Barrier Buster - I Hate Exercising

Get Ready for Livliga's one day FLASH SALE!

Now is the time to get ready for your holiday entertaining and check off those special gifts on your list! Livliga is having a flash sale with FREE SHIPPING on all purchases for ONE DAY ONLY! Stay tuned to all of our social channels to see when the sale goes live (hint it's soon!)

Follow us on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Pinterest (So you don't miss out!)

We know the holidays can get stressful which is why we want to help you get ahead of the game! Maybe you're getting ready for the big family gathering and aren't quite ready to host everyone? Check out our Celebrate line as the perfect way to set a gorgeous and health-inspiring holiday table this season!

Perhaps you're an entertainer and you constantly have people in your house for the holiday season! Learn all about how our LivSpoons make your life easier, especially during the holidays!

 

Or it could be you're a baker and are looking for some new recipes to help make your baking healthier for the whole family this year! Look no further than our fabulous FREE eBook we made with the help of Chef Vanessa Musi.

So you've been thinking about buying Livliga but you don't fully understand the psychology behind the plates yet. What exactly makes our plates and portion control method so effective? We put together a fabulous, FREE and easy to understand eBook for you to learn all about it!

Now that you are inspired to get a move on your holiday planning, stay tuned to learn when you can SAVE BIG with Livliga to prepare you for this year's holiday season!

Barrier Buster - My Fat Is My Shield

Update & Check In #2 for 2018 Healthy Lifestyle Goals

This check in is a reality check.

I am living proof “life is a journey,” full of ups and downs along with plenty of twists and turns. I am beginning to realize that when it comes to my weight and my ongoing focus on keeping it in check I have thought I needed to live in a world where I achieved all my goals and lived in this perfectly balanced world where everything went smoothly and I would live happily every after. So not so.

There is no being perfect. Life throws us a lot of curve balls—from family issues to health issues to financial issues to natural disasters…you name it. For years when I would not meet my goals or go off the wagon I focused on forgiving myself my transgressions so I could pick myself up and go back at it again. I got exhausted from forgiving myself.

Then I started thinking…why do I have to forgive myself? The very nature of forgiving is that somehow you have done something wrong that needs forgiving…Do I really need to forgive myself for not being perfect? I think not.

What I don’t want to do is live a life of self-destruction that destroys my physical and mental health. There have been periods of time in my life when I got perilously close to harming myself through food. I weaponized my food. Yep, when life got really ugly I would gorge. It is horrifying to me today to think back on those times when I would buy a cake and eat it all in one sitting. I was quite literally swallowing my feelings and at times eating that whole cake was my way of suppressing a whole lot of anger, self-pity, frustration and a sense of powerlessness. Yuck.

Fortunately I am a survivor. And I do want to live life as my healthiest self. For me it took getting away from my family, right after college, and going to a far off land as a Peace Corps Volunteer to discover that I liked who I was and that I had a lot to offer the world. So much of my life up until then had been spent hearing quite the opposite.

So what I have learned is to listen to me, not others. It is better to acknowledge your feelings rather than repress them…or swallow them with food. And that the goal is not to forgive myself but instead to not give up or give in. Life is a journey. Every day really is a new day.

Life is an active sport. We have to get in there and play. It is about getting in there and participating and having fun with all the possibilities. That is why I like assessing where I am in my journey…not to chastise myself for my failures…but quite the opposite…to figure out how to add more fun in and do better at loving myself on my healthy lifestyle journey.

Where am I on my goals for 2018? Actively working on them!

Here are some photos to help tell the story…

Barrier Buster - I Have Tried So Many Times And Failed

The Influence of Obesity on Breast Cancer and 12 Other Cancers

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This awareness is important to all of us. Most of us who are overweight or obese know the increased risk we face with diabetes and heart disease but how many of us know that there are many cancers that are obesity related?

Obesity has now been linked to at least 13 different cancers. What does this mean? It means that what we eat, how much we eat, and how that affects our weight plays a large part in our susceptibility to specific cancers. Why does obesity have such a powerful influence on so many kinds of cancer? It is because obesity is associated with significant metabolic and hormone abnormalities as well as with chronic inflammation. It is not hard to see that these factors can trigger as well as promote the growth of cancer in our bodies.

