DIET COLUMN

I’ve been doing a lot of driving the last few weeks. With my brother visiting from out of town, I’ve taken a couple of road trips to show him around Northern California. And when the eyes started to get heavy after a few hours on the highway, I made a B-line for the next gas station to pick up an energy drink or coffee.

I usually prefer the perks of coffee, but once in a while when I need a little pick-me-up to avoid nodding off behind the wheel, I’ll hit the energy drink section of the gas station’s freezers to peruse the colorfully packaged legalized uppers.

While energy drinks are largely unregulated and safe for most people, that doesn’t mean they are harmless.

A study by the American Heart Association found that healthy participants who drank two energy drinks daily experienced blood pressure and heart rate increases. That alone isn’t necessarily alarming, as healthy adults can usually handle a momentary spike in blood pressure. But, for people with cardiac issues, or if normally healthy people drink too much, there could be dangers.

A moderate amount of caffeine, about 2-3 cups of coffee a day, isn’t dangerous for healthy adults. But when you start creeping up to about 500-600 mg of caffeine, or between 4-7 cups, you run the risk of side effects such as anxiety, irritability, sleeplessness, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and abnormal heart rhythms.

So, experts at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are calling for regulations requiring energy drink makers to label their products with a list of its caffeine levels, and to warn of the potential for caffeine intoxication.

The American Beverage Association objects, stating that a 16oz. brewed cup of coffee contains 320 mg of caffeine, compared to 160 mg for a “mainstream energy drink.”

The key sticking point is that energy drinks are marketed as supplements, which don’t have caffeine limits enforced by the FDA. Experts would like to at least have the drinks labeled to show how much caffeine people are going to ingest if they purchase the product.

“It is a striking inconsistency that, in the U.S., an over-the-counter stimulant medication containing 100 mg. of caffeine per tablet must include [labeling]… whereas a 500 mg. energy drink can be marketed with no such warnings and no information on caffeine dose amount in the product,” wrote researchers.

“What we’d like to see is a label clearly stating how much caffeine is in fact in one of these energy drinks, perhaps a warning label,” said Dr. Chad Reissig of Johns Hopkins.

It was Queen vs. Queen today on the Oprah show. Queen Latifah was there to promote her new movie, “The Secret Life of Bees,” and then if you can believe it, talked about her other role as spokesperson for Jenny Craig.

Her campaign for the popular celeb-endorsed diet plan kicked off in December 2007, just as the light was fading on Valerie Bertinelli’s endorsement. The campaign was different than the previous “lose a lot of weight” attitude, she announced she wanted to be “a size healthier.” She told Oprah today that her participation with Jenny Craig was strictly to improve her health. To date, she’s lost 20 pounds.

“It wasn’t about body image. I don’t feel self-conscious about my body. I feel proud of myself,” she says. “I feel confident in myself, but [I signed on] for health reasons.”

She said no matter where she is, home, traveling or working on a movie set, the convenient Jenny Craig meals are always with her. Queen Latifah also meets with with her counselor regularly to monitor progress and she exercises more. She’s conscious of portions and the type of food she eats.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Besides showing your support by wearing those famous pink ribbons, it’s a good idea to make sure that you optimize your chances of preventing the potentially deadly disease.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be 40,480 female and 450 male deaths caused by breast cancer in 2008 in the U.S. There are several things that you can do to avoid being a statistic, and instead a survivor- not the least of which is minding your diet.

There’s a fantastic article from the folks over at WebMD.com on what you should eat to fend off breast cancer. Here are their seven strategies, and a brief description. For more, check out Fight Breast Cancer at Every Meal:

1. Increase Your Produce Intake
Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that help protect against all forms of cancer.

2. Cut Down on Fat
Studies on dietary fat have been conflicting, but most experts say it’s still wise to steer clear of saturated fat.

3. Get Lots of Calcium and Vitamin D
A 10-year Harvard study found that pre-menopausal women who got 1,366 milligrams of calcium and 548 IU of vitamin D daily slashed their breast cancer risk by a third, and their odds of getting invasive breast cancer by up to 69 percent.

4. Sprinkle Flaxseed on Your Cereal
Flaxseed is a good source of lignans, compounds that may play a role in preventing estrogen dependent cancers by inhibiting the development of tumors or slowing their rate of growth.

