Author Archives: Mariah Edwards-Heflin

About Mariah Edwards-Heflin

Mariah is studying Communications at Seattle University which she uses to further her passion in helping others understand how to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle, and what that looks like for each individual. She is also a nationally qualified NPC bikini competitor, holds three state records in powerlifting, and is an NASM certified personal trainer.

Top 25 Diets of 2024: Reader’s Choice

It’s here!!!

We are halfway through 2024, and nearing closer to the summer months day by day.  To help you navigate the endless diets out there, we’ve compiled the ultimate guide to our top 25 diets as determined by you, our faithful readers.

From pills to Paleo, to counting points to cabbage soup, see what hot diets every one is talking about this year!

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Top 10 Diets for 2024: Editor’s Picks

weight watchers blog size

With summer peering its head right around the corner, the time has come to shed the cold weather coat that has been keeping you warm the past few months.
However, with so many diet approaches on the market these days, the vast selection can be paralyzing when beginning to work toward your weight loss goals.

Luckily, our Editors have compiled a list of the top 10 diets so far for 2024 to not only make choosing a diet that much easier, but so you can better your chances of seeing results that much sooner.

1. Weight Watchers
This diet allows you to eat whatever you like within your personal daily ‘points’ range. This approach teaches you how to incorporate any and all foods into a healthy diet, and learn the portion sizes that are right for you.

2. Plexus Slim
This diet is a stimulant-free, powdered supplement that you mix with water and consume 30 minutes prior to a meal. The antioxidants help to release fat, reduce appetite, and also provide beauty benefits.

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Play Your Way to a Summer Body Without Losing Intensity

Three women doing push ups in park

As you roll out of bed, you are met by the warm sunshine of spring. Finally! After months of oppressing rain and cold, warm weather is finally here.

So what to do first? I know! How about we go and sit in the dark, dingy gym to work on our summer bodies we have all procrastinated on.

Sike! Walking on a treadmill while peering out of the gym windows at the blooming flowers and chirping birds is right next to jumping off a cliff on my list of things I would like to do with my time.  However, something must be done about the several mugs of hot cocoa and cookies being used as insulation to keep warm during the winter months. Very strategic. But, now it is time to unveil the holy beach bod and it appears the only choice we have is to drag ourselves into the gym if we want to get a workout intense enough worthy of a bikini ready booty.

What’s that, you say? Tight and toned without a dumbbell? That’s right. Those extra few pounds may just be enough resistance to build a bit of muscle. Now, let’s go to the park for a full body workout!

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Teach the Kardashians to Squat! Bursting the Big Booty Bubble

via Instagram; photo credit unknown

via Instagram; photo credit unknown

When we hear the name “Kardashian” the first thing to come to mind is probably a collage of various images of butts. Big butts. But the notorious Kardashian sisters’ secret is out. We all know that you aren’t just genetically gifted; your doctor gave you that rear end, not nature and certainly not hard work.

First Kim Kardashian and then the younger sister Khloe Kardashian have publicly denied getting butt implants, and it is actually true that they don’t have them. Rather, they received butt injections which redeposits fat from the thighs and stomach to the butt. Semantics, really, because the result is the same and pretty obvious that those masses are not naturally occurring.

Many women envy the Kardashian sisters’ bootys, fake or not. They want curves, and they want them now! And, according to The New York Times, for about $10,000 you, too, can immediately have an end table for a back side.

We hate to burst your big booty bubble, but even surgery won’t give you the tight, toned, curvy body of your dreams. Why? It all has to do with the metabolic effects of muscle.

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Paleo Diet Could be Best for Postmenopausal Weight Loss

Vegetable writing: Paleo

A recent article from Web MD suggests that adhering to a Paleo diet may help post menopausal women lose weight, as well as reduce their risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Researchers claim that these benefits can be experienced without calorie restriction due to the nature of the Paleo diet.

What is Paleo?

The Paleo diet encourages eating foods that our ancestors in the paleolithic period consumed. This means only eating foods found in nature such as lean meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, and nuts and seeds while foods that modern farming brought to the table, such as dairy products, grains and legumes should be limited, if not completely eliminated, from the diet.

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Resistance Training is Best Defense Against Type 2 Diabetes

obtaining a drop of blood

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, engaging in some form of physical activity every day may serve as the most effective way to lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, as well as the most important step in managing the disease in those that have already been diagnosed.

A 2024 study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 12.3% of U.S. adults have diabetes, most of whom are Type 2. Type 2 diabetes is recognized as elevated levels of blood glucose due to reduced insulin sensitivity resulting from a poor diet with excess carbohydrates and a lack of exercise. Type 2 diabetes can cause nerve damage, blindness, heart attack and stroke, among many other issues.

“With Type 2 diabetes, your body can no longer make or use insulin, the hormone which helps the body regulate glucose levels,” Dr. Sheri Colberg, a professor of human movement sciences at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., specializing in exercise as it relates to diabetes told the WSJ.

