Diet and Nutrition

Belviq Hits the Market as an FDA Approved Diet Pill

Nearly a year after its FDA approval, Lorcaserin, more commonly known as Belviq, will be available to patients through prescription. Lorcaserin was the first diet pill to be approved by the FDA since Orlistat’s (Alli) approval in 1999, but it was beat to the market by Qsymia. Qsymia has been plagued by weak sales since it first appeared on the market 10 months ago. Arena, the company that sells Belviq, is hoping that their product does considerably better.

belviq pillsBelviq is approved for those who are obese, as well as those who are overweight with other serious health risks like diabetes. It works by targeting the serotonin receptors, specifically the 2C receptor, in the brain to help the patient feel full. This receptor is in the area of the brain associated with appetite control and metabolism.

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Take the Decaf Challenge and Enjoy More Health Benefits from Coffee

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

Need that morning cup of coffee or tea to “really” wake up? If so, you’ve developed a caffeine tolerance. That basically means that caffeine has lost its edge—instead of giving you an extra boost of energy, it simply brings you to the level where you’d be without caffeine. My caffeine conclusion: I have more energy overall without it.

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This isn’t just my own personal observation—research backs me up. Caffeine (coffee, tea, or caffeine pills) may offer an immediate spike in mood and alertness, but it doesn’t last. In fact, caffeine could make you feel little more tired and moody later in the day, according to research at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. (more…)

The Retrofit Team’s Live Google Hangout with a $500 Coupon

Watch live as we meet the Retrofit team and learn more about this revolutionary weight loss program that could help you lose 10 to 15 percent of your total body weight.

Jennifer Plotnek, LCSW-C, the Lead Behavior Coach, and Whitney Durbin, Director of Employee Engagement, join DietsInReview.com and special guest Margo Donohue of BrooklynFitChick to talk about their revolutionary, tech-savvy, results-driven weight loss plan.

This brief Q&A serves as an introduction to the Retrofit program to help you decide if their approach to weight loss is the best fit for your needs. How could it not be though? With a dedicated team of experts that include a dietitian, exercise physiologist, and a behavior coach, your one-year membership to Retrofit includes a customized weight loss plan that not only helps you achieve your goals now but sets you up for sustainable success. (more…)

Food Blogger Spotlight: Diane from The Canning Diva

The Canning Diva has a slogan, “Food is Art. Canning is my way of Preserving Art.” And boy, does she ever! Diane Devereaux the Canning Diva, may use a mason jar, but her idea of canning goes way beyond your grandmama’s jams and jellies.

Diane is a Michigan native who developed a love for gardening and canning in her early teens. The Canning Diva website is stylish and vibrant, providing all the information on food preservation you could ever want, plus, recipes, ideas for meal stretching and, if you live in the Michigan area, you can see Diane in person where she frequently hosts classes and provides live demonstrations. We asked her to tell us about her blog and she eagerly obliged.

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Greta Funk Lost Over 50 Lbs With Running and Portion Control

Greta Funk is a mother of four who runs multiple 5K races each year and stays busy chasing her brood across the plains of Kansas. To look at this busy mama, all feisty 5 foot 3 of her, you’d never know that at one time, she weighed just shy of 200 pounds. Through portion control, food tracking and consistent cardio workouts, Greta has managed to shed 51 pounds and keep it off.

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Through high school, Greta remembers being thin but said she noticed the pounds start to creep on when she started college. She gained the classic Freshman 15 and then once she started having babies, the pounds refused to budge. Poor eating habits added to the weight gain. “I was terrible about watching portion sizes or stopping when my brain was full,” she said.

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Britney Spears Flaunts Her Fit Yoga Body on Shape’s Cover

Britney Spears is always in the spotlight. Sometimes for her music, sometimes for her personal drama, and lately for her new body, something the pop star has dramatically changed with yoga.

britney spears yoga

The 31-year-old mother of two is preparing for her new Las Vega show, set to open in the fall. She recently told Shape magazine that she needed to be in shape to pull off that performance. Spears began working with her trainer and started the Nutrisystem program. The results have been impressive as Spears sported a very revealing bikini on the cover of Shape this month. (more…)

Kansas Farmer Sues Monsanto for GMO Wheat Crop Contamination

“We’ve fought them before and we’re not afraid of them.”

