With your average diner BLT weighing in at 700 calories this version of an old favorite only loses out on calories but not on taste.

Bacon, Spinach & Tomato

• 2 slices of whole grain bread
• 4 slices of reduced fat bacon
• 4 slices of tomato
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1 T dijon mustard

Toast bread. Cook bacon. Sautee spinach. Slather mustard onto toasted bread. Layer with tomato slices, bacon and spinach.

Calories: 310

thisiswhyyourefat.com the hilarious and cringe inducing “junk food-porn” site created by Jessica Amason and Richard Blakeley. Then another friend. Then another. Fast forward to yesterday: HarperStudio acquired the rights to a book based on the blog, which has pulled in over ten million page-views in its first month.

“In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.”

Photo Credit: Julian Bleecker

What causes people to overeat? Emotions? Stress? hunger? Boredom? A new study published in Obesity Surgery suggests that people have different psychological responses to food. Obese people salivate longer and have less of a sensitivity towards feelings of fullness, which, in turn, leads to overeating.

No matter how many crunches we do we’re not going to get David Beckham abs if we don’t incorporate good nutrition into our fitness routine. I often get the question “What can I do about this?” as my client’s squeeze their midsection. And my answer is simple: eat foods that are full of fiber, eat high quality carbohydrates for energy and have plenty of protein for muscle building.

Another really cool grassroots idea coming from the east side of Los Angeles. An idea sprouted from the brain of Hynden Walch, The Hillside Produce Cooperative is a free neighborhood monthly exchange of all the fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers we grow in our yards, so no food is wasted and people can enjoy a variety of fresh local produce to eat for free. For more info and to participate send an email to hillsideproducecooperative@yahoo.com.

Irecently tried this place after an out-of-town guest joked that he had to culminate his Venice Beach experience with a vegan lunch. So we went to Seed, a macrobiotic/vegan restaurant, tucked between a Subway and a surf shop. We tried the Southwest Burger and the Italian Soy Sausage Panini - delicious, filling and leaving me wishing I had my own vegan chef at home. We went back the next day and split the BBQ tempeh bowl. The following week I dragged another friend there just so I could get my local vegan fix. It’s nice to know there’s a healthy restaurant in the Venice mix. I’m already wondering what I’m going to order next.

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

• 1 bag of chocolate Hershey’s Kisses
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• Granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Blend butter and peanut butter together. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add flour, vanilla, baking soda and salt and mix in.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll into granulated sugar. Place on cookie sheet and back for 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Press chocolate kiss into center of the cookie. Bake another 2 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Wine snobs look out. I know how much you love to mull over a lovely red, feeling slightly smug about the antioxidants you’re drinking in, all the while turning your nose up at your country bumpkin relative called beer. Well guess what? Beer’s got the last laugh. While you’re all getting drunk on the grape (wine has over 12% alcohol content in a 3.4 oz glass and really who can drink just one?) us more modest beer drinkers (5% alcohol content in a 12 oz serving) don’t need to brag that the folate in beer helps lower the risk of heart disease, reduces blood clots, and it has been shown to improve mental function in women as well as increase bone density. So enjoy the nutritious properties of beer this weekend at the LACABAL beerfest.

Inspired by the basket of lemons that I picked from my dad’s tree this lemon meringue pie is a welcome addition to any summer garden party.

Lemon Meringue Pie

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• Grated peel of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup lemon juice from real lemons
• 1 T Smart Balance
• 1 9 inch pie crust, baked
• 3 egg whites
• 1/3 cup of sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine 1 cup of sugar, water and corn starch into a saucepan over medium heat. Add egg yolks. Continue stirring until mixture comes to a boil. Let boil one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in Smart Balance, lemon rind and lemon juice. Place filling into pie crust.

For the meringue beat 3 egg whites at a high speed. Gradually add in the 1/3 cup of sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon meringue over hot pie filling. Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until golden. Cool pie, then refrigerate.