But Riordan’s not chubby anymore, and he has one man to thank for inspiring him to change: a portly Iraqi sergeant major who smiled broadly and remarked to Riordan that he was getting fat, patting his own round belly to accentuate the point.

That was in 2008, after a yearlong deployment in Iraq. Today, Riordan has washboard abs and says he feels healthier than ever. His secret lies in a new fitness regimen — and a drastic dietary shift that calls for cutting out grains, legumes, sugar and dairy products, and eating more protein, fruit and greens. It’s called the caveman, or paleo, diet.

“I’ve been doing CrossFit and following a Paleolithic approach to my nutrition since I returned from Iraq,” said Riordan, who took command of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Dec. 2 and promptly issued this message: Adhere to the Marine Corps standard for physical fitness and appearance or you’ll be placed in the Body Composition Program immediately.

In a memo, he admonished his Marines that if they come within either 5 pounds or 2 percent of their maximum body weight and fat allowance, they would get a warning letter and a talking-to. When the battalion arrived in Afghanistan in April, 158 of Riordan’s Marines received the letter along with individual counseling sessions about diet, nutrition and exercise, and a requirement to visit several websites about health and nutrition. Some followed his lead and hopped on the caveman diet, too.

The foundation is fresh, unprocessed foods eaten thousands of years ago during the Paleolithic era — think hunter-gatherers, stone tools and so on. They stayed lean, and diseases such as diabetes were nonexistent.

Meat is in. Cheese is out. Berries are OK, but beans aren’t. Nuts and seeds are good to go, but ditch the milk, sports drinks and cake.

Sounds tough, but plenty are doing it. The paleo diet continues to gain followers throughout the Marine Corps, according to Riordan and to nutritional experts with the Marine Corps’ Semper Fit program.

“That really is the one I’m asked a lot about,” said Lauren King, one of two registered dieticians in the Semper Fit program, a resource Marines can turn to for advice, classes and information on fitness and health. In the year she has worked at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., she said, King has seen an increase in the number of Marines asking for advice on high-protein, low-carbohydrate regimens, mostly athletic Marines who also prefer CrossFit-style exercising, which comprises high-intensity daily workout routines. But she cautions that eating this way is not advisable for all Marines all of the time.

“When they come to see me and say they’re following a paleo diet, we explain you have to have carbohydrates for fuel and too few carbs can hurt performance,” King said.

As alternatives to pasta and grains, she suggests taking in carbohydrates from plant sources such as fruits, legumes and starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn and yams.

For Marines trying to lose weight, cutting carbohydrates altogether isn’t practical, she said, because any diet they adopt will have to be sustainable. Ultimately, King said, good carbohydrates are fuel for active Marines.

“For the war fighters who are engaged in activity, carbohydrates are important to have in a diet,” she said.

Semper Fit’s nutritional guidelines are based closely on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 and the new Choose My Plate site that offers tips on healthy eating. The guidelines advocate a balance of vegetables and fruits but also whole grains and low-fat or fat-free dairy products, which the paleo diet eschews.

Riordan swears by it, though. Since he issued his edict, about 60 percent of his officers have adopted the same diet and exercise regimen. Many of his young enlisted Marines are giving it a go, too — to the extent possible. Downrange, sugary Pop-Tarts, soft drinks and muffins are everywhere.

“I live on jerky and nuts for snacks. I get enough fruit … but I miss vegetables terribly,” said Riordan, who has instructed his cooks to minimize the nonpaleo temptations provided through the supply chain. “I am much more lenient at the smaller [combat outposts] and patrol bases, where selections can be a little more limited. I am fanatical about pushing good food down to the lowest level and have largely succeeded here.”
Battling body fat

Riordan’s aggressive stance on food choices and appearance was slightly ahead of — and very much in line with — Commandant Gen. Jim Amos’ assessment of Marines. After he assumed the top post last October, Amos traveled extensively throughout the Corps and observed what he suspected was widespread noncompliance with the service’s appearance standards, particularly those that govern body fat. As a result, he ordered his inspectors general to audit every command and conduct surprise weigh-ins to ensure compliance.

