Allright, Call Me a Zealot

I love to watch people. If a plane is delayed at an airport or if there is a long wait at my favorite restaurant, I am never bored, because I get to watch people. Sometimes I even become the commentary to their actions, like, you can hear me say, "Will you get a load of that guy?" Or, "Who dresses her, Pamela Anderson?"

But my favorite pastime is watching what people order when they dine out. So, tonight we are at the Pei Wei Diner (a Howard Johnson's, if you will for the P.F. Chang chain[more casual, much louder, and way cheaper]). You can visit the menu on line and plan a meal that suits your dietary needs. You can order a Rice Bowl with steamed vegetables and tofu, no sauce, and steamed rice. It's a very safe place to eat if you are vegan.

Tonight though, dining was better than a good movie. For example, there was the "older couple" who could barely breathe and walk at the same time. And wow, they ordered enough food for a family of six. They sat sheltered in a corner, but I was busy watching them. Of course, their beverage of choice was a "Diet Coke." And all of their foods choices were fried. But, in their minds, they were eating vegetables. It's kind of like the person who buys a butter cream cake at Whole Foods, and thinks that there is a special dispensation to fat, calories, and sugar. All I'm saying is, people are convinced that "Diet Coke" saves loads of calories, and really, I think that we are also a country lacking in overall-general nutrition education.

All I could think about was my love for Oprah, and if you think I love her, don't get me started on Dr. Oz. If this couple was on his show, he'd have them in the "Truth Tube" and then haul them off to Lenox Hill Hospital to an evaluation in a CCU.

You are what you eat. You need to eat to live. Sometimes, I have to promise my husband that I will give him my undivided attention when we dine out, and as hard as I try, I am sometimes lured to another part of the restaurant...and beware, because I can also read lips.

Tip of the Day: When you eat out, check the menu on line and see what you can eat. You can also be very detailed in your specific order so that you can maintain whatever eating practice you own.