 Those are the words of Warren T. Burns, one of the attorneys representing a Kansas wheat farmer who is taking on the biotech giant Monsanto. According to the Associated Press, farmer Ernest Barnes filed suit against the company on Monday after genetically modified wheat was found growing in a field in Oregon. Barnes is claiming the company’s gross negligence has hurt U.S. growers. Genetically modified wheat is not approved for U.S. farming and this discovery may show that the GMO crops that were tested in certain states have infiltrated the food system by actually growing in the field where approved wheat is farmed.

gmo wheat

Since the announcement, Japan has suspended some import orders. This is just an indicator of what may happen if GMO wheat contaminates the American wheat crops. Other countries have strict laws about GMOs; more than 60 countries have banned GMOs and most do not want any products sent to their country if they contain GMOs. The wheat industry was still on the up and up, as no GMO wheat has been approved for U.S. farming. Now that it seems there’s been a contamination, who knows what will happen. (more…)

Avoid GMOs with These Summer Snacks

The non-GMO movement is gaining steam as more companies are pushing for better labeling of products that contain GMO labeling. Some are even declaring themselves completely free of GMOs. Ben and Jerry’s became the second major food company, after Whole Foods, to commit to only non-GMO products. They plan to work on the transition through the rest of the year and complete it in 2024.

Ben and Jerry'sSeveral Ben and Jerry’s flavors are already GMO free, including Chocolate, Vanilla, Cherry Garcia, and Mint Chocolate Chunk. That flavor list will slowly expand over the course of the year as ingredients are switched to non-GMO and Fairtrade Certified. Now that you can buy ice cream without having to worry about GMOs, why not try some other non-GMO snacks this summer? We’ve put together a list of some brands that are committed to great, natural food. (more…)

Baywatch Bodies Still Banging 20 Years Later

David Hasselhoff, famous for talking to a car and running on a beach, is 60-years old and has never looked better. OK, that’s not entirely true, but the actor/German pop star looks pretty svelte for a senior citizen.

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Hasselhoff had a resurgence of fame in the late aughts when a series of drunken scandals landed him in the news. But today, the Hoff has cleaned up his act and is riding the health wave. A long time exercise fanatic, Hasselhoff has sworn off alcohol and adopted a balanced diet and lifestyle.

In an interview with The Daily Meal, Hasselhoff said that his usual breakfast is chock full of fruit, along with a more conventional breakfast. He described, “Three poached eggs, wheat toast and sliced tomatoes,” as typical. “On Sundays, I splurge and enjoy bagels, lox and cream cheese, capers, onions, and tomatoes,” he said. The Hoff also admitted that if he ever craves a snack, carrot sticks, mushrooms, and celery are his staples. For dinner, it’s all about grilled chicken, fish, and sauceless pasta for Hasselhoff, who also drains five quarts of water a day.

Hasselhoff’s early afternoon power nap gives him the energy for his daily workout, which helps ease anxiety and stress. (more…)

Lose Weight, Win Big: How to Set Up a Successful Weight Loss Competition

By Team Best Life

There’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition now and then. In fact, in a recent study from researchers at the Mayo Clinic, people who received a cash reward for meeting their weight loss goals were more likely to stick with it and ended up peeling off more pounds than those who were offered no prizes. The competition offers both accountability and support. And of course, the allure of an award doesn’t hurt.

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Thinking about starting your own weight loss competition? Use these tips to get going:

Recruit a group. Ask friends, neighbors, co-workers or even virtual buddies on Facebook or Twitter to join in. There’s no limit to the amount of participants. If you end up with a large group, you can always separate it into sub-groups (by gender, age, weight loss goals, and so on). (more…)

3D Food Printers Backed by NASA Could End World Hunger

Imagine sitting at your computer telling a program what you want to eat and how many calories you want your meal to have, then hitting print and feasting on a pizza from your 3D printer. It’s not one of Willy Wonka’s prototypes, but a legitimate concept being developed by mechanical engineer Anjan Contractor and NASA.

nasa 3d food printer

Contractor’s company, Systems & Materials Research Corporation, was recently awarded a six-month, $125,000 grant to develop the sci-fi printer, which could help eliminate food waste and worldwide hunger. The new technology could also help provide a sustainable food source for lengthy space missions, as the printer’s ingredients will have a shelf life of up to 30 years. It works by synthesizing a meal one layer at a time, using proteins, carbohydrates, oils, water, and powdered foodstuff.

Mechanically engineered food seems like a counterintuitive concept considering the prevalence of foodies and food porn, but Contractor thinks we need to change our perception of what we see as food. Experts agree the earth’s population will reach full capacity toward the end of this century, topping off at a standing room only 12 billion people. “I think, and many economists think, that current food systems can’t supply 12 billion people sufficiently,” said Contractor. (more…)