Biggest Loser Announces the Season 12 Contestants

By Margaret Badore - DietsInReview.com

Just because The Biggest Loser is on its 12th season, doesn't mean you can expect the same old thing. This season promises to be a "battle of the ages," in addition to introducing two new trainers.  

The 15 new contestants will be divided into three teams of five, according to their ages. You might think that the younger contestants will have an advantage, but in a past season the oldest contestant has taken home the $250,000 prize.  

The other big change this season is that Jillian Michaels will no longer be among the trainers. To fill Jillian's shoes, tennis star Anna Kournikova will be joining the team along with celebrity trainer Dolvett Quince. Anna has appeared as a guest on the show in past seasons, much to the delight of the contestants. Dolvett is from Atlanta, where he is the founder of Body Sculptor, Inc. He also has created a fitness plan for Justin Bieber. Veteran trainer Bob Harper will be returning to the show, as will host Alison Sweeney. 

We visited Bob, Anna, and Dolvett live from the ranch during week of shooting for season 12. You can view those Biggest Loser trainer videos here.

The new season premiers on Tuesday, September 20 at 7:00pm CST / 8:00pm EST on NBC. Below are the new contestants, from the oldest to the youngest.

Team 1: The Oldest 

John Forger - age 65 from Chatham, Massachusetts  

Bonnie Griffin - age 63 from Picayune, Mississippi

Mike Danley - age 61 from Spencerville, Indiana

Debbie Lounds - age 60 from Ann Arbor, Michigan

Becky Comet - age 51 from Benton, Arkansas 

Team 2: The Middle-Aged

Joe Mitchell - age 46 from Knoxville, Tennessee

Antone Davis - age 44 from Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Sunny Sinclair - age 41 from Frisco, Texas

John Rhode - age 40 from Mesa, Arizona  

Jennifer Rumple - age 39 from Alamedia, California  

Team 3: The Youngest

Ramon Medeiros - age 27 from Florence, Colorado

Vincent "Vinny" Hickerson - age 27 from Columbia, Tennessee

Jessica Limpert - age 26 from San Francisco, California

Patrick Ferrari - age 26 from Albany, Oregon  

Courtney Rainville - age 24 from Scottsdale, Arizona

Click here to see Biggest Loser 12 Contestant Bios and video interviews during week one.

While only speculation, our best guess is that the trainers will align with the teams by age. That would put Bob Harper as coach for the oldest, Dolvett Quince with the middle, and Anna Kournikova with the youngest.

We've also yet to see team colors, with contestants all wearing matching grey T-shirts. The only difference is that the shirts display their age in bold numbers across the front.

Be sure to tune-in to DietsInReview.com every Wednesday following the Tuesday episodes for exclusive video recaps with season 11 fan-favorite Courtney Crozier! She'll give you a behind-the-scenes look at what the contestants are experiencing like no one else, plus motivate and encourage everyone to lose weight without the ranch!

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Woo her with the right moves!

No night goes better than a bottle of wine, a live jazz band and being in the arms of your lover, dancing the nights away. Couple dances are some of the most cliché, traditional and in fashion way to win over the heart of your lover.

Couple dances may seem to be some of the most enchanting experiences and every lover might want to have that perfect dance with their special one but that's not how it works. Make sure that your couple dance is special and sacred and more importantly, share a moment with your lover that they and you will remember for the rest of your life.

Maintain eye contact with your date. Eye contact is the language that is spoken in every relationship. Steady and consistent eye contact is the key to every happy couple. The language spoken by your eyes is one that is unheard and unspoken yet so clearly understood.

Hold them close to you and hold them tight, nothing could tell your lover how much you love them better than the strength and the love of your grip.

Relationships are constructed around accepting and embracing your lover and being a romantic couple dancer along with other essentials.

Embrace your partner with a firm grip, one that will let them know how much they mean to you. A romantic couple dancerwill have the perfect grip. One that is not too tight and yet firm so that it can express the right amount of physical presencethat will assert your partner of your loyalty and love for them.

A romantic couple dancer is always respectful of their partner. The added quality of not stepping on their partners shows is much appreciated but other than that your manners and the way in which you treat your partner is the key to be a perfect couple dancer.  Also check how to impress  a girl.

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User Post: My Mom Was Fat and So Was I!