The results of that survey are on the commandant’s desk, he told Marine Corps Times in September. And although Amos said he is pleased to see that the number of Marines enrolled in the Corps’ Body Composition Program is lower than he expected, he is keeping a close eye on compliance, so much so that he will be personally tracking it and calling on leaders who aren’t enforcing the regs.

From the looks of it, Riordan won’t be getting a call from the commandant any time soon, though some of his Marines are finding it hard to stick to the paleo diet even after losing some weight.

“I can’t do that for too long,” said Sgt. William Pierce, who is in charge of the battalion’s chow hall on Forward Operating Base Delhi. He received a pat on the back from Riordan and a word of encouragement for having lost 10 pounds three months into the deployment. Pierce tries to keep up on the diet, and he provides starchy menus for Marines who want it, he said, but being around food all the time makes it hard.



“I eat with my eyes,” Pierce said.

The battalion’s executive officer, Maj. John Black, said that when the unit deployed, their families were encouraged in newsletters to send care packages containing healthful goodies such as nuts, dried fruits and beef jerky. That’s worked to a limited degree, he added.

“The families are still sending lots of treats,” Black said, popping a handful of freeze-dried blueberries into his mouth, “but that’s OK once in a while.”

Initially, as part of his effort to expose his Marines to the paleo diet, Riordan ordered more than 1,000 packets of food produced by Steve’s Original, a New Jersey-based company that caters to paleo diet enthusiasts. These “paleokits” are vacuum-sealed pouches filled with dried fruits, nuts, meats and seeds. Every Marine in the battalion received one during Enhanced Mojave Viper predeployment training in Twentynine Palms, Calif.

“It gave me the opportunity to talk to the Marines about nutrition and how it would affect their performance during combat,” Riordan said.

Many of his officers followed suit and ordered their own supplies of paleokits to take downrange, but the kits are pricey. A month’s supply could cost upward of $500. And for that, you get variety and a mix of calorie counts. A 4.3-ounce packet of beef jerky, coconut and strawberries, for example, has 360 calories. A 1.5-ounce paleo crunch bar made with coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds and honey racks up 200 calories. One ounce of dried wild blueberries has 89 calories. The products can be ordered in groupings, too, and the variety includes “paleo MREs.”

“Steve’s Original is an awesome product. It’s packable and nonperishable,” said 1st Lt. Charles Eberly, commander of 1/3’s 4th Platoon, Alpha Company. However, after a while, he added, the company stopped mailing the packets to Afghanistan because of the slow and unreliable mail system. To compensate, the Marines riffle through their field rations, keeping the most healthful items and dumping everything else. The majority of his platoon, Eberly said, eats a diet of tuna, chicken and vegetables.

“They all take the chicken and tuna out of First Strike Rations and throw out the rest. Literally. They throw out every other item. We trade all the Pop-Tarts and Cokes with kids and shopkeepers [in the village] for homegrown vegetables.”

Riordan expects that his focus on fitness, health and appearance will stick with his Marines beyond the deployment and believes that his personal success with it will be a catalyst.

“I issued the letter of warning because there are so many people on the line, like I was,” he said. “I am convinced that I can motivate just about anyone to change his personal nutrition and improve his physical fitness.”

The diet, created by Dr. Pierre Dukan, follows a similar plan of attack as the South Beach Diet in that it is laid out in phases, with the limitations on your diet decreasing in severity as your move through them from the initial “attack” phase to the “cruise” phase.

The main principles of the Dukan diet seem to be a high-protein, low-fat and limited dairy approach, one that seems to go hand-in-hand with common sense eating these days. The initial phase is almost entirely protein-only, as proteins are low in calories, yet dense enough to keep you feeling full for longer, aiding in the body’s ability to fight off hunger and lose weight.

