Diet books have long promised better health, smaller waists and lifetime sex appeal. But this year’s crop doesn’t just hope to help your weight-loss efforts. Most come with a secondary promise: brain health, balanced hormones, lower blood sugar, pain elimination.

Here’s a sample of what’s new:

The New Atkins for a New You Cookbook, by Colette Heimowitz (Touchstone; $19.99): The diet that shouts “Lose up to 15 pounds in 2 weeks!” now has a cookbook of 200 low-carb recipes you can make in 30 minutes or less. It hardly sounds like a diet if you get to eat Lime-Chili Grilled Wings or skirt steak with chimichurri sauce. Even its No-Bake Cheesecake doesn’t sound half bad.

Master Your Metabolism, by Jillian Michaels (Three Rivers Press; $15): The book by The Biggest Loser’s meanest trainer ever is now out in paperback. Michaels reaches out to yo-yo dieters with a plan that promises to tap into fat-burning hormones. She urges readers to dump “anti-nutrients” such as hydrogenated fats, refined grains, high-fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners in favor of lean meats, whole grains and fresh fruit and vegetables.

The Doctors: 5-Minute Health Fixes, by The Doctors, with Mariska van Aalst (Rodale; $17.99): The physicians known for their popular TV show offer quick advice — now in paperback — on a variety of health topics, including weight. Diet advice boils down to five tips: Cook your own food at home; get help if you’re an emotional eater; walk 30 minutes a day, five days a week; eat carbs, protein and fat at every meal; watch portion size.

The Women’s Health Diet, by Stephen Perrine, with Leah Flickinger and the editors of Women’s Health (Rodale; $25.99): If you can remake your body in “just 27 days” as the book cover promises, maybe your body wasn’t in such bad shape after all. Still, if you focus on healthy foods, get rid of sugary drinks and exercise as the book advocates, you’re likely to lose fat and build muscle — and that’s what we’re all after, right? Its authors spend a fair amount of space going over the “Secrets of the Slim” — eating fresh produce, never skipping breakfast, learning to love salad. It provides plenty of resources to help you navigate supermarket aisles and restaurant menus.

The Men’s Health Diet, by Stephen Perrine, with Adam Bornstein, Heather Hurlock and the editors of Men’s Health: This version for men is much like its women’s counterpart, save for language that’s more likely to appeal to guys. For example, “Secrets of the Slim” becomes “Rules of the Ripped.” Its list of best foods for men are much like those of women, but organized differently and geared to men’s tastes.

The Diet Detective’s All-American Diet, by Charles Platkin (Rodale; $25.99): The book’s cover refers to Platkin as a Dr., but he’s a Ph.D., not an M.D. This public-health advocate has put forth a book that would only appeal to people who don’t want to cook and have no interest in learning how. It focuses on exercise in one short chapter, then lays out a plan for building meals out of convenience foods such as Pop-Tarts (no kidding), instant oatmeal, Jimmy Dean sausage biscuits and Stouffer’s lasagna. Not to completely diss the plan; it includes hundreds of convenience foods, including some that are lower in sodium, fat and-or sugar and will surely help you control how much you eat.

Six Weeks to Skinny Jeans, by Amy Cotta (Rodale, $24.99): The author’s picture-perfect derriere on the cover will surely catch the attention of any woman who’s looked backward at a three-way mirror and shuddered. Cotta, a Nashville-area fitness trainer, provides before and after photos of her clients — real women with lives, jobs, children and imperfect bodies — who lost a jeans size or two in six weeks. Her plan will have you watching your carbs, relying on low-glycemic foods, working out and keeping a diet-exercise log.

The Houston Chronicle

Read the original:
Find a new diet book to keep your goals on track

MURRAY, Utah, Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative Bioscience announced today it has been named the #1 top-selling maker of all-natural diet formulas in the 2011 SPINS Topline report, skyrocketing to a 31 percent market share in the company's first-ever appearance on the report. In addition to ranking Number One in sales overall, Creative Bioscience's hCG 1234™ is the top selling product in the category for 2011, surpassing well-known brands like Irwin Naturals and Nature's Way to take the top spot.

