Tag Archives: Best Life diet

3 Health Food Fake Outs and 3 Healthy Alternatives

By Janis Jibrin, M.S., RD, TheBestLife.com Lead Nutritionist

When you see “whole grain,” “low fat,” and other health buzzwords on a food label, you might assume you’re picking up a more nutritious choice. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Some products don’t offer much of an advantage compared to the original or, even worse, aren’t inherently healthy at all. Let me share a few examples.

Health Food Fake Out: Neufchatel (cream cheese with 1/3 less fat)

It’s true that this product has about a third fewer calories and saturated fat grams than regular. But still, just 2 tablespoons (an ounce) contains 3 grams of saturated fat—that’s a sixth of your daily limit on an 1,800-calorie diet. And the 33 milligrams of calcium it provides aren’t worth it. (more…)

Posted on February 20, 2024 by BestLifeDiet

3 Meals That are Cheap and Healthy

By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., TheBestLife.com lead nutritionist

Feeling like you’re about to go off your own fiscal cliff after all that holiday spending? No need to settle for cheap junk food to help pay down your credit card bills. The truth is, some of the least expensive foods are also the healthiest.

Here’s my core budget-but-healthy shopping list. (Check out my blog for more lower-cost items.)

Canned beans – dried are even less expensive, but require you to plan ahead
Canned tomatoes – no salt added (the store brand is cheapest)
Canned wild salmon and canned light “chunk” tuna
Dried herbs – whatever is on sale
Fresh fruit – whatever is on sale
Fresh vegetables – whatever is on sale
Oatmeal or steel-cut oats – large carton of plain oats (the store brand is usually cheapest)
Peanut butter
Tofu – for cooking pointers, click here.

The following meals use some of the items listed above. All three of these dollar-stretching dishes are also seriously nutritious. I calculated the cost of each meal using prices at my local Giant supermarket in Washington D.C.; prices may vary in your area. (more…)

Posted on February 15, 2024 by BestLifeDiet

Go Meatless: The Perks of Adopting a Vegetarian Diet

By Team Best Life – TheBestLife.com

Thinking about going vegetarian, or at least cutting back on your intake of meat, poultry and fish? There are some serious perks to adapting a plant-based diet—these foods supply minerals and vitamins while remaining low in fat and calories. They’re easy to digest and help keep your cholesterol low. (High cholesterol levels contribute to heart disease and other health issues.)

Phytochemicals and fiber found in plant foods can also help fight disease. In fact, compared to meat eaters, vegetarians are less likely to suffer from a variety of ailments, from diabetes to obesity to hypertension. A few more benefits: Going vegetarian can help protect the environment and may even lighten your wallet.

Before you go meat-free, there are a few things you should know:

There are many variations of vegetarianism.

A vegetarian diet consists of mainly plant-based foods, including vegetables, beans, grains, fruits, nuts and seeds. Within this category, there are a few different options. For instance, you could be a lacto-ovo vegetarian, someone who eats plant-based foods, dairy and eggs, or a lacto vegetarian, someone who eats dairy products but no eggs. (more…)

Posted on January 16, 2024 by BestLifeDiet

Best Life Diet Announces Free Access to Recipes and Nutrition Guidance

Everyone embraces the new year in their own way, and over at Bob Greene’s The Best Life Diet, they celebrated with a makeover! Unveiled today, the site has an entirely updated look as it welcomes new and old members ready to invest in living their best life. It’s easier than ever to navigate the site and find exactly what you’re looking for – be it recipes, the blog, or their Fitness Friday features.

“I’m very excited about TheBestLife.com’s new look and having so much amazing content available to all who visit,” Bob Greene told us. “It takes what I feel to be THE premier diet and lifestyle site and makes it even more user friendly.”

The other big change – (most of) TheBestLife.com is free and open now. In an exclusive release to DietsInReview, The Best Life announced that with the new year they are now making all of their editorial content free. This includes their articles, blogs and recipes. They’re eliminating the “cost of entry” that health and fitness tends to carry.

