Diet and Nutrition

Healthiest Menu Choices at Pizza Hut

When you think of Pizza Hut you probably don’t think “diet” unless it involves the words “going off my” in front of it. But what if you do end up at Pizza Hut, totally ravenous and wanting to eat something that won’t break the calorie or sodium bank? You do the best you can.

We recently trolled the pizza-chain’s menu trying to find meals that had less than 500 calories and less than 500 milligrams of sodium, according to feedback from registered dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield and the new daily sodium recommendations. The results weren’t plentiful, but when paired with some raw veggies, a piece of fruit or a small salad with no-sodium dressing, you can make a healthy mea!

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Posted on February 27, 2024 by Jennipher

Dealing with Weight Loss and Fitness Plateaus

Maruchy Lachance is president of Running Ninja!, a lifestyle brand for runners by runners. Running Ninja! offers a wide variety of apparel and gifts for runners to keep you happy and inspired while you’re on the run.

After months of seeing results on the scale from your weight loss and exercise routine you’re surprised by a sudden end to your progress, in spite of your continued commitment. Experts call this a “plateau” and here is what you need to know so you can overcome it!

According to The Mayo Clinic, a plateau occurs because your metabolism – the process of burning calories for energy – slows as you lose lean tissue (muscle). When you lose weight, you lose both fat and lean tissue. The notion that overweight people have a slower metabolism is a myth. In general, the higher a person’s weight, the higher the body’s metabolic rate. (more…)

Posted on February 27, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Healthy Recipe: Italian Turkey Burgers with Cauliflower and Carrot Salad

Guess what? Burgers don’t need to be bad for you. They also don’t need to be served alongside a heaping pile of French fries. With this healthy turkey burger recipe, you get nearly 3 tablespoons of heart-healthy monounsaturated olive oil paired with veggies and lean protein.

Italian Turkey Burgers with Cauliflower and Carrot Salad
Serves 4

Burgers

  • 1 lb 99% lean ground turkey breast
  • 1/2 sm onion, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted tomato paste
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 4 slices provolone (1/2 oz each)
  • 4 whole wheat hamburger buns
  • 6 tsp no-salt-added ketchup
  • 4 leaves romaine

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Posted on February 26, 2024 by Maris

Shedding for the Wedding Episode 1 Recap

The CW’s newest television show Shedding for the Wedding premiered on February 23, 2024 among rave reviews. The show follows nine engaged couples who are overweight and want to shed that excess weight in time for their weddings. DietsinReview will be recapping this show each week as the show progresses to keep you updated.

The show began with a preview of what the season will entail and an introduction of the two trainers, Jennifer Cohen and Nicky Holender, who will whip the contestants into shape and the wedding planner, Brian Worley, who will help the couples make their unique dream weddings come true.

It was apparent right off the bat that Jennifer and Nicky mean business when it comes to getting these couples into shape. They start by putting the couples through an intense workout that draws tears from more than one contestant. While the couples are exercising, we are introduced to each team.

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Posted on February 25, 2024 by Health Buzz

Obesity Sending 30 Percent More Brits to the Hospital

At what point can we say that we are honestly in an obesity crisis in the developed world? If there’s anything we humans are not so good at, it’s dealing with problems before they are palpable in our lives. Obesity isn’t a big deal… until you have a heart attack, or can’t get up the stairs without breaking a sweat or huffing and puffing.

Well, if you need anymore concrete evidence that obesity is a serious issue that needs to be dealt with in major changes on a micro and macro level, here’s some more disturbing news: hospital admissions in the UK for obesity are up 30 percent over the period of a year.

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Posted on February 25, 2024 by Jason

5 Food Temptations and Solutions

Cake with candlesSocial expectations can be huge pitfalls to healthy eating. It feels wrong to skip the cake at a friend’s birthday or a cocktail when celebrating your co-worker’s promotion. How do we get out of these situations without being a wet blanket? We’ve got solutions for some common food temptations.

Temptation: Office Birthday

Solution: Bring your own mug of coffee or tea, which will keep your co-workers from offering you soda, plus hot liquids can help you feel full. It is probably obligatory to eat a few bits of that store-bought cake, but don’t feel bad asking for a thin slice or ditching your portion at an appropriate moment.

