Guest blogger Mary Claybon RN, M.Ed. is the managing member of Promoting Health:

The Middle Way is the path to moderation, avoiding extremes and living a life of joy and balance. Let’s face it, food is all around us and it’s not just about eating. It’s about socializing, sharing, tasting, cooking, and savoring every bite, and enjoying holidays, celebrations, international cuisine and travel. Food is such a part of all of our lives, and yet it has been used in excess and with lack of enjoyment.

Food is often considered evil unless it is low fat, low calorie, healthy, fresh, natural, organic, and low sodium. There are more obese people in the world than there has ever been and there are more people on diets than ever. What’s the problem? We have lost our ability to enjoy food. And we lack the energy to enjoy movement.

I loved the “Julia and Julie” movie where both women’s lives revolved around cooking and tasting great food, some of it sautéed in rich butter sauce or desserts exuding a chocolate and rich decadence all topped off with a delightful glass of wine.

The Middle Way is the path to getting back to sensible eating and realizing that no food need be off limits as long as we are eating the foods we love and that nourish our bodies with moderation. And when our bodies are nourished, it is natural to exercise and move using the energy taken in from our meals.

Although we have been taught that we should eat to live and not live to eat, eating is a pleasure and is definitely something to enjoy and live for. However, it is important to practice a sense of mindfulness when considering the foods you eat.

Get in touch with the foods you love, what tastes and situations you are hungry for, and then satisfy yourself in a way that feels nourishing to the body and the mind.

By practicing the Middle Way, you will enjoy food and the experience of eating and drinking while balancing your weight on the scale and your life.

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How to Eat According to the Middle Way

Popular dishes such as Sesame Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken and General Tso’s Chicken should not be kept on your list of go-to options. These types of meals are fried – a major offense right off the bat and then covered in sauces that are full of sugar and in some cases MSG, which is not something you want to be ingesting. Check out my newsletter article from June 2008 where I highlight the negative effects of MSG.

Beware of sauces that you don’t have control over that are found in most Chinese entrees; a sauce can signify the food has been fried. Additionally, Lo Mein noodles are another fried entrée that is typically over the top in the use of oil.

Chinese entrée recommendations and tips:

• Appetizer – Start your meal with two of the more common soups on the average Chinese menu, either Egg Drop or Sweet and Sour. You’ll keep your initial calorie count under 100. This start will help satiate your appetite and prevent the indulgence into higher calorie count foods.

• Steamed – Entrées that are steamed are your best friend in a Chinese restaurant. You can order vegetable as well as poultry dishes steamed with a sauce of choice on the side. This allows you to stay in control of your meal.

• Rice – When offered the option, always opt for brown rice. Brown rice provides fiber and protein, while also helping you to feel fuller longer.

• Dessert – Many Chinese restaurants will provide you with freshly cut fruit after your meal, which is a great end to your meal. You will also likely be provided with fortune cookies as well, fun treats with hidden messages inside. One cookie can add up to 50 calories, so allow yourself to enjoy, but avoid eating all that are provided to your table!

Also try these healthy Chinese recipes at home:

Asian Chopped Salad

Sesame Peanut Noodles

Pork Stir-Fry with Garlic Broccoli

Oriental Grilled Turkey Tenderloin

Kung Pao Chicken

Teriyaki Tofu

Stay tuned next week as the How to Dine Out Series continues with “How to Dine Out: Pub Food”.

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How to Dine Out: Chinese Food

This guest blog was written exclusively for DietsInReview.com from The American Diabetes Association, an organization that is leading the fight against the deadly consequences of diabetes and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information please call your local American Diabetes Association office at 1-888-DIABETES (1-888-342-2383) or visit The American Diabetes Association

Cider and donuts, Sweetest Day, Halloween: Even highly-disciplined eaters can be distracted by all the autumn treats that begin to appear this month. So life can be especially difficult for people with any need for diet control – especially people newly diagnosed with diabetes.

“October symbolizes the beginning of the holiday festivities that will continue through Superbowl Sunday,” says Judith Pegg, a registered nurse and coordinator of the Outpatient Diabetes Education Program at Beaumont Hospital in Troy, Michigan. “People with diabetes need to remember that controlling blood sugar is what can delay or prevent complications. They should know what they can eat, how timing that food intake affects their body, and the amount of food they should eat.”

More than 23 million children and adults have diabetes in the U.S. While diabetes (the fastest-growing disease in the U.S.) can cause life-threatening complications, it can be controlled.

