There’s a new face on the Biggest Loser ranch, but not one you’re likely to see very often. While her handiwork is witnessed throughout the season, we rarely get to see her teaching the nutritional skills the contestants rely on. Meet Rachel Beller, MS, RD, the new nutrition expert for Biggest Loser. She’s filling a position vacated by Cheryl Forberg, RD at the end of season 12, the co-creator of the current Biggest Loser diet.

“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” she told us, saying there aren’t any plans to change the Biggest Loser diet. It’s certainly not in need of change, since the plan,  based on the program outlined in 6 Weeks to a Healthier You written by Forberg, was recognized as the best diet for weight loss and diabetes by US News and World Reports last week. “We at Biggest Loser are so pleased to receive top ratings from so many of the world’s leading nutrition experts who served as judges,” Michael Dansinger, MD, the Biggest Loser Nutrition Doctor and co-author of the plan, told us. “There are many great eating strategies for maintaining or regaining great health and we are proud to be among the very top of a very important list.”

So far Beller calls her new job “a lot of fun and very hands-on.” She has an impressive background in nutrition, coming to the ranch from her own Beller Nutritional Institute, where she translates clinical research into real-world results. Dr. Dansinger, her new colleague, had this to say about Beller: “Rachel is a nationally recognized nutritional authority who knows how to motivate people to be the best they can be. She knows that good nutrition is the best medicine and has a special way about her that helps people gain clarity and perspective about the importance of healthy eating.”
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In yesterday’s announcement from US News and World Report’s Best Diets 2012, Biggest Loser took two top spots. Yes, the diet often bashed by critics for what they “see” on TV and not necessarily what they’ve researched received high honors.

First, the list tied Biggest Loser with DASH Diet, also named 2012′s best diet, as the Best Diabetes Diet. Then, it was ranked number two, behind Weight Watchers, as one of the Best Weight-Loss Diets.

The review, completed by a volunteer team of 22 renowned experts, ranked Biggest Loser based almost entirely on the plan outlined in the book Biggest Loser’s 6 Weeks to a Healthier You. Cheryl Forberg, RD was the original co-author, along with Dr. Michael Dansinger, and the author of this book.

“I am thrilled that this review was based mostly on my 6 Weeks to a Healthier You book, which has the most comprehensive and solid science on the plan as well as the ingredients selections,” she told us after hearing the news.

Forberg was the primary dietitian on the show, working with each contestant behind the scenes since season one. Late last year, at the end of season 12, she announced she was leaving Biggest Loser to pursue other work, including growing her Flavor First brand.

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I was shocked to open Facebook this morning and see a note from Cheryl Forberg, RD announcing that she she would depart from Biggest Loser at the end of the year.

She’s been with Biggest Loser for 12 seasons, in other words the very beginning. She co-wrote the now famous, and often imitated, nutrition program that the more than 250 Biggest Loser contestants follow on their weight loss journeys. Her work behind the cameras on the long-running reality program has touched innumerable lives, whether it be first-hand with the contestants, viewers who mimic the program, or those who follow her guidance in one of the show’s bestselling books, like Biggest Loser’s 6 Weeks to a Healthier You.

“Looking back, this is the longest working relationship I’ve had – seven + years – so it’s really taken up a full, exciting and very complete chapter in my life,” Forberg told us after breaking the news. “My experience and relationships with our cast (250+) has been incredibly enriching. Though I hope I’ve made a lasting impact on their lives with the nutrition and culinary tips I’ve shared, I’ve learned so much myself from our contestants (and viewers I’ve met through Facebook and Twitter). They each have a unique journey and I feel so blessed to go along for the ride with all of them.”
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Cheryl Forberg, RD is a James Beard Award-winning chef, New York Times best-selling author, and nutritionist for NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” Her latest book is “Flavor First,” which can find out more about at Flavorfirst.com. You can follow her on Twitter @cherylforbergrd.

Why were nutritionists so happy when the USDA announced the food pyramid was dead?

When the USDA in 1992 released the food pyramid we’ve all become familiar with, many nutritionists voiced concerns with the diagram. The large base of bread, cereal and grains just gave the impression that you were supposed to eat so much more from that group. Encouraging people to eat so many grains and carbs, nutritionists argued, paved the road to an obesity epidemic.

The original pyramid had long been unpopular and in 2005 it was replaced with a new logo called MyPyramid, a nearly impenetrable glyph depicting a stick figure running up steps on the side of a vertical striped pyramid. Sensitive to fears that the hierarchy of the original could lead to an improper balance, the USDA abstracted the image and turned the breakdowns on their side. The running figure was meant to to remind people that exercise was an important component of proper diet and nutrition. Too bad nobody paid much attention to the essentially meaningless graphic.

Thursday, First Lady Michelle Obama, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Surgeon General Regina Benjamin unveiled the USDA’s new food icon, replacing the confusing pyramid with MyPlate.
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Who doesn’t love a wonderfully prepared meal that’s made with fresh ingredients and full of flavor? It’s for those people who truly enjoy food and healthful eating that Flavor First was written, a new cookbook by Cheryl Forberg, RD. This James Beard award-winning chef, and nutritionist for The Biggest Loser, wants to see us eating healthier foods that we’re making ourselves at home.

Inside Flavor First you’ll find 75 all-natural recipes that use the best ingredients any garden could grow and any well-stocked pantry should have. From fresh herbs and bold spices, to ripe vegetables and tender cuts of meat, each recipe from Flavor First will help you reconnect with the way food is supposed to be enjoyed.

“When you learn to optimize the flavor with each different ingredient there’s just an exponential explosion of flavor in the finished product,” Cheryl told us in an interview about the book.

Don’t be intimidated if you’re not well-versed at cooking, or even just starting your healthy journey, Cheryl wants you to use this book as a guide for conquering the kitchen, and says it can help the home chef increase their confidence. Flavor First is part cookbook and part culinary lesson, carefully teaching you about flavor layers, a way of preparing food and combining ingredients to bring out the best taste from any meal, and she uses simple, accessible ingredients to show you that even the busiest people can prepare meals.

“Bottom line – everybody is busy,” says Cheryl, and she wants us to re-prioritize and make meal planning an important part of our to-do lists.

Learn more in some excerpts from our interview with Cheryl, plus preview some of these delicious recipes.
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