The very hungry caterpillar

One most beloved children's stories of all time has a good lesson when it comes to moderation.

Over 40 years, 12 million copies and 20 languages later, Eric Carl's classic "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," continues to impact culture, and its underlying messages are now being promoted to help combat childhood obesity.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is teaming up with the Pearson Foundation and We Give Books. The AAP will be distributing copies of the book to more than 17,000 pediatricians' offices.

The book will come packaged with growth charts and a reading guide designed to help parents use the story to talk to their young children about healthy eating.

If you were deprived of a complete childhood aren't familiar with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, here's a brief synopsis...

Caterpillar comes out of his egg. He's hungry. Day one, he eats through a red apple. On day two, 2 green pears. On day three, 3 purple plums, on day four, 4 strawberries, on day five, 5 oranges. Nothing wrong there. But then, our little caterpillar goes completely off the rails, crushing chocolate cake, ice cream, a pickle, cheese, salami, a lollipop, sausage, a cupcake, a cherry pie and a watermelon.

*Spoiler Alert*

(That night, he wished he had finished his gluttonous episode with a bottle of Tums)

To make a short story even shorter, he gets really fat, eats through a leaf, builds a cocoon and turns into a beautiful butterfly.

Will This Help Solve Childhood Obesity?

I think it's a wonderful idea on many levels. Any health-promoting idea that can be integrated into children's pop culture is a good step. And, while I don't see this single idea having much impact, I think from a more global perspective, it provides a parental teaching opportunity.

As parents, we should seek out teaching opportunities in books, TV, movies and everyday life, to get our children thinking about decisions that impact their health.

I think it comes down to role-modelling and education from a parenting perspective. The more institutions, school/government, etc. that are on board with promoting healthy eating and exercise, the better equipped we will be to fight childhood obesity.

Do you think The Very Hungry Caterpillar could be a useful tool to help combat childhood obesity?

Reproduced from Diet-blog

The Healthtopia Radio Show with Bonnie Mechelle will now offer an online motivational weight loss podcast for Christian women. They have cited their mission is to "help women to lose weight and feel better about themselves". They launched online March 11, 2011 and have plans to aggressively expand syndicated networks such as iTunes, Blogtalk Radio, Talkshoe and The Women's Information Network (WIN).

"It feels great to know that thousands of women worldwide are already enjoying the many educational and entertaining audio shows we offer a twww.myhealthtopia.com." said Bonnie Mechelle, Executive Producer at WAEC Love 860 AM.

The Healthtopia Radio Show is the first of its kind to provide a stage for high-quality content featuring Christian experts on a huge variety of  life-changing issues such as health, wellness, diet and exercise. Subscribing to the Healthtopia is free - it merely takes a sign in on their website.

Women typically lose more weight when they feel supported, especially by other women. Finding that support online speaks to the new reality of the importance of social media for today's woman. The anytime availability of the podcast means that women can find comfort and support at any time of the day or night, and listen while doing chores such as cleaning or while at work.

Reproduced from Dietsinreview

When it comes to selling food, mascots are king. Name another industry, besides professional sports, that has so many famed characters; Mr. Peanut, Ronald McDonald, Green Giant, M&M's, Tony the Tiger - the list is infinite!

But who's the best? Which cartoon, paid actor, or real life person is top dog?

Diet-Blog counts down the top 10 best food mascots. And number one will surprise you. Recent news says the red-haired juggernaut is slipping.

10. The Noid

Created in 1986, the red-costumed bunny-eared villain was portrayed in commercials as trying to destroy Domino's Pizza, but failed every time.

Although retired, the Noid has made cameos in TV shows like Family Guy, The Simpsons, and 30 Rock.

Due to his popularity, the Noid inspired two video games: Avoid the Noid in 1989 and Nintendo's Yo! Noid in 1990.

9. Budweiser Frogs

The Budweiser Frogs debuted in a commercial during the Super Bowl in 1995; croaking out the phrase, "Bud, Weis, Er," which sounds like "Budweiser."

Gore Verbinski, director of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, directed the commercial.

Later the three frogs were joined by Louie and Frankie, two wise cracking chameleons, who eventually stole the frogs' job.

8. Coco-Cola Polar Bears

The Coco-Cola Polar Bears first appeared in commercials in 1993; quickly becoming a fan favorite with their sleek computer-animation and lovable antics.

Today, the bears are the face of Coca-Cola's Polar Bear Support Fund.

And located in Atlanta, Georgia, World of Coca-Cola, the Coca-Cola museum and entertainment venue, features a lower-level where guests can pose for a picture with the polar bears.

7. Wendy the Snapple Lady

As a Snapple employee, Wendy began answering Snapple's mail because she felt bad no one was replying to it; inspired by her own unanswered letter to Greg Brady (Barry Williams) when she was a kid.

When Snapple realized Wendy was answering the mail in her free time, they quickly put the feisty little lady into commercials.