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What Exactly is Clean Eating?

on diet

The term ‘clean eating’ has grown in popularity in the weight loss world as people are beginning to take more of an active interest in the quality of food they are eating instead of just the quantity, and how where their food comes from can effect not only their waistlines, but more importantly, their health.

Clean eating is based on the principle of consuming whole, single ingredient foods to provide the body with as many nutrients as possible while eliminating any processing your food goes through from the time it is harvested to the time it hits your table. The idea is to eat your food as close to its natural form as possible to maintain its nutrient density and avoid harmful and unnecessary additives that can jeopardize your health. By doing this, we can avoid several dieting pitfalls and health effects that come with food processing. Basically, if it comes with a nutrition label, skip it, even if it’s marketed as or popularly considered a “healthy” choice. If it ever passed through a processing plant it is not considered a clean food.

While the focus is on consuming whole foods to provide your body with the best nutrition possible, there is no denying that choosing whole, nutrient dense foods over processed junk will also aid in weight loss, making it a successful dieting strategy for those interested in learning and implementing proper nutrition, making it a more successful, well-rounded approach to food and nutrition over all.

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Plexus Slim Vs. Advocare: Which is the Best Supplement Diet For Your Lifestyle?

image via Pinterest.com

image via Pinterest.com

Overview

Plexus Slim is a powdered dietary supplement that claims to help with weight loss. A major pro of this supplement it that it is stimulant and thermogenic free, and contains all natural ingredients. This means that it may be a safer option for diabetics and those who are stimulant sensitive. To use Plexus Slim, you simply mix the powder with water and drink it thirty minutes prior to any meal, making it easy and convenient. The major ingredient used to assist with body fat loss is chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant that may block carbohydrate absorption and assist the body in the detox process. The other major ingredient found in this product is oxypregnane steroid glycoside, a compound known to suppress appetite by sending the “full signal” to the brain.

Our experts have rated several weight loss diets and have found that the 18Shake Diet was the most effective. It offers a combination of a fat burning diet pill and an appetite suppressing meal replacement. Both have only natural ingredients with no added fillers or preservatives. They help to provide increased weight loss results with only wholesome ingredients. Learn more about why the 18Shake Diet was rated the best weight loss solution here.

Advocare is a complete and comprehensive program that offers several different product lines and packages, depending on your goals and lifestyle. The Advocare 24-Day Challenge is their most popular program which is broken down into two phases. The first is the Cleanse Phase, which is the first 10 days of the program. This includes their cleanse system (fiber, cleanse tablets, and probiotics), OmegaPlex, and Advocare Spark. These products claim to detoxify and cleanse the body of waste that causes inflammation, and help the body efficiently absorb nutrients to boost the immune system and metabolism. Once the body is prepped, days 11-24 are the Max Phase. This phase includes their Metabolic Nutrition System, Meal Replacement Shake, and Advocare Spark. These products are meant to provide sustained energy, appetite control, and overall wellness. It should be noted that this program is not caffeine free, which should be a consideration for this program if you have other health issues. These products can be continued to be taken after the challenge as part of a healthy lifestyle program. See how these two diet plans ranked by reading the list of the highest rated diet plans.

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Skinny Teatox Review: Don’t Buy Before You Read This!

 What is it?

Skinny Teatox is a weight loss detoxification tea made with natural ingredients.  There’s a 2 step program that offers 2 tea blends both in the morning and evening.

The morning stage provides a stimulant tea for energy and increased metabolism, while the evening tea is meant to flush out toxins and provide laxative effects. It’s also said to help suppress appetite and cleanse the body without adding any preservatives. In reviewing weight loss diets our review experts found that the 18Shake Diet is the most effective. It’s made up of a fat burning diet pill and an appetite suppressing meal replacement shake. Learn more about the 18Shake Diet by clicking on the link here.

Skinny Teatox Ingredients and Side Effects
Senna Leaf Ginseng Chrysanthemum Cinnamon Bark
Cloves Rhubarb Ginger Goji Berries
Celery Leaf Nettle Leaf Jasmine Tea Sencha Green Tea
Yerba Mate Lemon Grass Ashwagandha Root

 Senna Leaf: This plant is brewed and used to help relieve constipation. Its chemical sennosides irritate the bowels and promote bowel movements.

It’s not safe when used either long term or in high amounts. Web MD advises to limit use to no more than 2 weeks. With repeat use it can cause bowel issues and an inability to use the bathroom regularly without it. Possible side effects may include:

  • Liver damage, heart issues, and electrolyte imbalances.
  • Muscle fatigue, dehydration, and ill feelings.

Our expert crafted best of list features the top ranked weight loss diets.

