Reviewed: Gilbert Gottfried's "The Diet Show"

For someone who has the attention span of a fruit fly, you can only imagine how well I do at theater productions, movies, concerts, etc.  After about 15-minutes, I get bored and antsy.  Restless leg syndrome sets in and I find myself anxiously taking turns glancing between the exit door and my watch... 

Toward the end of 2012, I was invited to view "The Diet Show," Gilbert Gottfried, Sean Pomper, and Karen Katz's comedy production starring past winners, finalists and contestants of the hit TV show, The Biggest Loser.  Now, under any other circumstance, I wouldn't have even opened this email pitch had the word "Diet" not caught my eye.  After reading the press release, however, I did something very out of character:  I RSVP'd with a whole-hearted "YES!"  Because, aside from the fact that I'm obsessed with the digital number on the scale, for much of my life, I've not-so-proudly worn the "diet whore" crown.  So it's without even saying that I have a soft spot for anyone who struggles with their weight and appearance.

On Saturday night, I met my friend, Nicole, at Stage 72 for the 7pm performance of The Diet Show.  The first thing that stood out was the small, intimate theater space - located above a Turkish restaurant - that boasted ornate detail and dark, gothic colors (think red, black, gold). 

Photo by Stage 72As we filed in to the theater, an employee noted that there was a 2-drink minimum per person.  While that "rule" may annoy some, I was thrilled to hear that a) there was alcohol, and b) there was table-service! 

Nicole and I scored a great front-row seat.  Just as we received our cocktails - some chocolate-y martini thing for her, and a margarita for me - the lights began to dim.  Show time!

The production was incredibly entertaining, hysterical, and tear-jerking.  All at the same time.  Imagine, if you will, eleven personal, heartfelt monologues given by former winners and contestants of The Biggest Loser.  Not once did I look down at my watch...or yawn.  Instead, I laughed.  I nodded my head many times, both in agreement and in that sympathetic "I've been there before, too."  And I bawled.  The cast spoke about everything from food addiction, working out, and looking death in the eye to always making it a point to poke fun at themselves before anyone else could have the opportunity.  Pretty heavy stuff.  Especially when you, too, have been there.

I would recommend this show to anyone who appreciates a solid comedy routine and, on the serious side of things, has ever struggled with weight, dieting, poor self esteem, food addiction, etc.  Hey, isn't that almost all of us?  

For more information or to buy tickets, click here.

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle

Running for my summer swagger

Blame it on all of the hot bodies I ogled in Vegas.  Or, perhaps it's the fact that I just looked at my calendar and realized...TODAY IS JUNE 1ST!!  Summer. Really. Is. Here.

While I'm on the topic of body envy, I had a little "come to Jesus," if you will, upon my return flight from 'Sin City':  If I want my figure to look as smokin' hot as all of those 20-year-old sluts that I spied pool-side at the Wynn, then I'd better shake-up my fitness routine!  Currently, my workouts consist solely of indoor activities:  Watching television, spinning, barre, and, occasionally, ballet.  While each is fantastic and, believe it or not, *fun*, deep down, I'm aching to get back to jogging outdoors...  

The last time I attempted to incorporate jogging in to my exercise routine, I was 40-pounds heavier than I am now.  Because of all of the extra weight that I was carrying, coupled with the fact that I had taken an 8-year workout sabbatical, I ended up fracturing my knee.  How sad and lame is that? 

It's almost been 2-years since that painful incident, and not a day has passed that I haven't thought about putting on my sneakers and hitting the pavement.  For me, running is the ultimate de-stressor (I imagine that boxing would also have similar effects.  Perhaps I'll look in to that, next?).  I tend to carry a lot of anger and emotional weight, so a good jog really helps me to refocus and gain composure.  It's the ultimate "me" time - when I can completely zone-out and lose myself in my music. 

"Run Forrest! Run!"...And, speaking of music, I'm in dire need of some kick ass tunes to add to my playlist.  See, it's for this reason, alone, that I love attending exercise classes instead of "doing my own thing."  Why?  Because having to download music and create playlists is overwhelming, time-consuming and, frankly, I'd rather have someone else to do it. 

Check out what's on my current "jogging playlist," below.  And, before you laugh at some of my out-of-date selections, a) shut up, and b) just remember that I don't have a car, so listening to the radio isn't really an option.

What do you jam to when you work out?  I'd love some great suggestions!

...

Rap/Hip Hop 

*This is my favorite type of music.  I've grew up in a Motown household - with a mother who went to more Michael Jackson concerts than anyone I know/have read about - so, for me, rap/hip hop was a very natural transition.

