Fried Pork Chops and Twinkie Pie

So, #Paula Deen has been in the news lately. Don't know Paula? She's a mom, a cook, an entrepreneur, restaurant owner and icon of Southern cooking. She generally cooks with LOTS of butter and sugar and other stuff that's not so healthy.
Anthony Bourdain, the (in)famous chef , has called her "dangerous" because (he says) "...she's proud of the fact that her food is(expletive deleted) bad for you."


Lately, she's been in the news because she just disclosed that she was diagnosed with diabetes 3 years ago. Now she is going to be a paid spokesperson for a diabetes drug company.



Now, I like Paula Deen and admire her in many ways. I am a bit disappointed, however, that she doesn't take more responsibility for her predicament, blaming her diabetes on her age and DNA. This from a woman who admitted in a 2010 interview that "...she doesn't really exercise or watch what she eats..." She famously said " I would not want to live in a world without fried pork chops."



Yes, family history and age are risk factors for diabetes, but obesity and physical inactivity are modifiable risk factors. Most people with Type 2 diabetes are obese or have a higher percentage of abdominal fat. And most people can reverse their diabetes with weight loss and maintenance, a balanced food plan, and consistent exercise ( aerobicc exercise and resistance training.)



Some of Paula's famous dishes include fried bacon mashed potatoes ( pictured above), Twinkie pie, and, my favorite, The Lady's Brunch Burger: 1/2 lb. ground beef, 1 egg, 2 TBsp butter, 2 slices of fried bacon, and 2 GLAZED DOUGHNUTS! Oh, and deep fried lasagna.




To Paula's credit, I checked out her website the other day, and saw a section entitled "figure-friendly meals", and the "what's in season" highlights healthy deep, leafy green vegetables. Her son (left), has a new show called " Not My Mama's Meals" which shows that at least someone recognizes a need for change. The description of the show states; "...transforms her(Paula's) Southern comfort food into lighter, lean, yet still delicious (my emphasis) dishes. Really? Yummy food that won't kill you? Maybe Paula can donate the money from the diabetes drug company to the American Diabetes Association.



Paula says that " nothing ever tastes bad with a little extra cheese on top, it just never hurt a thing in life." Tell that to the 1.9 million people who got diabetes in 2010 alone.