Tag Archives: the today show

Joey Chestnut Starves Himself Prior to Winning Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

July 4th means fireworks, cookouts, and for some the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Every year on July 4th, Coney Island holds Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest where participants eat as many hot dogs as possible in 10 minutes. On Wednesday, Joey Chestnut won the hot dog eating contest for the sixth consecutive year. The man ate 68 hot dogs… sounds appetizing right?

I could barely finish the five BBQ chicken wings I had last night at our family’s Fourth of July cookout. I can only imagine where this man puts his food!

Well, fortunately this morning on the TODAY show Joey offered his secrets to scarfing down 68 hotdogs and buns. Joey’s girlfriend makes him 70 hotdogs and he tries to eat as much as he can within 10 minutes. And he tries to eat a little more each day than his previous attempt. Three days before the big hot dog eating contest Joey does not eat anything to prepare himself for all the hot dogs he will devour. (more…)

How 12-Year-Old Marshall Reid Inspired His Family To Get Healthy

They say it takes a village to raise a child, but sometimes, it takes a child to inspire a village.

Such was the case with Marshall Reid, a 12 year old from Sanford, North Carolina, on a mission not just to change his own health, but the health of his family and millions of other Americans who struggle with their weight as well.

Marshall’s weight loss journey began after a school bully pointed out his biggest insecurity. “One of my classmates actually told me you don’t look very good. You’re fat,” he said. Already feeling self conscious about his weight, Marshall then happened to watch the documentary ‘Super Size Me’ and decided that wasn’t the lifestyle he wanted.

So he told his mom, Alexandra, that he wanted to get healthy – that he was done with eating unhealthy foods. And he proposed the family eat the opposite of the way they’d been eating – primarily fast food and take out – for the next 30 days to see if they could stick to it. She said hearing the news felt like somebody threw a brick at her chest.

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Make Bobby Flay’s Perfect Penne Marinara and Classic Garlic Bread

Hearty penne marinara is a staple in my home. About once a week, my husband I start craving this classic Italian dish and get to cooking the best way we know how. But, I can guarantee you it’s nowhere close to ‘classic’ Italian style, since the sauce most often comes from a jar and the noodles come from a box and usually end up overcooked.

But thanks to chefs like Bobby Flay who take the seemingly complicated meals and break them down into totally doable dishes, we’re able to recreate regional favorites right in our own home.

Flay – longtime chef, restaurateur, and Food Network star – recently stopped by The Today Show to dish out his tips on what to do – and what not to do – wen it comes to classic penne marinara.

With his guidance, we can avoid those common cooking mistakes and finally master the process that yields a perfect tomato sauce and the quintessential al dente noodle. Flay even throws in his tips for garlic bread, too. (more…)

Four Superfood-Packed Breakfast Dishes

Most nights as I’m drifting off to sleep, I’m thinking about breakfast the next morning. Although my mind often wanders to pancakes and waffles, my body is usually telling me smoothies and veggie omelets. Thankfully, though, pancakes win out on the weekends.

But when we get in breakfast routines and ruts, it’s easy to forget about the importance of having balanced meals with complete nutrition. On a recent appearance on The Today Show, Bob Greene – Oprah’s personal trainer and author of the new book “20 Years Younger” – gave some great tips on what we should look for in a breakfast, as well as four meals containing superfoods to help ‘super-start’ our day.

Greene reminds us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that the four things we should look for in well balanced breakfast are whole grains, antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids and calcium. We should aim to get these components in every meal, and especially at breakfast. And a good calorie range to stay within is 400 for females, and 440 for males. (more…)

Vegan is Love Strikes Controversy with Strong Message Aimed at Kids

A new children’s book is taking some heat for its controversial message aimed at kids, which says that eating vegan is the loving thing to do.

The book is called “Vegan is Love: Having Heart and Taking Action,” and its author and illustrator, Ruby Roth – a young, enthusiastic vegan activist – hopes to teach young readers not only about veganism as a diet choice, but also as a moral choice.

Roth explains that Vegan is Love expands upon the message of her popular first book “That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals,” in which she describes how our daily diet choices affect not just our local communities, but our world as a whole.

In a video promoting the book, Roth says that “If we want to move toward an era of solutions, where the planet is healing, people are fed and healthy, there is good in the way we do business, and a reverence for the well being of all living things, then all we have to do is live that life ourselves.” The life she is referring to is about putting our love to action with ‘the food we eat, the clothing we wear, the money we spend, and the entertainment choices we make.’

Roth explains that although Vegan is Love is a children’s book that’s easy to understand, at its core, it’s about ‘democracy, supply and demand and engaging ourselves in the public realm.’ (more…)

Teen Model Posts Severe Acne Make Up Video, Plus What to Eat for Clear Skin

Think of your biggest insecurity. Now imagine revealing that insecurity to millions of people on the Internet. Sound like fun? We didn’t think so either.

