Diet and Nutrition

Major Food Brands Adopt New Smart Choices Logo

Some of the nation’s largest food and beverage companies are implementing a common nutritional standard and using a universal logo on packaging to denote healthier foods in our grocery aisles, which they are hoping will help consumers identify and purchase healthier foods. This logo and packaging are part of the Smart Choices Program, which is expected to hit our grocery stores the middle of next year.

This logo will appear on the front of the products’ packaging and will include the Smart Choices logo, a check mark, the calories per serving and number of servings in the package. The Smart Choices Program logo signifies foods that limit unhealthy ingredients and feature healthy ones.

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Posted on December 10, 2023 by Kinsey

Rate Your Physical Activity

Being active is very important and requires a huge commitment to find time every day to exercise. I am going to have you rate your physical activity on a daily basis. The physical activity guidelines state that an individual should exercise at least thirty minutes a day for three to five days a week. That is just a guideline though; recommendations for physical activity are as follows: forty-five to sixty minutes of exercise for five to six days a week.

These guidelines and recommendations are tough to achieve and will definitely take a lifestyle change if you have not already done so. The daily rating scale is as follows:

Each day is worth 20 points:

  • If you exercise for an hour you get 20 points
  • If you exercise for forty-five minutes you get 15 points (more…)
Posted on December 10, 2023 by Matt

America Votes for the Biggest Loser Finalists

UPDATE: Vote for Biggest Loser 7 Finalists Ron or Mike.

Who would have thought Heba and Ed would have to go head-to-head to gain a position in the finale? It’s also not much of a surprise that Ed campaigned for his wife. Will it work?

We’re curious, who will you vote for? Make sure to cast your vote at NBC.

[poll id=”8″]

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Posted on December 9, 2023 by Natalie K

Oprah Tips Scales at 200 Pounds, Again

If there’s one thing that women will not divulge, it’s the number on the scale. But Oprah isn’t your average woman.

She’s one of the most powerful and successful women on the planet. But if there’s one thing that Oprah has had trouble with in her life, it’s her weight. She’s notoriously yo-yoed over the years, and now she’s actually being very candid in saying that she is tipping the scales at 200 pounds again.

She slimmed down to 160 pounds in 2006. But in the upcoming January issue of O magazine, Oprah is spilling the beans on her recent 40-pound weight gain: “Yes, you’re adding correctly. That means the dreaded 2-0-0,” Oprah admits. (more…)

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Jason

Biggest Loser Ed Shares His Thai Turkey Wraps Recipe

During last week’s episode of Biggest Loser, Ed and Heba prepared Thai Turkey Wraps as a thank you for their trainer, Bob Harper. It looked so good, and Bob’s reaction to the scrumptious dish made all of you hungry for the recipe. So, a big shout out and gracious thank you to Ed Brantley for sharing his personal recipe with all of us at DietsInReview.com.

Ingredients

  • 1 package ground turkey
  • 1 clove of chopped garlic
  • 1 tsp. of minced fresh ginger
  • 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
  • 1 carrot, peeled and minced
  • 6 scallions, finely chopped
  • 7 sprigs cilantro chopped
  • 4 limes, juiced
  • Sriacha chili sauce (can be purchased at a local Asian market or international food section in the grocery)
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
  • 1 red bell pepper finely diced
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and julienned
  • 1 head Boston lettuce
  • 1/4 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts

Instructions

  1. Brown turkey, place in refrigerator to cool.
  2. Once cool, mix all ingredients (except: pepper, cucumber, lettuce and peanuts) in a bowl.
  3. Allow to marinate overnight, or 3-4 hours for best taste.
  4. Serve mixture in lettuce cups with cucumber, pepper and peanuts for garnish.
Posted on December 9, 2023 by Natalie K

Have Yourself a Healthy Little Holiday

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.

It’s only the second week of December, and you may already be concerned about the possibility of a calorie-laden month ahead.  For some, Halloween candy may have started an extra month of unplanned eating; for others, Thanksgiving may have been the official kickoff of the “it’s-the-holidays-so-I-might-as-well-splurge” mentality.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.  In fact, many of our successful Jenny Craig clients began their weight loss journeys specifically at this time of year. These people chose to not just survive the holidays — but to thrive all year long.  And you can too!  It may not always be easy (we all know holiday temptations are all around us), but with a can-do attitude and a healthy, weight loss mindset, you can start taking control of your weight and your health today. (more…)

Posted on December 9, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Angry Kids Pep Up With Exercise

Being a kid is tough. You’re dealing with puberty and peer pressure. It can all be so overwhelming. And sometimes those pressures can manifest themselves as anger.

