Diet and Nutrition

The 17 Day Diet as Seen on The Doctors [VIDEO]

As seen on The Doctors Tuesday, November 30, as well as on Dr. Phil, the 17 Day Diet has quickly become one of the most sought-after weight loss plans in the country.

Dr. Mike Moreno, creator of the 17 Day Diet, says you can burn belly fat quickly, lose weight and get a better body in 17 minutes and 17 days.

The 17 Day Diet was designed to help people avoid the holiday weight gain, however, the principles can be applied throughout the year to help you shed a few pounds.

Every 17 days, through four cycles, you’ll change what you’re doing, a method Dr. Moreno says “We call it metabolic, or body, confusion.” The four cycles are as follows: (more…)

Posted on November 29, 2023 by heather

Key to Maintaining Healthy Weight: Have a Plan

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.

One of my favorite quotes is: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”  This could not be more true than when we try to maintain a healthy weight and exercise program.

Many people think that weight loss and commitment to exercise is about will-power, but that is only half of it. The real work comes when you are face-to-face with temptation; whether that is serving yourself seconds or ignoring your appointment at the gym. This is why developing a plan prior to having these temptations derail your hard work is the key to success.

Family holiday feasts are the toughest terrain to navigate. Well-meaning grandmothers want to load your plate up with your childhood favorites. Parents will insist you take seconds. Friends will be hurt if you don’t try their specialty dish.  My strategy in these events is fairly simple and fair. I will simply take one tablespoon of every item available. Pleasing everyone without overfilling myself. (more…)

Posted on November 28, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Throw a Healthy Tailgate Party

Fall and winter mean a lot of things, but amidst all the holiday talk we can’t forget about tailgate parties! The typical football-party fare is filled with calories but you can pull it all together and leave many of those calories behind! Don’t forget that when you make your own food, you control what goes into each recipe!

Chips and dip can be slimmed down with a few tricks.

  • When making dips, avoid using mayonnaise, cream cheese and sour cream. I like to substitute greek yogurt in my recipes and most people hardly know the difference. Guacamole, salsa, and hummus are all delicious, healthy and easy to make!
  • Serve your homemade dips with crudites instead of chips. Carrots, celery, cucumber, bell peppers and other crunchy veggies can be just as fun to dip and dunk!
  • If you’re surrounded by the vegetable-wary, just make sure you buy baked chips. Go one step further (and that much closer to healthy hors d’oeuvres) by making your own. Buy pita bread, cut it into small triangles, add some seasoning and bake them. It’s simple and you can control how much salt you add.

Alcohol plays a big part at football parties, but it also plays a big part in ruining diets.

  • Blue Moon is a good craft beer that’s relatively low in calories at only about 100 calories per serving.
  • Lime and orange slices go a long way to improve the taste of light beer.
  • Instead of using traditional mixers for cocktails, consider making your own and using less sugar. I found the simple combination of orange-flavored vodka mixed with some sparkling water and a Crystal Light packet to be surprisingly delicious.

Main courses pack a huge calorie-punch because of all the carbs and fats that are usually included. Instead of blowing your diet, keep in mind:

  • Anything made with beef (tacos, burgers, chili and steak) can be made with bison meat as a lower fat, higher protein option.
  • Turkey and tofu are also good alternatives. Turkey dogs, tofu dogs and low-sodium, nitrate-free hot dogs are all available at most grocery stores.
  • If your meal includes carbs such as rice, noodles, buns or rolls be sure you go for the 100% whole wheat options.

Some healthy tailgating recipes to try:

Turkey and Black Bean Chili

Italian Turkey Burgers

Jillian Michael’s Guacamole

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Apple Cinnamon Fruit Dip

Veggie Burgers

Easy Baked Beans

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Theresa

Healthy Ways to Use Your Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey

The day after Thanksgiving is practically a food holiday in itself, with refrigerators across America filled to the brim with leftover stuffing, yesterday’s mashed potatoes and enough turkey to feed half the neighborhood. If you’re trying to lose weight or maintain your size this holiday season, some health and medical experts recommend skipping the leftovers.

“One of the biggest [diet] mistakes people make is not realizing that the holidays are really only 3-4 days,” said Kathy Taylor, R.D. , Director., of Nutrition at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, GA. “Even if you [go off your diet] on those few days you can recover from that damage.  It’s the mentality that you can let everything go between Thanksgiving and New Years that causes weight gain.”

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Posted on November 26, 2023 by Maris

Fast Lunches for When You Don’t Have Time to Eat

When the day seems to slip away from you, full of  meetings and deadlines, lunch is the last thing on your mind.  Studies have proven that skipping meals can hurt weight loss efforts, not to mention affect your physical health and concentration.