As the only comprehensive source of scanner-based sales data for the natural products supermarket channel, the SPINS Topline report tracks product sales and growth rates by brand in a variety of categories in the natural products industry, including diet supplements.

"It's been our goal from the beginning to become the world's leading supplier of natural, effective diet and weight loss supplements, and we are thrilled to see that it looks like we're well on our way," said Ike Blackmon, Executive Director at Creative Bioscience. "The fact that we've outsold brands with a 15 year history in the business is quite a testament to the immediate and remarkable results our customers have seen."

Creative Bioscience's newly reformulated hCG1234™ offers dieters a powerful, effective, amino-based blend clinically supported to enhance diet results. This proprietary combination of amino acids and herbal extracts works to block fat, boost fat metabolism and provide essential nutrition when used in conjunction with Dr. Simeons' Protocol of allowed foods in proper portions—an effective weight loss program backed by a 50-year history of helping people lose weight and improve their overall health. Designed for dynamic, rapid weight loss, Creative Bioscience's premium American-made hCG1234™ has helped many dieters lose an average of 1-2 pounds per day, without the need for vigorous exercise and with more calorie and food choices than other products provide.

Blackmon says the results of the SPINS report not only prove that Creative Bioscience's advanced formulations help customers achieve their weight loss goals with safe, natural products, but also that the company itself is changing the way the diet industry works by bringing a refreshing new level of transparency and personalized customer attention into the equation.

"We have long believed that the diet industry as a whole needed a wake-up call. For too long, most companies have gotten away with hiding behind ambiguous claims and giving customers virtually no way to contact the company with questions, or if they need assistance with their diet program," Blackmon said. "Smart dieters today demand better service and more accountability. We're one of the only supplement makers to offer that personal touch by providing free, 24/7 access to our trained diet support specialists who can help you overcome plateaus, provide encouragement or offer sound, realistic advice."

In addition to the popular hCG 1234™, Creative Bioscience offers a wide range of products, including many that feature the Dr. Oz recommended Raspberry Ketones. The diet giant's supplement portfolio includes tailored solutions to meet different weight loss styles: hCG Zero Liquid™, Diet Revive™, hCG Energy™, hCG Cleanse™, eAC 1234™ for energy and appetite control and rCC 1234™ for rapid colon cleanse each fill a specific dieting need. Its line of African Mango products— which Dr. Oz called a "miracle in your medicine cabinet that can help you lose 10 pounds"—include African Mango Lean™, African Mango 1200™ and African Mango Cleanse™ to enhance weight loss by naturally increasing metabolism and suppressing appetite. All Creative Bioscience products are manufactured in FDA-inspected and GMP-approved labs in the United States.

For more information about Creative Bioscience's complete line of natural, herbal diet supplements and to find other store locations, visit http://www.creativebioscience.com. 

Product statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

About Creative Bioscience:? Creative Bioscience is a dynamic weight loss supplement company dedicated to innovation, research, and professional support. The company uses key botanicals and natural ingredients in its line of herbal supplements for diet support, and its products are manufactured in FDA inspected and GMP approved facilities using precise, technologically advanced equipment. It produces several proprietary, all-natural diet support supplements, including Raspberry Ketones and the plant Irvingia gabonensis, commonly known as African Mango. Creative Bioscience's complete line of diet aids offers tailored weight-loss solutions designed to meet the needs of anyone who is ready to lose weight, including those looking to cleanse their system of toxins.??Creative Bioscience offers 24/7 personalized diet support by trained specialists for customers, offering guidance on safe weight loss and tips on healthy living. For more information, visit http://www.creativebioscience.com.

Read more from the original source:
Creative Bioscience Named Top-Selling Natural Diet Formula Company by SPINS Topline Report

A new study has found that drinking diet soda every day is linked to higher rates of heart attack and stroke.