The current list of obesity-related cancers is:

1. Uterine cancer
2. Breast cancer
3. Endometrial cancer
4. Ovarian cancer
5. Thyroid cancer
6. Colorectal cancer
7. Gastric cardia, a cancer of the part of the stomach closest to the esophagus
8. Liver cancer
9. Gallbladder cancer
10. Pancreatic cancer
11. Meningioma, a usually benign type of brain tumor
12. Multiple myeloma, a blood cancer.
13. Prostate cancer

According to Dr. Graham Colditz, a professor of medicine and surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, this list of obesity-related cancers together account for 42 percent of all new cancer diagnoses. Obesity also appears to accelerate the development of cancer. According to the experts, those with obesity tend to have worse prognoses as well.

Frighteningly, the incidence of cancer is rising in our youth. A recent study of young adults found that 9 out of 13 cancers are increasing in that population.

Those cancers and the percentage of new cases in people between 20 and 44 are:

• Breast cancer -- 10.5%
• Colon and rectal cancer -- 5.8%
• Kidney cancer -- 7.8%
• Endometrial cancer -- 7.3%
• Thyroid cancer -- 23.9%
• Liver cancer -- 2.5%
• Gastric cardia (cancer at the top of the stomach) -- 6.2%
• Meningioma (cancer in the lining of the brain and spinal cord) -- 16.8%
• Ovarian cancer -- 10.6%

Experts are focusing on the importance of prevention. The only way to change the increase in the incidence of cancer, no matter at what age, is to focus on a healthy lifestyle. We need to choose healthy foods and eat them in right-sized amounts. Living an active lifestyle that includes exercise is a must. Getting enough sleep makes all the difference in our resilience. And emotional well-being cannot be ignored. When our mental health is in a good place it is easier for us to sustain our resolve to live life as our healthiest selves.

For more information and ideas on how to live a healthy lifestyle please check out our Livliga website as well as the Live Vibrant Blog.

Here are some specific blogs to use as a resource:

Healthy Lifestyle Tools

Healthy Eating

Active Lifestyle

Sleep

Mental Well Being

Barrier Buster - I Hate Measuring Everything

5 Tips to help kids eat healthier || 5 consejos para ayudar a los niños a comer más saludable

All kids need to eat healthy. There are some powerful statistics and predictions about our children’s health in the USA and they are ominous. For instance, there are 12.7 million children who are either overweight or obese currently in the US. This means one in three children struggle with the physical, mental and disease consequences of living in a body that is heavier than it should be to live a healthy life. Alarmingly, children of obese parents have a 66% risk of becoming obese before adulthood. And it is predicted that the incidence of diabetes will more than double by 2050. In order to change the tide of these untenable trends and predictions, it is important for all of us to embrace a healthy lifestyle and help our kids discover delicious, whole foods as well as the fun in eating healthy. With a little planning and creativity suited to your family and the kids in your life it is possible to shift to a healthier lifestyle and sustain healthy eating changes long term. Make it the way you live. Below are some tips to help kids eat healthier developed with information provided by ChooseMyPlate.gov. 

Todos los niños necesitan comer sano. Existen estadísticas notables sobre la salud de nuestros niños en Estados Unidos y son siniestras. Por ejemplo, hay 12.7 millones de niños con sobrepeso y obesidad actualmente en nuestro país. Esto significa que uno de cada tres niños lucha con las consecuencias físicas, mentales de vivir en un cuerpo que es más pesado de lo que debería ser para vivir una vida sana. De manera alarmante, los hijos de padres obesos tienen un 66% de riesgo de volverse obesos antes de llegar a la adultez. Se predice que la incidencia de diabetes se habrá más que duplicado para el año 2050. Para cambiar el rumbo de estas tendencias y predicciones insostenibles, es importante que todos adoptemos un estilo de vida saludable y ayudemos a nuestros niños a descubrir lo divertido que es comer alimentos enteros, sanos y deliciosos. Con un poco de planificación y creatividad adecuada es posible cambiar a un estilo de vida más saludable y mantener los cambios a largo plazo. ! Adapta estos cambios a tu forma de vida! A continuación, algunos consejos para ayudar a los niños a comer de una forma más sana y desarrollada con la información proporcionada por ChooseMyPlate.gov.

5 Tips to help kids eat healthier 

5 consejos para ayudar a que los niños coman más saludable

1. Role Model eating fresh vegetables and fruits

It starts with all of us as adults embracing healthy eating. Our children learn their eating habits from the adults in their lives. We need to change if we want our children to change and grow up healthy.

