Gluten-free January Participants: Take the Survey!

Matt Lentzner, Janine Jagger and I have designed a survey for participants of Gluten-free January, using the online application StatCrunch. Janine is an epidemiologist who studies healthcare worker safety at the University of Virginia; she has experience designing surveys for data collection so we're glad to have her on board. The survey will allow us to systematically gather and analyze data on the results of Gluten-free January. It will be 100 percent anonymous-- none of your answers will be connected to your identity in any way.

This survey has the potential to be really informative, but it will only work if you respond! The more people who take the survey, the more informative it will be, even if you didn't avoid gluten for a single day. If not very many people respond, it will be highly susceptible to "selection bias", where perhaps the only people who responded are people who improved the most, skewing the results.

Matt will be sending the survey out to everyone on his mailing list. Please complete it, even if you didn't end up avoiding gluten at all! There's no shame in it. The survey has responses built in for people who didn't avoid gluten. Your survey will still be useful!

We have potential data from over 500 people. After we crunch the numbers, I'll share them on the blog.

Southern Inspired

Laura Vinroot Poole "Wonder Wall"

 Photographed by Stacey Haines

Good day lovely friends, I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. It was a gorgeous here in NC and I was able to enjoy some much needed outdoor time with the family. Yesterday I sat outside read a book, some magazines, and worked on the computer while the kids bounced their little hearts out in the bouncy house Santa delivered in our backyard... the best investment ever!  It is amazing how much better you feel when the sun is out and the thermometer reads above 50 degrees.

Over the weekend while catching up I came across Haskell Harris from Garden and Gun and her wonderful interview for their blog Belle Decor with Charlottean and Capitol boutique proprietor Laura Vinroot Poole. This photo is stunning! I am not sure if it is the colorful  skirt, gorgeous velvet sofa, or the vertical garden by French botanist Patrick Blanc but collectively it is an exquisite picture. I love a little inspiration like this to start the work week and hope you enjoy too.

You can read the interview Here

                                                                                                                                                             

Bangs are Hot AGAIN This Year

It is the return (as if they went anywhere) of the hair bang. Many celebrities are adding a full hair bang to their hairstyle for an updated look.  Wispy and side swept bangs are also popular.  See Liz Hurley, photo left.

This siren of the screen carries off this classy look to perfection. Liz's hair has been layered to create a soft and full style which boasts body and bounce. The soft bangs have been parted on the side to create a softer look for the face, and is a flattering option for longer face shapes and high foreheads.

Marcela - Rue St-Martin - Paris

Fur Cap Vintage
Cape Coat by Barabara Igongini
Bag Vintage

Lou Doillon - Paris Fashion Week

Tasha de Vasconcelos - Paris Fashion Week

Marine - Rue Cambon - Paris

" ... My name is Marine. I work as Jeune Fille au Pair.
For me Fashion is a Touch of Style. Today, my look
is casual with a touch of excentricity. I love to have fun.
I hate Materialism. My message to the world: Enjoy !..."

I wear T-Shirt- Blazer & Jeans by Monki
Sweater-Scarf-Cap by H&M
Sneakers by Reebok
Bag by Asos
Perfume: Flower Bomb by Viktor & Rolf

Serena - La Madeleine - Paris

Phoning Girl - Rue Cambon - Paris

Irina - Rue Cambon - Paris

" ... My name is Irina. I study Sales & Marketing.
For me Fashion is Elegance and Simplicity. Today,
my Look is simple. I love Germany. I hate Paris.
My message to the world: Carpe Diem ! ..."



I wear a Jacket
T-Shirt and Gardigan by H&M
My Boots are a Gift
Bag by Elite
Perfume: "Elle" by YSL

Friday Feature with Molly Luetkemeyer

Hello and Happy Friday friends, I am very happy to see you both. I am looking forward to a relaxed weekend with some warmer weather here in NC, thank goodness. Old man winter it is time to take a hike, this southern girl is ready to move to a pretty caribbean island and stick my feet in the sand.

I cannot think of a better way to end the week than feature a designer whose 

interiors are off the hook creative, awesome, and really so me...come to find out she is an Aries too so maybe there is something in the stars.

