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5 Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars Compared

Angelica Marden — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 15:30:41 PST

I aim to eat fresh real food whenever possible, but early morning workouts and a rushed commute to work means I occasionally reach for energy bars on the go. My flavor of choice is peanut butter and chocolate (because how could you not love the salty and sweet combo?!) and I've tried more varieties than I care to admit. Some are protein-filled and a delight like candy, and others taste like cardboard. It's hard to pick a winner, but my recent go-to has been the Think Thin Chunky Peanut Butter Bar, which packs 20 grams of protein and no added sugar but somehow satisfies my sweet tooth.

Are you a choco-nut too? Check out nutritional breakdowns and reviews of some of other popular choices.

Best Diets for Heart Health

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 07:30:00 PDT

Unfortunately when we start a diet, most of us read a lot into how much weight it is going to help us lose but forget to think about the potential benefits/detriments it could have on our hearts.

A new study published has revealed the heart health of popular diet plans. The highest possible score is 70 and diets that emphasize a variety of fruits and vegetables scored better than those with a heavy protein focus.

Here are the results:

Ornish, 64.6
Weight Watchers high-carbohydrate, 57.4
New Glucose Revolution, 57.2
South Beach Phase 2, 50.7
Zone, 49.8
MyPyramid, 48.7
Weight Watchers high protein, 47.3
Atkins 100-g carbohydrate, 46
South Beach Phase 3, 45.6
Atkins 45-g carbohydrate, 42.3

Is anyone else shocked that the USDA's My Pyramid plan is not even in the top three? Nonetheless, anyone with a personal or family history of heart disease should definitely consider the results of this study as a guide when choosing a diet plan.

Source

Have you ever tried a No or Low Carb diet?

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 07:30:00 PDT

By now, you all know that I am curious and nosy. This time I want to know if...

Source

Most Expensive Diets Revealed

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 11:45:00 PDT

Are you following a diet like Jenny Craig? Chances are you may be spending more on that diet than you think.

Forbes.com has created a list of the most expensive diets and how much each could be costing you per week.

Diet	*Cost per Week
Jenny Craig	$137.65
NutriSystem	$113.52
Atkins	$100.52
Weight Watchers	$96.64
Zone	$92.84
Ornish	$78.74
South Beach	$78.61
Slim Fast	$77.73
Sugar Busters!	$69.62
Subway	$68.60

*Costs are adjusted for New York City prices. Includes the cost of associated book, if applicable, and any membership fees associated with the diet, averaged over a six-month period.

To read the full article, please visit Forbes.com.

Naomi Campbell Feels Carbs Are a Treat

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:07:03 PST

With the birth of the Atkins diet, carbs immediately got a bad reputation. It seems like everyone I know has gone on a carb-free diet at least once in their lives to lose weight, and even Naomi Campbell is no stranger to forgoing carbs. In the March issue of Harper's Bazaar, the 41-year-old model admits that she's blessed with a high metabolism, but she also exercises and watches her diet. Naomi works hard to maintain her famous model figure and says, "For me, carbs are a treat now."

I can see ditching refined carbs - foods made with white flour, like bagels, cookies, cakes, and pasta - since they have very little nutritional value. But whole grain bread and cereals, whole wheat pasta, and whole grains like quinoa and barley are super nutritious. These complex carbs contain protein to sustain energy levels and filling fiber to curb hunger, both of which can help you lose weight. However, there is definitely some validity to cutting carbs and losing weight. A recent study showed that cutting carbs twice a week was more effective than eating a low-calorie diet, so I can see why some women may choose to limit their carb intake in the name of weight loss. How do you feel about carbs?

Source: Karim Sadli for Harper’s Bazaar

When It Comes to Weight Loss, Calories Count More Than Protein

Leta Shy — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:19:54 PST

There are tons of diets claiming that focusing on protein is the key to weight loss - either eating more or less of it can help you shed pounds fast. But a new study has found that weight loss may be less about how much protein you eat than how much you eat overall.

The study, released this week in JAMA, followed 25 participants closely for 10 to 12 weeks who all stayed in a hospital for monitoring. The volunteers were first fed a "weight-stabilizing diet" for up to four weeks, and then later fed a high-calorie diet about 1,000 calories over their previous meal plans. During the period they were overfed, the participants were split into three groups and put on either a low-protein, normal-protein, or high-protein diet.

Find out how much each group gained and why you shouldn't always focus on just protein intake after the break.

Do Popular Weight-Loss Diets Work?

Shape — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:15:48 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

There's a mountain of evidence that suggests that fad diets don't function as permanent weight-loss solutions. So why do we continue to flock toward them when we know they're not very effective? After rounding up the top 10 searched diet plans on Yahoo! and noticing that almost every single one was a fad diet (such as the Atkins Diet, or HCG Diet), we wanted to know more about why we're drawn to these popular diet plans. So we went to Holly Herrington, a Registered Dietitian at the Center for Lifestyle Medicine at the Northwestern University Medical Faculty Foundation to get her take on these plans and whether they really work for weight loss.

Find out what - if any - fad diets work after the break.

The Biggest Diet Trends of 2011

Leta Shy — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:35:06 PST

Like years before, 2011 was chock-full of trendy diets that got everyone talking, as well as trying. So what were the top diets of 2011? Read on to find out!

HCG Diet
The HCG diet isn't new (it's been around for more than 50 years), but it's once again a phenomenon. This was the year that people flocked to doctor's offices to get a pricey hormone injection all in the name of weight loss. The diet's deal: eat a restricted calorie diet, usually 500 calories a day, and inject the HCG hormone (or use drops or lozenges) every day. The claim is that the HCG hormone, which occurs in pregnant women naturally and helps them burn fat to use to feed their babies, helps convert body fat to energy so you get all the adequate calories you need every day without feeling hungry, but experts warn that there aren't any studies that prove the safety and effectiveness of the diet.

Paleo Diet
Eat like your ancestors did - as in, the ones from a very long time ago. The Paleo diet is a meal plan based on the hunting and gathering instincts of cavemen. That means lots of free-range, grass-fed meat, fresh seafood, and vegetables, but no grains, dairy, legumes, refined sugars, and processed foods. The Paleo Diet's main focus is to improve your overall health, and many people who have been on it say it's cured their digestive conditions, such as IBS. Experts are split on whether or not it's an effective diet - especially since some very common foods, like dairy and grain, are forbidden.

Read on for more top diet trends of 2011.

Guess the Fad Diet!

FitSugar — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 02:37:55 PDT

People are always on the hunt for the latest and greatest diet pill and quick-fix weight-loss program to help them shed pounds quickly. Some show results, others not so much, but in the end, we can all agree that fad diets aren't going anywhere anytime soon. How well do you know your fad diets? Let's find out and see!

Take the Quiz

Tiffani Thiessen, Matt Bomer, and the Cast of White Collar Get Set For a Big Finale!

Katie Henry — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:00:32 PST

Tiffani Thiessen joined her White Collar costars, including the great-looking Matthew Bomer, in LA last night for a panel at the Paley Center for Media. She, Matthew, and the rest of their cast took the stage to share their experiences working on the show, saying that they love the smart scripts and their ability to film on the streets of NYC. Season two comes to a conclusion with tonight's show, and the finale promises to deliver twists, turns, and a special appearance from Andrew McCarthy. Matthew has been busy with his big screen work as well, shooting Now alongside Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried. Tiffani has her hands full too, as playing with nine-month-old daughter Harper happily takes up lots of her time.