The results of a two-year study, led by Gary D. Foster, director of the Center for Obesity Research & Education at Temple University, show why. People lost about the same amount of weight whether they were on an Atkins-style, low-carbohydrate diet or a traditional low-fat diet–as long as they followed a healthful, guided eating and exercise plan they could stick with.

The CarbLovers Diet: Eat What You Love, Get Slim For Life by Ellen Kunes and Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, and Tell Me What To Eat If I Suffer From Heart Disease, by Elaine Magee MPH, RD, explain how to incorporate beneficial carbs  (desserts included!) and lose weight without feeling hungry.

Kunes and Largeman-Roth suggest eating resistant starch (RS) containing foods. RS is found in specific foods such as under-ripe bananas, potatoes, grains, rice, beans, and lentils. It acts like a fiber. Unlike high-glycemic starch, which is quickly absorbed from the small intestine raising blood sugar levels, RS is not.  The result: improved blood sugar regulation, greater satiety and a boost in energy and metabolism–crucial elements in the battle for weight control.

The authors provide step-by-step eating and exercise plans, food and nutrient lists, menus and recipes (e.g. Coconut French Toast with Raspberry Syrup!). Plus personal tips from the program’s alumni help make it easy to follow.

In, Tell Me What To Eat If I Suffer From Heart Disease: Nutrition You Can Live With, Elaine Magee, MPH, RD also teaches you how to ward off and reverse heart disease–the no. 1 killer of both men and women.  She points to risk factors you should be aware of (processed foods, salt, cigarette smoke!) and describes what tools and tests (e.g. LDL-C, TG–do you know your numbers?) are used by docs for detection.

Magee favors the Mediterranean and DASH diet approaches with emphasis on smart carbs (fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans), smart fats (olive oil, avocado, seeds and nuts),  and lean protein.  Magee provides additional insight as she walks you through supermarket aisles and highlights dangers lurking in food labels (sodium, trans fat, and added sugar). Want to lose weight without dieting? There’s a section for that too (up your exercise and journaling and downgrade the AGE’s you consume). Continuing in her role as “The Recipe Doctor,” Magee provides makeover tips–so you can still eat your culinary favorites–and easy to prepare tempting heart-smart recipes (Better-For-You Brownies).

How do you like your carbs now?

Moms are easy to please, when it comes to presents, that is. So stick with what you know she’ll love: Chocolate–the rich tasting morsels that are a beauty to behold, and healthful too, of course.

Mother’s Day Gifts from Norman Love Confections

Fine chocolate, by definition, is a limited edition product considering it’s pure, fresh ingredients and short shelf life. But, chocolate artisan Norman Love has crafted something that will go even faster than usual, his multi-hued, eight decadent flavored heart-shaped gems are available only through May 11. To keep her actual heart really happy, go with the 70 percent Dark Complexite flavor for its high polyphenol content, made from the blend of nine select cocoa beans roasted to perfection and conveying the hints of fruit, floral, and spice.

Vienna Coffee & Hachez Chocolate Cups

No need to fuss with a big breakfast in bed. Just lay out a few handcrafted chocolate cups (individually filled with fruits, nuts, apricot-figs, and plum-elderberry) and pair with a cup of full-bodied Kenya Estate coffee roast with its rich flavor and seductive aroma and she will be in heaven.

Double Chocolate Brownie Mix

Mom might even agree that baking from scratch isn’t the most efficient way to spend your gift-giving energy. But she’ll be convinced otherwise when you bake a batch of these rich and fudge-y, easy-to-prepare brownies from the  Organic Double Chocolate Brownie Mix  by the the Alchemy Spice Company , especially considering that they are made from fair-trade ingredients–chocolate liquor, organic unbleached flour and organic vanilla.

Pink Pamper Box

Not just a chocolate lover you say, then pamper her with a delightfully tranquil gift of assorted dreamy caramels and a scented soy candle, from Das Foods. The Pink Pamper Box features four of their best selling Fleur De Sel caramels: Classic with Lavendar, Chocolate & Toasted Walnuts, Candied Ginger and Pistachio, and Orange and Honey and comes with a unique vanilla- lavender soy candle.  Elegant pink and brown, bow-tied, box included with a handwritten note as well.

Ideally, every day is about moderation. But when it comes to Thanksgiving, such controlled portioning probably got buried along with the excess oil from the turkey fryer.

