Rocco is a 53-year-old meat and potato-eating, diabetic cowboy with the heart of a man thirty years older. Terrified that his eating habits were truly risking his life, Rocco sought the support of Dr. Oz who, with the help of Dr. Michael Roizen, followed a month-long diet without any animal products.

After 28 days following the vegan diet, Rocco not only lost weight but his eating habits underwent a drastic makeover from bacon and burgers to greens and brown rice. By abstaining from meat and dairy, he reduced his risk of heart disease, and by increasing the amount exercise he performed everyday, Rocco improved the function of his circulatory system and his sensitivity to insulin.

To learn more about Dr. Oz’s Vegan Action Plan and Rocco’s inspirational journey, tune in to the Dr. Oz Show and check your local listings for show times.

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Tune In: A Vegan Challenge on the Dr. Oz Show

“When you’re 35, you either starve yourself, or you do serious cardio.”

While a few Paltrow fans have staunchly criticized her comment, in my opinion, those attacking her are making the mistake of taking her comment a bit too literally.

Paltrow, having endured the scrutinizing and oftentimes unforgiving comments by the paparazzi is simply pointing out the obvious: That in order to lose weight and look great, you’ve got to work your butt off. And you know what? She’s right.

Granted, I don’t know Ms. Paltrow personally, but she doesn’t strike me as someone who is going to come out supporting starvation as a way to lose weight.  Yes, she has unabashedly admitted to following a post-holiday cleanse in order to detox after a few too many slices of pumpkin pie, but what her comment is instead suggesting is that dieting is tough work particularly as you get older and your metabolism slows. You inevitably have to work that much harder to not just maintain your weight but to lose it. And as long as we’re being as frank as Ms. Paltrow, let us all be clear that dieting takes some work and it’s not that fun. That work may involve feeling some hunger pangs as you pass up an afternoon coffee-house cookie for a grande green tea.

So let’s give Gwyneth a break and not misrepresent her comment by making her out to be pro-anorexic. Remember that this is the same woman who spent months eating her way through Spain with famed chef, Mario Batali.

She’s not scared of food. She’s not condoning starvation.

She looks great and she’s got the legs and the sweaty gym clothes to prove it.

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Gwyneth Paltrow’s Controversial Fitness Comment

The study examined more than 12,500 five-year-olds and found that those who had working mothers were less active and more likely to eat unhealthy food.

An estimated 60 percent of UK mothers with children up to five-years old work. Those children whose mothers were employed, even part-time, were more likely to consume sweetened drinks between meals.

The children of working mothers were also more likely to be driven to school, as opposed to the children of stay-at-home mothers who usually walked or biked to school.

“Time constraints may limit parents’ capacity to provide their children with healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity,” says Catherine Law, who led the study. “Our results do not imply that mothers should not work. Rather, they highlight the need for policies and programs to help support parents.”

As is usually the case, some experts say that more studies are needed to reassure the findings by the The Institute of Child Health.

(via: BBC)

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Working Moms in the UK Have Unfit Kids

Fruits and vegetables are the backbone of a healthy diet. They are almost always low in fat and calories, and packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and so much more. And oh, there’s no cholesterol.

But, according to the 2009 State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables, only 14 percent of American adults are eating the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. The government study says that even less (10 percent) of high school students are getting enough fruits and vegetables.

The report is meant to shine a light on a campaign to get at least 75 percent of Americans to eat two or more daily servings of fruit, and for at least 50 percent to consume three or more daily servings of vegetables.

“A diet high in fruits and vegetables is important for optimal child growth, maintaining a healthy weight, and prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers, all of which currently contribute to health care costs in the United States,” says Dr. William H. Dietz, director of the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity.

No state in the Union even came close to the national objectives for adult consumption of fruits and vegetables. So, how can we start moving in the right direction?

According to the government report, they would like to see grocery stores stock more “high-quality fruits and vegetables.” This suggestion is a little puzzling, since every grocery store I’ve been to has plenty of fruits and vegetables to choose from.

The second suggestion is perfectly logical: increase the availability of healthy foods in school cafeterias and vending machines.

Lastly, the report suggests that states create “food policy councils” that evaluate the access to fresh produce on a community and state level.

(via: Health News)

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Americans Not Eating Enough Fruits and Veggies

So the theory goes that there are foods that provide negative calories, presumably because the calories it takes to digest the foods are greater than the calories in the food. While it is true that digesting food burns calories, it is not true that any food has negative calories.

Thermic Effect of Food

The Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) is the reason for the whole “negative calories” concept. TEF represents the energy expenditure above resting metabolism that contributes to digestion and storage of food. In other words, you put energy in (burn calories) to get energy out (calories available from digested food).

However, the TEF is generally estimated about 10% of all calories consumed. You really don’t calculate it for individual foods. Instead, you estimate it based on all the calories for the day. So a 1,500 calorie day uses 150 calories to digest and store food. Because of their fiber content, veggies have a higher thermic effect at 20% of calories consumed, but it still doesn’t pass 100% so it can’t have negative calories.

