Diet and Nutrition

Sugar as Addictive as Cocaine and Heroin?

A new study has shown a relation between sugar and addiction. This study, conducted at Princeton University, has found evidence of how sugar affects brain functions the same way as cocaine and heroin do. Bart Hoebel, Princeton psychology professor, conducted this research by examining how sugar effects the brains of rats. The researchers were able to find that a sugar binge alters brain function and fuels the desire for more sweets. These alterations closely resemble the functions of a brain addicted to cocaine or heroin. When sugar was denied, the same withdrawal psychological and physical symptoms were seen in the sugar deprived rats just like the cocaine and heroin deprived rats. (more…)

Posted on December 16, 2023 by Kinsey

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Holiday Eating

This month, we’re pleased to have Molly Wangsgaard join us in the Diet Blog as our Featured Guest Blogger. Molly is a Corporate Dietitian and Program Development Manager for Jenny Craig, Inc., and will be sharing some helpful strategies on how to maintain your healthy eating and exercise behaviors during this tempting time of year.

Whether it’s co-worker cookie swaps, cocktail parties or your grandmother’s homemade apple pie, this time of year is filled with seemingly endless temptations. All of these mouthwatering treats can make it very enticing to abandon your healthy eating behaviors.

Now, more than ever, is the time to remain committed and continue the positive lifestyle changes you’ve already made. And with some helpful eating strategies, you can do just that!

Eat Breakfast. You may be tempted to skip breakfast and “save” all your calories for the big feast. Doing this will make you more likely to overeat. If you eat breakfast and a light lunch, you should only be mildly hungry by the time the big meal arrives. This will enable you to make mindful, moderate choices. (more…)

Posted on December 16, 2023 by Natalie K

Don’t Fall Victim to a Fad Diet – Know What to Look For

It’s getting to be that time of the year… diet season. Right now decorations are going up and people are getting festive by baking and sharing holiday treats for all to enjoy. Right now you aren’t even thinking about being healthy or following your weight loss plan, instead you’re enjoying the plethora snacks.

The truth is, it could save you a few extra pounds to lose with your New Year’s resolution by not overdoing it right now and staying focused. Honestly, this is a rarity and too many of us fall into temptation. So, I want to help you remember a few things when trying to lose weight. My biggest advice would be to avoid fad diets. How do you know if you are falling into a fad diet? (more…)

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Kinsey

“Please Secure Your Own Mask Prior to Assisting Children”

“Please secure your own oxygen mask prior to assisting children or others.” Most of us have heard a flight attendant recite these words as part of their safety spiel prior to departure. Before anyone starts to argue that this is just one more thing the airlines have wrong, I am going to tell you why these words are exactly on target, both in the air and in your every day life.

According to the airlines, if the cabin loses pressure, you will have a mere 18 seconds of “useful consciousness”. If one does lose consciousness due to depressurization, they have three to seven minutes in which to be revived before suffering any lasting consequences. So it is safer for the child traveling with you to lose consciousness momentarily while you ensure your own ability to revive and continue caring for the child, than for you to ensure he or she remains conscious at the risk that you lose consciousness, leaving the child unable to revive you. (more…)

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Brooke Randolph

The Hottest (or Not) Newest Super Foods

It seems that each week we are introduced to a new Super Food that promises to protect us from any ailment, ache or pain all the while adding years to our life. While many of these Super Foods are familiar to us like blueberries and green tea, there is a whole category that come from distant tropical lands and sport funny names, textures and tastes.

Mangosteen - Super Food

Mangosteen - Super Food

Three new recently-lauded Super Foods are Goji berries, Mangosteen and Noni. Here is a quick look at all three of these and how they compare to the common, but equally powerful, Vitamin C-packed orange.

Gogi berries: These bite-sized reddish berries are somewhat like a raisin in appearance and texture: small, wrinkled and chewy. Gogi berries come from China and Tibet where they have been used for thousands of years to improve eye sight, promote liver function and add to overall health and longevity. Folklore has it that a Chinese man named Li Qing Yuen consumed goji berries daily and lived to be 252 years old (a rather undocumented claim). (more…)

Posted on December 13, 2023 by heather

What Can Exercise Do For Me?

What can exercise do for me? What a popular question this is; how many answers can you come up with? One, two, five, twenty-five? Honestly, there are so many benefits of exercise that it is nearly impossible to name them all. What is the definition of exercise? Well to me, exercise means any activity that requires physical or mental exertion, especially when performed to develop or maintain fitness. Exercise not only increases physical fitness, but helps increase mental strength and fitness as well.