1. Conviértete en un buen modelo de vida al comer verduras y frutas frescas

Todo comienza con nosotros como adultos adoptando una alimentación saludable. Nuestros hijos aprenden sus hábitos alimenticios de los adultos en sus vidas. Necesitamos cambiar si queremos que nuestros hijos cambien y crezcan sanos.

2. Let your child choose which vegetable they would like to have for a meal

It makes sense, and studies show us, that if a child can choose the food they would like to eat they are more likely to try it…and like it.

2. Deja que tu hijo elija qué verdura les gustaría comer con sus comidas

Tiene sentido, y los estudios demuestran, si un niño puede elegir la comida que le gustaría comer, es más probable que la pruebe y le guste.

3. Introduce new healthy foods, one at a time at a meal

Change takes time. Introducing new foods can be overwhelming. Discovering new foods one at a time sets everyone one up for a successful healthy lifestyle long term.

3. Introduce nuevos alimentos saludables, uno a la vez en cada comida

Cambio toma tiempo. La introducción de nuevos alimentos puede ser agobiante. Descubrir nuevos alimentos poco a poco permite éxito para una vida saludable.

4. Let your child serve themselves, encouraging them to take small amounts at first to try all foods provided at a meal

Learning to serve up right-sized amounts of food is key to learning how to eat healthy. Trying out new foods in small amounts allows a child to try it out without feeling overwhelmed. It is always good to let a child practice healthy eating habits.

4. Permite que tu hijo se sirva a sí mismo alentándolo al principio a servirse cantidades pequeñas para probar todos los alimentos disponibles.

Aprender a servir cantidades adecuadas es clave para aprender a comer saludable. Probar nuevos alimentos en pequeñas cantidades permite a que tu niño lo pruebe sin incomodarse. Siempre es bueno dejar que un niño practique hábitos alimenticios saludables.

5. Offer the same foods for the whole family

In order to instill healthy habits it is important that everyone embrace them and that the whole family be engaged in trying, discovering and loving healthy foods. The easiest way to do this is to have everyone eating the same foods at a meal.

5. Ofrece la misma comida para toda la familia.

Para inculcar hábitos saludables, es importante que todos los miembros de la familia se comprometan a probar, descubrir y amar las comidas saludables. La forma más fácil de hacerlo es hacer que todos coman los mismos alimentos durante la comida.

Help Kids Live Healthy! ¡Ayuda a los niños a vivir sano!

FREE KIDS BOOK! During September, in support of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month (#NCOAM) Livliga is offering our brand new Spanish version of our children's book for FREE! If you would like one or know a kid who would enjoy their own copy, it is downloadable and in ebook format, just use this code at checkout: FreeKidsBookSpanish.

¡LIBRO GRATUITO PARA NIÑOS! Durante septiembre, en apoyo del Mes Nacional de Concientización sobre la Obesidad Infantil (#NCOAM) ¡Livliga está ofreciendo nuestra nueva versión en español de nuestro libro para niños GRATIS! Si desea una o conoce a un niño que disfrutaría de su propia copia, descargable y en formato de libro electrónico, simplemente usaun código al momento de pagar: FreeKidsBookSpanish.

Barrier Buster - Nutrition Is Too Complex

How to Make AND Enjoy Healthy Meals With Your Kids || Cómo preparar y disfrutar de comidas saludables con tus hijos

September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. It is a great time to focus on our kids, what they eat and how they can be active in order to live the healthiest life they can. All children should and can be included.

Septiembre es el Mes de Concientización sobre la Obesidad Infantil. Es el momento perfecto para enfocarse en nuestros hijos, en lo que comen y en cómo pueden ser activos para vivir una vida más sana. Todos los niños deben y pueden estar incluidos.

Preparing more meals at home is a great family activity. It is also cheaper and healthier for your family. When you prepare meals at home you can control the amount of salt, sugar and fat added because of the recipes you choose as well as the way you choose to prepare your food.

Una gran actividad familiar es preparar más comidas en casa. También es más barato y saludable para tu familia. Al preparar las comidas en casa, tienes mejor control sobre la cantidad de sal, azúcar y grasa añadida debido a las recetas que elijas y en la forma en la que se preparan.

Sometimes thinking about meals, especially with young children in mind, can seem overwhelming. Being a mom of three kids, I have developed a variety of helpful tips along the way. A little patience and pre-organizing makes a big difference in the outcome of everyone’s experience in preparing meals together.