My name is Jaylene Welch, I am 42 years old and was over 100 pounds overweight...but I changed all of that by changing my mind!

We've all had one in our life, a time when you are put to the test.  When things just seem to keep going wrong and you find yourself spinning out of control.  My spin cycle lasted almost 2 years. My oldest was married with kids already and my two youngest were cutting the apron strings and I found myself feeling very lost.  I was a 39-year-old woman who had no idea what my purpose was in life.  I had been sexually abused as a young girl and had never been dealt with it.  I was  more depressed then I would even admit.  I was the "Queen Of Denial" going about my life smiling, pretending like everything was fine, that I was happy and carefree, but on the inside I was crying, I needed some help. 

You see I have been obese since I was a teenager.  My Mother has been severely obese my entire life.  She is your classic yo-yo dieter.   I can't even begin to list all of the diets she has tried.  The whole time I was growing up she was always worried about my weight.  She would constantly tell me "Don't get fat like me."  She was so worried that I would end up like her that she started me on the yo-yo diets too. At the time I was 5'2" and weighed around 130 pounds.  Her constant worries about my weight led me to think that I was already fat and it just wrecked my self-esteem and I started the same pattern of yo-yo dieting.  I remember at 11 years old going on the Cabbage Soup diet.  I even resorted to having my jaw wired shut once.  None of it worked, I would take the weight off and then gain it back.  Then I just quit trying altogether.  I blamed my obesity on genetics my mom was fat and so was I.

Then came a chance encounter with a stranger that changed my life.  I had tagged along with my sister as she ran her very first half marathon.  While I was there she introduced me to a wonderful woman named De'Anna Nunez, little did any of us know that she would become the catalyst for complete change in my life from that day forward.  De'Anna Nunez is a professional Hypnotherapist, Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist, NLP Practitioner, spirited fitness enthusiast and the founder of a program called The Mind Body Fit Club.  It was during one of my sister's half marathons that De'Anna invited us to listen to what she calls a "Burn Your Fat Pants" event.  I sat there and listened to her speak about her program; it was not your usual eat less and move more speech.  She was talking about her own struggles and how she was able to overcome them by getting to the bottom of what was eating at her.  She talked about being programmed by your life experiences and how your own negative self-thoughts are put there by others when you are young.  This sounded oh so familiar to me.  She explained to us about what she calls Sub-Conscious Integration and how she uses it to boost your self esteem, help you to make healthier eating choices and motivates you to exercise.  I heard her words and I thought I CAN do this!  I went home and ordered her program.  When it arrived I immediately started listening the CD's and within a few weeks I began noticing that I was actually paying attention to what I ate, and I was exercising more.

Part of the program consisted of journaling what I ate and answering a daily "Soul Question."  The soul questions led me to the bottom of a lot of my bad eating habits and it wasn't until I started healing my head that I began to recognize how much I use food to "feel" better when I was upset.  Now I see that I have always been a stress eater or boredom binger, and exercise was a foreign word in my vocabulary.  I laugh when I look back and I remember sitting in a counseling session and telling my therapist that I was only exercising to make my husband happy.  It was like the more I cleared my head of all those bad memories the better I felt, and the better I felt, the better I wanted to feel.  I was happy and some where along the way I went from exercising to make my husband happy to exercising because I realized that it was also part of my therapy.  I was doing something for myself for a change. The Mind Body Fit Club had taught me better ways to deal with my stress rather then eating, and they encouraged me to "Step out of my Comfort Zone" and try new things. 

A year ago I thought running a block would kill me, and those who could were some kind of hero's.  But one day I decided that it was time to quit listening to those voices who told me that I couldn't run.  I began by just running short distances, like to the next light post.  Then I went form running to the next light post to running to the end of the block, then two, and three until I finally ran one full mile without stopping.  I will NEVER forget that day!  I was so proud of myself, I wanted to cry.  I have gone on to run many more miles since then.  I have run two 5ks, two 10ks, three 15ks, 4 Sprint Triathlons, 2 half marathons!  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could do that. I also learned how to fuel my body for my training, I eat for energy now, not to "feel better."  I practice portion control and have tried to cut out all processed food if possible. I eat every 3 or 4 hours, I eat a protein and a vegetable with every meal. I rarely eat carbs like bread or pasta, but if I do I make sure its a "Whole Wheat".

