E!news aired an interview last night with Valerie Bertinelli, who has just published her inspirational memoir, "Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time." Bertnielli replaced Kirstie Alley as Jenny Craig spokeswoman, and has now passed the torch to Queen Latifah.

In the interview, Bertinelli revealed tips that help her maintain a successful weight loss of 40-pounds. These healthy weight loss tips share common principles that our own permanent weight loss experts espouse.

Valerie Bertinelli's Five Tips for Successful Weight Loss

1. Curb Emotional Eating

"Emotional eating ranks as one of the top reasons women who come to Green Mountain at Fox Run, a residential weight loss program and sister site of this blog. Repeatedly eating when we’re not hungry, or eating until we’re stuffed, often reflects difficulties with low self-esteem, feelings of emptiness, perfectionism, the desire to be special, respected and admired, a need for control or power, and/or trouble expressing feelings." (Read full article Stopping Emotional Eating: Finding the Help We Need)

2. Portion Control

"If you've been reading this blog for any length of time at all, you've heard us talk a lot about normal eating, appropriate portion sizes (the plate model) and making healthy choices. But, if you've really been listening, you know we don't believe there's any such thing as a perfect eater. In fact, the more relaxed you are about making choices and opting to take into consideration your wants and needs around food and eating, the more effective you'll be managing your weight."  (Read full article Mindful Eating: Portion Control and Enjoying Dessert)

3. Avoid Midnight Snacking

This tip falls under the category 'Curb Emotional Eating.' Snacking in and of itself isn't a bad thing, but it's more important to learn how to differentiate between real hunger cues, appetite, and emotional hunger.  According to a recent study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, that looked at the relationship of eating patterns to weight, those who consumed four or more meals and snacks a day were 45% less likely to be obese. In addition, skipping breakfast was definitively associated with a higher risk of obesity. (Read full article The Art and Science of Snacking)

4. Use Healthy Meals Prepared in Advance

Bertinelli finds planning ahead and having a healthy meal prepared and available helps her to stay on track. When women talk about their biggest obstacles to successful weight and health management, we often hear about hurdles like not enough time or knowledge to prepare healthy meals. Using the plate model can make it easier to prepare meals, avoid overeating, and ensure healthy eating.

5. Acknowledge your success

It’s difficult for many of us to challenge and move beyond negative thoughts and comments. Even those who, like Valerie Bertinelli, who have lost weight may find that these thoughts, feelings and beliefs do not change – the ‘fat feelings’ persist. To change our bodies, we also need to change how we think about our bodies. Learning to treat ourselves well and how to stop negative self talk can help to cement healthy lifestyle changes. (Read full article Stopping the Negative Self Talk: "I Feel Fat")

In the end, regardless of how you lose weight, women who can maintain a successful weight loss find that a healthy eating lifestyle is essential for lasting change.

Whenever the media talk about obesity and weight problems, they always talk about how much it costs the society, but they forget about you. Yes you who are reading this article with the actual problem. You know that in order to lose weight, you have to exercise, everyone tells you that. However it's even more complicated than that, you have to eat right, at the right time, eat supplements, and it will drive you absolutely crazy. All you want is a solution so simple it's like pushing a button. Read on...

The thing is, to exercise and keep a strict diet requires an insane amount of discipline. I don't have that, and the truth is, most people don't. They exercise one day and it hurts so bad that they just stop. It happened to me. I tried diets as well, but it wouldn't keep. I actually thought I could do it so I paid in advance for a whole year at the local health studio thinking that since I've already paid for it, I have to do it. What happened? I went there once and never came back...

There are thousands of diets and exercise programs you can take, and everyone contradicts themselves, but one fact remains. Eat less = Less weight. Agreed? That is a fact that is hard to argue against. It's so simple and logic. I gained weight because I ate a lot, and of course mostly junk food which I love so much and no exercise guru or health guru were able to tweak my mind enough to stop eating so much. That's the problem you see, your brain, as amazing as it might be, it can't be easily fooled. Luckily I never gave up.