A veces, el pensar en que cocinar, especialmente teniendo niños pequeños en cuenta, puede parecer abrumador. Siendo madre de tres niños, he desarrollado una gran variedad de consejos útiles durante mucho tiempo. Un poco de paciencia y organización previa hacen una gran diferencia en la experiencia de todos al preparar comidas juntos.

Involving your kids in meal choosing and preparation can actually make mealtime more pleasant and fun. Children, regardless of their age can contribute. There is no reason you should be fixing a meal all by yourself…at least not everyday! It is also a great way to help your children learn about different foods, what goes into making a balanced meal and how to help out. When your kids are part of meal making they are going to have a “pride of authorship” about the meal and are more likely to try out new foods and new combinations of foods. Involving your children in food preparation successfully does require some pre-organizing, however. Here are eight tips that can help:

Al incluir a tus hijos en la elección y preparación de la comida puedes hacer que la hora de la comida sea más placentera y divertida. Independientemente de sus edades, todos los niños pueden colaborar. No hay razón por la que debas preparar la comida sola ... ¡Al menos no todos los días! También es una gran ayuda para que tus hijos aprendan sobre los diferentes alimentos, lo que implica hacer una comida balanceada y cómo ayudar. Cuando tus hijos forman parte de la preparación de comidas, tendrán un "orgullo de autoría" sobre la comida y es más probable que prueben nuevos alimentos y nuevas combinaciones. Sin embargo, para tener una participación exitosa con tus hijos, se requiere cierta organización antes de empezar. Aquí hay ocho consejos que pueden ayudar:

1. Plan ahead. Thinking about the week ahead and the meals you will prepare helps save you time and money in the long run. By organizing ahead of time you can make sure there are meals your kids will like and can help prepare. You can all shop ahead so you know all the ingredients you need are in your kitchen ready to use.

1. Planifica con anticipación. Piensa en las comidas que quieres preparar para la próxima semana, pensar en largo plazo te ayudará a ahorrar tiempo y dinero. Organizar con anticipación te ayudará a asegurar de que haya comida que a tus hijos les gusten y puedan ayudar a preparar. Todos pueden comprar con anticipación para saber los ingredientes que se necesiten y estén listos para usar.

2. Pick recipes with only a few ingredients (6-10 is ideal) and that are easy to find at the grocery store. As you and your kids get more comfortable with cooking you can add more complexity. Check out the directions too; make sure they are not complicated to follow since you want the experience to be fun and non-stressful.

2. Elige recetas con pocos ingredientes (6 a 10 es ideal), fáciles de encontrar en el supermercado. A medida que tu y tus hijos se sientan más cómodos en la cocina, puedes agregar más complejidad a tus comidas. También asegúrate consultar las instrucciones que no sean complicadas de seguir ya que deseas que la experiencia sea divertida y no estresante.

3. Choose 2 or 3 recipes you think are kid-friendly and that you like, then have your kids choose which one they want to help make. This is a great first step for getting them engaged.

3. Elige 2 ó 3 recetas aptas para niños y que les gusten, luego deja que tus hijos elijan la receta que más quieran ayudar a hacer. Éste es un gran primer paso para incluirlos.

4. Take your kids to the grocery store with you. Let them help pick out the ingredients for the recipe they chose. Make it like a treasure hunt.

4. Lleva a tus hijos contigo al supermercado. Permite que ellos ayuden a escoger los ingredientes para la receta que eligieron. Conviértelo en una búsqueda del tesoro.

5. Involve your children in preparing the food. The experts say our children are more likely to try new foods, eat healthier and enjoy variety if they participate in food preparation. Levels of involvement will vary depending on their age. The youngest can wash vegetables or mix ingredients in a bowl. Older children can be put in charge of an entire recipe where you support with feedback and sourcing ingredients.

5. Incluye a tus hijos en la preparación de la comida. Los expertos dicen que nuestros hijos tienen más probabilidades a probar alimentos nuevos, comer más saludable y disfrutar de variedad si participan en la preparación de las comidas. Los niveles de participación variarán según su edad. El más joven puede lavar verduras o mezclar los ingredientes en un tazón. A los niños mayores se les puede poner a cargo de una receta completa y apoyar con comentarios y guías sobre los ingredientes.

6. Avoid snacking too close to your meal. It is better to be hungry at mealtime. Everyone will enjoy his or her food more. When you are hungry all your senses are heightened so you smell more, taste more, see colors more. Ideally snacks should be eaten two or more hours before meals.

