Category Archives: Diet And Food

A fibroids diet, as Rhoden and Stewart reminded me, isnt a one-size-fits-all plan; it takes some tinkering to find what works for youand should always be accompanied by gynecological advice. While many of my symptoms have eased dramatically with the various dietary changes outlined below, perhaps, most importantly, I finally feel more connected to my body. After all those years of cursing my uterus, Im finally taking care of her (she goes by Marge) while acknowledging that I deserve to live without chronic pain. Heres what Ive learned along the way:

Fibroids, also called leiomyomas or myomas, are benign (non-cancerous) growths located in the uterine wall and typically ranging in size from a marble to a grapefruit. (Though, the largest fibroid ever removed reportedly weighed 61 pounds.) Although size influences fibroid symptoms, location can be even more important, Stewart wrote in Uterine Fibroids. Meaning, the type of fibroid present dictates how a patient might feel.

Unfortunately, not a lot is known about what causes fibroids. Its astonishing, given how common fibroids are, that many of the most basic questions havent been answered, Stewart tells me over the phone. We should know as much about fibroids as we do heart disease but we dont. While studies havent concluded why fibroids develop or what makes them grow, family history plays a role, as do the reproductive hormones, estrogen and progesterone. And Black people, whom Stewart says are most at risk for fibroids, usually show symptoms at a younger age (20 to 30s, versus 30s to 40s). Fibroids can shrink on their own, says Dr. Stewart, when menstruation ends and menopause starts, at which point they may no longer cause pain.

The people Stewart treats exhibit a range of symptoms based on the number of tumors they have and their locations and sizes. For some, she says, pain is localized in the uterus, while others might experience back and leg pain. And various patients only experience fibroid pain during their periods, whereas others experience both menstrual and non-menstrual pain. The most common fibroid symptoms include: pelvic cramping, heavy and/or long periods, irregular bleeding, bloating, frequent urination, lower back and leg pain, and pain during sex.

The following fibroids diet suits me but might not be ideal for you; take the suggestions that help and leave the rest. Common fibroid symptoms, like constipation and bloating, are indicators of whats working and whats not. Your body knows what it needs, Rhoden says. And tuning into that data is an empowering first step in anyones uterine health journey.

Go big on fiberRhoden advises her clients to crowd in plant-based foods, especially leafy greens like kale, spinach, broccoli, collard greens, swiss chard, and fruits such as oranges and apples. The fiber in whole fruits and vegetables, and whole grains, like oats, is intended to relieve constipation, a symptom (which, unfortunately, I can attest to) that often accompanies fibroids.

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Whats a Fibroids Diet? And Can It Ease My Uterine Pain? - Bon Appetit

Climate change and green houses gases (GHG) have been hot topics for agriculture in the past few months. Farmers are being considered as a part of the solution, as companies who spew GHG want to pay farmers to put in place practices that will sequester carbon in the soil.

A few examples of sequestration practices include planting cover crops to remove more atmospheric carbon dioxide, as well as no till farming to reduce soil displacement into the atmosphere. These are fine ideas; benefits of our free market system as family farmers enjoy a new revenue stream and potentially better soil health.

However, one segment of agriculture is being targeted and used as a whipping post by some. Im talking about producers with cow herds, whether dairy or beef cows. Methane is now blamed as a major culprit in our global climate woes.

Lets look at some historical references about large mammals who have inhabited the U.S. and Canada since the land was settled. Its important to understand which animals cattle have replaced on the landscape. Right now, there are approximately 100 million cattle in Canada and the United States. Estimates of bison in this same region totaled about 70 million compared to todays count of 350 thousand. Elk numbers were 10 million 300 years ago, but todays number is one million. The same can be said for deer and antelope, their numbers have decreased in the same time period. My point is that the number of large mammals in this part of the world has not changed dramatically in the last 300 years.

Something that seldom enters the discussion is the length of time in which select GHGs remain in the atmosphere. Methane has a life expectancy of 10 years, compared to an estimate of 300 years for CO2. If we are looking to stabilize the amount of GHGs in the atmosphere, then we should consider stabilizing our current cattle herds, which would go a long way to slow the earths warming. The University of New Hampshire is conducting studies to determine if seaweed additives in cattle feed could reduce the amount of methane a cow emits. If this works on a wider scale, then we can start reducing the amount of GHGs contributed by agriculture with the same stabilized cattle herd.

