Huffpost Canada on Paleo diet

"The paleo diet is basically a fantasy, according to Dr. Marlene Zuk" is personally my favorite line. Albeit it warrants an explanation- which you can find in the rest of the article.

A Registered Dietitian wrote it. As she summarized at the end a lot of research is ongoing- there really is no proof this diet is superior to any other. Calories in = calories out people.

What frustrates me is that the "creator" of the diet makes some bold claims that are based on some weak studies.

Secrets to photographing food

National Geographic Kids wrote an article detailing how food stylists make food look so tasty in magazines.

Not included in the article is how ice cream is often whipped crisco and powdered sugar since it won't melt. What's interesting is that according to this article by the Art Institute truth in advertising laws from the Federal Trade Commission prohibit specific substitutions. Campbell's soup was in the hot seat for putting marbles at the bottom of bowls so the vegetables didn't sink down.

I think with the increase in food blogs photos taken at home and are equally gorgeous and less manipulated. Then again I'm not in other bloggers homes making sure they're not just painting raw chicken carcasses to make it look good. You never know what people do behind closed doors.

Also with Thanksgiving coming up I will be doing a new dessert soon. After my soup fiasco I'm resorting to what I know best- spiked blood glucose and chocolate.

NY Times "Fat and Thin Find Common Ground"

Interesting article recently on the NY times 

Binge Eating Disorder was added to the last Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and has raised many questions on what it means to have an eating disorder.

“Low self esteem is extremely common in both, as is body dissatisfaction. They are both very much environmentally driven. Both place excessive emphasis on appearance and body size. In the same way, many of the same psychological underpinnings play into both.”

"Many treatment methodologies are also similar within the two groups, like eating regular meals, not skipping meals and learning to listen to one’s body for cues of hunger or fullness."


(link)

Gramma's Cooking

 Gabriele Galimberti took photos of Grandmothers with their families signature dish. Hard to pick a favorite out of the bunch.

Delicatessen with Love

Mindless Eating

 Brian Wansink, a professor at Cornell University, is doing some of the coolest research!

  His book Mindless Eating has been a favorite for some time and is a solid go to when coming up with presentation ideas. I have presented many of his studies and tips for eating more thoughtfully several times and each time is keeps the audience engaged and laughing because some of the outcomes of pretty shocking. In addition it's empowering to know research shows a lot of people make the same mistakes when it comes to overeating- especially when they're busy. A few tips can go a long way on cutting down consumption.

For example this article deals with the foods we choose after fasting. When we're hungry we typically pick high caloric foods because we want to refuel our bodies. But if someone routinely skips meal and buys food on impulse the "only this time" indulgence in starchy food can become a habit. A second more more recent article deals with grocery shopping when hungry. Simple steps like having a healthy snack before driving home or grocery shopping can curb the desire to eat or buy too much. If this doesn't work Wansink reports in his book some people even go out of their way to change their routes home so they're not exposed to the temptation. Whatever works to make it home to a healthier meal!

Although sometimes small in size Wansink has performed dozens of studies related to eating behavior, marketing, and social cues related to consumption. Each one is more interesting than the next!

Death Row and Final Meals

Photographer Henry Hagreaves recreated the final meals of several inmates about to be executed for their crimes. In a separate article Hagreaves explained the potential of what someone could learn from the meals. For example was the man who asked for a single olive somehow trying to create an association with an olive branch...a symbol for peace? We may never know.



Link to article



Henry Hargreaves Website
Who has quite a few food related projects!

Food Power in movies

Pretty interesting. Not only does it apply to movies but MANY other roles in our own real world.

Our Brain On Food...

 Link:
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/18/your-brain-on-food-obesity-fasting-and-addiction/?hpt=hp_c2

CNN recently posted an article about a research study comparing obese and normal weight individuals and their cognitive function. Although the study only involved 29 people I still think it's an interesting development.

I often hear my healthier friends talk about how sluggish they feel after having a "bad" meal. I know if I eat out and get something higher in sodium than usual I end up waking up in the middle of the night needing water.  In my personal case it's more likely effecting my body than my brain, but repeated exposure to these high calorie, nutrient low foods might just have effect on our day to day functioning. 

The study had individuals say the color of a word written on a screen. Some were easy while others were harder. For example the word "Blue" written in red with a red background. The study appears to show overweight and obese individuals brains struggled more to come up with the answers when compared to normal weight people.

Timothy Verstynen (one of the researchers with multiple colleagues) believe this increased effort can effect mental performance in day to day life. This includes food choices. If it takes more effort to make the right food choices, overweight individuals may not be making healthier choices. The research explains this can be a vicious cycle.

 This reinforces the aspect of individuals not lacking food knowledge, but not applying knowledge when making food choices. Many people have read about nutrition or seem interested in making the right choices, but when it comes down to it the commitment to constantly choosing healthy foods can be daunting. It is for me and I have been in nutrition based classes for multiple years, and plan on making it my field.

It begs the question of what professionals can do to not only educate but help change the thought process about food for clients. What can we do to decrease the number of poor choices are people making? Is it even our responsibility. I think it is. If someone is coming to a dietitian for help and they are struggling with committing to their lifestyle, we need to have to skill set to help them.











 Below is a link to the abstract I believe the article is based off. I could not find the entire article to read.

http://www.abstractsonline.com/Plan/ViewAbstract.aspx?sKey=59e8fab9-0269-4d72-8261-d6192c31f258&cKey=acd6bb57-b958-4f1c-9aed-b60313bfd30a&mKey={70007181-01C9-4DE9-A0A2-EEBFA14CD9F1}