To keep your guilt at bay after the tryptophan high subsides, listen to the choice and funny words from satiric clinical psychologist Leslie Landis’, M.A. latest release: “The Art of Overeating.”

Embedded in the foodie history trivia (Greeks were the first to chew gum), eating-isms (”All Roads Lead to Ravioli”) and overeating justifications (”Have you ever seen an unhappy cow?” & “overeaters get more attention”) lies the reminder that over-indulging every once in a while doesn’t call for self-berating and vows for next day crash dieting.

Instead, it beckons you to laugh at your very clean plate (”The dishwasher works for minimum wage. Don’t make his job any harder than it already is!”). Plus! “Overeaters have their priorities straight. It’s a way to spend as much quality time as possible with the family.”

BUT, once the guests finally leave and the pots are clean, you can easily reduce the post-holiday bloat, according to Landis.

“Buy my book and do the opposite of everything in it.”

The carnivorous holidays are coming, but it’s the meatless meals that we should be celebrating.

The British Journal of Cancer (July 2009) published the results of a 12-year study on the rate of cancer in vegetarians—they contracted less blood, bladder, cervical, prostate and stomach cancers independent of smoking, alcohol and obesity risk factors. The reasons aren’t so clear, but it appears that the more plant-based foods we eat, the better equipped our bods will be to fend off disease.

To make veggie cooking easy and interesting, the famed vegetarian Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, N.Y. added another volume to their 11 leafy-based cookbook collection, “Moosewood Restaurant Farm Fresh Meals, 50 Delicious Recipes for Every Season.”

Dishes are organized by season and a color-coding system to ensure all watermelon and kiwi recipes stay tucked in the back til June. Each seasonal section includes a mix of recipes, ranging from main courses (pastas, casseroles, sandwiches) to sides (soups, salads, vegetables) and desserts (cookies, pies, and puddings).

So instead of turning stained, torn recipe pages, you’ll flip the cards as you deal through the deck of 50 creative recipes. Plus, there is an ingredient shopping list printed on each card that will prevent you from banging your cutting board when you accidentally leave the nutmeg and lime peel behind in the store.

Since the darker vegetables, like radicchio and spinach, are even more beneficial than the lighter leafs, like iceberg, we’d recommend the Crisp Autumn Salad, chock full of this season’s all-star produce.

Crisp Autumn Salad (Serves 8. Time: 35 minutes)

1⁄2 lb. Spring mix or baby greens

3 crisp apples, cored and thinly sliced

2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb

24 large grapes, halved and seeded

3⁄4 red onion, thinly sliced

3⁄4 cup toasted walnuts*

3⁄4 cup crumbled stilton cheese (about 2 oz.)

Maple Mustard Dressing

3 Tbs. pure maple syrup

1 1/2 Tbs. Dijon mustard

6 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

*Toast walnuts in a single layer on un-oiled baking sheet at 350 degrees F. for 5 min. or until fragrant and browned.

Arrange greens on individual salad plates or on a large flat platter. Top with rest of salad ingredients in an attractive tangle.

In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients together with a fork. Pour over the salad and serve.

Gutting a pomegranate might be frustrating, but the red stains and careful cutting are worth getting to the antioxidant-rich center.

Researchers tested pomegranate juice against other polyphenol-containing beverages (like red wine, orange juice, blueberry juice acai berry juice) and discovered that 100 percent pomegranate juice has the highest polyphenol content and the most of every type of antioxidant of any beverage.

It may reduce your risk for cancer and heart disease and other degenerative diseases. It may also promote and preserve healthy skin against UV radiation.

Pomegranates also contain vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium, calcium, selenium and fiber.

An average pomegranate weighing 154 g has 104 calories, 1.5 g pro, no fat and is very low in sodium.

If you’d rather not deal with picking off the pesky seeds, you may take advantage of the fruits of someone else’s labor. The nutritional profiles are not all the same, but there are lots of more convenient products to choose from.

PomWonderful Juice is probably the most recognizable drink out there and is a dense source of potent antioxidants.

8 oz. glass: 160 calories, 0 g fat, 10 mg sodium, 40 g total carbs, 0 g protein. But, if you’d like to be even more efficient with your drinking, make your a.m. coffee fix an antioxidant rich one too.