6. Evita comer entre comidas. Es mejor tener hambre a la hora de comer. Todos disfrutarán más de su comida. Cuando tienes hambre, todos tus sentidos se intensifican: hueles más, saboreas más, y ves más colores. Idealmente, las botanas se deben comer dos o más horas antes de cada comida.

7. Make sure to sit at a table for your meals. Let your children help set the table. It is part of making a healthy meal.

7. Asegúrate de sentarte en una mesa al comer. Deja que tus hijos ayuden a poner la mesa, es parte de crear una comida saludable.

8. Enjoy your meal. Make it a positive experience. Talk about how fun it was to cook together. Have fun savoring the meal. Your children will mirror your behavior.

8. Disfruta tu comida. Haz que sea una experiencia positiva. Habla sobre lo divertido que fue cocinar juntos, diviértete saboreando la comida. Tus hijos reflejarán tu comportamiento.

More and more studies show eating at home, having your children participating in meal preparation and sitting round a table for dinner makes a significant difference in what your children eat and their ability to embrace a healthy lifestyle long term. It is as much about the experience as it is about the food you choose to serve.

Cada vez hay más estudios que demuestran que el comer en casa junto a tu familia y la participación de tus hijos en las preparaciones de comidas marcan una diferencia significativa en lo que ellos comen y su capacidad para adoptar un estilo de vida saludable a largo plazo. Se trata tanto de la experiencia como también de las comidas que eliges para servir.

For kid-friendly recipe ideas go to my blog and check out the Sammie and Sax recipes on the LivligaHome.com website.

Para más ideas de recetas amigables para los niños visita mi blog y las recetas de Sammie y Sax en la página web LivligaHome.com.

FREE KIDS BOOK!

During September, in support of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month (#NCOAM) Livliga is offering our brand new Spanish version of our children's book for FREE! If you would like one or know a kid who would enjoy their own copy, it is downloadable and in ebook format, just use this code at checkout: FreeKidsBookSpanish.


¡LIBRO GRATUITO PARA NIÑOS!

Durante septiembre, en apoyo del Mes Nacional de Concientización sobre la Obesidad Infantil (#NCOAM) ¡Livliga está ofreciendo nuestra nueva versión en español de nuestro libro para niños GRATIS! Si desea una o conoce a un niño que disfrutaría de su propia copia, descargable y en formato de libro electrónico, simplemente usaun código al momento de pagar: FreeKidsBookSpanish.

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

Barrier Buster - I Don't Have Time To Cook

Who are Sammie & Sax? The story behind our children’s adventure book

People have asked me how I came up with the story of Sammie & Sax. The truth is I have always been a storyteller. When my children were little I concocted bedtime stories about "The Kingdom of Good" where they would be the characters in the stories going on adventures, solving the problems of the kingdom and doing good.

Stories are really the way we learn and pass on information. Making it fun and entertaining is the magic of effective teaching. Because Livliga and Kidliga are all about teaching portions: real, right-sized serving sizes; and proportions: how much of each type of food we should eat… I knew we needed a story that would incorporate these concepts.
 
After more studying I realized that the most fundamental idea for eating healthy is learning about a balanced meal.  A balanced meal is all about types of foods, proportions of those foods and their appropriate amounts at a meal. There are studies that show most people do not know what a balanced meal is today. How can we teach our kids about a balanced meal and healthy eating if we are not clear about it ourselves? That is when it came to me to write a book for young children that their parents and caregivers could read to them. Everybody could learn together and have fun doing it.

I wanted it to be an adventure book with children as the central characters. It needed to be a book where they were charged with discovering the answer to a question posed that needed to be resolved through their experience. And, of course, adventures need to have a bit of magic to them.

Sammie and Sax became the central characters. I chose to have them be a sister and brother. Sammie is an outgoing 8 year old who can’t get enough of fruits and vegetables. She loves to sing and is a fantastic big‑sister to Sax. Sax is 6 and is in the 1st grade. He's Sammie's younger brother, and his very best friend is the mischievous family dog, Rhubarb. Sax is extremely curious and loves to solve mysteries. As is the case in our own family, our kids grew up with dogs that went on many adventures with them.  It seemed natural that Sammie and Sax would have a dog and that he would go with them on their trips to magical lands. That is how Rhubarb came to be.

The book evolved into a mixture of a fairytale and an adventure with a lesson to be learned. In a lot of fairytales there is the vehicle to help the characters to get from one situation to another. Dorothy had her red shoes, Rapunzel had her long hair, and Cinderella’s godmother had a magic wand. Since our book was focusing on healthy eating and balanced meals it occurred to me that our LivSpoon could become the magical tool to help Sammie, Sax, and Rhubarb get from one place to another.