Of course, there is a big reason why we need to have farm animals, including cows in the global food diet. We know we do not have enough tillable ground to raise the food this planet needs. The United Nations estimates we have 7.8 billion people on the planet and some experts point to vertical farming as a solution. Vertical farming translates to crops being grown indoors, under artificial conditions of light and temperature.

Even with vertical agriculture, I do not believe we can all eat a solely plant-based diet. According to a study published in May, 2020 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 38 percent of the global land surface is used for agriculture. Of that, one third is cropland and two thirds is pasture land. This same study provided a historical reference of cropland to population. In 1961, there was 1.11 acres of cropland devoted to feeding one person in the world. By 2016, that number had dropped to .52 acres per person. In 1960, a farmer fed just 26 people. Today, the average U.S. farmer feeds 155 people.

Despite that increase we are falling behind feeding the worlds population. A plant-based diet alone cant feed the world. This is one reason why we need family farms that raise the milk and meat that are crucial to our diets and food security.

The writer is the vice president of the National Farmers Organization. He is a cow/calf rancher in Montana.

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Livestock and the American diet - sidneydailynews.com

At the turn of the new year, its not hard to find ads for gym memberships or fad diets promising to get folks to look their best, but that diet culture can have a devastating impact on those dealing with eating disorders. The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders estimates nearly 1in 10 Americans will be affected by an eating disorder in their lifetime."There is probably someone in your life that is struggling with body image distress, disordered eating or an eating disorder," said mental health counselor Emily Compton. Compton says eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness.Psychologist Sally Thornton owns of Magnolia Center for Counseling and Eating Recovery in Winston-Salem and says new year's resolutions about diet don't make much sense considering winter is when humans naturally want to eat more."January is not a fresh start, it's the middle of the winter," Thornton said. "It's kind of setting people up for so-called failure."Thornton says comments about a person's physical appearance, whether it is positive or negative rarely help the person."Both of those are equally as damaging to a person who has an eating disorder because they are thinking about their body as messed up already," Thornton said. "Or comments about how much food they are or are not eating."Marissa Blizzard was officially diagnosed with anoxia, depression, anxiety and OCD in 2018, but says the feelings of discomfort stretch back even further. "I remember setting resolutions in middle and elementary school to lose weight and its just not something we need to focus on," Blizard said. "I was going to the bathroom every day in school because I couldn't sit there because all I was thinking was I have to move my body, I have to burn this."She says social media can have devastating effects and one of her first intervention strategies is to steer patients away from the edited photos they may see online. Thornton believes bodyweight measurements can often be seen as the end-all, be-all but sometimes can sometimes lead to health care providers focusing too much on physical health while forgetting about emotional and spiritual wellbeing. "Medical providers want to address that risk because it has to do with their expertise, but they often leave out the whole rest of the person," Thornton said. "Restrictive diets don't work. Because if they did thered only be one. And there are thousands of them. Its a massive billion-dollar industry that makes money from people failing.Providers have seen a sharp increase in eating disorders and other mental health diagnoses since the beginning of the pandemic. Compton has seen patients as young as 7 and even some who developed eating disorders in their 60s."Eating disorders do not discriminate based on race gender ethnicity age and that is a very common misconception," Compton said. "All bodies are different. Were not meant to look the same. So if were feeding our bodies to fit a certain look, were not listening to it. Were not trusting it and that fosters distrust that continues to grow.Blizard says the past two years have provided challenging moments, but shes "I just take a step back and am like 'I do have a body and it doesnt tell me who I am.' Its the least interesting thing about me, Blizard said. "No matter how your body looks its about who you are on the inside and that takes a lot for me to say because I've always based my worth on my body. But kind of taking my body away and going into body neutrality where my body just is can be really helpful.

At the turn of the new year, its not hard to find ads for gym memberships or fad diets promising to get folks to look their best, but that diet culture can have a devastating impact on those dealing with eating disorders.

The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders estimates nearly 1in 10 Americans will be affected by an eating disorder in their lifetime.