POMx Iced Coffee combines Rainforest Alliance Italian-roasted coffee beans, fat free milk and a a proprietary blend of pomegranate extract (Pomx), without the pomegranate juice taste. A 10.5 oz bottle of cafe au lait, chocolate and vanilla weigh in at 190 calories, 160 mg sodium, 49 g total carbs (30 g sugar, 10 g sugar alcohol), 10g protein.

For a lower calorie option, try Hint Premium Essence Water Pomegranate-Tangerine. This sugar free drink is infused with all-natural fruit and has no aftertaste. 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g carbs, 0 g protein.

For a spiked option, try HINT’s Falling for the Pom Pom:

Falling for the Pom-Pom
2.5 Ounces Citrus Vodka
2 Ounces Pomegranate-Tangerine HINT
1 Ounce Triple Sec

Bigelow Green Tea with Pomegranate provides a double boost of antioxidants–from the tea as well as the fruit infusion. 0 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g carbs, 0 g protein.

If you’d rather eat your antioxidants, try Das Foods’ Fab-O-Pom lollipops. They contain concentrated pomegranate extract and a fragrant orange oil with just a taste of orange zest. 1 lollipop is 30 calories, 0g fat, 7g total carbohydrate, 0g protein.

The red fruit isn’t just reserved for fancy fruit platters. Protein-rich Chobani Pomegranate Yogurt works both for breakfast and as an afternoon snack. One 6oz. container: 140 calories, 0 g fat, 21 g total carb, 75 mg sodium, 14 g of protein.

Because you can’t take this fruit on-the-go, pack a NuGo Organic Nutrition Bar, Dark Chocolate Pomegranate. This all-natural good source of vitamins and nutrients (Vit A, C, E, B12, Ca, Iron) doesn’t contain any hydrogenated oils or trans fatty acids. 1 serving (1.76-ounce bar): 190 calories, 5 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 26 g total carbs, 60 mg sodium, 190 mg potassium, 2 g fiber, 10 g protein.

At 50 calories a Tbs., Crofter’s Organic Pomegranate Jelly may have a few more calories per serving than other types of jelly, but it has the added benefit of being all natural, organic, and Fair Trade Certified and has a high concentration of real fruit.

Your digestive system doesn’t have to do all the work. Try using Pomega5 Green Tea Skin Detox Kit on your skin. This combination beauty treatment contains Omega 5 (an essential oil for skin) and antioxidants. Packaged in an eco-friendly green organza bag, the kit includes: Verbena Green Tea Cleansing Bar, Green Tea Mattifying Moisturizer, Verbena Revitalizing Treatment, and Green Tea Blend with Rosebuds.

After more than 4,000 rosy-cheeked, fit runners crossed the NYC marathon’s finish line on Sunday, it’s no surprise that New Year’s resolutions may come a little earlier this year.If you want to rev up a stale workout routine, lace up.

But, if major weight loss is your prime motivator, training to run a grueling 26.2 miles race may not get you there.

Depending on your activity, current weight, and energy output, you may need to increase your intake, or maintain the status quo, to fuel your muscles. For athletes looking to trim a few pounds, a 10-20 percent cut back on total usual intake (with fat no less than 15 percent), is doable, but any more than that can be dangerous.

First off, you should get an idea of how many calories you actually burn while you run. Though we’re all for cardiovascular activity to promote a healthy heart, body and mind, it may not give you as much of an energy deficit as you think.

FAT

Fat is needed for its essential fatty acids, fat soluble vitamin (A, D, E, K) absorption and energy stores. Fat should comprise 20 to 35 percent of your total caloric intake and come from primarily unsaturated fat sources. If you skimp too much on meals or snacks in the hope of burning more calories, your muscles will draw fuel from your lean body tissue and fat stores leading to compromised body functions (endocrine, immune and musculoskeletal) and the sensation of “hitting the wall” (as fat is called upon for energy to replace lost glycogen), slowing you down or bringing you to a stop.

CARBS

Carbs are your main energy source. Whatever your past relationship with carbohydrates, in training, they should make up 50 to 65 percent of total energy intake, if you’re going to hit the pavement hard. It’s at the higher end of the Food Guide Pyramid, but it doesn’t allow for many low quality calorically-dense passes. Spreading them over the course of three meals (and two snacks) that are balanced with some protein and a little fat is the way to plate it.