5. Keep BBQ to a Minimum
This one is a real bummer. A recent study showed that post-menopausal women who had consumed a lot of barbecued and smoked red meat or chicken over their lifetimes had a greater risk of developing breast cancer.

6. Moderate Alcohol Intake
More than one daily drink increases your odds of developing breast cancer.

7. Fill up on Fiber
A diet that’s rich in fiber (30+ grams a day) can cut the risk of breast cancer among pre-menopausal women in half.

Is it just me or does Jennifer Aniston seem to look more beautiful and more fit since she left Friends and that guy a few years back… what’s his name (I think it rhymes with “Bitt”)? Even though Jen leaves a pretty private life, we have caught glimpses and bits of what she does to look so amazing and sport a body that would make a teenaged girl a bit green with envy.

Just a few months shy of turning 4-0, Jen is doing something right. Here are a few things that Jen does to keep herself in tip-top shape:

Yoga: Yep, here is one additional reason to invest in a $15 sticky mat and start down-dogging. Jen is a regular yoga practitioner and relies on her yoga instructor Mandy Ingber to custom-design private yoga lessons for her and come to her house to teach them. Mandy starts by leading Jen through five sun salutations, which are a sequence of movements that are synched with the breath. Additional postures like bridge, butterfly, tree pose and others are held for 30 seconds to one minute. Mandy also transforms these traditional postures into a strength training movements by having Jen do a series of scissor kicks, lunges or plie bends to build extra strength, but to also keep her muscles long and lean.

Jen first turned to yoga a month after separating from her now ex-husband. Before that, she felt very little connection to her body and her exercise as she worked out only on cardio machines. Now, yoga has bridged the mind-body gap that Aniston also feels infiltrate in other areas her life. She admits to feeling stronger emotionally  as well as physically and she has drawn on the patience she has cultivated in her own yoga practice to her own life as she holds postures steady for minutes a time.

Cardio: In addition to thrice-weekly private yoga sessions, Jen also breaks a sweat during regular cardio routines. The treadmill and elliptical trainer are her two fitness machines of choice. She usually clocks about 20 minutes or more on one of these before her yoga session. Jen feels that the cardio not only boosts her metabolism, but it gives her muscles a warm-up before her yoga class. According to an interview with Self magazine, after a five-minute warm-up, Jen alternates one minute of high-intensity cardio with two minutes of recovery at a moderate pace. On high-energy days, Aniston will even follow up this interval training, which she does on the elliptical, with a 10- to 15-minute run on the treadmill at a 5.7-mph pace on a 1.5 incline.

Diet: A long-time devotee of The Zone Diet, from the looks of it, Jen does a pretty darn good job at maintaining the 40-30-30 ratio of carbs to fat to protein. Once told by the entertainment industry that she needed to lose 30 pounds, Jen was introduced to The Zone Diet during her Friends years. She credits the diet for working for her mind, body and lifestyle as she shuns bad carbs. Although she’s pretty quiet about her diet secrets and occasional indulgences, she reportedly eats lots and lots of salads with lean proteins. One of her favorite style of foods is Mexican. One of her favorite Mexican eats: Chips and salsa.

Locks: You can’t talk about Ms. Aniston’s beauty without mentioning that hair. Her trailblazing haircut on Friends inspired women to flood beauty salons and simply ask for “The Rachel.” Stylists knew precisely what to do. Her combination of multiple layers, California-sun-kissed highlights and the magic of the flat iron has everyday looking like a bad hair day for me. For those of you who miss seeing your favorite, lovelorn Friend Rachel every Thursday night, this fall she’ll be make a guest appearance on NBC’s 30 Rock as Alec Baldwin’s stalker. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to watch Jen again and see her comedic and lovely self on my television set.

We all know our food ingredient labels are riddled with words that require an advanced degree to understand. Most of us bypass reading them because it’s easier. However, buried in those multi-syllabic words are chemical additives that can have an adverse effect on our health and how are bodies absorb nutrients. These chemical ingredients increase a food’s shelf life, enhance their flavor and color, and make them all-around more appealing to consumers. Packaged food manufacturers and fast food or dine-in restaurants use them (consider this 12-year old hamburger from McDonald’s that has not varied in appearance at all). Use this list as a guide of eight chemical additives you should avoid.