"There is probably someone in your life that is struggling with body image distress, disordered eating or an eating disorder," said mental health counselor Emily Compton.

Compton says eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness.

Psychologist Sally Thornton owns of Magnolia Center for Counseling and Eating Recovery in Winston-Salem and says new year's resolutions about diet don't make much sense considering winter is when humans naturally want to eat more.

"January is not a fresh start, it's the middle of the winter," Thornton said. "It's kind of setting people up for so-called failure."

Thornton says comments about a person's physical appearance, whether it is positive or negative rarely help the person.

"Both of those are equally as damaging to a person who has an eating disorder because they are thinking about their body as messed up already," Thornton said. "Or comments about how much food they are or are not eating."

Marissa Blizzard was officially diagnosed with anoxia, depression, anxiety and OCD in 2018, but says the feelings of discomfort stretch back even further.

"I remember setting resolutions in middle and elementary school to lose weight and its just not something we need to focus on," Blizard said. "I was going to the bathroom every day in school because I couldn't sit there because all I was thinking was I have to move my body, I have to burn this."

She says social media can have devastating effects and one of her first intervention strategies is to steer patients away from the edited photos they may see online.

Thornton believes bodyweight measurements can often be seen as the end-all, be-all but sometimes can sometimes lead to health care providers focusing too much on physical health while forgetting about emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

"Medical providers want to address that risk because it has to do with their expertise, but they often leave out the whole rest of the person," Thornton said. "Restrictive diets don't work. Because if they did thered only be one. And there are thousands of them. Its a massive billion-dollar industry that makes money from people failing.

Providers have seen a sharp increase in eating disorders and other mental health diagnoses since the beginning of the pandemic. Compton has seen patients as young as 7 and even some who developed eating disorders in their 60s.

"Eating disorders do not discriminate based on race gender ethnicity age and that is a very common misconception," Compton said. "All bodies are different. Were not meant to look the same. So if were feeding our bodies to fit a certain look, were not listening to it. Were not trusting it and that fosters distrust that continues to grow.

Blizard says the past two years have provided challenging moments, but shes

"I just take a step back and am like 'I do have a body and it doesnt tell me who I am.' Its the least interesting thing about me, Blizard said. "No matter how your body looks its about who you are on the inside and that takes a lot for me to say because I've always based my worth on my body. But kind of taking my body away and going into body neutrality where my body just is can be really helpful.

Read the rest here:
New Year's diet culture can have negative impact on those with eating disorders - WXII12 Winston-Salem

Remember when the media were obsessed with murderous millennials? There was a period, some years back, when every other article was about how millennials were killing everything from the diamond industry to napkins to capitalism. (Alas, we didnt quite manage to top that last one.) Anyway, we had a good run, but we millennials are old now; we have kids and cricks in our necks. It is gen Zs turn to pick up the sword. And what do you know? It seems they already have. Their first victim? The word diet.

According to CNN, diet drinks are disappearing from supermarket shelves and being replaced with identical products labelled as zero sugar. Younger people just dont like the word diet, it reported the chief marketing officer at PepsiCo Beverages North America saying at an industry conference last month. No gen Z wants to be on a diet these days.

According to a report by the market research company Mintel last year: While the diet designation may be associated with strict regimes or deprivation, the zero designation has fewer negative connotations, corresponding with simply a cleaner profile.

Credit where it is due: gen Zs tastes have been shaped by their elders. The word diet, along with the strict calorie counting that went along with it, started going out of fashion years ago. Body positivity became all the rage and the idea that you might not feel good about your body became slightly embarrassing.

Unrealistic beauty ideals were still being shoved down peoples throats, but you couldnt really admit that they were influencing you. People stopped talking about dieting and starting gushing about woolly concepts such as wellness and clean eating which are often just diets in disguise.

Diet may have become a dirty word, but dieting is by no means dead it has just gone into stealth mode.

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Has gen Z really killed off dieting or has it just changed its name? - The Guardian

The ketogenic diet is a revolutionary low-carb and high-fat eating program that puts your body into ketosisthe state where you burn fat for energy. There are plenty of benefits of undergoing this diet: quick weight loss, better heart health, balanced hormones, lower blood sugar levels, more energy, and a clear and sharp mind. In a nutshell, the keto diet has the power to change your body in ways no other diet can. However, there are a lot of misconceptions about it that might get in the way of your health and body goals.

