As planned, I went to an NYU Alumni talk about women’s health last night. The woman who led the talk, Professor Lisa Sasson, has been quoted as a nutrition expert several times in various wellness magazines (like Self) and other publications. The information she gave was nothing new (I suppose the truth about health — that a healthy lifestyle involves balanced nutrition and regular exercise — never changes). Some interesting points/useful reminders from the talk:

– The diseases of this century — heart disease, diabetes, etc. — are diseases that stem from lifestyle (i.e. inactivity, more processed food, less fresh food).

– Sleep is not a luxury; sleep is a necessity.

– Exercising now is like putting money in the bank since we lose muscle mass and bone mass as we age: “You want to have as much money as possible in the bank so that when you retire, you still have enough.”

– Fruits and vegetables are full of chemical compounds that protect them in nature, and they protect us when we eat them as well. Different colors signify different varieties of these phyto-chemicals, so you should eat a rainbow!

– Up until our 3rd decade, we’re still storing bone that will serve us as we age, so now is the time to load up on bone-strengthening foods (in their natural forms as much as possible).

– Where your excess weight is located is more important than how much you have. The lower you carry your weight (hips — for most women — and below), the less at risk you are for disease

– We should all celebrate and love food. It’s important to keep portions reasonable, but you should never completely cut out the things you love to eat.

Very appropriately, the event was stocked with lots of fruits and veggies. I had cauliflower, broccoli, red and yellow peppers, carrots, grape tomatoes:

Strawberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, grapes:

Cheese:

There was a ton of food left at the end, so I filled a second plate that I transferred into my empty lunch tupperwares to bring home for later use. I tried to do it smoothly, but all the lids kept falling out of my lap. So much for stealth. There was still quite a bit left after that, so I checked with one of the ladies running the event to make sure it wasn’t going into the trash (because it often does!). She assured me that they had ziplock baggies hidden under the table and would be enjoying the leftovers for snacks today. Phew! Here’s what I brought home:

There were also lots of cookies and crackers at the talk, but I wasn’t really interested somehow! Maybe because I had already snacked on this Cadbury finger before leaving work:

And was dreaming about having this Dark Chocolate Pomegranate VitaTop with peanut butter when I got home:

Another busy busy busy day today! And freeeeeeeeezing cold. This clever guy at the gym this morning said to me, “Your nose matches your hair today.” Awesome.

I’ll be back eventually to report on how last night’s free food is getting me through the day today!