Remember, as our pal Chef Rocco from Biggest Loser advises- shop the perimeter of your grocery store because that’s where all the unprocessed foods are stocked. Eat a diet rich in fresh produce, whole grains, lean proteins and fish and low-fat dairy and your body will thank you.

1. Trans Fat

This additive has garnered much attention recently, and popular trainer Jillian Michaels noted that its the one thing she’d completely remove from grocery stores if she could. Noted on food ingredient labels as “Partially Hydrogenated Oil or Vegetable Oil,” consuming this can be detrimental to your health by promoting poor cardiovascular health and premature heart attacks. Read your labels closely, a food containing <.5g of trans fat per serving is permitted to list zero grams on its label (like Special K Bars).

Culprits: Fried Food, Restaurant Food, Microwave Popcorn, Margarine, Crackers, Chips, Packaged Cookies and Cakes

2. Salt/Sodium

It’s possibly one of the most dangerous additives in our food supply. Everyone from food manufacturers, restaurant chefs and dear old mom use it in nearly everything we eat and drink. Whether used as a preservative or to enhance or better the flavor, foods high in salt/sodium pose a great risk to our cardiovascular health. The recommended daily allowance for sodium is 2,400 mg, or 1 tsp. of table salt, per day. Fast food meals like McDonald’s Grilled Chicken Ranch BLT combo (~1785 mg Sodium), can contain close to, if not more, than an entire day’s worth of sodium.

Culprits: Fast Food, Deli Meats, Canned Goods, Crackers, Chips, Processed/Packaged Foods

3. Artificial Coloring

Typically found in foods that are already not providing any nutrition, it’s best to just stay away from anything with artificial colors. The dyes are just a chemical- so they contain no vitamins, minerals or other nutrients. Read food labels closely, and be especially cautious of those listing Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3, Yellow 6- all of which have been linked with various tumors and cancers.

Culprits: Soda, Candy, Juice, Packaged Baked Goods, Frosting, Gelatin, Fruit Cocktail, Sausage

4. Saccharin

Much sweeter than sugar, this artificial sweetener made it possible for dieters to enjoy the foods they love. In recent years, aspartame has taken its place and hasn’t been looked at as negatively. Saccharin has been considered for ban by the FDA, and is linked with multiple types of cancers in many studies. It’s a man-made chemical and again, promotes nothing nutritious within your body. It should be avoided wherever possible.

Culprit: Diet Soda, Sweetener Packets, Sugar-Free Food Products

5. Diacetyl

That buttery flavor you love can usually be attibuted to this chemical ingredient. In 2007 it caught much publicity for being the responsible party behind “popcorn lung,” causing lung disease in the workers at microwave popcorn factories. That publicity fortunately caused it to be removed from most foods, but still worth examining your food labels to see if its lurking.

Culprit: Microwave Popcorn, Butter-Flavored Anything

6. Olestra

Proctor & Gamble went out and created its own fat, and its brand name is Olean. When first created, it was promoted as not only being a fat you could eat, but a fat that would help you lose weight. It is added to typically greasy junk food snacks so that dieters can enjoy them, too. Olestra was quickly found to cause severe gastrointestinal and digestive issues because it is indigestible. It also inhibits the body’s ability to absorb nutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene found in fruits and vegetables.

Culprit: Pringles Light, Lay’s Light

7. Sodium Nitrite or Nitrate

You might have heard people say they avoid nitrates, and this is what they’re talking about. This chemical additive gives “cured meats” that salty flavor, and maintain their reddish tint. As an example, your hot dogs and bacon would be a grey color without it. Manufacturers say its use is important to prevent bacteria growth, critics suggest modern refrigeration does the same thing. This additive has been linked with cancers in children and adults.

Culprits: Ham, Hotdogs, Bacon, Canned Meats/Fish, Corned Beef

8. Potassium Bromate

It is likely you won’t find this additive in your bread goods, but be sure to glance at the label anyway. The U.S. is one of only two countries in the world who have not banned its use (Japan being the other). Bromate can be used to give bread more volume and a better structure. It has been linked to causing cancer in animal studies.

