Are you looking for strategies to survive this holiday season in a healthy way without gaining weight? Rachel Berman, RD, CSR, CD/N, the Director of Nutrition for CalorieCount.com, has identified some of the unhealthiest holiday foods and has prepared the following list of suggestions for healthy and delicious swaps for holiday beverages, appetizers, desserts, side dishes and more.

Below, Rachel advises that you ditch the unhealthy and dish up better-for-you substitutions. I’ve added a few extra tips to help you enjoy a healthy and delicious Thanksgiving or holiday meal even more!

Non-alcoholic drinks

Ditch it: non-alcoholic eggnog (calories: 343, fat: 19 g for a 1 cup serving)

Dish it: sugar free hot chocolate (calories: 60, fat: 1g for one packet)

Why: Don’t gulp down your calories and fat with eggnog! Research shows we don’t register nutrients the same way from beverages than we would from food. So you’ll probably end up eating close to the same amount at holiday dinner even if you’ve had a couple of eggnogs before. Instead, arm up to a prepackaged sugar free hot cocoa and add some lite whipped cream (15 cal for 2 tablespoons) for a treat post meal.

This Mama’s tip: Try my recipe for Truvia sweetened Exotic Hot Chocolate or serve a Crio Brü, a brewed drink made from roasted 100% cocoa beans

Alcoholic drinks

Ditch it: White Russian (calories: 412, fat: 17 g per 6 ounce serving)

Dish it: “Light” Russian (Calories: 225, Fat: 0g per 6 ounce serving)

Why: Make your own “Light” Russian by subbing fat free milk or half and half for the full fat versions and save on artery clogging saturated fat.

This Mama’s tip: Try using alternative milks like lite coconut, soy or rice milk instead of cow’s milk if you’re avoiding dairy products.

Cold appetizers

Ditch it: cheese and crackers (calories: 306, fat: 16g per 2 ounce and 5 cracker serving)

Dish it: shrimp cocktail (calories: 51, fat: 0.4 g per 5 medium-sized shrimp with cocktail sauce)

Why: Cheese may be a great source of protein and calcium, but the saturated fat content really adds up. Instead, choose a virtually non-fat shrimp cocktail for a light and decadent appetizer.

This Mama’s tip: Forget the shrimp cocktail. Shrimp is awesome on its own with a little lemon or lime juice or flavored vinegars.

Hot appetizers

Ditch it: artichoke dip (calories: 100, fat: 8g per serving of 2 tablespoons)

Dish it: turkey meatballs with Hawaiian sauce (Calories: 65, Fat: 1.4 g per serving)

Why: Artichoke dip can be dangerous because no one eats only 2 tablespoons, plus there are the chips it’s usually served with. Turkey meatballs are a great substitute because they are chockfull of lean protein, pre-portioned, and delicious!

This Mama’s tip: Looking for healthy appetizers? Check out my list of healthy party foods and healthy snacks.

Veggie side dish

Ditch it: green bean casserole (calories: 309, fat: 24.7 per one cup serving)

Dish it: grilled asparagus spears (calories: 84, fat: 5.4 per six spears)

Why: Don’t be fooled by the greenery in the title, green bean casserole with fried onions can be an ominous side dish. Try simply grilled asparagus brushed with olive oil for the benefits of vitamins and minerals, without the excess fat.

This Mama’s tip: Add a little lemon juice, flavored vinegars or a buttery spread to those grilled asparagus. Heavenly!

Potato side dish

Ditch it: scalloped potatoes (calories: 214, fat: 9.8 g fat per 1 cup serving)

Dish it: mashed potatoes (calories: 109, fat: 0.2g per 1 cup serving)

Why: Scalloped potatoes are loaded with calories and fat – so this holiday, opt for mashed potatoes that are seasoned with turkey broth, garlic – and any other fresh spices you like – for a delicious and healthy side dish. Leave the skins on the potatoes for a fiber boost!

This Mama’s tips: Instead of butter and cream, use a buttery spread and no fat evaporated milk or vegetable broth to make your mashed potatoes.

Dessert

Ditch it: pecan pie (calories: 676, fat: 40.8 g, sugar: 39.4g per 129.5g per serving)

Dish it: pumpkin pie (calories: 161, fat: 4.8g, sugar: 15.2g per 129.5g per serving)

Why: Pecan pie is loaded with sugar, so take pride in serving pumpkin pie! Not only is it a holiday staple, it’s a relatively healthy dessert to serve when made with low fat evaporated milk. Plus, pumpkin is full of beta carotene – an antioxidant that promotes eye health and can help fight against heart disease and certain cancers

This Mama’s tip: Try these healthier pumpkin based desserts:

• Gluten Free Pumpkin Flan
• Cheaters Pumpkin Pie
• Weight Watchers Pumpkin Mousse
• Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Coffee shop favorites

Ditch it: peppermint white chocolate mocha with whipped cream (calories: 410, fat: 15g per 12-ounce beverage)

Dish it: pumpkin spiced latte made with skim milk, no whipped cream (Calories: 200, Fat: 0g, per 12-ounce beverage)

Why: Seasonal drinks can be very tempting. But without paying attention, your delicious holiday beverage can be equivalent to the calories in a meal with a significant amount of saturated fat from milk and cream. That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the fun! Order a pumpkin spiced latte made with skim milk and skip the whipped cream for a nonfat treat with half the calories.