What I have been searching for, is something that actually helps stop the constant hunger, the constant craving after sweet and fatty foods. I finally found the answer in 2004 when I happened to watch 60 Minutes on CBS. Lesley Stahl went to Africa and found something amazing, something that possibly changed her life and it will without a doubt change yours. What it delivers is simply out-of-this-world result and I promise you that you have never seen anything like it.

So to recap, what you need is something to fool the brain into stopping the hunger, the craving, keeping you in check at all times. The great thing is that such a beast exists and you can get it prescription free. Find out more by clicking here.

After one bite of this spicy papaya salad, Paris Hilton would definitely say, 'That's hot!'

Today's healthy recipe uses chili peppers to kick this nutrient rich dish into high gear. Known as a “nutritional masterpiece,” papayas are rich in vitamin C, folate, and potassium and also aid digestion. They are also good sources of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin E, the eye-saving carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, and lycopene. Peanuts are a protein powerhouse and also provide 13 different vitamins (including A, the B group, C and E) along with 26 essential trace minerals, including calcium and iron.

So, put on a Red Hot Chili Peppers record and enjoy the papaya party in your mouth!

4-5 small hot red chili peppers
2 small or 1 large garlic bulb
Tamarind paste (inexpensive and available in small can or jar at most Asian or Thai markets, and at      Asian/Oriental food sections of some supermarkets)
Thai-style fish sauce (also inexpensive and available in bottles at most Asian or Thai markets and at      Asian/Oriental food sections of some supermarkets)
2 small or medium ripe firm tomatoes
A handful (1/4 – 1/3 cup) cocktail-style shelled peanuts, salted or not to taste
1 fresh lime
1 medium-sized green papaya or prepared julienned green papaya from a Thai or Asian market
A few fresh French-cut long garden beans, and/or ½ a sliced carrot (for garnish)

Chop chilis fine or pulverize with mortar and pestle. Add finely chopped garlic or pulverize with chili peppers in mortar and pestle. Add 1 tablespoon tamarind paste to mixture; blend. Add 1 tablespoon Thai-style fish sauce to mixture; blend. Squeeze juice of 1 fresh lime into mixture; blend. Peel and julienne the green papaya; the slivers should be crisp and not limp. Chop tomatoes medium (peel first if preferred); lightly mix in bowl with julienned papaya.

Spoon sauce/spice mixture into bowl with papaya and tomatoes; gently blend mixture until uniform. Serve alone or on lettuce garnish on individual plates. Sprinkle whole or chopped cocktail peanuts as garnish on top. Add washed uncooked beans and/or sliced carrots as garnish.

(healthy recipe from America's Heartland)

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27 (HealthDay News) -- A small U.S. study found that obese Hispanic children and adolescents with normal blood sugar levels had elevated markers for blood vessel inflammation that may put them at risk for both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Reuters - New York City will issue 1,000 new permits for mobile fruit and vegetable stands in its latest drive against obesity and unhealthiness among its residents.

It's not every day that a major publication apologizes for exposing readers to new diets, even if they are fads.  However, Women's World has done just that because the Kimkins diet they highlighted in their June 2007 issue is now involved in a class action suit.  See apology below:

I just have to share this post and comments about mindful eating or intuitive eating from the blog Shapely Prose, which I recently learned about. It's one of the best real-life discussions of mindful eating or intuitive eating that I've seen. I don't want to take away from its thunder by excerpting it because it's really valuable to spend the time reading the whole thing, including all the comments. One note: The person who let me know about it felt compelled to say that it does contain some !@# language, so I guess I should also notify you about it.

Becoming a mindful eater/intuitive eater is a major step in eating well to be healthy. For some of us, it paves the way to healthy weight loss -- that is weight loss that occurs because we've gotten our bodies to higher than healthy weights because of all the unmindful/non-intuitive eating that we've done, largely the result of dieting or the diet mentality. At the very least, mindful eating can lead the way to peaceful eating, which is a huge step forward in achieving the goal of health and happiness.

After you've read the post on mindful eating/intuitive eating, bookmark the blog so you can read other entries, too. It's a great place to spend some time!

