Blog Posts by DietsInReview

By Jason Knapfel for DietsInReview.com

When you're feeling a little down, do you reach for your favorite junk food, like ice cream or chips? We all know about comfort food and how great it makes us feel when we indulge. Now Belgian researchers are shedding some light on what's going on at the molecular level.

The study, led by Dr. Lukas Van Oudenhove, a psychiatrist from the University of Leuven, suggests that it's the fatty acid in comfort foods that improve people's moods.

"Eating fat seems to make us less vulnerable to sad emotions, even if we don't know we're eating fat," said Van Oudenhove.

The researchers got 12 healthy subjects to participate in the study. After a 12-hour fast, each person underwent a 40-minute brain activity scan called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). They were then hooked up to a gastric feeding tube that administered 250 milliliters of fatty acid or a saline solution. Three minutes before being fed either solution, the people were played 11

By Maris Callahan for DietsInReview.com

Not only is it important to be mindful of nutrition during pregnancy to help nourish your baby, but according to an article on NPR, what a woman eats during a healthy pregnancy may shape his or her food preferences later in life.

"Things like vanilla, carrot, garlic, anise, mint - these are some of the flavors that have been shown to be transmitted to amniotic fluid or mother's milk," Julie Mennella, who studies taste in infants at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, told NPR.

Additionally, babies whose mothers ate a lot of a certain type of food while pregnant were said to be less likely to reject that food when fed it as an infant. "This makes a lot of evolutionary sense," says Mennella. "Since mothers tend to feed their children what they eat themselves, it is nature's way of introducing babies to the foods and flavors that they are likely to encounter in their family and their culture."

However, the jury is still out for most moms on

By Lacy J. Hansen - DietsInReview.com

Try as we might, there's no way to escape the science of calories. Every calorie counts and unfortunately lots of our favorite foods have too many calories. But don't fret, life doesn't have to be lived eating flavorless celery and lettuce. There are lots of great ways to cut calories without feeling like you're being deprived.

Here are 10 ways to reduce breakfast calories. We've actually tried these and can attest that you'll get through the most important meal of the day with fewer calories, and best of all, you won't sacrifice any flavor!

1. Replace honey with maple syrup
Just a little honey will go a long way. You can use much less honey than you would use in syrup and get more than enough sweetness.

2. Use egg whites
One egg has about 70 calories. If you ditch the yolk, you cut 50 of them. Granted, you'll need more than one egg's worth of whites for most dishes, you still get lots of protein and miss very little flavor in your morning

By Jason Knapfel for DietsInReview.com

A sedentary lifestyle has many health implications for children. For instance, nearly ten percent of all U.S. children have diabetes. Now this sedentary lifestyle is also being connected to a child's performance at school, which makes the fact that gym classes are being cut from curriculum even more destructive.

Researchers have found that when sedentary, overweight kids begin exercising, their performance in math and overall thinking and planning capabilities improve. Experts also correlate exercise to increased activity in the "executive function" part of the brain.

Researchers evaluated children using their standard achievement tests. Some even completed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The MRIs revealed that the children who exercised had more activity in the "executive function" area, which is where self-control, planning, reasoning and abstract thought are managed.

"We know that exercise is good for you, but we didn't have very good

By Lacy J. Hansen, a two-time Boston Marathon finisher, for DietsInReview.com.

If you're on Twitter, you've probably caught the #Plankaday hashtag that's become popular this summer. For those haters of ab workouts, as I admit to being, this is a fun, competitive, and simple way to get one little exercise off your to-do list.

Dr. Sherry Pagoto, a licensed clinical psychologist and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and her friend Mike Bauman created Plank A Day as a way to lessen the pain of ab work.

"Hate ab workouts? I hate them MORE. I hate them so much that I have never been able to do them for more than a few days without quitting," shared Dr. Pagoto on the movement's web page. "As a result my back and abs are weak and pitiful. My friend Mike has the same problem. To get motivated, [we] started Plank A Day."

"A plank is a great isometric exercise designed to strengthen the core muscles," DIR's resident fitness expert, Kelly

By Brandi Koskie - DietsInReview.com

For a lot of moms, packing lunches is something they could do in their sleep with both arms folding the laundry. But even the most talented lunch-box-stuffing parent could learn some new tricks, especially when it comes to making those lunch box meals even more nutritious.

That mid-day meal at school is supposed to recharge and refuel their young bodies and minds to get through what is often the most sluggish part of the day for kids and adults alike. So rather than fill their bellies with junk food they'll burn through before recess is over, give them something they can use.

Yogurt, crackers, and granola bars are lunch box staples, but they don't all deserve a place next to your handwritten "Have a great day!" note. We spoke with a few dietitians and tracked down some of the best brands so that you can give your kids their favorite snacks that you can feel good about.

YOGURT
Portion control is built-in when you buy yogurt cups, however,

By Carmen Staicer - Chief Mom at DietsInReview.com

The book bags have been bought, everyone has new sneakers and fresh haircuts, and bedtimes have been rolled back. What time is it? Why, it's back to school time! The most wonderful time of the year!

OK, so maybe that's an understatement for the kiddos, but most parents I know look forward to the return of the school year with a mixture of excitement and dread. Excitement because the kids are back in school, and dread because the return to school brings with it a large concern: what will those kids eat? School lunches are fairly easy, but the after-school snacks create quite a dilemma for many parents. It's easy to toss a sleeve of cookies or a bag of chips in their general direction, but many school-aged children are in need of a substantial snack to fill in the cracks and refuel them for after-school sports.

Second to breakfast, after-school snacks can be one of the most important parts of a child's nutrition routine. What your

By Brandi Koskie - DietsInReview.com

It's almost impossible to believe that in a few short weeks the kiddos will be headed out the door for school. Backpacks, tennis shoes, and sharp #2 pencils are always obvious must-have back-to-school items, but we often overlook lunch. What they're eating at school during the day can be one of their most important supplies, because it's that food that fuels them to read, write, count, and play.

Instead of fighting one another on what to put in their lunch boxes, meet in the middle with some snacks and treats that are good enough for everyone to feel good about. We've found a few snacks worthy of being called mom- and kid-approved!

Baby Carrots. Not just any baby carrots though, cool baby carrots! That's what the baby carrot industry is trying to make consumers feel about their healthy food. Their neon orange color is natural and full of vitamins, while the neon orange cheese doodles your kids might be used to are nutritionally void. Last fall