Doctors Wary of Anti-Gluten Crusade

Coffee mega-chain acquires Cali juice maker

(NEWSER) - Coffee might be healthy —but juice definitely is. And Starbucks wants you to have your vitamins. Having bought a California fruit and veggie juice maker for $30 million, the coffee mega-chain is adding "super-premium juice" to the menu. It also plans to launch a health and wellness chain by mid-next year. "It's a natural evolution toward being more than just a one-trick pony," says one analyst. (But don't joke about Starbucks—which fired a barista over an anti-Starbucks song .) More»

Rice milk, raisin bran have sugary secrets

(NEWSER) - It seems likely almost every food is marketed with at least some concessions made to the health-conscious. Many of them are lying, the Huffington Post reports, and here are the worst offenders:

1. Terra Chips: Nutritionally, you might as well be eating Lay's Potato Chips—they both have 150 calories and 10 grams of fat per ounce.
2. Rice/soy milk: These aren't necessarily unhealthy, but all lactose alternatives are not created equal. Rice and soy milks can contain as much sugar as candy, so make sure to get the unsweetened kind.
3. Bottled smoothies: Once again, "smoothie" does not automatically mean healthy—Odwalla's "Mango Tango" has as much sugar as two bags of M&Ms, as many calories as a McDonald's cheeseburger, and surprisingly low levels of vitamins.

Well, the good carbs, at least

(NEWSER) - Eggs are bad for you; eggs are good for you. Drink lots of milk; avoid dairy. Who can keep up with diet recommendations these days? Case in point: Carbohydrates, which became quite unpopular thanks to the Atkins diet, are making a comeback. New weight loss plans focus on enjoying what you eat—including carbs—rather than restricting yourself, Reuters reports. More»

Believe it or not, g-free foods aren't also calorie-free

(NEWSER) - Thinking of going gluten-free to lose weight (just like Gwyneth Paltrow told you )? Think again. Gluten-free foods help the rising numbers of people with celiac disease , wheat allergies, or gluten sensitivities, but those who are just looking to slim down are misguided. “Many packaged gluten-free products are even higher in carbs, sugar, fat, and calories than their regular counterparts,” one dietitian tells the Wall Street Journal . “Gluten-free does not mean nutritious.” More»

Some are allergic; others just want to lose weight

(NEWSER) - Everyone in Hollywood seems to be allergic to gluten—or at least off it—these days. Celebrity practitioners like Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Gwyneth Paltrow have helped propel the gluten-free lifestyle into the spotlight, with more of us mere mortals following suit in an effort to get thin. It's no wonder that avoiding the stuff can help us lose weight: it's in everything from fried chicken to pizza to beer. The Daily Beast lists eight celebs who’ve ousted the difficult-to-digest protein from their diets: More»