Culprits: White Flour Bread/Grain Products

Everyone today is jumping on the nutrition bandwagon and trying to supply dieters with the magic quick fix to their weight loss needs.  You walk down any nutrition supplement aisle in any grocery or super-store and you will see how many products flood the shelves. Protein bars, weight loss bars, meal replacement shakes, build your immune system bars, and the list goes on and on.  For the most part, the bars taste like chalk.  How do you know what to spend your money on?  Which product is best?  Well, for me personally, I am not a fan of supplements unless you know your diet is inadequate.  I feel as though you should get what your body needs by eating natural, whole foods rather then popping a pill or chugging a protein shake.

However, if you have the extra money to spend and occasionally purchase some of these products there are some that are better then others.  An interesting article I found was one discussing a company producing supplement bars, called Element Bars, and allowing people to personalize a bar according to their taste likes and dislikes.

Element Bars claim to be made from all-natural ingredients that have been minimally processed and without any artificial sweeteners or processed starches.  To build your bar you must first decide the base texture you want by choosing “Oaty”, “Crispy”, or “Datey”.  From there, you can add fruits, nuts, sweets, and finally a choice of “Boosts” - the powdered supplements that contain large portions of protein, fiber, or antioxidants. Although consumers are encouraged to create what they want, the website will warn them if the product they are choosing will result in a chalky disaster.  You can purchase a 12-pack of these bars for $36 (a competitive $3/bar) and you will receive your order in about 7-10 days.

The idea of creating your own supplement bars is pretty cool; however still take caution in wasting your money on items if you could eat natural, whole foods instead.

If you are looking for the interview with week 4 eliminee, Ed Brantley, please click here.

Listen below for audio interview with Biggest Loser’s Jerry Skeabeck. To start the audio simply click the pink play button.

He became the victim of one of Biggest Loser: Families‘ first real twists of the season. Ali announced that only one team would fall below the yellow line, and that the elimination would have to take place between the family and send only one person home. With Jerry Skeabeck’s two-pound weight gain during his Week 3 weigh-in, he and daughter Coleen fell below that dreaded line. It quickly turned into one of the most emotional eliminations ever, comparable of that from season five with brothers Mark and Jay Kruger.

Jerry said it was just as difficult to go through as it was for us at home to watch, and they really did give it some serious thought as to which one of them would leave. He explained that his daughter was “hell-bent” on him staying there. Ultimately, they decided to send Jerry back to Cleveland, home of his beloved Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Indians. After his follow-up segment at the end of Biggest Loser last night, there’s no doubt that he’s making his daughter very proud, and will likely be around to walk her down the aisle just as she’d hoped.

Biggest Loser Week 3 Recap from Diets in Review on Vimeo.

Wow! Episode 3 was definitely a great one. Contestants went on a road trip to the Grand Canyon, what a terrific trip. The road trip however wasn’t without its obstacles, while headed to the Grand Canyon contestants made a stop at a convenience store to take part in this seasons very first temptation. Contestants had to guess the calories found in some of the quick eats most travelers encounter along their travels. Ed and Heba ended up winning and as a result were rewarded by getting to spend the rest of their trip in a luxurious RV while all the others had to rough it in tents.

Chocoholics should rejoice, just in moderation! I know that sounds like a bit of a contradiction (since addicts by definition don’t take part with self-restraint), but if you realize that you don’t have to demonize your favorite sweet, you can enjoy it on a daily basis.

One piece of dark chocolate each day can be valuable to your heart health. Unfortunately for me, the benefits aren’t found in milk chocolate.

An Italian study has shown that dark chocolate can significantly reduce the inflammation that leads to cardiovascular disease.

The caveat is that you only see these benefits if you eat it in very small amounts. The ideal amount is about .25 ounces. That means you need to spread a typical Hershey chocolate bar out over about seven days.

People who eat dark chocolate regularly in the aforementioned servings have significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein. Research shows that people who have a low amount of C-reactive protein in their blood have lower levels of inflammation.

He’s a popular fitness and wellness expert, and he’s saying you could have a thinner waist in just two weeks. His two workouts each week make it possible for even the most schedule-crazed people to reap the benefits of quality exercise.

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See the Jorge Cruise 12-Second Sequence Review.