – Related Eating or NS-RED) considered a parasomnia (Disorder that interrupts the sleep process and may require medical attention) disorder, when a person recurrently needs to eat during sleep (sometimes up to four times a night), without being aware of the event. The awakenings average about 20 minutes and convinced the need to eat in order to get back to sleep. Also, cannot recall any incident of eating the night before. This problem maybe chronic or appear once or twice and then disappear. People having nocturnal eating syndrome must be aware of significant weight gain, possibility of choking while eating during sleep, injury may occur while starting fires or while preparing foods during sleep, and feeling a loss of control. In 1955, Dr. Albert Stunkard, professor of psychiatry and director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, first diagnosed this disorder. Statistics have shown, up to fifteen percent of those having an eating disorder affected by night eating disorder and one to three percent of the general population. Sleep related eating effects all ages, both sex, but is more common in young women, and develops in the late 20s. Often nocturnal eating syndrome is triggered by a stressful or emotional event, such as a divorce, pregnancy or loss of job. Estimated that ten percent of obese people seeking treatment have night eating syndrome. In some cases, people that have sleep related eating disorder have histories of alcoholism, drug abuse, and other sleep disorders. Those having nocturnal eating syndrome are common to skip breakfast, eat more than half the day’s calories after dinner, pattern has persisted for at least two months, feeling of guilt while eating, and suffer from insomnia.


According to Dr. Stunkard, suffers have three separate problems, an eating disorder, a sleeping disorder and a mood disorder. Most people that suffer from this syndrome, experience in their lives stress, and poor sleep, often walking up three to four times a night, and choosing to eat high carbohydrate foods (“comfort foods”) such as biscuits or cakes. Also, night eaters during the day consume on average 500 calories more than normal. Dr. Stunkard attributes the high consumption of carbohydrates, increases serotonin in the brain, which stimulates sleep. (Carbohydrates stimulate the production of insulin, which lead to increase levels of tryptophans in the brain.

Prevent Eating Disorders In Order To Maintain a Healthy Body

Preventing eating disorders can be possible with some preventive measures. However, there was a query that rose among many health professionals and eating disorder patients whether preventing eating disorders is possible or not.
According to latest investigations, there are a number of preventive measures that can be taken so as to preventing eating disorders. Preventing eating disorders measures are needed to adopt by those family members where there are past records of eating disorders or behaviors of compulsive eating.
Measures To Be Taken For Preventing Eating Disorders
Here are five preventive measures that can perform in order to keep eating disorders at bay.
1. Decline to diet for preventing eating disorders. Eating disorder experts found that dieting is typically the primary step in developing an eating disorder. It is been found in a research that a woman who tends to have extreme dieting is eighteen times more at risk of raising an eating disorder. If someone in your family may be susceptible of developing an eating disorder, they should abstain from dieting. As a replacement, the individual need to consult a physician in order to learn about the ways that are safe and effective in losing weight.
2. Parents should act as positive and healthy role models in preventing eating disorders. A researcher states that parents play a very significant role in tracing out whether children are ultimately developing an eating disorder or not. Most of the parents automatically project their unhealthy viewpoints and approaches regarding their own bodies that their children pick up on. Parents with a high value about being thin or other features of one’s physical appearance may be transferring the point to their children with a belief that physical appearance plays a vital role than being happy and healthy.
Parents have to struggle in order to develop a positive attitude about their own bodies and need to offer a safe, caring and non-judgmental atmosphere to their children. This atmosphere can be achieved by preparing a nutritious meal along with enjoyable activities that involves total family.
3. Family dynamics can set up means to preventing an eating disorder. Families should strive to spend quality time together. Plan to eat dinner together, and participate in outdoor activities that give pleasure. Criticism and competition need to be avoided so as to generate a secure and loving environment where children feel cherished.
4. Prefer exercises as a means of preventing eating disorders in order to have a good health, not a thin body. In general you will have a negative attitude towards exercise and think of exercise as just a task that is boring, hard, and even painful. Changing the opinion regarding exercise can definitely help you in preventing eating disorders. Repossessing the sense of the unadulterated pleasure of movement can become a measure in preventing eating disorders. Try to make every effort in those activities in which you have interest and thrill you.
5. Eat a multiplicity of foods in moderation. Eating food in moderation is a way where you can eat even your favorite guilty pleasures. In order to cultivate a healthy attitude towards food try preventing eating disorders. Remember that it is a safe way to eat anything you want, as long as you balance your eating behaviors.