Red Cafe - Fly Together

Love the beat and the line about the "JetBlue stewardess"

Kanye West/Big Sean/Pusha T/2 Chainz - Mercy 

Completely, ridiculously obsessed this song!

Usher - Scream

Sexy lyrics and a great beat

Ice Cube - Check Yo Self

...Great video, too!

Rick Ross/Drake/Chrisette Michele - Aston Martin Music

I love everything about this song - this is one of the first times I had ever heard "Drake" on a track

Rick Ross - B.M.F.

As you can see, I have a lil' thing for Rick Ross.  This song makes me feel like I'm a force to be reckoned with - and that I could kick some serious ass.

Tupac - To Live & Die in LA

One of my favorite Tupac songs of all time - love this tribute to LA

Tupac - I Get Around

Funny lyrics - and I know every last one of them, by heart.  I could acapella the shit out of this song!

Tupac - How Do You Want It

A sexy classic with a killer beat

Nicki Minaj/Drake - Moment 4 Life

For me, the verdict is still out on Nicki, but I adore this duet w/ Drake

Positive K - I Got A Man

The lyrics are hilarious, and I can recite every last one of them.  An old-school classic!

Neyo - Closer

Wow, now if this song doesn't turn you on or make you yearn for the 'one that got away,' then I don't know what the hell to tell you.

...

Dance

Calvin Harris - Feel So Close

This song makes me want to get up from my desk chair and dance!  All-around awesome

Far East Movement - Like A G6

Ultimate dance-party jam.  Love.

Goldfrapp - Ooh La La

Sexy.  Great beat that makes you want to run faster

Anything by Girl Talk

This dude is a fcuking genius.  He doesn't have a boring jam out there

Alice DeeJay - Better Off Alone

Love the lyrics - reminds me of college and makes me smile

September - Cry For You

Euro-pop and totally cheesy, but it has a great beat

...

Pop

Pink - Sober

Whew!  These lyrics are intense, but the song is great and I love Pink's raspy voice

Empire of The Sun - Walking On A Dream

This song just sounds like summer - like California - and it makes me smile

Coldplay/Rhianna - Princess of China

Great beat - love the unusual combo of Chris Martin and Rhi-Rhi

David Guetta/Usher - Without You

Lyrics are sweet and you can only hope that someone feels or has felt this way about you

Britney Spears - Piece of Me

If this song doesn't make you wanna kick some ass, then I'm not sure what will.  It's one of my all-time favorite Britney tunes!

Kanye West - All of The Lights

The ballad of summer 2011 - amazing grouping of singers that only Kanye West could orchestrate.  Still cannot get enough of this one!

Florence & The Machine - Dog Days Are Over

This song radiates happiness and inspires change.  I absolutely adore it

Demi Lovato - Give Your Heart A Break

I have a lot of respect for Demi Lovato, as she's been through quite a lot and has had the balls to share her story.  This song is peppy and sweet, and I love the girl's voice.

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle

Is this why you're fat?

After clicking through this slideshow and happening upon Chef David Burke's answer to his ultimate guilty pleasure, "A Kit Kat bar. I was never allowed to eat sweets as a child, so I find Kit Kats to be the ultimate guilty pleasure," I wondered:  Are parents, who restrict certain foods in their households, unknowingly setting their children up for weight issues/future struggles?

Speaking from personal experience, I'm going to have to say "yes."  I grew up in a household where sugary cereals, soda pop, packaged snacks, chips, etc. were not allowed.  So, whenever I went over to a friend's house whose parents did allow these products in their pantries, I would get so excited and anxious...that I would binge.  As a young child!  Fast forward 10-years:  In going away to college, I was left entirely up to my own devices and demises for, among many other things, my diet.  And just like so many other freshman students, I gained about 15-20 pounds.  But not over the course of one year.  Mine occurred over the course of that first semester.  Why?  Because I could literally eat whatever the hell I wanted.  For the first time in my life!  I didn't have Mommy or Daddy eyeing my every meal like a hawk.  They weren't planning and shopping for my breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners.  I was!  And you can bet your ass that my grocery cart consisted of chips, candy, ice cream, cheese, and Little Debbie cakes.  Man, I thought I was so suave and rebellious...until I went home for that first Thanksgiving and saw the horrified looks on everyone's faces.  I had blown up like a beach ball. 

So now, I turn the question over to you:  Do you think that parents, who restrict certain foods in their households, unknowingly set their children up for weight issues/future struggles?

