Reproduced from Dietsinreview

Natalie Portman in Black Swan

Actress Natalie Portman portrays a prima ballerina in the upcoming film Black Swan, and she was determined to look the part. "[Natalie] took [the role] very seriously," said director Darren Aronofsky. "These dancers get really, really skinny."

Natalie took her diet and workouts to such an extreme that Darren began to worry about her. "At a certain point I looked at her back and she was so skinny and so cut - I was like, 'Natalie, start eating,'" Darren told Access Hollywood. "I made sure she had a bunch of food in her trailer."

The 29-year-old actress said she's glad to be done with the filming, so that she can go back to her normal eating habits. Portman is a vocal supporter of vegetarianism, and indulged in pasta when shooting ended. "It was pretty immediate. I was ready to leave the ballet life," she said. "I was like, 'Please don't let there be re-shoots for this [film] because I don't think I could get back into the costumes!'"

Reproduced from Dietsinreview

When Bob Mewse found photos of himself on Google Street View, he was astonished at what he faced. Mewse was considered morbidly obese, but for a long time, he ignored the implications of it. As he gazed at the image of himself, all 297 pounds of him, he decided it was finally time to take charge of his health. He told The Telegraph, "I was horrified when I saw that photo. I was massive. My belly was sticking out and I looked huge. I'd been thinking about losing weight for some time but after seeing that picture, I knew that I actually had to do something about it. I was in such bad condition that I was unable to walk and talk at the same time."

Mewse 98 pounds lighter

Mewse, like so many others, experienced a certain level of denial in regards to his weight. When he saw himself in the mirror each day, he didn't realize how big he had become. He made excuses and ignored the signs that his obesity was beginning to affect the health of his body. Many of us have a tendency to do this; we make excuses for not working out and not eating properly. We have a way of justifying each fast food cheeseburger and every hour we watch TV. We blissfully ignore the causes and effects of our lifestyles. Doing so works out just fine, until we catch a glimpse of the truth; a foreshadow of the future.

For the first time, Mewse took an oath to be healthy and he followed through with it. By hiring a trainer, joining a gym and eating healthier, Mewse was able to lose 98 pounds. After shedding such a large amount of excess weight, he's reporting to feel better than ever. He no longer suffers from extreme back pain and his blood pressure is getting under control.

I'll leave you now with the inspirational words of Bob Mewse, an 'ordinary bloke' capable of doing extraordinary things for his health:

"If I can do this, anybody can, I'm just an ordinary bloke. I feel much healthier now."

image via dailymail.co.uk

Reprocuced from Dietsinreview

In the latest twist towards more "real" food, Wendy's is rolling out new french fries. The fast food giant is introducing fries that are thinner, smaller, and crispier than the current offerings. The revamped sides are made with Russet potatoes, with the skin left on, and topped with sea salt. The fries were transformed to appeal to a more diverse and upscale palate.

"We want every ingredient to be a simple ingredient, to be one you can pronounce and one your grandmother would recognize in her pantry," said Ken Calwell, Wendy's chief marketing officer.  "People want foods that are less processed," he continued, "and by leaving the skins on, it reminds people where the fries come from." Testing done by the company indicates that many consumers feel that fries are processed foods. In addition, there is a common misconception that sea salt is healthier.

Changing the appearance of the fries doesn't make them any healthier, however. The new fries have a higher sodium count - a medium size fry will go from 350 milligrams to 500 milligrams- and the calorie count increases 410 to 420.

Natural is an easy spin word used to make consumers feel like the food they are eating is healthier, when, just like with Wendy's new natural-cut fries, it can actually be worse for you.

via cbsnews

Reproduced from Dietsinreview

Vanison. Photo Credit: Robin

Venison has become a fashionable dish, but a British supermarket chain is coming under fire for offering up reindeer steaks. The Lidl stores have been accused of "destroying the magic of Christmas by selling dead reindeer" by the Vegetarians International Voice for Animals (VIVA!). The animal-rights group says that the reindeer are treated cruelly. They say that wild reindeer are herded with snow mobiles and helicopters, which causes the animals undue stress. They also say that 70 percent of the reindeer killed are calfs. The reindeer are sourced from Siberia, where Polar Research journal reported a decline in wild populations.

The Daily Mail reports that Lidl is the first of several grocery store chains that will offer reindeer meat during the holiday season. Lidl has defended their sales, by pointing out that the wild animals are better off in their natural habitat than livestock that's raised in captivity. A Lidl further pointed out that the reindeer eat local aromatic herbs and grasses. The reindeer meat is served under the grocery store's premium Deluxe label.

