Blog Posts by DietsInReview

This is a personal narrative from Carmen Staicer, Chief Mom for DietsInReview.com, and Head Honcho at Mom to the Screaming Masses.

Six years ago, I had an 18-month-old baby. She was one year younger than her closest sibling, and followed four others. So, six total. My life was wrapped up in my kids and my life was chaotic. I began the journey into spectrum disorders and dealt with a metric ton of garbage in many aspects of my life that I don't wish on anyone. I was completely overwhelmed and had gotten into a *very* dangerous habit of consoling myself with food. Angry? Eat. Sad? Eat some more. Overwhelmed? Stuff my face. Happy? Fill my gut.

I rewarded any and all small - or large - victories as if I were a dog - with food. It was not a pretty sight and I was not happy. So I decided that I'd start to try to lose weight, and I told absolutely no one. Not one person. Not even my spouse.

Tangent.

This weekend I participated in an event called "Get Fit," sponsored by my city's recreation

By Maggie Badore for DietsInReview.com

There are numerous reasons for wanting to cut down on your meat consumption. Various health professionals have argued that eating less meat has health benefits, while environmental scientists say that decreasing your meat consumption uses fewer natural resources and creates less pollution. Many people choose to forgo meat because they don't believe in harming animals for food, others do it as a protest against factory farms. There are also people for whom vegetarianism is rooted in their religion. Considering the many reasons why people become vegetarian, it's no surprise that there are many different levels of abstaining from meat and/or other animal products.

As this month is Vegetarian Awareness Month, we wanted to share a summary of the different types of vegetarianism, from the most inclusive to least.

Flexitarian

The "flexitarian" concept is quite new. It refers to someone who leads a mostly vegetarian lifestyle, consuming mostly plants,

By Carmen Staicer for DietsInReview.com

One of the most anticipated parts of fall's return is all of the pumpkin recipes. And the leader of those may just be the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. Some people wait all year to order this immensely popular seasonal beverage. Like most of the things on the coffee shop menu, it sounds wonderful until you pop a peek of the nutrition info. If you're trying to manage your weight it might seem like a splurge not worth taking.

The 16-ounce Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte, made with 2 percent milk, contains 380 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 49 grams of sugar (via Starbucks.com). That's a whopping serving of empty calories and sugar, not to mention fat, for a beverage. A beverage you're most likely consuming at, or for, breakfast.

There is a way to indulge and not regret it. Make one, or some of these adjustments to whittle down that latter to just a 100-calorie treat.

• Order a Tall to save 80 calories, or a Short, an option not posted on many

By Carmen Staicer - Chief Mom at DietsInReview.com

In many parts of the country it's finally cooling off and that means it's time for one of the most enjoyable and traditional activities of the season - a visit to the pumpkin patch! While those trips can involve a lot of candy corn, pumpkin-flavored treats, and hot, sweetened beverages, they can also be the perfect environment for a serious workout.

This year turn your visit in to an even more active adventure by organizing a pumpkin patch bootcamp. You'll have fun and get in a cardio workout while enjoying the pumpkin patch!

It's also the perfect way to shake up your usual girls-day-out.

Try these exercise recommendations and be sure to share with us any of your own.

• Perform a kettlebell swing with a mid-sized pumpkin. Be sure to hold the pumpkin by a thicker stem with a good grip.

• Build an obstacle course using pumpkins, hay bales, and fence rails. Run through the pumpkins, jump over the hay bales and crawl under the

By Kelly Turner for DietsInReview.com

With fall upon us it can only mean one thing: the holidays are looming. If the thought of all those upcoming parties full of fatty foods and calorie-filled cocktails has you already drilling an extra notch in your belt, allow me a few minutes of your time and I promise to reduce your stress.
Most people wait until after the holidays to worry about losing, but even if you are successful, you will only be taking off the extra weight you gained from your care-free attitude toward holiday season eating. Wouldn't it be wonderful if, just this once, your New Year's resolution had nothing to do with losing weight? How great would it feel to get through the entire season without guilt, remorse or shirt buttons that scream for mercy? Start now. It is easier to avoid holiday weight gain if you establish your healthy habits, exercise routine and nutrition plan before the holidays even hit. That way, your momentum and motivation can carry you through the

It cannot be easy to fill the shoes of Jillian Michaels. For an incredibly petite 5'2" person, she casts a very large shadow, especially where Biggest Loser is concerned. So we couldn't help but wonder if Dolvett Quince, one of two new trainers two take over the spot vacated by Jillian last spring, felt like there were any "Jillian ghosts" lingering. The idea gave him a good laugh and he assured us that he wasn't aware of any ghosts. In a recent interview Dolvett said he's never met the former Biggest Loser trainer and because of that he's able to "just do what I do best and bring my expertise to the show."

We're only two weeks in to the new Biggest Loser season and fans are already taken with the tall, motivating, and incredibly good looking trainer. A Stamford, CT native, Dolvett has called Atlanta home for several years. It's there that he opened his Body Sculptor studio, which has since spun off two DVD workouts - Body Sculptor and Me and My Chair. When he isn't working with obese

By Jill Lawson for DietsInReview.com

Toxins come in many forms, from harsh and deadly organisms such as snake venom, to man-made environmental agents like asbestos. While some toxins can be fatal, others do more than cause mild annoyances like headaches, nausea or irritability.

You can use yoga to detox, and help your body remove the non-life-threatening toxins, such as those consumed when eating chemical laden junk food, drinking alcohol, or being exposed to air pollution. While toxins are an often-unavoidable part of life, our bodies are, thankfully, equipped to deal with them, and yoga can help.

The liver is the primary organ responsible for filtering the blood for the processing and removal of toxins. When the liver is healthy, toxins are more readily released from your body in the form of sweat, urine, and excrement, via the liver's metabolic functions.

There are yoga poses that massage and stimulate the liver by flushing it with fresh blood and oxygen, in an effort to support

By Jason Knapfel - DietsInReview.com

If you are fighting high cholesterol, what is your best dietary option for getting levels back to normal? Cholesterol-lowering foods, naturally. A new study confirms that these cholesterol-lowering foods are a better option than low-fat foods.

"Eating more of these simple, inexpensive ingredients such as oatmeal, barley and beans, peas and lentils can have a significant impact on lowering blood cholesterol and risk for a heart attack -- one forkful at a time," says Dr. Linda Van Horn, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University.

The study examined 345 people with high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. They were divided into three eating styles: a low-saturated fat diet, a diet concentrating on cholesterol-lowering foods with two counseling sessions, and a cholesterol-lowering diet with seven counseling sessions.

According to study author Dr. David Jenkins, research chair in nutrition and metabolism at the University of