Exercising is great for the body on so many levels it’s not even funny. It helps strengthen the heart, the mind, and the body. There are two categories of exercise; one of which being aerobic and another being anaerobic. Anaerobic refers to the type of exercise that does not need or use oxygen. This type of exercise usually consists of short powerful bouts such as a tennis serve or a sprint. The second category of exercise is aerobic, which means “with oxygen”. An example of this would be longer, but less intense bouts of exercise. This type of exercise usually consists of a fitness step class or a three mile jog. Both of which are great for the body.

The benefits of exercise are:

  • Reduces the risk of premature death
  • Improves sleep patterns (more…)
    • Posted on December 13, 2023 by Matt

    Cereal: The Healthy Way to Kick off Your Day

    Kellogg’s Special K cereal is the best known attempt to market cereal as a diet food. Now, I doubt that most professional nutritionists worth their salt would recommend cereal as two meals a day for a serious answer to your long-term weight loss goals. But that’s not to say it should be discounted as a healthy food option that can and should be a regular part of your diet.

    Cereal, especially those with a formidable amount of fiber, can be a great way to start your day, and avoid premature hunger pangs before lunch. I, for one, enjoy cereal… even if it’s as an evening sweet snack. It’s usually a better choice than other sweet tooth solutions. (more…)

    Posted on December 12, 2023 by Jason

    Acai Berry is the Most Absorbed Fruit

    Recent research has added another gold medal to the already lauded acai berry. Researchers have shown that this tiny purple Brazilian berry is, to date, the fruit that is better absorbed by the body than any other fruit because of its superior antioxidant content. The data shows that similar to Vitamin C, more is not always better. When consumed in excess, the disease-fighting compounds of the acai berry will be excreted once the body absorbs and uses what it actually needs. Since the acai berry is still a relatively new phenomenon in the U.S., health experts have not yet determined the appropriate acai consumption required to get the most powerful punch of antioxidants.

    If you’re wondering if the pulp or juice version of acai is working better for you, don’t worry. According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, both forms have been shown to be absorbed by your body in equal porportions. So go ahead and sip your smoothie or acai juice with gusto, but don’t go overboard.

    Posted on December 12, 2023 by heather

    Horse Racing: An Unlikely Victim of Child Obesity

    There’s a potential victim of childhood obesity that I bet you would have never considered: the horse racing industry.

    Really? Childhood obesity is so pervasive, that it threatens the ability of race horse owners to find viable jockey.

    According to Deborah Butler, a British college tutor and stable lad (a person who looks after the horses in a racing stable), found that a dwindling amount of teenagers are light enough or eager to take on the manual work of looking after horses. (more…)

    Posted on December 11, 2023 by Jason

    Be a Healthy Role Model for Your Children

    Another technique used to encourage life change is Environmental Reevaluation, which combines both emotional and cognitive assessments of how a personal habit affects those around you, as well as the understanding that you are a role model for others. We are not always aware of who is watching what we do, but there is always someone whether it is a child (even if not your own), a boss, or a potential client.

    For parents it is hugely important to remember that the old saying “do what I say, not what I do” will never work. Children pattern themselves after what is modeled for them. If they see you doing otherwise, they are most likely to learn that those behaviors (whatever they may be) are simply a privilege of being an adult. (more…)

    Posted on December 11, 2023 by Brooke Randolph

    DietsInReview.com Diet Awards 2024

    For the first time we’re honoring 10 sites in the DietsInReview.com Diet Awards. Each of these sites share a common thread – a desire to help people live healthy lives. That’s what drives DietsInReview.com everyday, and we know it’s a priority for all of them, too. We selected a winner and a runner-up in each of five categories: Best Diet Blog, Best Healthy Recipe Blog, Best Fitness Blog, Best Diet Community, Best Health Site.

    Please join us in congratulating each of these sites and the talented people behind each of them. Without further ado, the 2024 winners are:

    Best Diet Blog

    Winner: DozenDiets.com
    For Joel’s 2024 New Year’s Resolution, he resolved to lose weight this year, and to do so tried a different diet during each month of the year. He was able to capture the entire dieting experience over the course of a year. He’s currently following 8 Minutes in the Morning, and has completed Weight Watchers, South Beach Diet, Hydroxycut and eight others.

    Runner-Up: RonisWeigh.com
    A few years ago Roni was a new mom, had a full-time job and was trying to lose weight. She blogged her Weight Watchers journey, and developed a loyal following of fellow dieters. She’s completely candid, divulging everything from her two tummy tucks to triumphs in the gym. Roni’s site is a friendly place on the Web where you’ll find a real woman, facing real challenges, sharing her successes (and even hurdles) in a very real way.

    (more…)

    Posted on December 11, 2023 by Natalie K