Venison has recently gained gourmet popularity, not only for it's wild flavor, but also because of its lower fat content compared to beef. According to the Deer Farmer's Information Network, venison is only 3.3 percent fat, while ground beef is 9.76 percent fat and chicken breast is 3.42 percent.

What do you think? Does reindeer meat ruin the idea of Santa's trusty friends or is it a healthy and tasty alternative to beef?

Reproduced from Dietsinreview

Although Alicia Silverstone is huge proponent of vegan eating, she admits that she sometimes lets herself eat something that contains animal products. Dairy is her weakness, reports FitPerez. "If I was at a party and there was a tray of cheese sitting there and I had had drinks, then I might have a bite," said Silverstone.

Although she's author of a cookbook of her favorite vegan recipes, The Kind Diet, the actress doesn't feel too guilty about these little indulgences in her otherwise strict vegan diet. "It's human. It's a really good reminder that sometimes you need to have what you remember is this good thing," Alicia says. "Because then you have it, and you're like, 'Actually that wasn't better than the recipes in my book."

Most importantly, a cheese cube from time to time doesn't throw her off her healthy eating. Alicia says being a vegan has helped her stay fit and in good health. "I haven't been to a doctor in 13 years," she said. "I don't have to worry about calories, I don't have to worry about how I look because I know that what I do makes me look my best."

Reproduced from Dietsinreview

Late night snack

John McGran, chief editor at Diet-to-Go, has been covering the fields of diet, fitness and health since 2000. He writes from the perspective of a dieter rather than a dietitian.

I bet you didn't know that November 15 is "Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day" or that November 29 is "Throw Out Your Leftovers Day." But I bet you do know that your refrigerator is crammed with foods that don't fit well with your desire to eat healthy and lose weight.

So please join me, Mr. Bad Food, for our first annual "out with the old, in with the new" push for a healthier tomorrow - and an easier start to our next great weight loss attempt.

It's time to turn a cold shoulder to the 10 worst foods in your fridge.

1. Mayo - If you're like me, more is better when it comes to mayo. So while a little won't hurt you, a lot will. A quarter-cup of mayo will make your sandwich savory, but at the cost of an extra 360 calories and 40 grams of fat.

2. Sweetened soft drinks - Sodas, fruit drinks, flavored teas, sports drinks... You can't turn a corner without coming face to face with some sort of soft drink machine or display. It all adds up to a lot of empty calories, folks. Skip the sweetened varieties, drink diet varieties sparingly and opt instead for water whenever possible!

3. Beer and wine - These "adult drinks" should be kept stored away for special occasions. Having them accessible like this only serves to entice you into sipping a few extra empty calories. An eight-ounce glass of wine delivers around 170 calories, while a 12-ounce bottle of beer has about 150.

4. Deli counter meats - Lunch meats like bologna and ham are crammed with fat, sodium and nitrites. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, processed meat, which is defined as any meat preserved by smoking, curing, salting, or with the addition of chemical preservatives, increases your risk of colon cancer. Gotta have your sandwiches? Opt instead for fresh roasted turkey, chicken or lean beef.

5. Hot dogs and sausages - See #4 for the reasons to chuck this stuff. Hot dogs and sausages not only have lots of sodium (520-680mg per two-ounce serving), they're also plumped up with plenty of fat (up to 23g of fat and 7g of saturated fat per serving). If you absolutely MUST have a hot dog, opt for the leaner versions that are also low in sodium.

6. Whole-milk products - On one hand, dairy products do provide good stuff like protein, calcium, B-12 and riboflavin. But on the other hand, the "full-strength" milk products are packed with fat and cholesterol. That daily glass of whole milk adds up to 1,904 calories, 105g of total fat, 59.5g saturated fat, and 315mg of cholesterol for the week. Opt for the lower-fat or nonfat versions of your favorite dairy foods.

7. Ice cream - Inviting Ben & Jerry's or some other gourmet ice cream into your freezer is inviting trouble with a capital T. Even if you stick to the serving size of a half cup, you'll still be treating your tummy to far too many calories and grams of fat. Mr. Bad Food can rarely stop at that half-cup. For me it's lid off, ice cream gone! If you need a wake up call just check the nutrition label on your favorite ice cream. Brrrrrr!

8. Creamy salad dressings - Salads are great for a diet... just not when you load 'em up with creamy dressings like bleu cheese, thousand island or Caesar! A two-tablespoon serving of each adds about 120 calories, 12g of fat, 2.5g saturated fat, and 380mg sodium. And when is the last time you used just two tablespoons? There are tasty lite dressings, so shop around!

