Diet and Nutrition

Diet Essentials for Your Weight Loss Journey

Guest bloggers Kenneth Schwarz PhD and Julie North Schwarz are the authors of Maria’s Last Diet and Breaking Up with Food. Dr. Kenneth Schwarz is a psychologist and psychoanalyst specializing in personal change and goal achievement. Julie North Schwarz writes about the non-food issues related to women’s weight loss. For more help with the psychological side of dieting, visit their website: Maria’s Last Diet.

Pack your bag. You’re going on a weight-loss trip.

What are the essentials you need to put in?

Well, a good food plan, of course. Choose a diet that fits your likes and dislikes; choose a diet that won’t be at odds with your lifestyle; choose a diet that utilizes your personal strengths; choose a diet that won’t be too restrictive for you.

Next, stick in a non-food plan. This plan needs to include strategies for when you come up against dieting challenges and obstacles. Give yourself pre-planned things to do, so when you encounter something that threatens your diet, you have things to do right at your fingertips. (more…)

Posted on August 15, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Running on Empty? Fuel Up with the Right Foods

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.

So, you’ve found the right clothes and shoes, and even the perfect music to motivate you through your workout. But before you hit the gym or the road, make sure you have the right fuel to keep your body going.

I came into health and fitness in stages. It was a true evolution of weight loss using caloric reduction followed by exercise. Today I maintain my weight by watching caloric intake and by healthy food choices that not only feed me but fuel me. (more…)

Posted on August 15, 2024 by GuestBlogger

The Never-Ending Story of My Weight Struggles

Susan Wenner Jackson is a 33-year-old mother of two, living with her husband in Cincinnati, Ohio. She blogs at WorkingMomsAgainstGuilt.com and runs her own writing and social media business.

In 33 years, I’ve learned a few things about losing, gaining and maintaining weight. For people like me who have “what doctors call a little bit of a weight problem” (as Chris Farley put it in Tommy Boy), the struggle never ends. It may get easier for a while, or harder as the years go by. It may even go into hiding for a brief time – just long enough to lull you into a false sense of security that you’re finally free! Obesity will never trouble you again!

And theeeeen, you’re right back where you started on the scale – or worse, heavier than where you started – and wondering if you’ll ever get the upper hand again. (more…)

Posted on August 14, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Best Way to Beat Diabetes: A Healthy Diet

John McGran, chief editor at Diet-to-Go, has been covering the fields of diet, fitness and health since 2000. He writes from the perspective of a dieter rather than a dietitian.

Since an estimated 300,000 deaths each year are associated with poor nutrition, obesity and the related illnesses of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer, it should come as no surprise that your best weapon is a healthy diet.

According to WebMD.com, “Healthy eating is one of the best things you can do to prevent health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some types of cancer.”

Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, can be prevented or delayed if you maintain a healthy body weight and make time for regular fitness. As simple as it sounds, a balanced diet and regular exercise have proven effective for many people suffering diabetes. (more…)

Posted on August 13, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Ideal Diet for Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C (HCV), a viral liver disease that leads to the inflammation of the liver, affects about 3.9 million Americans. Hepatitis C is a condition within a class of hepatitis diseases, considered the most serious and life-threatening of them all.

While there is medical treatment available for those with hepatitis that can delay the progress of the disease, diet is an important factor in keeping the person’s immune system strong and healthy.

A diet for a person with HCV is not that much different than a diet that is recommended for anyone who wants to stay fit, strong and maintain a healthy body weight.

Here are nutrition and health guidelines for a person with hepatitis C: (more…)

Posted on August 13, 2024 by heather

Book Review

Food preparation is one of the linchpins of a culture. Some feel that part of America’s obesity problem is that we don’t have a unified food culture, that Americans actually face too much choice. Husband and wife team Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio traveled around the world to document what is eaten in a day across cultures around the world. They published their finding in their latest book, What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets.

