March/April 2011 Letters to the Editor

You Loved…

..."The New Way to Diet," by Nicci Micco, which looked at the new technology and tools to make dieting easier:

I actually loved this article, thank you. It's simple and honest. It takes years to master a good food relationship and I have found working with nutritionists and personal trainers throughout my life to have helped the most.
——Liz (blog comment)

I use the Lose It! app on my iPhone. It has helped with keeping a food diary. You can also modify it to how much you want to lose per week. Halfway through I had to change that, because I plateaued. But it worked. I achieved my target weight after that. My clothes fit me the way they used to now.
——Adela (blog comment)

..."Odes to the Things I Can No Longer Enjoy on My Damned Diet"

I keep laughing every time I read this [Colin Nissan’s Nourish column].
—amedling (via eatingwell.com)

...Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

When I think of chili, I think of winter. The sweet potatoes in this version help bring the chili into the milder seasons. I will be making good use of this recipe.
—meghanmsteinacker (via eatingwell.com)

You Hated…

..."The New Way to Diet"

Maybe I'm just getting cynical, but I don’t see how making everything digital improves it. I'm all for finding new ways to lose weight, but writing it in a complex form online instead of on paper doesn’t make it any cooler, more fun or more effective to me. Sigh... I guess we’re all stuck with boring old diet and exercise after all!
—raflorsheim (via eatingwell.com)

You Wondered Why…

I was surprised that in "How Healthy Is Soy Really?" [Fresh & Nutritious] there is no mention of the ongoing debates about genetically modified soy. About 85% of the soybeans grown in the U.S. are genetically modified. I have a hard time finding anything in a grocery store that doesn’t have soy or soy products listed as an ingredient. We are consuming it in most any [nonorganic] prepared or processed food. It should at least be an educational opportunity for your readers to understand that there is a difference between GMO and non-GMO crops.

Ultimately, we need to think carefully about what we eat, now that we live in a world where we do not grow or raise our food in our own backyards. It’s our responsibility to make informed choices about the food we eat, however we need the information first.
—Jessica Sandoval (via e-mail)

Editors’ reply: We could not agree more. Please see our feature on this very topic—"Is This the Food of the Future?"

EatingWell poll results:

If the FDA approves and labels genetically engineered (GE) salmon and verifies it is safe for human health, would you eat it?

12% Yes, it will make healthy salmon more affordable
84% No, we already have too many GE foods
3% Other

59% of people on Eatingwell.com say that the most important thing they look for when they buy food is that it is GMO-free.