Depending on your needs, carby snacks can range from 100 to 300 calories and should be low in fat and dairy and may include some fiber, when training.  Good choices include trail mix, fruit, a handful of pretzels, PB&J on graham crackers, a glass of low fat chocolate milk or a sports drink.

Some meal suggestions:

If you’re an early morning runner: Sandwich one whole egg and one or two egg whites on a whole wheat English muffin and add some berries on the side.

For lunch time gym-goers: Have a whole wheat wrap with turkey or tuna fish and 1/4 of an avocado and salad.

Late night sweaters: Go for a baked chicken breast, a sweet potato and a bowl of reduced sodium vegetable soup.

PROTEIN

Protein does a good job of building strength and repairing sore muscles, but overdoing it won’t make the ache go away any faster, in fact, it’ll just lead to dehydration. The current Recommended Daily Allowance for protein is 0.8g per kilogram of body weight. (Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms.) But, if you’re going to be clocking serious miles, aim for an increase of 1.2 to 1.4 g per kilogram of body weight per day.

FLUIDS

It is important to monitor fluid intake throughout the day to balance fluid (sweat) losses and prevent dehydration especially when training. Drink before, during and after exercise–about 16 to 20 oz. an hour. Though sports drinks offer electrolytes and ward off dehydration, when it comes to weight control, they may do more damage than good.  If you are concerned about your weight, stick mostly with water.

It’s that time of year again, when orange bags teeming with crunchy, chocolaty, chewy goodness overflow out of the candy aisle, to the front of the supermarket and into impulse-buy wagons. While these treats are no more tasty than the everyday candy fare that you try to ignore, they have the added lure factor of getting it “for the kids.”

Since keeping snacks on hand for mini goblins and witches is the right thing to do, stock up–but on the better stuff–both for them, and for your leftover filled-to-the-top candy bowls.

SCARY

HYDROGENATED OIL (AND ADDED SUGAR)

Although most companies are trying to stay away from trans-fats, you still need to peek at the nutrition label to figure out if bags contain the toxic ingredient that can extend shelf life, but also raise your LDL (bad cholesterol) and lower your HDL (the good guy). As a general rule, to cut back on calories, fat and sugar, the smaller the size the better. Stick with “snack size” and “fun size” options:

Mini Dots, 70 calories, 1 box

York Peppermint Patty Pumpkin, small size 50 calories each

Raisinettes, fun size: 56 calories each

Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzels Snaps 100 Calorie Packs

FUN

ALLERGY FREE

Most schools are “no peanut” zones these days, so it’s a good idea to consider this when buying for your visitors. Peanut Free Planet’s candy bars, trail mixes and chocolates are all peanut free and holiday appropriate with their spider, mummy and bug shapes.

SCARY

NATURAL, BUT…

We like trail mix. It has that sweet and salty thing going on and is actually filled with some healthful nutrients in its nuts and dried fruits. However, just one cup could add up to 700 calories and 44 grams of fat plus added sugar and sodium, depending on the specific content. Aim for the individual 1 oz. size bags with 150 calories or less, or make it yourself.

Our favorite mix: Combine a pound each of raisins (or craisins), unsweetened pineapple rings, raw sunflower seeds, raw almonds or walnuts and toss together. One handful clocks in at around 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 12 grams of sugar, 1 gram of fiber with some protein, calcium and iron.

FUN

ECO-FRIENDLY

Because you don’t want to be the neighbor that gives out fruit, dole out individual packs of Surf Sweets.-eco-friendly, gluten and allergy free candies (made from organic and natural ingredients) instead. These chews are loaded with 100 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Vitamin C and are only 120-130 calories, have 22 grams of sugar (yes, this is kind of high, so share it or save half for tomorrow), zero fat and cholesterol.

SCARY

IGNORING YOUR CRAVING

If you’re craving a chunky chocolate chip cookie and are eating plain almonds instead, your taste buds won’t be tricked. They’ll just stomp their little glands until they get what they want. Rather than trying to eat the “healthier” option (and eventually doubling up on calories), decide which lip-smacking snack you want to have and dig in…a little. Just try to keep it to one serving (below 150 calories).

