"Carbs" news and stories

I'm not a big fan of the book Eat This, Not That. It purports to tell you which foods you should be eating in restaurants instead of other foods. Sometimes the comparison is good, but other times it just seems to save a person 100 calories here or a few grams of fat there and doesn't seem worth the bother (and sometimes the "eat this" choice has more carbs or salt). But I guess it's good to have the info.

Now Men's Health editor Dave Zinczenko exposes some restaurant secrets. Why don't some chains want us to know the nutritional numbers of their foods? What foods are often cooked with other foods in the kitchen? Do some fast food chains actually have healthier options than sit down restaurants?

• The Globe picks restaurants for every occasion, including dinner alone, dinner before a movie you don't really want to see, and ladies night.
• The Boston Marathon is tomorrow; time to load up on carbs.
• Fruit slices for Passover.
• The carbon footprint of food.
• Restaurant reviews: Mr. Chef's and Georgetown Grille
• This week's recipes: Traditional Chicken Soup, Brisket with Spanish Paprika, Sherry, and Olives, Rajas Poblanos Con Crema, and Chicken Breasts with Spring Vegetables in Cardamom Wine Broth.

This year's Boston Marathon falls in the middle of the Jewish holiday of Passover, where observant Jews remember their ancestor's flight from enslavement in Egypt by not eating leavened foods. "Leavened" food products include bread, pasta, cookies, etc. - runners' favorite carb-loading meals. Can you really run 26.2 miles fueled with nothing but matzoh?

MSNBC has an interesting story about observant Jewish runners and their personal decisions about whether or not to keep kosher during the marathon. One Boston-area rabbi, who describes running as a "spiritual quest," plans to fuel up on potatoes and matzoh. Another runner plans to Passover rules with dry oatmeal on the morning of the race,

Dry oatmeal? I'd rather have matzoh brei, a childhood Passover specialty of eggy fried matzoh, which can be served savory with cheese and veggies, or sweet (my favorite) with maple syrup.

Source

When science journalist Gary Taubes wrote an article for The New York Times magazine in 2002 arguing that (and I'm summarizing a lot here) that it's the excessive consumption of calories from refined carbs and starches that causes weight problems and not the excessive consumption of calories consumed from fat, he was attacked by everyone. Now Taubes has a new book out that expands on the topic, Good Calories, Bad Calories. And he's still being attacked.

I haven't picked up the book yet, but it seems like an interesting read. Unlike other diet and health books that talk about their diets in rather basic terms, this is a thick tome that really goes in-depth about the body, weight, and health, quoting various studies that have been conducted over the years. I think one of his theories even questions how much exercise a human needs.

Has anyone read it yet?

Who says you have to wait til January 1 to make resolutions?

Below are eight foods I resolve to eat this summer (and beyond) and stuff I resolve not to eat. Some I've chosen because they're good for me (like #1), some I've chosen because, well, I just want to eat/drink them (#8). What about you?

1. Water. Believe it or not, I don't drink that much water, one of the healthiest things you really need. I drink it, but it's usually in the form of tea, diet soda, or fat free milk. It's time to get back to drinking water straight. It's good for you.