Hundreds of articles with health, nutrition, and fitness guidance are now available to anyone craving a healthier lifestyle; not to mention a library of recipes designed by Best Life chefs and nutritionists that truly are something worth craving! Who wouldn’t love a guilt-free Blackberry Peach Crumble or Cajun Oven Fried Chicken? Those are examples of some of the hundreds of free recipes now available to all who visit The Best Life.

“I made a point to start this program working with the best people in publishing, health, fitness, wellness and food to make us the most useful healthy lifestyle tool on the market and am thrilled that their work can be viewed by all of our site visitors,” said Bob Greene, creator of The Best Life and Oprah’s trainer for 15 years, in a press release. (more…)

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Natalie K

5 Ways to Fuel up for Exercise

By Team Best Life – TheBestLife.com

It may seem counterintuitive to take in calories before you head to the gym to burn them off, but eating a healthy bite beforehand can help you make the most of your workout. No matter what kind of activity you’re planning, you can use these tips to fuel up for fitness:

Eat when it feels best. Eating one hour before your workout is a good general rule, but everyone’s body is different. For instance, some people may feel uncomfortable or bloated trying to exercise after a snack or meal while others may be distracted by a rumbling tummy. Only you know exactly how much you can comfortably eat and how soon before your workout.

Keep track of carbs. Because glucose—a carbohydrate—is your muscles’ preferred source of fuel, you need to go into a workout with enough stored glucose (aka glycogen). If you eat a balanced diet, you should be all set. But if you’re hitting the gym hours after your last meal or snack, you might need a little carb boost; 15 grams should do the trick. (more…)

Posted on January 5, 2024 by BestLifeDiet

Eco-Friendly Grocery Shopping Guide: What’s Good for You and Mother Earth

By Team Best Life – TheBestLife.com

Isn’t it nice to know that the healthiest choices in the supermarket often happen to be the greenest, too? You can reduce your ecological impact and the impact on your waistline at the same time by adopting a few eco-friendly shopping tips.

For instance, opting for locally grown, seasonal foods is a good way to protect the environment. These foods don’t have to be shipped long distances, so you eliminate some of that fossil fuel use. Another option: Go organic. Organic foods don’t use as many harmful chemicals in their production—the fewer pesticides and antibiotics used, the less impact those foods have on the planet. If eating exclusively organic is too expensive, consider buying only those fruits and vegetables that offer the biggest pesticide savings (click here for the list).

Mother Earth isn’t the only one benefiting from these savvy shopping strategies. These foods usually taste better and are better for you than processed or otherwise environmentally damaging foods. Here are a few more easy shopping tips to keep your body and the earth healthy. (more…)

Posted on December 27, 2023 by BestLifeDiet

Are You Getting Enough Super Vegetables?

By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., lead nutritionist for TheBestLife.com

We all know that we should be trying to reach our daily vegetable goal (that’s at least three servings). But it’s not just the quantity that’s important—the types of vegetables you pile on your plate can make a big difference to your health. Your goal: Eat at least one vegetable from each of the following three groups daily. Do so and you’ll reap some serious health and nutrition benefits.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Examples: Arugula, bok choy, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, rutabaga, turnips, turnip greens, and watercress. (more…)

Posted on December 20, 2023 by BestLifeDiet

HealthBuzz November 30: Obesity Prediction Calculator, AIDS Blueprint, and 3 New Chicken Dinner Recipes

We are hours away from the weekend! This means it is time for your dose of healthy news. DIR’s headliners for this week include a new obesity prediction calculator, the diet gimmicks Dr. Oz tried selling this year, and how much Sensa’s paying for false advertising. In addition to our headliners we have health news from Forbes, CNN Health, and Best Life Diet. Plus, exciting new chicken dinner recipes with one from Pinch of Yum.

Obesity Prediction Calculator Reinforces Parents’ Role in Child’s Weight

Are you scared your child might fall into the statistics of the obesity epidemic? Instead of waiting for time to answer that question you could simply use the Obesity Prediction Calculator, developed by researchers at Imperial College London and it can accurately predict childhood obesity up to 85% of the time. Parents should use the results from the Obesity Prediction Calculator to make it their responsibility to ensure that their child will learn to lead a healthful, balanced life.

