Mixed Messages / Pepsi and Beyonce

I love Beyonce, I really do. She has worked hard since she was a child and besides having an amazing voice and stage presence she is a beautiful woman. She deserves everything she has worked so hard to achieve. But when I hear Pepsi just signed her for $50,000,000, yes fifty million dollars, something doesn't sit right with me. Maybe it is because I am involved with childhood obesity prevention and the black community has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity.

While sweetened beverages and fried snack foods (Pepsi owns Frito-Lay) are not the only cause of childhood obesity and Pepsi does sell other non sweetened beverages, fifty million dollars could go a long way towards instituting product changes and advertising campaigns that could improve the lives of millions children. Pepsi said they will support Beyonce's creative projects. Maybe she will decide to use Pepsi's platform to help the company find new innovative, healthy products. She would be a fantastic spokesperson for young kids. Partnerships of this magnitude have incredible potential for positive change. I hope Beyonce and Pepsi see the opportunity and run with it.

The Holidays are Here!

At this time of year, as a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, I am usually asked by journalists what does a nutritionist eat at holiday parties. After working hard all year to stay in shape, I don't want to start the New Year on a diet. So here are my holiday party eating guidelines:

1. Eat light the day of a party. More veggies, salads, grilled fish, or a GoBeFull smoothie concoction. In general during December I try to eat lighter to accommodate all the holiday events.
2. Avoid white flour. This eliminates most cookies, cakes, bread, crackers, and pasta.
3. Avoid trans fats. This eliminates the rest of the cookies, many other desserts, and snack mixes.
4. If there is a dessert I love, I will take a few bites.
5. Avoid anything deep fried.
6. Eat delicious pieces of chocolate.
7. Eat grilled fish.
8. Eat raw or cooked veggies and luscious fresh fruit. A few bites of cheese are good too.
9. Drink two drinks. My favorites include dirty martinis, fine scotch, or red wine.
10. If I am invited to a sit down dinner party, I eat what is served. There will always be something that fits into my guidelines. I never make special food requests to my hosts. No matter what is served, I am grateful for the luxury of someone else making a meal for me. The love and labor involved warms my heart and fills me with gratitude.