This Mama’s tip: Try my Skinny Pumpkin Latte.

Making healthier choices during the holidays is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Part of the reason I gained instead of lost or maintained my weight last year was due in part to my heavy travel schedule. (The other was probably due to my food sensitivities and not exercising enough.)

Well, this year already looks like it’s going to be just as busy. This week I’m in Los Angeles with my two kids for the Frigidaire’s Kids’ (good-for-you) Academy event with several other bloggers and their families. (You can follow us on Twitter by searching for the #kidscooking hashtag.) And next week I’m off to NYC.

Keeping healthy on the road

When the publicist for Dr. Wayne Andersen, founder of Take Shape For Life, sent me the following tips of simple actions you can take to avoid gaining weight while traveling, I just had to share. Since it’s directed at people who are doing a Medifast diet, I’ve expounded on several points for those of you are using other diet plans, like Weight Watchers, or are just trying to eat healthier and not gain weight when on vacation or a business trip.

If you travel frequently, you may want to also check out my post, 11 chair exercises to help you stay comfortable and healthy on long airplane flights.

Plan ahead for success

1. Before your trip, make sure you will have enough meal replacements while on your trip. You may want to mail them ahead to your destination to cut back on luggage. (This Mama’s tip: good meal replacements include bars, nuts, protein powders, packets of nut butter, etc.)

2. Find out if your hotel room has a coffee maker, refrigerator, or microwave. This will help you decide what products to bring.

3. See if your hotel has a gym or pool and bring appropriate clothes to get some exercise. No excuses! (This Mama’s tip: Some hotels have special rates at nearby health clubs like 24 Hour Fitness. If there isn’t a workout facility at the hotel, find out if there’s a walking trail, Y or rec center close by. Or indulge in a day of golf or a tennis lesson.)

Travel day preparation

4. Make sure to pack enough meal replacements for your travel day. Always bring an extra in case of layover. (This Mama’s tips: Pack healthy bars, fruit, dried fruit, tea bags, and/or individual packets of nut butters. It’ll help you save money, too!)

5. Remember healthy drinks will not make it through security. (This Mama’s tip: Bring an empty sports bottle. You can fill up at a water fountain in the terminal.)

6. If you don’t want to bring a sports bottle, you can mix drink powders and shakes in a water bottle. Just drink some water off the top before pouring the shake mix in.

7. A Medifast bar is a great snack for the plane. (This Mama’s tip: So are nuts, dried fruit and other types of meal replacement bars. Cynthia Sass, the author of Cinch! likes Larabars. Ask your seatmates if they have any nut allergies before breaking out the peanuts.)

8. If you have a coffee pot in your room, bring oatmeal, chicken noodle soup or instant soups to mix with hot water.

9. Remember to bring you shaker jar! (This Mama’s tip: stop by a convenience store or coffee shop to get some skim milk to mix with your protein powder. You can also get milk in most airport terminals.)

10. Drink lots of water. Air travel is dehydrating!

On your trip

11. This Mama’s tip: If your your hotel serves a complimentary continental breakfast, load up on healthy food like a hard boiled egg – toss the yolk – fruit, oatmeal, skim milk, etc. Or nosh on the goodies you brought with you. I like relaxing with a cup of tea in my room while I get ready in the morning, too.

12. Be aware of your schedule and don’t miss a meal! (This Mama tip: when you miss a meal, you’ll be extra hungry later and may over indulge. Instead, make sure to take some healthy snacks with you. Or head over to Starbucks for an egg white wrap, a mid-day oatmeal snack or a skinny latte.)

13. This Mama’s tip: Get enough sleep! Being sleep deprived will slow your metabolism and may cause you to overeat.

14. Order a salad and appetizer for you main meal.  It’ll probably be the proper portion. (This Mama’s tip: it’s probably cheaper, too!)

15. Remember that alcohol will let down your defenses and is full of empty calories and carbs! It’s best to choose club soda or a diet drink. (This Mama’s tip: Ask your server for lime or lemon slices to give your diet soda or seltzer water a little healthy flavor.)