The keto diet must be combined with a personalized and guided approach. Keto Cycle

Most people are not aware that the keto diet must be combined with a personalized and guided approach. In order to turn your body into a fat-burning machine, Keto Cycle can guide you every step of the way. Keto Cycle is one of the most advanced ketogenic diet apps in the world. It basically takes care of the science and the planning, so you can focus on transforming your health. If you want to know why this application is essential to your diet, keep reading.

Get a customized plan based specifically on your needs. Keto Cycle

In case you didnt know yet, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing a diet. This is because diets arent created with peoples specific behaviors in mind. Thanks to Keto Cycles innovation, however, you can get a customized plan based specifically on your lifestyle, health, and nutritional needs in order to get the best results. With over 10,000 recipes on the app, you can even personalize your meals to only include the foods that you love.

The keto diet is effective, but only if you do it right. Keto Cycle

Even though some people are skeptical about it, the keto diet has proven to be an extremely effective way to lose weight, but only if you do it right. Fortunately, you dont have to do too much research in order to start with confidence because Keto Cycle has done the work for you.

Keto Cycle offers think-free keto plans with balanced and nutritious meals that will please your whole body and your tastebuds. With easy progress tracking, automatic meal planning, and smart insights for success, this is literally the only app you will need to seamlessly integrate keto into your life.

With Keto Cycle, you will never feel alone on your health journey. Keto Cycle

With Keto Cycle, you will never feel alone on your health journey. You will have access to nutritionists, coaches, and personal trainers who will be there by your side every step of the way. Additionally, you will have access to daily weight loss tips on the app. Plus, you will be joining a large and thriving community of people around the world who are determined to improve their lives the same way you are.

Even if you are new to this diet, there is no need to worry. Keto Cycle

Even if you are new to this diet, there is no need to worry. Joining the keto movement is easy. All you have to do is take a quiz to figure out your goals, pinpoint what and how you want to eat, and you can get your own personalized plan in a jiffy.

Keto Cycle will create a plan that is perfect for your goals, body, and needs, and will even give you step-by-step daily recommendations on how to lose weight and keep it off for good. With this app, you can truly achieve the health and body that you want.

Keto Cycle also has a shopping list for ingredients you need. Keto Cycle

Keto Cycle has so many other helpful features, as well, like a shopping list for ingredients you need, an all-in-one data tracker for your health progress, and the Keto Academy, which is a detailed and expert-crafted guide for beginners. It also has a meal planner that consists of 10,000 delicious recipes, effective workouts for faster weight loss with visible results, and support from nutritionists so you can get help and advice from a whole team of keto experts.

Many people keep switching from diet to diet, hoping to find one that works. What some fail to understand is that it is actually easy as long as you have the right help. To achieve the health and body that you deserve, do it the smart waywith Keto Cycle. The brand believes that it is important to know that keto is more than just a diet; it is also a recipe for healthy living. So, what are you waiting for?

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Why You Should Start a Keto Diet (and How to Succeed Along the Way) - Medical Daily

A new study suggests that a healthy diet initiated by women before conception could lower the risk of obesity in the offspring.

Childhood obesity is a major public health concern in the UK, with nearly a quarter of children under 5 and more than a third of children starting secondary school being overweight or obese. Furthermore, childhood obesity is likely to persist in adulthood and have long-term health consequences.

Researchers at the University of Southampton analysed dietary data of 2963 mother-child dyads identified from the UK Southampton Womens Survey. Using the dietary data, each mother-child dyad was assigned combined diet quality score, based on which they were categorised into 5 groups: poor, poor-medium, medium, medium-better and best. Childhood adiposity was evaluated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and body mass index (BMI) z-scores.

The findings, published in the International Journal of Obesity , showed that mother-offspring diet quality trajectories were stable from pre-conception in mothers to age 8 to 9 years in the offspring. A poorer diet quality trajectory was linked to higher pre-pregnancy maternal BMI, lower maternal age at birth, lower educational levels, smoking, and multiparity.

