Hmmm…..where to begin?……

We could begin with the fact that Ms. Deen has kept her condition quiet for a few years. Certainly, it is a personal issue and need not be discussed publicly. That is, until it is time to collect a check from a major pharmaceutical company.

We could begin with the fact that she continued pitching her brand of cooking– high-fat and high-sugar– when her condition could have prompted her to come forward and help create a change in the way many people view their plates and indulge their palates.

We could start by saying that she is the victim here and that the diet does not necessarily cause diabetes, that there is a genetic factor that must be taken into account.

Here’s where I’ll start: yes, there is a genetic factor and it is unfortunate when people develop this illness later in life. But serving up a menu of buttermilk fried chicken is beyond irresponsible. If there are individuals, Ms. Deen included, who are genetically predisposed to type 2 diabetes, then her manner of culinary expertise is the equivalent of a loaded cross bow– may not kill ya, could kill ya but maybe not. And her response to the accusations of irresponsibility? “I always preach moderation, y’all!” As if adding her li’l southern “y’all” is just going to make it so damn cute, well, hell, let’s just drop the whole thing. We’re talking about high fat and sugar contents. Moderation is pretty tough with these substances that our brains crave. And once our taste buds become trained to seek these foods, it becomes even harder. So the idea of a great frisee salad with a side of buttermilk fried chicken is pretty amusing.

No, this irresponsible individual decided to keep right on serving up her Southern cuisine, avoiding the high road and the ability to initiate change. That is until she is given the opportunity to make some money pitching Victoza. Hey, anybody mention that FDA has warned about possible thyroid cancer in animal studies? I know, I know– the animals were probably going to get thyroid cancer anyway so a little bit of the old drug, in moderation y’all, ain’t going to do all that bad, will it?

Anthony Bourdain, another celebrity chef with no shortage of opinions, went off the deep end about Deen. “I would think twice before telling an already obese nation that it’s okay to eat food that is killing us,” he told TV Guide in an interview, calling her “the worst, most dangerous person to America.” I love Anthony Bourdain. But it’s a bit much. I don’t think she is the worst. In an age of ponzi schemes, it seems like she has stumbled onto a culinary cash cow– selling the poison and the cure.

But what do you think? Time for a poll…..

I’ve often told clients that muffins are the baked good of Satan. Calories and fat hiding, masquerading as baked wholesome goodness. But this muffin takes the cake.

Ladies and gentlemen…….the Double Chocolate Chunk Muffin from Au Bon Pain.

Sure, it looks harmless enough, right? It’s just a muffin, right?!? How bad can it be?!? Really…….

Well, let’s take a look:

• Calories 620
• Fat 25g (sat 8g)
• Sodium 540mg
• Sugar 47 g

Mmmmmmmmmm………..delicious! And why not? The damn thing has been constructed to make you go crazy.

First the calories: at 620 calories per muffin, you could chop down two and half Snickers bars and you would almost have the same caloric intake. Also, in a healthy world of 2000 calories per day, this li’l beauty will run up about one third of your tab. 540 mg of sodium? Even with very liberal calculations, this is about a quarter of your daily salt intake. And 47 g of sugar? Ha! That’s amazing! I would think there would be enough room for anything else. It makes me want to find the Chairman of Au Bon Pain, cover his hand in honey and chocolate and make him eat it. Honestly, it should be illegal to sell this sort of thing outside of a candy store……and even then…….

So buyer beware, gang. In the Satanic world of baked goods, there is a new Prince of Darkness. It might taste real good, but, oh, it’s doing it’s fair share of harm. Puttin’ the pain back in Pain.

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I have caught a great deal of flack in the past for suggesting to people that they drink half their body weight in ounces of water per day (200 lb man would drink 100 oz of water per day). Some of my colleagues feel that amount is too high, that it should be more like 30 to 40 ounces. My answer, with a wave of the hand, is “whatever!” The fact is that we as a population do not drink enough water. Not even close. And, worse yet, we replace water with drinks like soda and juices, packing on the calories and doing all sorts of crazy things to our ability to process sugar. It just isn’t healthy.

The downside is that water just isn’t exciting. Funny enough, there are many people who make livings finding ways of making diet sodas exciting to drink. They create formulas that almost dare you to stop drinking. And, consequently, it becomes a habit that wreaks havoc on your health.
So here is what you do:

• For every serving you have of whatever you are used to drinking, have a glass of water.
• Keep water near you while you are at work, or watching TV. If it is within arms length, you will drink it.
• Make your water more exciting. Add fresh lemons, limes, cucumbers, anything you like to make the taste more intriguing. (I know where you are going with this– that does not mean going to the store and buying flavored water. Avoid the laboratory water. Make your own.)
• For the first couple of weeks, keep track of how much you are drinking daily.

The results will be tremendous. You will lose weight, feel more vital, look more vital and allow your body to function far more efficiently.