16. Make healthy choices.  Some days you may have to have both lunch and dinner out, so make the best of it and choose wisely.

17. Don’t worry about losing weight. After all, sometimes the stress of traveling will slow your weight loss. The main objective is not to gain weight!

18. Remember to bring your journal and write down what you’re eating. Keeping track is important!

19. This Mama’s tip: Walk and take the stairs whenever you can. Don’t forget to pack comfortable shoes and good socks!

20. This Mama’s tip: Get back into your regular eating healthy and fitness routine as soon as you get back home. You may need to sleep in the first day though, especially if you’ve crossed several time zones and have jet lag.

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Disclosure: My participation in Frigidaire’s Kids’ Kids (good-for-you) Academy was sponsored by Frigidaire who provided me with travel arrangements to and from Los Angeles to participate.

20 simple tips to avoid gaining weight while traveling is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Today’s guest post is from Daniel Depp, the author of The 30 Day Diet system: a personalized online weight loss program designed to help you lose weight in 30 days or less, change your habits and keep the weight off permanently. He’s a former professional athlete and the successful author of numerous weight loss articles, videos, e-books and publications that have helped thousands of people lose weight, look good and stay that way – even if they’ve failed in the past.

Losing weight and keeping it off

How many people do you know who have lost weight on a weight loss diet or program at one time or another? Probably quite a few, now ask yourself how many of those people have managed to keep it off? I bet it’s considerably less – perhaps nobody.

It might seem hard to believe but it would certainly seem that losing weight permanently is far more difficult to achieve than short-term weight loss. Studies have shown that many dieters are able to lose weight initially, but before long they slip back to old habits and the weight returns to haunt them. Sometimes, they even end up weighing more than when they started!

Why is this? Well, it could be for any number of reasons; inadequate motivation, hunger, bad days, stress. The ultimate challenge is to sustain healthy lifestyle habits without the compliments from friends, family and colleagues, or seeing the numbers on the scale descending.

In order to maintain your weight loss, it’s time to accept that eating healthy and being physically active IS your new lifestyle. Focus on the rewards: lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, sleeping better, getting off medication, feeling energized and confident. Don’t think of your weight loss efforts as dieting as this implies there’s a beginning and an end.

Instead think of it as shifting to a new gear in which you are adopting small and realistic lifestyle changes. You need to continue the behavior that lost you the weight in the first place, and that behavior needs to be sustainable or else weight-regain is inevitable.

The 7 keys to long-term weight loss

Let’s take a look at how the people who have managed to successfully lose weight and keep it off – these dieters have beaten the odds and remained at their desired weight. Remember, the following information doesn’t necessarily show you how to lose weight fast, but more importantly, how to sustain your weight loss until you’re at your target weight and remain there indefinitely.

Back in the late ‘90s, researchers James Hill and Rena Wing set-up the National Weight Control Registry and tracked the habits of over 6,000 people who had lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for more than one year. Their studies showed that these successful dieters lost, on average, 70 pounds and stayed at their desired weight for six years.

They also discovered that they shared seven important habits:

1. Weight losers follow a calorie-controlled diet that is relatively low in fat

Portions should be small and foods such as soup and vegetables are a good idea. Another is to limit the variety of food you eat thus simplifying your diet. Choose calories wisely – don’t waste them on calorie dense food with little nutritional value!

2. Successful dieters have everything planned out

They follow a consistent eating pattern each day that establishes a routine – this set eating plan is the cornerstone of weight loss success. Even your indulgences can be planned out in advance, this way you have something to look forward to and keep you motivated whilst also eliminating many of the cravings associated with being unable to eat junk food.

3. Weight loss maintainers eat frequently, up to five or six times per day and every three to four hours

Nothing kills your diet faster than hunger, and eating regular meals helps control blood sugar while also managing your appetite. Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day as thirst can sometimes be confused with hunger and those extra fluids will take the edge off your appetite and help your body burn those calories more efficiently.

4. They never skip breakfast

People who are struggling to lose weight seem to forget that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. After all, you haven’t eaten for probably eight or more hours and your body needs fuel for the day ahead. Start eating a healthy breakfast each morning and you’ll notice a vast improvement in your performance. The first meal of the day doesn’t have to be fancy, fixing up a quick bowl of whole-grain, high-fiber cereal with a bit of fruit and some non-fat yogurt will do just fine.

5. Weight loss maintainers do some sort of physical activity for 60 minutes each day

The majority of people who lose weight fast and keep it off walk five to six miles per day. That may seem like a lot but many experts agree that you could get away with less than five miles so long as you take those walks at a high intensity. Add some hills, pick up the pace and boost your heart rate to boost that metabolism and fire the fat burning furnace.