After adjusting for confounders, a 1-category reduction in the dietary trajectory was associated with higher DXA percentage body fat (0.08 standard deviation [SD]; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.15) and BMI z-score (0.08 SD; 95% CI 0.00 to 0.16) in the offspring aged 8 to 9 years.

Lead author Dr Crozier, University of Southampton, said: "This research shows the importance of intervening at the earliest possible stage in a childs life, in pregnancy or even before conception, to enable us to tackle it."The authors believe the pre-conception period serves as a crucial window to introduce favourable changes in the maternal dietary quality.

The research was funded by grants from the Medical Research Council, project EarlyNutrition, and the European Unions Seventh Framework and Horizon 2020 programmes. The study also received support from National Institute for Health Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. The authors report no competing interests.

Link:
Pregnancy Diet Linked to Risk of Obesity in Child - Medscape

Walmart Inc. has tapped nutrition-as-a-service platform Sifter SP Inc. to help customers achieve their personal wellness goals while grocery shopping either online and in-store. If a consumer is avoiding dairy, they can toggle on dairy-none in the Shop by Diet tool, and then scan the food item theyre interested in, and it will let you know if its an appropriate choice.

Walmart helps people save money so they can live better, which also means living healthier, noted the retailer. We want to make it convenient for our customers to find and buy groceries that meet their wellness goals, and we are excited to work with Sifter to launch the one-of-a-kind Shop by Diet tool to make eating better even easier.

The tool, powered by Sifters technology, enables Walmart customers to shop for foods and supplements based on the presence of allergens such as nuts or dairy, in accordance with medical conditions like diabetes and heart disease, and to support lifestyle diets ranging from vegan to keto to kosher. Shoppers can also use the Shop by Diet tool to sort through products based on responsible practices like grass-fed, or identify products that wont interact with certain medications.

Partnering with Walmart to support customer wellness is exciting for all of us at Sifter, said Andrew Parkinson, co-founder of Chicago-based Sifter, who with his brother, Thomas, also founded Peapod and ItemMaster. Our passion is to make healthy eating easy for everyone and we believe Walmarts Shop-by-Diet tool will help millions of its customers better manage their health through diet and nutrition.

The Walmart Shop-by-Diet tool is available online.

Employing a proprietary science-based sifting technology with 130-plus diet and nutrition filters, Sifters free interactive site enables users to find food products and dietary supplements based on their personal diet needs and preferences. The companys technology powers retail, brand and health care platforms.

According to Sifter, more than 200 million consumers are following a diet or health-related program, while 85 million shoppers have allergies or food avoidances.

Last September, Walmart rolled out Built for Better, described by Jane Ewing, the companys SVP, sustainability, as an online shopping destination that makes it easy for customers to identify and shop for products that are built better for them and for the planet.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart operates approximately 10,500 stores under 48 banners in 24 countries, and e-commerce websites, employing 2.2 million-plus associates worldwide. Walmart U.S. is No. 1 on The PG 100, PGs 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.

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Walmart Shop by Diet Tool Powered by Sifter - Progressive Grocer

Jenna Jamesons keto lifestyle may have worsened her Guillain-Barr symptoms, according to a registered dietitian.

While the former porn star remains hospitalized as she recovers from the rare autoimmune disorder, Brigitte Zeitlin told The Post that living on a mostly high-fat, low-carb diet as Jameson is wont to do could have played a role in her severe symptoms that left her unable to walk.

I do think it does play a role in how severe her symptoms are because she is likely undernourished given a severe keto diet, Zeitlin said. If that is still the same type of keto she was following, yes, she would be undernourished.

The most common cause of Guillain-Barr is a food-borne bacterium called campylobacter, which is found in undercooked poultry. Given that meat and poultry are a large part of Jamesons keto lifestyle, the BZ Nutrition founder said it could have been what caused the former porn stars infection.

The amount of fruits and vegetables that shes not taking in can also mean that shes not getting in enough phytonutrients to keep her immune system strong to fight off the campylobacter before it got out of hand, Zeitlin explained.

Zeitlin also noted that there are a variety of other causes of Guillain-Barr including COVID-19, the flu and very rarely, vaccines; however, Jameson already denied the coronavirus jab caused her syndrome.