It’s recommended to drink a lot of water with this tea extract. The makers of Skinny Teatox also say that cramps and increased bathroom use are normal, but that any other side effects experienced to discontinue use and seek medical support.

Rhubarb: Plant used to treat cold sores and improve digestive health. Potential side effects are:

  • Stomach pain, loose and watery stools, and diarrhea.
  • Loss of minerals, muscle weakness, and irregular heart rate.

There have also been cases of organ damage with normal use.

Nettle Leaf: Diuretic extract also used to reduce inflammation. Potential side effect may include:

  • Stomach issues, sweating, and skin irritation.

Sencha Green Tea: A more expensive and antioxidant rich form of green tea. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has studied this ingredient and found:

“Liver problems have been reported in a small number of people”

In terms of weight loss they also found:

“haven’t been shown to produce a meaningful weight loss”

It’s likely the only reasons it may boost metabolism is due to the caffeine. This effect is not long lasting however, as the body creates a tolerance to caffeine with repeat use.

Yerba Mate: South American tea which is used for its stimulants such as caffeine and theobromine. It helps to stimulate the heart, muscles, brain and body. Web MD has found:

“yerba mate is POSSIBLY UNSAFE. It increases the risk of mouth, esophageal, laryngeal, kidney, blander, and lung cancer”

Other potential side effects can include:

  • Headaches, high blood pressure, and nausea.
  • Insomnia, vomiting, and increased heart rate.
  • Upset stomach, difficulty breathing, and ringing in the ears.

Goji Berries: Often dehydrated fruit which contains the highest amount of antioxidants out of any other food. Its nutrients can help protect against sun damage and improve eye health.

To see the list of the top ranked weight loss diets, click on the link here.

 Skinny Teatox Quality of Ingredients

There are some healthy ingredients such as ginger, goji berries, and Ashwagandha, but there are also potentially risky laxatives and stimulants.

Some of these additives have been shown to potentially increase the risk for unwanted side effects. The FAQ section of the official website also mentions that there is a possibility for serious symptoms which may require medical attention.

You’re also not advised to take one of the ingredients in Senna for longer than a 2 week period. This prevents this from being a long term weight loss solution. Click the link here for a comprehensive list of the best weight loss diets.

The Price and Quality of Skinny Teatox

Depending on the specific amounts of day you choose to detox, the prices vary:

  • 14 Days: $32.
  • 28 Days: $40.

Both come with the morning and evening tea. Some of these ingredients are known to be healthy, but relying on stimulants for weight loss is not a long term solution.

There are also many kinds of laxatives which can increase the risk for side effects.

Another serious issue is whether or not one might experience side effects. The company does reveal that there are key things one should look out for which may require medical attention. The link here has a list of the top rated weight loss diets.

Business of Skinny Teatox

The official website fails to provide any contact information; instead they offer a contact form. It is known however that their official company name is Skinny Teatox .Inc.

They also fail to offer a money back guarantee for opened products. They also mention in their refund policy:

“does not make any guarantees with respect to the results or effects of using any product”

Refunds are only for undelivered products. In researching the business there’s a lack of any Better Business Bureau listing or any sort of other information.

Due to them not offering returns for any shipped items, this is likely why there is no online discussion of the company beyond social media. The link cited has a list of the top ranked weight loss diets.

Customer Opinions of Skinny Teatox

Here are some select reviews taken from online users:

“full of diuretic and laxatives which can be dangerous in excess amounts’

“any weight lost will likely be fluid”

“nothing in this tea has been tied to any real weight loss”

“this is gross and not likely to have any effect at all”

There weren’t may available reviews, but the few experiences for users were often negative. People mentioned how they failed to experience any change in weight.

Some did enjoy the boost in energy, but this can be achieved with any amounts of stimulants.

Overall, some found it to be a standard mixture of tea that’s familiar to other detox formulas.

How Does Skinny Teatox Compare?
  • Product Name
  • User Rating
  • Easy to follow
  • Cheap Price
  • Fast Results
  • Skinny Teatox
  • 38 /100
Conclusion – Does Skinny Teatox Work?

Skinny Teatox provides an all-natural tea formula for both morning and evening use. These teas provide diuretics, laxatives and stimulants. The kinds of ingredients used can promote some weight loss effects, but it’s unlikely to be long lasting. Often it simply results in fluid loss, heavy bathroom use, and short lasting energy boosts. There’s also a lack of a money back guarantee, and there are very few reviews online.

Our review experts examine several diets, and they’ve concluded the most effective for weight loss is the 18Shake Diet. In it is a fat burning diet pill and an appetite suppressing meal replacement shake. Users have provided positive testimonials and before and after photos to showcase their weight loss.

Each ingredient is all natural and they provide plant extracts for the fat burner, and wholesome assortments of vitamins and minerals in the meal replacement shake. They also ensure a GMP certification to provide a quality control certification. Discover more about the 18Shake Diet by visiting the link here.