6. Successful dieters regularly take their measurements

They tend to measure their progress often, at least once a week they’ll jump on the scales and see how they are getting on. You’ve got two to three pounds to play with. If the scale goes beyond that number you know you’ve got to tighten the belt by curbing calories and/or increasing activity levels.

7. They limit time in front of the TV

Reducing the time you spend in front of the tube can have surprising results in terms of weight loss. Typically, successful weight losers watch about 10 hours of television per week, which is approximately one third of the American average. This obviously saves time that can instead be spent on working out or preparing quality food, it also means you’re less likely to indulge in unhealthy snacks while watching the latest American Idol episode.

Next stop, permanent weight loss

These seven keys to permanent weight loss have worked for others – and they can work for you, too. Of course it’s vitally important to stay positive throughout any weight loss program and to choose the right one! Sometimes what works for one person, isn’t necessarily the best option for another . It’s best to create a personalized plan that’s tailored to your own needs and preferences.

Before I sign off, I’d like to add one last thing: get realistic. If you want to lose weight permanently you need to take things slowly. Work on changing your eating habits and improving your lifestyle choices. These things don’t happen overnight but by gradually making positive changes you’ll start seeing lasting results.

Sources

• National Weight Control Registry

So you want to lose weight? The 7 keys to long-term weight loss is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I came across some wonderful weight loss and dieting tips from Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D., author of Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals. Since it’s a challenging time of year to keep to your usual routines of eating healthfully and exercising, Heidi’s tips will get you into the right mindset for sticking to your weight loss goals.

But first I have a few weight loss and healthy eating tips of my own!

This Mama’s tips to lose weight over the holidays

Relax. The holidays are stressful, because there’s so much to do. Plus, the house is a disster with all those relatives and kids underfoot. Then there are those end-of-the-year deadlines at work. No wonder you’re overeating because you’re stressed out!

Instead, delegate clean up chores to your family. Take some “me time” and make an appointment for a massage or a pedicure. Get organized at work and prioritize what can wait and what needs to be done before December 31st. Get a sitter and go for a date with your significant other or a best friend. Take an exercise or yoga class. Meditate. Listen to your favorite music. Read a book.

Rest. I overeat when I’m tired, as do many people. The best protection is making sure to get eight hours of sleep every night. Take a nap Christmas day and before going to that New Year’s Eve party. You deserve it!

Planning. Fill your house with healthy snacks like veggie sticks, low fat vegetable soups, fruit and sparkling water. Plan ahead by offering to bring a healthy dish to Christmas dinner or your friend’s party. Get in an extra workout before the big company party. Bring your water bottle with you shopping and while you’re running those last minute errands.

BYO food and drink. Don’t be shy about bringing your own dish. We’re all used to people having special diets these days. If someone gives you some grief about it, tell them you’re under doctor’s orders and you have to only eat food on your special plan.

Just say no. Turn down those cookie exchange invites. See if you can just come for dessert instead of the whole dinner, and just have a cup of coffee or tea. (Works great with relatives you can’t stand!) Volunteer to be the designated driver to avoid indulging in high calorie alcohol.

Exercise. If your gym is closed for the holiday, take a walk. Or play a Wii or Xbox workout game. Get the kids to do a yoga video with you. (My daughter loves to do Wii yoga.) Believe it or not, most bowling alleys are open Christmas day, so take the kids (and the grandparents) bowling. Go for a bike ride if the weather is nice. Or challenge the kids to see who can do the most sit ups or push ups during the commercial breaks.

Use those gift cards wisely. Buy yourself some new workout clothes or a fitness game or video.

Get back on the wagon. Did you lose your focus and overindulge or stop exercising? That’s OK, but don’t use it as an excuse to not get back to your healthy habits. Hit the gym. Toss those cookies into the trash. Go to the supermarket and fill the fridge with healthy food. Drink your water!

3 Tips for Avoiding Weight Gain Over the Holidays

By Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D.

The holidays are a difficult time for those of us who both enjoy eating and worry about our waistlines. Chances are good that if you overindulged a bit at Thanksgiving, you are now looking ahead to the month of December with a wary eye - only too aware of the minefield of cookie platters, holiday parties, family dinners, and gift baskets that you will have to somehow navigate.

You know from experience that you cannot get through these trying times on willpower alone. So here are three very simple and proven-effective motivational strategies for ending up in your current pant size on January 1st.

Tip 1:  Acknowledge That You Probably Can't Have Just One.

According to the laws of physics, bodies in motion tend to stay in motion, unless something acts to stop them.  Well, the same thing can be said about human behavior, too  - - including eating.