Through diabetes education programs, Pegg shares crucial information with participants about meal planning and portion size, exercise, medications, the role of stress, blood glucose testing and technology updates. Such classes are important for people newly-diagnosed with the disease and anyone who already has diabetes. Pegg also encourages participants to enroll in one of the many ADA recognized programs throughout the country in order to help them continue to learn about the disease.

“We want to offer individuals real world solutions to this life-changing disease,” says Sean Mahone, president of Warren-based Great Lakes Medical Supply, and ADA volunteer. “Food temptations can be overwhelming this time of year, but a little education about making better choices helps to make meals and diabetes manageable.”

“I believe perhaps the best thing people can do during this time to avoid diet pitfalls and to avoid making mindless mistakes is to have a plan ahead of time to keep control over what and when they eat,” says Pegg. “With that control, they will be able to enjoy the holiday fun with their family and friends and not feel deprived.”

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The ADA’s Guide to Enjoying Holiday Food

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

DietsInReview.com will be providing you with even more information about how to prevent and manage this disease all this month. Plus, look for articles each Friday from the American Diabetes Association.

Top Three Ways to Prevent Diabetes

Our dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield explains how diet, exercise and weight loss can all help you prevent and reverse a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.

Learn more about Diabetes.

Self Magazine’s Healthiest and Unhealthiest Citites

Our health and wellness editor Heather Ashare interviews Self’s Sara Austin to learn more about the survey that identified Burlington, VT as the healthiest city and Tulsa, OK as the most unhealthy city for women in the U.S.

Michelle Obama Spotlights Childhood Obesity Epidemic

The first lady is making childhood obesity one of the items of focus on her agenda.

Kirstie Alley’s New Weight Loss Reality Show

As the actress continues to battle her weight, missing a bikini goal on Oprah this week, she’s going to embark on a journey to lose it on a new show on A&E in 2010.

How to Dine Out: Italian Food

Trying to lose weight, but can’t resist your favorite Italian restaurant? Don’t worry, we’ve got tips you can use when ordering to keep calories in check and satisfaction high.

5 Healthiest Breakfast Foods

Get the most out of this most important meal of the entire day!

10 Tips for Achieving Successful Weight Loss

Trainer Matt Johnson says it really is as easy as eating right and exercising. Plus a few other things like drinking plenty of water and getting enough sleep.

New Diet Reviews – Now with more than 1000!

• Check-out our Chief Mom’s in-depth review of the Diet to Go meal delivery service.

New Diet Videos and Diet Slideshows

• Video: Mike Morelli’s Biggest Loser Recap – Week 8
• Video: Jillian Michaels Casting Call
• Video: Biggest Loser’s Tracey Yukich with Jay Leno’s Ross the Intern
• Slideshow: Tracey Yukich’s Biggest Loser Journey
• Slideshow: Girl Scout Cookies Nutrition Facts

Stay connected with DietsInReview.com:

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Weight Loss News in Review – Week of November 1

The government only gives minimal guidelines on how supplements are stored and coated. So, you need to do most of your own homework.

What’s in Your Supplement?

When manufacturers chelate, or coat, a supplement, they are making it more resistant to damage during digestion. Manufacturers use binders, usually vegetable gums, cellulose, and microcrystalline cellulose to hold the tablets together. Capsules can also use binders to help affect the speed of a product being released into the bloodstream.

Fillers are also used in supplements. They act as a dispersing agent and add extra bulk, as active ingredients are often too small to stand alone.

Lubricants are a mainstay with most supplements. They are used as a necessary part of the manufacturing process. Supplements are also coated to make it easier to swallow and to avoid the damaging effects of oxygen.

Watch Out For Some Fillers

If you have any dietary restrictions because of allergies or digestive issues, watch out for supplements that contain yeast, gluten, shellfish, sugar, and salt. They should all be listed on the ingredient list.

As is the case with anything you put in your body, it’s good to know a little about natural versus synthetic. Remember that if something is natural that does not mean it’s automatically safe to use.

It’s a good idea to discuss supplements with your doctor or nutritionist. This is particularly true if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or undergoing treatment for a chronic health condition.

It’s easy to assume when we walk into a store that everything on the shelves is equally safe and effective. Your best bet is to not take anything for granted. Instead, ask questions and do your research.