According to researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, older adults who drank diet soda every day were 44 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, compared with 22 percent of people who rarely or never drank diet soda but still had a heart attack or stroke.

But before any panic sets in, I want to add that the researchers clarified the study did not prove that diet soda alone was to blame.

Rather, it appears that people who drink diet soda every day are more likely to engage in other unhealthy habits – meaning the soda alone may not be the cause of heart attacks or strokes.

Among these other factors, the researchers said daily diet-soda drinkers tended to be heavier and more often had heart risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and unhealthy cholesterol levels.

In other words – while I would never recommend drinking diet soda daily as a good idea – if you’re counting calories, don’t be afraid to reach for diet instead of regular soda.  It’s highly unlikely you’ll suffer any heart problems as a result.

Send me your health questions on Facebook and Twitter.  And remember to join me for my weekly health live chat every Wednesday from 2-3 pm ET.

See more here:
No need to panic over diet soda heart risks

PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Snapple today officially launches Diet Half ‘n Half Lemonade Iced Tea, joining the ranks of such great combinations as the spork, labradoodle and the keyboard guitar. The half lemonade, half iced tea blend is made from healthy green tea, tasty black tea and has only ten calories per 16oz bottle. While some may argue that one half may be better than the other, Snapple has brought the two together to create a low calorie option of this perfect combination.

“Some combinations are too perfect to pass up,” said Regan Ebert, vice president of marketing for Snapple. “Snapple is always looking to make the Best Stuff even better and the new Diet Half ‘n Half offers our fans a tasty low calorie combination of two classic flavors that is sure to please, whichever side you’re rooting for.”

To settle the score between Lemonade and Iced Tea lovers everywhere, Snapple is challenging fans to battle it out and vote for which side reigns supreme as the blend’s better half. Fans can vote for their favorite flavor on Twitter by using the #Lemonade@Snapple and #Tea@Snapple hashtags, as seen in the new drink’s advertising spot; via Snapple’s Facebook page; and on Snapple.com.

By participating, fans can enter for a chance to win daily Snapple prizes. A few lucky winners will also receive $1,000 prizes, half for them to keep and half for their charity of choice. For additional details, go to Snapple.com. Fans can also visit Snapple on Facebook for one of the 250,000 coupons for $1.00 off of a Snapple 6-pack that the brand will give away in celebration of the new beverage.

Snapple Diet Half ‘n Half is now available at participating retailers nationwide in individual 16-ounce bottles for $1.39 and 6-packs for $5.99. It is also available in 32oz, 64oz and 16oz 12-Packs. For full details and a list of participating retailers, visit http://www.Snapple.com.

About Snapple

Snapple, a brand of Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS - News), is a leader in great-tasting premium beverages. Founded in 1972 by three childhood friends, Snapple got its start in Greenwich Village, New York, and is now available throughout the United States and numerous countries worldwide. Snapple prides itself on developing, producing and marketing a wide variety of premium beverages, including ready-to-drink iced teas, juice drinks, 100% juices and water. Known for its down-to-earth approach to marketing, Snapple continues to delight fans across the world. DPS is a leading producer of flavored soft drinks, marketing Snapple and 50-plus other brands across North America and the Caribbean. For more information on Snapple, visit http://www.snapple.com or http://www.drpeppersnapple.com.

See the article here:
Snapple Officially Launches Diet Half ‘n Half Lemonade Iced Tea

Diet soda may benefit the waistline, but people who drink it every day may have a heightened risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a new U.S. study.

Although the researchers, whose work appeared in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that older adults who drank diet soda every day were 44 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack, their research did not prove that the sugar-free drinks alone were to blame.

"What we saw was an association. These people tend to have more unhealthy habits."

- Hannah Gardener, of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

There may be other things about diet-soda lovers that explain the connection, said lead researcher Hannah Gardener, of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and her team.

"What we saw was an association. These people may tend to have more unhealthy habits," she said.