My weight loss journey began on May 1st, 2010 and since that time I have gained a lot, I have gained self-confidence, I have gained determination, I have gained many new fit friends, and in gaining all those things I have lost over 100 pounds!  My name is Jaylene, I am perfectly imperfect, beautiful in my flaws, chaotic, fearless, a beautiful disaster, try and bring me down, I will rise to the top, say I am wrong, I will prove I'm right, tell me I can't, I'll show you I can!

Before Weight: 227

After Weight: 122!!

Here is a video of my year long transformation:

Relat

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Weight Training Will Tone Your Body, But Forget About “Spot Reduction”

As we learned this week, powerlifting is not just for the obnoxious muscle heads who fill the gym with loud grunts, tons of testosterone and minor earthquakes every time they drop heavy barbells to the floor. It's for any woman too who wants to get lean, toned, strong and a healthy kick-ass dose of confidence. But one thing weight lifting won't do, according to new research, is trim our waistlines.

Foods to Shrink Your Belly

Scientists from Duke University Medical Center compared the benefits of aerobic exercise, resistance–or weight-training and a combination of the two. After an eight-month study where they followed 196 overweight people, they found aerobic exercise to be the most efficient and most effective way to lose belly fat. And by belly fat, they don't mean the fat that lies closest to your skin and causes the dreaded muffin top. It's the fat deeper in your abdomen–the more dangerous kind because it fills the space in between our vital organs and is a known cause of heart disease, diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer. In fact, the researchers say where you have fat deposited is more important than how much fat you have.

I Heart Powerlifting (And I'm Not Bulky Or Masculine)

The key to getting rid of this fat doesn't lie in doing more crunches–or any kind of ab work for that matter. It's all about burning calories says lead author of the study and Duke exercise physiologist, Dr. Cris Slentz:

Resistance training is great for improving strength and increasing lean body mass. But if you are overweight, which two thirds of the population is, and you want to lose belly fat, aerobic exercise is the better choice because it burns more calories.

In fact, aerobic exercise (like power walking, running, cycling, swimming or just about any workout that gets your heart rate up for a sustained period of time) was found to burn 67% more calories than resistance training. This is not to say strength training isn't important for other reasons and shouldn't be a part of your weekly workout regimen too because many other studies have shown that lifting weights can not only make you stronger and less injury-prone, it will boost your metabolism. Plus, a body with lean muscle mass can better stave off osteoporosis, high cholesterol, depression, certain types of cancer and diabetes.

Gym Rant: Please Don't Assume I Can't Lift Weights

Just remember, specifically targeting one area of the body where we want to lose inches–or "spot reduction"– doesn't work. A smaller belly comes with burning calories and then weights and abs exercises can be used to tone it.

Photo: Thinkstock

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Six fascinating facts about blinking

(Photo: Jupiterimages)

By Matt Hickman, Mother Nature Network
More from Guest Bloggers blog

Most folks know the basics of why we blink: It cleans and moisturizes the eyes while protecting them from irritants. Everyone blinks. And then there's the forced one-eyed blink, the wink, that's used as a form of body language to say, "Hey there, good lookin'." Unless used by a non-threatening grandparent, the age of the wink as a come-on has definitely, well, come and gone.

At first blush, blinking may not be the most riveting topic, but there are a few things that you probably don't know about the rapid closing and opening of the eyelid. Below are six facts, myths, and blinking-related oddities that were interesting enough to keep our eyes open.

1. Women (supposedly) rule when it comes to blinking: Although the "women blink more" rumor is difficult to back with scientific fact, it's popularly believed that female blinkers are more prolific than their male counterparts, blinking twice as much. Numbers vary as to exactly how many times a person blinks in a minute, but the average number is thought to be 15 or once every four seconds, although this can increase when one is anxious, apprehensive or tired. In addition to the rumored double blink-age, Men's Heath reports that women taking birth control pills blink 32 percent more frequently than women who aren't on the pill.

2. Blinking inspired the creation of auto parts: The inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper, Robert Kearns, came up with the game-changing idea after a wedding-night mishap — a champagne cork flew straight into his left eye, leaving him with irregular blinking patterns. Kearns later went blind and suffered from a mental breakdown after years in court spent battling Ford and other automakers, accusing them of pilfering his revolutionary design. He was portrayed by Greg Kinnear in the 2008 film "Flash of Genius."

