Food Facts: Watermelon

Watermelon is one of my favorites fruits. In fact, when I was pregnant with my first child, I ate a whole watermelon in just one sitting.

Watermelon makes you full without making you fat! In fact, watermelon has no fat, cholesterol, and almost no sodium, yet it is high in potassium!

Nutritional Values of Watermelon

Serving Size: 1 cup

• Calories: 46
• Protein: 1 g
• Carbohydrate: 11 g
• Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Sodium: 2 mg

It's still summer and when it gets hot, watermelon comes to mind! Not only does watermelon help quench thirst, it helps alleviate inflammation that come from conditions like arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, colon cancer, and diabetes

Watermelons are abundant source of antioxidants, vitamin C, and vitamin A. They are rich in potassium, which is a nutrient that helps control blood pressure, regulate heart beat, and possibly prevent strokes. Watermelon is also a valuable source of lycopene, one of the carotenoids that may help reduce the risk of prostate, breast, endometrial, as well as lung and colon cancer!

For more information about watermelon and other healthy foods, check out my favorite book - the World's Healthiest Foods -- www.whfoods.org

Weight-Loss Recipe: Diva Tuna Mixture

Diva Tuna Mixture
12 oz. solid white albacore tuna (canned in water or fresh),
2 Tbsp. healthy mayonnaise
1/2 cup white onion, diced
1 1/2 cup celery, diced
1 kosher pickle, diced
1 tsp. lemon juicePreparation: Thoroughly rinse tuna if using canned. In a bowl, mix together the tuna and mayonnaise. Add diced onions, celery, pickle, and lemon juice. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Makes 3 to 4 Servings — Recommended Serving Size: 3/4 cup
Nutritional Value Per Serving:

• 216.7 calories
  
• 32.5 g protein
  
• 3.7 g carbs
  
• 7.7 g fat
• 0.5 g fiber
• 467 mg sodium
  

Notes: To reduce 100 mg of sodium per serving, eliminate the pickle and add a cucumber instead. To cut the fat in half, use low-fat mayonnaise. To add more fiber, add 1/4 cup chickpeas to the top. This is a great recipe to use as a spread (over some rice cakes), as part of a salad, or in a sandwich.

* Special Notes on Seafood

• For years nutritionists have known that seafood is a top-quality source of protein, containing all nine essential amino acids and enabling us to meet our daily protein needs.
• Seafood has other health benefits:
• It is highly digestible.
  
• It is also considered an excellent source of B complex, calcium, and other minerals.
• It is naturally low in sodium, low in calories, and low in saturated fat.
  
• The omega-3 fatty acids found in some seafood are important for a healthy diet.
  
• Omega-3 fatty acids offer a variety of health benefits, including but not limited to reducing inflammation throughout the body, keeping blood from clotting excessively, lowering lipids in the bloodstream, helping prevent cancer cell growth, and helping reduce the risk of obesity.
• Certain kinds of seafood are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, including salmon, sardines, and tuna.
• Halibut and snapper have high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, as does other seafood.
• It is difficult to get your omega-3 fatty acids without consuming seafood.
  
• If you don’t like seafood or are a vegetarian, consider supplementing with fish oil or getting omega-3 from leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, hummus, some oils, and eggs.

All recipes are from "Fit Meals in Minutes: Combining quick and convenient with sound nutrition!" www.MyDivaDiet.com

"diet villain" ALERT: MR. BAKERMAN (white flour and more)

Mr. Bakerman: Using and overusing white flour and other baking ingredients like starch, baking powder, and dextrin. And, consuming too many baked goods like cookies, donuts, pies, and cakes.White flour intake (bread, cereals, crackers, noodles, pasta, pastries, tortillas, etc.)

White flour encompasses a big part of the American diet. It is included not only in the foods list above but in many others like gravy, dips, and condiments. 

A diet of refined foods can leave many women malnourished, constipated, and vulnerable to chronic illnesses. We eat a great deal of white flour—and then wonder why we are sick and fat!

* Notes

• Highly processed white flour (enriched wheat flour) is missing the two most important, nutritious, fibrous parts of the seed: the outside bran layer and the germ (embryo).
  
• These contain nutrients like fiber, B-complex vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and iron and trace minerals.
  
• Phytochemicals (naturally-occurring health-promoting substances found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts) are also lost during the refining process.
  
