A devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake rocked Christchurch, New Zealand this week, and since then two aftershocks have continued to leave the populous city scrambling for safety. According to ABC News, at least 65 people have died and dozens have been injured. Rescue efforts are under way.

While this isn’t news DietsInReview.com would ordinarily report, many Biggest Loser fans know that members of the show’s cast and crew have been in New Zealand for the past week filming for season 11, as Bob, Jillian and Ali have been tweeting about their adventures.

We reached out to our press contact for Biggest Loser and have received confirmation that everyone is safe. It appears they are a “good distance away from Christchurch” and were not affected.

While they are not affected physically, it is evident that the trio is using their position to help raise awareness for the people in New Zealand who have been.

Bob Harper posted on his Facebook page: “We are okay from the earthquake in NZ and we are praying for the families in Christ Church. Thank you for your prayers.”
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UPDATE: This episode will air again  on July 28, 2011.

Tune in this Thursday, February 17, to Rachael Ray to catch Biggest Loser host Alison Sweeney. Alison will be talking about her new book, The Mommy Diet, and sharing her best weight-loss tips for moms. Then, she’ll have to put her training to the test on Rachael Ray’s red carpet obstacle course.

To write The Mommy Diet, Alison got advice from top Hollywood trainers, nutritionists and doctors. The book includes nutrition, fitness and fashion tips for women who want to get pregnant, those who already are and new moms. Thursday’s episode will also feature a healthy recipe for a filling soup.

Check you local listings for show times.

Tune in tomorrow, Thursday, February 10, to catch Alison Sweeney on The Doctors. Alison talks with the show’s panel about parenting and being a mom, so you can be sure you’ll get some great tips from The Mommy Diet. They even discuss the impact of being an overbearing parent. “‘Extreme’ is definitely a word I’d use to describe the ‘tiger mom’ and we definitely talk about that during the episode,” writes Alison in her blog.

Plus, this episode will feature 20 ways to look younger–no surgery needed! We’re intrigued to find out how “pumpkin can give you an instant face lift.”

Check your local listings for show times. Image via The Doctors’ website.

Moms are a special breed. They do it all, and then some more, and rarely complain and hardly ever ask for anything in return. What happens in all of this psuedo-superwoman-esque-ness is that they give up a lot of themselves in order to care for a household, the children in it, the spouse, and the hundred other people and things that demand their attention each day.

Alison Sweeney is one of those moms. She has two kids, two jobs, an adoring husband, and, let’s be honest, what from the outside appears to be a pretty fabulous life. But brass tacks, she’s still a mom trying to do everything she can to maintain and manage. So, she wrote The Mommy Diet.

The book is supposed to help all these superwomen do it all AND do some for themselves, too. It’s all about getting fit and staying that way before, during and after pregnancy… even if it’s several years after.

I had a chance to speak with Alison about her new book, during a break from Biggest Loser 10 finale rehearsals. She’s excited about the book, and should be, because there’s a lot of information in there women… moms… need to hear.

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If you’re resolving to lose weight, you’re probably researching the best diets and which is right for you. A quick way to determine that is to use our diet finder, which will match your budget, goals and lifestyle with the weight loss plan that best suits your needs.

Or, you can take a look at this list of must-watch diets for 2011. These are the ones you’ll no doubt hear your co-workers, aunts and best friends raving or complaining about in the new year. Some are a bit faddish and lend themselves to yo-yo dieting, others have solid foundations that set you up for success this year and for more to come.

The 17 Day Diet

This one broke out on the scene with the book’s release in November 2010 on Dr. Phil. Dr. Mike Moreno wrote the book to help people kick-start their weight loss, re-learn how to eat via meal plans and 17-minutes a day worth of exercise, and then give them the information they need for on-going maintenance. It’s a cycled way of eating that keeps the metabolism from getting bored and settling in to a status quo.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus

In November 2010, Weight Watchers unveiled the most significant change to its program in 13 years. Using the latest in nutritional science along with Weight Watchers’ nearly 50 years of expertise, the new approach allows for clients to make healthier, more satisfying choices. The new PointsPlus calculation includes protein, fiber, fat and carbs, instead of just fiber, fat and calories.

Jillian Michaels

The Biggest Loser trainer is on her way out of primetime, with season 11 being her last, but it is in no way her swan song. If anything, this is just her prelude. Men and women alike clamor to reap the benefits of her fitness empire that you’ll no doubt hear someone tell you that they’re using her fitness DVDs, using her online weight loss plan, or reading her books and cooking her recipes.
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