Paul Deen, the Food Network’s southern belle, is speaking out about her new diet, dropping two dress sizes, and how she’s coping with Type-2 diabetes.

On a recent episode of ‘The View‘, the star opened up about how she’s altered her diet and managed to lose 30 pounds. The episode titled “The Fat Show,” was looking at the rising obesity rates in America, and saw Deen as a key guest.

When asked how she views her diabetes in light of her love of cooking with butter- and sugar-laden foods, Deen pointed to some scientific evidence for comfort.

“Studies have shown that there’s no one food that causes diabetes. What causes Type-2 diabetes is being overweight,” she said. “There’s a good chance if you’re overweight that you’ll become diabetic or pre-diabetic.”
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Life would be simpler if we had more money and could lose a few pounds, right? If so, it just got easier. On May 22, Ziplist, the popular digital shopping list and recipe box resource, launched its free meal planner, which aims to help users get on track physically and financially.

The idea that meal planning will allow for healthy and balanced eating is widely accepted. If all meals and snacks are planned for, spontaneous drive-thru eating or impulse grocery shopping need not occur. Meal planning can ward off over eating and help one lose weight and stay on track. These same tactics keep one from over-spending and going over budget. So, why isn’t the whole world planning their meals? Often times the task seems too daunting. The new meal planning function at Ziplist claims they have the simplest way for planning a week’s or even a month’s worth of meals.
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Food Network star Tyler Florence is crossing over from chef to author with his new children’s book ‘Tyler Makes Pancakes.’

Florence is a proud parent himself to three kids, ages 15, 5 and 3. Being a chef, it was a natural desire for the new author to teach his own children about food. After realizing there wasn’t anything else like it on the market, Florence and illustrator Craig Frazier jumped at the chance to write a book that teaches children from a very small level – around pre-school age -  where food comes from and how to prepare it with several kid-friendly recipes.

‘Tyler Makes Pancakes’ tells the story of a 6-year-old boy named Tyler and his chubby dog, Tofu. The pair goes on imaginary adventures throughout the book, including a trip to a chicken coup on a nearby farm where Tyler and Tofu learn that eggs come from chickens.
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Friday’s episode of The Doctors will potentially be the most energized segment in daytime television history. Fitness legend Richard Simmons will be bringing his one-of-a-kind aerobic exercises to the cast, audience, and viewers at home. Simmons plans to reveal 13 secrets to get thin by summer.

Good thing laughing burns calories too as the previews for Friday’s episode display images of the docs in stitches as Simmons pumps up the audience in a style only he could bring to an exercise routine. While the docs and the audience get in on the good, aerobic time, Simmons also brings a dose of seriousness. Simmons will help one dangerously overweight audience member find the motivation to begin exercise and lose weight.

This installment of The Doctors will be memorable, for sure. Until then, a few of Simmons’ 13 secrets are being revealed so we all can get a head start on our plan to get thin by summer.

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A heads up to spinach lovers: there’s been a recall on two brands of organic baby spinach distributed in the U.S.

According to a recall alert published by the FDA, the decision to pull the suspect spinach from shelves was made after a random test at a distribution center in Terrel, Texas, found a possible salmonella contamination in a finished package of spinach.

The test was completed by the Texas Department of Agriculture under a cooperative agreement the USDA holds with individual states requiring them to hold frequent, random testing of fruits and vegetables for safety precautions.

The contaminated bag of spinach came from Taylor Farms in Salinas, California, where the grower took impressive cautionary measures to remove packages of spinach being sold under the brand names Private Selection and Marketside. No illnesses have been reported to date as a result of the potential contamination.
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