• Other ingredients we need to be leery of are the ones we frequently use in our cooking and baking and that are found in many man-made products: breads and baked goods, beer, wine, cereal, waffles, pancakes, pudding, sauces, condiments, etc. Common ingredients found in these products include yeast, starch and starch derivatives like maltodextrin, and baking powder, just to name a few.

* White Flour Intake Rules

• Avoid white flour (enriched wheat flour).
  
• Select breads and other products made with grains (grain products) that use the whole grain and have the whole grain listed first on the ingredients panel.
  
• Some of the best grain products are “sprouted” grains which provide better nutrition, enhanced digestion, and less allergic potential. You can find good sprouted products at: 

1. Food For Life (www.foodforlife.com)
   
2. Trader Joe’s sprouted breads and other healthy grain products(www.traderjoes.com)
   
3. Your local health food store

• “Stone ground” grains are also wholesome, and are usually coarser and have the germ intact. The bran portion may or may not be included.
  
• Be sure to check the ingredients in man-made food products for white flour and other baking ingredients, which should be avoided.
  
• Be extremely cautious with pancakes, waffles, muffins, tortillas, etc., even if they are labeled healthy.
  

* FYI’s and Other Flour Rules

• Wheat is not the only grain used to make flour. Others include amaranth, arrowroot, barley, buckwheat, corn, flaxseed, kamut, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, soy, spelt, teff, and triticale.
  
• Vegetable and nut flours are also available, including bean flour, chickpea flour, chestnut flour, peasemeal (pea flour), potato flour, sweet potato flour, and almond and hazelnut flours.
  
• Flour and products made with flour other than wheat or white are okay to eat providing the other ingredients are clean and pure.
  

The good news is that you don't have to give up your bread to be fit and healthy!  

Paw “10 Directives to Bread” Guide

• #1.  They should be made with whole grain like amaranth, barley, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, spelt, and wheat.
• #2.  They can contain added legumes, nuts, and seeds–if they are pure.
  
• #3.  They are best if they are organic and sprouted or stoned ground.
  
• #4.  Flour-made breads are okay, as long as it is not white flour.
  
• #5.  Gluten-free, wheat-free, and yeast-free are good options.
  
• #6.  They can have multiple ingredients but should be made with only clean and pure ingredients
• #7.  They should be high in protein, fiber, and other nutrients, and low in fat.
  
• #8.  They should be low in preservatives and additive-free.
• #9.  They should have limited or no sugar, sodium, or oils, however, if they do contain these they should come from natural and healthy sources
  
• #10.  MY DIVA DIET:  A Woman's Last Diet Book offers a list of recommended breads. They are calorically dense (a slice or two equals anywhere from 100 to 250 calories and 2-20 grams of fiber) and they require refrigeration.
  

To  learn more about the "diet villains" and how you can defeat them check it!  

WIN a Free Copy of MY DIVA DIET: Peanut Butter & Pickle!

During my usual on-line research, I found another great website called Peanut Butter and Pickle Reviews (Satisfying Your Cravings)–love the logo and the name! This site is run by Kristan, Shelly and Lacie, and is jammed packed with cool domestic-type products that women of all ages may want or need; including, children's shoes and stuff, green hats and glasses, cleaning products, healthy foods, pet snacks, pet care (dog teeth cleaning tools), scrap books, bags, organizers, and much much more!  Along with all of these products, they include reviews and giveaways!   

I contacted Kristan to get her take on MY DIVA DIET:  A Woman's Last Diet Book.  My thanks to her for taking the time to read it and post it on her site!  Kristan also has a great blog!  

Peanut Butter & Pickle Reviews 

"Recently I was contacted by a woman named Christine Lakatos, creator of the "My Diva Diet" system. My first thought was "oh no, not another diet" When I received the book in the mail, the cover of the book intrigued me...it looked like a magazine cover. I immediately went to the back cover to read about the author. Christine is an ACE Certified Fitness Trainer with 25-plus years' experience in helping people lose fat and improve their health! She is even a retired fitness and bodybuilder competitor."

WIN IT:
"Christine has generously decided to give away a copy of this book to 1 lucky reader! Please visit her website www.mydivadiet.com and tell me something interesting that you read!!"

Make sure you check out this terrific website and you could learn about and win some great products including a copy of MY DIVA DIET:  A Woman's Last Diet Book!

