Diet and Nutrition

McDonald’s Revamping ‘Dollar Menu’ To Include $5 Items

McDonald’s recently announced it’s toying with the idea of revamping their Dollar Menu to include other price points up to and including five dollars. If the new menu is adopted, the Extra Value Menu would then be eliminated. Now, even their cheap food just got more expensive. This menu switcheroo begs the question, “Why are people still eating fat food – err, fast food, when they could eat healthy for the same price?”

The new offering retitled, “Dollar Menu & More” is currently being tested in five U.S. markets. New prices on the list would include $1, $2 and $5 items. The specific foods slated to be featured on the experimental value menu have not been released but Neil Golden, chief marketing officer for McDonald’s, hinted that more chicken would be included, as well as burgers with extra patties, and the addition of other toppings including bacon. You mean if I want more food, I have to pay more money? Ronald McDonald, you sly devil, you.

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Posted on September 7, 2024 by Dani Stone

Wealth is Health: Poorest States Trend Highest for Obesity, Cancer, and Poor Dental Health

As Americans, we’re competitive people. It’s in our blood. Speaking of blood and competition, a recently released infographic breaks down state by state statistics in categories like obesity, dental health, STDs, cancer rates, and several other quaint reminders of life’s frailty. Thanks to the Top Masters in Health Care—who meticulously compiled the data—you can now see how much better your state is compared to the other union territories! Naturally, we are most concerned with the obesity and health related numbers, and after a quick look, we noticed a disturbing trend. The statistical data suggested that obesity, loss of teeth and cancer were all closely correlated. How could this be? (more…)

Posted on September 6, 2024 by Patrick

The 5:2 Fast Diet Cookbook Makes Up for Lack of Credentials and Calories with Inspired Recipe Ideas

The 5:2 Fast Diet Cookbook by Samantha Logan is just that, a cookbook. If you’re not familiar with the popular 5:2 fasting diet craze, you won’t find much supporting information in this book to guide you, but you will find 150 low-calorie healthy recipes to supplement the program. The author created the cookbook after she adopted an intermittent fasting lifestyle and lost 30 pounds.

The 5:2 fasting diet mentioned in this book and countless others on the market is based on the principle that intermittent fasting, “actually helps you reset your metabolism and rev up your body’s fat-burning ability.” On the diet, men and women are asked to restrict their calorie consumption on two nonconsecutive days per week and then eat as they normally would on the other five. On non-fasting days if the dieter wants to eat high calorie foods the author advises them to, “Go for it,” but then later encourages people to, “Make smart food choices,” so the takeaway is a bit vague.

While the author bears no credentials, it’s disappointing that she didn’t go the extra mile to describe the diet in more detail or provide statements from a doctor, nutritionist or registered dietitian regarding the efficacy of the program or the scientific data behind it.

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Posted on September 6, 2024 by Dani Stone

5 Treats That Last! Stay Satisfied by Enjoying Them Longer

By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., lead nutritionist for The Best Life

How long does it take you to eat a cookie or a chocolate bar? Maybe 30 seconds? You’re left feeling like you could have about five more before you even start to feel full. While I love those treats—and do indulge in them—I alternate them with low-calorie sweets that I can savor for longer. Here are some of my favorites, ranging from 125 to 165 calories.

Biscotti dipped in tea. I just had one, in fact, and timed myself: Nearly four minutes! Dip the tip of the cookie, let it cool a little, bite, chew (chewing takes even longer if it contains nuts, as my 125-calorie chocolate hazelnut variety did), have a sip or two of tea, repeat. They’re not hard to make, as you can see from this Chocolate Dried Cranberry recipe.