Parents know all too well how kids can huff and puff, slam doors, or fight with siblings as an outlet for their frustrations. To compound things, overweight kids may be more susceptible to bullying, which in turn can make them more volatile.

Now, researchers have found that the best way to ease anger is by exercise. Exercise is known to help improve mood and reduce hostility in adults, so why not with kids? And if children are happier and calmer, they are sure to be less hostile.

“It may help children control their anger, and that might be because they’re in a better mood because they don’t get angry as much,” says Dr. Catherine L. Davis of the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, the lead researcher on the study.

The proof came in two of three controlled groups of kids who were given 20 minutes of daily exercise, or 40 minutes of exercise for 10 to 15 weeks. The more a child’s fitness increased, the greater his or her anger was reduced.

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Jason

Interview with Creator of The Reverse Diet, Tricia Cunningham

Most people who’ve experienced a significant life change can tell you their exact “ah-ha” moment. That single moment where an event or something within you determines that it’s time to do what’s necessary to better your life. Tricia Cunningham had one of those, but she calls it her “reverse moment.” Tricia was overweight, weighing 292 pounds at her last doctor’s appointment, but she guesses at one point she had to have crossed over into the 300s. She’d been in a lifelong weight battle, and was only in her 20s. As a child she was a victim of abuse, as well as what she calls “second-hand ignorance,” in which families pass on unhealthy food choices and dietary patterns to younger generations.

One morning nearly ten years ago this mother of two had her “reverse moment” and decided to flip everything she knew about eating. Dinner became breakfast, breakfast became dinner, and for lunch she had a small sensible meal. The weight started coming off. Tricia says she didn’t incorporate much exercise, maybe some light walking. For the past eight years she’s maintained her 170 pound weight loss.

Her success was so remarkable that she shares her plan in the book The Reverse Diet. She teaches people how to reverse the second-hand ignorance that she feels is responsible for much of the obesity in our country and introduces her “no excuses, solutions only” way of thinking.

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Posted on December 8, 2023 by Natalie K

Nintendo DS Delivers Cooking Lessons and Healthy Recipes

Personal Trainer: Cooking is one of the latest innovations by game giant, Nintendo. Featuring your own private chef, via the hand-held Nintendo DS system, you’ll be walked though almost 250 recipes from around the world. It’s kind of like having your favorite chef from The Food Network to interact with and instruct how to prepare a sumptuous meal from your own kitchen.

Personal Trainer: Cooking has a few super cool features that deserve to be highlighted.

  • Create Your Own Shopping List: As you browse though the recipes, you can select and then store the ingredients you’ll need to purchase from the grocery store on your DS. Just take your DS with you and instantly access your shopping list. (more…)
Posted on December 8, 2023 by heather

8 Ways to Fight the Flu

Flu season is here and it is nearly impossible to avoid catching the cold. I have come up with a few ways to help you prevent this from happening. I am definitely a germ-a-phobe and pretty much go to the extreme when it comes to touching rails, door handles, or even shaking hands. I avoid touching rails whenever possible and use paper towels to turn or open door handles. I like to wash my hands every hour while at work and I encourage you to do so as well. Proper diet, sleep, and exercise will also help lower the chances of you catching the cold bug. Eating a variety of foods such as fruits, veggies, meats, dairy, and grains will provide your body with the proper minerals and nutrients to help protect and fight against the flu.

So, while working out, I encourage you to:

1. Wash your hands every 10 to 15 minutes

2. Wipe down and disinfect the machines after using them

3. If there is hand sanitizer available, use it whenever possible

4. Use paper towels to open door handles

5. Avoid touching rails on stairs

6. Eat a well balanced diet

7. Get enough sleep

8. Work-out consistantly

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Matt

Managing Stress through the Holiday Season

Thanksgiving is over and we are now full swing into “the holiday season.” Although many people find this to be a jolly and joyous time of the year in which everyone is a bit friendlier (Black Friday shopping excluded) and filled with thoughtfulness for family and friends, many others find it to be a time of additional stress and look forward to the general quiet of the new year. Stress can increase during the holiday season due to a variety of factors.

There is more to do, shopping lists of purchases to be made, halls to deck and trees to trim, family recipes and holiday treats to bake, and seasonal activities to attend. It seems everyone is doing more, so there are more people on the roads and in the stores, creating traffic, road rage, and sometimes fender benders. The majority of our more-to-do also creates more to spend. As the weather turns colder, you may be spending more to heat your home or even on gas if you choose to drive more than walk. Our calendars and checkbooks are two parts of our lives that cause the most distress. (more…)

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Brooke Randolph