Diva Reduction Pyramid: Phase One

PART FIVE

_______________________________

The Menu Plan for Fat Loss

Every woman has the right to be beautiful.
~ Elizabeth Arden

Never eat more than you can lift.
~ Miss Piggy

Click here to enlarge Diva Reduction Pyramid!  

MY DIVA DIET WAY 

The Five Factors Fixed 
Factor #1: Monitor liquid consumption.
Consume plenty of water each day and proper amounts of other liquids

Factor #2: Calculate the quantity and distribution of calories.

Eat according to your metabolism, goals, and activity level.

Factor #3: Determine the quality and purity of calories.
Eat pure and wholesome foods.

Factor #4: Eliminate restrictive and unbalanced dieting forever.

Factor #5: Introduce a balanced exercise regimen.

In PART FIVE of MY DIVA DIET: A Woman's Last Diet Book we give the Diva Daily Menu Plan which is a ten-week journey of fat loss and improved health. A ten-week investment (only two and one-half months) is not very long considering the trade off—to look, feel, and function better. This time frame will also help you make your dietary changes permanent.

“This is where we put MY DIVA DIET into practice. Time to EAT!”

Your daily eating regimen:

• 1,200 to 1,300 calories per day
  
• 35% protein/45% carbs/20% fat
  
• Four to five meals per day every three to four hours
  
• Meal timing is up to your own individual schedule–just ensure you eat every three to four hours!  
  

Note on higher calorie intake for fat loss:
The 1,200 to 1,300 daily calorie range is for the average female to lose weight. Some of you may not need to go this low with your daily calories (see Paw Caloric Intake Guide—page 33). Your food choices will be the same; however, you can eat more. We recommend keeping your protein intake around 100 grams per day and fat intake at 30 grams; then eat more clean and pure carbohydrates. You should to eat your carbohydrates earlier in the day.

Your daily foods will be: 

Here is a sample day, which is:  

• 1223.8 calories
  
• 92.9 grams of protein
  
• 164 grams of carbs
  
• 21.5 grams of fat
  
• 25.7 grams of fiber 
  

Meal #1
Option #8
Hot Cereal, Yogurt, and Fruit
3/4 to 1 cup cooked oatmeal, quinoa, or other grain like buckwheat or amaranth
(1/2 cup dry = 1 cup cooked)
+ 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt+ 1/2 cup fresh berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
324 calories
14.5 g protein
54 g carbs
6.4 g fat
8.5 g fiber
Notes: Replace with soy yogurt to make a non-dairy and vegetarian meal

=========================
Meal #2

Option #1
Chicken Breast with Salad and Rice
4 oz. plain chicken breast, grilled
On or with small mixed green salad
+ 1 Tbsp. low-fat, low-sugar dressing or vinegar/olive oil
+ 1/2 cup brown or white rice, steamed, plain
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
352.8 calories
39.5 g protein
32.7 g carbs
6 g fat2.5 g fiber

=====================================
Meal #3
Option #1

Yam or Sweet Potato
1 large yam or sweet potato with skin, baked or boiled
+ 1 tsp. cinnamon
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
234 calories
4 g protein
55.4 g carbs
0.2 g fat
6.8 g fiber
Notes: If using 1 Tbsp. butter instead of cinnamon, add 70 calories and 7 g fat

===========================
Meal #4
Option #3
Fresh Fish with Salad and Veggies
4 oz. trout or other fresh fish, grilled or poached
+ 1 to 2 cups mixed green salad
+ 1 to 2 Tbsp. low-fat Italian dressing
+ 1 1/2 cups zucchini, steamed
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
307.6 calories
34.9 g protein
22.9 g carbs
8.9 g fat
7.9 g fiber

If you are still hungry add a fifth meal (snack)!  

====================

Note on Liquid Intake 

• Water should be consumed all day every day. 
  
• In order to avoid adding too many extra calories to your day, keep your liquid consumption to tea and coffee (plain, which has no calories).  
  
• Milk (whether dairy, soy or rice) does contain calories, so keep these items to a minimum. 
  
• Fresh juice (fruit or vegetable) and meal replacement drinks have quite a few calories. Monitor these so your daily totals won’t go too high. 
  
• Lastly, if you decide to keep drinking liquids that are not conducive to getting lean and healthy—like high-fat, high-sugar coffees and teas, soda (diet or not), sugary drinks, non-fresh juice, poor-quality meal replacement drinks, and alcohol—you can expect poor results. 
  