FUN

ENGLISH MUMMIES

Courtesy of Disney FamilyFun Magazine

Spread a tablespoon of pizza sauce onto half of an English muffin. Set olive slices in place for eyes and add round slices of green onion or bits of red or green pepper for pupils. Lay strips of cheese (pull-apart is easiest) across the muffin for the mummy’s wrappings. Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the muffin is toasty.

When pricey pretty magenta and deep green spring lettuce leaves politely wave at you, how do you pass them up for a head of a pale head iceberg lettuce?

To help justify–or nix–your decision to your Manolo Blahnik supermarket equivalents, there’s the Affordable Nutrition Index (ANI), unveiled at the American Dietetic Association’s Food and Nutrition Conference this week.

Adam Drewnowski, PhD., Director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington, developed the first tool using the recommendations of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans to calculate the “nutrition-value-per-dollar score,” of close to 300 commonly eaten foods from fruits and veggies to grains to trusty Campbell’s soup.

The food rating system goes like this: If the product contains an impressive amount of the nine essential nutrients (protein, fiber, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C and E) and is limited in saturated fat, added sugars and sodium, it’s cart-worthy.

Who earned their price tag? Here are some results:

DARK COLORED VEGETABLES

Carrots, sweet potatoes and broccoli

SOME FRUITS

Oranges and Bananas

RUNNERS UP

Campbell’s low sodium vegetable soups, peas, string beans, squash, lettuce, berries, grapes, nectarines, and apples.

Replacing your sneakers every 300-400 miles you clock is a critical precaution–but if you weren’t wearing the right sneakers to begin with–then the new ones will just kick in the same old problems.

STEP ONE

There are two types of running shoes:

A. Sneakers that let the foot move freely through the gait cycle (neutral).

B. Sneakers that correct your bio-mechanical deficiencies (e.g. high/low arches) and keep you from wobbling all over the track.

STEP TWO

Find out the shape of your foot: Wet it. Step onto a brown paper bag. Check out your footprint.

If the outer part of your foot is most visible, you have high arches

Which means: Your heel tends to hit the ground first, causing knee and lower back pain. Since you carry your weight on the outside of your foot, you need sneakers with added cushioning and shock absorption to protect your joints.

GOOD FIT: Mizuno Wave Rider ($99.95)

Which means: You require stability sneakers to keep your feet from rolling inward and causing sprains. Stability footwear lifts your arches with firm mid-soles so you maintain a more even stride. (You’ll notice a bit of material just under the arch that often looks like solid gray foam).

GOOD FIT: Asics Gel-3010 ($120)

Which means: Keep your arches in place and ward off shin splints with milder stability sneakers, which offer the support and heel control you need.

GOOD FIT: Nike Shox 2:40

INSTEP

Because sometimes you just need an expert opinion, consider meeting one.

Both Jack Rabbit Sports and The Running Company videotape your strides while you run on the treadmill, then replay the footage to admire your moves and pick out the perfect pair.

– Liz Puzio

Kick off the weekend with a mood boost and soothed muscles when you eat the foods that are wired to do the trick. And no, chocolate isn’t the only one equipped to do so.

WATER FIGHT

Sugar has long been a legitimate go-to for stressful moments, and justifiably so. With it’s ability to release endorphins, hormones that make you relax and smile, chocolate-ly sweet snacks can make any frustrating deadline go away…temporarily. However, researchers at the University of Chicago recently discovered that plain old water may have the same effect. You can add green tea bags and get an extra lift.

PAIN KILLER

As if being hunched over your computer isn’t painful enough, flu season is here too. Don’t be surprised if you feel achy and only in the mood to curl up with a Snuggie. To help you make it to the couch more easily, fill your fridge with foods replete with phytochemicals, which protect your immune system and promote resistance to certain diseases. Fall is full of them. Try a warm winter squash with apples, cinnamon and a splash of agave nectar or honey.

Or make a salad or hot soup with a few of these pain-fighting foods:

Dark leafy greens vegetables, carrots, sweet peppers, leeks, pumpkins, tomatoes, peaches, oranges, tumeric and thyme.

Omega 3 fatty acids not only protect your hair and nails,  but also minimize inflammation and speed up recovery time.

• Eggs fortified with omega-3 fatty acids.
• Wheat germ and other whole grains
• Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
• Deep water fish–herring, salmon, sardines, mackerel
• Walnuts, Brazil nuts
• Pumpkin seeds
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Avocados

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