Instead of skipping your midday meal in favor of a marathon status meeting, keep these mini-meals at your desk for when you need a healthy lunch in a pinch.

Starkist Tuna Salad Sandwich-Ready Pouch: For just 100 calories, the pouch comes with with low-fat mayo, water chestnuts, celery and relish already mixed in—just pack whole wheat crackers or bread for a quick tuna salad with all the fixings.

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Posted on November 24, 2023 by Maris

Alpha Carotene May Hold Key to Longer Life

While the more popular antioxidant beta-carotene gets all the hoopla, alpha-carotene deserves some praise for its health benefits as well. That’s because a new study has found that alpha-carotene can lower your risk of premature death.

Beta-Carotene vs. Alpha-Carotene

Both nutrients are in the carotenoids “family,” which gets its name from carrots due to the orange coloring it helps produce in the vegetable. Once you have consumed these antioxidants, both of them are converted into vitamin A by the body. However, experts believe the process happens more efficiently with beta-carotene than with alpha-carotene.

With that said, in the wake of this new study, experts believe that alpha-carotene may play a more important role in defending the DNA in your cells from attack.

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Posted on November 24, 2023 by Jason

How Biggest Loser Shay Sorrells Stays Healthy for the Holidays

I understand that this is one of the hardest times for people to stay on track. One of the reasons is the way we think about holidays. Why oh why do we believe that as we alter or modify a tradition it will ruin everything? I promise, traditions started somewhere and making new ones is not against the law!

Last year when Thanksgiving rolled around I had just three weeks until  the Biggest Loser season 8 finale. Needless to say, there was no way I was cooking a Thanksgiving dinner and missing time in the gym or having oodles of leftovers haunting me.  So, we made a new tradition and we went to a restaurant! I ordered the kid-sized Thanksgiving plate, that had turkey breast, green beans, mashed potatoes, stuffing and a little slice of apple pie. I did ask them to hold the gravy and the roll (I picked my carb battle and had the potatoes and stuffing instead of the roll). It was the perfect portion and I was completely satisfied! (more…)

Posted on November 24, 2023 by Shay

Eating Healthy on a Budget: Steel Cut Oats

When you are having trouble getting out the door in the morning it can be tough to think about a healthy and wholesome breakfast. I recommend you plan ahead it will save you time and money! Watch now to see why I use steel cut oats, and how I prepare them.

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Posted on November 23, 2023 by Shay

Bento Lunches are Healthy Meals in a Box

The word “bento” or “obento” is Japanese for a meal served in a box. If you’ve noticed the compact lunch boxes popping up on cafeteria tables near you, than you’d likely agree that the bento trend has officially reached Western culture.

According to Deb Hamilton’s popular bento blog Lunch in a Box, a bento lunch is a “compact, balanced, visually appealing meal packed in a box.” Hamilton, who lived in Japan for nine years and speaks fluent Japanese, began creating bento boxes as a creative meal option when her husband was diagnosed with celiac disease.

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Posted on November 22, 2023 by Maris

Save Money and Calories On Your Next Grocery Trip

In 2024 the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the average American family of four spends $8,513 per year on groceries. That’s a lot of trips to the market and probably a lot of empty calories purchased each week.

While some people can afford to splurge on premium ingredients and brand names, the grocery store is also one of the most common places where people overspend.

“Take your grocery list to the store when you shop,” said Teri Gault, CEO of TheGroceryGame.com “Don’t buy groceries that you don’t need. If you have a list of everything you’ll need for the next few weeks, you’ll gather all the ingredients you need while saving money and avoiding the panic of the last minute rush.”

Follow some of our tips to keep your grocery budget to a minimum – and your grocery list full of healthy food.

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Posted on November 22, 2023 by Maris

Amafruits: Acai Without the Gimmicks

amafruits AcaiThere’s been a lot of hype surrounding the Acai berry, an Amazonian fruit with alleged super-nutrients. While Acai isn’t a miracle weight-loss food (no such thing exists), it is a rich source of many of the nutrients you need, including vitamin A, minerals, potassium and iron.

Acai berries themselves are difficult to find whole, but many companies offer juices and extracts. Last night I tried out Amafruits’ Acai puree. The puree comes frozen in packs of four, with a choice of Acai Energy Mix with Guarana or Acai Pure & Unsweetened. A pack of either flavor counts as a serving of fruit. Many other Acai juices add a lot of sugar to compensate for the berry’s slightly bitter taste. The unsweetened fruit pulp is about as close to eating the berries as you can get: no pills, pyramid schemes or other fruit juices added for bulk.

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Posted on November 22, 2023 by Margaret