Author Archives: Elizabeth

About Elizabeth

Liz Simmons is a fun-loving, stubbornly positive person who will try just about anything once. Her competitive spirit rarely says no to sand volleyball, but gets chilled out by practicing yoga. She's an avid reader whose love of writing led her to a bachelor's degree in communication from Wichita State University.

First Look at the 17 Day Diet Body Breakthrough

When the 17 Day Diet debuted in 2024, it became an instant favorite, spending more than 75 weeks at the top of the New York Times best sellers list. When the Breakthrough Edition released in January 2024, it was massively popular. So popular, you chose the 17 Day Diet as the Most Popular Diet of 2024! With that kind of track record, we won’t be surprised when the latest update to the program, Body Breakthrough, becomes a chart topper as well.

Body Breakthrough is the brand-new, comprehensive digital diet program that takes what you already know about the 17 Day Diet and puts it (literally) in the palm of your hand.

The basis of the program is the same as the original. There are four 17-day cycles of the diet program. The first three are designed to help you develop healthy habits and lose weight. The fourth cycle is considered the maintenance phase, and is designed for those who have reached their weight loss goals.

With Body Breakthrough, the cycles are taken off the page and put into your screen for a more interactive experience. (more…)

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Elizabeth

Paleo Vs. Whole30: The Big Differences Between the Biggest Clean-Eating Diets

Ironically, you’d have to have been living in a cave to not be somewhat familiar with the paleo diet. It was massively popular in 2024, and it doesn’t appear to be losing any steam as we start 2024. The diet that encourages eating like our ancestors has become a major player in the health and fitness industry, sparking interest in many other similar diets.

One such program is Whole30. In fact, the two are often presented together, with Whole30 acting as a way to “try” going paleo. However, there are some small, yet significant differences between the two that can derail your diet if you’re not careful.

There’s no denying these diets are similar. To help you pick the right one for you, we’re breaking down what each diet is, as well as their similarities and differences. (more…)

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Elizabeth

Fixing Obesity: Changing How We View the Problem Could Lead to Better Solutions

At this point, it should be abundantly clear that there are no quick fixes to the obesity problem in America. Though there is plenty to be done to stop or reverse a course of obesity, when it comes to preventing it in the first place, most focus on healthy diets and plenty of exercise.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with either of those; here at DietsInReview, we fully support both. However, we may be missing a solution to the obesity problem. One that isn’t physical in nature, but mental.

David L. Katz, MD, MPH, president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, wrote in a LinkedIn post, The Obesity Fix, his belief that the obesity problem can be fixed by a shift in how we think about health and obesity. He also acknowledges change won’t be easy, saying that no one seems to mind when super sugary cereals are marketed to children, or when it’s revealed how some foods are designed to be as addictive as possible.

He believes in order for this to change, people must see health and obesity differently than they do now, in two different ways.

HEALTH IS WEALTH (more…)

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Elizabeth

Regulation Nation: What Consumers Really Think About the Feds in Our Food

The question of whether or not the government should regulate the food industry seems like a simple one, but it’s really an incredibly complex topic. Variables like price, availability, variety of offerings, and quality of products are all involved. Also, there’s the issue of how much regulation the food industry should have. Should it all be regulated? None? Or maybe somewhere in the middle?

To help us make sense of the issue, Sullivan Higdon & Sink (SHS) has produced its latest White Paper, Regulation Nation. Through their research, they’ve learned the issue of food regulation comes down to a lot more than a simple yes we should have it, or no we shouldn’t.

Regulation Benefits: Food is safer, healthier, better-quality.

Regulation Negatives: limit choices, restrict freedoms, and ultimately drive up costs.

(more…)

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Elizabeth

Pizza Hut Introduces 2 Billion Ordering Options! Do We Need That?

If variety is the spice of life, then Pizza Hut may just become over-seasoned. The pizza chain recently announced a complete overhaul of their menu, which according to Pizza Hut, can be combined in more than 2 billion ways.

With these changes, Pizza Hut becomes the newest member of a growing list of long-standing restaurant chains adjusting to cater to a new, younger taste. That new taste has some interesting demands, and it’s nice to know people are listening.

More customers, particularly millennials, are looking for more variety in their food choices, which include a selection of more exotic flavors and higher-quality food. They’re also looking for the ability to completely customize their order. We’re blaming Chipotle (in a good way) for that one.

To help customers get their customization on, Pizza Hut is introducing five new ingredients: Peruvian cherry peppers, classic meatballs, sliced banana peppers, premium salami, and fresh spinach. There are also six sauce options, which include old favorites and new flavors like honey sriracha and creamy garlic parmesan.

Pizza Hut Now Delivering a New Whole Wheat Pizza to Meet School Lunch Nutrition Guidelines

(more…)

Posted on November 19, 2023 by Elizabeth

Angry Customers Say Old Navy is Sizest and Sexist

Women looking for plus-size clothing from Old Navy are going to have to search for it online, and they’ll have to pay more for it than they would for items that are not plus-size. This discrepancy has many angry shoppers claiming sizeism and sexism. Why sexism? The cost mark-up doesn’t appear in men’s clothing.

The Old Navy Pixie Pants at $27.97 in the Women’s Section

Not only are customers angry, they’re taking action. A Change.org petition calling out Old Navy has more than 80,000 signatures.

