Diet and Nutrition

5 Ways to Say No to Food This Holiday Season

We all have that one person in our life who refuses to take no for an answer. Perhaps it’s the office baker who simply can’t understand why you turn down her famous chocolate peanut butter pie. Or maybe it’s Great Aunt Helen who ends every visit with a care package of cinnamon rolls, somehow still warm yet you never saw her turn on the oven.

We all have a food pusher in our lives. They love us but don’t understand us. For them, food is the ultimate expression of love. For us it’s fuel, nothing more and nothing less.

This conflict is never as pronounced as it is during this festive time of year. Not only is food love, it’s tradition. It’s a gift. And it’s not easy to say no to a gift.

But to stay true to who we are and to keep our hard-earned fitness we have to learn to say no. You need to have a holiday defense strategy that includes ways to say no politely but firmly. Here are my top 5 ways to say no to food:

No, thank you. Simple and quick. No need for a detailed reason on why you refuse cake, just move on to the next topic of conversation. (more…)

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Pamela

Justin Bieber and Hayden Panettiere Ditch Their Vegetarian Diets Over Bad Attitudes and Low Energy

We usually hear about the crazy diets celebrities are on like the Baby Food Diet or the Master Cleanse Diet. Every now and then we’ll hear that a celebrity is actually on a healthy diet like the vegetarian or vegan diet. Many a star has stepped forward to denounce meat, fewer have denounced vegetarianism, putting two celebs in a unique hot seat.

Earlier this year, Justin Bieber tried to follow in his mentor’s footsteps (Usher) by eating an animal-free diet. When Bieber said that he would try a vegan diet, some of his devoted fans, known as “beliebers,” vowed to do the same. Well, Bieber is shocking the world today by ditching his vegan diet. According to Examiner.com, an insider said “Justin ordered a tofu steak and tempeh tacos from Real Food Daily in L.A. and was really grossed out. He made a big show of spitting out the food and making gagging noises.” Apparently friends and family of the pop star wanted him to start eating meat again because he started to become unpleasant to be around. Since Justin ditched his vegan diet, his ‘beliebers’ are following suit.

Or maybe, Bieber will make fans who are vegetarians go back to eating meat? (more…)

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Samantha

4 Ways to Beat the Resolution Rush!

By Chrissa Hardy for HelloGiggles.com

It’s strange that a day filled with giving thanks can end in regret, isn’t it? Yet every year, that’s the feeling I experience before I go to bed. And Thanksgiving is a mandatory day to over-indulge, so why do I torture myself with this annual guilt? It’s because I know that the over-indulging won’t end on Black Friday. Really, that’s just the beginning. From Thanksgiving until New Year’s Eve, we’re shopping, snacking, cooking, baking, noshing, drinking, dessert-ing and then digesting. We’re plagued with decorating, gift-buying, hosting parties, mingling at the parties of others and we’re trying to juggle all of these additional tasks on top of our normal hectic schedules.

We don’t even have time to ease out of our extra holiday “padding” before we need to squeeze into our snazziest cocktail attire and set goals to better our lives as the ball descends into the new year.

That is some serious pressure.

Wouldn’t you like to ring in the new year without the padding AND the guilt? I know I would. Here are four ways for you (and for me!) to stay on track through the holiday season and make your resolution list that much shorter and more manageable.

1. Get organized with to-do lists.

I make to-do lists for everything and I find that in times of chaos, creating these lists not only makes it possible for me to complete all of the necessary tasks, but it also calms me down. Seeing the big picture broken down into smaller, more manageable chunks is a stress-reliever. That goes for shopping lists down to dinner menus, and we’ve got 3 free meal planner worksheets you can download now. (more…)

Posted on November 27, 2023 by HelloGiggles

The Worst Holiday-Inspired Flavors from Pringles, Burger King, and Baskin Robbins

It seems like the holidays bring out some more unique flavors in our food. If you roam the aisles in the store right now you’ll easily find a pumpkin spice flavored version of many things, while others have released their limited edition peppermint or gingerbread flavors, too. While cookies and coffees make sense, we’re seeing these holiday flavors in some extraordinary places.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the holiday flavor rage is coming from Pringles, the potato chip company. For the 2024 holiday season you can find the tubes of chips in a Cinnamon and Sugar, White Chocolate Peppermint, or a Pumpkin Pie Spice flavor. Once you pop we hope you’ll be able to stop – a serving of 16 chips in the cinnamon and sugar or white chocolate flavors match the nutrition facts for their original with 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 2 grams of sugar.