Homemade strawberry shortcake. I slice a 3-inch square piece of store-bought cornbread in half lengthwise, spread each piece with strawberry jam (about a teaspoon total) and slather on 1/3 cup 0 percent Greek yogurt mixed with a teaspoon of honey. Then I top the pieces with 1/3 cup strawberries. I haven’t timed myself, but this must take at least twice as long to eat as a cookie. (more…)

Posted on September 5, 2024 by BestLifeDiet

‘Eat, Drink, Vote’ Slams Corporate Food Politics Through Cartoons

Despite the dedicated work of doctors, bloggers, and health professionals everywhere, America remains one nation overweight. As we become more and more entrenched in a full fledged war against obesity, maybe the cartoonists will save us all. At least that’s what acclaimed diet and nutrition expert Marion Nestle hopes will happen with the release of her ninth book, “Eat, Drink, Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Food Politics.”

After a life time of publishing pointed literature on the subject of food politics, Nestle thought the humor of cartoons was the perfect medium. With over 250 of Nestle’s favorite food cartoons, she hopes to deliver cheeky and insightful criticisms at the food industry and its politics. She told USA Today that comics relay “complicated conceptual information at a glance, and if they are good, make it funny, sharp, ironic, and sometimes even sarcastic.” Our resident nutrition expert Mary Hartley, RD has followed Nestle’s career with great interest, and believes the lightheartedness of cartoons fit perfectly with Nestle’s sense of humor.

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Posted on September 5, 2024 by Patrick

Food Blogger Spotlight: Camila of Como Come Cami

The first thing you notice when you visit Como Come Cami is the text. Unless you’re lucky enough to be bilingual you might not understand at first but don’t panic, just scroll. Scroll down the page and you’ll find the Spanish text has been translated to English so you won’t miss a thing. Born in Argentina, Como Come Cami founder, Camila Jurado started traveling when she was 10 years old. She’s lived in Honduras and Buenos Aries but she graduated from a college in Savannah, Georgia. I’d love to know if her Spanish accent took on a southern twang.

Camila created her vegetarian-inspired blog to connect with other vegans and share the creative recipes she’s gathered from her travels. More about Camila and Como Come Cami:

Why did you start your food blog? I always liked cooking but became more passionate about healthy foods and ingredients once I became a vegetarian. I started this site with the idea of sharing healthy recipes and travel with a vegetarian approach. I love traveling, discovering new ingredients, buying vintage plates, reading cookbooks and taking photos.

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Posted on September 1, 2024 by Dani Stone

Marielle Doughty Lost 113 Pounds and Continues To Embrace the Journey

Marielle Doughty is one of the most positive women I’ve ever interviewed for our True Weight Loss segment. Time and time again she mentioned that although losing 113 pounds hasn’t been easy, she never considered it a struggle. Through the process she’s met new friends, learned how to cook in a different way, and found physical activities she truly enjoys participating in. Through her weight loss journey, she discovered it’s easier to embrace healthy lifestyle changes than consider them a burden.

We asked Marielle to share her story with us:

Tell us when your weight struggles began. It all began when I got married and learned how to cook. I found out that love to cook and I love food!

What habits specifically led you to gain weight? My love of cooking and my addiction to sugar. I also became a stay at home mom and didn’t stay active at all.

What caused you to realize you needed to change? Every year I would usher at my kids’ dance recital and come home every night with sore feet. One year two thoughts came to me almost simultaneously: 1- It feels like we were just here last week, not a whole year ago. 2- If I had made small lifestyle changes a year ago, my feet wouldn’t hurt as much. It was a light bulb moment for me. I started my journey the day after the last dance show and a year later I ushered again, 97 pounds lighter, and I didn’t get sore feet.

How did you lose weight? I used the Zumba diet to start. I chose it because it doesn’t cut out food groups, it teaches portion control and healthy habits instead of being a diet that has a finish line. I wanted to learn how to eat healthy, not get to a specific goal weight. The recipes were yummy too. I still love to cook – I just know how to make better choices.