To learn more check out:  MY DIVA DIET "How it Works" 

Lakatos: West Coast East Coast

I've been waiting a long time to write this blog, but first I wanted to complete my review for Blog Critics of a diet book called, Fire Up Your Metabolism:  9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever. The authors, Lyssie Lakatos and Tammy Lakatos Shame, are registered dieticians, nutritionists, personal trainers, and identical twins.  

Tammy Lakatos Shames and Elysse ("Lyssie") Lakatos share more than identical features; they share identical success in the competitive field of nutrition and wellness. In 1997 Lyssie and Tammy (known as The Nutrition Twins®) co-founded Healthy Happenings Corporation whose mission is to better the health of its clients through improved nutrition and lifestyle/behavior modification. Since relocating from Atlanta, Georgia, the twins have built a successful private practice in New York City servicing both individual and corporate clients such as AOL-Time Warner and Colgate Palmolive.

So why a blog about The Nutrition Twins? Registered trademark–I want one of those!  Well, they have the same last name as me–LAKATOS and there is a story to tell!  

If you have read any of my personal blogs, you would know that I like to tell stories on how the MY DIVA DIET mission spreads. This story starts with my childhood.  

When I was three-years-old my mother died in a car accident (she was only 23) and my father decided he didn't want me.  So I was "adopted"!  Here's my mom when she was Ms. Military -- guess 

it runs in the family!

That being said, it has caused me a lot of hardship and long-term issues, some of which I have resolved through counseling and via my "real" (born again) conversion to Christianity in 1996.  

In my teen years, I truly wanted to find my father (photo to the left when he was in the Air Force in 1962) and briefly set out to do that with no avail. As time has past and with the birth of my two wonderful daughters, I created my own family and my search for 

"the dad I never had" has become less important.  

Fast forward to 2008:  I was about to write my first diet book and during my research I purchased and reviewed many diet books.  One of those books was "Skinny Bitch" which, unbeknownst to me, was a best seller.  At some point I will review the "Skinny Bitch" diet book.  As I read the aknowledgements I noticed that the authors, Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, had made this statement  

"It is with utmost gratitude that we thank Lyssie Lakatos and Tammy Lakatos-Shames..."

Most would of just thought "that's nice", but not me–my thought was, "since they have the same last name as me (which is not that common) are they my long lost relatives?" So true to my inquisitive nature, I contacted them via e-mail to find out.  Long story short, we are NOT related! But that's okay because they are one of the nicest women I have ever met in the fitness world!  

In the meantime, during our correspondence I found out that we have a lot in common other than our last name–ACE certified fitness trainers and authors of a diet book.  After the completion of my diet book I sent them a copy to get their professional opinion which you can find on my website–MY DIVA DIET Expert Reviews.  In fact they allowed me to put their photo on my website as a lead in to all of the reviews for MY DIVA DIET:  A Woman's Last Diet 

Book.  

Which is the first in a series of 4: 

• My Diva Diet:  A Woman's Last Diet Book
  
• My Diva Diet:  Maintenance 
• My Diva Diet:  Exercise Program
  
• My Diva Diet: Gets Ripped” (ultra lean Divas)
  

Soon to come -- MY DIVA DIET Products: 

• Diva Playing Cards (52 deck playing cards) - featuring “Restaurant Dining Tips”.
  
• Pocket Meal Cards (in a 2-ring 5”x3” holder) - Diva Reduction Meals and Diva Maintenance Meals.
  
• “Fit Meals in Minutes” - Diva Recipes Cards with Diva Recipe Card Holder.

And my most prized vision:  

• “SUPER DIVA and Paw” - Animated series, video game, book and merchandising for children using the MY DIVA DIET superhero theme--to entertain, educate and motivate children toward a healthier lifestyle! 
  

But let's get back to The Lakatos Twins -- my new friends in the mission to educate and empower the WORLD to be healthy, fit, lean, more energetic, vibrant and alive–for life!  

Click here to read the entire review of "Fire Up Your Metabolism" on Blog Critics! 

Here is an excerpt:  

So when you find a diet book that is authentic (one that works and is based on sound nutrition), its significance can't be ignored. Fire Up Your Metabolism: 9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever, is such a diet book.

They provide and prove nine principles that will speed up your metabolism.

“9 Principles to Speed up Your Metabolism”

1. 1. Never skip meals
   
2. 2. Eat at the right times
   
3. 3. Choose a diet rich in the best carbs
   
4. 4. Appropriately time intake of lean proteins
   
5. 5. Drink appropriate amounts of certain beverages at specific times
   
6. 6. Eat a diet low in bad fat
   
7. 7. Get enough sleep every night
   
8. 8. Find surprising ways to stay active
   
9. 9. Incorporate muscle strengthening in your exercise routine

I'm sure you will "fire up" your metabolism, as well as your fitness, health, energy, knowledge, drive, and confidence and you'll end up looking and feeling your best with this genuine diet book.

When you have a Lakatos--on each coast of the United States (I on the West Coast and The Nutrition Twins on the East Coast) the "get fit the right and lasting way" message will get out, and we will make a difference!

My utmost gratitude and respect for Lyssie and Tammy!

New Zealand, Health Bolt, and My Diva Diet

MY DIVA DIET:  A Woman's Last Diet Book was completed in August of 2008 and in September 2008 we began our mission of E.C.L. Empowering women of all ages to get fit, challenging them to be better women, and leaving a legacy of good health to our children.  

We have yet to launch a marketing campaign (long story)–so we've had to rely on the old-fashioned way of getting exposure, "word of mouth"!  It's truly been amazing that a group of small town locals (and my two daughters) in California (read the full story -- Small Town Locals Write Big Diet Book) helped realize the MY DIVA DIET dream and now we are slowly getting know in many countries outside the USA–with a total of 58 countries to date, including Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, India, South Africa, Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain, Iran, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Austria, and more! 

As with all honorable missions, you never do it alone.  Along the way you find people who have the same vision, passion, interest, or curiosity and somehow make you feel like your work is not done in vain!  In today's world you don't have to leave your home to meet people

from around the world. I've had the privilege of meeting some terrific people from many countries and now I can add to my list–New Zealand. New Zealand is known for its spectacular landscapes!  This is a place with so much natural beauty–it rocks!  Check out this website to learn its history and so much more -- World Atlas.com.

With meeting new people, I also get introduced to some great websites where I can  learn and grow as a person and within my industry!  

Blisstree is owned and operated by b5media Inc.

"Since the fall of 2005, b5media has been providing quality blog content across a variety of topics ranging from entertainment and lifestyles to sports and technology. One of the largest blog networks in the world, b5media reaches nearly 10 million unique visitors and receives 30 million page views per month. b5media has received several accolades over the years and most recently was featured among IDC’s Canadian New Media Companies to Watch." 

Within the array of great information there is a section under "Featured Blogs" called Health Bolt, where you will find some great blogs about health issues, fitness, medicine, and more.  It supplies interesting, intriguing, entertaining, and bizarre news about the world of health and fitness.  Who is the face of Healthbolt? Liz Lewis! 

"Liz Lewis is living the good life in New Zealand, working as a health professional by day and blogging about health, wellness, travel, and green issues by night. She finds all the unique, bizarre, intriguing, and informational health and wellness news fit to blog for Healthbolt".  Check out her great articles: BlissTree.com/Healthbolt Author/Liz Lewis.

Healthbolg Book Review:  My Diva Diet 

There’s no getting around it - diet really is a four letter word. It’s a word that frequently conjours up feelings of frustration, impatience, disappointment, sadness, and even failure.

Which is probably why Christine Lakatos describes her book My Diva Diet as ‘A Woman’s Last Diet Book’. It’s a turn of phrase that’s guaranteed to attract those who are looking for an answer to all their dieting woes.

And it’s very likely it might just do just that. A 413 page workbook, resource, and motivational guide, My Diva Diet got my attention from the get go with it’s innovative characters. There’s Ms Diva who highlights all useful tips and her sidekick Paws, who summarizes the how-to information. Superheroes and Diet Villains also make an appearance to emphasize who the true diet allies and enemies are. If you‘re starting to think this is all sounding juvenile and too TV cartoon-ish, trust me it‘s not. There is so much information packed into this book, that it could easily become the only diet book I’ll ever need.

The basic premise of the book rests on what Christine Lakatos calls the ‘five factors affecting body fat and health’ - liquid consumption, quality and distribution of calories, quality and purity of calories, restrictive and unbalanced dieting, and exercise. Christine first explains in detail how each of these factors, individual and combined, can sabotage weight loss efforts. She then offers specific changes that can be made to help stop the sabotage.

But Christine doesn’t just focus on food and eating habits. It’s also about making positive lifestyle changes to ensure not short term success but lifelong success and improved health overall.