Since those chips will probably leave you thirsty, why not wash them down with a Jones Soda? Every year the soda company releases the wildest holiday flavors. While nothing may ever top their Turkey and Gravy flavor that was first released in 1994, the annual sodas are typically a huge hit. This year the sodas are Gingerbread, Pear Tree, Candy Cane, and Sugar Plum. While we couldn’t find nutritionals for these seasonal flavors, we imagine it can’t be too far off the traditional options. A Jones Soda cream soda has 190 very empty calories and a shocking 48 grams of sugar! (more…)

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Lacy

3-Ingredient Strawberry Chia Seed Jam

If you’ve heard of chia seeds but are still unsure how to use them, this is the recipe for you. It’s a simple, 3-ingredient strawberry jam that’s so easy a kid could make it! Plus, it can be modified to suit your taste in just about every way, be it with different fruits or making it extra sweet, thick or thin.

I whipped this batch up one night last week and couldn’t wait to dig into it the next morning over some whole wheat toast. The result was perfect – thick, subtly sweet and not too tart. Plus, the chia seeds provided a subtle crunch and creamy thickness that I just adored. That’s the power of chia seeds – they absorb up to 10 times their weight in water, lending themselves perfectly to this jam.

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Posted on November 26, 2023 by Dana

How to Cook with Kale

Kale was a leafy green that I veered far away from as a kid. But now that I’ve matured and wised up to know that kale is one of the healthiest greens around, I’ve opted to include it in my diet a bit more often. For those only beginning to venture into the world of dark leafy greens, kale is a great place to start and often referred to as the “queen of greens” for its superior health benefits. There is a bounty of delicious recipes to pick from online (we share five below), most grocery stores and markets have it in stock, and it’s so diverse that chances are you’re bound to find at least one way to enjoy this nutritious green. 

Health benefits: For starters, kale – also known as borecole – is an amazing source of iron. In fact, it contains more per serving than beef, which is extremely beneficial as iron promotes cell growth, proper liver function, the formation of hemoglobin and enzymes, and also transports oxygen throughout the body, according to MindBodyGreen.

Kale is also high in vitamin K and C, fiber, and cancer-fighting antioxidants like carotenoids and flavonoids. In addition, one cup contains 10 percent of the recommended daily amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which help protect against arthritis, depression and autoimmune disorders, as well as promote heart health. (more…)

Posted on November 25, 2023 by Dana

The Ultimate Thanksgiving Leftovers Guide: 20 Delicious Recipes

The big day is over and you likely have a few containers of leftovers lying around your house. This could either mean you eat lots of the same thing over and over again for the next few days or you get creative and turn your turkey, sweet potatoes, and cranberries into something much more delicious than they were before.

We’ve rounded up 20 of our favorite recipes from around the web to help you utilize your Thanksgiving leftovers creatively and (mostly) healthfully. Let’s start with the most common leftover item of all: the bird.

Turkey
You can easily chop up leftover turkey and add it to a salad, vegetable soup or sandwich for a quick and easy source of protein. Try these creative and healthy recipes for a unique spin on your Thanksgiving bird. (more…)

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Dana

HealthBuzz November 23: Holiday Gift Guides, BestLife and DIR’s Holiday Survival Guide, and Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes

Take a break from your Black Friday shopping to catch up on some healthy news! This week’s headlines from DIR include our 2024 Holiday Gift Guides, AB Circle Pro Paying Millions in Refunds, and the Risks Muscle-Enhancement Supplements Pose on Teens. We also have news from our partners at Best Life, Care 2, Organic Consumer, and a recipe from the blog Nook and Pantry.