As far as celebrities who swear by the Dukan diet, Carole Middleton (mother to Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge) is one, as she used the diet to ward off weight prior to the royal wedding this past April!

Surely, in a world always looking for its next quick weight-loss fix, the diet will be adopted by many now that it’s gone “public”. Will you be jumping on the bandwagon?

The Kosher Fresh Diet plan, which is certified by the OU, consists of three healthy Kosher meals, plus one snack and one dessert, delivered to your doorstep daily. Menu and recipe creations are overseen by Chef Yos Schwartz, The Fresh Diet’s Chief Culinary Officer, with kitchen operations located in Brooklyn, NY. The program is currently zip-code restricted and on average will cost 34.99 per day. YWN just learned, that Jewpon.com Negotiated a 24 hour deal on their website featuring Kosher fresh diet for $10 per day.

Ezzy Duchman, President of Kosher Fresh Diet says the company is “meeting the demand for healthier Kosher meals and is taking it one step further with the convenience factor.”

Judah Schlass, COO of Kosher Fresh Diet was quoted saying ” this is a great day for kosher, with kfd’s launch kosher keepers will now have the option for gourmet, glatt kosher and healthy meals at an incredibly affordable price. Try eating out in new york for less than 34.99 covering all your meals. It just won’t happen he says. Now you can with KFD”, he says.

Kosher Fresh Diet has plans to expand their service to residents of Toronto, Canada within the year and recently purchased a Kosher food truck in New York, which is in the process of being converted to the the Kosher Fresh Diet Express. The truck is slated to hit the streets of Manhattan in mid-July and is also certified by the OU.

While Kate’s style has become a focal point of the media, her iconic image is quickly making headlines as fans of the couple become concerned over the Duchess’ deteriorating figure.

While many tabloids – like Life & Style Magazine (check out the photo on the right) – waste no time criticizing the brunette beauty, printing captions like “Starving to Be Sexy” on the cover of their magazines, others (like us) realize that Kate’s weight loss may not be a conscious effort at all.

Think about it: Kate has been spending the last few weeks traveling non-stop, talking and meeting with people at all hours of the day with cameras rolling 24-7. The sheer amount of exhaustion would be enough to shed a couple of pounds. Her hectic schedule likely doesn’t leave time for proper meals and, most of the time, she’s probably being watched by thousands of people every time she takes a bite. It would be impossible not to lose weight during a trip like that!

All I’m saying is take it easy on Kate. She’s probably physically and emotionally exhausted from the travel alone and the last thing she needs to do is pick up a magazine that says she’s starving herself to be sexy.

Give the girl a break!

You really can’t win with these tabloids, can you?

Do you think Kate’s weight is cause for concern?

What is neat about the Dash Diet is that the diet is freely available from the US Department of Health and Human Services. They offer a free Dash Diet online guide book that outlines meal plans to follow. The DASH diet plan ebook starts off by discussing blood pressure, but later on discusses actual meal plans as well as recipes.

Not only has the DASH diet been shown to lower blood pressure, it also is an all around healthy diet. They have you eat whole grains, fish, poultry, nuts, plenty of fruits and vegetables. They even recommend fat-free or low-fat dairy products. The diet plan is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and fat. The red meat is lean and is eaten less often on this diet. The same is true with added sugars, sweet treats, and sugared drinks. What you will be eating a lot of on this diet is if fresh fruit and plenty of green vegetables.

However, if you are looking for another diet option, US News & World Report have addressed this in their list. They gave second place on their diet list to three weight loss plans. They are The Mediterranean Diet, the TLC Diet, and Weight Watchers. They also considered best diabetes diet, best weight loss diet, best heart healthy diets, and best commercial diets.