Your actions have a kind of inertia  - - once you start doing something, it often takes more self-control to stop than it does to just avoid doing it in the first place.  And it gets harder to stop the longer the behavior goes on.  So it's easier to be abstinent if you stop at the first kiss, rather than letting things get hot and heavy.  And it's a lot easier to pass on the potato chips entirely, rather than just eat one or two.

Stopping before you start is an excellent strategy to keep your need for willpower to a minimum.  Consider cutting out all between-meal snacking over the holidays.  The fewer times you start eating each day, the less you'll have to worry about stopping.

Tip 2:  Set VERY Specific Limits.

Before you get anywhere near the cookie platter, the fruit cake, or the cheese plate, think about how much you can afford to eat without over-indulging.  Decide, in advance, exactly how much of any particular holiday treat you will allow yourself for dessert, or at the Christmas party.

The problem with most plans, including diet plans, is that they are not nearly specific enough.  We plan to "be good," or "not eat too much," but what does that mean, exactly?  When will I know if I've had too much?  When you are staring at a table overflowing with delicious snacks, you are not going to be a good judge of what "too much" is.

An effective plan is one that is made before you stare temptation in the face, and that allows no wiggle room.   Studies show that when people plan out exactly what they will do when temptation arises (e.g., I will have no more than 3 cookies and nothing else), are 2-3 times more likely to achieve their dietary goals.

Tip 3:  Savor.  

Savoring is a way of increasing and prolonging our positive experiences.  Taking time to experience the subtle flavors in a piece of dark chocolate, the pungency of a full-flavored cheese, the buttery goodness of a Christmas cookie  - - these are all acts of savoring, and they help us to squeeze every bit of joy out of the good things that happen to us.

Avoid eating anything in one bite  - - you get all the calories, but only a fraction of the taste. Also, try not to eat while you are socializing.  When you are focused on conversation, odds are good that you will barely even register what you are putting in your mouth.

Eating slowly and mindfully, taking small bites instead of swallowing that bacon-wrapped scallop or stuffed mushroom whole, not only satisfies your hunger, but actually leaves you feeling happier.

And that, ideally, is what holiday feasting is all about.

© 2010 Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D., author of Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals. You can follow the author on Facebook and Twitter

How to lose weight over the holidays is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

There’s nothing more challenging for someone trying to eat healthy and lose weight than holiday cookie exchanges. If it’s too hard to avoid cookies this time of year, plan your indulgence!

• Decide how many cookies you're going to allow yourself to eat. Maybe you have them on the day you use up all your extra Weight Watcher POINTS.
• Wash down those cookies with something healthy and low calorie like green tea or skim milk.
• Put in an extra exercise session before you indulge so you've already burned up all those calories. Or go for a walk with your friends before or after the cookie exchange party.
• If you’re baking your own cookies, use healthier substitutes like stevia instead of sugar.
• When you bring your cookies home, share them with neighbors and friends. Or bring them to work to share with coworkers. No one said you have to eat them all yourself!
• Encourage your cookie exchange friends to make healthier cookies. Meringues are a good choice as are breakfast cookies.

Today’s guest post from Holly Clegg features a recipe for her Holiday Bars from her cookbook, Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets To Sizzle At Any Age. Believe it or not, her delicious Holiday Bars are only ONE Weight Watchers POINT per serving!

An Easy Favorite Holiday Cookie

Looking for an easy holiday treat to bring to work, a party or a cookie swap? Holiday Bars, a fantastic layered bar pick-up, highlight holiday ingredients. Easy to make with a gingersnap crust layered with white chocolate chips, pecans, and cranberries gives you the perfect combination of tart, sweet, spice, and crunchy. You will want to make this recipe year round, and you can, as this quick recipe uses dried cranberries. So, no stress when asked to bring a treat as you can whip up these amazing bar cookies in a matter of minutes.

For more healthy holiday recipes, visit Holly’s website or  The Healthy Cooking Blog.

Nutritional information

Calories 57 Calories from fat 42% Fat 3g Saturated Fat 1g Cholesterol 4mg Sodium 34mg Carbohydrate 8g Dietary Fiber 0g Sugars 6g Protein 1g

Dietary Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1/2 fat

Weight Watchers POINTS = 1 per cookie

This Mama’s tips

• Instead of butter, use a low saturated fat soft spread like I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.
• Instead of white chocolate chips, use dark chocolate chips instead. Dark chocolate contains anti-oxidants and may have some heart health benefits as well.
• If you have a nut allergy, use pine nuts (a seed) or sunflower seeds instead of pecans.
• If you eat gluten free, substitute crumbs from gluten free gingersnap or graham crackers instead.

