Tag Archives: bob greene

Test Your Cereal Smarts to Buy a Better Breakfast

By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., Best Life lead nutritionist

I’ll admit it—I’ve given unsolicited advice to total strangers in the cereal aisle, but only when they look truly bewildered. It’s my nutritionist’s instinct, what can I say? Believe it or not, choosing a healthy cereal is not as complicated as you might think, especially when you follow a few simple steps.


Start with the ingredient list. Check to make sure all grains are whole. Examples of whole grains: barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, triticale, whole rye, whole wheat, and anything else with “whole” in front of it. For more on what is and isn’t a whole grain, click here. I’d avoid sucralose (Splenda), acesulfame K, aspartame (Nutrasweet), and any other artificial sweetener—you don’t need these in a cereal. (more…)

Posted on January 30, 2024 by BestLifeDiet

The Weight Loss Tip that Keeps Foreigners Thin

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

As a trim, chic couple passes me on the street, I hear snatches of their conversation—in French. The other night at a restaurant, I heard Italian coming from a nearby table of three generations: healthy children, parents and grandparents. Living in Washington, D.C., with all the embassies and international organizations, I wind up hearing many different languages. When I recognize one, I do a quick—and surreptitious—assessment of the speaker’s body weight. My amateur research findings, corroborated by legitimate studies, are that in most other countries, people are at healthier weights than Americans. For instance, our obesity rate is 3.5 times that of France’s.

I’ve pumped my international friends—all of whom are at a healthy body weight—for their secrets. No matter where they come from, there is one strategy they all share: They respect the concept of mealtimes. They eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, with little to no snacking in between. (more…)

Posted on January 24, 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

Drink Up: What Water Can and Can’t Do for Your Weight Loss

By Bob Greene from TheBestLife.com

There’s some debate over what water can and can’t do: Does it fill you up? Can it help you slim down?

Research shows that foods with a high water content (like fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups) do fill you up; water by itself, on the other hand, doesn’t appear to be as filling. And yet, studies show that people who drink more water end up consuming fewer calories during the day. In fact, the stat I often refer back to comes from researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: People who drink an average of 6.5 cups of water each day consume 200 fewer calories a day.

If water doesn’t fill you up, then how can it help promote weight loss? There are a few theories. First, it seems that water drinkers have a healthier diet overall. Drinking water also keeps your hands and mouth busy—if you’re gulping down a glass of water, you’ll be less likely to snack. Not to mention, many people confuse hunger for thirst; when you’re fully hydrated, you may not be tempted to ease those pangs with food. (more…)

Posted on January 11, 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

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

Looking at Fatty Foods May Make You Fat

By Bob Greene for TheBestLife.com

You already know that eating fatty foods can cause you to pack on pounds, but a recent study suggests that simply seeing fatty foods can lead to cravings that can result in weight gain.

In the study, researchers at the University of Southern California showed 13 obese women images of different foods–both healthy (fruits and veggies) and not-so-healthy (hamburgers, cookies and cakes)–as well as non-food photos. They then asked the women to rate their hunger level and desire for sweet and savory foods. During the experiment, researchers did an MRI scan of participants’ brains. The researchers found that the brains’ reward and appetite control centers lit up when the women looked at the images of fatty foods.

Eating or drinking while being exposed to these types of images—it’s just like nibbling while you’re watching TV or browsing Pinterest, for instance—seems to worsen the effects. In the study, researchers gave the women a sugary drink of glucose (similar to a can of soda) or fructose (another sweetener), to sip while looking at the various images. After slurping down both drinks, women felt hungrier and had a stronger desire for sweet and savory foods. Fructose seemed to do this even more so than glucose. (more…)

Posted on December 5, 2023 by BestLifeDiet

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.

View 7 Reasons Why Not to Exercise-and Why You Should Ignore Them Slideshow

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