Some claim Wendy's energetic ads helped skyrocket Snapple's sales from 23 million a year to 750 million a year.

6. Fred the Baker

Fred the Baker (Michael Vale) starred in Dunkin' Donuts commercials from 1982 to 1997, saying his iconic catchphrase, "Time to make the donuts!"

The commercials showed the dedicated baker waking up and groggily heading to work to make fresh donuts. Fred also appeared in ads for the Dunkin's Donuts breakfast cereal.

When Michael Vale passed away in 2005, Dunkin' Donuts aired a commercial in memory of Fred.

5. Kool-Aid Man

Created as "The Pitcher Man" in 1954, Kool-Aid Man became the official Kool-Aid drinks mascot in 1975.

In commercials, Kool-Aid Man (an actor in a giant fiberglass suit) comes busting through brick walls shouting his famous slogan, "Oh, yeah!"

Sometime in 1990s, Kool-Aid Man switched from a live actor in a costume to animation, but in 2008, the costumed character returned.

4. Cap'n Crunch

Introduced in 1963, Cap'n Horatio Magellan Crunch, better known as "Cap'n Crunch," has manned the ship of numerous advertising campaigns for Cap'n Crunch, Crunch Berries, Peanut Butter Crunch, and many more!

This week, rumors swirled that PepsiCo., Cap'n Crunch's parent company, would retire the Cap'ndue to the cereals high-sugar content, but in a message on his website, the Cap'n proclaims, "I was out on the seas, but don't worry, I'm back and not going anywhere."

3. Tony the Tiger

Since 1950, Tony the Tiger has been the pitchman for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, telling everyone, "They're more than good. They're GR-R-Great!"

Because of his name, Tony has become a popular figure with young Italian-Americans.

When Tony's longtime voice actor, Thurl Ravenscroft died in 2005, professional wrestling announcer Lee Marshall took over the role.

2. Ronald McDonald

First billed as "Ronald McDonald, the Hamburger-Happy Clown, Ronald has been McDonald's official mascot since 1963; Inspired by radio performer Willard Scott, who portrayed Ronald in his first three taped advertisements.

Willard Scott is most famous for playing Bozo the Clown.

For decades, Ronald McDonald and McDonald's dominated the fast food market, but last week the clown lost his top spot.

1. Jared

Subway began airing commercials with Jared S. Fogel in 1999, better known as just Jared, after his former dorm-mate wrote in article for the Indiana Daily Student about Jared's significant weight-loss, from eating Subway sandwiches.

Since then, Jared has appeared in numerous promotions for Subway; including completing the New York City Marathon in 2007.

This week, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Subway is now thenumber one fast food restaurant worldwide with 33,749 locations, beating McDonald's 32,737 - making Jared a big time mascot.

Honorable mentions: California Raisins, Trix Rabbit, Mr. Peanut

Image credit: paunchstevenson, nelsoncountytimes, phawker, blogcdn, thegloss,alixnorth, capncrunch, gstatic, sickchirpse, guyism, heshone

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, there are three good reasons for you and I to start making bugs (yes, as in insects) a regular part of our diet:

1. They're highly nutritious: High in protein, low in fat, and packed with B vitamins, iron and zinc.
2. Raising bugs requires less food, water, and energy than livestock, making it a much more earth-friendly food source.
3. There are more of them than there are of us. Over 1,000 types of insects can be eaten.

Here's one reason most of us aren't jumping on the bandwagon:

They're bugs. Yuck.

Let me put my Western-ness aside for a minute, however. Because entomologists at the Dutch Wageningen University -- where research is ongoing into how to make insects more palatable -- make a compelling argument for encouraging humans to reconsider meal worms or locusts as a possible protein source.

With an extra 3 billion people estimated to be sharing the planet with us by 2050, farmland and other necessary resources for raising livestock becomes scarce. Insects though, can be raised (humanely, for all you animal lovers) in your garage while eating your food waste.

I'm not quite ready to order up a grasshopper taco, but I can certainly see the logic.

And if you think that there's no way, ever, you'd let a six-legged creature so much as cross your lips, consider these statistics:

In the U.S., most processed foods contain small amounts of insects, within limits set by the Food and Drug Administration. For chocolate, the FDA limit is 60 insect fragments per 100 grams. Peanut butter can have up to 30 insect parts per 100 grams, and fruit juice can have five fruit-fly eggs and one or two larvae per 250 milliliters (just over a cup). We also use many insect products to dye our foods, such as the red dye cochineal in imitation crab sticks, Campari and candies. So we're already some of the way there in making six-legged creatures a regular part of our diet.

For the most part, we're already eating them.

I'm an omnivore, but I'd probably go veg before making bugs a regular part of my diet. What about you?

Reproduced from Diet-blog

Last week , Google launched a new search feature that allows you to search for healthy recipes with ease. On the left hand bar, the new "recipe" feature will return only the results that are recipes.