3. Babies are infrequent blinkers: The jury is still out on exactly why human babies blink far less frequently than adults, usually just twice or less over the course of a minute. Additionally, a study found that children blink more frequently as they grow older, not reaching full "blink maturity" until the age of 14 or 15. One theory about why babies blink less is that they sleep so much and thus don't need to lubricate their eyes as frequently as adults do. Another theory claims that infants, when awake, are busy working their eyes (but not their eyelids) overtime to soak in visual information.

4. George W. Bush, and Air Force pilots flying over "friendly territory" = frequent blinkers: In addition to babies, the blink patterns of adults in a variety of circumstances have been widely studied. Generally, when we take in important information, we blink less. When not taking in as much information or when under duress, we blink more. Air Force pilots flying simulators over "friendly territory" blink more than when flying over "enemy territory" because there's less crucial information to take in. The late Dr. John Stern, a blink research pioneer and professor emeritus of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, noted that during the first presidential debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry in 2004, Bush blinked rapidly, especially when under attack from his opponent. Kerry, who did not blink rapidly at any point, won the debate, although the rapid blinker went on to take the White House.

5. All creatures great and small blink — except for fish, snakes, and other animals without eyelids. Then there are some special creatures — perhaps most famously hamsters — that wink, blinking only one eye at a time. In 1927, W.P. Blount published the definitive guide to blinking in the animal kingdom titled "Studies of the Movements of the Eyelids of Animals: Blinking." Among Blount's findings: Sudanese monkeys blink like crazy, rats blink when they sneeze and goats blink at intervals of 30 to 60 seconds.

6. Involuntary blinking devices — the new 3-D glasses? In an effort to do away with those pesky 3-D glasses donned by many moviegoers, a Brazilian production company called Jonathan Post created a blink-inducing device worn on the head that makes you look like a lunatic person. And oh yeah, the device, 3D No Glasses, allows users to experience three-dimensional visions sans disposable glasses thanks to all that crazy-looking blinking. And a second oh yeah: The much-viewed video of 3D No Glasses being demoed by a hirsute Frenchman named Francois is one elaborate, well-executed joke.

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5 Embarrassing Health Questions—Answered

by Dana Sullivan

Bothersome bladder problems, alarming odors, hair growing in all the wrong places. We all have issues that we're too embarrassed to bring up with anyone—including our doctors. But rest assured, your doc has heard it all before. "It's our job to help you, not judge you," says Laura Dean, MD, a spokeswoman for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists who practices in Stillwater, Minnesota. Still, inquiring about a delicate health problem can be uncomfortable. That's why we decided to start the conversation for you by asking experts to address six common blush-worthy complaints.

Q: Sometimes I pee a little when I laugh or run, but I don't want to take medication. Should I even bother mentioning this to my doctor?

A: Absolutely, says ob-gyn Lissa Rankin, MD, author of What's Up Down There? And in fact, medication doesn't work for stress incontinence, which is what you're describing. Stress incontinence—the most common form of incontinence in women, as it often occurs post-pregnancy when the muscles and connective tissue around the bladder and urethra weaken or stretch out—is prompted by laughing, coughing, exercise or other physical exertion. (Increased or sudden pressure on the bladder forces urine out.)

One of the best fixes is Kegel exercises, which involve squeezing your pelvic floor muscles to strengthen them. Your doctor can explain how to do the exercises properly, or you can go toMayoClinic.com/Health/Kegel-Exercises/WO00119 for step-by-step instructions. Some women also benefit from "timed voiding," which means emptying your bladder on a regular schedule, such as every hour. The less full your bladder is, the less likely you are to leak.

Sometimes the problem is caused by prolapse (when your bladder has fallen out of place a little, which your gynecologist can detect). In that case, a device called a pessary can help. You can wear it all the time or just put it in when you think you'll need it—like when you plan to go running—and it will push your bladder back into its proper place. Photo: Shutterstock

Learn the truth about sex after pregnancy.

Q: I'm losing my hair. Could I be going bald?