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Picture courtesy of Holly Clegg

Make your holiday cookie exchange party even healthier is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

If you’re interested in learning how high ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) value foods like cherries can help keep your heart healthy, go to the Cherry Marketing Institute’s website at 1 p.m. EST, Wednesday, February 17th, for a live heart-healthy cooking class by Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN, dietitian and author of the book, The O2 Diet: The Cutting Edge Antioxidant-Based Program That Will Make You Healthy, Thin, and Beautiful. For every person who participates, the Cherry Marketing Institute will donate $1 (up to $5,000) to the American Heart Association for American Heart Month.

The O2 Diet

I’m giving away one copy of The O2 Diet. Enter my giveaway here.

I had been reading The O2 Diet before I found out about Keri’s online cooking class, and am now even more excited about trying out her way of eating. The book starts off with an explanation of the diet, which is based on the ORAC scale of values determined by the USDA that measure how well a food protects against free radicals.

Free radicals are believed to be the culprits behind many forms of cancer, heart disease, and the symptoms of aging. The thinking is that eating a high-ORAC diet will prevent cancer and heart disease and slow down the aging process by strengthening memory and cognition and improving skin tone and elasticity. Furthermore, a high ORAC value diet should also aid in weight loss, which makes sense since you would eat mostly vegetables and fruit on such a diet.

The O2 Diet starts with a four day cleanse consisting of lean proteins like salmon and eggs and high ORAC value foods like blueberries, artichoke hearts and green tea. You should lose two to five pounds while receiving about 57,300 ORAC points per day. The O2 Diet then gives you a four-week plan builds to build on your initial success and get you used to including high ORAC value foods in your diet.

Like other diets, it IS about eating healthy, using portion control, getting in your water, and exercising. However, I liked that Keri advocates in getting a good night’s sleep (at least seven to eight hours), pampering yourself with facials and scrubs (recipes included in the book) and even getting romantic with your partner.

The book is filled with recipes, tips on how to eat out, menus and shopping lists. You can also download a life journal, shopping list and an ORAC guide on Keri’s website, which also includes reviews, recipes and excerpts from her book.

Win a copy of The O2 Diet

I’m giving away one copy of The O2 Diet to a lucky reader!

Giveaway closed. Congrats to Cyn S.!

Here’s how to enter:

1. Leave your name, email address, and blog URL (if you have one) in the comments below for ONE entry.
2. If you have a blog, feel free to post about this contest on it for ONE entry.
3. Sign up for This Mama Cooks! Review’s RSS feed for ONE entry.
4. Sign up for my enewsletter for ONE entry.
5. Spread the word about this giveaway by submitting a link to this post on Twitter for ONE entry. You must leave your Twitter username in your comment so I can check.
6. If you have done any of these activities you MUST come back here and leave a comment telling me what you did. I will be checking!
7. Maximum amount of entries at This Mama Cooks! is FIVE – leaving a comment here (1), posting about it on your blog (1), signing up for my enewsletter (1), signing up for my RSS feed (1), and using Twitter (1).
8. You have until midnight MT on Monday, February 22, 2010 to enter.
9. ONE winner will be chosen at random.
10. You must be willing to send me your full name and mailing address so I can mail out your book.
11. I will also announce the winner on this blog. I will not share your mailing info with the public, just your name. If you have a blog, I will link back to it when I announce the winners.

The giveaway is valued at $24.99 and is only open to legal residents of the United States 18 years of age and older. No purchase required. Up to FIVE entries per person. ONE book will be given away. Void where prohibited by law. By submitting your name and email address, you agree to receive relevant promotional emails and contest follow up communications from This Mama Cooks! Reviews and This Mama Cooks! On a Diet in compliance with my privacy policy and giveaway rules.

____________________

Disclosure: I was sent two review copies of The O2 Diet, one from the publisher's PR person to review, and another by the Cherry Marketing Institute to thank me for agreeing to check out the online cooking class this week. Publicizing the event on my blog was was my idea and was done voluntarily.

All links to Amazon.com are affiliate links. A commission may be earned from a referred sale to their website.

Get heart healthy with cherries and win a copy of The O2 Diet book by Keri Glassman is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I’ve enjoyed dipping into The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged: Lasting Fat Loss That's Better than Ever over the past couple of weeks. Tosca’s philosophy is that we need to eat the way nature intended – lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats – no processed foods and lots of water. She believes that when you Eat Clean, you body functions the way it’s supposed to and you will feel and look better and lose weight.

Many of us fall off the eating healthy or dieting wagon because of cravings. By following the Eat Clean way of life (it’s NOT a diet) your blood-sugar levels remain stable and you’ll feel more satisfied. Best of all, by Eating Clean and paying attention to portion control (and allowing yourself to indulge once in awhile) you will lose weight and feel full of energy.

Get recharged!