User-friendly and interactive, My Diva Diet offers quizzes, checklists, recipes, advice, and tips in a quirky way that will not only motivate but also entertain readers as they work on achieving their desired goals.

----------------------------------

I'm really glad that Liz addressed the cartoon aspect of MY DIVA DIET. The reason I used "fitness superheroes" and "diet villains" was two-fold. First, it takes "what can be a serious topic" (being fat and unhealthy) and makes it light, fun and easier to digest. Secondly,

it can be used to teach children about health and fitness. Besides, most of us love a superhero, and isn't it time we had a "female" heroin?  My dream is to use the MY DIVA DIET superhero theme and turn it into an animated TV series and video game to entertain, educate and motivate children toward better  health and fitness!  

Thanks Liz and I hope to travel to New Zealand some day!

Here I am in my travels LOL!  

Diva Reduction Recipe: DIVA Frittata

Hello to all of you who are looking for great recipes to help you lose weight and gain health.

Diva Reduction Recipes -- “Fit Meals in Minutes”
“Combining quick and convenient with sound nutrition!”

MY DIVA DIET knows how busy women are these days. We try to balance families and friends, church, pets, household, cleaning, and grocery shopping. Then we have our careers, creative ideas, our looks, etc. The younger generation of women and teenagers try to do it all, too—juggling parents, stepparents, grandparents, siblings, pets, school, friends, sports, hobbies, and parties. As women we are often so busy that we put our health & fitness last, including our abilities to cook and eat healthy meals. This, however, is something we need to change—we need to re-prioritize.

Because we truly want you to succeed with MY DIVA DIET, we have designed quick Diva Recipes that meet the criteria for fat reduction as well as sound nutritional guidelines. You don’t have to give up taste when you eat correctly. In fact, you will learn that wholesome and fit foods taste better than junk food.



Diva Frittata

(contains dairy and eggs)

2 whole eggs + 5 egg whites
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup raw spinach
non-stick cooking spray
1 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated

Preparation: Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Whip together eggs and egg whites in a bowl. Spray a skillet with non-stick spray and cook veggies on medium heat until al dente. Spray a square baking pan with non-stick spray and pour in eggs and cooked veggies. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Place in pre-heated oven. Cook until firm, about 15 minutes or until desired texture.

Photos of recipes are real and have not been touched up!

Makes 2 Servings —

Recommended Serving Size: 1/2 of the frittata
Nutritional Value per serving: 172 calories; 20 g protein; 6 g carbs; 7.2 g fat; 2.2 g fiber; 346 mg sodium

Try your frittata with a sprouted corn tortilla or healthy sprouted bread for a great meal any time!

wwwFoodForLife.com

"Food for Life’s breads are healthier because of the live grain difference! Using freshly sprouted, certified organically grown live grains, our exclusive sprouting process significantly increases valuable nutrients."

Food For Life offers:

• Sprouted Grain / Ezekiel 4:9 / Genesis 1:29®
  
• Low Glycemic / Diabetic Friendly
  
• High Fiber
  

And for Special Dietary Needs!
Specialty products to meet all individual dietary needs:

• Gluten Free / Wheat Free Breads
  
• Yeast Free Breads
  
• Allergy sensitive
  

Here is another way you can turn your Frittata into a complete meal idea–a side of:

+ 1/4 cup white, brown or wild rice, cooked, plain

+ 1 cup blackberries (raspberries and blueberries are great, too)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Total meal:

301.5 calories
22.3 g protein
35.9 g carbs
8.2 g fat
9.4 g fiber

www.MyDivaDiet.com

Diet Books–Only the Best!

Writing a diet book is quite an ordeal, but the more difficult task is standing out amongst the thousands of diet books on the market today. Just go onto Amazon.com and they list 19,901 results for diet books.

What is the problem–why so many? Americans are fat and unhealthy!
The statistics are staggering:

• The 2008 estimated value of the U.S. weight loss market is $58.6 billion.
  
• The number of U.S. dieters is estimated at 72 million.
• 66% of the American population is overweight or obese (both combined - total 151 million adults). The share that's obese (BMI 30+) is 31% (71 million).
  
• It’s estimated that at least 29% of all Americans (and 50% of U.S. women) are on a diet.
  
• Of the millions of Americans who attempt a diet program, only 5 to 10% succeed and 95% of dieters will regain their lost weight in one to five years.
  