A: It's normal to lose up to 100 hairs a day at any age. But the sad truth is that women's hair (like men's) may naturally get thinner with age. And some women do experience female-pattern hair loss—the top and front of the head is most affected. (It can start as early as your 30s, but it may worsen around menopause.) Still, you should definitely raise this issue with your doctor, especially if you're starting to see bald spots or your hair is coming out in clumps. "There are many reasons for hair loss, including stress, thyroid conditions and infections," says Sonia Badreshia-Bansal, MD, a member of the American Academy of Dermatology and a clinical instructor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco. Numerous medications, including antidepressants, birth control and blood pressure drugs, can also cause hair loss. Hormonal changes (for example, if you've recently given birth or stopped taking birth control pills) can cause your hair to thin as well, but once your hormones stabilize, your hair should return to normal in about six months.

Dieting can cause your hair to thin, especially if you're not getting enough protein, iron and B vitamins, as they are essential for healthy hair. Dr. Badreshia-Bansal sometimes recommends a biotin (B vitamin) supplement.

If your doctor determines that so-called "normal" female-pattern hair loss is to blame, she'll probably recommend over-the-counter minoxidil (Rogaine), a topical solution that slows down hair loss and stimulates new strands. She may also prescribe spironolactone (Aldactone), an oral medication that blocks the hormone receptors that cause hair loss. Photo: Ron Sumners / Thinkstock

Eat these foods for healthy hair and nails.

Q: I brush and floss twice a day but I still have bad breath. Why?

A: You may be forgetting a crucial factor: your tongue. Since bad-breath-causing bacteria and plaque can build up there, use a tongue scraper once or twice a day. And make sure to get the back of your tongue in particular, since that's where plaque tends to accumulate, says dentistCatrise Austin, DDS, author of 5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile. Chewing sugar-free gum (look for the ingredient xylitol, which helps inhibit the growth of bacteria) can also help a little, as can chewing on mint leaves or parsley or drinking cardamom, anise or peppermint tea—they're all natural breath sweeteners, says Dr. Austin. And of course, you'll want to steer clear of foods like garlic and onions; their pungent oils can haunt your breath for up to three days!

If none of that works, see your dentist. You may have gum disease, a cavity or an abscess. But if your dentist doesn't detect an oral health problem—or if whatever treatment she suggests doesn't help within a few months—you may need to see a gastroenterologist. About 10 percent of chronic bad breath problems stem from digestive problems such as ulcers, acid reflux and lactose intolerance. Another possible cause: a sinus infection, in which the sinuses become inflamed and mucus may drip into the throat. If that's the case, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor can help you get the right treatment. Photo: Thinkstock 

Find out what your dentist wants you to know.

Q: Why am I suddenly sprouting a mustache and a beard?

A: Blame genetics and hormones. Some women—especially those of Middle Eastern, South Asian and Mediterranean descent—naturally have thick, coarse hair. But even those who used to be relatively smooth-faced tend to get hairier starting in perimenopause (usually in your 40s), thanks to hormonal shifts, says Dr. Badreshia-Bansal. If you're younger than 40 or you're also breaking out a lot, however, you could have a thyroid problem or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a condition in which the ovaries make excess amounts of androgens (male hormones that women also make), and it may increase your risk of infertility and diabetes. Your doctor should order blood tests to figure out if you have PCOS or a thyroid disorder and treat you accordingly.

There are many ways you can remove facial hair. But if you're thinking about laser removal, know that it will only work well if your hair is dark, because lasers target pigment, says Dr. Badreshia-Bansal. Another option: Vaniqa. This prescription cream can help thin out hair by targeting an enzyme that's involved in hair growth. Photo: Shutterstock

Discover everything you need to know about waxing.

Q: I can't wear black because my dandruff is so bad, but "dandruff shampoo" doesn't help. What will?

A: Try alternating products with different active ingredients, says Cynthia Bailey, MD, a California-based dermatologist. Zinc pyrithione (Selsun Salon and Head & Shoulders) has anti-yeast properties; ketoconazole (Nizoral) is an antifungal and anti-yeast; coal tar (Neutrogena T/Gel) and selenium sulfide (Selsun Blue Medicated and Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength) slow the production of skin cells; and salicylic acid (Neutrogena T/Sal) scrubs the scalp. Dr. Bailey recommends buying two or three of these and switching every time you wash. She also recommends sudsing up first with a regular shampoo to dissolve oil and product buildup so the medicine will penetrate better. Then apply the dandruff shampoo directly to your scalp and let it sit for about 5 minutes. You should see noticeable improvement within one month. If not, see a dermatologist, since you may need a stronger prescription remedy (such as a steroid solution or foam).

