Five myths about diets and nutrition

I start most of my days with a walk to my favorite local cafe (2400 steps for the round trip), order a coffee, grab a seat … and people watch. Even more entertaining than watching the many "interesting" Los Angelenos is listening to them.

I would estimate (based on my very unscientific cafe observations) that at least two-thirds of every conversation in LA revolves around diet. What makes this figure even more alarming is the rampant misinformation people possess and proliferate when it comes to healthy eating. These conversations inspired me to come up with a list of the top five most widespread myths about nutrition.

MYTH #1: A calorie is a calorie"Losing weight is simple math! If you eat 1500 calories a day, and do 1500 calories a day of exercise, you'll never gain weight." WRONG!

Different foods have different effects on our body beyond their calorie count. Our metabolism, hunger, blood sugar and hormones respond differently to different types of foods. That means that 100 calories of broccoli, is not the same as 100 calories of licorice, just as 3 oz. of salmon is not the same as 3 oz. of cupcakes.

Foods with protein or fiber or healthy fats (or all three) will rev up your metabolism and keep you feeling fuller longer than simple sugars or starches, which will not only leave you still hungry but also will cause your blood sugar (and energy) to spike and then crash.

Let’s look at an example. One piece of white bread has the same calories as three egg whites scrambled with peppers and onion. Which option do you think is better for you? If all calories were created equal, these two options would have to be nutritionally equivalent.

MYTH #2: Going gluten-free will help you lose weight"OMG! My spiritual homeopath did a saliva test on me and discovered I was overweight because I'm allergic to gluten" WRONG!

These days everyone seems to be going gluten-free. From entire gluten-free grocery aisles to gluten-free pizza crust at your local pizza place, it seems everyone is scared of the G-word. Gluten-free product sales reached more than $2.6 billion by the end of 2010 and are now expected to exceed more than $5 billion by 2015.

So how is it possible that an entire nation (somehow only Americans) has been simultaneously affected by gluten sensitivity? The truth is that we haven't. Gluten sensitivity, which is defined as a gastrointestinal reaction to ingesting gluten (a simple protein found in grains like wheat, barley and rye), has notoriously vague symptoms that can range from fatigue and "foggy mind” to diarrhea, depression and joint pain.

Now before you shout, “That's me!” – only six percent of the population has gluten sensitivity and even fewer (one percent of the population) have a true allergy to gluten, or celiac disease. Celiac disease is an immune response in the small intestine triggered by gluten, which produces inflammation that damages the small intestine's lining and prevents absorption of some nutrients (malabsorption). Interestingly, one of the major symptoms of celiac disease is actually weight loss due to malabsorption.

If you think you really are having a reaction to gluten, I encourage you to see your doctor who can perform tests and rule out other culprits of similar symptoms (irritable bowel syndrome, for example.)

Where people "succeed" by eliminating gluten from their diet lies in the fact that many of the foods that we overeat (breads, pasta, pastries, crackers) are wheat-based. Wheat contains gluten, so by eliminating gluten, you coincidentally eliminate the foods you were overeating.

How are the kids in "Bully" doing now?

Even before many have actually had the chance to see Bully, the documentary has sparked engaging conversation across the Internet.

The film, which focuses on five different families and their teenagers, features emotional footage, including an especially harrowing school bus scene during which 12-year-old Alex Libby, who was born prematurely, suffers name calling, harsh taunts and physical abuse at the hands of his peers.

It's that rough language used by Libby's schoolmates that initially earned the film an "R" rating by the Motion Picture Association of America. (The Weinstein Company decided to release the movie unrated, however, after anonline petition signed by thousands failed to reverse the decision.)

But stepping into the spotlight has actually been an empowering experience for Libby, his father says.

"We feel honored to be a part of this film – this movement," Philip Libby tells PEOPLE. "And thanks to [director] Lee [Hirsch] and the film we have Alex back ... a rejuvenated young man."