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle

My Lunch Date with Joy Bauer, plus a Summer Slim-Down Challenge

Last week, I had the pleasure of joining author-extraordinaire and nutritionist for the Today Show, Joy Bauer, for lunch.  A handful of her website's partners and other health/food bloggers were invited to Nios, a restaurant that's located within The Muse (a Kimpton Hotel property), to celebrate the launch of her completely revised and updated book, Joy Bauer's Food Cures. 

In her latest edition of Food Cures, Joy brings readers up to date on the most current science regarding nutrition and diet, and how everyday foods can help prevent, treat, and sometimes even cure common health concerns.  Joy goes the extra mile by providing menus, grocery lists, and recipes for nearly twenty popular conditions, including the most delicious remedies for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, combating migraines and insomnia, boosting memory, enhancing mood, and much more!

Since Joy was responsible for creating the deliciously light choices behind Kimpton Hotels' In Room Dining menus, it was only fitting that she select the array of dishes, specifically designed to beautify skin and hair - boost mood and energy, for our luncheon:

• Cocktail: Pomegranate Prosecco
• Appetizer: Clams "Casino" & Mussels "Rockefeller"  almonds, spinach, cantaloupe and bell pepper relish, guava cubes
• Entree: Green Tea and Rosemary Spiced Arctic Char  lentil and carrot puree, broccolini, cherry tomato confit, leek coulis
• Dessert: Espresso and Chocolate Mousse  berries, cocoa nibs

Throughout every course, Joy addressed the audience and explained nearly every ingredient's key nutritional role in each dish.  Although I was only able to stay for the appetizer course, I was thrilled to have learned that my beautifully re-constructed plate of Clams "Casino" and Mussels "Rockefeller" was rich in vitamins, nutrients and, most importantly, flavor.

Even though I had to scoot out on the earlier side of the luncheon, I was able to walk away having met the incredible woman and mentor that I'm proud to say I have the honor of working with (I'm pinching myself as I'm typing this.  No joke.).

Joy Bauer and yours trulyAnd, speaking of health, I wanted to share an exciting challenge to kick off the final two-weeks of summer: I Heart Summer Slim Down.  This two-week plan begins TODAY and includes a combination of exercise and eating tips.  Just think: by Labor Day, you could be a couple of inches and pounds smaller!  Hey, I just signed up, why don't you?

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle

The Lunch Belle partners with TODAY SHOW nutritionist, Joy Bauer - plus, a reader contest!

Dear readers,

I have some really exciting news to share!  A couple of weeks ago, I was approached by the Joy Bauer website team - the online home of the TODAY SHOW nutritionist and best selling author, Joy Bauer - asking if I'd be interested in a possible partnership/collaboration!  As you can imagine, my hands were shaking with excitement and my heart was racing.  I was familiar with Joy Bauer prior to receiving this flattering offer but, to be honest, I'd never had the chance to catch Joy on the TODAY SHOW.  Why?  Because I've always had to be at work at or before 7:30am...and we all know that the TODAY SHOW doesn't air until 7am, when I'm already en route to the office.  I do work in finance, after all, people. 

So, before responding "yes, of course!" immediately, I wanted to learn even more about the country's most famous nutritionist, Joy Bauer.  Here are some factoids that I just can't help but brag about:

Joy is the...

• Nutrition and health expert for the TODAY SHOW
• Nutrition expert and contributing editor to PARADE magazine
• Columnist to Women's Day magazine
• Yahoo.com's nutrition expert
• Author of multiple New York Times bestsellers, including: Your Inner Skinny, Joy Bauer's Food Cures
• Nutritionist for the NYC Ballet and American Ballet Theatre
• Associate faculty member at Columbia University

Impressive resume and credentials, no?  I can't tell you how flattered I am that Joy Bauer's team asked me to become affiliated with them.  Whew! 

Obviously, I agreed to partner with JoyBauer.com and, because of my overwhelming enthusiasm, the team shipped me two of Joy's most popular books: Joy Bauer's Food Cures, and Slim & Scrumptious.  After having received and briefly skimmed through each, one thing is congruent in both books: Joy's nutritional and weight-loss methods are realistic, cost-effective, and uncomplicated - as are her recipes, which are free of artificial sweeteners, ingredients, and exotic, "healthy" crap.     