If you're looking for a more natural fix, try coating your scalp with warm mineral oil or peanut oil, then use a fine-tooth comb to loosen flakes before shampooing, says Dr. Bailey. Tea tree oil shampoos (sold in health food stores) can also be effective.

Whatever you do, make sure you shampoo as often as possible (ideally every day). "People with dandruff tend to wash their hair less frequently because they assume the condition is caused by dryness, but it's not," says Bruce Robinson, MD, clinical instructor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. An overgrowth of yeast may be to blame, but experts say that people who have it generally have an oily scalp, which can allow dead skin cells to accumulate and flake off. Photo: Sanne Berg / Thinkstock

Dana Sullivan writes about health and fitness from her home in Reno, Nevada. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine and Real Simple.

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4 Tips for Choosing a Dream Workout Partner

Conde Nast Digital Studio

Nora Zelevansky, SELF magazine

My husband and I recently started Cool Running's 9-week conditioning app, Couch-To-5K.  Three days a week, we jog around our neighborhood.  Despite my grumpy morning mood, I've noticed something: We never miss a workout.

Past research -- like a 2009 Penn Medicine study -- has shown that having partners in exercise can increase weight loss.  And, more recently, a May 2011 Michigan State University study found that even virtual workout buddies with superior ability increased motivation -- the relevant subjects held postures for 24% longer!

Related: How Jennifer Hudson Lost 80 Pounds

Clearly, sometimes it takes two to make a thing go right.  Still, it's important to choose the right partner for your particular exercise level and regimen.  Keep the following attributes in mind, when choosing your workout buddy:

1. Exercise Type:
According to the Running Doc, Lewis G. Maharam, MD, whether or not someone prefers a partner is individual, but is also largely dictated by activity.  For instance, while many runners prefer to insert ear buds and exercise solo, a partner may be considered more useful in other arenas:  "If you're doing weight work or cross-training in the gym, it's good to have a partner to spot," explains Maharam.  "Also, the most common cause of injuries is bad form, which can be hard to determine for yourself.  So it's good to have someone else who can check your position."  The same goes for yoga and Pilates.
 
2. Fitness Level:
Look for a buddy whose fitness level is in the same stratosphere as your own.  "It's really hard to exercise with someone who is light years ahead of or behind you.  The danger is that you'll end up either doing too much or too little," says Maharam.  "For instance, runners use pace as a guide, when looking for partners. You don't want to go out and run a marathon the first day."

See Also: Yoga Moves for Flat Abs
 
3. Skill Level:
That said, for new exercisers or even regular exercisers who are trying a new sport or activity, a bit of experience can go a long way in a partner.  "If you're going to play tennis for the first time, for example, you want someone around who already plays and may be able to help you find your swing," the doctor recommends.  Just make sure that more skilled person is still feeling stimulated.

4. Relationship:
Generally, any friend or acquaintance will do, as long as there's some sense of camaraderie.  "You can't back out, if you've committed to say a 3 mile training run with another person," says Maharam. Research shows that exercise enhances your sex life, so working out with a significant other can only be good!
  
American Council on Exercise or ACE-certified personal trainer, group class instructor, exercise physiologist and in-house Certification Director, Jessica Matthews sees benefits to exercising with another person: "Working out with a partner has some of the same benefits as working out with a personal trainer -- it provides that extra motivation and incentive, an accountability factor."

The best part of having a workout buddy?  There's someone to fist pump when you're all done.

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Why A Hurricane Filled Me With Gratitude

Hurricane2

Like much of the East Coast, New York City was hit by Hurricane Irene. On Saturday, we checked our flashlights, loaded up on food, filled the bathtub, and hoped for the best.

We were extremely lucky. The hurricane didn't affect us much -- we didn't even lose power. And I'm very, very grateful for that.

