It’s almost surreal to me, but today marks the fourth anniversary of the Small Bites blog!  Back in April of 2007, I was completing undergraduate-level pre-requisite nutrition courses for my Masters.  Now, it has been 18 months since I completed my Masters coursework and I am just over two months away from finishing my Dietetic Internship.  How time flies!

The journey thus far has certainly not been lonely.  I want to thank everyone who has stopped by the blog, left comments (on here as well as Twitter and Facebook), asked questions, e-mailed me, or just supported and encouraged this project.

I send you much love and already look forward to the half-decade mark!

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This week marks the beginning of my Dietetic Internship, and I figured it would be wise from a mental health standpoint to take a break from blogging while I adjust and get that ball rolling (FYI: tweets and Facebook updates are not affected by this break).

Alas, I  have reached out to seven individuals to keep you company during my absence.  Their areas of interest and expertise run a broad gamut — from food politics to environmental toxins in the food supply to home cooking, and everywhere in between.

I specifically reached out to these guest bloggers because they are already well-established and highly esteemed in their respective fields or are well-informed, analytical thinkers just beginning their careers, with extremely promising futures.

Enjoy!

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Dear readers,

If you aren’t yet following Small Bites on Twitter or Facebook, I highly suggest you do.  I post an average of ten items a day, most of which are news tidbits, nutrition/food resources, and facts/statistics not published on the blog!

For the optimal Small Bites experience (and to stay on top of everything nutrition-related), I suggest keeping tabs on Small Bites.

On Twitter, follow @andybellatti

On Facebook, search for Andy Bellatti’s Small Bites

The Twitter and Facebook accounts are the same, so you only need to follow one.

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Please join me in extending an appreciative welcome to the very first Small Bites intern — Laura Smith.

Over the next few months, Laura will play an instrumental role by assisting me with a variety of tasks, ranging from research to on-the-ground reporting.

Laura — who is currently training for her first marathon — is a freshman at University of Nebraska Lincoln majoring in dietetic-journalism (isn’t that a wonderful major?).  Her mandatory coursework covers a wide scope, from Medical Nutrition Therapy and Biomolecules & Metabolism to Advanced Reporting and Principles of Editing.

I will let Laura tell you a little more about herself:

“I first became a nutrition junkie when I started running long distance my junior year of high school.

I saw the direct effects my food choices had on my training, and realized that eating the best foods would help me be the best runner I could be.  At that point, I wanted to learn all that I could.

I began reading blogs (like Small Bites!), health magazines, Internet articles, books (“Eat This, Not That” was very eye-opening) and documentaries like “Food, Inc.”, which had a tremendous effect on how I view food and what I eat.

After graduating I would  love to work for a health and fitness publication so that I could research and write about nutrition to help inform the public how to navigate the nutrition landscape.”

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Dear readers,

Thank you for your ongoing support of Small Bites.  I’m very grateful for your comments, kudos, as well as all the questions you submit for “You Ask, I Answer”!

If you are on Twitter, please be sure to follow me (www.twitter.com/andybellatti) for additional information, news articles, commentary, and tips that are not published on this blog.

If you do not have a Twitter account, you can friend “Andy Bellatti’s Small Bites” on Facebook, where the same bonus information is published!

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Dear Readers,

I am taking a short 3-day break from blogging.

Regular posting will resume on Monday.

Enjoy the weekend!

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Since the Twitter icon on the Small Bites homepage (on the right-hand side, under “Connect to Small Bites”) may not ring a bell with some of you, let me remind you that I tweet several times a day on Small Bites’ Twitter page.

Apart from being a forum where I can communicate with you one-on-one, I also often link to interesting stories and post short (140 characters or less!) factoids, trivia, and nutrition tips.

I highly suggest you follow Small Bites on Twitter for your optimal daily dose of hype-and-BS-free nutrition information.

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On Saturday, August 8th, I will be presenting at a workshop titled “Clearing Clutter from Your Life: A Mind, Body, Spirit Approach”, right here in New York City.

Here is a brief description of what my talk will entail:

“Examine the emotional and mental aspects of eating. How do your emotions and beliefs affect your dietary habits and choices, and how do they intervene with healthy lifestyle goals? Learn how to free yourself of self-imposed mental obstacles and get on the road to healthy eating — for good.”

The remainder of the event will feature talks/workshops led by:

• A certified pilates instructor
• A life coach
• A professional organizer

For location, pricing, and other details, please CLICK HERE.

I look forward to seeing you!

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This Friday, Mindless Eating author (and professor of consumer nehavior at Cornell University) Brian Wansink will be visiting New York University — and I have the opportunity to sit down with him, one-on-one, for thirty minutes!