In it, Renee Posey, author of the petition, writes, “Selling jeans to larger-sized men at the same cost as they sell to smaller men not only negates the cost of manufacture argument, but indicates that Old Navy is participating in both sexism and sizeism, directed only at women.

“For example: Old Navy’s Rockstar Super Skinny Jeans cost $27 in a size 6. The same jeans in a size 26 cost $40. Alternatively, the men’s Slim-Fit Jean costs $25 – no matter the size.” (more…)

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Elizabeth

Little Kid Bodies Must Play if You Want the Test Scores You’re After

It’s a fact some schools have been cutting physical education classes and other activities like recess and team sports in order to save money and allow more classroom time. However, removing physical activity from school kids’ days may actually have a detrimental effect on their scholastic abilities.

Carolyn Wassell, M.Ed. is the principal of the West Charleston Enrichment Academy (WCEA) where staying active is seen as an integral part of the school day. The long-time teacher and administrator feels physical activity has an incredibly positive impact on her students’ academic performance.

“Children have many academic periods at school where they must be cognitively focused,” she told DietsInReview. “Physical activity provides a break from concentrated instruction. Instead of going from one mental task to another, physical activity serves to relieve stress and actually lessen distractions. This allows students to return to academic tasks with increased focus and with the ability to do better on their assignments.”

(more…)

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Elizabeth

7 Flu Myths We’re Fighting This Season

Flu season is here, and the only things more infectious than the assorted flu viruses are the myths that surround them. While those who unintentionally spread the fake flu facts are doing so with the best intentions in mind, what they say often overshadows what people really need to know about the flu.

We’re here to set the record straight. When it comes to the flu, it’s important to know fact from fiction.

Myth 1: Vomiting and other stomach issues are flu symptoms.

What is commonly referred to as the stomach flu isn’t the flu at all. It’s actually gastroenteritis, which is an infection of the stomach and intestines. It’s usually caused by a virus, but can also be brought on by bacteria. The real flu, or influenza, rarely causes stomach problems.

Myth 2: Flu shots give you the flu.

Neither the vaccine administered with a needle nor the nasal spray vaccine will give you the flu. Vaccines administered through needle either have “inactivated” flu viruses or contain no flu viruses at all. The nasal spray does contain live viruses, but they have been weakened and cannot cause infection. Side effects of the flu vaccine can include low-grade fever, soreness at injection site, aches, runny nose and cough.

(more…)

Posted on November 11, 2024 by Elizabeth

Idaho has Cheapest Groceries, Virginia Most Expensive: Can You Feed Your Family a Meal for $15?

EMBED THIS GRAPHIC

Do you think you could feed your family a healthy meal with only $15? It all depends on where you live, and what you’re willing to buy.

To get the ingredients to make a simple meal at home, you would spend an average of $15. That’s compared to an average of $6.50 for a single meal from a fast food restaurant like McDonald’s. When looking at base cost, fast food certainly seems like the cheaper option, and that’s appealing to a family crunched for cash.

However, the ingredients you could get for $15 would make a meal for four people — we priced chicken breasts, potatoes, apples, and milk — and the meal would be better for you than a cheeseburger and fries from the nearest drive-through.

5 Family Menus for $15 or Less

Unfortunately, not everyone has access to fresh ingredients, nor can everyone afford them. In some states, the cost of a meal’s worth of groceries is far more than $15. In Virginia, for example, you would need nearly $30 for the same amount of food you could get for less than $10 in Idaho. How is it possible that a family can have more or less affordable food depending on where they live?

Food inequality is a growing problem in the United States, as shown in a recent study released by the Harvard School of Public Health. Though diet quality has improved among people of higher socioeconomic status, the same cannot be said for those on the other side of the spectrum. (more…)

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Elizabeth

Food Patriots is the Food Movie For Everyone, Improving Health 10 Percent at a Time

Food Patriots is the food movie for people who aren’t in to food movies. It takes a simple, non-preachy approach to the topic at hand; which is ultimately eating better, healthier food.

The documentary centers on Jeff and Jennifer Spitz and their two sons, Sam and A.J. A few years ago, Sam got sick after eating contaminated chicken. What should have been an easily-treated case of food poisoning was actually an antibiotic resistant bacterial infection that caused the football player to lose an alarming 30 pounds in 4 weeks.

After the health scare with their son, Jennifer knew the family had to make a change. Food Patriots follows the family as they make small, meaningful changes to their eating and shopping habits, finding plenty of other Food Patriots along the way.

(more…)

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Elizabeth

Trouble in Oz: Study Supporting Oz-Promoted Diet Pills Formally Retracted

Dr. Oz is making headlines again for products he’s promoted not passing “scientific muster.” Four months ago, the well-known doctor was skewered in a Senate hearing on false claims made in advertising for weight loss products; in part due to a lack of scientific evidence supporting those claims. Now, a study supporting diet pills containing green coffee bean extract (GCBE) and promoted by Dr. Oz has been retracted.

The study was one our own Mary Hartley, R.D. came out against, and now it seems the study’s lead researchers want to take it all back.

“The sponsors of the study cannot assure the validity of the data so we, Joe Vinson and Bryan Burnham, are retracting the paper,” the scientists posted in a statement online.

(more…)

Posted on October 28, 2024 by Elizabeth

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