Diet and Nutrition

Health Benefits and Recipes for Olive Oil

By day, Maris Callahan is a publicist in New York City. In her spare time, she is a freelance writer and food blogger at In Good Taste, a blog about cooking and eating good healthy food when you’re busy or on-the-go (with a few indulgences, because everyone needs those!) When she isn’t cooking or writing she enjoys running, knitting, photography and a good latte.

Anyone who has been on a diet has probably heard the golden rule of weight reduction: burn more calories than you eat. Though there are a variety of diets that suit different lifestyles, taste buds and appetites, many health professionals would agree that a low-calorie diet combined with exercise is a reliable way to shed pounds.

So then why do they tell us to eat olive oil? By reading the nutrition label, one might think that olive oil should be considered an occasional indulgence and used sparingly. The good news is that dieters don’t need to pass on the heart-healthy antioxidant source in order to maintain or lose weight. (more…)

Posted on May 2, 2024 by Natalie K

How Meditation Can Help Conquer Stress and Extra Pounds

Today’s guest blogger is Tracy Connery from MommyOm, a wife, mother, writer and photographer. Her days are taken in any number of directions, but a long-term relationship with her yoga mat has kept complete craziness at bay. MommyOm is the best in all things yoga and meditation for parents from one mom’s expanding perspective.

The next time your day has spiraled out of control… demands of screaming children, looming deadlines, stacks of unpaid bills… rather than looking to the self-help section of the bookstore, or heading to the doctor for some kind of medicinal intervention, or worse, to the fridge for yet another peppermint patty… sweet, tingly, chocolate-y goodness … ahem… OK, perhaps that’s just me…. (more…)

Posted on May 2, 2024 by heather

Find out if You Really Need a Multi-Vitamin

Many corporations push and spend big bucks on advertising and marketing of multi-vitamins, mineral (or combo) supplements. Besides the companies telling you to buy these products because your body needs them, how do you truly know if it’s something you should buy and start taking?

Do I need one?
Deciding to take a multi-vitamin and mineral really should be determined based off of your current diet. Do you eat a well balanced diet (including plenty of fruits and vegetables)? If so, you’re honestly wasting your money on these supplements.

However, if you eat poorly (i.e. Eating out a lot, not having a lot of variety, eating little to no fresh fruits and vegetables) then you would probably benefit from taking a daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. (more…)

Posted on May 1, 2024 by Kinsey

12 Healthy Southern Recipes for a Kentucky Derby Party

Fancy hats, prized horses and a hearty dose of Southern charm are what await fans of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. This is the 135th time the horses have made their famed run in Louisville, and it makes as good a reason as any for people across the country to throw a party.

If you’re planning your own Derby party, or just want an excuse to make some Southern favorites, consider these recipes. Once again proving that when you follow healthier versions, it’s not impossible to enjoy your favorite foods while watching your weight.

Winning Fried Chicken
This recipe comes from the folks at Biggest Loser, who never sacrifice flavor. It’s a crunchy, well seasoned oven-fried chicken recipe.

Apricot Glazed Pork Medallions
Use one of the the sweetest fruits of Spring to create an unforgettable centerpiece for your Derby party.

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Posted on April 30, 2024 by Natalie K

5 Recipes for a Healthy Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

Cinco de Mayo is a traditional Mexican holiday recognizing the defeat of the French military in 1862 in the state of Pueblo. The celebration has grown in popularity in the States, and is one of the first real kick-off events for Spring. Anything for some delicious, classic Mexican food, right?

With all the chips, queso, tacos and Mexican beer turning up at a Cinco de Mayo party, you can quickly and easily sabotage your diet. Instead, prepare some of these fresh and flavorful Mexican recipes at your event, or offer your hostess to bring a dish. Your guests will likely not even notice that you took a healthy route once they taste your culinary creations, and you can rest easy knowing you enjoyed the party and will wake-up guilt-free on seis de Mayo!

Strawberry Salsa
Serve with either blue corn tortilla chips or top grilled chicken or pork chops. Either way you’ll feel like you’re splurging with this scrumptious salsa made with strawberries, pineapple, fresh mint and cilantro, and jalapenos.
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Posted on April 29, 2024 by Natalie K

Mom, You are Worth It!

While watching an older episode of The Biggest Loser, I heard something amazing, something I’d never really thought about before. While counseling a contestant, Jillian Michaels said that you can be so afraid of your success that you sabotage your weight loss, thereby ensuring that you won’t be successful. Whoa. And, huh?

