Lunch Box Recipes from The Sneaky Chef

Cooking instructor and the best-selling author of The Sneaky Chef, Missy Chase Lapine knows it's sometimes tough to get kids to eat healthy foods.  Raising a picky eater herself, Lapine found a solution when she created kid friendly recipes that were packed with secret nutrients.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Lunch Box Recipes from The Sneaky Chef, Lapine shares her recipes for Brainy Brownies and Mac 'n Cheese Muffins, along with two of her secret, nutritious puree recipes.

Gluten-Free Living

The View's Elisabeth Hasselbeck has been gluten-free for seven years.  She credits her increased energy, improved memory and alertness, and her freedom from muscle and joint pain to her gluten-free lifestyle.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Gluten-Free Living, Hasselbeck shares the health benefits of living gluten-free.

Make Weight Loss a Reality in Your Life

Matt and Suzy Hoover first met as contestants on NBC's Biggest Loser Season 2. The show changed their lives in more ways than either expected.  Matt lost 157 pounds and won the grand prize. Suzy won 2nd place with her 95 pound weight loss.  And they both won a place in each other’s heart when they fell in love in the months following the show’s finale.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Make Weight Loss a Reality in Your Life, Matt shares important life lessons he learned while on his weight-loss journey.

Energize Your Life Without Draining Your Budget

Those of us trying to shed extra pounds know that body weight, calories-in, and calories-out are factors that need to work together for weight-loss success.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Energize Your Life Without Draining Your Budget,  personal trainer and author Jim Karas shares simple things you can do to positively affect these three variables and energize your life – without breaking the bank!

What Not to Eat

Fad diets come and go, but the diet you can and should stick with for life is one that promotes overall health.  In this edition of A Closer Look: What Not to Eat, CBN News reporter Lorie Johnson shares with you foods to avoid, as well as which ones to include, when finding a diet that’s right for you.

Eat Like a Skinny Chick

Author and nutritionist Christine Avanti knows the best way to stay fit is by eating real foods, not just salads.  Having tried every major diet, as well as some of the gimmick ones, Avanti developed the "Skinny Chicks" eating program, which is designed to give your body what it needs, when it needs it.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Eat Like a Skinny Chick, Avanti shares a sample meal plan and some of her favorite recipes: Apple Maple Pecan Parfait, Turkey Sandwich, Grilled Chicken Cilantro Lime Wrap, Filet Mignon with Mushroom Sauce,  and Herbed Mashed Potatoes

Your Supermarket Survival Guide

Matt Goulding is the food and nutrition editor of Men's Health magazine and the co-author of Eat This, Not That!   With obesity rates soaring, food costs climbing and food budgets shrinking, Goulding and his co-author David Zinczenko devised a supermarket guide to help shoppers take control of their wallets and waistlines.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Your Supermarket Survival Guide, Goulding shares tips you can use to become a savvy shopper.

Train Your Brain and Lose Weight

Medical/diet expert and host of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club, Dr. Ian Smith says that losing weight is 80 percent mental and 20 percent physical.  Being unprepared mentally is the first and biggest mistake people make when they begin their weight loss programs.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Train Your Brain and Lose Weight, Dr. Ian shares some key points that are foundational in training your brain for successful and lasting weight loss.

Unlock the Secret to Weight-Loss Success

Low Carb, Low Fat, Mediterranean, Zone.  With so many diets to choose from, it’s hard to know which diet is right for you.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Unlock the Secret to Weight-Loss Success, CBN News Reporter Lori Johnson shares her findings for lasting weight loss.  

No-Diet Weight Loss

Author and food and nutrition editor Matt Goulding knows you need more than a good diet book to navigate your way through today’s maze of supersized meals and empty calorie foods.  In this edition of A Closer Look: No-Diet Weight Loss, Goulding shares with you an eating plan you can use in the real world, including fast food restaurants.

Soy - Too Much of a Good Thing?

A long time food staple, soy has been celebrated for the benefits it brings to hearts, bones, and overall health.  But nutritionists and doctors warn that too much processed soy can pose serious health risks.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Soy - Too Much of a Good Thing?, CBN News Reporter Gailon Totheroh shares the benefits and dangers of soy.

The Flu Shot – Help or Hype?

Is getting a flu shot the best way to prevent getting sick – or is it a shot in the dark?  In this edition of A Closer Look: The Flu Shot – Help or Hype?, CBN News Reports Gailon Totheroh shares the pros and cons of flu shots, as well a natural alternative you can take to guard yourself against the flu this winter.

Is Your Sugar Substitute Making You Fat?

Research shows us that sugar substitutes give us much more than great taste and zero calories.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Is Your Sugar Substitute Making You Fat?, CBN News Reporter Gailon Totheroh shares current studies that point out dangerous health issues related to artificial sweeteners, including their link to obesity.

Sugar - Dangerously Sweet

Sugar – it's in practically everything we eat, making it nearly impossible to avoid.  So, it isn't surprising to hear that obesity and diabetes is growing at an alarming rate, even among children.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Sugar - Dangerously Sweet,  CBN News reporter Gailon Totheroh identifies various sweeteners and shares how to you can keep your sugar intake in check.

Reverse Toxic Fat

According to Dr. Barry Sears, if you’re fighting a weight problem, it might not be your fault!  Dr. Sears believes America’s obesity problem stems from a steady diet of refined carbohydrates and vegetable oil, which causes high levels of toxic fat in the body.  As a result, Americans are plagued with host of chronic diseases (allergies, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, Lupus, etc.).  In this edition of A Closer Look: Reverse Toxic Fat, Dr. Sears shares ways you can reduce toxic fat in less than 30 days.

Star Quality Target Toning

Personal trainer Rob Parr has 20 years experience helping movie stars and sports celebrities get in shape.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Star Quality Target Toning, Parr gives tips to get in shape and target tone specific areas. 

Every Man's Weight Loss Secret

As a personal trainer and nutritionist, Mike Levinson helped others get fit and stay fit.  So, no one was more surprised than he was when he gained 50 pounds as a new dad!  Using his expertise in exercise and nutrition, he developed a fitness plan that not only helped him get fit in record time, but it can help you too.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Every Man's Weight Loss Secret, Levinson shares his fitness plan and the secret weight loss weapon that all men have.

Omega-3 - The REALLY Good Fat

Fish are an excellent source of protein and a natural source for Omega-3 fats – good fats that can improve your heart, brain, and joint health.  In this edition of A Closer Look: Omega-3 - The REALLY Good Fat,  CBN News reporter Gailon Totheroh talks about the benefits and how you can get more Omega-3 fats in your diet.

Lower Your Risk of Heart Attack

In the United States alone, billions of dollars are spent each year on cholesterol-lowering drugs.  But is lowering cholesterol the best, most effective way to reduce your risk of a heart attack?  In this edition of A Closer Look, Lower Your Risk of Heart Attack, CBN News reporter Gailon Totheroh shares the benefits and short comings of statin drugs, as well as other preventative measures you can take.

Make Your Food Your Medicine

Dr. John LaPuma, also known as ChefMD, believes eating well is your best defense against disease and you can do it without sacrificing flavor!  In this edition of A Closer Look: Make Your Food Your Medicine, Dr. LaPuma shares 10 things you can do to immediately start improving your health!