Diet and Nutrition

Dr. Mike Moreno Reflects on The 17 Day Diet’s First Anniversary

It was last November when we first heard of The 17 Day Diet. If you happened to catch The Doctors on Tuesday, November 30, 2024 then you were among the first people who learned about the book with the pink cover that would soon take over the diet industry. People immediately turned to the Internet to find out more about Dr. Mike Moreno‘s new diet and couldn’t get their hands on it fast enough.

As we arrive on the anniversary of The 17 Day Diet, easily the most popular diet of 2024, we spoke with Dr. Moreno about how it all started and what’s next for the brand.

The 17 Day Diet was practically an overnight success, and the broad appeal was bigger than Dr. Moreno and his team anticipated. “It’s been great,” he told us in an interview about the book’s anniversary. “What really caused it to take off… once the diet got out there was people started doing it and getting excited about it and realized this thing works.” (more…)

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Natalie K

Plan a Non-Traditional Thanksgiving for Full Control Over the Meal

By J.J. Kunkle from The Fit Life

The Thanksgiving my husband and I share is a bit different than most. We love our families, but because Thanksgiving tends to focus on food and eating, it’s the one holiday we typically reserve for just the two of us.

Aside from the occasional fish dish, we eat a vegetarian diet. In addition to eating vegetarian, we also eat very health consciously—avoiding processed foods, preservatives and salt as much as possible. So, since we’ve been together, on Thanksgiving we take off for the Smokey Mountains. We rent a nice, little one bedroom cabin and together, cook a nice vegetarian meal for Thanksgiving. Then we spend the long weekend hiking in the mountains. Last year we made quinoa stuffed red peppers.

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Posted on November 17, 2023 by GuestBlogger

5 Tips for Sticking to Weight Watchers During the Holidays

By Kalisa Hyman from I’ll Be the One in Heels

Kalisa on her anniversary in May

When I went to Toronto in May for my anniversary, the scenery in my photographs was lovely. I was less happy about the way I looked in them.

That’s when I finally decided to do something about my weight. Inspired by a friend who had lost over 40 pounds on Weight Watchers, I went online and checked out their PointsPlus program. It looked like something that might work for me, because I’m such a picky eater. I don’t like salads. I don’t like grilled chicken. I like my veggies with lots of butter and bacon and breadcrumbs. At least on the WW program, I could select what food I wanted to eat. That offered the only hope of something I would stick to.

The program was great – the online version provided me all the tools I needed to assess the Points value of everything I ate. It even gave me Points values for exercise. And there was a mobile version so I was never at a loss for information. I found it very easy to stick with healthy eating and to keep my meals within the allotted daily Points.

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Posted on November 16, 2023 by GuestBlogger

How to Ask Your Family For Help With Your Holiday Diet

Holidays are hectic and everyone walks in with certain expectations and hopes. People have prepared food in anticipation of sharing it with loved ones. Others may be wanting everything to be just like it was the year before. At the dinner table or even at the family gathering may not be the best time to tell your family about your food plan or to ask for their help in sticking to your weight loss goals.

To avoid emotional reactions from your loved ones, you may want to share this information several weeks in advance to give them time to work through any disappointment they may be feeling or to plan healthier options for the entire family. With large families like mine, it is difficult to get everyone in the same room or make sure everyone is hearing important announcements. There are times that it is most helpful to have individual conversations with the majority of family members; however, there are also times when sending a kind of newsletter may be the most effective and non intimidating way to share your goals with family members.

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Posted on November 16, 2023 by Brooke Randolph

Congress Claims Pizza is an Acceptable Vegetable for Our Kids

When I helped the first graders at my son’s school with their food group assignment recently, I was amazed at how many were confused about where to place types of food. So many didn’t know what a green bean was, or what strawberries were. Most were completely unaware that fish was a “meat.” It was disheartening and a good glimpse at the nutrition blunders our kids deal with. After hearing this morning’s news, things are going to get much more difficult. According to Congress, pizza will now be placed in the vegetable category.

Surely, I’m not alone in the jaw-drop response to this news. I re-read it just to make sure I was getting this right. But in clear print, the fact that school lunch pizzas contain tomato paste allows Congress to mark it as a vegetable, therefore keeping it on the menu multiple times a month in schools all over the country.

A congressional committee is responsible for this and other ridiculous staples being allowed to stay on our kids’ menus. As a fightback against the Obama administration’s proposal to make school lunches better and healthier for our kids, a bill was released late Monday entailing all the guidelines. (more…)

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Lacy

Healthy Holiday Gift Guides Feature $1800 in Prizes and Our Favorite Gear

holiday box wrapped in gold and red paper

Giveaway Promotion Ended Dec. 2024

 

We know, we know, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but many of our readers are sure to be thinking about buying gifts already. Since the summer, we’ve been keeping lists of our favorite health and fitness products, so that we could share the best of the year’s offerings in our holiday gift guides. We have gifts for the gym lover in your life, the foodie, the runner and yoga practitioner. We also have a special kids gift guide, full of fun present ideas that will encourage active play and healthy eating. No matter who you’re shopping for, we have healthy ideas that suit a range of budgets.

