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Strollerderby
Paula Deen's diabetes should be everyone's wake-up call.
Last year, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain called celebrity down-home-cook Paula Deen “the most dangerous person to America,” adding, “She revels in unholy connections with evil corporations and she’s proud of the fact that her food is f—— bad for you. Plus, her food sucks.”
Tell us how you really feel, Anthony! But seriously, folks …Tuesday Bourdain did just that, taking to Twitter in response to Deen’s announcement that she has type 2 diabetes. In conjunction with that announcement, Deen also revealed that she’s teaming up with pharma company Novo Nordisk to promote the “Diabetes in a New Light” initiative. Essentially, Deen is shilling Victoza, “a non-insulin, once-a-day, injectable medication that helps lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.”
Upon hearing the news about Deen’s new spokesperson gig, Bourdain tweeted: Continue reading »
Most people want it their way, not the healthy way, at fast food restaurants
The other day I took my toddler to McDonald’s for lunch (I know! I’m a bad mother!). She got Chicken McNuggets, apple slices (with no caramel sauce) and chocolate milk. While she ate her apples, I checked the package — zero grams of fiber. It was still a better choice than French fries, but there was actually nothing nutritional in the slices themselves (there was a big fat zero next to every other nutritional data line, too, except for sugar).
But I wasn’t taking her to McDonald’s to be healthy. She eschews French fries because she just doesn’t like them. We don’t go to McDonald’s or any other fast food restaurant often and, frankly, if she wanted fries and a burger, I’d be A-OK with that (in fact, I’d be amused, since except for the occasional chicken nugget, she is a self-imposed vegetarian).
Still, I guess it’s good to hear that 19 restaurant chains plan on adding healthier options to their kids’ meal menus. But if you’re taking your kids out to these chains — like Burger King, Chili’s Friendly’s or IHOP — more than occasionally, wouldn’t you be better off eating at home and using the money you would have spent eating out on buying healthier food to serve your kids at the kitchen table? Why would anyone depend on a fast food chain for seriously nutritional options — since when is it anyone’s job but yours to act responsibly, like parents are supposed to act? Continue reading »
Dinnertime! Yes, that's dinner.
I’m pretty much the gatekeeper of all things edible in our house. I’ve got my reasons. Mainly (at least I tell myself), it’s because I do most of the cooking, so I know what we need, what we run out of, what we’ll eat and what will just rot in the bottom of the fridge. Also, our house is small — teeny tiny. Very little shelf space, no pantry, apartment-size fridge. So I know what we can (actually, can’t) accommodate.
I’m also the gatekeeper, I’m afraid, because I like being able to influence (read: dictate) what my kids eat. I don’t say that lightly or with pride. It’s just, I was raised in an a home with an exorbitant amount of food freedom and I used that freedom for all it was worth. I think it might be for that reason, even more than the tiny kitchen, that I give myself veto power on what comes in the house and when it will get consumed.
We’re kind of the opposite of Margot Magowan’s family.
It's not exactly a health food, but candy also won't make you obese: study.
No foolin’, a new study shows that candy eaters have, on average, smaller waists and a lower body mass index than people who avoid the stuff. Setting aside the issue of cavities, does this mean chocolate and candy are new weapons in the fight against childhood obesity?
Unwrap a Tootsie Pop and let’s find the sweet spot in the study: Continue reading »
Diet soda may cause stroke and heart attack
Put down that diet Coke. At least for a moment.
A new study presented by the American Stroke Association finds that people who drink diet soda are at substantially higher risk for “vascular events” than those who don’t drink soda at all. The findings are being questioned by soda industry representatives, but the scientists who conducted the study say their research is sound.
Just one more nail in the coffin for junk food. Earlier this week, I posted about junk food sapping kids’ IQ scores. There’s really no safe way around it: eating healthy means eating whole, healthy foods.
Junk food can affect kids' IQ scores
We all know by now that we should be feeding our kids healthier foods. Oreos are out; carrot sticks are the new snack time favorite. We’re supposed to watch for pesticides, trans fats, excessive fat and sugar, artificial colors and hormone-disrupting chemicals.
In short, we’re just not supposed to feed our kids junk food. For good reason. Study after study shows how much diet affects young kids’ health. It’s especially critical during the first three years of life.
Think those Twinkies aren’t really hurting anyone? Think again. Obesity isn’t the only danger lurking in processed junk food. High fat, sugary snacks can also affect kids’ developing minds. Specifically, eating a lot of junk food can make you stupid.
Double-check your cilantro.
Your pre-New Year’s pledge to stop eating garbage and cook with fresh ingredients should include a little caution when it comes to sprinkling parsley, cilantro and sprouts on your post-gluttony lunches. Cases of all three of these are a part of two different and unrelated recalls due to the presence of salmonella.
A Texas distributor of cilantro and parsley, J&D Produce, Inc., has issued a precautionary voluntary recall of 7,000 cases of its cilantro and curly parsley. The recalled products are sold under the Little Bear label and were packed between Nov. 30 and Dec. 6. Continue reading »
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