This time around, I want to give you the chance to submit your questions for this upcoming “Speaking With…” segment.

Leave your questions for Brian in the “comments” section and come back next week to read a transcript of our interview!

As a reminder, “Wansink’s award-winning academic research on food psychology and behavior change has been published in the world’s top marketing, medical, and nutrition journals. It contributed to the introduction of smaller “100 calorie” packages (to prevent overeating), the use of taller glasses in some bars (to prevent the overpouring of alcohol), and the use of elaborate names and mouth-watering descriptions on some chain restaurant menus (to improve enjoyment of the food). “

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Today is Small Bites’ second birthday!

I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has ever visited this blog, recommended it to a friend, left a comment, submitted a question, forwarded a nutrition news item my way, voted in a survey, and generally supported this ongoing project.

Here’s some fun trivia. In the past two years:

1,148 posts have been uploaded
343 reader questions have been answered
Readers in 91 different countries have visited

WOW! Here’s a toast to further growth in the coming years.

PS: Expect BIG news the last week of April. There has been quite a bit happening behind the scenes…

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There are days when I believe the field of nutrition is being taken hostage.

Whether it’s the latest cleanse asking you to subsist on liquids for ten days, a self-appointed nutritionist with no academic credentials claiming his diet “cures” cancer, a physicist who misinterprets research and thinks flour is the root of all evil, an organization that suggests liver is a better way to get your nutrients than fruits and vegetables, or a washed-up celebrity gushing about the slimming miracles of coffee enemas, nonsense and quackery are everywhere.

I have spent the last three years of my life immersed in a rigorous academic program that teaches the science of nutrition.

This has included everything from food science to biochemistry to human physiology to counseling theory to research methodology and statistics.

By the time I sit down to take my Registered Dietitian exam, I will have taken 26 courses and completed 1200 hours in a clinical setting through an accredited Dietetic Internship.

That is why it absolutely sickens me to see people with no credentials waltz right in and publish books, dole out nutrition advice, and tout themselves as experts.

Over the past few weeks I have received a handful of questions from readers that upset me; questions from people who, after reading preposterous articles all over the Internet, are terribly confused.

People who think they need to take expensive supplements to “rid themselves of parasites.” People who think dairy — or dairy alternatives — “cause cancer.” People who unnecessarily restrict their diets because some Joe Schmoe with a book “says” a particular food — even if eaten sparingly — “causes” obesity.

You will often recognize these charlatans by their typical Modus Operandis: hide behind pseudo science and spew out statements that sound intelligent, but say nothing.

Is there a solution? I don’t know. Quacks will always be out there, looking for the next gullible victim willing to open their wallet.

And, unfortunately, many publishers, editors, and television producers care more about a famous name than a respected and accomplished professional.

Please do not treat your health lightly. Seek out reputable sources. And always have your thinking cap turned on.

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Want to enhance your Small Bites experience?

Follow me on Twitter for some extra nibbles of information and opinion.

I look forward to interacting with all of you.

Stay tuned to this blog for more exciting developments. Quite a bit has been going on behind the scenes of Small Bites that I can’t wait to share!

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If you are vegan, over the age of 18, and would like to be part of a small study I am conducting for a graduate research course at New York University, please e-mail me at: andy.bellatti@gmail.com.

In the subject line, please write: “Vegan Research Study”.

Your sole obligation? Fill out a survey I concocted and e-mail it back to me.

I am hoping to survey anywhere between 25 and 35 vegans.

I ask that you only contact me if you are absolutely sure you can commit approximately 20 minutes to filling out a survey.

Much appreciation in advance.

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Whew! I am absolutely exhausted.

I have just spent four and a half hours at the 2008 American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo visting hundreds of stands from a variety of companies.

I should mention that I am also lugging around forty pounds of food samples. Yes, forty pounds.

The samples range from individual size bags of walnuts to a pound of Barilla Plus pasta to a new line of alternative potato chips from a company by the name of Brothers All Natural.

I have LOTS to blog about when I return to New York City late Monday evening.

There is, however, one little tidbit I must share with you right now.

Guess what the buzz was at the Coca Cola booth? None other than their new variety of Diet Coke set to be released in 2010 — Diet Coke Plus with Fiber!

That’s right — 5 grams of soluble corn fiber per 20 ounce bottle. Oy.

Although the product will not be released for another year and a half, they had tasting samples. Taste wise, it is the exact same as a non-fortified Diet Coke.

I will detail my issues with adding fiber to Diet Coke in a future posting.

Oh, did I mention that the high fructose corn syrup folks also had a stand here? Wait until I tell you about THEIR “educational materials.”

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Dear readers,

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