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For those of you looking for a healthy diet plan. Lighten Up 4 Life recommends:

The Mayo Clinic Diet – A new diet book from the Mayo Clinic.
SparkPeople.com Diet – online tools such as meal planners, recipes, grocery lists and much more.
WeightWatchers.com -  Weight Watchers is online too! If you can’t make meetings you can use their online tools.
 

Websites with Helpful Calorie Counters:

www.sparkpeople.com

www.EverydayHealth.com/calorie-counter

www.caloriecount.about.com   

www.my-calorie-counter.com

www.calorieking.com
  Personal Diet Evaluator Lighten Up 4 Life Healthy Cook-Off Recipe
  Food and Fitness Planner Mission's Food Journal
   
 

Healthy Diets – What Experts Recommend

Weight Watchers

A tried and true weight-loss program that has been around for many years. Many people find its “points” system easy to follow and this program teaches good portion-control habits that can help you maintain your weight-loss. Its meetings-based system harnesses the power of group support and keeping up with times has added an online version. Weight Watcher’s meal plans, sensible eating, weight-loss pace has earned it praise from many experts.

The EatingWell Diet

This diet combines 28-day mix-and-match menus, encourages good exercise habits and includes a Diet Food Diary with a calorie-count chart.

It also stresses slow and steady weight-loss which most experts agree will give you a better chance of maintaining your weight-loss.   

The Best Life Diet

The Best Life Diet, created by Bob Greene, Oprah’s trainer has three phases that encourages each dieter to take at their own pace, and teaches nutritional eating and increased physical activity. Bob Greene’s emphasizes healthy foods in reasonable portions.

You: On a Diet

Dr Mehmet C. Oz and Michael F. Roizen's diet  book offers a lot of education and menu plans and good exercise recommendations such as adding 30 minutes of daily walking along with recommendations for stretching, metabolism boosting, muscle building, and strength training.

The Sonoma Diet

This diet is based on delicious recipes using staples of Mediterranean eating: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, fish, and nuts. The diet starts with a strident 10-day phase called "Wave One," which is calorie-restrictive but is supposed to help you lose your craving for eating sugar and highly processed foods. The diet does contain creative recipes and menus.

 

Websites with Calorie Counters:

www.sparkpeople.com

www.EverydayHealth.com/calorie-counter

www.caloriecount.about.com   

www.my-calorie-counter.com

www.calorieking.com
 
Fun Size Candies....Not So Fun For Weight Management!!!
 

October signals the start of candy season, a roughly 6-month long period during which special candy is produced for one holiday after another. With Halloween just around the corner, I’m sure you have started seeing the massive increase of candy "triggers" in your day to day life. You will start to see this candy in places that may have been considered "safe" before. Friends, family members, neighbors may all be placing the candy jar or basket next to the door full of "Fun Size" candies in anticipation of this ghost, goblin, and goodies driven holiday. So, how do you get through this day (and the weeks after when the candy is so cheap in the stores that they are practically begging you to buy it) with out it having a negative effect on your efforts to lose weight, maintain a weight loss, or to just live a healthy lifestyle. When I am trying to make the sometimes tough decisions on a day to day basis of what to have and what not to have when it comes to food, it helps me to know all the facts. Here are a few facts about “fun size” candies and other “Treats” you may come across in the new future:
 

Chocolate Bars and Kisses (Mostly Chocolate)

  • Dove Milk Chocolate Promises or wrapped squares (8 g) - 42 calories
  • Hershey Kisses - 26 calories each kiss
  • Hershey Kisses with Almonds - 23 calories each kiss
  • Hershey Kisses filled with Caramel - 21 calories each kiss
  • Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars - Fun size (14 g) - 67 calories 
  • Hershey's Miniature Bars (mixed) - average of 42 calories each bar
  • M&Ms, plain, Fun size (18 g) - 88 calories
  • M&Ms, peanut
    • Fun size (18 g) - 93 calories
    • 1/4 cup candy - 220 calories a
  • Miniature Bars (Milky Way, Snickers, Twix, 3 Musketeers) - average 38 calories each bar
  • Mr. Goodbar Snack size (17 g) - 90 calories 
  • Nestlé’s Crunch Bars Fun size (10 g) 50 calories
  • Nestlé’s Crunch Caramel Bars - Fun size - 70 calories
  • Three Musketeers bar
    • Fun size (15 g) - 64 calories
    • Mint, Fun size (15g) - 64 calories
  • Tootsie Rolls
    • Small bar - 50 calories
    • Midgee - 23 calories
    • Mini-Midgees - 11 calories

Peanut and Peanut Butter Candies

  • Pay Day - Snack size (19 g) - 90 calories
  • Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
    • Miniature (about 9 grams each) - 44 calories
    • Snack size (17 g) - 88 calories
    • Snack size (21 g) - 100 calories
  • Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins (34 g) - 180 calories
  • Reese's Crispy Crunchy Bar, Snack size (17 g) - 95 calories
  • Reese's Nutrageous Bars, Snack size (17 g) - 88 calories