Though all data says that it affects 5 to 10% of women today, from what we see and hear around us, it feels more like one in every three women – especially in the younger age group. In order to solve the problem of PCOS it is important to understand the root cause behind this hormonal disorder and also what the symptoms are so that it can be dealt with in time.

Symptoms of PCOS:
- Weight gain, or inability to lose weight
- Absent or irregular periods
- Infertility
- Excess facial hair
- Thinning hair or male pattern baldness
- Acne and other skin problems
- Mood swings
- Sluggishness or lethargy

If you feel you’re experiencing even half of these symptoms, it’s a good idea to consult a doctor and take the necessary blood tests for hormonal levels, and ultrasound for detecting bulky ovaries or ovarian cysts.

Root cause of PCOS. Though there are many causes of PCOS one of the root causes today is insulin resistance or the metabolic syndrome. This is the root cause especially because of the lifestyles we lead as well as carb heavy diets. While most PCOS sufferers are overweight, this condition can even affect the lean. Many are lean but with abdominal obesity, that is when the waist size is disproportionately larger as compared to the rest of the body. This is characteristic of the metabolic syndrome caused by insulin resistance.

PCOS is a hormonal imbalance linked to the way the body processes insulin after it has been produced by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar (glucose).

Insulin Resistance can cause PCOS in two distinct ways. Insulin resistance reduces the insulin sensitivity of your cell walls. Glucose has to pass through those cell walls to be converted into energy. Insulin assists this process. But since the cell walls have become de-sensitized to insulin, by insulin resistance, the process does not work. Glucose “bounces” off the cell wall, instead of passing through the insulin door to be burned as energy. With the cell door almost closed to it, glucose remains in the blood stream, causing elevated levels of blood sugar, which are sent to the liver. Once there, the sugar is converted into fat and stored via the blood stream throughout the body. This process can lead to weight gain and obesity, key factors in creating Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

Insulin resistance raises insulin levels in the blood stream. Unhealthy lifestyles and genetic conditions cause the pancreas to overproduce insulin. The de-sensitized cell in turn, overwhelmed by this excess insulin and an excess of insulin “rejected” by the cell then free-floats in the blood stream, creating unbalanced hormone levels in PCOS sufferers. Excess insulin stimulates the ovaries to produce large amounts of the male hormone testosterone, which may prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg each month, thus causing infertility. High levels of insulin also increase the conversion of androgens (male hormones) to estrogens (female hormones), upsetting a delicate balance between the two and having a direct effect on weight gain and the formation of cystic follicles or cysts in the ovary.

Now that we know that this is main reason behind PCOS in about 70% of cases, the way to tackle this is to take care of the root cause that is insulin resistance. In a subsequent post we will look at a diet specific to those who are insulin resistant. Though many men are also insulin resistant, they have no direct impact to fertility as women do in the form of PCOS and thus tend to ignore this condition, which can lead to many heart diseases and heart attacks in the future.

Therefore it is of utmost importance for both men and women to eat a diet and workout in a way that our cells regain insulin sensitivity.

Read more Personal Health, Diet & Fitness stories on www.healthmeup.com

High protein diet recommends three 100g serving of a lean protein food and about three serving of breads, grains and cereals every day. And that that macronutrient profile of the High Protein diet is 30% protein, 40% carbohydrate and 30% fat.

On the other hand, High Fiber diet recommends one 100 grams serving of lean protein foods, about six serving of wholegrain breads as well as cereals or grains every day with one serving of legumes. Macronutrient profile of it is 50% carbohydrate, >35g dietary fiber, 20% protein and 30% fat.

On the research, about 83 who were overweight were divided into High Protein and High Fiber diet group. The energy intakes were decreased by 2000-4000 kJ per day to be able to achieve the weight loss of between 0.5 and 1 kg per week.

Result shows that the participants in both groups had lose weight, reduce their body fats as well as lower their waist circumference together with improved total and LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting plasma glucose and in blood pressure.

Moreover, the participants in the High protein diet lost more body weight and also body fats and had a great reduction in blood pressure.