The 6 Miracle Diets Dr. Oz Tried to Sell Us in 2024

We are almost a month away from the New Year. This means “weight loss” season will be in full effect. And, if you watch Dr. Oz, you know he will be advocating a new miracle weight loss program or diet soon after the ball drops. DIR has highlighted six weight-loss diets Dr.Oz has tried selling to the masses in 2024, deeming each as a miracle cure.

Sensa’s False Advertising Costs Them $800,000

Another diet company has to pay for their false advertising claims. Sensa, also as known as “the sprinkle diet,” has to pay $800,000 in penalties for their false weight loss claims. Sensa seemed too good to be true – sprinkle little crystals on your food and that will guarantee weight loss -because it was. We’re not buying it and neither are consumers in California. (more…)

Posted on November 30, 2023 by Samantha

2 New Avocado Recipes: Cucumber Avocado Soup and Avocado Spread with Tomatoes

By Team Best Life – TheBestLife.com

Avocados take the starring role in many healthy recipes for a reason—they contain vitamins E and K, folate and fiber. Not to mention, they’re delicious! Don’t be scared off by all the fat; avocados are high in monounsaturated fat, the variety that can help lower cholesterol, especially LDL or “bad” cholesterol, which contributes to heart disease and other health problems. Still, to keep calories in check, you have to limit your intake of all fats, even the healthy kinds, so try using about a quarter of an avocado (about 60 calories of creamy deliciousness) in your favorite recipes.

How to Buy an Avocado

Avocados start green and turn black as they ripen. In the store, you should gently squeeze and examine avocados to find the right one for your needs: If you don’t plan on using it until later in the week, choose one that is green and firm. If you want to eat the avocado immediately, pick one that is dark in color and just slightly soft when you squeeze it.

How to Use an Avocado

To ripen a hard avocado, place it in a brown bag with a banana and it should be ripe in two days or so. If your avocado is ripe but you aren’t ready to use it, stick it in the refrigerator. You can also save parts of an avocado for later—just leave the pit in before wrapping it to help maintain freshness.

Avocado is delicious plain, and also works well in tons of recipes, including salads, wraps, sandwiches and spreads. Or, try one of these tasty Best Life recipes. (more…)

Posted on November 30, 2023 by BestLifeDiet

Bob Greene’s 7 Reasons Not to Exercise and Why You Should Ignore Them

Exercise can be especially difficulty if you are using every excuse in the book to not get physically active. A consistent fitness regimen is part of an overall healthier lifestyle that has vast benefits. Don’t let excuses for not exercising hold you back from getting fit and living what Bob Greene calls your Best Life. The fitness guru and trainer for Oprah explains why reasons like being too tired, not having time to exercise, and five other excuses should be ignored. We challenge you to end the excuses and start living a healthier life today.

Posted on November 20, 2023 by BestLifeDiet

4 Stay-Warm Strategies for Winter’s Outdoor Workouts

By Bob Greene for TheBestLife.com

I usually prefer outdoor workouts to indoor workouts—you don’t have to worry about fighting for the treadmill at the gym, the scenery can be inspiring and the fresh air is invigorating. But as the temperature drops, you might be tempted to head indoors. Don’t let the weather ruin your workout plans. Use the tips below to stay warm until spring.

Step One: Select the right shirt.

Layers are an exerciser’s best friend. Your first layer should consist of a long-sleeve undershirt (I love turtleneck and mock turtleneck athleticwear) made of wicking fabric without any buttons or zippers. Then, cover it with a sweatshirt made of a “Polar-guard” type of material. If needed, add a final layer of a wind-resistant shell or jacket. Even though it’s cooler out, you still have to worry about sun protection. I recommend choosing sun-protective clothing, like Coolibar.

Step Two: Go light on your lower half.

Your legs will stay pretty warm once you get going, so you don’t need as many layers on your lower half. Jogging tights are a good option because they don’t move and won’t chafe your skin. When it’s cold, you can add a layer of pants made of a “Polar-guard” type of material. (more…)

Posted on November 15, 2023 by BestLifeDiet

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