Mixed Candy Bars

  • 100 Grand Bars
    • Fun size (11 g) - 50 calories 
    • Fun size (21 g) - 95 calories
  • Almond Joy Snack size (15 g) - 80 calories
  • Baby Ruth Bar, Fun size (18 g each) - 85 calories
  • Butterfinger Bar, Fun size (18 g each) - 85 calories
  • Butterfinger Crisp Bar, Snack size (20 g) - 100 calories
  • Heath Bar, Snack size (13 g) - 74 calories
  • Kit Kat, Fun size (14 g) - 73 calories
  • Milky Way bar, Fun size (17 g) - 75 calories 
  • Mounds bars, Snack size (17 g) - 83 calories
  • Rocky Road, Snack size (10 g) - 45 calories
  • Snickers Bars, Fun size (17 g) - 80 calories
  • Snickers Almond Bars, Fun size (17 g) - 80 calories
  • Snickers Crème Pumpkin (1 oz) - 150 calories
  • Twix, Snack size (10 g) - 50 calories

Taffy and Caramel
AbbaZabba, small (12 g) 50 calories
Charleston Chew bar, Fun size (10 g) - 45 calories
Laffy Taffy, Chocolate, small bars (8 g each) - 32 calories
Milk Duds Snack size (12 g) - 54 calories
Milk Maid Caramels, Brach's - 40 calories per piece
Fruity and Gummy Candies

  • Jujyfruits - 9 pieces - 60 calories
  • Lifesavers Gummies (2 rolls per ounce) - 52 calories per roll
  • Mini Dots (2 small boxes per ounce) 70 calories  per box
  • Skittles
    • Original Fruit, Fun size (20 g) - 80 calories
  • Chocolate Assortment, Fun size (20 g) - 80 calories
  • Starburst, Fun size (2 pieces per stick) - 40 calories
  • Twizzlers
    • Strawberry Twists, Short (9 g) - 32 calories
    • Cherry Pull-N-Peel (12 g) - 40 calories

Hard Candies and Pops

  • Blow Pop, Junior - 50 calories 
  • Jolly Rancher
    • Hard Candy (6 g) - 23 calories 
    • Lollipops (17 g) - 60 calories 
  • Hard Candy Sticks, Small (11g) - 43 calories 
  • Double Blasts (4 g) - 13 calories
  • Tootsie Pops - 60 calories 
  • Tootsie Caramel Apple Pops - 60 calories
  • Wonka Nerds - small box (13 g) - 50 calories

Other Candies

  • Candy Corn, Brach's - 11 pieces - 70 calories 
  • Hot Tamales - small pkg (14 g) - 50 calories
  • Jr. Mints, Fun size (10 g) - 50 calories
  • Mike and Ike small box (14 g) - 50 calories
  • Raisinettes, Fun size (16 g - about 16 pieces) - 56 calories
  • Smarties Candy, Roll - 25 calories
  • Whoppers
    • 1 small tube - 30 calories
    • 1 small pouch (21 g) - 100 calories
  • York Peppermint Patties
    • Regular small patty (14 g) - 53 calories 
    • Pink Peppermint Patties, small (14 g) - 53 calories
    • Peppermint Patty Pumpkins (14 g) - 50 calories
 

Good luck making healthy choices this Halloween!

Elizabeth Williams, MS, RD, LDN
Registered Dietitian/Clinical Nutritionist Educator
 Mission Weight Management Center

 

Mission's Food Journal

Hungry Girl: Daily Tips & Tricks to Healthy Eating

Watch NBC Today Show's "Lose Weight Spend Less" video that discusses ways to slim down your calories and your costs at the same time.

Spark People

Free recipes and diet tips. And online diet plan and exercise videos.

  • Meal plans
  • Calorie counter
  • Weight tracker
  • Recipe calculator

Read about the benefits of eating organic foods titled World's Healthiest Foods Are Whole Foods

Review Guidlines for Healthy Food at Meetings

Visit the North Carolina Cooperative Extension's website for more information on Health & Nutrition.

Eat Smart Move More Recipes from the NC Dept. of Health and Human Services

Informative videos on healthy eating, portions and strategies to lose weight from Discovery Health

Learn more about correct portion sizes from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Enhance your child’s activities and nutrition with We Can! Program from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Healthy Recipes recommended by the American Heart Association.

Weight Control resources from the USDA Food & Nutrition Center.

The American Heart Association offers these tips for healthy eating:

  • Eat only as many calories as you burn.
  • Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods.
  • Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit.
  • Choose whole grains.
  • Eat fish twice a week.
  • Avoid nutrient-poor foods.
  • Limit the amount of cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat you eat.
  • Choose lean means and poultry without the skin; prepare them without added saturated and trans fats.
  • Select fat-free or low-fat dairy products.
  • Eat fewer foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
  • Eat fewer foods high in dietary cholesterol.
  • Cut back on beverages with added sugars.
  • Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt.
  • Drink only in moderation.
  • Choose low-fat, low-salt meals when dining out.
  • Read the nutrition labels and ingredient lists before buying your food.

Fruits & Veggies Tip Sheets
Brought to you by NC Fruits & Veggies Nutrition Coalition, NC Dept. of Health and Human Services | NC Division of Public Health

5 Points to Remember
Five points about eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

Can I Cook Nutrients Away?
The method of cooking can affect the nutritional value of food…but it depends on which nutrients you are talking about.

A Fast Way to 5 A Day
Tips for eating healthy when you eat out at fast food restaurants.

Shopping Smarts
Tips on purchasing a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Color Me Healthy Deluxe Cookbook!
Complete Recipes brought to you by NC Division of Public Health.

Weight Watchers Cookbooks can be purchased here.

 

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Healthy Eating