Researchers then concluded that neither diet in the study can hold a candle to the Paleo Diet, and that they are much more do0able for an average person who tries to lose a few pounds without too much complications. The two diets are good but the protein diet was more effective compared to the fiber diet.

Four years ago, the winner was the Volumetrics diet, based on eating high-bulk, low-calorie food. In a sense, it’s still a winner: The Volumetrics brand is now part of Jenny Craig, which is why it wasn’t rated separately this time.

So should someone who needs to lose weight immediately sign up for Jenny Craig? While it’s obviously worth considering, it might not be for you if you don’t like the idea of eating prepackaged meals.

The diet that works is the one you can stay on. And these days, choices abound. You can follow the Ornish diet, a near-vegan plan with very little fat, or its diametric opposite, the Atkins diet, which allows almost two-thirds of your calories from fat. Or you can settle somewhere in between with the moderate regimens offered by Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig.

Consumer Reports’ overall scores of six diets were based on their adherence to nutritional guidelines and the results of published randomized clinical studies. Nutrition was based on an analysis of a week of menus from each book or program, using ESHA Research’s Food Processor software.

The Jenny Craig diet received CR’s top rating largely as a result of a recent 332-person, two-year study of the program published in the Oct. 27, 2010, Journal of the American Medical Association. In the study, 92 percent of participants stuck with the program for two years — a remarkable level of adherence. At the end of that time, participants weighed an average of about 8 percent less than when they started.

To help you decide which weight-loss diet is right for you, here are some basic realities:

Calories, with an asterisk

To lose weight, you have to burn up more calories than you take in. But emerging evidence shows that some forms of calories are more filling than others. Protein is the most satiating nutrient, followed by high-fiber grains, fruits, and vegetables.

It’s okay to go low-carb

Evidence is accumulating that refined carbohydrates promote weight gain and Type 2 diabetes through their effects on blood sugar and insulin. Moreover, clinical studies have found that an Atkins or Atkins-like diet not only doesn’t increase heart-disease risk factors but also actually reduces them as much as or more than low-fat, higher-carb diets that produce equivalent weight loss.

On the other hand, the Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease, which includes a low-fat diet along with exercise, stress management and group support, has proven so effective that Medicare now covers it for cardiac patients.

Support matters

Don’t discount the impact of a good emotional support system. The Jenny Craig diet, for instance, includes weekly counseling sessions, and group support meetings are the foundation of the Weight Watchers plan.

Copyright 2011. Consumers Union of United States Inc.

Often compared to the Atkins diet for its emphasis on protein and its shunning of carbs, The Dukan Diet, by French physician Dr. Pierre Dukan, has become a dieting bible for 1.5 million French women who enjoy an international reputation for being svelte and willowy. Both male and female followers in France even have a name: Dukannistes.

The book, which has sold five million copies and is published in 20 countries, made its North American debut Tuesday under publishers Crown Archetype in the US and Random House in Canada. The sales pitch for the North American version plays into the image of effortlessly slender French people: The Real Reason the French Stay Thin.

Dukan is hoping to achieve the same kind of success in North America that he’s enjoyed in the UK, where sales of the book skyrocketed after reports that Carole Middleton had slimmed down by following the Dukan diet. The book was released last May in the UK.

Much like Dr. Robert Atkins’s diet, which achieved phenomenal success in the US and Canada, the Dukan method is described as a high-protein, low-fat, low-carb diet where followers can eat as much as they want – from a set of prescribed foods. Where Dukan says he differs from Atkins is in his low-fat approach. The Atkins diet drew criticism for its generous allowance of fat.

But Dukan isn’t without his detractors either.

In France, the diet was slammed last November by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety for being an imbalanced diet that deprived the body of certain nutrients like magnesium and being overly high in others, like calcium and sodium.

It is also sais to come with a set of undesirable side effects like bad breath, constipation and fatigue.