The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged has 17 chapters, which may seem overwhelming at first. However, it’s full of colorful pictures, summaries, Tosca’s personal story, and entertaining testimonials from people who lost weight and felt better by Eating Clean. It’s a fast and enjoyable read.

The beginning of the book deals with the Eat Clean way of eating principles where Tosca lays out the plan of eating six meals a day, combining lean protein with complex carbs at each meal, and drinking lots of water! She believes that nutrition plays a huge part (80%) of how we look or feel, with only 10% due to genetics and 10% to training (exercising).

She then shows you how you can to reclaim your life, become the leaner version of you, and get out of your comfort zone to make healthy changes. Then The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged turns to the practical – how to shop clean and eat clean on the road or in party situations. 

Tosca then tackles exercise and body issues – cellulite, loose skin and what she calls saggy bits. (Yes, she does discuss her breast implants, which I was glad to see.) There are also chapters on longevity and superfoods. I especially liked the superfood chapter since she covers things I’m already cooking with like flaxseed, mushrooms, yogurt, game meats, and quinoa. I’ve already started Eating Clean and didn’t know it.

The daily Eat Clean food plan explained

The best part of the book come at the end – the menu plans (including gluten-free and vegan ones) and shopping lists. These are the tools you need to start Eating Clean.

Tosca goes into detail on how to do a cooler plan, basically how to pack a cooler with a day’s worth of food in proper portions. There are three cooler plans 1) hardcore eating for rapid results, 2) strict eating for best long term results, and 3) getting used to the idea of Eating Clean. Then she has one week meal plans for each type of cooler plan.

Finally, there are 50 new recipes with gorgeous photos. If you’re thinking of slowly dipping your toe into the  Eating Clean way of life – and bringing your family with you – try cooking up her Meal-in-a-Bowl Soup (page 330), Caribbean Chicken (page 348) or African Potatoes & Beans (page 358). You and your family will realize how easy and delicious Eating Clean is and want to embrace the lifestyle further.

More from Tosca

You may also want to check out:

• Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook: Delicious Recipes That Will Burn Fat and Re-Shape Your Body!
• The Eat-Clean Diet for Family and Kids: Simple Strategies for Lasting Health and Fitness
• The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook: Great-Tasting Recipes That Keep You Lean

A review of the Eat-Clean Diet Recharged by Tosca Reno is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Now that we have smart phones at our disposal, there’s not excuse that you left your calorie counter or Weight Watchers POINTS booklet at home. With these mobile apps for iPhones and Blackberries, you now have the tools to eat healthier when you’re away from home, stay on your diet plan, and even exercise.

Healthy iPhone apps

Weight Watchers – This FREE iPhone app lets users stay on track with diet and fitness by leveraging official Weight Watchers insights and tools. Everyone, whether or not they're a Weight Watchers member, can view recipes, articles and success stories, create shopping lists and use Weight Watchers' cheat sheets and meeting finder. Additionally, Weight Watchers Online and eTools subscribers can unlock additional tools that help them track their plan progress on the go.

Remember the Milk
iPhone app users who want to get organized — and stay that way — in 2010 will love this app. Free with a Remember The Milk account, this app lets users sort to-dos, quickly access completed tasks, store notes and auto-link e-mail addresses and phone numbers for one-touch emailing and calling. The app also uses geolocation to sort nearby to-dos, and allows users to store common to-dos in an easily accessible list.

Run Keeper – Stay motivated to keep moving! This free app uses the iPhone's GPS system to track how far and how long you've walked, biked, hiked or ran. Information including pace and duration are stored so users can track progress over time. Notable features include Activity Training, Personal Dashboard, Maps Integration, Activity Sharing, Music and a Manual Input feature for treadmill runs.

Healthy Blackberry Apps

Calorie Count Nutrition Search – Count calories and find nutritional details for any food on the go! The Calorie Count application, available for free from the BlackBerry App World™, brings the power of About.com’s popular food and diet resource, caloriecount.about.com, to your fingertips. Search, evaluate and compare tens of thousands of foods from apples to zucchini, including items from popular restaurants, supermarkets and fast food chains.

FitDeck Mobile helps you get fit and stay fit with a simple, effective workout that you can do anywhere you carry your mobile phone – at the office, on the road, at home, or at the beach. The FitDeck Mobile exercises require no weights or equipment, are designed for people of any fitness level, and will help you achieve your goals, save time (not trips back and forth to the gym), stay motivated and relieve stress. Limited time offer until January 22, 2010. Save 25% and get FitDeck Mobile for only $5.99.

Healthy Recipes from SparkRecipes – SparkPeople’s Healthy Recipes application lets you browse and search almost 200,000 recipes, plus save your favorites. The app also provide calories, carbs, and more for each recipe -  Perfect for anyone on a diet!

