You obviously already know to find us on our blog.

You probably like us on Facebook.

You may even follow us on Twitter.

But have you circled us on Google+?

Well, it’s the cool new thing to do, like quinoa, kale and chia seeds. Only you can’t eat it.

Will it make you healthier? It will attempt to. Only you can truly do that. But with our hottest stories, tips, and reviews streaming your way on Google+ you’ll never miss any of our best information that you can use to make healthier decisions. So in that six-degrees-of-separation, Kevin-Bacon-game sort of way, joining us on Google+ will make you healthier.
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Today, Walgreens opened the doors to a “flagship” store in Chicago’s Loop neighborhood that touts healthier offerings, including made-to-order smoothies, self-serve frozen yogurt, sushi and juice bars, and a barista selling exclusive State & Randolph brand coffee.

The new Walgreens store will feature a clinic and an upscale cosmetics department that will provide makeovers and manicures. It will also sell wine and spirits and feature a cigar humidor.

While many Chicago residents are pleased to see the ubiquitous corner drug store expand its offerings to help them live a healthier lifestyle, some are also skeptical that retail giant will maintain a high standard of quality across all channels.

These new additions do not come as a surprise to frequent Walgreens customers who have seen fresh salads and groceries appear in stores across the U.S. The chain also offers blood pressure screenings, blood glucose and cholesterol screenings, free flu shots in low-income areas and has recently sponsored a number of national and local athletic events.

“I love when a store or brand expands its core business to healthy alternatives,” said Chicago resident and business owner Molly Lynch. “However, I think Walgreens is overextending itself by offering sushi. There are multiple reasons why sushi eaters (myself included) should be mindful when eating this delicious food. Health concerns abound and sushi should be served where it belongs: in sushi restaurants, preferably the ones that passed health codes.”
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Just in time to help you stick to those goals you’ve been considering all week, three names are coming together to offer a New Year’s Weight-Loss Resolution Kit, full of all the food, fitness and even some freebies you need to stat 2012 on the right foot.

Announced today, Fresh Diet, a leading meal delivery diet program, and HINT Water, a flavorful unsweetened and no calorie beverage, are joining forces with beloved fitness expert Jessica Smith, creator of the 10 Pounds Down DVD workouts. Together you’ve got a package of quality products that can lay the foundation for the success you’ll enjoy all year long.

When you order The Fresh Diet’s 31-Day Premium Plan, you’ll receive more from HINT Water and Jessica Smith to round out the kit. In addition to the standard meal plan, Fresh Diet will throw in an additional three complimentary meal deliveries, a six day supply of HINT Water, a DVD from the 10 Pounds Down. It’s just one order that will deliver all you need to get started. With the premium plan, you receive 3 meals and two snacks for each of 31 days. You get to select what you want to receive, and get to call out dislikes that can be taken off of your menu. “With our state of the art website you can choose all of your meals a month in advance by simply logging into your The Fresh Diet Account,” says the product description.
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Matt Lauer walked the Today’s Professionals right in to a heated debate about childhood obesity this morning. A new ad campaign from Georgia is trying to reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity in its state, where Lauer cited one million children are overweight or obese.

The three panelists who make up the Today’s Professionals include former advertising star Donny Deutsch, Star Jones who underwent bariatric surgery, and Dr. Nancy Synderman, Chief Medical Editor for NBC News. They are uniquely qualified to have an educated debate on whether or not the controversial ads will influence any sort of change at all, if they are offensive, or hit the nail on the head.

In this clip from Today Show you can see a sample of one of the television commercials currently running in Georgia. In this spot, a young, and overweight, elementary-aged girl looks plainly in to the camera and says “I don’t like going to school because other kids pick on me. It hurts my feelings.”

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If you’ve turned on your TV in the past week you’ve no doubt been inundated with ads and messages from some of the biggest packaged food marketers around. The New Year is like Black Friday for the billion-dollar weight loss industry, as this is the best opportunity to catch new dieters. Marketers from commercial diets to pills and yogurt want your attention, and your dollars, as you make an effort to stick to a resolution to better yourself; a resolution that for most people has to do with losing weight.

As you start making changes this week, be a conscious consumer and don’t accept those advertising claims at face value. The more Yoplait, Diet Coke, and frozen foods you toss in your cart, and eventually in to your mouth, the more you’ll continue to fall short of your goals.

Yes, the package says they’re healthier. It even says things like fortified, low-calorie, natural, or a host of others that they get away with via some tricky loopholes in food labeling. They’re nothing more than a clever disguise.

“These foods are ‘nutritious’ because they are fortified by adding a few nutrients,” said Mary Hartley, RD, our resident dietitian. “Because so many other nutrients are removed during processing, they pale in comparison to natural foods. The foods do not contain any particular ingredient to promote weight loss; rather, it is either the small portion, or single serving, or boring repetition recommended by the manufacturer that relatively reduces calorie intake.”

Those fewer calories you’re consuming are also empty calories, meaning they’re void of nutrition. So you’re feeding your body unnecessary calories and not getting anything else out of it.

Some of the biggest culprits falsely advertising their weight loss capabilities, include Special K, Yoplait, diet soda, Slim-Fast, and Lean Cuisines. Continue reading to see why they’re on our list, and what the healthier alternative is.

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