Diet and Nutrition

Study Supports Low Glycemic Index Diet

white breadKellogg’s won’t be too happy to hear about this study: it suggests that a diet rich in carbohydrates that boost blood sugar levels, such as cornflakes or white bread, may hamper the function of blood vessels, therefore raising your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Researchers from Israel’s Chaim Sheba Medical Center and elsewhere evaluated 56 overweight or obese men and women, between 35 and 60. Other than their weight, they were healthy. None of them had diabetes or a history of cardiovascular disease.

They were fed foods that spanned the scale of the glycemic index, which relates to how a food affects your blood sugar levels. The higher the food is in the index, the more your blood sugar is spiked. (more…)

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Jason

Beware High Mercury Fish

fish and saladFish have been recommended as an important part of a healthy diet because of their high-quality protein, are low in saturated fat, and contain omega-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Incorporating a variety of fish can contribute to heart health.

However, nearly all fish contain traces of mercury. Some researchers believe consuming fish with high mercury levels will diminish all potential health benefits. Some studies have actually suggested an increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with mercury levels in fish, whereas other studies could not find any relationship between elevated mercury and risk of heart disease. This controversy has caused much discussion on what amount of fish is safe to eat without having harmful effects in the body. (more…)

Posted on June 22, 2024 by Kinsey

The Worst Word in the Weight Loss World is Maintenance

scale weightOK, so I lied in my prior post. Well, not technically. Getting started with weight loss is hard, there’s no doubt about it. The fact of the matter is that when you are actively losing weight, people still remember the “old” you. They pat you on the back and empower you, and, I’m not gonna lie, it feels pretty great.

Once you’ve met your goal, you kind of feel like a rock star. People congratulate you, want to copy you, ask for your secrets – in short, you are, for a brief moment in time, the greatest thing to hit the weight loss world. (more…)

Posted on June 22, 2024 by Carmen

Get Lost and Get over it: How to Manage Stress and Improve your Health

bernie salazar and rebecca scritchfieldThis guest blog comes from Rebecca Scritchfield, MA, RD, ACSM HFS, a Washington, D.C. based dietitian and weight management expert. Together with Bernie Salazar, at-home winner of The Biggest Loser, she co-created “The Nurture Principles” – Five mantras to help people change their lives and find wellness within.

It’s no secret. We are all stressed out, whether it’s lack of personal time, work pressures, or life issues like the economy. There is no shortage of things to wig us out these days. While a little stress can be a good thing, too much can put your life out of balance. Work seems unmanageable, you can’t remember the last time you cooked a meal for your family, and your dumbbells are better utilized as paperweights to keep your stack of mail in place because you’re not even thinking about a workout. (Whew. That’s exhausting!) (more…)

Posted on June 21, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Vitamin K Helps Fight Diabetes

kaleExperts are always finding new and interesting benefits that come with certain vitamins or minerals. This time around, it’s vitamin K and how it may help you avoid diabetes.

In a study, those subjects (older men and women) who took a vitamin K supplement for three years had lower blood levels of insulin. They also experienced an improvement with insulin resistance as compared to another group who did not take the supplement.

Here comes the catch… (more…)

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Jason

Getting Started with Weight Loss

carmen staicer weight lossHow in the world does one decide to begin, to draw themselves out of the comfort of the Cheetos and the Dairy Queen, to make the move towards fitness and smaller pants, when it’s clearly SO MUCH WORK? I get this question all the time from people who want to lose weight. And I can’t answer it.

What motivated me to lose weight is different from what will motivate you, or your neighbor or your worst enemy. It’s personal for each of us. I can tell you three things that got my flabby behind in gear, though.

1. My daughter came home from school, upset with a friend, who she’d been arguing with – the closing statement from her friend? “Well, at least I don’t have a fat mom like you do!” My daughter was puzzled – “Why would she say that, Mommy? You aren’t fat!”  Yes, I was, and hearing the truth from a little kids HURTS. (more…)

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Carmen

Men’s Health Week Inspires Healthier Fathers

male dieterThe week of June 15 is Men’s Health Week, dedicated to helping the special men in our lives take control of their health so that they’re with us for a long time. In the U.S. there are more than 73 million overweight or obese males, according to the American Heart Association. Obesity related diseases mean a diminished quality of life for these men, and often lead to death. This news should be sobering, as we prepare to celebrate the fathers in our lives this weekend.

This week we invited several fathers and men from around the blogosphere to share with you their personal stories of weight loss struggle and success. Weight loss can take on a very different tone for men than it does for women, but the end result is happier, healthier people.

We hope you’ll take to heart the message that these men are sharing, and make this Father’s Day the first of many more healthy holidays. (more…)

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Natalie K

Slim Down Without Diet and Exercise?

Are researchers on the trail of a big weight control breakthrough? Or should I say tail? That’s because scientists have come up with two new ways to control weight and blood sugar levels in obese mice… without diet or exercise!diet and exercise

Now, that doesn’t mean there will be a magic pill tomorrow that will let us all be healthy couch potatoes. But the findings are definitely intriguing.

Researchers inserted a molecular shunt into the liver cells of 94 mice. The shunt contained an enzyme normally found in bacteria and plants, but not in mammals. (more…)

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Jason

Healthy Recipes for Father’s Day Grilling

fathers day grillingSpend some truly quality time with your father this weekend and give him the gift of health with a cookout. This year, Father’s Day falls on the first official day of summer, giving you one more reason to get outside and grill! Whether you’re in the kitchen together chopping and dicing, or simply treating dad to a backyard lunch celebration, these grill recipes are sure to please.

Spicy Chai Grilled Chicken

Grilled Pork Roast

Cheeseburgers with Grilled Onions

Twice Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Grilled Salmon Burger

Caribbean Chicken Kabobs
(more…)

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Natalie K

Foods for a Healthy Liver

fruits and vegetablesYour liver is very important and to put it simply, without it you won’t live. Your liver is responsible for digesting food, absorbing nutrients, and ridding toxins and toxic substances from your body. So it’s very important that you keep your liver healthy in order for your body to function properly and efficiently.

So what can you eat to help your liver?

  • Avoid or limit the amount of alcohol you consume. Over-consumption of alcohol can lead to life-ending liver disease. (more…)
Posted on June 18, 2024 by Kinsey

Dads: Lighten up the Ego, and Your Weight

June 15-19 is Men’s Health Week at DietsInReview.com.

man diet denialMost men would rather die than diet. In my days as Senior Editor at eDiets.com, men always constituted a small percentage of our customer base. The reasons aren’t necessarily mysterious, but it’s not easy to pin on one culprit.

The male ego can be an odd and curious thing. Why do men think dieting is not “manly”? It’s true, dieting has often been associated with femininity. It’s also often done in a community-support environment, like Weight Watchers. And guys just generally don’t want to get together and discuss their weight and emotions. Now, if you’re talking about how many pounds we can lift on the bench press, that’s another story. (more…)

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Jason