Killjoy Isn't Here: Janet Greger Guest Post

It is always a pleasure to have Janet Greger drop by to share some of her wisdom, insights, and book premises with us. In honor of her newly released Murder . . . A Way to Lose Weight, she shares some important nutrition information. You learn a ton when you read her well-researched novels. An engaging story and some scientific info! What more could you ask for? Welcome, Janet!

Who’s the most unwelcome person at a discussion of recipes and food? The constant dieter who snootily says, “I don’t eat high-calorie junk foods.” As a former nutrition professor turned novelist, many expect me to be that person. I’m not a Killjoy. I love foods and cooking and believe you can eat almost anything in moderation.

Why did I write a mystery called Murder…A Way to Lose Weight?  

You might guess because I'm a school marm at heart. No, I got tired of all the preposterous diet ads on TV. I also found a series of scientific articles on a hot area of research. Scientists have found the microflora (bacteria) in the gut changes with weight loss. My creative juices started to flow. The result is my new mystery Murder…A Way to Lose Weight.

In Murder...A Way to Lose Weight, two ambitious diet doctors are testing a new way to lose weight—altering the bacteria in their patients’ guts. They are eager to become rich and famous diet gurus and take “short cuts,” which endanger their patients’ lives. One doctor is killed after she develops a conscious and admits their mistakes. As the police turn up clues, the readers learn a bit about dieting, weird poisons, and the social mores of a medical school. 

I figure you’ll feel cheated if I don’t give a bit of diet advice. So here it is:

1. Decrease the size of your portions. When I was teen (before the introduction of the quarter pounder and supersizing. Oh dear, now you know I'm not young), I might have selected a small cheeseburger (300 calories) and a small fries (230 calories) for lunch. Now I might select a double quarter pounder with cheese (750 calories) and a large fries (500 calories). The difference is 720 calories.

You could lose a pound of weight a week, if you substituted a small cheeseburger and small fries for a quarter pounder with cheese and a large fries for lunch every weekday. Of course, that assumes you will not increase what you eat at other meals and snacks or decrease your activity.

2. Select beverages carefully. Most sweet iced teas, iced coffees, fruit juices, and regular sodas (12 oz.) contain 130-190 calories. Many fruits smoothies provide 200-250 calories, and a yummy pina colada could contain 550 calories. Unsweetened tea, black coffee, and diet sodas contain no calories; a glass (3.5 oz.) of white wine—90 calories.

Beverage choices are particularly important because most of us drink four to six servings of our favorites beverage a day. The calories really add up.

Did you learn anything new on weight control?

Probably not. You know the basics of dieting, but don’t follow the advice. You're not alone. Did you ever notice how many physicians, nurses, and dietitians are overweight or obese?

Here’s one more piece of diet advice. Read Murder… A Way to Lose Weight.

The heroine of the novel, Linda Almquist, lost weight as she discovered clues and helped to identify the murderer. Maybe, it will help you lose weight, too.

Murder…A Way to Lose Weight is available at Amazon: http://amzn.com/1610092392

Bio: J. L. Greger is a biologist and research administrator turned novelist. Her other novels are I Saw You in Beirut, Coming Flu, Ignore the Pain and Malignancy (winner of 2015 Public Safety Writers’ annual contest). To learn more, see her website: http://www.jlgreger.com.

international thrillers—