I did NOT get the jab or any jab. This is NOT a reaction to the jab, she shared on Instagram. Thank you for your concern. (Jameson has espoused anti-vaccine viewson her social media.)

Jamesons rep didnt return The Posts request for comment.

While Jameson, 47, has been hawking the keto diet since 2018 when she lost 80 pounds after giving birth to her daughter, Batel shes fallen off the wagon of the controversial diet, which caused her to gain 20 pounds.

The constant, extreme yo-yo dieting is another factor that can harm a persons immune system, Zeitlin warned.

It can put your body into states of chronic inflammation in general, she explained of Jamesons on-again, off-again methodology. Youre going to put your body into a state of heightened alert and chronic stress.

Theres no homeostasis. Theres no common ground. Theres no balance, and that can weaken your immune system.

Zeitlin advised that a healthy lifestyle includes all the food groups because they give your body a variety of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that you need to keep up a strong immune system to make sure that your nerves are communicating properly to each other.

She added, We want to make sure were eating the rainbow and good carbohydrates, really good solid, whole ancient grains.

According to the CDC, Guillain-Barr is a rare, autoimmune disorder in which a persons own immune system damages the nerves, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. The symptoms can last from weeks to several years but most make a full recovery.

Jameson and her partner, Lior Bitton, detailed her terrifying medical malady in a series of Instagram videos over the weekend that revealed she had been throwing up for two weeks before losing her muscle strength.

Her muscles in her legs were very weak. So she wasnt able to walk to the bathroom. She was falling on the way back or to the bathroom, I would have to pick her up and carry her to bed, Bitton said. And then within two days, it got really not so good, her legs started to not hold her, she wasnt able to walk.

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Jenna Jameson's keto diet may have affected her Guillain-Barr symptoms: dietitian - New York Post

Sue Murphy

By Sue Murphy

Boy, I had fun over the holidays ton of ice cream in the sink to melt and and boy, does it show. I dont want to brag, but I may have graduated to an entirely new pants size.

Thats not good, of course. Health issues and all that. Nope, its time to initiate the Dot Diet.

My Aunt Dot is a certified force of nature. At age 89, she is trim and sharp and spunky. Her energy level puts me to shame. When my sister and I arrived at her Florida house last November, she was rearranging a large pile of rocks in her flower beds, all of which she had personally hauled back from the beach at some point. Later, when I had the audacity to suggest that, instead of parking in the free lot across a busy thoroughfare, we might avail ourselves of a restaurant valet service, she snorted, Oh, Good Grief, Charlie Brown! The walk will do you good.

At the restaurant, my aunt ordered a salad with grilled shrimp but was quick to point out that this wasnt her usual fare. At home, she made vegetable stir fry every night, sometimes with broccoli, sometimes Brussels sprouts. Her mid-morning snack consisted of a handful of trail mix and three (count them, three) dried apricots. Her life wasnt all twigs and berries, though, because at the end of her main meal, she always allowed herself one peppermint patty.

Given that, over the holidays, I personally put away three (count them, three) truckloads of peppermint Christmas cookies, I knew it would be in my best interest to follow Aunt Dots example, at least for a while.

The cookies had to go. They were getting stale any- way, but that never stopped me before. I set the last carton of ice cream in the sink to melt and closed my eyes as I dumped the rest of the hot chocolate Chex mix directly into the trash. The peppermint patties I kept, because, thankfully, they were Dot Diet allowed, just not at my previous rate of consumption.

I can make stir-fry, but Id rather eat soup, so I decided to simply throw a boatload of similar vegetables into a pot with some broth and let them sim- mer. Dont tell Aunt Dot, but Im going to cheat and throw in a potato now and then. Theyre high in potassium, right? At least thats what Ive been telling myself all these years. Even if theyre not, for me, life without potatoes would be cruel and unusual punishment.

I know she told me, but I dont remember what Aunt Dot has for breakfast. I suspect its something like oatmeal, which Im doing already. Look at me being halfway to healthy! I dont think you get a peppermint patty after the oatmeal, though.