We’re especially excited to announce that each of these gift guides also features a prize pack, with some of the best prizes we’ve ever had the opportunity to give away. In total, we’re giving away more than $1800 in prizes this year! Check out the contest details at the end of each guide to find out how to win.

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Posted on November 16, 2023 by Margaret

Upgrade Traditional Family Holiday Recipes with Healthy Substitutions

By Kendra Thiel from Adventures of the Headless Family

One of the great pleasures of the holiday season is the family recipes that are passed from generation to generation. The tastes of the holidays bring back warm memories of simpler times spent with our favorite people. My grandmother was a spectacular cook and many of my childhood memories are centered around her dining room table. Most of those recipes, though, don’t take into account our more modern need to watch our calories, fat content, and carb counts.

If you’re a Biggest Loser fan like I am, one of the biggest take-aways from the show is “How do I eat healthier, without sacrificing the taste that I crave?” Modifying your existing holiday recipes is a perfect way to get the best of both worlds.

My grandmother’s recipe for Squash Casserole is the perfect example. With just a few substitutions and modifications I have dropped the calorie count significantly and preserved all of the yummy memories of my youth.

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Posted on November 15, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Potatoes are the Cheapest and Healthiest Vegetable

One of the problems with the American diet seems to be that fresh, nutritious produce is unaffordable or not easily accessible to many segments of the population. However, research presented recently at the American Dietetic Association’s Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo demonstrates that one of the best nutritional values in the produce department, providing significantly better nutritional value per dollar than most other raw vegetables, is one that is easily accessible, practical, and loved by most: The white potato. Per serving, white potatoes were the largest and most affordable source of potassium of any vegetable or fruit.

Dr. Adam Drewnowski and colleagues from the University of Washington complied nutrient data from the USDA Food and Nutrition Database for Dietary Studies with the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion national food prices database. They found that potatoes were the least expensive source of dietary potassium, a nutrient identified by the 2024 Dietary Guidelines as lacking in the American diet. The cost of potassium-rich white potatoes was half that of most other vegetables.

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Posted on November 15, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Cutting Calories With Rocco DiSpirito on The Doctors

I count calories. I’m not always happy about it, but since the magic thin pill hasn’t been perfected just yet, and I like my skinny jeans, I count those pesky calories. I’ve entertained many fad diets, metabolism boosters, and have literally run myself until I’ve broken. None of these tools have been as effective in maintaining weight as a notebook and a food scale.

This Tuesday, November 15, 2024, celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito will join the cast of The Doctors to discuss this very issue on the show. DiSpirito is also giving away some great calorie cutting tips, many I plan to be marking in my trusty little notebook.

The episode will be themed, “Thinner, Younger, and Sexier in 30.” DiSpirito will be revealing 30 calorie savers from his new book, Now Eat This- 100 Quick Calorie Cuts. These cuts are surprisingly easy and impactful. For example, using all fruit jam instead of butter on your morning toast will save 370 calories a week. Other great tips include doubling the celery in tuna salad, ordering half the cheese and doubling the veggies when you get pizza, or substitute salsa for queso dip at a party. All of these simple ideas will save hundreds of calories and sacrifice no flavor.

The general idea is to honor those pesky calories yet not become a diet food eater. DiSpirito says this method is for the person who doesn’t want to diet and who doesn’t want to exercise. He hit the nail on the head when it comes to weight loss. It’s not about the latest gym group exercise class or a rigid diet plan, it’s just about calories.

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Posted on November 15, 2023 by Lacy

4 Ways to Stop Stress Eating

I have a confession to make, one that I really didn’t know until a few weeks ago. I can be an emotional eater. Since I’m not in a priest’s confessional booth, I won’t go into details, but life has been a little crazy over the last few months and I’ve found that I’ve been burning the candle at both ends.

Subconsciously, I’ve been dealing with that stress by snacking more than I should (it doesn’t help that I work from home). While I’ve been writing about diet and fitness for a decade, I’m by no means an angel or have the resolve of a nutritionist or fitness instructor. That means, if I’m not careful, I can find myself having difficulty buttoning my favorite pair of jeans.

What this all means is that maybe I can benefit just as much as you can from the advice I’m about to dispense. Here are some great ways to stave off stress eating: (more…)

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Jason

Your Guide for Enjoying a Safe Gluten-Free Holiday Season

Wendy Gregory Kaho blogs about the care and feeding of a gluten-free family at Celiacs in the House.

As the holiday season approaches, those new to the gluten-free diet, and even those with years of experience, can feel a sense of dread with all the opportunities for gluten in holiday gatherings and foods. How do we share the spirit of the season without the effects of an accidental “glutening?” I’ve gathered tips to make this a safe, joyous, and gluten-free holiday.

Communication is key to staying safe and gluten-free during the holidays. Linda Etherton, the Gluten-Free Homemaker, shares tips for staying safe and gluten free when eating those holiday meals. Not only do we need to educate our guests and hosts to keep us safe, but it is also an opportunity to lovingly hint to our relatives that they may need to be tested for celiac disease or gluten issues, since this is genetic.

Planning is critical. Whether it is planning a safe dish to take to a potluck or party to planning an entire gluten-free meal. (more…)

Posted on November 14, 2023 by GuestBlogger