By: Steven A Johnson

Power-Pops with Hoodia is among one of the most popular diet supplements in the 60 billion dollar a year weight loss market. With all natural ingredients and delicious tasting flavors, it is no wonder why Power-Pops with Hoodia are so popular.

The founding company, Fun Unlimited, made a mission to deliver a weight loss product without using chemicals or drugs to achieve results. A lot of weight loss supplement companies do research to assure there are no negative side effects, but Fun Unlimited makes that their first priority. Each ingredient is specific towards taste and weight loss, while never using a filler ingredient to make the product appeal better to others.

The idea of putting these incredible ingredients together comes from the idea that dieting can be fun and you can satisfy your taste buds while the Power-Pop melts away in your mouth.

Power-Pops taste great with about 100 different flavors to choose from. All flavors are not always available, but they keep about 15 different flavors in rotation.

What makes Power-Pops with Hoodia so special?

Originally discovered in South Africa, Hoodia Gordonii was used to help hunters suppress their appetite as they hunted for food to feed their tribes.

Hoodia is a well known appetite suppressor. Many of the products containing Hoodia only claim Hoodia is only an appetite suppressor. Hoodia can do some other amazing things for your body as well including being a thirst quencher; it can cure abdominal cramps, indigestion, minor infections and can help with diabetes.

Without getting to the technical interests of how it works, simply put, it makes you feel full without the usual hunger pains that can come with most diets. This is possible since it contains the most powerful appetite suppressant known as P57.

One of the other great advantages of Hoodia Power-Pops is that while it is delivering the hoodia into your system, you can satisfy your taste buds. A lot of people on diets complain about the lack of meals they eat without having any satisfaction.

Power-Pops are made up of all natural ingredients and minerals. Hoodia, Citrimax, L-Tyrosine, Guarrana, B-Vitamin and other natural flavors are in Power-Pops. These ingredients together need to be in a solid state, so they bind it in corn sugar and a tiny amount of beets.

Here is a quick round-up of what each ingredient brings to Power-Pops:

Hoodia- A natural ingredient from South Africa that is used to suppress appetites along with giving satisfaction to taste.

Citrimax- Another natural ingredient to suppress appetites along with helping to burn fat.

L-Tyrosine- This is used as well to suppress appetites as well reducing body fat and giving the brain the sensation of taste.

Vitamin B6- This is used to reduce water retention and to absorb fat.

Vitamin B12- This helps with the absorption of food, and helps with digestion.

Guarana - This helps reduce tiredness and fatigue when combined with B6 and B12 Vitamins.

The attraction to Power-Pops has increased as customers not only feel their appetite has shrunk, but the other ingredients besides hoodia will actually give you energy. One of the most substantial side effects of any diet is lack of energy. With Power-Pops, you will curb your appetite, satisfy your taste buds and feel great!

Power Pops is also a new way to deliver the all natural ingredients. The idea of being able to suck on Power Pop for a half hour is faster and more potent that if it were in a pill.

If you are looking for the newest form of dieting, don't leave yourself out of it; get your hands on some Power-Pops today!

About the Author:

Steven Johnson is interested in maintaining a vital, active, and healthy lifestyle. For more information or to order Power Pops, along with other life-enhancing nutrients please visit his website Alternative Health Supplements.

I don't even know where to begin on this post. I have killed myself. Not the whole of myself, but a large portion. It wasn't a good side of myself, and I knew it.

"Just do it. You know you need to."
"You don't know what you're asking me to do."
"Look at what it is doing to you."
"I'm scared."

But I did it anyway. I took control. I killed a part of myself. I've known this part for a while. Almost 10 years. It had become my best friend and my worst enemy. It pushed me to do things I never thought I would ever do. It gave me strength and made me weak. It possessed my thoughts almost the entire time I was awake. And sometimes in my dreams. I took a huge step toward recovery from anorexia.