On that note, I couldn't not "share the wealth" with you, my dear readers.  So, I've decided that we're a little bit overdue for a contest, don't you think?  I'm offering not one, but *both* of the brand new books that I just received - Joy Bauer's Food Cures and Slim & Scrumptious - to the first person who responds correctly to the following question:

• True or false: Ounce for ounce, sardines contain as much heart-healthy omega-3 fat as salmon.

Think you know the correct answer?  Hey, you've got a 50/50 chance!  Leave your response in the "comments" field of this post.  Best of luck to you!

~~~

Until we eat again...let's get healthy together!

The Lunch Belle

Confessions of a junkfoodie

Dear readers,

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I hope that you've had a pleasant week, thus far.  Believe it or not, we're expecting highs in the 60's - for the first time in 2011 - both today and tomorrow in NYC.  And to top that off?  Not a drop of rain forecasted...at least not until Saturday.

I want to apologize for having gone M.I.A over the past week & a half, or so.  I hate to be inconsistent, especially with posting, but I recently enrolled in 6-week nutritional course.  No, I'm not trying to change career paths or become a part-time dietician - I'm taking this course completely for myself.  Ever since I moved away from home twelve years ago, my diet - and by the word "diet," I'm not talking about a weight loss plan - has, for the most part, been completely imbalanced and lacking in key nutrients.  

This got me thinking: how could I, a food writer - restaurant reviewer - and someone who loves to cook, secretly hone the eating habits of a college freshman?  I grew up in a household with parents who valued a healthy, active lifestyle and refrained, for the most part, from exposing my sister and I to sugary cereals, soda pop, candy, fried savory snacks, etc.  Family meals were always balanced and very delicious.  That was, of course, until I went to university.  Among smoking and drinking, I added junk food to my grocery cart of rebellious habits while shopping at the 18 and Over Super Market.    

• In the twelve years since I've lived away from home, half of those have been spent with roommates.  From the outside looking in, I suppose that everyone assumes that roommates cook together and share everything.  Well, that's not true.  Each person, at least in my experience, had their own cabinet/shelf and section of the refrigerator that was stocked with their food.  Wars would erupt if someone's box of cereal would magically deplete or if their 6-pack of soda would poof in to a 4-pack of soda overnight.  And hey, I get it.  Don't touch my sh*t! 
• The issues that I had with preparing meals while living with roommates were due to my own neuroses: cleanliness - I always felt like I had to rinse a bowl/pan before preparing anything because if I hadn't washed it again (this was mainly in NYC, when we did not have a dishwasher), then it wasn't as clean; time - I wanted to cook my meals as quickly as possible so that I did not have to share the kitchen at the same time as my roommates, especially in NYC, where the physical space was so small.  This lead me to buying frozen dinners, ramen noodles, or blowing money on take-out.
• In the six years that I have not had roommates, not too much has changed.  While I'm less concerned about cleanliness and time, I am conflicted about how to prepare a meal for me, myself, and I.  Plus, many of the foods that I do enjoy are exotic, so I know that recipes would call for ingredients that, quite possibly, I would only use once.  And I find it hard to justify purchasing an expensive bottle of such and such spice for one given dish.
• So these days, when I have a "night off" - free of a restaurant review, wine club, dinner w/ a friend, etc. - you'll either find me grabbing a $1 slice of pizza, making a quesadilla at home, ordering take-out, or figuring out some way to justify making a dinner out of a pint of ice cream. 
• Treating my body like this may have been cute when I was 19 but, *newsflash*, I'm 30!  I can't get away with this crap anymore. 

Here is what I have learned about myself, thus far:

• I love to cook.  For other people.  Just not for myself, necessarily.
• My daily food intake is completely off-kilter.  I have gone weeks, sometimes, without a fresh piece of produce.  No joke.  This is absolutely humiliating for me to admit, since there are fruit & vegetable vendors on virtually every street corner in NYC.  I don't have an excuse! 
• A pint of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream does not constitute as a meal. 
• Bad habits can take form so easily.  I cannot believe that I've been a junkfoodie for over a decade!  What am I trying to prove and who am I trying to prove it to?    

This is what I would like to work on, going forward:

• Include more fruits, vegetables, and proteins in my diet.
• Moderation, moderation, moderation.
• Don't be afraid to try new things. 

Look, I haven't - or will not - become some psycho health-nut.  I can guaran-damn-tee you that.  However, I am going to try to be more mindful of what I put in to my body.  Plus, I did not want you all to think that I went AWOL - SOS - MIA - or went on sabbatical.  I'm still here and I'm not going anywhere. 

And there you have it, the latest in La Vida Lunch Belle.

~~~

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle