What’s green, lightly sweet, supposed to be bad for you but is surprisingly nutritious? If you’ve never tried jade rice, you’re in for a treat!

We used to think of rice as white or brown, with brown being the most nutritious, but for some reason the mass of white starch was always preferred by the masses. We recently discovered how good whole grain rice could be and that it went far beyond ‘brown’ and we fell in love with black rice, red rice, and exotic varieties from around the world. Brown was multi-colored and nutritionally superior in every way.

Now we’ve found a white rice that just might give brown a run for the money. It’s not exactly white - it’s green! White, pearled rice has been infused with bamboo extract to give it a green color, a hint of vanilla flavor, and the scent of bamboo fields. This unique rice is known as bamboo rice or jade rice. This upgraded version of white rice is actually good for you! Lotus Foods offers an organic Jade Rice that contains a whopping 10 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, and a healthy dose of anti-oxidants in just one quarter cup of dry rice!

There are other brands of bamboo rice, but they’re not the same as the rice offered by Lotus Foods. We noticed other brands contain just 1 gram of fiber per serving. We then wondered if Lotus Foods had made an error on the label and their rice contained 1, not 10, grams as well. So we asked them! It turns out that Lotus Foods uses a patented form of bamboo extract called BamBoom! This newfangled extract delivers more punch - and fiber - per serving.

Even Lotus Foods offers two varieties of Jade Rice that differ in nutritional quality. Their conventional Jade Rice contains only 6 grams of fiber per serving, which is still a lot more than regular or other brands of jade rice - and it’s a tad bit cheaper. But the real gem is the organic Jade Rice they offer, which contains the full 10 grams of fiber per serving. In case you are wondering, it breaks down to 6 grams of soluble fiber and 4 grams of unsoluble fiber. As a bonus, bamboo extract is loaded with antioxidants which makes this rice even more appealing.

We tried it and it was love at first sight, smell, and taste! Bamboo rice has a very delicate scent that is described as walking through a field of bamboo. Since we’ve never walked through a field of bamboo, we’ll have to take thier word for it. The flavor is described as a hint of vanilla, but we’re not sure that’s accurate. It’s similar, but not to be mistaken with vanilla. The unique and very subtle flavor would be just as good with a hearty stir fry as it would be in a light rice pudding. We also like it straight from the pot without anything added to it. It cooks in just 20 minutes.

Lotus Foods Organic Jade Rice is a new staple in our pantry! You can buy it directly from Lotus Foods, and also from the Fresh Approach Diet Store.

Are you tired of the same old chocolate and vanilla protein drinks and meal replacements? Even chocolate gets boring after a while, and they don’t always taste good. We also get a little tired of the expansive ingredient panels and don’t always know what we are drinking. Mix1 is a protein drink that’s different from all the others. It’s all natural, available in five flavors, and it tastes great!

The first thing you’ll notice is the variety of flavors to choose from. Mix1 comes in blueberry vanilla, tangerine, mango, mix berry, and lime. The single serving packaging is eye-catching and very portable.

The next thing you’ll notice is the great taste! The fruit flavors come from real fruit concentrates. They are naturally sweetened with organic Fair Trade sugar. Yes - real sugar, not artificial sweeteners! Ounce for ounce, the sugar content is lower than in fruit juice. The protein and fiber content offset the effect of the sugar so you don’t get a spike, and the energy you get is sustained for 2 to 3 hours.

It’s good for you! Each bottle contains 15 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber, 200 calories, and an average of 30% RDA of 20 important vitamins and minerals. Each serving also contains antioxidants equal to 3 servings of fruits and vegetables!

Mix1 can be used as an occasional meal replacement, a snack, or before or after a workout. It contains a 2:1 carb to protein ratio for a sustained energy boost.

If you are tired of the same old off-tasting protein drink, you’ll enjoy the fresh new taste of Mix1.

You can buy Mix1 protein drinks at the Fresh Approach Diet Store

I wasn’t prepared for the workout that Kili Marti delivered in her belly dance episode of the Dance Off The Inches series. I tried a belly dancing video in the past, and I never seemed to get past the shimmy stage. I am not a born shimmier. I’m actually not a born anything when it comes to dancing. I don’t really have any coordination and little grace to speak of, unless you count that I tend to walk on my toes - quite stealth like, I might add. However, that isn’t much help in a cardio dance video!

Due to these unborn dance skills, I am used to failing miserably at dance videos, and usually the biggest problem I have with the video is that I am not coordinated enough to keep up with the steps. Therefore my workout consists of stepping side to side, left foot to right foot. Imagine my glee to find out that the first step in this video was not a shimmy, but stepping side to side! That is the first of 10 basic moves in the workout. The moves did get progressively more difficult, but I made it through most of them.

The warm up was fun - sidesteps with hip wiggles, and pretty open arm movements. In just a couple of minutes, I was doing a simple yet beautiful belly dance move. Nice! I think we normally feel good about ourselves toward the end of a workout, because we’ve done a great job and we feel strong. This video gets us to stretch our muscles out in a graceful and artistic way, and the strong and pretty vibes hit in the beginning instead of the end. I think that is a refreshing way to start a workout. The choreography, coupled with the atmosphere of women that are genuinely enjoying the dance moves, lends an exuberance that lasts until the end. Depending on your athletic ability, your ending time may vary.

The first workout is called Belly Moves Groove. I have to admit, watching 5 soft, yet ripped bellies on the screen look much nicer than seeing myself in a mirror, so a tshirt will do me just fine for now. The first part of the workout is simple steps, and then I put them together and I am ALMOST belly dancing. With a little practice, I won’t feel the need to draw the shades and lock my husband and son out of the room. If you are sedentary, this is probably as far as you will get on your first try. But not a problem - the moves are fun, and you won’t get easily bored working up to a full workout.

The Cleo Cardio Combo is more active, and it includes a full body shimmy. Lots of them. I’m not sure I’ll ever master that total shimmy, but I hope to. More confidence and grace will probably loosen me up enough that I can let it all go and shimmy like a Belly Dance Superstar. This is a very fun stage.

Last up is the Hip Roll Hindi Combo. There are a lot of arm raises in this one. So much that I imagined cartoon anvils on my biceps. I’m going to feel this tomorrow, but in a good way! The lower body gets a good workout as well. This stage consists of a lot of hop-taps that are enough to feel, but not high impact enough that you will disturb anybody in a nearby room. This stage proves that yes, you can really get a fat burning belly dance workout without being a trained belly dancer. Pros probably won’t enjoy the repetition as much as they would more freestyle dancing, but for the average chick, this is a super way to learn belly dance moves and whittle the extra belly at the same time.

If this sounds like the DVD for you, you can buy it at Amazon.com.

Many dieters have discovered fiber helps weight loss. It helps us feel fuller, and keeps everything moving and healthy from the inside out. But when we think of high fiber foods, we usually think of bran muffins or beans or cardboard. If you’d like to try something new and tasty, try a Gnu Bar! Gnu Bars contain a whopping 12 grams of fiber in a 130 calorie snack bar. Gnu Bars are made of a high fiber mixture combined with fruits and other natural ingredients. They are chewy and sweet. They come in flavors like chocolate brownie, banana walnut, cinnamon raisin, orange cranberry, and peanut butter. We tried them and really liked them! They all taste a little like raisins, with other layers of flavor. They are dark and very dense. It takes a while to eat one, so they have time to satisfy the munchies.

More good gnus - There’s not any high fructose corn syrup, refined sugars, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, hard to pronounce chemicals, or cardboard in Gnu Bars!

To learn more about Gnu Bars visit http://www.gnufoods.com/

A lot of people ask us which protein bars are good. If you ever go to a supplement store, the assortment of protein bars can be mind boggling. Which ones are good? We’ve tried a lot of bars, and have been disappointed many times. A lot of bars have an off taste that isn’t pleasant, especially when they contain high amounts of protein. Others are more like candy bars with just a little extra protein. I tried Detour Bars a couple of years ago, and I really don’t remember why I never bought them again. I guess I didn’t care for them. Detour recently came out with several new varieties that sounded worth trying, so I gave them another shot.

The new Detour bars are ‘Activity’ bars designed for specific sports. Detour Runner bars contain ingredients to help improve joint health and function. Detour Core Strength bars contain an ingredient which is claimed to boost endurance and promote muscle recovery after exercise. Detour Biker bars offer to enhance muscle energy and stamina during exercise.

Do they live up to their claims? I have no idea. But I do know that the new varieties taste good, and there are so many varieties that you won’t get bored! You’ll find flavors such as Chocolate Chip Cookie, Lemon Yogurt, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Toffee Almond, Raspberry Dark Chocolate, Caramel Peanut, and Chocolate Caramel. My favorite was the Lemon Yogurt. My least favorite was the Toffee Almond, because it left a slightly bitter aftertaste in my mouth. Each of the varieties that I tried were sweet and they were satisfying because they took a while to eat. They aren’t wimpy bars!

The Detour Activity bars contain 12 grams of protein, which is a decent amount for a supplemental snack. The bars average 210 calories and are low fat. They have a lower sugar bar which has fewer calories, but I haven’t tried it.

If you try any of the Detour products, let us know what you think!

Imagine if you were given a book by one of the most respected health organizations in America, which would guarantee good health and and help you lose weight. Now imagine you never had to read a word. Everything that you can imagine in a diet book has been brought to you in DVD format by the Mayo Clinic in conjunction with Gaiam. Even better, the DVD includes exercise and stress relief through yoga and meditation, so it’s like a book and fitness program in one. You get all this for less than $20!

The Mayo Clinic and Gaiam have teamed up to create a series of DVDs called Wellness Solutions. They are based on integrative medicine that combines conventional and alternative therapy options. The DVD series cover topics such as high blood pressure, insomnia, IBS, and heart health, and you can choose to purchase just the editions that you need. We chose the weight loss DVD and plan to purchase other editions because we liked this one so much.

The Weight Loss DVD includes helpful information by Dr. Donald Hensrud, M.D. and Dr. Amit Sood, M.D., both from the Mayo Clinic. The doctors explain the effects of obesity on our bodies and emotions. They discuss the causes of obesity and how our environment as well as our actions affect our weight. For example, we live in a new society where we’ve engineered physical activity out of our environment. We are surrounded by step saving, efficient transportation, computers, and remote controls. Dr. Hensrud quips “My favorite joke is not only having a remote control, but asking a child to go and get it for you.” Oh boy, can we relate! You’ll find many points in their discussion will hit home. Most of it involves common sense advice, such as eating more natural foods and increasing activity. But it really helps when you watch it all fall together as they have accomplished with this DVD.

After this discussion, Dr. Hensrud takes us to a grocery store and shares advice on shopping for the best foods. Then the Mayo Clinic dietitian, Cailie Fura, R.D. shows us how to eat better with the Mayo Clinic Pyramid. This diet plan is mostly plant based, and concentrates on higher quality foods. It’s a simple plan that is easy to follow.

We are taught that meditation to reduce stress is important for weight loss, because it helps us to control our emotions and become less likely to stress eat. Rodney Yee, a well known yoga instructor, guides us through a 10 minute meditation session that truly is relaxing.

Our favorite part of the DVD is the yoga session. This 20 minute yoga workout by Yee is different from any other yoga workout we’ve tried. It’s designed for any size, unlike most. It was easy to do, yet left us feeling energized and refreshed! We loved this yoga workout because they took great care to make sure anyone of size could follow along. Part of the workout involves using a chair to brace the body, as well as folded towels and yoga blocks. You can see from the image at the left how these props allow you to accomplish what you need to, and it’s just as effective as a conventional yoga routine!

Overall, we were impressed with the Mayo Clinic Wellness Solutions for Weight Loss. The DVD lasts 98 minutes, including the meditation and yoga sessions which you’ll return to regularly. We learned a few things, and felt good after following the routines. We look forward to trying other DVDs in this series.

You can purchase this DVD online at Amazon.

We love trying new foods, and it’s not often that one of the big 3 frozen dinner companies introduces a new variety. Weight Watchers new Dragon Shrimp Lo Mein sounded too good to pass up! This new dish is low in fat and calories, and high on flavor. However, we found that ours was also missing something else very important.

We cooked the frozen dinner in the microwave as instructed on the package, then carefully plated it onto a beautiful red dish. Actually it’s a saucer, so don’t get too excited by the edge to edge presentation in our photo The noodles seemed perfectly done and had just enough sauce on them. The mixture was loaded with crunchy water chestnuts, which were a nice contrast to the noodles and sweet sauce. True to the photo, there were exactly 3 sugar snap peas in our dish. The meal tasted pretty good, and it was filling enough.

What’s wrong with this picture? If you haven’t noticed, our Dragon Shrimp Lo Mein is missing the shrimp. We had a huge helping of water chestnuts, but zero shrimp. Three sugar snap peas, zero shrimp. Our cluck has quickly turned into a squawk! Shame on quality control for letting this one out the door.

Weight Watchers Smart Ones Dragon Shrimp Lo Mein contains 240 calories, 4 grams fat, 3 grams fiber, and 5 WW points. Protein is listed at 14 grams, but that may depend on the presence of shrimp What’s in your box?

Note: This is an update to our original review from last year. Fiber Gourmet has created a new and improved version that is even more like regular pasta, with a smidgen more fiber!

Are you getting the recommended amount of fiber to help prevent heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer? This past year, we reviewed Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta, which packs an enormous amount of healthy fiber in each serving. They recently came out with an updated formula that packs up to 20 grams of fiber in each bowl - 2 more grams from the previous recipe. This could be the perfect ‘diet food’, because the excellent fiber content alone may subconsciously prevent us from overeating! We don’t fancy the effects of 40-60 grams of fiber in one go! Add a touch of marinara to the pasta, or blend in with sauteed vegetables, and you have a delicious and very healthy fettuccine style pasta to pair up with a salad or lean meat. Extra fiber means slower digestion, which means this will be a satisfying meal that will stick with you for quite some time.

It’s hard to resist a steaming hot bowl of pasta, dripping with fresh tomato sauce and veggies! But pasta is the devil, right? Not if it’s Fiber Gourmet! This new pasta is loaded with a whopping 18 grams to 20 of fiber and has fewer calories than regular pasta! Fiber Gourmet is available in regular, spinach, and tomato flavors. How does it taste? We put each flavor variety to the test.

We love pasta, but it doesn’t pack a lot nutritionally, and it’s just an occasional treat in our house. When we heard that Fiber Gourmet pasta contained just 130 calories and 18 grams of fiber, we couldn’t wait to try it. We started with the Classic flavor, but it didn’t have a lot of flavor. But who eats pasta plain! We added our favorite sauce and we couldn’t tell the difference between this and regular pasta. The texture was exactly the same, and it was filling! We then tried the spinach and tomato flavors, and they each had a nice, mild flavor that didn’t need a heavy sauce. Each of these varieties also cooked up al dente and were very satisfying.

How can this pasta contain just 130 calories? Fiber technically has 4 calories per gram, but the body doesn’t digest it. It just passes right through your body. You can safely deduct the calories from fiber from the total calories to learn how many calories you are really consuming. Since Fiber Gourmet contains 18 grams of fiber, they deduct 72 calories and let us know we are really just getting 130 calories per serving. That’s not the only benefit you get from the fiber. It helps us feel full and satisfied from a normal portion of food. Plus fiber helps keep us regular, fights cancer, and helps lower our cholesterol. Maybe this is a pasta of angelic proportions!

If you’d like to try Fiber Gourmet pasta, check out their website at www.fibergourmet.com

If you make New Years Resolutions, chances are that fat loss is somewhere on the list. If you like exercising at home instead of the gym, or if you just want a good backup workout for home, then you may be interested in our most recent reviews of Fat Burning Videos. We chose two excellent videos to help you get your goals moving forward on the right foot.

First up, we have one of Prevention Magazine’s video lineup, led by Chris Freytag. Chris is a board member of the American Council on Exercise, and an editor at Prevention magazine, so you’ll know you are in good hands. We watched Prevention Fitness: Shortcuts to Big Weight Loss, which has 3 energy packed, 10 minute workouts. Do one or all three, if you can handle it! These videos are fun. Chris will keep you hopping from one move to another so boredom doesn’t settle in.

The first routine in Shortcuts to Big Weight Loss is Cardio Sculpt - a fun routine that even though dumbbells are light, you will feel it! Beginners can skip weights, and intermediate exercisers can use slightly heavier dumbbells. Pilates Sculpt is approximately a half standing - half floor routine, with a beginner modification. The last section is Kickbox Sculpt - a short, but high energy workout. It’s full of fast punches, kicks, squats, working in intervals that get your heart rate up and your muscles working. There is also a beginner modification if you need help. In all three segments, Chris is a pleasant leader - very upbeat and not chatty. This is a very well rounded workout for beginners and intermediates alike.

Our next video is Ultimate Fat Burn! by Women’s Health Magazine, who tout that this workout, led by celeb trainer Amy Dixon, burns up to 500 calories! This is also a high energy, weighted workout. It is slightly more difficult with foot movement, but even those of us with two left feet can keep up. Even an experienced weight trainer will let out a few grunts in this video. Between grunts, though, you’ll get good tips and also some non-weighted cardio. You’re going to alternate weights and cardio throughout the video. Towards the end of the workout, there are a few more advanced move, but modifiers are available until you are able to keep up. This is probably not a good choice for a brand spanking new exerciser, but if you consider yourself slightly above beginner, give it a shot and find a deliciously motivating workout to challenge you! The trainer is only slightly chatty, and you can tell she is working hard - always a good combination in our book. Choose this video, and weight loss is imminent!

Both of these videos are available at Amazon at reduced prices. Check out Prevention Fitness: Shortcuts to Big Weight Loss and Ultimate Fat Burn!

We all know exercise is good for us, that’s a no-brainer. It helps us to lose weight and firm up the jiggly bits, and keep us in shape later on. What if we told you that a quick and easy workout could actually extend your life, lower your blood pressure, and give you energy? Drs. Oz and Roizen, of the YOU book fame, have given us the YOU Staying Young workout. This DVD contains 3 workouts, each lasting between 15 and 20 minutes. Two are geared towards strength training, and the last one is a Chi Gong workout that calms the spirit and the mind and is equally important.

The YOU workout offers both a level 1 and a level 2 of a strength and stretching routine led by Joel Harper, from www.fitpackdvd.com. The workout is designed for any level of fitness, and it seems plus-size friendly. The moves are very simple to do and involve exercises while standing and laying down. If you are new to exercise, this is the perfect DVD to get you started. If you’re already in shape, you’ll love level 2. The benefits of the workout include learning how to properly breathe, stretch, strengthen, and balance your body.

We enjoyed the final workout the most. Chi Gong is similar to Tai Chi, but is easier - so we’re told. The 15 minute routine will reduce stress and improve cardiovascular performance. The workout is led by Karl Romain, Kung Fu World Champion! It was an extremely easy and pleasant workout, which was very calming, but also left us feeling energetic and refreshed in a way that was new to us. We plan to do this on a regular basis!

While these workouts are quick and easy, there’s much more to the YOU: Younger workout. The doctors advise us to walk at least 30 minutes every day, no excuses. Do either level 1 or 2 of the YOU workout two or three times a week, and do Chi Gong three times a week. Meditate for 5 minutes at some point each day. Drink green tea, plenty of water, and sleep 7 or 8 hours every night. That’s just part of it. If you want to really work on extending your life and getting the most out of it, we recommend reading their latest book, YOU Staying Young: The Owner’s Manual for Extending Your Warranty which is available at your local bookseller or online at Amazon.com along with the workout DVD.