Molly Luetkemeyer is the design genius behind LA based M Design Interiors. Since 2001 she has been designing residences for clients including Hollywood A-listers, entertainment industry insiders, and stylish people in need of Molly's creative touch. Luetkemeyer has been named one of House Beautiful's top 100 designers for the past 4 years and once you see her website with a sampling of her work you will surely know why. Her use of color, pattern, and the ability to cohesively mix them together to create a chic abode is pure magic. Luetkemeyer has also recently started a blog, Molly Loot, that is chock full of inspiration and full of her witty musings on, well everything. 

Today we are getting the scoop on what inspires Molly and a day in her life. She was gracious enough to have a little

 q & a session with me and I think what I love more about Molly than her designs (which is almost impossible) is her personality, she is so fun and hilarious! I know the first person I am visiting on my next trip to LA...that is if she will have me. Thanks Molly! 

1. Where are you from?

baltimore, md

2.  What you led you into Interior Design?

i came out to los angeles from nyc working with mike nichols and ended up falling in love with the color and light everywhere in the city.  i decided to stay and enrolled in ucla’s interior design program. as luck would have it, my first week in school, i met kelly wearstler at a party.  she told me about her new design firm and i managed to finagle an internship (unpaid, of course).  that was the beginning and i never looked back...

3.  Describe your style?

colorful.  personal.  bold.  exciting.  unexpected.  lively.  balanced.  i love incorporating modern and contemporary art in my interiors.

4.  What are some of your favorite looks, accessories, items?

i’m obsessed with the sexy furniture and mentality of the 70s, flirting coyly with early 80s color palates and furniture shapes, having a torrid affair with the patterns, precision and soft modernism of the werner werkstatte.  design books tend to be my favorite accessories because they do double duty – not only are they great to read but you can use them to create height and add color and interest on almost any table.  also, i have a thing for table lamps - they really are the jewelry of the room and give the room its flavor and personality.  oh, and i would take anything designed by piero fornasetti, charles hollis jones, pedro friedeberg, paul evans, and line vautrin in a heartbeat.

5.  What other designers, architects, do you admire?

gio ponti, muriel brandolini, yves saint laurent and peter berge, david hicks, piet boon, alexander cambron, tony duquette, terance conran, ilse crawford, kelly wearstler, antonia hutt, miles redd, luis barrigan, pedro friedeberg, john lautner

6.  Can you give me a brief summary of " a day in the life" of Molly Luetkemeyer?

in the immortal words of my co-m. designer, kate, i try “to cram 10  pounds of sh#! into a 5-pound bag day” every day.  suffice it to say there is always ample time spent on the phone (with clients, subcontractors, manufacturers and the office); in front of the computer (blogging, answering emails, desperately trying to make sense of my schedule); in the car (hustling from clients’ homes to fabric showrooms to the upholsterer’s to the drapery fabricator’s, blah, blah, blah); meeting with clients; in the studio working on fabric designs.  it can be a bit crazy at times so perhaps kate is onto something.

7.  Describe your personal fashion style? do you lean toward solids or patterns?

i tend to wear solid-colored basics (super psyched for this spring’s color-blocked pieces!) and then flesh out the look with jewelry.  i guess i should admit i’m an addict.  hi, i’m molly luetkemeyer, and i’m a jewelry addict.

8.  What can we look for with your new line of fabrics that debuts this year? Very exciting BTW, congrats! 

thank you!  i’m really excited about it.  all of the fabrics are inspired by artists i love (sol le witt, henri matisse) and the palettes are largely pulled from fashion illustration and advertisement color schemes.  it’s been a hell of a learning curve, but hopefully well worth the effort. 
9.  Your dream project?

just one?  oh no!  here are a few projects i would love to work on:  a boutique hotel at the beach (any beach will do); a bachelor pad inspired by willy rizzo and david hicks; a complete restoration of a trousdale estate (with an unlimited budget, natch).  but really, my dream client is anyone with an adventurous spirit, a decent budget and faith in the design process.

10.  What is spinning on your ipod right now?

i recently discovered how to make a mix based on a song of my choice and it has revolutionized the way i listen to music.  seriously.  i have so much music that it can be overwhelming and i can fall into a rut but these “directed” genius mixes are sort of, well, genius.  you get all kinds of surprises and deep cuts.  i have created some recent playlists using “cameras” by matt and kim, “dancing on my own” by robyn, “use me” by bill withers, “bring on the night” by the police, and “born under punches” by the talking heads.  

Studio City Residence 

M Design Interiors

Have a great weekend.

