Four out of ten Angelenos are more wigged out than they were five years ago. But, hey, at least we are working harder than the rest of the nation to tackle that stress! more ›

The Clean Plates guide to Los Angeles was released last week, and the timing is probably no coincidence; though they missed the "stocking stuffer" season, the book is poised to be prime fodder for any Angeleno embarking on a "new year, new you" kind of mission. more ›

Midtown Lunch LA's Zach Brooks knows a few things about himself, including that he doesn't do gyms, considers salad an appetizer, and would rather save up for his future heart surgery than spend a lot on a low-cal, low-carb, low-fun lunch. Today names 7 "won't kill you as quickly" lunches to help folks resolving to eat less junk in '11. On the list: Lemonade combo plate, cold Bi Bim Bap, Baja Fresh's chicken burrito, sushi from a truck, Rice Balls, Vietnamese Bun, and--gasp--a Chinese Chicken Salad. more ›

The Department of Public Health released a report recently that might make Angelenos rethink their next cheeseburger or day-long TV-watching marathon. "Type 2 diabetes, which is primarily caused by obesity, accounts for over 90 percent of all diabetes cases in the county. This coincides with rising rates of obesity which increased from 14.3% to 22.2% (1997-2007) in adults." more ›

SoCal Diet/Lifestyle Coach/Trainer Sean Croxton has a bone to pick with KFC. In this video he analyzes the ingredients in their new Kentucky Grilled Chicken and he isn't happy with the findings. He's also not too pleased with Oprah Winfrey, typically health-forward, who is pushing this product. One might assume that grilled chicken is a lesser evil than fried. Perhaps, but KFC's new KGC is chocked full of trans fats and MSG. LAist wonders, is KGC finger licking good? [Full ingredient list on the KFC website (PDF.)] more ›

This year, with the official start of the holiday season tragically mired in a financial fiasco, the fires and soaring temperatures feeling more Summer than Fall, and Prop 8’s passage reminding us all we’ve still a long way to go, it’s enough to think drowning your sorrows in gravy and cheese balls is the answer to all of life’s problems. So, as tempting as it is to stress eat (think Jack Donaghy of "30 Rock") and entirely abandon 2008’s diet and exercise resolutions, a recent and highly publicized article in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) is reminding us yet again that it’s crucial to be smart about food choices. With the belly fat-wielding juggernaut of Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukkah, and the Holiday Party on the horizon, we here at the ScientIST bring you a helping of science and common sense to successfully navigate the next few months. Your waistline can thank us later.
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While some may still be dismissive of the current craze against high fructose corn syrup, chalking it up as just another food anti-fad (much like the hysteria about carbs in the 90's and saturated fat in the 80's), it can't be denied that the American diet is disproportionately full of processed sugars. An article in the NY Times today discusses just how much of our diet is filled up with added sugars and processed vegetable fats -- and even more frightening, how much more we're eating overall than we were forty years ago. (Yes, there's an awesome visual aid in the article!) more ›

With an American Institute for Cancer Research study in hand, ABC7's Lori Corbin, aka "The Food Coach," visited the Veggie Grill in El Segundo. "Several large studies confirm that consuming more than 18 ounces [of red and processed meat], a little more than one pound of red meat, bacon, and smoked meats per week, increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 30 percent," Corbin writes. "That's worrisome since many shy from this type of cancer screening." more ›

Can we now add eating habits to the long list of modern relationship deal-breakers? The New York Times published a pre-Valentine's Day article this morning discussing the difficulties couples face when their diets are dramatically different:

Ben Abdalla, 42, a real estate agent in Boca Raton, Fla., said he preferred to date fellow vegetarians because meat eaters smell bad and have low energy. more ›

"Welcome to My Home." Written, directed, produced, and starring Brenda Dickson. Part I... ...and Part II. Last Autumn I ate so much Halloween candy, Thanksgiving Tofurkey, and Happy Birthday Jesus grocery store sheet cake that I gained five pounds in two months. This year I'm determined not to let that happen again, so I have decided to start a preemptive diet and exercise plan right now before the holiday fattening season is in full... more ›