You know when I say healthy, I also mean a healthy dose of fun. During the past six months, I’ve traveled to a bunch of US cities doing book tour events. Here’s the problem…I have to work really hard to find something that meets my criteria for healthy eating and to incorporate some exercise into my day while I’m away. When I’m home in Portland, I know exactly where to go and how many walking miles it will take me to get there — and where the hills are so I can avoid them! I try and do some careful planning when I’m about to take on a new city —...

Is it really here? We have a bonifide change in seasons where I live and it’s about to get rainy and chilly. I’m being somewhat dramatic — we also have clear, sunny days and it’s gorgeous here in the Fall, but I’m seizing the last bit of summer with a trip this weekend to the San Juan Islands in Washington State. A group of us are heading to the town of Anacortes where we’ll take a ferry over to Orcas Island. We’re staying in yurts…with no electricity or running water. I know, big deal, but I’m kind of a sissy city girl. We’ve got a whale...

One area I didn’t cover in The Denim Diet in the chapter titled, “Eating From Home: An Out-and-About Guide to Healthful Eating” was English food. I just got back from ten days in London and I gotta say…it was a bit challenging to find a healthy meal. Pub food is beyond gross. Most pub menus neglect to tell you that most of the food is fried. I spent a great deal of effort picking the fried coating off things like prawn appetizers. Scotch eggs are hard-boiled eggs covered in mystery sausage and then deep fried.I will admit, I tried (just one bite!) of the scotch egg and while...

Did you know that eating dark chocolate is good for you? It’s a potent antioxidant. Remember the good deeds that antioxidants do for your body? They gobble up free radicals (destructive molecules), which are implicated in heart disease and cancer. To me, there is nothing better than a small piece of dark chocolate in the midafternoon. Not all dark chocolate is the same, though. The higher the cocoa content, the better for you. I eat only 70 percent or higher. My favorite is 85 percent, which does take some getting used to, but I swear it makes me feel instantly happier. Here in Portland,...

My actual receipts for meals in 2008! I EAT AT LEAST FIVE MEALS A WEEK away from home. Fast food aside, there is always something on a restaurant menu I can eat. I’ve become very skilled at reading menus and determining the best option. The problem is, I have this annoying habit of doing it for other people I’m dining with. I just get so excited about eating well. My kids used to have no idea how to peruse a menu because I always did it for them. I didn’t order for them. I’d make suggestions, and they came to trust that I pretty much got it right every time. Plus, they knew if they put up too...

Denise Cerreta from One World The mission statement for the “pay as you want” One World restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah is: * We are dedicated to eliminating world hunger. * We are dedicated to serving organic unprocessed food. * We are dedicated to feeding and including all members of our community. * We are dedicated to eliminating waste in the food industry. * We believe that we can trust our customers to be inspired, honest and fair in their exchange of money and/or work for the fresh, gourmet, organic food we prepare both mindfully and in a heartfelt way each day. * We will keep...

Between my blogpost, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Blogher, I heard from a lot of people and discovered some restaurants that definitely sound like they meet my criteria for healthy eating. Thanks so much everyone…I’m looking forward to trying some of them! Here are my top five pics from those who responded… Photo found on www.thegarlicpress.com CLARE: The Garlic Press, Normal, Illinois: “We decided to take the plunge and create a café where we could offer the kind of fresh foods we had been learning about through many years of sampling, our cooking school classes, traveling top...

I live in Portland, Oregon and we have many great restaurants that serve food that meets my criteria for healthy eating. I could eat out every day of the month (I don’t because I can’t afford to!) at a different restaurant and still not patronize them all. My favorite, which has been around forever is Higgins. I prefer the bar to the restaurant because it’s less formal and way less expensive. For special occasions, I put on my best bootcut jeans and dine in the fancy restaurant. The philosophy at Higgins is simple and best put by chef/owner, Greg Higgins: Photo from:...