• Millions still succumb to "quick-fix" claims, seeking a (non-existent) effortless weight-loss method.
  
• 91% of college women have attempted to control their weight by dieting often or continuously.
  
• It is estimated that 5 to 10% of American teenage girls and women (i.e., 5 to 10 million) are struggling with eating disorders.
  
• Childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 25 years–now about 30% of U.S. children are now overweight.   
  
• During one person's lifetime, 50,000 people will die as a direct result of eating disorders. 
  

With these kind of statistics everyone wants to capitalize on this $58 billion market–wouldn’t you? But where’s the regulation and oversight? I realize that we are a “free-market society”, but how can anyone in good conscience produce a diet book or product that will actually harm people? What the heck!  Is it ignorance or greed–I say both! You see most diet books (and programs) offer quick-fix solutions and false promises to a problem that requires a lifestyle change that incorporates a proper diet and a comprehensive exercise program. Let’s not blame the producers of such products and programs, as consumers we need to take some responsibility.

Some common formulas for weight loss in a diet book include:

• Liquid Diets
  
• Low-Calorie Diets
  
• High-protein, Low-carbohydrate, High-fat Diets
  
• Low-Protein, High-Carbohydrate, No-Fat Diets
  
• One Type of Food Diet
  
• Processed, Packaged, and Man-Made Food Diet
• One Part of the Equation Diet

Still others want you take diet pills and an overdose of supplements. These types of diet programs will cause poor health, bad moods, dehydration, reduction in LBM (lean body mass), slower metabolism, decrease in energy, and an increase in body fat! For more details read my blog, “Why Restrictive and Unbalanced Diets Don’t Work”.

No sensible diet will ever compromise your physical or mental health for the sake of looking good. In fact, my first goal in writing MY DIVA DIET: A Woman’s Last Diet Book, was to SAVE WOMEN from the prevalent “dieting madness” and help them understand that you don’t have to starve, deprive yourself, settle for fake food, lose your sanity and health, or take pills to lose weight and get into great shape!  

I can tell you how difficult it is to write and market a diet book, but it is more taxing for those looking to lose weight TO FIND a diet book that works, is safe and long-term. Diet books that actually improve health, energy and longevity! Even with the rise in decent diet books (based on sound nutrition), it can still remain confusing. Well I found a place to help take the confusion and frustration out of the “diet book search”–Bestdietforme.com!

The story starts back in the summer of 2007 when I began researching diet books. Not to lose weight but to scope out my future competition. I came across a great website, Bestdieforme.com, that has a “diet book review” section: most recent, bestsellers, classics, and more. As I read some of the reviews (from a fitness expert's perspective), I could tell that this organization knows what they are talking about–their evaluations were right on! Also, they tell it like it is–whether the diet book deserves praise, caution, or criticism (sometime a combination of all three)!

I decided to track them down to see if they would be the first to review my book so I could get an objective and professional opinion. It is great when your friends and family tell you how much they love your book, but I needed a real assessment. I sent my book to John La Rosa, President of Bestdietforme.com, in September (2008) and got my review in January (2009) -- Bestdietforme.com-MY DIVA DIET Review. Even though I was confident about my expertise and my diet system, I must say that during the waiting process I was a little nervous about what they would write–“what if they didn’t like it”. As a first time author and brand new diet book, this could have been my death–a little drama here!  Getting a positive review from such a reputable organization is absolutely amazing–I made it on the BEST!

BestDietForMe has been America’s trusted weight loss authority for 19 years. They are a 6-year-old website, operated by a 30-year old market research firm (Marketdata Enterprises, Inc.). (They even provided some the statistics listed above). Bestdietforme.com was named a USA Today “Hot Site” a few years ago. They also have HON code certification. "The Health On the Net Foundation (HON) promotes and guides the deployment of useful and reliable online health information, and its appropriate and efficient use".

President, John LaRosa

The diet market is his specialty, and Mr. LaRosa is the nation’s leading business consultant in this field. La Rosa is a 20 year analyst of the diet market, and knows and interviews most of the heads of the major weight-loss companies.

“Bestdietforme.com is not afraid to be critic of the diet companies, when they engage in deceptive sales/advertising. We are an “equal opportunity critic”. Our mission is to protect consumers/dieters, armed with information, so they don’t waste their money on the wrong diet program.”