She and her colleagues tried to account for that, noting that daily diet-soda drinkers did tend to be heavier and more often have heart risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and unhealthy cholesterol levels.

Gardener and her team studied 2,564 New York City adults who were 69 years or older at the study's start. Over the next decade, 591 men and women had a heart attack, stroke or died of cardiovascular causes -- including 31 percent of the 163 people who drank a diet soda daily at the start of the study.

Overall, daily consumption of diet soda was linked to a 44-percent higher chance of heart attack or stroke, compared with 22 percent for people who rarely or never drank diet soda but had a heart attack or stroke.

Gardener said that if diet soda itself contributes to health risks, it's not clear how.

Some research in rats suggests that artificial sweeteners can end up boosting food intake and weight, but whether these results translate to humans is unknown.

"I don't think people should change their behavior based on this study," Gardener said, noting that further study is needed to confirm a connection between diet soda and cardiovascular trouble.

More:
Daily diet soda may increase risk of heart attack, stroke

Diet drugs have failed to impress government health regulators in recent years with several prospective medications being denied approval and another drug taken off the market. Hopes for the first new diet pill in about 13 years now rest with a meeting Wednesday in Washington, D.C., to discuss Qnexa.

An advisory committee reporting to the Food and Drug Administration will, for the second time, hear evidence for or against the approval of Qnexa, which is a combination of two existing drugs -- the anticonvulsant topirimate and the diet drug phentermine -- that promote weight loss. The medication, made by the Mountain View, Calif.-based Vivus, first came before the FDA advisory committee in July 2010, which voted to deny approval. The FDA subsequently denied approval in October 2010, citing potential safety problems.

However, FDA officials left the door open for Qnexa, asking Vivus to provide additional data on whether the medication can cause birth defects and what the risk of birth defects might be. The agency has also requested data on whether the slight increase in heart rate that is linked to the drug increases the risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke.

There are fewer questions about Qnexa's ability to promote weight loss. A two-year study of 4,323 people showed an average weight loss of at least 10% of total body weight and  improvements in blood pressure.

Vivus officials have maintained a positive front about the drug's eventual approval. But documents filed in advance of Wednesday's meeting suggest some hard questions await Vivus officials. The FDA remains concerned with a potential increased risk of cleft palate in babies born to women who become pregnant while taking the medication. A key issue is whether Vivus can persuade the FDA that the drug will not be prescribed haphazardly to women who could become pregnant. Questions also remain regarding potential heart risks for adults taking the drug.

More is at stake than just Qnexa. The FDA has rejected applications for two other diet medications in the past two years (both of those drugs will also be resubmitted with additional follow-up data), and health professionals who work in the obesity field are growing impatient with the FDA's demands.

The Obesity Society, the Obesity Action Coalition and other medical organizations have been working with the agency for several years to discuss expanding treatment options for patients with obesity. Some obesity experts have said they feel the FDA is holding weight-loss drugs to a higher standard compared with medications that treat other conditions.

But obesity has severe health ramifications, noted James Zervios, a spokesman for the Obesity Action Coalition.

"There just aren't a lot of tools in the tool box when you're treating obesity," Zervios said. "We need other options for people."

While diet and exercise is useful for people who require only a small weight loss, and surgery is available for people with severe obesity, there are fewer options for the "in between" overweight individual, Zervios said. Qnexa targets people with a body mass index of 30 or above or a BMI of 27 or above for people who also have weight-related health problems, such as diabetes or sleep apnea. A BMI of 25 to 29 indicates overweight and 30 or greater is considered obese.

FDA officials are sympathetic to the need, Zervios said. But the potential for Qnexa to cause birth defects appears to be of great concern to the agency.

"The fear is that this drug will be used by all," he said. "Our stance is there needs to be strict guidelines in place so the right individuals are gaining access to it. It's not for people who want to lose five or 10 pounds."

Follow me: twitter.com/LATShariRoan

See the original post:
Diet drug Qnexa will get a second look