Dining out etiquette: How to behave stylishly at restaurants

How NOT To Behave At Charlie Trotter’s

Chicago’s Charlie Trotter’s is arguably one of the very best two or three restaurants in the country-and that prestige comes with an equally elite, some might say “pretentious,” atmosphere. I recently had the good luck of dining at Charlie Trotters thanks to the generosity of two friends I’ll call “dining companion #1″ and “dining companion #2.” Both dining companions have lived in New York and thus consider themselves to be experts of all things culinary, having sampled most of what that great city has to offer. It SHOULD have been a great evening; instead it was either a tragedy or a farce, depending on your perspective. Here are some suggestions on how NOT to behave at Charlie Trotters (or any other gourmet restaurant, for that matter):

1. Do not spend the three hours prior to your reservation at a sportsbar sampling many and varied brews.

2. Do not help yourself to a glass of wine while you wait five whole minutes to be seated.

3. Do not, after eating the second course, “Tasmanian Ocean Salmon with Orange Rind, Fennel Pollen & Trout Roe Vinaigrette,” tell your server that it was a bit “fishy.”

4. Do not call each other-loudly-“douchebag” and “asshole.”

4a. When dining companion #1 is asked by staff to soften his “booming voice,” dining companion #2 should not say “hey! What about me?”

5. Resist, please, please, resist the urge to order that second bottle of wine.

6. Do not fall asleep in your desert. Yes, it is cake and ice cream, but you are not a five year old at a birthday party.

Much to my delight, I was able to finish my meal in relative peace while dining companions numbers 1 and 2 dozed off. Dining companion #2 roused himself to take care of the enormous check and woke dining companion #1 with a solid punch to the arm. I watched with glee while dining companions numbers 1 and 2 were each assisted down the narrow stairway to the street by two Charlie Trotter’s employees, one on each side. I saw them into their cab (and off on their further debauch), then jumped in my own cab, happy to be going home, to bed, where one deserves to be after a ten course meal. I’m sure it was an evening that none of us, well, except dining companions 1 and 2, will soon forget.

Binge Eating Disorder – Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Binge eating disorder is probably the most common eating disorder. Binge eating also occurs in another eating disorder called bulimia nervosa. People with binge eating disorder frequently eat large amounts of food while feeling a loss of control over their eating. This disorder is different from binge-purge syndrome (bulimia nervosa) because people with binge eating disorder usually do not purge afterward by vomiting or using laxatives. Binge eating disorder is a little more common in women than in men; three women for every two men have it. The disorder affects blacks as often as whites. About 2 percent of all adults in the United States (as many as 4 million Americans) have binge eating disorder. About 10 to 15 percent of people who are mildly obese. People with binge eating disorder often eat an unusually large amount of food and feel out of control during the binges. Binge eating involves more than just eating a lot.

Binge eating, Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are all considered eating disorders because they involve unhealthy patterns of eating. People with bulimia nervosa (sometimes called binge-purge syndrome) binge on food and then vomit or use laxatives to avoid gaining weight. They may also fast (stop eating for a while) or compulsively exercise after an eating binge. All three of these eating disorders involve unhealthy eating patterns that begin gradually and build to the point where a person feels unable to control them. All eating disorders can lead to serious health consequences, and all involve emotional distress. Bulimia nervosa (sometimes called binge-purge syndrome) is different from binge eating disorder because people with bulimia vomit or use laxatives to try to keep themselves from gaining weight after eating.

Causes of Binge Eating Disorder

1.Depression

2.Anger.

3.Sadness.

4.Boredom.

5.Anxiety.

6.Certain other emotional problems.

Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder

1. Eating much more food during a binge episode than during a normal meal or snack

2. Frequent dieting without weight loss.

3. Hoarding food.

4. Hiding empty food containers.

5. Feeling depressed, disgusted or upset over the amount eaten.

Treatment of Binge Eating Disorder

Several methods are being used to treat binge eating disorder. Drug therapy, such as antidepressants, may be helpful for some people. Cognitive-behavioral therapy teaches patients techniques to monitor and change their eating habits as well as to change the way they respond to difficult situations. Interpersonal psychotherapy helps people examine their relationships with friends and family and to make changes in problem areas. Self-help groups also may be a source of support. Researchers are still trying to determine which method or combination of methods is the most effective in controlling binge eating disorder.

Restaurant profiles: Rosemarys Restaurant in Las Vegas, Nevada

Rosemary’s Restaurant

Location:

8125 W. Sahara

Las Vegas, NV 89117

Phone Number:

Tel: 702.869.2251

Fax: 702.869.2283

Website:

http://rosemarysrestaurant.com /

Description:

Located 8.5 miles west of the Las Vegas strip, Rosemary’s Restaurant offers contemporary American, French cuisine in a fine dining atmosphere. Chef’s Michael and Wendy Jordan pride themselves on providing you with a cuisine that has regional flair from the Deep South, Mid-West and New Orleans while providing impeccable service and value. A hidden gem among the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, Rosemary’s Restaurant acquired its name from the chef’s mother and it has not let her down.

Hours:

Lunch 11:30a.m. through 2:30p.m, Monday through Friday

Dinner 5:30p.m. through 10:30p.m., daily*

Reservations:

While walk-in’s are welcomed at Rosemary’s, they suggest that you make a reservation.

Cost:

Dinner for one with a drink a tip usually cost $50.00 and up.*

Payment Methods:

AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, Visa

Dress Code:

Business or Dressy Casual

Private Events and Catering:

Rosemary’s restaurant offers off-site catering for any size event. They can also host your private event at the restaurant for 15-100 people.

Menu Items:

Dinner items include Panko Crusted Crab Boulettes, Jerusalem Artichoke Soup, Sesame Seared Arctic Char and Maytag Blue Cheese Slaw. Lunch items include Grilled Loch Duart Salmon and Crispy Leg of Duck. For dessert treat yourself with Coconut Bread Pudding or Hazelnut Goat Cheese Cheesecake.*

Drinks:

Rosemary’s Restaurant is renowned for its lounge and world class drinks. The signature drink is a Bloody Mary and only cost $10.00. With ingredients like oven-roasted tomatoes, fresh basil and garlic cloves you will easily understand what make this cocktail stand out among the rest. You can also enjoy three draft beers and 30 different varieties of bottle beer. Come in to Rosemary’s on a weekday from 4:00p.m to 7:00p.m. to enjoy happy hour where all beer, wines by the glass and cocktails are half off. *

Awards:

Some of the awards that Rosemary’s Restaurant holds are the 2009 MICHELIN Recommended Restaurant, Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence” 2008 and 2008 MICHELIN Recommended Restaurant.

* Information may change at any time, be sure to call Rosemary’s Restaurant or check their website to be sure.

Sources:

“Las Vegas Restaurants Rosemary’s Restaurant.” Rosemarysrestaurant.com. 6 March 2009 < http://www.rosemarysrestaurant .com/index.htm>.

“Las Vegas Restaurants Rosemary’s Restaurant Frequently Asked Questions.” Rosemarysrestaurant.com. 6 March 2009 < http://www.rosemarysrestaurant .com/faq.htm>.

“Las Vegas Restaurants Rosemary’s Restaurant – Press.” Rosemarysrestaurant.com. 6 March 2009 < http://www.rosemarysrestaurant .com/press.htm>.

“Las Vegas Restaurants Rosemary’s Restaurant – Menus.” Rosemarysrestaurant.com. 6 March 2009 < http://www.rosemarysrestaurant .com/rosemarys_restaurant_menu s.htm>.

“No Playing Around; With classy, artistic cocktails, Rosemary’s bar hits the jackpot” Continental In-Flight Magazine – January 2009 Rosemarysrestaurant.com. 6 March 2009 < http://www.rosemarysrestaurant .com/pdfs/Continental_122008.p df>.

“Rosemary’s Restaurant” Rosemarysrestaurant.com. 6 March 2009 < http://www.opentable.com/rest_ profile.aspx?rid=6553>.