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Secrets of Supplement Manufacturing

Several female clients of mine have come to me over the past few months and stated that they really wanted to lose weight. I told them to write down everything that they ate and what activities they did each day outside of the workouts that we were doing together. After a few months of keeping a food journal and activity log, every single client saw results and were completely satisfied with how they were feeling and looking.

Below are the top weight loss tips and a sample exercise routine that I use with my clients who are trying to lose weight.

1. Keep a Food Log: This will help you see and understand what you are putting into your body
2. Keep an Exercise/Activity Log: This will allow you to increase your intensity and length of workouts
3. Exercise 5 Days a Week: If you are not sweating, you are not working hard enough
4. Drink 64-100 Ounces of Water a Day: Hydration is a huge factor in weight loss and appetite suppression
5. Chew Gum: Helps keep the mind and stomach satisfied
6. No More Soda: Cut the pop and other sugars out of your diet
7. No More Alcohol: Reduce the empty calories
8. Reduce T.V. Time: Stay active rather than sitting around and watching television
9. Don’t Snack After 7 p.m.: Snack during the day, but not at night because your activity levels have decreased
10. Get 8 Hours Of Sleep a Night: Refreshes the body and allows for a more productive day

Try this Weight Loss Routine:

Do 45-60 minutes of cardio, plus:

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10 Tips for Achieving Successful Weight Loss

If you aren’t close enough for the fresh meals, the frozen meals are a delicious, nutritious choice. The meal plan is fully customizable, allowing you to swap unwanted meals for more favored choices. And the fact that many of the meals are accompanied by side dishes that fully complete the meal makes the plan more economical than I first thought. If you were to purchase a week of the three-meal-a-day plan, you would need nothing from the grocery store other than any beverage choices you might make. It is definitely more cost effective and much more nutritious that visiting fast food restaurants for your dining options.

The meals ranged from Italian to homestyle American and Indian, and I don’t think you would ever have the opportunity to grow bored. It is nice to be able to go to the freezer and grab a meal for my husband to take for lunch and not worry that he has to supplement it with a hamburger (true story!) because he’s still hungry. The portions are large enough to fill even the most hungry appetite, and every meal was well seasoned and not at all bland. In fact, the portion size is a great reminder of how much food one actually should be eating at a meal – a portion size refresher course, if you will.

My one thought for improvement is the amount of starchy food offered for breakfast – many pancakes, french toast and muffin options, and I’m more of an egg, oatmeal, yogurt and fruit kind of girl. Those foods are offered, so the option to customize is key here. I give Diet to Go two thumbs up. It’s a delicious, convenient, non-stressful way to plan your meals and stay within your selected calorie range.

Try Diet to Go for yourself and Save $20 on your first order!

While Diet to Go provided Carmen with sample product, this review is her own opinion and was not influenced or sponsored in any way.

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Diet to Go Review: The Final Word

Did you know that you can also fight asthma with your diet? Proponents of the raw food diet say that their way of life is a good way to treat asthma. A raw food diet is more about lifestyle than a weight loss program. It’s something that you dedicate your life to. About 75 percent of your dietary intake will be fruits and vegetables and things like alcohol, refined sugars, and caffeine are off limits.

Raw foodists often tend to be vegans, but some will eat cheese or eggs. All of them avoid cooking foods. The belief is that the cooking process depletes food of essential nutrients.

Raw Food as Asthma Treatment

While peer-reviewed research has yet to support any diet as an absolute cure for asthma, there are first-hand reports of following a raw food eating plan easing asthma symptoms. Whether you follow a raw diet or any other healthy eating plan, you can see improved asthma symptoms. That’s because being overweight often exacerbates asthma symptoms.

Here are a few other ways raw foods can help with your asthma:

According to James T. Li, M.D., avoiding saturated fats found in red meat and butter can help with asthma. That’s because saturated fats may cause an immune system response that triggers asthma symptoms. Foods with saturated fats are not included in a raw food diet.

A raw food diet will naturally be low in sodium. This is good for many reasons, including the fact that sodium levels may aggravate the immune response that causes asthma symptoms.

Acid reflux may possibly damage the airways in your lungs and worsen asthma symptoms. Besides medications, this may also be remedied by avoiding rich foods. A raw food diet rarely, if ever, includes items that would cause acid reflux.

Antioxidants Key to Fighting Asthma Symptoms

The cornerstone of a raw food diet is fruits and vegetables in their purest form. When you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, your body is inundated with antioxidants such as beta carotene and vitamins C and E. They also contain other nutrients that boost the immune system.