"We provide a FREE Top 60 diet quiz that finds the best plan for people, based on their budget, food and counseling preferences. That's one of the most unique aspects of our website. It's one of the most detailed and sophisticated tools on the Web today to find the best diet plan for you."

Since Bestdietforme.com does NOT sell or operate any weight-loss programs or products, they are most definitely unbiased and objective!  They offer much more than diet book reviews.  To learn more about Bestdietforme.com and their expertise, check out:   “Our Experts”  --   “Who Are We?”

The next time you want impartial, informative, professional, honest, and experienced advice about ANY diet book, make sure you consult with Bestdietforme.com. They are the BEST and they will help you find the Best Diet For You! Who knows, maybe MY DIVA DIET: A Woman’s Last Diet will be the diet book you choose!

Don’t’ wait until you are fat and unhealthy to get a reputable diet book–prevention is best

Until next time E.C.L.:  Empower–Challenge–Legacy

see all of MY DIVA DIET Expert Reviews

My New Google Ally–Alie!

As I go down the path of marketing the MY DIVA DIET mission and our first book, I have spent endless hours on the computer:  You Tube, My Space, Facebook, Ning, Twitter, Ezine, E-Bay, Blogs (including Widget Box, Bodybuilding.com (body space), My Body Site, Fitness Book Channel, One True Media, Photobucket, Jib Jab, Linked In, Hi 5, This Next, Free Press, and much more.  

Prior to the launch of our website (www.MyDivaDiet.com) in August (2008), my young niece taught me about My Space and Facebook as well as some of the other hip social networks.  A friend told me to write articles–thus the Ezine experience, Twitter was an amazing surprise, my first Ning came from the advice of John Kremer (1001 Ways to Market Your Books), and the rest just kind of happened. I even found places I could just chat about my self-publishing adventure at "The Self Publishing Experience"!  And to be totally honest, I didn't even know what a blog was until this past month (I thought it was a bad four letter word–LOL)!   But now I am a blogger!

While doing this much work, I wondered, is this really worth it?  Each week, I would google "MY DIVA DIET", and see what was going on with our name and as noted in previous posts, people are talking!   Now if you google "MY DIVA DIET"–we rock!  

That is all good, but we want everyone that is looking for a diet book on the internet to see ours! But considering the thousands of diet books on the market today, we knew this would be tough, especially since we are self-published (at least for now) and haven't yet implemented a marketing strategy.  So, I would periodically google "diet book" and other ways that people would look for a book about dieting, to see if all this "social networking" was making a difference. Well, if you google "diet book for women", "women's diet book", and "fat-loss diet book for women" we do great.  Today we had a major breakthrough and if you google "diet book (s)" we are on page #1 and #2, (placed #3 of 24,000,000) and according to my partner and website designer–that is a big deal (in less than 7 months).  I guess the next challenge is: "how do we stay on page #1 and #2 of google"? And better yet, how do we get our website on page one with those popular key words "diet books"?  

How did this happen?

My new "google friend", Alie James,  a writer for Blog Critics!  The story starts with one of my google searches–"diet book reviews".  I found a book review "The Younger (Thinner) You Diet" by Alie James on Blogcritics.org. 

I loved the writer's honesty and style.  So I contacted Alie James, and she agreed to do a review of MY DIVA DIET:  A Woman's Last Diet Book. Unbeknownst to me, Alie is an author too and  

I was given the honor of reviewing one of her books, but we will get to that later.  Alie's review was posted on Blogcritics.org and that is how MY DIVA DIET got on page #1 and page #2 of google when you type in "diet book (s)" and have hit the #2 spot!   

EXCERPT of Alie's Review:    

"There is a place for "thinking outside the box", especially when writing a diet book and trying to stand out from the thousands of competitive diet books available to the hungry market of "tired-of-dieting dieters". Christine Lakatos wrote My Diva Diet, and is such a thinker.

To see the full review go to Blog Critics --Book Review:  MY DIVA DIET - Blog Critics (posted on the MY DIVA DIET Expert Review section of our website www.MyDivaDiet.com)

Google is good for finding stuff and new Allys (Alies)! 

Meet Alie

I will post my review of Alie's book "Secrets to Healthy Aging & Ageless Beauty", in my next post–in the meantime check out her website at aliejames.com, and her books and get your FREE duck directory !

My thanks to Alie, Blog Critics and Google!  We have only just begun!  

Until then E.C.L. - Empower–Challenge–Legacy