The Diabetes Epidemic

The CDC just released its latest estimate of diabetes prevalence in the US (1):

Diabetes affects 8.3 percent of Americans of all ages, and 11.3 percent of adults aged 20 and older, according to the National Diabetes Fact Sheet for 2011. About 27 percent of those with diabetes—7 million Americans—do not know they have the disease. Prediabetes affects 35 percent of adults aged 20 and older.

Wow-- this is a massive problem. The prevalence of diabetes has been increasing over time, due to more people developing the disorder, improvements in diabetes care leading to longer survival time, and changes in the way diabetes is diagnosed. Here's a graph I put together based on CDC data, showing the trend of diabetes prevalence (percent) from 1980 to 2008 in different age categories (2):

These data are self-reported, and do not correct for differences in diagnosis methods, so they should be viewed with caution-- but they still serve to illustrate the trend. There was an increase in diabetes incidence that began in the early 1990s. More than 90 percent of cases are type 2 diabetics. Disturbingly, the trend does not show any signs of slowing.

The diabetes epidemic has followed on the heels of the obesity epidemic with 10-20 years of lag time. Excess body fat is the number one risk factor for diabetes*. As far as I can tell, type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, which is probably due to energy intake exceeding energy needs (overnutrition), causing a state of cellular insulin resistance as a defense mechanism to protect against the damaging effects of too much glucose and fatty acids (3). In addition, type 2 diabetes requires a predisposition that prevents the pancreatic beta cells from keeping up with the greatly increased insulin needs of an insulin resistant person**. Both factors are required, and not all insulin resistant people will develop diabetes as some people's beta cells are able to compensate by hypersecreting insulin.

Why does energy intake exceed energy needs in modern America and in most affluent countries? Why has the typical person's calorie intake increased by 250 calories per day since 1970 (4)? I believe it's because the fat mass "setpoint" has been increased, typically but not always by industrial food. I've been developing some new thoughts on this lately, and potentially new solutions, which I'll reveal when they're ready.


* In other words, it's the best predictor of future diabetes risk.

** Most of the common gene variants (of known function) linked with type 2 diabetes are thought to impact beta cell function (5).

Two Wheat Challenge Ideas from Commenters

Some people have remarked that the blinded challenge method I posted is cumbersome.

Reader "Me" suggested:

You can buy wheat gluten in a grocery store. Why not simply have your friend add some wheat gluten to your normal protein shake.

Reader David suggested:

They sell empty gelatin capsules with carob content to opacify them. Why not fill a few capsules with whole wheat flour, and then a whole bunch with rice starch or other placebo. For two weeks take a set of, say, three capsules every day, with the set of wheat capsules in line to be taken on a random day selected by your friend. This would further reduce the chances that you would see through the blind, and it prevent the risk of not being able to choke the "smoothie" down. It would also keep it to wheat and nothing but wheat (except for the placebo starch).

The reason I chose the method in the last post is that it directly tests wheat in a form that a person would be likely to eat: bread. The limitation of the gluten shake method is that it would miss a sensitivity to components in wheat other than gluten. The limitation of the pill method is that raw flour is difficult to digest, so it would be difficult to extrapolate a sensitivity to cooked flour foods. You might be able to get around that by filling the pills with powdered bread crumbs. Those are two alternative ideas to consider if the one I posted seems too involved.

Marcella - Rue St-Martin - Paris

Marcella - Fashion Journalist
I wear a Jacket by Printing
Pants and Blouse by Zara
Boots by Zadig & Voltaire
Bag Vintage
Shades by Mercura NYC

Check Marcella's Blog "here"

Wanderlust Wednesday

Hello friends, happy hump day to you.

 In an attempt to maintain somewhat of a schedule going forward on this blog I am going to add in some features here and there, some still yet to be determined. I will be featuring weekly interviews with interior designers and the first one on my list make me really EXCITED so stay tuned to see who is giving me the scoop. Here is a little hint...she has a famous sister that cracks me up weekly. Any guesses?

Wednesday has turned into my travel day. No, I am not actually traveling anywhere other than my usual haunts but since I have a yearning to go somewhere fabulous with no exotic trips in sight, I thought what better travel companions than you? Every Wednesday we will be traveling somewhere different, unique, and fun so pack your bags! 

Today we are visiting this amazing castle in the English countryside. What does it feel like to be queen for a day? Well I surely could call this palace a home. Regal from the outside but updated and cozy on the inside. In the grand scheme of things is this castle to much to ask for? Well yes maybe, that is why we are just visiting.