The hurricane was a good reminder about gratitude. For one thing, it reminded me that I have so much to be grateful for that it seems a bit preposterous that I need to remind myself to be grateful -- but I do. When life is taking its ordinary course, it's so easy to take everyday life for granted.

Also, the hurricane made me much more mindful of how much I love my apartment and my city, and how safe and secure I generally feel. It's a sad foible of human nature that it often takes loss, or the threat of loss, to make us appreciate what we already enjoy.

For me, one of the main challenges of a happiness project is to maintain that sense of gratitude for everyday life — without a hurricane. As Churchill remarked to Sir John Martin, "You can't expect to have a war all the time."

How do you remind yourself to feel grateful, when life is proceeding as usual?

* I really enjoyed cruising around Making It Lovely.

* Want to get my free monthly newsletter? It highlights the best of the month's material from the blog and the Facebook Page. Email me at gretchenrubin1@gretchenrubin.com. Just write "newsletter" in the subject line.

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How Many Calories Do You Really Need?

It could be less than you think—but it could actually be more. Food politics writer Marion Nestle wrote a few weeks ago about the origins of the 2,000-calorie-per-day diet business, and notes that when the FDA set out to determine that number (in 1941), it found women typically reported consuming 1,600 to 2,200 calories per day, men 2,000 to 3,000 and children 1,800 to 2,500. But the FDA wanted one standard of daily caloric intake. It originally picked 2,350, except everyone said this was too high ("Nutrition educators worried that it would encourage overconsumption, be irrelevant to women who consume fewer calories, and permit overstatement of acceptable levels of 'eat less' nutrients such as saturated fat and sodium," writes Nestle). So the FDA went with 2,000 calories instead, more or less because it sounded nice and was somewhat within the range of calorie-consumption totals people reported—not really based on the research.

Is Counting Calories Outdated?

The whole formula is a bit more complicated than a one-size-fits-all number anyway, or even just a breakdown between men and women. To really get a good estimate of how many calories you should consume to maintain or lose weight, you need to factor in your age and activity level, too. And clearly type of calorie matters as well—you can eat more calories from vegetables and good fats than from junk food or fatty foods and stay fit. As part of a special obesity series, British journal The Lancet has launched a tool that allows you to enter your age, weight, height and activity level, and it will calculate how many calories you should be eating daily for weight loss or maintenance. [Yes, calorie estimators like these are a dime a dozen, but this one is developed by scientists.]

Study: Add Protein Before You Cut Calories

According to the most recent report from the USDA (from 2002), a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet is appropriate for asedentary (defined as 'less than 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities') female between 19-25. For sedentary 26-50 year olds, this number drops to 1,800 calories, and to 1,600 after that. Active adult women (those who get 60 or more minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities) between the ages of 19-25 should consume 2,400 calories daily, dropping to 2,200 calories between ages 26-60, and 2,000 after that. Moderately active 19-25 year olds need about 2,200 calories, which drops to 2,000 in moderately-active 26-50 year olds and 1,800 in moderately-active 50+ women.

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Low-Cholesterol Diet Better than a Low-Fat Diet

If you are fighting high cholesterol, what is your best dietary option for getting levels back to normal? Cholesterol-lowering foods, naturally. A new study confirms that these cholesterol-lowering foods are a better option than low-fat foods.

"Eating more of these simple, inexpensive ingredients such as oatmeal, barley and beans, peas and lentils can have a significant impact on lowering blood cholesterol and risk for a heart attack -- one forkful at a time," says Dr. Linda Van Horn, a professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University.

The study examined 345 people with high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. They were divided into three eating styles: a low-saturated fat diet, a diet concentrating on cholesterol-lowering foods with two counseling sessions, and a cholesterol-lowering diet with seven counseling sessions.

According to study author Dr. David Jenkins, research chair in nutrition and metabolism at the University of Toronto, it doesn't take a large amount of these cholesterol-lowering foods make a difference. Just adding a handful of nuts each day for a couple of servings of oatmeal or soy protein can do the trick.

The personalized sessions also seemed to help with results.

"Getting people to change from animal to soy protein can be quite a challenge, and people need encouragement," Dr. Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Heart disease is the number-one killer in the U.S.. Since one in six Americans have high cholesterol, a risk factor for developing heart disease, educating the public about these simple changes to their diet could be an important step in improving those numbers.

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