Mailbag: Exposing dietary myths is greatly appreciated
Many thanks for the column on food myths (“All About Food: Adhering to these food myths? Stop,” May 20).
I am so happy that it corrected wrong and expensive food advice given to a gullible public by so many sources that are misguided or avaricious. As a registered dietitian, I have been amazed over the years by the books, ads and advice of self-described experts who dish out erroneous recommendations.
Mary H. Furnas
Corona del Mar
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This is what works – eat less
I really enjoyed the food myth column.
I too have done a lot of research and found a massive amount of conflicting data. It’s no wonder people are confused about food.
Having battled obesity all my life, I’ve decided to settle down and just do the math: Increase activity (not necessarily a marathon, but doing leg lifts and crunches while watching TV instead of sitting passively), eat less while at a restaurant (rule of thumb: one half of whatever is served) and don’t deny myself a treat now and then, focusing on reasonable portion sizes.
It’s working. Slowly but surely.
Myths like listen to your cravings appeal to what people want to hear. I see so many people go on diets and, sadly, many of them are suffering from iodine and iron deficiencies and other ailments.
I hope people take to heart the information in the column. It is really hard to accept a new belief and to realize that you’re been played for a sucker with all these diets and myths, but once you accept reality, it’s a whole new world.
Tracy Miller
Huntington Beach
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Why plans for so many apartments?
What’s with all the huge apartment complexes being built in Costa Mesa? Did a bill pass the House in Washington, D.C., providing low-cost funding for all these massive places?
And now our City Council wants to turn motels into more apartments. Who is reaping the profits from these deals? Granted Harbor Boulevard is one of the ugliest streets known to man — a hodgepodge of everything. It can’t even be called quaint.
My home was built before the motel in question. I hope this doesn’t give the majority on the council the idea to condemn it in order to extend the drive-through at Starbucks.
Ardy Hurst
Costa Mesa
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Stop city takeover of senior center
The Costa Mesa council is furthering a plan for the city to take over the senior center by issuing demands, promising firings and offering no legal support or even the ability to clean the center’s kitchen (“Center takeover is topic of meeting,” May 9, “Senior Center deal hits a snag,” May 21, and “Filth had plagued senior center,” May 24).
I would strongly encourage the center board to reject the takeover plan. I believe it is dangerous for the council to have such control. Our current council majority has little regard for the responsibility of government to provide services, and the center board should be very wary of how this council would continue to provide services for our senior citizens.
I also believe that the council is reaching to appear to meet the need for meeting rooms for residents as it attempts to take the Neighborhood Community Center away from the community (“Conversion project on agenda,” April 26). This is one more move by a council majority that has little regard for residents.
Margaret Mooney
Costa Mesa
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Teacher banquet was great
Our Favorite Teacher Awards Dinner & Gala was a sold-out success. Favorite Teacher finalists were Cindy Fernald, Denise McKenzie, Misty Smith and Rebeca Millam, with Smith winning the title (“Favorite teachers named,” April 18).
Special gratitude to our sponsors — Orange County Register Family Magazine, Mesa Water District, Theodore Robins Ford, The Lab Anti-Mall and The Camp, and Weichman Realtors. Thank you to local businesses that donated gift-bag items for the teachers — Blackmarket Bakery, Michelle Haut Chocolat, Barnes & Noble, Elements, Brighton Collectibles and Drever Consulting, as well as hairstylists from Salon Rouge.
Barbara Steck
Costa Mesa
The writer is president of the Costa Mesa Library Foundation.
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Column doesn’t support thesis
Re. “Apodaca: A racist but in a continual state of recovery” (May 25):
I twice read Patrice Apodaca’s column in a vain search for some support of her opening declaration, “I am a racist.” Should I await the evidence in a subsequent column? Columnists should avoid fuzziness.
M. Lewis Stein
Irvine
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Reject leanings toward plutocracy
Let’s put democracy back in our civil discourse.
The United States has long stood for freedom and democracy, and we should reject tendencies toward plutocracy. Too many people have died to protect our democracy. Don’t let money create a totalitarian plutocracy.
Terence O’Heany
Corona Del Mar