Diet and Nutrition

How Rihanna Can Get Her Butt Back

You may have noticed Rihanna’s svelte new silhouette, but you may be surprised to find out she’s not too stoked on her slimmer shape. Rihanna wants to get her “disappearing butt” back.

Rihanna always touted her butt as her favorite body part, and has always been celebrated for her curves. While she worked hard to drop some poundage and slim down, she is now working hard to restore her butt to its natural glory.

The singer’s plan is to “firm the butt,” and told People.com “I’m going to have to start hiking or at least going on the elliptical or walking on an incremental treadmill or horseback riding. Something that firms the butt.”

Unfortunately, her weight loss came from some harsh criticism from someone very close to her. Rihanna’s recent weight loss came after her father, Ronald Fenty, told her she was getting “too fat”.

“I actually thought she was a little fat the last time I saw her,” he recently said. “But when I saw her at this year’s Grammys, I thought she was back to her normal size. I used to joke with her, ‘Robyn, [Rihanna’s first name], you’re getting too fat.’ But I think she’s fine. I think she looked excellent, as everyone saw, at the Grammys. She’s dieting, she’s working out.”

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Posted on March 20, 2024 by Kelly

We Love Honest Tea’s Not Too Sweet Tea

Is there anything better than sweet tea on a hot summer day? We think not. And in anticipation of warmer weather just around the corner, this week we love Honest Tea’s Not Too Sweet Tea.

Honest Tea is a bottled tea company based in Maryland that specializes in organic, lower calorie, lower sugar bottled beverages. Some of their most popular products include Honest Kids organic thirst quenchers and their line of ready-to-drink bottled teas.

We not only love that Honest Tea produces quality teas with fair trade, organic ingredients. But that they’re also forging new paths as one of the most socially and environmentally responsible companies in their industry.

Honest Tea’s Not Too Sweet Tea is a lower sugar version of an old favorite brewed with organic black tea leaves and sweetened with just a touch of organic cane sugar and organic stevia. Each 16.9 oz. bottle contains 25 grams of sugar and 100 calories.

And how does it taste? Refreshing, delicious and not too sweet, just as they claim. I split open a couple bottles with my husband and a few friends and everyone agreed that if they were to opt for a sweet tea, this would be the one they’d choose. (more…)

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Dana

5 Habits That Lead to Diet Success

You try to eat healthy and lose weight but inevitably, end up falling short. Frustrated as to why? A recent article from CNN hopes to dig up some answers by examining the 5 habits of highly successful dieters.

In addition to the scientific evidence backing all of the article’s findings, I can personally attest to the success of these strategies as someone who has achieved a 20-lb. weight loss and maintained it for 5+ years now.

Of the habits listed in the article, I especially agreed with the last one which is all about willpower. I think you really have to want to be healthy to achieve it. You don’t just wake up one day a healthy person. You have to work for it and keep working for it every day, forging new and healthy habits. And although it’s hard work, the benefits are absolutely worth it.

Strategy # 1 – Be specific and set specific goals. If you want to lose weight, pick your goal weight and begin working toward that. If you want to run a 10K, get a running plan in place. Otherwise your goals remain out of reach. (more…)

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Dana

Rachel Berman’s Plate for National Nutrition Month

I know it is cliché but breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. When I miss it (which is very rare) I’m definitely not myself – I do not have the energy I need to get through the morning or function the best I can. Breakfast, or ‘breaking your overnight fast,’ can also help get your metabolism moving for the day.

Pictured is a typical breakfast for me, including whole grain toast, 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter, a small banana, and a Greek yogurt. This kind of meal is a satisfying blend of protein, grain, fruit, and a dairy serving. You don’t necessarily need to eat every single food group from MyPlate at every meal. I think it’s important to focus on a balance of foods so that you get the nutrients you need and feel as satisfied as possible. (more…)

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Natalie K

Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien on The Dr. Oz Show

Is it possible to eat twice as much food and still lose weight? TV host, author, and Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien, says yes. And she plans to share all about it on The Dr. Oz Show this Tuesday, March 19.

Tune in to hear about Lisa’s experience as an all-out foodie – or ‘foodologist’ as she calls herself – and how she found a way to eat twice as much food and still lose weight by simply swapping out unhealthy ingredients for healthy ones in her favorite meals. (more…)

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Dana

Celebrities Raising Vegan Kids

Travis Barker, trim rocker from the band Blink 182 does more than pound on the drums and jump around on stage to stay fit. He also relies on a vegan diet and recently told paparazzi, his children do too. He’s not the only one. Many celebrities including Alicia Silverstone, Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna have made the decision to make their personal vegan lifestyle, a family choice.

