Prevention's Picks for Healthy Pre-packaged Foods on the Today Show

As a busy mom of two, I can appreciate the convenience of pre-packaged foods. After all, who has the time to cook from scratch every-single night? Not me. I also like the fact that many of these foods come in single-serving packages, which helps me stick to the correct portion sizes. However, figuring which pre-packaged foods are the healthiest options can be a challenge.

Prevention magazine has evaluated several brands of pre-packaged foods based on fat, sugar, sodium content, taste and price. After a thorough evaluation, Prevention has determined their top picks for the healthiest pre-packaged foods. Prevention highlights the winners in the following Today Show video clip.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I have never seen the Mann's sweet potato spears nor the Hagen Daas mango puree - two items I will certainly be looking out for. According to Prevention, these pre-packaged foods are reasonably priced as well.

Coincidentally, you could win a case of the Campbell's Select Harvest chicken and vegetable soup from Buythecase.net (if that's what you would like, it is your choice!) This is my current $50 gift card giveaway! Enter to win here and good luck!

Weighted Hula Hoops for Weight Loss

Just when I thought I was on a roll with my exercise routine, I found out that three hours on the treadmill and about an hour of weight training (per week) just isn't enough to shed the pounds! According to Lindsey Tanner's article "Daily Hour of Exercise Needed to Stay Thin", new research indicates, "At least an hour of moderate activity a day is needed for older women at a healthy weight who aren't dieting. For those who are already overweight -- and that's most American women -- even more exercise is called for to avoid gaining weight without eating less, the study results suggest."

When I saw the weighted Hula Hoops, for weight loss, I thought this might be a fun way to add additional exercise to my workouts. Check out this one weighted set available on Amazon. One reviewer indicates losing 5 lbs. in a week by just adding 10 minutes of hooping a night.





There is just one problem. I don't know how to Hula Hoop! I was under the impression that it is an ability that super thin and perky people are just born with. Maybe if I study videos like this one, I could learn to "feel the hoop".



The good news is that weighted hula hoops (about 3 -5 lbs.)may be easier to twirl than a regular hula hoop because of greater resistance. Peter McCall, a spokesperson with the American Council on Exercise says, "The bigger and heavier the hoop, the easier it is to keep the hoop going - and the more likely you'll be able to hoop for longer periods of time."

Apparently, the size of the hoop matters! McCall says that the hoop should reach somewhere between your waist and your chest when it is resting vertically on the ground. Any type of Hula Hooping can be an aerobic activity - especially if you're able to hoop for 10 minutes. (Let's try 10 seconds first!)

If she can do it......




Check out my other post on fun forms of exercise.

Can you hula hoop? What you think of hula hooping for exercise?

Food Inc. - Healthy Eating May be a Movie Away

If I were to give a grade for the way that I ate over the past year, I would go with a B-. I was successful at eliminating processed foods about 90% of the time. I ate at least two servings of fruits and four or five servings of vegetables daily about 90% of the time. I ate whole grain once a day, brown rice or for a starchy vegetable, I ate sweet potatoes. Sounds pretty healthy right? Well, one of my indulgences was..ahh...is "So Delicious" Organic Soy Ice Cream with Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips...and lots of 'em..several times a week. Okay the truth comes out! C-

Considering that I just reviewed the Mayo Clinic Diet Book and that Jan. 1 is just days away, maybe it is time to reassess my diet.

According to the Mayo Clinic book, we must break the habit of eating in front of the TV or computer screen. I eat in front of the computer screen every day! Talk about being unconscious - how sad. I can't even remember the last time I shut down my computer...

And....I do eat meat daily and some weeks I eat red meat twice a week. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was trying to follow the principles of the Blood Type Diet. According to my type, which is type O, red meat is supposed to be beneficial to me. Interestingly enough, my cholesterol levels are fine despite eating the red meat. However, my weight has stayed the same over the past year. (I have been 30 lbs. overweight pretty much since having kids!)

According to the Mayo Clinic doctor's research, it is recommended that we eat no more than 3 oz. of animal protein per day. Yikes! I eat double that easily......

