How to diet fast 1 week

Nine years ago I wrote my first unsophisticated little post on Kalyn's Kitchen, and now each year when this anniversary date comes around, I realize again how I never dreamed all the ways this little blog would change my life. I'll always be grateful to my brother Rand for starting me down the path to a second career as a full-time blogger, and to the fellow food bloggers who have shared their knowledge and helped me expand my skills.  I also want to send thanks to my long-time web designer Jennette who keeps my blogs running smoothly and makes me look good despite my limited technological knowledge!

One thing I've enjoyed greatly over the past nine years is how blogging has brought so many interesting, thoughtful, and creative people into my life.  Nowdays Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and Pinterest make it easier to connect with readers and fellow bloggers than in the early days, but things can also get lost in the noise of social media and I always appreciate people who make the extra effort to leave a comment on the blog or send me an e-mail.  And blogging wouldn't be much fun at all if no one was reading and interacting, so let me say a big thank you to all my readers, family members, and friends for your support through the years!

I'm going to start things out on a serious note this week.  Over the weekend I saw the documentary Fed Up, and even though I've been on the anti-sugar bandwagon for many years, I was still stunned by the degree to which over-consumption of sugar is making Americans sick, and even more bothered by the claims of political maneuvering that's gone on to prevent the government from making people aware the dangers of too much sugar.  And I'm not the only one thinking about this; cookbook author and food expert Mark Bittman talks about Fed Up in the New York Times, calling it An Inconvenient Truth About Our Food, and well-known chef and blogger Michael Ruhlman writes On Seeing Fed Up (and you can watch the trailer there.) Also the blog U.S. Food Policy has a piece with links to facts about the diagnosis and potential solutions, and this opinion piece from The New York Times on Why We're Always Hungry supports many of the points in the movie.  Whether you're a parent, someone who has struggled to lose weight, or just someone trying be as healthy as possible, I highly recommend seeing this movie.