The diet is divided into four stages. The initial phase is called Attack, and consists purely of protein. During the Cruise phase, users alternate between only protein, with protein and an allowance of vegetables.

Next, the Consolidation phase allows followers to gradually reintroduce forbidden foods and two “celebration” meals a week before entering the Permanent Stabilization mode, where they must adhere strictly to a set of three golden rules: consuming three tablespoons of oat bran a day, taking the stairs wherever possible, and devoting one full day to strictly protein.

The Dukan Diet will be fighting for shelf space against another high-protein, low-carb diet book, The 17 Day Diet by Dr. Mike Moreno, which was released recently and has also received widespread attention.

The Dukan Diet is available from online retailers including Barnes & Noble, Borders and Amazon.com and retails for $26.

1. Fix Raccoon Eyes with the Under-Eye Eraser

Dr. William Kestin said the dark circles under eyes are caused by the reflection of light from the higher points. So raising the valley to meet the mountain gets rid of them. He injected Restylane under the eye to plump it up. It costs about $800 and lasts about six months. It won’t work if your bags are caused by fat prolapsing under the eyes. It only works if there’s a dip where the circles show.

2. Fix Acne Scars and Loss of Volume in Facial Skin with Naturalfill Face-Lift

In this procedure, fat from your tummy is removed using aqua liposuction, and injected into the pits and hollows on your fact to plump them up and smooth them out. The aqua liposuction was painless and non-traumatic, and the fat was placed in a syringe and he injected it under her skin in her face. It had immediate results. It was slightly nauseating to watch but the lady said it didn’t hurt. Cost is about $1500 and is permanent.

3. Fix Droopy Eyebrows

Anastasia Soare, an eyebrow expert, showed us how to correctly shape our eyebrows ourselves at home! Your eyebrow should begin above the middle of the inside of your nostril, and end at the line drawn from the outside corner of your nose and outside edge of the eye. Then use a pencil to estimate the middle of your brow from the tip of your nose through the iris. Anastasia has templates in her kit that you can then use to shape your brow properly. Look for the Anastasia All In One Brow Kit online, for about $85.

4. Fix Frown Lines

These frown lines are the ones around your mouth, not the ones between your brows…and it’s caused by loss of volume. So the dermatologist injected Restylane into the downward curving area and again, it gave immediate results. It costs about $600 and lasts 6-9 minutes.

5. Fix the Nose Bump with Liquid Rhinoplasty

I was very surprised to learn that it’s possible to fix this without surgery! As it turns out it’s a camouflage not a fix. A filler was injected to raise up the area above the bump which made it virtually disappear! The plastic surgeon said it lasts about six months to a year depending on the filler used, and costs about $800.

For the next segment of the Dr Oz Show, Doctor Oz revealed why women get more bruises as we get older and what we can do about it. When we get a bruise, it’s caused by small blood vessels getting broken and seeping into the tissues around it. The reason women get more bruises as they age is due to several factors. Our skin is aging, taking fish oil supplements, aspirin and steroids for arthritis pain all contribute to the problem.

To help get rid of your bruises, take Vitamin C which helps rebuild collagen, and Vitamin K which is found in dark leafy greens. When you do get a bruise, ice it for 20 minutes and elevate the area quickly, and it will go away sooner.

Next, Dr. Oz revealed Hidden Fats in our meals that we think are healthy. Many salads have hidden calories and fats that sabotage your diet. To summarize:
Choose spinach over arugula
Choose a hard-boiled egg over grilled chicken for a protein source
Choose sunflower seeds over raisins for a topping

Next, Dr. Oz revealed three good foods to boost your moods:

Striped bass (as opposed to grouper) as it contains Omega 3′s to increase your feel-good hormone in your brain.
Prunes (as opposed to figs), as they contain Vitamin B6 to keep your body and brain feeling good.
Mushrooms (as opposed to string beans) as they contains Vitamin D.