If the Mayo Clinic research isn't enough to get me to cut down on meat, and buy organic, maybe the movie Food Inc. will do the trick. Before Jan. 1, I am going to watch this "scary" movie. (Playing on Comcast On Demand through Jan. and available on Amazon.com. )

I read an article today about this documentary that came out in 2008. Food Inc. is a movie directed by Rober Kenner and is based on the book entitled "The Omnivore's Dilemma", written by Michael Pollan. According to the article, the movie takes a look at our Nation's food supply in a manor that we as Americans never see. Some parts in the movie are disturbing, in particular the way that our meat is slaughtered and processed. The movie aims to open up our eyes as we make our weekly trips to the neatly lined shelves of our American grocery stores- I hope it will help up me to make healthier choices!

Will it change the way I eat for the long term? Time will tell.

If you have you seen Food Inc. be the first to comment on what you thought of the movie.





Click on these links to see what the critics say about Food Inc.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/food_inc/

http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/06/12/movies/12food.html

http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/foodinc

Food Inc. - Awareness is the new trend in healthy eating and (fingers crossed) weight loss.

The Mayo Clinic Diet Book and Journal Review and Giveaway

This giveaway is now closed. The winner will be announced shortly!

Are you searching for a practical approach to losing and maintaining a healthy weight in 2010? I am excited to post this review and giveaway of the Mayo Clinic Diet book and companion journal - just in time to help with your New Year's Weight Loss Resolutions.

The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat well. Enjoy life. Lose weight. By the weight-loss experts at Mayo Clinic and Donald Hensrud, M.D., M.P.H. Published by Good Books; January 2010: ISBN – 978-1561486762 US $25.99; hardcover.

About the Mayo Clinic: The Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty share the philosophy that the needs of the patient come first. Over 3,600 physicians and scientists and 50,000 allied staff work at Mayo clinics located in Minnesota, Florida and Arizona. Working together, the Mayo Clinic doctors treat more than 500,000 patients a year.

About Donald Hensrud, M.D: Donald Hensrud , M.D., M.P.H., is chair of the division of Preventative, Occupational and Aerospace Medicine and a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. A specialist in nutrition and weight management, Dr. Hensrud advises individuals on how to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. He conducts research in weight management, and he writes and lectures widely on nutrition-related topics. He helped publish two award-winning Mayo Clinic Cookbooks.

About the book: The Mayo Clinic diet is the first and only diet developed by the Mayo Clinic. The book is designed to be an easy weight loss and weight maintenance guide that cuts through all of the weight-loss clutter that consumers are exposed to on a daily basis.

The book consists of two easy-to-follow phases – “Lose It” and “Live It”. The Mayo Clinic Diet requires simple lifestyle adjustments and provides a common-sense approach to shedding pounds and keeping them off. The book consists of meal plans, tips for overcoming challenges, help in the start of an exercise plan and encouragement for success. The Mayo Clinic Diet gives dieters the tools they need to lose weight and keep it off.

About The Mayo Clinic Diet Journal: The Mayo Clinic Diet Journal is the essential companion to the Mayo Clinic Diet. The journal includes a quick-start “Lose It” section to monitor habits and a “Live It” section to record daily eating and exercise, making it possible for dieters to keep track of their goals and succeed with weight loss.

The Review: I understand that there is no quick fix, fad diet that will take the weight of and keep it off. Eating the right (whole) foods in the right (small) portions and exercising are the keys to weight loss, maintenance and good health. Since I get all that, I can appreciate the Mayo Clinic Diet for several reasons.

It is not another fad diet. The program outlines simple, and healthy changes that will result in weight loss.

It is based on the research of doctors who have worked with thousands of patients. The doctors have boiled down their research into the five simple habits to help you take off the extra weight and five habits to break so that you can keep it from coming back.

The diet is broken down into two simple phases – Lose it and Live It. In the two week Losing It phase, add five healthy habits like eating a healthy breakfast, healthy fats and adding exercise. Break five habits like no TV while eating, and no sugar (only what is naturally found in fruit). In Phase 2, “Live It” (the long-term plan) you continue to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week until you reach your goal. Then you learn how to maintain your healthy weight for life.