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Posted on August 31, 2024 by Dani Stone

Octavia Spencer Sues Sensa for $700,000 After Sponsorship Goes Sour

The proverbial chocolate pie is hitting Sensa in the face, magic diet sprinkles and all. Octavia Spencer, the actress who won an Oscar for her performance in “The Help,” is suing the weight loss company Sensa for alleged fraud and breach of contract. Sensa markets tiny crystals called “tastants,” designed to be sprinkled on all types of food with the intention of making the eater feel fuller faster, thus eating less. It’s supposed to be automatic portion control, and when Spencer lost five pounds on the stuff last August, a $1.25 million sponsorship deal quickly materialized, tastants fall as they may.

But as with all sponsorships, marketing campaigns hinge on a fickle balance of popularity and exposure, and Sensa decided Spencer wasn’t exactly a trending topic. The company wasn’t pleased with the lackluster social media response generated by Spencer’s dimming star, and began to find a way out of the contract. (more…)

Posted on August 30, 2024 by Patrick

The Aaron Rodgers Burger – Nobody Should Tackle This Gut Bomb

The National Football League, the most profitable and popular professional sports league in America, kicks off regular season play in less than a week. Six years ago, the NFL put its massive appeal to good use, founding the Play 60 program to tackle childhood obesity and encourage a more active generation of children. Most NFL media coverage is centered around head injuries, Fantasy Football, murder charges and twitter rants, but the league continues to make strides fighting the obesity epidemic with national activities for kids. However, when a few members of the Green Bay Packers had the opportunity to design their own hamburger recipes to be sold at Curly’s Pub in Lambeau field on game days, they did not have health on the brain and undermined the efforts of Play 60.

While Play 60 aims to get children to play for 60 minutes a day, anyone who eats the Aaron Rodgers burger will need to play for 120 minutes after they wake up from their food coma. The Aaron Rodgers burger does not come with an artery brush, but it should. Here’s what you get: bacon, swiss and havarti cheese, avocado, pickles, jalapeno, onion rings, mayo, ranch, and PEANUT BUTTER—all with a side of fresh Wisconsin cheese curds. Just like mom used to make—if she hated you. Peanut butter is a trending burger topping, but next to ranch, mayo, and avocado, it seems like a flavor rainbow from hell. (more…)

Posted on August 29, 2024 by Patrick

The Piccolo Chef Cookbook Redefines Kid Food

I get really annoyed when I hear people talk about “kid food.” Typically this refers to some lower quality version of food that’s morphed into playful shapes or dyed some ridiculous bright color. “Food” that’s somehow okay for little growing bodies to eat, but not grown adults. That’s nonsense. If it’s junk, it’s junk. If you won’t eat it, or “shouldn’t” eat it, neither should your kids. Give up the lie that fun food has to be unhealthy, it’s not true. And please, for the love of Pete, feed your kids food, real food.

I was pleased as punch to flip through the pages of a new cookbook called, “The Piccolo Chef. Healthy cooking with your kids.” Mothers, Tina Fanelli Moraccini and Lillian Palmieri share the vision that healthy cooking should be easy and appealing to children and adults alike. They started the Piccolo Chef cooking school in Los Angeles to encourage children and teenagers to appreciate real food and quality ingredients. This new cookbook is birthed out of their cooking philosophy and belief that the kitchen is a great place for families to bond, even today’s busy families.

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Posted on August 28, 2024 by Lacy

Everything You Need to Know About Shopping Local, Natural and Organic

Quick! What are the standards for organic foods? Can a food be some combination of natural, organic and local? According to research done by Sullivan Higdon and Sink and produced in “A Fresh Look at Organic and Local,” Sullivan Higdon & Sink FoodThink, 2024, if you aren’t sure about the answer to those questions, you’re in good company. Only about 44 percent of consumers say they understand the requirements for a food to be considered organic.

Why Shoppers Go Local, Organic and Natural.

Explore more infographics like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.

For the 54 percent who is still in the dark, the USDA defines organic as “a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods. These methods integrate cultural, biological and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation and genetic engineering may not be used.”

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Posted on August 27, 2024 by Elizabeth

Diet and Nutrition

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