The other reason food can’t take credit for “negative calories” is that TEF is included in the calculations that estimate a person’s energy needs – total metabolism. Besides TEF, the other components are resting metabolic rate (RMR – calories burned at rest, lying down, and practically sleeping) and also daily exercise/daily living activities (deliberate exercise or normal activities like house cleaning). So when you’re figuring out the calories you need for weight loss, TEF is already accounted for.

Love Low Calorie, Whole Foods

If you feel bummed like the day you learned Santa wasn’t real, turn that frown upside down. Focus on the fact that vegetables and fruits are naturally low in calories and they have vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals your body needs to stay healthy. You have to eat 12 large celery stalks to get 100 calories. That’s a LOT of celery to choke down. However, only four Hershey kisses and you’ve reached 100 calories – a much smaller volume.

So piling up on veggies will nourish you and fill you up without taking a chunk out of your daily calorie budget. You’ll also feel more energy and you’ll be happy knowing you are taking good care of yourself! Don’t worry about the small nuances such as TEF. They really don’t matter in the big picture.

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Negative Calorie Foods Are Just Another Diet Myth

Most of us know them: people who can eat and eat and not gain an ounce. That fraternity gets a little smaller after 30 when everyone’s metabolism begins to slow. But, while they still maintain this seemingly impossible dietary feat, they do so at the expense of the rest of us.

That’s because according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research, thin friends who eat a lot may unwittingly make you eat more in the process. Call it subliminal peer pressure.

The researchers recruited 210 college students to participate in the study, and were told that they would be paired up with another student. The other student was actually a part of the research team and intentionally recruited for their thin frames (size 0, 105 pounds). Sometimes those thin research participants wore an “obesity prosthesis” to compare the reactions of their partners.

All of the students were offered snacks while viewing clips of movies. The undercover researcher was served first, and either got a large or small serving before the student participant was offered the same bowl of food. In every case, the amount of food that the students accepted was influenced by the amount that the undercover researcher chose.

Participants tended to mimic the thin companion’s portion sizes, but adjusted their portions down when they were paired with the obese-looking researcher.

The study was authored by researchers from the University of British Columbia, Duke University, and Arizona State University.

(via: Medical News Today)

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Thin Friends Can Have Bad Diet Influence

Although this is important information for parents who are committed to helping their child be healthy, the ideas can also be applied to yourself. We have made eating a social activity, but eating alone may help you stick to your food plan and limit your caloric intake. Another idea might be to find an eating “mentor,” eating with someone whose food habits you would like to emulate. The research suggests that simply by eating with them, you are more likely to behave like them. With whom are you sharing meals?

In addition to this research, the Time article discusses the theory that we are attracted to others we find similar to ourselves, suggesting that when two people who are overweight are together it can be a self-feeding loop that gives permission for obesity. The article also mentions that we are generally more relaxed with close friends and family and less concerned about judgment for our choices. Lastly, there is the theory that spending time with those who are overweight helps us to accept it as more normal, in effect giving permission to behave similarly. The Time article also mentioned other research that reports that we generally consume fewer calories when accompanied by the opposite sex.

Have you noticed any of these things to be true for you, impacting your eating habits? I challenge you to be more conscious of how much you are eating, especially when you are with different people. I have found that this is not always true for me and my mindset and will power play an important role as well. I would love you to comment here and post your observations.

via Time

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How Much You Eat Reflects Who You Are With

Is it easier for you to avoid over-eating by avoiding a food entirely or to indulge in a very small portion? Do you have more will power to avoid or more won’t power to stop? I think the key component to my uncle’s thinking was maintaining a positive self-image. He felt more in control in this situation with total avoidance. He applied his will power to remaining in control rather than applying won’t power against over-indulgence. Such quips are used for entertainment and to make one think. In this case, it may be an easy phrase to keep in mind to empower you to sticking with your food plan.

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Will Power vs. Won’t Power

Since the first season, experts behind the scenes of the show found the contestants shared many characteristics, which I listed below along with tips for changes you can make along with the contestants:

No idea of the number of calories they need or what they actually consume.

Your behavior change solution: Try the DietsInReview.com health calculator to determine your calorie needs. Visit www.mypyramid.gov to journal your food intake to compare your needs to what you actually consume.

Most skip breakfast and snacks and let a long time go between meals.

Don’t skip any meals and eat every 3-4 hours. Don’t let more than 5 hours go between meals. You have to eat to lose weight – it’s what you eat that matters most.

Most consume very little fruits and vegetables.

If you follow the Biggest Loser diet I introduced earlier this week, you will follow the 4-3-2-1 plan that has you eating 4 cups of fruits and vegetables a day. Get 1/2 cup of fruit with fat-free Greek yogurt at breakfast, 2 cups of veggies as a lunch salad, 1 cup of raw veggies as a snack or with dinner, and 1/2 cup of fruit with dinner.

Most are not getting enough protein, and what they do get is high in saturated fat.

Choose lean protein and try to get fish most days of the week. Choose canned tuna, white fish, or salmon. Shrimp is also low in saturated fat. Chicken, pork, and beef with no skin and visible fat trimmed can be healthy, too. Have tuna on your lunch salad and beef or pork at dinner. Vegetarian? No problem! Beans and rice are an excellent source of protein. Try black beans, cannelini beans, and lentils.