It has always been the plan to make the adventures of Sammie and Sax a series.  There is so much we can teach and share about healthy eating and living a healthy lifestyle to our children. Sammie and Sax in the Land of Quinoa: The Search for a Balanced Meal is only the beginning.

We also have so many ways we can offer additional information to complement the books and the lessons within them. We have a dish set designed just for children and incorporating the characters from the book, a puzzle, recipes, mazes, coloring pages, and an activity booklet. We even have a DIY placemat that kids can make for themselves.

Most recently we have translated our book into Spanish so more kids can meet Sammie and Sax and learn about healthy eating. It is done as a ebook so it can be made available for a very nominal price ($2.99) and accessed anywhere in the world where children speak Spanish. The characters and some content has been modified in the book to make it more culturally relevant too.

FREE KIDS BOOK! During September, in support of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month ( #NCOAM ) Livliga is offering our brand new Spanish version of our children's book for FREE! If you would like one or know a kid who would enjoy their own copy, it downloadable and in ebook format, just use this code at checkout: FreeKidsBookSpanish.

¡LIBRO GRATUITO PARA NIÑOS! Durante septiembre, en apoyo del Mes Nacional de Concientización sobre la Obesidad Infantil (#NCOAM) ¡Livliga está ofreciendo nuestra nueva versión en español de nuestro libro para niños GRATIS! Si desea una o conoce a un niño que disfrutaría de su propia copia, descargable y en formato de libro electrónico, simplemente usa un código al momento de pagar: FreeKidsBookSpanish.

Enjoy! And Live vibrant....or as Sammie and Sax would say, “Zoom, zoom, away!

Barrier Buster - I Think My Scale Is Wrong

10 Reasons to Like the Cooking Light Diet

Cooking Light Diet, which is an online program you can subscribe to, is the answer to many frustrations and challenges associated with being on a diet. Some of the frustrations are: there is a lot of planning when you are on a diet; you have to stay within a plan and often that includes a specific calorie target for each day; in order to control what you eat you need to eat more at home and prepare more meals; preparing more food means you need to be organized and have the food you need on hand; and if you are a foodie, like me, the food has to be tasty and visually appealing so I can stick to it and succeed on the diet. With all the planning and organizing a diet can seem overwhelming and really time consuming. The Cooking Light Diet addresses all these frustrations and challenges to make it much more manageable and doable to be on a healthy diet.

I tried it out personally and lost 20 pounds! So bottom line—it works!

Here are the 10 Reasons to Like the Cooking Light Diet:

1. All meals are planned for the whole week, including snacks.
2. Meals can be swapped out so you don’t have to prepare something you don’t like.
3. A grocery list is easily generated for the meals you plan to prepare.
• The cool thing to point out here is that you can choose the meals you will make and the grocery list is automatically tailored to include only those meals you choose.
• Another neat feature is that you can send the list to your phone and refine the list further so you only buy what you need and don’t already have in house.
4. You can download the menu list so you can see at a glance what meals you will be preparing through out the week. They also send you daily reminders by email.
5. You can download each individual recipe to use when preparing your meal.
6. Everything is printable which is really helpful.
7. Saving recipes you like is very easy; all you have to do is click on the “book” icon.
8. There are diet options within the Cooking Light Diet so if you want to follow a low carb diet or want it to be vegetarian or gluten free there is that choice within the program. You can also choose your daily plan for calories.
9. There is a feature to track your goals (which are adjustable), see long term progress, and graphs pounds down. It even includes badges to celebrate your successes.
10. The cost is very reasonable—only $38 every 6 months!

There were only a few detractors I found to following this diet plan long term. The first is that there is a fair amount of repetition in the recipes. I also found some of the menus odd if you choose the low carb option. There seemed to be no attention paid to how the food would look on the plate to make it colorful and attractive. Often there would be two green vegetables with meat for the meal. Finally, I was really surprised there was no attention paid to seasonal foods in the menus. That to me is a real missed opportunity.

Overall I really like this online diet based on healthy eating. The recipes were tasty and pretty easy to make. Because you can swap out options, I found that made it easier to not only choose what I liked but also choose easier recipes, especially for snacks, that were less time consuming to assemble. Bottom line, I found it is a diet you can stick to and succeed with.