There's been so many video conversations I took part in on Seesmic until now, and I just kept wondering the same question over and over again : Why could I use this awesome tool? Would it be benefic?

I'm not someone involved at all in any of those web stuff (money wise), it's a good thing for my friends, not so good for my family. However, this allows me to judge the web 2.0 apps to their own true value : what solution are they bringing to the table? Which problems do they solve?

At the beginning, in the middle of october, I had the joy to be able to use Seesmic to meet and know users from all around the world, happy to share their eating habits with a French professional in Nutrition and Health issue. But the limits appeared quickly : cultural differences, food industries ones, daily rythm, legal obligations... Nutrition advice are almost like the horoscope! :) At this point, I wanted to actually see the other side of the screen : USA, Japan, China, Canada. But I miss the budget for all that, of course.

So I was starting to think about the origin of my income, French people, who used to depend on a health system structured around the idea of solidarity, have real problems when it comes to pay by themselves to have health tips. And here we were,health people, according with our "immediat pleasure" society we're living in, coming up with a brand new type of patient : the health "client". And he really is a tough one:

I wanna loose weight, quickly, without feeling hunger, but last and not the least, without any constraintes culinary or pleasure wise! And do not put my health in any danger!!

Do I look like a magician?

Some are using that just to make money, on the credulity of those people, on the fantastical ideal build by the collective unconscious, through ads and cinema.

There is no interactivity with TV, no flexibility, no evolution regarding the user's expectations. A media that is deadening one's mind. The real advantage of a conversation : "from Difference is coming Wealth". And so when the conversation is clearly asynchrone, then Respect for the other one and the content becomes real, again. Seesmic, it's pretty much all of that : the possibility to generalize the Health speech regarding what the user is expecting, it's how serious the content is, the dispassion and freedom of the tester (for the moment at least), and listening, and curiosity. But more and foremost the borders are falling down, the internet user is a citizen of the world.

So, Loic le Meur when you are planning Health content, just make a sign!

Or, the reason why you should eat veggies.

Benefits of vegetables are the amount of vitamins and fiber and their low calorie density.

You stop eating when you have enough food ; enough means mentally, chemically and mechanically. All of these depend on the nature and quality of the food consumed during the meal. But the amount of food does influence the feeling of satiety (these are the mechanically and mentally parts), helping you slowing down the eating process. That's why the quantity of food has to virtually fill your stomach before eating, to avoid adding other items.

Then your major food (meat, fish, carbohydrates, vegetables) has to be not too caloric, or else you will put on weight. Veggies have the best low calorie density (ration between the amount of calories and its weight). For instance, 100g of rice brings as many calories as 750g of broccoli ! Other example, a fruit yoghurt brings as many calories as one yoghurt without sugar + one fruit, but the first one weights 125g (in France) and the second 125+150=275g !!

A healthier way of eating could be a mixed plate of vegetables and carbohydrates for a meal, with steamed fish, or a grilled piece of meat, and always home-made meals (that's for pleasure).

Of course, don't eat too fast because you won't be able to feel the satiety growing...

Next time, choose a fruit instead of a cookie ;)

Thanks GoldieKatsu for the corrections :)

Using my daily tweets, I will teach you how to eat healthy !

o_Ô

Among hundreds of your friends' updates, you won't pay attention to small nutritional advice, hidden in that neverending stream :)

Next stage, using the Seesmic Lab...

That's nutrition2.0 !

Why do we eat ? hunger or pleasure ?

Both, I guess.

Let's try to understand when we should eat.

It begins with a light lack of sugar (hypoglycemia), making you feel like you absolutely need to eat : that's hunger. At this time, if you don't have any food, you will fantasize about food and desire to eat ; wondering about what kind of food you will choose or cook. Hunger disappears between 30 and 45 minutes if you don't eat.

According to your last activities (physical, working, school, shopping, sleeping...), to the time since your last meal or to its composition, the strength of hunger could be different. For instance, the day after working-out, you will be really hungry for lunch, as when your last dinner was only french beans and egg. On the other hand, if your last dinner was made of rice or pasta, you will surely be less hungry.

Why do you eat pasta, because it's fast to cook ? Do you eat rice because fish tastes better with it ? Do you simply eat carbohydrates because you like them, or just to avoid hunger ?

Being hungry is normal each time you're about to eat. If hunger intensity can vary, so are the food choices. For strong hunger, choose carbohydrates with vegetables, and for light hunger, you'd better eat fish ou meat with veggies.

With regard to pleasure, you're free to choose any sort of carbs, or the way to cook them, limited by the feeling of hunger instead of the envy to eat.

Of course, you'll have to adapt portions (will be the topic of a next post), and you'll have to stop eating at the right time !

Bon Appetit !

 Thanks Goldie Katsu for your corrections :)

You know me as "Ledretch", aka Alexandre in the real world :)

I'm a french dietician, living and working in a city near Paris, Chantilly

well-known for its castle,

its english community,

and its love for horses.

My time is shared between Dietetics and the Internet, thinking about a web2.0 way to bring Health to people ; plenty of ideas, but not enough abilities to develop them.

And, of course, I save time for my 3 years-old kid Maximilien, aka Mxl.

Seesmic you later, friends !