Studies show that antioxidants can reduce asthma symptoms. Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E can reduce lung and bronchial damage brought on by asthma. They can also reduce the risk of narrowing airways associated with asthma.

When it comes to keeping asthma under control, no diet is a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by your doctor. If you suffer from asthma, always consult a medical professional to consider your best options.

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Treat Asthma with the Raw Food Diet

But don’t think that Tracey’s feeling down on herself. Quite the opposite. She’s doing really well at home, and proud of this new Tracey.

Listen now as she tells us about the strained relationship she had with Bob and Jillian, and what it’s like today; as well as why she’s so grateful she got to take on that one-mile run once again.

As Tracey told us she has a wonderful relationship with Bob and Jillian today, she says the strained-on-TV relationships she had with the contestants has also changed, and that she has “amazing, great” relationships with them.

When asked if she played the game too hard, and remembering Alison Sweeney’s comment that her choices came back to bite her, Tracey adamantly confirms she has no regrets. Due to the choices she made in the beginning of the game, she says she’s not at all surprised how people have reacted to her. In her own defense, she says she did what she had to do to stay in the game.

“This was my time to do things my way instead of trying to please everyone else,” Tracey says of her strategy on the show.

Knowing how she came across on the show, and the reaction from fans, she was DVRed each episode and watched before letting her children. She said her kids, like any others, look up to her, their mom, as a superhero, and she didn’t want the show to skew their feelings about their mom.

It’s that role as a mom that not only helped land Tracey on the Biggest Loser ranch, but also helped her thrive back at home. She’s including herself on the list of to-dos these days, and making her needs as important as everyone else’s. She’s not revealing her current weight given that finale is five weeks away, but it was clear on her Where Are They Now that the Tracey at home is fit, strong and healthy.

How does this busy wife and mom of four do it? She has a strict, concise schedule for herself, one that she says works for her and her family. She’s up by 4:00 a.m. each day, and spends three hours in the gym doing her extreme workouts while her family sleeps. She’s then home in time to make lunches and get the kids out the door for school. And then it’s back to her daily routine of running the household and shuffling kids to dance and sports. She says she’s not the best homemaker these days, but she doesn’t freak about chores not being done. She knows it’s OK for now.

In addition to learning that it’s OK to let the little things go to care for herself, she learned a few other things from Jillian.

For one, she learned that it’s OK to ask for help. Everyone needs it, and it doesn’t make her weak to ask for it.

She also learned that’s it’s OK for people not to like you. And she’s OK with that. Jillian encouraged Tracey to know that as long as she likes herself and knows where she stands, then nothing else matters.

Tracey remains upbeat, motivated and encouraged to continue her journey and says “for the first time I’m starting something, then I’m going to finish it.” She says you won’t find a “coulda-woulda-shoulda-Tracey” anymore.

Sign-up for the Biggest Loser Newsletter!

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Tracey Yukich – Biggest Loser Elimination Interview

The second cool thing this week was that the contestants traveled to Washington, D.C. for the week.

The challenges were Capital inspired. The contestants had a pop challenge trying to get as many people to do a public workout as possible. Liz won a mystery prize (always fun) to be used in the later challenge.

This week’s challenge was a series of mini challenges. Now, I have to admit that I lost a little love for Biggest Loser when Miley Cyrus was being played as the background music, but whatever, it’s not my show to run. In the end, Rebecca won immunity.

Bob, Jillian, and the gang all headed to the White House for a very special tour. They picked vegetables from the First Family’s garden and made a salad in the White House kitchen (try the White House Salad recipe). I was jealous, I didn’t get a trip, not fair.

Jillian gets the quote of the week expressing her hatred for Tracey, while Tracey gets oblivious of the week for thinking Jillian likes her.

Bob was happy to have Amanda back under his wing, and it showed on the scale that Amanda was glad to be there. Which is a perfect transition into the lovely 50-minute weigh in….

The contestants are weighing in for the first time alone. The most notable weight losses were Danny, with a double digit, Amanda with her highest weight loss ever, and Tracey and Liz with merely three pounds lost, putting them below the yellow line.

In the end Tracey was sent home (shocker to all of you I’m sure), but personally I liked her. She is doing fantastic at home and is a big competitor for the at-home winner.

I know next week is a huge episode, so hold on to your hats folks! Until next week BLers-or if you run into me at school- best in health.
-Mike Morelli

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Mike Morelli’s Biggest Loser Recap – Episode 8.8