Atkins Diet Simplified

I get emailed a lot of questions about various diets. The other day, someone asked about my experience with Atkins. I have never done Atkins -- I usually end up splurging when I deny myself something completely, but I do try to incorporate a lot of protein into my diet, which is one of the pillars of the Atkins program.

A lot of people assume that Atkins allows you to eat a lot of meat and fat to lose weight, which (obviously) has incredibly unhealthy side effects. I found the following graphic to help break down some of the misconceptions surrounding the program.

Readers who have found success or failure on the Atkins diet, I'd love to hear your experiences.

Burger with a side of Bach: Food and Music

I found a blog post through Twitter today that asked, "Does Adele go better with a burger and fries?" -- or, in layman's terms, does sound affect the flavor of the food we eat? 

Now I'm not saying that eating my dinner as the radio is playing will chemically change the taste of my entree, but perhaps it will change how I perceive the dish.

The blog post discussed Peter Smith's column in The Smithsonian Magazine. Recently, Peter Smith wrote about the concept of  synesthesia: a neurological condition where one often sees colors as sounds, and tastes in musical notes. Smith uses Anne-Sylvie Crisinel's recent research to argue that everyone has a little bit of synestesia in them. 

"Crisinel had volunteers match wines, milk and other foods with particular musical notes. A sweet-tasting dessert or something like lemon juice tended to be matched with a higher-pitched notes, whereas something savory or something with umami tended to be matched with brassy, low-pitched sound."

If science is proving that music affects our perception of taste, what does this mean for our culinary experiences -- and how could restaurants manipulate this scientific link to their advantage in a cutthroat industry? 

Just picture it -- A grand ballroom with dozen of tables and formally dressed guests. Hundreds of waiters exit the kitchen with trays of covered dishes as a tympani begins to play. The tympani gets gradually louder until the waiters whisk away the silver domes that cover the dishes in unison. The tympani plays one last note, and dinner is served. Gives the whole scene a little extra something, no? 

Oh, and for those who want to follow me on Twitter, my handle is @StephExpress

The Cinnamon Challenge: Today's Example of Stupid

Dear Readers and Fellow Foodies,

It has come to my attention that our generation's latest idea of fun is to videotape yourself/your friend/your enemy doing the Cinnamon Challenge. Technically, the challenge has been around since 2006, but thanks to social media and digital technology, the trend is experiencing record popularity.

To accomplish the Cinnamon Challenge, a person need only swallow a rounded teaspoon of cinnamon in 60 seconds without drinking anything, and of course, post the video on Youtube.

I'm sorry, why? Just: WHY?

Let's just talk about this for a second:

In the Youtube videos, (please watch at your own discretion), many attempts end in the person vomiting -- or worse.

While this challenge is stupid, it's also potentially very dangerous. Failed attempts can potentially result in choking, or inhaling the cinnamon -- which can lead to lung and throat damage. There have even been reports of people being hospitalized after participating in the challenge.

I'm including the Wall Street Journal's feature about the trend, which continues to grow in popularity each day.

Where do these trends come from? Should we blame similar "handle the heat" challenges in restaurants? I'd love to hear people's thoughts on this and similar issues.