Mobile phone apps for weight loss and healthy eating is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

As part of my Mayo Clinic Diet book and journal giveaway, I’m offering another excerpt from the book on learning how to identify potential roadblocks and develop strategies to help you with your weight-loss program.

The giveaway ends TONIGHT! Go here to enter.

Behavior obstacle – I’m a late-night snacker.

Avoid eating late at night because loading up on calories right before bed only intensifies the challenge of not overeating. There’s less chance for you to be active and burn off those calories until next morning. It’s better to eat during the day so that your body has plenty of time to digest the food before you go to bed.

Strategies – Here are suggestions if you often find yourself battling the late-night munchies:

• Make sure you eat three good meals during the day, including a good breakfast. This will help reduce the urge to snack late at night, simply because you won’t be so hungry.
• Don’t keep snack foods around the house that may tempt you. If you get late-night munchies, eat fruits, vegetables or other healthy snacks.
• Find something else to keep you busy in the hours before bedtime, such as listening to music or exercising. Your snacking may be more of a mindless habit than actual hunger.

Behavior obstacle – When I lapse from my eating plan, it’s hard for me to get back on track.

Lapses happen. Many times a minor slip — a busy day when you couldn’t find the time to eat right or get exercise — leads to more slips. That doesn’t mean, though, that you’ve failed and all is lost. Instead of beating yourself up over a lapse, accept that you’re going to experience bumps along the way and put the incident behind you. Everyone has lapses. Think back to the initial steps you took when you first began your weight program and put them to use again to help you get back on track. 

Strategies – Here are suggestions to prevent a lapse from turning into a full-blown collapse:

• Convince yourself that lapses happen and that every day is a fresh opportunity to start over again.
• Guilt from the initial lapse often leads to more lapses. Being prepared for them and having a plan to deal with them is important to your success.
• Keep your response simple. Focus on the things that you know you can do and stick with them. Gradually add more healthy changes until you’re back on track.
• Open up an old food record and follow it. Use those meals like a menu to help get you back to a healthy eating routine.

____________________________

Full disclosure: I received a book from FSB Associates to do the review and giveaway.

All links to Amazon.com are affiliate links. A commission may be earned from a referred sale to their website.

The above is an excerpt from the book 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. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Reprinted from The Mayo Clinic Diet, © 2010 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Good Books (www.GoodBooks.com). Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Final day to win a copy of the Mayo Clinic Diet book and journal is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

As part of my Mayo Clinic Diet book and journal giveaway, I’m offering another excerpt from the book:

Learning to identify potential roadblocks and confront personal temptations is an important part of being successful in losing weight. If you find a strategy that helps you, include it with your weight-loss program.

Behaviors obstacle – I have a hard time not eating when I'm watching television, a movie or a live sporting event.

There's nothing inherently wrong with eating while watching a show, film or live event, but when you're distracted, you tend to eat mindlessly — which typically translates into eating more than you intended to eat. If you're unable to break this habit, at least make sure you're munching on something low in calories.

Strategies – Here are suggestions you might consider:

• If you're at a theater or stadium, order a small bag of popcorn with no butter and work on it slowly.

• Eat something healthy before you leave home so that you're not extremely hungry when you arrive.

• Drink water or a calorie-free beverage instead of having a snack.

• Try to reduce the amount of time that you spend watching television each day. Studies show that TV watching contributes to increased weight.

Behavior obstacle – When I go to parties, I can't resist all of the snacks and hors d'oeuvres.

In most social situations where food is involved, the key is to treat yourself to a few of your favorite hors d'oeuvres, in moderation. If you try to resist the food, your craving will only get stronger and harder to control. By following a few simple strategies, you can enjoy yourself without overeating. 

Strategies – Next time you step up to the hors d'oeuvre table, try these strategies:

• Make only one trip and be selective. Decide ahead of time how much you'll eat and choose foods you really want.
• Treat yourself to one or two samples of high-calorie or fatty foods. Fill up on vegetables and fruits, if you can.
• Take only small portions. A taste may be all that you need to satisfy your craving.
• Nibble. If you eat slowly, you'll likely eat less — but don't nibble all night long.
• Don't stand next to or sit near the hors d'oeuvre table. As the old saying goes, "Out of sight, out of mind."
• Eat something healthy before you arrive. If you arrive hungry, you'll be more inclined to overeat.

____________________________

Full disclosure: I received a book from FSB Associates to do the review and giveaway.

All links to Amazon.com are affiliate links. A commission may be earned from a referred sale to their website.

The above is an excerpt from the book 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. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Reprinted from The Mayo Clinic Diet, © 2010 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Good Books (www.GoodBooks.com). Used by permission. All rights reserved.

More strategies from the Mayo Clinic Diet is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!