9. Margarine and stick butter - I love butter - real and fake. But using this stuff puts your diet on a slippery slope. Blame it on the saturated fat and trans fat. Much like salad dressings, mayo and ice cream, we almost always use way more than we should. A tablespoon adds 100 calories and 11 grams of fat. Butter has 7g of saturated fat per tablespoon, while stick margarine adds 2g saturated fat and 1.5g trans fats. Try switching to canola oil or olive oil.

10. Frozen potato products - Got kids? Odds are you have french fries, hash browns or tater tots in your freezer. Just one small three-ounce serving has 8 to11g of total fat, around 3g of saturated fat, 390 to 540mg sodium, and about 190 calories. A potato lover like Mr. Bad Food will double that without thinking! Opt for unprocessed potatoes that you form and bake yourself. You'll get the nutrients without the added fat, saturated fat or sodium.

Also on the list of bad fridge foods: soy sauce (it's loaded with salt) and white bread (too many refined carbs).

Reproduced from Dietsinreview

Anti-Salt

In the latest push to get New Yorkers to eat better, city Mayor Michael Bloomberg is taking on salt. The mayor previously launched several visceral attacks on sodas and other sugary beverages. Now, he's urging city residents to cut down on their intake of sodium. The new campaign targets frozen dinners and canned soups, and features images of these foods surrounded by heaps of salt. The images are accompanied by messages like "Excessive can lead to heart attack and stroke."

Excess salt in one's diet can potentially lead to a number of serious health conditions, like high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions. WPIX reports that 23,000 deaths are caused by cardiovascular-related conditions in New York City alone.

However, some people feel that Bloomberg is focusing too much on what people eat. He has also been vocal about implementing a soda tax, and promoting healthier use of food stamps. The public service campaign costs $370,000 in federal and city funds, and will be appearing over the next two months.

Reproduced from Dietsinreview

Photo Credit: Pascal Terjan

Who pays with cash anymore? Today it's all about plastic. Heck, even gentlemen's clubs have ATMs. Not that I know first hand. I've just heard they do.

But maybe we should break out the dead presidents again, because a new study says when you pay with cash, you're less likely to buy junk food.

I bet the vending machine industry has known this for years. Their dirty little secret, "If you build it, they will buy."

Published in the Journal of Consumer Research, scientists found people are less likely to buy unhealthy foods when they go grocery shopping if they pay with cash, instead of those evil plastic credit or debit cards.

When analyzing the shopping carts of 1,000 United States households over six months, researchers observed shopping carts contained more impulse buys or junk food when people paid with credit or debit cards, and not cash.

The researchers called cash payments "more painful than card payments." Painful is the perfect word for it. Buying junk food with plastic is easier to swallow, so encouraging people to shop with cash could help them develop better shopping and eating habits.

Its really tempting to over-shop when you're not paying with cash. When you put your toilet paper, generic vodka, and orange juice on the register, it's easy to grab a Snickers bar. You're money seems limitless. Just deal with it when the bill comes.

I haven't gone grocery shopping with cash in years. If I went to pay and ran out of cash, I'd have a stroke and drop dead on the spot.

Contributed by Dietblog

The issue of whether or not urban centers should allow backyard chicken coops has sparked an ongoing debate in my neck of the woods (insert "crying foul" joke here).

Photo Credit: Laura_zz

Vancouver city council recently amended an animal control bylaw, making it legal to keep chickens on many more residential properties. Residents who own land of less than an acre are allowed up to 4 hens in their backyards.

Other urban areas in the US have already approved such a by-law including New York, Seattle and Portland.

Here are some of the stipulations that come with owning chickens;

• Coops must be between four square feet and ten square feet in size, and cannot be kept in front yards or on apartment or condominium balconies.
• Other fowl such as roosters, ducks and turkeys are not allowed, and eggs produced by the hens cannot be sold commercially.
• When hens reach the end of their lifespan of up to six years, they cannot be killed by the owner, but must be taken to a slaughterhouse or veterinarian for slaughter or euthanasia.

Backyard Coops: The Pros

• Urban sustainability: fresh, locally grown eggs can reduce carbon footprint.
• Good for communities and families as an educational tool.
• Instil discipline in children.

Backyard Coops: The Con

• Noise: backyard chickens can produce noise and in smaller quarters neighbors may not appreciate it.
• Odour: (yes I'm going to use another "foul" joke).
• Disease: we had a run of avian flu a few years back and the little critters can spread disease.
• Urban predators: chickens may attract coyotes, foxes and other geographically-specific predators.

Where do you come out on backyard chicken coops?

Contributed by Dietblog