“I want people to understand their own diets better — and their own chemistry and their own biology,” Menzel told NPR. “And make better decisions for themselves.” They traveled to thirty countries, from Egypt to Great Britain. Menzel uses photographs to document the daily nutritional intake of individuals, and D’Aluisio’s text accompanies the images. (more…)

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Health Buzz

Julia Roberts is Tough on Giving Her Kids Sweets

Julia RobetsCelebrity mom Julia Roberts knows it’s important for kids to eat a healthy, balanced diet. That’s why she doesn’t let her kids have sweets everyday. “I’m a pretty strict mom when it comes to sweets,” Roberts told People at the Eat Pray Love premiere in New York. “Even though I have such a sweet tooth myself.”

Her three children, Hazel, Phinnaeus and Henry, only get junk food on special occasions. “You want sweets, ice cream and cake to be a great treat and a celebration,” she said. “Something that’s not everyday. I think this makes them appreciate it when they do have it.” It’s better if kids don’t develop the habit of having a super-sugary dessert after every meal. Instead, let fresh fruit be a sweet finish to lunch and dinner, and leave those cookies alone. (more…)

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Health Buzz

Video Series: How to Pack a Healthy School Lunch

With back to school kicking off around the country, a healthy lunch may, or may not, be on your supply list. With a few kids of my own, I’m all too familiar with sending them off to school each day with a lunchbox that satisfies my desire for nutrition and their desire for delicious.

In this video series, I explain how you can pack a healthy lunch that does the same for you and your kids, including beverages, sandwiches, fruits and vegetables and even snacks that everyone will love!

Sandwiches: The Main Goodness of the Packed Lunch

Check inside any packed lunch and, most often, you will see a sandwich. A sandwich fits the criteria of a packed lunch well – it’s portable, compact and filling. The ingredients that you choose to create your sandwich can make your meal healthy and satisfying or cause blood sugar spikes and dips. Here are some great options to keep in mind: (more…)

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Carmen

Denny’s Diet Disaster: Fried Cheese Melt

Neither mozzarella sticks nor grilled cheese sandwiches are particularly healthy or low calorie foods. But sicking the fried cheese into the fired sandwich means only one thing: diet disaster. The sandwich will be appearing on Denny’s $2 $4 $6 $8 value menu starting August 24th.

The restaurant chain announced that the Fried Cheese Melt will cost $4.00, but has not released its caloric content. Here’s our best estimate, with data provided by Denny‘s:

  • 750 calories for an 8-ounce serving of Denny’s mozzarella sticks, without condiments (Denny’s does not disclose how many pieces they consider a serving)
  • 650 calories in Denny’s three cheese melt
  • Totals 1,400 calories

The meal will also come with a serving of fries, and a serving of marinara sauce. The french fries have 425 calories per 5-ounce serving, and the average 1/2 cup of marinara sauce has 93 calories. (more…)

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Margaret

Healthy Office Tip: Try a Salad Potluck

Office Tip: Salad PotluckThe most successful diets all have some kind of social support, whether it’s exercising with friends, eating healthy meals with your family, or going to meetings to share strategies. Staying healthy at work can be challenging, particularly when you’re feeling stressed out.

At our office here in the Brooklyn Creative League, we have a fun way to eat healthy together: “Salad Wednesdays.” For this potluck-style lunch, everyone brings in salad ingredients. The building management provides the greens, and the rest of the office brings in toppings, from garnishes of meat and cheese, heirloom tomatoes, to dressing and sauces. (more…)

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Margaret

Couch Potato to Beefcake Workout

Beginning a workout is kind of like starting a new job. Where do I start? What am I doing? Take a deep breath and relax.

Begin by setting a long-term goal and following that up with a few short-term goals (weekly or monthly) to help keep the motivational level as high as possible. Provide yourself with a reward when the short-term goals have been reached.

Next, proper nutrition is a must! Provide yourself with a variety of healthy foods that help keep your body working efficiently (see the sample nutrition plan below). (more…)

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Matt