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Posted on February 25, 2024 by Margaret

Satisfy a Chocolate Craving on a Diet

Cultural reverance for chocolate has existed for centuries. Over the years, chocolate has been associated with decadence, luxury and relaxation. Cacao beans, which chocolate is made from, were so valuable that the Aztecs used them as a type of currency. Many Mesoamerican cultures considered chocolate to be magical and divine. The Smithsonian states that some historians believe that “evidence of chocolate consumption stretches back three or even four millennia.” Although it was known in many cultures as an exotic treat for the elite, there’s a much more biological reason why humans crave chocolate. Chocolate triggers a series of chemical responses when it is eaten. There are numerous health benefits of chocolate including:

  • Reduced risk of stroke and heart attack
  • Improved blood flow to the brain which results in higher concentration, mental clarity and memory function
  • Increased production of serotonin and endorphins, which are hormones that regulate mood, sleep and other mental faculties
  • Antioxidant support

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Posted on February 24, 2024 by Theresa

Healthiest Menu Choices at SUBWAY

As a sponsor of The Biggest Loser and a creator of its own diet, SUBWAY is known as being one of the most health-conscious of the fast-food chains out there. But does that healthy hype live up to its nutritionals? We recently scoured the chain’s menu trying to find meals that had less than 500 calories and less than 500 milligrams of sodium, according to feedback from registered dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield and the new daily sodium recommendations. The results? Although there are some good options here, it’s surprisingly limited considering SUBWAY prominently features its low-fat menu options.

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Posted on February 24, 2024 by Jennipher

Leave it to McDonald’s to Turn Oatmeal in to Junk Food

How does a warm bowl of fruit and oatmeal rate on the healthy-breakfast scale? Surprisingly low, if it’s from McDonald’s. Fast food joints have a stunning talent for taking a nutritious meal and morphing it into junk food. It’s only natural for McDonald’s to lead the pack with their Fruit and Maple Oatmeal.

Mark Bittman, writer for The New York Times, put it perfectly when he said, “A more accurate description than “100% natural whole-grain oats,” “plump raisins,” “sweet cranberries” and “crisp fresh apples” would be “oats, sugar, sweetened dried fruit, cream and 11 weird ingredients you would never keep in your kitchen.” Bittman also points out that you may as well grab an Egg McMuffin, it’s only 10 calories more than the FMO (as McDonald’s so affectionately calls it) and in some areas costs half as much. To be fair, it is among the healthiest items they have available, but that really isn’t saying much.

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Posted on February 24, 2024 by Theresa

Domino’s Pizza Employee Saves Woman’s Life

Domino's LogoOnce in awhile, it’s nice to hear about a fast food restaurant doing some good in the world.

Gene Wilson of Memphis, Tennessee was actually saved by her habit of ordering a pizza from Domino’s every day. The 82-year-old woman was well known to the staff of the local pizza chain, from whom she ordered a large thin-crust pepperoni pizza and two Diet Cokes. She placed this same order every day for three years.

When Gene’s order didn’t come in over the weekend, her regular delivery driver, Susan Guy, began to worry. “I said, ‘She hasn’t called in three days…I gotta go,’ ” Susan told Today. Susan discovered that Gene had taken a bad fall and had been unable to call for help. As soon as she was discovered, emergency workers rushed Gene to the hospital. “So, she’s just been laying there since Saturday,” said Susan. “That means she hasn’t eaten or anything.”

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Posted on February 23, 2024 by Health Buzz

hCG Diet Controversy on Dr. Oz

Human chorionic gonadotrophin is a hormone that’s naturally present in the body during pregnancy. Advocates of the hCG diet claim that daily administration of hCG is a safe way to suppress hunger and, thus, lose weight. According to Dr. Oz, “after 50 years of research, there is still no proven medical reason why hCG will keep you from getting hungry.” That’s right, after 50 years, it’s not yet been proven to work and yet thousands of people claim to see dramatic results from it- as much as one to two pounds of weight loss per day! On the flip side, skeptics of the diet warn of serious side effects. Is hCG a weight loss miracle, or is it just too dangerous to try? Dr. Oz digs deep to find the truth.

To begin, Dr. Oz spoke with a practitioner, Dr. Sheri Emma, who offers a six week hCG diet program to her patients. It costs approximately $800 and consists of daily hCG injections and a strict 500 calorie diet. Dr. Emma tried to explain that the hCG diet’s 500 calorie limits are not dangerous because the dieter receives any extra energy from stored body fat. At which point, Dr. Oz admitted that most of us do have “tens of thousands of calories just on hips alone” However, registered dietitian Keri Gans argued that stored fat does not contain the proper amount of vitamins and minerals that the body needs each day. Way to go Keri- I think that’s a very valid point and Dr. Oz seemed to think so, too!

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Posted on February 23, 2024 by Theresa