Guest blogger Rob Cohn is an ACE certified personal trainer from the Los Angeles area. He has many years of personal experience with emotional eating and recovery from a binge eating disorder and is passionate about helping other people deal with their emotional eating with guidance and support. You can read more on Rob from his own personal blog.

I will never forget when I was 13, I was astonished how my uncle stayed so thin and he never finished what was on his plate. I remember saying to him, “How do you know when you are full?” He replied, “I eat until I am satisfied and then stop.” I remember thinking, “What are you talking about?” I have never understood that concept and I still don’t. I am a member of the “Clean Plate Club.” I feel like I have been out of touch with my body for a very long time, about 30 years since I was 13 when my mother passed away.

So, you want to get your kids moving, and you’re looking for someone to inspire them. Would you consider an aquatic animal?

The New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center in Boston, Massachusetts has a new program aptly titled “Move It!” to help kids get some exercise, and a little fun with seals while they’re at it.

Five northern fur seals will be featured in a new exhibit at the New England Aquarium. The seals can run on their flippers and dart around the water at great speeds. But how exactly does this entice kids to get active?

While most barbecue fare gets a bum rap for being loaded with fat, excess sodium and calories, this Fourth of July, why not grill up your favorite outdoor eats with calorie-free but super flavorful spices?

Recent research has shown that spices like turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper and countless others contain specific compounds that may help to stave off diseases. Here’s your guide to the best grilling spices to give your July 4th feast more nutritious flare!

Turmeric: Numerous studies have linked turmeric to reducing inflammation, lowering cholesterol, and preventing and treating cancer cell growth. Curcumin, the substance in turmeric that gives it its trademark yellow color, is the magic compound behind most of these health benefits. To get the benefits of turmeric, add a few dashes to your Fourth of July potato or egg salad.

Each week, DietsInReview.com will recap the hottest headlines in weight loss, diet and health news to keep you informed of news you can really use.

How to Avoid a Calorie Festival This Fourth of July

Meet our new dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield as she introduces some savvy tips for not only minding your diet this 4th of July weekend but still managing to let food play a small role in these memorable events. She reminds “it’s not about the food - it’s about the people you’re with.”

Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Yields Frightening Nutrition Facts

No matter how much you overeat this weekend, it can’t be anywhere near as bad as what the contestants at the annual hot dog eating contest will ingest. Take a look at the nutrition facts for 66 hot dogs and buns if you need any kind of reassurance that seconds at the picnic aren’t a good idea!

As a dietitian, I consistently stress the importance of balance and moderation when it comes to eating healthy. I also reinforce the meaning of special occasions and holidays and the role of food in those celebrations. Fourth of July is the picnic of the year! We’re celebrating Independence Day. It’s supposed to be fun. But it doesn’t have to be a calorie festival either. If you can just remember “it’s not about the food - it’s about the people you’re with” you’re well on your way to having a great time and staying on track with your healthy eating goals.

Here are some tips for a happy and healthy picnic:

• Eat with your eyes! Enjoy the look of all the food that’s there and pick out what you think you will enjoy that will also nourish you.
  
  

The nationwide, all-female fitness centers Curves has just launched a new weight management plan that helps you say goodbye to yo-yo dieting once and for all.

Available to all Curves members, this new plan offers monthly classes that teach you how to rev up your metabolism, eat all day long and enjoy a variety of foods without gaining weight. Curves experts know that diets that forbid certain foods never work in the long run. Therefore, their Weight Management Plan shows you how to safely and satisfyingly incorporate your favorite eats into your weight loss plan while not sabotaging your efforts to meet or maintain your weight loss goal.

This week, we love Fruit 2 Day, a delicious (and nutritious!) real fruit juice - and so much more. What’s not to love about a portion controlled container of real fruit juice and, oddly enough, fruit bits. Seriously. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I will admit I was skeptical - although I love fruit smoothies, I’m not so in love with regular fruit juice and I bought this - somewhat pricey at $3.50 for 2 bottles - with a healthy amount of skepticism. Juice mixed with chunks of fruit sounded a bit odd. I was in for a treat.

You can breathe a little easier now… that is, if you start eating soy. Researchers have found that if you consume soy products, such as tofu and soy milk, on a regular basis you can improve your lung function and lower the chances of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Ninety percent of the time, COPD is caused by long-term smoking. The condition is characterized by a progressive decline in lung function which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Well, it’s definitely summer time and that means golf season is in full affect. Golf originated in Scotland in the 12th century and has been very popular ever since. I strongly believe that golf is a game of mental toughness, natural ability or skill, and a little bit of luck. I play once or twice a year so I am definitely no expert, but I have trained my share of golfers and have had great success with them.

I cannot promise that all mental health professionals take their own advice, but I try not to speak outside of my own experience. I suppose I could say the same thing for dance instruction. Recently, when working with a fairly new salsa student, I encouraged him to try to get the pattern of the basic step cemented by just walking around his house left-right-left-pause, right-left-right-pause, stepping toe to heel rather than heel to toe. While I worked with him for almost an hour just reviewing all the details of the basic step, I was reminded yet again what a great workout just this basic dance step can be. If you really concentrate on proper technique and body isolations, you are using a lot of different muscles, and I find just one song can have me out of breath.