To see more gorgeous images visit Shoot Factory

Models on the Run ! Paris Fashion Week

J'adore cette photo !
Ça tombe bien, j'en suis l'auteur.
Pour moi, elle symbolise bien certains aspects de la Semaine de la Mode à Paris
et de la mode elle-même toujours en mouvement ...
(Photo réalisée aujourd'hui à la sortie du défilé de Jean-Paul Gaultier)

A little bit of this and that

Hello week and friends here we meet again.
 I must admit the weather is starting to get the best of me. I am feeling a bit of the winter blues and considering one of those feel good lamps that makes you happy after basking in it's glorious rays much like an afternoon lounging in the warm sun. What do I look to for inspiration these days? Typically what surrounds me inspires me the most but right now it is a gray sky, trees minus their lovely leaves, and dull brown grass that goes crunch when you walk on it. Blah... 
Yep it is time to go to my place of zen where I can get that warm fuzzy feeling back. I do love color and the Spring forecast is oh so exciting with all the beautiful hues it brings. For now though I must refrain a little (maybe just today) and look to soothing spaces with subtle hints of color, fabulous textures, and a mix of interesting pattern to get me through the doldrums of winter. Here is a little mix of my favorites today...an eclectic one I might add.

Blinded Wheat Challenge

Self-experimentation can be an effective way to improve one's health*. One of the problems with diet self-experimentation is that it's difficult to know which changes are the direct result of eating a food, and which are the result of preconceived ideas about a food. For example, are you more likely to notice the fact that you're grumpy after drinking milk if you think milk makes people grumpy? Maybe you're grumpy every other day regardless of diet? Placebo effects and conscious/unconscious bias can lead us to erroneous conclusions.

The beauty of the scientific method is that it offers us effective tools to minimize this kind of bias. This is probably its main advantage over more subjective forms of inquiry**. One of the most effective tools in the scientific method's toolbox is a control. This is a measurement that's used to establish a baseline for comparison with the intervention, which is what you're interested in. Without a control measurement, the intervention measurement is typically meaningless. For example, if we give 100 people pills that cure belly button lint, we have to give a different group placebo (sugar) pills. Only the comparison between drug and placebo groups can tell us if the drug worked, because maybe the changing seasons, regular doctor's visits, or having your belly button examined once a week affects the likelihood of lint.

Another tool is called blinding. This is where the patient, and often the doctor and investigators, don't know which pills are placebo and which are drug. This minimizes bias on the part of the patient, and sometimes the doctor and investigators. If the patient knew he were receiving drug rather than placebo, that could influence the outcome. Likewise, investigators who aren't blinded while they're collecting data can unconsciously (or consciously) influence it.

Back to diet. I want to know if I react to wheat. I've been gluten-free for about a month. But if I eat a slice of bread, how can I be sure I'm not experiencing symptoms because I think I should? How about blinding and a non-gluten control?

Procedure for a Blinded Wheat Challenge

1. Find a friend who can help you.

2. Buy a loaf of wheat bread and a loaf of gluten-free bread.

3. Have your friend choose one of the loaves without telling you which he/she chose.

4. Have your friend take 1-3 slices, blend them with water in a blender until smooth. This is to eliminate differences in consistency that could allow you to determine what you're eating. Don't watch your friend do this-- you might recognize the loaf.

5. Pinch your nose and drink the "bread smoothie" (yum!). This is so that you can't identify the bread by taste. Rinse your mouth with water before releasing your nose. Record how you feel in the next few hours and days.

6. Wait a week. This is called a "washout period". Repeat the experiment with the second loaf, attempting to keep everything else about the experiment as similar as possible.

7. Compare how you felt each time. Have your friend "unblind" you by telling you which bread you ate on each day. If you experienced symptoms during the wheat challenge but not the control challenge, you may be sensitive to wheat.

If you want to take this to the next level of scientific rigor, repeat the procedure several times to see if the result is consistent. The larger the effect, the fewer times you need to repeat it to be confident in the result.


* Although it can also be disastrous. People who get into the most trouble are "extreme thinkers" who have a tendency to take an idea too far, e.g., avoid all animal foods, avoid all carbohydrate, avoid all fat, run two marathons a week, etc.

** More subjective forms of inquiry have their own advantages.

Models and Friends - Rivoli - Paris