What's even better is that you can filter these searches by cook times, calories and even to include or exclude certain ingredients. Of course, you put even more qualifications into the normal search bar, from diet program to celebrity chief.

I have a friend who suffers from celiac disease with a birthday coming up. I started seating for gluten-free cupcake recipes. While a regular Google search would send me many results of where to buy cupcakes, hitting the "recipe" tab allows me find several thousand recipes without adding an extra word to my search.

Have you used the new Google Recipes feature? What were you looking for and what did you think?

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Reproduced from Dietsinreview

Of all of the large fast-food chains, I've always thought that Wendy's seemed to have some of the most health-conscious options, especially when it comes to eating a lower-calorie meal. However, we recently scoured the menu for food options based on feedback from registered dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield who recommends that all meals have less than 500 calories and about 500 milligrams of sodium, as part of the new daily sodium recommendations from the U.S. government, and found otherwise.

The results? A little surprising. I've always loved Wendy's chili as a good source of filling, yet lower-calorie protein and fiber, but at 800 milligrams of sodium for even a small cup, it didn't make the cut!

Healthiest Meals at Wendy's

1. Jr.  Hamburger with Mandarin Oranges. With 480 milligrams of sodium, the Jr. Hamburger is the only sandwich that meets our low-sodium requirements. Pair this with some mandarin oranges for a calorie total of just 320!

2. Sour Cream and Chives Potato with 5-piece Crispy Chicken Nuggets. This entire meal is pretty filling and although it comes in at just slightly more than 500 calories, it's still a pretty good meal choice in the sodium department with 480 milligrams.

3. Garden Side Salad. When you order this with fat-free French dressing, you get a sizable vegetable salad with just 220 calories and 400 milligrams of sodium. Add a small handful of unsalted almonds from home to make this meal more filling and nutritious.

Healthiest Snacks at Wendy's

• Jr. Vanilla or Chocolate Frosty
• Value French Fries
• Plain potato with salsa

What's your favorite healthy menu item at Wendy's?

Reproduced from Dietsinreview

In order to get ready for the high-energy demands of her upcoming tour, pop star Katy Perry in on a strict diet. "After this interview I'm going to have a nice healthy breakfast," she told Showbiz Spy. "I'm on a meal plan, which absolutely sucks."

At least the star isn't hard on herself every day of the week. "On Sundays I get to have a cheat day where I go buck wild and eat In-N-Out Burger. Then I'll work out, go to a vocal lesson, run through the entire set at rehearsals, go to dance rehearsal until 10pm and then go home and sort through e-mails concerning the production. I feel like I'm training for the Olympics!"

Sounds like she's got a lot on her hands, and her next tour is going to be a real spectacle. "I just really want to raise the bar. Touring is no longer an ordinary thing where you play an instrument in jeans and a T-shirt," Perry said. "It has some pizazz these days, and I'm definitely bringing the pizazz with a lot of bells and whistles."

Reproduced from Dietsinreview

Empty calories doritos

Reproduced from Dietsinreview

Marisa Miller is appearing on her eighth cover of Shape this February. She's also a Victoria's Secret model and has appeared in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue. So how does Marisa stay looking swimsuit-season-ready? She's a lifelong athlete who's passionate about a sport that keeps her moving.

Marisa played many sports in high school, and today, she enjoys stand up paddle surfing. Also known as SUP or Hoe he'e nalu in Hawaiian. It is an ancient form of surfing that's recently gained international popularity. For Marisa, paddle surfing can be therapeutic. "I think it's important when you exercise that you have something that's fun to do." Marisa is partnering with Surftech create a line of paddle boards that are specifically for women. "Even if you don't surf, it's a great way to be out in the ocean," says Miller in and interview with Shape.  Marisa has been stand up paddle surfing with for the past couple of years. The sport is a total body workout, with particular emphasis on the core body muscles.

The model says that her mother was a big inspiration for being a fit person. "My mom was a big part me having a positive foundation for living a healthy lifestyle and having an awareness of my body." Marisa says her mom got her a gym membership at the age of 16, and encouraged her to be healthy and strong.

Reproduced from Dietsinreview

American Idol is back!

American Idol is back! While I have to admit that my personal interest in the show generally only goes as far as the freak show contestants in the early rounds, the powers that be did do a great job in reworking the crew lineup. After Simon Cowell left the show it lost a great deal of its tension-filled appeal. Then with a quick exit by Ellen Degeneres, it's not a stretch to think that the show could be on the way down.

But it looks like their current lineup should be entertaining, particularly because Steven Tyler is such a character. The good news is that he apparently was a hit with viewers. Unfortunately, last night's debut only drew in 26.1 million viewers, down 13 percent from last year.

Is your New Year workout slow out of the gate like the new American Idol ratings? Maybe a look back at some of the show's biggest success stories in this week's workout mix will provide a little inspiration.

Reproduced from Dietsinreview