::I was on the phone with my friend on Friday night. We are sitting there talking like always and out of nowhere my heart starts hurting. Every beat was pain. It was also very rapid. He knew I had been taking diet pills for a while and started commenting on that. I was angry that he even brought it up. He kept on about how I need to just throw them all out. I was floored. It wasn't the first time he had said that. However it was the first time I really thought about doing it.
::I sat there for a while. He was still talking, but I had zoned out for the most part. I just thought about how people would react to it. I knew one other friend would be ecstatic. One would be furious. One would be hurt. One would be this, another would be that. I thought about how I would tell others who knew about my taking diet pills.
:The it hit me. Why should I care about what they would say? This is my life. Why should I let someone else determine it? And for that matter, why should I let these pills control me? I got angry. I was angry that I had let something start controlling me. I kept telling myself that I chose to take them, that I chose when to take them, which ones to take, ect. It really hit me on Friday that I wasn't in control anymore. I heard people tell me that, but I never wanted to believe them. So I didn't.
::So I got up, still on the phone with my friend, tears running down my face. I went to my room. I opened the closet door. I pulled out the pills. I sat them on my bed in front of me. I just looked at them. I heard a voice in my head screaming. No, two voices.
"What are you waiting for? Just do it!"
"What do you think you are doing? Don't listen to him! You can still take them!"
"Look at what you have become. Is this really what you want?"
"You are so in control. Look at what you have accomplished. You're beautiful."
"You are so thin. You have a problem. Deal with it."
"It would be a waste to just throw them out. You could even sell them. And buy better ones."
"Do you really want someone else to go through this? It's hell."
"It's a good two month supply. Just sell them and get better ones. No one has to know."
"Just throw them out. Flush them. Get rid of them. Get control!"
"You are in control. Just look at the box."
::That's when I looked at the Dexatrim Max2O. On the box. Word for word. "Puts you in control." I laughed. My friend heard me and asked what I was laughing at. I told him and it really hit me. I used to think that taking pills was cheating. I didn't think you deserved to reap the benefits of a smaller pant size if you took pills. The irony of my life was amusing to me.
::So I got a sandwich bag. I put all of the pills in it. Every single one. The laxatives, followed by the Hoodia, then the Fat Burners, the Dexatrim Max2O next. I saved my favorite for last. I picked up the bottle of the Apple Cider Vinegar Diet pills. I took one before almost every meal. I would sneak them around in a bottle originally used for ibuprofen. I loved them. I looked at them in my hand. My friend is still encouraging me to just get rid of them. He keeps restating how I don't need to be a slave to these pills. I sit there for a while just in awe. I thought about how I could just buy more. I knew exactly where the were at the store, how much, ect. I popped open the bottle. I poured them in the bag.
::I felt like a drug dealer. The colors mixed in were beautiful to me, and yet disgusting. I could sit there and name off every one. I knew when to take them, what to take them with, how long they would take to kick in, what I could mix with what...everything. The sandwich bag was full. I was amazed at how much money had went into that. A good 40 or so dollars, I believe. All for pills. All for my "gods".
"Just get it over with. Flush them."
"I can't. I can't do it."
"Yes, you can."
"I can't do it in the house."
"Where do you need to go?"
"I don't know. The lake maybe."
::So at 2 am I get my phone, the sandwich bag full of pills and my keys and I go down the dirt road from my house to the boat dock and fishing pier. I get out of the car and walk to the concrete standing area. All the while, tears coming down my face, my friend in my ear telling me I can do it and my own thoughts racing. It all seemed so surreal at this point. I pull the bag out of my hoodie and just stand there looking into the water. No one is around, save me and my "friends".
::I open the bag and pick out of the the pills. I toss it into the water. I start crying more. I pick out another and toss it. I can't stand it anymore and just dump them all in. I can't control myself and just sob. I have no strength and lean over the railing. A part of me wants to jump in after them. A part of me cries as it meets a watery grave. Another part of me cries happy tears. A part of me is free.

Reuters - The rapidly rising incidence of stroke among Americans is primarily due to the increasing number of middle-aged women who are having strokes. The increasing incidence is also associated with abdominal obesity, investigators told attendees here at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2008.