2024 Holiday Gift Guides: Shop and Win This Year’s Hottest Fitness and Foodie Gear

Having trouble finding a gift for a runner, gym rat or yogi? DietsinReview is here to help with your Christmas gift shopping dilemma. There’s even a chance for you to win some highly sought after items yourself! Scan the slide show and check out the details on how you can win the hottest fitness and foodie gear this holiday season.

AB Circle Pro Must Pay up to $25 Million in Refunds

Looks like another fitness company has to pay refunds to consumers for false advertising. AB Circle Pro users were promised they could lose 10 pounds in two weeks by using the machine. Clearly, this is not a realistic goal nor is it healthy for those who used the AB Circle Pro. If you purchased an AB Circle Pro make sure you get your refund as soon as possible! Check out the article for details. (more…)

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Samantha

Best Black Friday Deals for Fitness Gear

We’re only a few days out from the biggest shopping day of the year. That’s right, Black Friday is just two days away. Have you made your shopping list?

You probably never thought about the calories you burn during your Black Friday extravaganzas, but you should because it can actually be a beneficial workout to help burn off your Thanksgiving indulgences. A 140-pound person can burn up to 226 calories just by standing for three hours, and some of those door-buster lines will no doubt last that long. That same person can burn up to about 982 calories when shopping for five hours (this includes the average estimated standing time as well). Needless to say, going out on Black Friday could be a way to help burn off the estimated 3,000 calories we consume on Thanksgiving Day.

To reduce your chances of holiday weight gain even further, we combed through the Black Friday ads and found impressive deals on fitness gear, kitchen appliances, and more that will help you stay on track with you health and fitness goals.

Aspire Yoga Products: 25% off at Sports Authority. We’re giving away a yoga prize pack valued at $240!

Wieder 3-Piece Kettlebell Kit: Found at Sears for only $29, which saves you $20.

BodyFit Medicine Balls: BodyFit will be 50% off at Sports Authority

Sodastream Geness Soda Maker: With the purchase of this item at Target you will receive a $20 gift card. The flavors, which are sold individually, are also on sale for buy two flavors get one free. (more…)

Posted on November 22, 2023 by Danielle

3,000 Calories Await Americans on Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving is the number one food holiday in America and the day our calorie counts are the highest during the year. It’s not easy to control your portion sizes of your family’s favorite recipes, but one step to doing so is remembering that this holiday is not only about the food, it’s about giving thanks.

We thought you’d enjoy this infographic with fun Thanksgiving food facts to recognize the massive amount of calories we take in on this day so you can be mindful of what you’re eating. Slow down, enjoy the company you keep, and have a happy and healthy holiday!

Introduce some healthier Thanksgiving sides to your meal this year:

Turkey Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing

Roasted Candied Sweet Potato Casserole

Roasted Pear Gravy

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Calorie_Count

Running a Half Marathon Required to Burn off Thanksgiving Day Calories

So just how much running are you going to need to burn off your favorite Thanksgiving food? Generally, a 150-pound person running at an average pace will burn about 100 calories a mile. Here’s a breakdown of typical foods found on holiday menus and how long you’d have to run to burn them off.

Turkey – 6oz for 350 calories = 3.5 miles
Mashed Potatoes – ½ cup for 150 calories = 1.5 miles
Stuffing – ½ cup for 180 calories = 1.8 miles
Gravy – ½ cup for 180 calories = 1.8 miles
Cranberry Sauce – ½ cup for 190 calories = 1.9 miles
Rolls – 1 roll for 155 calories = 1.55 miles
Pumpkin Pie – 1 slice for 180 calories = 1.8 miles

You’ll need to run slightly more than a half marathon after Thanksgiving to burn off a standard meal, or 13.8 miles! In other words… yes, the workout is that important. If the stats are true that the average meal has us eating well above 3,000 calories, you’ll have to run further than a marathon to eat guilt free on Thursday.

This holiday is the biggest calorie bomb of the year, as Thanksgiving meals are known to be anywhere from 3,000 to 4,500 calories. While eating that much at one time is not recommended, it’s pretty much a given that there will be some over indulgence this Thursday. But, you don’t have to take these facts lying down, you could put on your running shoes and burn some serious calories and maybe some guilt, too. (more…)

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Lacy