I know I cannot do the Dot Diet long term. There will be days when the smell of hot biscuits drifting from the Chick-fil-A drive-thru will get the best of me. I will come across a brownie in a bakery case that is distinctively calling my name. But, in the first few months (weeks?) of 2022, Im going to try to keep the picture of Aunt Dot firmly in mind and go forward as best I can. Just dont take away the peppermint patties. I can withstand a lot of culinary hardship if I know that theres a piece of chocolate waiting for me at the end.

So, here we go. Dot Diet Day One. Good Grief, Charlie Brown. I forgot to buy the apricots.

The rest is here:
Good Grief, Charlie Brown, It's The Dot Diet - Over the Mountain Journal

The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because moviegoing carries risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials.

The French comedy/drama Delicious, set in the 18th century just prior to the Revolution, is an airy trifle about rich meals and serving up ones passion provided it isnt a form of servitude. That said, if your January is dedicated to repenting for gastronomic excesses over the holidays, director-writer ric Besnards sumptuously photographed mise en scne of so much culinary mise en place may be a tad masochistic, from the first close-up of a delicate pastry to the last shot of a spit-roasted fowl glistening in firelight. But should your New Years watching require the occasional break from grim awards fare and grimmer real-world news, you could do a lot worse than this well-intentioned tale of mirthful mouthfuls and other appetites.

We first meet master cook Manceron (Grgory Gadebois) in his element, grandly commandeering a buzzing kitchen as it prepares an ornate feast for his haughty employer, the Duke of Chamfort (Benjamin Lavernhe), and a coterie of guests. When these snobby gourmands scoff at the chefs inclusion of his own earthy creation, a tart made with potato and truffle pigs fodder, to their minds Manceron, too proud of his invention to apologize, is summarily humiliated and fired.

Retreating to the disused rural home/inn where he first learned baking from his now-deceased father, the disgraced Manceron vows to give up his lifes calling, even as his politically minded, Rousseau-reading son, Benjamin (Lorenzo Lefbvre), recognizes that Dad is finally free to do what he wants with his talents.

Sparking that possible renewal is the appearance of Louise (Isabelle Carr), a forthright woman with a closely guarded past who convinces the chauvinistic Manceron to take her on as an apprentice. She also believes his sparsely patronized stop for weary travelers seeking sustenance could be turned into an entirely new kind of eating place, one built around great cooking and hospitality, and meant to serve adventurous diners from all walks of life.

Story continues

Delicious, which Besnard co-wrote with Nicolas Boukhrief, may not be the true story of how the French restaurant was invented. (Paris got there first.) But as fictional origin yarns go, the verdant, picturesque patch of gently sloping countryside where the movie takes place makes for a mighty photogenic and alluring fantasy version of how we fell in love with going out to eat, even if with each new clumsily scripted inspiration (What about a range of dishes? Individual tables! Sliced bread!) you half expect the movie to go ahead and dramatize the first fly ever found in someones soup, or air-writing to signify asking for a bill.

Everything is vibrantly performed, too, with Gadebois shading his understandable arrogance with just enough professional and personal vulnerability to give Carr plenty of room to fill the rest of the space with an eager learners spirit and a wise womans know-how. Its as undemanding to root for their success as it is enjoyable to hate Lavernhes delectably dastardly Duke, whose pleasure in a meal is drawn as much from its trendy exclusivity and attractive opulence than any inherent tastiness.

Of course, the movie has its own bias toward whats eye-catchingly beautiful. With so much attention lavished on the visual allure of hearth-lit indoors, sun-dappled outdoors and mouthwatering food prep Jean-Marie Dreujous cinematography is coffee-table-book indulgent its easy to forgive the wanting story logic as the stakes get raised. On the one hand, the pull Manceron still feels to dazzle the aristocracy with his skills keeps the vile Duke on the margins in a tantalizing way especially as his power relates to the whispers of revolt in the air across France. But a late twist that heightens the possibility of revenge feels like one ingredient too many for a tale better suited to humor, warmth and awakened ardor than another version of The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover. Delicious thankfully realizes that, too, and sagely sticks to a comfort food vibe by the time its just desserts arrive.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Review: A 'Delicious' cinematic trifle to wreck that New Year's diet - Yahoo News