Most get very little whole grains.

The Biggest Loser diet has very little grain servings, so you gotta make them whole grains. Whole wheat products, corn, brown rice, and quinoa are just a few examples.

Most have too much “white stuff” (sugar, refined flour).

If you follow The Biggest Loser Diet to the letter, you aren’t eating products with these ingredients.

Little planning of meals, mostly on-the-go eating and dining out.

Reserve about 3 hours a week to plan your meals, make a grocery list, and shop for the ingredients. This will save you time, calories, and money because you won’t need to dine out or worry about on-the-go eating.

Most are meeting their daily caloric needs through beverages alone (e.g. caloric sodas, juices and fruit punch).

This is just plain scary. Don’t drink your calories. The exception for me is fat free milk. You can include fat free milk in oatmeal or with a piece of whole wheat toast with a tablespoon of almond butter. Milk has calcium, vitamin D, and natural protein and carbs.

Many consume very little water.

If you aren’t drinking calories, you’re drinking water to stay hydrated. Try infusing water with lemon or orange slices. I also like to brew herbal tea and keep it cold. I mix it with carbonated water for a fizzy, calorie-free drink.

Nearly all reported limited to no exercise.

If you read my article earlier this week about the Biggest Loser workout, you know you should be getting 7 hours of exercise so this change is easy for you! If you haven’t yet worked up to 7 hours, keep up with what you are able to do and add 30 minutes a week.

Nearly all prioritize everything and everyone else in their life ahead of their own health.

It’s great you have people in your life who you love, but don’t you want to be there for them as long as possible? That means you have to be a little selfish and make the time to workout, insist on healthy meals for the family, and make sure everyone gets their sleep. No lounging at the computer and TV at night on a usual basis. Set limits on these things that don’t add quality and health to your life. Before you know it, you’ll wonder how you ever got along being so sedentary and eating so sluggishly.

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Biggest Loser At Home: Changing Behaviors That Matter

What’s so special about “the ranch” that allows the transformations to occur? In a word, environment. One of the reasons the people lose so much weight consistently is because of their new environment. All the barriers that usually exist to behavior change (job, life stresses, family and friends, lack of time, lack of knowledge about what to do) have been removed. Their new job is to exercise, learn about good nutrition habits, and practice them. This is one of the keys to their success. They get enough time in the new environment that once they leave they have enough knowledge and motivation to keep it going… Essentially, they transform their lifestyle.

That said, “Biggest Loser” success is within everyone’s reach. In this first post of a series, I’m going to review the nutrition changes that happen on the ranch and give you tips for how you can make similar changes at home and lose weight with the contestants.

Biggest Loser Diet

Here’s the nutrition criteria contestants follow on the show, which is created and monitored by a registered dietitian.

• modified low carbohydrate diet:  45% of calories from carbohydrates (mostly fruits, vegetables and some whole grains), 30% of calories from protein, and 25% of calories from healthy fats or oils (seeds, nuts, avocado, olive oil)
• no “white stuff”
• whole foods, elemental ingredients
• 4-3-2-1: daily 4 cups minimum of fruits and vegetables, 3 servings of healthy proteins (e.g. fish, skinless chicken breast, 93% lean ground turkey), 2 servings of whole grains, and 1 serving of healthy fat.
• Aim for everyone to have 1 serving of fish daily.
• There is room for 1 optional treat per day.
• Cereals must have minimum 5 grams of fiber per serving and less than 5 grams of sugar per serving. This limits the cereals to certain oatmeals, bran cereals, or other high fiber cereals on the market.
• Goal of 7 calories per pound of body weight for daily caloric intake. This is recalculated after significant weight loss. (So a 250 pound person could consume 1750 calories per day.)

Participants are provided with calorie counting resources and a food and exercise diary which they must maintain daily. This helps to raise awareness of past behaviors and develops an understanding for calorie balance through diet and exercise.

At-Home Changes You Can Make

• Make over your pantry. Take stock of how much processed snack foods you have and say “goodbye.” Most of the foods in your pantry should be healthy, shelf-stable foods. Canned beans, tomatoes, oatmeal, almonds, whole grain pasta, etc. should replace chips, cookies, and high sugar cereals (even the “diet” versions).
• Plan out your meals and snacks. Decide what you would like to eat for your meals and snacks that follow the “Biggest Loser” 4-3-2-1 plan. Daily 4 cups minimum of fruits and vegetables, 3 servings of healthy proteins (e.g. fish, skinless chicken breast, 93% lean ground turkey), 2 servings of whole grains, and 1 serving of healthy fat.
• Make a new grocery list. Based on your meal plan, make a list of what you will buy at the grocery store – and stick to it. Don’t get deterred by impulse buys or sales on sweets, treats, and snack foods.
• Journal your food intake for two weeks. Food journaling is an effective tool for weight management. It helps you stay honest and accountable. Most importantly, you will learn so much about your food choices and how mindfully eating can help you lose weight.

• Sign-up now for the Biggest Loser Newsletter
• Join the Biggest Loser Club Online
  

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The Biggest Loser Diet at Home