But that’s exactly what 19-year-old model Cassandra Bankson did when she posted a video of herself on YouTube with completely bare skin to show others her severe acne. Bankson then demonstrated how she uses make up to cover up her biggest insecurity: her make-up free skin.

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5 Ways to Fight Fatigue and Improve Your Health

It seems with all the go-go-go our society demands, fatigue is becoming more and more common among Americans – especially busy women and moms.

One cause of the problem? Overcommitment. As women we value relationships and connection with people, so we say ‘yes’ to too many things in order feel productive or needed, when we should instead evaluate whether or not we have time before signing up. Learning to say ‘no’ can be one of the first steps to fighting fatigue.

Another cause? Lack of sleep. According to health experts we’re supposed to get 7-9 hours a night. But more often we’re only getting 6-7 hours, which just isn’t enough for optimum mind and body function.

So what can we do about it? Women’s Health Magazine contributor Dr. Keri Peterson, recently stopped by The Today Show to share her top five tips on how to fight fatigue. (more…)

Six On-Hand Super Foods and Recipes You Can Use Them In

I’ll be the first to admit I’m cheap. I take pride in keeping a $200 grocery budget every month for my husband and I. And although it can be difficult at times, I love knowing that I’m saving us money that can be spent elsewhere. It’s almost a little game to see if I can make it to the end without going over. 

In addition to being cheap, I also like things simple. So when I come across stories like these from The Today Show about super foods that I likely already have on hand, I get all sorts of elated. Eating healthier without spending more money? Sign me up.

With the help of registered nutritionist Kari Glassman, we can easily determine what super foods are likely lying around our kitchen and why they’re so exceptionally healthy for us.

Starting with apples. Apples contain  fiber and Vitamin C, but they’re also high in flavonoids – the compounds that give fruits and vegetables their color. One of those compounds is quercetin, which is especially high in apples. Quercetin helps control our blood sugar level, acts as an antihistamine, and can even help prevent heart disease. Enjoying apples raw is enjoyable. But baking and topping them with ice cream is even better. Try this Apple-Whatever Cobbler for a quick and satisfying 400-calorie fix. (more…)

‘The Beauty Detox Solution’ Claims Our Skin Reflects More Than Just Our Diet

You’ve heard the saying we are what we are eat. (In that case, paint me a peanut butter-covered banana.) Well, a new book called ‘The Beauty Detox Solution’ is bringing new evidence to this argument, and even suggests that our skin reflects more than just our diet.

Author Kimberly Snyder – clinical nutritionist and renowned celebrity beauty expert – wrote the book not only from a place of passion, but also from a place of experience. After enduring beauty troubles herself, Kimberly traveled the world to study ‘age-old beauty secrets’ and discovered that what you eat is the ultimate beauty product.

And what’s more? The health of our internal organs can also be apparent in our skin – a science referred to as ‘face mapping.’ In a recent appearance on The Today Show, Kimberly shared about the connection between laugh lines and our lungs; lines across our forehead and our colon; and the consumption of probiotics to treat acne.

Beyond face mapping, Kimberly goes a step further and recommends a beauty and diet regimen that rids your body of toxins so you can look and feel your best. While we haven’t seen the diet firsthand, based on several Amazon reviews, it’s strict, but effective and mostly raw. And includes a lot of green smoothies. (more…)

What to Eat Before Sleep, Sex and Sweat

Trying to eat the right things throughout the day can be challenging enough. Can we say office donut party? Yeah, I’m a sucker for the chocolate-sprinkled variety. But it can be even more difficult to remember when we should stop to eat. Because there’s more to healthy eating than just food; time matters as well.

A recent story on The Today Show featuring nutritionist Joy Bauer gave us the dish on all the things we should and shouldn’t be eating and drinking and at what points throughout the day, in order to increase our performance for various activities like exercise, sleep and sex.

First up, exercise. If you’re like me you’re up and at the gym early leaving little time for a snack. But according to Joy that’s OK. If you’re moderately exercising for about an hour or less, she says you don’t need to ‘fuel up,’ especially if you’re trying to lose weight. However, if you are hungry and need a boost before hitting the gym, Joy suggests grabbing a banana for several reasons: 1) it’s portable; 2) it contains potassium, which we lose when we sweat; and 3) it’s fairly low in calories.

If you aren’t a pre-gym eater, a beverage with caffeine might be a better option like coffee or tea. Drinking caffeine 30 minutes or so before a workout has been shown to give your body a boost to help you move longer and perform better. (more…)

Bob Greene’s The Life You Want on The Today Show

Tune in this Friday, January 14 to The Today Show when Oprah’s trainer, Bob Greene stops by during the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. segments to discuss his new book The Life You Want: Get Motivated, Lose Weight and Be Happy.

Bob will be sharing tips on how to overcome all the obstacles—a resistance to exercise, emotional eating, poor body image, to give just a few examples—that stand in the way of your weight loss success, and ultimately, your happiness. (more…)