The Mayo Clinic Diet book has all the necessary tools, is simple to skim through, and is well organized. The book includes meal planners, recipes and tips on overcoming challenges, staying motivated, adapting recipes and sticking to the diet when eating out.

The book comes with a companion journal. To help monitor your progress, the companion journal has over 200 pages, consisting of a weight record to plot your weight and the habit tracker to record your foods eaten and your exercise. The easy-to-use diet journal allows you follow your progress during both phases of the program.

The proceeds from the book help support the Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit group practice. When you purchase Mayo Clinic books, you help support programs, including medical education and research.

Thank you to FSB associates for my review and giveaway copies of the diet book and journal.

Buy It: The Mayo Clinic Diet Eat Well. Enjoy Life. Lose Weight. Is available on Amazon.com for $17.15.

The Mayo Clinic Diet Journal is available on Amazon.com for $10.19.

Giveaway: Win a copy of the Mayo Clinic Diet Book and the Mayo Clinic Journal right here! To enter is easy!

This giveaway is now closed. The winner will be announced shortly!

1. Mandatory entry –Name one healthy food and one exercise that you have already incorporated into your daily or weekly routine. OR comment on why you want to lose weight in 2010. Please leave your email address in your comment. (1 entry)

Extra Entries:

2. Follow my blog. (2 entries)
3. Grab my button and put it on your site and add a link in your comment telling me where it is. (3 entries)
4. Tweet about this giveaway and leave the Tweet URL in a comment. (2 entries)
5. Subscribe via email. (3 entries)
6. Sign up for Networked Blogs (Facebook - located on the right side) (2 entries)

7. Enter the Memories Wow Recipes and Memories Photo Book Giveaway which is open until January 4th. (1 entry).

This Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada and will end on Friday, 1/22/10. Please include your email address in all comments. Thank you to all who enter and good luck!

This giveaway is now closed. The winner will be announced shortly!

Sesame Oil for Weight Loss

Sesame oil is an oil that is pressed from the sesame seed that is primarily used for dietary consumption. Studies indicate that sesame oil may have several health benefits like lowering blood pressure and lowering blood sugar. The antioxidants in the sesame oil are found to benefit the skin. When applied topically, sesame oil calms burns and controls dry scalp. Sesame oil is used in India as a healing oil and it is also used in manufacturing some cosmetics. Although the health effects of sesame oil are a relatively new field of research, recent studies indicate that sesame oil may be useful for weight loss.

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Kristi is a Freelance Writer specializing in online marketing communications. She writes press releases, web articles, media kits, brochures, web content and more. Please visit http://www.kristimaloney.com for more information.

The Truth About Th-121 Diet Pill for Weight Loss

When I heard the first radio advertisement for Th-121 as an anti-aging supplement that promised weight loss with no side effects, I admit I was interested. The product sounded wonderful! Take only two pills a day, with no anxiety or jittery side-effects, and drop that last twenty (or thirty) pounds. Maybe this Th-121 was finally the secret to weight loss that the whole world was waiting for!

Th-121 is a weight loss supplement that is a registered trademark of Chamonix, a company that manufactures anti-aging skin care and weight loss products. The Chamonix website is called Better Skin Today.
Better known for their skin care products, Chamonix claims to offer several key advantages over other skin care brands:

• Chamonix does not use mineral oil, petroleum by-products, pharmaceutical preservatives, coloring agents or other harmful ingredients, and they never test on animals.
• Chamonix uses only pure, natural ingredients, including a variety of potent antioxidants.
• The Chamonix anti-aging skin care products are developed by a pharmacist, and are clinically proven to work.

Like the Chamonix anti-aging skin care products, which are formulated on the basis that antioxidants are the key to preventing premature aging, the Chamonix line of anti-aging weight control products (like Th-121) are formulated on this same premise.

To continue to the article click here.

Kristi is a Freelance Writer specializing in online marketing communications. She writes press releases, web articles, media kits, brochures, web content and more. Please visit www.kristimaloney.com for more information.