And, yeah, right on. Especially if you are a mom. Think about it. Moms are conditioned, from before the baby arrives to put the baby first. Think of the baby, do what’s best for the baby. In the beginning, of course, there is a lot of validity to this sentiment. But babies grow up, change and become interested in other things, and moms often stay in the same position, stagnant and directionless. It is an almost martyrdom, placing the wants and needs of every other member of the family above hers. In a far too often scenario, this leads to weight gain. And then the vicious cycle begins. (more…)

Posted on April 29, 2024 by Carmen

7 Easy, Healthy Tips for Nutritious Family Dining

Most moms and dads want their kids to eat healthy or healthier, but lots of times they are faced with multiple struggles. Juggling hectic school and work schedules often makes it difficult to have a sit-down, home-cooked, nutritious meal. According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), “The top concern, shared by more than four-in-10 moms, is that kids are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. Picky eaters and eating too much junk food round out the top three overall concerns of moms.”

The ADA compiled a short list of easy and practical tips for moms and/or dads to try out:

Establish a family mealtime time. Try to have at least one meal a day together. This can help increase a child’s intake of healthier foods because kids tend to eat more fruits, vegetables, and dairy at meals shared with their parents. (more…)

Posted on April 28, 2024 by Kinsey

Eat Chocolate for your Health

Cocoa, antioxidants and your health
Chocolate, which is made from nutrient rich cocoa beans, has naturally occurring, cancer-preventative antioxidants that we all know have great benefits for your body. Cocoa beans contain the antioxidants called flavanols which studies have shown to have protective health benefits (flavanols also found in berries, apples, beans, nuts, purple grapes, red wine, and teas). Antioxidants, as we know, fight off dangerous free radicals in our body, which can cause serious heath problems. Research shows that flavanols found in cocoa and chocolate have health benefits beyond fighting free radicals. (more…)

Posted on April 27, 2024 by Kinsey

Consider Calorie Impact of Alcoholic Beverages

Jamie Pittman is currently a graduate student at East Carolina University where she is obtaining her MAEd in Health Education. She also works full-time as a grant coordinator at the North Carolina Alliance for Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NCAAHPERD) in Raleigh, NC. Jamie is also an active member of MyDIR, the DietsInReview.com community.

Week after week friends complain to me that they “can’t lose weight,” that they are doing “EVERYTHING!” and their weight just won’t budge. These same people go out and drink five or more drinks at least one to two nights a week. You might think–what’s the harm in a little social drinking? You should be allowed at least one “cheat” day a week where you can eat and drink whatever you want, right?

Alcohol contains calories (I promise—all alcohol contains calories!), 7 calories per gram to be exact and they add up quickly. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites that the average alcoholic beverage is 13.7 grams, or about 96 calories. (more…)

Posted on April 25, 2024 by GuestBlogger

How One Man Lost 15 Pounds on the McDonald’s Diet

This past Monday episode of The Rachael Ray Show featured a man who lost more than 15 pounds by consuming nothing but McDonald’s every day for one month. By eating only certain foods off the menu, Doug enacted the opposite of Super Size Me’s Morgan Spurlock who saw his health take a serious nosedive after doing a different Golden Arches Diet in his 2004 documentary. Doug’s successful diet was attributed to his smart choices and his daily exercise plan.

Rather than feast on Big Macs and Quarter-Pounders with cheese, Doug was very selective about what he ate and what he avoided. He created his own McDonald’s diet after a life-long battle with his weight. Once he turned 40 and after realizing that he had tried almost every diet on the market, Doug knew he had to make a change in his nutrition habits as he topped the scales at more than 200 pounds. (more…)

Posted on April 25, 2024 by heather

Top 10 Reasons We Fail at Dieting

Have you recently started a weight loss plan, and want to make sure you succeed? Then heed the warning in these ten reasons we typically fail diets. These are the most common pitfalls standing between you and a new pair of skinny jeans, or simply feeling healthier.

1. Not exercising enough — It’s a simple matter of calories in and calories out. If you consume more calories than you burn during the day you’ll have difficulty losing weight and will likely gain weight.

2. Feel metabolism is slowing down — The older you get the harder it becomes to lose weight. That’s why it is very important to start a healthy routine at an early age and maintain it throughout your life.

3. Splurge too often on favorite foods — It’s okay to have you favorite food every once in a while, but it should be a treat happening once every other week or month rather than every other day. (more…)

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Kinsey

Diet and Nutrition

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