Actress Alicia Silverstone is a long-time proponent of a vegetarian diet, which excludes meat, fish and poultry, as well as animal byproducts including eggs, dairy products and honey. Alicia, who wrote a book about the vegan lifestyle, The Kind Diet and has a vegan website, The Kind Life, once said about her child, Bear Blu, “Bear was grown on vegan food and we’ll continue nourishing him with a healthy diet. . . he’ll be eating an organic plant-based diet.”

Madonna is pretty serious about the food her children are eating too. It’s been reported when she divorced Guy Ritchie, she gave him a strict list about the types of vegan, organic, macrobiotic foods that son, Rocco could have while visiting his father.

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Posted on March 18, 2024 by Dani Stone

Empty Calories Comic: St. Patrick’s Day Decisions

 

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Posted on March 17, 2024 by Health Buzz

How to Cook with Quinoa

Ever felt afraid of cooking with unfamiliar ingredients, like quinoa? Well fear no more because we’re diving into the health and nutrition benefits of this versatile grain, and showing you several cooking techniques and recipes so it can become a healthy staple in your kitchen in no time.

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa is a small, whole grain substitute that’s completely gluten-free. It takes on a rice-like texture when cooked and comes in a variety of colors – including red, gray, green and white – depending on where it’s grown. It’s been speculated that quinoa has been around for nearly 5,000 years and was first cultivated in the Andes throughout Peru, Bolivia and Chile. And although it’s commonly thought of as a grain, the individual beads are actually the plant’s tiny seeds.

Health Benefits:

Quinoa is extremely healthy. It’s low in sodium and high in calcium, and a high-quality protein containing all nine essential amino acids. It’s also rich in phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese and zinc. And it’s widely praised as a great option for those trying to consume less meat without missing out on protein.

Nutritional Statistics:

One cup of cooked quinoa contains roughly 220 calories, 3.5 grams of fat, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 3.5 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein. (more…)

Posted on March 17, 2024 by Dana

Sacred Lotus Leaf Promotes Natural Weight Loss

The sacred lotus leaf found in the Far East has recently been identified as a successful aid for weight loss. There have been many health benefits associated with the lotus leaf but medical studies have only recently confirmed that this plant can help people lose weight in a completely natural way.

The technical name for the lotus leaf is the Nelumbo Nucifera and it is also referred to as the bean of India, Indian Lotus or He Ye in Chinese cultures. This plant has been used to treat things like skin disorders, diarrhea, heavy menstrual bleeding, as a treatment for blood in the urine, and now it has been discovered to help in weight loss. The study that has uncovered the weight loss was conducted by Korean nutrition and metabolism expert scientists Ji-Yung Park and Huan Du at the Department of Food and Nutrition at Inha University in Incheon, Korea. The study was conducted in 2024 and the scientists stated that when the sacred lotus leaf is paired with L-carnitine can prevent adipogenesis which is the formation of fatty tissues. This study also found that the lotus leaf slowed the absorption of fat and carbohydrates. Energy expenditures were increased and lipid metabolism was also rapidly increased with the use of sacred lotus leaf.

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Posted on March 16, 2024 by Descygna

Pink Slime is No Longer Our Schools’ Only Choice

Score one for our team! Announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, school districts that receive food through the government’s school lunch program will now be allowed to say no to pink slime. The ammonia-treated beef filler will not be the only meat choice for school lunches. Filler free meat will now also be an option.

This change was relatively quick. Pink slime has been used for nearly 20 years in our school’s meat and most processed meat products. Jamie Oliver exposed these truths to the nation over the summer during his Food Revolution show. Once the truth behind this product was discovered, a furious online campaign began among parents and concerned citizens. Quickly, large chain restaurants quit using the product and now our schools will get a better choice.

The USDA is contracted to buy 111.5 million pounds of ground beef for the National School Lunch Program this year and about 7 million pounds of that is from Beef Products Inc., which is a large producer of the low-cost filler. However, come next fall, school menus will be allowed to change to pink slime-free meat.
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Posted on March 16, 2024 by Lacy

Pepsi Next Splits the Difference as a “Mid-Calorie” Soda

Pepsi will introduce a new “mid-calorie” soda at the end of this month. The 60 calorie Pepsi Next will contain half the calories of a regular Pepsi yet, more Pepsi flavor than Diet Pepsi.

This isn’t the first time Pepsi, or Coke for that matter, have attempted this. In 2001 both companies introduced mid-calorie colas. Coke brought C2 to the shelves, while Pepsi distributed Pepsi Edge. Both products were taken off the market within five years due to low sales.

Currently, all soda sales are low. Soft drink sales in 2005 were at 10 billion cases. In 2024, sales dropped to 9.4 billion. While soda sales are going down overall, diet soda sales capture the largest percentage of the market.

This may be the right time for a mid-calorie soda in comparison to 2001. Michael Jacobson is the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The Center has criticized high-calorie soft drinks in the past, yet they are liking what they see with the Pepsi Next product.

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Posted on March 15, 2024 by Lacy