- Which diet plan is the best?
With the holidays around the corner, the idea fitting into sparkly holiday outfit is starting to make some folks sweat. Many are tempted by diets that’ll help them lose 5 or 10 pounds in a flash. But is that really healthy or safe? U.S. News just released a new list of the healthiest diets, ranking the most popular diets from 1-20. You’ll want to give this a read.
What Are U.S. News Best Diets Rankings?
Many clients and friends ask me, “Which is the best diet?” That’s the million dollar question U.S. News set out to answer. To do so, they spent 6 months researching and analyzing 20 diets. In June, Twenty-two experts — medical doctors, dietitians, health educators — then rated each diet from 1 to 5 (5 being highest) in seven categories such as how easy it is to follow, short and long-term weight loss and its ability to prevent or manage heart disease or diabetes. Each diet was then ranked in 5 categories: Best Diets Overall, Best Weight Loss Diets, Best Diabetes Diets, Best Heart-Healthy Diets, and Best Commercial Diet Plans. You can see the results here. Today, US News added an additional category: The Best Diets for Healthy Eating.
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- Is it ever a good idea to take diet pills?
These various concoctions of vitamins, herbs, caffeine (and who knows what else) promise to shed pounds in the blink of an eye. Not only are these pills and potions too good to be true, they’re downright dangerous!
Dangers
Diet pills are some of the most dangerous supplements out there. They’re unregulated mixtures of bizarre ingredients and people tend to take them often and in large quantity quantities. We’ll remind you again – the supplement industry is poorly regulated and just because you can buy it over-the-counter doesn’t mean that it’s safe!
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- Will chewing a whole bunch make you lose weight?
One tactic some dieters use to shed pounds is chewing. They chomp each bite as many as 50 times before swallowing. Is chewing a legitimate was to shed pounds? We’ll delve into this longtime dieting strategy.
Chew On This
A 2011 article published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the chewing habits of obese verses lean men. Researchers found that after 40 chews, the men took about 12 percent fewer calories than after 15. Even though the obese men’s bites were smaller than the leaner men, the obese folks ate more calories overall. Although this study does show promise, we need to remember that there were only 30 total men tested (which isn’t very many).
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You may not realize it, but every day you make unconscious decisions about how you eat. Some healthy and some not-so-healthy. We’re revealing the top nutrition misconceptions people have and the truth behind the myths.
#1: You can never eat “junk” food
Some folks religiously stay away from all chocolate bars, chips, candy, cookies, cakes and other foods that are categorized as “junk”. They’ll skip the slice of birthday cake or a trip to the ice cream store with their kids. But food is part of our social nature and should be enjoyed. These types of foods can be part of a healthy eating plan. Knowing how to stay in control of your cravings and eating these foods sensibly is the trick.
#2: You should purchase a food because it claims to be “natural”
The term “natural” is so loosely defined by the government that you’ll find it on everything from cereal boxes to soda to packages of meat. You’re better off ignoring the word on any package and taking the time to read through the ingredients and nutrition information. Don’t be fooled into believing that natural means healthy.
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- The new MyPlate guide. Image courtesy ChooseMyPlate.gov.
In recent years, many have criticized the Food Guide Pyramid. Among the complaints: The guide is too confusing and doesn’t help Americans make better choices. On June 2nd, the USDA released its new shape for healthy eating, and it’s out with the pyramid and in with the plate. Take a peek at the new MyPlate design and get our take on what’s improved and what’s missing.
Get to know the new MyPlate food guide »
You’re trying really hard to eat healthy and exercise. Maybe you saw some results in the beginning or just aren’t seeing the numbers go down on the scale. Frustrated, you wonder: “Why the heck aren’t I losing weight?” Here are 10 reasons why you’re not seeing results.
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This non-profit weight-loss organization has been around for more than 60 years. If you haven’t heard of them, it’s about time you did. Read up on how you can Take Off Pounds Sensibly (a.k.a. TOPS).
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This diet worked for Valerie Bertinelli and Jason Alexander, but is Jenny Craig right for you? Here are some need-to-know details of this popular program.
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Lose weight by eating cookies? Really? Well, that’s what this diet claims. These days, there are a variety of “cookie diets,” but we focused on the original version created by Dr. Siegal 35 years ago.
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The Zone is what made that whole 40-30-30 calorie combination popular — that is, 40% of your calories come from carbs, 30% from fat and 30% from protein. This “magical” mix promises to lower risks for heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Here’s a closer look at the diet.
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