Libby has moved on with his life – and is in a good place.

"Alex and his family recently moved to Oklahoma City, where he is in a new school, not being bullied, and receiving all A's and B's in class," Hirsch tells PEOPLE. "Every day I am amazed at how different Alex is today from the kid he was when he were shooting the film."

Adds the director: "This experience has made him find his voice."

"I think that this kind of abuse had been happening to Alex for a very long time in the presence of adults without intervention," says Hirsch, noting that it wasn't as difficult as some might imagine to capture such raw footage. "School officials knew about it; it continues. The bus driver knew about it; it continued. And so these kids felt that they had license to bully Alex and other students in the school."

"My presence was not anything particularly special," says the director. "I was just the wallpaper – this strange guy with a funny little camera."

Source

Patrice O'Neal has passed away

New York-based comedian Patrice O'Neal died Monday after suffering a stroke in October that was related to his diabetic condition. He was 41.

His death was confirmed via Twitter Tuesday by host Opie (Gregg Hughes) of the Opie and Anthony SiriusXM radio show, on which the stand-up comic was a regular guest. The message read: "Yes it's true that our pal Patrice O'Neal has passed away. The funniest and best thinker i've ever known PERIOD. #devastated."

O'Neal, a 6' 5", 300-plus-lb. native of Boston, also appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and Late Show with David Letterman and the sitcoms Arrested Development and The Office.

In September, O'Neal, whose humor was often confrontational but funny, participated in the Comedy Central roast of Charlie Sheen, where other comedians made fun of his diabetes. It was his last performance.

O'Neal, who launched his career in the late '90s, started out by heckling comics and proving he could do better, according to his Comedy Central bio. His idols were George Carlin and Richard Pryor.

TMZ.com first reported his death.



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Steak 'N' Bacon Cheddar Meatballs

I saw this recipe in this week's People magazine and it looks so good that I wanted to share it! It's from the chefs of Manhattan's Meatball Shop:

Ingredients

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
8 oz. raw bacon, diced
2 lbs. ground beef
6 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. salt

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Heat remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and bacon and saute, stirring frequently, until golden brown (about 10 minutes).
2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onions and bacon from the pan to a small plate. Let cool.
3. Combine bacon, onions and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl, and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Roll the mixture into 24 golf-ball-size meatballs, making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, and roast until cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes.
5. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

People Magazine: Has "Toddlers and Tiaras" gone too far?

Cover of this week's People Magazine
Souce: People

For nearly three years, the hit TLC show Toddlers & Tiaras has captured the drama behind the scenes in the world of child beauty pageants. The tantrums were extreme, and the pre-show prep of spray tanning and eyebrow waxing seemed perhaps premature for little kids.

But in the last few weeks, as footage of 3- and 4-year-olds dressed in overly adult costumes (like Dolly Parton, complete with padded breasts, or Julia Roberts's streetwalker from Pretty Woman hit the airwaves, viewers and pageant skeptics have been expressing horror at an industry that is now accused of "sexualizing" young girls.

"Little girls are supposed to play with dolls, not be dolls," New York-based licensed clinical social worker Mark Sichel tells PEOPLE in its new issue, on newsstands now.

He adds that the extremes parents go to in order to prepare their children for competition – using padding, fake hair, flippers (faux teeth) and spray tans – "causes the children tremendous confusion, wondering why they are not okay without those things."

Crazy pageant mom coaching her daughter from the audience.
Credit: TLC

Now devoted pageant moms are speaking out in their own defense. Wendy Dickey, who dressed her daughter Paisley, 3, as Julia Roberts, tells PEOPLE the look was "tasteful and funny." Still, "If I knew there would be a reaction like this, I never would have used it," Dickey says. "Next time, she'll be dressed as an angel."

And Juana Myers, whose daughter MaKenzie has been featured on Tiaras, says unfair scrutiny has been placed on the pageant industry. "If this were a sport, no one would question it," she says. "This is her sport."

People